[center][b][h2][color=f26522]Jonathan McCord[/color][/h2][/b][/center]

The first azure bolt snapped up from the pathway where the Crimson Fists had first arrived to traverse the pass. Ripping through howling bands of snow, undisturbed by the force of wind, the shot pulsed high overhead and caught the southern turning Mechbuster squarely under the nose as it finished its turn to start a second pass on the Green Knights’ position. Only being an atmospheric fighter, its nominally armored structure was easily pierced by a PPC which ignited the fuel tank into an orange bloom that quickly transformed into a hydra of burning parts and rich black smoke that scattered over the narrow battlefield. 

The separated reticles of Jon’s main guns converged over his left eye as he clicked on the arm lock while the rest of his glance remained expressionless as the remains of the fighter fell through the canyon in pieces between the opposing lances. The next shot would only be one PPC and the AC5 together. He would have preferred to enter the fray with a combined salvo, but the Mechbusters hadn’t exactly been a bullet point on the scant briefing. However, with one barrel cycling, he was ready to set up for a very familiar alternating pattern. Like a choreographed dance or the experienced movements of a boxer in the ring, the mech’s steps and the cooldown timing of the weapons would keep the [i]Marauder[/i]’s heat in check while the frigid cold of the mountain peak would give him a little extra edge. As everyone turned their attention to the sudden explosion in the air, Jon gently eased his crosshairs over the back of the ragged [i]Panther[/i]’s armless form as it engaged the Knights’ [i]Phoenix Hawk[/i], letting the axis lines daintily drift over the left torso before his grip calmly closed on the trigger. 

Both weapons erupted together in an instant sending a sleek tracer and a second refined bolt downrange into the back of the light mech cooking off the whole chassis like a stack of fireworks from the waist up. Before the pilot had a chance to react, the torso had exploded into a chaotic blue plume of free reaction mass. Jon’s thumb hovered over the medium lasers as the light mech fell away, but he kept his trigger discipline as the surprise set in and the L-Shape of the ambush was formed in reverse with the Knights. The two quick shots would be hard to follow on just the sensor screen alone, particularly with the high interference emanating from the Knights’ [i]Raven[/i] while the lasers would easily trace right back to his position at the southeastern entrance to the pass. He scanned briefly in the chaotic moment. No Firestarter, unless it was already down, while the Von Luckner leveled the Hunchback with a murderous salvo from its main gun and missile batteries, bowling the mech over and removing its left arm. Several of the Knights looked equally worse for wear, but they needed to press [i]now[/i]. 

Jon could see the muted light flickering from that forsaken “open” frequency as the chaos really set in, but he wasn’t on any of the Knights’ signals instructions so they were going to have to visually coordinate the best they could. He reluctantly hoped the remaining Mechbuster would have some pause after seeing his wingman get the chop on the first pass though from what he knew about aerospace jockeys, they tended to come in two varieties: Bat shit crazy and total coward, though anyone insane enough to strap into a cannon with wings and no armor and fly into this weather was either terrified of their command or every bit of the latter. If the Knights could push the opportunity, they could give them something else much more to fear.