Vernon wanted to double back, but had moved north onto the volcanic hill to get a better shot at the approaching mechs. An enemy Jenner started down the hill towards the valley. Davies fired the Nightsky’s jump jets and landed just twenty meters south of the Jenner and fired all but his large pulse laser. The Jenner and Grasshopper fired back. Vernon ignored his urge to target the Grasshopper and fired his lasers at the Jenner Davies was after.
Vernon watched the Jenner’s left leg lash out and smash armor from the Nightsky’s right leg. The Nighstky faltered for a moment before stepping forward and lashing out with its hatchet and severing the Jenner’s left arm which fell to the ground and landed with a loud thump.
“Isonade Two to all units, there are no survivors in the wreck. We recovered what we could. Need extraction.” “Green One copies, Greens load them up,” said Lieutenant Fitz. The Maxims moved to the positions of the infantry.
Vernon saw the destruction of the Heavy Hover APC to his right on his side display. He had been too focused on the enemy mechs and had not noticed the APCs. The destroyed Heavy Hover APC had its front caved in and its infantry were getting out in a hurry. “Kamaitachi Five to Seven and Eight, pull back a bit,” said Vernon as he jump jetted to the south and noticed the two Saladins approaching with the Regulator and Pegasus giving chase. The four enemy mechs moved south with the exception of the Jenner with the amputated arm which peeled off to the west.
There was an explosion on the western lake. Jones flew south and attacked the Gladiator as did Brown and Davies. It fell and its comrades moved to support it. After regaining its feetm it retreated to the north.
“Isonade Nine to all units, enemy HHAPC has moved to within a hundred meters northeast of my position and deployed infantry, open fire boys,” said Lieutenant Pimental. The two infantry forces and their transports traded shots.
Jack kept his lance moving to the north. The irritating Saracens had moved to within two hundred meters of Alpha lance. One of the Goblins moved down the hill to cover although the severely damaged one was not able to get away. He could see PPC, laser and missile fire from Fitz and Wong going towards the lead Saracen, he went for the sweep hovertank. They hit it burning off the hovertank’s front skirt and it skidded to a halt on the ground. The Catapult and Marauder took a few missile hits for their trouble. Walther hit one of the attack helicopters with a PPC, but it did not go down. The attack helicopters retreated to the north.
“Hawk One to all units, I had to crash land. I think that I can get this old bird back in the air!”
“Kamaitachi One to Hawk One, copy that. It will be hard to provide you exfiltration if you cannot get that bird off of the ground.” “Why thanks,” said Smith as he carefully applied thrust. He forced himself to not hold his breath and applied thrust. The hull scrapped on the ground and the noise from the engine increased as he moved the throttle forward. Then less than gracefully the aerospace fighter rose off of the ground. “Very good girl,” he whispered to the Corsair. “Hawk One to all units, I am airborne again!”
“Kamaitachi One to Three and Four, fall back with me to Two’s position. All units, form up to the south of the large hill and prepare to withdraw,” said Jack as he jump jetted the Catapult a hundred and twenty meters to the south. Beta lance moved southeast. Fourth lance loaded up the infantry and proceeded to the southeast. The enemy mechs moved after them with the Saladin charging in and nearly hitting Brown’s Phoenix Hawk. The Saladin popped off an autocannon burst at one of the Maxims, missed and then backed up to the north behind the protection of its battlemech allies. Beta lance was also within weapons range of the militia infantry company that had deployed on the base of the hill. Their HHAPCs retreated to the north.
Jack swung the Catapult’s torso to the right and fired his medium lasers at the Saracen at the base of the hill but only one of his lasers hit. His lance mates attacked the other Saracen and a Goblin. None of the tanks went down and the left arm of Fitz’s Marauder lost the last of its armor and its PPC soon after. “Kamaitachi Four to all units, I have severe armor damage. My left arm is bare and its PPC is down!”
“Kamaitachi Five to Seven and Eight, target the Grasshopper.” Weapons fire was exchanged. Davies’s Nightsky took a pounding and fell. The pursuing Saladin took a few hits from the Maxims but kept coming, but at half speed. The Pegasus sprayed enemy infantry with SRMs and pulse laser fire which made several of them die for the honor of the Dragon! A gauss slug from the Regulator missed the Jenner and flew into the ground at its feet.
After getting the Nightsky on its feet and having an Autocannnon-20 shell detonate near its feet, Davies spoke over the radio. “Kamaitachi Seven to all units, my right torso is almost breached. I am retreating!” “Five copies, get out of there!” As Davies ran southeast he sustained a few hits from medium lasers. Burning away more of his precious armor.
Jones strafed an immobile Saladin to the north of the volcanic hill and it exploded. “Hawk Two to all units, scratch one Saladin!”
Alpha lance had moved to where the volcanic hill’s southern spur began. The Maxims streaked past two hundred meters to the south of them, eager to get away from the fast approaching militia. Beta and First lance followed them while attempting to apply suppression fire to the militia to the west.
After taking a few long ranged missile hits to his center torso and right arm. Jack torso twisted to the right and fired his lasers at the Saracen again. Walther fired at a Goblin to the north. Fitz and Wong fired at the mechs to the west.
“Aka Manto Two to Three, target the Jenner,” Said Wheeler as Reeves fired the gauss rifle at the enemy light mech. Both the gauss slug and SRMs missed the enemy infantry. But missile fire from the Maxims slayed a few fire teams of them.
“Kamaitachi Five to Seven and Eight, target the Grasshopper,” said Vernon as he sent murderous light from his lasers at the heavy battlemech. Beta lance missed the heavy mech. But Fitz nailed its torso with a PPC.
As he flew south, Jones fired his medium lasers and PPC at a Jenner, but only the PPC hit.
Jack checked his displays. His strike force was pulling back to the south. Enemy mechs and infantry were to the west and closing. There was a hill to the south west and then the large geyser lake, to the south was another hill with a spur that led up to another hill. It would be best to send the Maxims to the far side of the spur where they all had initially entered the area. Have Beta and First lance move southwest so that they would be able to setup a cross fire zone with Alpha lance and have first lance sweep around the western hill to attack the side or rear of the militia.
“Kamaitachi One to Two to Four, move to the base of the spur. Five, Six and Eight head between the two hills. Aka Mantos head south and then west around the western hill. Kamaitachi Seven stick with Greens and support them.”
The Maxim’s followed Agnes Maxim while firing a few volleys from their aft LRM launchers at one of the militia infantry platoons. Malachi jump jetted onto a hill to the south. Alpha lance moved to the south off of the spur and Beta lance moved south between the hills. First lance followed and past them and moved onto the western hill.
As Smith pushed more power from his engine the Corsair rose further into the air, ten, twenty, thirty, sixty and then one hundred meters. He gradually changed the thrust from downward to rearward and the fighter flew forward. He flew over the retreating Gladiator and then noticed two newly arrived lances of hover tanks and two attack helicopters. “Hawk One to all units, I have two lance of enemy hover tanks and two helicopters that are at the base of the big hill and heading south.” “Hawk Two copies, heading north to engage. Good to see you flying again One. Though you might regret it when the technicians have to repair your poor little ASF!” Smith laughed.
Jones turned north and strafed the lead hover tank with his lasers and then turned left to fly over the enemy formation which opened fire on him. Molten metal streamed down the front of the lead hover tank which looked like it had a very painful nose bleed.
More hover tanks! Well, that is just great thought Jack as he remembering another clandestine raid while he was in the Eridani Light Horse and barely got his lance away from a company of DC hovertanks. Thank the engineers, even though their judgement could be flawed at times for jump jets and geology for uneven terrain!
The enemy mechs did not fall for the little trap that Jack set. But they pulled back a bit to the west, but were still able to support the infantry. Two HHAPCs moved to pick up the infantry.
Vernon saw the enemy mechs fall back as he moved between the hills. “Kamaitachi Five to Seven and Eight, engage the Jenner.” He said the moment Davies fired on the Grasshopper. Vernon triggered one of his extended ranged large lasers at the Jenner and Brown fired on it as well. The Pegasus fired off a flight of twelve SRMs at one of the infantry platoons before moving behind cover. The volley missed low and a medium laser from one of the Jenners stripped the armor from the turret of the Pegasus.
The battlemechs traded mostly ineffectual fire at each other.
Wheeler checked his displays. The attack force seemed to be withdrawing in good order. But if he continued with following Klein’s orders, both his and Ganner’s tanks would be exposed on the far-left flank with no weapons fire to support them. “Aka Manto Two to Kamaitachi One, request permission to head south as continuing around is just asking to be taken out.”
As Jack backed his Catapult up to the south he heard Wheeler’s question. It was sensible and there was no reason to risk the loss of another hovertank. He also saw two attack helicopters flying to the south. “Kamaitachi One to Aka Manto Two, permission granted, just stay close to Kamaitachis Five through Eight.” “Will do, thanks One.”
Alpha lance moved further south with the rest of the attack force. Davies broiled away a few militia infantry with a hit from his extended ranged large laser. Jack jump jetted several times to the south. Beta, First and Fourth lances also moved to the south. How is Smith doing? Wondered Jack not wanting to lose any more people or machines. “Kamaitachi One to Hawk One, what is your status?” “Hawk One to Kamaitachi One, I have a lot of irregularities in my thrust and some fuel leakage.” “Copy that, get back to base.” “Copy that.” Smith turned east and pushed the throttle forward.
“Kamaitachi Three to all units, I have several J. Edgars and several Scimitars half a kilometer north northwest of my position and closing.” Jack could see two of the helicopters had come back and were flying to the north of his position.
Both sides traded shots. The Maxims made one of the Saracens a mobility kill.
Alpha lance moved on top of a hill to provide covering fire for the Maxims, Beta and first lances. Looking north to the spur that Alpha lance had just left, Jack could see several hovertanks moving up onto it and four that were to the east and heading south.
“Kamaitachi One to Greens One through Three, you are clear to withdraw and rendezvous with use at the rally point.” “Green One copies, thanks Kamaitachi do not say too long.” Jack chuckled. He would most likely not be staying in the area much longer, but getting the hover tanks to not stay with them would be harder not to mention the two attack helicopters.
“Green Two to all units, I have contact with four J. Edgars three hundred meters north of my position and closing.” Jack checked to his right and noticed them as well after the Maxims moved south off of the ridge. Fitz was almost to the top of the ridge and was hit by an LRM volley. Once he made it up then the mechs could break contact with the hover tanks.
Jack started to track the light hover tanks but choose to hold his fire as he only had six volleys for his LRMs left and of course that ammunition was in his already battered right torso. Then he swung his torso back to center and loosed a volley at the stricken Saracen just east of the spur.
“Kamaitachi One to Two through Eight attack whatever you have the best chance of hitting. Then retreat off the ridge and proceed to the rendezvous,” said Jack as he watched the Saracen turn into a fireball! Walther hit a Saracen with a PPC. The Spider took an autocannon hit to its center torso. “Kamaitachi One to Seven, retreat we will cover you!”
The Saracen and Scimitars moved onto the spur to the north and the lance of J. Edgars moved southwest towards the battlemechs. Both lances of hover tanks opened fire. The battlemechs did also. The Saracen was stopped cold and the Scimitars sustained hits. Their autocannons missing their targets. One of the J. Edgars nailed Fitz’s Marauder with its SRMs but the older design did not fall.
The Eighty Fifth moved down the ridge and headed for their rendezvous point. The militia helicopters staying just outside of weapons range, but not too far away that they could not see their quarry. They broke off pursuit after a few minutes of having to deal with Jones’ attacks on them which were hampered by increasing rains. Jones gained more altitude to fly above the bad weather as flying NOE during heavy rains was asking for a Darwin Award.