Lyran Fire

Lyran Fire
Product information
Type Short story
Author Lance Scarinci
Pages 36
Publication information
Publisher BattleCorps
First published 6 December 2010
Content
Era Jihad era
Timeline 19 August 3078
Series Jihad Hot Spots: Terra tie-in
Preceded by The Bitter Harvest
Followed by The Blood of Man

Lyran Fire is a story by Lance Scarinci that was published online by BattleCorps on 6 December 2010. It was also published in print in 2019 in the seventh BattleCorps anthology, Kill Zone.

Teaser text[edit]

In our next story solicited to tie into Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, Lance Scarinci shows us how professional soldiers react when they're faced with unbeatable odds.

Plot summary[edit]

On 19 August of 3078, during Operation SCOUR, the Fortress-class DropShip Brigada was damaged in Terra's high orbit by two Blakist fighters. Its descent was a very violent one, crashing in North America.

The ship was crippled, but the crew, a battalion of the Fifteenth Arcturan Guards under the command of Hauptmann Conner DeVries, with BattleMechs, armor, infantry and artillery, quickly got out and establish a perimeter. They hadn't suffered any fatalities, with only minor damage to their load, but the DropShip's weapons and sensors were dead.

They'd crashed in a hilly forested region of North Carolina, separated from the rest of the Fifteenth by thousands of kilometers. The nearest friendly force was Devlin Stone's, heading to attack Hilton Head.

The Lyrans could not communicate with the rest of their forces on planet, and a scout group identified a nearby city, Hickory, with a Blakist garrison. Worse still, a spy ship quickly located them. Grumman, the Brigada's captain, refused to scuttle the ship, and they couldn't move all the support personnel or find a clear way out, so they were trapped.

Very soon, they found themselves surrounded by hostile TerraSec forces and the 4th Division of the Word of Blake Militia, a mixed force of BattleMechs, tanks and infantry. Stacy Meadows, Conner's XO, began the battle by shooting a scout VTOL.

The first Blakist attack was a barrage of artillery, but the Lyrans, with their single Long Tom artillery piece, managed to destroy the Blakist guns quickly, sustaining only light damage but losing a 'Mech. The artillery fire forced the Blakist attackers to retreat. The only communications the Blakist received were Blakist propaganda, saying all invaders had been destroyed and Devlin Stone killed, but no one believed it, especially Conner, who had met him once, and consider him the greatest man he'd ever met.

The next Blakist assault was defeated by the Lyrans but a fire destroyed their only artillery piece. After the attackers retreated, the Lyran comm officer finally managed to contact unexpected friendly company: Kanrei Kiyomori Minamoto. Conner informed him of their desperate situation, and Minamoto told him that Stone was still alive, but his taskforce had faced too much resistance and was forced to abandon the attack on Hilton Head.

The Kanrei swore to evacuate Conner's men, without regard to their nationality, but also asked them to hold all that they could, to prevent the Blakists sending more forces against Stone's group. Not too long afterward, another Blakist night attack, using a feint, managed to break the Lyran defensive perimeter; all attackers who'd penetrated the perimeter were destroyed, and the attackers repelled again, but the Lyrans suffered heavy casualties, including Hauptmann Giovanni Kobol, the armor commander. Conner had a deep conversation with Grumman, who felt happy to be on humanity's homeworld, and told the Hauptmann they would hold all they needed, because the Lyrans had steel in their spines, and fire in their hearts.

The Blakists held off for three days, and the next attack saw a group of Blakist infiltrators take a Lyran tank, using it to bombard the Lyrans' DropShip. After sending some 'Mechs to deal with the infiltrators, Conner gave an unbelievable order: charge against the superior TerraSec attackers. The other 'Mechs followed him, and their opponents, facing his charge, broke formation, being slaughtered by the inferior Lyrans, who suffered severe losses.

The next day, after sending all the wounded and part of their infantry in two vehicles to hide or search for an escape route through the mountains, the Lyrans suffer bombarding by incendiary rounds. Conner's Rifleman managed to down the bomber, but it was too late: their tanks, crew and infantry were dead, and the 4th Division advanced against them. Conner refused to surrender or retreat. He offered to cover his remaining troops' retreat, but all chose to stay with him. The five last Lyran 'Mechs, battered, charged against the advancing Blakists one last time, showing them Lyran fire.

Featured characters[edit]

Featured BattleTech[edit]

BattleMechs[edit]

Vehicles[edit]

DropShips[edit]