Mission 7: Breakthrough

Ben Wabash kept his ER PPC hot, firing almost continuously.  Each blast was accompanied by a cracking sound, appropriately similar to thunder.  Per Colonel Taggart's orders, he kept his 'Mech among the trees for cover, but at this range there was really no need.  The Capellan 'Mechs would have to leave their prepared positions to hit him, even with LRMs.  The advantages of ComStar hardware.

It almost felt repetitive, by now.  This had been a day of stand-off fire with long-ranged weapons.  As a Griffin pilot, this suited Ben fine, but he also knew even a slow Excalibur advance would make more of a dent in these Grenadiers.  Kenner and Taggart were fighting very cautiously today.

Taggart's voice came over the comm.  "Gaucho Company has achieved their objective.  We're to disengage and withdraw to the landing site.  Wabash, your lance first.  Fall back."

"Roger," said Ben.  "Aves, Druschke, hug the treeline for eighty meters, then move to the road.  Smith, follow me."  He hit his jump jets and leapt deeper into the woods.

Once they were out of the forest, Ben formed his lance up and ran along the edge of the highway.  They were essentially free and clear now, the day's fighting over.  The Excalibur landing site was well protected by two companies of 'Mechs, plus the infantry, and Grenadier units along this road had already been flushed out.

All the same, Ben felt a little squirrelly.  He saw an overhang he thought he remembered, but which had now collapsed.  The weight of a 'Mech could do that, but it wasn't a spot any of the Excalibur 'Mechs would have stepped on--and Ben's lance had been near the rear of the advance.

"Hold here," he said.  "I'm going to get a look from the top of that ridge."  He hit the jets and jumped toward the collapsed overhang.

At the apex of his flight, Ben caught a glimpse beyond the ridge, and panic immediately gripped him.  "Shit!"  A company of Capellan 'Mechs was standing by in the valley.

As LRMs streaked up to meet him, Ben hit the jets again to divert his path below the hill.  "Back away from the hill," he told his lance.  Then he radioed his sensor log to the landing site and Colonel Taggart.

"Shells incoming!" said MechWarrior Aves.  An instant later, artillery rounds began exploding among the Excalibur 'Mechs.

"Back to the regiment, kids.  Go fast, outrun me if you can."  Ben's Griffin was the slowest 'Mech in the lance.  "But vary your speed.  That'll confuse these artillery spotters, wherever they are."

From the other side of the road, a sound like an earthquake rattled Ben's entire cockpit.  He turned his Griffin's head to see a solid wall of 'Mechs advancing on his lance.

"These are Fifth McCarron's," he said.  Not the colors he'd hoped to see.  But even if they were green troops, his lance was too badly outnumbered.

A samurai would write his death haiku about now, he realized.

"Bottom line," said Taggart, "we have a full battalion coming up behind our backs."

"They've had some time to work up the ground along the road to our landing site," Nini said.  "Wabash mentioned artillery.  Re-opening that path is too risky.  Launch the ships, maybe, but there's an element of risk to that as well."

"Anything we do now has that element," said Geoff.  He searched for a better opportunity.  "I'm seeing a weak point here," he said, "at the opening of this highway.  We can get to the landing site that way, too.  We'll have to push forward, almost to the city limits, but I like our chances better against these Grenadiers than against the Mac."

"Fox company can reach that spot pretty fast," said Taggart.  "And Bravo, minus Wabash."

"Yeah."  Geoff felt a weight settle on his heart.  "John, is there anything we can do for Wabash's lance?  Anything you can think of?"

"No, sir."  Taggart's answer was hesitant, but not out of uncertainty.  "Those lads are at the enemy's mercy."

"All right.  Send B and F in, and move everyone else up behind them.  No point waiting around to see how that fight turns out.  If we can't break through there, we're beaten."

SCENARIO 7: BREAKTHROUGH

PLAYER: Excaliburs

ENEMY: Grenadiers

B and F companies must break through the Grenadier lines to open a path for the Excaliburs to retreat to their ships.

OBJECTIVE: Destroy all enemy forces.

NOTE: By default, this mission is set to play with Individual Initiative rules to speed up the very large battle.  This means you don't get to choose which order to move/attack with your units.  To turn this option off, when you begin the scenario choose the RPG Related tab from the View/Edit Game Options menu and turn off Individual Initiative.