Kappa Battalion reached the outer boundaries almost on schedule, still ahead of the retreating Battle-group M. But less than a hundred meters past the boundary marker, Kappa's advance slowed when a Vindicatordetonated an unexploded shell or a mine. Kappa moved on, leaving the Vindicator'spilot to contemplate his footless 'Mech. But they moved slower.
The proving ground was a huge area with a wide variety of terrains, simulated structures, and clusters of buildings. Dechan kept Kappa moving cautiously, not wishing to lose any more 'Mechs to unnecessary damage. The flash and rumble of battle to the northeast grew closer as they probed to find the headquarters' location, a detail curiously missing from the maps provided them.
The lance scouting Dechan's right flank reported seeing 'Mechs and armor approaching from the battle. He ordered a halt and moved his lance over to investigate. The scouts were correct; the first elements of
Wolf's forces were arriving. Dechan directed his battalion to take up positions across their line of retreat. Then they sat and waited.
The lead hovertank must have had an active probe. Just out of missile range, it swerved and headed back to its fellows. The rest changed course as well, ducking into a simulated town. Dechan held his unit in place, refusing a request to flush the tankers with a probe by a light lance.
Battlegroup M was coming, with at least a battalion of Gamma Regiment in hot pursuit. The enemy forces were executing a classic leapfrog retreat, using alternate fire and movement with precision and elan. Fascinated, Dechan watched his commo officer make tentative identification of the battlegroup's leader from the radio activity. That commander was piloting a Thunderbolt,fighting with admirable efficiency while simultaneously controlling her troops' retreat. It was a bravura performance.
The main body of the opposition had almost reached the town when a fresh charge erupted from Gamma's lines. Heavy 'Mechs led the way, taking the punishment that Wolf's people were dishing out and sending it right back. In the forefront of the charge was a Star of OmniMechs. Dechan only knew of one unit in Alpin's forces that was organized that way: Alpin's own Command Lance. The Khan had come to settle matters personally.
A close-fighting melee developed on the outskirts of the town. Wolf's troops fought hard, but they were outnumbered and the outcome seemed inevitable. Then, in one of those lulls that unaccountably occur in battle, a 'Mech stepped into the open. The battered Thunderboltraised its arms and spread them wide.
"I, Maeve of the Wolf Pack, make my challenge!" The pilot's voice boomed out on external speakers and a spread of open frequencies. "I challenge the leader of the usurpers to meet me. Alpin Wolf, are you a coward that you will not face the one who has held you at bay for a month? Are you afraid of a warrior with no surname?"
Dechan snapped his eyes to the position where he had last seen the Command Lance. Alpin had been in the thick of a battle that had cost him two of his lance. His Thortook a step toward the Thunderbolt.
"What are you doing, you fool?" Parella shouted over the command channel.
"I will fight her. Her death will end this battle sooner," Alpin replied. He sounded eager. "She isthe one who has cost us so much."
"Then clear the line of fire, and we'll all waste her."
"Neg! I forbid it! It's not the Clan way. What would Elson and the Clanners think?"
"Elson would tell you to waste her. There's more battle to fight. There's still Wolf."
The Thorstopped its steady progress toward the Thunderbolt.It seemed to Dechan that Parella's words had struck a chord with Alpin. A hearty laugh cut across the channel. Somehow Maeve had found Gamma's command frequency. Maybe it had been in the transmitted plans. How didn't matter; what she said did.
"Poor little Alpin, maybe you should listen to tough old Parella. But I can tell you what Elson would say. He's a Clanner. He'd tell you that you aren't man enough to do the job."
"Bitch!" Parella screamed as Alpin's Thorlurched forward into a run.
"You're mine!" Alpin screamed, then launched his Thoron a tail of superheated air.
The T-bolt'stop-mounted launcher swiveled, tracking the incoming Omni. A spread of missiles streaked out toward it, but no laser pulse went with them. Those were not standard tactics for a Thunderbolt.Dechan expected the rebel warrior to do all she could at long range, but the big arm-mounted laser was the Thunderbolt'smain gun. If she wasn't using it, it must be damaged.
He admired her courage. Going up against an Omni was tough enough in a fully functioning BattleMech. She must have seen the challenge as the only chance she had to strip the enemy of its leader.
Alpin's own launcher vomited a spray of missiles as the Thorlanded on flexed legs. Charged particles streamed toward the T-bolt.The PPC beam blasted rock from a bunker housing, but missed the racing 'Mech. Missiles crashed around its feet, a good half-dozen cratering leg armor.
The Thorraced after the T-bolt.They were closer now, less than a hundred meters apart. The Thunderboltdodged among the buildings and bunkers, keeping the distance open. Occasionally it appeared, triple lasers flashing out to strike the Thor.Mostly they failed to penetrate, but sometimes one burned away a bit more of the Thor'storso armor. The Thorrained down missiles, doing more damage to the landscape than to the T-bolt.Alpin blasted with his PPC, too, but did more damage to the surrounding buildings than to Maeve's 'Mech. He did score occasionally, though, tearing away chunks of armor.
Slowly the Thorworked its way closer to the T-bolt.Still relying on the Thunderbolt'smissiles for her big punch, Maeve fired her launcher again and again, the missiles striking with little spread, suggesting that the T-boltmight be armed with a Clan-tech launcher. Dechan realized that Maeve's Thunderboltwas not an Inner Sphere model and wondered if Alpin had noticed the discrepancies. Perhaps she was not so desperate as he'd first thought.
Alpin's PPC caught the Thunderbolt'sleft leg. The weakened armor over the shin gave way, exposing tatters of pale myomer. Electrical discharges sparked and crawled along the exposed structural members. The
Thor'sautocannon fired, its cluster rounds cratering openings in the T-bolt'supper torso. Missiles screamed in, impacting all along the Thunderbolt'sleft side. The blocky 'Mech staggered away, placing a brick structure between it and the oncoming Omni before crashing down. Alpin closed in for the kill.
By the time he came around the corner, the Thunderbolthad gathered itself into a crouch. The 'Mech was clearly mauled, its right arm lifting out toward the advancing Thoras if in supplication for mercy. Alpin raised his own 'Mech's right arm, its PPC crackling with the sparks one sometimes sees before the capacitor discharged.