Chapter 20
Date: June 8, 3028
Location: Shiloh, Free Worlds League
"Incoming missile," Bitchin' Betty announced, the warning locks screaming in Justin Hammer's ear to evade the flurry of missiles that were homing in on his Griffin. Despite the age of the 'mech, he was able to pivot on his side, hit his jump jets, and move a small hop away from the majority of the missiles, with two pickmarking the armor on his left side, the side without any armaments.
"I'm feeding telemetry data," Hammer spoke into his short company's frequency as he returned fire against the medium-weight lance that was scouting out the old Lyran world. "Primary target is the Trebuchet, then we can hammer the light 'mechs as they enter our crosshairs."
"Affirmative, lead," his primary lance began to respond. The missile carriers they'd bought a year and a half ago, along with the Scorpion, had been just the resurgence in material they'd needed amidst their contract issues back then. Even better, said vehicles and his ancient Griffin were the best machines they owned. The parts never seemed to wear out at the same rate everything they'd salvaged since did, and thei were also easier to repair.
So, when he told them to hit the Trebuchet, they did. Adam's team in the LRM carrier got a lock almost immediately, and Scott's team in the Scorpion began to unload the autocannon into the medium 'mech's legs while missiles arced around and fell around its shoulders.
"Hammer Lead, be advised, there's a Commando and a Locust moving to attempt to flank, we're going to cut them off," Castle reported. When they'd expanded after salvage, she'd moved into the Vindicator they'd salvaged from the Capellans six months ago. Her lance consisted of another pair of Scorpions and a Manticore they'd somehow managed to talk the FWL into footing the bill for the repairs in the last contract.
"Copy that, Castle," Hammer replied, striking at the Trebuchet'spartner that had finally shown up. "I've got an ID on the last of this lance. Looks like we've got a Wasphere to round out the rest of them."
The short company signaled their acknowledgement, and the small skirmish continued. Even if Hammer and his people outmassed the scout lance, he wasn't going to take chances. Besides, if he was right and that insignia was the unit he though, then the Black Cobras wouldn't be happy that he had wiped out one of their lone mercenary lances.
Major Burr wasn't the main head of the Black Cobras, but he was in charge of one of their battalions, and he had always been a spiteful man, and they'd look for contracts to hit Hammer and his people all the harder. Problem was, the Black Cobras had the funding and 'mechs to come after the scout lance and kill him and his people. He was going to have to reach back out to Siler's to see if they would allow him to purchase one or two of those Mackies.
Slow and old, might the tech be, but he couldn't really knock it after using the five-ton heavier Griffinthey'd bought from Siler's. It worked just as well as the other 'mechs he'd used. Something he put to careful use as he dodged the laser fire from the Wasp and retaliated with the strike from a PPC, the purple-blue bolt of manmade lightning struck the knee joint and sheered the leg off the light 'mech, causing it to fall to the earth and leave a trench where it had almost dug its own grave.
"Sarah, cover that Wasp," Hammer ordered the last tank commander that was a part of his lance. The SRM carrier was lethal to anything in range of it, and it was the perfect babysitter. "If he tries to get up, take out the cockpit."
"I'll see what I can swing, boss," Sarah said, and Hammer could hear the savage grin on the woman's face.
With that handled, he turned his attention back to the Trebuchet that was harassing his people.
"Attention Lyran Mercenaries, power down and surrender now, and we'll allow you to leave with your 'mechs and your pilot," Hammer broadcast on the open frequency. "We're keeping the Wasp."
"This is Lieutenant Dunman," the Trebuchet replied. "I didn't realize that the Free Worlds League was so down on their luck that they couldn't afford for people to have modern Griffins."
"If it works, it works," Hammer said, locking on and pulling the trigger on his twin LRM-5 racks, while also slamming his feet down on his jump jets, the plasma sending him soaring up and over the medium lasers that had attempted to carve away at him. Coming down on the side, Hammer grinned as Scott's Scorpion's class-five autocannon ripped the armor off the left shoulder of the 'medium 'mech. Leaving it vulnerable to the missile fire from Adam's LRM carrier.
Of course, now Hammer was in perfect range for an extra weapon Siler's salvage had installed on the 60 ton Griffin. The Medium laser bit deep into the already compromised shoulder and caused it to fall off the medium 'mech, the myomers connecting the shoulder and the torso cut by the lone laser after all the damage it had taken.
A few seconds later, Hammer's PPC rammed deep into the side of the torso, staggering Dunman and causing him to dump the ammunition bins on his 'mech before the autoeject system tried to kick him out of his 'mech.
Dunman's reactor must have sustained some minor damaged, because as he dumped the ammo, the heat signature on Hammer's thermal sensors lit up with a white-hot glow and the 'mech stopped moving for a critical few seconds.
Said seconds were just enough time for Hammer to get close and hammer the cockpit on the lighter 'mech with his fist, sending the stock-still 'mech crashing to the ground into a crater of its own making.
"This is Hammer Lead, we've eliminated the pair over here," Justin stated. "Castle, report."
"Enemy 'mechs are retreating," she reported. "It appears we've scared them off for now."
"Let's hope that Burr doesn't decide to make this a grudge match," Hammer sighed. "He outmasses us overall, and has the rest of the Crater Cobras to call on. Now, let's get salvage and recovery in here, it looks like we've got a pretty good haul."
Date: June 10, 3028
Location: Shiloh, Free Worlds League
"I want to sell the Wasp," Hammer looked around at the rest of his staff. "Now, I'm the first of us to admit that we need a light 'mech in the mix with everything else that we have. However, with the combat bonus we just earned, we've got enough that we can afford to gain a bit of an anchor for our forces."
"I don't like twenty-tonners," Adam said, stroking at his five o'clock shadow. "I'd be okay with selling it as long as we replace it with something that's better."
"Siler's is supposed to be done with supplying the local militia forces with the Mackie in the next few months," Castle stated. "Based on our previous negotiations, we can likely work our way into an early spot before the production has been sold out."
"So, instead of a light 'mech, we're going with an assault," Scott commented. "Isn't she supposed to be super slow?"
"Yes," Hammer admitted. "She's going to be the slowest of everything we have if we purchase her, and she's not going to have quite the range of everything else. But she'll have a class twenty, and I have no doubt that someone will underestimate it and we'll end up with more salvage that way."
"It's also only a single jump away," Castle stated. "I do think that this is a worthwhile investment, but that we will need to look into keeping any further salvage for our own use."
"I'd prefer we make this a vote among the senior officers instead of me just making the decision here," Hammer stated, looking around the table. "I think it's the better option for us in the long term. It'll give us an anchor for the lighter forces, and give us more firepower where it's important. But, we could also keep the Wasp and buy a Demolisher instead for the same price."
"There are pros and cons to every decision," Adam shrugged. "Way I see it, the 'mech's the easier thing to keep in the fight and maneuver over all sorts of terrain. So, my vote is for the Mackie."
"I want to have my cake and eat it too," Scott smirked. "Sorry, Adam, I want to take out a loan to buy the Mackie. We can afford the payments. Especially if we keep doing as well as we did today. Combat bonuses and salvage makes for a good day."
"If we could count on that, I'd agree," Sarah sighed. "But we can't. There's no possible way we maintain our current win ratio. We're eventually going to lose hard and we'll end up back where we started if we aren't smart about this. My vote is for the Mackie."
"Castle's lance always agrees with her," Adam commented. "So, we should just send someone to pick up the Mackie and start working it into our formations."
"I'll list the Wasp on the market," Hammer nodded. "It shouldn't be long before we get a few hits on it. Hell, the Cobras might want to buy it back. Seeing as it's all fixed now and we haven't stripped the paint off it yet."
"I guess that's all we've got to discuss then," Castle said. "I'll send a message to Edmund Blaze and we'll get started on the paperwork. Now that they're an approved distributor for the Free Worlds League, we may be able to get a discount due to the logistical support side of our contract with the local militia."
"Well, it's at least worth a shot," Hammer agreed. "I don't know anyone that wants to pay full price for a 'mech. That said, after our current contract's up, we might want to see about dipping our toes into the corporate world a bit."
"I'll ask around and see if they're looking to hire any security contractors in exchange for access to their facilities and discounts," Castle nodded. "It may very well be that it enables us to grow and get our forces truly repaired."
"It'll at least move us a bit further away from the border," Hammer shrugged. "I have a feeling that things are going to go very hot soon, and I'd rather have a gravy contract before it boils over."
"I think you just spoke for all of us, boss," Scott laughed. "Let's hope that they're looking to hire."