Turbo growled.
"Dig! Faster! Get these emplacements dug in now! The Combine will not have mercy on you for a badly dug emplacement! I will not have mercy on you for a badly dug emplacement!"
Major Jackass spoke.
The man wasn't Clan, but he acted just like those in the Clan did, all loud shouting and marching around the place.
Maybe cousin Alexander's idea that the clan would find people outside of the Clan being not all that different was true.
Because Major Jackass was everything that the Clan wanted in a soldier lineage.
All Jackass no... Loving ass?
He needed to work on that one he figured as his metal hands dug into the clay beneath his metal feet.
The mech sized pickaxe dislodging hundreds of kilograms of clay with its swings while behind him Manning shovelled it out of the way.
They were, in essence, digging mech sized foxholes that would be connected with mech sized scrape trenches.
There had been a few dug so far by the men and women of the Militia rearguard's engineering platoon.
But, well, with a battalion of Battlemechs armed with mech sized shovels and pickaxes, it was a different story.
"Why are we even doing this? We're Battlemechs! Not infantry!" Grumbled Kaiser on the Lance channel. He probably checked it three times. It would be particularly stupid to make that mistake twice.
"Because we're the only ones that have giant shovels and pickaxes maybe?" Turbo replied with an annoyed grunt. His Battlemech nearly tripping on the rock that had been uncovered beneath his feet.
"Stupid rocks," he muttered.
"How many fortifications are we meant to be digging exactly?" Complained Kaiser again.
"Until the Major tells us to stop." He replied.
"We're about to start into the infantry lines. Remember to have enough space for the infantry to move down." Manning interrupted.
"What does that mean?" He asked her, wondering what exactly a moving space was.
"They're infantry with trucks. They don't have giant legs. Make sure everything has a ramp that they can walk down, not giant steps okay?"
Ah, right, that was simple enough.
"So, what are we mounting in the battle do you think? I really like the missiles." Kaiser said with a chuckle, no doubt remembering the rush that came with shooting off 50 missiles at once.
"I think the lasers is a good idea." Turbo answered, thinking of the feeling of power that came with shooting three large lasers at the same time. Sure it was hot... But it was awesome.
"I-" Slurper was about to say something before she was cut off.
"Quiet. Get yourselves back to the depot now and load up. The Kuritans are moving up on us now." The Major said, his own Battlemech moving in and patting Kaiser's on the shoulder.
"No faffing about. We're going to be in the thick of it." He continued.
"How do you know sir? We've all been digging holes here." Asked Manning.
"The Militia sent their heavy mechs in to do some patrols. Caught a few of the Kuritan pilots off guard. They're headed this way, it's the flattest terrain to link up with their guys at landing point 3 remember." Major Killburn patted Slurper this time and then stomped off, no doubt to tell the next crew.
"Sir! What do you think is going to happen?" He called out.
"I think, Turbo, that we're going to be in the fight of our lives. It's going to be the hardest fighting you've ever done. But trust in your machines and your Lance and you'll get through this. We hold them off here and the Dracs at the landing site are going to be battered into little pieces. We don't and our boys are the ones who get pincered and taken to pieces."
Turbo nodded instinctively at his name being called.
Ah.
That was what was going to happen huh.
Well, if the Major said so.
"Let's get going, I want my guns man." Kaiser said as the Major marched off.
"I thought you already had guns." Slurper asked with a sly chuckle.
"What? I don't have any guns! I'm empty right now."
"Ah, so when you were kissing your reflection in the mirror this morning and saying "hello my guns", you were dreaming?" She continued.
"What! No! You can't bring that up! That's unfair you bitch!" He shouted as the rest of them laughed.
+Break+
Turbo shifted nervously in his trench, the enormous nigh cavern of dirt he had dug out a few minutes prior feeling like it wasn't going to be enough.
Not with how many of the Kuritans would be coming. 87 of them in fact, the first attack on the Triple V to the south and then the breakthrough had cost them... but did it cost them enough was the question.
87 Battlemechs was still a lot of metal.
His targetting reticle adjusted with his thoughts. Switching between the one calibrated for his 2 large Lasers and the one set for his 6 medium lasers. There was one for both but the inaccuracy would increase if he did that. After all, the large lasers were all in the right torso and the mediums in the left. Left and right reticles, a central one to combine the two.
His hands were free so he had kept his pickaxe with him, just like Kaiser had kept the shovel.
They had been expanding this hole further, connecting it up to the other foxholes like the Major had taught them just now.
But now... now they were waiting.
The first of the Heavy battalion that had been sent out to scout was coming back.
"That's a Zeus! Look at its arm!" Kaiser called out, sounding shocked as he did so.
"That's a lot of damage." Muttered Slurper.
"The rest of their lance is coming in, all have damage. What about the rest?" Manning asked, sounding confused.
"They split up. The Sun Zhang Cadre will try to pursue them into our guns. Get ready." The Major dropped into their foxhole.
Up and down the line, despite not being able to see the other machines, Turbo could swear something had changed.
"Major Killburn, Ducal Guard, welcome to our little Festung," the major said in welcome.
"Captain Harstrace. 2nd Company, 3rd Tharkad Province Militia," the ones now jumping into their little trench line said. Some looking disappointed as they only stood waist tall in the scrape trench while those in the full foxholes laughed silently with their machines.
Right.
"What can you tell me about the Cadre?" The Major asked.
"They're light mechs like we expected. Problem of course being that they're light mechs." Turbo was confused by the answer what did that even mean?
"It means rookies, that they're easier to kill since they're in light machines, but they're also harder to kill since they're in light machines." Captain Harstrace said with a chuckle.
Turbo chuckled back uncomfortably, he understood that... Maybe.
"In any case, they're making a beeline for the Dieron Regular position. Anything that might slow them down is ignored. Didn't even stop to salvage one of my girls when she lost a leg. They've got their orders and we're just collateral."
Major Killburn's Heavy to Assault Mech, a Ham, just a bigger Light to Medium Mech, or Limb as Manning has called it, stood there before nodding.
"So we need to be the brick wall to their torrent."
"Looks like it major. I'm seconding my boys to your command. We'll help, but we don't exactly have the supplies or armour to do that right now."
"Get yourselves back to the command post and the quartermaster will call in your supplies. Why me though? Don't you have a superior officer somewhere?"
"Are you kidding me? Leaving now would mean I'd never be able to say that I stood my ground against a Kuritan regiment in full charge. Can you imagine what kind of reaction I'd get from crowds?"
There was a laugh at that.
"Okay then, you can be my mobile reserve. We'll be using deep defence tactics. I've got green troops. You can do the math."
There was a pause at that.
"Wow, only the hardest of jobs huh. Great, let's kick some ass major."
Turbo felt himself disturbed by the pause.
What did that mean exactly?
+Break+
"Keep shooting you bastards! You sons without mothers! Keep shooting!" Major Killburn's voice reverberated in their bodies as the cockpit speakers blasted it at full volume.
"I'm out of ammo! No ammo! Going back~"
Turbo barely paid attention as he stepped up onto the step and over the parapet. His large lasers thrumming as they vaporised the mist that formed from the exploded tree trunks and leaves in front of them.
"Fuck fuck. I'm out of armour. Left side is bare. What do I do!?" Kaiser cried out to Turbo's right.
"Get yourself back to the depot and replace it. I'll cover you, go!" Turbo shouted as his lasers, all of them, completed their cooling cycle.
Things were getting serious.
"They're focusing me down! I can't see! I can't see! Cockpit brea-"
Well, they had been serious for a while now but they were getting more serious.
"Hold the line! Hold! Use your cover, do not expose yourself!" Killburn's voice continued to exhort them.
"Go!" He shouted, standing back up to engage the smaller mechs in the mist made of evaporated oils, lubricants, tree sap and water.
They had been shooting it out here for a few minutes now while behind, the other members of the Battalion were digging further defences.
"I'm going! I'm going!" Kaiser shouted as his machine started to run its way backward into the rear. Moving along the line of communication scrape trench. Only half of his frame would be exposed, better than all of them being shot at.
Turbo grunted as a shell of some kind slammed into his shoulder. The armour was looking very uncomfortably yellow which meant that it was, well, not in great shape.
"Push on the left side, they're coming around the left. I need help! I'm alone here!"
"Air strike inbound. Get ready to withdraw, next defensive line. Wait for it!" The Major's voice echoed in their ears again.
Okay. Okay.
He could do this.
"One last volley!"
Right.
Onto the step again, eyes over the parapet.
Swinging his laser from side to side to sweep the enemy that was being elusive in the trees. Too many damned false returns.
"They're pushing! They're pushing! Where are those bombs!?"
Then he was up and out, running to the rear. Funnelling alongside and behind other Battlemechs of the Battalion. None of them were untouched, every single one had been nearly stripped of their armour. Behind him a volley of explosive bombs landed in the trees that hadn't been cleared yet before the smoke blanketed the position they had just vacated.
"Fifth defensive line. We're contracting." Murmured Manning, her voice filled with dread.
"What's the problem?" He asked, confused about why it might be a problem if they were contracting. The smaller the line, the easier it would be to defend it right?
"Too much damage has been taken. We can't replace the our numbers fast enough. We need more support." She answered.
Ah.
Right.
That would be a problem.
"So what do we do?"
"We follow orders. If you get any bright ideas you're going to get us all killed. Just follow orders and trust the Major that he knows what he's doing."
Right. Right. Following orders.
They had been withdrawing a lot though. If they kept falling back then they were eventually going to run out of places to fall back to right?
+Break+
Turbo sighed as he glanced around the clearing.
His timer said it had been 3 hours since this had all started. Since the first shot had been fired and the frantic defence had started in earnest.
He was tired.
So incredibly bone tired.
Even though he had been sitting in this command chair, the constant backwards and forwards of his blood and body as the giant machine they were encased in moved was exhausting.
The need to constantly focus, his mind always watching and waiting for danger, keeping half a mind on his weapon cycles, watching the forest, thick as it was with superstition and shadow. All of it serving to drain the mind.
Add in the constant retreats and he was struggling to stay awake.
It had only been 3 hours.
The old timers said that they had been in sieges that went for years.
"Mechwarriors, you've fought hard." The Major spoke to them and Turbo felt a burst of pride entering his body. This was the first time that he has called them Mechwarriors.
"You've held the line. Many a regiment before you has broken in the face of what you did, but you held. An entire Battlemech Regiment was aimed at you, and you held. They Combine are exhausted now, they're consolidating. But, to win a war you cannot just hold. You need to attack."
Turbo felt his mouth turn into a smile.
Yeah.
They had held. They had fought for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, hastily returning to the depot to rearmour, while behind them other members of the Battalion were digging more defensive works.
The volunteers in their trucks has been a major help there as well.
They... Only lost a few. Only 27 had been lost.
Only.
27 against a force over 3 times its number.
A few he had thought were lost before the 20 Ton trucks had gone out, lashed cable to their shoulders and dragged them back over their lines.
The damned Combine had kept pressing the assault, but they had held!
"Rearmour and reammo. We're going to push them back." Killburn said with a literal salute of his Battlemech's hands.
Turbo laughed.
"Fuck yeah! We're going on the attack!"
"Hell yeah! Wait what, who said it first!?" Kaiser shouted a complaint as Turbo pretended he hadn't said anything.
Right.
Stomping his way over to the depot and slotting himself into a gantry, Turbo waited.
The mech-techs moved with what was now practiced fluidity.
The bolts holding the armour onto the frame were quickly unscrewed, the entire plate came off and then another one bolted on.
The ammunition was even easier. A latch was undone in the rear and the cassettes (if he needed any) were loaded directly in.
The entire process could be done in 15 minutes with enough hands. All the undamaged armour plates being left in place while the damaged ones were swapped out.
"I'm out of autocannon!" Kaiser said with a groan.
"Don't you panic boyo, we've got some incoming. AC/5s coming to you." The tech said, pointing at the sky above from his position in front of Kaiser's cockpit.
Right on cue from above, small craft came diving down, dropping off one large package that was slowed by a parachute as it landed in the centre of the depot.
There was a knock on his cockpit hatch.
Hmmm?
"Permission to board?" The voice was familiar. Ah, it was Wakako!
"Wait there, I'll get the door." He said, unbuckling himself and… ah. He couldn't get out.
His… sweat had stuck him to the chair.
His arms were… tired.
Right.
One push, one big push… and there we go.
He was out, climbing into the spacious cockpit and opening the rear hatch.
"Hey there! I'm with you for this last bit." She said with a smile.
"Well, it's good to have you, but… why me?" He asked, looking at her, and trying not to sway with the imagined movement of his machine.
"My last pilot… didn't make it." She muttered.
Ah.
Yeah.
He was sure that once he was out of the fight he's be able to focus on it properly, but right now… he just knew that he had lost too many Clan mates, too many comrades.
"Right. Well, your seat is still where it was, nobody else had put their bum in it so don't worry about that." He said with a shake of his head, staggering back to the pilot seat.
They had a fight to finish.