Grayson's throat was suddenly tight, his mouth sand-dry, his nose running, his stomach twisting. Oh God, don't let me screw up, he prayed to he knew not who.
Range 300 meters.
The Stinger fired as Grayson twisted his running 'Mech to the side. There was a momentary dazzle, but the battlemode imaging system controlled the light level, protecting Grayson's eyes. His thumb came down on the red button, and white light pulsed across the Stinger's hip joint.
Hit! Flakes of metal glittered in the midmorning sun as they scattered on the sand, and there was a trace of oily smoke near the Stinger's waist. The Stinger sidestepped, moving rapidly to make itself a more difficult target. Grayson spun, swinging his laser up to bear on the back of the enemy Wasp.
The Stinger must have called a warning. The Wasp turned before Grayson could fire again, and the laser hit the Wasp's left side instead of the broad, almost unarmored back. The Wasp staggered as armor unable to dump the heat of Grayson's beam exploded in bright, molten globs. The beam was attentuated somewhat as the stricken machine continued to turn beneath it, creating a ragged black scar across its flank.
Lights went red on Grayson's control panel, and there was a shock that made the Locust shudder and twist. The Stinger had fired, catching him on the right torso. The armor seemed to have stopped the worst of the beam, but there was minor damage, and another hit there would certainly penetrate.
He swung and fired at the Stinger, aiming low. There was a flare and a whirl of sand as the Stinger went airborne on flaring jets. Grayson reacted without thinking with a twist and a lurch that evaded three quick-spaced shots that cratered the sand where he'd been standing. He rolled up and fired as the Stinger descended.
Miss!
The Locust swung about, targeting the Stinger as it dashed across his field of fire. He triggered the laser and saw liquid metal splatter. He'd hit the upper left arm. There might be some damage there.
He pressed the control stick, and the Locust lurched forward. A flash... and another! Two shots, almost together, had missed. With the range down to less than 80 meters, he fired at the Wasp and caught it square in the chest.
So far, most of the damage had been confined to the 'Mechs' armor. Very soon now, the shots would be falling on still-hot scars, burning their way into the delicate electronic innards of the machines, and then the issue would be settled. Grayson wiped his hand ineffectually across his brow under the impulse helmet's rubber padding. He was drenched with sweat, and the net shirt clung to him unpleasantly. The heat in the sealed cockpit stifled him, pressed in around him, making him light-headed.
The Wasp spun before him. He lined up for a quick shot at the blackened upper chest, fired, and missed. With his left hand still on the control stick, his right hand found the jointed wrist and finger control that guided the Locust's twin machine guns. Machine guns were generally used for firing at enemy troops, but as he had proven in his uneven duel with the Wasp in Sarghad's streets, a heavy-caliber machine gun could penetrate 'Mech armor, given time and a bit of luck. Even in the padded and pressurized interior of the Locust's cockpit, vibrations hammered into his body by his seat. Tracers arced, crossed, and floated into the wildly twisting Stinger. He saw metal chips fly from the already damaged hip, saw the Stinger's left leg suddenly go stiff. Hit!
Grayson charged.
The Stinger was slow turning to meet him, its leg dragging as it spun. The two 'Mechs collided in an earsplitting crash, and the Stinger sprawled backward
onto the sand.
Grayson followed it with laser fire, but the 'Mech rolled across its shoulder as the laser pulse traced a line of molten glass in the sand. The Stinger fired, and Grayson's viewscreen went white then black as laser Are screamed across visual sensors recessed into the armor of the Locusts combined head and torso.
He jabbed viciously at the keyboard that controlled the sensor array computer, meanwhile keeping the Locust twisting and dodging blindly with his left hand. The screen cleared as reserve forward sensors came on line. The damage to his 'Mech's head was severe; another head shot would smash through the remaining armor and kill him.
He quickly checked the scale that registered the Locust's internal heat, chewing at his lip as he scanned flickering numbers.
None of it was good. The temp was climbing dangerously. The computer would be asking for a shutdown soon. He'd lost heat sinks on his outer hull, and the build-up was becoming critical. But he would worry about that when the time came.
Now... where was the Wasp? Damn! In his momentary blindness, he'd lost track of the...
A violent impact from behind smashed him forward. He pivoted, caught his balance and turned. The Wasp collided with him from behind and nearly knocked him down. He found himself staring into the muzzle of the Wasp's laser, knew he had no time to bring his own laser to bear. But then, an explosion mushroomed at the Wasp's back, slamming it forward, off balance. There was a second explosion, this one crashing into the Wasp's back armor and sending it sprawling flat on its belly.