Voice 2 Colonel Helga Strakken, 93% match]: Nein, Major! I forbid you to abandon the port! It is vital to us!
Carson: Listen lady-
Strakken: Colonel!
Carson: Colonel lady, in case you didn't notice, we're getting hammered out there. My men are dying and so are yours. We've lost four 'Mechs and you're down at least a dozen tanks, if not more? We've hammered a few 'Mechs and have one of them down-
Strakken: Two down, Major
Carson: Whatever; it doesn't make any difference. In case your strudel-addled brain didn’t notice, there’s a second, fresh load of them dropping on us now. I'm not going to keep fighting a losing battle and get more of my people killed.
Strakken: How dare you speak to me like that, Mercenary! Follow my orders and hold the port!
Carson: If you have a problem with my actions or my language, then take it up with the Landgrave [Karl Pelzer]. In the meantime, I'm pulling back and preserving our forces. We might lose the spaceport, Colonel, but we can at least preserve our men and maybe have a chance of taking it back later. Getting everyone killed now archives nothing.
Strakken: Gott in himmel, they are going to take your ship, Major!
Carson: And we can take it back when we reclaim the port, Colonel, something we can't do if we get ourselves killed fighting a losing battle!
Strakken: Fine, then, pull your verdammit forces back! But mark my words, Major, the Landgrave will not look kindly on your actions.
Carson: I don't care what he thinks of me. If he wants my men to keep fighting for his revolution, then he'll keep paying us. Out.
[Transcript pause]
Carson: You hear all that?
Voice 3 [Major Markus Isling, 77% match]: I did.
Carson: Thoughts?
Isling: Besides the fact that Helga's a typical over-bred Elsie moron who got her rank without working for it?
Carson: Well yeah, besides that.
Isling: Don't worry, Conner. I'm on your side here and will back you up all the way. You did the right thing there.
Carson: So what can we do about it?
Isling: Short term, pull back to one of our fallbacks. I'll get my men out to cause enough distractions to keep them off your back a while.
Carson: I feel that I'm better off not knowing
Isling: Let's just say the recent drought conditions work to my advantage.
Carson: And after that? We're facing two merc units, and you know that the Elsies aren't going to do their share of the heavy lifting. Trust me, the Light Guards were worthless at the spaceport.
Isling: I have an idea. I heard enough comms chatter to get an ID on the two units we're facing. Give me a bit to work it, but I think I have this.
Carson: Will it get me the Apex back?
Isling: With interest.
Carson: Now you're talking.
No comments:
Post a Comment