The canyon walls closed up around them, jagged black cliffs of volcanic rock looming down in judgement as the splinter of the attack force worked its way around to flank the Scraegan positions. Ryke had hated the terrain as soon as he'd seen it on the map, and being up close had not improved his opinion.

The narrow defile meant the Hunter-Killers were tightly packed along their given route, and the blade-like skiffs of Brackenshaw's scout platoon were strung out in a thin, straggled line that looked achingly vulnerable. They moved in single file to give them a chance to use their speed and manoeuvrability in the event of an ambush, but the sight still made him feel uneasy.

Brackenshaw herself was leading the way and he was amazed by the woman's resolve. He'd fought alongside lots of Scout Cadre units during the Brekkan siege, but never in these kind of precision, high-risk operations. Seeing it now up close, he couldn't help but admire the bravery with which these light troops executed their orders. Brackenshaw had been fighting this war a lot longer than him – fear had been burnt out of her.

Brave or not, however, it didn't change the fact that their attack route was a tactical nightmare. They had to rely on Miquelon and the bulk of the strike force maintaining Scraegan attention long enough for Ryke's unit the break into Ozzmar from the east.

And having to rely on Miquelon made him feel sick.

He constantly checked and rechecked the HUD for any sign of movement. Every crevice of rock and every shadowed valley could hide potential ambush. The scouts zipped ahead, their seismic sensors pulsing for any underground movement. So far they'd found nothing, but that didn't make him feel any better.

Ryke winked through the interface, bringing up the live map of the wider operational area. To the east Miquelon's contingent advanced quickly behind a screen of scouting units, the Hunter-Killers loping along in their wake and the armoured contingents bringing up the rear. They were certainly in range if the Scraegans wanted to open fire, but in his experience he found that their adversaries preferred to let their enemies get close before engaging. The Scraegans thrived in the brutality of a close-quarters melee.

Three minutes later he saw the first red threat indicators blink up on the HUD as their advance units spotted Scraegan positions. Seismic readings rippled along the northern perimeter of Ozzmar and Lieutenant Miquelon's voice soon followed.

"Kaber to all combat units," he announced imperiously. "We have identified live hostile targets. Proceed on mission – forward units engage. Armour batteries Altar and Echo follow on close fire support. HK-Rupture, SC-21, advance on your assigned route."

"Lockjaw – Kaber, acknowledged," Ryke replied, tension beginning to tighten his limbs as the two sides drew together. So far their approach route remained clear, but it couldn't last. He upped the pace of his Hunter-Killers, staying close to the dust-kicked wake of Brackenshaw's advance as they worked their way closer.

Then the fighting started.

Thunder echoed from beyond the canyons as Miquelon's contingent engaged the Scraegan defenders of Ozzmar. The Hunter-Killer's auditory filters picked out the snarling roar of furnace cannons, quickly replied to by the booming of human ordnance. Ryke resisted the urge to flick into the broad command channel to hear the inevitable surge in comms that engagement would cause. They needed to keep their comms clear for orders and internal communication.

"SC-21 – Lockjaw, time to pick up the pace," Brackenshaw told him. "Think you can double-time it in those rigs?"

"We'll be right behind you," Ryke answered.

"Alright then. We are moving ahead on target, SC-21 out."

The indicators of Brackenshaw's flight sped up on his display, and he passed the word for his troops to follow suite. Their toothed feet battered the volcanic rock of the canyon floor and he could feel sweat beading on his cheeks as the heat of the region assaulted the Hunter-Killer's coolant systems. On the HUD he saw both friendly and enemy indicators disappearing from the display as battle was joined, the sound of it crashing across the canyons in waves.

The distance counter to their target clicked down and down. He fought away the impulse to turn his Hunter-Killer around, every bone in his body wanting to be a part of that main battle. Even now he couldn't trust in Miquelon to direct such an engagement, but discipline kept him moving. Stick to the plan, follow your orders.

Less than a kilometre from Ozzmar their advance came to an abrupt halt.

When the black rocks blew apart round him, Ryke didn't even feel surprise. The sense of dread in his mind had prepared him for exactly this. It would never be easy. The Scraegans were not animals. They knew how to fight a war. Hunks of pulverised stone rained down on his soldiers as a Scraegan pack emerged from hiding, some underground and others lurking in the very walls of the narrow canyon.

"CONTACT!" he thundered over the wide comm link as Scraegans converged from all sides with furnace cannons blazing. "Lockjaw – SC-21, we have been engaged, I repeat, we have been engaged."

"Copy – multiple hostiles stationed on our route," Brackenshaw responded instantly as fresh red indicators splurged across the HUD along the line of their canyon. "Doubling back to link up with you."

Ryke flicked to the squad comm in an instant. "All units, combat pairings on me, and watch your firing solutions! Keep moving forward."

His fiercely clear orders filtered down into his troops and HK-Rupture dispersed with the speed of a battle-tested unit. Thaye closed up with him as the Scraegan pack surged forward, and in a matter of seconds the canyon became a blazing, rubble-strewn inferno. A furnace cannon shot screeched past his mech with inches to pair as he pivoted out the firing line, the blue sphere of hellfire scorching the armour of his shoulder shield.

The cannon slung under his right arm snarled into life, barrels spinning up and unleashing a storm of armour piercing rounds into the closest Scraegan. Blood and fur spattered from the impact but the creature thundered onward undeterred, its shovel of a jaw opening with a feral roar.

Ryke side-stepped its charge, twisting the bulk of his Hunter-Killer violently and slamming his shoulder shield into the beast's skull as it crashed on by. It thundered on and crashed into one of its companions coming from the opposite direction, but he was already backstepping, following Thaye as she surged violently forward. Her gun spat a handful of bursts before she unfolded her Hunter-Killer's warblade and clashed with the first onrushing Scraegan.

Blood, fire and oil spewed across the valley floor as the two forces clashed in close quarters. The ground shook as the Goliaths opened fire at point-blank range, shattering armour and bone with every shot. Status readouts blurted across Ryke's HUD as updates automatically filtered through from his squadmates. The green indicators of their mechs were now edged with yellows and oranges from damage.

"Close up and watch your spacing!" he roared, crunching an immense armoured fist into the jaw of another Scraegan to send it spinning. "On my lead – keep on mission target. Don't get bogged down!"

"SC-21 – Lockjaw. We are engaging!" Brackenshaw's hoarse voice snapped over the comm, and his eyes flicked to the HUD display. The indicators of the Scout Cadre flight hurtled towards them at a breakneck speed, and a moment later the skiffs themselves came into view, slewing into sight as the rounded a bend in the canyon.

"Copy that!" Ryke snapped, then switched to his squad-wide. "All units, eyes open. Friendlies inbound!"

As the Hunter-Killer formation tightened up, advancing along their route towards Ozzmar, the scouts raced back across their lines and opened up with a punishing volley of fire into the Scraegan ranks. Men and women along the guard rails peppered the Scraegans with armour-piercing rounds as the skiffs' mounted guns erupted into life.

Furnace shots screamed back at the onrushing scouts, and one skiff was torched from nose to tail as it caught the blast head on. Its charred carcass dipped to the ground, its prow digging into the churned up rock and sending the rest of the skiff flipping end over end into the Scraegan positions. The other vehicles in Brackenshaw's command slewed through the chaos with the precision of battle-hardened pilots, buying a moment's breathing space as their splinter force grouped to push towards Ozzmar.

"Kaber – Lockjaw, status!" Miquelon barked suddenly.

Ryke took a second to reposition and cover Thaye as she forced a towering Scraegan beta backwards, his cannon thumping with recoil. 

"Heavy resistance, sir," he replied eventually, his eyes still half watching the positioning of his pilots on the HUD. Brody was safely chaperoned by Scantlin's Raptor mech as he guided the newest member of the squad through the brawl. Brigg trudged backwards with the other Raptor of Kim 'Haunter' Lassange keeping any enemies from flanking him, the Goliath pilot blasting left and right with every step.

"Two Scraegan packs in the canyons," Ryke continued. "They were ready for us. We are regrouping with full combat strength to continue our push for the secondary plant."

"Copy that!" Miquelon sounded strained, but he seemed to be keeping it together. One pilot from HK-Strident was already down, but the main attack force had reached Ozzmar's outskirts, driving into the town like a bulldozer. "We are pushing for the main plant. We will rendezvous once assets are secured. Kaber out!"

"Just that simple, eh?" Ryke muttered with a shake of his head. The Scout Cadre units flashed past him after their brief, vicious pass at the Scraegan line, once again handing the frontline of the fight to the Hunter-Killers.

"We'll never make a rendezvous at this rate, boss," Preese said. "Not with these bastards snapping at our heels all the way." As if to accent the point, his second officer surged forward to ram a Scraegan with his shoulder shield, sending the beast tumbling backwards. Behind Preese, Marylee's Riot mech stepped up, spraying a suppressing arc of fire from her main cannon.

Quickly assessing the situation, he could see that Preese was right. One pack of Scraegans barred their path to Ozzmar up ahead while the other had engaged them here. They would have to fight a constant, grinding rearguard just to get close to Ozzmar, and even then they would have to engage while badly outnumbered. It was a tactical horror show.

His brow furrowed as he considered his options for evening the odds. A furnace cannon shot screamed into their ranks as he tried to fight and think at the same time, and huge explosion fountained dirt and grit into the air, momentarily obscuring his vision. A yelp of pain cut through the comm and on the HUD he saw the blinking amber of a damage indicator blare out across the entire right side of Kim's Raptor mech.

"Haunter, talk to me," he snapped.

"Rightside gyros are shot," she replied, and he could hear her speaking through gritted teeth. "Didn't see it coming."

"You mobile?"

"I can hobble."

"Good enough for me. Deadbolt, Gutz, move to cover."

"Copy," Preese answered.

"Lockjaw – SC-21?"

Brackenshaw responded. "Go ahead, Lockjaw. You got an idea for this mess?"

"I think so." Ryke's mouth twisted as the plan formulated piece by piece. "We can't fight them all at once. We'll clear you the space. Then I want you to drop some mines between us and them. Cut them off from the town. Then we run a full frontal at the second defending pack."

"I like your style, Lockjaw," the veteran sergeant replied. "Coming around – just tell us when."

"Copy that." Determination swelled in Ryke's chest as he prepared himself. He was in his element now – just him and a squadron of battle mechs against the Scraegans. "Haunter, hang back and give supporting fire. The rest of you, on my lead, wedge formation. Havoc, you've got the point. Give me a full auto salvo for ten seconds, on my mark."

He stepped aside, allowing Thaye to take her position at the point of the arrowhead of Hunter-Killers. The mechs repositioned into the new formation, even as the Scraegans tried to push forward, but falling back in good order, the well-trained pilots formed up, heavy Goliaths on the flanks and Riot mechs in the centre.

"Open fire!" he shouted, squeezing the trigger of his cannon. They neural feedback send vibrations rattling through his arm from the recoil, and all along the line a sustained storm of fire battered the Scraegan line. It wasn't something they could keep up indefinitely – Hunter-Killers simply couldn't carry enough ammo to maintain long bombardments – but this short burst would buy them time.

A smog of dust and grit was pounded into existence as they raked the Scraegan line from left to right, heavy shells from the Goliath mechs bringing down sheets of rock from the valley walls down on top of the Scraegan pack. He glanced up at the HUD. Just as he'd hoped, the sustained, surprise bombardment forced the Scraegans back as they tried to avoid the worst of the salvo.

"Now, now, now!" Ryke bellowed, stepping and hacking sideways with his warblade to gash the thick throat of the Scraegan before scrambling backwards as fast as the machine's heavy legs would carry him.

"Copy that – deploying mines," Brackenshaw replied, her skiff slewing around into position as the Hunter-Killers dug their way loose of the Scraegan pack.

Deep thunks echoed their way into the cacophony of battle as the launchers from the skiffs fired, lobbing their toothed mines high over the line of Ryke's troops. They landed in a jagged line across the valley floor, gouging up fountains of shattered rock as they dug deep, before detonating with seismic force.

The ground beneath his feet shuddered, and Ryke quickly backed away, more fire pumping from his cannon as the ground beneath them rock began to splinter.

"Back it up!" he barked to his pilots and the skirmish line moved with him, stepping away from the ragged crevice that Brackenshaw's mines had blasted between them and their foes. Scraegan howls cut through the smoke and the star-bright glint of charging furnace cannons began to swell in the smoke.

"Nice shooting, Sergeant," Ryke said. "You ready to take the fight to these bastards?"

"Form your boys up on me, Lockjaw," Brackenshaw answered, her gritty voice now charged with purpose. "We'll lead you in. Let's go ruin somebody's day."