A sprawling, grandiose tale of war and politics. There's a reason I stick to smaller stories: Haven't the head for such intricate plotting and details. A true feat of imagination.
And to think this whole universe started with wanting to write a Battletech romance novel.
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01/24/3070 Location – 10 kilometers to Mahakali, Highspire, Kali’s DominionKai Allard-Liao’s chuckled as his Ti T’sang 9J battlemech idly hacked at a strangler fig with his mech’s hatchet. The five ton piece of metal neatly cut through the trunk and the heavy tree was pushed to the side. Specialized engineering vehicles and Pioneer (modified Crosscuts) Industrialmechs were thinning the jungle behind him in order to clear a path for heavier equipment. He remembered that Ran Felsner, an eccentric old friend and fellow Commonwealth patriot, had once told him that the timber from Highspire’s rainforest was some of the finest in the Inner Sphere. Now all it did was hide Thugees and impede the St Ives Armored Cavalry’s advance toward Kali Liao.
“Rest easy friend, for you did not live to see the Inner Sphere at war with itself once more. Nor the terrors that it has unleashed.”His command company was providing close protection for the engineers. Armored Infantry recon patrols and an entire SIAC firebase had gone missing within the past week. Investigations found only bloody trails that led deeper into the jungle. Attempts to follow those trails led to more ambushes. People just disappeared but occasionally a perimeter patrol would find bleached bones and human skulls during their sweeps, but they never found the rest of the body.
The cyborgs of Warrior House Rakshasa had escaped from Oni Island and those of WH White Tiger narrowly evaded Naomi’s Red Lancers. The booby traps, sabotage, and minefields continued to grow in density as they neared their objective. Kali Liao may be insane but she was smart and ruthless in the way only a Liao or Kurita could be.
Her followers were fanatical and well-resourced making Kai and Naomi’s Task Force pay for every kilometer taken with blood. Their actions struck fear into the hearts of even the most stalwart. There was no rest to be had night was the worst. Sometimes the Thugees compromised the radio channels filling the airwaves with chanting and terrifying sounds that could easily be torture or sacrifice. Chemical and Biological agents had been used multiple times with varying success but the conventional guerilla and terror tactics were the most successful and they had targeted the SIAC more than the MAF.
The Poe (modified Raven X) scout attached to his company came in over the airwaves,
“Activity on the Bloodhound sensors”
“Engineers take defensive positions. Pioneers standby.”The engineering vehicles had a small turret loaded with sixty rockets in addition to the modular power take off. They were mostly used for clearing landmines but were still a threat to hostile forces. SIAC Pioneers had no weapons but did have a proper GM 120 fusion engine, jump jets, and respectable armor against small arms. Their dual chainsaws were formidable up close, easily capable of cutting through an Asura suit.
“Roland, Michael, deal with them.”A pair of Victors, long the standard Assault unit of the SIAC, pushed their way through the rainforest using sheer mass,
“We aren’t picking up anything yet.” The two tiger stripe camo painted assault mechs staggered in order to watch each other’s backs. The Thugees were dangerous and you died fast if you underestimated them.
“I’m picking up more units powering up now. Behind us.”
“Ambush!”The two Victors were hit by dozens of attacks by Se’irim and Shendu Armored Infantry laying in ambush. The assault mechs struggled to maintain balance but toppled into the rainforest and were immediately swarmed by Thugee cyborgs that crawled and cut into them like hungry ants. A company of Warrior House Lu Sann Battlemechs augmented by the heavy Tengu and agile Djinn Armored Infantry jumped into the cleared area behind them blocking their retreat.
A camouflaged Storm-Tempest gestured to them while the other mechs maintained their ready stance,
“This is Lien-Zhang Trang Van Quãn. Your position is already targeted by our artillery and our reinforcements lie in wait. You will not escape. Hand over Jiang-Jun Kai Allard or we will take his corpse to Kali ourselves.”Kai fumed both he and Naomi had been using different mechs throughout the campaign to eliminate the chance that Kali could launch decapitation attacks against them. His Ti’Tsang had no distinctive markings and had been used by another mechwarrior throughout its time on planet. They didn’t use any broad wave radio transmissions that could have betrayed his position. Someone set him up and the enemy probably weren’t bluffing. Some of his force could escape but most of it would be blown to pieces from afar.
“The rest of my force leaves without harm?”
“Yes Jiang-Jun.”There was some backchannel communication between Kai’s company assuring him that they could take these guys down don’t be an idiot,
“I’m keeping my mech powered up until they are clear.”
“Acceptable terms. The rest of you fall back. Any sign of betrayal will be dealt with. Harshly.”Roland and Michael’s Victors came out of the rainforest, heavily damaged but still under the control of their original Mechwarriors followed by their ambushers. The Lu Sann mechs parted to allow the St Ives Armored Cavalry units to return to friendly lines.
“There they are clear, now power down and come out. Kali would prefer you arrive alive.”
“It’s no fun to torture a corpse.”
“The Goddess’ intentions are her own. We are merely her instruments.”The Ti’Tsang took a knee as it powered down and Kai climbed down the ladder right into the fearsome waiting arms of Djinn Armored Infantry who searched him for weapons. They had taken many of the Coalition’s patrols unawares during the Highspire campaign crashing down from the canopy right into their midst. The light battle armor were purposefully engineered to look and act like a predatory bird complete with talons in order to evoke terror in the minds of its foes.
Kai was escorted to a Lu Sann Bloodhound Battlemech that had taken a knee and dropped its chain ladder. The agile skirmisher would be an ideal escape vehicle however he knew the Mechwarrior inside was considered expendable, probably not armed, and likely had his system heavily locked down to prevent a hijacking. It would lead the way to Mahakali but its back would be exposed to more heavily armed units.
As the Mechwarriors approached the Mahakali compound Kai had an excellent view of his objective from ground level. From orbit it was expansive and heavily built up but on the ground it was also elegantly decorated with colorful banners and mosaics.
Jade Guards and the Warrior Houses were fortifying their positions each clearly marked by a great banner that flapped in the wind. Some of their number advanced toward the encroaching enemy under the cover of their artillery batteries.
The perimeter walls were thick, rippling, and squat providing cover for the Guards’ tanks while serving as a mobility barrier for even the most agile of mechs. Inside was no better, the compound was a maze of canals, gardens, rice fields, and walls each intricately crafted and integrated into one another in order to stymie attackers while providing defenders cover and concealment.
Civilians continued their normal business parting for combat units on the move. An Augmented Battalion of tanks and mechanized infantry were positioned under Temple Guards’ banners in front of The Great Gate of Mahakali as the Lu Sann mechs approached. Kai was impressed with their construction. The gates were wide enough to fit six tanks abreast, tall enough for an Atlas to have space and difficult for most jumping mechs to clear.
The Gates were currently open and the Temple Guards Brutii cleared a path for them. Inside was an expansive square with intricate patterns carved and painted into the ferrocrete that Kai did not understand but assumed had some ritual significance to the Goddess Kali. The battlements of her fortified temple built into a mountainside had colorful banners mimicking those hanging from The Forbidden City on Sian.
Another Battalion of currently unoccupied mechs some of which he could not identify but were similar in design to the Blakist Battle Armor were assembled in the square. The Lu Sann Mechs walked across the square to the temple’s entrance were a group of Thugee cyborg infantry waited. Kai’s mech took a knee and his ‘chauffeur’ ordered him out.
Kai was escorted by the Thugees through the Mahakali Temple, despite the fact that his was an enemy prisoner he did take a moment to take in the sights. His escorts did not rush him which was good he needed to learn how to get back to that square if he was going to escape. They didn’t even restrain him which he thought was strange. He was taken to a bath where a set of Liao Green Shenyi robes and various soaps were positioned for his use.
“You are a strange one Kali.”Newly refreshed Kai stepped back into the corridor to find his escorts were still in position. They motioned and he followed them up the stairs and throughout until they stopped before a mahogeny door with a pair of Tengu Armored Infantry with Temple Guards markings beside it. The Guards opened the door and allowed three of this escorts to continue within before closing the door behind them.
Inside the door was a table and curtain made of semi-precious beads. The Thugees said a whispered prayer before passing into Kali’s Sanctum. The Goddess Kali herself was in the middle of Natarajasana (dancer) pose, her braided hair, a Katar punch dagger, and portions of her silks falling down in profile, her body was backlit from the fading light outside. They approached carefully stopping at a strip of wood the only such natural element in the concrete floor.
One of them attempted to speak only to be silenced by a gesture from Kali who pirouetted out of the pose to face them. Kai was taken aback by her appearance, she had numerous tattoos and piercings throughout her body, her braids were held together with expensive beads that clanged together as she moved. She wore only the barest of clothing and he could see that although she was small and lean, she was strong; with muscles like those of an acrobat or dancer. Despite seeing almost everything he could not determine if she had cybernetic enhancements as well.
“Main dekhata hoon ki kaee alaard kabja kar liya gaya hai. Kya vah koee pareshaanee thee?”(I see Kai Allard has been captured Tarj. Was he any trouble?)
“Nahimi Kalika Maa. Usane svechchha se aatmasamarpan kar diya.”(No Mother Kali. He surrendered willingly.)
She dismissed the Thugees who bowed and departed,
“Oh. You could not wait to see me. Is that it cousin?”
“Just get it over with Kali. It was me or dozens possibly hundreds of others. Put an end to this war right now before more have to die.”
Kali closed the gap and grabbed him pulling him down to her level and look into her eyes, “Oh no we are just getting to the interesting part Kai. It wasn’t you I was hoping to lure to Highspire though you are a grand consolidation prize.” She drew the Katar up and pressed the edge to his neck,
“I want kill the Magestrix first; and only when Naomi's broken body lies before me will I complete my revenge.
With you.”