The pilots withstood the barrage for a few moments longer before they turned and flailed wildly. They didn't realize that they spread the fire in their attempt to put it out. Their line wavered but held, strengthened a moment later when those who were on fire were quickly cut down by the Auburn rebels and Knights alike, only to be replaced by those who pushed in from behind them.
Jessica13 settled into her position and kept watch on the Guardians who began to advance into the city as well, but from a different angle. They could see the smoke and flames rising from their own ranks and knew that if they followed the same route, they could be caught in the trap along with their comrades.
There was no way for her to inform Hammerhand of their approach into town, but she doubted she would need to. The townsfolk who didn’t actively participate in combat sent messages between them and to the various fighters who still waited for their turn to join the fray.
She highlighted the heavy mechs as they entered but chose different targets. Balthazars still attempted to gain height to find out where the jamming signal originated so they could disable or destroy it. She selected the mech closest to her, tilted her head, and pulled the trigger.
Once again, the rocket on its back kept it in the air for a few seconds before it lost altitude and finally impacted hard into one of the nearby buildings.
Hammerhand knew the Guardians were coming in closer and that they likely already knew where the signal was coming from. Whether they merely ignored the danger of not being able to contact their troops or if they were en route to her to put an end to it, she didn’t know. Either way, it was another distraction for them to have to deal with.
It was like Tinker said. The Knights were best able to fight a guerrilla-style battle, and that was how they currently fought.
The ground shook and smoke billowed from the buildings at the edge of the settlement. Bright flashes of light followed quickly when the fertilizer exploded and debris flurried from the blasts while the buildings began to topple and fall into the streets below.
One of the Guardians at the back of the line twisted and tried to take steps back to avoid one of the falling structures.
Its size made for slower movement, and the building collapsed on top of it and brought the mech down with it.
The pilot was probably not dead and the mech would be able to pull itself out from under the rubble. But, as the dust started to settle, Jessica13 noticed smaller figures move within the wreckage with determination and hurried focus. The townspeople had gathered to make the most of the opportunity. Tinker had given them tools and they now took the mech apart to reach the pilot inside and kill him.
"It’s not a good way to go," she whispered as she trained the scope on the other Guardians, who now realized they were almost completely trapped.
Once they halted, more people began to appear from the buildings around them and threw what appeared to be heavy tanks of gasoline, alcohol, or other flammable liquids that quickly caught alight. The flames had less of an impact as their armor was thicker than the other mechs, but it was still a nuisance and one that could prove deadly for the pilot inside. The heat could build to a level where it would broil anyone caught within.
In their distraction, Hammerhand appeared. The Excalibur was almost a quarter again larger than the Guardians, and they lacked the same kind of close-quarters weapons.
Of course, he had no plasma bolt cannons either, but when they were up close and personal, it didn't matter.
The first Guardian was struck across the side of the head when the knight stepped out from where he had hidden. He swung his hammer in a high arc that knocked the mech closest to him aside as the rocket on the back of the hammer lit up. The side of the target was left dented and the gyros struggled to cope with the impact until it crashed heavily into a building on its right. More rubble avalanched onto it to drive it to the ground as Hammerhand moved forward and brought the hammer into another overhead swing that continued in a powerful downward blow.
The rocket flared and the weight of the weapon bore down on the top of the Guardian to leave a massive dent and almost fully crushed its head. It was impressive and painful to watch.
The three Guardians that remained realized the danger they were in and tried to back away from the massive mech that now moved inexorably closer. Their plasma cannons flared and fired, but Hammerhand was ready for them, his shield up and active. He pushed forward as the super-heated slugs pounded into the pale blue film and went no farther.
The Knights’ leader advanced with heavy steps that made the earth shudder around him. The shield thrust into contact with the Guardians in front of him and drove them back into the ruined buildings.
All three struggled to retaliate but their smaller mechs weren’t capable of producing even a quarter of the power the Excalibur could. They nevertheless stood their ground and locked themselves in place to try to fight back.
The shield dropped and they almost fell forward when the resistance vanished. The hammer rose and the rocket flared behind it. It swung relentlessly and bulldozed most of the closest mech with it. A wave of dirt was dislodged when the weapon connected with the earth and the damaged mech slowly
