Текст книги "Main Event"

Автор книги: Джеймс Лонг

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Текущая страница: 19 (всего у книги 21 страниц)

31

The Cedars, Borghese

19 July 3055

 

Despite nearly constant work, it took four days for the repair crews to finish work on the damaged 'Mechs. It was the BattleMasterthat had monopolized their efforts and cost them the most time.

All BattleMechs are keyed to their pilot's brain waves and unique starting sequence. They can be re-programmed, and subsequently unlocked, but only with the proper tools and time. Rose had not given the problem much thought because the current BattleMasterpilot was still alive. Unfortunately that man viewed the 'Mech as his personal property and was not about to give it up. Rose was counting on the extra firepower and refused to leave without it.

The cockpit of the 'Mech was actually a converted command module, which allowed both a pilot and a commander to ride in relative comfort. Although the commander's compartment had long ago been stripped of useful equipment, the chair and restraint system were still installed. Since Badicus had refused to accompany the militia when they left on the third morning after the battle, the heavily armed and armored 'Mech would prove particularly useful. Per their agreement, McCloud was traveling with the militia.

For several days Hawg and Rianna tried to bypass the 'Mech's security system while the rest of the mercenaries worked on the other 'Mechs, but their best efforts were defeated. Rose had tried to reason with the pilot, but he remained defiant. Finally the other repair work was done, and Rose could wait no longer. He was about to approach the pilot himself when Ajax stopped him and offered to retrieve the information.

Rose was initially skeptical, but Ajax was confident he could succeed. As Ajax and the pilot disappeared into the back of a Ripper VTOL, the mercenary smiled briefly as he pulled the door shut. Fifteen minutes later Ajax emerged with a very pale pilot and the security sequence. Rose considered asking Ajax how he'd gotten it, then decided he didn't really want to know. Once Hawg was into the BattleMaster'smain computer, he began the re-programming process.

When they finally began their trek back to Houston, Angus and Ajax were in the lead as usual. Rose and Rianna came next, followed by Hawg and Badicus. The rebuilt battle lance was covering the rear, and Esmeralda and Bell took the sides. The repair of the Marauder IIhad turned out to be surprisingly easy. Most of the internal damage had been confined to the cockpit module, which they'd completely replaced. Using the module from the Stalkerand adapting it with components from the Zeusand the Awesome,Esmeralda and Antioch had managed to put together a dependable, if unorthodox, control system.

Dodging the militia and staying out of sight turned the trip into a three-week affair. Although the mercenaries covered a lot of ground in that time, they were actually only a long day's march from the outskirts of Houston.

Rianna had kept one ear and one eye on the civilian news services, trying to stay up-to-date on events in the capital. As Rose had predicted, the Clan invaders were being treated as honored guests. The media was careful to point out that the Clan force was small, but the arrival of more troops was inevitable and there was no word about Federated Commonwealth assistance.

Colonel Bahlyard had discovered that the invading Clan was the Jade Falcons. Rose wasn't surprised. Both the Falcons and the Steel Vipers had planets within two jumps of Borghese, although the Vipers were slightly more concentrated at the head of the Clan advance than the Falcons. Initial reports put the invaders at approximately company strength, about fifteen 'Mechs, with at least twenty-five Clan Elementals, the specially armored infantry that the media called Toads. Bahlyard had been unable to get a better count than that, as the Clans had performed a combat drop on the capital rather than debarking from the DropShip. Rose knew that was standard combat procedure, but even this small force descending on the city had a profound effect on the populace.

Since the initial drop, the Clans had kept their forces on the move, making accurate estimate impossible for the militia. Resistance up to this point had been nonexistent. The Council, which meant Crenshaw, had ordered the militia to surrender instead of fighting. Colonel Bahlyard had initially refused the order, but finally agreed to return to the city with his men. It was hard on the colonel, but it was a necessary part of the plan he and Rose had cooked up the night before the militia left the mercenary's camp.

Colonel Bahlyard and his men would start back to Houston, apparently obeying the orders of the Council. Such a large body of troops was bound to attract the Falcons' attention. The Falcons would have to send part of their force to watch over the incoming soldiers, leaving the rest to keep watch on the city. Rose planned to use the distraction of the militia to cover the arrival of his force. The militia would enter the city from the east, while Rose entered from the north.

It would require icy calm on the part of the militia. When the Falcons were in range, the militia was supposed to proceed toward the capital under the invaders' guns. Once the Clansmen learned that the city was under attack, they would be looking for a reason to fire on the militia. One false move and they'd have their chance.

The Black Thorns' part in the plan called for less courage during the initial stages. As the militia got closer to the city, so did the mercenaries. When Colonel Bahlyard finally made contact with the Clans, the Thorns would race the final distance toward Houston and the hyper-pulse generator station. Timing was critical because the mercenaries didn't know just when the militia would make contact with the Falcons. If the Thorns moved too soon, they'd be discovered, and if they moved too late, the Falcons would have time to react to their approach. In addition, every step closer to the city increased the chances that they might be discovered by a Clan patrol or a passing recon flight.

Rose checked the chronometer under his display. They'd been marching for eleven hours, the last two at an infuriatingly slow pace. It was well past dark and Rose could see the lights of Houston to the south when the comm unit signaled an incoming call. Rose's hand shot out to open the channel before the light could flash a third time.

"This is Black One."

"Green One here. We have company. Three plus five."

"Three plus five, confirmed. Black One out." Rose opened the command channel.

"Move out, Thorns. Pursuit, you have the lead. Speed is six-five kph." As the mercenaries picked up their pace, Rose filled them in on Bahlyard's message.

"The militia has three 'Mechs and five Elementals providing an escort." Per their plans, Rose understood that the first number of Bahlyard's message indicated the number of 'Mechs and the second indicated the number of Elementals.

"They broke a Star?"

"Affirmative." Rose had not initially considered it, but the question made him think for a moment. The Clans operated in groups of five. Five Elementals made a Point. Five Points made a Star. The same principle held true for 'Mechs, but each 'Mech was a Point all by itself, which meant the escort group was missing two 'Mechs or five more Elementals.

"Pursuit Two, crank up the Beagle. We might have some stragglers."

Rose split his eyes and his concentration between the primary screen and the long-range scanner, the kilometers clicking away under the long strides of the 'Mechs. In fifteen minutes they were passing the houses on the outskirts of Houston. Five minutes after that and they were moving through the industrial section of the city's north side. Whenever possible the mercenaries marched along the side streets, forcing civilian traffic to move over or get crushed. Damage was light to the civilians, but Rose knew it was only a matter of time before they were discovered by the Clans monitoring the police frequencies. Even if no one was looking for them, seven 'Mechs marching through town caused too much commotion to be missed.

"Command One, this is Pursuit Two. Two inbound blips on an intersect course. Either they've got damn fast 'Mechs or a pair of hovercraft."

"Confirmed, Pursuit Two. Switch to Guardian." Rose watched the long-range scanner become suddenly cloudy as Ajax activated the Guardian electronic countermeasure suite. The ECM system was designed to provide a cloud of electromagnetic disturbance that would make targeting the mercenaries virtually impossible until the Clans got to close range. It was the perfect counter to the Clans' longer ranges. As long as the enemy didn't have a line of sight, they would have a difficult time tracking the Thorns inside the cloud. Of course, the cloud itself was very easy to spot.

Under the umbrella of the Guardian the Black Thorns picked up the pace. Rose switched to the short-range scanner because the long-range version was effectively blind while the Guardian was engaged.

"Report all contacts, people. If it's got two legs, shoot first." It was still early in the evening as Rose piloted the Chargerpast the factories and staring pedestrians, many of whom had come out to watch as the 'Mechs charged by. Rose knew that more than one observer would mistake them for the Clansmen.

"Target two sixty-nine degrees, approaching fast." Rose swung to the left as Rianna announced the target's approach. As he watched, two OmniMechs rounded the corner one street away, then began running toward the mercenaries. Rose and Rianna were in the middle of an intersection, with the pursuit lance in front and the battle lance behind. From their position in the street, only Rose and his sister could see the Jade Falcon OmniMechs under the glow of the streetlights.

From their chassis to their jade green paint jobs, the OmniMechs were identical: two headless humanoids, their gangly arms pointed directly toward the mercenaries. Long legs began pumping faster and the 'Mechs' considerable speed increased.

"Dashersat nine o'clock!" The duo started their charge at a distance of three hundred meters. They'd covered half the distance to the mercenaries when Rianna triggered one large laser. The ruby shaft of light missed, flying past the Falcons to strike a slow-moving car four blocks away. The driver survived, but the car didn't.

In return the Dasherfired five lasers back at Rianna's Phoenix Hawk.Although none had the power of Rianna's Sunbeam laser, the combined effect was devastating to the medium 'Mech, especially since the Dasherhit its target, and Rianna did not. Armor boiled and fell away under the cutting beam of the Clan lasers. Gouges marked her 'Mech's chest, arms, and left leg. Rianna triggered the other Sunbeam at her attacker, but with the same results.

Rose moved slightly forward for a better shot around the Phoenix Hawk.He carefully aligned the cross hairs of the targeting computer, then fired. By the time the lasers reached the OmniMech's position, however, the Dasherwas no longer there.

With a high-pitched whine, the 'Mech seemed to leap forward. The Dasherfired at Rose, sending four of the five shots into his center torso. The chest-mounted spotlight exploded and armor seared away. A small part of Rose's mind realized that the Dasherhad activated the myomer acceleration signal circuitry, which poured additional power to the OmniMech's legs, but the thought hadn't made it to Rose's conscious mind when he reacted.

As the Dasherstreaked past the Charger,Rose swung out with the Mech's huge right hand. The Dasheralmost avoided the blow, but Rose struck the right shoulder a glancing blow. At the Dasher'sspeed the effects were devastating. The OmniMech's right arm sheared away, taking most of the right torso with it. The pilot, suddenly off balance, slipped on the concrete and staggered off to the left. Completely out of control, he slammed the twenty-ton 'Mech into the brick wall of a corner factory, punching several holes into the structure, but failing to bring down the wall.

The second 'Mech waited to engage the MASC system until he was past Rose. Both Rose and Rianna tried to swing around for a shot, but neither could bracket the retreating 'Mech. Rose was about to give up when he saw a flight of long-range missiles crash down on the fleeing 'Mech. Rose counted eight initial explosions, then the components of the Dasherbegan to fail and explode. The MASC whined as it went out of control, but the 'Mech's legs had already stopped receiving signals from the pilot. The Dasherslid down the street, slamming into cars until it finally came to rest against the side of a bus.

Rose looked skyward and saw Angus and his Valkyriedescend on three columns of flame, then land in the middle of the street. "Nice shooting, Pursuit One. Tell me, how did you know where to shoot?"

"I just figured they'd keep running. If they went the other way, nobody could catch them. If they tried a strafing run, they had to come out on the other end of the street. I hit the jets when you shouted the warning."

Rose was impressed with the young man. The reflexes he'd demonstrated could not be taught. A warrior was either born with them or he wasn't.

"Keep up the good work, Pursuit One. Now confirm the kill and let's get out of here. Pursuit Two, Guardian off."

Rose switched back to long-range scan as the mercenaries went deeper into the city. Gradually, offices replaced factories and the lighting improved. Rose knew that the Clans were fully aware of his approach. Panicked civilians were reacting to media reports of the first encounter, sending most away from the battle zone, but others toward it. Traffic became increasingly congested, forcing the mercenaries to divert from their original path three separate times.

"This is Pursuit Two," said Ajax. "I have three in-bounds. I'm not sure what they are, but they're putting out sizable shock waves with each step. They've got to be assault class."

The approaching Omnis were beyond the range of Rose's conventional scanner so he was forced to take Ajax's word for their size. If the invaders had committed two Trinaries to the conquest of Borghese, these three accounted for all but one of the Stars.

"Pursuit One, we need a visual on the inbounds. Get to the top of that parking structure across the street: the height should give you the range to see them. Battle Lance, clear out the civilians. We might be fighting here."

While Rose considered the fire lanes for deploying his unit, Angus jumped to the roof of the parking garage. Meanwhile the three members of the battle lance began to broadcast warnings to the civilians over their external speakers.

"This is Pursuit One. I have a visual on three MasakariClass Omnis at approximately six hundred meters. They're just crossing over—" As Rose listened and watched the Valkyrieon top of the parking garage, two azure beams suddenly cut across the sky. One PPC beam passed by the Valkyrie'sright, shoulder, but the other struck the 'Mech squarely in the face. The force of the blast cut neatly through the armor, the skeleton, the electronics, and the flesh underneath. With energy to spare, the beam blasted its way out the back of the Valkyrie'shead and into the night sky. The 'Mech paused for a moment as if stunned by its own sudden death, then it fell forward, draping itself over the edge of the roof.

Nobody moved for long moments, then Ajax broke the silence. "Three MasakariOmniMechs approaching at flank speed."

Rose was shocked to awareness as the three eighty-five-ton 'Mechs suddenly appeared. "This is Command One to all Thorns. Mobile advance, right flank. Stick together, people. We've got to get to the HPG station."

"This is Pursuit Two. I have one inbound. Weight is most heavy. Enemy left flank is secure."

Rose slammed his fist in frustration. "Most heavy" meant the 'Mech topped the weight scale. That translated into ninety-five or a hundred tons of Clan technology underneath a genetically engineered pilot. It was probably the invasion commander. Even though the Clans were outnumbered, Rose doubted he had the strength to fight them successfully. Rose scanned the terrain and made a quick decision.

"This is Command One. Fall back at best speed. I say again, best speed.".The lead Masakarifired three PPCs at extreme range. Fortunately for Antioch Bell, the target, the Falcons had evidently used up all their luck with the shot that killed Angus.

"Where to, Command One?"

"I don't have a clue. Maybe we can outflank them. McCloud, I hope you're listening, 'cause we're about to require your services."

32

Houston, Borghese

19 July 3055

 

As Rose broke away from the OmniMechs, he outlined his plan to the rest of the unit. If they were going to make it to the ComStar compound, they'd have to use their firepower to better advantage. Rose knew the Black Thorns couldn't withstand another toe-to-toe battle like the one against Morgain. He'd hoped not to have to bring McCloud into the fight, but he was going to need her to turn the tide in his favor.

"McCloud, you'd better get airborne. We're going to need your help after all."

As the main column of the militia began making its way toward Houston, McCloud and a squad from the Green Team took off for the coastal town of Le Jeune. The town itself wasn't much, but it boasted an airport with the second-longest landing strip on Borghese. It was also the home of the Green's fighter flight, the 312th Planetary Defense Wing.

The wing was composed entirely of fixed-wing aircraft, which made them easy targets for both faster aerospace fighters and the more maneuverable VTOL craft. Under normal circumstances Rose would never have sent fixed-wing craft against the Clans, but one of the craft was a 'Mechbuster.

The 'Mechbuster was about as simple a design as aerospace engineers had ever created. Build an airplane around the biggest autocannon yet produced. Hollow out the fuselage and pack in enough shells to justify the cost of the fuel, then point it at the enemy. Although slow and unmaneuverable, the craft was capable of taking out a 'Mech in a single pass. Of course the pilot of such an aircraft was bound to draw a tremendous amount of attention.

"This is Pursuit Two. I have two incoming blips. I don't think these are the Masakaris.The footprint is too soft."

"This is Battle Four. All four Omnis from downtown pulled up when we ran. They seemed to be afraid of a trap. When I lost track of them, we had a five-minute lead on them, which was widening."

"Command Two, Pursuit Two, get a fix on the Omnis that shot Angus. Battle Three, follow them and provide back-up. Everybody else follow me.

"McCloud, what's your ETA?"

"Fifteen minutes to the center of the city. Where are you?"

"We're in the municipal park on the edge of the business district. Use my channel as a beacon. We're going to try to sweep past the heaviest resistance, but first we have to clear a path."

"I copy. I'll be there as soon as possible. McCloud out."

Although Rose had promised himself he would not split up the unit, there didn't seem to be any other way. The Phoenix Hawkand the Ravensprinted across the football field toward the buildings that surrounded the park, the BattleMasterin hot pursuit. Rose turned with the remaining force to prevent the Clan forces from boxing them into a trap.

The scanners immediately registered two approaching 'Mechs. Switching to thermal, he could see only eerie blots of heat coming toward him, but the computer positively identified those blots as a Thorand a Mad Cat.

"Open field engagement, Thorns. Nothing gets past us." Rose watched the scanner and repositioned the Charger.Around him were several utility vehicles and the squat outlines of maintenance sheds, but little hard cover. To his left was a small arena and a crowd of civilian cars. He reminded himself to keep well away from the arena to protect the civilians.

At six hundred and fifty meters, the two OmniMechs opened fire with their extended-range PPCs. Both shots directed at Antioch missed, but the single bolt at Rose hit, laying the Charger'sright arm bare. Warning lights flashed amber as the limb was breached in three places.

The Black Thorns waited until the Omnis were within six hundred meters before opening fire. Clan missiles passed Inner Sphere missiles in flight to explode on and around the targeted 'Mechs. Rose thought he counted several hits against the Mad Cat,but without his spotlight, it was hard to tell at their current range.

Missiles left the launchers of both sides as the 'Mechs continued to close range. Esmeralda and Antioch moved forward and fired their PPCs. Esmeralda's bolts were both cut short, a sure sign that they'd hit, but Rose couldn't track Antioch's shots because the Thorwas swinging his way. Rose triggered another flight of missiles and ran toward the Thor.

Missiles rained down on the Chargerand a PPC blast tore off most of the armor on its right leg before Rose managed to close to within a hundred and fifty meters. Triggering all his pulse lasers, he saw the heat scale spike, then begin to decline as the heat sinks worked to dissipate the waste heat generated by the lasers.

To his left Rose was dimly aware that Antioch was engaging the Mad Catat close range, trading Gauss rifle and PPC fire for PPCs and short-range missiles. Esmeralda seemed to be shifting targets in the center of the Thorn line. Both Clan 'Mechs were damaged, but neither seemed ready to fall, which looked bad for the mercenaries. Rose's armor had been destroyed in several locations and it had been worn paper-thin in others. Knowing he wouldn't be able to take much more punishment, he realized that the fight had to end soon, one way or another.

Taking his feet off the control pedals, Rose slammed his boots down on the large studs to either side. Deep in the heart of the Charger,something roared. The sound was amplified as three columns of flame appeared from the legs and back of the 'Mech. With a slight wobble, the three flaming jets carried the Chargertoward the startled Thorpilot. Before angling the 'Mech down, Rose was briefly treated to a spectacular view of the area around the city park.

Although jump jets were common among lighter 'Mechs, few heavy 'Mechs bothered to mount them because of weight. The jets needed to lift sixty or more tons into space were just too heavy to be practical. The few 'Mechs that did mount the massive jets were normally limited to jumps of less than a hundred meters. Not the Charger,though. It had a jump range of 'Mechs half its size, and covered the hundred and forty meters to the Thorwithout effort.

Clenching his jaw and tightening his grip on the controls, Rose prepared for the jarring impact of landing. Landing on level ground during practice jumps had rattled him around in the chair, but landing on the Thorturned the world upside-down. The Chargeractually hit the Thorin the pelvis with both feet on the way down. When the Charger'sknees hit the Thorin the chest, the momentum folded the flying 'Mech over the top of the OmniMech. Both machines crashed to the ground as the Chargerdrove the Thordown.

The Thorfell backward and the Chargerfell over the top of the OmniMech. Rose threw both hands out to slow the fall and managed to partially brace the 'Mech for the final impact with the ground. Just when he thought he was about to hit, the world exploded in a flash of white light.

The next thing Rose knew, he was hanging from the restraining straps of the command chair. The Chargerwas still on its stomach and the Thorwas still flat on its back, its chest belching thick gray smoke. As Rose disentangled himself, the Thorremained still. Looking down at the fallen 'Mech, Rose realized it would never rise again. If somebody had dropped a house on the Thor,it couldn't have been smashed more completely.

Rose looked around for the rest of his command and discovered them approaching from two sides. Of the Clan 'Mechs, however, there was no sign. As he began to try to move the Charger,he found that its legs were still intertangled with the Thor.After a few minutes of careful maneuvering, he was back up.

"This is Command One, how long have I been out?"

"Only ten minutes, Captain."

Rose's head was still foggy. He thought the speaker was Ajax, but it could have been Bell. "What's the situation? "

"The Thorat your feet is down. We chased the Mad Catoff, but the rest of the company got jumped on the way back from the recon. Battle Three chased off a pair of medium Omnis with support from the rest of the unit."

Rose finally decided it was Ajax. "Is McCloud still inbound?" Rose tried to keep the fear out of his voice, but ten minutes was a long time to be out of a fight this close.

"Still inbound and on time, sir."

"Hey, why isn't Battle One on the line?" As the gray cloud fogging his brain turned into a sharp pain in his left temple, Rose realized that Esmeralda should be giving the battle report.

"Either a freak hit from the Mad Catsheared away an antenna or that patchwork cockpit is showing its heritage. Whatever the case, she can hear, but she can't transmit."

"All right, Battle Three, that makes you the temporary commander. Battle Four, stick with Three and get us to the ComStar compound. Pursuit Two and Command Two, stay in the center. Battle One and I will take the rear guard.

"Battle One, if you read, raise your right arm." Rose waited until Esmeralda raised the Marauder'sright arm.

"All right, Thorns, this will be our only chance to punch through to the compound, so we've got to make it count. Don't stop for anything. If somebody goes down, we'll have to trust that they'll be all right. Right now, securing the facility is more important than any one of us.

"Command Two, coordinate with McCloud on targeting and support fire. I know I don't have to tell her to watch for civilians, but I'll do it anyway. That goes for everybody. Make the shots count.

"Let's move out."

As Hawg and Bell started out of the park, Rose ran another check of the Charger'ssystems. He still had plenty of missile reloads, but that would change soon. Although the armor had been breached in several places, there was no significant damage to the internal structure, except for the right leg. The red banks of indicator lights confirmed what Rose suspected as he tried to stand. The previous repair to the lower leg had failed. Despite the limp, he was still as fast as the Marauder II,but the Charger'shallmark was speed and now he was deprived of that advantage.

Ajax and Rianna fell in behind the assault 'Mechs, with Rose and Esmeralda following. Rose's thoughts drifted up and toward the 'Mechbuster approaching the city. He didn't think McCloud would be in any danger, but that could change dramatically at any moment. Compared to the Charger,the 'Mechbuster was a difficult target, but Rose knew that a solid hit could take out the aircraft. He had destroyed similar aircraft before.

Marching toward the Clan 'Mechs, Rose realized that the chances were good that he wouldn't survive this encounter. There were so many things he'd wanted to tell Rianna and McCloud, but there'd never been the time. Something always came up and now it might be too late.

"This is Battle Three. We're approaching the Clan line. Multiple heavy targets are close."

"Command Two, vector the 'Mechbuster. We're going to need some supporting fire." Rose considered transferring coordination of the aircraft to his 'Mech, but despite the desire, he knew his attention was needed on the ground.

"Pursuit Two, how many Clanners ahead?"

Ajax's calm voice answered immediately. "Four heavy signatures to the front. Two medium swinging around from the left."

"Battle One, secure the left flank. Don't let those two mediums on our backs. Pursuit Two, provide support." Rose didn't like the idea of sending their eyes and ears to the side, but the Ravenwouldn't last long in a firefight with heavy and assault OmniMechs. At least with the mediums, he'd have a chance of survival.

"Command Two, fall back. I'm taking your place." Rose picked up speed and passed Rianna as Esmeralda and Ajax went down the next cross street. "Two, see if you can find some high ground to direct traffic."

As Rose took his position next to Bell, he toggled through his scanners. The ComStar compound was only five kilometers away, but the Clan 'Mechs had intercepted their path and were at just under four.

"Command One, urgent, this is Command Two. McCloud is ahead of schedule; either she hits the Clans now or she has to wait for the next pass. She is requesting permission to engage."

Now that was a first. Rose had never known McCloud to ask permission for anything. "Affirmative, Command Two. Hit the Clans now." Rose knew that by the time the aircraft circled around for another pass, the Thorns would be too close for her to risk any shots.

"Pick up the pace, Thorns. Don't give them the chance to recover from the air attack." Rose fed the Chargermore power and the distance between the two sides fell away. Over his head something loud rumbled across the sky and headed toward the Clans.

In the ambient light of the city Rose could see the underbelly of the aircraft in a shallow dive as it approached the Clan position. McCloud had slowed the 'Mechbuster as much as possible to line up her shot. He could see the flaps of the two wings fully extended to provide more lift at the slow speed. The weapon port was already open and ready. He urged more speed out of his 'Mech as the 'Mechbuster continued ahead.

The Falcons had always been good fighters and the arrival of a single aircraft did little to shake them. Confident that the Black Thorns were still too far away for concern, they cranked up their guns and waited for the 'Mechbuster to come into range. It was traveling at more than two hundred kilometers per hour, which normally would have made it a difficult target. But with all the guns pointed upward, something was bound to hit.

Rose could see the exhaust trails of long-range missiles as they leapt from their launchers and streaked toward McCloud. An instant later, the Clan pilots had triggered their lasers and PPCs. Although triggered second, the -beam weapons struck the 'Mechbuster first. Many of the shots missed, flying past the aircraft as it approached. Several shots hit the craft, however, raining armor down on the city.