[dcs_p]Drake paused. He was hoping to make a general request for any nearby
friendlies to come and pick him up. Despite what seemed to be serious injuries,
he didn’t feel he could pass his heavy responsibility on to his second-in-
command. Jonathan was facing a terrible situation already, entrenched with the
pirate platoon whose few survivors faced the deadly loyalist Firestarter.
Jonathan was a great follower, but he wouldn’t likely do well with his first
command in addition to his platoon’s current dilemma. Besides, Drake had to see
this retreat plan come full circle or his team might not survive to fight another
day. Unlike traditional military units, surrender wasn’t an option for pirates like
the Kurakoa. They would be publicly executed or jailed for life if they were lucky.
“A, I’ve got you guessed at Y10, over.” Drake noticed the pilot sounded relatively
confident of the figure.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]“Very well, Four. General request to all those in the W and Y regions. Drake
Cully needs a ride.” Drake smiled for a moment. It was amazing to him how
stupid the request sounded in the heat of the current battle. “Treadmark Two,
Treadmark Two, how are you holding up, over?” There was no reply. For
several seconds, Drake watched his own breath vanishing away into the early
evening air. Waiting for an answer, he realized that with each exhale his own
body heat was also dropping.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]“Tread Three to Carrier A.” The pilot spoke slowly, fear or hesitation gripping his
tone. After several seconds, he continued. “Treadmark Two is out of action,
over.” With Jonathan Heinstrik no longer alive and Drake fearing his own demise,
the remaining men would lack the background information necessary for additonal
retreat options. Jonathan, you too old buddy. Let’s see if I can prevent any
more of this needless death.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]“The bloody mercs have got a Hunchback tearing down both G and I sectors,”
the Treadmark Three pilot continued with the report. “The guy seems to have a
love for lasers. I’d guess it’s a HBK-4P. They are ripping us up. I estimate
casualties at sixty percent for our ground infantry. Request cover fire so we
might hope to make some kind of retreat, over.” Treadmark Three, a 30-ton
Spider `Mech piloted by Kraywen Solveig, had successfully warded off two
enemy `Mechs in the last half hour. Finally the Breakers had sent in heavier
reinforcements to destroy the pesky Spider. Though Drake would have bet
money that Kraywen could handle the 50-ton foe, the Spider had already seen a
lot of action and likely lost most of its armor. Before he could decide on a course
of action, another report came in.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]“Four to A,” called Martin again. “The Firestarter and Carrier C are both down.
The bastard punched a whole in Gabe’s missile launcher and set off an ammo
explosion in the Hunter. It took ‘em both out, over.”[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Drake’s spirits waned with his body temperature. Gabe too. Now it seemed that
Kraywen might be in deep trouble. Guessing from where the man had been
fighting earlier, Drake assumed no one was close enough to the old veteran’s
location to provide much help. “Carrier A to Treadmark Three, over.” Drake
rubbed his left hand over his face again, feeling the crusty ice that was forming
onto his clotting blood. “Three, I want you making a run for coordinate sections H
and J. There you will provide cover fire for Williams and his rescuers.[/dcs_p]