Reap What You Sow

Reap What You Sow
Product information
Type Short story
Author Craig A. Reed
Pages 37
Publication information
Publisher BattleCorps
First published 15 July 2010
Content
Era Civil War era
Timeline 15-18 September 3063

Reap What You Sow is a short story by Craig A. Reed that was published online on BattleCorps on 15 July 2010. It was republished in print in the 2019 anthology Kill Zone.

Teaser text

Pirates, bandits, and other lawless groups often prey on the weak of the Inner Sphere. They scout for the weakest and take what they have, comfortable behind their armor and weaponry. Scouts do, sometimes, make mistakes...

Plot summary

A pirate DropShip (the Gorgon Gal) descends in the MacLean valley on Rentz on 15 September 3063, but the MacLean clan and the local militia are rather casual about it and actually pity the pirates. As it turns out, Caleb MacLean is a retired ex-General who served in the Davion Assault Guards, as did his three sons, and they brought their heavy and assault 'Mechs back with them to Rentz.

General MacLean's last position was as head of asymmetric warfare in the AFFS Department of Strategy and Tactics. Together with his extended family and their privately owned 'Mechs, MacLean oversees the valley's defense from an improvised underground bunker while arranging parties with the neighborhood, with his wife serving salads.

The pirate force, Costas' Corsairs under Shen Costas, consists of two predominantly light 'Mech lances and some vehicles and infantry. They are thoroughly humiliated by frequent traps and ambushes and trapped between the MacLean assault lance and fresh militia reinforcements. At this point they surrender. Even the pirate DropShip is captured after its air circulation system fails, preventing it from leaving the planet. (Two previous pirate bands had not surrendered to MacLean, and had been vanquished.)

Featured characters

Featured BattleTech