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Description
Weston Heights, New Scotland
Skye, Prefecture IX
Republic of the Sphere
15 August 3134

Despite everything that had happened so far on Skye, Star Captain Zahrah Pryde knew that the Jade Falcon clan would be victorious. To her, there was no question of the matter. The might of the Clan was simply overwhelming, something no force could stand against, especially not the freeborn rabble that had been arrayed against them.

However, to their credit, those freeborns had chosen to fight rather than flee as the Falcon Torman had descended upon their world like a vast predatory bird. In spite of all that had happened so far, including the carnage unleashed by Galaxy Commander Malvina Hazen in her desant into the Republic, they had not been cowed, instead showing a defiance that was somewhere between admirable and stupid.

It was a fine line, and she intended to show them which side of it they truly stood on.

“Push on, Falcons!” She called out as her Blood Reaper stormed forward, the footfalls of the heavy mech grinding the sodden earth into mud as it pushed on. Despite all that had happened, the attacks by dezgra terrorists, the dishonourable traps and the stronger than expected opposition, she was determined and relentless, as if her sheer force of will was enough to defeat her opponents.

Another wave of heat slammed into her, sweat plastering her black hair to her forhead as she triggered the Reaper’s twin PPCs, the bolts of artificial lightening leaping from its blocky forearms. The twin bolts slammed into a Rifleman, belonging to the so-called Highlanders, incinerating armour and structure as it went. One of the mech’s weapons arms ripped free of the body, dragging chains of ammunition with it as it fell.

However, as if to embody the resistance shown so far, the Rifleman refused to fall under the assault. The remaining arm spat fire from its autocannon, shots gouging into the Blood Reaper’s already-depleted armour. A metal clang resounded through the cockpit as the machine weathered the assault, a quick glance telling Zahrah that the mech’s armour had not been breached ““ a small comfort given how little there was of it left.

“Foolish freebirth!” She spat in angry defiance as she bore down on the wounded mech. “We are Jade Falcon, mightiest of the clans! We have fought the Wolves, defeating them in honourable combat; what chance, then, do you have?” The heads-up display distorted as feedback from the twin Heavy Lasers washed through the systems, an audible crackle accompanying it.

But it was worth it for the result as the twin beams carved into the Rifleman’s already ruined flank, the brilliant weapons gobbling up structure before diving onto vital structure. An audible pop accompanied a small but obvious burst of light from the mech, followed by another and then more as its ammunition cocked off. Moments later, the Rifleman’s torso exploded outwards, gutted from within by a raging firestorm.

The destruction of the mech should have bought some relief; instead, Zahrah just felt like she was slowly being baked inside the Reaper’s cockpit with no end to the battle in sight. Her tac display was still painted with Highlander icons, even if they were slowly falling back in light of the destruction of the Rifleman, while her own command star were slowly pulling back to form up on her.

A high-pitched tone cut into her ears; moments later, the mech shuddered as a hailstorm of missiles rained down on it, smashing into the already depleted armour. One of them slammed the cockpit, the force of the blow throwing Zahrah to one side, her neurohelmet bouncing off one wall. Zahrah’s head span as she tried to figure out what was going on, a ringing in her ears and the salty taste of blood on her lips.

“Incoming!” A voice cut through the haze, one of her star even if she couldn’t figure which one. “Enemy units closing from our right flank!”

With a snarl of anger, she wheeled the Blood Reaper around, her tac display lighting up with the new arrivals as she did, quickly assigning labels to mechs and tanks as they closed. A Tundra Wolf headed up the charge, likely the source of the missile assault, while other machines followed it. More fire from other machines assailed her star as the new attackers closed in, hammering on her already-depleted forces.

Zahrah wanted to cry out at their dezgra tactics and question their parentage; however, as her heads-up-display zoomed in on the Tundra Wolf, those thoughts died, replaced with something else. Even through the growing rain, the mech’s silver-and-brown colour scheme stood out, as did the wolf’s-head insignia on its shoulder were obvious, making her realise just who these attackers were.

“Filthy freebirths!” She spat out as she dropped her sights onto the lead mech. “Just because you play at Clan does not make you-” Her shout was cut off as more shots pelted her machine, ripping through the remaining armour and setting off a cacophony of warnings. Angry red lights lit up all over the status board as the last of the armour gave way exposing the mech’s torso and legs to further assault.

She wanted to shout out in angry defiance, to point out how she had defeated real Wolves in past, even how her current Battlemech had been taken from one. Instead, she was struggling to make headway, fighting against the wounded Blood Reaper as she tried to bring it to bear. Again she opened fire, the twin PPCs and surviving ATM launcher leaping forward to annihilate the enemy that had been so impudent as to attack her.

Instead, if by the damage her mech had suffered or the heat that was searing through it, they went wide, only a few missiles peppering the Tundra Wolf’s chest to little effect. All Zahrah had to show for it was the fresh wave of heat that threatened to drown her with its intensity, merely adding to her frustration and rage. The mech seemed to be moving like it was encased in concrete, its steps glacial and agonisingly slow as she urged it forward.

More warnings added to the chorus as long-ranged missile and cannon fire peppered their ranks, the Highlanders having decided to take advantage of the new arrivals and their interjection. For a moment, she wanted to turn back, to plough down the depleted intruders or, at the very least, curse them for their impudence and cowardice. Instead, it was all she could do to keep the Bood Reaper upright and fighting as another hit ripped into it, shredding the musculature in the mech’s arm and leg.

The Reaper staggered, Zahrah again thrown forward as the mech bucked and threatened to go nose-down into the mud. Grabbing the controls and pushing against them and gravity with all her might, she was barely able to keep it upright, the view of the oncoming grass managing to snap back to the grey sky, which was a marginal improvement.

But only for a moment. The Tundra Wolf loomed large in front of her, the silver and brown mech oncoming as if to taunt her with its continued existence. The brilliant green of lasers cut through the rain, reaching and impale her mech with their destructive energies. Structure melted and evaporated under their touch as they ate through to its heart, seeking to finish off the wounded beast.

The roar of an explosion reached Zahrah’s ears moments before her head seemed to erupt into a world of flames from the feedback surging through the neurohelmet. Another, duller explosion hit her ears, the faintest spatter of rain hitting her cheeks, enough to cut through the pain and snap her back to reality. And then, just a she was reaching coherence, she was smashed to the back of her seat as if by a giant, unseen hand as it rocketed free of the stricken machine.

She hit the ground ““ hard ““ her view of the world rolling and twisting as her body was wracked with pain, something slamming into her back as she landed. And then there was nothing but the feeling of rain on her skin as she lay there, immobile. She could distantly see what had been her mech, now little more then twisted wreckage, and the Steel Wolf looming over it.

And then, just for a moment, an Elemental, its armour jade-green, stepped into view, blocking everything else out as it knelt before her, its arm outstretched as the world seemed to go black.

Description
Weston Heights, New Scotland
Skye, Prefecture IX
Republic of the Sphere
15 August 3134

Despite everything that had happened so far on Skye, Star Captain Zahrah Pryde knew that the Jade Falcon clan would be victorious. To her, there was no question of the matter. The might of the Clan was simply overwhelming, something no force could stand against, especially not the freeborn rabble that had been arrayed against them.

However, to their credit, those freeborns had chosen to fight rather than flee as the Falcon Torman had descended upon their world like a vast predatory bird. In spite of all that had happened so far, including the carnage unleashed by Galaxy Commander Malvina Hazen in her desant into the Republic, they had not been cowed, instead showing a defiance that was somewhere between admirable and stupid.

It was a fine line, and she intended to show them which side of it they truly stood on.

“Push on, Falcons!” She called out as her Blood Reaper stormed forward, the footfalls of the heavy mech grinding the sodden earth into mud as it pushed on. Despite all that had happened, the attacks by dezgra terrorists, the dishonourable traps and the stronger than expected opposition, she was determined and relentless, as if her sheer force of will was enough to defeat her opponents.

Another wave of heat slammed into her, sweat plastering her black hair to her forhead as she triggered the Reaper’s twin PPCs, the bolts of artificial lightening leaping from its blocky forearms. The twin bolts slammed into a Rifleman, belonging to the so-called Highlanders, incinerating armour and structure as it went. One of the mech’s weapons arms ripped free of the body, dragging chains of ammunition with it as it fell.

However, as if to embody the resistance shown so far, the Rifleman refused to fall under the assault. The remaining arm spat fire from its autocannon, shots gouging into the Blood Reaper’s already-depleted armour. A metal clang resounded through the cockpit as the machine weathered the assault, a quick glance telling Zahrah that the mech’s armour had not been breached ““ a small comfort given how little there was of it left.

“Foolish freebirth!” She spat in angry defiance as she bore down on the wounded mech. “We are Jade Falcon, mightiest of the clans! We have fought the Wolves, defeating them in honourable combat; what chance, then, do you have?” The heads-up display distorted as feedback from the twin Heavy Lasers washed through the systems, an audible crackle accompanying it.

But it was worth it for the result as the twin beams carved into the Rifleman’s already ruined flank, the brilliant weapons gobbling up structure before diving onto vital structure. An audible pop accompanied a small but obvious burst of light from the mech, followed by another and then more as its ammunition cocked off. Moments later, the Rifleman’s torso exploded outwards, gutted from within by a raging firestorm.

The destruction of the mech should have bought some relief; instead, Zahrah just felt like she was slowly being baked inside the Reaper’s cockpit with no end to the battle in sight. Her tac display was still painted with Highlander icons, even if they were slowly falling back in light of the destruction of the Rifleman, while her own command star were slowly pulling back to form up on her.

A high-pitched tone cut into her ears; moments later, the mech shuddered as a hailstorm of missiles rained down on it, smashing into the already depleted armour. One of them slammed the cockpit, the force of the blow throwing Zahrah to one side, her neurohelmet bouncing off one wall. Zahrah’s head span as she tried to figure out what was going on, a ringing in her ears and the salty taste of blood on her lips.

“Incoming!” A voice cut through the haze, one of her star even if she couldn’t figure which one. “Enemy units closing from our right flank!”

With a snarl of anger, she wheeled the Blood Reaper around, her tac display lighting up with the new arrivals as she did, quickly assigning labels to mechs and tanks as they closed. A Tundra Wolf headed up the charge, likely the source of the missile assault, while other machines followed it. More fire from other machines assailed her star as the new attackers closed in, hammering on her already-depleted forces.

Zahrah wanted to cry out at their dezgra tactics and question their parentage; however, as her heads-up-display zoomed in on the Tundra Wolf, those thoughts died, replaced with something else. Even through the growing rain, the mech’s silver-and-brown colour scheme stood out, as did the wolf’s-head insignia on its shoulder were obvious, making her realise just who these attackers were.

“Filthy freebirths!” She spat out as she dropped her sights onto the lead mech. “Just because you play at Clan does not make you-” Her shout was cut off as more shots pelted her machine, ripping through the remaining armour and setting off a cacophony of warnings. Angry red lights lit up all over the status board as the last of the armour gave way exposing the mech’s torso and legs to further assault.

She wanted to shout out in angry defiance, to point out how she had defeated real Wolves in past, even how her current Battlemech had been taken from one. Instead, she was struggling to make headway, fighting against the wounded Blood Reaper as she tried to bring it to bear. Again she opened fire, the twin PPCs and surviving ATM launcher leaping forward to annihilate the enemy that had been so impudent as to attack her.

Instead, if by the damage her mech had suffered or the heat that was searing through it, they went wide, only a few missiles peppering the Tundra Wolf’s chest to little effect. All Zahrah had to show for it was the fresh wave of heat that threatened to drown her with its intensity, merely adding to her frustration and rage. The mech seemed to be moving like it was encased in concrete, its steps glacial and agonisingly slow as she urged it forward.

More warnings added to the chorus as long-ranged missile and cannon fire peppered their ranks, the Highlanders having decided to take advantage of the new arrivals and their interjection. For a moment, she wanted to turn back, to plough down the depleted intruders or, at the very least, curse them for their impudence and cowardice. Instead, it was all she could do to keep the Bood Reaper upright and fighting as another hit ripped into it, shredding the musculature in the mech’s arm and leg.

The Reaper staggered, Zahrah again thrown forward as the mech bucked and threatened to go nose-down into the mud. Grabbing the controls and pushing against them and gravity with all her might, she was barely able to keep it upright, the view of the oncoming grass managing to snap back to the grey sky, which was a marginal improvement.

But only for a moment. The Tundra Wolf loomed large in front of her, the silver and brown mech oncoming as if to taunt her with its continued existence. The brilliant green of lasers cut through the rain, reaching and impale her mech with their destructive energies. Structure melted and evaporated under their touch as they ate through to its heart, seeking to finish off the wounded beast.

The roar of an explosion reached Zahrah’s ears moments before her head seemed to erupt into a world of flames from the feedback surging through the neurohelmet. Another, duller explosion hit her ears, the faintest spatter of rain hitting her cheeks, enough to cut through the pain and snap her back to reality. And then, just a she was reaching coherence, she was smashed to the back of her seat as if by a giant, unseen hand as it rocketed free of the stricken machine.

She hit the ground ““ hard ““ her view of the world rolling and twisting as her body was wracked with pain, something slamming into her back as she landed. And then there was nothing but the feeling of rain on her skin as she lay there, immobile. She could distantly see what had been her mech, now little more then twisted wreckage, and the Steel Wolf looming over it.

And then, just for a moment, an Elemental, its armour jade-green, stepped into view, blocking everything else out as it knelt before her, its arm outstretched as the world seemed to go black.