Cathay Sports Center…Natalie Roshak ducked to the side, as her opponent unleashed twin bolts of cyan followed by azure pulses. This one wasn't for standing in the League, or in the Games.
This was about, for Lavonne Roshak, eliminating a traitor to the Clan, one whose perfidy stained the entire Bloodhouse.
This wasn't for points, it was for blood.
The
Warhammer Natalie had borrowed for the games was well suited for the tight circle of equals that were the Solaris arenas.
Her opponent was piloting a
Hellbringer Prime.
It had the mobility and even a range advantage. But because the arenas were all designed to keep opponents in close contact with each other that did not matter.
The pulse lasers of the heavily modified
Warhammer showed why it got the nickname it did, the
Sledgehammer.
Her opponent rocked back as the SRM follow up helped further destabilize the mech but it did not fall as it shot out another PPC blast that melted off some left torso armor.
"Persistence, fledgeling," Natalie breathed in the hot cockpit, laying a brutal pattern of pulses into the
Hellbringer's compromised side-torso. "Real battles are won more often than not on
persistence and
commitment." She was rewarded as the
Hellbringer's left arm toppled off the mech, to bounce in the dirt.
With much of the heat burden removed her opponent laid into the triggers that still worked much harder.
The arcs of damage to the armor started showing as dangerous in some areas.
Natalie stepped INTO the hose-cone of fire, delivering one pulse, two steps, one pulse, hammering in a race between her 'mech's armor plating, and the internal structure of the falcon-built
Hellbringer. "We came to the Inner Sphere to restore the Star League, and that was
done," she snarled over the channel.
“Neg! It was to be in our image! Not the creation of tainted traitor lords!”
It was an old argument. Natalie had impressed so many, in the run up to Revival, with her impassioned humanitarian defense of the Operation, and the Crusader cause. THAT meant her becoming a
Lyran was doubly offensive to many Trueborn, especially the ones who read those words and were moved by them…
"With us, or against us, they are
united for the first time in
centuries. The operation was a
success, if the present leadership can not take advantage of it, that is a failing of the CLAN," she spat, and SRM's slammed into the other machine's weakened interior, rewarding her with a gout of engine plasma and evaporating coolant from the wound.
The engine in the
Hellbringer sputtered before finally dying after a moment.
Natalie stepped back, and raised her cannon-arms. "THINK-numbers, millions to one,
but they listen now," she said. "Leaders across the inner sphere listen to Clan advisors, Clan warriors, they structure everything to face us.
We are winning."
“You still carry the stain of dishonor from Blackjack. It was your actions that allowed Henrietta Ngo to escape and come back as a plague upon us.”
"You will not scrub that today," Natalie told her. "Maybe tomorrow… but I am the reason she allows her victims to live.
I taught her to be more than a rabid killer. I offer Hegira here, in this place. Gather your star mates and recover your damage and your wounds… and learn."
“The ways of the Clans are changing.”
"All interaction changes things, the strength of looking with Turkina's eyes, is in leading the change you want, rather than bemoaning the change you cannot lead."
“When we become the ilClan, your new master that has tamed you will be no more.”
"When Jade Falcon becomes the ilClan, then it will mean the right people
led the change rather than resisting and being rolled over for it. Strategy beats tactics. Look with
Turkina's eyes and see the world as it is, before fantasizing it as you would like it to
be. BE the change you want to see. The Objective was to restore the Star League, and eventually, to lead it into a golden age. What have you done to accomplish this?" Natalie waited a breath. "You are defeated, do you accept Hegira?"
“Aff. The battle is over and victory is yours.”
"Glad we had this chat. I look forward to seeing your progress." Natalie walked off the field, bloodname intact, and five challengers laid low behind her.
Mama Ji's, Saigon Strasse…She laughed, and for a moment, he could see the innocent girl she must have once been. "You're a charmer!" she said.
"I do my best," he confided.
I have to assume I’m being watched and monitored.In a way, that was to be expected. ROM pegged the restaurant as a possible intelligence front months ago. The food was… off compared to what he remembered from visiting such a place on Earth in his youth. 'Slightly to the side' of actual Southeast Asia sector Hanoi's lunch-establishments. The spicing was just a bit… odd. "Have you ever actually had Vietnamese cuisine from actual
Vietnam?" he asked.
She shook her head, "Nope, never visited Sol system. In fact, I think nobody in the family has since our ancestors left… no, wait, not totally true, one of my ancestors was with 1st Coast Guard during the Liberation battle. She led boarding teams on Titan for Kerensky's forces."
“A shame. And all that time where it was a closed system. Real pho is hard to come by, and this, well it tries and I must give it respect for effort and coming close.”
"But the spices are wrong?" she asked him. "Yeah, some of the herbs in the historical recipes just don't grow in Kowloonese soil."
“Nor Solaris soil apparently.”
"Nah, that's more adjusting for Heinie palates, everything's so bland because most of the universe can't take a bit of bite. Their pho
is better than their attempt at Nha Plam though."
“I may have to convince you to go on another date. See how bad it really is,” Perseus laughed.
"I may find myself saying yes," she inclined her head agreeably. "This is fun."
“An attractive woman, acceptable weather, questionable food. All that is missing is a bad horror tri-vid.”
"I've got the sixteenth edition of '
Planet of the Dead' on Threevee at my place?" she urged.
“Perfect.”
The day was going very well, in Henrietta's eyes.
***
Surveillance…"This can't be good," Leni commented. "There's the wrong kind of movement going on.”
Packing, Sophie gestured.
“Hai,” Hideki the Younger nodded. “They’re getting ready to move. Those cargo haulers over there. I figure we only have a couple days at most.”
"Well… the boss isn't going to like it, but I'm going to suggest we need to move tonight, tomorrow at the latest," Leni stated. "Later than that, and it's going to be a dry hole."
“We will be ready to do our part,” Hideki the Younger said.
“One thing is going for us. Their security is not much better than an actual stable’s. At least not on the surface,” Hesmana noted.
“Means they have some nasty surprises deeper in that we can’t see,” Leni countered.
“Agreed,” Hideki the Younger looked at Leni. “When this is over, would you like to get some udon with me?”
“I uh… Okay,” Leni nearly stammered.
Sophie smiled.
“Okay so how do we play this?” Hesmana asked. “We really don’t have much time to finalize a plan.”
“We have to interrupt Henrietta’s date don’t we?” Leni asked.
Sophie frowned as she nodded.
***
Perseus was still expecting the spec ops team and heavy hood to pop out when he entered the small apartment.
“You don’t need to be so nervous. It’s just us.”
“Perfect.” Perseus was doing his best to not make it obvious that he was checking for listening devices.
Henrietta’s commlink chirped.
“Right at the worst time,” Henrietta complained. “Stay right there.”
Henrietta stepped into an adjoining room.
Perseus took the opportunity to more thoroughly check the room for cameras and listening devices.
He was certain that if any were present, he’d need tools to find them that he simply lacked.
“Rooting around the place for something particular?” Henrietta made her return known.
“I guess now is the time for confession,” Perseus said. “I haven’t been with a woman in a long time. I guess I’m just nervous.”
“Uh huh,” Henrietta almost scoffed.
“Been a while since I’ve had to do this dance as well,” Perseus said.
“What dance? Tango? Or something even more
intimate?” Henrietta smiled.
“The one we’re both doing right now. Gauging one another, looking for each other’s vulnerabilities, all while not admitting what we’re really after.”
“Oh I think you know exactly what I’m after.” Henrietta crossed the short distance between her and Perseus.
“Henrietta, before we do this, there’s something I should tell you.”
“That you’re a Blakist? That you have my sister? Yeah. I know,” she whispered in his ear. “But that you came anyway… Without backup? That says something about you too.”
“Then you know time’s of the essence.”
“Yeah. I got the confirmation, you’re moving out.”
“Not just that…” Perseus found himself hesitating. “The orders came in just before you called.”
“Then if we both survive this, I’m definitely collecting on the sex we’re both due,” Henrietta sighed.
She pulled out the commlink and tapped on it.
“Command post,” Leni’s voice came from the device.
“We’ve got some unexpected help. Perseus confirmed much of what we already knew.” Henrietta looked at Perseus in a way he hadn’t been looked at before.
He found it both alluring and unsettling.
“To maintain our cover as a stable we only have six mechs and mechwarriors. But what we keep out of sight is a full Level II of Battlearmor.”
"Hm, that CAN get complicated."
“There’s a way to deal with that. To keep it concealed, it’s held in a special storage area. It’s possible that the pilots can be separated from their armor,” Perseus said. “It’s on sub-level one on the south east side. If you can get a slicer in undetected… You might have a chance.”
"Leni, get Sophie and have Tommy bring out his working clothes with the rest of his fireteam. We've got to neutralize a company level Battlearmor threat, preferably without letting them get their suits up."
”Got it. Hideki the Younger is volunteering for it already,” Leni said.
"Work the Coasties into his plan as support and backup, then. This is Ryukan's show, we're just supporting cast, but definitely identify points of entry and egress."
Perseus asked, "Coastie?"
"Kowloon Coast Guard, kind of my family's 'domestic troops that we don't officially admit we have'."
“Ah. Well I suppose I should technically correct my earlier statement, since the forces are down one Mechwarrior and ‘mech. The next major threat you need to watch for is the chief of security for the site. Adept Athena. She’s the quiet fixer, knife in the dark, the scalpel of the operation. She’s good.”
"You know the fun thing? Bring a scalpel into a hammer fight." She paused, "Nobody gets out of those unhurt. This is going to be messy."
“Then I better get back. That way I can have some control over the safety of the girls.”
She tippy toed up and kissed him, "For luck. See you soon."
“I intend to collect on more.”
"I expect so, Mister," she slapped his ass. "Let's hope you don't get too worn out before then."
Perseus nodded and smiled as he left the apartment.
***
"And here I thought……I'd get to be idle and lazy for the rest of the month." Thomas Deen is a big man. This is especially so, given where he's from. In the inner system of the Kowloon binary, there’s an airless rock the size of Mars that masses just shy of 1.15 times as much as Earth itself. The place is called "Mad Hatter” Around two hundred fifty million people live in the mines and tunnel systems of Mad Hatter, and have since they started digging for heavy elements back in the late 26th century.
Hatters are
Rokkajakkah, from a heavy gravity environment. Almost a contrast in contrasts. Tommy joined AFFC specifically to get out of the mines and see skies that weren't just blue and white paint on a ceiling next to a solatube.
Hikkaru’s offering of people to the operation was far more limited.
Hideki the Elder, Hideki the Younger, Hesmana, and Clara were all he could muster.
"Any of you familiar with suits?" Tommy asked, "If not, say so now, an untrained operator can have broken bones and worse in suit… just by trying to walk."
“I apprenticed some mining operations at Al Na’ir,” Hesmana said.
"Plainclothes, got it. Alright, you set the plan, we cover you and execute the plan. I've got twelve marines who ARE suit qualified. How about commo? You guys familiar with SLDF Mark Twenty Two helmets and voders?"
“Yes,” the Hidekis said in unison.
"Good, all right. Light infantry will be the center of the push-the heavies in the suits will be door-kicker and bodyguard-huds are linked, and it's a new model so normal walls and barriers won't be a major issue."
“Hai.”
"OUR assignment is to get you in, get you through, and get you out alive. This is Corpsman Trinh Vienh. She's going to check your helmet fit and nag you about ergonomics and safety, but if you get shot or something, she's pretty damn good at keeping you alive for the extract."
“Then you will be who I shall be staying near. Hatsumi Clara, I also have some medical expertise,” Clara bowed.
"More hands are
always better, Doctor Hatsumi," Vienh said respectfully. "These guys like to get shot a lot," she added with a smirk.
"DO NOT!!"
"Tommy, I've pulled enough fragments out of you to build a statue of you-
life sized!!"
"She exaggerates. It wouldn't reach YOUR kneecap."
Hideki the Elder let out a short boisterous laugh.
Hideki the Younger also got a look at the suits. "Gray Death Legion pattern?"
"Same tooling… these are better-they're
waterproof."
“Interesting,” Hideki the Elder said, rubbing his chin.
"Also vacuum rated, but that only matters in the Guard," one of the quiet ones said. "Heinies don't
do hard vac ops with suits."
“Our plan is fairly simple. I shall make a modest distraction at the main gate, just enough to draw most of their attention without causing too much of a ruckus. My grandson will take advantage of the distraction to gain stealth entry and seal the cache of battlearmor. Once that is complete we then effect Noisy Thief technique.”
"Blowakop out 'em an' run?" one of the weapons soldiers…
Marines asked. "Mean, that be wot a noisy thief'd end up doin’…"
“Yes. Kick down the door, run roughshod over anyone there, incapacitate or kill them before they can react, get what we’re after, then get out,” Clara nodded.
Weapons were handed out, checked, the 'artoo' (RTO) checked the commlinks and verified encryption, and diagrams were brought up for the trip in.
Hideki the Elder stood and bowed to the gathered men and women.
“We are in your debt.” He straightened, then made for the door.
"Hey, we're here to help you, but it's helping ours too-retrieve Her Nibs with your girl, or at least, her Nibs' body. If it's the body, then she's gotta be brought home. It's
tradition."
“Hai. Death is as light as a feather, duty is heavier than a mountain.” Hideki the Younger stood and bowed and moved out as well.
“What does that mean?”
“I believe a proper translation is you don’t win a fight by dying for your country, you win it by making the other side die for theirs.”
Main Gate
Champions of Olympus StablesHideki the Elder was doing his best to give the impression of a crippled old man as he walked up to the main gate.
He picked out the young female guard on the southside of the entrance as his target.
“Excuse me young lady, could you tell me how much it is for a night?” he said as he walked up to her faking a limp.
“This isn’t a hotel old man. Bugger off,” she said dismissively.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I must be confused. I thought this was Madam Trang’s. At least that’s what the message in the bathroom said.”
“You think this is some brothel? Ew. Get out of here old man.”
“What’s going on here…” the other guard said before he suddenly stopped.
Before he could trigger his commlink, he was on his ass. The female guard tried to step back from Hideki but his hands were on her before she collected herself and was stunned on the ground too.
***
Security OfficeAdept Athena looked up at the sudden commotion on the monitor.
“What the…” She looked at the monitor closer. Then she reached for the alarm button, slapping it.
She dashed to Precentor Cadmus’ office.
“Hatsumi Hideki, the Red Spirit, he’s at the gate,” she reported.
“By himself?” Precentor Cadmus asked calmly.
“It would seem so.”
“Then deal with him yourself,” Precentor Cadmus commanded.
“Protocol dictates we should marshal a full response,” Adept Athena said.
“Fine. I’ll deploy the garrison but you shall take charge of the main gate.”
Athena frowned and bowed.
She went back into her office where she kitted up with her standard infantry kit.
It was a modified Star League kit and it did not mess around in terms of balance of protection and mobility.
***
Battlearmor storage facilitySenior Adept York tapped his code into the door. It spat back an error. He tried again. Again an error. He stepped back and examined the electronic lock.
The auxiliary access port was open.
“Shit. We don’t have time for this.” He tried the emergency manual release.
The lock disengaged but the door didn’t budge.
“What the…” He examined the door.
At the corners was some sort of black almost growth.
He examined it.
Then he remembered rumors about a similar incident from the War of 3039.
He chipped off a small piece of the growth and smelled it.
The acidic smell confirmed it.
A trick of the Red Spirit. It was a chemical cocktail that reacted with most metals that melted and bonded doors to their frames as effectively as thermite but because it was more acid based it did not set off smoke alarms or carbon monoxide sensors.
“******. Check the secondary access hatch! Quick!” He dispatched one of his adepts.
***
Secure Workshop“Go on. I got this,” Perseus dispatched the other guards.
Yurika looked at him suspiciously.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry it took me so long to realize what I was doing was wrong,” he said to the girl.
Whatever Adept Perseus was about to say, was interrupted by the thunk of a blackjack on the back of his head. "We'll fix that with him later," the old guy who ran the place said. "Your experiment is terminated." He was holding a silenced pistol. "Please step aside."
"No," Yurika stated, standing her ground. "I'm not
done yet."
"Well, it's a small loss…" He raised the pistol to eye level and aimed.
Phutt!Phutt!Phutt!!
The vent grille behind her spoke, followed by clatter as the old guy fell down. "Yurika! We need to
Go!!" Hideki the Younger was coming out of the vent.
"I'm
not done yet!!" she howled at him in unanticipated
rage, like a color she'd missed for months.
“Yurika… There’s about a hundred of them still loose and just me to protect you.”
"I…have NOT…
FINISHED!! MY WORK!!!" she gestured and he
saw it.
The younger Ngo woman, life support tubes and restraints, unconscious.
“Great…” Hideki shook his head as he could recognize the girl was still alive but in no shape to be moved soon.
"Tommy, my vid channel, we've got a complication," Hideki said. "We're going to need time."
"Jesus, the baroness… We'll buy you your time, make the most of it."“Okay Yurika, what do we need to finish your work in a hurry?”
"See, Lizzie? They
can learn..." Yurika said to the unconscious woman. "Stay out of my way while I work, and fetch what I tell you, Hideki-sama."
“Hai.”
Outside the lab, gunfire and screams echoed.
***
The Federated Barrett is a highly modifiable weapon, capable of being anything from an Assault Rifle to a full on Support Machine Gun. Tommy's was modified for the 'show'. It had a buttstock and rifle controls because his suit had strength augmentation and internal padding to compensate for the recoil.
Right now, he was using it indoors-which is not where you're supposed to use those, on men in body-armor that even dialed down to the minimum, presented no real challenge to the nickel-iron slugs it spat.
"Should've brought lasers," Lance Coffrey commented. "Lasers would be better for this."
"Couldn't get them in time." Coffrey had a squad machine-gun, fitted up like a rifle for his own suit. "These guys, they're going to find a way to flank us, or collapse the ****** corridor."
"I
know."
An antiarmor rocket filled the passage with smoke before detonating at the corner, a miss that would deafen and blind an unprotected man, with hot smoke and fragments that would put him in the morgue anyway.
"Call the boss?"
"Boss is called. It's not going to be a quick in and out. There's gonna be legal trouble for this op."
“Exigent circumstances. We got a tip that some abducted women were on site. Verified. Saw they were going to relocate their operation and intervened,” Henrietta countered.
“Yeah, I suppose when you put it like that… We’re still going to have to be here longer than we thought and that’s going to be a problem.”
“Okay I’ll see what I can do for additional reinforcements. For now do what you can.”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Another glorious day in the Corps!” one of his fireteam leaders proclaimed.
***
Adept Athena was now stuck, pinned down by the stairs to the upper offices in the mechbay.
Senior Adept York was with her.
“One of my men is rigging a warhead from an SRM as an improvised shaped charge to blast one of the access doors to the Battlearmor storage open now ma’am. Most of my men are being fed into this meat grinder to buy time for enough of the others to get into their suits though.”
“ETA on Adept Reeves’ return from his Solaris match?” Adept Athena knew that even a beat up mech would be a huge increase in firepower and a turning point for the defense of their operation.
“Five minutes.”
