Mercenary's Star

"We'll be there the moment you say, Captain." There was a pause. "AndGray..."

"Yes?"

"Be careful." What did he hear in her voice? Regret, perhaps? He wished he could talk to her, but there was no time. They had to move now.Time enough for talk later, when they were safely back in camp.

"Always am, Lori. You know me. Keep your circuit open. I'll be calling."

He gave the order, and the ‘Mechs moved forward.

The sentries at the supply dump fence saw the rebel ‘Mechs as soon as they appeared above the crest of the ridge. There were scattered shots, and a machine gun began hammering from the cover of a low pile of sandbags and dirt off to the right. Grayson could see men scattering off into the woods and brush that surrounded the base.

"McCall!"

"Aye, Cap'n."

"Mount guard here and give us cover." The Riflemanhad the heaviest firepower of the raiding party. "The rest of you, hit the fence."

Traxen's Locustreached the perimeter fence first, crumpling the wire mesh flat with one huge metal foot. As the other ‘Mechs rushed through onto the poured ferrocrete slab, the hammering machine gun abruptly went silent.

The base was deserted, its workers and astechs fled into the brush. Much of the land in this part of the Southern Highlands was swampy, fed by the broad and sluggish Vorma River to the north. Grayson wondered how many of the Loyalists would die in those swamps. Except for that, it looked as though this raid would be remarkably bloodless.

"Lori!"

"Here, Captain."

"We're secure here...but I don't like it." Considering it was the only Kurita supply dump they'd round anywhere outside of Regis itself for weeks, the place was too lightly guarded. "Get your boys and girls in here, but don't plan on staying long."

He eyed the horizon. How long would it take a force of Kurita ‘Mechs to arrive from the nearest government outpost? He knew there were no ‘Mechs in the village of Blackjack itself. Rebel scouts had been watching it ever since they'd learned of the supply dump's existence. Indeed, there was no armor in the area except for a pair of Centurions,and even those weren't in evidence today. If there were ‘Mechs at Tyssedal, 50 kilometers to the northeast, they would need at least forty minutes to reach Blackjack, even if they had a strike force ready to go on an instant's notice.

Where were those Centurions?On patrol, evidently...but patrolling what?

Clay's Wolverineand the rebel ‘Mechs with hands began moving among the piles of supplies, stacking up what could be easily loaded and carried away aboard the hover transports. Whatever they could not carry, they would destroy.

Grayson's external pick-ups shrilled with the whistle of an incoming missile. It landed close beside Dace's Phoenix Hawk,smashing a wooden crate in a whirl of splinters. Grayson checked his Hawk'sinstrumentation almost before realizing they were under attack. The sonic sca

The Phoenix Hawkdropped the heavy canister of coolant fluid it was carrying and brought its heavy laser up to the ready. Traxen lowered her Locustinto a deadly crouch, the barrel of her laser protruding from beneath her ‘Mech's cockpit like the snout of a cornered animal.

"Heads up!" Grayson barked. "MAD traces north and east! Make that north, east, and south! We've got company, and lots of it!"

The first Kurita Archerbroke through the underbrush three hundred meters from the eastern edge of the base perimeter. A second followed close behind. Grayson's MAD readouts were giving fragmented warnings now, so rapidly were they picking up approaching masses of fusion-driven armor.

An Archerweighed 70 tons, ten tons more than the heaviest of Grayson's ‘Mechs. It mounted 20 long-range missile tubes in each of two enormous launcher packs set over its shoulders, and carried a medium laser in each arm as well. Two more lasers were set into its torso, directed toward the heavy ‘Mech's rear to protect it from attacks from behind. The Archerwas an old BattleMech design, but it was a highly respected one, valued for its ability to lay down sustained, long-range bombardments.

Grayson counted four Archer'sin sight so far, two to the east, one in the north, one in the southeast. Those monsters could pound his tiny raiding party into fragments before any rebel ‘Mechs could get close enough to be certain of scoring a hit.

Grayson thought fast It was obvious now that the supply dump had been bait for a trap. The arming of the trap was less obvious. His guess was that the Kurita ‘Mechs had been carefully hidden in the woods and swamps around the Blackjack site beforethe establishment of the supply dump, so that they would go u

Grayson's mind raced. His force of light and medium ‘Mechs would not last long in a slugging match with Archers.He directed his ‘Mech's computer to overlay the map with MAD readings and the four Archersthat were already in sight. The display showed a ragged ring of amber lights three-quarters of the way around the cluster of lights marking his own command. There was an empty space to the west, but the ridge they'd been hiding behind was in that direction and could well be shielding the approach of enemy ‘Mechs. He and his men were being herded toward the west. Missiles were flashing and banging throughout the supply dump now, but so far with little effect The only option other than staying put was to fight off the closing of the ring. If he ordered his raiders to scatter toward the west, they might escape the Archers'inexorable advance.

If this was a trap, the trappers would have foreseen that move. Grayson's mind flashed across the various intelligence reports he'd read, the statements taken from enemy prisoners and Verthandians who had deserted the Regis Blues to join the rebels. There weren't that many Archerson Verthandi. He knew of one company-Company A of the 3rd Strike Regiment—that had four of them. Four Archerswere what he could see right now.

Company A, First Battalion of the 3rd regiment was a typical mix of light and heavy ‘Mechs. Grayson put himself in the enemy commander's boots. If he were laying a trap like this, he would hold his heavy machines somewhere where they wouldn't be seen right away, then make noise everywhere else to drive the prey into the waiting heavies' grasp.

The ridge. Those Archerswere herding his raiders toward the ridge. The enemy heavies must have moved up behind it while the rebels were advancing into the supply dump. They'd be waiting there now for the rebel machines to come up the exposed eastern face of the ridge.

"All units!" he shouted. "Move south! Stay tight, and watch your flanks!"

Dace protested. "I'm getting heavy MAD readings that way. Captain! It's clear to the west!"

"Yeah...that's what they want us to think! Now... move!"He switched frequencies. "Lori! Are you there?"