Battletech

The following short story is the turn-by-turn result of an actual tabletop game of Battletech I played with my son and brother a while back. I thought I'd post it for folks to read and enjoy. :)

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The searing late afternoon sun was slowly sinking behind the ominous grey clouds that were now rolling over the sparsely forested plains. I was dropped in alone on this planet with the sole purpose of eliminating the resistance which I was told consisted of a couple of light 'mechs owned by a local family which was causing trouble for the Commonwealth lately. A couple of light mechs shouldn't pose much of a problem for my battle-hardened 5SA Hermes II. 40 tons of steel wrapped defensively around a Large Pulse Laser, a flamer and a brutal UAC-5. The only odd thing was that the Lyrans didn't send the typical 'scout' lance consisting of about four or five hundred tons of walking death. I chuckled to myself. I'm pretty sure that the other Mechwarriors back home at the Facebook Inn would ridicule me for joking about something so cliche and overdone.

Checking that my reactor, sensors and weapons were all online I expertly maneuvered my 'mech to a good scouting position in a nearby thicket. I figured it would be pretty good cover in the event my radar picked anything up. Turns out I didn't have to wait very long.

I wasn't expecting the sudden blip on my radar that came to life immediately to my left, not 100 meters off. Sonofagun! I should have known better, not knowing what was on the other side of the brush coming my way I backed up further into heavier forestry while turning to face the new threat. Adrenaline started to pump through my veins as the enemy 'mech came partly into view at my 10. I could see clearly that it was a Cicada. Fast little devils those. I was already firing. Nearby leaves burned and vibrated as my large pulse laser pumped through the air toward its target. Even as the laser burned into the Cicada's left torso I hammered my autocannon in short, two-round bursts. One round hit its target, shredded armor splintered off in a red-hot display of fireworks. In response it fired twin medium lasers of its own that seared into my right leg. The hairs on the back of my neck started to rise of their own accord just as I remembered the Cicada's dirty little secret. White-hot lightning erupted from it's torso and connected with my 'mech. Struggling to get my bearings back as my computer systems came back into focus I glanced down to see that my left torso was blinking orange. The on-board computer 'Betty' calmed reported 'Critical Hit, left torso' followed by several alarms buzzing all around me. Damned thing melted half the armor across my shoulder. That won't do. Backing further through the woods I lost sight of the enemy, but not before I blasted several chunks of armor off it's right leg and center torso.

Momentarily out of sight I checked my weapons and systems once more. Everything still in working order but my left torso had sustained significant damage. I was already moving again as the Cicada emerged from the thicket. The pilot seemed rather green with the way he was piloting in a slow straight line, I could see his torso swiveling to locate me as he walked out from behind the tree's. With a sneer I let loose everything I had at 90 meters, inluding a huge jet of flame to hopefully cook him a bit inside that cockpit. The Cicada seemed to stagger under the barrage as armor was shredded and melted from its chassis. Suddenly dirt and mud kicked up violently at my 'mech's feet showering my view with bits of rock and dirt clods and just like thunder after lightning a split second later I heard the telling distant concussion of an autocannon being fired. A really large autocannon. With a sinking feeling and a knotted stomach I jerked my torso to the right. At roughly 200 meters to my 1 o'clock a Hunchback came fully into view. Damn my luck! A couple of lights my ass! Cursing my superiors I started to walk toward the Cicada who was still disoriented from the last round of fire. The Hunchback was angling more to my north in an effort to join with the Cicaca and cut me off from the forest. Another round blasted forth from the Hunchback's cursed shoulder cannon, narrowly missing my 'mech and exploding several tree's off to my left into splinters. As it closed the distance and I struggled to bring it under my crosshairs I just had time to see one of its medium lasers burn through the air a few feet from my head and a split second later the other one lit my cockpit up in a jarring, nerve-shredding hell come to life. My vision blurred and I could see blackness creeping in from the outer edges of my vision. Hearing nothing but the ringing in my own ears I fought to stay conscious. The world spun and sparks from another PPC blast that landed somewhere on my right torso slowly etched their way across my vision for what seemed like an eternity. Stay awake. Stay AWAKE! With a sickening lurch the world around me came back and I realized I was screaming. Before I knew what I was doing I had already somehow swiveled my mech around in a dead run to flank the heavier Hunchback. My heart hammered against my ribcage in rythmic harmony with the heavy footsteps of my battlemech as I came around just outside its firing arc and fired off everything I had into its exposed back. My large laser fell short and burned a few wicked scars through its leg and my UAC peeled two nastly holes into its right and center rear torso but it wasn't enough. The hulk was too heavily armored.

I caught sight of the Cicada to my 7 as the Hunchback suddenly shifted its course and turned quickly back around to its right and then had me in its sights. This was a more experienced pilot I was up against. I had nowhere to go, I was cornered. Any closer and that AC20 would punch a hole through me big enough to drive a truck through so I focused everything I had into putting as much distance as I could between myself and the Hunchback. The Cicada, emboldened by his ally was perilously close now. I was forced to back up to keep both him and the Hunchback nightmare in my sights. Another PPC shot cracked through the air and ripped into my right leg. Red lights flashed up at me as Betty calmy, almost soothingly informed me that I had sustained a critical hit. Another medium laser cut forth from the Cicada and burned completely through my left torso, finishing off the earlier damage it had done as well as my flamer. My 'mech shuddered as the components sparked and flared as the white-hot armor melted into circutry. My blackened left arm dropped heavily to the ground in a smoldering ruin.

This is how it ends then. A dozen kills under my name and I thought I was invincible. Clan-like even. With a half-smile I eyed the Hunchback, struggling to imagine the face on the other side of that cockpit visor. Was he laughing maniacally? I somehow knew he was. There was no doubt. Laughing like a 6 year old boy showing off in front of company by besting his Dad. He surely was laughing. I knew I had no chance at bringing his 'mech down. I shifted my torso to face the Cicada, who like the Hunchback had now slowed to a stop. This was it. This is the end. I gritted my teeth and through the black smoke billowing from my broken 'mech I fired my remaining large pulse laser and Ultra Autocannon 5 at the Cicada in a last-ditch attempt at revenge. A maelstrom of burning light and smoke and ruin erupted on the plains. It all happened so fast. The Cicada's left torso and 'arm' blew off as the 'mech struggled to stay on its feet under my last round of heavy fire. The Hunchback's medium lasers punched into my left leg and center torso but the last thing I remember after bitteryly punching the eject button and sailing up into the air was the ear-splitting metallic clang of a heavy autocannon round slamming into my 'mech's torso, knocking the smoking ruins of the 'mech backwards and down hard into the soil.