For Want of a War: A Battletech AU Quest

"Control, Ranger Lead. Enemies on sensors."

"Call it as you see it, Ranger Lead."

"Ranger Lead, this is Two. Clint, Valk, Spider, waiting in the wings."

"Wait for my signal, Two. Control, all I can see right now is a Stinger and a J.Edgar but my sensors are ghosting up a treat. We've got a whole lot of trouble working itself up out here," you bark back down your radio, hauling the Wolfhound around to the left.

There's a rise ahead of you, a high hill which will offer an excellent vantage point and firing position to your 'mech and to the Phoenix Hawk on your flank. It will also expose you to the entire enemy forces weapons, but that's the game you play with scouting.

"Lead, Four. Contacts resolving. Blackjack, Griffin, Firestarter. There's a whole lance down there."

"Confirm. Pull back and regroup with the rest of Ranger, then we'll hit them."

You throw the throttle backwards and feel your 'mech rock on its heels. Just as your cockpit peeks above the ridge of the hill you start to step back and keep yourself protected. You're barely quick enough as cannon rounds, lasers and even the lightning discharge of a PPC tear up the hilltop.

You shelter in the lee of the hill under furious bombardment for barely more than a moment before Ranger Two's Clint, Ranger Three's Valkyrie and the Free Worlds League Wasp joins you. As a group you plunge into the fighting proper and engage the enemy. Radio communication breaks down into snatches of half formed sentences cut through with the hiss-crackle of distortion.

"Watch your left, Two, Firestarter in the treeline."

"Focus on that Griffin, it can be mean."

"Got a hit on the Wasp!" That from the FWL pilot, excited to be working with mercenaries.

You're distracted for a moment, thinking about offering the woman a job. A punishing PPC shot to your right leg staggers your 'mech and refocuses your attention.

"This is Three, they're all over me!"

"Calm down, Gotzman, I've got you." A brief delay, a hellish wait, "Firestarter is on the ground."

"Lead this is Control."

"I'm a little busy, Orixsky!"

"I get that, Captain, but you're gonna wanna hear this. There's two Capellan fighters inbound on you."

Air power? Shit, that hadn't been on the mission plan.

"What's their ETA?"

"About three seconds."

"What!"

A pair of Meteors scream overhead, 45 ton fighter-bombers with enough firepower to decimate your lance. They dip their noses as you fire on the Griffin, lasers flashing out. For a moment you think they have just passed overhead without attacking, then Sharpe and his Phoenix Hawk disappear in a cloud of cluster bomblets and smoke. There are explosions within, a devastation of space that leaves you questioning how anything could survive. But, miraculously, when the smoke clears Sharpe is still upright and ready to fight.

Sergeant Boywifed swings their Clint's autocannon skywards and rakes one of the Meteors as it passes overhead, but it does little more than scratch the paint.

"Blackjack and Griffin both down, Lead." Sharpe reports, as if you can't see from where you have hidden your 'mech to allow it to cool down.

"Scorpion tank immobilised." Boywifed adds as an afterthought.

With their two heavy hitters out of action and the mechwarriors not even trying to rise, the remaining mobile elements of the Capellan lance turn to retreat. The Firestarter and Stinger make good speed despite damage, the J. Edgar flashing its medium laser to ward off Sabre Company from following up. Not that you have any interest. Wounded, damaged and smoking, you're far more interested in gathering up the salvage and making your own retreat before those Meteors manage to make another pass.

Sabre Company, despite winning out against a significantly superior force, doesn't get it's pick of the salvage. An AC/5, a paltry load of armour plate and a Scorpion tank chassis to sell. The FWL team takes the Griffin and the Blackjack which everyone considers extremely rude of them.

The next three days are spent desperately trying to bring 'mechs up to operational readiness before the next deployment. The Valkyrie is a lost cause - not forever, but to finish it so quickly would have taken a miracle. As it is, the Phoenix Hawk is going on its next patrol without its full armour load and the Clint is down a laser. Gotzman protests, but with his 'mech legless until the techs manage to fit the right one back on there isn't a whole lot he can say.

Salvage - we can't get a lot. But vehicles are cheap and tanks could bolster the company;
[ ] Just take those with useful parts and sell the junk.
[ ] Form a vehicle lance out of scrapped Capellan vehicles.
[ ] Ignore vehicles entirely. Save up salvage for a 'mech.