The Scorpion Strikes

by Peter Stone © 1998

A BattleTech short story.

Outside the crowded pub the rain was pouring down, drenching anyone who was not prudent enough to wear a waterproof covering. But regardless of the weather's attempt to keep people in their homes or barracks, the pub still received it's usual crowd of high ranking Clanners. Nox had fallen to the Wolf Clan in February 3052, almost four years ago now: one of many worlds that used to be part of the Free Rasalhague Republic. The Wolf Clan 11th Battle Cluster had easily overrun the world's garrison of three regiments of tanks and standard infantry. And now with the Clans having made a cease-fire treaty with Comstar, Nox had become one of the worlds closest to the border with the Free Rasalhague Republic, and as a result, was always garrisoned with one of the Wolf Clans' frontline clusters. Now, in December 3055, the 4th Striker Cluster of Delta Galaxy was stationed on Nox, making the world's capital, Bolsun, their barracks.

The Bolsun Rock Pub served a variety of drinks, with a reputation of serving extremely strong alcoholic beverages so loved by the Clanners. As a consequence, the pub had quickly become a regular meeting place for the upper ranked Wolf Clan officers - all truebirths, of course.

The pub door swung open and three figures entered. They pulled off their overcoats and hung them on a rack by the door before speaking quietly amongst themselves for a moment. Two of the three spotted some familiar faces at one of the tables and headed over that way, while the third shrugged and headed instead for the bar on the other side of the smoke filled room, weaving his way amongst the packed tables with a gracefulness and ease that seemed almost out of place in a room full of warriors. The man reached the bar and ordered a strong drink, before sighing and straightening out his crinkled black and gold uniform. He paid no attention to the other Clanners on either side of him, but received his drink with the barest of nods to the bartender before giving him a crinkled note.

He rested his elbows on the bar and sipped at his drink, when a harsh voice sounded on his left, saying, "You know, Thumper, I heard that there is a mechwarrior in 4th Cluster who was captured by Clan Goliath Scorpion - except he was not good enough to be made abtakha! You have heard this, quiaff?"

The man in black ignored the comments, so the speaker's companion, a seven foot tall elemental, spoke, "Aff. I have heard such, Athen. Not all bondsmen are good enough to become accepted into their new clan as a warrior."

The man with the harsh voice, dressed in a Star Colonel's off duty fatigues, sniggered at his huge companion's comment. "That is true, Thumper. But this particular individual was something of a strange case. Did you know, I have heard that his father was actually from the Goliath Scorpion Clan, and was captured by us forty years ago. He was a good enough bondsman to be accepted into the Wolf Clan as a warrior, but it makes me wonder, when one of his progeny is retaken by his original Clan, that he is not accepted by them as a warrior. They released him to come back to Clan Wolf!"

The towering elemental frowned. "That is demeaning, Athen. Surely such a person should be relegated to one of the garrison clusters, as a common mechwarrior, quiaff?"

"Aff," replied Athen, "But it is not the case. This person is reputed to be the commander of the 4th Striker Cluster!"

"A star colonel!" exclaimed Thumper. "That cannot be, Athen. Can a bondsman rejected from another Clan become a senior officer in the most feared Clan of all? Surely this person has not earned a bloodname, quineg?"

Athen snorted. "Aff. The person has earned an honorable bloodname, only a couple of years ago, I have heard. This all seems somewhat strange, quiaff?"

Before the elemental could reply, the slender man in black put down his drink and in one fluid motion turned to face the man named Athen. He searched the other's face but showed no visible reaction. "There is something you wish to say to me, Star Colonel, quiaff?"

Star Colonel Athen Kederk sneered. "Oh, I am sorry, did our conversation disturb you? I was merely speaking about the commander of the 4th Striker Cluster."

The man in black pointed to a badge on his left collar, three red stars on a silver background. "I am the Star Colonel of the 4th Striker Cluster. Now, is there something which you wish to speak to my face, abtakha?"

The first speaker turned to the elemental and then back to the man in black. "Why Thumper, this here is Star Colonel Charles Dinour himself." Athen stepped closer to 4th Striker Clusters' commander. "Aff, there is something which I have wished to say to you for some time now. You are not fitting for your post. You bring shame to the Clan, getting yourself taken bondsman and then being released without becoming abtakha. Why, I have heard it said that your Galaxy Commander considers you so unreliable that he has allowed your command star to use only medium mechs! And Ice Ferrets at that!" Athen turned to his companion again, now laughing openly. "In fact, Thumper, the combined tonnage of Star Colonel Charles Dinour's entire command star is a mere two hundred and twenty five tons!"

"Quineg?!" exclaimed the elemental.

"Aff!" disagreed Athen.

"The mechs of your command nova weigh some three hundred and seventy tons, Star Colonel Athen..."

"Almost twice the weight." concluded Athen in triumph.

Charles Dinour took a step towards the two attempting to intimidate him, an edge now to his voice. "Are you attempting to say that your three hundred and seventy tons can achieve more than my two hundred and twenty five, quiaff?"

Athen nodded triumphantly. "Aff! Your pathetic command star could not even deal with one Spheroid assault lance!"

A smile began to play across Charles' slender face, and by now some of the other mechwarriors and elementals in the pub had noticed the arising confrontation. A number of them moved over to watch the discussion. These were nearly all of the 4th Striker Cluster, so they gave black stares to both new comers, who were only on the world on leave.

Still smiling, and acting as though he was not even aware of the support he was now receiving from the growing crowd of onlookers, Star Colonel Charles replied. "Star Colonel Athen Kederk, who I presume you to be by your Lion-Hearted insignia you wear, I can guarantee you that my pathetic, as you call it, command star could destroy not only one Spheroid assault lance, but three - and without losing a single mech!"

Athen Kederk laughed and slapped his companion on the arm. "An easy boast to make, Star Colonel, when we have a truce with the Spheroids that forbids us to attack them for at least another decade! Your claim is nothing but empty words!"

A new voice suddenly spoke from the front of the crowd of onlookers, "Star Colonel Athen Kederk, your attempts to intimidate one of my officers is pitiful, as is your 328th Assault Cluster. You fight in battle like stravags and old men!"

Both Star Colonels turned to see a slim, handsome man with blue eyes standing before them. "Galaxy Commander!" exclaimed Athen in surprise. This man was the recently promoted John Ward, given the office of Galaxy Commander of Delta Galaxy after Conal Ward disappeared mysteriously after the Battle of Tukkayid.

Star Colonel Charles Dinour addressed his superior with more respect, "Ovkhan. I did not see you there."

The Galaxy Commander nodded and turned his attention back to Athen Kederk. "Star Colonel Athen, you have made a serious accusation here - and one that is entirely unfounded. The 4th Striker Cluster and 11th Wolf Guards Cluster are the best mechwarriors in the whole Clan - no one has been able to, or could, dispute this. We are the best!"

Athen had drunken too much to be more than a little nervous, so he met the Galaxy Commander's eyes stubbornly. "Unfortunately, Galaxy Commander, this issue can not be proven in battle against the Spheroids - this stravag truce has made it so, quiaff?"

John Ward laughed. "Neg, Athen Kederk. You are incorrect. There is a way in which this issue can be decided. You declared that the command star of Charles Dinour could not best even a single Spheroid assault lance, and he responded that he could best three without a single loss. Now, it just so happens to be that I know of a trinary of dezgra freebirth warriors, all piloting assault and heavy Spheroid mechs, on garrison duty on Butte Hold. So I put to you this batchall. You shall join myself and Charles Dinour's command star and we shall go to Butte Hold, where he shall fight a Trial of Grievance over this difference of opinion. Charles' command star will be pitted against this free birth trinary, who would be of comparative strength to three Spheroid assault lances. Now, Charles Dinour, what shall you offer if you should fail this Trial?"

Star Colonel Charles, a slight smirk still upon his face, turned to Athen while he answered his Galaxy Commander. "I pledge that my command star will fight to the death. There shall be no surrender or quarter asked, Ovkhan."

John Ward nodded. "Very well. Now, Star Colonel Athen Kederk, what shall you offer should Charles achieve his boast that he can destroy all three opposing stars?"

Athen seemed to think for a moment, and still confident that Charles could not possibly achieve his boast, said, "Should Star Colonel Charles Dinour achieve his goal, I shall perform surkai, the Right of Forgiveness, publicly before the whole 4th Striker Cluster. In punishment, I vow that myself and all of the members of my command nova shall then pilot only Ice Ferrets mediums from there on in."

Almost revelling, John Ward then addressed both parties. "Seyla. Star Colonel Athen Kederk, you will report to my dropship, the Lightning, at first light in the morning; and Star Colonel Charles Dinour, you will do the same, and bring with you your entire Command Star."

Both men replied, "Seyla."

* * *

Star Colonel Evon was walking slowly across the spaceport tarmac, an dour expression across his face as he muttered to himself. He flicked his silver hair out of his blue eyes and cursed when he tripped over a welding rod left lying on the ground by the local techs. His face contorted into rage and he turned and kicked the offending implement with all of his pent up anger, sending the object skittering across the tarmac. This action caused him to see the Union class dropship, the Lightning, that had arrived early this morning. He snarled and had to fight back his temper. "Why has this happened to me?!" he demanded to himself.

In his early years he had shown much talent in both his sibko, raised from the Ward genepool, and in all successive trials and combat. He had been granted the position of Cluster Commander of one of the free birth garrison clusters: the Nega Garrison Cluster, part of Epsilon Galaxy. But from there everything that could have gone wrong did so. His unit had failed miserably in combat by not following specific orders that were given to them during the Battle of Tukkayid by the Galaxy Commander - some of his warriors even deserted in shameless cowardice - and now his unit was disgraced, informally designated dezgra: and there was nothing he could do to change that. He gritted his teeth together in frustration and ground them mercilessly. His life was ruined. These people under his command whom he had dreamed of leading into glorious victories had shamed him, and he had watched all of his dreams slip through his grasp. All he had worked so hard to obtain was gone forever.

And every day since that fateful battle he had waited to receive a communication from his Galaxy Commander that would say that he had been demoted, that he would be replaced in his senior position in the Cluster.

But his superiors had decided another fate for him - a Trial of Annihilation. They would not demote him and publicly disgrace his trinary, no, they would destroy them instead. Not that they had actually called it an official Trial of Annihilation, no, of course not, but that is what it was, quiaff? His assault trinary, stationed on this pitiful backwater world of Butte Hold, was to participate in a "test" or "challenge" between two other Star Colonels. One had claimed that he could destroy three Spheroid assault lances with his command star of five small Ice Ferret medium Omnimechs, while the other had refuted this claim. And since there was an enforced peace between the Clanners and the Spheroids, the claim could not be validated. But then the first Star Colonel's Galaxy Commander had come up with this wonderful solution. Rather than test his star against Spheroids, how about against three stars of a free birth Clan garrison trinary, which consisted of heavy and assault second line mechs?

Evon clenched and unclenched his fists. The astute Galaxy Commander had found a way to both settle the dispute and rid the Wolf Clan of a dezgra commander and trinary at the same time.

A voice intruded abruptly into Evon's brooding. "Star Colonel..."

Star Colonel Evon span around to face the free birth woman mechwarrior who had approached him. "What?!" he spat at her.

Mechwarrior Rona braced herself at his outburst but showed nothing more than hatred in her eyes. "Star Colonel," she tried again, "You asked me to tell you when Bravo and Charlie Assault Stars were in position down at the Mishka Plains. They're ready now."

"Do not use contractions, freebirth!" Evon practically screamed at his underling before bringing his emotions back under control. "Look, Mechwarrior Rona, please, make an effort to show some discipline when you speak. We have some important people here with us, and aff, we will certainly all be dead by nightfall, but let us at least show some pride in ourselves, quiaff?"

Rona nodded curtly. "Aff, Star Colonel. But what are your instructions now?"

"With Bravo and Charlie Assault Stars in position, I will now report this to Galaxy Commander John Ward and our other guests. Please have all mechs, mechwarriors, and techs of our star report to the Lightning. We will be flown down to the Mishka Plains with Star Colonel Charles' command star."

Rona nodded. "As you wish, Star Colonel. I will carry out these instructions at once."

Not even glancing at his underling as she walked away, Evon continued to stride to the spaceport control centre, where all of his guests were currently waiting for him. He wrenched open the door and stalked to the operations room, promising himself that if this upstart Star Colonel of 4th Striker Cluster was going to kill him and his three stars, then he would make the guy work for it.

He entered the partially darkened operations room and took in the scene at a glance. A few techs were in the room performing their allotted functions, and seated together to one side were the three newcomers. Galaxy Commander John Ward, a tall and thin man, sat in the centre; on his right sat Star Colonel Charles Dinour, dressed shoulder to foot in black and gold, his face set in a mask of determination as he psyched himself up for combat; and on his left sat Star Colonel Athen Kederk, a smirk of confidence on his face.

Evon was about to speak and announce that all was about ready when one of the techs suddenly turned and gestured for his attention. "Aff, what is it?" he asked a little too harshly.

"Ah, Star Colonel," the tech began, "I am getting a transmission from a dropship that is approaching the planet." Everyone turned to face the tech. Another dropship? Who else could be coming to Butte Hold? The tech continued hesitantly, "Ah, the commander says that he is from the Jade Falcon Clan, and that he wishes to issue a challenge to our senior officer."

"What?!" all four senior Wolf Clan officers snapped in unison.

"What is a Jade Falcon dropship doing here?" John Ward demanded.

"Another jumpship arrived only a couple of hours ago, Galaxy Commander," the tech explained, "And a dropship detached and headed for us, but it has ignored all of our attempts at communication. We were expecting a cargo ship of supplies, so we figured that this mystery dropship was that cargo ship."

"Patch the Jade Falcon commander through to the comm screen here." the Galaxy Commander instructed the tech, pointing to a monitor which lay in a bank of instruments on his left. While the tech did so, the Galaxy Commander instructed Evon to move to the screen, while he and the other two gathered around just out of the screen's view. "The Falcon need not know of our presence here, Star Colonel. Just pretend that your cluster's trinary is the only unit here."

Evon nodded and turned on the screen. A large boned, harsh face filled it, a snarl twisting the large mouth past ugliness. The man sized up Evon and then spoke, hatred dripping off every word. "I am Star Colonel Dev Iler of the Jade Falcon Clan. I demand a Trial of Possession over Butte Hold. What forces dare defend this world from the steel talons of the Jade Falcon?"

John Ward indicated for Evon to put the call on hold. He did so, and then the Galaxy Commander spoke. "Well, we have an interesting situation, here. Charles, perhaps you will not need to fight against Evon's trinary after all. Evon, tell the Falcon that you bid two binaries."

Evon frowned. "But one binary is down at Mishka Plains. Shall we fly them back here, quiaff?"

John shook his head. "Neg. I am thinking that although you shall bid two binaries, only your own star and Charles' command star shall see action. The Falcon should bid one trinary in reaction to your bid, and I would say that pitting Charles' star and your star against three stars of Omnimechs would equate to three stars of Spheroid assault mechs, quiaff Kederk?"

Kederk, thinking that the three stars of Jade Falcon Omnimechs would make short work of Charles, nodded emphatically.

Evon took the Jade Falcon off hold. "Star Colonel Dev Iler, I, Star Colonel Evon of the Wolf Clan, bid my whole garrison of two binaries, three stars of which are free birth."

A look of surprise crossed the Falcon's ugly face. He was obviously only expecting three stars to be bid, not four. Now he would be wondering where the fourth star of true birth warriors had come from and what it contained. "Very well, Star Colonel Evon. I counter your bid with one trinary."

Now Charles Dinour indicated for Evon to put the call on hold again, and looked at a map of the area in his hands, before saying, "Tell him that the venue is two towns. This one, Endall, and Carpen, sixty kilometers further north. Both must be taken by nightfall, and his dropship must land directly between both objectives."

Evon looked startled. How could they defend two locations so far away with only two stars? He took the Falcon off hold. "Star Colonel Dev Iler, I choose the location to be two objectives. Endall and Carpen. You must land your dropship directly between them, and both must be taken by nightfall. I am transmitting a copy of a map to you now."

The big boned Falcon seemed surprised a second time, and then smiled voraciously. "Bargained well and done." He broke the communication.

Galaxy Commander John Ward turned to Charles Dinour. "Star Colonel Charles, I give command of this situation to you. Both your command star and Evon's Alpha Assault Star are yours."

Charles stood and smiled, lifting a black cat from the floor where it had been lying, previously unnoticed by Evon. He stroked the cat and said, "Star Colonel Evon, I give the task of defending Endall to you. Please take up your positions just outside the town and wait for the Jade Falcons to come to you. Apart from that, it is up to you: do as you please."

Evon raised his eyebrows. That was all? Did not the flash Star Colonel have some grand plan to defeat these three Jade Falcon Bravo Talons coming to claim the world? How could he possibly think that a medium assault star and a free birth second line star could defeat three elite Falcon stars? Well, there was one good thing. At least Evon's star would get to die at the hands of the Jade Falcons, their bitter rivals, and in an honorable Trial of Possession, not in an unofficial Trial of Annihilation.

So feeling somewhat encouraged, Evon sniffed and replied, "Seyla." before turning and leaving operations and the spaceport control centre. He pulled his communicator from his belt and requested the other four members of his star to meet with him at the northwestern corner of the spaceport tarmac rather than at the Lightning dropship.

* * *

Star Colonel Evon rubbed his index fingers and thumbs together subconsciously as he watched the array of monitors in his mech's cockpit. He was the only mechwarrior in his star of five mechs to pilot an Omnimech: an eighty ton Gargoyle. The other four members of his star all piloted second line Spheroid designs. The Gargoyle was a beautiful machine, perhaps the most agile and mobile assault mech available to either the Clans or Innersphere, capable of speeds of up to eighty six kilometers an hour. But what the mech had in speed it lost in firepower and armor. The total tonnage of weapons carried was little over twenty tons, less than half of what the hundred ton Dire Wolf carried.

Evon looked outside his cockpit canopy and studied the view. He had lead his star of five mechs to the north-western outskirts of Endall, only fifteen minutes from the spaceport, and had taken up positions on the western side of an old abandoned warehouse. Behind his five mechs and on their left was the fringe of a wood, denuded of leaves as this was mid autumn. Before them was a large open glade with a narrow stream trickling through the centre, and on the far side of the glade was another wood, again devoid of leaves or much undergrowth.

Evon expected the Jade Falcons to attempt to enter the town from this point, so he had decided to meet them here. He sighed and glanced in his tactical monitor to double check that his four companions were properly placed. On his right, standing between his own Gargoyle and the old concrete warehouse was Mechwarrior Sarai in her sixty ton Lancelot, capable of high speeds and moderate firepower. On his left was Mechwarrior Bethann in his seventy five ton Flashman, only slightly better armed than the Lancelot. Standing just back and to the left of the Flashman was Mechwarrior Rona in a ninety ton Highlander, equipped with plenty of long range firepower but sadly lacking in short range weapons and heat sinks. And lastly, about fifty meters further to the left was stationed the star's only light mech, a Hermes, an extremely manoeuvrable machine capable of speeds up to one hundred and forty kph, piloted by Mechwarrior Gaul. It was Gaul's responsibility to try to stop any Falcon mechs from outflanking them and coming in from the rear. The only problem was that the Hermes was so weak that it probably could not stop even the lightest Omnimech, and worse, Gaul had seen very little action and his training had been sadly lacking too. In fact, all four free birth warriors had undergone only perfunctory training when compared with that given to truebirths such as himself.

Evon checked his wrist watch. There was only one hour left to sundown, and the Jade Falcon dropship had landed in it's allotted place about an hour ago. He figured that it should take around an hour for the Falcon forces, which would have to be split in two, to reach each of the two towns. Which meant that any minute now they could come crashing through the light wood on the other side of the glade, which was around five hundred meters in length and width: a perfect killing ground.

Evon was about to glance at his underlings again when his tactical computer suddenly peeped and painted four, six, eight, and a final total of ten red triangles, all in the light wood ahead and all headed directly towards his position. Ten mechs! That meant that the Jade Falcon commander had sent only one star of five mechs to Carpon, so Charles Dinour may stand a chance. But ten Omnimechs against Evon's five was merely nails in his coffin. The targeting computer's monitor also came to life as it automatically locked on to the closest enemy target: a seventy ton Summoner, range - eight hundred meters. Evon manipulated his targeting computer to cycle through each of the other mechs. The two stars were deployed in two waves, the foremost wave containing two Summoners, an eighty five ton Warhawk, and two ninety five ton Executioners.

Evon cursed. Executioners! This massive mech was the only assault mech that could equal the speed of the Gargoyle, using the advanced myomer accelerator signal circuitry, or MASC, to double it's walking speed.

The second wave of five mechs contained a Gargoyle, a Warhawk, two more Summoners, and a seventy five ton Timber Wolf. The only consolation was that the mechs of the second star would not participate in the combat unless one of Evon's mechs managed to destroy one of the first five: which itself would be like a boy with a stick killing an elemental in BattleArmor. The only other danger would be if his free birth warriors did the dishonorable thing of ganging up on one of the Falcon mechs rather than following the code of zellbrigen and engaging only their own personal target.

Evon spoke to his warriors, "This is Star Colonel Evon. Now mechwarriors, please! Do not dishonor me! Choose your target and engage him only! Do not amass your firepower upon one enemy target, or else the second star of Falcon mechs will join the fray and we will be dead in moments! So please, mechwarriors of the Nega Garrison Cluster, I order you, be honorable! Let us die with honor and shake our dezgra title."

The other four acknowledged the affirmative, so Evon tried to relax a little and turned his attention back to the enemy mechs as they smashed their way confidently through the light wood to reach the glade. He smiled and wondered which enemy mech he should choose as his opponent. He had ordered his tech to configure his Gargoyle with twin extended range PPCs, a large pulse laser, and three smaller lasers. And with thirty two heat sinks, this meant that his mech had the most powerful long range weapons out of those in his star. He watched his targeting computer count the range down to seven hundred meters, sixty hundred and fifty, and then the first five Falcon mechs suddenly leapt forward as one, each mech changing from a walk to a run. Both Summoners quickly outstripped the other three, but then the two Executioners must have activated their MASC, for in seconds they were running at the same speed as the Summoners, only a step behind. One of the Executioners was headed directly for him, so Evon shoved forward his control stick and took his mech straight to it's top speed of eighty six kph. There was not much point in him piloting an agile assault mech if he was not going to take full advantage of it's capabilities.

His targeted Executioner broke out of the wood even as he lined it up in his crosshairs, and the ninety five ton mech raised both arms to fire. Evon pivoted abruptly to the right and continued to run, while three shots from the Executioner's large pulse lasers sent multiple beams of pure energy pulsing towards him. These shots missed but the Falcon pilot must have been keen to achieve a first hit for he opened up again with two more shots. Evon fought to keep his mech steady as the first string of pulsed energy beams struck his mechs left leg and the second struck his left torso, melting streams of ferro-fibrous armor to fall and scorch the grass below. Five large pulse lasers! Evon exclaimed to himself, He must be running hot already! With a stab of his left hand he changed his targeting computer's display to thermal imaging, and sure enough, the Executioner was already starting to glow. Evon twisted his torso around to face the monster charging down on him from the other side of the glade, and though the range was still around six hundred meters, he figured he could score an easy hit with his own single large pulse laser. So he thumbed the firing stud and watched multiple pulses of red energy pepper the Executioner's right torso, melting and cratering perhaps half the armor there. Smiling, Evon pulled back hard on the stick and slowed his mech abruptly, just as the Falcon fired another two shots with his large pulse lasers, causing both shots to go wide.

Evon noticed that his opponent was trying to cut back on his heat expenditure now - something he could not allow. He would show these Jade Falcon stravags one of the reasons he had originally been labelled a ristar. His mech still decelerating, he locked his crosshairs over the Executioner's torso and fired first his large pulse laser and then one extended range PPC, laughing in triumph when the laser scored and melted armor from the centre torso, while the ER PPC struck the left torso, boring through the already battered armor to strike deep within the mech's internal structure. That should make him nervous! Evon thought to himself while watching his own heat dial carefully, not wanting to over heat himself. But his ploy worked, the Falcon pilot panicked and trained both arms upon him and fired all three large pulse lasers, and then the first again as soon as the power had recycled to it.

Evon twisted his mech savagely to the right and pushed the stick forward, accelerating again. Two of the shots went wide, but the others struck home, one into his centre torso and the other his left torso again, causing his cockpit alarms to start screaming in his ear, telling him that the armor had almost been breached. He ignored the alarm and fought to keep his mech balanced, before slowly and deliberately bringing his twin ER PPC equipped right arm to bear upon the Executioner. The Falcon mechwarrior panicked again and fired another two large pulse lasers, but as his mech was already running hot, both shots went wide. He must be about to faint in there! Evon thought to himself after a glance at his targeting computer. He smiled and with both PPCs centred on the Executioner, he fired.

Both beams crackled through the four hundred meters in a moment and slammed directly into the target's centre torso and right leg, blowing huge chunks of ferro-fibrous armor flying in all directions. And while the Falcon tried to stop his mech toppling over, Evon decided that this opportunity was worth overheating for. He lined up his left arm and fired his large pulse laser, feeling waves of heat assault his cockpit as the pulsed beam slammed into the Falcon's centre torso, burrowing straight through the remaining shreds of armor and chewing past the internals and chassis. He must have struck the engine's reactor, for the Executioner suddenly began to part at the middle, slowly at first, as though it was supposed to happen like that. But then pieces of armor began spraying in all directions and an explosion ripped the ninety five ton mech into two separate pieces, legs and upper torso. And as the torso rocketed upwards upon the growing fireball, Evon saw the enemy mechwarrior's command chair come shooting through the mech's head: the ejection mechanism was still functioning. Savashri! He cursed - he had hoped for a more final result.

Evon wiped the sweat dripping off his brow and watching his heat dial go down ever so slowly, and allowed himself a moment's glee at his victory before turning his attention back to the battle. How were his star mates doing?

On the other side of the field he could see Mechwarrior Gaul in his Hermes running rings around the second Falcon Executioner, intermittently firing his two old tech medium lasers, without obtaining many hits, unfortunately. Gaul was an excellent pilot but had received far too little combat experience. Evon watched the lumbering Executioner attempt to keep it's weapons trained on the small bipedal Hermes. He wondered what the mech was armed with when a cloud of white smoke suddenly gushed from it's box like left arm. Twenty long range missiles streaked forth on tails of fire and smoke and spattered the ground directly in the path of the Hermes. Evon grimaced subconsciously when the Hermes tore into the explosions which were tearing up the ground and lost it's balance to skid heavily onto it's back. Get your mech back to it's feet! Evon thought to Gaul, but his fellow mechwarrior was too slow. Even as the Hermes struggled to rise, the Executioner opened up with the single weapon mounted in it's right arm: a massive double firing ultra autocannon/20. Two lethal spreads of large calibre shells slammed into the Hermes, completely dismantling the small mech in seconds, sending pieces of armor, internal structure, and components flying in all directions.

Suddenly touched by the death of a warrior he barely knew, Evon sighed, "Seyla, Gaul." He did not believe in life after death, but the exploits of this young man would not be sung in The Remembrance, brief as they were.

Evon continued to scan the battlefield and saw that Rona in her ninety five ton Highlander was slugging it out with the Falcon Warhawk. She was pumping round after round from her Gauss rifle and volley after volley of long range missiles into the behemoth, which was returning even greater amounts of punishment with two ER PPCs and two large pulse lasers. Both mechs were heating up and had taken a great deal of damage. Next was Mechwarrior Sarai in her Lancelot, now to his left, trading blows with one Falcon Summoner. But she was not using her superior speed and the enemy mech was crippling her with uncanny accuracy. That left only Bethann, who was about three hundred meters ahead of Evon, attempting to stop the other Falcon Summoner.

But Bethann was sorely outclassed. As Evon watched, the rapidly advancing Summoner absorbed one hit by the Flashman's large laser and responded by firing a spread of short range missiles that slammed into the Flashman's upper torso, rocking the mech and throwing off aim the next two large laser blasts. Freebirth! Evon swore, You should have used your anti-missile system, Bethann! The Summoner then opened up with it's left arm mounted ultra autocannon/20, sending two bursts of deadly shells slamming into the Flashman, one burst of which struck the spherical cockpit, killing Bethann instantly. The seventy five ton mech, a massive hole blown clean through it, fell slowly backwards to hit the ground with a jolt that even Evon felt in his cockpit. He looked up to see the still charging Summoner coming straight for him, now only two hundred and fifty meters away. His headset communicator came to life and a harsh voice said over the open channel, "Now, Star Colonel Evon, you freebirthed wolf cub commander of a dezgra freebith cluster, you are mine. I have longed for this day for years. Now it has come. One Wolf stravag I have slain, and you will make number two."

Evon felt his blood heat up. How dare the Jade Falcon accuse him of being freeborn! He was trueborn - and he would fight this enemy with all of his strength. His blood pumping in his veins, he thrust forward his stick and accelerated towards the Summoner, opening fire with both of his pulse lasers, smiling as they stitched holes and crevices across the other mech's right leg and torso.

But his joy was short lived. The Summoner's autocannon spoke and Evon's Gladiator was slammed violently to the right, with sparks spraying out of his dashboard and alarms screaming at him from all over the cockpit. He had to glance at his damage monitors to see what part of his mech had been hit - and his heart missed a beat when he saw that his mech's entire right arm had been shot clean off, only now coming to rest in the grass over a dozen meters behind. Savashri! There went both ER PPCs!

Stunned, he looked back up through his cockpit canopy to see the Summoner's autocannon fire a second time, and this time his entire mech was smashed off balance as his left foot was blown off. Grinding his teeth and using all of his piloting skill, Evon somehow managed to stop his mech falling over completely, managing to land upon it's left knee, still keeping the torso erect.

With his mech swaying clumsily upon one good foot and one knee, he glared at the Summoner which was now less than one hundred meters distant, no longer running but advancing slowly, the autocannon raised and ready to fire again.

Evon could not even consider firing as he was too busy using his mech's left arm to keep his balance - and by the time he had perfected his balance he would be dead. But even as the Summoner was about to fire it's autocannon again, Evon saw a series of bright flashes off to his right, coming from where the five Jade Falcon mechs of the second star were waiting patiently just on the northern fringes of the glade.

What happened next caused Evon's mouth to drop open - the threat posed by the approaching Summoner forgotten.

From deep within the wood behind the Falcon mechs, pulses of pure energy flashed forth to strike the mechs directly in their rear torsos, hitting with such accuracy and force that each of the five mechs staggered forwards from the blows. Only large pulse lasers could have such an effect! Evon thought to himself - but who or what was firing them? But even before the five Jade Falcon mechs could attempt to turn around to face this unexpected threat, five diminutive, bipedal Ice Ferret forty five ton medium Omnimechs burst into view, tearing through the light wood as though it was an open field. They must have been doing over sixty kph, Evon figured, but even as they ran, each fired a second time, and great pulses of red energy snaked forth to slam a second time into the rear torso of the Falcon mechs before they had turned around. Almost as one, three Falcon mechs fell forward, their engines or gyros destroyed, while the other two expanded into consuming fireballs as their fusion engines overloaded and exploded, ripping the mechs into countless fragments: larger extremities such as arms flying dangerously through the air.

And through the carnage of these five destroyed heavy and assault Omnimechs charged the five small medium mechs, who had now accelerated upon leaving the wood. A thrill coursed through Evon that he had never felt before and a sensation of wild elation filled him. It was Charles Dinour and his command star! With a shock Evon realised that the amazing man must have somehow destroyed the five mechs of the third Jade Falcon star not only without losing a single mech, but also without them even managing to get off a warning to these two stars. And Dinour's star must have then ran their mechs all the way from that encounter, possibly as much as forty five kilometers away, and done that in less than thirty minutes!

The remaining four mechs of Dev Iler's star began to turn to face these newcomers, as Rona had been killed and Sarai had ejected. Even Dev Iler, who had been about to deal the finishing blow to Evon, was turning to face this new threat.

As the Ice Ferret's tore across the glade at speeds reaching one hundred and twenty kph, four of them opened fire on the four larger mechs, firing a single large pulse laser mounted in their left arms. Evon's mouth remained open when he saw that each shot struck a Falcon mech in the centre or side torso positions only. They must have the advanced Targeting Computers! He thought to himself at seeing such stunning accuracy. And as the Ice Ferret has only a nine tons weapon's pod, they must be configured with an advanced Targeting Computer and the large pulse laser, and that is about all! This Charles Dinour and his 4th Striker Cluster were certainly developing tactics that did not conform with anything else practised by the Wolf Clan.

Evon had been completely forgotten by the Jade Falcon's, as he figured that they considered his mech destroyed, which was not far from the truth. But he was content to merely watch the amazing scene in the glade before him. The Jade Falcon Warhawk and other Summoner were the first to fall, both with their engines taken out. The Executioner attempted to use the same tactic which it used against Gaul's Hermes and fired it's long range missiles into the path of one racing Ice Ferret. But the medium mech was moving far too fast and was through the danger before the missiles hit the ground. Three shots to the Executioner's right torso set off the ammunition stored there, and judging by the size of the ensuing explosion, Evon figured it must have been the autocannon/20 ammunition. The explosion blew off the Executioner's right arm and blew out the back of the torso. But the mech's engine was so badly damaged by the explosion that the ninety five ton monster crashed to the ground, where it remained deathly still.

That left only Dev Iler and his Summoner, and even while the fourth Ice Ferret raced around the larger mech, a challenge came from the Wolf Clan pilot. "Star Colonel Dev Iler, I, Star Colonel Charles Dinour of the 4th Striker Cluster of Delta Galaxy, challenge you. I have seen your skill in defeating these free birth warriors. Defeat me if you can!"

The Summoner responded by firing every weapon at once. Two fusillades of autocannon shells ripped apart and devastated the ground all about the agile Ice Ferret, large and small lasers stabbed out but passed through empty air, but six short range missiles all somehow managed to slam into the smaller mech, which wavered slightly but continued to run. Evon watched Charles Dinour pump two shots into the Summoner's centre torso, which had already been damaged by Evon. Iler responded by firing all of his weapons together a second time, once again desolating the ground but only the large laser struck the Ice Ferret, scoring huge chunks of armor from it's left torso and exposing internal structure.

Evon glanced into his targeting computer and saw that the Summoner was glowing like a bonfire. His mech did not have enough heat sinks to allow him to fire all of his weapons twice in a matter of seconds.

And Charles Dinour must have been aware of this, for he decelerated his small mech and took careful aim with his mech's left arm before firing one shot into the Summoner's already ravaged centre torso, boring right through the shreds of remaining armor and wrecking the fusion engine.

Evon clapped his hands together in a surge of rare joy. They had won! He was still alive! How it had come to pass, he could not comprehend. Today was to be his unofficial Trial of Annihilation, before it became a sure death at the hands of vengeful Jade Falcon Clanners. But he had survived!

A message from Dev Iler came to Charles Dinour over the open com channel, dripping with hate and rage. "Star Colonel Charles Dinour, finish me off! I will not become a bondsman to the Wolf Clan!"

Charles, his Ice Ferret now come to a stop, replied. "Neg, Dev Iler. I extend hegira to you and your surviving mechwarriors..."

There was a sound of choked rage from Dev Iler.

"After all," Charles continued, "Your brave trinary has gained so much glory and earned my respect for managing to despatch five mechs of the Nega Garrison Cluster, such a difficult achievement as these were eighty percent Star League designs piloted by fearsome free birth warriors. So it is the least I can do to extend to you an honorable withdrawal from this battle."

Enraged almost beyond reason at this absolute insult, Dev Iler screamed back into the channel, "You cannot do this! How dare you! You mock all things honorable! I refuse to accept this! You cannot do this!"

Charles responded almost amiably. "I have done this, Dev Iler. Take your surviving mechwarriors and return to your dropship, under the conditions of my offered courtesy. Pass on this message to your Galaxy Commander: `All Jade Falcon's who dare invade Wolf Clan space will suffer such fates. Fourteen assault and heavy mechs were destroyed without loss by five Ice Ferrets! Yet another example of why the Wolf Clan is supreme and will become the ilClan!'"

There was a scream of rage from Dev Iler that threatened to blow out Evon's comm unit's speakers, but then the man must have seen reason. Here was a reason to accept the mocking hegira and return in disgrace to the Jade Falcon Clan - to bring with him the challenge of supremacy from Clan Wolf, their age old rivals and enemies. Hatred would overpower Dev Iler's shame. "Very well, Star Colonel Charles Dinour. We accept your offer of...hegira."

* * *

Galaxy Commander John Ward slapped Athen Kederk heartily on the back, indicating the bank of TV monitors which had been rigged to the cockpits of the various Wolf Clan mechs involved in the battle. "Well Star Colonel, it seems that you will have to requisition five Ice Ferrets! And while you are at it, you may as well ask Charles just how he does it. I must say that until this moment, I have always believed that the 11th Wolf Guards, my old cluster, was the best of all Clan Wolf. Now I am afraid that I must include the 4th Striker Cluster into that boast. Did you know that every single mech bar one in that cluster is a light or medium, and nearly all of those are Ice Ferrets? Welcome to the club - Star Colonel!"

Athen Kederk could not find his voice, it was stuck somewhere in his throat, and his eyes were fixed trance like upon the monitors. He could not believe what he had just seen! Fourteen elite Jade Falcon assault and heavy Omnimechs had been destroyed without loss by five mediums, which had each been armed with only a single large pulse laser, anti-missile system, and advanced Targeting Computer!

Still laughing, John Ward slapped Athen on the back a second time. "And Athen, you had best start preparing your Right of Forgiveness speech. The warriors in the 4th Striker Cluster will be most amused, as they all saw you make the challenge, quiaff?"

Star Colonel Kederk, his mind still filled with the enormity of the fact that he had to get rid of his beloved eighty ton Gargoyle and pilot a tiny Ice Ferret, managed to find his voice.

"Aff."