Journal Extract 75323-Rho

[Honestly? Between them the kids are walking security leaks. If not for their parentage, they would have both been discharged long ago or otherwise ‘retired’. Then again, they’re far form the first idiot offspring of mercenary officers. At least one of them might not be a problem too much longer]

When (deleted) the Major first found out about the Ashburton government hiring mercs, she was furious. Then when she found out who they were, she was strangely okay with it, which is rather strange what with our past and all that. She figured that we would lie low for a while and get a read on the Irregulars, their full capabilities and what they were doing, and then make her move.  She was even okay with them taking out one of the pirate bands, though it ain’t like they’re exactly a big loss to begin with.

So the Major had the idea of luring out one of their lances into an ambush. The plan was to use recon lance to act as bait to draw them in and then have my lance to take them out. Seemed simple enough, right? We even had a fallback escape route into the canyons should things go bad. ‘course, none of it went even remotely right to begin with. (Deleted) (deleted) frig it, trying to keep this professional sounding Scout lance managed to bait one of the units looking for us all right, but it was a freaking heavy lance. So they weren’t just running towards us for the trap but also running for their lives, and Scout Lead was screaming like he allways does when he gets in over his head (happens a lot too).

Unidentified Warhammer IIC

I sprang the trap with my lance stepping up while Recon scattered and tried to flank them. At first it looked like we were doing okay (Took a lot of armour off a Vulture and a Stalker in the opening), but then they managed to take out two of Scout Lance in quick succession which threw them off. I pressed the attack no less while Scout Lead tried to cut around the back with a Commando to unload on their rears.

And then it all went to (deleted) (deleted) (deleted) hell.

Our comms went out, filled with all sorts of noise and crap. A pair of droppers flew over and dumped their loads on us. At first I thought that the Irregulars had called in reinforcements and had turned our trap around. But then I saw what it was and it was so much worse. There were ten ‘Mechs advancing on us, headed up by one of those Warwolf things and with a mess of other Wolf heavies and mediums behind us. One of them called out a challenge to one of the Irregulars, a guy called Randy who had apparently done him some great injustice in past.

Not that this was about just him, mind you, as they made their intent clear straight out. The Warwolf simply perforated (deleted) Scout Lead’s Cadaver with a single shot, ripping straight through its torso. I saw him eject, but there was no way that we were going to be able to retrieve him, given that we suddenly had a pile of Wolfs bearing down on us. The Irregulars didn’t help none neither, taking out the last of Scout lance while ripping chunks out of my lance’s Cataplut.

More importantly, they were suddenly cut off from the rest of their forces. I figured that we were better off working together rather then letting the Clanners pick us apart, and offered them an option of retreating south back to our lines. At the same time, I was desperately calling in artillery support to cover us. They agreed, figuring that we were probably the lesser of the two evils or something.

Their Stalker helped us pull back by spreading smoke missiles across the battlefield, cutting off the Wolfs’ long-range weapons and buying us some time. We needed it two, as once of their lances was fitted out entirely with fast mediums who simply ran through the smoke and kept harassing our forces as a pack while we pulled back. A few of their heavies were also joining in the fray; a Mad Cat was taking shots at my own Wammer, and was carving up huge chunks of my armour.

Warwolf, Beta Galaxy, Wolf Empire

The Irregulars Uziel kept bouncing about their lines, helping to keep them off-balance and break up their lines. We got lucky when we managed to take out a Fenris, though by that point everyone was ragged. I reckon the Stalker was nearly stripped of armour, while my own Wammer weren’t doing much better. I knocked the Mad Cat down an’ while that didn’t stop it, that did buy us some time as it were no longer vomiting lasers and LRMs at us.

And then we got our break. Smoke shells began raining down from our artillery, creating the cover we needed to escape. I lead our two groups further south, figuring we could negotiate some sort of deal later when we didn’t have nine angry clanners riding our asses. What I didn’t expect was what (deleted) the major did next. She’d called up the rest of the unit and had them lying in wait for us, leaving the Irregulars facing a wall of ‘Mechs and tanks. She demanded that they power down and surrender, which they really didn’t have much of a choice about. They were carted off, while the Major congratulated me for dropping their ‘Mechs in their lap. Never mind that she’d just lost four of her own (including her own (deleted) one of her officers) but she was acting like it was Christmas all of a sudden.

And then I was accosted by Captain MacDougal who demanded to know why I’d left his boy behind. It weren’t like I really had a chance to get him back; he went down behind the Clan lines, and only one of my ‘Mechs had hands (And it’s not like a Thud is exactly a speed machine neither). The Major managed to appease him somewhat by saying she had a plan.

Me? Personally, I feel like ass. I mean, the Irregulars are our enemies and all, but they did help my lance escape and keep my men alive. It just don’t seem right to treat them like this.