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To Theodore Kurita:
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"So, the rumor is true. My son brings his treason home with him."
Takashi turned on his son: "It is not enough that you leave Luthien for nine months to consult with our enemy, but now you bring him here! Then I find you turning over to him responsibility for the safety of the Imperial City!" Takashi faltered. "Maximillian Liao was fortunate in his child. At least Romano had the mercy to assassinate him before destroying his nation."
Takashi turned on his son: "It is not enough that you leave Luthien for nine months to consult with our enemy, but now you bring him here! Then I find you turning over to him responsibility for the safety of the Imperial City!" Takashi faltered. "Maximillian Liao was fortunate in his child. At least Romano had the mercy to assassinate him before destroying his nation."
Theodore notes they need the mercs sent by Hanse Davion to hold the capital.
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Takashi shook his head as though rebuking a foolish child. "You have one more unit Kanrei." His tone dripped scorn. "It is composed of my own bodyguards and of the MechWarriors who fought boldly long before you were born. These troops are known as the Dragon's Claws." The Coordinator raised his head and matched his son's stare without surrendering anything. "We will draw the line, and with me at their head, not a single Clansman will cross it."
To Shin Yodama:
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The second the computer made the Pheonix Hawk fully operational, Takashi Kurita's voice blasted through the helmet's speakers. "I warn you, I will not tolerate being ordered by one of my son's hoodlums. To him you may be special, but to me you are yakuza! I've dealt with your ilk before, and I can do it still. I demand you release my 'Mech!"
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"Iie, Kurita Takashi-sama. I have been given specific orders, I cannot release you yet."
"Damn you, Shin Yodama, and damn my son. He leaves the Combine in the hands of bandits and mercenaries. Free us!"
Takashi's imperious tone slapped at Shin's pride, but he fought back the rise of anger. "No! Your son placed you here for a most specific reason."
"Ha! He placed me here, defenseless, for only one reason: he hopes the Clans will kill me so he can be Coordinator of the Combine."
"He has you here because he trusts you to accomplish what he needs done."
"You have been deceived by him, yakuza." Takashi spat out the last word like a piece of bitter root.
"Damn you, Shin Yodama, and damn my son. He leaves the Combine in the hands of bandits and mercenaries. Free us!"
Takashi's imperious tone slapped at Shin's pride, but he fought back the rise of anger. "No! Your son placed you here for a most specific reason."
"Ha! He placed me here, defenseless, for only one reason: he hopes the Clans will kill me so he can be Coordinator of the Combine."
"He has you here because he trusts you to accomplish what he needs done."
"You have been deceived by him, yakuza." Takashi spat out the last word like a piece of bitter root.
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Shin immediately punched the radio call on Theodore's tactical frequency into his headphones. "Hai, Kanrei."
"Yodama-san, the Nova Cats are coming your way. The Kell Hounds have regrouped into a reinforced regiment and will be coming to support your southern flank. Colonel Kell says if you want to turn the Clanners toward him, he's ready to catch anything you pitch."
Hai, Kanrei. We will stop them."
"Good luck, Shin. We'll be coming in from the north and Wolf's bringing up the rear. It is now or never."
"Understood." Shin shut that frequency off and shifted to the Dragon's Claws frequency. "The Nova Cats are ours. The Kell Hounds will be coming in from the south and the rest of our forces will come from the north. We are to turn the Cats towards the Hounds."
Takashi's voice overrode Shin's. "Follow me, comrades. We will show these invaders how true samurai fight."
"No!" Shin let out all his fury at Takashi's abuse of power flood the frequency. "Listen to me. We cannot and should not forget tradition, but suicidal assaults will not stop the Clans. We are a hammer, and the Kell Hounds are an anvil."
"I am samurai, Shin Yodama." The Coordinator's voice seethed with righteous fury. "My code demands I fulfill the dictates of honor."
"Yodama-san, the Nova Cats are coming your way. The Kell Hounds have regrouped into a reinforced regiment and will be coming to support your southern flank. Colonel Kell says if you want to turn the Clanners toward him, he's ready to catch anything you pitch."
Hai, Kanrei. We will stop them."
"Good luck, Shin. We'll be coming in from the north and Wolf's bringing up the rear. It is now or never."
"Understood." Shin shut that frequency off and shifted to the Dragon's Claws frequency. "The Nova Cats are ours. The Kell Hounds will be coming in from the south and the rest of our forces will come from the north. We are to turn the Cats towards the Hounds."
Takashi's voice overrode Shin's. "Follow me, comrades. We will show these invaders how true samurai fight."
"No!" Shin let out all his fury at Takashi's abuse of power flood the frequency. "Listen to me. We cannot and should not forget tradition, but suicidal assaults will not stop the Clans. We are a hammer, and the Kell Hounds are an anvil."
"I am samurai, Shin Yodama." The Coordinator's voice seethed with righteous fury. "My code demands I fulfill the dictates of honor."
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"You are a fool, yakuza, and a coward. As is my son for trusting you and your kind."
Shin saw a light flash on his command console. Save the rhetoric for the historians, Takashi. It's time for warriors to earn their pay. Shin keyed a command that downloaded tactical maps to all his 'Mechs. As a unit, they pressed forward, as though initiating a second charge into Clan lines.
As the Nova Cats readied themselves for the assault, the reformed Kell Hound Regiment came up and over the hills to the Cats' rear. They fell on the southernmost elements of the Clan force like a wave engulfing a sand castle. It seemed to Shin that the Clansmen were not so surprised as overwhelmed. Unlike the way he had seen the Kell Hounds fight earlier, they did not hold back to fight at range. Instead they closed quickly, lasers and PPCs ravaging targets at point-blank range.
The southern movements of the Nova Cats stopped abruptly as the Clansmen sought to regroup. From the north, Shin saw the arrival of the Second Legion of Vega and remnants of the Otomo and First Sword of Light regiments. As they formed a wall to cut off the Clans from their line of retreat, the Reserves' northern battalion closed ranks, with the center battalion to strengthen its position. Scouts from the Clans headed directly east, up the hills to the ridge-line lying between them and their landing zone, but those 'Mechs quickly retreated as elements of the Wolf's Dragoons took the heights.
Shin knew what could come next and worked his way to the front of the Reserve position. The Clans determined that the Reserve unit was the weakest side of the box trapping them. With a desperation born of knowledge that defeat was certain, the Nova Cats turned and charged the Reserves even as the other three sides of the Combine formation fell upon them.
"Brace for it," Takashi shouted. "Now we're the anvil!"
A racing Masakari hit the Phoenix Hawk with a shoulder square into the middle of the Hawk's chest. Sparks exploded through Shin's cockpit as his 'Mechs folded up around the 'Mechs shoulder, then flew backwards. Shin dangled from the restraining straps, then slammed down into the command chair when the Phoenix Hawk smashed into the ground. Realizing that remaining on the ground was to die, Shin arched his back and used the 'Mech's momentum to help it roll around so he could more easily get it up to its feet.
He knew completing such an acrobatic move was impossible, but he would have settled for a shift from supine to prone positions. What he got, however. was entirely different than he wanted or could have imagined. As the Phoenix Hawk started to roll, its legs thrust between those of a running Daishi. The Clan 'Mech's pumping legs shattered those of the Phoenix Hawk and sent it spinning off on its back like a turtle sliding across ice on its shell.
Feeling like a pilot in centrifuge, Shin knew such violent motion threatened to snap his safety belts and leave him splattered against the interior of his cockpit. Shin reached out with the 'Mech's left arm, skidding the Phoenix Hawk's right hand and large laser.
The loss of support dropped the Phoenix Hawk flat on its back. Shin fumbled as he reached for the ejection switch, but stopped before he triggered it. The Daishi's upraised foot eclipsed the sky and Shin saw the exact spot he would hit if he punched out.
It's done.
Electric blue light filled his cockpit and the crackling static that accompanied a blast from a particle projection cannon filled his headphones. The foot's dark shadow wavered then vanished as the Daishi pitched over and onto its back. A momentary glace showed smoke trailing from the melted ruins of its head, and the shoulder-mounted LRM canister exploded when the 'Mech hit the ground.
Shin rolled the Phoenix Hawk over onto its right side and obtained a three-point stance on thick stumps and a wrist stub. His 'Mech hunched over like a chimp, Shin lifted the 'Mech's left arm, ready to use the machine guns and medium laser mounted there. Scanning his holographic display for a target, Shin tasted blood dripping down from his nose.
Behind his 'Mech he saw a Grand Dragon. It showed battle wear and broken armor, but the crest over its right breast had survived. The gold dragon against a field of red, jaws agape and ready to devour enemies, told him who piloted the craft and who had saved him.
"Why, Takashi, why?"
"I may hate you and your kind, Shin Yodama, but you are a citizen of the Combine. No one or nothing will stop me from doing my duty to protect the people of my realm."
Shin saw a light flash on his command console. Save the rhetoric for the historians, Takashi. It's time for warriors to earn their pay. Shin keyed a command that downloaded tactical maps to all his 'Mechs. As a unit, they pressed forward, as though initiating a second charge into Clan lines.
As the Nova Cats readied themselves for the assault, the reformed Kell Hound Regiment came up and over the hills to the Cats' rear. They fell on the southernmost elements of the Clan force like a wave engulfing a sand castle. It seemed to Shin that the Clansmen were not so surprised as overwhelmed. Unlike the way he had seen the Kell Hounds fight earlier, they did not hold back to fight at range. Instead they closed quickly, lasers and PPCs ravaging targets at point-blank range.
The southern movements of the Nova Cats stopped abruptly as the Clansmen sought to regroup. From the north, Shin saw the arrival of the Second Legion of Vega and remnants of the Otomo and First Sword of Light regiments. As they formed a wall to cut off the Clans from their line of retreat, the Reserves' northern battalion closed ranks, with the center battalion to strengthen its position. Scouts from the Clans headed directly east, up the hills to the ridge-line lying between them and their landing zone, but those 'Mechs quickly retreated as elements of the Wolf's Dragoons took the heights.
Shin knew what could come next and worked his way to the front of the Reserve position. The Clans determined that the Reserve unit was the weakest side of the box trapping them. With a desperation born of knowledge that defeat was certain, the Nova Cats turned and charged the Reserves even as the other three sides of the Combine formation fell upon them.
"Brace for it," Takashi shouted. "Now we're the anvil!"
A racing Masakari hit the Phoenix Hawk with a shoulder square into the middle of the Hawk's chest. Sparks exploded through Shin's cockpit as his 'Mechs folded up around the 'Mechs shoulder, then flew backwards. Shin dangled from the restraining straps, then slammed down into the command chair when the Phoenix Hawk smashed into the ground. Realizing that remaining on the ground was to die, Shin arched his back and used the 'Mech's momentum to help it roll around so he could more easily get it up to its feet.
He knew completing such an acrobatic move was impossible, but he would have settled for a shift from supine to prone positions. What he got, however. was entirely different than he wanted or could have imagined. As the Phoenix Hawk started to roll, its legs thrust between those of a running Daishi. The Clan 'Mech's pumping legs shattered those of the Phoenix Hawk and sent it spinning off on its back like a turtle sliding across ice on its shell.
Feeling like a pilot in centrifuge, Shin knew such violent motion threatened to snap his safety belts and leave him splattered against the interior of his cockpit. Shin reached out with the 'Mech's left arm, skidding the Phoenix Hawk's right hand and large laser.
The loss of support dropped the Phoenix Hawk flat on its back. Shin fumbled as he reached for the ejection switch, but stopped before he triggered it. The Daishi's upraised foot eclipsed the sky and Shin saw the exact spot he would hit if he punched out.
It's done.
Electric blue light filled his cockpit and the crackling static that accompanied a blast from a particle projection cannon filled his headphones. The foot's dark shadow wavered then vanished as the Daishi pitched over and onto its back. A momentary glace showed smoke trailing from the melted ruins of its head, and the shoulder-mounted LRM canister exploded when the 'Mech hit the ground.
Shin rolled the Phoenix Hawk over onto its right side and obtained a three-point stance on thick stumps and a wrist stub. His 'Mech hunched over like a chimp, Shin lifted the 'Mech's left arm, ready to use the machine guns and medium laser mounted there. Scanning his holographic display for a target, Shin tasted blood dripping down from his nose.
Behind his 'Mech he saw a Grand Dragon. It showed battle wear and broken armor, but the crest over its right breast had survived. The gold dragon against a field of red, jaws agape and ready to devour enemies, told him who piloted the craft and who had saved him.
"Why, Takashi, why?"
"I may hate you and your kind, Shin Yodama, but you are a citizen of the Combine. No one or nothing will stop me from doing my duty to protect the people of my realm."
The southern movement of the Nova Cats stopped abruptly as the Cllansmen sought to regroup. From the north, Shin saw the arrival of the Second Legion of Vega and remnants of the Otomo and First Sword of Light regiments.
From Blood Legacy- Battle for Luthien.
