Friday, March 21, 2003

I'm only human. That's why sometimes typographical errors happen when I write. It's also why I feel compelled to write stuff down. Kinda like this:

"Mr. Senn, are we right to trust these damn turncoats? I think they're leading us into a trap," I asked my superior officer.
"It's not your place to think of such stuff, Jimmy. Your job is to call out what's happening around us so we live to fight another day," he replied.
"I guess so. Hey, Private Koji, what do you think?"
"Bad guy at 10 o' clock! Missiles launch detected!" our Koshi pilot cried out over the comm. That was Koji for you. He gets his English straight as often as he hits targets in the range. Which isn't a good thing. The good thing is that he's also perceptive.
"Confirmed it, Mr. Senn. Arbalest, Banson's Raiders, judging from the colors and the ambush tactic."
Around us, the grunts were frantic. Some of them took cover behind the Ryoken II, not wanting to suffer the same fate as the Arbalest's victims. I sneered at them. What did they expect, that their buddies would welcome them with open arms? "It's a diversion, sir! They meant to lure us out here! We never should have believed their tales of a Raider stockpile. Now our LZ is defenseless!"
"It's just an Arbalest, Jimmy. Hardly any reason to get excited," Senn replied. But Koji's next words made a lie out of Caden Senn's platitude. "Second enemy 'Mech, detected! Moving to engage! Koji, out!" I checked my scanners. Another 'Mech had managed to close in on our location. I froze as I gazed at the readings. "Mr. Senn, sir, it's Frederick Bo's Shadowcat II !"
"They want to make a matter out of it, eh?" Caden asked rhetorically, to which I had no time to reply. "Let's go over and help Koji, then. He's not going to last long against that thing. Koji, fall back and form behind me. Watch that Arbalest!"
"Yokai!" came the shouted reply. Honestly, he reminded me of those characters in the old Tetsu Mashin cartoons.
The Shadow Cat II was leveling its Gauss Rifle at the Koshi when Koji did a burst of speed which had him behind Caden Senn's Ryoken II in a flash. Still, Mr. Senn urged the behemoth forward, and ordered me to ready the autocannons. I complied, and it was a terrible thing to behold, 75 tons of steel sporting with missiles primed and cannons spinning, reduced to blurs in the afternoon light of Pebble Valley.

A second volley of missiles flew from the Arbalest, and Frederick Bo noted with satisfaction as the smoked cleared, leaving bodies scattered everywhere. They deserved it, the traitors. His eyes were drawn, not to the 'Mechs in front of him, but on the second platoon of soldiers, still wearing the Banson distinctive gear, cowering behind the Koshi. "I'll deal with them later," he said to no one in particular. "Right now, the traitors must be destroyed." He wasn't afraid of the autocannons on the Ryoken II; he had marked it for execution at the last. Engaging the MASC, the quickly closed the gap between him and the standard foot.

Corporal Spirit watched as the Shadow Cat II ran towards them. "Quick, guys, our ride's here! It's the Headhunter, come to take us out of here!" This drew shouts of delight from the men, which turned into horror when they realized the 'Mech wasn't slowing down.

"The Kage Neko Niban has destroyed our infantry escorts!" Koji announced.
"Kage Neko ... oh, you mean the Shadow Cat II," I reasoned out. "What do we do now, Mr. Senn? Apart from these two, I see a J100 and some infantry further on."
"Koji, you distract this big alley cat as long as you can. We'll destroy their support and come back to help you finish it off. Understood?"
"Hai!" The Koshi went off to approach the much larger Shadow Cat II.
"Is this wise, sir? My calculations say that Koji doesn't have a chance against Bo. 'Mech weight, armaments, experience..."
"It's the only thing we can do, Jimmy."

Koji didn't last very long, four minutes, at most. To say that he got massacred by Frederick Bo's Shadow Cat II would be an understatement. But he didn't die; he ejected a few seconds before the 'Cat's fist smashed the Koshi's torso in. "We have their J100 in range, sir," I informed Caden Senn.
"Fire missiles!"
"Missiles away!"
The J100's escorts danced around as the ground exploded around them. I could hear their cursing and their yelling, thanks to the advanced electronics in the loft.

"The J100 is under attack. We must assist, Mr. Bo."
"Agreed. We move." With that, they headed for the besieged vehicle.

"Enemy 'Mechs inbound, sir!"
"That's alright. Head for that cliff wall; then we'll see what these Raiders are made of."

For raiders, they sure employ some very progressive tactics. As the two 'Mechs ran in and covered the vehicle, getting showered by LRMs in the process, the J100's escorts marched forward, intent on drawing our fire. They were successful, because Mr. Senn and I knew that even ground pounders could be trouble: you never knew if they had a stick of explosive putty in their pockets, just waiting for the right time to use it. Thankfully, the forward mounted autocannons coud swivel down and rain munitions on the grunts; a sudden shudder shook the Ryoken, throwing me out of my seat. "What the hell was that, sir?"
"What? You've never been hit by something at the speed of sound, Jimmy boy?"
"Is that what that was? I thought it was my mother. By the way, sir, we're one autocannon short now."
Another shudder shook us, smaller this time. Caden Senn had raised the arms of the 'Mech just in time to block a barrage from the Arbalest. "We're all pinned down, now. We can't move because of Bo, and they can't move because of us. What do you suggest, youngster?"
"Let's go have a shooting match with them, sir. As you say, we'll see what they're made of."
And so it happened. Missiles were flying for God knows how long, and somehow, each time, Mr. Senn managed to block all of their shots, while I was hard-pressed to split the salvos into two to hit both enemy 'Mechs. Then it happened. I forgot to give the split command to the right LRM rack, and all 15 missiles flew into the Arbalest's torso, destroying it instantly. Pieces of burning metal rained on the J100, and one of them landed squarely on the crane arm, snapping it.

"Eat this, Raider!!" Caden Senn shouted. Missiles flew again, blowing the huge Gauss rifle away from the Shadow Cat II's torso.
"Sir, we gotta slow down! Heat levels are critical, and I don't want to feel like a kettle of popcorn, sir!"
"Relax, kid, it's over now. Check your scanners and see what the other guy looks like."
I did as he told. "We've- we've knocked out all it's weapons, sir." A single missile exploded against the Ryoken II; I didn't feel it, but the computer said so. "Except maybe for that. Hold on, what's it doing?"
"Last ditch, kid. He's gonna try to tackle us to the ground, and maybe the RV driver has the same idea as well. I know these Raiders."
"Are we going to let it happen, sir?"
"Heck, no! Full power to legs. We're going to send him flying into tomorrow!!!"
And we did. An escape pod flew out as the Shadow Cat II flew up and away from the Ryoken II's fist. Not satisfied with this dramatic finish, Mr. Senn swiveled at the torso and told me, "She's all yours, kid." Grinning like a boy at Chirstmas, I lined up the the two crosshairs for the autocannons at the cockpit of the J100. "Sayonara, sucker." I hit the button on my console and the Recovery vehicle was bathed in bullets, then went up in a ball of flame.
"Nice job, kid."






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