"Get a grip on yourself, trooper. Is your Waspdamaged?”

“No. No...sir.”

“O.K. Fall in with us.”

“I've had enough..."

"We're going in there to get the Rangers out as a unit, and you're bloody well going in with us! Clay...McCall...flank him!"

The ‘Mechs swung into line again, Sonovarro's Waspunwillingly in their midst. As they trotted into the fringe of the battlefield, they encountered two more Verthandi Rangers. One was the big LoggerMechpocked with rocket craters in its flank armor. The other was a spry, angular PickerMechwith long, jointed arms that sported jury-rigged machine guns. The appearance of the Gray Death company and Grayson's quiet orders also brought these ‘Mechs around and moving south once more.

Grayson learned the tactical situation from their pilots. Large numbers of Kurita ‘Mechs had apparently been in position outside the University walls, ready to spring the trap when Thorvald and his ‘Mechs blundered in. The rebel infantry was trapped, too, though the Ranger pilots all reported seeing plenty of rebel troops fleeing on foot back toward the distant swamp. From the sound of it, the rebel action had turned into a complete rout, with the most of the Ranger ‘Mechs still caught in a shrinking pocket.

"O.K., boys and girls, we're going to flank the flankers. We'll shift to the east and come in behind the Dracos on Thorvald's left. If we can hold that flank open, maybe Thorvald can get his people out. Ready? Remember to watch for the target's IFF!"

Grayson's ‘Mech force clambered from the shallow ravine and into the light of battle. Searchlights stabbed and probed from the University walls, and autocannon fire raked the ground and the junked ruin of smashed AgroMechs . The lumbering form of a HarvestMechblundered across Grayson's HUD. He signalled the machine and got its pilot turned around and heading south.

Another ‘Mech now loomed huge among the shadows. There was no need to query the machine's IFF. Grayson recognized its shape as a Marauder,scarred and battered but still firing bursts of PPC fury with both arms. Grayson brought his laser up to point and mashed down on the firing button. White light speared the heavier ‘Mech as armor boiled from an already glowing wound on its left torso close to the ball-and-socket joint of its left arm. From Grayson’s right, another burst of laser fire joined his as Lori's smaller Locusttore into the Marauderwith unexpected savagery.

The Marauderspun away, its left arm dragging now. Grayson tracked the target relentlessly, bringing the crosshairs of his autocannon reticule down on the enemy ‘Mech's crippled arm and triggering the weapon into a rolling crescendo of raw sound. Autocannon shells struck. Trailing sparks, the Marauder'sleft arm went spinning into the night. The snapping flashes of electrical short circuiting lit the green coolant fluid spraying from the red-hot wound.

Another target appeared to the right, attacking Lori. Grayson's computer named it a CN9-A Centurion,a 50-ton ‘Mech with a heavy, right-arm autocannon as well as missiles and lasers. The Centurion'sautocannon was firing steadily, its muzzle flash lighting up its own angular body armor. Grayson fired his own autocannon in reply, a long, rolling burst of shells across the enemy ‘Mech's torso armor, hammering at the flip-aside panels protecting its left-chest LRM launch tubes.

Shells from the CN9 struck Grayson's Shadow Hawkin the left leg and arm, the impact smashing him backward a step and jerking him about The movement pulled his autocannon off target, and so he swung his right arm laser up for a second volley. The bolt streaking from the ‘Mech's extended arm engulfed the Centurion'sflat head in white light. With the pilot momentarily dazzled, Grayson urged his Shadow Hawkforward in a lumbering run. Too late, the Centurion'sautocannon shifted its aim. Grayson's Hawkswept past the upraised weapon and cannonballed into the lighter ‘Mech with a clang of impacting armor that rang in Grayson's cockpit like the unbearable clangor of an enormous bell. Both ‘Mechs went down in a tangle of arms and legs.

This close, Grayson's slightly heavier ‘Mech was actually at a disadvantage against the Centurion.He could bring to bear none of his own weapons on the ‘Mech struggling underneath him, but the CN9 had a pair of Photech 806c medium lasers built into its torso. As the combatants grappled, the enemy triggered Photechs at point-blank range into the Hawk'sarmor, rocketing its internal temperature up by 50 degrees.

The only way Grayson could strike back was hand-to-hand. He closed his Hawk'sleft hand into a steel fist that drove with explosive force into the right side of the Centurion'shead. Armor that could absorb or refract millions of joules of laser power was hard-pressed to deflect the kinetic energy of such a blow. The Centurion'sarmor plate buckled, and its neck traverse bearings groaned. Grayson struck again and again.

Even if the CN9's pilot were still conscious, he would be in no position to operate his ‘Mech. Grayson's armored fist descended once more, striking knife-edged into the cockpit. High-impact plastic shattered, and a trickle of oily smoke trailed from the ‘Mech's shattered head as Grayson withdrew the Hawk'ssteel fingers from the ruin of man and metal. During Grayson's brief but deadly fight with the Centurion,his men had swepped past in their ‘Mechs and begun to engage the other enemy machines at close range.

The Gray Death's arrival on the battlefield had provided unexpected reinforcements from an unexpected quarter, catching the Combine forces completely by surprise. As Grayson strode into the general melee, the blaze of a crumpled Kurita Orionlit his way. It had been caught in a deadly crossfire between McCall's Riflemanand Clay's Wolverine.The solid fuel cores of the missile reloads stored in the big ‘Mech's left torso must have been hit and ignited.

As Grayson scanned the battlefield rapidly, his Hawk'sIR imaging system highlighted other ‘Mechs in white and red colors that stood out starkly from the cool blue of the screen. BattleMechs produce enormous amounts of heat just standing in one spot, idling. In combat, a ‘Mech's heat stands out like a magnesium-tipped flare. Grayson's computer overlaid the IFF signals, quickly separating friend from foe.

The relentless advance of the Kurita forces was crowding the Verthandi Rangers, who were still up but fighting into a smaller and smaller pocket. The Gray Death Legion was already mingling with the rearmost of the enemy attackers. Jaleg Yorulis caught an enemy Waspfrom behind with laser fire from his own Wasp.The first shot penetrated the enemy ‘Mech's armor and smashed through to its jump jets. A second shot resulted in a savage, fire-spewing explosion that hurled the Kurita Waspforward and down, trailing flaming debris.

Debrowski's Wasphad joined Lori's Locustin a flame-versus-laser duel with an oddly hunchbacked Vulcan.The 40-ton Vulcan,normally an even match for the two smaller ‘Mechs, was already damaged and down on one leg. Its two antagonists had drawn well clear of the Vulcan'sforward-pointing laser and autocannon, with Lori concentrating highly accurate laser fire against the stored tanks of CSC fuel for anti-infantry flamer in the enemy's right arm.

The Vulcanhad already snapped off short bursts from the flamer, but two nimble Waspshad slipped aside each time. It raised its right arm for another shot at Lori's ‘Mech, but a bolt from her Locusthad caught a fuel tank and the arm exploded in orange flame that towered into the spark-shot sky. For an instant, the Vulcanknelt there, half engulfed in the pillar of flame. When its stores of autocannon rounds suddenly exploded, its torso burst into fiery fragments and rattling shrapnel against Grayson's cockpit screens.