Battletech #42 - Shadows Of War by Thomas S. Gressman

Author:Thomas S. Gressman [Gressman, Thomas S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction, Fiction, General, High Tech
ISBN: 9780451456762
Publisher: Roc
Published: 1998-07-23T05:00:00+00:00

* * *

Though he did not realize its significance, Colonel Charles Antonescu saw the orange glare of the Spartan's rather spectacular death even as he charged his regiment into the spaceport. A fragile-looking Vulture tried to bar his way, but a concentrated volley from his entire command lance reduced the Clan 'Mech to smoking rubble before the Jaguar warrior had time to fire his third shot.

More OmniMechs, supported by less versatile, but no-less dangerous second-line 'Mechs, moved to intercept him. With an angry wave of his Hercules' steel arms, and a disdainful shout of "Take them," Antonescu ordered his regiment into battle. Though the Dark Horses, as they were called, had been depleted by previous engagements, they were still a powerful fighting force. They ripped into the Jaguars, shattering Galaxy Commander Mehta's carefully planned attack the way a hammer smashes a porcelain vase.

The Clan warriors turned away from the Com Guards to face this new and potentially overwhelming threat slashing at their vulnerable flank. Antonescu sprayed a depleted Point of Elementals with a cloud of high-explosive submunitions from his dual-purpose autocannon, following up the vicious assault with a strobing blast of laser fire. When the smoke and dust cleared, two of the hulking armored infantrymen lay dead. Their companions rushed inexorably forward. Missiles reached out to hammer at the tough armor covering his Hercules' legs and torso.

A blast of charged particles reduced a third Elemental to a glowing heap of scrap metal and charred flesh. The remaining genetically engineered foot soldier bounded into the air, seemingly bent on self destruction. A dull clanging thud told Antonescu that the Elemental had managed to grapple one of the many projecting components of his seventy-ton 'Mech's outer surface. A flashing indicator on his 'Mech Status Display informed him that the Jaguar warrior, using his myomer-enhanced strength, was tearing at the relatively thin armor covering the Hercules' back.

Cold fear gripped Antonescu. He'd seen the amount of damage a single Elemental could do to a BattleMech by ripping off sheets of armor with its steel battle claw. Frantically, he triggered the paired, rearward-firing pulse lasers, which had been installed for the purpose of freeing the heavy 'Mech of "swarming" Elementals. The twin bursts of coherent light failed utterly to dislodge the Jaguar who was eating away his 'Mech's armored flesh like some steel-devouring parasitic insect.

"Hang on, Colonel," a voice rang from his headset.

Heat spiked into his cockpit, as intense white flame washed across the Hercules' back. A second wave of heat brought beads of sweat out on his face and back. The damage indicator flashed once more and held steady.

Turning the Hercules in place, Antonescu came almost cockpit-to-cockpit with Sergeant Maxy Houpt's Vulcan. Her incendiary 'Mech's right arm ended not in a hand, but in the flared muzzle of a flame gun, from which still trailed a line of oily black smoke. She had used the flamer to literally burn the attacking Elemental off his back.

"Merci, Sergeant," Antonescu gasped, drawing breath with difficulty against the sauna-like atmosphere of his cockpit.

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