Disclaimer: I do not own either Puella Magi\Maho Shoujo Madoka Magica, nor BattleTech\MechWarrior.
Author's Note (Original): The King of Strange Crossovers returns with one no one's ever seen or porbably ever going to again. Based on a... very strange dream I had.
Author's Note (Redux): Okay, so I'm on chapter eight of this little thing, and upon reading through what I've already written, I realize how incredibly displeased I was with how it flowed. Lots of plot holes and shit, so in interest of your own sanity, and my own urge of perfectionism, I present to you the re-done MechWarrior: Witch Wars.
MechWarrior: Witch Wars
Prologue
In the waning months of 3058, with the major Clans in full retreat from the battered, but still very much standing Inner Sphere, the once-warring factions of the Inner Sphere launch a retaliatory strike against the Clan Smoke Jaguar World of Strana Mechti, decimating the stationed Smoke Jaguar forces there, and in effect, ending the Clan's attempt to claim the world of Terra for their own. With Clan Wolf, Clan Jade Falcon, and Clan Ghost Bear either crippled beyond their capacity for a return strike, or in full-scale retreat, the Inner Sphere is allowed an opportunity to rebuild.
However, war is one of the few constants in the dog-eat-dog politics of the Inner Sphere, and it is a profitable one. With the majority of the Great Houses managing to reconcile old wounds with one another enough to rebuild a shadow of the former Star League of old, a few splinter groups have continued Mercenary actions outside, and on the rare occasion, inside of Star League jurisdiction. This is the story of one such Mercenary Group.
-ComStar Mercenary Relations; Planet Outreach. July 23, 3059-
You step out of the Dropship with a grunt and a few creative words you know as a fact your mother didn't teach you, smelling the stagnant, recycled air of the ComStar Mercenary Relations hub, taking a look at what would prove to be your new home. A few of the other Tri-M graduates you've shared the two week flight with file past you without so much as a hint that you're even there. As you formulate in your head what you're going to do now that you're a full-fledge Mercenary, a mechanical droll tells you exactly how you're going to spend that time; at least the first few minutes of it. "All new arrives please register at the ComStar Terminal." The computer drones as the line begins to form on all four sides of the central pillar, a computer terminal on each side. Your eyes are instantly drawn to one side of the pillar with only three recruits trying to cram themselves onto the terminal all at once. You take up a position behind them, fold your hands patiently behind your back and wait for them to sort themselves out. It turns out this takes a solid five minutes before all three recruits are registered and placed on the waiting list for a unit. Stepping out of line, one of the recruits, a blond boy with gray eyes smiles to you.
"All yours." He drones, allowing you to step up to the console. Thanking him, you press the little button that reads 'New Pilot Registration' on the screen, two large, white text boxes appearing in the center, one reading 'NAME' while the other has 'TRI-M REFERENCE NUMBER' as a label. Pushing the first box, the 'name' box, you type your name with the provided keyboard as a little loading hour glass appears as you're searched. After a few seconds, the second box gets filled in with a serial number, and a few letters at the end.
A third word appears at the bottom of the console, displaying 'STATUS' in red. As you're about to pull away after it inevitably displays 'WAITING', you're shocked to see the 'WAITING' replaced very quickly with 'PLACED'. You continue to stare at the screen for a moment, pondering how exactly it is you got placed so quickly, when your quick placement goes noticed by everyone else that had gathered around you.
"Hey, Leon! Check this out! This'n got a placement assignment already!" Slowly, more and more people gather around you as the little loading hour glass appears once more, trying to think about where you'd do best. Before long, two small check boxes appear on the screen, words above reading 'VIABLE UNITS'. The first check box has the world ULTANOS written next to it. You'd heard stories about Ultanos from your two years at Tri-M. Ultanos was a top-tier Mercenary Company, some would argue the best the Inner Sphere had to offer. Their former leader and founder, Johnathen L. Ultan founded the Mercenary Unit in 3048, and after that he was an integral figure in galactic politics, even winning the Solaris VII Tournament a few years later. They say if it weren't for John Ultan and the Ultanos Mercenary Unit, the Inner Sphere would have lost when the Clans invaded.
"Ultanos!? They want you in ULTANOS!?" One of the boys behind you grabs your shoulder and gives you a little shake. "Ta~ke i~t! Come on, that's a chance of a fuckin' life time! Take Ultanos!" Not wanting to squander whatever chances you might have, you look at the other check box. This one had 'MAGI' written next to it. You stare at the second check box for a moment, your finger hovering over it.
"Magi?" One of the girls to your left ask, staring at the name. "I... don't think I've heard of that unit."
"Shit, Magi's pretty damn good too." Another girl speaks. "You know that record of the Gauntlet back at Tri-M? Magi's leader set it. She's some kind of BattleMech super freak, or something. They say she was a total clutz before her last exam, where she just blew everyone out of the water. Figuratively. Every member of the Magi Unit, as small a unit as it is, is supposed to be primo stuff, like real good pilots."
"Shit... Damn, Feddie, how'd you get offers from two of the best Mercenary Units in the biz?" You turn to one of the boys to your right and ask him where he thinks you should go. He stares at you for a while before nodding.
"If'n you want my honest opinion. Magi."
"Magi? Nah, don't listen to him. Magi may be good, but they're small. No one hires Magi anymore. Ultanos is where you want to go."
"Pbth." The boy on your right continues. "Don't listen to HER. Ultanos is large, sure, but the odds of you getting any missions are slim. Magi's small. If they get a contract, chances are ALL of you are going. Guaranteed." You look back over your choices before your finger finds a check box. Magi. "There ya go." He slaps your shoulder and smiles. "Maybe we'll see each other on the flip side, huh?" The group breaks off to discuss your expedited placement, their voices mixing with one another into a massive crescendo before a single female voice, given prominence with a stern clearing of her throat that everyone silences. Slowly, a singular figure pushes her way past the gaggle of enthralled recruits, eventually stopping before you. She stares at you with hard violet eyes, her long raven hair held in place by a simple navy blue hair band, her clothes look pristine, a strange uniform unlike any neural interfacing suit you've ever seen before, (Not to mention vastly different from off-duty clothes) looking more like a school uniform. The soft peach of the blouse's fabric reflects a bit of the low light off of it, and what isn't reflected by her blouse is absorbed by the dark tartan pattern of the skirt, her long, pale legs covered in long black socks, complete with Japanese-designed indoor shoes. She continues to stare for a moment before turning to the accrued crowed.
"Well. Don't you kids have somewhere to go? Like to bed?" It was typical for recruits to find an apartment during their waiting period, most forced to bunk two to three in a room. The group muttered something that sounded like a mixed muddle of acknowledgments and dispersed slowly. "So you're this hot shot MechWarrior I keep hearing about? You gave Madoka a run for her money on the Gauntlet test, which is no small feat." She doesn't smile as she talks, simply keeps staring at you with those accusing eyes, like she hates you for some reason. "Well, let's not keep the others waiting. The rest of the unit has been pretty excited about meeting you. Now that I have, I can't say I'm terribly impressed." You're about to protest, but you keep your mouth shut deciding it's probably not the best plan to anger someone who looks like they'd kill their own grandmother given the proper reason. You settle on letting her know that you plan on proving to her that you're worth the trouble, a response which seems to please her. "You know what they say about pictures, kid. Make sure you're wasting more enemy 'Mechs then you are your breath." She turns curtly on her heels and looks lazily over her shoulder to you. "Come on, kid. Follow me." She starts to walk towards a hall squeezed between an office door and the boarding dock you exited from. You follow her at a distance, keeping no less then five feet between yourself and your escort, watching her from behind as she moves.
Her uniform is strange, that's for sure. Most Mercenaries choose a more rugged look for their off-duty uniforms, leather or maybe torn clothes, but her? Her school uniform swayed a bit as she moved, the gentle undulations of her rear as she moved definitely nothing like a Mercenary. Everything about her screamed that she was just an ordinary, eighteen year old girl. She moved so fluidly, each and every motion that of a well-choreographed ballet, her shoes making very little noise as they make their way across the steel floor. She stops before a tram station, pressing a button on the side. She doesn't face you as she waits for the tram to arrive, the track-bound transit box arriving a few seconds later, the door slides open with a cheery ding. She steps in and you follow her, the woman taking the far seat, you sitting across from her. She drapes one arm lazily across the seat beside her as you fold your hands in your lap.
As your escort looks left, you allow your eyes to wander across her. She definitely seems young, maybe eighteen as your previous guess, but she could also be about twenty one. She looks to be in the final stages of maturity into a woman, her fairly small breasts hidden well beneath the peach blouse... "See something you like, rookie?" She asks, her eyes having fallen on you as you were studying her. You shake your head and dislodge your previous thoughts, apologizing for your wandering eyes. "It's alright. Don't worry too much about it." She look past you to the dropships leaving through the window behind you. "It's good to know this old woman is still attractive." Her words showing no love or affection behind them, but your feeling that she hates you only grows. You look down at your lap, the ragged jeans and torn shirt a signal to all exactly how rough the trip over here was. You can't exactly say you smell particularly nice either, you could use a shower and a change of clothes.
Feeling the tram slow to a stop, the woman in front of you stands and walks to the door, her motions unswayed by the rapid deceleration of the tram. As it stops, the door opens with a ding, a computerized voice chiming in chorus. "Living Area" You stand with her and, once again, follow her out, keeping your mouth closed for the duration, as not to give her anymore reason to hate you.
"Come on. Don't fall behind." She orders curtly. You fall in and keep pace with her as she leads you pass two turns and down a long hallway, lined with doors about seven feet apart. Forty or so down the line, she finally stops before one and knocks.
"Come on in, it's open." A soft female voice answers, you escort doing as instructed, twisting the handle to push the light metal door open. On the other side are three younger-looking girls, probably all about the same age as your emotionless escort, all wearing similar school-uniform type clothes. "Ah, Homura. I see you managed to find our new recruit quite fine."
"I did. I brought her here like you wanted. Can I go now?" Your escort, Homura you guess her name was, flicks some of her hair with her left hand and motions to leave.
"Why would you want to leave so soon? I just put the kettle on for some tea, and the cake will be ready momentarily... You know how much you love my cake." Homura seems unconvinced by the blond woman's attempts to sway her decision, the woman simply shaking her head.
"I do... but I think for now I'll decline. Present company and all." The other women, a red head and a blue-haired one look at each other, then to the blond, who simply smiles and bows.
"Very well then, Homura. There will be left overs when you change your mind." Homura doesn't return her bow, but just leaves without much of an answer. The blond woman gives a great sigh after the door shuts, quickly hiding it behind a smile and a welcoming gesture. "Well, let's not let Homura's display of inhospitality jade your opinion of our humble little family, come have a seat." She offers you inside, a welcoming look of civility about her face. Taking a seat from across the red head and the blue-haired woman you nod and thank her, asking if it was anything you did. "Not likely, no." She responds simply as she drops a metal mesh ball into a tea pot. "Homura's... a bit of an interesting person. Don't get me wrong, once she opens up to you, she's a good girl, but it's the 'opening up' part that's tricky. I hope she didn't give you the wrong vibe." You debate whether or not you should tell her your feelings of her hating you, and decide against it. "Oh, where are my manners?" She gives another bow, continuing to speak when she rights herself. "My name is Mami Tomoe, second-in-command in the Magi Mercenary Unit." She offers you her hand as you introduce yourself to her. "Pretty name." Taking the pot of water from the small stove, she pours a small amount of the liquid into small, porcelain tea cups before you and the other two women, plus a cup you assume to be her own.
"Hey, nice to meet you, kid." The red head speaks, reaching across the table to shake your hand. "Name's Kyouko." She has a certain fire in her eyes, the look of a brave, possibly arrogant 'MechWarrior. "Kyouko Sakura, but you can just call me Kyouko. Grumpy Guss there didn't say anything bad to you, did she? Homura's got a bit of a grating personality." The blue haired woman beside Kyouko gives you a little nod, offering you her hand as well.
"My name is Sayaka Miki. Pleasure." She continues to her tea as Mami takes a cake from the small refrigerator under her counter, placing on the table.
"You'll meet our leader in a moment, she's picking a starter 'Mech out for you." You nod to her and thank her, taking a sip from the tea. It doesn't settle with you at first, the bitter taste more then a little change from what you're used to. Back at Tri-M, you never really drank tea or coffee much, but if she's offering, you're not one to refuse.
"Don't take this the wrong way, kid, but you smell like sweat and lost dreams... Hey, Mami? Would you mind if she borrowed your shower?" Mami looks you over and gives you a nod.
"Yes... I do hate to beat a dead horse, but you do smell like you could use a hot shower. Sure, be my guest." She motions you to a small door just on the other side of her bed. Reaching into a cardboard box, she takes out a peach blouse and tartan skirt, a pair of socks and shoes sitting on top. "This may be more of a formality, but members of the Magi Mercenary Unit, official or otherwise, are required to wear this, by the way." She hands you the uniform which you take with a smile and a thanks. "Don't mention it. Just make sure you're wearing it when you get out of the shower, and... do yourself a favor, and throw what you're wearing away. You look like a homeless bum." You feel yourself blush at the notion, not really wanting to admit how right she was.
Carrying the uniform into the shower, you place them upon the counter and begin to undress, ready to enjoy your first real shower in a good long time. The water is a good temperature, not too hot, nor too cold, and as it cascades down your back, you feel the two weeks you've sat and stewed in your own sweat in a hot, unairconditioned Dropship start to melt down the drain. Reaching down, you borrow her bottle of bodywash and help the water wash away your fatigue, rubbing the sweet-scented gel over your body and into your hair (Despite the fact you're pretty sure it's not supposed to be used in your hair. You really don't care.), letting the Rainfall shower head wash it away.
You finish your shower after a few minutes and feel much more refreshed. Finishing drying your hair, you begin to pull the package of your uniform apart, separating the shoes and socks from the blouse and skirt, a small box of underwear hidden inside. Oh great... uniform-grade underwear... Feeling a little warm at your cheek, you crack the box open and start to dress, the white garments coming off as more of a luxury to you then you're used to. After finishing with that detail, you pull the peach-colored blouse over your head and struggle to put your arms through the long sleeves, eventually fighting it enough to smooth it out over your chest and stomach. It looks ridiculous on you, but you figure with enough wear, you'll get used to the look. Stepping into the skirt, you pull it up around your waist and situate the blouse over the top, just like Mami and Homura wore it, hoping you got it right. Taking a seat on the toilet lid, you roll the socks over your legs, pulling them all the way up to your knees and slip your feet into the shoes, wiggling your toes a little. This... all feels more like you're getting ready for school, not about to jump into a fifty ton killing machine, and make today a very bad day for a whole lot of faceless people. With your shoes clacking cutely on the tile, you step out of the bathroom to the stares of everyone assembled.
"There's our newbie!" Kyouko smiles and stands from her seat, looking you over. She, along with Sayaka, is wearing the same uniform as you, the girl putting her hands on your shoulder to look you over. With an awkward smile, you kindly ask if there's a male version of this uniform, citing you're not much of a skirt person. Kyouko laughs a little at your question and shakes her head.
"Nah. Sorry, only one." She smooths the blouse over your sides and gives your hair a little tousle. "Besides, you look so cute in that! Fits you." Pulling you back to the table she sits you back at your seat and takes hers next to Sayaka. "Do you like tea, by the way? Your face says you don't." You confess it's not your favorite, but it does have a nice, refreshing taste about it. "That's Mami's tea! It's the real reason Jake associates with us!" Her voice becomes a whisper. "It's the tea! He's trying to steal the recipe from her!"
"Oh, Kyouko. Knock it off." A small beep comes from a small console above the bed, Mami standing to answer it. Pushing a button, the face of a young, pink-haired girl appearing on the screen. "Oh, Madoka. Is there something you need?" She nods a little and smiles to her friend.
"Yes, actually, I need your professional opinion on some things before the kid gets here..."
"Little late for that, Madoka." She looks over to you as you give a wave to the woman on the screen. "She arrived about ten minutes ago. Threw her in the shower, got her dressed, and she is ready to meet you." The woman smiles at you through the screen.
"Hey, kid, come here." She summons you to the screen. Getting to your feet, you hustle over and salute to her. She laughs at your display and shakes her head. "No, no, no. No need for that, you're not a full member of our unit yet, there's no need to salute me yet. Listen, due to some recent... financial problems, we are unable to provide anything more then a Commando 'Mech for your first contract. It's not much, I know, but I picked it up from Ultanos pretty cheap." You tell her it's alright, and a 'Mech is a 'Mech, regardless of how heavy it was. This response seems to please her as she smiles. "That's what I like to see. A MechWarrior who knows the value of even the smallest of 'Mechs. I think you'll fit in just find here, kiddo." She turns to Mami and continues. "Anyway, Mami. Quistis just got us hooked up with a couple of contracts on Zosma, and since we've got six people now, we can knock out all three in one fell swoop. Once you guys are done with your little tea party, head over to the Mitakihara and I'll fill you in on the details. Goddess out." The screen clicks off as Madoka's visage vanishes, Mami turning to you with a little smile.
"That was our Mercenary Commander, Madoka. She's a pretty good judge of character, so if she's throwing you into combat so soon... you must have impressed her. Come on, I'll show you to the Magi's 'Mech Bay. Sayaka? Kyouko? Are you coming with us?" Sayaka gives a curt nod as Kyouko stands, swallowing what's left in her cup in one go, her cheeks puffing up like a squirrel as she nods. "Kyouko... why do you do that?"
"Fucking love your tea..." Kyouko responds following Sayaka over to Mami as she leads you and the other two girls out. You look like a line of school kids walking to their next class as you follow the long hallway down about another fifteen or so rooms before turning a corner to another tram.
"Now..." Mami speaks to you as she stops. "The tram you arrived here in at first can also bring you to the 'Mech Bays, but this one's closer for us..." She speaks as she nods, confirming her words. You acknowledge her and continue following as she starts walking again. She pushes the little button next to the tram door as you line up behind her, Kyouko and Sayaka behind you, in that order. With another cheery ding, the door opens allowing the four of you in. You and Mami find chairs next to each other as Kyouko and Sayaka take the adjacent seats, Kyouko's arm lying across the back of Sayaka's chair.
"Kyouko... knock it off..." Sayaka pouts, although you get the feeling it was more for show then her being serious.
"What? I thought you liked it when I did that?"
"Not..." She gives Kyouko a light push. "Not when there's a new person around... You remember the last one..."
"Hey!" Kyouko turns to you, drawing your attention to her. "You're not a prude are you? You're not one of those 'Public Displays of Affection are evil' people, are you?" You shake your head and tell her it doesn't bother you one bit. Kyouko smiles and turns back to Sayaka. "See? The kid's fine with it."
"That's not what I mean, Kyouko, and you know it..." Although she gives one last protest, she gives up, allowing Kyouko her way. You allow yourself a little laugh at the two, obviously madly in love, but the blue-haired Sayaka just seems so... shut-in. You're not sure if she's always like this, or if it's because you're in the same tram as her, but you can definitely see a little blush cross her pale cheeks. Kyouko settles her arm around Sayaka's shoulder as the train travels along it's track. Mami's the next to speak.
"I'm so glad we finally have a sixth member. We've been a unit for about five years now, and it's just been us five." Her amber eyes seem to study you past what she can see with them... you almost feel as though she's staring into your very soul and testing your mettle. You return her glare with a smile and a nod, a few words about how you'll not disappoint. "Something tells me, newbie... that I don't have to worry about you disappointing us." Her hair, styled into two short drill-like additions off her side of her head, it looked as though she was a lot younger then she looked, maybe fifteen or so, but her face spoke volumes of her experience. "I imagine Madoka will have questions for you when you get there... just understand she's covering her bases, alright?" You nod and smile, allowing the train to slow to a stop.
"'Mech Bay Eighteen." The cheery female voice speaks as a ding proceeds the door opening. There was a small hallway which lead to a small set of double-doors, the sounds of welders and other mechanical things coming through the door. Mami's the first out of the tram, with you in tow and Sayaka and Kyouko behind you. She opens the door and motions you forward. Stepping onto the metal grate that was the cat walk above the 'Mech Bay, you place both hands on the railing and look down. This is one of the many 'Mech Bays across Outreach, the whole planet basically one big military installation. It was one of the first planets colonized after the great Exodus from Earth, and thus the most developed.
"What do you think, hm? Quite a set up we've got here." You nod, telling Mami this is quite a display, giving that the 'Mech Bays they had back in Tri-M were only designed to hold half a dozen 'Mechs at most, you find yourself shocked one of this size exists. "All of these 'Mechs are ours." Mami takes a place next to you, watching the workings of the 'Mech Bay with a careful, calm gaze.
"Mami-san!" A voice calls from within, the little soft voice echoing off the cold metal of the 'Mech Bay. "Down here!" Mami looks down, your own eyes following hers, as your gaze falls upon the distant visage of the girl from the screen earlier. Mami sets a hand gently on your shoulder, motioning you to a set of stairs a few feet away from you. Your small group scales the stairs slowly, your shoes clacking loudly against the metal. You take another look at your group, you and the three girls dressed in light pink blouses looked so out of place against all the metal and ordinance. You eventually reach the floor as the figure appears before you again, her pink hair bouncing as she comes to a similar stop.
"Hello, there." She smiles, holding a hand out to you. With a smile and nod, you take her hand and give it a light shake. "My name is Madoka Kaname, leader of the Magi Mercenary Unit. It's a pleasure to meet you!" She retrieves a clip board from behind her and looks it over. "I've got your record here, and let me tell you... I'm impressed. Your name is..." You hear her run your name off, and you nod to confirm. "It says here you've got a very strange birth defect... what is Self-Auditory Amnesia, exactly?" You explain to her that, as far as you have heard, it's a very rare defect in which a person has no sense of self. They know about what happens or what they say, but when asked to recall exactly what they did or said, they're unable to do so. "You remember your training, though, right? You're no different in the cockpit then anyone without it, correct?" You nod and confirm this to be true, a response that pleases her. "Excellent! That's what I wanted to hear. Now, as I said earlier, all I've got is a Commando, but you'll have plenty of backup. Now, we've got three contracts on Zosma that we're taking... and I think you and Tomoe-san would be best suited to team up... I'll put Miki-san and Sakura-san together because Sakura-san will cry if I don't, and Tomoe-san and I will be teamed for another." Your face contorts into a mess as you hear this. "Oh, don't you worry one bit. Akemi-san is a wonderful pilot. You'll be safe in her hands." Almost as if on cue.
"Are you sure that's such a good idea, Madoka? Homura was... displeasant to the kid when they first met..." Madoka nodded, happy with her response.
"Akemi-san's just abrasive. There's no need to worry. She's a fine pilot." Madoka put a little hand on your shoulder, and lead you towards one 'Mech Bay slot, a small, twenty-five ton Commando sitting there, in the last moments of repairs. "This Commando should be ready to go by the time we get you seated and ready." You watch as an engineer rolls a ladder towards the Commando and locks it in place, nudging you up it with his head. "Alright, Magi, to your 'Mechs." Everyone disperses and starts to climb the ladders to their 'Mechs, you slowly ascending the ladder to the Commando. Sitting in the cockpit, you close the door behind you, a large bolt sliding visibly in place as the cockpit locks and pressurizes. With a flick of the 'Mechs switches, the lumbering BattleMech powers up.
"Everyone hear me alright?" Your radio crackles, Madoka's cute, petite face appearing in your center MFD.
"I hear you, loud and clear, Commander." You answer, Madoka smiling on the other side.
"Good!"
"This is Big Sister..." Mami's voice intrudes. "I hear you, Goddess."
"Champion here. You're signal's coming in strong." Sayaka answers as Kyouko's face appears in your MFD.
"Crimson Fury here. My radio's still cutting off every eighth word, but I'll live."
"Stop Watch, Ready." Another voice answers.
"Akemi-san!" Madoka smiles. "How long have you been here?"
"Not long." The girl answers, her face coming over the MFD. "I see you're still here... can't say that's good."
"Homura... please. Be nice to our newcomer." You watch as Homura's eyes harden towards you once more, almost as if she's trying to kill you with laser eyes.
"Why?" She asks plainly. "Listen. Don't talk to me. I don't like you, and you can't change the fact. Just... don't talk to me." You give a slow nod to her 'request' if you want to call it that. "Good." She answers, her face disappearing off your MFD. As you stare in disbelief at what just occurred, you feel that sensation you had when you first met her grow... you just... can't help but get the feeling she hates you for some reason... You manipulate your radio and ring Mami, the girl being the most outgoing and friendly towards you.
"Uhm... M-Mami?" You ask, careful how you word your question.
"Mmm?" She asks, her face a sea of calm.
"Did I... do something wrong?"
"No no. I don't know what Homura's problem is but... I wouldn't worry too too much about it. She's a little abrasive but... I'm sure she'll open up to you in time." You watch a 'Mech a slight bit larger then yours clatter out of the slot next to you, the 'Mech (which you recognize as a Hollander-IIC painted all yellow) looks at you with it's deadened eyes. Your eyes scan the surface of the 'Mech, the Hollander far enough away from you so it's gun's not stabbing your cockpit out. Speaking of it's shoulder cannon, you note the strangest sight upon the end of the cannon, a large (large by human standards, fairly small by BattleMech standards) yellow ribbon tied into a bow upon the end of the gun. "Are you alright?" She askes.
"Is... that you, Mami? In the Hollander?" Her face lights up again.
"Oh, my, yes! I apologize, we didn't tell you who's who!" She backs the 'Mech out of your way as one massive hand motions you forward. Careful not to slam into Mami's Hollander, you slowly bring the Commando out of the slot, and turn to face the mass of 'Mechs ready to leave the 'Mech Bay. "Goddess, we didn't put names and faces to 'Mechs again."
"Oh!" Madoka, who you assume to be Goddess, comes over your radio, her chipper visage appearing in your central MFD. "I am so sorry about that!" You watch as a sixty-five ton Catapult 'Mech turns to face you; painted in a slightly garish pink color, little (again, by BattleMech standards) red bows tied around the actuators of her Catapult's 'arms', making the 'Mech look like a little girl with pigtails... strangely matching her own hairstyle. The Catapult's torso pivots down, almost as if it's bowing to you. "I'm in the Catapult here, the Mahou Shoujo. I'm pretty noticeable, as you might have noticed."
You observe that her 'Mech is awfully pink, reading the cute bubble-script just under the cockpit, the words reading 'Mahou Shoujo', the 'Mech's name. Madoka gives a little titter at your comment on her 'Mech's paint scheme.
"I like pink. It's a soothing color." She gives a little shrug as her 'Mech turns towards the open 'Mech Bay door, slowly walking out. Engulfing the entire left side of your screen comes a large, red BattleMech. It takes you a moment to run the basic profile of the 'Mech through your head to get an idea of what it was. Grim Reaper. Yea, now you recognize that distinct profile as a Grim Reaper 'Mech. You look it over, words morphing into your vision just under the distrubing-looking face of the 'Mech, reading 'MEGAHORN'.
"Man, you're like a little fly from up here!" Kyouko's voice crackles over your radio, the face of the red-head appearing in your MFD, a small pretzel stick jutting out of her mouth. Retracting the pretzel into her mouth, she crunches it down and swallows it.
"Sakura-san, are you eating in your cockpit again?" Kyouko paused for a moment, very slowly and quietly finishing chewing before answer.
"N-no... of course not... that was just my... uh... radio crackling a little. You know it's on the fritz." Mami's face replaced hers, her calm demeanor settling your nerves that have been active since you first arrived.
"That's awfully funny, Kyouko. That 'radio crackle' sounded vaguely similar to a pretzel to me."
"Shut up your face." Kyouko responded.
"I think you hit a nerve, Mami!" Sayaka responded, giggling.
"You're wearing lace underpants!" Kyouko rebuttled instantly, Sayaka's laugh cutting off instantly.
"K-Kyouko! Why'd you go and tell them that?!" Kyouko's face grinning in your MFD.
"It quiets you down." Kyouko responded, a small red box appearing in her hand as she puts another pretzel stick in her mouth. The Grim Reaper 'Mech backs out of your view and turns, starting to walk out of the 'Mech Bay. You're about to walk out yourself, when a wide 'Mech that looks like a bastard child of a Clan Vulture and a Catapult appears, startling you in your seat. Staring at it for a moment, you vaguely recognize the strange 'Mech as a Cauldron Borne, a Clan 'Mech of strange design. It's painted in an almost musical motif, which seems to give it an even stranger profile, small words under the cockpit reading 'Sonata VII'.
"Oh, man, Kyouko was right! You ARE like a little fly!" Sayaka giggles over your radio, the Cauldron Borne pitching it's torso down a little, to give it the feel of it trying to bow. "Hey, it's me, Sayaka... I'm in this... P.O.S..."
"It's not a piece of shit." Kyouko responded, scoffing a bit. "That's why it's in the repair dock more then the rest of us. You've got no faith in your 'Mech." The Cauldron Borne slowly starts to work it's way out and you, finally, managed to pull your 'Mech out of the hanger dock, the large steel door at the other end of the 'Mech Bay beginning to slowly open, the chilly spring air flowing inside as it did.
"Mitikihara to Magi Mercenary Unit. We are awaiting you on Pad Six."
"Thank you, Hitomi." Madoka answered the young female voice that accosted our radios. "Alright, we'll be going to Zosma for this mission. We've got about 3 contracts on Zosma, so we're gonna break up into three groups for this. Tomoe-san and I will take one, Miki-san and Sakura-san will take another, and Akemi-san will take our newcomer for a third."
"No." Came Homura's voice, as solid and stiff as ever. You sigh and shake your head disappointed. You knew this was going to happen.
"Akemi-san..." Madoka continued at the group lumbered out of the 'Mech Bay. "Come on... I need someone who can-"
"No." Her voice continued.
"Homura..."
"Don't worry about it, Madoka..." Mami cut in with a smile. "I'll take the kid. Homura can go with you." Madoka's voice comes over the MFD, a frown evident on her face, but she seems to agree.
"Thank you for resolving that, Tomoe-san. I'll find a way to make it up to you."
"Oh, don't worry about it." The Catapult was the first to climb onto the Dropship, followed by a smaller 'Mech (Clan 'Mech, you think) then Mami, Kyouko and Sayaka, then finally you right behind.
"Now, I know a few of you haven't been to Zosma yet, so I'll go ahead and give you the run down. It's only a jump away, so we should be able to clear this mission pretty fast. We should be back in Outreach around the thirtieth of the month." Madoka explains gently, her 'Mech backing into one of the holds.
"Dropship Mitikihara, this is the Jumpship Barricade. Jake's called ahead, and given you the okay to dock."
"Thank you, Jumpship Barricade. We should be docking in a few moments. Thank you again for allowing us to birth.
Inner Sphere Dropships couldn't make an FTL jump by themselves, and must rely on larger, more powerful ships called Jumpships. The average FTL jump took about twenty minutes to make... and seven days to recharge the engines. Of course, only being able to make jumps at sixty light years means that some trips take more then one jump. This made some contracts more expensive for travel and food fees.
"Is our contracts paying for expenses?"
"All three say the Combine will pay for all reasonable ammunition expenses. Which means don't dump your missiles, Sayaka."
"Who me? I don't do that. Must be thinking of someone else..." Sayaka answered. You have a hard time trying to decide if she was joking or being serious. You can hear Mami give a cute little laugh over the radio as everyone gets situated in their docking area. You push a few buttons on the 'Mech's console, the small Light 'Mech shutting down with a dull hum. Somehow, you're relieved that Mami will be chaperoning you for your first mission, instead of Homura. Something about that girl just rubs you all the wrong kind of ways. You settle down in the cockpit of your 'Mech and hunker down as the Mitakihara docks rather smoothly with the Barricade. You can tell that the pilot of this dropship has made similar dockings several times before. The trip to Zosma shouldn't be too long of a trip there... the return trip would be where it would be brutal.