BattleTech: Honor's Gauntlet by Bryan Young

Author:Bryan Young
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Catalyst Game Labs
Published: 2020-08-13T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 13

GAMBOOTAS

SEGINUS

JADE FALCON OCCUPATION ZONE

13 FEBRUARY 3151

0530 HOURS

Archer Pryde approached Star Colonel Malthus as she stood at the edge of the landing platform, watching the last ’Mechs in her command load into her DropShip, Talon’s Glory.

“Star Colonel,” he said when he got close enough to cut through the din of activity. “I am pleased to report that my Binary is in action, and we have begun our evacuation.”

“I expected nothing less.”

Archer stood beside her and watched the activity buzzing around her DropShip, curious to see pallets of heavy ammunition hauled aboard. She had loaded for bear, and that made Archer nervous. Both for the coming conflict and for the minister of agriculture.

“Is there anything we can do to support your mission?” he asked.

“Neg. We have the easy task. Your techs and their escorts will have the most difficult job dismantling the industrial center.”

Archer nodded. “Is there anything else I should be aware of, sir?”

“Neg. You know everything necessary. We leave imminently. Make sure that DropShip is loaded. Leave nothing of value behind.”

“Does that mean we destroy the base as well, Star Colonel?”

She ignored his question. “See to the industrial center, Star Captain. Leave the rest to me.”

“Aff.”

“Dismissed.”

Archer offered a salute, clicked his heels, and left. Frustration welled in him. She would not reveal the location of their destination, let him in on any important details of the plan, or offer him any confidence whatsoever, not even a hint about what they faced.

Archer entered the ’Mech bay and climbed up to Toronado’s cockpit. He settled into the command couch and secured his neurohelmet. Toronado’s computer prompted him for his voice-recognition security passphrase, a saying he spoke in Spanish: “No hay honor en atacar a los débiles.”

There is no honor in attacking the weak.

With a successful beep of acknowledgment, the computer accepted the passphrase, and the fusion reactor deep in the ’Mech’s bowels thrummed to life.

Settling into the ’Mech felt like home.

On his orders, the rest of his Star had already begun the trek to the industrial center, so he would have to catch up, and he did not want to miss anything. He walked Toronado out of the bay and onto the staging platform. He got his bearings on the city, setting waypoints for an easy navigation path down highways and through meadows to the industrial park on the outskirts.

A blip on his HUD alerted him to the Talon’s Glory lifting off, and he twisted his ’Mech’s torso reflexively in that direction. The DropShip appeared through his canopy, leaving a trail of smoke behind on its way to the other side of the planet.

Archer could only hope the Star Colonel did not make things worse, but something about her leaving this hemisphere filled him with relief. She could still give him commands if she chose to get involved, though somehow he thought she would have her hands full enough to leave his Binary to its own devices.

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