MechWarrior 3/Damocles Commando Mission 10

Mission 10

BRIEFING

Sinclair: The pirates are here. They located a way around Portal and moved up to the rim of the crater while we were limping around after the battle with the Lyrans. What’s left of our forces will stand against Susie Ryan’s final bid for the treasure of Madre. It will be enough. There’s no other choice.

Sinclair: From observations, the pirates have several assault ‘Mechs, and more Clan-technology Omnis to throw at us. We have seen a pair each of Mad Cats and Ryokens, as well as one in an Atlas. I’m certain Susie Ryan has more. There are also ground troops, and they’ve set up two large cannon of some type, one on the northern crater ledge and another to the east. My gut sense is those are the directions from which they’ll come at us.

Sinclair: Let them try their best. I’ll see the germanium scattered to the winds of Veil before I let the New Belt Pirates take it.

DURING MISSION

Sinclair: Damocles One to all units. We have movement coming down from the cliffs. This is it.

Sersi: Copy, Sinclair. I count…Blake’s Blood! Nine ‘Mechs plus ground forces! And two staging camps on the rim! Which means they plan on bringing down more.

Dominic: It will be a slaughter.

Alan: That’s the attitude!

Dominic: I was referring to our slaughter!

Alan: Oh.

Susie Ryan: No more fun and games, Sinclair. I’m taking that ore.

Sinclair: Over our dead bodies.

Susie Ryan: That’s the general idea. My ‘Mech forces will beat you out of that hole, and I’ve got ringside seats.

Sinclair: You’re in one of the camps? That settles it, then. All I have to do is get through this assault to get my shot at you. Your forces are as good as destroyed.

Susie Ryan: Wrong choice, Sinclair.

Sinclair: That’s all right, Susie. I get another shot.

Susie Ryan: Why not let me get my people out of that last camp, and I’ll return the bulk of the germanium we’ve stolen. The value must be several million C-bills. After all, you can’t even be certain I’m in the other camp.

Sinclair: I’ll risk it.

Sinclair: All units, this is Lieutenant Sinclair. Madre is secure. I repeat, the Madre crater is secure.

Corona Base: Roger Lieutenant. A superior job, Damocles Commando. Corona Base has monitored two DropShip takeoffs. They seem to be in full retreat this time. Is pirate mistress Susie Ryan dead?

Sinclair: Dead or defeated, she’s gone, and we can all breathe a little easier, for now.

AFTERMATH

Commander’s journal:

Lieutenant Connor Sinclair reporting. Veil is still a barren, blasted rock at the periphery of settled space, but, for now, it’s free of the New Belt Pirates. The surviving pirate forces have run and, after their considerable losses here, I doubt the Veil Mining Coalition will be threatened for some time, at least from without.

Officials from the Federated Suns and the Lyran Alliance have already jointly announced that Veil was defended from a substantial Belt Pirate attack by Federated Commonwealth troops, consisting of units from both House Steiner and House Davion. That’s what happened here, nothing else. That’s all it will say in the history books. The truth be damned. We deserve better. Everyone who worked to stop the invasion and lived, and everyone we left behind.

For now, though, I’m still a soldier, and I follow orders, which means that when another threat crawls out from hiding, it will find the Damocles Commando ready, and holding high the sword of the Federated Suns.