CHAPTER ONE

As Jake walked into his mech-bay, he felt awe-struck. As he stepped into the cockpit of the his beautiful Atlas-D-DC-that was custom fitted with 2 medium lasers, an AC/20, 3 SRM 4 launchers with Artemis IV, an ECM suite, a C3 Master Computer, and to top it all of an AMS system to protect against those infuriating LRM launchers giving it the potential to be an ideal defense shedder-he felt right at home. He took a step in the pilot chair, his flight suit stretching to fit his new position. "Neural Sensors, Online, Retinal Sensors, Online, Reactor, Online, Weapons, Online, All systems, Nominal" Jake mocked the 'bitchin' betty' system inside his 'Mech.

"OK control, departing for demolition mission in T minus 2 mikes, how copy." Jake said into his Vox system.

"Solid copy Voss, good luck and don't get caught, if you need to eject, use your jetpack to fly to a recovery point."

"Roger that control, instructions advised, commencing departure." Jake pressed forward on his accelerator and his 'mech lurched forward, but with his particular setup he had an Atlas going 70KPH, so as slow as snail snot compared to the lighter 'mechs. He had been piloting assault class battlemechs for as long as he could remember, the idea of having a big 'mech with a lot of guns always appealed to him. In his superiors' eyes he was just a ballistic loving dumbass, but who cared what his superiors thought, he was the one doing most of the work anyway! So as long he got the job done and C-bills into the units coffer, he was fine. He was well liked by the 10th Lyran of House Steiner. He was currently taking a job on the planet of New Kyoto placed along the border shared by Merik and Steiner. But Jake Voss, a 26 year old mechwarrior born on Terra, whom was forced to move to Tharkad, enlist with the Steiner Military at the age of 15, and train as a mechwarrior wanted to do something more meaningful with his life but still fight with his treasured Atlas. Thing was, he didn't know any other life than that of a Steiner Military soldier.

As he plodded along into the mountains of New Kyoto, he noticed something on his radar. "Betty, what was that blip?" he questioned. 'Betty' said that she was analyzing in that monotone computer voice. After a few idle seconds, 'analyzation complete' flashed a few times on the center of the glass. On the screen on the battle grid, the bloop was really just a goat. He grunted dismissively and pushed back on the accelerator, only to be shaken from some kind of impact from his left. It felt like a big round, so maybe a gauss or AC/10? One thing he knew for sure what that whatever had shot him had to be big or an urbanmech, a trashcan with a big ass gun. As he turned to face his foe he was shocked at what he saw... Lieutenant General Linda McDonald from the 11th Arcturan Guards piloting a white King Crab variant fitted with 2 AC/20s and 3 large pulse lasers.

"Oh General, nice to see you on Kyoto, to what pleasure do I owe this visit?" Jake said as he readjusted himself in his seat.

"Oh nothing, besides the fact that you're in my way, and you know how I am, I crush the people who stand in my way." she said with a furious tone. Jake and Linda met at a very well known bar one night on the planet of Boran, got plastered drunk and yeah I think you can guess what happened next… back to the story.

"Well Linda, Sugartits ,c'mon why you gotta be like this" Jake said in a carefree tone.

"Oh is that how you want it well then oh boy I'll give it to you!" Linda snapped in an impatient tone, opening her claws to show the famous 'Death Bringers' AC/20s hidden underneath.

"Oh, so thats how you wanna play it." Jake gave the order to target the cockpit of the king crab but Linda McDonald was no ordinary Pilot. She knew what was going on and saw the actuators all fix in on her location inside the 'mech.

"Oh no you don't." she viciously whispered to herself and fired both of the AC/20s right into the center torso of Jake's Atlas. As Jake saw the shells coming towards his torso, the neutral sensors activated and a flash of gold and blue went across the cockpit view as his arms grabbed the slugs and threw them to his left.

"Wow, you're good." she exclaim with awe.

"It's the sensors." Jake said dismissively. The two mechs, being piloted by two experienced pilots in their own way, round off with the stake of only one of them coming out with mech and all their limbs. Jake, like an old style cowboy, shot his AC/20 with extreme precision at Linda's right leg, blowing it off. Linda cursed and slowly tried to limp over behind a cargo crate left behind by one of the famous mercenary attacks. Jake smirks and chain fires his two medium lasers at her remaining leg, just teasing her.

"Have you ever heard of a fair duel!" she yells over the channel, Jake gives a grin and (slowly) advances towards Linda. He shot his three SRM 4s and silently aimed his AC/20 at Linda's exposed cockpit. Linda, in her anger, misses Jake's torso with the 'Death Bringers', only to knock off his left torso. A weapon didn't get a name like 'Death Bringers' with out doing some major damage. Jake, somehow, made it up to Linda who had gotten caught up in terrain in her flurry to get away. Her torso was weak, maybe she had gotten into a fight with an enemy mech...but that didn't matter. One swift shot from Jake's AC/20 would end this pitiful duel.

"All rules are off the table when a supposed friendly shoots you and causes more than enough damage." Jake said with a chuckle, before pulling the trigger. The King Crab, now with a massive hole in its torso, sputtered and Linda ejected out of the 'mech before falling into the freshly fallen blanket of snow. Linda activated her jetpack and began to fly off to her recovery point. Her beloved King Crab would be picked up by her dropship, but she had lost a fight...with a Pilot younger than her!

"Seeya later Linda, nice seeing you again." Jake said out of the loudspeakers on his 'mech. He would hope that she could get a new mech that would do her some good, King Crabs were hard to pilot and they were cumbersome as well. The Atlas on the other hand, suited his needs perfectly! Jake had first stumbled upon the Atlas when he was a kid living on the streets of Gladia. He was a poor kid when he was born, his father had left his mother, which in turn left Jake with no real father figure. Jake was forced head first into the world to fend for himself, stealing, looting, finding what ever he could get just to survive. Then, one of the Lyran units came to Gladia looking for recruits; Jake was one of the first ones that they picked up. He was sent to Tharkad for basic mech training and the first chassis group that they brought in front of the recruits were the Atlases, first brought into service in 2755 and has been famed throughout the inner sphere and the periphery for it's service as one of the biggest and slowest mechs in existence. When Jake was forced into the Steiner Army, he was defiant and subordinate to his superiors, but soon-reluctantly-learned his place among the ranks. Jake gave a satisfied grin and continued with his mission, with a little bounce in his step. How he thought of his mech skipping along the ground like a little girl, he didn't know.

~0~