* * *
Some of the pleasure Pershaw felt at the entrance of his gallant swamp warriors into battle derived from seeing the battle turn, some of it from imagining the confusion and irritation on Dwillt Radick's face. Even now, the man's 'Mech seemed to waver, as though not sure whether to shoot at the Jade Falcon 'Mechs in front of him or turn back to demolish the small enemy contingent at his rear.
The confusion gave the Jade Falcon warriors just enough time to execute the next phase of Aidan's plan.
The Mad Dogthat Lanja had so severely damaged when bursting from her hiding place looked ready to topple. Knowing it would be easy prey to a blast from the Jade Falcon 'Mech now closing in on it, she opened the commlink to order her armored soldiers to move toward the Wolf Clan command dome.
Screaming high on their jump jets, the Jade Falcon Elementals were a fearsome sight against the lightening sky. The Wolf Elementals, already decimated by the Jade Falcon attack from the rear, turned toward the new attack with the same confusion being shown by the Clan Wolf 'Mechs in the middle of the field.
* * *
In the Wolf Clan command dome, tacticians fired off messages to both 'Mechs and Elementals, trying to coordinate the triad of Supernovas in the field into a unit, assigning each element to specific parts of the widely spaced battle around them. Messages flew back and forth across the commlinks.
* * *
On the other side of the field, Kael Pershaw saw that the Clan Wolf 'Mechs were closing their lines to fend off the attack coming from the three advancing Jade Falcon forces.
If Jorge did not perform his mission soon, the tide of battle could turn in favor of the Wolves. Could? It definitely would. Kael Pershaw did not have the personnel for a long stand-up fight. Attrition alone would win Clan Wolf the day.
* * *
Joanna saw that Aidan was in deep trouble. An enemy Dire Wolfhad just gone striding through the line of Jade Falcon Elementals, injuring a couple with glancing blows from its footfalls. When its left-arm SRM got off a cluster, Aidan did not see it in time. The missiles exploded against the chest of his Summoner,gouging out a large chunk just above the fusion engine casing. Another successful hit and the 'Mech would be disabled, unable to finish its mission and perhaps cause a Jade Falcon defeat. Knowing she was too far from the command dome to successfully take over Aidan's mission, Joanna saw her best bet was to plunge forward, coming at the attacking 'Mech from the outside angle, firing everything she had. She was definitely closest to it, while the other swamp 'Mechs were under fire in their own difficult circumstances. One of her Trinary 'Mechs was tottering from a concentrated Elemental attack.
* * *
Zeroing in on the imposing and well-armed Clan 'Mech, Joanna pressed her own machine forward with the determination that had won her as many curses as praise in all her warrior assignments. Once within range, she launched a cluster of short-range missiles. Her hope was that the Dire Wolfpilot, intent on destroying Aidan, would not notice her entrance as a tiny symbol on any of his cockpit battlescreens. The high-velocity missiles sailed toward the Dire Wolf,but Joanna did not wait for them to hit before launching a backup set from both her hip-mounted launchers. If the first cluster did no damage, the sudden appearance of the second probably would. But she was not content to await the flight of the second missiles. Bringing her Hellbringerto a full run, she started firing the PPCs in both her 'Mech's arms.
Rivers of sweat poured from her as the cockpit's temperature soared. She fired off the trio of medium lasers in the Hellbringer's,chest, then slapped the override on the fusion plant's automatic shutdown sequence. It did not matter how much firepower she used. It did not matter if her ammo cooked off from the searing heat of the stressed fusion plant. It did not matter if she were broiled alive in her cockpit. This was the only battle she had to win, the only enemy 'Mech she hadto vanquish.
And all, she thought, bitterly, to save Aidan, that sanctimonious imposter who had become more freebirth than any freebirth.
* * *
Aidan, rocking from the Dire Wolf'shits, did not at first detect Joanna's entrance into the fray. For a moment, he thought his own weak ripostes were causing the awesome damage to the Dire Wolf.After the explosions from the first missile clusters ripped a long scar across the enemy 'Mech's chest, the second group appeared to pierce the wounds created by the first. Then he saw her Hellbringercoming down into a landing, firing off PPC beams at such a high rate that she was obviously risking heat buildup just to go for the kill.
It was a moment before he realized that she was in the act of saving him. The bitch Joanna was rescuing him! Stealing the kill. The Dire Wolfpilot ejected high out of his 'Mech just as the entire machine seemed to dissolve in a series of small explosions. Aidan raged with anger and frustration, but he fought to regain control. By her action, Joanna was making it possible for him to continue with his mission and to come out of it with even greater glory.
Quickly checking his damage on his secondary screen, he saw that one of the Dire Wolfblasts had disabled his right arm with its PPC. That weapon had been a major part of his plan because of its accuracy, so now he would have to rely on missiles, plus whatever damage his left-arm autocannon could do.
No matter. If his plan was good, he would win even with all his weapons disabled. If it was not, he deserved to become ashes that would scatter over the battlefield or be lifted by the breeze into the murky atmosphere of Blood Swamp.
* * *
Lanja took note of the trio of BattleMechs that had broken from the Clan Wolf line to take care of the intruders from the swamp. Taking advantage of the confusion, she timed her jump-jet leap with the kind of precision for which Elementals were so famous. She rose swiftly to the back of a passing Wolf Executioner,and sank the claw of her battle suit's left arm into a joint between the armor plates. Jamming her laser into the crack, she pumped megajoules of energy into the interior of her victim. Then some sixth sense inborn to Elementals made her suddenly whirl and jet off the 'Mech, jumping as far away as possible. Hitting the ground, she went into a long roll that took her behind a knoll.
From there she watched the Executioner'sback explode outward in a gout of flame as its ammunition erupted. For a moment, the 'Mech continued forward, then its left leg shuddered and collapsed, throwing the 'Mech sideways. She had expected it to fall immediately, but the expert pilot inside stubbornly refused to eject and kept his machine going in a stumbling, sideways stagger. It was moving in Lanja's general direction.
Lanja realized immediately that she had miscalculated. As the 'Mech teetered and began to fall, it was coming right down at her. She tried to leap again, but her jump jets had lost too much charge.