Chapter 14 Book Two
Vixen, Lost World
Nadir Point, Jumpship Kelly's Triumph
July 7 3022
It had always amazed Alexander how people were able to rule star spanning empires. With such great distances between worlds, protecting borders and waging wars on your neighbor was an abstract thought to him. It was technology that made it all possible and Alex knew he'd never get use to the gut wrenching feeling of having his reality torn apart and sewn back together traveling the cosmos.
It had been an hour since the Kelly's Triumph had made its jump into the once lost system and still the mercenary did not feel at ease. He stared out the small port hole in the side of the dropship and looked into the void. The presence of the other jumpship bothered him. Why isn't your solar sail deployed? Where are your dropships? The Captain's train of thought was interrupted by a light knock on his door. “Enter.” He stated but continued his star gazing. Lieutenant McKay opened the steel hatch and made her way through, hanging onto handles as she moved. She did not seem to do too well with the weightlessness of space.
“Ship inspections cleared Captain. All is still secure in the cargo bay. Captain Schmitz has given the operation a green light. Just waiting to hear from the Kelly's Triumph to detach and make our burn towards the planet.” Alexander didn't reply as he continued to stare out the port hole. “Captain?” Why do I have this uneasy feeling. “Out of respect for Captain Schmitz Lieutenant, while I am on his vessel the courteous title for addressing me is Major.” Alex finally turned to face his XO. “It's a good habit to be in to not insult our new found and generous friend.” He watched as Martha' cheeks flushed. “Yes sir!”
“Thank you for giving me an update. We should probably make our way to the bridge.” Alex watched Martha nod and take her leave. Stealing one more look out into the void, he turned and made his way through the hatch as well. Navigating his way through the zero gravity towards the upper decks, the young mans mind began to wander again. Bass. If all goes well here on Vixen, that's where we'll go next. The visage of a large glowing gold dot on the map of a star scape shined brightly in Alexander' minds eye. It displayed the same color of pip as my home and the old man. Maybe it's a person who's still alive!
The hatchway to the bridge hissed open and the Captain pulled himself through before carefully closing the protective door behind him. Making sure he found a place near Captain Schmitz but out of the way of the crews work, he settled into a restful position while hanging onto a support railing. “Ah, Herr Bishop! Welcome to my bridge Major! I see you survived the jump. Excellent!” Alex noticed the Captains cheery attitude. He's been like this since -rescuing- him from Thraxa's Bureaucracy. “Barely Captain. I don't believe I'll ever get use to that sensation. Status report?” Straight to business.
“The green light has been given from the Kelly's Triumph to detach. On your word we head planet side.” He paused as if reading Alexander' mind. “No word from the other jumpship. Either she's a hostile running silent or it's derelict, Major.” The mercenary chewed his lower lip in thought for a moment considering the danger, but decided to brave what awaited them. “All speed to the planet Captain Schmitz.” The Lyran began to bark orders to different stations as a chorus of “Yes sirs” followed.
Just a straight forward in and out sort of mission. Alex hoped that were true, but the shadow cast by the quiet jumpship darkened his spirits.
* * *
Vixen, Lost World
July 20 3022
Most men would have been at least nervous about their first high altitude insertion while piloting a battlemech. The idea of ground dwelling warmachines plummeting towards the ground at high speed wasn't something pilots looked forward to, but Alex found himself filled with apathy as the god of death stared up at him from the planets surface. His concern was only with his people, though both Liam Grant and Martha McKay had reassured him that they had preformed the maneuver before and could handle it.
The Captain had called for the insertion after Schmitz brought his attention to enemy activity when they broke the planets atmosphere. He had found a patrol lance of mechs near the dropships chosen LZ and had asked Alex how they would proceed. A surprise attack on top of the pirates seemed to be the best course of action. “Status.” Captain Bishop questioned through clenched teeth as the intense g-force from the drop pressed against him.
“Dagger reporting. Systems and course holding. 2025 feet and falling fast. Preparing deceleration. Out.” Alexander double checked his own distance from the ground. “Hammer One reporting. Systems and course holding Captain. 1845 feet, initiating deceleration on mark.” A loud roar of exhaust began to scream over the comms. “Mark. Out.” Here we go. Alex began to tap into his fusion reactor for the raw power required to stop his Whitworth' descent before becoming a small spatter on the ground below. Heat began to spike in his cockpit as he pedaled his jump jet controls to create long bursts of force to oppose gravity. His battlemech began to shake violently and Alex suddenly recalled a lecture one of his teachers in the academy had performed that briefly touched on the exact maneuver he was conducting. “...and without a Drop Cocoon I would strongly suggest finding another means of assault. Only the desperate or crazy would throw a battlemech out of a dropship.” Sweat poured from the Captains face as heat continued to bleed from his engine.
4...3...2...1 Alexander cut his jump jets at the last moment before slamming into the ground. His Whitworth' actuators squealed in protest as the mercenary let the machines legs bend at the knee to absorb some of the impact. Restraining straps dug into flesh as Alex fought his controls while nearly vomiting from a surge of dizziness due his gyro grasping onto his own sense of balance. Death did not greet him this day.
“Contact!” A female voice barked out over the units secure comm channel. The wave of nausea began to pass and the Captain suddenly realized Martha was already engaged with the enemy. Checking his HUD he identified a pirate Commando, Whitworth, and a machine the computer wanted to classify as a Centurion but said it could also be a Vindicator because of its weight class. The hell is that? Alex cycled his monitor to take a better look at the mystery mech. To him it looked like the incarnation of a Slender Man. A monster from ghost stories told at the orphanage where he grew up. “Dagger, Hammer One. Can you get an ID on that strange medium?” A duet of negatives came back to him. Cursing, he throttled up as there wasn't any more time to wonder. The pirates were coming in fast as they seemed to be spoiling for a fight.
The forward momentum of the bandit machines surprised the commander of the Privateers. Only having time to exchange two salvos of long range weaponry, the enemy was on top of their position in the matter of moments. “They don't seem to want to spar at range. Prepare for close quarters!” If it hadn't been for the knife fight between titans, those involved might have noticed the beautiful mountain ranges covered in snow to each side of the meandering valley that was now a battlefield.
“They're focusing me!” Lieutenant McKay cried out in alarm as Alex tried to bring his lasers to bare against the Commando who was currently bombarding his XO' Panther with short range missiles. Slag fell away from the 25 ton mech under the onslaught but not before the damage was done to his lancemate. Between a torrent of missiles and laser fire from the enemy Whitworth and the large laser from the strange medium punching a hole straight into the heart of McKays center torso, Captain Bishop knew Martha was out of the fight. The small feline head of the light battlemech suddenly broke away on a trail of fire as its pilot ejected. The now decapitated body crashed to the snow-covered ground with a failed gyro.
In a fast reprisal for his fallen comrade, Grant finished a hasty jump into the rear arc of the pirate Whitworth who had been focused on McKay' dying machine. A chill went up through Alexander' spine as he watched the Jenner' pilot put an alpha strike into its thin protective armor and turned the mighty lord of battle into a fireball. Sympathetic explosions erupted as multiple missiles detonated from the hit to its ammo bins.
The Captains attention was quickly brought back to the fight as his own Whitworth was rocked by a large laser hit from the unknown machine into his right leg. There's no cover here. That mech has to be dealt with and dealt with now. Making a fast sprint over frozen ground, Alexander let loose with his LRMs followed by laser fire. At a disadvantage in fire power the young mechwarrior quickly decided to resort to melee. Hammering his jump jet pedals just before reaching the enemy, Alex rose slightly into the air before moving his mechs leg into a kick that used the extra momentum to crash down on the enemies own leg. Metal grated against metal before the eerie wail of breaking composite joined in the cacophony. Alarms sounded that suddenly informed the Captain he had just lost one of his mechs legs, broken off at the knee.
Gravity followed the laws of physics and pulled both battlemechs to the ground in a cruel embrace. Familiar stars filled Alexander' eyes as he tried to read the stream of data his HUD was feeding him. The thought of ejecting raced through his mind before getting vetoed by the simple fact his launch would be fouled by being tangled up in the strange opponents gangly machine. Comms suddenly came to life with the voice of his lancemate. “Captain, the Commando is retreating.”
It wouldn't be until a short time after the battle that Alex learned the enemy mech had tried to kick his Whitworth at the same time as he landed his own blow. The salvage team had to pull both dismembered legs apart before bringing them back to the dropship.
* * *
Canopus IV
Magistracy of Canopus
Crimson City
July 20 3022
The tall, slender woman whose hair reminded the man of a dark chocolate sat comfortably on the plush sofa across from him in the mansions sitting room. He had always found the circle of nobles from Crimson to be exceptionally flaunting with their bodies and Lady Jasu proved to be no different. Thin, golden laced silk wrapped the womans body in a toga that left nothing to the imagination.
“So you see , there is nothing more to note about my visit to Thraxa.” The man could tell she was laying the honey on thick. “I awarded the mercenaries what I thought them owed, nothing more.” His eyes devoured her movements, but not for the reason she wanted him to. “I have no idea what interest the Magistracy Intelligence Ministry would have in some home grown, patriotic mercenary.”
The man ran a hand back across his shaven scalp as if to show frustration and defeat. “So all you have is his name and dossier. Very well Lady Jasu, I appreciate your time.” He slowly got to his feet, giving her time to add anything of use to the conversation. When all she offered was an invite to her chambers, the agent took his leave.
Walking the streets of the city was a habit the spy had picked up over the years and did so when he needed to clear his mind. Something about the busy sounds blurring together seemed to give him clarity of thought. It could just be a coincidence. The man shook his head. No, you need to be sure if it's him.
The city was alive with its never ending party, but all the man could think about was a child who had died with his parents twenty years ago.