Andrew failed to get the pilot's attention. The enemy before him was concerned more with what
was inside the Mech shed instead. If Marc hadn't gotten the Spider up and running by now, he
too would be out of luck. Marc was outgunned and facing a readied enemy. He was in the
same place as Andrew. He is screwed.
Marc fired. His two lasers hit the Nexus center-chest.
A decent hit.
But he was also full aware of what might be coming back at him. The Nexus was a new design
afterall. It was probably sporting a similar configuration as teammate Melissa Fox had on hers.
Her Mech was likely to be from the same factory as the machine before him.
In no time, the enemy confirmed Marc's suspicions. An array of pulse lasers jumped out at him,
lighting the night air as they melted armor from the Spider. Most hits scored along the chest, but
one crossed over his cockpit's ferroglass for a brief moment.
Rotten luck. It would all be over if he took that kind of damage again.
Marc took the Spider into a run. The Mechs legs pumped faster and faster as he approached
the edge of the shed. He was almost out of room. It was hard to get much speed in such a short
distance.
The Mech's footsteps echoed across the ferrocrete floor, audible through his external mic
pickup. Marc flipped them off. In seconds, he might be able to collide with the Nexus.
He fired the jump jets again and the Spider began its ascent. It smashed into the 25-ton Nexus.
The enemy hadn't moved.
But the Nexus had fired its lasers once more. Bright light filled Marc's cockpit again. This time it
forced its way in completely.
Andrew watched as the Spider collided with the Nexus only a second after it jumped out from
the shed. The Nexus was firing back even as it was hit, but Andrew could not see any of the
damage from his location. He watched in a grip of fear as the Nexus and Spider collapsed
together in a heap of twisted metal limbs. The Spider rolled off of the smaller Mech as if it were
a limp body. The Nexus didn't move at all.
A bolt of man-made lightning jumped out to kiss Devon's Direwolf Mech. The sting hit his
machine in the chest, just below and to the right of his cockpit. As the impact pushed his Mech
slightly backwards, a shuddering crackle of explosions rippled across the 100-ton machine's
back. Somehow he'd gotten himself surrounded.
Not so hard to believe. They are all over this base.
Devon could now see both attackers on his viewscreen. One had been lurking in the depths of
the drainage system to the southwest, near the Dropship port. The Mech must have had some
ranged weapons to hit him from so far back. He was guessing it was retrofitted with more of
new RAC autocannons that were all too popular amongst the Denouncement and other Blakists.
The particle projection cannon, or PPC that had pushed him backwards just a second ago came
from the east. His HUD had already identified that Mech as a Lightray. With his current
weapons loadout, a Direwolf A setup, Devon knew the Gauss rifle would provide a nice reply to
the Lightray's long range invitation. He spared no time, triggering the weapon and watching the
shell smear its way out of the left arm's barrel.
The Lightray's damage registered on the Direwolf's HUD. The shot had simultaneously ripped
off its right arm and knocked it to the ground. Murderous coward. Devon was growing tired of
his enemy's dishonorable tactics.
Backing his machine towards the enemy behind him, Devon twisted the torso around to bring his
three pulse lasers to bear. His HUD followed the movement, targeting the new enemy and
displaying it's suspected weapons profile. Sure enough, the Warhammer was toting a new RAC
retrofit. Devon slid the targeting reticule across the viewscreen, pumping the trigger as he neared
his new opponent. Heat rushed into the cockpit, coinciding perfectly with the brilliant flashes of
laserlight stabbing out toward the 75-ton Blakist machine. The Warhammer didn't miss a step.
It returned fire with a PPC and another burst from the RAC. Though the pilot hadn't retreated
any further, he missed with both weapons. Only a glancing blow from a single autocannon shell
resounded off the Direwolf's leg.
Devon smiled as he fired his Gauss rifle again. The slug pounded into the Warhammer, visibly
twisting the machine to its left as its shoulder actuators crumpled. The HUD now showed the
critical damage as well. He knew the Lightray had to be getting up by now, but he ignored the
other Mech. That RAC has got to go.
Devon fired both of his Streak missile systems together as he came into extreme range with the
weapons. With a lucky lock, both systems spat out missiles that spiraled out to the Warhammer.
This time the pilot was afraid. The heavy Mech attempted an evasive maneuver that only
brought the missiles into a more concentrated barrage. They burst into a dozen explosions that
ripped the left arm free of it's joint. Bright energy spilled from the torso. The fusion engine was
taking considerable damage.
Devon's hopes brightened as he smashed his triggers again. Though he was overheating
substantially, his lasers might finish the Blakist with another engine hit.
The Lightray closed fast, taking advantage of its uncontested movement. It reached out to the
Direwolf again, though it was now lacking its primary weapons. Twin medium lasers scorched
the Clan Mech's back to melt away the precious armor from its weak spot. Devon ignored the
damage but knew from his enemy's trajectory that it was going into a charge attack. He could
no longer afford to dismiss the lighter Mech. He backed his machine up once again, though he
was only able to slightly twist it before the Lightray smashed into him.
The Lightray hit the back of the Direwolf's left leg. Devon cursed as his Mech stumbled
forward. Only his natural skill saved him from the earth's violent embrace. The Blakist's own
right leg shuddered under the impact. Its goat-like ankle snapped, exposing the endoskeleton
and myomers once hidden under its armor. The upper portion of the Mech reeled backwards
from the collision, bouncing off of the Direwolf's armor and into the ground.
Devon's recovery was not entirely successful. The jolt had caused him to grasp onto his joystick
for leverage, and he'd accidentally fired both short range missile launchers and his Gauss rifle.
Only luck had kept him from hitting the pulse laser switch. Had he fired those weapons as well,
the wave of heat inside the cockpit would likely have knocked him unconscious.
was inside the Mech shed instead. If Marc hadn't gotten the Spider up and running by now, he
too would be out of luck. Marc was outgunned and facing a readied enemy. He was in the
same place as Andrew. He is screwed.
Marc fired. His two lasers hit the Nexus center-chest.
A decent hit.
But he was also full aware of what might be coming back at him. The Nexus was a new design
afterall. It was probably sporting a similar configuration as teammate Melissa Fox had on hers.
Her Mech was likely to be from the same factory as the machine before him.
In no time, the enemy confirmed Marc's suspicions. An array of pulse lasers jumped out at him,
lighting the night air as they melted armor from the Spider. Most hits scored along the chest, but
one crossed over his cockpit's ferroglass for a brief moment.
Rotten luck. It would all be over if he took that kind of damage again.
Marc took the Spider into a run. The Mechs legs pumped faster and faster as he approached
the edge of the shed. He was almost out of room. It was hard to get much speed in such a short
distance.
The Mech's footsteps echoed across the ferrocrete floor, audible through his external mic
pickup. Marc flipped them off. In seconds, he might be able to collide with the Nexus.
He fired the jump jets again and the Spider began its ascent. It smashed into the 25-ton Nexus.
The enemy hadn't moved.
But the Nexus had fired its lasers once more. Bright light filled Marc's cockpit again. This time it
forced its way in completely.
Andrew watched as the Spider collided with the Nexus only a second after it jumped out from
the shed. The Nexus was firing back even as it was hit, but Andrew could not see any of the
damage from his location. He watched in a grip of fear as the Nexus and Spider collapsed
together in a heap of twisted metal limbs. The Spider rolled off of the smaller Mech as if it were
a limp body. The Nexus didn't move at all.
A bolt of man-made lightning jumped out to kiss Devon's Direwolf Mech. The sting hit his
machine in the chest, just below and to the right of his cockpit. As the impact pushed his Mech
slightly backwards, a shuddering crackle of explosions rippled across the 100-ton machine's
back. Somehow he'd gotten himself surrounded.
Not so hard to believe. They are all over this base.
Devon could now see both attackers on his viewscreen. One had been lurking in the depths of
the drainage system to the southwest, near the Dropship port. The Mech must have had some
ranged weapons to hit him from so far back. He was guessing it was retrofitted with more of
new RAC autocannons that were all too popular amongst the Denouncement and other Blakists.
The particle projection cannon, or PPC that had pushed him backwards just a second ago came
from the east. His HUD had already identified that Mech as a Lightray. With his current
weapons loadout, a Direwolf A setup, Devon knew the Gauss rifle would provide a nice reply to
the Lightray's long range invitation. He spared no time, triggering the weapon and watching the
shell smear its way out of the left arm's barrel.
The Lightray's damage registered on the Direwolf's HUD. The shot had simultaneously ripped
off its right arm and knocked it to the ground. Murderous coward. Devon was growing tired of
his enemy's dishonorable tactics.
Backing his machine towards the enemy behind him, Devon twisted the torso around to bring his
three pulse lasers to bear. His HUD followed the movement, targeting the new enemy and
displaying it's suspected weapons profile. Sure enough, the Warhammer was toting a new RAC
retrofit. Devon slid the targeting reticule across the viewscreen, pumping the trigger as he neared
his new opponent. Heat rushed into the cockpit, coinciding perfectly with the brilliant flashes of
laserlight stabbing out toward the 75-ton Blakist machine. The Warhammer didn't miss a step.
It returned fire with a PPC and another burst from the RAC. Though the pilot hadn't retreated
any further, he missed with both weapons. Only a glancing blow from a single autocannon shell
resounded off the Direwolf's leg.
Devon smiled as he fired his Gauss rifle again. The slug pounded into the Warhammer, visibly
twisting the machine to its left as its shoulder actuators crumpled. The HUD now showed the
critical damage as well. He knew the Lightray had to be getting up by now, but he ignored the
other Mech. That RAC has got to go.
Devon fired both of his Streak missile systems together as he came into extreme range with the
weapons. With a lucky lock, both systems spat out missiles that spiraled out to the Warhammer.
This time the pilot was afraid. The heavy Mech attempted an evasive maneuver that only
brought the missiles into a more concentrated barrage. They burst into a dozen explosions that
ripped the left arm free of it's joint. Bright energy spilled from the torso. The fusion engine was
taking considerable damage.
Devon's hopes brightened as he smashed his triggers again. Though he was overheating
substantially, his lasers might finish the Blakist with another engine hit.
The Lightray closed fast, taking advantage of its uncontested movement. It reached out to the
Direwolf again, though it was now lacking its primary weapons. Twin medium lasers scorched
the Clan Mech's back to melt away the precious armor from its weak spot. Devon ignored the
damage but knew from his enemy's trajectory that it was going into a charge attack. He could
no longer afford to dismiss the lighter Mech. He backed his machine up once again, though he
was only able to slightly twist it before the Lightray smashed into him.
The Lightray hit the back of the Direwolf's left leg. Devon cursed as his Mech stumbled
forward. Only his natural skill saved him from the earth's violent embrace. The Blakist's own
right leg shuddered under the impact. Its goat-like ankle snapped, exposing the endoskeleton
and myomers once hidden under its armor. The upper portion of the Mech reeled backwards
from the collision, bouncing off of the Direwolf's armor and into the ground.
Devon's recovery was not entirely successful. The jolt had caused him to grasp onto his joystick
for leverage, and he'd accidentally fired both short range missile launchers and his Gauss rifle.
Only luck had kept him from hitting the pulse laser switch. Had he fired those weapons as well,
the wave of heat inside the cockpit would likely have knocked him unconscious.
| Undone (2)... |
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| Page 6 |