*
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******
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*
- I woke up choking and coughing and at an odd angle, wildly disoriented and finding it hard to breathe.
Happily, the coughing fit passed as a strong arm eased me up to a more comfortable position and I shook my head, trying to not wince at the throbbing in the side of it as I found myself sitting in a Battlemech jump seat at a rather abnormal angle in a
very stuffy cockpit … my body covered in sweat in a way it hadn't seem to be moments ago - with Justin Allard retracting the hand that had clearly held smelling salts from the Battlemechs survival kit under my nose.
The side of my head was also throbbing, and I winced as I shifted slightly in my seat as my inner ear told me gravity was ****** up, meaning we were not standing up anymore as I tried to ask for a status report, but ending up simply coughing some more.
"Easy there Lieutenant" Justin advised me, tossing the salts away and retrieving a sealed emergency water bottle which he cracked open before passing it to me. "You took a bit of a hit to the head and then it got a little bit hot in here."
I nodded and accepted the bottle, taking a few sips to let me clear my throat loudly a few times before drinking some more, feeling suddenly very dehydrated. I glanced out past the chair and after a moment realized what looked like another Battlemech had fallen on top of us, the cockpit window badly cracked and the system lights suggesting we were operating on the cockpit battery rather than the fusion reactor. "Status?" I managed to ask, not able to keep the apprehension out of my voice.
Justin simply shot me a tight smirk.
"Bad guys are dead. Lady Steiner, from the chatter I heard, was successfully gotten clear as were almost all the Highlanders and their families. Function centre took a couple of stray hits, unfortunately, as I couldn't keep all the Mechs fully suppressed, but the Highlanders you called in hit them like a bunch of berserkers once that happened. Hell, I saw a Highlander burial - a double
literal one as your Major friend landed his
Highlander on top of the
Vindicator and they all but ripped the Thuggees apart with their bare hands once they closed."
"And their dropship?" I wondered and Justin just offered me a shrug.
"It wasn't mentioned on the channels I was monitoring but it hasn't shown up either. My guess is that when things went south, it made a run for it. Oh, they've been calling for you for a while and I didn't think it would be wise if I answered" he added, offering me the headset I had been wearing before and I nodded, accepting it but not putting it on just yet.
"Right. So, presuming you have eliminated the cockpit Battle ROM…" I asked and Justin nodded in conformation that the cockpit data recorder was gone, "…Sir, how exactly do we get
you clear of all this without breaking cover?"
Justin frowned at that.
"Well, my original plan was to find a way to move off to the side of the parade grounds and jump the Mech, let you take all the credit and extract without anyone knowing I was even here. But
that is clearly not happening with this
Phoenix Hawk lying on top of us. So, I need to convince Melissa to let me go in exchange for my saving her life rather than killing me as would be the custom for breaking my exile – and to do so no matter how much I might insult her and her husband."
"Well, on that, she
is also one of the handful of people aware of your real status" I informed him, and Justin shot me a slightly disbelieving look that said he was clearly wondering what the hell had happened since he and his father had come up with his hairbrained 'Operation Intruders Communion'. "And given that you just saved her life and that of her child, she has a perfectly valid reason to just send you on your way" I pointed out.
"True" Justin allowed before offering me a grin. "But, if I'm going to keep my position intact when I reach Sian, we'll need to make sure that I leave in a way that makes my motives 'clear'…"
*
***
******
***
*
I was right to distrust that smirk I sighed to myself as with a scream of tortured metal, the cockpit hatch of the
Hunchback vibrated, then
twisted in a way solid metal normally didn't, ripping free of where laser strikes had slagged over and all but welded one side of it to the Battlemechs frame. Blazing light poured through the hatch, and I winced a little at the glare. With the hatch removed however, I took a breath of the fresh (well fresh-er, it was still full of the stench of high explosives and burning metal, but at least it wasn't anywhere near as stuffy) air and worked my way up and out.
A hand appeared in front of me as I worked out and I took it gratefully to step up and down onto a movable cherry picker like platform actually oriented correctly to the planets gravity well, the tech carrying the 31
st century equivalent of the jaws of life shifting back to make room for me – and for Tristan Tsu, Melissas bodyguard who was leading todays detail.
"You okay Smith?" he asked, and I couldn't help but snort a little at that, my head throbbing reduced a little thanks to the light painkiller tablet I had taken a few minutes ago from the Battlemechs survival kit as I reached up to run my hand over the lump in the side of my head.
"Bashed my head and passed out for a bit at the end there and got knocked out" I said, repeating the short SITREP I had given over the radio after Justin and I had worked out everything, holding onto the railing firmly as with a shudder, whine and wobble, the cherry picker carrying Tristan, myself and the tech started to slowly fold down to the ground before glancing up into his face and setting myself as Tristan quickly sent out a coded message on a handheld radio.
"Casualties?" I asked as soon as he was finished, and he grimaced.
"Our people are accounted for. The Highlanders are still getting a count on their own people but so far, it's six dead and about two dozen wounded, most seriously. The four Mechs they lost had clean ejections; beyond that I don't know."
I grimaced. Two dozen dead and seriously wounded was no small number of lives and I'd bet most of them were probably civilians. A fraction of a fraction of what it
could have been of course and intellectually I knew damn well how incredibly lucky we were to get off with so few casualties when it could have been in the thousands. But…
"But what about – is
she alright?" I asked the big question, without having to explain who 'she' was. And while he was about to answer, it was unnecessary as a voice cut in as we stepped off the cherry picker to the ground.
"
She is a bit shaken, but both she and her child are very much alive and not on their way to Sian as a trophy for House Liao – thanks by in large to
you" Melissa interjected as she stepped around from behind a parked ambulance she had clearly been impatiently waiting behind. Her bodyguards (now augmented by the quick response team in full field kit carrying enough firepower to bring down a
Wasp), Chattan, Duke Stuart and a few other Highlanders flowing out with her, all of whom spread out as she stomped towards me, the military people looking at me with expressions that had no small amount of awe on their faces for what they thought I had accomplished.
Wasn't me of course, but I didn't have to bother with imposter syndrome given that the truth would come out shortly, so I just ignored it in favour of the approaching Melissa. Thankfully, the young woman
had listened to my radio message that had made it clear I needed her here as soon as I got out of the Battlemech – which also explained I suppose why Tristan had been the one to pull me out of the Mech, just in case I was not who I said I was – and why wasn't she slowing down
oomph!The shorter woman – who had looked just a little dishevelled as someone who had probably been manhandled seriously during the peak of the situation would - crashed into me without breaking stride and flung her arms around me, squeezing me like a stress ball and in the way she gripped me, I could feel that for all the no doubt incredible poise she had presented to this crisis, the young woman had been probably
scared out of her mind by the events that had taken place. Of just
how close she had come to becoming a 'guest' of House Liao – now wasn't
that a nightmare scenario and a half – and her sheer relief that she and her unborn child had avoided it.
And her glomping me like this … was exactly what I needed.
"Listen carefully" he murmured as I leaned down to her ear, no doubt everyone thinking that I was just reassuring her as I pat her on the back in an appropriate way for a close friend but no more than that. "This thing still has one last act to play out" and I felt her stiffen as she heard that, and I squeezed her back in warning for a moment. "No threat to you, but I need you to trust me and follow my lead" I said before letting go and easing back before her. Meeting her grey eyes … and after a moment, she gave an almost impossible to see nod.
At another time and place I might have taken note of the fact that I had just asked one of the most powerful human beings in the Inner Sphere to follow my lead and trust me on pure faith – and she had just agreed to it without any hesitation. But at that moment I was preparing myself for the final act on this stage. And so I took a couple of steps backward … before dropping to a knee in front of her. Earning a considerable number of confused looks … and clicks … and
holy shit, there were
press close by?
Seriously Mel?
Too late to stop and wonder why the ****** the press had been allowed up with Melissa into a nominal combat zone, yet it might work to our advantage as I bowed my head then look up at Melissa who had composed herself looking down at me with a well calibrated look of surprise from my gesture. And I took a deep breath, knowing I'd need to speak loudly to get past the considerable background noise of emergency vehicles, power tools and everything else you may expect. I didn't want to be misheard here.
"My Lady Steiner, your words are most kind, but not correct. It was not
I who piloted the Battlemech behind you but another, still inside it. One whose skills far exceed my own and it is they that deserve the credit for holding off the enemy long enough for the Highlanders to intervene and win the day."
Taking her que from me, Melissa now took a step back to regard me with a very serious expression.
"Your humility, as always Lieutenant, is charming – if mildly vexing" she reposited, her hands on her hips and despite her slightly dishevelled appearance, her bearing was regal to the max – although she also increased the volume a little bit. "But why has this person not come forward with you – do they need medical attention?"
Oh, that would look good on the vid footage of this later.
"No, they do not, but they
do need your
personal assurance and authority My Lady, if I may presume to demand it of you. For you to stay the hand of your bodyguards and take
my word that you are not under any threat from this person."
To my complete lack of surprise,
that request had a half-dozen light machine guns and laser rifles snap up to cover the torn open hatch.
Melissa, clearly fighting the urge to huff at the reaction turned and with a
look at Tristan, pointedly put out her hand and lowered it meaningfully at the ground while holding his gaze. Tristan was clearly unhappy and shot me a glance, but I gave nothing away and after a moment, he bowed and with a barked command, the weapons came back down.
No-one holstered or slung them of course, but such was the authority Melissa wielded that when she made her wishes clear, they had little choice but to obey as I stood and turned back to face the hatch as well along with everyone else, the anticipation thick enough to cut with a knife.
"Alright, we're agreed no-one is going to shoot, come on out" I didn't
quite shout back into the Battlemech, my choice of words somewhat deliberate and spiking the tension just a little more from the way out of the corner of my eye I could see the bodyguards tense just a little more…
Unsurprisingly for a man who was playing one of the most challenging roles on the stage of the Inner Sphere, Justin delivered drama to the max. A
blur appearing in the hatch and then seemingly drifting down the toros to the ground, fading in and out of view almost demonically until it reached the ground. A number of very naughty words were unleashed around me as the bodyguards and soldiers recognized a sneak suit in action, but no-one did anything rash as it moved towards us, fading out and then back in closer through the smoke before solidifying into the reality of the - slightly - less nightmarish jet-black suit itself as its stealth systems were turned off.
Tristan moved up next to Melissa, a machine-pistol pointed down but cradled firmly, glaring at the unknown as Justin slowed to a halt perhaps five meters away from Melissa.
Melissa herself however, showing a most remarkable courage (or blind faith in me perhaps) took a step
forward to close the distance, seemingly indifferent to the tension around her that spiked as she did so, staring up into the mask before her without any hint of fear or nervousness.
"So, I take it that
you are the Mechwarrior responsible for superlative piloting that saved my life and those of so many of the Highlanders this evening?"
God
damn she sounded like her mother right now.
"
I am" Justin agreed with a tiny tilt of his head – and again, damn, that distorted voice
really sounded like Kylo Ren.
Was BROB screwing with me or something?
"Then you have my thanks and my debt" Melissa said, shooting a split-second glance at me as if looking for a que on what to do next, but I simply stood stock still and did nothing as she felt her way forward carefully with her words. "If you have any boon to ask for in exchange for saving my life, I-"
"I did not come here tonight to save your life. Or those of the Highlanders. Or their families" Justin cut her odd with enough ice coming across even in the electronic tone that Melissa looked slightly taken aback as he raised a hand to his face. On Solaris, Justin had proven he had an exquisite sense of showmanship, and he played it to the hilt now as the cowl and mask were gripped and in a single move, pulled off-
The only thing that would have made this more perfect would have been the Ron Jones score from 'Best of Both Worlds' leading up to Rikers infamous 'Mister Worf; Fire' line.
The sound of power tools and hustling activity suddenly fading away after the gasps and shouts from the people around me was its own kind of statement though, as the
entire parade ground seemed to freeze in shock at the revelation of the identity of the mysterious man in the sneak suit.
That also included one of the
Banshee-X-FCs of Melissa's military escort that had arrived at some point, the seventeen meter tall titan off to the side actually pivoting and sending tremors through the ground as it turned to face Justin with its gigantic array of guns (not that the Mechwarrior would be, I hope, dumbass enough to squeeze the trigger when Melissa and I were standing this close)…
Allard, of course, didn't even look slightly intimidated by any of this activity as his stone-cold face stared at Melissa for several long moments … before he offered her a fractional incline of his head. A kind of minimal bow that offered her very little - but offered it none the less.
"Understand Lady Steiner, my purpose here was to try and protect a group of Highlanders. Soldiers under the hero Captain Corwin Jaffray who were seeking to return to the Confederation and who had been betrayed. Nothing more or less than that. I allied myself with your Lieutenant Smith to destroy these dogs", he vaguely gestured behind him without looking as the ruined Battlemechs, "who deserved nothing less. That doing so saved your life, your child's life and the lives of the traitor Highlanders in the process" and I could
feel as much as hear the boots stomping as Chattan and a couple of the Highlander officers shifted forward, before a gesture from Melissa without her breaking eye contact halted them in place – "is merely incidental."
"I see" Melissa muttered – and given the way all activity had come to a halt as everyone watched and listened to this shocking plot twist playing around, she was none the less heard clearly as she shook her head once and looked up. "Nonetheless, perhaps you could clarify how Captain Jaffray and his men were 'betrayed' precisely?"
Justin worked his jaw as if debating the issue before his nostrils flared as he exhaled and gave Melissa a flat stare … which mutated into a ghost of a smirk as he glanced past her for a second at Chattan.
"Jaffray contacted people he thought he could trust in the Confederation to discuss the possibility of a return to Capellan service for
many Highlanders who were rather unhappy with being in service to House Davion. And convinced those people that with the right public demonstration and guarantees of citizenship, landholds and titles, a great many
more Highlanders would renounce Northwind and return home-"
"That, is a lie" Chattan said in a very low, incredibly dangerous tone, her fists balled at her side and her face the kind of raw emotion that would have made a hardcore Smoke Jaguar Elemental at least pause to reconsider if a fist fight was in their best interests.
Again, Justin didn't react … and I again secretly marvelled at his utterly dismissive poise as he took in the woman's fury, then simply ignored it, turning back to Melissa.
"Jaffray was informed that a delegation would be sent to Northwind, where they would put a generous and public offer to the entire unit" he continued without missing a beat. "However, this was a deception. There was no offer authorized by the Chancellor – who did not even know of the communications as it had not been brought to his attention. This was all a trap by a third party-"
"By which you mean Romano Liao" Melissa interjected coldly, crossing her arms on her chest and here Justin paused for an exquisite heartbeat, as if he was trying to find some way to say something or spin this in a way that wouldn't have Melissa pointing out the commandos themselves had name dropped Romano
several times using loudspeakers.
I'm sure Justin was secretly
delighted that Melissa had publicly thrown that name out there and I risked a glance to the side to confirm that the vid cameras from the press were locked onto this scoop of a lifetime like TAG designators before returning my attention to the showdown as Justin seemingly just gave up and moved on.
"… third party" he continued, "who was greatly displeased with the Highlanders betrayal. However, it seems when it was discovered you were visiting, their orders were changed to kidnap you – and then to kill every Highlander as traitors to the State once you were safely in their custody.
My instructions" he continued, ignoring the noises of shock and anger made by the people around us, "were to eliminate these rogue agents before they could make contact and to then extract Captain Jaffray and everyone else willing to return to the Confederation after doing so. However, I arrived too late to prevent them from executing the first phase of their plan and so enlisted your Lieutenant Smith - who had come to investigate Jaffray after finding himself suspicious of him for some reason – and moved instead to avenge Jaffray and his people. Your life and those of the other Highlanders was
his overriding concern,
not mine."
Melissa looked across at me and I gave a single clear nod (for the sake of the cameras as much as anything) confirming Justins story before she turned back and took a subtle breath in and out to focus herself before turning again to face down Justin, crossing her arms against her chest in consideration.
"Which leads us to the question of
what we are going to do with
you, Justin Xiang?" she put the elephant in the room out there and I shifted slightly at that, clearing my throat.
"My Lady, Justin stands under an edict of exile by the personal orders of the First Prince" I pointed out, something probably known to everyone in earshot given that Justins story had been broadcast to most of the Inner Sphere by now – but it needed to be said. "You alone on this planet, as per the Federated Commonwealth accords, hold the authority to speak on your husband's behalf and on this … issue" I said with some delicacy and Melissa offered me an arch expression.
"You're suggesting that I lift his exile and welcome him back for saving all our lives?" Melissa suggested, the smile on her face at me verging at ironic before she looked at Justin. "I have a feeling that Agent Xiang would decline such an offer if I made it."
Justins face shifted. It was tiny, it was subtle … but honestly, it was mildly
terrifying the way he was smiling at her right now.
"Whereas you, my Lady Steiner, may have found joy and delight in your mother whoring you out to be the brood mother of a Tyrant" he observed and I found myself improvising a step forward at Justin in response, hissing and mutterings of rage from the crowd around us rising – but halted at the
slap of Melissas arm coming across my chest to check my progress without her even looking at me; "
I have no interest in crawling back to kiss Prince Davion's feet, that would be correct."
Silence reigned for long, long moments as the tension
crackled between Melissa and Justin as I stepped back a pace. The two not giving up anything to the other … until Melissa glanced down and rubbed her stomach, as if reminded of the child she was carrying before meeting Justins gaze once more.
"I take it you have a ship available to extract you from Northwind?" she shrewdly guessed, and Justin inclined his head, causing Melissa to offer him a shallow nod. "Then call it to come pick you up – here and now" she demanded and after a long moment of consideration, Justin reached into his suit, and retrieved a cylinder-shaped object that he twisted, causing several lights to illuminate and then he held it up and held a brief coded conversation before closing it down and putting it back on his belt and nodding. "It is done."
"Good" Melissa said before turning to spear Duke Stuart with a look. "Make sure it is allowed to land and depart for its jumpship,
unmolested" she ordered, stressing the last word and the Duke grudgingly bowed before turning to Colonel Chattan who in turn nodded her understanding of the unsaid order, pulling a radio from her belt and starting to issue clipped orders as I turned back to the Duchess and the Double Agent.
"You have saved my life, the life of my child and the lives of many other people this evening Justin Xaing" she said after a moment's consideration. "Even if that was not your intent, it
was what you accomplished. Thus, I will spare yours. You are free to depart in peace – but I do pray that you come to your senses and realize that staying in service to a house that would gladly execute
this" she said, gesturing around us to take in the battle zone that the parade ground had become, "is sheer madness."
"Coming from a woman whose husband brought her a full-scale war as a wedding present? I will take
that as an amusing calibration of the scales of sanity" Justin replied with a cold smirk before turning to me and nodding his head. "Goodbye Lieutenant, you have proven most … useful this evening."
I stared at him for a long moment as if trying to think of something snappy to come back at him with, failed and simply offered him a curt nod. A moment later Melissa turned on her heel and stalked away swiftly and once she was a few steps away her bodyguards with almost unseemly haste folded in around her to shield her from the still very much armed Justin. Tristan and I did not follow immediately, waiting until Justin too spun on his heel and stalked away towards the undamaged and open parts of the field, without a backwards glance.
"That man" I muttered to Tristan as we watched Justin walking away, "has
serious daddy issues."
That actually got a snicker of a laugh from Tristan before he patted my shoulder and jerked his head back at the function centre.
"Come on, we need to clear before his ship arrives" he pointed out and I nodded at that. Getting roasted by fusion thrusters would be just too much I think, and I hurried after the crowd to the function centre as I started to hear the whine of a ship approaching.
I followed the group through the doors into the function centre as the distant whine of the approaching ship deepened in the roar of a fusion thrust and made my way out of the crowd to get a clear view as a K-1 long range drop shuttle slewed to a lateral halt in the air above us, at which point it fell like a stone. I opened my mouth to yell a warning but held off as its engines re-ignited at seemingly the last second to shed its speed, setting down neatly. Its descent was tracked by several lances of Battlemechs around the perimeter of the parade ground, but no-one opened fire as it settled into place. Twenty seconds later it roared back into the air and vanished into the smoke, the glow of its engines visible for a few more seconds before that too faded away and I let out a slow breath, now
really feeling the impact of the insanity of this little dinner party starting to catch up with me.
With a sigh I turned away from the windows and made my way carefully into the messy and slightly chaotic interior, wondering if I was lucky and some of the food for the banquet might be around somewhere … because I was bloody hungry enough to eat haggis right now…
