The Taurian Guards Return
The following is an excerpt from marshal T-Bolt's personal memoirs published by Taurus Territorial Industries in 3087 A.D.
"Um, sir? I've got three contacts incoming moving at 69 kph," the dropship's sensor operator said, turning to marshal T-Bolt.
"Ours or theirs?" the marshal asked, thinking again of the loss of Gerrison's Chevaliers in the battle for the LZ and how butt naked they were without the support.
"Not sure, sir," the operator returned. "I'm getting some awful funky EMP readings from one of them though. I think there's a hole in her engine shielding."
"Great. Put the dropship on alert" marshal T-Bolt said turning to his tactical officer. "Just in case these aren't our boys."
"Sir, they just crested a hill and I got a good radar return on them. Profiles show consistent with a Wasp and a Warhammer. But I can't figure out what the heck the EMPed one is."
"How long until they are within IFF querying range?" the marshal asked as the dropship went to emergency lighting so it could divert full power to the weapons.
"One minute, sir."
The marshal watched the situation plot showing the three incoming mechs as every operational weapon on the dropship slowly blinked over to green, showing they were ready to fire. We lost too many weapons when the Davions overran our first LZ, he thought looking at the numerous unlit lights on the boards. This could get really nasty.
"Ah, sir," the sensor operator said disrupting his thoughts. "I'm querying their IFF now sir.....I'm getting a response from the Wasp. The others are silent....all codes match....she's cornet Johnson's mech, sir. From Pryde's lance."
"Sir," the comm tech interjected. I'm getting a secure transmission from the Wasp.
"Put it on speakers."
A low hiss came through the speakers as the tech flipped a switch. "The marshal is listening, cornet," she informed him.
"Thank you," Johnson's hushed voice said through the system. "We just got out of a meat grinder, marshal. We were lucky to get out alive."
"What happened cornet?"
"We ran into two Wolverine 7Ks, sir. Cat is down. Her stinger lost a leg at the spaceport. Last we heard was that she was getting out and going cross-country. We had their undivided attention for over a minute after that, so I think she got out of there in one piece. But we couldn't go back for her. Marshal Dillon's mech is toast. He's lost both sides of his torso and I can see scenery through the center of his mech. He lost the crate. Hammer's mech got penetrated through the right side and he lost a medium laser, and I've got some damage too."
"Sorry about Cat, cornet. But why isn't Pryde reporting in?"
"Sir, both Marshal Dillon and Hammer have taken head hits. Their comm systems are shot. All they've got is speakers.
"But, sir.....I've got a crate."
"Understood, cornet. I'm lowering the ramp now. Get in and to your acceleration couches. I'm starting the countdown for launch right now."