BattleTech Legends: Blood Legacy: Blood of Kerensky Trilogy, Book Two by Michael A. Stackpole

Author:Michael A. Stackpole [Stackpole, Michael A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Catalyst Game Labs

20

TETSUHARA PROVING GROUNDS

OUTREACH

SARNA MARCH

FEDERATED COMMONWEALTH

22 JULY 3051

Kai Allard wiped his sweaty palms against his cooling vest. “I copy, Victor. I appreciate your advice. Heaven knows I can’t hope to do as well out there as you did.”

Victor’s voice made it through the speakers full of confidence. “Kai, Hohiro smoked my mark, so I know you can do better. I’m counting on it. The honor of the Federated Commonwealth rests on your shoulders.”

Kai shivered. “You had it easy. Shin was your wingman. I’ve got Sun-Tzu out here, which means I’ve got four people hunting me.”

“He’ll have his hands full with the crew they’ve arrayed against him. As long as you don’t shoot any of his targets, his folks will leave you alone and yours will leave him alone. Remember, you’ve got an Omni and they’re just running normal ’Mechs. You’ll dust them in no time.”

“Don’t waste your money betting on me.”

“Can’t,” Victor laughed. “No one will give me good odds.”

Another voice, one Kai instantly recognized as Jaime Wolf’s, cut into the channel. “Sun-Tzu Liao and Kai Allard-Liao, this is your time of testing. Though all energy weapons are powered down and, projectiles are phantom rounds, damage will be assessed at full value by the computers monitoring the exercise. Still, caution is important because the ’Mechs are subject to damage. Fall off a mesa and land on your cockpit and you’ll be as dead as you would be from a head shot in a battle. Do you understand?”

“Roger, Colonel.” Kai heard the echo of Sun-Tzu’s reply a moment later.

“Your mission is to defeat the foes arrayed against you. You may cooperate, but radio communication will be jammed for both sides of the battle. You may shoot at enemies not assigned to you, but that frees your foes to pursue your ally and vice versa. These exercises are usually complicated enough that such additional confusion is not necessary. You will be ranked according to the number of foes you destroy, and the amount of damage you do. Good luck. The exercise will commence in thirty seconds.”

Kai took one last glance at his primary monitor. It reported all weapon systems operational, and he smiled at the array he’d been given. The LRMs, the extended range large laser, and the Gauss rifle would all hit at longer ranges, letting him pick apart enemies working in closer. At closer range, his heavy autocannon and battery of pulse lasers would do some serious damage. This Daishi, whose name meant “Great Death,” looked like it would live up to its name.

Across the battlefield, he saw a frightening group of enemy ’Mechs. Allotted to him were an Archer, a Blackjack, and a BattleMaster. He evaluated the trio in terms of threat and formulated his plan of action. The Blackjack, he knew, had the lightest armor. A concentrated assault in the form of missiles, large laser, and Gauss rifle could take it out of battle almost instantly. The Archer, with two batteries of LRMs, was built for long-range combat, which meant he’d have to close with it or duke it out at a distance.

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