Текст книги "Wolves On The Border"

Автор книги: Robert N. Charette

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Текущая страница: 23 (всего у книги 28 страниц)

46

Cerant, An Ting

Galedon Military District, Draconis Combine

11 January 3028

 

Sho-saChou brought his Dragon'snose back into line with his course through the northeast quarter of Cerant. As his 'Mech pounded past apartment buildings battered by eight days of combat, bricks cascaded in a dusty roar as one wall crumbled from the vibrations created by the sixty-ton BattleMech's passage. Gray dust billowed up.

The predicted outflanking maneuver by the Dragoons had failed to materialize. Like so many reports of their movements in the last eight days, it was false. The Dragoons were phantoms, striking and disappearing. They seemed to roam the city almost at will.

It was a sorry state of affairs. An Ting was a Combine planet, and Cerant a Kurita city. Vagabond outsiders should not have so easy a time, nor should they be able to lead loyal Draconians on such a chase. Time and again, the mercenaries had drawn Ryuken 'Mechs into costly ambushes or made lightning raids against supposedly secure rear areas.

Combat in a city did not usually lend itself to such bandit tactics. It was almost as though the Dragoons could see everything that moved in Cerant, though Chou knew that was impossible. The orbital space above the city was a hotly contested no-man's-land. DropShips and fighters became instant targets, and so were unable to make surveys of the planet below. The mercenaries had to be relying on ground reconnaissance, as were the Ryuken.

If the Ryuken's reconnaissance was poor, its combat performance was worse. Chou had marshaled his 'Mechs for the assault on Boupeig barracks in textbook-perfect order, but the offensive had gone wrong from the start. Though the Kurita 'Mechs reached their jump-off points without incident, with no indication from the Dragoon commnet that they were expecting an attack, a company of BattleMechs had suddenly blasted through his lines.

The lead machine was a dark blue Shadow Hawkwhose chest was painted with a falcon. Its pilot fought with a fierce courage, outshining his fellows. The Dragoon machines swarmed through the assembling Kurita 'Mechs, catching them totally by surprise. They surprised the Ryuken pilots even more when they continued forward without stopping.

The Dragoons had created havoc in the brief fight. Two Ryuken 'Mechs were out of commission and several more damaged before the Kurita assault even got underway. If the Dragoons had sustained more than light damage, Chou did not know of it.

Though the blow to Ryuken morale was bad, the greatest harm was that the Dragoon company had alerted the barracks compound to the presence of the Kurita 'Mechs. By the time the assault forces went at them, most of the defending BattleMechs were already powered up and ready for it.

The mercenaries managed to put up strong resistance, and the Ryuken failed to achieve many of their early objectives. When the fighting became prolonged, the timetable slipped further and further. The attack finally shuddered to a halt when two mercenary 'Mech lances hit the Ryuken flank. Chou later learned that those had been simulator 'Mechs, piloted by green trainees. At the time, it hadn't mattered, for the mere appearance of fresh forces was enough to crumble his flank.

A nearby explosion brought Chou back to the present. A black cloud mushroomed ahead of him, flames licking at it. He brought up the Dragon'sspeed, heedless of the low traction on the paved city streets. Chou was afraid he knew what had happened.

Two minutes later, those fears were confirmed as he skidded the Dragonto a halt and gazed dejectedly on the scene of devastation. While he and the Ryuken had been distracted, the Dragoons had slipped in a force to hit the Ryuken field command. The command camp was a shambles, and the two little guard 'Mechs were scrap heaps. The explosion had come from an ammunition supply carrier and destroyed Chou's comm tent and Ryuken– ichi'slast coolant vehicle. The fire raged out of control, spreading eagerly to the nearby buildings. There was nothing Chou could do here.

Second Battalion had been holding the city south of First Battalion's position, but he'd received no word from them since noon. Third Battalion was engaged with Lean's Company on the far side of Cerant. To get there, First would have to cross Dragoon-held portions of the city. Considering the First's depleted force, that would be a fool's errand.

The high and mighty commander of Ryuken– ichihad been absent from the commnet all morning, attending some kind of planning session. A strategy session without the Ryuken field commander? It made no sense. Damn Akuma to all the seven hells. His machinations had inflamed the Dragoons to raw hatred and brutal savagery. How could Akuma have gotten Warlord Samsonov's approval for such wrong-headed plans? Didn't the Tai-shounderstand what he was dealing with? Did he believe that Akuma could manipulate these people at will?

The Ryuken were now in the trap Akuma had intended for the Dragoons, but Chou was not going to allow the regiment to be destroyed. What was left must be saved to fight again in service to House Kurita. With Chou unable to contact Akuma, he was in charge. For the first time, he considered Akuma's absentee generalship as a benefit.

Before Chou could save Ryuken– ichi, however, he had to save First Battalion. There hadto be a way out. Calling up a tactical map to look for a way south to join with Second Battalion, he found several paths clear of Dragoon positions. That is, they had been when the map was last updated. Chou chose to believe that it was accurate, for otherwise all hope was lost.

The Sho-sasummoned the remnants of First Battalion to rally on him. Once consolidated with Second, they could fight their way to Third and retreat from the city, leaving Cerant to the mercenaries. The Dragoons were acting as though they owned it already. To contest it would be death for the regiment.

Two lances joined him almost at once. Chou sent a Pantherahead to scout and ordered the rest to spread out and advance along parallel streets. For fifteen tense minutes, they proceeded through empty streets. Chou was sure every man was expecting to meet a Dragoon ambush at every intersection. He certainly did. It was a fear they had all lived with for days now, a fear that killed morale. The real deaths of the soldiers would follow unless Chou could get them out.

As Chou's radar pinged out warning of incoming aircraft above the city, a red blip appeared on his screen. A second later, the IFF system flashed the bogey to green. Checking the identification panel, Chou learned that it was the Kurita DropShip Alabaster.He halted the Dragonand tried to pick up a visual. The 'Mechs nearest him stopped as well.

When he finally caught sight of the ship, Chou wished he hadn't bothered. The DropShip was flying erratically, foundering and bucking as it plowed through the atmosphere. As the craft suddenly veered sharply to port, viscous black smoke began to pour from a gap that had once been covered by a cargo bay door. The DropShip disappeared from sight behind the buildings. Though it was kilometers away when it crashed, the tremor swayed Chou's BattleMech.

The Sho-sascanned the skies. He knew his eyes could not see anything that the Dragon'ssenses would miss. Perhaps, he eluded himself, he was looking for salvation. The crash of the Alabasterdid not bode well for a Kurita victory in the orbital battle.

Had the Dragoons planned the DropShip's fall, they could not have halted the Ryuken 'Mechs in a better position for the ambush. Rockets roared out of the surrounding buildings, and hidden emplacements opened fire with the eye-searing pulses of laser and charged particle beams. A heavy Dragoon 'Mech bulled through the front of an apartment building and slammed into a Kurita Stinger.Both 'Mechs vanished in the dust and falling masonry.

When the air had cleared enough, Chou saw the Dragoon Thunderboltstanding over the mangled remains of the lighter machine. The Thunderboltraised both arms and slammed them down into the Stinger.Again and again, the fists smashed into the already destroyed Kurita 'Mech.

The ‘MechWarrior's savagery shocked Chou to his senses. He ordered his men to leave the ambush site at top speed. No longer would they fight on the mercenaries' terms. Chou took rear guard to assure that none of his men became trapped into a prolonged duel with the Dragoons.

Reserving his laser and missile fire for the part of Dragoon BattleMechs advancing toward him, Chou raked the infantry positions with a rolling volley of autocannon fire. At the moment, he was thankful for the Thunderbolt'spreoccupation with the downed Stinger.The two 'Mechs he faced were both lights. Combined, they massed less than his Dragon,giving him the advantage. He was going to need it against these blood-crazed mercenaries.

After the first exchange of fire, Chou noticed that the Dragoons were allowing him to increase the range by failing to make use of their superior speed. This action was so uncharacteristic of the last few days of combat that Chou wondered if they were waiting for something.

The pinging of his radar unraveled the puzzle. He had been caught in a second phase of the trap. Dragoon 'Mechs were jetting down from the tops of nearby buildings.

A dark blue Shadow Hawklanded to his right. Lurching out of the steam and dust of its landing, the Hawkcame at him at high speed. Its Armstrong autocannon was pivoted back in transport position, both arms raised above the cockpit. The 'Mech's hands clasped a monstrous steel I-beam, which it must have torn from a nearby structure. For one absurd moment, Chou imagined the BattleMech to be an ancient samurai, sword raised above his head to deliver the pear-splitting stroke that would cleave through his enemy's helmet. The instant was frozen in time for Chou as he saw the stroke coming. In a moment of perfect clarity, he knew he could do nothing to avoid it.

The I-beam came down on the Dragon'scockpit.

47

Government House, Cerant, An Ting

Galedon Military District, Draconis Combine

13 January 3028

 

“What did I miss?” Jerry Akuma said to the air in his tower office of the Government House. The only answer was the faint susurrus of the air cooler.

He shoved his chair back from the desk, threw himself to his feet, and began to pace the room. When Akuma passed the desk for the third time, he stopped with a jerk. His hand struck out, closing on the bronze dragonhead that decorated the desk. Then he whirled, hurling it at the wall. The paperweight smashed one of the video monitors, and shards of glass scattered over the floor. Circuits sparked and a thin plume of smoke crawled from the ruin, only to be sucked away by the room's circulation system.

Frackencrack!

Two days ago, Sho-saChou had died in a Dragoon ambush, and the Ryuken had begun to fall apart. Without Chou's leadership, the unit was no match for the numerically inferior Dragoon forces.

Things had looked so good at first. The riots and the capture of the Hephaestusstation had seriously distressed Wolf's Dragoons. Though Akuma had not been able to incite Wolf to attack the local populace, he had succeeded in deeply angering the hard-shelled mercenary. Angry men made mistakes. But if Wolf had done so, Akuma had not detected any.

When a Dragoon BattleMech company had unexpectedly reached Cerant Square before Chou could begin the attack on Boupeig barracks, Akuma thought he had gotten his overreaction. The Dragoon 'Mechs had not attacked any Kurita assets, however. Instead, they had overseen the evacuation of Wolf and the other Dragoons at the Administration HQ. Taking this as a sign that the Wolf's nerve had failed, that the Dragoons were on the run, Akuma had believed that the principal thrust of his plan was still on target.

Later, when word came that the same company of 'Mechs had disrupted the assault on Boupeig barracks and thereby warned the defenders, Akuma got his first taste of what commanders throughout history had learned—no plan survives contact with the enemy. He had not liked the flavor at all.

Indeed, he learned to hate it as it became his main course. Boupeig barracks refused to fall. Day after day, the Dragoons failed to show the morale collapse he had predicted. Fighting with efficiency and tenacity, they had forced Ryuken– ichito split its battalions to protect sensitive areas of Cerant.

The Dragoon reaction did not make any sense to Akuma. Their mewling morality placed a foolishly high value on their civilians. The losses he had arranged among those civilians should have broken the ‘MechWarriors' will to fight. Instead they had resisted, each day more fiercely than before. Even attacks against the grounded DropShips loaded with those worthless laymen seemed only to fuel the martial fervor of the Dragoons.

The Ryuken had been a disappointment. From the start, the pitiful line officers could not even handle the disorganized Dragoons. Each day brought new tales of disaster at the hands of the ravaging bands of mercenary 'Mechs and infantry. Malking infantry! In Akuma's day as a ‘MechWarrior, no Kurita soldier would have feared infantry. But these Ryuken officers cried every time they had to go near a building, afraid that some sweat-soaked groundpig was going to jump out and gut their 'Mechs with a vibroknife. Incompetents and cowards!

There was nothing left to do on An Ting. While Chou had been in command, there had been some hope of reversing the military situation. That hope had died when the fool had gotten himself ambushed and killed two days ago. It was time to withdraw and revise the plans, to continue the destruction of the Dragoons from somewhere else.

Once Akuma had set up a new headquarters, he would order the release of all the carefully gathered evidence of Dragoon disobedience, as well as the meticulously created “evidence” of their misdeeds. Once that material was in the hands of the public media of the Successor States, the Dragoons would be universally condemned. Everyone would consider them to be outlaws, which would validate any action the Combine might take against them. Should any mercenaries survive the Dragon's onslaught, they would never again find employ, destined to die broken men with evil reputations.

Jerry Akuma considered the failure on An Ting as an annoyance, not a defeat. He would not give up. The destruction of Wolf and his Dragoons was no longer just a sideshow, a way to torture that sanctimonious bastard Tetsuhara. It was personal now. Only Wolf's death and the elimination of all that the gray-haired bastard held dear would satisfy Akuma.

The sounds of distant explosions reached him through the room's outer transplex wall. Looking up, Akuma saw the flashes of energy weapons and the gray trails of missiles arcing over the battle site. The Dragoons had begun their assault. He held no illusions about the Ryuken– ichi'sability to hold them back, however. In an hour, the Dragoons would be storming Government House. It was time to leave.

The door to his office opened to admit Quinn, returning from his last errand. Akuma turned his gaze back to the distant battle. “Is my 'Mech readied for the trip to the DropShip?” he asked, without turning around.

It would be only a short run to the ship. There was some small element of danger involved in the trip up the gravity well, but the scheduled diversionary attack by Kuritan aerospace forces across the Dragoon-dominated– orbits would provide sufficient distraction for Akuma's ship to clear the planet. Once away, he could continue to arrange the Dragoons' downfall. A smile crept over his lips. Despite the recent setback, he would have his revenge. He was in no hurry.

The thought of hurry made him remember that Quinn had not answered his question. When Akuma turned toward him, the words froze in his throat, for the bodyguard had him at the point of a blazer pistol.

Akuma had always considered the blazer to be a sleek and finely designed weapon. At the moment, the double-barreled laser weapon looked remarkably ugly. It might have been less ugly if Akuma was not aware how expert was Quinn in its use.

“You have exceeded your authority,” Quinn said, as though pronouncing sentence. “You have been allowed to do this in the past, but this time you have failed. The ISF does not tolerate failure.

“You have manipulated Samsonov into giving you a free hand. Together, you and he have forced Lord Kurita into a corner. The Director has learned of Lord Kurita's response to Samsonov's constant prodding, and he is not pleased. He only wanted Wolf's Dragoons discredited so that they would be forced to work for the Combine when no other would employ them. He thought that you understood that. You have disturbed his plan so gravely that the Dragoons have turned on the Dragon and our Lord.

“You must pay for that now.”

Cold sweat beaded Akuma's upper lip. He had seen Quinn kill too many times to mistake the way the assassin held his body. This was no test or bluff, and nothing Akuma could say would sway him. The man's dedication to Indrahar was unshakable.

There was also no way to take him out. Had Akuma been the one holding the gun, he could never have killed Quinn without taking some injury himself. The assassin was too good at his craft. What had made Quinn the best choice as an agent now rendered him the worst as an enemy.

“Sayonara,Jerry,” Quinn's voice had taken on a hint of emotion. Could it be regret?Akuma wondered. “The Sons of the Dragon had hopes for you,” the assassin said.

Quinn's finger was tightening on the trigger when the entire building shook. The shot went wide of its mark, but still seared off Akuma's right ear as the dual bolt sizzled across the room to vaporize a two-centimeter hole in the transplex. The bolt went little farther, though. The aligned-crystal steel armor of a BattleMech drank the energy and showed no effect.

The room shook again as the BattleMech shifted its position to improve its grip on the skyscraper. Slabs fell from the ceiling as Akuma was dashed to the floor beside his desk. The desk's bulk saved his life as a chunk of the ceiling shattered against the marble top, spattering him with fist-sized particles.

Quinn was not so lucky. A piece of masonry the size of a computer deck caught him in the back of the neck and sent him sprawling to the floor. Before more falling debris buried most of the assassin from sight, Akuma saw that Quinn's head lay at a sharp angle.

Then the shaking stopped.

Akuma looked up at his savior. The 'Mech clinging precariously to the outside of the building was a dark blue Shadow Hawk.The golden falcon on its chest glittered in the moming sunlight as the dust-smeared battlefist shattered the transplex and thrust into the room.

* * *

Dechan Fraser's Command Lance had paid heavily to get into Cerant Center ahead of the Dragons' main force. West's Griffin was sidelined, with its right leg blown away by a vibrabomb. When last Fraser had seen Ellings and Alcorn, they had also taken heavy damage while engaged with a pair of Kurita Panthers.His own Shadow Hawkhad lost its head-mounted SRM launcher to a PPC hit from a Warhammer.That shot had cracked his cockpit armor and sent shrapnel tearing into his left arm. The pain was unimportant now, for Dechan had made it to Government House in time.

He was looking in on Jerry Akuma, the Snake who had caused all their trouble. For years, Akuma had done nothing but try to hurt the Dragoons. Though Dechan would have preferred Samsonov on his viewscreen, the Warlord was too far away. Eliminating his tool would have to do.

IR showed another man in the room. Though he was mostly buried under rubble, his still-visible hand gripped a pistol. No sane person would bother to draw a pistol against a 'Mech, but Dechan had no idea what had been going on. No matter, he was here for revenge and he would have it.

He slammed the Hawk'sfist through the transplex window wall. Fragments of the tough plastic rained across the debris-strewn carpet as the 'Mech's hand opened to reach for the cowering Draconian. The hand closed, fingers straining briefly against the massive desk sheltering Akuma.

That delay was all the Snake needed. He squirmed free of the juggernaut fingers and staggered through the open doorway of the room.

“Come back and die, you scum,” Dechan bellowed in frustration over the 'Mech's external speakers.

Myomer pseudomuscles strained as the Shadow Hawkripped its way through the building's outer wall. The 'Mech flopped on its belly, legs extended into space through the hole torn for its entry. Dechan rolled the 'Mech to one side to get an optical on the fleeing Kuritan. The heavy construction of Government House blocked his machine's sensors even more successfully than the heavy walls impeded his forward progress.

Akuma threw himself into a waiting elevator car. Before Dechan could reorient his 'Mech to bring any weapons to bear, the doors slid shut. The car cleared the level as the Shadow Hawk'slaser pulse slagged the outer doors and sizzled through the back wall of the shaft.

Dechan cursed. Based on the trouble he'd had bulling into the executive office, he knew he couldn't plow the Hawktoward the elevator shaft before Akuma had finished his ride. He carefully noted which of the shafts the fleeing officer had taken, then began to back his 'Mech out of the hole. At one point, the Hawkwould have toppled from the building except for Dechan's quick grab at the edge. An uncontrolled fall from that height could scramble even a BattleMech.

Once steadied and oriented, he cut in his jump jets and released the 'Mech's grip on the skyscraper. The ground came up quickly, but the superheated steam cushioned the drop. Myomer pseudomuscles flexed to absorb the last of the inertia.

Dechan pivoted the Hawkand piloted it around the corner of the building. Ahead of him stood the dark glass cylinders of the elevator shafts. Dechan marked the one in motion. His lips drew back in a snarl as a quick count assured him that it was Akuma's. He brought his sights to bear. As soon as the crosshairs of his heads-up display kissed the sinking car's center, he cut loose with his Martell laser.

Pulse after pulse flashed into the shaft. Flames and smoke erupted through the holes each pulse burned through the shaft's walls. Sheared free from its cables, the flaming elevator car crashed ten stories into the building's basement.

Dechan cut off the laser, satisfied that nothing Human could survive that inferno.

“That's for Shadd and all the others,” he said. Magnified by the Hawk'sexternal speakers, his words echoed off the surrounding buildings.

Dechan had gotten his revenge, yet he didn't feel satisfied. He just felt empty.

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