NationStates Jolt Archive

50 miles north of Warburton, Western Australia, Earth SSR

"Motherfucker. Why did God have to make Australia so fuckin' hot?"

The 'Mech pilot wiped his brow with a hanky, the catch being that it was already soaked with sweat. He sighed, and tossed the cursed thing aside. The Outback was never a forgiving environment, and the nearby Armored Cavalry training base at Warburton AFB was the only source of civilization for miles.

His commander Capt. Michael Harlock, sighed.

"Because, Lieutenant--there's something called Physical Geography. Study it sometime. Besides, we've got a tent." He tapped his walking stick against the pole of the tent, letting it clang. The recalcitrant Lieutenant went inside, and sat down, taking a bottle of iced tea.

He was impaitent with his teammate's complaint. Though the members of the 1st Armored Cavalry Section, the "Knights of Cydonia," went through the same "Sibling Company," or "Sibko" as the Clanners called it, that didn't stop them from occasionally feuding as siblings were wont to do. Of course, the upshot was they also fought for one another like siblings were wont to do. But we digress.

Another one of the teammates, a woman, went, "So, Captain--when are the Clanners gonna come?"

"Dunno, Lieutenant. They said they'd come soon....they wanted to test our skills, so, we accepted. Right, Knights of Cydonia!?"

The group of men then raised their fists, going, "Ride on! Ride Forth! WOO!" It was a dumb chant that arose during training. The complaining Lieutenant, Lieutenant Kinealy, had invented it out of boredom. And, for want of something better, it stuck.

Then, they sat down, looking into the distance....waiting....

It wasn't too long before a Hrothgar-class DropShip could be seen in the far distance, well over twenty kilometers on the other side of the city separating the Dornalian 'Mech squad from the Clan Star that was coming down. Before the DropShip actually touched down, five pods were jettisoned from the hulking ship, which came to a slow halt on the desert floor.

As each pod cracked open, the forms of several Clan-tech BattleMechs could be seen, powering up. They had come down from their mother ship in a power-up cycle, and it would be less than a minute before the 'Mechs were in full operational capacity. The Star of 'Mechs consisted of two ARC-8M Archers (http://sarna.net/wiki/Archer), two MAD-9S Marauders (http://sarna.net/wiki/Marauder), and a single RFL-8D Rifleman (http://sarna.net/wiki/Rifleman). Their enormous forms were foreboding as they slowly rose to a full battle-ready stance. Of course, the Dornalians wouldn't be able to see them at this distance.

Less than two seconds after full power-up, a message crackled through to the Dornalian forces.

"This is Star Colonel Marcus Ward of the Clans! I claim this land in the name of ilKhan Horatio Wolf! I bring with me a full Star of 'Mechs!"

The transmission, while not an actual true claim, was meant to be spoken as a means of incentive for this squad of 'Mech Warriors to perform at their best. However, the Clans had stipulated that the ranking commander who sent the squad out for this test not tell them.

All in the name of perfecting the new Armored Cavalry...

"This is Star Colonel Marcus Ward of the Clans! I claim this land in the name of ilKhan Horatio Wolf! I bring with me a full Star of 'Mechs!"

The transmission, while not an actual true claim, was meant to be spoken as a means of incentive for this squad of 'Mech Warriors to perform at their best. However, the Clans had stipulated that the ranking commander who sent the squad out for this test not tell them.

All in the name of perfecting the new Armored Cavalry...

The Dornies immediately shot up, and knew what was coming. A brawl of epic proportions.

Kinealy shot up and said, shaking his head, "Fuck! Those Clan bastards--what do they want this patch of land for? It's got nothing!"

Capt. Harlock said, his thick Australian accent booming to his men, "But that's the point. It's our land, Kinealy. They're goading us into a fight. But by God, we'll give them one." He then banged on the tent pole, saying, "Knights of Cydonia--to yer 'Mechs!"

Rallying quickly to the nearby mecha, their 'Mechs consisted of an equivalent amount of five 'Mechs. However, though trained by the Clans, the Armored Cavalry used a different naming system.* But I digress. This time, the 'Mechs consisted of three Cauldron Born--known to the Dornalians as the Angus Young--and two Catapults, known to the Dornies as the John Entwistle II.

Harlock's Cauldron Born was equipped with Gauss Rifles in the Right Arm, an ER PPC and an Autocannon in the Left, and dual Medium Pulse Lasers in the chest. He and his comrades powered up their weapons, and then, Harlock sent a message to the Clanners.

"Star Colonel Ward--this is Captain Michael Harlock of the 1st Armored Cavalry Section. We are the Knights of Cydonia. We don't take kindly to braggarts. You wanna dance, well--let's polka."

He then said to his squadmates on the secure band, "Right. Lieutenant Kinealy, Lieutenant Donegal, you will be paired with Lieutenants Goldberg and Pinter. Goldberg and Pinter will watch yer arses, since they've got the weapons to protect you. Kinealy and Goldberg, get within range of the enemy, and use those Earthshakers to give them a warm welcome to Earth. Donegal and Pinter, approach the town in the center. I'll go from the other side. Keep your sensors Passive, so they don't spot us. These are Clanners, so be ready for anything. Go!"

Thus, the Armored Cavalry moved out in cohesion, moving quickly but deliberately, choosing routes that were the quickest and safest to the town.. Harlock then pulled out a music player, and plugged it into the 'Mech's console. He then began transmitting "The Conund Rum" towards the foe, daring them to come.

"Hah! Your arrogance shows, freebirth! Prepare yourselves!"

At roughly twenty kilometers away from town, it would take a bit of time before the Clan 'Mechs actually made it within range. The Clanners had taken to closing off all outside comm chatter, ignoring the challenges. They full well knew the concept of 'Mech dueling. Hell, they had invented that concept!

Yet, the first surprise of the day would come from the Clanners themselves. At roughly twelve hundred meters, the two Marauders parked themselves, keeping outside the range of the Dornalians. Their first move was to use their ER PPCs to hound at the Dornalian 'Mechs, repeatedly attempting to force them further into cover to allow their three infighters passage into the city. The two Archers and the Rifleman charged at their maximum speed, their lumbering forms seeming rather graceful in the clouds of dust they kicked up as they moved. To further keep the Dornalians from retaliating, the two Archers would briefly stop at about eight hundred fifty meters out and, using their Artemis IV fire-control systems to target the general area of where the Dornalians where moving, they would fire a barrage of missiles from their sets of LRM-15s. Once fired, they would continue moving. They didn't care if they hit or not. They knew what they were doing, and it wouldn't be too long before the Dornalians experienced the full ferocity of a true 'Mech battle.

The Clanner fire poured onto the Knights of Cydonia, and posed a problem to Capt. Harlock and his men. As the fire raged on, Harlock called to his Pilots, saying, "Report in!" as he began zigzagging to avoid the LRMs; an ER PPC had hit him already.

A chattery, New York Jewish accent came in.

"This is Goldberg! They tagged me with a couple'a ER PPC shots! I'm alright, got some grazing damage to my leg. Kinealy's fine, he's whinin' like a baby though."

Harlock immediately brought up Kinealy, and then said, "Knock if off, Kinealy. You're lucky to be alright." He then linked them into a mass convo, saying, "Both of you, take positions near the town out of the Marauders' ranges. Goldberg, watch Kinealy's arse. Kinealy, if you're within firing range, use the bloody Earthshakers on those Marauders!"

--------------------

Kinealy replied, "Aye, sir." They moved to the ordered position, taking a spot nearby out of the Marauders' ranges. Goldberg fired LRMs and the odd Gauss Rifle shot at his assailants as they moved to their position.

Then, Goldberg took a position near Kinealy, slowly circling his comrade as the John Entwistle II/Catapult then stopped and the two massive Cannons on its shoulders raised up as Kinealy began triangulating the positions of the Marauders, judging by their fire, and the scans given to him by the Jensen Design-Matsushita Farsight Fighting RADAR and Arms Control Linkup System hooked onto the guns. Kinealy then smiled and said, "Here ya go, me hearties," before firing the massive cannons.

The Earthshakers had longer range than the Marauders, and thus Kinealy was able to fling the massive shells, packed to the brim with High Explosives, at them. The initial salvo of two released was then followed up, as the replicators on the weapons synthesized new shells and loaded them into the breech for another go in. It took a little longer than Kinealy would have liked though, but the moment the Marauders dared move a step closer...he would fire.

-------------

As this occurred, Harlock called in to the other two men on his team as he began to harass the Archers and the Rifleman with his Gauss Rifle and his ER PPC, mixing in few bursts of Autocannon fire, moving in a quick sidestepping manuever.

"Donegal, Pinter!"

A cheery female Cockney voice greeted Harlock with, "'Ello, Captain!" and the sound of Gauss firing too.

Harlock kept calm and said, somewhat disapprovingly, "'Ello, yourself, Pinter. Status?"

"We're fine, 'ere, Captain. These Clanners are givin' me and Donegal a bit of trouble though. The fire is keeping us from doing much."

Harlock then said, monotonely, "Donegal's an artillery mech. Don't let him fall." He then eventually looked at his sensors, which indicated he was close to Donegal and Pinter's team.

He radioed Pinter again.

"Pinter, this is the Captain. Form up with me. We're going to sidestep them. Donegal, you have LRMs, right?"

A reply in an angry Scottish brogue drove the point home, as Donegal replied, "You're the bloody Captain, you should know I always take missiles, not steel penises like Kinealy does."

"Duly noted," the Captain replied as he moved to close , along with, "Right. Donegal, as we sidestep them, use your LRMs on them. Pinter and I will cover."

"Acknowledged," was the reply, as the two groups quickly closed and began their plan. They began moving to a position at the side of the town, showering the enemy with LRMs and firing Gauss and ER PPC shots at them, keeping their distance and trying to prevent the foe from getting too close.

The first of the Earthshaker barrages hit short of its intended targets. However, the force of the impacts on the ground caused the pilots to try and keep their 'Mechs from falling over. However, the two Marauder pilots knew that standing in one place was a bad idea, so they quickly made their way towards the city. To make it more difficult for the Dornalians, the two Marauders decided to switch to passive sensors, effectively hiding them from radar pings (at least until they got within about two hundred fifty meters). They also did not continue firing. They merely let their guns cool off as they moved towards the city.

The Rifleman, seeing (and hearing) the shots from the Earthshaker cannons, decided to copy its sniper brethren and move towards the opposite side of the city via a central route and a couple of tight side-streets. Now that it had been shielded from view and was running passive, the Rifleman had effectively disappeared, and it wouldn't be too long before it managed to get into a flanking position.

In the meantime, the two Archers had decided to try and hold off the final three Dornalian 'Mechs. The constant pummeling they received from the group was taken in stride, and the 'Mech pilots took the hits several times before they ducked into side streets, effectively taking cover from their aggressors. Using these side-streets and buildings as means of cover, the two Archers flipped to passive as well, and began to flank their opponents, keeping out of the actual radar range they'd need to be in to be seen.

And within the pilot seat of his Archer, Star Colonel Marcus Ward smiled to himself. It was time to play dirty...

The first of the Earthshaker barrages hit short of its intended targets. However, the force of the impacts on the ground caused the pilots to try and keep their 'Mechs from falling over. However, the two Marauder pilots knew that standing in one place was a bad idea, so they quickly made their way towards the city. To make it more difficult for the Dornalians, the two Marauders decided to switch to passive sensors, effectively hiding them from radar pings (at least until they got within about two hundred fifty meters). They also did not continue firing. They merely let their guns cool off as they moved towards the city.

Kinealy shook his head, muttering, "Damn!" as the Marauders fell back to the town. His shots had fallen short, and it seemed that he had to go on Line of Sight--his sensors were having trouble picking them up. He then angrily griped into his radio to his teammate, "Goldberg! I'm not picking up a thing. They've gone passive."

A terse reply of "Yeah, same here" was Goldberg's only reply. Goldberg then said, prepping systems, "Right. Kinealy, stay close. We're going to follow, but not enter the village. We're gonna get within range. Stay sharp, they've got a Rifleman. They might have a surprise waiting for us."

The pair then cautiously moved closer to the village at a moderate pace, zigzagging along the way, finding another spot closer to the town. Goldberg visually sighted the Marauders as they tried to enter the town, firing at them with his Gauss Rifle and LRMs.

The Rifleman, seeing (and hearing) the shots from the Earthshaker cannons, decided to copy its sniper brethren and move towards the opposite side of the city via a central route and a couple of tight side-streets. Now that it had been shielded from view and was running passive, the Rifleman had effectively disappeared, and it wouldn't be too long before it managed to get into a flanking position.

In the meantime, the two Archers had decided to try and hold off the final three Dornalian 'Mechs. The constant pummeling they received from the group was taken in stride, and the 'Mech pilots took the hits several times before they ducked into side streets, effectively taking cover from their aggressors. Using these side-streets and buildings as means of cover, the two Archers flipped to passive as well, and began to flank their opponents, keeping out of the actual radar range they'd need to be in to be seen.

And within the pilot seat of his Archer, Star Colonel Marcus Ward smiled to himself. It was time to play dirty...

Harlock, meanwhile, was thinking how to play smart. The enemy had gone passive, and the Rifleman and the Archers had disappeared from the view of his pack. It was a dangerous combo. They could be planning anything, he judged. A flanking move. An ambush. The possibilities generated by running silent ran through his mind, and none were good.

Harlock then radioed to his team, "They've entered into Passive Mode. Pinter, Donegal, stay sharp. Pinter, block Donegal's ass and keep an eye out for interlopers. I have a bad feeling they're planning an ambush."

"Thanks, Dad. We knew that" was Pinter's reply, delivered in a joking, sarcastic tone--to which Harlock replied, "If I was your dad, I'dve slapped you already for that. You're lucky we were in the same sibko." He then began looking at the controls, and realized Kinealy and Goldberg were initiating their own manuever. He was thus inspired, and then said to the others as they were moving, "Right. Pinter, move to the right oblique in back of Donegal, I'll take the left oblique in front. Begin zigzagging and rapidly shifting course. Let's make them work."

Thus, they began moving erratically as told.....

Goldberg's shots passed by as the two Marauders split up, although a couple of missiles tagged the arm of one of them. It was no problem to them. Marauders had fairly thick armor. In response, the top-side LBX-AC/10s (the guns mounted on the top of the Mechs) swiveled towards the direction of Goldberg, and they unleashed a torrent of 130mm shells upon his position, the pilots uncaring if they actually managed to strike their target. All they needed was a chance to get out of visual range and within the confines of the city. They knew that using the Earthshaker in confined spaces would not be good for the artillery support 'Mech.

Yet, it would be the Rifleman would would be the first to get a confirmed visual on Goldberg and Kinealy. Since it was in passive, and was still fifty meters out of the coverage range of the 'Mechs' radar, it was capable of getting a fairly decent visual lock. The pilot, however, huffed in annoyance, and then flipped back to active radar. His targetting computer instantly locked onto Kinealy, and within a half of a second, the Rifleman's pair of 150mm Rotary Autocannon Fives began to spray their contents upon the whiney little bitch, its ER Medium Lasers joining the punishment after every recharge. Slowly, but surely, the Rifleman began to advance on Kinealy, uncaring if Goldberg answered his call for help. Unlike most versions of the Rifleman, this puppy had more than enough armor to shrug off quite a number of heavy weapons before it caved.

And now, Marcus was about to show the Dornalians the flaw of their erratic movement patterns. He had been waiting in a sationary position, crouching his Archer, waiting to spring his trap (having stayed in a semi-powered-down state to mask his position even further). Poor Pinter would be the first to suffer from this trap. As soon as Pinter's 'Mech turned the corner, Marcus charged her, swinging his Archer's fist to deliver a crushing blow to the side of her 'Mech's jutting cockpit.

The second Archer would then create a distraction by popping out of cover, flipping back to active, and then targetting Harlock's 'Mech with every weapon in its arsenal. The LRM-15s spewed their deadly cargo, having gained a lock on Harlock, and they were soon joined by a triage of ER Medium Lasers, plus their larger cousin, the ER Large Laser. Since Marcus had stayed passive and his brother in battle had switched to active, Harlock and Donegal's targetting computers would be forced to lock directly onto the active 'Mech while Marcus had free range of Pinter.

Goldberg's shots passed by as the two Marauders split up, although a couple of missiles tagged the arm of one of them. It was no problem to them. Marauders had fairly thick armor. In response, the top-side LBX-AC/10s (the guns mounted on the top of the Mechs) swiveled towards the direction of Goldberg, and they unleashed a torrent of 130mm shells upon his position, the pilots uncaring if they actually managed to strike their target. All they needed was a chance to get out of visual range and within the confines of the city. They knew that using the Earthshaker in confined spaces would not be good for the artillery support 'Mech.

Yet, it would be the Rifleman would would be the first to get a confirmed visual on Goldberg and Kinealy. Since it was in passive, and was still fifty meters out of the coverage range of the 'Mechs' radar, it was capable of getting a fairly decent visual lock. The pilot, however, huffed in annoyance, and then flipped back to active radar. His targetting computer instantly locked onto Kinealy, and within a half of a second, the Rifleman's pair of 150mm Rotary Autocannon Fives began to spray their contents upon the whiney little bitch, its ER Medium Lasers joining the punishment after every recharge. Slowly, but surely, the Rifleman began to advance on Kinealy, uncaring if Goldberg answered his call for help. Unlike most versions of the Rifleman, this puppy had more than enough armor to shrug off quite a number of heavy weapons before it caved.

The sudden retaliation of the enemy Mechs proved devastating, as Kinealy was slammed with intense amounts of firepower and forced to fall back, as he said to Goldberg, "Shit!" His console flashed angrily, as parts of his Mech were flashing as the cockpit shook with the impacts of the Lasers and the AC fire.

Before he could finish, Goldberg dashed in front of Kinealy, and said, "Fall back, fall back! I'll cover you." He then began pouring Gauss Rifle, Autocannon and Missile fire into the Rifleman, as the pair quickly fell back. As this occurred, Kinealy decided to use his Earthshakers in a risky manuever. He leveled them, moved to an oblique position behind Goldberg, and fired both barrels at the Rifleman, arcing them just above his fellow crewman and aiming them home, even as Goldberg was firing his own shots.....

And now, Marcus was about to show the Dornalians the flaw of their erratic movement patterns. He had been waiting in a sationary position, crouching his Archer, waiting to spring his trap (having stayed in a semi-powered-down state to mask his position even further). Poor Pinter would be the first to suffer from this trap. As soon as Pinter's 'Mech turned the corner, Marcus charged her, swinging his Archer's fist to deliver a crushing blow to the side of her 'Mech's jutting cockpit.

Pinter felt the blow, and was jostled in the cockpit as she screamed, "Shit! INCOMING!" warning the rest, as she turned and moved backwards quickly, and fired shots from her Ultra AC/2s into her assailant.

The second Archer would then create a distraction by popping out of cover, flipping back to active, and then targetting Harlock's 'Mech with every weapon in its arsenal. The LRM-15s spewed their deadly cargo, having gained a lock on Harlock, and they were soon joined by a triage of ER Medium Lasers, plus their larger cousin, the ER Large Laser. Since Marcus had stayed passive and his brother in battle had switched to active, Harlock and Donegal's targetting computers would be forced to lock directly onto the active 'Mech while Marcus had free range of Pinter.

Harlock was hit from behind, and then promptly turned to face his foe. He then said to Donegal, "Donegal, cover me!" as he retaliated with his Gauss Rifle and Autocannon (LB 5-X AC) at the Archer assaulting him.

Donegal replied, with some concern, "Captain, Pinter's under attack! The bastard's passive."

"Damn." Harlock's opponent had gotten the jump on them, and thus he had to find a way to get out. He then said to Pinter, "How bad is it?"

An angry, irritated "Oh, just bloody great! It's a bloody simcha here, love!" was the only reply he got, as Pinter fired another burst of AC/2 fire into Marcus, followed with ER Large and Medium Laser shots. She then screamed at Marcus, not knowing her comms wouldn't be able to chat with his, "Fuck off!"

Harlock then got to work, as he was slugging it out. He said to Donegal, "Donegal, you have a visual on the Mech assaulting Pinter? Then get to standoff, and use LOS and tag him with LRMs. Pinter, back off just a bit, but keep shooting. Then, Donegal--let your computer play tag with my boy. Alternate. Keep shooting, and don't mind what it says."

The order given, Pinter then moved back about fifty meters (still shooting), whilst Donegal broke off. Then, he turned, and used visual LOS to unleash a torrent of LRMs onto Marcus, before, letting his computer--who was whining for him to hit what it wanted him to hit--force him to target the Mech assaulting Harlock, this procedure to target both done again and again....

The Rifleman cared little for the attacks Goldberg issued, the hits casually being deflected or just absorbed by the armor. What the pilot didn't count on was Kinealy's luck. The pair of Earthshaker rounds were completely unexpected, and they smacked the 'Mech dead-on, sending the advancing Rifleman careening backwards about twenty meters or so. Not only that, they had managed to tear off a huge chunk of torso armor off the 'Mech, and their concussive force stunned the pilot. To add to that, the buildings on either side of the Rifleman came tumbling down, raising up a cloud of dust that masked the Rifleman from view.

This diversion had merely given the Marauders time to pincer on both Kinealy and Goldberg. Twisting their torsos to face down the streets, the two Marauders began circling the pair of Dornalians like wolves, using the streets as their firing range whilst using the buildings as cover. Each time the Marauders got a visual on them, they would pepper the Dornalians with their PPCs and LBX Autocannons. They were like ravenous wolves circling their prey, hounding the prey until the prey made a mistake, and they could both pounce. Simultaneously, they shouted to their temporarily downed comrade wake up and get his 'Mech standing.

Meanwhile, Marcus was having a tough time keeping himself from being smacked around by Pinter. She was hitting him, but it was rather sporadically. She seemed to be panicking. Needless to say, it gave him the chance he needed. He heard the missile warning before he could see the missiles, so Marcus dropped his Archer to its knee, the missiles sailing over his 'Mech to inadvertently punish a building, and he used this chance (since he was within the 250 meter limit) to get his Artemis IV FCS to lock onto Pinter. That's when he "Alpha Striked," the practice of firing all weapons simultaneously. The three ER Medium Lasers, the single ER Large Laser, and his pair of LRM-15s blasted away at Pinter, intending to bring her down with one shot (since he was aiming to blow a leg off completely).

The second Archer was too focused on Harlock to really notice the second firing arc from Donegal, and that was almost its downfall. The Archer, having been trying to get into cover, had its left arm blown right off by a lucky missile hit that struck the shoulder joint, and the arm flew a couple dozen meters to land with a loud slam. The Archer, now in cover, began to wait, the pilot cursing himself for being so careless.

The Rifleman cared little for the attacks Goldberg issued, the hits casually being deflected or just absorbed by the armor. What the pilot didn't count on was Kinealy's luck. The pair of Earthshaker rounds were completely unexpected, and they smacked the 'Mech dead-on, sending the advancing Rifleman careening backwards about twenty meters or so. Not only that, they had managed to tear off a huge chunk of torso armor off the 'Mech, and their concussive force stunned the pilot. To add to that, the buildings on either side of the Rifleman came tumbling down, raising up a cloud of dust that masked the Rifleman from view.

This diversion had merely given the Marauders time to pincer on both Kinealy and Goldberg. Twisting their torsos to face down the streets, the two Marauders began circling the pair of Dornalians like wolves, using the streets as their firing range whilst using the buildings as cover. Each time the Marauders got a visual on them, they would pepper the Dornalians with their PPCs and LBX Autocannons. They were like ravenous wolves circling their prey, hounding the prey until the prey made a mistake, and they could both pounce. Simultaneously, they shouted to their temporarily downed comrade wake up and get his 'Mech standing.

Kinealy beamed with pride at his Earthshaker cannons and the fact they gave a good thrashing to that Rifleman. But, the joy was shortlived, as the Rifleman's comrades were on the prowl and opening fire. Kinealy looked at his console, and noted the fact the heat levels were quite high, so he had to ease off of them as the replicators made another pair of shells and reloaded them into the breech, which would take a bit. He made a note to pick up a lot more heat sinks, especially if he had to play in this hellhole again.

Goldberg then spoke to Kinealy, saying "Damn. Let's get to cover!" They then began moving into a cluster of mediumsized buildings, as Goldberg then returned fire with his ER PPC and his Gauss Rifle at the Marauders. Kinealy used his two ER Medium Lasers--his sole close defenses--in bursts (to keep the heat down) to beat back the enemy.

Meanwhile, Marcus was having a tough time keeping himself from being smacked around by Pinter. She was hitting him, but it was rather sporadically. She seemed to be panicking. Needless to say, it gave him the chance he needed. He heard the missile warning before he could see the missiles, so Marcus dropped his Archer to its knee, the missiles sailing over his 'Mech to inadvertently punish a building, and he used this chance (since he was within the 250 meter limit) to get his Artemis IV FCS to lock onto Pinter. That's when he "Alpha Striked," the practice of firing all weapons simultaneously. The three ER Medium Lasers, the single ER Large Laser, and his pair of LRM-15s blasted away at Pinter, intending to bring her down with one shot (since he was aiming to blow a leg off completely).

Pinter cursed her rotten luck when Marcus ducked, but her luck was about to get really, really nasty. As she tried to shoot back, the Alpha Strike slammed her first with Lasers, and then moments later with missiles. The place shook with fury, and she could hear creaking.

"Not good," she said. Pinter then looked at the console, and her leg was reading red, with the computer warning her, "Warning, warning. Severe damage. Warning."

"Definetly not good," Pinter said, shaking her head. She then mumbled to herself, "Focus, Esther. Focus!" She then aimed her AC/2s and ER Lasers at Marcus, and let them rip into his arms repeatedly in violent, alternating salvos, focusing on making him pay in kind.

The second Archer was too focused on Harlock to really notice the second firing arc from Donegal, and that was almost its downfall. The Archer, having been trying to get into cover, had its left arm blown right off by a lucky missile hit that struck the shoulder joint, and the arm flew a couple dozen meters to land with a loud slam. The Archer, now in cover, began to wait, the pilot cursing himself for being so careless.

Harlock began following his quarry, and the fact the second Archer was stationary made the job somewhat easier. He eventually confronted it, and poured Gauss and ER PPC fire into his target's kneejoint. Harlock, as he did this, ordered Donegal to help Pinter out, regardless of what his computer said. So, Donegal turned to begin firing LRM waves at Marcus.

The two Marauders were slowly closing the gap between them and their quarry. Each time they made a visible pass, they seemed to be another street closer. This was exactly true, as they used that time to get ever so closer. Their attacks were of the same consistency, the shots only coming from clear routes. However, their medium lasers were now more prominent as they added them to their PPCs and LB-10X Autocannons.

The Rifleman, however, was having trouble getting up. It had some building stacked up on top of it, and it would be a little bit before it could actually stand up.

In the meantime, Marcus had been zig-zagging in the street, making it harder for Pinter to actually hit him. Her back-pedaling was a lot slower than his full run, and it was only a couple of seconds before he was on top of her again. This time, however, he grasped onto Pinter's left arm, lifting her Mech up to expose her busted leg, and, with a single strike, he lashed out at the damage hip joint, going for the out-of-commission shot.

The other Archer, however, was in a sticky situation. It had been trying to get to another position, but Harlock had advanced too quickly, and it was starting to take hits from the rear. The armor creaked under the strain, and it wasn't too long after his armor hit the red-zone that he ejected, the 'Mech falling to the ground, out of commission.

The two Marauders were slowly closing the gap between them and their quarry. Each time they made a visible pass, they seemed to be another street closer. This was exactly true, as they used that time to get ever so closer. Their attacks were of the same consistency, the shots only coming from clear routes. However, their medium lasers were now more prominent as they added them to their PPCs and LB-10X Autocannons.

The Rifleman, however, was having trouble getting up. It had some building stacked up on top of it, and it would be a little bit before it could actually stand up.

Goldberg and Kinealy were in trouble, quite frankly, and Kinealy knew that his little Earthshaker gambit had little chance of working again. Goldberg was covering for him, but the enemy was forcing the duo to move from building to building, firing back at the pursuing Marauders in between what cover the town's buildings provided. Goldberg's replicators kept him in the game, so he still had plenty of shots on his Gauss Rifle and thus used that with his ER PPC and his SRMs to fight back along with Kinealy's feeble ER Medium Lasers.

Kinealy then decided to go for broke again, popping out of cover quickly and firing his Earthshakers at point blank again, aiming at the Marauders' feet......and then sneaking back in as quickly as he came.

"You gotta stop doing that, Kenny. Your heat levels must be terrible," Goldberg said to his teammate disapprovingly.

"I know. But, I am artillery. What else can I do?"

"I dunno? Lemme handle it?" Goldberg retorted. "I got some wounds, but not enough to kill me."

In the meantime, Marcus had been zig-zagging in the street, making it harder for Pinter to actually hit him. Her back-pedaling was a lot slower than his full run, and it was only a couple of seconds before he was on top of her again. This time, however, he grasped onto Pinter's left arm, lifting her Mech up to expose her busted leg, and, with a single strike, he lashed out at the damage hip joint, going for the out-of-commission shot.

"Warning. Left leg disabled. Left leg disabled."

Pinter didn't need the computer to tell her that, as the remnants of her left leg flew past her cockpit and towards Marcus and all around. Pinter then spoke into her mike, slowly and in shock: "Captain. My left leg's out."

"What?" was the very skeptical reply.

Now, she spoke louder, still in shock.

"I said, my fucking left leg's gone. I'll do what I can while he's got me now...."

She then grew defiant, narrowing her eyes so much one expected dramatic music to swell up.

"....he won't take me alive!"

Defiant and decidedly moved to action by the loss of her Mech's left leg, she decided to pull an Alpha Strike. She aimed down for Marcus's cockpit, and poured on all she had at once in a final blaze of glory in rapid succession, the Autocannons first, then her ER Lasers and everytthing else. The console flipped out at the heat, but she didn't care....

The other Archer, however, was in a sticky situation. It had been trying to get to another position, but Harlock had advanced too quickly, and it was starting to take hits from the rear. The armor creaked under the strain, and it wasn't too long after his armor hit the red-zone that he ejected, the 'Mech falling to the ground, out of commission.

Harlock turned, and heard Pinter's death knell and flurry of attacks. He fumed, saying to himself, "Get off her, you bully." Moving at high speed to Marcus, he tore into his shoulder with Gauss Rifle and ER PPC fire the moment Harlock closed in.

All Donegal could was ask, "Sir!? Orders?"

"Get moving to help the others. I'm gunning for the Big Bad here."

Donegal thus darted off to assist Kinealy and Goldberg. He began searching for the enemy Marauders, taking circuitous paths on the streets to avoid getting ambushed. He waited for clear LOS to begin firing, holding his LRMs until he was sure he could pound them into the dust.

The Marauder barely managed to keep from losing a leg, but the force of the explosion caused the 'Mech to stumble. The pilot strained to keep the 'Mech from falling, barely managing it, and he kept up his movement. The buildings around the impact site had all been leveled, and a dust cloud masked the Marauder's condition from the two for a bit. That is, until he reappeared in another street and stopped, turning to face them. Its brother 'Mech did likewise on the opposite end.

And from the rubble of a building now stood the Rifleman, its weapons trained again on Kinealy. As if they had been cued, each of the 'Mechs began moving and firing at the same time. The two Marauders provided the heavy punch against Goldberg while the Rifleman blasted away yet again. At this time, each of the 'Mechs was now active, knowing it would not matter. The amount of fire they were pouring out would make short work of the two trapped Dornalians. They'd be finished with them before Donegal could even get within a decent firing vector.

In the meantime, Marcus, having lifted up Pinter, could see what she was trying. He merely lifted her up further and got underneath her, preventing her from hitting his Archer with her failed attempt to take him out. Marcus would've shooken his head, but the computer alerted him to the incoming Squad commander. In a move more common to the more dexterous mobile suit, Marcus stepped out from underneath Pinter, grasped her 'Mech's arms with both his own, and, in a swinging throw, tossed her into a building, simultaneously using her to block Harlock's shots. Upon Pinter's impact with the building, it, and the building just next to it, would collapse, kicking up an enormous dust cloud, and Marcus would use this chance to vanish back into the city.

The Marauder barely managed to keep from losing a leg, but the force of the explosion caused the 'Mech to stumble. The pilot strained to keep the 'Mech from falling, barely managing it, and he kept up his movement. The buildings around the impact site had all been leveled, and a dust cloud masked the Marauder's condition from the two for a bit. That is, until he reappeared in another street and stopped, turning to face them. Its brother 'Mech did likewise on the opposite end.

And from the rubble of a building now stood the Rifleman, its weapons trained again on Kinealy. As if they had been cued, each of the 'Mechs began moving and firing at the same time. The two Marauders provided the heavy punch against Goldberg while the Rifleman blasted away yet again. At this time, each of the 'Mechs was now active, knowing it would not matter. The amount of fire they were pouring out would make short work of the two trapped Dornalians. They'd be finished with them before Donegal could even get within a decent firing vector.

Or would the Unfortunate Duo be finished?

Not if Goldberg and Kinealy had anything to say about it. They saw the three way crush, and Goldberg then said to Kinealy, shaking his head, "Hang tight, little bro. It's time we showed these cookiecutter bastards the meaning of Bamboo Technology. Come on!"

Before Kinealy could fret, the two gunned their engines, and moved quickly under the waves of withering fire, Kinealy himself jumping a short distance out of the mob's way to follow Goldberg. Goldberg monitored his console, which was flashing angrily as all of his vitals began flashing a deep yellow, with appropriate hit warnings. He merely muttered, "Ah, go fuck yerself" and slammed his fist on the machine in contempt. He and Kinealy didn't escape unscathed, though, as Kinealy got a few good hits on him, especially from the Rifleman. Kinealy looked with alarm at his own hit indicator, which showed his torso and shoulder sections glowing orange, and the rest getting yellower.

They retreated into the streets, and began moving in and out of the buildings now, zigzagging and attempting to keep their foe guessing, switching to passive, as they moved towards the city limits.

As this occurred, Donegal spotted the Rifleman, and said, "Oh no you don't," gunning for the machine's targeting systems with its LRMs before moving and zigzagging in the streets, also going passive.

In the meantime, Marcus, having lifted up Pinter, could see what she was trying. He merely lifted her up further and got underneath her, preventing her from hitting his Archer with her failed attempt to take him out. Marcus would've shooken his head, but the computer alerted him to the incoming Squad commander. In a move more common to the more dexterous mobile suit, Marcus stepped out from underneath Pinter, grasped her 'Mech's arms with both his own, and, in a swinging throw, tossed her into a building, simultaneously using her to block Harlock's shots. Upon Pinter's impact with the building, it, and the building just next to it, would collapse, kicking up an enormous dust cloud, and Marcus would use this chance to vanish back into the city.

"PINTER, NO!"

To Harlock's horror, Pinter was used to absorb his shots and then tossed like a used hanky at a sick ward. Now, Harlock was enraged. He tried to radio Pinter, saying, "Are you alright? PINTER! ANSWER ME!"

A weak voice replied back, "Oww....Goddamn....nevermind me, get that bastard. I'm done."

"I'll get him," Harlock said. The emotions of the moment were expressed in a few terse words, but that was all the conditions allowed. As it was, Harlock had to catch the man who took down one of his teammates. Thus, he moved circumtuitously. Harlock knew his opponent had used the debris created by Pinter's fall to sneak back into the city. More than likely, since he was still passive, he was definetly up to something nasty.

Harlock moved around the cloud and sneaked into the city. He flitted into cover, and out of it. Moving quickly, he kept his eyes and ears open....

The Marauders were soon giving chase, their upgraded engines giving them an edge, speed-wise. Their large forms could easily pull 85+km/h, and it the zig-zagging routine wouldn't help their prey. They, too, switched to passive, and began the visual hunt, firing when they felt they had open vectors.

In the meantime, the Rifleman rocked against the salvo of missile fire, but it wasn't detered by the assault. Turning to face its new opponent, it soon switched to passive as well, and it quickly ducked into the city to begin its personal duel with Donegal.

As if to spite Harlock, the passive Archer suddenly appeared behind him, exploding through a building (which kicked up a lot of dust in the process) and charging straight at him. Marcus howled over the frequencies, rearing back his Archer as he swung his 'Mech's arm to blind-sight his new opponent. If he connected, he would simultaneously fire his medium laser to give it the added piercing factor.

The Marauders were soon giving chase, their upgraded engines giving them an edge, speed-wise. Their large forms could easily pull 85+km/h, and it the zig-zagging routine wouldn't help their prey. They, too, switched to passive, and began the visual hunt, firing when they felt they had open vectors.

In the meantime, the Rifleman rocked against the salvo of missile fire, but it wasn't detered by the assault. Turning to face its new opponent, it soon switched to passive as well, and it quickly ducked into the city to begin its personal duel with Donegal.

That firing pattern quickly persuaded Goldberg and Kinealy to move quicker and with more erratic movement. They began trying to minimize their already short profiles, weaving in and out of buildings as they ended up outside of the city. As they left, Goldberg and Kinealy opened fire on their opponents, running as quickly as possible and erratically to try and get to higher ground, so Kinealy could use those Earthshakers again.

Donegal, meanwhile, knew his Mech wasn't built for close combat. Yeah, he had more Medium Lasers than Kinealy's limpwristed self had, but....it wouldn't cut the mustard against a determined Clan Rifleman. So, he decided to play Guerilla. Popping in and out of the cover, he attacked whenever he had LOS, aiming at the Rifleman's arms and that bigass dish on it, and when he could, that giant, nasty wound Kinealy had presumably made in its torso, then moved on. Movement was key....and he did so quickly.

As if to spite Harlock, the passive Archer suddenly appeared behind him, exploding through a building (which kicked up a lot of dust in the process) and charging straight at him. Marcus howled over the frequencies, rearing back his Archer as he swung his 'Mech's arm to blind-sight his new opponent. If he connected, he would simultaneously fire his medium laser to give it the added piercing factor.

Harlock quickly sidestepped his foe, quipping in reply to the scream, "I see we're auditioning for the role of Kool-Aid man" and issuing a more tangible reply of as many ER PPC shots to where the arm connected with the body at pointblank range as he could muster without overheating, then followed with a similar salvo of Gauss Rifle shots to the cockpit as he quickly retreated to another building.

Quick movement for a Catapult and a Cauldron-Born was a tad laughable in comparison to the Marauders at this point. Now that the two men were in open ground, they'd put themselves into a situation where survival was not a likely possibility. They had just made themselves easier targets now that they had exited the city, and the speed of the Marauders was allowing them to gain ground, and the more-accurate PPC, Autocannon, and Medium Laser fire was testament to this factor.

The Rifleman wasn't deterred, and it showed in the form of constant salvos of autocannon fire. Every time Donegal popped out of cover, the Rifleman would open fire, tearing apart the buildings that its target was hiding behind as it fired at the annoying Catapult. While Donegal may have been getting marks on the armor of the Rifleman, the gouge in the armor wasn't getting any worse. Since Donegal was at range, the Medium Lasers had a harder time cutting away the armor. Still, it was dealing some about of damage.

The first shot that Harlock fired connected with the joint. Unfortunately for him, PPC recharge times were a bitch, so he would only manage two shots off from it, the second shot sailing wildly over Marcus' shoulder. However, the gauss rifle did manage to hit the medium laser mounted underneath the cockpit, and Marcus' face frowned even more when he head the computer say, "Weapon destroyed."

Although he heard this announcement, that didn't make him back down. As Harlock turned down a street farther down, Marcus turned down a street parallel with the one Harlock had turned down. However, he stopped half-way down, and then began pounding the buildings in the direction of Harlock, digging his way through them.

Quick movement for a Catapult and a Cauldron-Born was a tad laughable in comparison to the Marauders at this point. Now that the two men were in open ground, they'd put themselves into a situation where survival was not a likely possibility. They had just made themselves easier targets now that they had exited the city, and the speed of the Marauders was allowing them to gain ground, and the more-accurate PPC, Autocannon, and Medium Laser fire was testament to this factor.

Goldberg and Kinealy gunned their engines even faster, and continued zigzagging. Kinealy soon spotted a grouping of high sand dunes, and radioed Goldberg with a simple, "Goldberg, we're going to be done for unless we can get into cover. What about those dunes?"

"They high enough to cover us?"

"Aye. Those dunes look like a good place to recover. Besides, it's better than nothing," Kinealy noted with grim pragmatism.

With that, the two moved into the collection of high dunes, picking the dune furthest from their opponents as the duo had shot back at their pursuers. Hunkering low and keeping passive, Kinealy activated his Earthshakers again. He began popping in a new load of ammo, speaking to Goldberg with a simple, "Goldberg. I'm gonna go for another go with the Earthshakers. How close are they?"

Goldberg replied calmly, "They're closing in. These dunes you found are nice, but unless we scare up something we're gonna end up like Ned Kelly."

A confused Kinealy, working the replicators, said in a tone of "what the--," "Who the fuck is that?"

"Local hero. Some kinda Robin Hood who built his own armor outa tin cans."

"Well gee. We got better shit than he does. We don't have to go down like him," Kinealy vowed.

"Got that right."

As Goldberg retorted with that, he readied his guns for another go. The damage indicators were somewhat similar to what they had been before, though the recent hunt was making things worse.

The Rifleman wasn't deterred, and it showed in the form of constant salvos of autocannon fire. Every time Donegal popped out of cover, the Rifleman would open fire, tearing apart the buildings that its target was hiding behind as it fired at the annoying Catapult. While Donegal may have been getting marks on the armor of the Rifleman, the gouge in the armor wasn't getting any worse. Since Donegal was at range, the Medium Lasers had a harder time cutting away the armor. Still, it was dealing some about of damage.

The Rifleman's shots kept Donegal moving, as he muttered, "Fuck." All he could do was keep moving, and peppering his opponent with LRM and Laser shots. He made a mental note to pick up Pulse Lasers later on.

The first shot that Harlock fired connected with the joint. Unfortunately for him, PPC recharge times were a bitch, so he would only manage two shots off from it, the second shot sailing wildly over Marcus' shoulder. However, the gauss rifle did manage to hit the medium laser mounted underneath the cockpit, and Marcus' face frowned even more when he head the computer say, "Weapon destroyed."

Although he heard this announcement, that didn't make him back down. As Harlock turned down a street farther down, Marcus turned down a street parallel with the one Harlock had turned down. However, he stopped half-way down, and then began pounding the buildings in the direction of Harlock, digging his way through them.

As this occurred, Harlock made more dashes, continuing down the street. The fact his opponent elected to use his weapons to try and break his cover there led him to decide to keep moving. Figuring things out, he decided to try skulking about.

Harlock then turned left into what looked like a set of old apartment complexes, and then quickly popped out and turn to face Ward's side, and fired several shots with his Gauss Rifle and ER PPC at Ward's legjoint. He then dashed into the complexes, out into the street where he was before the pinprick attempt and ran into another thicket of buildings.

It wasn't too long before the Marauders caught up with the pair of Dornalian 'Mechs. Unfortunately for Kinealy, they were too close for him to use his Earthshakers in time. Before either one of the Dornalians could fire their first shots, the two Marauders simultaneously locked onto Goldberg and, in a single instant, they Alpha Striked their weapons, targetting Goldberg's 'Mech's legs, one each. Their hope was to dismantle him in short order so that they could pick apart Kinealy without anyone getting in their way.

In the meantime, the Rifleman had decided that chasing after Donegal was becoming a chore. Instead of chasing after him, the pilot decided to make a break for his Star Colonel's last known position. He had seen him briefly on the radar before, and he knew he was close enough get into a supporting position for him.

Ward had not been using his weapons to try and break down the cover, as the Dornalian Star Commander would soon see. Ward was nowhere to be seen, having used his Archer's hands to dig a hole straight through the buildings. The shots intended for Ward would be wasted as they peppered building rather than 'Mech. Ward, in the meantime, had begun making his way away from Harlock, choosing to try to regroup with one of his Starmates. Within a short amount of time, Ward and his fellow in the Rifleman soon met up.

"Status report," Ward ordered over a very-shortband connection.

"Ammo is low, damage is moderate, but I am still battle ready," replied the Rifleman pilot.

"Good. Take up a supporting position. Once the enemy reveals themselves, open fire, and then fall back to the outskirts of the city and call in an ammunition refill."

"Aff, lead." Pretty soon, both Ward and his fellow Rifleman were in complimentary positions. Ward had knelt low, barely fitting himself into a dead-end side street and powering down everything but his radar. The Rifleman had done quite the same, except he was situated into a position within a courtyard which had buildings tall enough to shield him from view when he knelt down and powered down.

It wasn't too long before the Marauders caught up with the pair of Dornalian 'Mechs. Unfortunately for Kinealy, they were too close for him to use his Earthshakers in time. Before either one of the Dornalians could fire their first shots, the two Marauders simultaneously locked onto Goldberg and, in a single instant, they Alpha Striked their weapons, targetting Goldberg's 'Mech's legs, one each. Their hope was to dismantle him in short order so that they could pick apart Kinealy without anyone getting in their way.

Goldberg looked in horror as the Earthshaker shells flew over their targets, exploding behind them. Goldberg didn't have much time to begin planning now, as he was slammed from both sides with the Alpha Strikes. THe damaged Cauldron Born was buffeted from two sides, and collapsed when its legs snapped apart due to the explosions. Only the ejection seat kept him from dying, though now he was at the mercy of the Australian Outback.

"Damn. Kinealy, mah boi--you're on your own!"

With that, Kinealy began running out of the sand dunes. The shells still loaded and ready to fire, Kinealy called for a SAR team to pick up the stranded pilot, and then as Goldberg sought shelter below in the sands to protect from his triggerhappy buddy's guns, Kinealy lowered the Earthshakers to point blank and fired low at his opponents as he moved out. This time, he aimed to head back into town, taking a curving zigzagging path through the dunes to reach the flat plains at maximum speed, calling out, "This is Kinealy. Goldberg's dead. I called in a SAR team to pick him up, but his mech is gone. I'm being chased."

In the meantime, the Rifleman had decided that chasing after Donegal was becoming a chore. Instead of chasing after him, the pilot decided to make a break for his Star Colonel's last known position. He had seen him briefly on the radar before, and he knew he was close enough get into a supporting position for him.

Ward had not been using his weapons to try and break down the cover, as the Dornalian Star Commander would soon see. Ward was nowhere to be seen, having used his Archer's hands to dig a hole straight through the buildings. The shots intended for Ward would be wasted as they peppered building rather than 'Mech. Ward, in the meantime, had begun making his way away from Harlock, choosing to try to regroup with one of his Starmates. Within a short amount of time, Ward and his fellow in the Rifleman soon met up.

"Status report," Ward ordered over a very-shortband connection.

"Ammo is low, damage is moderate, but I am still battle ready," replied the Rifleman pilot.

"Good. Take up a supporting position. Once the enemy reveals themselves, open fire, and then fall back to the outskirts of the city and call in an ammunition refill."

"Aff, lead." Pretty soon, both Ward and his fellow Rifleman were in complimentary positions. Ward had knelt low, barely fitting himself into a dead-end side street and powering down everything but his radar. The Rifleman had done quite the same, except he was situated into a position within a courtyard which had buildings tall enough to shield him from view when he knelt down and powered down.

"Fuck. Just bloody great." Harlock saw the two opponents disappear from radar, his shots slam into buildings and reports that Goldberg's mech was dead. Two down, three to go. Well. This wasn't good.

Harlock then called to Donegal, who was by now acting cautious. He too had gone to passive, though his mech was moving slowly, scanning visually to look for the enemy. "Donegal, you there?"

"Yeah. I'm here."

Harlock and Donegal's banter would prove terse, and simple. There wasn't much to gloss over and elaborate on, and the connection was secured, though Kinealy was let in.

"Bastards disappeared from the radar. They're obviously planning something, since they've gone passive. And, Goldberg's down."

"I know. My Rifleman broke off and went to another position. I think it's for a regroup."

"So, here's what we'll do. We'll pull out of the town and rendezvous with Kinealy. The bastards have the advantage here in town. Especially against you. I'm probably the only one of you that has any close combat ability left."

"No shit."

Harlock and Donegal then rendezvoused, Harlock going to passive mode and then quickly assembling at a street before beginning to fall back rapidly, rushing to the outskirts of town. Kinealy, meanwhile, was given a nav point to go to where they would all meet, and he began veering there, continuing on his path...his maximum speed would probably not be as good as the others, owing to the Clanners' forethought. But, he reasoned his Catapult could take the heat until then, as long as he kept moving and rushing about.

Kinealy's shots would've hit had the Marauders not been expecting him to use them. This time, however, just as he was about to shoot, the two Clan 'Mechs crouched low, ducking underneath his shots as they blasted out of the guns. As the shots were fired, the two crouched 'Mechs leaned in towards the Catapult, getting underneath its chassis as they stepped into their leaning direction and, in a single instant, both sprung up from their crouched positions underneath Kinealy's 'Mech, using their bodies to slam underneath Kinealy's outstretched cockpit area with their own to knock him up into the air, and then backwards to land flat on his back.

Well, at least that was the plan...

------------------------

In the meantime, the Rifleman and Ward kept still, letting their 'Mechs sit cold, watching on a passive video feed of their brethren taking on Kinealy streaming from the DropShip above. There they sat, waiting, watching.

Kinealy's shots would've hit had the Marauders not been expecting him to use them. This time, however, just as he was about to shoot, the two Clan 'Mechs crouched low, ducking underneath his shots as they blasted out of the guns. As the shots were fired, the two crouched 'Mechs leaned in towards the Catapult, getting underneath its chassis as they stepped into their leaning direction and, in a single instant, both sprung up from their crouched positions underneath Kinealy's 'Mech, using their bodies to slam underneath Kinealy's outstretched cockpit area with their own to knock him up into the air, and then backwards to land flat on his back.

Well, at least that was the plan...

---------------------------

In the meantime, the Rifleman and Ward kept still, letting their 'Mechs sit cold, watching on a passive video feed of their brethren taking on Kinealy streaming from the DropShip above. There they sat, waiting, watching.

"Bloody hell!"

The sound of Kinealy's panicked cry echoed over the Dornalian comms, and Harlock radioed in, saying as he and Donegal were continuing on their course, "Kinealy, what's happened!?"

Kinealy, fumbling with the controls at the same time to prevent a fall, said, "They're trying to fucking knock me over!"

"Get some stability, and stay calm! Remember your training!" Harlock shouted this into his radio, knowing that at this distance it was a while yet before he or Donegal could help the man out. The best they could do was gun their engines and keep moving.

As that occurred, a SAR team helicoptered over to Goldberg, who by now lit up a survival flare and waved into the air, leaping and shouting, "HEY! DOWN HERE!" The Gagarin II shuttle hovered over, marked with the Red Cross of the Army "Dustoff" units, and a ladder was lowered down as he began to climb quickly. He turned to see Kinealy backpedaling furiously, and in the cockpit the man threw himself forward as if to will his mech upright with the stabilizers and neural hookups. Oddly enough, it did just that.

Thus, he kept on backpedaling, firing with his ER Medium Lasers as he tried to meet up with the others as planned. Goldberg smiled, and mumbled to himself as he climbed onto the shuttle and got a bottle of Generic Sports Drink, "Attaboy, Kinealy! Looks like you got some guts after all....."

The two Marauders pressed the attack, taking the weak shots of the medium lasers without a thought to their own well being. The Marauders had a distinct advantage at this close of range, their gun-arms swinging wildly in mockery of a close combat battle, the huge blocky 'hands' more than capable of crushing the cockpit of the Catapult if they managed to strike there. Thankfully for Kinealy, they weren't going to kill him since they knew this was a mock battle, but the Dornalian pilots hadn't been told. The Clan warriors had specifically asked for this, that way the Dornalian pilots would fight like their lives depended on it. In any case, these Marauders weren't going to give Kinealy any breathing room.

-------------------------------------

After a time, Ward finally thought it best to start moving. He flashed a hand-held light through his cockpit window, signaling the Rifleman, and the two 'Mechs began to power up. It took less than a couple of seconds for the two 'Mechs to warm up, especially in the heat of this blasted desert. The two 'Mechs, still running passive and now out of range of the Dornalian 'Mechs, slowly crept out of their hiding places, trying to keep from making too much noise or throwing up dust. Once both were out, they switched back to active and began making their way towards their allies, prepared to engage the Dornalian 'Mech commander and his friend.

The two Marauders pressed the attack, taking the weak shots of the medium lasers without a thought to their own well being. The Marauders had a distinct advantage at this close of range, their gun-arms swinging wildly in mockery of a close combat battle, the huge blocky 'hands' more than capable of crushing the cockpit of the Catapult if they managed to strike there. Thankfully for Kinealy, they weren't going to kill him since they knew this was a mock battle, but the Dornalian pilots hadn't been told. The Clan warriors had specifically asked for this, that way the Dornalian pilots would fight like their lives depended on it. In any case, these Marauders weren't going to give Kinealy any breathing room.

Kinealy quickly ducked, torso twisted to roll with the punches, and kept on moving to survive, and he wished that the Catapult had some jump jets. Problem being, the Earthshakers didn't allow much room for those. He cursed his rotten luck and spat on the floor, as the medium lasers did little damage.

"Guys, come quick. I might need a little help!" he said on the comms.

After a time, Ward finally thought it best to start moving. He flashed a hand-held light through his cockpit window, signaling the Rifleman, and the two 'Mechs began to power up. It took less than a couple of seconds for the two 'Mechs to warm up, especially in the heat of this blasted desert. The two 'Mechs, still running passive and now out of range of the Dornalian 'Mechs, slowly crept out of their hiding places, trying to keep from making too much noise or throwing up dust. Once both were out, they switched back to active and began making their way towards their allies, prepared to engage the Dornalian 'Mech commander and his friend.

The two Mechs moved on their merry way, Harlock merely replying to Kinealy's plea with, "We're getting there, Kinealy. Hold tight." Then, two contacts appeared, closing in.

"It's them, Captain." Donegal's terse report was met wih a simple, "Acknowledged" which proved just as terse. He then gauged his options, and realized the enemy was moving in with their Rifleman and the other one, presumably the leader. Harlock thought for a moment, and then said, "Donegal, lay harassing fire, keep them distant. I want us to stay focused."

Donegal radioed back, "Agreed. Will do." Showers of LRM fire were leveled at the Rifleman and Ward, and though Donegal had to torso twist and use LOS to get a good shot, he proceeded to open fire with several rapid volleys, metering them to avoid overheating.