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- Date: 13 August 3007
- System: New Valencia
- Unit: McCarron's Armored Cavalry (mercenary, in employ of House Liao)
- Target: Wolf's Dragoons (mercenary, in employ of House Davion)
The blue-green disk of the planet New Valencia floats in a black field of stars. A horizontal slice of light cuts across the scene in the foreground, then with a loud bass thrum it expands vertically, rasterizing into a massive Monolith-class jumpship. Eight dropships sit attached to its surface, and their lights flicker on as they power up after the jump.
We cut close to one of those dropships, Leopard class, showcasing the logo of McCarron's Armored Cavalry and the name Ironshod.
{Radio Chatter}
Jumpship Captain: Jump was a success. We are at L1 pirate point between target and its moon, distance . . . Sh*t. Forget what I just said about a successful jump. We missed the gravitational trough. Orbit is not stable. Check systems for damage and detach dropships ASAP. We're about to pull some high-G maneuvers, and your stomach's not gonna like it.
We cut to the Ironshod's interior. Fluorescent overhead lamps flicker and yellow alarm bulbs flash in a narrow hallway, at once high-tech and run-down, with patches of rust and missing panels revealing exposed wiring.
{{More radio chatter, most of it faded out as other dropships report in. Then we hear, loud and clear:}}
Dropship Captain: Dropship Ironshod reporting. Detach in five. Looks like we took some shearing. Cutting non-essential power. Hull integrity good, but keep your space suits on, just in case. Mechwarriors, load up and check for gremlins, because we're on the clock.
In the hallway, the lights go out except for flashing yellow hazards. A door opens, dark inside, and a figure climbs out at a weird angle. We realize this is zero-gravity as he grabs onto ladder rungs set into the wall. He's dressed in a light space suit and neurohelmet. Two more clamber out after him, and then the guy at the rear waves into the room.
Lancemate 2: "Dammit, private! How the hell did you fall asleep during a jump? Get in your mech!"
Then you crawl out, and we cut to a first person view as you pull yourself along the wall, down a short hallway, and through a heavy pressure door. You look up into a dark hangar, and then spot-lights snap on, illuminating four mechs clamped into place: Jenner, Shadow Hawk, Thunderbolt, and Hunchback. A digital countdown clock glows a bright orange, ticking down from 4:22.
You see your sergeant and your two lance-mates crawling along the walls to their mechs.
A voice calls out, "Sergeant, we got a problem!" and everyone turns to see a techie in a yellow space-suit, his feet in stirrups to keep from drifting away from the computer panel he's operating. The sergeant climbs over to him, and you come up behind them.
"Power surge hit your Shadow Hawk, sarge," says the techie. "Looks like it knocked out the radio transmitter and most of the command console."
"What?" the sergeant yells. "How the hell am I supposed to communicate with Command? Can you fix it?"
"Not in," he checks the countdown clock, "three and a half minutes."
"Great. Well I need a mech that works."
You turn to see the other two lance members, both raising one finger. "Not it." "Not it."
The sergeant turns and look at you. "You've volunteered, private. Take my Shadow Hawk. I'll take your dinky little Jenner. Don't go running into a bunch of enemies, don't fire every weapon at once, and don't play with my dice."
We cut to another wide shot of the jumpship as other dropships detach, two Leopard class, two Union class and three Overlord.
{More radio chatter, and finally we hear the commander of McCarron's Armored Cavalry.}
Archibald McCarron: Cavaliers, this is your Colonel Archibald McCarron. We are deep in Davion territory, inbound to New Valencia, the base of operations for Wolf's Dragoons.
He continues to talk over the radio as you reach the cockpit of the Shadow Hawk and climb inside. Through the cockpit window you can see the countdown clock at 1:28. A pair of fuzzy dice hang from the ceiling.
Archibald McCarron: I don't have to remind you about the cruel tricks the Dragoons have pulled on us these past few months, but now we're going to pay those b*st*rds back.
His voice fades into the background as your lancemates chime in.
Lancemate 1: This man has anger issues.
Sarge: Cut the chatter. Private, to turn on my mech, enter code 'Mac attack is back.'
You type in the code, and the mech starts to boot up with the classic, "Reactor, online. Sensors, online. Weapons, online." Then it adds, "All systems . . . radio offline. Other systems nominal." You flick the fuzzy dice with your fingers, then grab the control stick.
Lancemate 1: I'm just saying, this is a stupid drop.
Lancemate 2: All due respect, he's right.
Sarge: 'All due respect,' the colonel could have you shot for insubordination. Now follow the good example the private is setting, and don't say a peep.
Lancemate 1: All due respect, private's radio's out.
Sarge: Shut it. Buckle in tight. We're launching in 30.
Once again we hear the voice of McCarron over the radio as the ship's klaxons sound and it prepares to detach.
Archibald McCarron: Get prepared for a lovely two weeks of destruction and plunder. Hit 'em hard, burn down their homes, and slag any Dragoon mechs you spot. Don't get lost, because anyone still on the ground 15 days from now had better hope the Dragoon's are hiring. Stay tuned for your orders. Archibald out.
We view the dropship from outside as it detaches and thrusters fire. Within moments it's far enough from the jumpship to engage a hot burn, and it flies after the rest of the drop fleet. In the distance, more lines slice open the starry sky, as yet more jump ships arrive, preparing for a massive assault.
Then a final line slices across the whole scene, expanding into the logo: Mechwarrior: Wolves on the Border
Edited by Chou Senwan, 13 September 2013 - 07:14 PM.
