"Stephen Mohan Jr. - Battletech - Echoes of Disgrace" - читать интересную книгу автора (Mohan Jr Stephen)

serve as the vanguard for a more concerted attack by a DCMS
regular unit. If resistance was heavy, Ukawa’s company would do
as much damage as possible against the day a full scale assault
could be brought against the world.
Ukawa didn’t know what kind of resistance they’d find.
BATTLECORPS Echoes of Disgrace • Page 6


But he did know how to find out.
He pushed his Thug forward in a fast walk, leading his command
lance through the high mountain field, the passage of the ‘Mechs
setting the ground atremble. Ukawa knew the footfalls of the great
machines wouldn’t carry far in the thin mountain air.
But they’d carry far enough.
Especially when you factored in the heat signature of the lance’s
fusion reactors against the frigid environment and the fact that
they were following the main road, which itself paralleled a dark
forest. They were bound to attract attention.
Which was just what Ukawa was counting on.
Ukawa’s fire lance was creeping up an isolated mining road
that cut through the forest and intersected the main road less
than four klicks from their current position. If the enemy attacked
now, Ukawa’s fire lance would set the forest ablaze and force the
Davions to choose between inferno and a toe-to-toe slugfest with
the medium and heavy ‘Mechs of his command lance.
And to top it all off, his scout lance was hidden in the foothills to
the north, ready to race in and hit the enemy’s flank.
Ukawa had offered his enemy four vulnerable ‘Mechs. Now all
they had to do was take the bait.
The Hunchback on Ukawa’s left suddenly stopped, gazing out
over the field that stretched away from the forest.
“Chain Three, this is Chain One. Why have you stopped, over?”
“I’m not sure,” said the idiot piloting the Hunchback. Ukawa knew
his people by the names of their crimes. To him the Hunchback ’s
pilot was War Profiteer, but with an effort of will he dredged the
man’s name out of the sludge of his memory: Roger Something. It
was—Culkin. Hai. Culkin.
“Culkin! What do you think—”
“I think someone’s moving.” The man raised the Hunchback ’s
arm, pointing. “There, to the left.”
Profiteer’s words sent a chill wriggling down Ukawa’s spine.
Movement. Ukawa triggered his command channel, the order to
fall back a tickle on his lips, when the shrill warble of an alarm
filled his cockpit.
BATTLECORPS Echoes of Disgrace • Page 7


Fire control radar.
“Inbound,” he shouted.
He turned in time to see the orange glow of missile launch