I was enjoying myself, having met a nice and friendly lady who was more than willing to spend time with me. Names was not important, she called me lover, I called her baby. most were bliss, although a few times when I returned to rooms she had racked up an impressive bill toward fashionistas. Then the raid came. Howells howlers was a moderately successful pirate gang. They had plundered quite a few places like Tyrol5, you know, places nobody but the inhabitants care about. At the time I was invited to a medieval reenactment, and being ignorant of the invasion was blindsided. My Lady went to the top table and begged: " Oh my lord, vile bandits approach, they will burn and plunder and kill all those that stand in their way. Is there no one here brave enough to stop them?" The Count (yes real Count, remember what I said about semi feudal) nodded sagely and rose. " Be it known, he who will bravely stand forth, will be given the rank of baronet, the hand of my ward, and the duties and the privileges of roving constable".
As my lady turned begging eyes upon me, the mead consumed inspired one of my least well thought of moments. Wobbling slightly I declared "have no fear, as long as I have breath in my body they will not prevail."
Then my aide reached me, and the realization hit. This was not a play, we had a Company of light to medium, and intelligence of the incoming was at around a Battalion. The one break we had was that they landed on the other side of the mountain. From there it was just 3 narrow canyons into the heartland of the duchy. The first was just 8 meters wide, just enough for 1 mech at a time, so here I placed 2 of my ogguns, The second was filled with fractures, and any strong vibrations would probably start a landslide. Noticing no red ants among the invaders I sent my sole ant at the time (Dervish) to try to hold that pass. This left my two luissons, two nifthels, the last two ogguns with the anzu and warhorse as scouts.
Dervish had an easy time, around 20 mechs in 3 Waves, First holmes, then Imechs and finally shocklites tried to sneak in. Dervish darted forward and fired off some green Death, and they had the choice between being cut slowly to pieces, or run/ fire weapons and get an Instant burial. The two ogguns holding the narrow valley managed well enough. All loaded up with panther Wheels they newer faced fresh opponents, as all got hit by the mecha penetrating projectiles as they waited their turn. The third valley was a nightmare. The niftels died well, their Icy blasts buying time for the Injection beam equipped anzu to get in some really amazing hits. With the opposing Keradons taken out, the rest of the wave some hoplites fell along the wayside. But more hoplites shoved up, and when the anzu blew itself up... Next wave I sent in was the luissons with the warhorse The luissons was armed with top of the line fury missiles and the enemy hoplites couldn't touch them. So they blew up the warhorse. We was closing on the enemy command post when the axebots showed up. The luissons took out a few, and then it was Close combat.
It was the last 2 Ogguns against the 4 surviving axebots and what looked to be a mix of neros and troopers. My wing-mate went to work with a vengeance His neutralizer blew apart Axe after Axe after Axe, and himself. Meanwhile my maulers had taken care of the last Axe. Charging the incoming tide of destruction, nanites failing to keep up with damage, the prizes I had won last month proved their Worth. Both neros fell to the Galaxy eye, and the mauler reduced the first trooper to scrap. The second got a hit from my red plasma before it shot me to pieces. As I was waiting for him to finish me off his mech continued to burn, and burn until it ignited. At that point dervish sauntered out of the ravine, and there being nothing to oppose him took the field.
So my Lady, who was also a baron, became my wife. I as a mere baronet have to obey her. And the Count decided a roving constable should kill the pirates before they came to the planet. To make a long story somewhat Shorter. My Lady decreed that as long as I was out in the Galaxy I could get her some shoes, at least 1 pair for each planet I came to. So here I am looking for more pirates, baby needs new shoes.
Submitted by Sten Hugo Hiller#627184