BattleTech: Embers of War by Jason Schmetzer

Author:Jason Schmetzer [Schmetzer, Jason]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Catalyst Game Labs
Published: 2016-03-01T00:00:00+00:00

By the time Ezra had climbed down from his Crusader’s cockpit, the other three members of his lance were waiting. Roses and Akhtar looked worried, and Aurel Hicks just looked furious. All three carried their cockpit aid kits, though, and Akhtar had found a pry bar somewhere. He looked at them, and then up the smoke-filled street.

“Right now we’re not Tigers,” he told his lance. “And they’re not Dismal Ds. We’re not on Baranov’s side, and they’re not on the AMC’s. They’re people that need help, and we’re people who can help.” He looked each of his MechWarriors in the eye until he was sure they understood.

Halleck and his lance jogged up just as Ezra finished speaking. The sergeant major nodded to the captain and then looked at the assembled group. “You give them the speech?” he asked Ezra. Ezra nodded. “Then what he said,” Halleck told them.

“What if they attack us?” Sergeant Quinn asked. He drove a Charger in Three Lance.

“Defend yourself,” Halleck said before Ezra could speak. “The captain already took all the free shots we’re going to take.”

“That’s right,” Ezra said, “but hopefully it won’t come to that.” He gestured. “Let’s go.”

The MechWarriors started walking that way. Even this far away the air was already thick with smoke and dust, making Ezra’s sinuses burn.

Halleck fell into step with him at the rear of the ersatz column. “You did good.”

“Sergeant Major?”

“Taking that shot. Not shooting back. That will make it look a lot more convincing that we didn’t do this, after.”

Ezra looked at him. “We didn’t do this, Bob.”

Halleck grinned at him. “I know that, and you know that,” he said, “but we both know it’ll only matter how it plays on the HV later.”

Ezra grimaced. “I wasn’t thinking about that.”

“Didn’t think you were,” Halleck said. “But it’s good that your instincts led you to the right places.”

A gust of wind blew smoke and dust across the Stealthy Tigers group. Both Halleck and Ezra raised an arm to half-block their faces, but it did little good. It was only reflex; the dust and other crap in the air was already in their lungs and throats. Roses started coughing. Ezra tried blinking the grit out of his eyes, and only succeeded in driving it deeper.

The first person Ezra saw up close was a civilian woman. She appeared suddenly out of the deep smoke and almost collided with him. Her face, skin and clothes were all coated with brown-white dust and grime. Tear tracks glistened muddily on her cheeks. Her eyes were dazed. Her clothes were torn.

“Are you all right?” Ezra asked, and immediately castigated himself. He couldn’t imagine a more stupid thing to say in this situation.

“Here, miss, why don’t you sit down?” Sergeant Major Halleck said. He took the woman by the arm and led her toward the edge of the street so she could sit on the curb. He nodded for Ezra to keep going.

More people appeared. A man was staggering, holding a clearly broken arm. Sergeant Roses went to him and urged him to the curb next to the woman with Halleck.

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