Posted 27 March 2013 - 08:35 AM
I'll try to keep this short, but I'm wordy and this is my first post...
Drop ship sets us down at the new desert location (I'm not good with names - don't judge me!)
Shortly after all of my systems reported in nominal, I intercepted a transmission from an enemy pilot; he was broadcasting on a public channel. "Attention Ganja Ninja. You have been deemed a traitor and we have orders to bring you in immediately. Eject now." To which I reply: "Is that so? What's the bounty?"
"No bounty, just orders." Turns our there were 3+ members of House Kurita on the other team, while I had dropped in with a handful of Lone Wolves and Mercs (took me a second to figure that out as I haven't roll-played a pilot since BattleTech days on AOL... what was that, 20 years ago?!)
Anyway, what follows was one of the most epic battles I've been a part of - I wish there was a way to save replays...
I end up in the middle of the map with the rest of the team and things are a little too quiet. Suddenly my radar lights up with enemy targets: 2 to the west, 2 to the east, one above on the ridge to the north-east and a light mech perched high atop one of the jutting rock formations, spotting us for the enemy. We were surrounded and things did not look good at all. On the plus side, we could fire in any direction and pretty much be assured of a hit.
I don't recall the details of melee that followed - only that it was bloody. My Cat K2 fired off its duel AC 20's into foe after foe, chalking up a sizable kill tally. When the dust settled, the crumpled remains of 6 enemy mechs littered the battlefield while most of our lance were still standing. My critical damage indicator splashed the inside of my cockpit with crimson light every few seconds, but she was still holding together. Even still, I popped open a side panel and ripped a fuse from its binding, shutting down my early warning systems. Never tell me the odds...
I searched the dead for the officer who had called me out only to find that he was not among the dead. At this point, victory was almost assured, but I couldn't shake a nagging sense of dread, knowing full well that if my nemesis was still out there, or if he survived this day, my troubles were just beginning.
Almost immediately after this doubt registered in my mind, an ally was engaged by an enemy Jenner at Nav Gamma. I punched it to engage, but even with the throttle on full, I was unable to get there in time to save my ally, who was unable to keep up with the enemy light mech. He fell in a heap of charred steel just as I crested the hill to the south. That's when the Jenner turn its attention to me.
I knew I wouldn't be able to take much punishment at this point. If my heads-up display had still been working, it would have told me that I'd be able to take, at most, another 2 alpha strikes to the chest, but I knew even that was probably an optimistic estimate. I had to make the first shot count or I'd be going home in a body bag - or worse; escorted to high command to answer for my actions; a dishonor worse than death.
I took careful aim at the fast approaching light and fired at center mass. I missed. Horribly. There wasn't enough time to fire off a second salvo before he was upon me, and I knew my time was short. Yet just as I could start to feel the imminant kill shot from behind, he suddently stopped dead in his tracks.
The 750th point had ticked away in our favor and victory was ours. House Kurita would have to hunt me down another day.
0
