Satisfied that the Victorwas crippled, the Lyran paced his 'Mech forward to stand towering over his fallen enemy.
Dazed, Theodore wondered if the Lyran intended to boil him within the 'Mech or to ask for a surrender. There was nothing more that he could do. He was trapped in his cockpit, the right side of his body pinned under a massive tangle that used to be his system function board. His right arm, limp and broken, rested on the comm board. Theodore had fought as well as he could against a superior foe; there was no shame in this defeat.
The hiss of particle beams heralded another twist in the flow of the battle. One of the azure bolts creased the Marauder'sright leg, furrowing globs of molten armor from it. Multiple missile impacts cratered the 'Mech's turbine-shaped air exchanger system high on the left-rear torso. The Maraudercrouched down under the impact, then straightened, shrugging off the damage. It swiveled its carapace to the left, directing a blast from the Magna Hellstar PPC in the left forearm at an unseen target. An autocannon roared out its own response to the Marauder'sright. The Lyran 'Mech held its ground.
Did the Lyran know who lay at his mercy?Theodore wondered.
Another flight of missiles screamed in to chip away at the thick plating on the Marauder'supper carapace. The Lyran, exhibiting admirable fire discipline, paced his shots by alternately firing the Hellstar PPC and 5cm laser in the left weapon arm, then those in the right. The autocannon howled constantly.
Theodore, desperate to bring the Victorback into the battle, found that his neurohelmet was shattered beyond hope and that the autonomic feedback systems that allowed free play of the Victor'sarms were gone. He steadied his breathing, reaching for his hara.The faint voice of Tetsuhara- senseiwhispered in his head, Pain is a thing of the mind, and the mind is the servant of the spirit.
Hai, sensei. I will control my pain.He reached out with his shattered arm, watching the bone ends slide past one another as he straightened the limb. Clinically, he observed the fresh blood flow as his fingers tapped out the code to elevate the Victor'sright arm.
Through the shattered viewport, he watched the wide muzzle of the Pontiac 100 cant toward the sky, surprised to see the machine respond. His karma was good, then. He reached for the grip and depressed the firing stud.
Deep booming echoed through the cockpit as the Pontiac's cassette round emptied, sending 100mm shells tearing into the underbelly of the Marauder.The Lyran 'Mech jerked upward from the impact. Theodore fired again. One of the Marauder'slegs stiffened spasmodically as its myomer pseudomuscles contracted under a faulty command. Trailing smoke and sparks, the 'Mech collapsed onto the Victor.
Darkness filled the cockpit as seventy-five tons of incapacitated BattleMech crashed to the ground. Theodore sighed, releasing his control and letting the darkness fill his mind as well. Warm and welcoming, it caressed and took him far from the stink and heat of the battlefield.
Well done,said Tetsuhara- sensei's ghostly voice.
33
South Nantuo , Vega
Dieron Military District, Draconis Combine
Late December 3028
The soft susurrus of the military command center in the next room called Theodore from his foggy dreams. Awakening to the concerned faces of Ben Tourneville and Fuhito Tetsuhara, he tried to raise his right arm to wave them back. When his arm did not respond, he looked down to find it encased in a preserving sleeve. He also recognized the itch of peeling plastiflesh on his forehead. The memory of his last battle came back.
"The physicians say that you should recover full use of the arm, Tai-sa,"Fuhito assured him. "You will have a scar on your head, though."
"You must have complete rest," Tourneville insisted.
Theodore shook his head. While Steiner forces infested Vega, he could not rest. A samurai would never be kept from his duty by personal injury.
"There was some trouble with Heise and Nordica while you were unconscious," Fuhito said cautiously. "They did not understand your plan and wished to jeopardize it by running in different directions. Using her authority as your executive, Sho-saSakade has placed me in command."
"It is most irregular," Tourneville observed sourly.
"But has it worked?" Theodore asked, turning to Fuhito.
"I've tried to see that the spirit of your plans was followed, Tai-sa,"Fuhito answered with a shrug. "It's not for me to say if I have succeeded."
Typical Tetsuhara modesty. If Fuhito had not handled the situation, things wouldn't be so calm. Tomoe had done well to appoint him as overseer. Heise would not have accepted her, and no one else had enough experience in command to execute his orders. "Where do we stand with the Lyrans?"
"Your plan is a success, Tai-sa,despite this fellow's dabblings," Tourneville assured him. "We have split the Steiner forces, and our link-up with our forces from the west of the Trebason Mountains is complete. Our capture of Cochus will force them to rely on longer, overburdened supply lines. The Lyrans are in serious trouble.
"Second Legion and twenty of our conventional regiments are pushing most of the Third Lyran Guard and six of their armored regiments north toward the edge of Great Desert of Tears. They will soon have a sea of sand at their backs.
"Fourteenth Legion is leading another fourteen of our regiments against the remainder of the Third Guards under Leutnant-General Finnan. The Lyrans have four regiments of conventional forces with them. Their 'Mech force is fighting well, but even our non-'Mech forces are fighting excellently. The Lyrans are abandoning the Roccer-De Zerber line. We shall drive the invaders from Vega soon."
Theodore nodded. "Do you concur, Tai-iTetsuhara?"
"We have had successes, Tai-sa,and many of Commonwealth's forward supply depots have fallen to us during the advance. The Lyrans are facing the severe shortages that once were our lot. They are in trouble, but they are far from beaten."
"I see. Set up a full staff conference immediately. I want situation reports from all fronts for review. And send in Sho-saSakade."
Fuhito and Tourneville exchanged glances. Theodore narrowed his eyes suspiciously as Tourneville cleared his throat.
"Sho-saSakade encoded a message disk for you before she left."
* * *
"It's true, Leutnant-General Finnan. The Legion won't hit Roccer for another two weeks at least. The Fourteenth only has a skeleton force left along the Roccer-De Zerber line.
There're just three burned-out armored regiments on the front and a couple more in reserve."
The Steiner officers in the command hut exchanged skeptical glances. Kommandant Werner Jones stood to face the speaker. Leutnant-General Patrick Finnan had already reviewed what the Kuritan defector had brought with him. This session was for the command staff. Finnan let his security officer take the lead, approving of the hard stare Jones fixed on the Kurita Chu-i.