Part 789: Let's Read: Main Event - Part 32
Let’s Read: Main Event (part 32)Chapter 32
The Cedars, Borghese
19 July 3055
Days elapsed since book start: 343¼
Mercenaries recruited since book start: 6
Mercenaries recruited off-screen: 1
Things accomplished since book start: 1 (
Protagonists introduced since book start: 8
Protagonists killed: 1
Antagonists introduced since book start: 3
Antagonists defeated since book start: 1
Chapters spent on Northwind: 5
Chapters spent on Solaris: 10
Chapters spent on Outreach: 4
Chapters spent on Borghese: 13
Who’s ready for a poorly-written, dramatic cliffhanger?
Yeah, me neither.
Rose starts this chapter the same way he ended the last one: begging McCloud to come save his worthless ass. We then learn that somehow, fixed-wing atmospheric aircraft are vulnerable to VTOLs and AeroSpace fighters. Huh.
Oh, wait, Hearts of Chaos proves this entirely wrong, so I’m starting to wonder if Victor Milan, the author of the 17th Recon books, may have been taking a less-than-subtle jab at Jim Long by stealing one of his plots and rendering it fun and interesting. Rose then does the one thing that should guarantee failure: he splits his command and sends them after the various advancing Clan elements. A Timberwolf (Mad Cat) takes several hits, and then Antioch starts dueling it with his Banshee.
Rose then DFAs a Summoner (Thor), since physical attacks are the only things that seem to work for him. Just like his previous charge attack on the Stalker, Rose falls on top of the Summoner and magically manages to crush it and then pass out because the author has realized how little space he has left and can’t be bothered to describe much of this fight.
Rose has been unconscious for, quote, “only ten minutes.” So, 60 turns, give or take.
The Clans have retreated with the Summoner down and a badly damaged Timberwolf, and Esmeralda can’t talk because her radio broke. Casualties so far: Angus.
Rose then gives the order: charge forward mindlessly and get to the HPG to warn the Federated Commonwealth. Oh, and Rose’s DFA has crippled his leg again so he’s back to being a 2/3. Great planning, idiot.
He then sends McCloud in to draw fire and shoot up the Clans while his people move into position to prepare to engage. She takes a ton of fire and severe structural damage, then single-handedly kills a Warhawk with a single AC/20 shot. Somehow.
Then she starts to crash, since her jet is on fire and wasn’t built to withstand fire from six Clan Omnis. Then her cockpit catches fire, and she has nowhere to land. Also, no ejector seat since a Mechbuster is a suicide assignment.
Main Event posted:
Rose wanted to scream, but he tried to think instead.
We’re going to be here for a while.
Main Event posted:
There had to be something he could do.
There isn’t. He tries to speechify Rachel to inspire her with the power of his Ego (it works for Duke Nukem!)
Main Event posted:
“Rachel, I know you can do something, even though I don’t know what. You can’t die now, Rachel. I need you here, I love you.”
Then she crashes, and he contemplates charging to the crash site to make sure she’s OK and letting everyone else die (our hero); but the Clans are advancing and he has to fight. CHAPTER OVER.
One chapter left, and it’s precisely 11 pages long. We still have 14 Clan Omnis and 25 Elementals to kill, a Jade Falcon antagonist to introduce, we need to to somehow deal with Crenshaw, and we also need room for a dénouement. I wonder what we’re not going to get? Beyond, y’know, the satisfaction of a well-plotted and paced story. We lost the rights to that when I picked up ‘Main Event.’
Oh, and the planet is strategically important to the Clans because it is ‘behind enemy lines.’ It’s a good staging area for raids and—ergo, the ‘reason’ the Preservationists want to invite the Clans in (to spare the planet the ravages of war) would just get them counter-invaded by the entire AFFC and they’re NOT going to be able to convince the Clans to ‘just go along with it.’ In other words, they’re retarded and their motivations make no sense.
Oh again: there was a picture of a badly damaged Marauder IIC in this chapter, but I'm leaving it out since AT NO POINT DO THE JADE FALCONS FIELD A MARAUDER IIC.