Foreword
Hellbringer's Aces training camp Kentares IV, discrete location August 9, 3062
Recruit Chris Powell gripped his rifle tighter, even more anxious because of the long wait. Surely the drill instructor should have started the other team his way by now, but what was taking them so long? He knew the other team had a good three hundred meters to cross before encountering his force, but it had been nearly three hours since the exercise started. Was he doing everything right? After all, he was just a recruit. But a fine one at that. Within his first two weeks, he had made squad leader. Even the Duke himself requested tapes of his recent training battles. This was no different. He had a small camera attached to his helmet facing in. His mic was also interlinked with the camera feed.
He knew that the Duke himself was watching, as well as the daughter of Colonel Unther, Natailya. But what he didn't know was that Colonel Unther himself was watching the live feed. Colonel Unther was the founder, and commander of Hellbringer's Aces. The nickname, Hellbringer, was earned from taking down and entire lance of medium Shadow Cat clan omni mechs.
The Colonel heard lots compliments in the past on how recruit Powell presented himself to superior officers, treated subordinates, and acted calmly under fire. He had the intention of putting him through 'mech school, letting him become a Mechwarrior. Perhaps the recruit would even get the chance to lead a lance of the new clan omnimechs that the Hellbringer's Aces had recently salvaged from a long dispute with another mercenary group. Among the impressive arsenal was a pair of 85 ton Maskari's, a 75-ton Madcat, and a massive, deadly 100-ton Daishi. The Aces also gained several menacing NovaCat's. Eight of the deadly beasts to be exact. But all the possibility came in the future of recruit Powell, and then only if he preformed as well as everyone claimed. Colonel Unther was interested in the present. He wanted to see the reaction Chris would have when he found out the other team had access to a twenty-five ton Commando equipped with training weapons. Though blank auto cannon rounds and blank missiles were available for fighting other 'mechs in training, a blank round would still rip an infantry unit to shreds. Therefore, the Commando carried strictly lasers that had been powered down. It packed a trio of small lasers. Not extremely effective against other 'mechs in combat, the small laser could still desecrate infantry any day of the week, especially given its fast fire rate and virtually no heat.
Recruit Joshua Scarpel came up next to Chris, taking cover behind a wall beneath a window. Chris had moved to a small office building and broke out a window so that he could fire. His whole plan was for his main infantry force to hold a large pile of rubble in the center of two office buildings. They would draw most of the fire, with Chris being able to pick off several attacking infantry safely from the secrecy of the office building. He asked Scarpel to help him so he could shot down even more when the time came.
"Sir, recon teams report that they have the main infantry force coming up through the center. They are advancing about a meter or so at a time. Apparently they are in no hurry." Chris lazily looked over at him. "Well, we have all the time we need. I've told our guys not to shoot until they get to the intersection." Scarpel gave a grim smile, and turned his head to the window, letting his rifle rest on the ground nest to him. Chris let a short pause separate his thoughts from his words. "Something tells me that you know something else, Joshua." Scarpel gave a small sigh. "I'm sure its nothing, but not all of the opposing force was accounted for." Chris turned to him and shrugged. "So what? Some of them will try to stay behind the main force to try and flank us after we reveal our positions. Tell some of our guys to take up alternate positions near the intersection. I will hold my fire and let you act like you have been shot. After we have the other team convinced that they killed you, we both get up and send some flak their way." Scarpel ran his hands through his greasy hair, and then gave Chris a short smile. "You know what, Powell? You always have a good idea. Scarpel turned back to the window. "I just hope that there isn't a factor we missed. Your promotion is riding on the line."
Corporal Jared Haut stared out the cockpit of his 'mech to watch the infantry running around the feet of his 'mech. A former Jade Falcon, his entire family was caught in a battle with the Aces several years back. He had now won the trust of Colonel Unther, and was allowed to pilot a 'mech for the Aces.
He currently had his 'mech behind a large office building, so that only his team could see him. His 'mech for this exercise was a twenty-five ton Commando equipped with numerous small lasers (three, to be exact). Though he wanted to charge right up a main street and hit the opposing team with his Commando, he knew that idea would get him into trouble. It would be too obvious. It had been over an hour since the exercise started, and he was getting tense with anticipation.
Normally, the ex Jade Falcon would pilot a small, nimble Osiris. The Osiris that he would normally pilot was customized for speed, armor, and jump jets. But despite that fact, the small 'mech still packed a large surprise to anyone who challenged him. On each arm of his Osiris, he had a clan ER large laser. The clan weapons were enough to prove deadly to mechs nearly twice his weight. But now, he was strapped into a Commando. A simple, twenty-five ton mech. The only weapons he had were a group of short-range small lasers. He was definitely insulated.
Jared let go of his control sticks, and slouched down in his cockpit, expecting his squad leader to take even longer on his battle plan. He was wrong. The Commando's COM system crackled to life. "Alpha team, take the left side, Bravo team, take the middle. Charlie team, link up with Corporal Haut and attack the right side. Bravo team, lead the way. Alpha will follow, and Charlie will hit last." 'Finally' Jared said to himself as he sat up and took a firm hold on his mechs control sticks.
Being the pilot of a Commando was hard when there were numerous infantry persons running around below you. The Commando's cockpit was situated so that the pilot couldn't see the ground, making it extra hard to see anyone beneath him. He didn't care. He was about to do his favorite thing. Kill. Though this was only a training exercise, he still had a mission. He ordered himself to murder Chris Powell.
Chris felt the thud of something large coming his way. He paused, and looked over at Scarpel. "What is going on?! I thought that no 'mechs were allowed in the training exercise!" Beads of sweat starting rolling down his face. A 'mech. In this training exercise. They didn't stand a chance. There were no infantry personnel with anti 'mech weapons. There was no way they could take it out.
Chris thumbed his COM system, "All units, be prepared to engage a 'mech! Probability of a light city fighting 'mech. The 'mech might be attacking on behalf of another mercenary group. Be prepared for auto cannon and machine gun fire. I repeat.. this mech may be firing live ammunition!" he barked. He could hear numerous curses outside his office building. Everything from cursing the security personnel for not calling upon the single Commando that was left on base for training purposes, to cursing the person piloting the mech. A 'mech with live ammo, interrupting a training exercise. how could the people back at HQ allow that?' Chris pondered. All he could do now was worry about what was going to happen. All his team had were rifles with blank shells, and a small laser that shot an infrared beam at the opponents vest. Nothing that his squad had could save his team against a Battlemech.
Over an hour of fierce fighting had gone by. His fear had been right. The 'mech was shooting live ammunition, but it was only armed with lasers. An infantryman's worst nightmare. A laser couldn't run out of ammunition. At least with a machine gun, the infantry squads could break up and hide until the 'mech ran out of ammunition.
Apparently, the 'mech was to be used in the training exercise. The factor Chris had missed was a Battlemech. It carried the symbol of the Aces; a flaming red "A", yet it was shooting lasers at the recruits. Live lasers. Not the powered down kind that were used for training exercises.
Over twenty people had been killed. Worse yet, the Commando sported a communications jammer, so no body could call for help. Anyone who tried to run was shot, or stepped on. One recruit tried to scale the sidebars of the 'mech, to open the cockpit hatch and knock out the Mechwarrior, but he was thrown off and now suffered a broken neck. No one could think of anything but hide. Except Chris, of course.
There was a chance that he could hope onto the cockpit of the 'mech from an office building. But that was risky. He decided to do it anyway. He brought along his rifle, and Scarpel. They were headed up to the fourth floor of one of the buildings used in close quarters battle training. There was no electricity, so they had to rely simply on feeling their way up the stairwell. They went up the stairs using the guardrail to find their way. It was slow, but it was working.
After several long, tedious minutes, they reached the forth floor. Both of the recruits hurried to a window, and waited for the intimidating Battlemech. Chris glanced over at Scarpel. "Did you think that we would be taking out a 'mech in hand to hand combat during basic training?" Scarpel flashed Chris a weird look. "I will tell you this much. I don't remember reading about this kind of stuff in the recruiting material." Both recruits shared a short delay before they shared a short chuckle. Chris took a nervous breath at the sight of the 'mech coming towards their window. All that he would have to do now is grow the courage to jump from a window onto a 'mech. He wasn't sure if they had that courage.
Jared looked out through his cockpit window. So far, over twenty people had died because of him. At first, he thought it would be easy just to rush in and shoot Chris Powel. But Chris had slipped by him. 'No big deal.' Jared thought. 'I have all the time I need. I can just wait him out. Even if someone does get back to the base and alert the drill instructor what I've done, I am still the only 'mech on this base.' An evil grin came across his face, spread from ear to ear.
His senses were awoken by the sight and sound of breaking glass. At first, he was confused. But by the time his cockpit got underneath the hole in the glass, it was too late. Chris Powel had jumped from the hole onto the cockpit, busting the butt of his rifle against the hatch locks.
Jared couldn't help but be amazed. He even jumped a little in his seat, but he fully regained himself within a few, short milliseconds. Chris was brave. He gave him that. But he wasn't smart. Jared griped the control sticks and gave them a firm tug to the right, and then to the left hoping to shake Chris off. No luck. He was stuck onto his 'mech like a dog to a person's leg in heat. He out at his cockpit latches. Three of the four latches were already broken. All in a mere few seconds. How could this happen? This was impossible. A single infantryman. a free birth. a recruit at that, beating an experienced Jade-Falcon-at-heart Mechwarrior? "AGH. IMPOSSIBLE!" Jared yelled inside his cockpit, so carelessly that his spit flew all over his face guard.
Jared noticed that Chris was going for the emergency release pull. It would blow the cockpit off, so Chris would have access to the pilot inside. Chris sat on the shoulder of the Commando, being safe from the blast. 'Now what do I do?!' Jared cried. He couldn't help but look at the smirk on Chris' face at the cockpit canopy was ejected into the air, and away from the 'mech.
Chris couldn't help but let lose an evil laugh. He had it within his reach. taking out the person who had killed over thirty men by now simply having a tech power up the lasers right before the exercise. A quick glace at the pilot's jumpsuit told him that the Mechwarrior was a corporal in the Hellbringer's Aces. But that was all about to change. Soon, he would be a bloodied trader, licked by the butt of Chris' rifle.
As that thought passed through his head, so did a combat knife through his meaty thigh. Chris let a long, ear-bursting scream escape his lungs. In retaliation he grabbed the barrel of his rifle, and swung the butt around to smash it into the pilots' temple. A sickening crack marked the sound of a breaking skull, and a deafening cry came from the pilot. He immediately slouched over the control panel of the 'mech, and grabbed his temple.
A sudden urge rushed up through Jared's body. The urge of self- preservation. His left hand wrapped firmly around his pistol on his left thigh, and used his thumb to loosen the strap holding it in. With one fluent motion, he removed it from his holster, and aimed it at Chris' chest. Without a moment of hesitation, he grinned, and pulled the trigger. The bullet forced its way through Chris' armor, and came to rest in one of Chris' ribs.
All of the air in Chris' lungs escaped in one big, and forced exhalation. Ripping the combat knife from his thigh, he shoved it upwards into Jared's stomach. He began to regain breath. Enough to bring his rifle butt into play. Aiming the butt of the rifle at the knife, Chris let loose with a surge of energy, watching the bloodied knife sink itself deeper into Jared's bloodied stomach.
With painful agony, Jared looked up from his bloodied stomach, into Chris' eyes.
'How did this happen?! How did this Surat beat me?!' Jared thought painfully. It wasn't long until his vision blurred, and died. Upon that moment, he felt no more pain.
Kentares Royal Palace Kentares IV August 9, 3062
Colonel Unther stood starting down at his briefing that he had thrown together quickly for Duke Wells. His daughter, a young, innocent age of sixteen, sat next to him. She was strikingly beautiful, and fully figured even at the tender age of sixteen. He had flirty brown hair that reached down about four inches past her shoulder blades, just shy of midway down her back. She had a bronze orange tank top on, and denim jeans. A casual look for a teen of such a planet. Her hair was frizzed from the fog that smothered the nearby river. But over all, she was absolutely beautiful.
The reason she was there was to act as emotional support for her father, who had been saddened over the tragic loss of over thirty men. A little over two and a half companies of men, lost forever. Men who would of gone on to pilot 'mechs, be infantry support, fly aerospace fighters, or go onto Non-Officer Commissioning School to become Commissioned Officers.
The meeting was to be informal, just between the Colonel and the Duke. The Duke called it a simple "Question" meeting. But Colonel Unther knew better. He was going to be chewed left and right. But it didn't stop there. When the media finds out, recruiting for the mercenary group would drop dramatically. Natailya spoke calmly to her thirty four year old father. "Dad, it's alright. Accidents like this happen. Go to any other mercenary training camp. It happens. All you have to do is keep it from the media and this whole thing will be ok." Colonel Unther looked at his daughter, who was now hugging him. "I know what you're saying. But these are lives. Men died. It's not right. They died for no virtually no reason! A pilot went insane, and he killed MY men. I'm just glad that he's dead."
As if on cue with Colonel Unther's statement, Duke Wells walked into the room. A look of severe sadness lay upon his face. He exchanged smiles with Natailya, and say directly across from Colonel Unther.
"James," Duke Wells said while propping his feet onto the table. "We had a pilot go crazy. He was supposed to be used for training. Instead, he had a tech power the lasers to full so he could kill our men! Tell me something. Just what happened?" A slight pause came from Colonel Unther, followed by a quick, reassuring hug from his daughter. "Sir, the pilot was Corporal Jared Haut." Quickly, Duke Wells shot to his feet, knocking over a glass of water from pulling away from the table so fast. "Jared Steven Haut? The son of my biggest supporter?" A slight paused filled the room, but it was short enough that only the Colonel caught it. With a lowered head marking shame, the Colonel replied "Yes, sir."
"Well, Colonel. I will have a small chat with Mr. Haut. It won't be one to share my sorrow of his loss. And, if you will. you should promote recruit Powell ASAP. I know you have thought about giving him a sergeant rank." Another pause, this time long enough that even Natailya caught it. "Give him a captain rank," Duke Wells said, a smile spreading across his face.
With that, Duke Wells faced the door, and briskly walked out of the room, leaving the Colonel and his daughter. "Well, looks like I'm going to have a lot of flak coming my way from some of the other recruits for giving someone a commission directly out of basic training." Natailya just look at her father, smiled, and hugged him.
Hellbringer's Aces training camp Kentares IV, discrete location August 9, 3062
Recruit Chris Powell gripped his rifle tighter, even more anxious because of the long wait. Surely the drill instructor should have started the other team his way by now, but what was taking them so long? He knew the other team had a good three hundred meters to cross before encountering his force, but it had been nearly three hours since the exercise started. Was he doing everything right? After all, he was just a recruit. But a fine one at that. Within his first two weeks, he had made squad leader. Even the Duke himself requested tapes of his recent training battles. This was no different. He had a small camera attached to his helmet facing in. His mic was also interlinked with the camera feed.
He knew that the Duke himself was watching, as well as the daughter of Colonel Unther, Natailya. But what he didn't know was that Colonel Unther himself was watching the live feed. Colonel Unther was the founder, and commander of Hellbringer's Aces. The nickname, Hellbringer, was earned from taking down and entire lance of medium Shadow Cat clan omni mechs.
The Colonel heard lots compliments in the past on how recruit Powell presented himself to superior officers, treated subordinates, and acted calmly under fire. He had the intention of putting him through 'mech school, letting him become a Mechwarrior. Perhaps the recruit would even get the chance to lead a lance of the new clan omnimechs that the Hellbringer's Aces had recently salvaged from a long dispute with another mercenary group. Among the impressive arsenal was a pair of 85 ton Maskari's, a 75-ton Madcat, and a massive, deadly 100-ton Daishi. The Aces also gained several menacing NovaCat's. Eight of the deadly beasts to be exact. But all the possibility came in the future of recruit Powell, and then only if he preformed as well as everyone claimed. Colonel Unther was interested in the present. He wanted to see the reaction Chris would have when he found out the other team had access to a twenty-five ton Commando equipped with training weapons. Though blank auto cannon rounds and blank missiles were available for fighting other 'mechs in training, a blank round would still rip an infantry unit to shreds. Therefore, the Commando carried strictly lasers that had been powered down. It packed a trio of small lasers. Not extremely effective against other 'mechs in combat, the small laser could still desecrate infantry any day of the week, especially given its fast fire rate and virtually no heat.
Recruit Joshua Scarpel came up next to Chris, taking cover behind a wall beneath a window. Chris had moved to a small office building and broke out a window so that he could fire. His whole plan was for his main infantry force to hold a large pile of rubble in the center of two office buildings. They would draw most of the fire, with Chris being able to pick off several attacking infantry safely from the secrecy of the office building. He asked Scarpel to help him so he could shot down even more when the time came.
"Sir, recon teams report that they have the main infantry force coming up through the center. They are advancing about a meter or so at a time. Apparently they are in no hurry." Chris lazily looked over at him. "Well, we have all the time we need. I've told our guys not to shoot until they get to the intersection." Scarpel gave a grim smile, and turned his head to the window, letting his rifle rest on the ground nest to him. Chris let a short pause separate his thoughts from his words. "Something tells me that you know something else, Joshua." Scarpel gave a small sigh. "I'm sure its nothing, but not all of the opposing force was accounted for." Chris turned to him and shrugged. "So what? Some of them will try to stay behind the main force to try and flank us after we reveal our positions. Tell some of our guys to take up alternate positions near the intersection. I will hold my fire and let you act like you have been shot. After we have the other team convinced that they killed you, we both get up and send some flak their way." Scarpel ran his hands through his greasy hair, and then gave Chris a short smile. "You know what, Powell? You always have a good idea. Scarpel turned back to the window. "I just hope that there isn't a factor we missed. Your promotion is riding on the line."
Corporal Jared Haut stared out the cockpit of his 'mech to watch the infantry running around the feet of his 'mech. A former Jade Falcon, his entire family was caught in a battle with the Aces several years back. He had now won the trust of Colonel Unther, and was allowed to pilot a 'mech for the Aces.
He currently had his 'mech behind a large office building, so that only his team could see him. His 'mech for this exercise was a twenty-five ton Commando equipped with numerous small lasers (three, to be exact). Though he wanted to charge right up a main street and hit the opposing team with his Commando, he knew that idea would get him into trouble. It would be too obvious. It had been over an hour since the exercise started, and he was getting tense with anticipation.
Normally, the ex Jade Falcon would pilot a small, nimble Osiris. The Osiris that he would normally pilot was customized for speed, armor, and jump jets. But despite that fact, the small 'mech still packed a large surprise to anyone who challenged him. On each arm of his Osiris, he had a clan ER large laser. The clan weapons were enough to prove deadly to mechs nearly twice his weight. But now, he was strapped into a Commando. A simple, twenty-five ton mech. The only weapons he had were a group of short-range small lasers. He was definitely insulated.
Jared let go of his control sticks, and slouched down in his cockpit, expecting his squad leader to take even longer on his battle plan. He was wrong. The Commando's COM system crackled to life. "Alpha team, take the left side, Bravo team, take the middle. Charlie team, link up with Corporal Haut and attack the right side. Bravo team, lead the way. Alpha will follow, and Charlie will hit last." 'Finally' Jared said to himself as he sat up and took a firm hold on his mechs control sticks.
Being the pilot of a Commando was hard when there were numerous infantry persons running around below you. The Commando's cockpit was situated so that the pilot couldn't see the ground, making it extra hard to see anyone beneath him. He didn't care. He was about to do his favorite thing. Kill. Though this was only a training exercise, he still had a mission. He ordered himself to murder Chris Powell.
Chris felt the thud of something large coming his way. He paused, and looked over at Scarpel. "What is going on?! I thought that no 'mechs were allowed in the training exercise!" Beads of sweat starting rolling down his face. A 'mech. In this training exercise. They didn't stand a chance. There were no infantry personnel with anti 'mech weapons. There was no way they could take it out.
Chris thumbed his COM system, "All units, be prepared to engage a 'mech! Probability of a light city fighting 'mech. The 'mech might be attacking on behalf of another mercenary group. Be prepared for auto cannon and machine gun fire. I repeat.. this mech may be firing live ammunition!" he barked. He could hear numerous curses outside his office building. Everything from cursing the security personnel for not calling upon the single Commando that was left on base for training purposes, to cursing the person piloting the mech. A 'mech with live ammo, interrupting a training exercise. how could the people back at HQ allow that?' Chris pondered. All he could do now was worry about what was going to happen. All his team had were rifles with blank shells, and a small laser that shot an infrared beam at the opponents vest. Nothing that his squad had could save his team against a Battlemech.
Over an hour of fierce fighting had gone by. His fear had been right. The 'mech was shooting live ammunition, but it was only armed with lasers. An infantryman's worst nightmare. A laser couldn't run out of ammunition. At least with a machine gun, the infantry squads could break up and hide until the 'mech ran out of ammunition.
Apparently, the 'mech was to be used in the training exercise. The factor Chris had missed was a Battlemech. It carried the symbol of the Aces; a flaming red "A", yet it was shooting lasers at the recruits. Live lasers. Not the powered down kind that were used for training exercises.
Over twenty people had been killed. Worse yet, the Commando sported a communications jammer, so no body could call for help. Anyone who tried to run was shot, or stepped on. One recruit tried to scale the sidebars of the 'mech, to open the cockpit hatch and knock out the Mechwarrior, but he was thrown off and now suffered a broken neck. No one could think of anything but hide. Except Chris, of course.
There was a chance that he could hope onto the cockpit of the 'mech from an office building. But that was risky. He decided to do it anyway. He brought along his rifle, and Scarpel. They were headed up to the fourth floor of one of the buildings used in close quarters battle training. There was no electricity, so they had to rely simply on feeling their way up the stairwell. They went up the stairs using the guardrail to find their way. It was slow, but it was working.
After several long, tedious minutes, they reached the forth floor. Both of the recruits hurried to a window, and waited for the intimidating Battlemech. Chris glanced over at Scarpel. "Did you think that we would be taking out a 'mech in hand to hand combat during basic training?" Scarpel flashed Chris a weird look. "I will tell you this much. I don't remember reading about this kind of stuff in the recruiting material." Both recruits shared a short delay before they shared a short chuckle. Chris took a nervous breath at the sight of the 'mech coming towards their window. All that he would have to do now is grow the courage to jump from a window onto a 'mech. He wasn't sure if they had that courage.
Jared looked out through his cockpit window. So far, over twenty people had died because of him. At first, he thought it would be easy just to rush in and shoot Chris Powel. But Chris had slipped by him. 'No big deal.' Jared thought. 'I have all the time I need. I can just wait him out. Even if someone does get back to the base and alert the drill instructor what I've done, I am still the only 'mech on this base.' An evil grin came across his face, spread from ear to ear.
His senses were awoken by the sight and sound of breaking glass. At first, he was confused. But by the time his cockpit got underneath the hole in the glass, it was too late. Chris Powel had jumped from the hole onto the cockpit, busting the butt of his rifle against the hatch locks.
Jared couldn't help but be amazed. He even jumped a little in his seat, but he fully regained himself within a few, short milliseconds. Chris was brave. He gave him that. But he wasn't smart. Jared griped the control sticks and gave them a firm tug to the right, and then to the left hoping to shake Chris off. No luck. He was stuck onto his 'mech like a dog to a person's leg in heat. He out at his cockpit latches. Three of the four latches were already broken. All in a mere few seconds. How could this happen? This was impossible. A single infantryman. a free birth. a recruit at that, beating an experienced Jade-Falcon-at-heart Mechwarrior? "AGH. IMPOSSIBLE!" Jared yelled inside his cockpit, so carelessly that his spit flew all over his face guard.
Jared noticed that Chris was going for the emergency release pull. It would blow the cockpit off, so Chris would have access to the pilot inside. Chris sat on the shoulder of the Commando, being safe from the blast. 'Now what do I do?!' Jared cried. He couldn't help but look at the smirk on Chris' face at the cockpit canopy was ejected into the air, and away from the 'mech.
Chris couldn't help but let lose an evil laugh. He had it within his reach. taking out the person who had killed over thirty men by now simply having a tech power up the lasers right before the exercise. A quick glace at the pilot's jumpsuit told him that the Mechwarrior was a corporal in the Hellbringer's Aces. But that was all about to change. Soon, he would be a bloodied trader, licked by the butt of Chris' rifle.
As that thought passed through his head, so did a combat knife through his meaty thigh. Chris let a long, ear-bursting scream escape his lungs. In retaliation he grabbed the barrel of his rifle, and swung the butt around to smash it into the pilots' temple. A sickening crack marked the sound of a breaking skull, and a deafening cry came from the pilot. He immediately slouched over the control panel of the 'mech, and grabbed his temple.
A sudden urge rushed up through Jared's body. The urge of self- preservation. His left hand wrapped firmly around his pistol on his left thigh, and used his thumb to loosen the strap holding it in. With one fluent motion, he removed it from his holster, and aimed it at Chris' chest. Without a moment of hesitation, he grinned, and pulled the trigger. The bullet forced its way through Chris' armor, and came to rest in one of Chris' ribs.
All of the air in Chris' lungs escaped in one big, and forced exhalation. Ripping the combat knife from his thigh, he shoved it upwards into Jared's stomach. He began to regain breath. Enough to bring his rifle butt into play. Aiming the butt of the rifle at the knife, Chris let loose with a surge of energy, watching the bloodied knife sink itself deeper into Jared's bloodied stomach.
With painful agony, Jared looked up from his bloodied stomach, into Chris' eyes.
'How did this happen?! How did this Surat beat me?!' Jared thought painfully. It wasn't long until his vision blurred, and died. Upon that moment, he felt no more pain.
Kentares Royal Palace Kentares IV August 9, 3062
Colonel Unther stood starting down at his briefing that he had thrown together quickly for Duke Wells. His daughter, a young, innocent age of sixteen, sat next to him. She was strikingly beautiful, and fully figured even at the tender age of sixteen. He had flirty brown hair that reached down about four inches past her shoulder blades, just shy of midway down her back. She had a bronze orange tank top on, and denim jeans. A casual look for a teen of such a planet. Her hair was frizzed from the fog that smothered the nearby river. But over all, she was absolutely beautiful.
The reason she was there was to act as emotional support for her father, who had been saddened over the tragic loss of over thirty men. A little over two and a half companies of men, lost forever. Men who would of gone on to pilot 'mechs, be infantry support, fly aerospace fighters, or go onto Non-Officer Commissioning School to become Commissioned Officers.
The meeting was to be informal, just between the Colonel and the Duke. The Duke called it a simple "Question" meeting. But Colonel Unther knew better. He was going to be chewed left and right. But it didn't stop there. When the media finds out, recruiting for the mercenary group would drop dramatically. Natailya spoke calmly to her thirty four year old father. "Dad, it's alright. Accidents like this happen. Go to any other mercenary training camp. It happens. All you have to do is keep it from the media and this whole thing will be ok." Colonel Unther looked at his daughter, who was now hugging him. "I know what you're saying. But these are lives. Men died. It's not right. They died for no virtually no reason! A pilot went insane, and he killed MY men. I'm just glad that he's dead."
As if on cue with Colonel Unther's statement, Duke Wells walked into the room. A look of severe sadness lay upon his face. He exchanged smiles with Natailya, and say directly across from Colonel Unther.
"James," Duke Wells said while propping his feet onto the table. "We had a pilot go crazy. He was supposed to be used for training. Instead, he had a tech power the lasers to full so he could kill our men! Tell me something. Just what happened?" A slight pause came from Colonel Unther, followed by a quick, reassuring hug from his daughter. "Sir, the pilot was Corporal Jared Haut." Quickly, Duke Wells shot to his feet, knocking over a glass of water from pulling away from the table so fast. "Jared Steven Haut? The son of my biggest supporter?" A slight paused filled the room, but it was short enough that only the Colonel caught it. With a lowered head marking shame, the Colonel replied "Yes, sir."
"Well, Colonel. I will have a small chat with Mr. Haut. It won't be one to share my sorrow of his loss. And, if you will. you should promote recruit Powell ASAP. I know you have thought about giving him a sergeant rank." Another pause, this time long enough that even Natailya caught it. "Give him a captain rank," Duke Wells said, a smile spreading across his face.
With that, Duke Wells faced the door, and briskly walked out of the room, leaving the Colonel and his daughter. "Well, looks like I'm going to have a lot of flak coming my way from some of the other recruits for giving someone a commission directly out of basic training." Natailya just look at her father, smiled, and hugged him.