Justin's "good" hand controlled the 'Mech's major weapons. The PPC occupying the whole of the Vindicator'sright forearm, and the medium laser built into the 'Mech's head were both controlled by the right hand. The joystick control led the targeting system, and the buttons fired the weapons exactly the way Justin remembered it in the simulator on Sakhara.
Justin watched Wolfson's Hermes IImarch into the arena. Slightly to the right and just above the 'Mech's waist, Justin saw the wide maw of an autocannon. Remembering how the Rifleman'sautocannon had shredded his Valkyriein the duel on Kittery, he felt a sudden cold chill.
In an effort to regain control of himself, Justin focused upon the humanoid 'Mech he had to destroy. He knew that it carried a medium laser in its right forearm. Though a formidable weapon, it did not worry him. That flamer, on the other hand . . .
The weapon formed the 'Mech's truncated left arm. Six canisters of fuel, each about the size of a small aircar, ringed a slender cylinder. It opened into a nozzle that most resembled the muzzle of an ancient blunderbuss and measured almost a full meter across. Despite attempts to keep it painted, the nozzle showed only the carbon buildup easily associated with a flamethrower.
Justin nodded his head as the blue and gray Hermesstopped and raised its right hand to salute the crowd. That flame-thrower could bake him inside the Vindicatorand force him to eject. Though fire really could not damage his 'Mech, it could prematurely end the fight and rob him of victory. I cannot allow myself to lose.
The announcer's voice burst in on Justin's thoughts. "And from Teng Stables, we have a Vindicator'
Justin slowly and deliberately walked the humanoid Vindicatoronto the field. It had beenVindicators that had once turned House Davion back at Tikonov. How fitting for me to use one now to embarrass the Federated Suns.Justin raised the 'Mech's left arm to wave at the crowd huddled invisibly behind the mirrored arena walls. Though he heard none of the applause given to Wolfson, he forced the irritation away. Victors deserve praise, not combatants.
The announcer's voice, tinged with excitement, again filled the arena and Justin's neurohelmet. "We've just received word that Baron von Summer has issued an invitation for the victor to come to his private box after the battle," Justin heard him say.
Wolfson's Hermesturned toward Lestrade's box and saluted, and Justin's 'Mech followed suit, though its pilot performed the action without thought. He knows. He must know the fight has been rigged.Justin chuckled to himself. Billy Wolfson is in for a rude shock.
"Let the game begin!"
The Hermesimmediately triggered a burst of autocannon fire that raked across the Vindicator,blasting small craters into the torso armor. Justin jerked his 'Mech to the right and dropped to one knee as the Hermes'slaser sliced through the air and splintered against the windows around the arena.
Justin popped open the LRM compartment in the Vindicator'schest and launched a flight of five missiles at the Hermes.Wolfson quickly moved his 'Mech to the left, keeping the PPC out of line, evading all but one of the missiles. The one that hit peeled back some armor on the Hermes'sleft leg, while the other missile exploded against the protective screen.
Concentrate, Justin! You can't afford any sloppy shots!He darted a quick glance at the prosthesis to assure himself that the cable had not broken free. Wolfson thinks the fight is fixed. Use it against him.
Wolfson's return shots from both the autocannon and the medium laser slammed into the Vindicator'schest. Autocannon rounds smashed into Justin's armor, tearing divots from it. The laser, firing on the same targeted spot, cauterized the autocannon wounds and melted them into ugly scars. The Hermesfollowed up its shots and closed the gap between the two 'Mechs.
Justin continued to circle his Vindicatorto the right, then stopped and pivoted on his left foot to swing around and lunge at the Hermeswith his PPC. His right index finger tightened up on the trigger, and his middle finger jerked the trigger for his medium laser. The heat monitors in the cockpit blazed up from green into the red zone, but Justin ignored the computer's keening complaint about excess heat. The Hermes,moving in, strolled directly into his fire zone.
The laser stitched a stuttering line across the Hermes'seyes, and the 'Mech jerked as Wolfson reacted to the blinding scarlet light. The beam itself did little more than melt an outer layer of the pilot's canopy, but the shot distracted Wolfson from the need to turn and face the Vindicator'sattack.
An azure whip of pure energy lashed out at the Hermes.The PPC's beam stabbed at the Hermes'sleft arm and ripped armor from the flamer with the ease of a cyclone tearing shingles from a roof. The beam caressed the Hermesfor less than three terrible seconds, but that was enough to strip all but the barest of armor from the smaller 'Mech's fearsome weapon. Suddenly, the flamethrower became a bomb strapped to the side of the Hermes,and Wolfson's quick turn showed that he realized the outcome of the fight was not fixed, after all.
As Justin's Vindicatormoved toward the Hermes,Wolfson brought his 'Mech's right arm up and triggered a blast of laser fire to hold him back. The ruby energy beam bubbled ablative armor on the Vindicator'storso, but failed to penetrate further into the 'Mech's working parts. When it did nothing to slow the Vindicator'sadvance, Wolfson began to sprint his 'Mech off across the arena.
Justin hit his jump jets and launched a flight of LRMs, aiming the missiles deliberately wide and to the right of the Hermes.They exploded in a line of flaming geysers that brought the Hermesup short while the Vindicatorsoared above it and almost grazed the arena's mesh roof. Justin grounded the Vindicatorto the left of the Hermes. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, Wolfson.
Sweat poured down Justin's face and tasted salty on his lips. Ahead of him, the Hermesturned. Its medium laser fired a red bolt of energy, while its autocannon boomed out a staccato accompaniment to the rain of metal it spat out. The autocannon slugs plucked away at the armor on the Vindicator'sleft leg and dotted it with jagged gashes. The laser drilled into the armor on the Vindicator'scenter torso and burned away the last of it. Enough of the laser fire had penetrated the armor to burn into the heart of the Vindicator.
Justin cursed as a red light ignited on his control board. The last of the laser's energy had damaged his 'Mech's gyro-stabilizer and would force him to concentrate more on each little motion or get spilled to the ground. He slapped the heat override control and sneered. This ends now.
Missiles arched from the Vindicatorand smashed into the Hermes'sright side. The missiles exploded into brilliant orange fire-balls, and the Hermesstaggered as armor plates ripped free.