It had been a tense day after Walter realized that his hound had again decided to go off and do something on its own again.

It had sent him a message that it accepted a job from the Liberation Front, but he had no idea where. And when it returned a little over a day later, he was hearing rumors that the seventh Vesper, Swinburne, had been killed when Arquebus lost contact with their garrison at the Wall survey base.

Hopefully the hound's actions wouldn't come back to bite them in the ass.

...

After the BAWS floatship had touched down and OBSIDIAN WING was safely unloaded, Ayre had made sure they let Walter know that Raven had returned; They received a message back nearly instantly.

"621, Balam wants your participation in their operation tomorrow." he said, "I've let them know that you'll be there, make sure you review the briefing."

They watched the briefing while Ayre guided the chopper to a location near the mission target.

Balam wanted them to assault the Engebret Tunnel, just inside the closure area and near the PCA's Outer Perimeter Base Theta. It was a derelict Watchpoint, slated for restoration in the near future, so an attack on it would force the PCA's garrison to divert there rather than respond to an attack on the base. Inside was a device that the PCA would be restoring that was listed as a secondary target.

Ayre felt distinctly uneasy after seeing what it was they wanted destroyed.

"I know you prefer to complete all secondary objectives for the missions you're given Raven... but maybe we should avoid destroying another Watchpoint control device." she suggested, "The last one nearly killed you, and I don't want to see that happen again."

...

Walter watched the feed as 621 prepared to deploy. Balam was using it like bait. He'd thought, with the reputation it had built, that the corps had realized by now that it was far more valuable than that.

"I don't think Dafeng appreciates your true value..." said Michigan, "I'll talk to them."

Michigan knew how effective it was, especially after the Redguns got a first hand demonstration of it. So this plan was likely from the corporate paper pushers, not the commander of their AC squad.

It didn't matter either way. Balam would waste the talents it was paying for, fail to achieve anything meaningful, and likely fall even further behind Arquebus. They were only marginally stronger than the RLF now, who had husbanded their strength after their loss of the Wall while Balam and Arquebus squabbled with each other.

...

621 smashed its way through the tunnel, the only resistance being that of the standard Subject Guard MTs and a lone sniper LC, all of which were easily dispatched.

A comms request appeared, from G6 Red, as they neared the end of the tunnel.

"G13! Come in, Raven! PCA ground forces are converging on your location." said G6, "Make sure they stay busy, you know what to do. Over and out!"

Movement suddenly lit up the close range radar. Over a dozen small machines had dropped from the ceiling where they'd been hidden, deploying an electrostatic field around them. 621 could feel Ayre's curiosity, then her concern.

"Those machines are going to disable your AC if we don't get rid of them, Raven!" she said with worry, "Electrostatic load is increasing."

The back of OBSIDIAN WING's core slid open as the coils exposed themselves, the arcing energy gathering on the electrodes to unleash a massive blast.

Against something designed to overload ACs and other large machinery, the tiny defense drones stood no change. They died sparking, some exploding when their generators failed, others just smoking wrecks.

Just ahead was a ledge that overlooked the end of the cave, a massive pulse shield protecting the device. 621 watched as Ayre used the sensor systems to sweep the area.

"Raven, I've been reading a faint Coral response since we entered the cave, but it's much stronger now." she notified, "That device, whatever it is, is still active. If we destroy it, there will likely be another surge. We should withdraw."

...

"621, destroy the secondary target." Walter ordered.

A click was all that answered him. He still had access to the camera and location feeds, and could watch as it fought its way back out of the tunnel, taking on a pair of LCs that had arrived and handily dismantling them.

The PCA machines were good, but their pilots didn't have the kind of experience needed to survive an AC with a pilot like this. They could get away with bullying the MT forces of the corporations, the unskilled independent mercenaries or corporate stooges, but against the numbered elites they were simply outmatched.

Even after exiting the tunnel the hound refused to answer any of his hails. It would have been more worrying to Walter if it wasn't still carrying out the mission, but he had no idea why it had just decided to ignore the secondary target. That head module was built on the platform of a surveying system, perhaps it had detected something that worried it?

He'd look into making some adjustments to it soon. The hound needed to be brought to heel.

...

Ayre was looking over the data the AC had recorded in the Engebret tunnel when her partner nudged her.

<>

"Of course, Raven." answered Ayre, "I'll take care of it."

She looked it over as Raven went to lay down, their presences still touching. She'd found that Raven was more relaxed when she remained close, so Ayre made sure to always be there. Her partner sent her a list of a few weapons from Elcano, the other major Rubiconian manufacturing corporation.

Where BAWS mass produced simple but effective ballistic weaponry and their early generation AC models, Elcano designed and manufactured advanced lightweight ACs and exotic kinetic penetrator weaponry.

It was a pair of back mounted weapons, EL-PW-01 Truenos. The spec sheet showed a pair of kinetic penetrator launchers. The projectiles had limited guidance, so they were likely similar to a pile bunker, one that traded power for range. She quickly placed the order and received a response, indicating that they'd likely be available later during the week. Elcano probably had to ship them over.

"They'll be ready for pickup later this week, Raven." she informed, "I've also ordered some extra weaponry you might find useful. After your success at the refueling base, Schneider made some specialty weapons they manufacture available to you, so I took the liberty of ordering a pair of back mounted pulse cannons."

...

The arrival of the PCA had forced the corporations onto the defensive, given that they were the primary instigators of the conflict raging on Rubicon. They wanted to continue their Coral survey, the PCA desperately wanted to stop it. In the midst of it all, the Liberation Front had to try to get what advantages they could.

Flatwell had received another report from Rainer, who had remained behind to take charge of the Belius region after he deployed to the ice field, and had been seeing good results so far. By avoiding direct confrontation and preying on wounded corporate forces, they had managed to wear down their enemies while sustaining minimal casualties.

Rainer had proposed retaking the Wall and while Flatwell hadn't expressly forbid it, Rainer was aware that they couldn't afford the kind of casualties that would come with an operation like that.

So instead, he'd contracted Raven again to assassinate the Vesper overseeing the garrison, V.VII Swinburne, and to destroy their most powerful defensive assets. Their unpredictable ally Rokumonsen had nearly caused an incident, but it had gone smoothly.

Before they could retake the outpost from the crippled Arquebus forces, the PCA had moved in and squashed the defenders and the vanguard of the Liberation Front forces to claim it for themselves. That could be solved later though. Right now, he had to deal with another pressing issue. Scouts had reported that the corporate forces were attempting to salvage PCA technology, especially their LCs and the newly deployed HC. There were precious few of the HCs on the field, and most deployed directly from their warships.

One had been found on permanent deployment at the Hjalmar Mine, so it would need to be taken care of before the corporations mobbed it. Perhaps Raven would be interested in this job.

...

It was a few days after they had returned from the Engebret Tunnel missions that Ayre received another mission request. As expected, it was tagged as being from the Liberation Front. Her partner was awake and sparring in the simulator, so now would be a good time.

"Raven, we have a mission request." she informed, "This job came to us from the de facto leader of the Rubicon Liberation Front."

The voice that was giving the briefing seemed to surprise Raven.

"This is Middle Flatwell, Liberation Front Central Ice Field Command." said Flatwell, "We and the Belius Command are ramping up against the corporations on two fronts. At present, our primary concern is the seizure of PCA hardware by the corporations. The outsiders have the expertise and the resources to reverse-engineer PCA technology. They're hungry, too, hungry enough to consume the PCA whole. This leads me to my request."

An image of the new model, the HC, appeared on screen. There were a pair of dish emitters on the shoulders, likely for pulse weaponry of some kind. The right hand wielded a weapon that appeared to be laser based, but there was no indication what it was. The shield on the left arm was massive and had emitters, likely incorporating pulse shield technology. It had extra sensor pods, and the frame, based on the measurements Ayre had recorded, was almost twice the height of an AC. With the pulse shield and the bulky armor, it would be an incredibly tough nut to crack. Hopefully, given the size and bulk, it wouldn't be as fast as the LCs.

"The PCA have stationed LCs and a new model, the HC, at the Hjalmar Mine." Flatwell continued, "I want you to obliterate them in order to mitigate the potential for corporate gains."

The next image showed a number of MTs and a shield-equipped LC.

"Raven, I await your favorable response." he said.

"You seemed surprised, Raven." asked Ayre, "Have you met Flatwell before?"

<>

"Well, it is exceptionally rare to get a direct request from Liberation Front leadership." said Ayre, "Perhaps your skills have distinguished you enough for it."

She watched as Raven went about modifying his AC for this mission, swapping the dual missile launcher rack for a Kranich pulse cannon. The direct fire weapon would hopefully be more effective vs the incredibly maneuverable LCs, which rendered small missile weapons worthless. And if the HC shield was a pulse barrier, it would be excellent for breaking that.

"Raven, we're near the target, ready to drop whenever you are." Ayre informed, "Middle Flatwell has requested that he be allowed to watch the feed. Unless you object, I'll give him access now."

<>

At her partner's signal, Ayre started the drop sequence and set the helicopter down in the little valley. She also opened the connection Flatwell had requested, letting the man watch. The radar indicated targets ahead, and she watched as Raven danced around the bazooka rounds, missiles, and energy beams from the mechs and MTs blocking her way.

"I'm grateful for your assistance Raven." said Flatwell, "The targets are stationed in two camps. Attack one, and the other will move to reinforce. I'll leave the question of where to strike first in your capable hands."

Ayre was distinctly pleased to hear that. Finally, someone who understood the talent of her partner. She watched as Raven moved toward the coordinates Flatwell had provided for the LCs.

"Two PCA LCs." she informed, "One is the shield carrying version."

She watched as Raven skirted around the nearby tower, using it to remain hidden until he was close to the shield LC. The blasts of his machine gun and pulse cannon almost staggered it, and the machine quickly tried to make space.

Ayre found the frequency the enemy machines were on and tapped into it, adding it to the feed so her partner could take advantage of it.

"Code 15, enemy attack!" they shouted.

That transmission originated from the other LC, while the closer one used its incredible vertical mobility to get far out of reach of Raven's machine gun.

"It's not a Redgun or a Vesper..." they realized, "We've got an independent!"

"Code 78, requesting backup!" said a second voice, "Enemy threat level unknown!"

A third voice, who must have been the HC pilot, responded.

"Understood. I'll head over as soon as the HC is prepped." he said.

OBSIDIAN WING dropped down before boosting across the ground, jumping to evade volleys of missiles and giving his generator a moment to recharge. The MTs and mechs that were hounding him got close only to be destroyed, leaving the two LCs.

"We can't let them rendezvous," Ayre warned, "let's make this quick Raven."

The unshielded AC tried to close the distance rapidly, seemingly unaware of the danger. A quickboost put Raven in range and the machine gun and cannon overloaded the enemy's ACS, leaving it hanging limply in the air. Raven leapt forward and smashed the uncharged laser sword into the lightly armored torso, crumpling the generator and launching the unfortunate LC backwards.

"But... it's just an AC!" they shouted.

The comms crackled and died as the machine went up in flames. No pilot ejected.

"Code 31A. Chief Sergeant down!" said another voice.

A blast from the underbarrel bazooka of the other machine clipped OBSIDIAN WING as it tried to get clear, causing her to stumble.

The enemy pilot continued to use their mobility to keep at a distance, missile and rifle fire slowly chipping away at Raven's armor until he was forced to use a repair charge. With his generator's energy level recovered, Raven engaged assault boost, rapidly closing on the enemy machine to land a kick on the shield before following up with a blast from the machine gun, dual missile launcher, and pulse cannon.

The LC fell to the ground, hanging limply as the ACS tried to recover. Raven fell with it, swapping to his laser sword and bringing it down from overhead.

"My LC's gonna blow...!" they shouted.

The hit sheared off the right arm and part of the torso, sending it crashing to the ground. With both of those threats taken care of, only the HC was left.

"Enemy signature approaching." said Ayre, "It's the HC!"

The machine was massive looking in person, easily dwarfing an AC. The pulse shield it carried was active - that was going to make this much harder.

"Code 23, attending scene." they said, then gasping, "What...? They got the LCs! I knew this was a bad time for maintenance."

The HC suddenly engaged the right hand weapon, revealing a massive laser blade as they leapt into the air, boosters on the feet activating.

The blade extended further as it launched forward, a massive boost of speed propelling it into range in a split second. The blade thrust forward, sweeping from his left as Raven dodged right, barely avoiding being bisected. His return attack from his own laser sword was almost entirely negated by the pulse shield, the pulse cannon fire only moderately more effective.

"Did the corporations hire you?" they asked, "You must be confident to come here alone..."

He jumped, using the sudden height to assault boost over the HC's head, putting distance between them. He'd need something big, like an assault armor blast, to overload that shield and give him a chance to fight back. Which meant he needed to buy time for it to cool down.

"No matter. This beauty's more than a match for some patchwork AC." said the enemy.

...

Watching the camera feed, Flatwell was impressed by how quickly the mercenary had dispatched the LCs.

It had clearly fought them before, knowing how to counter their abnormally high mobility and bait them into advantageous situations. The HC, on the other hand, was an entirely different beast. Almost as quick as the LCs were to close the distance, it was heavily armored and shielded, more than any other mech around the same size.

The mercenary had gained distance, though Flatwell wasn't entirely sure why until he realized they must be planning to use their assault armor against that pulse shield.

A massive wave of pulse energy fire erupted from the shoulder mounted cannons, melting armor and forcing Raven to expend another repair charge.

"Impressive.. better than the other ACs." he heard.

It most definitely was. Flatwell had seen another independent he'd hired for a smaller raid get dismantled when an HC showed up unexpectedly, dying so fast he didn't even get to see what it was carrying. Raven was even more skilled now than he had been at the Dam.

The HC had finally tired of dancing around, rocketing into range only to be hit by the blast as Raven activated his assault armor. The pulse shield deactivated and hung limply by its side, leaving the torso exposed. Flatwell had seen footage from Raven's assault at the refueling base and knew that EKDROMOI armor, with its rounded surface, had managed to take a direct hit from the laser blade without being punctured.

By contrast, the HC's armor was flat and should easily be pierced. The devastating weapon swung back, charged, and released, the blade impacting solidly on the chest plate. It threw the HC back, gouging its armor but not piercing through. It seemed the Heavy Cavalry model was far better armored than he'd originally thought.

...

"System verdict... 'Continue.'" they said, "Gladly...! I'll teach you to defy the law, interloper!"

621 knew it would need to do something risky to have a chance at destroying the massive machine.

"Victory is at hand, steady, Raven!" it heard.

The HC leaned forward, same as it did last time when it went to charge into range. 621 activated assault boost, launching forward to meet it, swapping the laser blade to the left hand and charging it as it flew. The HC lifted its own blade arm to swing and 621 boosted left, catching the larger machine's arm with the left shoulder, slipping under it's guard. The side armor looked much thinner, and the laser blade discharged, punching a hole in HC's frame and sending it stumbling.

"No...! The HC's... cutting edge!" they grunted.

A surge of sparks erupted from the hole in the armor, gouts of flame knocking it back and forth until it finally keeled over, only a flaming wreck left behind as the advanced powerplant combusted.

...

Flatwell knew now that this mercenary was far more dangerous than most would think. He'd need to be very careful to make sure it didn't disrupt their long term plans, especially regarding the Wolf.

While he had confidence in his abilities, it wasn't worth risking a confrontation against a pilot like Raven.

"You live up to your name, Raven." he complimented, "You fight like a bird in flight... You may yet fly higher. Beyond Rubicon's scorched skies, to chase the freedom we never knew."

...

Ayre and Raven had watched as the Liberation Front squad moved in after they left the mission area, hoping to salvage the wrecks of the PCA forces. Hopefully, for their sake, they would succeed.

"Raven. I've been thinking about what Middle Flatwell said... 'To fly beyond Rubicon's scorched skies and chase the freedom we never knew...'" said Ayre, "The others are so used to fighting and shouting slogans that they've given up thinking. But Flatwell... He believes there's more to this war than just controlling the Coral. He's fighting for a brighter future for all of Rubicon."

https://youtu.be/WEsibVKPNA0

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