Missiles and lasers, PPCs and autocannons all fired from within the darkness toward the street and back out again as Bullseye and Fox lances joined Redburn in his ambush. From his left, Andrew saw SRMs fly in from the squat, birdlike Jennersthat made up Bullseye lance, and they were followed up by skilled laser fire from the same 'Mechs. From the right flank, two Jennersin Fox lance struck. The two Panthersthat completed that Lance's complement of 'Mechs unleashed PPC blasts at the most heavily armored of the Liao invaders, then launched volleys of SRMs to capitalize on the damage their particle beams had done.

Fire turned the night into day as chaos reigned. Andrew traded PPC blasts with a Vindicator.The Liao attack buckled armor plates on his Marauder'sright arm, but failed to damage the PPC mechanism. Almost as though the PPC pod had merely absorbed the energy, it spat the cerulean bolt back at the Vindicator,tearing a hideous scar through the armor over the other 'Mech's heart. The medium laser on the same arm flayed armor from the Liao 'Mech's left flank, while the other arm's medium laser sliced through the armor on the Vindicator'sright hip.

The Vindicator'spilot shifted his 'Mech back toward the left to protect his wounded flank. The PPC mounted as its right forearm vomited out another jagged lightning spear, again blasting armor from the Marauder'sright arm. Andrew watched as the computer redrew the 'Mech's right arm with only a minimal amount of armor. Next hit wastes that arm. Best use it now!

Andrew dropped the gold targeting crosshairs onto the image of his enemy and again fired with one PPC and two medium lasers to avoid a heat buildup. As though the 'Mech realized the threat the Vindicatorrepresented, the Maraudervented its fury on the Vindicator'sright arm. The blue PPC beam arced its way up and down the limb, blasting layer after layer of glowing ferro-ceramic armor off into the night. The right-arm laser sliced along the Liao PPCs barrel, splitting the last of the armor, then skewering a heat sink in a spray of green-yellow coolant. The left-arm laser pulsed into the Vindicator'sshoulder. Corded myomer muscle snapped, torn fibers flailing wildly, as the beam slashed through it. The laser tracked up into the joint, melting titanium bones. With a thundercrack and flash of bloody light, the Vindicator'sright arm cartwheeled off into the darkness.

The Vindicator'sneutralization gave Andrew a moment to survey the battlefield. At least two of Fox lance's Jennerswere down and burning, but a Liao Scorpionhad lost its two front legs. On the left, Andrew couldn't see Bullseye lance, but the continued fire coming from and heading back to their position told him that at least some of them still lived. Up on the hill, where Cat lance would have jumped the Liao 'Mechs sent to root out the Valkyrie,Andrew saw two burning buildings and the stuttered flash of autocannons, but could not make order out of the chaos up there.

Despite the damage taken in the ambush, the Death Commandos continued to push their way up the hill toward Yare Industries. They've stripped off their medium 'Mechs to tie us up while most of their heavies head toward the target. I don't want to, but I'll have to commit my reserves.Andrew punched a button on his command console. "Now, Craon, bring Gorgon, Hellion, and Jackal lances in. We have to stop them now!"

Craon led the three Kathil Militia lances out from hiding to cut across the Liao line of march. Gorgon lance, composed of four UrbanMechs,fired their autocannons in unison on the Ostsolleading the Liao advance. Armor exploded from the 'Mech's torso, blasted away by twin sprays of depleted uranium projectiles. One hail of shells ripped off the Ostsol'sright arm, half twisting the heavy 'Mech around with the ferocity of the attack. The fourth 'Mech's fire blasted armor from the Ostsol'sleft leg, yet the Ostsoldid not go down, despite heavy damage.

The Ostsolconcentrated its return fire on one of the UrbanMechs.Two large laser beams shot from the Ostsol'schest, impaling the smaller 'Mech. Armor evaporated under the laser's hellish caress, then internal structures, half-melted, exploded outward in a gout of black smoke. The smaller 'Mech staggered back, sagging into a building, more of its guts running in molten streams down its torso than actually remained in place.

Hellion lance, a matched quartet of Javelins,launched flights of SRMs at the Liao Marauderfollowing the Ostsol.Half the missiles corkscrewing in on their target blossomed into fiery clouds of napalm that covered and clung to the Marauderlike a burning skin. The other missiles exploded after impact, ripping away chunks of the 'Mech's armored flesh, but they neither hurt nor slowed the birdlike 'Mech.

Andrew's mouth went dry. They mixed their SRM loads . . . they're carrying inferno rockets! Are they crazy? That's like strapping plastique to yourself.Even as the thought came to him, Andrew found himself grimly pleased with their action. At least they hit the right 'Mech—damnedMarauders run hot anyway. . .

The Marauderpilot had already picked out his targets and fired both PPCs before he knew what he was facing. The blue fire from his right claw hit one Jennerdead-center, stripping the armor from its chest as though it were a paper label. That Jennerstaggered, but remained upright. The other PPC bolt flayed the armor from its target's left flank, spinning the second Jenneraway and into a small house.

The heat buildup from firing both PPCs and the inferno rockets ignited the autocannon ammo stored in the Marauder. Aseries of explosions bulged the armor on the 'Mech's left side, then burst outward in a jet of silver flame. The blast spun the Marauderaround, tossing it through a building like a ragdoll. Its flaming corpse ignited yet another fire in Yare's corporate township.

Jackal lance moved its four Commandosup to block the roadway, but the next Liao 'Mech scornfully ignored their threat. Heedless of the damage done as their SRM volleys peppered its hide, the hunched-over Cataphractraced forward, battering the two central Commandosaside and bursting free of the Davion lines. Behind it followed an entire heavy lance.

Craon stepped his Hunchbackinto the breach and let fly with the shoulder-mounted autocannon. The heavy gun vomited a stream of metal that blasted armor from the Cataphract'sleft leg, but failed to cripple or stop the 'Mech's headlong charge. Swatting the Hunchbackaside, the Cataphractcontinued its race to the top of the hill. The blow crushed the Hunchback'scockpit.

"No! Robert!" A burning rushed up from Andrew's stomach to his throat as he saw the Hunchbackcrumple. He raised both of the Marauder'sarms, directing them toward the Cataphract'sback, but the Liao 'Mech slipped over the horizon before the computer would give him a lock.

Andrew slapped a button on his command console, opening a channel to all Davion defenders. "They're through our lines. Move it if you're able and harass them. They can't get to the plant! Morgan, do you copy?"

Andrew looked up as four strobing explosions lit the horizon. For half a second, he thought the Cataphracthad managed to destroy the generating station, but then he saw the 'Mech appear again at the top of the hill. Staggering backward, then twisting around like a drunken sailor, the Cataphractcareened down the street it had conquered just moments before. As it rolled down the hill, bits and pieces of it littered the ground behind. Finally, the 'Mech came to rest against Craon's Hunchback.