Chapter 3
Tuani IV,
Former Free Worlds League,
June 8, 3078
Shuran Thomela was always a workhorse. He spent the better part of his young life as a worker in the world of Irainia. During the Clan pseudo-invasion in 3067, Shuran could proudly claim that he was among the top performers for the Clans, taking fronts after fronts after fronts of the SLDF garrisons, until he was beaten by SLDF Spec-Op unit called the Prodigies. And even after the Lorin family brought him to world of Tuani IV, he continued his work ethic, working tirelessly to train aspiring cadets to become true mechwarriors. His dedication to his work quickly became a benchmark for other instructors.
So when two strangers met him at his lunch break, Shuran felt a little uneasy. Most of his day was burnt in simulators or class rooms discussing maneuvers and strategies, and the rest of the night was for his wife Nisha. The only faces he saw regularly were his students, his colleagues, Lorin executives, and his wife. These two were clearly out of the world, evident from their outfit and appearance that fell out of place.
But most of all, it was Shuran's warrior hunch that gave him the most vibe. Somehow he felt imminent danger in the presence of the two gentlemen. He didn't know what it was. There was something behind their demure Asian feature that made his stomach churned. However, he didn't want to accuse Lorin security guards for being ignorant not to check on these guys. He just had to be extremely vigilant.
"Mister Thomela," one of the strangers greeted him enthusiastically. "You are surely hard to find."
"If you are looking for enrollment or employment in the academy, you can speak to Mark Lorin," Shuran tried to discourage them. "My privilege is only limited to pass or fail you in the class. I don't think you are in my class. I don't even think I have seen you before."
"We're not looking for enrollment, Mr. Thomela," the other stranger snapped. "We're here for you. We just need 10 minutes of your time, and believe me, you'll be glad to have talked to us."
"Alright, what is this about?" Shuran cocked his brows. Admittedly he was intrigued but nervous at the same time.
"Let's start with proper introduction, shall we?" the first stranger said. "My name is Tzou and this is my business associate, Youw. Our clients, who are very rich and very generous, have their eyes set on something in a faraway land, and only a few can get it. They are willing to pay a huge amount of money for somebody who has the skill, the tenacity, and the heart to get it."
"Rumor has it said that a local family on the planet Callone VI is building a new kind of battlemech," Youw added. "These new battlemechs utilize similar technology to Manei Domini's celestial mechs: lightweight but strong, quick but powerful. Our clients see a multi-billion c-bills business opportunity if they can get a hold of the battlemech, or the blueprint thereof. However, this revolutionary technology is guarded by a lot of lunatics who are willing to die for its secrecy."
"We want you to go to Callone VI and steal the battlemech or its blueprint," Tzou continued. "We reviewed hundreds of thousands of candidates, and we selected you based on your performance, your skill, and your determination. The Lorins speak very highly of you, despite your bleak past as an agent of destruction for the Clans."
"Does Mark Lorin know about this?" Shuran muttered.
"If we go to Mark Lorin, he will not give you to us. He will assign one of his children to do this job. We don't want a Lorin. We want you, Mr. Thomela. Our clients do not care about the fact that you fought for the wrong side during the Clan war. They just want the best in this business, and they believe you are the right person to do the job."
"Who are these clients of yours?" Shuran snarled. "If they want to do business with me, then they should have given me some respect and talk to me directly."
"They expected you to react this way," Youw grinned and put a briefcase on his lap. "Our clients wish to remain anonymous in this business, and to show you their gravity in this contract, they are willing to pay you forward." He popped the briefcase open and showed Shuran a stack of money inside. "This 5 million C-bills is for you to take if you agree to do this mission. You'll get 5 million more when you come back with their request."
Money had never been Shuran's interest in life, so it was a very easy decision for him. "I am not interested."
"How much do you make a year, Mr. Thomela?" Tzou tried to persuade him. "How low do the Lorins regard your loyalty to them? I don't think you'll make even six figures. The Lorins are cheap; our clients are very generous. You can take this mission, put the money on the stock market, and retire early."
"Your ten minutes is up," Shuran took a step back. "I have works to do. You know where the exit is."
"Our clients also expected that you act this way," Youw changed his tone. Gone was his warm and fuzzy demeanor. "So we prepared a backup plan." He drew a small photo from his pocket and handed it to Shuran. It was a picture of Nisha at their private quarter, with Tzou and Youw sitting on her sides. All of them were smiling.
Shuran's heart stopped pumping. "What did you do to her? If you lay your filthy hands on her…"
"We haven't done anything to her… yet," Tzou said calmly but menacingly. "She is somewhere safe. You will reunite with her again when you bring the battlemech or its blueprint from Callone VI. Doing anything else will only makes things worse. Only the battlemech or its blueprint will help you or her."
"I have one way ticket to New Avalon for you," Youw continued while giving Shuran the ticket. "The dropship takes off tomorrow at noon, so you have some time to prepare. From New Avalon you can find a jumpship that stops at Callone VI. You're on your own for your journey back. We'll meet again here when you return."
"I think you are smart enough to understand the situation, Mr. Thomela," Tzou concluded. "We have your wife. You fail, we kill her. You run away, we kill her. You tell the Lorins about this, we kill her. And I don't think you'll want to know what we are capable of and what we have done to people like you in the past."
Shuran knew he didn't have any choice. He crudely snatched the ticket from Youw and sneered, "When this is all over, I swear I will kill you!"
"You should've taken our first offer," Youw flashed an insidious smile. "Safe journey, Mr. Thomela. Do write us postcards when you get to Callone VI."