Back End of Nowhere

Back End of Nowhere
Story information
Author	David L. McCulloch
Pages	4
Type	Short story
Product	Total Warfare
Content
Era	Civil War era
Timeline	11 April 3065

The short story Back End of Nowhere was published in Total Warfare.

Plot summary

On Randall's Regret, a minor Periphery world, Mathew Garret worries about a series of 'Mech-based attacks on ranches, attacks that killed cattle and even people. Garret pilots an armed CattleMaster brought to the planet by the original colonists. He works with Jonathan Kerns and his HarvesterMech, which Garret's cousin Errol is trying to arm them with Machine Guns.

In the meantime, the ranch-attacking pirate, Ringo, is uncertain of what to do. His 'Mech, Bessie (won in a poker game on Tortuga), needs maintenance, and Ringo is low on ammunition and supplies. Having already raided the easiest targets, Ringo worries about the threat of Marshal Hancock and his deputies. In the end, he plans on one last major caper that could help him refit his BattleMech and leave the planet.

By using two Nurfers, Mathew Garret is able to track Ringo, locating him in one of the attacked farms. He returns to the village and gathers some of the locals to fight back. Their two armed IndustrialMechs and a jeep with some small weapons head off to face the bandit.

Ringo wins the battle. His UrbanMech beats the farmers, though he has a close call when the dying CattleMaster nearly gets him. In the end, picking through the wreckage, he is able to get some coin and a compact roll of C-bills.

Featured characters

• Mathew Garret
• Jonathan Kerns
• Ringo
• Jack
• George
• Paul
• Errol
• Sheriff Brandon (mentioned)
• Marshal Gregor Hancock (mentioned)
• Mrs. Jameson (mentioned)

Featured Places

• Randall's Regret
• Tortuga (mentioned)
• Herotitus (mentioned)

Featured BattleTech

BattleMechs

• UrbanMech
• Imp (mentioned)

IndustrialMech

• CattleMaster
• HarvesterMech

Featured Species

• Nurfer
• Lion Mole