“I should have been there!” Katarina banged her fist on Allen’s desk in frustration.

Justin shook his head, his face grim. “It wouldn’t have made any difference. They had five Clan mechs, at least three of them faster than you and with more firepower. The Dasher and Piranha would have eaten you alive, if the Incubus wouldn’t have gotten you first.”

Katarina fumed. “I could have handled the Piranha. If the battle was honorable, I would have taken the Fire Moth easily. The Vixen, we would have had an even fight if the warrior was skilled. If not, I would have wiped the ground with them.”

“These Clanners did not follow the Zellbrigen. In an honorable combat, they should not have come at you from behind. They should have declared themselves and challenged you one on one.”

Again, Justin shook his head. “No, this wasn’t an honorable combat. Especially the way they slaughtered the Longinus squad and the Maxim crew. But what can I say? If we had their capabilities, we would have come at them from behind ourselves. We wouldn’t have slaughtered helpless men stranded on the ground.

“But what’s done is done. We lost B platoon, the Phalanx and Longinus squads, we lost a Maxim, an APC, the Wolverine, and Bill. Last I saw, he went down under an Elemental swarm, and they were dragging him out of the cockpit. I don’t know if they killed him on the spot, or captured him. One way or another, it was a complete rout.”

Allen sighed. “Well, I don’t know what the MRB was thinking, matching us up against a force like that. We can’t afford too many missions like that: and Katarina, if you had been there we could have lost the Dementor and you. And that would be totally unacceptable.”

Katarina slumped into a chair. “We seem to be having a run of bad luck. We must be more cautious about the intel we are offered. It has not served us well lately.”

“Agreed,” said Allen. “I am going to have to vet the information better myself, if possible. I am wondering if there is some way to recruit an intelligence organization: probably a stupid thought.”

He ticked off a list on his fingers. “It seems we have a few particular vulnerabilities. There’s not much we can do against artillery, aircraft, or fast Clan mechs. I don’t know that there will ever be anything we can do against aircraft that can dive bomb and throw eight bombs at one mech in the space of ten seconds, or artillery that can attack from too far of a distance for us to respond.

“As to Clan mechs: it seems we can’t depend on the MRB to measure Clan capabilities accurately. We may have to turn down assignments against Clan forces. Individual Clan mechs mixed in with conventional forces I think we can usually handle, but when they’re all Clan, we’re just not equipped for that.”

Katarina’s face was serious. “Can we afford to be so selective in our assignments? Will the MRB respect a mercenary company that must be so exclusive?”

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Allen shook his head. “I honestly don’t know. But at this rate, we can’t afford not to be exclusive.”

“There must be some other way,” Katarina pleaded. “If other companies can field the resources they need to stay in the fight, surely we can, too!”

Allen leaned back in his chair. “What are you suggesting? That we sell all our Inner Sphere mechs and replace them with Clan mechs?”

“Why not?” she challenged him. “There are so many Clan mechs available to us, surely we can find some as good as what we have been up against.”

“Do you have any idea how much money that would take?” Allen asked. “And we couldn’t even mothball any mechs: we don’t have the storage capacity. We would have to sell everything we own and do a total conversion!”

“What?” she retorted: “Afraid to sell your precious Warhammer? When was the last time you took it into battle?” She bit her lip, sensing from his pained expression that she might have pushed things a bit too far.

“I know you Clanners don’t seem to have a respect for Inner Sphere traditions,” Allen growled, “but that’s unfair. We have continually come up against jumpers, mountains, forests: anything and everything that makes a non-jump capable mech practically useless in the field. The Warhammer is a venerable, powerful mech: it’s just limited in its field of engagement.”

“I am sorry, my dear,” Katarina replied softly, “but the galaxy has changed. With new technology, not having jump jets is a fatal flaw. Your great grandfather’s mech simply cannot compete in the modern market. You will need to change to face the future which is already here.”

Allen did not answer for a long moment. Then he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“So, what do you suggest? Remember: I am used to heavier mechs with more armor and firepower: the kind that will be most expensive and highest rated by the MRB. What do you propose we acquire, within budget?”

Katarina pondered. “That will take much research, my love. We will have to see what is available, and what fits your style. I am thinking a Mad Cat, but I am sure that would be far out of our price range.”

Allen was lost in thought for a bit, then made a suggestion. “Perhaps we should focus on getting smaller, fast mechs with firepower first, for the others to use. Then, when we are having victories again, we can afford something for me. But we need two or three fast mechs on the ground now.”

Katarina considered, then nodded. “We should not start with a Fire Moth, though they are tempting. Their armor is just too light: any solid hit can destroy it. Besides, they don’t have jump capability. We need that flexibility on the battlefield.”

She frowned. “We need something like a Viper: with jump and speed equal to our Spiders, but much more armor and better weapons. Surely we can afford this?”

“I have no idea,” Allen replied: “I’d have to check with my connections, ask around. Do you think this could turn the tables in our battles, give us the edge to start winning again?”

“With a good pilot and sound maintenance, certainly,” she affirmed. “And it is an Omnimech, which means it can carry one of those squads of Battle Armor to whatever location they are needed. That should save you from having to replace the Maxim or APC at least?”

Allen shook his head. “Those are good vehicles, and even if we have a mech that can carry one squad of Battle Armor, we have to be able to carry the rest. And replacing them is cheap. We will replace the vehicles as well as buying a new mech: a Viper, if we can find it. I will need your input on what model you think would be most effective.”

“I shall gladly give you that input when we see what is available,” Katarina replied.