FSE

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The tranquility of village life is abruptly shattered.

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Refuge

by TypicalFloof

Chapter 10: Shock and Awe

Chapter Theme: Stallion - Dynamiter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnnF9NOorlc

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“What the goddamned hell is that?!" Lieutenant Randall exclaimed. The current watch officer — “Rinse" to those who knew him well — was the XO of Baker Company's DropShip. He had nearly spilled his coffee at the image dominating the bridge's large viewscreen.

“Lieutenant, Capellan DropShip is performing an in-atmo burn!" came the reply from one of the on-duty petty officers.

“Salas, do we have a firing solution?" the XO asked.

“Negative, sir," Chief Petty Officer Salas said.

Rinse chewed his lip. He grabbed the bridge phone and paused before dialing. “Salas," he barked.

“Sir?"

“I want a projection of that flying softball's trajectory as soon as I get off the horn with the Captain!"

“Aye aye!"

Rinse dialed and Captain Hoffman picked up after two rings. “What is it, Rinse," the awakened DropShip captain asked. Rinse could tell he was fighting to clear the cobwebs from his mind.

“Sir, we picked up Devraux's DropShip on our scanners! It's lifted off!"

“What the— Rinse, this had better not be a joke," Hoffman replied. He and the lieutenant had a long history and were known to play the occasional prank on each other.

“Cap'n, honest to God, I'm dead serious. I should have its trajectory any minute now," Rinse replied.

“I'll be topside in two," the captain said, hanging up.

“Salas?" Rinse asked.

“Softball's estimated landing point is due northeast of our location," Salas said. “Two klicks west of the mountain range. I pushed it to your screen, sir."

Huh, pretty damn short jump, Rinse thought after looking at the dotted arc on his screen.

At that moment, the captain appeared and he looked at the screen with his XO.

“Damn short jump," Hoffman mused. “Doesn't make any damn sense. Do we know what's over there, Rinse?"

“I can find out, sir," Rinse replied. “But I pinged Colonel Roget and he should be here any minute. I figured he'd want to hear about this too."

“Good thinking."

The colonel stomped onto the bridge, mustache aflutter. “Hoffman," he said with a nod.

Many DropShip captains demanded that any MechWarrior aboard their ship address them as “Captain," but Hoffman and the colonel were friendly enough that he didn't insist upon the practice. It helped that Roget had rescued his DropShip from damage or capture, at great personal risk, on more than one occasion.

Roget smoothed his handlebar mustache and eyed the bridge's main viewscreen and then Hoffman. “What the hell is Devraux up to now?"

“Devraux's plotted trajectory is somewhere east; here." The captain pointed to the blinking circle on the small screen.

“Hoffman, make sure to backtrack the sonofabitch's flight path and mark his origin. Bastard finally showed himself."

Captain Hoffman nodded. “Already done. What do you want to do, Roget?"

Roget considered, liberating a cigarette from a pack in his pocket. He lit up and inhaled. “Devraux's up to something. Could be a diversion…" The colonel focused on the DropShip's estimated landing site.

“There's nothing for miles around, except for…" Roget's eyes narrowed. He touched his radio. “Freeman!" he said.

“Sir!" Freeman replied after some delay. Though the sergeant was not currently on patrol, he was on-call.

“I want you to get to a terminal and punch up the map. Look at the coordinates I'm sending you."

Freeman answered affirmatively and soon added a “Ready, sir!"

Roget explained and sent the coordinates obtained from the bridge crew. “There's nothing there except for an anthro village, right?"

“That's correct, sir. Casey and I looked into it before…" Freeman hesitated, then caught himself. “Ah, sir, that's the only notable structure or habitation in the area."

“Copy, Sergeant. Out."

Roget folded his arms. Freeman's inadvertent mention of the fallen MechWarrior had gotten the wheels turning in the colonel's brain. Baker Company had recovered Jenson's 'Mech northeast of Vella, near the dogleg where most of the major rivers changed direction from flowing west to southwest. Roget squinted at the map on Lt. Randall's screen, mentally calculating where Jenson's Locust had gone down.

Roget looked up at Hoffman.

“Are you thinking what I'm thinking," Hoffman asked.

“Probably," Roget said. “My MechWarrior was downed right about here." He pointed a stubby finger at the map. “My boys tell me there's an anthro village here." He pointed again and blew out a cloud of smoke.

“Beg pardon, Colonel, but what does that have to do with Devraux?" Lt. Randall asked.

“We never found Jenson's body. What if he wasn't killed? What if he survived and somehow made it to the village?" Roget looked at the officers standing next to him.

Hoffman scratched his head. “It's a little fuzzy, Colonel, but I recall a militia patrol being attacked shortly after your recon lance was mixing it up with the Capellans. The patrol was hit right about here." The captain indicated a spot about two klicks east of the dogleg. “No way he survived that!"

Roget exhaled cigarette smoke and stubbed out the butt in a nearby ashtray. “That's the only thing I can figure," he said, putting his hands on his hips. “Devraux may be a crazy bastard, but he's not stupid. He wouldn't expose his DropShip, probable base camp location, and move away from his objective unless something really grabbed his attention. My money is on that something being one Sgt. Casey Jenson."

Hoffman looked thoughtful before shaking his head. “All right, let's say you're right. What do you want me to do?"

Roget smirked. “Nothing. I'm not mobilizing unless absolutely necessary. Devraux probably has a secondary force that could sweep right through Vella if we left on a wild goose chase. But Hoffman," he added as he stepped back, “keep one of our Boomerangs in the air. If a bird so much as shits on that DropShip, I want to know about it!"

***

It was a tight squeeze, but Captain Royce made it work. The Capellan DropShip touched down in a whirlwind of scorched earth in a valley about 1.5 klicks west of their target. Devraux cracked his knuckles as he stood at the bridge.

“Lieutenant, report!" he barked into his radio.

“Sir, Light Lance has just reached the base of the mountain," Wei panted.

“Excellent! Proceed as planned. Devraux out!" Wei had made the sprint in record time. He knew his lance would be tired, but the fun that awaited them at the top of the mountain would serve as sufficient motivation. Devraux gratefully accepted a cup of coffee and smirked as he watched his 'Mechs start their climb. What say you now, Roget?

***

Grismore's ears flicked at the strange thumping sound. This was the second strange noise he'd heard since coming on evening watch. He hadn't been on-duty for very long before hearing the first. That one had sounded like the sky was splitting open. The road was blocking Grismore's view of the valley, but he had been able to glimpse the last vestiges of an orange fireball as it descended. He had no idea what he'd seen; just that it probably meant bad news.

The rhythmic thumping continued, so Grismore retrieved his bolt-action rifle from the corner and double-checked that it was loaded. Satisfied, he set the rifle across his knees.

He didn't have very long to wait. Within minutes, the stomping had almost grown deafening to the badger's sensitive hearing. Grismore brought the rifle up to his shoulder and squinted through the scope. He could see puffs of dust rising from the final switchback of the mountain trail. An uneasy feeling settled into the pit of the badger's stomach. The hackles on the back of his neck rose as he glimpsed the first form turn the corner.

Grismore's eyes widened as he realized how rapidly the form was approaching. Its speed was much faster than that of a horse, even at full gallop. The badger could hardly believe his eyes. The running figure had materialized into a sprinting, bipedal machine.

It can't be! he thought. They're too big for the trail! And there's no way they could've found the trailhead!

Grismore snicked the safety off with his thumb. Thoughts consumed by the machines in his scope, he decided to let them get a little closer before firing a shot.

***

Wei whooped as he spotted a wide, wooden wall blocking his path. The hideous mongrel had been right! Not that Wei had ever doubted the mongrel's sincerity. But Wei's personal conviction was one thing; maintaining a lance's morale while sprinting across empty terrain for hours upon hours was a different story. Wei was glad his men were finally seeing some fruit from their harried journey.

The Firestarter's cameras easily spotted the small shack off to the left side of the road. Wei had an unobstructed view since his 'Mech was in the lead. The lieutenant grinned as his thermal sensors picked up body heat inside the shack. Stupid animal! You should've run when you had the chance!

Wei's index finger hovered over the trigger of his torso-mounted machine guns as the range to his target plummeted. C'mon, c'mon! Wei began firing before his computer gave him a solution. It didn't matter. Wei's hand was steady on the stick as he fired a burst that stitched through the shack and gouged huge holes in the tiny building's walls. He signaled his lancemates and slowed to a walk just before reaching the structure. Wei grinned at the slumped form lying in the dirt. Humans — 1, filth — 0!

Chaos reigned as the Firestarter smashed through the palisade. Wei pulled up just past the splintered remains of the wall and laughed at the scurrying forms fleeing in fear. None of them looked like a human, though. Wei shrugged and triggered a burst from his flamer. The jet of flame sprayed over a few stragglers, incinerating them on the spot. Panicked screams greeted him as his lance fanned out behind him. Devraux didn't care what happened to the village as long as Casey wasn't killed. The fact that the enemy MechWarrior hadn't appeared right away just meant Wei got to have more fun.

***

Casey and Nora had just set out on a walk from her house to investigate an unusual noise when a staccato burst broke the evening tranquility. He jerked, recognizing the sound instantly. “Everybody down!" he roared. The few nearby anthros dove to the ground at his command. Casey shoved Nora behind a house that lay between them and the front of the village.

“Shit!" he exclaimed.

“Was that a machine gun?" Nora asked breathlessly. Her words were punctuated with a tremendous crash.

Casey nodded tersely. He sprang to his feet.

“Hey!" Nora shouted at his sprinting form. She caught up to him inside her living room yanking the rifle from its corner.

“What the hell do you think you're doing?" she asked, blocking the doorway.

“Let me through! I have to—"

Casey froze as a new noise greeted his ears. It was horrible.

“What's that?" Nora asked.

“Fire," he whispered. He knew the dreaded whooshing signaled the presence of at least one flamer. Casey felt the blood drain from his face. The entire village would go up like matchsticks if set alight by one of those. His blood chilled as he caught the first sounds of screaming villagers.

He stepped close to Nora and looked intently at the fox.

“Listen to me!" he said, grabbing her shoulder. “I'll approach the 'Mech. You—"

“What?" Nora blurted. “What do you mean? You're not going out there!"

Casey held her gaze. “I am," he said. “Somehow, a Liao 'Mech found us." He shifted to push his way past her.

“Wait!" Nora said, pressing a paw to his chest. “How do you know!"

“Besides the gunfire? Baker Company doesn't have any 'Mechs with flamers," he said. “And whoever is on watch would have sounded the alarm if man-portable flamers showed up."

“But you can't go out there!" Nora said. Casey heard the terrible sound of another drawn-out burst of flame. He shook his head.

“I have to! I'm the one they want. They'll kill everyone in the village to get to me." Casey felt the dreadful weight of terrible certainty settle onto his shoulders. He was a fool to have believed that word of a human's arrival in the village wouldn't spread. I should have known! This is my fault!

“Don't do this," she pleaded. Her paw clenched the fabric of his shirt. “Please!"

Casey and Nora stood eye-to-eye. He could see her eyes glistening with tears. She blinked, desperately trying to hold them back.

“I need you to promise me something," Casey said, failing to keep his voice steady.

“What?" Nora whispered as Casey took her paw gently and pried it off his shirt.

“Forget about me. I know how the Capellans operate; I've seen what they're capable of. Once they take me…" Casey swallowed past the lump in his throat.

Nora shook her head as a few tears escaped her eyes. “I can't," she choked.

“Promise me!" Casey snarled.

Nora flinched and then gave an almost-imperceptible nod. Her tail looked like it was trying to disappear between her legs. Casey's heart twinged at her look of acute misery, but he jerked away and raced out the door. Nora lurched and caught herself on the doorframe. Casey's sprinting form blurred as she fought for control.

Tears wet the fur on Nora's cheeks. She closed her eyes. “I love you," she whispered.

But Casey was long gone, pounding down the lane. Reaching the infirmary on the corner, he carefully poked his eye around the end of the building. It was worse than he feared.

Three 'Mechs stood at the entrance of the main road in a semicircle: a Firestarter, a Stinger, and a Locust. The bright paint of Devraux's company crest against the 'Mechs' camouflage patterns was unmistakable in the evening light. Quiet fell over the village. Not an anthro moved, and the 'Mechs stood stock-still. The silence was shattered by a strident voice that rang throughout the village.

“Animal vermin! This is Lieutenant Zhong Wei, of House Liao! You filth are hiding something I want! Bring me the human MechWarrior, and no more harm will come to your village! Otherwise, I will start torching these buildings, one-by-one!" To underscore the point, the Firestarter shot a jet of flame just above the roof of the closest building. Casey knew the superheated plasma would make short work of every structure in the village. They would all burn.

“You have one minute! Starting now!" Wei ordered. Casey exhaled. His rifle was useless. He had brought it in case there were any ground troops, but he couldn't spot any; only the three 'Mechs menacing the village entrance.

Casey laid the rifle down and rounded the corner, hands raised. Not a sound was heard except his footsteps crunching the dirt. Casey was sure the MechWarriors could see him now.

“I'm here!" he yelled. His throat went dry. Casey's body was screaming at him to turn and bolt, but he continued his slow advance. He very much doubted that Wei would leave the village alone once he was captured. Casey fervently hoped the village had some passageway or road at its opposite end. They had to flee once Wei was distracted with him!

The 'Mechs towered over Casey now. Were they going to light him up here, in the middle of the street? It seemed like a lot of trouble just to kill one MechWarrior. There had to be something else the Capellans wanted. Like information.

Casey swallowed. So they were going to capture him and presumably take him to their camp. He wondered idly how he was supposed to get down the mountain inside one of the light 'Mech's small cockpits. The Locust and Stinger were out of the question; the cockpits of those 'Mechs were notoriously cramped. Guess I'll be hitching a ride in the Firestarter, he thought. He stopped at the 'Mech's feet.

With a jolt, he realized that if the Firestarter was forced to transport him somewhere, the remaining two 'Mechs were not equipped with flamers! Casey doubted all three 'Mechs would descend the mountain. It would make sense to keep at least one 'Mech in the village to pacify the anthros. That would be small comfort to them, but at least they wouldn't burn. As easily. For the time being.

The wind shifted, carrying a ghastly stench. Casey's eye was drawn to a blackened patch of earth behind the 'Mechs. He fought the urge to vomit as he spied charred remains at its edges.

Casey saw the Firestarter's hatch pop open, quickly followed by the other two. The Capellans kicked down ladders and clambered out of their cockpits. Wei reached the ground first and leveled a submachine gun at Casey. The other MechWarriors' boots hit the dirt. They trained their guns on him while Wei strode forward.

“Wei," Casey said. He didn't mask the vitriol in his voice. Casey weaved his fingers together and rested his palms on his head.

“Casey," Wei said, stopping just short of him. Wei grinned. “Do you know who killed your Locust?" he asked.

Like all of Roget's MechWarriors, Casey had closely studied the profiles of his enemies. MechWarriors were a small, elite group, and it paid to know your opponents' strengths and weaknesses.

Casey shrugged. He knew the answer, but he was stalling for time. Run! he screamed internally.

“It was Parks," Wei said. Casey recognized the name in connection to the Orion. It had been the Orion's autocannon shot into his 'Mech's leg that sent Casey careening into the river.

He raised an eyebrow. “Richards didn't take any credit for winging me with his laser?" Richards usually liked the Marauder, which had scored the initial hit. Wei chuckled. It was an ugly sound.

Casey noticed Wei's height and grinned. The man's profile listed him as standing five feet, eight inches tall. But Casey was 5' 8", and he could clearly see Wei was nowhere close to his height. Casey guessed he barely made it to 5' 5".

He continued. “Well, it was nice of you to let Parks tag along, short stuff. I thought you Capellans were an all-boys club. But you know, it's sweet that you let Parks out of the kitchen every once in a while. Tell me, how many times has she rejected—"

Casey was able to tense immediately before Wei's punch connected with his gut, but it still caused him to double over and crumple to his knees.

Wei leaned in, grabbing his hair. He wrenched his neck and forced Casey to look up at him.

“I see you've gone native, Casey," he said, gesturing to his earth-colored clothes. “It's too bad one of your mongrel friends didn't like you so much."

“Wha-what?" Casey gasped.

Wei grinned and stared at Casey, gloating. Finally, he laughed and released his grip on his hair. “You know Matthew, don't you? Gray fox, stupid face, missing a tail?"

Casey racked his brain but he didn't remember seeing any anthros that had their tails missing. Who the hell was Matthew? His brow furrowed and Wei laughed again at his concentration. Wasn't there a gray fox serving food at the feast, Casey wondered. He felt lightheaded as understanding dawned on him.

“That's right," Wei said. “It came to us, actually. I had a little fun with it, the creature spilled its guts, and then I…" Wei made the motion of cutting scissors. Casey warded off another wave of nausea. If he got ahold of any more of the villagers…

“I'm getting bored," Wei said. “Stuff the mercenary into one of your 'Mechs and get moving!"

The MechWarrior to Casey's left cocked his head. “Um, sir? Neither of us can fit him in our cockpits."

Wei paused, one foot on the rung of the Firestarter's ladder. Casey saw him silently curse. Wei approached and Casey stood to his feet drawing shaky breaths.

“Fine," Wei spat. “I'll just have to come back later." He motioned and the Capellans stepped forward. Casey tensed as the man on the left raised the butt of his gun. He smashed it into the side of Casey's head, and then everything went dark.