Nighthawk Chronicles - The Madness Method
What if the Lyran Alliance had stolen every bit of the Jade Falcon military deployment information from the clan homeworlds? What price would they pay to make sure they get it back to Tharkad?
The best the Lyran Alliance has to offer is dispatched to ensure delivery and they will employ any means of war to make sure everything goes to plan. But what if the Jade Falcons have a trick up their sleeve that may break just about every rule they play by, and how will Clan Star Adder respond to the new chaos erupting in their territory resulting from this shadow war?
Prologue
I hate the smell of burning things. The thoughts of Michael Steiner rolled through his head like a never-ending bullet train. Thoughts of how quickly his skiff malfunctioned during the atmospheric drop to this planet, how long his eyes will sting, how far the damned Falcons are behind him, if they will find him, and now, how often in the last few months he has smelled tragedy in one form or another.
Making his way from the crashed skiff, Michael took in his surroundings. He has not been on this planet before, but that is nothing new. He has seen dozens of new planets in his lifetime. This one was rather comfortable compared to the last few he was on. Light forest is scattered around his clearing, giving way to some underbrush that could provide good cover if he suddenly needed it. The plant life here has found a way to grow despite the arid climate. The dirt is rather thin and sandy, much like a dry desert floor, but this place is not hot enough to resemble any desert he has been in before. Not bad, not bad at all.
The thunder of dropship retro-rockets loomed behind him somewhere, out of site. He knew that the landing rockets would light up next, and then it would all be silent. What he worried about was the air reconnaissance. He had to find a good vantage point soon with some cover so he could see where he was without loosing his head.
In the distance he heard the sounds of battle. Autocannons and missile explosions echoed off of the landscape, suggesting hills and canyons. Many people would turn away from the sounds of what could be a 'mech battle when they're on foot, but Michael Steiner knew better than most that where there are warriors, there are resources. And what is a man on the run without resources?
Picking up his pace, Michael began his jog in the direction of the battle, which was thankfully in the opposite direction of his pursuing dropship. This is all routine to him now as the last several months have been nothing but run and hide, duck and cover. The Jade Falcon unit Khan Marthe Pryde sent after him was the most relentless force he had ever seen; more so than his own cousin, who had her own reputation to uphold. But the greater the challenge, the stronger you will be in the end. And if I survive this, I will be invincible he thought with a smile. Just wish I knew when LOKI was going to get here.