Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Six: Tunnel Rats
Haynesville, July 10th, 3035
"Exciter, are you sure that this will work?" Lieutenant Dan asked as the Busterloadermech began to mount the first of the homemade 'mech-sized claymores that the short Lyran had been making over the last few days.
"Yes, it should be effective on just about anything that might come through the tunnel entrances," Exciter replied. "I'm rigging them to be triggered to specific detonators, and I will be giving everyone a safety brief before we start luring the enemy into our trap."
"I just finished placing the first claymore," the Buster pilot announced. "I'm moving on to place the rest of them."
"I'm going to triple-check everything before we move on," Exciter said calmly. "Given the number of resources that we poured into these we need to make sure that they'll work."
"Agreed," Lieutenant Dan replied. "I'll go start briefing our "rabbit" team while you finish this up."
"Go ahead, we'll be an hour or two on this," Exciter replied. "Have to make sure that not only are the detonators wired properly but that they're placed well too. I'd hate for any of the bastards to survive the welcome mat."
"Exciter," The Buster pilot said as he picked up the next claymore. "You scare me sometimes, but right now that's exactly what we need. Now tell me where to put this so we can move on."
"Angle it thirty degrees to the right, we want to be able to hit the cockpit and main weapons if at all possible," the Lyran said as he supervised. "Let me check the connections before you move on."
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"Alright, you know your jobs," Lieutenant Dan looked at the six militia that was going to be piloting their stolen WoB 'mechs. "Just try to make sure that you come back alive, I don't want to have to pull you out of one of their work camps."
"We'll do our best to make sure that it doesn't come to that sir," Sergeant Smith replied as he climbed into the lone Orionthat would be leading the pack of six Mechs.
"This is Captain James Daughtery of the Wolf's Dragoons," came over the comms in Smith's Orion. "You have been leading us on quite the chase, but now you have your backs to the wall, so we can see how you really fare in battle."
Smith and his remaining two teammates began to back up towards the tunnel entrance. Smith covered the rear of the formation while his two remaining Griffins launched LRMs over his shoulder.
"Come and get us!" Smith taunted as he finally began walking into the tunnel. "If you dare."
The trio vanished into the darkness of the ancient Star-League tunnels. Moving past the prepared explosives and the areas where their tanks were hidden to the area where they were directed.
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"Are we really going into those tunnels sir?" The lone Word of Blake Attaché asked as he followed the company of Wolf's Dragoons towards the tunnel entrance.
"We are here for a good fight, and this militia unit seems to be the only fight to be had in the nearest three jumps." Daughtery replied. "Most militia units were eradicated by the superior numbers that you landed with early on. That this unit is still putting up a fight, much less as much of one as they have is rare."
"So we're going in and fighting them in their own bolthole?" The WoB Mechwarrior asked nervously. "This doesn't seem like a very good idea."
"It is not about whether this is wise or not," Daughtery chuckled. "They have issued us a challenge, and we shall respond." He twisted his modified Archeraround to peer at the Phoenix. "Or else hang our heads in shame and no longer be called warriors."
"They're all mad," the lone Mechwarrior muttered to himself after making sure that his mic was off. "We're all going to die down there."
But he shoved his fear back and walked his medium Mech forward, making sure to keep a heavier Mech ahead of him at all times as they began to enter the pitch black tunnel.
"The metal content is high here," one of the Wolf's Dragoons MechWarriors muttered over their channel. "Looks like our magscans are out."
"Just keep an eye out for heat sigs, they'll glow bright as day in this tunnel," Daughtery replied as he walked his Archeraround a corner. "I think I see one …."
A thunderous noise echoed through the tunnels as the upper torso of his heavy Mech vanished underneath a hail of rapidly moving ball bearings, the Shadow Hawk behind him taking damage as well.
Then it seemed as if the walls opened up with explosives, the first six Mechs of their thirteen Mech column vanishing under a hail of metal and the remainder taking some minor to medium damage.
"Let's push through!" Daughtery's XO yelled after the explosions had stopped. "We've got a lance of heavy Mechs here that should be able to take them on."
The Wolf's Dragoons began to move forward at a faster pace, eager for revenge while the lone WoB coward stayed in the rear of the formation.
"Nice hits!" Dan patted Exciter on the back as they took turns peering through a set of modified binoculars. "Looks like we got six of them."
"We need to fall back," Exciter said as he took a turn peering through the thermal scope. "They're still moving forward."
"You got any more surprises like that one waiting for the rest of them?" Dan asked as they climbed into a truck.
"No, unfortunately that was all that I had time for," Exciter shook his head. "You can't rush explosives or you have accidents."
"Fair enough," Dan replied. "Let's hope that we can survive this, I'd hate to have to write a letter to your mother after all."
"My mother is still in the Lyran Commonwealth," Exciter growled. "She has no idea where I am, and you will keep it that way."
"Why? It wasn't that hard to figure out who you are," Dan replied, " So why not contact your mom again?"
"Because I don't want to be known as Adam Steiner, the third child of Archon Katrina Steiner and Arthur Luvon," the now named Noble stated coldly. "I love them, but I don't want to be a noble, I would rather eat it here in the dirt with a militia like you, then to die of old age a happy noble."
"We're not dyin' today!" Dan laughed. "Now let's waste these arrogant Wolf's Dragoons MechWarriors and retake our planet."
"Best words I've heard all day LT," Exciter laughed. "The absolute best."
Author's note: Surprise! A little twist at the end here…