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Colonel Kell and Lieutenant Fi
Major Salome Ward in her Wolverine,and her lancemate, Lieutenant Fitzhugh in his Catapult,concentrated their fire on one of the modified Shadow Hawks.The Catapult'stwo launching racks, located where its bird-like 'Mech should have had wings, flipped open to corkscrew thirty LRMs through the Pacifica darkness. They struck in waves, and exploded thunderously. With so much fire concentrated on the Shadow Hawk'sleft arm, it appeared utterly consumed. As the fire melted into the night, the Hawk'sleft limb lay completely vulnerable. Mangled beyond use, the hand and forearm hung frozen in place.
The Wolverine'sSRM flight exploded in an even line across the Shadow Hawk'storso. Though the Wolverine'sautoca
Leftenant Redburn's Hunchbackstepped into the open and chased a Griffin out from amid the flames and smoke. The massive, boxy autoca
The ferocity of Redburn's assault staggered the Griffin .The potency of Hauptma
One blue bolt flashed from the Warhammerand probed the Griffin 'shalf-melted left arm with a savage touch. Armor exploded and rocketed across the battlefield as blue lightning further mauled the damaged arm. Joss's attack left the 'Mech's limb twisted and fused to the shoulder in a fire-blackened lump.
The second tongue of electrical fire launched itself into the Griffin 'sheart, stabbing into the Griffin 'schest and melting all that it touched. Fire roared through the 'Mech's torso and jetted out through every heat sink and maintenance crawlway in the 'Mech's body. The Griffin shuddered and twitched as the blue lighting tightened every myomer muscle in its body. The 'Mech fell back heavily, the center of its chest a cherry hellpit, and lay staring up at the sky.
Confidence flared to life in Dan's heart. We've hammered them hard and badly damaged six 'Mechs—better than we'd pla
Oh, my God!Dan's mouth went dry as the Awesomefilled his monitors. He shuddered as his confidence wavered like a candle in a tornado. Suddenly, he remembered what they always said at the New Avalon academy, joking to hide the terror in the thought. "It's not over until the Assault 'Mechs have finished playing."
21
Pacifica (Chara III)
Isle of Skye, Lyran Commonwealth
1 March 3027
The Kurita Awesomelumbered forward like a starving man toward a feast. The pilot raised the 'Mech's mace-like left fist as a threat while surveying the battlefield. He trumpeted a widebeam challenge to anyone foolish enough to fight him, and began to recite his impressive list of battles and victories. It was apparent from the casual way the Awesomemoved and feinted toward possible foes that the pilot did not expect anyone to be so foolish as to pick up the gauntlet.
Ardan Sortek's Victorwaded through burning Panthersand stepped over the fallen Griffin .Resplendent in the blue and gold of the Davion Home Guards, it looked utterly out of place among the 'Mechs camouflaged for jungle warfare. The battlefield flames skittered in glittering highlights off the humanoid 'Mech's gold trim, but failed to pierce the dark canopy over the cockpit. As smoke from the Griffin twisted up and around it like offertory incense, the Victorwaited.
The Awesometurned, and the pilot shifted the mace in a salute to his enemy. The mace fell and the PPC mounted on the right arm came up in the same motion. The battle slowed as the two massive Assault 'Mechs opened the gates of hell to attack one another.
Three ropes of icy blue plasma groped over the Victor.Wherever they touched, armor melted like wax under a blowtorch. The PPC beams encircled the Victor'slegs in an energy snare and tightened. Armor bled down the legs of Sortek's 'Mech in steaming rivulets, nearly stripping the right limb naked. Yet the horrible energy failed to crush the Victoras it would have any of the other 'Mechs on the field.
Sortek's counterattack blazed forward in a cyclone of sizzling metal and ruby spears of light. The projectiles streaming from the autoca
Again the Awesome'sPPCs flared to life, their blue energy vipers striking at random. One gnawed armor from the torso of Sortek's Victor.The other two nipped armor from the 'Mech's arms, but Ardan Sortek's machine gave no sign of noticing. Instead, it returned the fire, giving better than it got.
The Victor'sautoca
As Dan watched the war between the two titanic 'Mechs, he realized that the rest of the battle had stopped in an informal truce around the two Assault 'Mechs. All of them knew that those two pilots would decide the outcome of their petty struggle. This battle would make history, and the two MechWarriors fighting it were destined for immortality. Just to be present was an honor any MechWarrior would cherish.
The Awesomeagain belched out three spears of artificial lightning. One drilled to the center of the Victor,and managed to punch a small hole through Sortek's armor without breeching it entirely. The energy singed the gyrostabilizer deep in the 'Mech's chest, however. The Victorshuddered and staggered, but Sortek's cool hand on the controls righted the enormous machine before it could topple. The other two shots, which melted angry weals on the Victor'sleft arm and torso, did nothing but burn armor and paint from their target.