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Chapter 32[]
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A Warrior's Family[]
Final Deployment Briefing[]
Monhegan
October 3029
Hap and his lance mates entered the Ops center. It had been roughly two hours since they had left for their initial recon mission. The Coyotes had found the pass to be a good ambush site and marked TRPs. There was a maze of roads going through the mountains, so they tried to map out as much of the roads as they could with the time they had. They could also see the company's Quickcell drone flying over the mountains, but it wouldn't share data with them.
Hap saw Kelly, Fletch, Tatyana, and Patrick standing around the holotable. Kelly and Fletch were now in cooling vests and shorts. There were also two other men that Hap didn't recognize. They were physically fit, heavily tattooed, and sported neatly trimmed beards. Their clothes were a mix of Steiner military and commercial outdoor hunting attire. Their matching black t-shirts had an olive drab skull wearing a beret with a bayonet in its teeth. Robert's Rangers was embroidered on the shoulder of their sleeves.
Tactical Holotable being used.
Hap approached the table. He could see the topo map now included the TRPs, and details like the road system. There was also a small floating blue Quickcell drone circling the map. Hap looked around the Ops center and noticed a new station that looked similar to one of the adhoc 'mech simulators. It had aircraft controls, and three monitors with virtual dials, gauges and indicators. There was also a display of everything around the drone. Hawkins was sitting at the station humming happily, and drinking coffee.
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Kelly glanced up from the table, and motioned to Hap, "Hap, this is Brendan Robert. Brendan this is Harold 'Haphazard' Calahad, my Recon lance leader."
Brendan and Hap shook hands. Hap and Brendan's eyes met. Brendan seemed friendly, helpful, and trustworthy. "Good to meet you, Hap. This is my XO Bob Smith, just call him Chief."
Chief gave Hap a nod.
"Time is of the essence, gents." Kelly said, "What's your report, Hap?"
Hap pulled out a pen and used it to point to areas on the holotable, "You were right about this pass, you could fit two lances here." Hap motioned to the pass, then pointed to the roads leading to it from the east, "These roads here are so narrow you can't get more than one or two 'mechs, through at a time."
"We're calling it the murder bowl." Joker said.
"Murder bowl." Kelly nodded, "I like that. It's no longer 'Objective Mace', it's now the murder bowl."
"This road is south of the pass and runs back to the road near Topaz Lake. I think it would be good for the Fire Support lance." Hap said.
Kelly nodded, "Fletch, we'll put Conner and Noah in that patchwork Centurion here." Kelly pointed to a point on the road near a thick forest, "Think we should put Dillon with 'em?"
"I don't think you should put those two boys in half a 'Mech anywhere near an active battle, and I'm never comfortable with Dillon when he doesn't have direct supervision from Fiona." Fletch said.
"Fine, I'll put the whole damn Hammer Lance there. I wanted to have them on the ridge, but the road will work. We need to create confusion to keep Farrah off balance. Don't worry about the boys. There will be a giant mountain between the boys and the real fightin', and the rest of the Hammers now."
"You're saddling Crow with two half trained boys, in a broken mech, and a simpleton that must be hen-pecked by his lance leader, who you've taken out of this fight." Fletch said. "I think you're throwing away several advantages here to go after that DropShipand protect Fiona and Patrick."
"I'm not takin' anyone out of the fight, and we're still holding all the advantages." Kelly hit his pipe bowl on his hand. "Crow will be fine, Dillon is a stand up troop, Conner and Noah need experience."
Fletch smoked for a moment, "Yeah, Crow has Rolph too. This is a good spot for the Hammers. They can move along the road and keep the pressure on the Immortals"
"Aye, see it's not a problem." Kelly nodded and looked at the clock on the wall, "John, summon the MechWarriors and the leadership. We need to start talking everyone through plan."
John picked up his phone, punched a few numbers then his voice came across the PA. When he was done Roweyna walked into the room and Kelly asked her, "Have ye heard from the Golden Eagles?"
"Aye, they should be here shortly. I should warn ye though, their CO, Robyn Edwards is a real, well, she wanted to argue about everything." Rowyena walked to the snack bar and turned on the electric kettle.
As they waited Hap turned to Patrick. "How was the area north of the star port?"
"Nasty, swampy. You couldn't land shit up there. Grizzly almost got his 'mech stuck in the mud."
MechWarriors started to trickle into the ops, as did the rest of the leadership. A short plumb woman with brown hair with curled bangs and the rest of her hair pulled into a bun entered the Ops center. She was wearing a flight suit, mirrored sunglasses, brown leather combat boots, and a classic "bomber" jacket. She was followed by a taller, leaner, dark haired woman wearing an identical outfit. The second woman's sunglasses were on top of her head. "Golden Eagles" was imprinted on their jackets.
The short woman walked to the holotable and looked at Fletch and Kelly, "I'm Major, I mean, Robyn Edwards, CO of the Golden Eagles. Go-by is Apex, like Apex Predator. Which of you is McFinnigan?"
"Aye, that's me." Kelly said looking up from his holotable, "You and your friend" Kelly nodded toward the other woman, "are bringin' two Stukas for air support." Hap sensed Kelly was not impressed with Apex.
"Stukas yes, and I suppose I should introduce you to Giggles." As she spoke she snapped his fingers and motioned for the woman to come join her.
Giggles looked annoyed as she waded through the crowd. When she got to the holotable she extended her hand to shake Kelly's hand, "My name's Katherine Berlin." Katherine came across as stoic and stiff.
Kelly gave her a curious look as he shook her hand. "Ye don't look like a Giggles?"
"Back in the 22nd Avalon Hussars I was known for being," Giggles paused, "humorless. One sortie I flew with a very nervous young woman who, I don't know how she survived flight school, but she couldn't stop giggling. When we reported to the pilot lounge for the debriefing the CO met us and asked me what was so funny. The more I tried to deny laughing the worse it got for me." She ended her story abruptly.
Kelly smiled at her, "I should've guessed, but I love a good call sign story." He looked around the room. "Alright I think we have everyone. Kitty, start us off with a weather report."
"I got no windows." Kitty said as several of the mercenaries laughed, this was apparently an old joke, "Let me jest pull up the weather report from the space port." She pressed a button on the console and a smiling sun appeared on of the screen. "It's a sunny day, High today is 5 degrees, and the low is -1. Visibility is over 10 kilometers. Few clouds, and no real ceiling. Good day for fightin'."
Kelly shook his head, then looked to Tatyana, "Volchitsa, if you could give us the intel estimate."
Tatyana walked to the front of the room. "Dah. Today Ve fight Ze Immortalz" Tatyana spoke in her heavy Russian accent with the "th" and "s" sounding like "z", and her "ws" were pronounced like "v". "You know zem, you hate zem." There were several laughs. Hap had never head Tatyana talk this much. Her thick accent took a moment to understand. "This fine, they hate us too. Likely they attempt kill Kelly, and Patrick." As she spoke the weather report was replaced with the Immortals TO&E.
Tatayana pulled out a pointer, and circled the area to the north of the star part. "Patrick tells me swamp is too bolotnyy, or…marshy for DropShip landing."
"Yeah, you could have seen it for yourself if you hadn't skipped out of the mission." Patrick replied.
Tatayana shrugged, "I am hired for intelligence. You are hired for work in mud."
"I hired you for both. Intelligence and fighin' in the mud." Kelly replied, "back to the intel estimate."
"Dah. The Immortals very likely land here." She pointed to an area to the east beyond the mountains.
Experience is they come through mountains looking for McFinnigans. We kick ass. They run to dropship. By time sukas report to Liao masters, I have pierogi on table for James and Sophie."
Fletch took out a pack of cigarettes from his first-aid kit. "Hell yeah! Pierogis for dinner. I'm sleeping with the hot intel officer, getting paid a fortune to kill bitches, and pierogis, I'm livin' the dream, gents."
Tatayana's eyes flashed "Tykho! I am talking."
Fletch was still laughing but he held up his hands in surrender.
"Dyakuyu. I am saying, most dangerous COA, the Immortals actually come to do job. They bring full complement of 'mechs, maybe air support, or vehicle like the LRM carrier. Then lure us into mountain fight, while Recon Lance run for star port. We are pinned down and distracted. Star port destroyed by recon lance. Very bad for us." Tatyana looked around the room and shrugged.
Most likely COA, I think, is between. The Immortals maybe smart enough to try star port run with small force, larger force try to destroy us. I cannot say if they have air or artillery support, but is likely.
Kelly clapped her on the shoulder. "Very good. With that note, we have air support, artillery and 'likely' more 'Mechs. We also know the area slightly better. We have every advantage. Our mission is simple McFinnigan and Sons, with support from Golden Eagles and Robert's Rangers, destroys Ahmed's Immortals and captures their DropShip the vicinity of the Monehegan Star port on 31 October 3029."
Tatayana exchanged places with Kelly as he pressed a few buttons on the holotable and blue 'Mech icons appeared. "Alright this will get a little complicated, so I need ye all to listen closely. We're going to try and lure these 'sukas' into 'the murder bowl', confuse the hell out of them, while Brendan and his boys take their drop shuttle." As he spoke the pass was highlighted in orange.
"Hap, you and yer Coyotes will be doing the heavy lifting for the start of this operation." He pointed to four holographic representations of the recon lance. "I need you to move through the mountains approach the landing sight and see what they off load." The four blue icons moved along the road to the eastern side of the mountains where there were twelve red icons and a large red drop shuttle.
"Radio in everything you see. Especially look for aero fighters, or LRM vehicles. Once their recon lance starts to move I need you to engage them. Prioritize destroying anything jump capable." Kelly said
Hap glanced up at the i TO&E. Of the twelve 'mechs, only the Recon lance's Spider, Stinger and Vulcan were jump capable. They were also under armored and a few shots would destroy them.
"As you're neutralizing those mechs. I need you to draw the whole lot into the mountains and let them chase you." As Kelly spoke the blue Coyote's mechs withdrew to the mountains as 3 of the 12 red mechs disappeared. The remainder of the red icons chased the Coyotes.
"Fiona, Patrick, you and your 'mechs will be back at the star port." Two blue 'mechs appeared near Topaz lake. Should anything get past the main force I need you two to destroy it." Kelly said.
"Oh good, yer takin me out of the fight." Patrick said dryly.
"Feels like one of those family reunions where I'd have to sit at the kid's table." Fiona added.
"I'm Fiona, I'm ten years older than my cousins, so I'll bitch about having to be with them." Patrick said.
"Children." Elinor snapped, "Don't fight each other. Fight the people that have killed your family."
Patrick finished his coffee, "Can't. Uncle Kelly is keeping us out of the fight."
"I'm not keeping you out. You two are a tactical reserve positioned to protect the principal." Kelly paused for a moment. "And I don't want Ahmed to try to kill you when he realizes he can't escape."
Patrick and Fiona exchanged looks and nodded as Kelly continued, "Hammers, minus Fiona, you'll position yourselves here. Crow you'll lead." Kelly pressed another button and four icons appeared on one of the long roads that ran east to west through the mountains. "Start here and keep out of sensor range till I call for you. Also you'll have Noah and Conner in a rebuilt Centurion." Kelly looked at the two boys, "Do what Crow tells you. If he says, 'run' you boys run that 'mech all the way home."
Both boys nodded and agreed as Fletch and Tomax exchanged looks. Fletch gave the unit trainer a knowing nod and walked over to him. As the two men whispered Kelly kept talking, "Anvils, we'll be located here." Four blue icons showed up on the edge of the mountain pass Kelly had indicated earlier. "We'll take up defensive positions in the murder bowl."
"Dullahans, minus Patrick, you'll be positioned on this ridge. Grizzly you have the lead." Three more icons appeared north of the murder bowl. "Again stay just out of sensor range until called for."
"Now that everyone knows where you're starting, let's go back to the Coyotes. Hap I need you to lead the Immortals into the murder bowl. Once you get them there I need your lance to split up. Mags and Joker you go north toward the Dullahans. We'll keep everyone busy while you link up and come back to harass the Immortals." As he spoke the icons moved. "Hap take Anastasia and link up with Hammers and Robert's Rangers. Mags, you and Joker will now be under Grizzlies tactical control to harass the Immortals. If anyone runs, or manages to get past us, you'll have to chase them down."
Mags and Joker nodded. Kelly looked around "To be clear everyone, we're keeping two-thirds of our combat power out of sensor range to trick them into trying to engage Anvil lance, once they're committed we need to envelop them, but I also want to create confusion, understand? Now, before I let Brendan talk his portion, I want to address you two ladies." Kelly looked up at the Golden Eagles.
"Your primary purpose is to give us air superiority, once that is accomplished I'll want you to destroy any artillery they may have brought. Finally, for the last stage of this operation Hap will have priority for air support. If you have questions, hold them to the end of the brief." Kelly said looking at Hap.
"I have a ton of questions." Apex answered. "For starters, What-"
Kelly held up his hands, "Aye, jest wait till the end, and we'll go through them." He turned to the young commando, "Brendan explain your portion of the operation."
"Alright. We'll position ourselves with the Fire Support lance. Once our escort," Brendan looked to Hap and Anastasia "links up with us we'll proceed to the drop shuttle. We'll need to approach it from a side that only exposes us to a limited number of weapon blisters. We'll stop outside of sensor range or, if the terrain gives us something, outside of the shuttle's line of sight."
Brendan nodded to Kelly and the icons moved to the eastern side of the mountain range and near the notional shuttle landing site. "Once we get there, and we have control of the air support"
"You mean you have priority for air support." Apex corrected.
"Yeah. So once we have that, we need you to target the shuttle's weapon blisters." Brendan nodded to Apex, "Once you make your first run on the shuttle, I'll need the 'mechs to start engaging the weapons blisters. You guys are a distraction. While the crew is trying engage 'mechs and aerofighters, we'll take our APC right up the shuttle's loading ramp and then me and my boys are on the clock to take the control deck. We'd prefer you kindly stop attacking the shuttle at that time."
"And while Brendan and his boys work their magic we'll finish the Immortals. Then it's finding a buyer for the DropShip and picking up a company's worth of scrap." Kelly smiled. "Before I review the tasks, Tatayana, what's the over and under?"
"20% losses I believe. Two or three 'mechs. Likely one from Anvils." She looked at Kelly almost apologetically, "and another from Coyotes." She gave Mags a warning glance, "but maybe Dullahans." She looked to David. "Two 'mechs is 12%. other 8% is loss capability across Coyote, Dullahan, and Anvil lances."
"Sounds right. We know Commander Ahmed will be targeting me. I think we can assume my Highlander is 'likely' one of the 'mechs that will be disabled. Mr. Fletcher, take command of the battle if I'm incapacitated. If I'm permanently incapacitated, after the battle, Company command falls to Patrick."
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