***
ban-der-snatch
–noun
1.
an imaginary wild animal of fierce disposition.
2.
a person of uncouth or unconventional habits, attitudes, etc., esp. one considered a menace, nuisance, or the like.
***
Mech Bay 23-A
Harlech, Outreach
11AM lcoal time.
William "Dutch" Claggett walked around the feet of the 75-ton battlemech known as a "Bandersnatch" and tried not to gawk. It was slightly different than the "stock" variant, with a new light fusion engine installed instead of the extra-light version. His father had insisted on the modification, and since his company supplied Bander Battlemechs with the engines the machine, number 17 off the custom line, had been so equipped. It had also been built with and endo-steel skeleton to save back some of the weight, but since Father had also insisted on jump jets the design had still sacrificed some of its missile and energy armaments to make room and save weight.
And as always Father had been right. He'd been assigned to Kentares as part of the unit guarding the Duke and his family, and he'd very nearly gotten some of the children out before the ambushing Lyran forces had found them. He'd expected to die then, selling himself dearly, but had instead survived. He'd left a destoyed lance behind him as he'd taken the crippled but still functioning 'mech into the hills. Days later a civilian argo-mech repair center had closed his open torso and replaced the destroyed arm actuators, putting his cannon and laser back into action, but he'd nursed the cippled engine through months of hit-and-run fighting with Lyran forces before the loyalist rebels had finally recaptured the planet.
During that time the Bandersnatch had proven itself over and over, as had his father's wisdom. He'd returned at last, ready to thank him and admit that he'd been right about the engine and the jump jets, only to find he had died in the opening volleys of the Civil War, his dropship destroyed to prevent its cargo of fusion engines from reaching their destination on Talon.
Dutch had been listed as "Missing, Presumed Dead" as well, and his considerable inheritance had been placed in trust. When he'd returned from the dead, it had been waiting for him. Dutch looked around the bay, at the fruits of his inheritance.
In bay one, his Bandersnatch. Next to it, an AGS-2D Argus. Bay 3 contained a BSW-S2 Bushwacker and Bay 4 a PXH-6D Phoenix Hawk. Other than his 'snatch the 'mechs were new. Behind them were three lances of armor, also brand new. Hammer Lance consisted of four Ajax Assault Tanks. Striker Lance, parked across from Hammer, had four Manteuffel-B tanks. And Hunter Lance, on the end of the line, with two pair of spanking new Regulator hover-tanks.
The tanks and 'mechs were all painted alike: A dark charcoal gray with blue gun-metal overtones. Weapons barrels and exposed actuators and such tended to either be bare metal or painted a complementary medium ghost gray. Road wheels on the tanks were ghost gray and black. The only unit markings were a small colored stripe and the unit crest. On the tanks the stripe was a diagonal across the left front quarter. On the 'mechs it was on the left leg, at or below the knee joint. Hammer was red, Striker was blue, Hunter was green and Dutchman (Command) lance was yellow. The unit crest was an image of a tall ship, sails unfurled and full running before the wind on a white-capped sea inside a white circle. This crest appeared on the turrets of the tanks (both sides) and on the 'mech's shoulder armor.
It was The Flying Dutchman, the symbol of The Dutchmen.
Dutch Claggett pondered the symbol, repeated on the shoulder patch of his slate gray uniform, and a small grin appeared on his face. Every member of "The Dutchmen" had one thing in common: All had been declared missing in action and had been presumed dead, only to have returned alive. As Dutch went to meet the officers and men of his newly formed unit and present them with their new equipment he was optimistic. No one here was less than a combat veteran, and they were all lucky.
The future was looking bright indeed...
***
Mech Bay 23-A
Harlech, Outreach
11AM lcoal time.
William "Dutch" Claggett walked around the feet of the 75-ton battlemech known as a "Bandersnatch" and tried not to gawk. It was slightly different than the "stock" variant, with a new light fusion engine installed instead of the extra-light version. His father had insisted on the modification, and since his company supplied Bander Battlemechs with the engines the machine, number 17 off the custom line, had been so equipped. It had also been built with and endo-steel skeleton to save back some of the weight, but since Father had also insisted on jump jets the design had still sacrificed some of its missile and energy armaments to make room and save weight.
And as always Father had been right. He'd been assigned to Kentares as part of the unit guarding the Duke and his family, and he'd very nearly gotten some of the children out before the ambushing Lyran forces had found them. He'd expected to die then, selling himself dearly, but had instead survived. He'd left a destoyed lance behind him as he'd taken the crippled but still functioning 'mech into the hills. Days later a civilian argo-mech repair center had closed his open torso and replaced the destroyed arm actuators, putting his cannon and laser back into action, but he'd nursed the cippled engine through months of hit-and-run fighting with Lyran forces before the loyalist rebels had finally recaptured the planet.
During that time the Bandersnatch had proven itself over and over, as had his father's wisdom. He'd returned at last, ready to thank him and admit that he'd been right about the engine and the jump jets, only to find he had died in the opening volleys of the Civil War, his dropship destroyed to prevent its cargo of fusion engines from reaching their destination on Talon.
Dutch had been listed as "Missing, Presumed Dead" as well, and his considerable inheritance had been placed in trust. When he'd returned from the dead, it had been waiting for him. Dutch looked around the bay, at the fruits of his inheritance.
In bay one, his Bandersnatch. Next to it, an AGS-2D Argus. Bay 3 contained a BSW-S2 Bushwacker and Bay 4 a PXH-6D Phoenix Hawk. Other than his 'snatch the 'mechs were new. Behind them were three lances of armor, also brand new. Hammer Lance consisted of four Ajax Assault Tanks. Striker Lance, parked across from Hammer, had four Manteuffel-B tanks. And Hunter Lance, on the end of the line, with two pair of spanking new Regulator hover-tanks.
The tanks and 'mechs were all painted alike: A dark charcoal gray with blue gun-metal overtones. Weapons barrels and exposed actuators and such tended to either be bare metal or painted a complementary medium ghost gray. Road wheels on the tanks were ghost gray and black. The only unit markings were a small colored stripe and the unit crest. On the tanks the stripe was a diagonal across the left front quarter. On the 'mechs it was on the left leg, at or below the knee joint. Hammer was red, Striker was blue, Hunter was green and Dutchman (Command) lance was yellow. The unit crest was an image of a tall ship, sails unfurled and full running before the wind on a white-capped sea inside a white circle. This crest appeared on the turrets of the tanks (both sides) and on the 'mech's shoulder armor.
It was The Flying Dutchman, the symbol of The Dutchmen.
Dutch Claggett pondered the symbol, repeated on the shoulder patch of his slate gray uniform, and a small grin appeared on his face. Every member of "The Dutchmen" had one thing in common: All had been declared missing in action and had been presumed dead, only to have returned alive. As Dutch went to meet the officers and men of his newly formed unit and present them with their new equipment he was optimistic. No one here was less than a combat veteran, and they were all lucky.
The future was looking bright indeed...
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