MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries/Final Exam

Final Exam

MechWarrior’s Campaign Journal

At last, some real combat. I heard this morning that a Roughrider pursuit lance was cut off from its company when it followed several crippled pirate ‘Mechs into a forest. They were quickly surrounded in a pirate ambush and two were killed. The other two escaped, but one took a full volley of SRMs, two of which struck his cockpit. He is badly wounded, but still hasn’t ejected. They were trying to give him first aid instructions over the radio for the better part of an hour this morning. I still can’t get the sound of his screaming out of my head.

Unther has told me that he and I are going to clean out a pirate ambush point. Apparently, two pirates are waiting just outside our landing zone, hoping to intercept our two wounded buddies on their way back to the DropShip. This might be my last entry. God, I don’t want to die on Venaria.

Briefing

Sergeant Unther, Hansen’s Roughriders: Well, it’s time to see if you’re ready for combat. Follow me. We’re going to take on a couple of pirates.

• Codename: Final Exam
• Planet: Venaria
• Terrain: Rolling Hills
• Time: Day
• Mean Temperature: 28 Celsius
• Mission Pay: 300,000 plus bounty
• Expected Resistance: Pirates
• Your Call-Sign: “Kid” or “Hey-You”

Unther: Go to NAV ALPHA and then NAV BETA. At NAV BETA, you must destroy two enemy ‘Mechs. Listen to your trainer over the course of the mission. Return to the DropShip Wild-Ride when your mission is complete.

Objectives

• Target: Destroy enemies at NAV BETA
• Return: DropShip Wild-Ride

During Mission

Unther: Today, we get to do some real killing. God, I love mixing business with pleasure. Head for NAV ALPHA. I’ll explain on the way.

Unther: Early this morning, the fighting got pretty thick, and some of the boys in our unit were cut off. Two are dead, one is badly wounded but still in his ‘Mech. A couple of enemy ‘Mechs are waiting to ambush the survivors up ahead at NAV BETA. We need to clear them out so our friends can get back to our DropShip. Stop at NAV ALPHA.

Unther: We’ve got two contacts up ahead. One’s in a Javelin – the smaller one on the left. Nasty, close-range ‘Mech. Ya gotta take him. Shoot for his cockpit! Kill the meat, save the metal.

Unther: All right, let’s move out to NAV BETA. You take care of the Javelin. Remember, that’s the one on the left, and I’ll take care of the other enemy. If you get killed, try to scream a lot, so I’ll know I’m on my own.

Unther: Good shooting! Welcome to Glory Road, kid!

Unther: Wild-Ride, this is Strike One. Mission Accomplished. We’re headin’ back.

Unther: Good work! And kid, don’t think of them as people you killed. Just think of them as a line on your résumé.

Unther: That’s it, all enemies down or in retreat. Damn, I won’t get much of a bonus for this campaign. One more mission, and I could afford that two-bed, two bath back on Outreach.

Unther: Head back to the DropShip, kid. I’ve got some hunting to do.

MISSION SUCCESSFUL

Aftermath

Unther: Not bad, kid. Our retreating comrades owe you their lives. They would never have survived a pitched battle in their damaged ‘Mechs.

ComStar News Service

On Venaria at 2:30 local time, the pirates made their last, desperate attack on the Draconis Combine and their mercenary support. Hansen’s Roughriders bore the brunt of the fighting, losing seven BattleMechs and destroying two depleted pirate companies. The battle for Venaria is finished, and the pirates have all been captured or killed. Only two pirates remain at large, their bodies unrecovered.

The reason for the pirate attack remains a mystery. Apparently abandoning their defensive positions in the city around noon, local time, the pirates struck out against the Combine in a suicidal attack that left their forces decimated in less than an hour.

Anonymous Venarian citizens claim that the pirates ended the war by attacking to avoid excessive damage to Venarian cities, and to protect the lives of friends and families who were hidden in those cities. Other claim that the pirate leader had gone mad, and instructed his troops to attack, believing that victory was in his grasp.

Thus ends the year-long pirate occupation of Venaria.