[dcs_p]To his surprise, Ryan Allen was standing there. His gun was trained on the edge
of the building from which the Spider had jumped out of. Before Andrew could
call out a greeting to his teammate, Ryan opened fire with his gyrojet rifle.
Rocket-propelled shells smashed into the side of the Mech shed, blowing bits of
cement and cheap tin siding away in a thunderous crackle. Andrew winced,
closing his right eye and beginning to run away from the horrible sound. He
quickly closed the distance between him and Ryan. He turned his eyes back to
the building as he neared the other Mechwarrior. Andrew could see now what
was happening.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Ryan had been aiming at a cloaked Purifier armor. Under intense fire from his
rifle, the enemy’s suit had failed to properly adjust to the instantaneous light
changes affecting its surroundings. It was plain to see, but still seemed like some
kind of phantom as it desperately tried to match its surroundings. Andrew fired
his pistol several times at the armored form, but it seemed to have little effect.
After several seconds, the gyrojet rifle fire stopped. Ryan was out of shells.
The Purifier fired back. The underslung machine gun it carried reminded Andrew
of something he’d seen in an action flick. Shells smashed into the cement before
the two men. Almost like an Elemental, the original battle armor to appear in the
Inner Sphere, the Purifier stalked forward while its cloaking ability dissipated. It
was ready for a stand up fight.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Andrew broke to his right and started into a run. He knew Ryan was doing the
same to the left. Before either of them had gained much speed, the Purifier’s
powerful machine gun burst into operation a second time. The light from the flash
alone blinded Andrew. It seemed to be pulsing straight into his eyes. As the
thunderous noise from the weapon took away his sense of hearing, Andrew felt
stinging jolts along his shoulders and neck. He collapsed as his back exploded in
a burst of excruciating pain.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]High in the Mech facility command tower, Xandar Harlow smiled at Samuel Stark.
The Purifier armor had failed to conceal itself from Stark’s custom-built sensor
array. Located within the massive armored walls of the main complex, the Mech
facility was home to most of the Strider’s Strikers Mechs and armor. The sheer
number of weapons housed inside the complex, ranging from deadly aerospace
fighters to 100-ton Mechs, from ammunition supplies to the latest
amateur-designed prototype firearms, made it the biggest threat for any enemy
to neutralize. Without a doubt, it had to be one of tonight’s primary targets.
“You’ve got one guy on your right Ryan. Looks like about a 10 o’clock on the
screen.” Xandar said softly into the mic attached to his headset. Looking closer
at the display, he continued. “Watch yourself cause those shock troopers are
closing in just behind him.”[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]The coded communication between Ryan Harrison’s Longinus battle armor suit
and the Mech facility’s control room was one of the best hopes for those
defending the facility. Ryan Harrison’s experience provided him with most of what
he needed, but Xandar and Samuel were there to make sure any other gaps
were filled. Thus far they’d dispatched two squads of battle armor, a total of 8
suits, to deal with the attack. They were now operational with 5 suits, all of
whose pilots ranked as elites with the Longinus model. Ryan Harrison was their
leader.[/dcs_p]