New Vision colony
Periphery, Downspin from Outworlds
22 June 3048
Mechwarrior Cadet Joshua held on by one hand to the handhold of a Grand Marauder’s left leg. With his other hand, he mustered a wave to his friends as they waited for the massive BattleMech to walk past. As it did so, Joshua let go and dropped to the ground as the 75-ton war machine walked on its way.
"Welcome, Cadet Joshua. A grand entrance as always." Said Pilot Cadet Erik.
"It takes little skill to hold on to the leg of a mech as it merely walks from Point A to Point B. Now trying to do so during combat, that’s something else."
“First, you show off, then feign humility. Make up your mind,” growled Erik.
“You only wish you could be as humble and as skilled as I am,” teased Joshua in return.
This time, Erik ignored him. “So, here we are. The yearly Trials.”
“Our Trials.” Reminded Joshua. “Our chance to prove ourselves once and for all that we are worthy of being named warriors of Clan Wolverine.”
“No sweat.” Said Erik. “Given how we’ve been under your father’s thumb for the past 5 years, we are ready for this.”
Joshua bristled at the mention of his father. “Only because he was determined to make me fail. He only pushed us that hard because of me…”
“And we pushed back all the harder.” Erik paused to assess his life-long friend. “I’ll never understand your hatred of him. He made you into one of the best warriors this Clan has ever seen.”
“I had to be…in order to survive. What I wanted was a father, not a taskmaster, not a general, not a war leader. A father and he was never that.” Joshua spat the last accusation with all the venom he could muster and stormed off.
Erik shook his head when he heard the anger in Joshua’s voice. Khan William was a traditionalist and an isolationist, staunchly conservative in nearly all matters. Joshua was the opposite, eager, open-minded, and creative. The two had always clashed, rarely seeing eye-to-eye on anything.
But it was made worse when Joshua’s sister Marta chose not to pursue a warrior career. Thus, it fell to Joshua to carry on the family tradition or William’s Bloodname would go to an indirect descendant and not his true heir. Bearing that in mind, William had pushed Joshua hard, determined to make his son worthy of a place among the Wolverine elite. He resented the constant pressure from his father to perform better and better. But he put up with it. He put with it for her.
“She” was Mechwarrior Cadet Gwendolyn from the
That changed two years earlier. In 3046, Joshua met Gwen at the Trials when they were spectators and had been immediately taken with her.
But unlike the paramours the Khan set up for his son, Gwen came from a “tainted” line. Gwen’s older brother Daniel had competed the year she met Joshua, only to fail to earn position. Unable to live with his failure, he committed suicide soon thereafter. By doing so, he not only struck grief into the hearts of his family, he also violated the Third Edict. For that crime, his family now bore his dishonor. Joshua had been unable to see Gwen in such grief and had made efforts to console and counsel her as best he could. This brought them close together, but Gwen had never truly returned Joshua’s affections in the way he wanted. That and his father’s disapproval made Joshua pursue her all the more fervently.
Erik headed after his hot-blooded friend, catching up with him near a cafeteria pavilion that was beginning to serve lunch. “Josh, your head better be in the game. I wasn’t kidding. This is it. This is the real deal.”
“It is.” Retorted Joshua.
“No, it isn’t. You’re thinking of her.”
“She’s supposed to be here. She should be a spectator. She has one more year before her trial.”
"She’s not coming." Said Erik flatly.
"What have you heard?" snapped Joshua impatiently.
"I spoke with one of the cadets from
Joshua closed his eyes in disappointment and let out a long sign. "I wonder what happened?"
"Some kind of discipline problem, I guess.”
“I really wanted to see her.” Lamented Joshua.
“Look, forget about Gwen for now. We’ve got more important things to worry about. This is the Trials. Our Trials. Once you pass these, you can see her all you want. You can get married. Make lots of babies, whatever, but you’ve got to get through the next three days.”
“I know.” Said Joshua. "So where are the others?"
"Matt, Daisaku, and Ryan have all arrived. They’re back at our camp, which of course, you are welcome to join."
"Gladly. My other option is to crash in the Khan’s tent with my father. No thanks."
"Isaac has also arrived to see to watch us compete."
Joshua smiled at that news. Isaac had trialed last year. He had succeeded in placing and was now a Mechwarrior in the Wolverine Keshik. Joshua’s sibko had consisted of 10 cadets. Isaac had once been a member of it, but was already past the age of majority (which was determined when a warrior had his Trial.) Still within, and all testing this year, were Joshua’s other friends.
First was Erik. Of the Iolair bloodline, he was the only non-mechwarrior cadet among Joshua’s friends. Short and slight of build, Erik had many of the characteristics of a top rate fighter pilot, which his bloodline was famous for producing. Erik had short blond hair with sky blue eyes.
Second was Daisaku, who came from the Hayakusora line. Of Japanese descent, Daisaku’s parents had been fighter pilots, but he instead found himself wanting to qualify as a mechwarrior. Like his parents, he had the small build of a pilot, with dark hair and eyes. His pilot-like quickness made him a dangerous and skilled mechwarrior, the best of the sibko, but his small build cut down on his endurance.
Then there was Ryan, who claimed heritage from the Smith bloodname. Tall and fairly stocky, Ryan was a mechwarrior born of mechwarriors. Although his combat skills were only average, Ryan’s prowess was his tactical mind and his tenacity. Incredibly intelligent, Ryan was a born leader and a master of small unit tactics. In battle, he pushed himself and his subordinates to their limits and frequently would win the day as a result. His dark features and towering physique also made him something of an intimidating character.
Matthew came from the Jiwe bloodline. Of an East African racial mix, he was tall and lanky like Joshua. Matthew was the largest of the group and had for a while considered infantry training. But his gifts lay with BattleMechs and he had also entered as a mechwarrior cadet. His skills were good, not as much as Daisaku, but he was certainly as tough an opponent as one could find among the cadets.
Isaac made up the last of the group, one year older than the others, now 18 Terran years. Isaac, like Ryan, was a gifted tactician, but he could boast of a set of excellent piloting skills. He had completed his trials the year before and passed.
The Wolverine Trials were a mix of traditions established by Nicolas Kerensky when all the Clans were formed as well as some new additions that were unique to Clan Wolverine. The way of the Wolverines had to adapt to their new reality as hated and hunted exiles from the other Clans.
Under the leadership of Khans Laidir and Messer, the Wolverines had fled from the Clans to the Near Periphery. The Grand Council had selected Clans Wolf and Widowmaker to seek them out and destroy them. Many had been witness to the Widowmaker attack on the Wolverine colony at Smithsonian. After their mechs defeated that handful of sacrificial volunteers who remained, the Widowmaker warships destroyed the cities of the colony one by one with the very nuclear weapons they had condemned the Wolverines for using. The civilians who had been left behind never knew who or why they were being destroyed, but thankfully few if any ever felt any pain.
The Wolves had proven more tenacious. After they had fought a number of costly battles against the Wolverines on other colonies, they became incensed and pursued the fleeing colony ships. Khan Laidir had been forced to call on more volunteers to slow the Wolf pursuit. Fortunately, a clever ruse tricked the Wolves into believing the last of the Wolverines died in a misjump. Low on food, fuel, and medical supplies, saKhan Messer made the difficult decision to send some of the remaining warriors into the Inner Sphere proper to raid for supplies. The 6th Wolverine Fusiliers struck a number of worlds in the Draconis Combine. Known as the caretakers of Native American culture, the 6th Fusiliers had taken the nickname of the Minnesota Tribe, a name they proudly proclaimed to the battered DCMS defenders on those worlds. Successful, the Tribe returned to the fleet with enough supplies to ensure the survival of their colony, which was founded on
To avoid a natural disaster from destroying them all, the Khans scattered the military and civilians to four different colony cities on the planet, named for cities of the eastern
For two hundred years they prospered. The caste system remained in place, although it became less defined. The warriors were still separate, but the civilian classes became a jumble as movement and intermarriage between each of the old civilian castes became acceptable and common. To better hone their warriors, the Wolverines revised their Trial of Position. A warrior was tested in three trials, not one.
The first trial was largely subjective. Called the Trial of Creation, the warrior was to create a work of creativity: art, poetry, sculpture, music, anything. It was required to be a statement of the warrior’s artistic spirit, and of how that warrior saw themselves in Clan Wolverine and the great vision of the true Kerensky. It was judged by a panel of warriors and civilians.
The second Trial was "unaugmented." Khan Messer had been a great follower in the knightly ideal of chivalry, and had ordered that all Wolverine warriors learn the use of the sword. The trial was thus named the Trial of Chivalry. This battle of swordplay was first fought to disarm your opponent, and then to subdue him unarmed. European greatswords were forbidden as unwieldy and slow, and Oriental blades, such as the katana, were also banned because their speed made them unfair. Otherwise, the warrior was given his choice of weapons, as long as it was a sword. Although live steel was used, it was considered bad form to defeat your opponent by deliberate injury or death. An occasional mauled hand or lost fingers occurred, but it was rare for warriors to be killed in this trial.
Finally, he fought a battle "augmented," or using the weapons system he had been trained to use; Mechwarriors fought in BattleMechs, pilots in aerospace fighters, and tankers in tanks. This trial was identical to the old Trial of Position Kerensky had installed when the Clans were formed, except where infantry were concerned, who were required to navigate a difficult obstacle course of robot drones who shot back at them with live ammunition. Infantry had it easy; theirs was the easiest version of this trial. The competition with live opponents in the other two versions, also with live rounds, made them far more dangerous and also far more prestigious. And in this trial, it was not uncommon for death to occur.
Each trial was scored depending on the performance of the warrior. Warriors received points for how well the judges liked the work of creativity. In the Trial of Chivalry, a warrior who failed to disarm his opponent received nothing. One who could disarm, but not subdue, received one point. To succeed at both granted two points. In the Trial of Position proper, the warrior received one point for each defeated opponent, or in the case of the infantry trial, for each marker reached. The scores were added and that total determined if the warrior earned his place in the militia and what rank he would hold.
Forced by practicality, the Wolverines had reduced their mech and aerospace forces to a single Galaxy, using infantry and conventional vehicles to make up the rest. This was due again to practicality. The small industry on New Vision could produce small arms and military vehicles in plentiful numbers. But BattleMechs were beyond their keen and thus were limited to only those machines the Wolverines had brought with them on their exile. Most sat in storage, in large underground bunkers. The rest were used by the Wolverine warriors, but now only the most honored clusters remained: the Wolverine Keshik and the Minnesota Tribe being the most prominent two of the four clusters. Most of their time was spent battling one another in a series of arena combats similar to the old Star League Martial Olympics, although the occasional pirate band would come looking for trouble. In these battles, a small handful of warriors would die in battle, leaving positions open for the next generation of warriors.
Each year, a great gathering occurred outside
This year, things were a bit easier than they had been in previous years. A skillful ambush by the Wolverine Keshik on the Minnesota Tribe cost them nearly a Star of mechwarriors during 3047’s Martial Olympics. That combined with other losses had left a record number of 20 positions open.
Erik looked over at the cafeteria pavilion. “You know, just standing here waiting for Gwen to show up when she’s not coming isn’t filling our bellies and having to smell that wonderful aroma coming from over there is only making me hungrier. Let’s get you back to camp and get some food. I know Isaac was starting to cook up dinner when I came down here to greet you."
"Sounds good."
Joshua marched after his friends to their camp, where all the gathered warriors and cadets from the
"So, Joshua, what have you brought for the Trial of Creation?" asked Isaac. "I’d imagine your father would force you to be particularly crafty here."
Joshua groaned at the pun. "As you know, I had been working on a song to be performed, but my father nixed that idea early on. So I decided on something a little better." He reached down and unwrapped one of the packages he carried among his things. He withdrew from it a shining long sword.
The weapon was an exquisite piece of work. Crafted from compacted endo steel, it weighed only half of what a normal sword its size would have. Engraved along the blade was a crescent moon, sunburst, and seven stars, duplicating the engraving described on Anduril, the legendary sword from the Lord of the Rings. On its crossguard was a Celtic weave and its pommel was the emblem of the Messer bloodline.
"It’s remarkable, Joshua. The finest I’ve seen." Said Erik. He pointed to the weave. "Nice touch."
"As you well know, despite the origins of my bloodline in Terran Germany, I have studied and made myself a caretaker of British culture. Although not as fanatical about the Celts of Scotland and
"Well, your grandmother was a Laidir warrior." Said Isaac. "So you have Celt blood within you."
"True. Never mind my paramour." Said Joshua. His friends ignored the not-so-veiled reference to Gwen.
Unfazed, he stood up and put his sword into its scabbard. He placed it on his belt. "It’s me." He said, modeling the weapon with the same mock arrogance he flaunted when he’d jumped off the mech earlier. He turned and headed for the camp of the
"Where are you going?" asked Isaac. "We told you the
"But her friends are there and may have some news. I’ll be back." Joshua headed off down the hill.
"He doesn’t believe us." Said Daisaku flatly.
"Let him be." Said Ryan. “No harm can come of this.”
“Unless what we heard was wrong and she is there.” Said Erik. “Then Josh is going to be too ‘in love’ to remember he has to kick some serious ass this weekend.”
“Mock him all you want, Erik,” retorted Ryan, “but he is devoted to her and none of us are going to change that.”
Ryan was only one of the group who actually had a girlfriend. He was taken by an infantry cadet named Melissa. The two were planning on marrying after they both qualified for full warrior status. Thus he had a bit more sympathy for Joshua.
“He may be devoted, but she’s not.” Reminded Erik. "She wants his friendship, but not his love. And he’s not going to get it through his thick skull until she breaks his heart.”
"She’ll be driven to those measures eventually, I would guess." Said Isaac. "Unfortunate. Unrequited love is the stuff of poetry and fairy tales. It sucks in real life.” He paused. “Still, it wouldn’t be a bad thing if she did fall for him. Gwen is a nice girl, strong warrior, and pretty nice on the eyes admittedly.”
“Neg.” said Erik. “I just have a bad feeling about all this.”
“You’re just anxious about the Trials.”
“Joshua is my friend, but like all of us, he needs his head focused on the task at hand. But as long as he thinking about her, it’s not going to happen.”
“Well, look who came calling.” Said a taunting voice. “Looking for some action from Gwen when there is none to be had?”
It was Joshua’s cousin, Frederick. Josh went up to him. “You know, the nice thing about completing my trials is that I will finally get my shot at kicking your ass.”
“Tough talk.” Said
"I recognize thee, Cadet Joshua of
"Hello, Mechwarrior Jason." Joshua used a more casual greeting, his eyes never leaving his cousin.
“Is something amiss here?” Jason said to
“No, sir. Just a little family reunion.”
“Dismissed.” Said Jason, waving him off. He then turned back to Joshua. "I am surprised to see you. I did not think you’d be here."
"I had heard that the younger cadets had been forbidden from attending this year. Since it was only rumor, I came checking."
"Looking for Gwen?"
Joshua nodded. "I guess she’s not here then." Said Joshua with disappointment.
"Um," said Jason with hesitation. "Not exactly."
Between that reply and
"You’ve not heard then? I would have thought she’d have told you by now."
"I’ve not spoken with her for about a month. Why?"
Before Jason could answer, Gwen came out from a tent and began to walk across the camp. Forgetting his military protocol, Joshua darted past the older mechwarrior to intercept her.
"Gwen!" cried Joshua.
Gwen turned to look and a look of dread crossed her face.
"Hi, Joshua." She said with a defeated sound.
"Why are you here? I thought the younger cadets weren’t going to attend. Are you qualifying a year early?"
Gwen nodded. "No, you know that doesn’t happen."
"Then why are you here?”
"Younger cadets were allowed to attend,” she said, “but only under special circumstances.”
"Only if they were family or mates of competitors is what Erik told me." Finished Joshua. "Your brother competed last year and you have no other relatives." Slowly, he began to realize.
"Yeah" said Gwen. “That about sums it up.”
"Who?" said Joshua, anger creeping into his voice.
"The only
"And you said nothing of this? Why?"
Gwen let out an inpatient groan. "Since when am I under obligation to tell you everything? For that matter, what does it matter to you who I am involved with?”
“But…” Joshua stammered.
“Look, I know of your interest in me. But I just don’t feel that way about you. Javier is different. He’s the one I want to be with.”
"So it’s Javier, Star Commander Javier." Said Joshua, almost as if ignoring her statement. "He’s the one who was led into the ambush last year. He was the only survivor." Joshua paused, contempt lurking in his tone. "He would be a Libereux. Only one of them would associate with your tainted line." Joshua regretted that comment the moment it escaped his lips, but it was too late.
"That sounds like your father talking." Snarled Gwen in response, knowing the thought would disgust Joshua. "Despite your attempts to make yourself different from your father, you are just like him. Arrogant, self-centered, and narrow minded. Damn you! This was never about love. All you wanted was a trophy piece. All I ever was to you was something to make your friends look up to you and your father to get pissed at you over. I’m not a thing. I’m not a toy. And even if I were, I am not yours."
"That’s not true. I love you, Gwen. Why can’t you see that?"
"Maybe once you did. Now I’m just a tool for you. I don’t want my life as a decoration on the lapel of the next Khan. I want to be Gwen of House Laidir, mechwarrior in Clan Wolverine. I want my life to have meaning because of who I am and what I’ve done, not whose arm I’m linked to."
"But…." Said Joshua, hurt leaking into his voice.
"Just go, Joshua." Snarled Gwen with anger. "You’ve done enough damage."
Periphery, Near Federated Suns/Draconis Combine border
22 June 3048
Leftenant Daniel O’Brian looked out across the fields of Nova Franklin. His BattleMech, a BL-7-KNT Black Knight, was a retrograde of an old Star League design. Unable to build the advanced features of the original mech, engineers had refitted the mech with inferior equipment, reducing its combat capabilities somewhat.
Still the family heirloom was one of a very small number of retrofitted Star League mechs. These mechs were so rare that few opponents had ever seen one, and Daniel’s commander was hoping that would give his forces an edge.
Daniel’s unit was the 3rd Lyran Regulars. Elements of the Regulars had joined with elements of the 8th Sword of Light and with elements of the 301st ComGuard Division. This rare joint operation was created to deal with a new threat to the stability of the area.
In 3046, a battalion of the Outworlds Alliance military rebelled against the government of that Periphery nation. Run off by the loyal units of the
The last two raids had been the final straw. A full battalion was a force to be reckoned with under any circumstances, and the pirate commander knew that. His first handful of raids had been for food and minor supplies. After those, the commander, one Donald McIntyre, had gotten gutsy and had struck at the
As if that wasn’t enough, he then struck at the 19th Galedon Regulars on Bad News in the Draconis Combine. A unit known for disreputable activities, the Galdeon Regulars had managed to stockpile an illegal cache of supplies. The
That was when ComStar, the interstellar communications organization, stepped in. Concerned over the loss of civilian life caused by these raids, they suggested a joint operation to hunt down and destroy the bandits. Both the Combine and the Federated Suns agreed, with ComStar in full command of the operation.
The Combine sent some of their best troops, apparently in an attempt to intimidate the Davion units assigned to the operation. The Federated Suns, in turn, sent in a unit from the
Nova
"Precentor, I’ve got three BattleMechs closing on this position. My IFF registers them as unknowns." Said Daniel to the ComGuard mechwarrior leading his unit.
"Roger. Those should be mechs from the local fiefdom." Said the Precentor. "Hopefully, they’re just here to check us out."
"Well, we’re not exactly here with their permission." Said one of Daniel’s lancemates. "They may not take too well to us."
"You have a point." Said the ComGuard. He opened a channel to the mechs, which as they approached could be identified as a Wasp, a Jenner, and a Centurion.
"Unknown mech force in Sector 321, this is Precentor Kirk Gillian. We are on a pirate hunting mission and mean you no harm. Please do not interfere with our operation."
"Which would be suicidal for them if they did." Thought Daniel. "With 5 mechs, we not only outnumber them, but we also outweigh them. My Black Knight plus a Star League vintage Marauder, two Hatchetmen, and a Wolfhound. They wouldn’t stand a chance."
"We are the knights of Grand Duke Aaron Micaleb. We do not recognize your presence here. Do not enter his lands or face the consequences."
"Like you can stop us." Said the Wolfhound pilot, unaware that his comment would be broadcast to the knights.
That didn’t seem to faze the knight commander, who moved his mechs into position directly in front of the pirate hunters, blocking their path.
"Now what, sir?" asked Daniel. "Go around or blast our way through them?"
"We don’t want trouble with the locals. We go around."
"Waste of ammo." Commented one of the Hatchetman pilots as the mechs changed course.
As they moved perpendicular to the knight mechs, a number of new signals appeared on the scopes of Daniel’s mech. "New contacts. Seven mechs, 10 klicks ahead. Confirmed as the McIntyre Corsairs."
"Prepare for battle." Ordered the ComGuard commander. Daniel could see the barrels on the Marauder’s twin PPCs begin to glow. Daniel shook his head with envy as he watched the Marauder move up to the front of their force. Unlike the Marauders in the forces of the Inner Sphere, the ComGuard fielded a more advanced version hailing from Star League days. It carried advanced pulse lasers and a heat dissipation system that filtered double the heat of a standard Inner Sphere system. Fortunately, the
Leading the pirate force was a monstrous design Daniel had only heard about but never seen. The Draconis Combine had apparently unlocked some of those Star League secrets years before and had been fielding mechs with that advanced equipment for a little under 10 years now. The largest and nastiest of these new mechs was the MAL-5R Mauler, and Daniel felt bile enter his throat when he saw it.
"Where the hell did they get that?" said the Wolfhound pilot.
"Stolen no doubt from the Galedon Regulars." Said the ComGuard pilot. "Close with it as fast as you can. It’s more dangerous at range."
"Understood. Attack pattern Epsilon." Said Daniel, moving his mech up to flank speed. The Marauder matched his speed, cutting loose with its twin PPCs into a renegade Whitworth. The 40 ton mech was never meant to take that kind of pounding and the impact of the two plasma bolts spun the mech about. The Marauder stabbed two pulse lasers at it, ripping through the small mech and detonating the mech’s LRM stores.
Daniel squeezed the trigger on his twin heavy lasers, cutting two furrows into the Mauler’s left leg. He felt heat wash up through his cockpit, but his heat sinks quickly compensated for it. The Mauler returned fire with its quad autocannon, smashing light rounds across the torso of his mech.
The two Hatchetmen fired their jump jets and landed in the center of the enemy mech force, their heavy autocannons spitting out depleted uranium rounds. One landed directly in front of a Rifleman and cleaved through the heavy mech’s cockpit with its hatchet. The other landed behind a Phoenix Hawk and swung the hatchet sideways into the mech’s side. The blow cleaved the P-Hawk in half.
Three mechs down in less than a minute. The Hunters were winning and the pirates were quickly pulling back. Unfortunately, winning the overall battle did not mean Daniel was going to be in good shape against his opponent. A Mauler weighed in at 90 tons and that alone would have given Daniel a handful. The twin long range large lasers and special ferro-fibrous armor made it also the technological superior to Daniel’s Black Knight. Those twin lasers flashed and ripped holes in Daniel’s right arm, damaging his PPC.
"Hold on, O’Brian. I’ve got you." Said the ComGuard. Twin PPC bolts slammed into the Mauler’s right arm as the Marauder joined the fray. Precentor Gillian followed those up with an burst from the Marauder’s autocannon, shredding the last of the armor on the Mauler’s arm and fusing the elbow joint.
"He’s pulling back." Said the Wolfhound pilot, firing a pot shot at the Mauler.
"Let him go," said Gillian. "We’ll let our buddies finish these guys off. How bad are you hit, Daniel?"
"Lost the PPC. A good bit of armor damage."
Two Union class dropships could be seen roaring skyward from behind a nearby mountain. "Damn! This was a diversionary strike." Snarled Daniel watching as the Mauler and his 3 surviving comrades make their way back towards the launch site. "Meant to hold us off while their dropships got off-world."
"There’s only so many places they can go, Daniel." Said Gillian. "Remember that our Explorer Corps have discovered all the habitable worlds within one jump of here. We’ll find their base yet."
"Until then, lets finish off these bastards. Shall we pursue?"
"Are you up for it?"
"I’ve got a score to settle with that Mauler. Let’s go."
Near Periphery
23 June 3048
Joshua stirred the coals of the long dead fire as his friend began to awaken around him. Daisaku came out of the tent Joshua was meant to use and looked at Joshua.
“She is here, isn’t she?”
Joshua said nothing, but nodded.
“I know that look. It’s as Erik feared. Something happened."
Joshua looked up at him. "Gwen has taken up with Mechwarrior Javier of the Minnesota Tribe Delta Star. She said some things to me that have gotten me thinking." He looked back down and continued stirring.
"You don’t seem as upset as I though you’d be at that news."
Joshua looked up. "You say that as if you knew?"
"I didn’t, believe me. None of us did. But we had long presumed that this would happen eventually."
"That doesn’t matter." Joshua tossed down the stick. "I love her, Daisaku, and I don’t want to let her go."
"I don’t see how you have much choice in the matter. Gwen has chosen another. You should move on.”
“You sound like Erik. Forget about her. Worry about the trial. Like I care about that right now.”
“Bullshit. Your entire life has been preparing for this day. Don’t tell me you don’t care about it, because I know better.”
“What does my future matter if it’s without her?” Joshua looked at him. "I can’t help the way I feel. Why am I so cursed to be in love with someone who loves another?"
"Oldest story in the universe. Others have gotten through it. So will you.”
"I want to see Gwen before opening ceremonies this morning. The more I know about this, the better. Don’t try to stop me."
"I know better than that. See you later." Said Daisaku. Joshua headed off towards the
"What did he say to you?" asked Isaac, coming up with some firewood.
"The moment we feared has arrived at last. Gwen has chosen another, and sooner, I think, than any expected."
Isaac looked surprised. "So what is he planning now?"
"The same fool’s errand he’s been on for two years. Trying to win her."
"He’s determined. I’ll give him that."
"He’s a Messer, stubborn beyond all reason. This time, unfortunately, it won’t win him the day."
"No, I couldn’t find her."
"You were nearly late."
Joshua looked out and started counting. There were more slots open this year, but there were also many more cadets trying to qualify this year; close to 300. The cadets snapped to attention as Khan William Messer and saKhan Erik Mizar moved across the stage in front of the cadets. Behind the stage were two BattleMechs, an Excalibur and a Claymore, the Khans’ personal mechs.
Khan William began to speak, but Joshua droned out his voice, only responding with "seyla" when appropriate. He knew what was being said: passages from Khan Michael Messer’s personal journal which to the Wolverines was as sacred as the other Clans’ Remembrances.
Joshua spotted Gwen standing off to one side, out of uniform. She was chanting in with the other cadets when appropriate. Joshua glanced quickly to each side, wondering if anyone would notice him leave. Seeing that the coast was clear, Joshua slipped from his spot and snuck out towards where Gwen was standing.
As he cleared the cadet ranks, he felt a rough pair of hands grab him and jerk him upright. The Khan stopped speaking and glanced over at him.
"What is the meaning of this? Who has broken ranks?"
"It is Cadet Joshua of
"Why does that not surprise me?" said the Khan, rolling his eyes. His comment and body language merited a chuckle from some of the officers and cadets.
Joshua realized his error. He’d not paid attention to where he’d moved and who was standing there. Joshua looked to his side and saw his cousin with a very pleased look on his face. But if his cousin was standing there, who had grabbed him?
"Request permission to punish this ill-disciplined whelp." Said the voice again.
"Do it and return him to his place, Mechwarrior Javier."
Realizing who it was who had grabbed him made Joshua jerk. A second later, Joshua felt his right arm twist and snap. He screamed in pain as he was dropped to the ground. He felt Javier’s breath at his ear and heard "Let’s see you win your Trial as a cripple, worm."
Javier jerked Joshua up and hauled him back to his place, planting him beside Daisaku. Daisaku shook his head. "When are you going to learn?"
Joshua winced. "I need to get this set."
"Break ranks again, and they’ll do the other arm."
Joshua nodded and glared up at his father, hatred burning in his eyes. He paused only for a second to shoot a glance at Javier. Javier and Frederick were standing side-by-side and both had a smug look on their faces. Javier turned deliberately to look at Gwen, and then looked back towards Joshua. A mocking grin crossed his face.
Daisaku watched this spectacle from beside Joshua, but also happened to notice the look on Khan William’s face at that moment. The Khan also seemed rather pleased with himself as he watched Javier and Joshua pass looks of pure malice back and forth.
"That bastard. There’s more to this than meets the eye." Thought Daisaku.
"I am Joshua, son of William Messer, Khan of the Wolverines. Mechwarrior cadet of the
Joshua marched up and placed Anduril on the table before the committee. He glanced over at his father who stood off to the side, ineligible to judge Joshua due to their direct blood tie. Javier was also there, acting as a member of the honor guard, dressed in full dress uniform.
SaKhan Mizar drew out the sword and immediately sounds of awe filled the air. Joshua flexed his injured arm, trying to acclimate himself to the pain. His Trial was in the middle of the day’s agenda, meaning he had seen roughly half of the works he would be competing against. He had seen nothing that even came close to matching the craftsmanship of Anduril.
The saKhan took his sword and returned it to Joshua. The committee made no comments or anything concerning Joshua’s entry. That was a good sign. It meant they were holding back on scoring Joshua until after they had seen the other entries. As such, they were likely planning to score Joshua above everyone else. Unless, of course, something else came along to awe them further. Joshua doubted that would occur.
"Good. Because I have plans."
"You’re not….."
"I am. The Right of Opposition. By taking top slot, I can name my opponents in the Trial of Position."
"And you’re gunning for Javier."
"Oh, yeah. He, and one other….."
"I invoke the Right of Opposition."
"You have earned that honor, Cadet Joshua." Said Khan William. "You may name any or all of your opponents in the Trial of Position. Or you may name your opponent in the Trial of Chivalry."
"I wish to name two of the mechwarriors I will face in my Trial of Position. I name Mechwarrior Javier of the Minnesota Tribe as my opponent."
"So noted. Mechwarrior Javier, do you accept the challenge of this cadet?" The Khan’s reference to his son was said with subtle contempt.
Javier nodded. "I do."
"Seyla. Name your second opponent."
"I name Khan William Messer of the Wolverine Keshik."
Joshua’s father waited for the reaction of his son’s challenge to die down before answering. "This challenge is unorthodox, Cadet. You are aware I have the right to name a champion in my place."
"You wouldn’t dare, father." Snarled Joshua. "You’ve been determined from day one to make me into a better warrior than you. Now we see. What better way to prove my worthiness to take warrior status than by beating you in my Trial of Position."
"You just want a chance to kill me." Said William bluntly.
"Wouldn’t that be nice?” said Joshua hatefully.
For just a moment, there was a flicker of regret in Khan William’s eyes. But his pride and discipline soon resumed control.
But it was enough to embolden Joshua. "I hate you with every fiber of my being. You were never a father, just another taskmaster. In two days time, I take my revenge for 18 years of hardship you inflicted upon me."
With that, William’s discipline broke. "Insolent whelp.” He snarled. “Are you so blind as to not see what I’ve done for you?"
Joshua slammed his fist down on the table separating them. "I didn’t want to be the best. You did. It never mattered what I wanted. And I wanted a father. I wanted a family like those I saw with my friends. But no, you were the blind one, trying to mold me into another you, never even pausing for a second to think about what I might have wanted. So answer me now, do you accept my challenge?"
"I accept. Your third opponent will be taken by random lot. Seyla." Khan William shot to his feet, letting his chair fall down behind him. He stormed out of the tent. Joshua smiled and walked over to Javier.
"In two days, your career as a warrior ends. And Gwen will be mine."
"Arrogant little punk. No one has ever defeated Khan Messer in single combat. Together, we will bury you."
"In two days, I take my birthright. I will kill you and take to my side the woman who was always meant to be mine. And I will kill my father and take his Bloodname."
"You are a cripple, Cadet. You are nothing." With that, Javier turned and departed.
"You’ll do fine tomorrow. Don’t be so nervous." He said, trying to encourage his friend. "You’re the best the
"I am not concerned about the Trial of Chivalry. I fight with my left as well as my right. Sword-play will not be a problem with this arm." Joshua raised his wounded arm, in sling, above the covers to demonstrate.
"Then what’s bothering you?"
"Your suspicion that my father arranged for Javier to take Gwen."
"Do you believe me?"
"Do I believe you made it up? Of course not. Is my father capable of that? Certainly. Do I have any other reasons to believe it? No. You’ve no evidence."
"You want to believe it, but you know better. Even if it is true, it doesn’t change the fact that Gwen goes to him willingly. I should not have mentioned it."
"What if she was coerced?"
"You don’t believe that." It was a statement, not a question, echoing Joshua’s own thoughts. "I don’t either really. Javier may be your father’s lackey, despite his heritage, but that’s not enough grounds to think he set them up to hurt you."
"How can I win her if she loves him?"
Daisaku shrugged. "If I knew that…."
Joshua reached up and touched his face, rubbing it as if he had a headache. He opened his mouth to speak again, but Daisaku cut him off.
“Just drop it, Josh. I should never have put it in your head. You’ve got bigger things to worry about right now.”
“I can’t help it. I love her.”
“You, me, none of us have the time nor the energy for that right now. You, in particular, challenging your own father. What the hell were you thinking?” Before Joshua could offer an answer, Daisaku interrupted him again. “No, don’t answer. I already know. You weren’t thinking. Just like you weren’t thinking when you broke ranks this morning. Your passions are going to be the end of you, Josh. Get them under control.”
“You don’t think I can beat my father?”
“I just said you’re the best this school has ever produced. But your anger and your heartbreak are getting in the way of that. If they rule you on that trial field, it’s over and you’ll never be a warrior.”
Next Chapter
