Текст книги "Mercenary's Star"

Автор книги: Уильям Кейт

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Текущая страница: 7 (всего у книги 28 страниц)

Lori sat in the chair, her hands on the console controls, her head and cascade of blond hair completely covered by the grotesque, black-visored mask of the neurohelmet. It was already stuffily warm inside the close space, and Lori had stripped to boots, briefs, and Tshirt in preparation for the even greater heat to come. As the ‘Mech lurched its way forward, Grayson clung to overhead struts with both hands, telling himself to ignore the pleasant sight of her bare legs and to concentrate instead on the instrumentation above them.

Shadow spilled across the ‘Mech's armor-embraced canopy. They were among the trees at the jungle's edge.

"Just in time," Lori said, her voice muffled from inside the helmet.

He tried without success to read what emotion might be in her words. He was worried about how she might face this, her first combat since Thunder Rift, but that had not been the reason why he'd joined her. There'd not been time to free her Locust,and so he needed to be aboard a ‘Mech himself to coordinate the battle.

"If we spotted them, it's likely they spotted us," he said, "but they'll have to work to find us."

"The ship's radar echo might've blended in with the trees and water," she said, "and the tide's coming in awfully fast. If we're lucky, they might not even see—"

"No such luck," he said, interrupting. Outside, thunder pealed, and a pair of sleek SL-15s banked low over jungle and beach, stooping to circle the wrecked DropShip.

"They've found us!"

10

 

Grayson reached over Lori's shoulder, stabbing at the frequency settings on the com console. "McCall! This is Carlyle!" he said.

"McCall, aye," the Caledonian responded. "A'm trackenit tha' beasties, sair."

"Hold your fire until you've got your best shot. And concentrate on the aircraft, not on ground ‘Mechs. We're counting on you for anti-aircraft cover."

"Aye, Captain. Ye've go' it."

The RFL-3N Rifleman,with its paired heavy lasers and autocannon mounted on each shoulder had been designed as a fire support ‘Mech, but was well-equipped for its secondary role as an antiaircraft tracking and weapons platform. The odd, propellor-like antennae of the ‘Mech's D2j tracking system mounted above and behind the cockpit provided rapid target acquisition that was particularly useful against airborne threats.

Grayson spoke again. "All ‘Mechs, this is Carlyle. Hold your fire! Ready...on my command..."

The pair of enemy Slayersthundered overhead again, but did not fire. They're searching,he thought, but they still don't know we're here!He felt a small thrill of pride that none of the ‘Mechs in his command had loosed a shot at the two fighters during their first pass.

He watched the traceries of the fighters' paths on the Hawk'sbattlescreen. If they were scanning for active communications, they'd pick up the ‘Mech band the next time he gave an order. If the fighters had IR or magnetometer gear, his men would be spotted almost at once. In any case, the ‘Mechs would not remain unnoticed among the jungle growth for long.

"Now, McCall!. Your best shot!"

The Slayersbanked sharply, arrowing toward... the Wolverine!

"Clay! Duck and roll!"

Autocannon fire spat from the SL-15s, shredding treetop foliage in a whirlwind of leaf and branch fragments and splintering blasts. The jungle floor shuddered as the fighters whipped overhead at treetop level, spilling slender cylinders that glittered as they fell. The jungle erupted in flame and noise.

Davis McCall's Riflemanstepped from the jungle as the Slayersraced side by side across the mudflats and out over the sea. His ‘Mech's arms were already raised, the autocannons spitting fire as empty, smoking shell casings flipped onto the sand. The flash and flicker of explosions chewing along the starboard side of one of the fighters made it lurch heavily to one side.

"Now, Phobos!Fire!"

Lasers ignited streaks of tortured air. Chunks of smoking metal hurtled from the fighter already damaged. The other Slayerbanked left, twisting to avoid the unexpected fire.

"Clay! Report!"

"I'm fine, Captain," Clay's voice replied. "The bombs came in close, but not quite close enough. Thanks for the alert.”

“Any time. Give McCall a hand."

Martinez interrupted from her station aboard the Phobos."Captain! The DropShip is coming in to the east! Range two thousand meters!"

"Right. All units...did you hear? Company's coming!" That would be ‘Mechs...and groundsupport troops. What was the rebel leader's name? "Tollen! Are you listening in?"

"Here, Carlyle."

"Have your people faced ‘Mechs before?"

A pause. "Men...against ‘Mechs? What the hell do..."

"Listen...you'll have to trust me on this. I'm not asking you to face ‘Mechs, but those out there are going to have support troops somewhere nearby."

"Listen, Captain...you're crazy if you think my people are going to face up to a whole, damned Kurita army..."

"Not an army. Probably no more than a platoon or two of mop-up troops. I need infantry to keep them off our backs, and my people aren't organized yet." The Gray Death's personal weapons lay still wrapped in their protective slickers, cased in the transport lockers littering the beach behind him. It had been important not to show weapons to the approaching rebels, but it might have been better if his people had dug fewer trenches and opened more crates. Some of the hundred-odd people in his command had guns by now, but not nearly enough.

He considered quickly, then decided to give their new allies an option. "It's up to you. Take off if you'd rather, but you know we need your help."

Tollen sounded grim. "We'll stay, but my people will deploy to myorders, not yours.”

“Fair enough. Ramage?”

“Here, Captain."

"How many do you have armed?"

"Ten or fifteen, Captain. Not enough"

"Never mind. Have unarmed personnel rendezvous with the skimmers and stay out of trouble. Everyone with guns, join the rebel troops and obey Tollen's orders. Got that?"

"Sir!"

"Colonel? Do you mind taking a few new recruits?"

Brasednewic didn't speak for several seconds as he digested this unexpected trust on the part of the offworlder. "Very well!" There was another pause, and then, "And Captain! Good hunting!"

The Wolverinehad emerged from the trees a hundred meters east of McCall and was firing its autocannon, the stream of shells crossing the double stream from the Rifleman.The Phobosadded lancing beams of coherent light. The stricken aircraft staggered once again, billowing smoke. A flash and glitter of light marked the pilot's ejection, and then the Slayerbegan rolling wing over wing as it swooped and crashed into the jungle to the south. The explosion shivered the leaves on the trees.

The other Slayerpulled up abruptly, gaining altitude. The Riflemantracked it, using laser fire now to save its on-board ammo.

"DropShip, LeopardClass," Martinez reported from her observation point. "Setting down two klicks east. He's unbuttoning."

"Lori, let's see what the other fellows are up to."

"Right, boss." She seemed steady, even excited as the battle took shape. Deft motions of her hands at the ‘Mech's twin control sticks set the ShadowHawkin motion, while the ‘Mech's metal hands parted branches and a heavy gray drapery of something remarkably akin to Terran Spanish moss. From the jungle's edge, they could see four enemy ‘Mechs moving down the DropShip's ramps and spreading out across the beach.

At two kilometers, it was difficult to make them out. Lori queried her computer for a scanner ID. Diagrams traced themselves across her screen, green light on black, and words flashed across the drawings.

"Not good," Grayson said. "A Marauderand an Orion—two heavies. A pair of Stingers.We can take the Stingers,no problem. But those two..."

Grayson had faced a Marauderbefore. He had, in fact, faced two of them, one after the other in the last struggle at Thunder Rift, on Trellwan. A heavy ‘Mech weighing 75 tons, it moved with a menacing, crablike stride on rear-canted legs, and its oversized forearms mounted paired PPCs and medium lasers. The autocannon protruded from its exposed mount above the egg-shaped hull like a black spear.

The Orionwas an old design. Grayson had never seen one up close, though he'd studied them during his training. It massed as much as the Marauder atits side, though its squat, angular chassis was vaguely humanoid. The blunt muzzle of an autocannon protruded from an armored bay on its right side. Like the Marauder,it was handless, with medium lasers set into the massive vambraces instead. The cockpit head was set low between the shoulders, the slit viewports giving the appearance of eyes.

"Khaled!"

"Here, Captain."

"Ithink we're in luck. They're deploying a lance of Mechs, but no support troops. Gather the two Wasps.Stay in the jungle, but look for an opportunity to circle behind as we draw them in. They have a pair of heavies, but all together, we outweigh them. We can take them if we save you for a surprise!"

"Yes, Kolarasi,"the ex-Saurimat said, his voice taut with excitement "Allah akbar!"

"Right O.K., let's show ourselves, Lori," Grayson said. "I want them down here, out from under the guns of that Leopard."

The Shadow Hawkstepped fully from the jungle, and the enemy

 ‘Mechs hurried their pace. Missiles and beams lanced out from the DropShip, but flew either too high or else splashed close by the Phobos,searching for the range. In ground combat, DropShips depended on a high volume of fire rather than accuracy to protect themselves from advancing ‘Mechs, and they suffered the same fire-control problems at long ranges that ‘Mechs did. The Leopard'sfire should not prove too dangerous unless they ventured nearer.

The Phobosreturned the fire. BattleMechs on both sides began shooting, too, though neither unit expected to do much more than keep the other side cautious at this range of over a kilometer. With most ‘Mech tracking units being centuries old and all cobbled together from other, even older units, they were not up to pinpoint accuracy across more than a few hundred meters.

The Gray Death's ‘Mechs held their ground while the Kurita ‘Mechs closed. By this time, the Draco scanners would have identified all three visible ‘Mechs and tallied the odds in favor of the attackers, four ‘Mechs to three, 190 tons to 170. The Kurita machines proceeded even closer.

At 500 meters, they were within effective range, and McCall's Riflemanbegan scoring hits on the Marauderwith his autocannon. Each flash and bang of an impacting shell gouged heavy armor, sending bits and flakes of metal flying back over the Marauder'sshell. Lori joined in, firing the Hawk'sautocannon in a long, ragged volley that stitched shells across the Marauder'sport side and arm. Delmar Clay, meanwhile, turned his Wolverine'sSRMs and autocannon on the Orion.

The two Kurita light ‘Mechs hung back, shielded by the bulk of their comrades.

Cannon fire thundered. The Dracos were probably surprised that they'd stood and fought, Grayson thought. Rebel forces, or the mercenary units helping them, could not afford to stand up to a Kurita line unit and slug it out The Combine had plenty of ‘Mechs on Verthandi, plus an unending pipeline of tools and repair parts from offworld. Each of the Grey Death's ‘Mechs was priceless, and spare parts would be tough to come by. Delmar Clay's Wolverinestaggered back a step as autocannon fire opened craters in the big ‘Mech's chest.

"Keep moving, everybody," Grayson ordered over the battle circuit. "It's a long way to the nearest friendly repair facility!"

"Cap'n! McCall here. It's gettin' a wee bit warmish in here. Ah'm goin' for a wee dip!"

"Right We may join you."

As the exchange of heavy cannon and laser fire continued, the Hawk'scockpit was rapidly becoming stiflingly hot Grayson wiped at the perspiration beading his forehead and flicked it to the deck, then grabbed for a stanchion as Lori tilted the machine sharply in response to a laser burst that scorched the Hawk'sright side. He wished he could take his off uniform jacket, but there was no room. Anyway, the Orionwas charging now, its lumbering gait heading straight toward the mercenary ‘Mechs.

"Watch him," Grayson barked. "If he gets in the middle of us, we won't be able to fire at him without firing at each other!"

McCall, his Riflemannow waste-deep in the surging, incoming tide, swivelled his ‘Mech's torso and hosed fire across the charging Orion,but it was Lori who thought to direct autocannon fire at the big ‘Mech's feet Craters gouged the sand, filling immediately with dirty water. One of the Orion's broad feet came down into a shell hole with a splash, overbalancing the ‘Mech and toppling it forward into the foam.

As McCall's lasers scorched low across the sand from the sea, wet sand by the fallen Orionsizzled and exploded in gouts of steam. Lori brought the Hawk'sright arm to the point, its medium laser fanning white hot-destruction across the Orion'sbackpack electronics. Firing its jump-jets with a rushing hiss, an enemy Stingerleaped, balanced, and then descended in steam and smoke. Cradling its right-hand laser like a pistol, it fired at the Shadow Hawk'scockpit as it touched down.

Grayson had already averted his eyes. Without the shielded visor of the neurohelmet, the laser's monocolor pulse would have blinded him, even through the mirrored surface of the Hawk's shielded vision slits. He felt heat, intense heat, wash through the cockpit, and then the thunder of the Hawk'sshoulder-mounted autocannon smacked into the lighter Stingerand sent it tumbling backward into the sand.

Shellfire streamed across the Marauder,which had halted at the fall of the Orion.The Stingerat its side exchanged laser fire with the Rifleman,which was now striding out of the sea, foam streaming from its legs. The Hawk'sbattlecom circuits garbled strange, shouted words. "Droch annailed sassanach! Oed an sluic!"

"McCall!" The Caledonian was totally absorbed in his firefight with the Kurita ‘Mechs. "McCall! Behind you!"

"Rach gus sluic!"The Riflemancontinued its inexorable advance, autocannons stuttering, shell casings spilling into the water. Low, skimming the water behind McCall's ‘Mech, the AeroSpace Fighter that had fled skyward earlier was returning, its nose lasers and autocannon twinkling in deadly synchronization.

Founts of water gushed and sprayed on either side of the Rifleman,and explosions blossomed along its back. The flat antennae of the D2j tracking system burst into fragments, and the ‘Mech's right arm went suddenly limp, the autocannon barrels swinging down to point into the water.

The lasers aboard the Phobosswung heavily to track the new, unexpected target, but too slowly. Lori brought the Shadow Hawk'slaser into line and triggered a rippling pulse of coherent light flat across the beach, scant meters above the Rifleman's head and into the onrushing fighter. Shellfire and laser bursts were tracking past the toppling Riflemannow, blasting sand, mud, and steam into the sky in an impenetrable curtain. Lori just kept firing at where she thought the target to be, tracking higher, then straight overhead as a shadow blackened the sky and thunder pealed. Then the Phobosfired, sending streaks of light burning through the sky.

Red lights winked on Lori's console. "Damn!" she said. "A shell took out our autocannon on that run!"

Grayson had not even felt the impact. He studied the battlescreen. The fighter was continuing its flight due south. "I think you hurt him, Lori...or Use did. He's not going to stop until he hits Regis!"

"Now, if we could just convince them."

The Riflemanwas down, partly submerged in the swift-rising tide, braced half-erect on knees and gun barrels. Its fall had signaled a general advance for the Kurita ‘Mechs.

Clay's Wolverinelaid down a blistering salvo of laser, autocannon, and SRM fire. Missiles wove between the Kurita ‘Mechs, flashing with sudden, sharp impact, raining the enemy with mud, pocking their armor with shellbursts and the charred, black slashes of laser strikes. Suddenly outnumbered four to two, the Wolverineand the Shadow Hawkstepped closer together, almost side by side, spraying their attackers with concentrated fire.

The Stingerwas down again, not moving. Before Grayson could react to the sudden turn of events, three more ‘Mechs had stepped onto the beach from the jungle two hundred meters beyond the attackers. Grayson almost pointed out the new targets to Lori, then shouted in pure joy as he realized that the newcomers were the Gray Death's own light ‘Mechs. Hassan Khaled in his Stingerwas snapping shots into the rear of the Marauderwith vicious abandon. Both Waspshad joined Clay's Wolverinein a wicked crossfire that trapped the Orionand had the heavy machine reeling.

The Kurita ‘Mechs wavered. If they broke and ran, they would run right through the light ‘Mechs closing in behind them.

"Khaled!" Grayson cried into the com circuit "Scatter your force! Clay! You follow us!" He urged Lori forward with a hand on her shoulder as though he were propelling the Hawkitself. Lori's sweat-soaked T-shirt was wringing wet under his fingers. The Shadow Hawkfired its jump jets, causing Grayson to clutch again for the overhead stanchions. The machine crashed to earth on the far side of the fallen enemy Stinger,but then recovered its balance and continued its advance toward the foe.

The remaining Stingerturned and fled, crashing headlong into Khaled's Stinger,which was charging from the other direction. Both ‘Mechs went down, arms and legs flailing. The Orionwas limping heavily. The heavy, oily green sheen of coolant was smeared along its left leg like blood and also gushed from a shattered knee joint Smoke boiled from a scar in its left side.

The Marauderheld its ground, buying time, perhaps, for its fellows. Both the Hawkand the Wolverineconcentrated their fire on the Marauder.For a full thirty seconds of blazing, fire-licked hell, the three ‘Mechs exchanged laser fire at close quarters. The Hawk'scockpit was an oven, an inferno that brought Grayson to the point of collapse. Heat overload alarms were shrilling as red lights rippled across Lori's board. Four times he saw her slap the override switch when the on-board computer threatened shutdown. After that, he lost count.

Lori guided the overheated machine through ankle-deep water, working toward deeper water where the sea would act as shield and coolant. The Maraudercrabbed sideways. Though still firing, it was retreating now toward its DropShip.

Grayson spared a glance for the grounded DropShip and stifled a yelp of surprise. There were twoKurita Leopardsthere now. The second must have grounded unheard and unseen during the battle. There was a stir of movement below the second ship, but he couldn *t make out what it was.

"Let me have a magnification of the landing site," he said, and Lori punched a combination of buttons. The combat screen lit up with a magnified view of the base of the newly grounded DropShip.

Galleons.

Grayson knew the GAL-100 from his ID lectures of years before. The tank was a fast, light tracked vehicle designed to support ‘Mechs or infantry, or both. Instead of a full turret, a medium laser on a universal platform mount rotated on its broad, flat back, and a pair of light lasers were set in vertical shell turret mounts on either side just above the leader wheels. The Galleon was fast, faster than any ‘Mech, though the sand of the beach might slow them some here. Its single disadvantage was its light armor, but the tanks were small and relatively cheap to produce. Most battlefield commanders could afford to lose three or four Galleons to kill a single ‘Mech.

This latest turn of the battle made Grayson curse bitterly under his breath. The enemy ‘Mechs were beaten, broken, but he could count at least six Galleons moving down the beach. And there could be more behind, masked by their fellows. Thosewere the support forces he'd thought the enemy had neglected to throw in.

Grayson was gripped by a momentary indecision. His ‘Mech force could not be pushed for much longer. One of his heavies was down, and both the Wolverineand the Shadow Hawkhad been squandering ammunition in attempts to overwhelm their targets with raw firepower. Worse, the Hawkcould not withstand its current heat load much longer, and each discharge of the laser made things worse. He was sure that things were just as bad aboard Clay's machine. It was time to retreat, now,while they could. Yet it was wrenching to think of abandoning the field like this, with victory so close...

The Galleons were racing across the beach now, their tread kicking up spray behind them. Lori began firing with her laser, snapping shots off slowly and with great deliberation. Her heat alarms were shrilling again. Grayson had another thought. Would they be able to escape? The Galleons were racing to cut them off on each side from jungle and sea. With their high speed, they were devilishly hard to hit.

A flash of light snapped across Khated's Stinger asa laser struck home. Light flooded the Hawk'scockpit and Grayson covered his eyes. When he looked up again, purple blotches danced before his eyes, almost totally obscuring his vision. Briefly, he knew sharp panic, but the fear subsided as his vision cleared. The beam that had caught the Shadow Hawk'shead had not struck the vision screens squarely. It had been partly reflected laser light that had so dazzled Grayson's eyes.

Lori stabbed off the last of the Hawk'shead-mounted SRMs. "I don't think we can hold them, Gray!"

Explosions echoed across the beach, cracks and hollow-sounding booms under flame-shot clouds. A tank died horribly, flame boiling from its engine vents and its turret. A crewman struggled to free himself from an escape hatch, looking tiny and pitiful against the consuming blaze.

The tanks slowed and stopped, their lasers tracking new targets.

At first, Grayson had thought the explosions were the Hawk'smissiles, but it was something else. Small containers, possibly glass, were being hurtled from the jungle's edge, breaking over the tanks' backs or on the surface of the water. When they broke, fire billowed skyward. Where the fire touched the water already lapping at the tanks' treads, it spread, burning furiously.

Skimmers burst from the jungle, just clearing the mud and shallow water. Men rode those skimmers. Some carried guns, but most were hurling containers at the Galleons, then ducking low to pick up and light another.

Grayson recognized the weapon. It was a glass bottle filled with a mixture of gasoline and oil, the neck stuffed shut with a strip of cloth soaked in the mixture. When the cloth was lit and the bottle hurled, it became an effective grenade. Such weapons had been used by resistance forces against tanks on Terra long before man ventured to the stars.

"Go, Lori! Go! This is our chance!"

Brasednewic's rebels splashed among the trees near the water's edge, firing steadily to keep the crewmen buttoned up tight inside their vehicles. The skimmers circled, hungry. Another tank was alight The others were retreating, and all but two had strayed into muddy ground already meter-deep in the incoming tide. One struggled, its engine racing. The other sat motionless with its deck already awash.

The Shadow Hawk'slast LRM sighed from its tube, the weapon status light for that tube flashing green to red. A Galleon exploded Fragments of armor rained into the water in a widening circle around the tank. Smoke mushroomed from it, casting rippling shadows across sand and jungle.

Firing into the retreating enemy forces, Debrowski's Waspand the Wolverinestrode through smoky water that was knee-deep on the ‘Mechs.

"All ‘Mechs!" Grayson said, his voice unnaturally loud in the close, hot cabin of the Hawk."All ‘Mechs! Break off pursuit!"

Jaleg Yorulis protested from his Wasp."But Captain! We've got 'em running!"

"They're running, all right, right back under the cover of those DropShips. Break off!"

Grayson fought down his own surge of battlelust Their victory was complete, or as complete as they were likely to manage with a pair of heavily armed DropShips backing up the enemy. Missiles ratcheted overhead from the enemy landing zone, exploding in sand and fury behind them.

Grayson gave the order to withdraw.

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