Free for All
by
Captain Gordon Wozniak


One of the worst things about being a member of Mallory's
Headhunters is dealing with politics. Since we are the household
troops of the Duke of Antietam, we end up with more then our share
of "political sensitive" missions. That's means if a mission is a
failure, you are in deep and serious trouble with your own side. I
hate those types the most, because not only do you have worry about
the enemy, but your friends too. Like the most recent incident in
the Skye March we were stuck in....


The crowd was waiting for us when we pulled up.

Having mobs screaming for blood is not something I'm use to,
so after I got out of the ground car, I stood and watched them for
several seconds in the rain. There were maybe three thousand of
them, all wearing clothing that was a cut below what the ordinary
citizen would wear. The few signs they held up were so rain-soaked
that I couldn't clearly read them. Their faces all had the same
look, of hate that was being directed at me and the rest of the
Headhunters. Only the thick line of faceless security personnel
kept the crowd away from us and the Presidential building that
dominated the square. As I stared at the heavily armed security
goons, A chill went down my back that wasn't from the rain.

"Wozniak!"

I turned at the sound of my name. Major Hart was standing
there, her scowl deeper then usual. I can't prove it, but I think
she's still hasn't forgiven me for the time long ago when myself
and several astechs painted her Dervish pink and attached spun
aluminum rabbit ears and a cottontail to it. In my defense, I was
seriously plastered at the time, and I haven't had the time or the
inclination that bad since.

I shrugged my shoulders "Coming."

She waited until I reached her before she said anything. "You
can take the three D-bill tour later, Captain," she said, as we
climbed the marble stairs.

"Major, didn't the Duke tell us that there had been no serious
problems in the cities at this time?"

"Yes," she replied warily.

"Well, take a look to the Firepower the security Goons are
toting down there." She stopped, turned, and took a slow look
around as if she was seeing the crowd for the first time. I saw her
scowl deepen even further.

"If those security troops are carrying stunners," She said
with a snarl "Then I'm Sun-Tzu Liao's long-lost twin sister."

I nodded in agreement. Stunners are standard issue for riot
and crowd control troops. That way, if there's trouble, the worst
that will happen is the crowd is stunned into next week, and
there's no serious injuries. But what these goons were carrying
were assault rifles and grenade launchers, a sure sign that the new
Duke was in real trouble.

She turned continued up the stairs, me at her heels. I could
see she wasn't angry at me anymore, but clearly she was beginning
to think this entire situation stunk. In that case, she wasn't
alone. I didn't like the smell of it either.

We were on Alcor, smack in the middle of the Skye March. It's
a lot like Terra, with a nice atmosphere and good farming land.
Militarily, it wasn't really worth the effort to raid. But it
wasn't raiders that were the problem. No, good old Alcor was on the
verge of rebellion, and we were sent in to explain things to the
rebels in our own unique way.

The old Duke of Alcor, Duke Rodney DuBarry had died, leaving
his son, Gregor, as the new Duke. Both the old Duke and the new
Duke were ardent supporters of the Federated Commonwealth, but
Duke Gregor didn't have the pull his father did with the
population, especial with the "Free Skye" crew. It took an
attempted assassination, in the form of a powerful bomb, during
the Old Duke's funeral that convinced the young Duke that some of
his new subjects didn't like him. Before the Old Duke was buried,
the New Duke sent a note to Prince Victor asking for help.

While I personally believed that the Prince would have loved
to have sent an entire RCT in a display of force, he couldn't do
it. Skye was already a lighted fuse, and the last thing the
Prince needed was a full-out political explosion. So, the Prince
turned to the Duke of Antietam. And it just happened that the
Duke had two battalions of 'Mechs he could send to assist the new
Duke.

Why Us? Well, to tell the truth, The high command didn't
have anyone else to send at the time, with the way things were
going on the Clan front. And the entire March was under suspicion
ever since the Glengarry fiasco. And most of the units that could
be trusted were unprepared to handle a riot or rebellion. We, of
course, were more than experienced and the fact we were
'household troops' from a friendly Noble would make it seem like
the Prince wasn't directly involved.

There were some questions that still had to asked, so after
we set down, Lieutenant Colonel Ryan received an appointment with
the New Duke. And since it was custom for both Colonel Ryan and
Major Hart to had an aid-de-camp with them, the Major had drag me
out of a warm bunk to go along, saying something to the effect of
"I want you where I can see you."

We had been told the problems were minor and a show of force
would probably send the rinky-dink revolutionaries running home
to mamma. But the security goons firepower and the people's mood
were telling us it was far worse. Somebody in power was worried,
and that wasn't a good sign.

We made it to the top and met the Colonel, his aid Captain
Harker, and Captain Olsen, who had waited for us there. Then, as
a group, the five of us marched past the trio of hard faced
guards and into the building.

Outside the building, the planet was a quiet minor planet
of the Federated Commonwealth. Inside the building, the soft
lighting nicely matched the rich marbled floor and the real
wooden paneling on the walls. The scattering of people in the
main hall was dressed like the mob outside, but the feeling of
gloom was almost overpowering. You didn't have to be a raving
genius to see that there were moral problems.

As I was suppressing an urge to become depressed, a young
woman approached us. I guessed her age to be about Twenty-five or
so, with long red hair and soft green eyes. To say she was
beautiful would be an understatement, and I found myself
straightening up and making small adjustments to my uniform
before I caught myself and scowled at my hormones.

"Good Afternoon," she said to us in a sweet clear voice. "My
name is Nancy Strack. I am Duke Gregory DuBarry's chief of staff.
Which one of you is Lieutenant Colonel Ryan?"

"I am," replied the Colonel. I could see that he liked her
as much as I did. "We have an appointment with the Duke in ten
minutes."

"Yes, I know. He sent me to escort you." She motioned with
her hand to the bustle around us. "It is quite easy to get lost
in here, especially with the old Duke's death. If you will follow
me, I will escort you to the Duke."

One of the guards took our ponchos and we followed Miss
Strack through the main hall. She led us up two flights of
stairs, and down a long corridor richly furnished with carpets,
paintings, and even the odd suit of historical armor. At the end
of the hall, a pair of large men in fancy uniforms stood on
either side of a finely carved set of doors. Nancy held a hand up
to halt us and said "I'm afraid I must ask for your sidearms
before you can see the Duke. If you will leave them with the
guards here, and they will be returned when you leave."

"Very well." The Colonel pulled the laser pistol from his
holster and handed it to one of the guards. The rest of us
followed suit, and I noticed a small smile on Miss Strack's lips
that vaulted my heart across the room. With a muttered curse, I
gritted my teeth, and vowed to have a strong talk with those
hormones. While I was doing this, Miss Strack open the doors to
the room, and bade us welcome to the Duke's office.

The room itself was like the rest of the place, richly
furnished and elegant almost to the point of irritation. A large
desk sat at the far end of the room, behind which a large picture
window overlooked the square were we had come from. Bookshelves
lined all four walls, and several high-backed chairs were
arranged in front of the desk.

There were two other people in the room. The man I assumed
to be Duke Gregor DuBarry was sitting behind the desk. He would
be a handsome man, in about twenty years and with twenty extra
kilos. He seemed to be slightly distracted, which was
understandable under the circumstances. He looked at us and
addressed Miss Strack "Who are these people, Nancy?"

"The commander of the troops from the Duke of Antietam, and
several of his officers, your grace," replied Nancy in a formal
tone of voice. She moved to stand next to him, and placed a hand
on his shoulder. The way she was looking at the young Duke, and
the way he reached up to cover her hand with his own, meant the
formal manner was for our benefit alone.

"Oh." The young man started to speak again, but the woman
standing by the window cut him off.

"And what can these people do about our problems?," she
asked in a cold tone of voice. Our intel on the DuBarry family
was excellent, so I was able to peg her immediately as Baroness
Diane Ralway DuBarry, the late Duke's second wife, the new Duke's
stepmother, and someone not to cross. Our reports had it that she
was still angry that the Old Duke had named his son, and not her,
as the new ruler of Alcor.

She was somewhat older than her stepson, and on the surface
quite beautiful, with long blond hair and clear complexion, but I
could see she had a nasty streak in her a mile wide. She was
standing at a small bar, and it looked like she was working hard
at getting drunk.

"We specialize in counter insurgency operations," replied
Ryan, fighting to keep respect in his voice. "We have two
Battalions of 'Mechs, along with two companies of our own scouts.
We will also be training your local units in the same type of
tactics, so you will be able to keep it from happening again."

She glared at us in open disgust. "We don't need some
popinjay's spit and polished toy soldiers. We need real
soldiers."

"I assure you that Duke Mallory does not employ toy solders.
My troops ARE seasoned veterans, and we CAN do the job."

The two of them glare at each other, and the temperature in
the room seemed to drop twenty degrees. They both held it for
several seconds, before the Duke broke in. "Er...Excuse me?"

"Yes, Gregory?" asked Baroness DuBarry in a neutral tone of
voice.

"May I suggest that we all sit down and talk about this
quietly?" There was a note of pleading in his voice, and I began
to feel sorry for him. It was clear that the Duke was still
having a hard time getting control of his planet, and he was
forced to keep his stepmother, who had a stronger base of support
then he did, as an ally. I mentally laid odds that it was she who
had ordered the extra firepower, in the Duke's name, for the
goons in the streets.

"Oh, very well, Gregory," she said in exasperation. She
waved at the chairs in front of the desk. "Take a seat, please."
Everyone did so, with the exception of Olsen, who stood near the
door.

When we were comfortable, the Colonel, who sat in the
middle, started the introductions." I am Lieutenant Colonel Sean
Ryan, commanding officer of the Second Regiment of Mallory's
Headhunters. In addition, I command the First Battalion."

He motioned to his right. "This is Captain Philip Harker,
Commander of Gamma Company in my Battalion." Harker was a thin-
faced man who looked more like a teacher then a warrior. With
Master degrees in both Military History and Law, He did teach
when the Battalion wasn't out in the field.

"To my left is Major Sandra Hart, Commander of the Second
Battalion." Major Hart barely nodded, her face in a mask of
concentration. The Goons with the firepower was still bothering
her.

"Captain Gordon Wozniak is in command of Delta Company in
Major Hart's Battalion." I gave the three of them a big smile,
and was rewarded with two in return. The Baroness just stared at
me in disgust.

"Captain Bruce Olsen is the Scout Commander." Olsen said
nothing, which wasn't unusual for him, and continued to stand
there watching all of us like a cat watches a mouse.

After that, We got down to business. It took twenty minutes
for the Duke to lay it all out in a voice that had yet to develop
the commanding timber. It had started right after the old Duke's
funeral, when several outlying settlements were attacked and
sacked by what were thought to be simple pirates. However, when
they started attacking government troops, they left spray-painted
messages declaring themselves members of some outfit called the
Skye People's Liberation Front, or the SPLF, and that they were
fighting to liberate Alcor from 'the dictatorship of that Bloody
Prince Victor'. They had gotten stronger from that time on, and
now had a least a company of 'Mechs on their side.

"I see," said the Colonel, after the Duke finished detailing
the situation. He managed to seem calm, but I knew him well
enough to see he didn't like the sound of it.

"What kind of 'Mechs?" asked Harker, his face quizzical. He
also functions as the Intel officer when were out in the field.
"And where did they come from?"

The Baroness sneered at him. "How do we know ?," she said,
taking a moment to down the rest of her drink. "I am not a
Mechwarrior." She spat the last word out like a curse, and I knew
she was drunk.

"Er . . . reports indicate mostly lights and mediums,"
replied the Duke quickly "As to where they came from, we have not
been able to find out."

"What about the local Garrison?", asked Olsen, startling us
with the first words he had spoken since we landed.

"Well, there's a rumor right now, " said the Duke, leaning
back in his chair and looking uncomfortable. "That reports that
our garrison is made up of mostly Free Skye members, and since
one of the targets that the terrorists destroyed was the records
office, I'm afraid that there is no way to establish any truth to
there rumors."

The conversation continued for another twenty minutes,
discussing details and other minor subjects until the Colonel
stood up. "Right," he said. "If you'll excuse us your grace, my
lady, We must start right away. Harker, get the Intel reports
from Miss Strack here and go though them. I want to know what
we've got here, and now. The rest of us are going to get back to
the unit and start devolving an operations plan."

At the Duke's nod, Harker was guided out a side door by Miss
Strack, while the rest of us trooped out to retrieve our
sidearms. As we were walking out, I said to the Major "Happy, I
don't think we're going to be on Baroness DuBarry's Christmas
Card List anytime soon."

"What was your first clue?" she asked sarcastically, her
long strides threatening to leave me behind.

It was a rhetorical question, but I answered it anyway. "For
someone whose screaming for help, she is not happy to see us.
Something smell here, and it's not three-day-old fish. I've got a
feeling that's it going to hit the fan, and hard."

She glanced at me, her stride slowing. "You know something,
Woz, I never thought I would say this, but I think you're right."

Now I knew she was worried, because she has NEVER called me
Woz before.

The ride back the spaceport was a long and quiet one.



It took five weeks for my prediction to come true. During
that time, the SPLF made like a ghost, and did very little.
Olsen's troops hit several suspected SPLF Safehouse, with mixed
results. We learned just enough to realize we were dealing with
more then a two-bit outfit. The protests still continued, and the
Goons still toted massive firepower, and we otherwise stayed out
of the way.

The first thing we had to do was to split the Battalions up
to cover the major targets on the planet. Luckily, there were
only four cities that were worth attacking by the SPLF, so we
placed two companies in each city. My company was assigned to
guard Jackson City, a thousand Kilometers north of the capital.
Located on the coastline of Alcor's major Ocean, the city was the
headquarters for the few fishing concerns on the planet. We were
teamed with Captain Marcy Barnes's Beta Company, whose heavier
firepower nicely complemented Delta's speed, a Platoon of Olsen's
scouts, and an Aerospace Lance.

Most of the time we ran patrols into the surrounding terrain
to familiarize ourselves with the area, while the rest of the
time we formulated plans for almost every situation that we could
think of. We worked out of our dropships at the commercial
spaceport, because we had better equipment than the locals, and
the Colonel trusted the Government people about as far as he
could throw a Dashi underhanded.

Much to our disgust, especially to Captain Harker, The Intel
reports from Miss Strack were not very helpful. According to
them, anything from a lance of beat-up Stingers to an entire Clan
Assault Cluster could be hiding out there. All they could agree
on was that they were out there, and they didn't leave many
survivors. The only hard Intel we got was from Olsen's people
sent into the surrounding towns undercover, and that wasn't a
lot. Most of the people we personally talk to hadn't ever even
SEEN a 'mech, let alone identify what type they were.

It was the beginning of the third week of our patrolling
when word came down from the Colonel that we would be taking a
personal representative of the Duke out on a patrol. Instead of
the overweight, puffy-faced militia officer I had been expecting,
Nancy Strack strode up the dropship ramp, snapped a salute, and
presented her orders.

I looked at the orders, looked at her, then looked at the
orders again. She stood at attention while I read the orders for
the third time.

"Er, excuse me Captain Strack," I said formally. "Do you
know anything about piloting a 'Mech?"

"Yes sir," she replied as formally. "I also have brought
along my own 'Mech that is being checked out even as we speak."

"What Type ?," I asked, hoping it wasn't some slow - moving
ground pounding Assault 'Mech.

She must have read my mind, because she replied, with a
smile, "A Jenner II, Captain. It should be fast enough to keep up
with you."

I nodded slowly, impressed with her foresight. "We'll be
getting ready to leave soon," I said, handing her back her
orders. "You'll be attached to my lance, and your call sign will
be Delta Command Seven. Company Sergeant Madarasz will assign you
our communications codes."

She stepped back and snapped off a perfect salute. Mine
wasn't as crisp, due to a lack of practice, but it wasn't bad.
While she strode down the dropship's ramp, I started to assemble
my people for the final briefing.

The patrol plan was simple. With the ocean to the west
patrolled by the Aerospace boys, that left three cardinal
directions to cover. I took due east, Killerman's Lance was
assigned to check out the mountains to the north, and Reddis'
lance got the fun of poking around the swamps to the south. Beta
Company stayed on alert in the city itself, just to make sure
that no one came marching in behind us.

As I was finishing up the briefing, Strack appeared, dressed
in Shorts and vest. She waited quietly until I finished, then as
my people dispersed to their 'Mechs, she walked over to me,
nodding in approval. "I see that your reputation is not all
Hype," she said, smiling.

I smiled back. "Oh ? And what is our reputation among the
locals?"

She shook her head. "Not local. I have connections with
members of the intelligence community. And they tell me
interesting things about the Headhunters -"

"Most of which aren't true," I finished quickly, remembering
to let the Major know that we were becoming too well known for
our own good. I glanced at my chronometer. "We better mount up
and move out."



We were twenty-five kilometers from Jackson City when the
entire situation fell apart.

To the east of the city, The countryside was made up of a
series of rolling hills and small farms, interspaced with groves
of woods here and there. The few people who saw us stopped and
stared at us as we moved by them, as 'Mechs of any type were rare
here.

We moved along the narrow roads, careful to avoid damaging
anyone's property if we could avoid it. I was at point in my
Headhunter, followed by Tony in his own Headhunter, with Mikki
and Corlin out on the flanks in their Diamondbacks. Nancy was
bringing up the rear of our little group, keeping up with us
without difficultly. About sixty kilometers from the city, we
topped a small rise, and there, spread out in front of us as far
as the eye could see, a forest.

"Now what, Boss ?," asked Tony.

I leaned forward to look at the electronic map. According to
the map, the forest stretched for several hundred kilometers in
every direction. Several roads ran through it, but for the most
part, It was still in the same condition as it had been before
the planet was settled. The thick undergrowth made it a poor
place to hides 'Mechs and difficult to travel through except by
the roads.

I had almost decided to turn around and head home, when
Mikki spoke up. "Woz, I've got MAD readings, bearing three forty
five, distance three thousand meters. At least five, maybe more."

I hit my own MAD, and sure enough, mine showed the same
thing, several large masses of metal moving towards us through
the forest in front of us. I watched the unknown masses become
closer, moving along one of the roads leading towards Jackson
City and us. It began to dawn on me that they could only be
'Mechs. I bit off a string of curses and keyed my mike. "Captain
Strack, are there any members of the garrison in this area?"

Her answer was short and to the point. "The only 'Mechs
within five hundred Kilometers of Jackson City are yours."

"Not anymore," I replied. "Spread out along the rise here
and stay down. Let's see if we can ID our visitors."

We spread out, with Mikki and Corlin taking the flanks, and
stayed below the crest of the rise and waited for the unknown
'Mechs to make their appearance. Ten minutes later, the first of
them emerged from the undergrowth, and I started cursing.

"ID confirmed," said Tony " One Mad Cat Alpha, one Thor
Prime, Two Ryoken Deltas, one Black Hawk Alpha. We are in deep
trouble, Boss."

"Still picking up more MAD reading from the forest, Woz,"
chimed in Mikki. "We're looking at least a Binary, maybe even a
Trinary."

"Any Clan ID on them yet ?," I asked, watching the Clanners
clear the woods and started to advanced towards us in a loose
formation.

"Steel Vipers Clan," Corlin said, his voice neutral. If
anyone could identify our visitors, it was our ex-Jade Falcon. "I
think they are part of the Second Viper Guards."

"Tony, call Marcy and tell to expect trouble. Corlin, Mikki,
start expanding your sensor sweeps to cover more of the forest.
Captain Strack, start back to Jackson City."

"I refuse to leave you here to fight them alone."

"Who said anything about fighting them?" I asked. "I just
plan to shadow them until we can gather enough forces to bloody
them a bit. In fact -"

Tony cut me off. "Problems, Boss. Switch to scramble
Sierra."

I did as he asked, and for several seconds there was nothing
but static, then, the sounds of lasers and autocannons crackled
across the channel. Voices I recognized were shouting back and
forth, relaying critical information in the heat of battle. Beta
Company was in trouble.

I switched over to the private channel that Marcy and I had
set up beforehand, and said " Delta Command Six to Beta Command
Six, Come in, Marcy."

The channel was filled with the electronic whines of someone
trying to jam commutations, but Marcy's voice was still
understandable. " .... Command Six here," she said, clearly
angry. "We're in deep .... he.. ..'ve got a sho.. Batt..ion of
SPLF 'Mechs, supported by li..t tanks and infantry, appeared out
of nowhere and ..... to take ... our Dropships. We ........ push
them back, but we're ......... ..... to one. Most of my company
... ..... ...... and are low on ammo. We need help now!"

"What about our Aerospace support?"

"They're two hun.... ....meters away. ETA .. ..irty minutes,
if we're lucky."

"Understood Beta Command. Pursuit One and Two are on their
way," I replied. "Delta Command has a big problem of its own, and
cannot assist you at this time."

"What ....ing Problem can .. worse ?," snarled Marcy.

"I'll give you a clue. They're big, nasty, and come five to
a pack."

Marcy let loose with a long string of curses that would have
done a drill sergeant proud. "Are you ....... sure?"

"If they were any closer, we could see what color their
beady little eyes are."

"Understood Delta. ....'s the ... on the arrival of the rest
of Delta?"

"Should be no more then twenty minutes, Beta Command," I
replied.

"Understood, Delta .....mand. And good luck, Woz. Beta out."

I switched over to the company frequency and contacted the
other two lance commanders. I filled them in on Beta's trouble,
and order them back to the city to assist. I switch back to the
lance frequency, and outlined Beta's situation. They were silent
for a moment, before Nancy Strack broke in "I can't believe it."

"Believe it," I replied. "They're giving Beta trouble."

"Speaking of trouble," said Mikki "I have multiple MAD
readings, at eleven o'clock, range twelve hundred meters. Omnis,
at least a Star's worth."

"I too, am picking up something on this flank," cut in
Corlin, his voice cool and collected. "Range fifteen hundred
Meters, at two o'clock. I believe we are looking at a full
Trinary of Omnimechs."

"Of all the rotten luck," said Mikki grimly. "Beta's got a
rebellion, We're got Clanners right where there's suppose to be
none, and only the Great Creator knows what else can go wrong. I
need a vacation."

"You got that right," replied Tony. "Why couldn't the Vipers
have run into this SPLF outfit first and beat on each other ?
Then we could be doing something else, like -"

"Taking a vacation ?," inquired Corlin with amusement.

"Yea, like taking a vacation."

Something in that last exchange of banter nudged something
in the back of my mind. "Tony," I snapped. "What did you just
say?"

"I just said I needed a vacation."

"Before that."

I could hear the puzzlement in his voice as he replied, "I
said why couldn't the Clanners shown up early and stomp the SPLF
for us."

"Corlin, could we get the Vipers to chase us ?," I asked.

He was silent for a moment, then he said "I believe they
could be made to chase us, but it would involve staying close to
them."

"What do you have in mind, Captain ?," asked Nancy.

"Oh, dangerous thoughts, dangerous thoughts," I replied
airy. "Think what would happen if we showed up behind the rebels
with a Trinary of Clan 'Mechs on our tail. One shot from a
startled SPLF 'Mechwarrior at the Clanners, and you have -"

"A Grand Melee," finished Corlin in a quiet voice.

"Exactly," I replied. "Then while the SPLF and the Vipers
slug it out, we slip off and join Beta in the city, and stay out
of the way."

"Do you think we can do it, Woz ?," asked Mikki.

"I think we have no choice in the matter. Either the SPLF or
the Vipers are dangerous by themselves, together they are a prime
one disaster. If anyone has a better plan, better speak up now."

No one did. "Corlin," I said. "How close do you think we
have to be to the Vipers to keep them after us?"

"Visual for sure, maybe closer."

I took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "Cover me
people, I'm going to get their attention." I moved my 'Mech to
the edge of the rise. I flipped on my loudspeaker "I am Captain
Gordon Wozniak, Mallory's Headhunters," I said. "Can I help you
guys? You seem a bit lost."

At the sight of my 'Mech standing alone on the rise, most of
the Star stopped in their tracks. The Mad Cat, however, took
several strides forward, and I heard a voice on one of the local
frequencies. "I am Star Captain John, of Clan Steel Viper. What
forces do you defend this rise with?"

"Why should I tell you ?," I replied. "Come up here and find
out for yourself, if you really want to know."

This caught him off guard, and it took it several seconds to
reply. "You are a freebirth scum. You refuse the Batchall."

"What is it with you Clanners?" I asked in a half mocking
tone. "You have no idea how to insult an Inner Sphere citizen, do
you ? Maybe I'm a 'freebirth scum', But I at least know who to
send flowers to on Mother's Day. I don't think you can send
flowers to a canister, can you?"

"You are beginning to annoy me, Stravag," said the Star
Captain in a low voice.

"I haven't even started yet, you genetic freak of nature," I
shot back. " I don't even know why they even bothered trying to
breed a superior Warrior. With the 'Mechs you've got, a well-
trained monkey could operate them."

"You have insulted me for the last time, fool," Star Captain
John said in a low angry tone. Krait Alpha, advance and destroy
the enemy. But that fool there I claim as mine!"

"Come and get me, Leadhead," I replied, and pulled back for
the edge. I switch back over to the lance frequency. "Drop back
three hundred meters and get ready to fire."

We had barely enough time to cover the distance and prepared
to fire when the Vipers come over the rise, lead by the Mad Cat.
We hit them with a full barrage of extended range PPCs, large
lasers and long range missiles. Armor melted or shattered under
the assault, and one of the Ryokens staggered from several
strikes. Smoke filled the air, and for several seconds the Omnis
seemed to waver like viewing an object through heat shimmers.

But then, the Vipers were through the smoke and bearing down
on us. We dropped back another three hundred Meters and fired
again. This time, the Vipers managed to avoid most of it and they
returned fire, scoring several minor hits against us.

"I think we got their attention, now," I said, slamming my
hand down on the jump jets controls. As my 'Mech landed near a
grove of trees, I continued. "Ok, people, time to do a little Run
and Gun. Stay together, keep moving west, and don't let them get
a clear shot at you. No time for heros or fools, and remember our
main mission; Leading these Vipers into the SPLF, and letting
them wack each other. Mikki, Corlin, keep an eye out for those
other two Stars on the flanks. If they try converging on us, give
a shout."

Everyone acknowledged my orders, and soon we were heading
for Jackson City, with the entire force of Vipers hot on our
heels. We ran through woods, jumped over streams and ditches, and
traded fire with our pursuers in a wild forty-five minutes that I
will never forget. Their advantage lay in their numbers and
superior firepower, while we held a small edge in speed and
knowledge of the land. Twice, the other Clan Stars tried to cut
us off from reaching the city, only to have us dodge past them at
the last second. Several times over the open channel, I heard
Star Captain John cursed us as we avoided most of their fire.

Three kilometers from the city, Mikki spoke up. "Woz, I've
got something on my thermals and MAD. Bearing zero seven two,
distance twenty-three hundred meters."

"More Vipers ?," I asked.

"Negative. They look like vehicles. At least one Mobile HQ,
maybe two coolant trucks, and two 'Mechs confirmed."

"Picking up heavy radio traffic from that direction, Boss,"
chimed in Tony. "Encrypted and scrambled, and it's not ours. I -,
Hang on, picking up something on Scramble Hotel." He was silent
for several seconds, then he continued. "It's for you, Boss.
Howler Four-Six."

'Howler Four-Six' was the call sign for the scout troops
commander assigned to Jackson City. Howlers were the nicknames
for the scout troops assigned to the Headhunters, and some of the
meanest infantry I've ever had guarding my back. I switched over
to Scramble Hotel. "This is Delta Command Six. Password?"

"Password is Goldenrod," replied the voice which I
recognized as Lieutenant Barbara Derrickson, the officer in
charge of the platoon of Howlers we had been assigned.

"Countersign is Silvercone," I said. "OK, Lieutenant, Where
the heck are you, and why?"

"We're in the woods near the enemy's HQ, about two thousand
Meters from you," she replied in a voice tight with excitement.
"We detected radio transmissions from this area, and Captain
Barnes figures the enemy's command post was here, and sent us
looking for it. We can't get Beta over the radio to report back,
because there's too much jamming going on."

"And what do you have?"

"We have confirmed sightings on one Mobile HQ, three coolant
trucks, a Packrat scout car that we think is full of radio
jamming equipment, and half a dozen Ordnance transports. Defenses
consist of a lance of Galleons, a light 'Mech Lance consisting of
one Commando, two Wasps, one Locust, and a company of Infantry."

"Have they spotted you yet ?," I asked.

I could hear the scorn in her voice as she replied, "Delta,
these clowns couldn't find an Elemental in a broom closet. We
were about to show them all the fun you can have with Inferno
missiles when we spotted you."

"Hold off using them," I said, thinking fast. "I've got a
better use for them."

"And what's that?"

"The Trinary of Steel Vipers that's hot on our heels need
new playmates."

"The what?" I could hear the shock in her voice. "But
there's no way -"

"Lieutenant," I said in my best command voice. "In two
minutes, maybe less, you can tell the Vipers in person that
they're on the wrong planet. Now listen closely, because I'm got
time to say this once. Hold off on the infernos. Stay hidden.
Delta Command is going to come right through the middle of the
SPLF's HQ. With luck, We're going to have the Vipers in hot
pursuit. Keep you radio locked on the general frequency. When I
say the word 'Sunburst' in any context, Hit the Vipers with as
many Infernos as you can, then make a run for it. Head for the
city as fast as you can, and don't stop for anything, be it man
or machine. Is that clear?"

"Stay hidden, when you say 'Sunburst' hit the Clanners with
infernos, and run like Hades," she replied. "Got it. Anything
else?"

"Negative, Howler Four-Six. Our ETA is two minutes. Delta
Command Six out." I took a deep breath, and as I angled my 'Mech
in that direction, said "Head for that HQ.".

"But, What are we going to do ?," asked Nancy, speaking for
the first time since we started playing Tag with the Vipers.
Considering that what we had been through, she had kept up with
us the entire way with no complaint.

"We introduce ourselves, and show them the errors of their
ways."

The SPLF HQ was as Derrickson had described it, a cluster of
vehicles in a clearing in the middle of a large growth of trees.
The Howlers were right about the alertness of the guards, because
they were more then surprised when the five of us came charging
into the clearing. We opened fire in every direction, sending the
Rebels outside the vehicles scrambling for cover. One of the
coolant trucks exploded, sending liquid Nitrogen splashing
everywhere. The Packrat was the next to go up in a firestorm,
followed by the Locust. Smoke and flame was everywhere, and I
knew that if the Clanners had lost us, they now knew where to
look.

"Don't worry about hitting anything anymore," I said. "Just
keep them off balance."

"The Vipers are fifteen hundred meters away, and closing,"
announced Corlin, who was bring up the rear. "They will be here
in about thirty seconds."

"Head for the other side of the clearing," I ordered, firing
at one of the Wasps. The ERPPC struck it in the middle of its
chest, melting armor and exposing the internal structure. It
staggered, but did not go down.

The rest of my lance had reached the far end of the
clearing, and I was two-thirds away across when the ugly snout of
Star Captain John's Mad Cat stuck its nose out of the woods,
followed by the rest of the Vipers.

"This has gone far enough!," He shouted over an open
channel. "Stand and defend yourself!"

"Not today, thank you," I replied with a grin. "Why don't
you guys play nice while we go and get some milk and cookies?"

"You, Freebirth, will die slowly by my own hand," snarled
the Star Captain as his 'Mech continued to move forward.

"It's going to take more then some Superstrain of warrior to
beat the Starburst and Fist anytime soon," I said. The last words
were barely out of my mouth before the Howlers opened fire.

Several short range missiles streaked out of the surrounding
woods and impacted the armor along the right leg and torso of the
Mad Cat. The Clan 'Mech took on a hideous appearance as the flame
blazed into life. Several heartbeats later, another salvo of
missiles came out of the woods and struck the other Vipers. In
twenty seconds, all five of the Viper's 'Mechs were covered with
fire.

The Mad Cat, thinking that everyone in the clearing was on
the same side, turned slowly towards the Commando, and I saw the
SPLF 'mech step back, as if knew what was coming. The Mad Cat
took one more step forward, and opened fire. The ERPPC's tore
into the Commando like hungry wolves, sending molten pieces of
armor and 'mech in every direction. Before the SPLF 'mech could
recover, it was savaged with short range missiles and pulse
lasers. Several large explosions from inside the Commando turned
the 'Mech into flaming wreckage.

The Wasps took one look at the remains, and opened fire on
the Vipers, jumping clear as fast as their jump jets would carry
them. The Mobile HQ started to move, adding its own laser to the
assault. Before the Star Captain could react, the rest of the
Rebel vehicles decided this wasn't the healthiest place to be,
and started driving off in several directions. The Vipers shifted
their 'Mechs to open fire on the vehicles.

"OK, Delta Leader," said Derrickson, and I could hear the
smile in her voice. "Me and the boys are out of here. See you
back in the city."

"Boss, I got something from the SPLF channel I've been
monitoring," said Tony. "I think the rebel commander is yelling
for help."

"Don't blame him," I replied. "We had better clear out of
here before either the Vipers finish chewing these guys up, or
the Rebel 'Mechs show up. Corlin, you've got point, and everyone
make sure you turn on your 'Mechs FOF transmitters. Beta's is
going to be REAL jumpy for a while. All right, let's get out of
here."


It took us several days to put together what happened after
we left the SPLF and the Vipers fighting it out. The first of the
rebel 'Mechs reached the clearing just as the last of the
vehicles exploded from the Clanner's fire. Instead of pulling
back and getting the heck out of there, the SPLF, who hated
Clanners nearly as bad as they hated us, counterattacked. The
Vipers, who weren't in a very good mood anyway, proceeded to take
their aggravation out on the Skye 'Mechs. After two-hour long
battle, the Vipers retreated, leaving four of their 'Mechs on the
field, surrounded by eighteen destroyed SPLF 'Mechs.

The few rebels 'Mechs that were assigned to keep Beta
bottled up inside the city fell under the firepower of an Angry
Beta Company in a series of vicious assaults. A few ran afoul of
the other two lances of Delta, and the returning Headhunter
Aerospace fighters chewed up the last of the SPLF forces fifty
Kilometers north of the city.

After that, the SPLF movement on Alcor fell apart real
quick. A series of small battles between different factions of
the movement broke out, forcing us to intervene rather forcefully
to keep them from spreading. We ended up with close to two
thousand SPLF members and supporters behind bars before things
quieted down again.

The leaders of the SPLF didn't last much longer. The head
council's last meeting ended when the Howlers paid an unexpected
visit and arrested them. The major force behind the SPLF
movement, Baroness Diane Ralway DuBarry herself, was caught
trying to slip off-planet with a Prince's ransom in gems on her
person. A search of the Baroness' quarters confirmed that she had
financed the Skye People's Liberation Front in an attempt to
seize control of Alcor from her stepson. Talk about you evil
stepmothers....

After three weeks, everything got back to close as normal.
The Young Duke made a televised speech that explained what had
happened, placed the blame where it was due, and asked for
patience as the new government got its act together. He also
announced his upcoming wedding to one Nancy Strack, which I had
to grin at. With her beside the new Duke, I figure that Alcor
would be in safe hands for the foreseeable future.

We stayed another three months, long enough to train the
reformed Alcor Defense Forces in anti-Clan tactics, made sure
they would be loyal to the new Duke, and attend the wedding.We
even received a nice note from Prince Victor himself, thanking us
for assisting a fellow noble in his time of need. Several weeks
after the wedding, the Duke gave us a grand sendoff, something
that we are not use to getting. As I looked at the crowd that had
gathered to cheer us, I wonder how many of them had been yelling
for our heads not so long ago.

As we boosted out of system, I thought about war and
politics for a long while. War cannot exist without political
motives, and few political leaders can afford to ignore war as an
instrument of policy. The two go hand in hand, as part of human
nature. I still don't like politics, but I see it as a necessary
evil, and if given a choice, I'll take the politics of the Inner
Sphere over those of the Clans any day. At least now, I know who
my enemies are.