The Thunderbolt'slaser fired in eye-searing pulses, the beam striking just beneath the Thor'smissile rack. Armor bubbled and flowed, exposing the inner structure to the laser's ravening hunger. The Thordoubled over at the waist like a man kicked in the belly as the launcher ammunition exploded. Flames and smoke shot from the 'Mech's back as the CASE safety system released most of the devastating force. But it was too little, too late for the Thor.
The explosion had gutted most of its interior. Its left arm tumbled away, the autocannon coughing unaimed fire for a second before its ammo cooked off as well. Through the smoke the victorious Thunderboltrose on jump jets of its own.
It came down behind the stricken Omni, its left arm raised. Slamming the limb down, Maeve forced Al-pin's Thorto its knees. The Omni landed hard, rocking back and forth. The Thunderbolt'sright arm swung around, caving in the armor protecting the Thor'sshoulder coupling, then sliding up to crash against the cockpit housing. The Omni canted over and crashed to the ground on its left side.
The Thunderboltreached down and dug its mechanical fingers into the armor below the Thor'scockpit.
Smoke poured from within as the armor peeled away. Maeve tossed the canopy away and, in a dazzling display of BattleMech control, reached into the open cockpit and delicately lifted out her defeated opponent.
Then she lifted her Thunderbolt'sarm high and held up the limp and bleeding form of Alpin Wolf for all to see.
50
Even though Jamison was holding back, Elson decided that the assault was going well. The threat of Zeta's assault 'Mechs was enough for now. Nichole was proving reluctant to fully commit her forces, but that was not a serious problem, either; Wolf's main forces were engaged north of her. Epsilon remained a threat to the rebels, tying down badly needed forces. Sometimes threats could be as good as the presence of frontline troops; certainly they forced a poorly supplied commander to spread his forces thin. Such a commander simply couldn't know where his enemy would come from.
Elson wished he could be sure that Wolf was in the position of the befuddled commander. The theft of the battle plan from the main tactical computer at Wolf Hall and its subsequent transmission was distressing, but there was no evidence that Wolf had received the transmission. Certainly, there'd been no drastic change in the battlefield activity of his troops, no sudden shifts to hit vulnerable points in the attacker's forces, such as could be expected if Wolf had access to their plans. Even with Nichole's reluctance, the battle was proceeding as Elson had anticipated; he had not been expecting much from her Epsilon Regiment anyway.
Under the pressure from Beta and Gamma Regiments, Wolf's forces were collapsing. And despite Alpin's interference, Parella was making progress against the Spider's Web Battalion and the Home Guard forces supporting it. Fancher's Mech Warriors had routed the Home Guard in Green Sector and were in pursuit of the ragged remains of Battlegroup B. Of the rebel forces, only Wolf's Elemental units remained uncommitted. Earlier in the conflict, they had shown themselves more effective than Elson had expected, making lightning raids up and down the front, but today's battle had yet to see them on any front. Wolf's options were diminishing quickly.
It was time to strike the final blow.
Elson reached up and lowered the lid of his battle armor suit. The soft hiss of the seals engaging was comforting. As his displays came online, varicolored lights glowed to life in the darkness of the helmet. The systems check was positive. He stepped out, the other four members of his Point falling in behind him.
Fancher's Command Lance was waiting outside the command bunker. Three other Points of Elementals were already clambering up the OmniMechs toward the carry positions on the torsos of the 'Mechs. They would ride to the battle hugging the armored machine. That was how it was done in the Clans when a fast assault was necessary or when great distances had to be covered.
Unfortunately, there were not enough OmniMechs to mount all the Elementals. Elson had ordered the techs to weld crude grab-irons to standard BattleMechs, but the system only allowed a 'Mech to carry two or three armored infantrymen. Still, enough makeshift carry positions had been created to mechanize the force. Elson's troops would be involved in the battle. Decisively, he was sure.
His Point mounted Fancher's personal 'Mech, a Gladiatorand a favorite model for combined operations. The standard Clan tactics for coordinated combat would not be in use for today's battle. The 'Mech jocks did not have the proper training.
That would change.
A lot would change today.
Elson was confident as the Gladiatorstomped forward, the other Omnis forming up around it. They marched forth, headed for the battle at over sixty kilometers an hour, passing burned-out tanks and the occasional BattleMech hulk as they went. Nearly all were rebel vehicles.
Elson's forces were exclusively BattleMechs and battle-armored infantry. True, some of the Home Guard forces professed to support Alpin, but Elson had not deemed them trustworthy enough to deploy in the Outback. For the same reason, he had not included the forces holding the Fortress complex in his battle plans. The 'Mech forces and his Elementals, with their expendable mercenary supplement, would be enough for the job.
They passed through an area with a high concentration of broken 'Mechs—the site of this morning's battle. Elson was mildly perturbed to count more Beta Regiment machines than rebel; he opened the channel to Fancher.
"There are more BattleMechs on the field than you reported."
"Don't build up a sweat, Elson. Most of them are just damaged; easily refitted when the shouting's over. The warriors got out."
"My plans were based on the expectation of higher numbers of BattleMechs."
"So were Wolf's." She laughed. "We've still got them outnumbered."
An encounter with the rebels ended the conversation. The skirmish was with a combined unit, 'Mechs and what had to be their last few tanks and armored vehicles. The battle was brief, ending shortly after the Elementals dismounted among the conventional forces. Tanks were no match for trained battle armor.
As expected, the BattleMechs retreated when the skirmish turned against them. Perforce they abandoned the tankers; it was the strategically sound solution. Elson ordered the crippled tanks ignored. Finishing them would take time and he wanted to pursue the 'Mechs; they were the prime objective. Once the 'Mech force was eliminated, Wolf's challenge would have no heart.
The troopers remounted their BattleMechs and set out in pursuit.
Long-range exchanges between the two forces were the only action for the middle of the day, but Elson was satisfied. The rebels were retreating toward the Tetsuhara Proving Ground, just as he wanted.
At 1310 hours Fancher's forces crossed the outer boundaries. The rebels were little more than a couple of klicks ahead, the open ground offering a good view of their fleeing 'Mechs. In the distance the smudge of a building appeared on the horizon. Elson tapped Fancher's computer and noted that it was a training center intended to simulate a factory complex with a defensive ring of bunkers. Those bunkers would have weaponry able to support the Wolf's people.