His triumphant cry melted into a wail of terror. A Marauderstepped into the breech and shoved both its lobster-claw appendages into the Panther'schest. Twin forks of PPC lightning wrapped the Pantherin a cocoon of turquoise fire. It lifted the Pantherlike a leaf trapped by a dust devil, then contemptuously dumped the broken 'Mech onto the ferrocrete.
Explosions shredded the bay doors, blasting great holes into them, and finally tearing them from their overhead runners. The doors tottered like playing cards balanced on their edges, then fell outward as Panthersscrambled to escape. One's jump jets ignited, but the pilot miscalculated his trajectory. That Pantherended up smashing into the door it had sought to avoid. Decapitated by the collision, the 'Mech's torso spun off wildly into the night.
Sho-saAkiie Kamekura gasped for breath. Flanking the Marauderamong the flames, the entire Kell Hound 'Mech company stood ready for battle. Kamekura froze for an instant, then issued an order that tasted like ashes in his mouth. "All Panthers,withdraw."
* * *
From his position on the edge of the 'Mech bay, Daniel Allard saw the Command Lance pull back, but he noticed remnants of the Ichilance pressed in to attack. One Pantherraised its PPC and triggered a burst of azure energy that struck Brand's Commandofull in the chest. The blue fire melted armor and sparks flew from within the Commando'schest, but Lieutenant Brand neither panicked nor retreated.
Dan opened his mouth and cleared a direct line to the Commando."Austin, status, immediately."
"Fine, sir." A low growl rumbled through the radio link. "Be better in a minute."
The Commandolaunched two flights of SRMs back at the Panther.Two missiles blasted into the Panther'shead, peeling off armor and shattering one of the 'Mech's two viewports. The other missiles peppered the left side of the Panther'storso. Their blasts flayed the armor from the 'Mech's body, leaving its skeleton exposed. Brand brought the Commando'sleft arm up and fired the laser at the Panther.The corruscating beam sizzled as it scalped the enemy 'Mech and left its head utterly without armor.
Eddie Baker's awkward and ungainly Jennertraded shots with
IchiLance's other unmolested Panther.The Panther'sPPC shot missed the birdlike 'Mech as the Jennerstepped out and away from the 'Mech bay. The Panther'sflight of SRMs scattered explosions across the Jenner'shull, but did little more than dent armor.
The Jennerpilot then spun his 'Mech about to face the Pantherhead-on. All four medium lasers flashed coherent light at the ene-my machine. Two bracketed the Kurita 'Mech, slicing armor from the left and right arms. The other two stabbed into the 'Mech's torso. They melted great canals across the 'Mech's chest and splashed hot ceramic armor to the ferrocrete. The Jenner'sflight of four SRMs blasted the Panther,with the missile hitting the humanoid 'Mech above the heart doing the most damage. There was a muffled explosion from within the Panther'schest, and then the shuddering 'Mech stumbled and fell to the ground.
Off to Dan's left, by the far side of the 'Mech bay, NiLance had started to withdraw, but a murderous hail of LRMs from Lieutenant Fitzhugh's Catapultcut short the flight of one 'Mech. Half the LRMs chopped off the Panther'slegs at the knees and spun the 'Mech to the ground, while the second flight of fifteen opened the Panther'sback. Another missile exploded in the Panther'sSRM magazine, detonating the store of missiles and ripping the 'Mech into a fiery shower of shrapnel.
Mary Lasker's Trebuchetalso engulfed a fleeing Pantherin a deadly rain. Dan shivered as her LRMs hung a collar of fire around the 'Mech's shoulders, and consumed its head in a sheet of golden flame. As the fire boiled upward into an angry mushroom cloud of black smoke and red flashes, the headless Pantherstumbled blindly into the night.
Dan jetted the Valkyriefrom the 'Mech bay, targeting the Pantherthat had shot Brand's Commando.With the gold crosshairs of his missile targeting system on the Panther'sopen left flank, he stabbed the launch button with the thumb of his left hand. "Flight away!"
The ten LRMs spiraled directly in on target, their explosions eating through the Panther'schest like a cancer. They shredded armor surrounding the fusion engine and crushed the gyro. Short-circuited relays fired the Panther'sjump jets. The 'Mech rose one hundred meters on an ion cloud, then exploded and released the fusion engine's artificial sun to dispel Pacifica's dark night.
Dan dropped his jaw and opened a radio link to Salome Ward. "They're running, Major. Time to close the back door."
"Roger." Her voice dropped a dozen degrees. "O'Cieran, take them."
O'Cieran, hidden with his men in the jungle behind the Panthers,silently acknowledged the command. He sighted his inferno launcher on the back of Kamekura's Panther."This one's for you, Patrick," he breathed, then pulled the trigger and filled the night with burning 'Mechs.
* * *
The dawn's light, seeping through a narrow rift in the clouds, brought some warmth to the nightmare scene of broken 'Mechs and charred buildings. Dan shuddered. Just because we don't see any more of them doesn't mean they aren't out there. If not for that damned prank.. .
He pointed the Valkyrie'sleft hand at the OverlordClass Drop-Ship, the Lugh."Jackson, all spare parts for the non-jumpers go in the Lugh.Everything for the jumpers goes in the Nuada Arget-lan.Standard Procedure for combat jumps."
The Tech waved his hands, then turned to direct his astechs. Dan looked over at the UnionClass DropShip, the Nuada Arget-lan,and opened a radio frequency to it. "What's the word, Major?"
Frustration threaded Salome's voice. "Janos confirmed the appearance of a JumpShip at the nadir point. He's bringing the Cuin, so we'll only need six hours to reach it. He'll keep Pacifica between their incoming DropShips and his pirate point so we won't have interference. He says he'll be ready to jump as soon as we hook up."
"Good." Dan squinted against the sting of sweat. "What about loading some of these Pantherson board? Has O'Brien figured out what that will do to the Lugh'sflight profile?"
"Hang on." Dan heard Salome relaying his question to the Lugh'sflight officer. "He says we can pack two or three of them. I'd suggest we take three of the ones O'Cieran burned. No real damage to them."
"Roger." Dan looked up and spotted Brand, Lang, and Baker helping to load some equipment cases into the Nuada."I'll get my lance moving three Panthers.What's the latest on Patrick?"
"Fitzpatrick's flyboys have the Machalfway to the Cuwith no interference. Patrick's lost blood, but the doctor has reinflated the lung. Says the Colonel will be fine if he'll rest."