[dcs_p]Pushing the reset button on his inner helmet, Drake checked the radio for any
friendly transmissions. The general frequency was busy with a conversation from
Carrier C and Treadmark Five. It seemed that Five was facing a full lance of light
`Mechs. Considering that Treadmark Five consisted of a single light `Mech
piloted by rookie Larry Williams, Drake felt inclined to provide the young man with
some kind of support. However he had no idea who was the closest unit that
might be able to do so.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]“Treadmark Five, this is Cully. I want you moving towards the primary group of
friendlies nearest you. You got that Larry, over?” Drake winced as he waited for
the pilot’s reply. His face twisted into a scowl as the wind blew hard for a few
seconds, blocking out most of the radio static with a howl of ever-changing
pitches. As he looked around the battlefield to the south, he could see that
Carrier C was now being hit by the Firestarter’s flamers. Huge, white clouds of
steam poured from the snow that was kissed by the flames, as liters of water
were vaporized each second. The light enemy `Mech had apparently lost some
of its primary laser weapons by now, or was at least refraining from using them.
Though any nearby pirate infantry had probably been killed by the flames, the
pirate’s Hunter light support tank was holding its own against the ‘Mech.
Unfortunately the tank’s missiles were plagued with a minimum range
disadvantage. With the Firestarter almost on top of the tank’s position, it was
only a matter of time before the `Mech’s intact lasers started doing serious
damage to Carrier C.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Still standing next to the rock that had destroyed his face, Drake could feel new
waves of nausea as he mustered control of his voice. “Carrier C, get out of
there. You’ve got fresh armor on your backside. Retreat in the direction of
Treadmark Four. Four I want you running that Guillotine at high heat. We need
that Firestarter down and now,” Drake demanded. He had to muster up the
energy to give his voice its determination. The dropping temperature was slowly
robbing him of strength. Though the injury in his back had ached at first, it was
now painless and numb. The nausea he had battled just seconds ago had
already dissolved into a new aura of calm.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]“Carrier A, this is Treadmark Five. I’m pretty beat up. These guys have me
surrounded and the bulk of their force is cutting me off from the ..rest …iendlies…
What…re…you sug…stin…ier…A?”[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]With the end of Five’s broken transmission, Drake saw a fireball jumping into the
sky over the second ridge to the south. He feared Larry dead. “Five are you
there, over? Five…Larry?” For several seconds, there was no reply from any of
Drake’s men.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]“Five is down Carrier A.” This time it was Martin Vohlwinkel, the Guillotine’s
pilot. “I just watched him go offline. He punched out though…With these heavy
winds, he should be able to clear the trees and then he’ll be relatively safe on
foot. Request to send a rescue team to coordinates H26 to pick him up, over.”
With any luck, the new pilot would be found and picked up by a remaining group
of infantry. Drake decided he couldn’t leave Larry out in the snow alone,
sentencing the young individual to a situation not unlike his own. “Request
granted, Treadmark Four. Four, what’s my current coordinate by your estimate,
over?”[/dcs_p]