Main Event

As he and his team sat down to plan strategy early the previous evening, the odds had seemed to grow longer. By the time he told everyone to hit their racks around midnight, Rose had privately concluded that victory would be out of the question. With luck they could manage a draw.

Making last-minute adjustments to his flight suit and neurohelmet, he thought what a fool Carstairs had been to think he was getting something so dear to Rose. If Rose hadn't possessed the back-up suit, he'd never have traded away the first, no matter what the 'Mech. The suit's advanced technology was too valuable to a man in combat. Satisfied that all was ready, he opened a radio link.

"This is Thorn One. Prepare to move out. "Ajax, are you on-line?"

"I'm here, Captain."

"Is McCloud with you?"

"I'm here, Rose." Ajax and McCloud would watch the fight from the command bunker. Sensors scattered throughout the practice field were augmented by satellites to provide a full view of the action. Although McCloud had not officially signed on, she and Ajax would be able to observe the whole engagement from a perfect vantage point. Their analyses and critiques would be valuable in debriefing the unit later on.

In an actual battle Rose would have wanted his unit in constant communication with the command center, wherever that might be. On most Com Guard missions, that would have been a forward command post or else the regimental commander. If he could persuade McCloud to join the unit, he would hope to use the Drop-Ship as a command post.

"Black Thorns, move out on my command. Execute Zero One, as we pla

Rose moved to the front of the pack and looked back at the assembled 'Mechs. Each pilot was alone in a cockpit, wrestling with his or her own emotions as the countdown continued. It was a hard feeling to explain to civilians, but his prefight state of mind was always one of extreme calm. As though he was in the center of a hurricane. Pla

"Green signal, Captain. You are free to move." Without responding, Rose stepped forward. Ria

Per the plan, Rose was in the center of the remaining 'Mechs, with Hawg and Esmeralda on either side. Badicus brought up the rear, occasionally sweeping the rear quarter of the moving formation in the unlikely event that an enemy was behind them. Kilometers disappeared under the giant metal feet of the Black Thorn 'Mechs.

After ten minutes the two lead 'Mechs broke sharply to the left and began a new course designed to bypass the small town. The remaining four 'Mechs followed in their wake, but Esmeralda and Badicus changed places. Hawg was now the closest to the village and the Shadow Hawkcovered the far flank. Thirty minutes later the unit had completely by-passed the town. Moving steadily, they approached the Dragoon staging area from the far side. While the main body stopped and Angus moved to protect the front, Ria

"I have six sets of tracks, moving quickly," she said. "The deep impressions look like heavies or assaults. It also looks like any of the smaller tracks got erased by the trailers. You were right, Captain. They ran straight for the town at flank speed."

"So far, so good. Let's stick to the plan and follow them in."

Ria

Ria

Esmeralda took the point, with the remaining Thorns following her at a slightly staggered distance. At eight hundred meters, she broke radio silence.

"Bingo! Two targets behind Building Six." Without waiting for a reply, she broke into a run toward the distant buildings. The rest of the unit followed her at their best speeds. As they reached the three-hundred meter mark, Rose's sca

Rose continued to close the distance and realized that the Dragoons had not even bothered to watch their backs. Screened by the buildings and with their opponents' attention in the wrong direction, the Thorns had closed to within two hundred meters before the first of the Dragoons began to move.

Ria

Rose quickly lost track of the two lighter 'Mechs and concentrated on the Dragoon Crusader.Still ru

Esmeralda tried to press the advantage, but the second Dragoon, a shiny new Zeus,lumbered into view to provide cover for his fallen comrade. Joining the fray, Hawg fired his autoca

Leading the counterthrust was an egg-shaped Imp,backed by an A