New Belfast
Tamar March, Federated Commonwealth
24 November 3052
Joshua didn’t know to be horrified or infuriated by what he saw when he came home for lunch. Lisa had stripped to the waist and had turned a neural lash on herself. By the time Joshua had reached her, she had already nearly whipped herself unconscious.
The neural lash, like its nastier cousin the neural whip, consisted of a sharp narrow wire of extremely strong flexible conductive metal. That wire was charged from the battery of the whip, making it an effective non-lethal weapon. A blow from its charged lash was extremely painful and could easily stun all but the strongest of humans. It had the drawback, however, of being too painful. Prolonged contact with a wire of a neural weapon could produce permanent nerve damage and horrid scaring of the skin. Lisa had probably done both by the time Joshua had gotten to her.
Her back was blistered and welted from the blows. Although a neural lash could cut the skin like a normal whip, Lisa could not produce the leverage to do so on herself. So her wounds consisted of few gashes and were more burns. Joshua wondered which, if either was more pleasant to endure.
Dr. Jefferson was as shocked as Joshua when he brought her in to the hospital. He was unable to do anything more than give Lisa a painkiller to stop the spasms in her back muscles. He put her in a hospital room for overnight observation, and had her restrained in her bed.
“I’m at a loss, Joshua.” He said, inviting Joshua into his office. “In all the 24 years I’ve treated Lady Lisa, I’d never imagined her doing something even remotely like this. Her mental state is even worse than I had thought.”
“She did attempt suicide one another time. After O’Malley raped her the first time, before the Clans came.”
“You stopped her then, if I remember the report.”
“She said it was nothing more than a momentary lapse. She hasn’t done anything like that since…until now.”
“Well, her physical injuries are not severe. Those lacerations will heal in a few weeks. But this behavior indicates to me that she’s a danger to herself and to her child. She’s gone beyond the normal symptoms of PTSD, her depression, her self-loathing is worsening. Psychotherapy may not be enough.”
“So what do you recommend then?”
“At this point, I don’t know. I’ll have to consult with her other physicians. But I’d keep a very close eye on her, Joshua, for the time being.”
Joshua returned to Lisa’s room to wait. He found her restrained to the bed, face down due to the injuries to her back. His own thoughts and feelings were racing about his head. Once again, he found himself questioning whether keeping the baby was the right thing to do.
Although long a medical option, induced abortion was still a controversial moral decision for many to make even in these times. The Wolverines found it abhorrent; the thought of anything that might hinder their population growth was verboten. Many religious groups felt the same for other reasons. Joshua himself felt that no matter whom the child’s father was, he or she was innocent. Lisa had agreed to that logic, but that was before Joshua found her whipping herself with a neural lash. The twin burdens of pregnancy and of Robert’s rapes were wearing Lisa down.
Lisa’s sudden waking jolted Joshua from his thoughts.
“Why am I here? Why am I tied up?” she demanded angrily.
“The doctor thinks you’re a danger to yourself and to our child.” Said Joshua, moving to her side.
“Our child!” retorted Lisa. “Since when is it your child? Since when have you had anything to do with it?”
“Lisa, be reasonable.” said Joshua, trying to calm her down. “You know the child could be mine as much as Robert’s.” They could have had proof, an answer to that lingering question, but they had decided against a paternity test. Joshua feared that discovering the child really was Robert’s would only make Lisa’s mental and emotional state even worse. Although, at this point, he wondered if that was even possible.
“How bad?” she demanded. “How bad are my injuries?”
“Bad enough that you’ll bear those scars on your back for life.” said Joshua frustrated. “Why did you do that?” he said emphatically.
“Punishment.” was her answer.
“For what?”
“For being a spineless whore.” said Lisa bitterly.
“Now, Lisa, stop that. You are anything but.”
“You know that I am. You saw me at the camp, dressed like a tramp, wearing a gown that everyone could see through.”
“You didn’t choose to wear that, did you? That was Robert’s doing.”
“I did.” said Lisa. “I wanted everyone to look at me. That’s what Robert wanted. He wanted everyone to see how beautiful I am. Well, this is how beautiful I am.” Despite her restraints, she managed to shrug her hospital gown off one shoulder to expose her scarred back.
Joshua took hold of the gown and began to cover her again. “Ashamed of me?” she spat at him. “Don’t want to look at how ugly I am?”
“You will never be ugly to me, Lisa, no matter what happens to your body.”
“Maybe I’ll get fat after the baby. Maybe then you stop desiring me and you’ll leave me the hell alone.” That hurt and Joshua winced.
“Why don’t you want me to desire you, Lisa?”
“I don’t want anyone to desire me. I don’t deserve it after what I’ve done. All I deserve is punishment.”
“Jefferson was worried that you’d hurt our child.”
“My child.” reminded Lisa harshly. “It’s mine to do with as I please.”
“It is a living being, Lisa. You cannot just harm it arbitrarily.”
“It’s a monster. Its father was a monster and so will it be.”
“Stop that. He’s only a monster if we make him so.” Joshua was getting angry.
“You have no say in that matter.”
“Dammit, Lisa, I am your husband and I will have a say in how our child is raised.” said Joshua firmly, trying to keep his anger in check.
But before he could say anything else, Lisa cut in again. There was venom on her tongue and she spat it at Joshua with all the fury she could muster. “He is not yours. That's right. He's mine. You didn't have anything to do with his conception and his real father's dead. So you’ll have nothing to do with his upbringing. And that’s final! Now get out!”
Joshua was stunned and frustrated. He turned to leave, only to discover three of his friends and comrades outside the door. Daisaku Hayakusora, Ryan Smith, and Erik Iolair had gotten word of Lisa’s injuries and had come together to the hospital. How long they’d been there, Joshua did not know. Joshua walked outside and closed the door to her room.
“We didn’t mean to eavesdrop.” said Erik apologetically.
“I should have told you guys earlier.” said Joshua, shaking his head. “I owe the apology.”
“So it is O'Malley's boy?" asked Ryan.
“Lisa seems to think so.” Said Joshua.
“The odds would seem to favor that.” Said Daisaku. “Maybe you should have ended the pregnancy.”
“I second-guess myself every day on that decision.” Said Joshua sadly. “I’ll admit, it’s partly selfish. I don’t know if there’ll be another. That baby might be the only one I ever see.”
“Even if it’s O’Malley’s?”
“The child is not to blame for that. Nor is Lisa, although she seems determined to blame herself.”
“O’Malley is the only guilty party.”
“Not the only one. I am the other.”
“What are you talking about?” asked Erik.
"It wasn't the first time Robert'd forced himself on her. He did it on New Belfast before the Clans came, remember? Lost his temper over her seeing me and decided to show Lisa who the real man in her life was. He went mad at that moment. All he ever wanted to do was to rape her again. He raped and murdered nearly two dozen women on Clan occupied worlds to tide him over until he got her. And then I let her go right to him.”
“And that’s your fault how?”
“I knew!” snapped Joshua in fury, all of it at himself. “I knew it would happen, and I still let her go. I made a gamble, and God, did she ever pay for it.”
“We all remember the briefing, the strategy, the plan.” Said Daisaku. “Lisa herself insisted in going, knowing the very risks you describe. You chose best for the success of the operation.”
“Seems too high a price to pay for one battle won.” snarled Joshua bitterly. “Someone, I don’t remember if it was Richard or Pryde, told me how fruitless my prize was after I defeated Robert. Told me I had the shell, but what was inside was long destroyed.” Joshua paused. “Truer words were never spoken. Lisa’s lost her mind.”
“Surely you don’t believe she’s irrevocably so. Perhaps treatment in a facility would do her a lot of good, quiaff?”
“Neg. I can’t believe having her committed is the answer. She’s convinced I hate her for what she’s done. It would seem to me that to ship her off to a mental hospital is to play into that delusion.”
“So what are your options?”
Joshua shrugged. “We wait and see."
“They might try to medicate it out of her.”
Joshua shook his head. “Not during the pregnancy. The drugs are too strong for the baby.”
“I don’t envy you any of this, Joshua. But we’re here for you. Your brothers.”
Joshua allowed himself a weak smile. “It was her who reminded us of that.”
“And we have not forgotten. We’ve seen what you’ve been doing, the burdens you’ve been carrying. If there’s anything we can do…”
“Thanks, I wish there were. I’ve tried to be patient with her, but I’m almost at wits end.”
“Perhaps some time away would be good?” offered Erik.
“You’re not yourself anymore.” said Ryan. “This is tearing you apart. And, in truth, we need you at your best. No telling when the Clans are going to make another move for New Belfast. Already, Denizli, Parakoila, and Apolakkia have faced Clan attack. Only Twycross, Evcilier, and we here on New Belfast remain unmolested.”
“Well, I’ve got a few days before returning to Twycross and to 3rd battalion.” Said Daisaku. “Any suggestions for some R&R?”
Twycross
Tamar March, Federated Commonwealth
26 November 3052
Cowboy patted the bent and twisted armor of his mech and grimaced. “It’s not going to look any better any time soon.” said Doc flatly.
“I know, I know. I just hope this merc outfit can help us.”
“Who are these guys again?”
“They call themselves the Dark Rangers. Dragoons have them rated as a D unit, not very good, but they’re small and haven’t been around long. Their last operation cost them half their mechs and mechwarriors, but their financial standing is supposed to be strong. So they’re looking for new mechwarriors.’
“And you’ve decided to sign on.”
“I’ve not decided yet. I’ve scheduled a meeting with their leader today. I’d like you to come along.”
“I’m still just a tech, Johvac.” said Doc bitterly. “No one’s going to just buy me a mech so I can learn, especially not some lance-sized merc unit.”
“You can shoot straight and you’re the best damn tech I know.”
“I’m the only tech you know.”
“At present, yes. But not always. Doc, you’ve got a gift with these machines. If that isn’t an asset to a merc group, then I’m just stupid. Most merc units are dying to get their machines fixed properly, particularly in this post-Clan era where the amount of damage a mech sees in combat is dramatically increased.”
“So you think they’ll want me too?”
“Sure. Come on, Doc. What can hurt?”
“Alright. When’s the meeting?”
---
Several hours later, Doc and Cowboy made their way over to a set of mech hangers on the opposite end of Camora spaceport from their own berths.
Parked outside the hangers was a sleek dropship of a design neither Cowboy or Doc recognized. It looked Clan, and probably was. Painted on one flank was the symbol of a man in stylized plate mail, black, with flames about his feet.
“This must be the place.”
Inside the cockpit of the dropship, the men could see the pilot performing maintenance. Unable to communicate verbally through several inches of armored glass, the pilot simply motioned back to the hangers. Cowboy nodded and walked inside.
Two rather beat-up mechs greeted them. One was the gaunt-looking Wolfhound design in use by the Federated Commonwealth, an impressive possession, given few mercs owned such a new machine. Likewise, the Crab was also an uncommon possession among mercs, being an old Star League design and long out of use. Not too unlike Cowboy’s Highlander, mused Doc to himself.
At the foot of the Crab walked out a man in his early thirties, wiping grease off of his hands. He had curly brown hair and ice-blue eyes. He was muttering something to himself, and Cowboy picked up on the accent. The man was probably from Rasalhague.
"I'm looking for a Mr. Logan?" said Cowboy.
"You came to the right place.” said Karl, looking up from his dirty hands. “My name's Rohan. Come with me."
"I heard you guys were looking for mechwarriors."
"Yeah, Logan's trying to replenish our numbers. We lost two men on our last job."
"Who was your employer?"
"We did an extraction in Kurita space to get this courier off Chandler and back here to the Commonwealth. ISF made us regret taking the job."
“Ouch! Hope it paid well.”
“It did.” said Rohan with a sound of relief on his voice. “Enough to consider trying to buy some Star League tech for our machines.’
“So where are you from originally, if I may ask? You don't sound like a Tamarian."
"I'm not. I was born on Radje in 3020. That was back when it was a Drac world. My father was killed during the Ronin Wars, trying to keep the system from being turned over to the new Free Rasalhague Republic. Like him, I joined the DCMS. Then came the Clans and I was out of a job. So I hooked up with the Rangers."
"I see. And Logan?"
"Rasalhaguer, former Kell Hound recruit. Young fellow, but don't underestimate him. He and our dropship captain were trapped behind Clan lines in the Periphery. They managed to escape and get back here. He's got an inborn talent like you wouldn't believe. The guy’s almost unstoppable on the battlefield."
"Hark, I sense I am being talked about." said the young man who stepped off the jet black Wolfhound.
"Nice mech, kid. Where'd you get it?"
"Bluffed on a pair of duces. And don't call me 'kid.'"
"Sorry. My name's Johvac Bolovinsky, but everyone calls me Cowboy."
Logan looked up and down Cowboy’s duster, pausing to stare at the twin revolvers on his belt. "I can see why. What can I do for you, Cowboy?"
"Heard you were looking for some mechwarriors."
"So you want to join the Dark Rangers, huh? What's your record?"
"Clan war veteran. Just recently managed to get my ass off of Devin. I was with the 9th Deneb Light Cav."
"Heard about that. You were one of the Op:Counterstrike units to get nailed by the Falcon’s regrouping. You’ve been trapped on Denizli all this time?”
“Since the Falcons attacked in September, yep. Just managed to smuggle my tech and myself off-world last month.”
“With mech or Dispossessed?”
"No, I've still got my mech. It's in shit condition after Denizli and I don't have the money to fix it up. It's a Highlander."
"I don't guess you're packing Star League tech on it."
"No, it's a retrofit HGN-733. It’s a family heirloom. Centuries of use has destroyed all of its Star League era weapons."
Rohan pointed up to his Crab. “Before Turtle Bay, that was a Star League quality machine. What it took centuries on your machine, took about 15 minutes on mine.”
“You were on Turtle Bay?”
“Hai! I escaped with Hohito Kurita’s group after they nuked Edo.”
“So you’ve all seen Clan action?”
“A bellyful of it.” said Logan. “As have you, I’m sure.”
Cowboy nodded.
“How good’s your tech?”
“Top-notch. He’d have my mech working by now, if we had the parts.”
"Well, Cowboy, we'll see what we can do about getting it fixed up a bit. I got an offer from TharHes Industries. Apparently they need a few mech pilots who can fight on foot. You and your tech can join us on the mission if you want."
"What's the lowdown?"
"TharHes lost contact with one of its orbital labs here on Twycross. They say they've got a couple of captured Clan mechs up there and think that some competitor wants to relieve them of that tech."
"Seems pretty straight forward. What about the real business?" Cowboy made the two finger gesture to indicate money.
"You show tomorrow at the spaceport and I'll give you a fair cut up front. Expect the same after the mission. Sound fair?"
"I guess. When do I meet you?"
"9:00am. Gate J-15, the dropshuttle Nefarious."
"See you then."
Mountainside Ski Resort
New Belfast
Tamar March, Federated Commonwealth
27 November 3052
Having entrusted Lisa to her family after she was released from the hospital, Joshua let himself be persuaded to join his fellow officers on a ski trip over the weekend. Now as the sun set on their first full day on the slopes, Joshua kicked back in the ski lodge’s main lobby a cup of steaming hot cocoa.
“So enjoying your holiday thus far?” asked Daisaku, joining him.
“It is helping.” Answered Joshua, taking a sip. He rolled his shoulder gingerly. “Although, bringing me here six months after a major shoulder injury might not have been wise.”
“O’Malley’s cut?”
“Yeah.”
“It didn’t seem to bother you on the slopes.”
“No, but it hurts now. Guess it was the strain.”
“You’ll live. You’re tougher than that.”
“You know, that hot tub is looking pretty good.”
“I would tend to agree.” Said Daisaku. “Let’s get our swimsuits and I’ll meet you out there.”
---
Joshua made it back to the hot tub first. In the bitter cold of the high New Belfast mountains, Joshua decided he did not want to remain outside the warm water to wait for his friend, so he got in and slid under the steaming waters.
“Mind if I join you?” said a voice.
Joshua glanced up to see a young blonde woman, wrapped in a towel. “Not at all.” He answered. “There’s plenty of room.”
The woman let the towel drop to the floor, revealing a string bikini beneath. Joshua’s eyes darted up and down as she got into the water, an action that did not go unnoticed. She smiled.
“My name is Elise.” She introduced herself.
“Joshua.” He replied.
“I take it you are a soldier.” She commented.
“What makes you think that?”
She reached over and ran her finger along the scar across Joshua’s left shoulder. “Battle wounds.” She said. Joshua was surprised at her boldness. “Are you with the Star Swords?” she asked.
“Yeah. And you?”
“Dropship pilot. I run a transport out of here for the DeTerre Collective.”
“You’re not like most of the dropship pilots I know.”
“How so?” she asked demurely.
“You’re a…bit easier on the eyes for one.”
“Noticed that, did you?” She smiled. “Well, girls got to do what a girls got to do. Spending weeks cooped up aboard a smelly transport does wonders to your complexion.” She said sardonically. “and your social life.”
“You know what they used to say about wet navy sailors?” said Joshua boldly. “Back when it was all men, they said every sailor had a girl in every port. I can’t imagine that with the advent of space travel that much has changed.”
“What? You think I have a girl in every port?” she said with a laugh.
“That wasn’t exactly what I was getting at.” Chuckled Joshua embarrassed.
“I didn’t figure you were accusing me of lesbianism.” said Elise.
“Well, my real point is that I’d imagine most folks in your line of work find ways to create a social life.” He paused. “Same as mine.”
“Well then, what is a soldier and a transport pilot, both on furlough, going to do with themselves to drive back a bit of the loneliness their careers force upon them?” She leaned over closer to Joshua to make her point perfectly clear.
Joshua brought his left hand up above the bubbling waters to bring his wedding band into clear view. Elise leaned back. “Ah, I see.” Her tone grew cold. “I hope you enjoy your time here, Joshua. It’s a good place, cozy, great slopes. I might see you around.” She pulled herself out of the water, gathered up her towel, and departed.
“I can’t believe you just did that.” Said Daisaku’s voice.
Joshua turned as his friend walked over and dropped into the water. “What do you mean?”
“You’re not so ignorant as to not know a seduction attempt when you see one. You were even playing along until the very end.”
“You were watching?”
“Saw the whole thing. What the hell were you thinking?”
“I’m a married man.”
“Married to what, Josh? There’s hardly anything of Lisa left. I commend you for your loyalty. And God, it tears me up to see her like that too, but at some point you’re going to have to come to terms with reality.” Daisaku let out his breath. “You’re only human, Joshua. You’re flesh-and-blood. You’ve got needs and Lisa can’t be there for them. Not when she’s like this.”
“Is that why you guys brought me here? In hopes that I would have a one-night-stand with some stranger?”
“Honestly, no. But I can’t see how it would hurt.” Daisaku looked Joshua in the eyes. “And be honest with yourself. I saw the way you looked at that woman. The temptation was there. You were that close to going through with it.”
Joshua looked away and said nothing for a moment. After a while, he began to speak. “It would destroy her, Daisaku. You’re right. There’s very little of the woman I married left in Lisa. But if I betray her, then it will be the end of what remains.”
MacLeod City Spaceport
New Belfast
Tamar March, Federated Commonwealth
8 December 3052
Erik Iolair glared out at the tarmac and looked at all the dropships arriving. He shook his head. His girlfriend, Michelle Harrington, merely grinned.
"Things certainly have begun picking up around here since Joshua instituted that Mercenary Training Program." said Michelle.
"Yeah, Victor's wonderful orders. He keeps Fourth Battalion off on Evcilier, but to replace them, he gives us a bunch of half-functional green merc units, all eager to cut their teeth on the most vicious enemy in the Inner Sphere."
“Joshua sure seems enthusiastic about it.” Commented Michelle.
“Well, he’s got reason to be. It’s not like his home life is all roses and sunshine at the moment. Enthusiasm or no, I’d still rather have 4th back with us instead of these mercs that Joshua’s adopted. The Clans haven’t exactly have kept quiet since the Tukayyid Truce. We're behind the Truce Line, as were Denizli, Parakoila, and Apolakkia. They’re all in Clan hands again."
“We’re next.”
“Pryde’s bound to be smarting after the whipping we gave him. Never mind the fact that the Vipers and the Wolves might also give us trouble.”
"Me thinks you doth worry too much." said Michelle with a grin. She kissed Erik on the cheek. "I have some things to do. I'll see you later."
Erik watched her leave. His gaze shifted from her to another female walking across the tarmac towards the mech bays. Much to his surprise, he saw Lisa, heading to check out her mech. Although she had resigned her commission due to her mental state, Lisa had retained possession of Gil-Galad, her old Phoenix Hawk. As a favor to Joshua, the Clan techs had been updating it with Clan and advanced Inner Sphere technology. She checked on their progress periodically.
Erik chased after her, hoping to chat with her for a little while.
“Hey!” He called. Lisa stopped in her tracks and turned.
“Oh, hi, Erik.”
“Come to inspect your mech? I hear they’ve almost finished with it.”
“Mostly. In truth, it was just an excuse to get out and about a bit. I’m tired of being cooped up all the time, with people always watching me.”
“Well,” said Erik hesitantly, “we’ve seen what you do when you’re left alone.”
“Another moment of weakness, nothing more.”
“I hope so. You may be Joshua’s wife, but you are friend to all of us. We worry about you.”
“I know. I just wish you wouldn’t be so smothering. I’ll get through all this. Somehow.” Lisa pouted as she finished. “I honestly think part of what I need is a bit of freedom. I told my psychiatrist that, but he’s not certain yet.”
“You wouldn’t be saying this to me unless you had something up your sleeve.”
“Am I that transparent?” laughed Lisa. It was good to hear her laugh, Erik thought. “I was just thinking that taking my mech out periodically was helpful after Robert’s first assault on me. Maybe that’s the kind of therapy I really need. Take Gil-Galad out onto the test course, vaporize a few targets, remind myself that I’m a soldier, a mechwarrior, not this fragile broken little thing that my darker thoughts keep telling me I am.”
“Well, I’m no doctor, but that sounds reasonable to me. I see what I can do about setting up some time for you.”
Tharkad-Hesperus Industries
Twycross
Tamar March, Federated Commonwealth
10 December 3052
"Good morning, Mr. Logan. How are you feeling today?"
"A little better than yesterday, Mr. Ericson. Why did you call us in here?"
"It seems we have some things to discuss before your stay with us is over. Please take a seat."
Logan and the other Dark Rangers sat down. Cowboy and Doc both looked a little uncomfortable in their new Rangers uniforms, probably because the cloth was still stiff and unwashed.
"So what's up?"
"We at TharHes Industries have become somewhat concerned about the condition of mercenary units being sent behind the Clan lines. The Federated Commonwealth is busy upgrading their own regimental size units with Star League technology, while neglecting the one type of unit they seem to be using most often."
"Cut to the point, Mr. Ericson."
"To put it simply, the raider is the most valuable unit in the Clan war effort, especially post-Tukayyid, and they are getting the least amount of attention. So, in reward for your faithful service, TharHes has decided to sponsor you in the Raider Training Program on New Belfast. We have outfitted your mechs with updated technology and now you will receive training under the Star Swords. Your longevity on anti-Clan expeditions will increase dramatically."
"So what's in it for you?"
"Oh, just a small cut of what you receive on your raids.... for our research and development division. We need Clan tech to research."
"I see. When do we enter this Training School?"
"Immediately. Your dropship is scheduled to leave by dusk tonight. That is all."
Castle MacLeod
New Belfast
Tamar March, Federated Commonwealth
22 December 3052
"So there's a new batch of mercs coming in on the next dropship?" said Daisaku.
“This is an interesting bunch." said Joshua, holding up a file to read. "Probably the best group yet. All Clan war veterans. Two of them were with the Kell Hounds on The Rock and managed to slip out. Two others were part of the 9th Deneb when they got destroyed in Operation: Counterstrike, and the last guy escaped Turtle Bay with Prince Kurita.”
“Impressive. Enough stories there for more than one holovid-movie.”
“They call themselves the Dark Rangers. They're led by some hot shot kid with more balls than brains. Calls himself Logan. He’s one of the former Kell Hounds. I contacted the Hounds about him. They say he’s arrogant and a little immature, but a good fighter."
"More balls than brains. I seem to recall we were once called that."
Joshua smiled. "I know. I remember. Tell me though, Daisaku. Are we so arrogant to assume that we're the only group of people our age this talented? God forbid we become like all those who were so convinced the Star Swords were the worst thing to happen to the AFFC."
“Like Michelle’s father?”
“Yeah, like him.”
"Well, knowing you, you'll take a liking to the guy. Reckless. Foolish. Yeah, he’s like you.” Daisaku looked over the file himself. "Most of the mercs who have signed on to the school are pretty hard up. Small units without a lot of experience, money, or sense. These Dark Rangers are different. Battle hardened and well sponsored. They're Thar-Hes's babies, with all the perks mega-corporate sponsorship brings. According to MRBC, they also brought out a defecting ISF courier from the Combine back in October.”
“I saw that. Between the two jobs, they’ve gained quite a nest egg. Most of their mechs have been upgraded to Star League technology. Logan even bought a new one under-the-table from Irian Weapon Works."
“He bought a machine from a competitor and Thar-Hes condoned it?"
"I guess so. Logan purchased a brand new Star League technology Awesome from IWW. Not a single complaint from Thar-Hes, at least none that’s been logged in the official record."
“Why the special treatment I wonder?"
Joshua shrugged. “Who knows and who cares? This is the best prospect we’ve seen so far for the Mercenary School. I look forward to meeting them. Their dropship should be arriving shortly."
By the time, Joshua and Daisaku arrived, the Dark Rangers had already touched down and were in the process of unloading their gear.
The pair walked over to the base of the Lone Wolf class dropship. Daisaku whistled to Joshua when he saw it.
“That’s an old Lone Wolf. I wonder where they got it.”
“Probably stolen by one of the groups from their time behind Clan lines. Given it’s a military transport, I figure the Clans haven’t done much in the way of innovation since the Snow Raven clan developed that thing during the years in the cluster. It looks new.”
“Safe guess.”
“Now where's Logan?"
A loud commotion suddenly came out of a nearby aerospace fighter hanger. Joshua and Daisaku shrugged and headed over.
"You keep your hands to yourself, pal." said an indignant Erik. Iolair's hand was firmly gripping his sword, still within its scabbard, but Joshua doubted it would stay there much longer.
The other players in the scene were in their respective positions. An angry Michelle was leaning on her fighter. The third player was a short young man in a black trench coat. He was being restrained by two other men, one a brown haired man in a make-shift uniform that included pieces of DCMS field gear, the other was wearing a G-suit, indicating either an aerospace pilot or dropship crewman.
“Karl Rohan, Logan, and Captain Jael Mangalore.” Said Daisaku, reading from the Ranger’s dossier.
Logan spoke, fighting against the comrades who held him at bay. "Give it up, flyboy. Why don't you let me show the little lady a good time?"
"Looks like trouble." said Joshua, stating the obvious.
"And you were saying we were arrogant." said Daisaku, in reference to Logan.
Erik reached back and drew his sword. Logan leaned back, his face lost its mocking grin and grew deadly serious. "You know how to use that pig-sticker, flyboy? Or are you just trying to impress me?"
At the drawing of a weapon, Rohan and Solo backed off, afraid of getting hurt themselves in the scuffle. Joshua reached for Anduril himself and began a rapid march towards the two men.
Erik lunged at Logan. Logan reached under his coat and drew out his flamer pistol. At sight of the gun, Joshua leaped into action. Out came Anduril, faster than anyone could see. Joshua brought his sword down on Logan's gun, knocking it to the floor. With a flick of the wrist, he brought the blade up and knocked Erik's strike aside.
The loud double clang of metal on metal echoed through the hanger. Erik pulled back and kept an "en guarde" position a few feet from Logan.
“As you were.” Joshua snarled the order. Erik returned his sword to its scabbard.
“I can explain, sir.” said Erik, who only used proper military address when he knew he was in trouble.
“I don’t care.” said Joshua flatly. “I expect all my charges to behave with a certain level of professionalism.” Joshua glared at Logan balefully. “That includes the mercenaries under my authority.”
"Joy, another pig-sticker. Am I supposed to be scared?"
“Would you like it, Mr. Thorpe, if I shipped you back to TharHes and let you explain why I refused you entrance into the school? You will control yourself and treat my soldiers with respect or I will do just that.”
"How was I supposed to know she was his? I've only been on-world for half 'an hour." said Logan, trying to explain.
“Is it your usual behavior to grope the first woman you encounter on a new planet?” snarled Erik.
“Well, actually.....”
Michelle stepped forward. "Feel me up again and I'll cut your manhood off myself, you little bastard."
"That’s enough!" said Joshua, his patience at an end. "From all of you.” He turned back to Logan. “For the sake of amity between your unit and mine, Mr. Logan, I'm going to forget that this happened. I expect the rest of you to act accordingly. I expect to see you and your unit in my office at 1600 hours."
"Understood." Logan gave a salute, which Joshua half suspected was in mockery. He ignored it and turned away.
Next chapter
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