[b]1335 : July 21st 3067
Near FOB Golf, plains north of Chittor City, Planet Allavar[/b]

Anton drained another bottle of water before tossing it out of the cockpit of his mech. He had to have downed at least 3 liters of water so far that day but he knew he would need it if things kicked off as they seemed to be. It was a hot day baking in the sun and his mech was still not even fully powered up but instead the reactor was basically idling with most major systems still locked. Once he started running and gunning he knew it would turn into an inferno even with the cooling vest that even now sent a deep chill through his body. Everything was ready so far, he had good ammo levels, and the shakedown showed everything green on his black and green hammerhands battlemech.

Maybe they were still haggling over prices with whoever they could get to lead the assault. He had seen the enemy force disposition and had immediately shot them down. There was no real weak point in the enemy line and the Cappies knew it and so wanted to throw mercs into the fire first. He and his were placed on the east flank a bit far off to the edge in the second attack echelon. He knew even though he had turned down the bonus plenty of others had, personally he did not like a lot of the odds but then again he also did not have the speed of some of these merc groups. Either way he did not like it.

The landing had been unopposed, the Allavar Defense Force and friends had pulled back to the capitol and when the Penoy were close enough to show where they were landing the Allavar boys had rolled south the setup a defensive line a few kilometers from the city proper of of their capitol, Sibi. The far west flank was held by the reservists. They had dug in deep using some old fortification that was pushing up against the slop of one of the lower mountains and gave them a good view over the rolling hills that cominated the arranged battlefield on the west side. The rest of that line was reserves in trenchworks with their tanks hulldown, mines everywhere, and probably a field gun every few feet from AC/2s all the way down to AC/20s and probably a few of the rotary ACs he had been looking at buying himself. It was all around a solid line but still not real soldiers. Hence why the Allavarians had put a full merc regiment behind them to add some spine. Naturally their center was their regulars who were sitting pretty in some mildly forested hills and finally to the east were his future enemies. Mercs just like him sitting on the fringes of the city's industrial zone with nearly flat terrain for a few kilometers to the south and to the east. It was not going to be an easy approach even with the airpower and artillery promised. The last merc regiment was hanging back as a reserve force to push up and help the center or east.

Outnumbered, probably outgunned, and about to assault a dug in force defending their homeland and the only thing Anton could think about was that he should have asked for more. His money should be in escrow so once this thing settled one way or the other at least he had this months payments covered. Sighing he went to look at his watch only to realize it was not there, instead he kicked up his feet and pulled a hard-copy magazine from the overhead locker where he had his extra water and ration bars stored as well. He opened up his copy of "Mercs and Munitions" to look over some of the new autocannon models while he sat and waited for word to go.