All available Mechs were ordered to launch.
This is not fair. So, I missed the last Dropship out of this novaforsaken hell planet. What's wrong with that. If you get a hangover after drinking at the local bar and talking and discussing all things Mech, to an individual whose whole life was dedicated to Mechs! You would miss the Dropship too.
Just yesterday, I had received orders to ship out to help bulk up our forces on some forest type planet. Scuttlebutt said it was some sort babysitting job for a bunch of VIPs playing soldier. I was tempted to empty all my Cbills on alcohol, just to celebrate getting off this planet.
Fortunately for my Atlas-like will stopped me. Where I was going, I would most likely enjoy the consumption of that wonderful liquid in a cooler and relaxing planet than this one. But, noooo! Enemy Mechs just want to kill me before I even try to leave.
I have just fitted and optimized new weapons to my repaired Hunchback after that last battle.
I came to a shouting match with the new Lt I was stuck with.
He shouted back, as he was getting his Hunchback online, that we had no choice and something about reading the fine print on my contract.
Phract that!
I sometimes wish I haven't said that, because of what happened next.
To keep the enemy away as much as possible at our current base, we needed to increase our distance from our base and push the enemy back.
Four Catapults formed a moving line towards the mountain opposite our base. It's really a glorious feeling seeing those Mechs in proper defensive formation against the enemy. I was just feeling good about it that we had an Lt who knew what he was doing.
My Hunchback was right next to Lt's Hunchback. I noticed that it was not identified on IFF as shown on my sensors. I moved my Hunchback bit forward, to see if my close proximity to the other Mech was just a bug on my sensors.
Still no IFF, so I moved to have a look-see if Lt's Mech was still there, or just moved away...It was powered down!
Phract!
I called the Lt if everything was OK with his Mech.
He said it was a technical glitch and he'll have it back online as soon as possible.
That was then I remembered the four Catapults advancing towards the enemy. They had no Lights or even Mediums protecting their flanks.
Phract! The Lt didn't give any orders to those Catapults. We were Phract!
I quickly moved my Hunchback to the Catapults' left flank. As as I was reinforcing their position, they encountered the enemy over the ridge-line.
And sure enough two enemy Mechs were trying to flank them. Fortunately I was there on time. Fired a salvo of SSRMs at the first one and retreated back the ridge.
Did I tell you I had new weapons installed. I did? Oh, OK.
At that distance, it looked like an Awesome. Sol, it could have been an Awesome, because the other one looked liked it, until I was 80 meters away from it. It looked strange for an Awesome, until I saw it's arms, as I maneuvered sideways from it and it from me.
It was a Cataphract!
I was Phract in every sense of the word! Phract!
The enemy Cataphract pilot was probably new. That Cataphract model was said to be faster than my Mech, but it was moving sooo slow. Now that I think of it, that Mech was probably trying an Alpha strike on me and was lining me up on his weapons.
Phract that! I Alpha that tin can before it could.
Did I tell you I had new weapons installed. I did? Really?.
So anyway, Half my weapons load was Flamers.
Yup, you heard me---Flamers! F L A M E R S!!! On a novadammed hell planet!
Got in two Alpha strike salvos, before my Mech overheated.
One second that Cataphract was on my right, then suddenly it was right in front of me just as my Hunchback powered back online; with that Awesome somewhere on my right. Just looking at my internal sensors, I knew I wouldn't make it.
If a miracle happened and I could have grilled that Cataphract, that Awesome would have gotten me. So I did the only thing I could do. I set my Flamers to auto, kissed my Hunckback goodbye, and ejected out of there.
A few seconds later, my poor Hunchback exploded in a shower of sparks and oil.
Phract that Phract!
No, I don't give a novadammed what happened to the Lt!
Edited by Omar Yo, 20 November 2012 - 09:01 PM.