Part 4: Mission 4: Walking into the Worst of it
"Hello MechWarriors."
"Hello Commander. We are en route and should arrive at the destination within the hour."
"Commander, why was I rotated out of my Mech?"
"Because I'm better with the sensors and EW than you are, Mystique.""Hawk is right, Mystique. He's consistently scored better in the tactical use of sensors than you. You may be good for long-rage observation, but we're short-handed enough that I need everyone in the field, in combat.
"Yes sir."
"So, Lynx, how's the ride?"A little off balance. Commander, tell Battalion that they need to go over the hip joints.”
”Bad?””No, not really. It's just a bit of a jostle, and I'm worried that they didn't put something back into place when they patched it up.””I will, Lynx. Now, you all ready for the mission briefing?”
, , , , “Yes Commander.”
pre:
Mech Pilot Loadout Commando-W Beast 4 Lasers, SRM pack Commando-W Mystique Clan Pulse Laser, 2 Pulse Lasers, SRM Firestarter-W Hunter Large Pulse Laser, Large Laser Raven-W Hawk 5 Lasers, Advanced Sensors, ECM, BAP Mad Cat-A Lynx 2 cStreak SRMs, 2 PPCs, 3 cLRM, 3 LRM, Sensor-Inter
”By myself?””Yes. Intel reports only a pair of Cougars, but plenty of vehicles.”
”Like the Uller from the Bondsman camps?””Huh? What did I miss?””Our first mission, Intel reported that there was a single Clan Uller in the area. They missed the Bondsman Commando.””Oh. You mean like they missed a certain Timber Wolf?””As long as we're bad mouthing Intel, and not the Commander.””You guys do realize that this is supposed to be a briefing, and as such, this is all going into the record?”
, , , , ”WE LOVE THE INTELLIGENCE DIVISION.””Now that we're back on topic, Force Group 1 will be the hammer. Lynx is the point man, his Mech's armor is plenty to handle the static defences of the base. You will all breach the defensive wall along the western side, where the defences are weakest. Take care of the interior defences, capture the control towers, then blow the HQ.”
”Commander, I see here that there's a note about a power generator.””Yes, but that's a fall-back option. If you can't breach the defenses, then you will call down airstrikes onto the generator, in order to shut down the entire facility.”
”Huh. So, we're to try and keep it intact so we can move in?””Negative. We're supposed to hit the facility, blow the HQ, then return to base for extraction.”
”That makes no sense, Commander.””This mission was delegated to us by Intelligence.”
”Oh.””Report in when you get into position. See you, MechWarriors.
”ohmygod. I'm sorry.”
”TELL THAT TO MYSTIQUE AND BEAST!””We were mauled out there!””Thank god for the Timber Wolf. Without it, we would have been swamped.””I'm looking at the Intel right now...”
”FORGET THE FUCKING INTEL””Those were AC-10s outside the wall! Dozens of them!””I SAW THAT!
”That's enough MechWarriors.””WHO THE HELL?””I'm with... Battalion.””A spook.””Get off my channel. Now.
”No.””Get off the channel. Sir. I need to... express myself.””Before you do that, I have... elaboration myself.”, , ”...””Your loses was more than expected, so I'm giving you a Compartment Classification briefing. Compartment Codenamed: Laertes. Your raid was cover for an insertion op of certain agents, as well as misinformation against the Smoke Jaguars as to our forces and their dispositions.””You sent us into a trap.””You sent my people into a trap.”
”We... edited the information you received to make your actions more believable.””And Mystique and Beast? They're in the hospital, thanks to that.””We take care of our errors. We had hoped that you, Commander, would order a retreat.””I was given a mission. My men and I carried it out.”
”And you did. Our operatives have a better position thanks to your destruction of the HQ.””So?””I'm letting you know that we regret what happened, and we will make it up to you.””He's gone. Off the channel.”, , ”...””Still want to yell at me? I got time.”
“No, I have someone better to direct it at. Tell us when Mystique and the Beast are out of surgery.””Will do. MechCommander, out.”
”Fuck, we got fucked over by a goddamned spook.””And now he says that he owes us a favour?””This doesn't smell right. At all.””And why us? Because we snagged the Mad Cat?””...””Got something on your mind?””...””Let him be. With Mystique and Beast down, we'll be getting replacements for them.””I could have done it.””What?””I'm looking at the maps. The Commander was ordered to take us in the front, but there was a better way.””You sure? I mean, he's not the kind of guy to make a mistake like that.””Before he signed off, he sent me all the stuff he was given to plan the mission.””Yes? So?””He wasn't told about the other bridge.”