"White Reach: Landfall" (Part 2)
- Date: July 29, 3031
- Planet: White Reach, Zenith Jump Point
- Location: DropShip 'Aquila', Briefing Room
"So what's the real mission?" Reginald pointed to the table. "Going to enlighten us?"
"Mister Templar has reports there is believed to be - or have been - a Star League cache on the planet." He stopped as there was a loud thunk, Olivia banging her head on the edge of the briefing table. Twice. Three times. "Stop that."
"I don't wanna." She muttered.
"You'll break the table."
"Fu-"
Reginald coughed over her and then prodded her shoulder. "Sir, all due respect, this close to Terra would mean the cache is only a rumor. The Star League caches in this region would have been plundered early in the Succession Wars, and this planet doesn't look to have been fought over."
"Oh you're right, it hasn't been fought over." Mikell brought up a file and pointed to a few notations on it. "In fact, this planet seems to have been mostly avoided by both sides except as a strategic stop. It was only briefly held by the Draconis Combine before being abandoned. Technically, the territory is supposed to be watched over by the Gray Death Legion. Guess what though, they don't have a presence here at all. Surprised?" He rolled his eyes and sighed. "In any case, the mention of a Star League cache is the rumor having so many people dropping on the planet and looking for it. That's why there's so many independent and pseudo-independent groups here, all fortune seekers."
"So, how do we stop them? Make it too expensive for them?" Aubrey asked, tilting his head at the table. "I guarantee, we carefully remove some of these 'Mechs from the battlefield which have been deployed-"
"Star League cache. Some people would shoot their mother for a crack at it, if they think one exists." Olivia cut in. "They are not going to be reasonable, they've got C-Bills in mind. Fortune and glory. Idiots."
"Mister Templar agrees with your assessment, Olivia." Mikell sighed. "But he wants us to try to pick up whatever evidence these people have followed to believe the rumor has any merit at all. According to this." He pulled up another file which had large sections redacted into digital static. "There was a cache rumored to exist somewhere out in the Periphery near Canopian space, and things got pretty bad out there. Apparently the Free Worlds League and Capellan Confederation both made a grab for it, but the report says they can't find the planet anymore. ComStar reports there is no such planet, which means-"
"Someone annoyed ComStar enough to get blacklisted." Reginald muttered. "But that can't happen here, this is too close to Terra for a planet to just vanish. Even so, ComStar isn't picking up the comm requests here. Still." He spread his hands. "I'd say there's a good chance something is here worth fighting over."
"I don't necessarily agree." Aubrey glanced between Reginald and Mikell, then settled on speaking to his commander. "I think you could definitely get all this fighting over even a rumor, especially considering the end of the Fourth Succession War is still fresh and someone might want to gain an edge or deny one. If they think there's a cache here, or if they can convince the Commonwealth there's one here, the logistical effect is still very real. Someone would have to respond."
"We are responding." Mikell said towards Aubrey. "Which is why I need everyone here to know to keep aware on the battlefield and during the aftermath. We don't need definitive proof there's a cache here, or try to prove the negative of there never having been a cache here. What we need to do is secure the planet and collate any rumors we collect." He stood up, the other three standing after a moment. "Four days to orbit. Hopefully we can get landing permission by the time we hit there."
- Date: August 3, 3031
- Planet: White Reach, Orbit
- Location: DropShip 'Aquila', Command Center
After an hour, the signal simply cut off entirely. Mikell narrowed his eyes, and touched his earpiece. "Louis, get the 'Mechs ready for deployment. We are going to drop."
The response was hesitant. "You got clearance?"
"No, but something's wrong. I'm not waiting." He looked over as Elly suddenly lifted her head, scowling, and pointing at him. He ignored it, glancing away. "Load all weapons and get them started."
"I copy."
"What is it Elly?"
"I'm having trouble with the interference, but I just heard something which makes what you were saying a good idea." She tapped commands and the earpiece crackled as barely discernible words were under the distortion. "I'm working on cleaning it up but I heard the words 'Lance' and 'advance'. Someone is about to start shooting down there, and I'm trying to find the location."
Mikell nodded and sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. Things could only get better, right? His earpiece crackled again and the console lit up as there was an attempt to connect from the surface. He snapped his fingers at Elly quickly, who nodded. "This is Commander Mikell Sethan of Priam Company-"
"Aquila, this is White Reach Ground Control." There was static distortion, but it was clear what was being said after a bit. "-Senate Committee, please be advised no unauthorized landings will be tolerated. Failure to comply-" The static buried the transmission again.
"Say again, Ground Control?" As nothing but static came back, Mikell frowned. "I am transmitting on the channel, and hope you are receiving. We are beginning preparations for atmospheric entry and will land at-" He looked towards the pilot who held up fingers. "Grid Echo Twenty-Two. Repeating. We are beginning preparations for atmospheric entry and will land at Grid Echo Twenty-Two."
The crackling subsided only briefly. "-not land, cannot be sure traffic is clear-"
"Elly." Mikell looked over. "Signal Eva, begin entry." He closed the comm channel, and tapped the earpiece. "Louis, secure for atmospheric entry. Thirty minutes after we land I want combat readiness."
"I hear you, sir." The reply came back. "What's going on?"
"I don't know. I think we have someone about to start shooting down there and I want to be ready to deploy."
- 17:12 Local Time
- Location: White Reach, Seventh Ward
"Say what?" The two were sprinting across a vacant lot, one of them hugging an old shortwave radio set under his arm. "Hold on, Sean, you going to tell me-" They stopped and stared as they reached the edge of the rise and looked out into the suburban sprawl. It was impossible to miss, larger than most of the buildings which were underfoot. Even though he'd never served, Scott knew the unmistakable death's-head on the front of the BattleMech's head, a towering hundred-ton machine of war casually strolling into the residential area with shorter machines flanking it. Three of them had large 'Mech-scale hatchets in hand, one had arms which ended in glowing emitters, and a sixth had the odd look like it was designed by a Senate committee.
But his eyes focused on the largest one which seemed to pause in its stride. An Atlas.
"Oh Blessed Mother." Scott swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry as he looked to the south, and saw a spherical DropShip on the outskirts of where the Starport was, and six other BattleMechs starting to move into the area. "Sean, those look pretty big. Those aren't Militia machines. What in hell is going on? There's nothing there!"
"There's a government building there, the Third Ward Annex." Sean was saying as he started to fiddle with the controls. "Come on, come on. I have to hand it to the Birdwatchers, they hit on fast this stuff isn't affected as badly by whatever the hell has the phones down." He muttered, and put on a headset. "Okay, just get this antenna up to that shed."
"You can't be serious! If they start shooting-"
"Someone needs to know!" Sean snapped, and turned his head. "Now get going." As he saw the signal light turn green he licked his lips. "This is going to be great. We're gonna be legends, Scott!"
- 16:50 Local Time
- Location: DropShip 'Aquila', Mech Deck
"You're kidding. We could use everything we have." Louis' voice came into the comm earpiece, but his voice was still harder to hear over the sounds of things in motion. And then: "Damnit, Casey! Watch where your arm is! No, stay put and wait your goddamn turn! Aubrey, get clear of the ramp before you stop." Mikell didn't try to step in, right now Louis was in charge of the deployment process, and it was a long few minutes. "Sir, we are going to be fighting in residential areas."
"Not my fault."
"I don't know if civilians will see it that way when a stray bolt of blue lightning fries their living room."
"Louis, someone is moving on the city with force." Mikell winced at the noise as Reginald got his Orion moving. "I mean. Someone put an Atlas in the field. You don't put an Atlas on the field unless you damn well want to make a scene."
"Gods and devils." Louis muttered. "You think we can take an Atlas? We're not ready for that kind of trouble. We never expected to find one here."
"Who the hell expects an Atlas in a place like this?" Mikell rolled his eyes and then noticed the console showing all of Sagittarius was deployed now. "It's not invincible, we just need to hit it hard. And a lot. And not be hit by that autocannon it has."
"Battle's your headache, mine is putting things back together." A pause. "Do not make it harder on me than you have to. Five minutes until Pegasus is on the ground minus Locust and Raven. Go start up the tactical room, sir."
Mikell hurried up a ladder, fighting down the fear which had been rising since hearing the word "Atlas" from Eva on her flyover. He couldn't afford the fear, he couldn't afford uncertainty, and he couldn't afford thinking anything other than victory was possible right now. He knew this, now it was time to make it happen.
In the briefing room, he turned on the tactical table and punched in the codes to load data on the six deployed BattleMechs. "Priam Company, Priam Command Actual. System check. Combat conditions in two minutes. Combat units to Scramble Three. Cordova, patch into any civilian services you can raise and let them know we're coming. Keep them calm, keep them from shooting us, and keep them out of our way." He took a deep breath, and watched as the images loaded up. Atlas, Awesome, three Hatchetmen, and something he didn't know offhand which came up as 'CTF-1X Cataphract'. "All acknowledge."
"Command, Cordova. Acknowledged. Switching to civilian band."
"Command, Sagittarius One. We read you."
"Use open ground as much as possible, check your movement. I want property damage minimal. Check your fire as much as you can. They aren't militia, so let's assume they're not supposed to be here. I want control of the battlefield; there are two power stations which are vulnerable and Cordova pointed to a government building. These are priority defensive targets, I want you to take and hold." He paused. "Offensively, Atlas is primary target. I repeat, Atlas is primary target. Put it down if you can, and if you can keep it down even better. Is anyone familiar with a Cataphract?"
Vandal's voice came up from the 'Mech Deck. "Command, Vandal. Capellan Heavy-class BattleMech with a nasty bite. Class Ten Autocannon, PPC, and some Medium Lasers. Wherever they got it from, I don't know. Thing's supposed to be in service on the other side of the Sphere."
"Command, Warhammer." Olivia spoke up. "You think we're fighting Capellans?"
"Warhammer, you think they'd have an Atlas?" Mikell frowned. "Too far out. Don't worry about who they are, just focus on putting the fear of lightning into them, Warhammer. Sagittarius One, verify priorities."
"Command, Sagittarius One. Priorities are as follows. Avoid civilian casualties if possible. Seize control points around the power network distribution nodes, and government building. Priority target, Atlas."
"Acknowledged, Sagittarius One. Set callsigns. The field command is yours, Sagittarius One. Saying again, field is yours."
- 17:22 Local Time
- Sagittarius One
"Busy, One." Reginald sounded like he was speaking through his teeth. "Three, get in here, help me swat-"
"Don't bother me, Two."
Aubrey turned and saw the Awesome rounding the building, making a face but realizing if he moved forward he'd be inside the minimum effective range for its weapons. That made his decision easier as he moved in and began lancing out his Medium Lasers into the other Assault-class BattleMech. "Four, report."
"Holding Station Alpha, One." She paused. "Do you need me?"
"Negative. You won't do much good here. I just wanted to be sure no more surprises-" He watched the Awesome twist, getting its right arm up and spraying its PPC past the BattleMaster. A yelp over the comms, and he twisted to see the left arm of the Wolfhound laying on the ground, seared off at the shoulder. "Five! Back off, priority target!"
"Save me a piece of that one!" Kelly's voice was actually cheerful, as the Wolfhound wheeled around towards the Atlas. "Hey, ugly! I'm still standing!"
- Sagittarius Three
The computer's voice blared a tone into her ear. "Warning, heat level-"
"I know, I know." She briefly checked her comms. "Two, nice shooting, I think-" She stopped and watched as the Atlas went to take a step and stumbled, crashing sideways on the ground. "Atlas is down. Saying again, Atlas is down."
Aubrey sounded relieved as his voice came over. "Two, Three, nice work. Now keep it down." And then a swear. "Six, you all right?"
"Just a little grazed, One."
Olivia kept walking forward, and gaped as the Hatchetman menacing the Orion leapt into the air and tried to land hatchet-first into the heavier BattleMech. And missed, landing hard and stumbling. "Two? They should be retreating. Not fighting harder."
"Three, I got nothing. Keep the pressure up."
Olivia sighed, and shook her head before the computer voice chimed in again. "Warning, heat level-"
"Shut. Up. Betty!" She slapped the side of her neurohelmet with her gloved hand. Didn't they have three Hatchetmen? Where's the third? She looked around. "One, we're missing someone here. I count two Hatchetmen, but we saw three coming in." A crack was heard, and then a shudder felt as Olivia saw the damage indicators light up. The Cataphract was looking her way, and her lower right leg actuator was showing damage.
How long were they going to keep fighting? These guys had to be in just as bad a shape . . .
- Sagittarius One
He couldn't believe it was going this well, for some form of 'well'. After all, there was an Atlas and an Awesome and nobody was dead yet. "Two, Three, nice work. Now keep it down." He stopped, something catching his attention as the Hatchetman which had been dancing around the Griffin launched into the air. "Six, heads up!"
It landed feet-first into the left side of the Griffin, causing Casey's BattleMech to stumble and plant a foot through the parking lot's tarmac. "Oh hell. Six, you all right?"
"Just a little grazed, One." Casey shifted the BattleMech and paused as the foot failed to come out of the ground. Aubrey turned his attention back to the Awesome, moving himself to be in the way as the other Assault tried to get clear shots at the Warhammer behind him.
"Command, One. Why the hell aren't they running? I'm seeing more internals than metal here on the Hatchetman, and the Awesome isn't looking too good."
"Your guess is as good as mine, One." Mikell sounded grim. "Lorelei Team is en route, do you see any civilian emergency response teams?"
"Negative, Command." He scanned briefly. "I got way too many shortwave bands trying to talk, I don't think anything is getting done yet." He took a deep breath. "Four, I may need you soon."
"One, Two. Third Hatchet down for the count. Moving to support you."
- Sagittarius Three
It wasn't apparently going to do the trick, though. Not until Reginald rounded the building and turned to line up a shot with his torso-mounted Autocannon. She saw it, then heard his voice with a small note of smugness to it. "One, Two. Third Hatchet down for the count." One shot? How had he- she stopped, and realized what it meant, promising to check the combat data later to confirm him making the Hatchetman's head into the past tense with the Autocannon shot. One Autocannon shot. "Moving to support you."
"Two, Command Actual. I'm overriding orders." Mikell's voice cut in. "We need to end this. Move to Station Beta and take control. New orders for One, Three, and Five. If that Atlas pushes the matter, put it down so hard it never gets back up."
"Acknowledged, Command." Olivia clicked a few more controls. At least Betty had shut up for now about the heat.
"Warning. Internal structure critically damaged."
She growled, and poked the side of her helmet with a finger. "God dammit Betty."
"All units, Sagittarius One." Aubrey spoke up, and Olivia saw the Cataphract walking backwards as the Atlas found its footing and stood up slowly. "Hold your fire, they're withdrawing."
"About damn time." Simone groaned over the comms. "Anyone else feel this was too much fighting for nothing? What were they after?" Silence. "Well, come on, stop talking at once, everyone."
"We are still in combat, Six, until they're long gone. Command, they are signaling for permission to drag Hatchet Three off the field, do we allow it?"
"Let it go. Keep an eye out, One."
"Acknowledged."
Olivia closed her channels, and picked out Reginald for a direct line. "Reggie, did you really headshot that guy?"
He looked a little surprised, then smirked. "Olivia, are you really trying to say I couldn't?" He shook his head as much as the neurohelmet allowed. "It veered high, I was aiming for the center of mass. Need to have Louis check the calibration when we get back."
"He's going to break a wrench off in your navel."
"That wrench is going to be needed too much to damage." He replied, then his smile faded as she stared back through the comm pickup at him. This wasn't a joking matter, not right now. Someone had thrown two Assault-class BattleMechs into this, and three almost-new Hatchetmen. In a residential sprawl, no less.
"What the hell is going on here, Reginald?" She heard her voice shake a little. "I've not seen fighting this bad since Romulus. What the hell is this planet to these people?"
"I don't know, Olivia. I just know we're walking away alive. That's good enough for now."
- 18:55 Local Time Location: White Reach, Third Ward
"Commander Sethan, Priam Company?" She focused on Mikell, the only one in the dress uniform. He nodded and she handed him the folder. "The High Senate of White Reach would like to give you this citation. You are to withdraw your units within twenty four hours and arrange to leave the planet. Failure to do so will result in criminal penalties levied against your outfit."
"Except you can't do that, because ComStar isn't opening their facility to even talk to people." Olivia spoke up. "So that threat is kind of toothless right now."
The woman turned her head and regarded Olivia with an expression quite similar to finding an armchair had started speaking. "And you are?"
"One of my officers." Mikell opened the folder and began reading. "Don't go anywhere, miss . . . nevermind. Don't leave just yet, I will have something to give you shortly." He held up a finger, then took out a stylus to sign the paperwork he was looking at. "If you do not mind, please accept this copy of assorted other paperwork as well." He reached slowly into his uniform pocket and handed a folded sheaf of papers over. "Those would be documents which are a copy of our contract with our employer, though we took the liberty of obscuring his name for security reasons, to undergo combat operations on this planet." Her expression soured as she took the folder and papers, not even unfolding them. "You will also find authorization from the acting Duke of Skye to operate in the Virginia Shire with military assets up to and including three independent DropShips privately owned by Priam Company. The third in that stack is a letter from the Margrave, naming White Reach as a potential position of strategic interest against the Draconis Combine which must remain protected."
"You certainly came prepared with more than war machines." The woman said mildly. "Why is that?"
"We're not a stranger to bureaucratic nonsense." Reginald said slowly, a faint twitch of his lips which could be taken for amusement. Mikell knew better, they were trying to play this up as experience when it was preparation 'just in case' which turned out to be needed. Reginald had objected, believing there would be orders on file, but with ComStar's lockdown those orders would not be readily available.
"I am only a messenger, sir." The woman glanced up from the documents. "If you want to dispute this, then you would need to be at the next meeting of the High Senate to discuss it."
"And when is that?"
"The High Senate is in seclusion until the end of the current crisis."
"Color me shocked, shocked I say." Olivia muttered, and turned to walk away ten paces, looking up at the sky. Then she yelled. "We just had to kick a Lance and a half out of your city, and this is the thanks we get! We should have let it burn to avoid upsetting the bureaucrats!" Reginald sighed and walked off to stand next to her, glancing over a shoulder. "I swear, some people have parchment and ink for brains."
Mikell watched the courier flinch, then look guiltily at the ground. The commander slowly folded his arms over his chest, and let out a long sigh. "It has been an eventful day for all of us, I'm sure." He kept the tone of voice pleasant, despite how he felt right now. "Deliver those copies to the High Senate, I have more if I need them. For now, I'm going to get to work putting my 'war machines' back together in case someone else takes a stab at your fair city. Unless you'd prefer me to stand aside and let it happen?"
The courier turned around and walked back to the car, pausing after opening the door. "For what it's worth, my home is three blocks east from here. Less than a kilometer from the annex you were fighting over. My neighbor's house is gone now because one of those axe maniacs fell on it." Her face shifted as she spoke. "Your crew, or whatever you call them, were there before the emergency teams could find their way in." She bowed her head a little, thinking. "If you hadn't picked a fight here, would that have happened?"
Mikell paused, looking aside at Olivia and Reginald, then looked back. "There are people who think everything which happens in the world boils down to random chance, and there are people who think everything happens for a reason. No matter how distasteful, there has to be a reason it happened." He hesitated. "I like to think the world operates on a very much simpler process, ma'am."
"And what process is that?"
"We can't know for certain how different things would have gone if something changed. All we can do is handle what did happen and move forward from it." He unfolded his arms. "I got into this business because I wanted to try real hard to keep things like what happened here from happening more often than I can help it. If I could have intercepted them before they reached the city, I would have. I didn't. People lost their homes, or lives. Some of them because my people missed, or because they damaged property in the process of the battle. I can't help that. What I can help is trying to make sure it doesn't happen again, while I'm here with them." He pointed to Olivia and Reginald. "And if I go somewhere else, I can't be here trying to do that for you."
A slow nod followed this, and the courier sighed. "What about all the battles you're not keeping away from civilians, Commander Sethan? What about them?"
"As I said, I can only handle what has happened. I can only affect where I am. Circumstance put me here. So I'm aiming to do my best here. If you expect anything else out of me, I'm quite afraid I'll have to disappoint you." The courier wordlessly sat down in the vehicle and closed the door, as Mikell looked over at Olivia and Reginald before wandering over. "Dial down the melodrama next time, Olivia."
"I'm serious. Next time, I'm all for letting it burn." She muttered and looked at him.
"You know, there's a saying. It's easier to ask forgiveness than get permission."
"Do you think whomever coined the saying actually tried it?"
Mikell looked up at the sky, thinking. "No. Come on, let's get inside. One of you two needs a shower."
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