Birth of a New Legend: Book 3 of the Death Dealer Saga - Death’s Own Daughter.

by Jessie Wolf

  “You arrogant little cunt! Who do you think you are to defy your betters?! I was going to show mercy by allowing you to marry my son! Now you’ll just be dead and the Imperial throne will belong to its rightful Rulers.” The top mounted auto-cannon and the one in the left arm open up spraying out two hundred millimeter high velocity armor piercing rounds. I feel the impact from the top mounted AC as its rounds make hash of the armor on the left side of Vicky’s chest. Warning lights appear over the three lasers mounted there. The other AC hit the right side of her chest destroying one of the lasers mounted there and damaging the others.

  Oh Shit! There go half of my up close weapons. Not good. Not good at all. Those hits are going to force me to back off some and stay in his optimum range for his weapons. Damn I need to finish this before he can really hurt Vicky. If I don’t we’re both dead.

  Chapter 9

  This just got a whole lot more personal. I move Vicky as fast as I can into the right arms firing arch taking away the use of his left arm AC. That’s the Stone Rhino’s biggest weakness. They’re slow and have almost no maneuverability. He may have the biggest AC’s ever put on an APS, but shit for maneuverability. He literally has to turn his whole Suit to bring all that firepower to bear on a single target. Like the ancient blue water wooden warships he has to maneuver his whole Suit to be able to use all of his firepower. My speed is my greatest advantage in this fight. I should never have tried to fight that monster head on; he’s just too big for that.

  As I maneuver into his right hand arch I come under fire from two Hell Spawn IFVs’. In response to this six different AC rounds slam into the Stone Rhinos’ legs, a pair of titanium basketballs hammer home into its left side, and twin beams of chain lighting rip across its torso. I don’t stop to think about it I just keep moving towards his back. I have to get into his blind spot and hit him with everything I have left. I was a fool trying to take on this monster head-on. For two centuries the assault class APS’ have ruled the battle fields without challenge. There is good reason for this, when you’re the biggest and baddest of the big and bad not too many want to take you on. At least not in a fair fight.

  Finally I get into his blind spot. As I bring my weapons to bear I get hit in the back myself. “Vicky what the hell was that?! It feels like you just lost half the armor on your back.”

  “Just about that, Maiha. We took a hit from a rail gun. There’s a sixty ton Jackal in our rear firing arch. Maiha, we can’t take another hit like that, you have to turn and face him or we’re dead.”

  “NO! Damn it all to Hell! I have Victor Light in my sights! I won’t let him get away!” I fire my remaining six weapons into the back of the Stone Rhino, only to see nothing but armor and paint slag off. Damn it! I just don’t have enough time to hit him again without getting hit myself by the Jackal. I need to take care of him first then come back for Victor. As I wheel away from the Stone Rhino I’m barely in time. As three PPC blots, a rail gun and an AC burst just passed right through where I was. Either Victor is truly hated by his troops or there is true justice. While I might not have caused enough damage to take him out of the fight, that volley of fire did. Only one of the PPC’s hit but it didn’t matter. The rail gun and AC tore through what was left of the back armor. I know he’s hurt, but I don’t have time to take advantage of it.

  “Oh shit! Vicky are those what I think they are?”

  “If you think that they’re three Victory’s, a Hell Cat, and a Jackal then yes.”

  “You know that was a rhetorical question right?”

  “What’s that mean?”

  “AAAHHH! Vicky not now! We need more speed if we’re going to survive this.” I drop my crosshairs on the Jackal and fire my main guns. Both of the PPL’s burn into the cockpit killing its pilot instantly. The PPC’s turn its chest armor into melted slag.

  Alice screams over the lance com-link at me. “Wave Dancer, jog left now!” long dead reflex’s kick in and I follow her orders. Mere seconds later the twin beams of high powered death that is her signature slice through one of the Victory’s. In a blinding flash its reactor overloaded and blew. I never slowed down and just kept moving to the left across their fields of fire. I targeted Hell Cat firing all six of my weapons before it could bring its AC to bear. My left arm PPC and PPL hit it in the right shoulder join vaporizing the armor there and destroying the ammo feed for its AC rendering it useless. My two remaining medium pulse lasers stitched parallel lines across its chest to be joined by the PPL of my right arm. For some reason the PPC in that arm went wide of the target.

  “Vicky why did the right arm PPC miss?”

  “Í need to recalibrate it before you fire it again. That hit we took to the back nocked it out of alignment.”

  Damn not good. I need that bad boy if I’m going to survive this. Damn this just keeps getting more and more FUBAR. I need to end this fight and I need to do it now. About that time I heard the unmistakable scream of A-110 Wart Hogs. Oh hell they’re going to strafe the battle field and we’re in the middle of it all. Taking a quick look at the battle clock I see that the Hogs are right on time for the next part of their mission. Damn, this is all my fault, if I hadn’t lost my temper we would still be behind the berm. “All Storm Dancers return to your position now. Over”

  “Sorry Dancer, no can do. I’m tied up with a fifty ton Grizzly right now. What about you, Typhoon? Over”

  “Same boat as you are, Monsoon. Dealing with a Sherman and two Hell Spawn IFV’s. Tempest how you doing? Over”

  “SOL sis. I’m neck deep in Mad Dog IFVs with a Hell Cat in support. Can anyone give a hand? Over”

  “On my way, Tempest. I just finished off that asshole Victor Light. Mountain Mistress moving to help now. Over”

  “Vicky, get me a link to the mobile command post.” while Vicky is getting the link set I target the last of the Victory’s and fire everything I got one more time. I hope she got the right arm PPC realigned. I must have done something very good in a past life because all four of my main weapons all hit within feet of each other while the pulse lasers hit just below them on the legs. It doesn’t matter however as the PPC’s and PPL’s cut the Victory in half at the waist.

  “Got you your link, Maiha.”

  “Thanks, Vicky.” Taking a few seconds to make sure I don’t screw up this message I call Dana. “Short Stop this is Wave Dancer. Come in Short Stop. Over”

  “Go for Short Stop. Over”

  “Short Stop we have friendlies on the battle field mixed in with the bogies call of the Hogs. Over”

  “Oh shit, copy that; Wave Dancer calling off the Hogs now. Will redirect them to cut off the bogies retreat. Over”

  “Sounds good Short Stop. You’re doing good kid keep it up. Koneko swing right and lay down suppression fire on those damned IFV. Mountain Mistress, Tempest help’s on the way. Out” that’s when my worst fears come true.

  I watch in horror as two full flights of long range missiles slam home on one of my sisters Patton’s. I can tell by the paint scheme it belongs to Fuyuko. Within seconds her cockpit is erupting outward I send a prayer of thanks up to every God and Goddess as her ejection module rockets skyward.

  “Vicky! Get me a location for that son-of-bitch! NOW!” the anger that over takes me at the sight of my sister having to eject finally pushes me over the edge. I feel the COBRA o.s. take over. Gone was any control that I had. I was now on auto-pilot and the killing machine was in control. Vicky doesn’t bother to tell me what fired that missile volley, I didn’t need her to. There are only so many AP Suites that are equipped to fire long range missiles. I had two of them on my HUD both were over two thousand meters away, and I don’t care. They both out gun me packing two twenty missile rack launchers apiece. It didn’t matter what they had, they could have been loaded down with nukes for all that I cared. I was going to kill them both.

  I pushed Vicky to her top end speed and charged them. I got inside of their minimal engagement range before they had a chance to fire, hell
I was there before they even saw me. I got hard target locks on both and fired. I was may be fifty meters from them at this range the power of my main weapons would hit with their full force. Taking on two targets at once is dangerous at the best of times, in the middle of an all-out battle like this, it’s just plain crazy. There just too many things that can go wrong, but I was beyond reason. I wanted vengeance, and was going to have it. I watch as my left arm PPL hits the Long Bow APS in the upper left shoulder melting away the armor plate there. Its twin PPC hammers home on the missile launcher. The results were spectacular. Its own missiles cocked off destroying the Long Bow in seconds.

  The other Long Bow faired far better as both of my weapons only damaged the armor over its chest. It was able to return fire with the medium lasers that are mounted in its forearms. At this range he was able to hit me in the legs doing little more than burning away the paint. The s.o.b. wouldn’t last to see a third round. All four of my main weapons slam home dead center of his chest and destroying everything in their path, to blow out his back.

  I didn’t stick around to savor my win. I was in the heart of the enemy and a target rich environment. Everywhere I looked I saw Light, Daniels, and Moor. Before me was the full embodiment of all that I had come to hate, all the evil of man, everything I had tried to put a stop to in my life. I became at that moment the Angel of Death, and Vicky was my sword of vengeance.

  I pushed Vicky to the limits of her design. Every time that her heat spiked towards the red line shutdown I kept hitting the override. Her cockpit was like an oven on broil. The barrels of her PPC’s and PPL’s started to glow from the heat buildup from repeated firing. Her armor was pitted and cracked from repeated hits from everything from auto-cannons to PPCs’. In some places it was gone, leaving gaping holes to her insides. I hear my family screaming for me to pull back, but I’m too far gone. The COBRA is in full control and I’m just a passenger.

  Everything is just a blur for me now. I quit feeling a while ago. All I have is this need to destroy those that would dare harm my family and House. This driving need comes to a head when three assault class APS’ come into view. All of them have the personal crest’s for the Head of House for the three main rebel Houses. This fact is like a slap in the face, and brings me back to my senses. Vicky is beaten and battered, but not broken. However she is in no shape to take on these three monsters alone.

  Over the broad band wave link I hear the voice of what should be a dead man. Victor Light. “Well, well if it isn’t the upstart cunt. What did you honestly think that I would endanger myself by actually leading a charge against an entrenched enemy position? Please, I’m not a total fool, Nakatoma!” his laughter fuels my rage once again, but this time I keep control. The fighting around us has stopped. At my unsaid command Vicky shows me a tactical map of the battle field. The rebel Houses are completely surrounded. Over seventy percent of them have been destroyed or rendered useless.

  “I had hoped you would be a man, Victor. I guess I was wrong. I see you brought your playmates with you.”

  “Well, it just wouldn’t be right to leave them out of the fight now.”

  “Hello, Charles. The same to you, David. So glad you two decided to join the fight. It’ll save me the time of having to hunt you down and kill you. I can do it here and now.” The fact that I didn’t use their titles was a deliberate insult.

  Always the gentleman Charles actually makes his ninety ton Tyr bow. The man was a true master pilot. He is going to be a bitch to fight. “Why, thank you, Maiha. I look forward to you trying. However, your Mountain Lion is in no shape to take us on. Surrender now and we’ll show you mercy.” When I hear this I start to giggle. I just can’t help it. Shortly it becomes a full blown belly laugh.

  “Oh, thank you Charles. I truly needed that. I’m so happy that you have not lost your sense of humor. Don’t you fools realize that you are surrounded and over seventy percent of your forces are dead, dying, or have been rendered useless? David, you are no warrior, you’re a politician but even you should be able to see the futility of continuing this fight?”

  “I see nothing! You are the one who is surrounded. We have you here in front of us! You’re all alone! Before your troops and mercenaries can come to your aid you’ll be dead! And we will have the keys to the Imperial throne! Give up you ignorant, foolish, little girl before we have to kill you!”

  “That is where you are wrong, David Moor!” out of nowhere a one hundred ton Highlander appears. Holy shit! Where did mama come from? “My daughter is no fool nor is she ignorant. She may be small in size, but she is no girl. She is a grown woman. One to be feared and respected.”

  “You three fools have no idea of what you started. If she doesn’t kill you Charles Daniels I will.” Alice states as she walks Puss-in-Boots into view. “Oh, yes I claim the right to face you, you murdering piece of scum! I, Alison Ann Wendell, last child of Captain Steven Wendell who you left to die on Cold Foot, will be your executioner.” Oh hey! My baby was right here with me, she had made it through to stand beside me at the end.

  Something isn’t right though I don’t see Fuyuko or the twins. On the lances com-link I get a hold of mama. “Mama, are Fuyuko and the twins alright?” please oh please let them be ok.

  “Yes, Maiha, they’re fine. We’ll have to replace their Patton’s, but they are all safe and sound. Members of the Hell Hounds picked them up after they ejected from their Suits.”

  “You mean they all lost their Suits?” I was floored.

  “Unfortunately yes. They fought until they ran out of ammunition or overheated to the point they would explode. You can be proud of your little sisters. All three of them made ace two times.” I could hear the pride in her voice over my sisters’ accomplishments. For all three of them to make their second ace was fantastic, but the fact they were safe, sound, and out of the fight was better.

  “Will gentlemen it looks like we have our selves a little standoff here. Now that is a problem. See the way I see it you can pop your hatches and surrender saving us a whole lot of heart burn. You can tell us to go to hell, and try to fight it out. Then there is what’s behind door number three. Let’s make a deal!”

  It was goofy, adolescent, and downright silly I know, but I just couldn’t help myself. Here we are facing off against three almost pristine assault class APS’ and all us look like something not even a dog would drag in. I mean any sane preson would run when facing off against them. I know all of their weak points, so it should be an easy fight, but when you’re going up against a ninety ton Tyr, a hundred ton Mars, and a ninety-five ton Ares all bets are off. They didn’t name these three AP Suits all God of War for any reason. At almost three hundred tons combined with each one packing both the largest rail guns and PPCs’ ever put on an APS their fracking deadly. Of the three of us only mama’s Highlander would truly stand a chance in a fair fight.

  Time to play dirty. Flipping through my com links I get a hold of Dana. “Short Stop this is Wave Dancer. Over”

  “Go ahead, Wave Dancer. Over”

  “Short Stop do you have contact with the Hogs? Over”

  “That’s a roger, Dancer. What do you need them to do? Over”

  I hope like hell this works. “Short Stop I have three, I repeat three assault APS that I need a hit and run on. Can you arrange that? Over”

  “Can do. What’s the mission danger level? Over”

  Now normally I wouldn’t even think of making this call, but these are not normal times. “Danger Stupid Short Stop. They’ll only get one pass so tell them to make it count here are the positions.” As I give out our position and the position of the three traitors Dana gives out a soft whistle.

  “Dancer, that’s not Danger stupid, its Danger you’re out of your Fracking mind. You sure you want this? Over”

  “As much as I hate it, do it. Over”

  “Roger Wave Dancer. Good luck and God bless. Five minutes to the strike. Out”

  While I was talking to Dana mama and Alice had l
ined up with their chosen targets. This left me to face off against the true Victor Light and his Ares. At ninety-five tons it out weighed Vicky by fifteen tons and armed with one two hundred millimeter rail gun, a one hundred eighty millimeter PPC, four ninety millimeter plasma lasers, and a fifty millimeter Gatling gun I was in for the fight of my life. All I had left to fight with was Vicky’s two PPCs’ and PPLs’.

  Of her six medium lasers none were functional. Either destroyed or burned out by my overuse during my reckless run through the enemy. In other words I had lost over half of my weapons by being stupid and losing control. “Vicky, baby I’m sorry for losing control and putting you in danger like this. I’m sorry for getting you hurt in my reckless need for revenge. Can you forgive me?”

  “Maiha, you have nothing to be sorry for, did you forget I am a weapon of war. You were the first pilot I ever had that truly pushed me to the limit. I know that our chance of surviving a fight with an Ares is slim, but I believe you’ll do your best to bring us through in one piece.”

  “Ok baby girl, it’s going to get crazy here in about three minutes.”

  “Oh I know. Calling in an airstrike at this close range is without a doubt crazy. I think you need to let your mama and Alice in on what you’re up to though.”

  “Hay, you’re right. Open the link.” Seconds later I hear mama and Alice on the link. Both want to know why I keep stalling. “Because we have an airstrike due in two minutes so don’t move until it’s over.”

  Alice comes back first. “Are you out of your mind?! An airstrike with us this close? Do you know how deadly that is?!”

  “Yes Alice I do, now just do what I asked. I know what I’m doing here.”