LITTLE DRAGON
by Ulquiorra9000
Chapter 14
Wilderness, Bianjiang
Capellan Confederation
June 27, 3040
Chen knew that his ejection seat's thruster fuel wouldn't last for long. So, he bared his teeth, focused past the intense G-forces, and angled his seat at a gentle angle toward the waiting ground. Around him, the Capellan forces were in full retreat; the tanks and 'mechs sprinted away from the victorious St. Ives and Davion forces, and Chen knew that he wouldn't keep up with his ejector seat. He'd have to land and hope that someone found him. Somehow.
Grimly, Chen wrenched his joystick to the side and away from the enemy forces, then strained to level out his descent. If he crashed too hard, he'd get knocked out or badly injured. Either way, it would be a hard landing.
Almost... please, let this work. The rocky dirt plain underneath howled past as Chen leveled out his descent, streaking like a rocket. The thrusters sputtered and coughed as their limited fuel burned up, and Chen felt himself rattling in his seat. He inhaled and braced himself for the worst.
Thud. Chen's teeth rattled as his ejection seat bounced off the ground and skipped along like a tossed rock. Again the couch bounced, but it was slowing down, and the bounces gradually became a roll, and finally, the seat scooted to a halt in a spray of dirt. The thrusters gave out and sent silent.
The sound of 'mech footfalls was distant and fuzzy as Chen sat numbly in his stationary seat, his chest aching horribly and his head feeling light. For a few seconds, he felt nearly paralyzed. Slowly, he reached up and undid the seat's restraints and let himself tumble onto the ground.
The pain in Chen's chest seemed to double and he coughed. Grimacing, he got to a sitting position and checked himself head to toe. His arms worked okay, but it felt like a few ribs on his left side had cracked. It hurt to breathe, but no organs had been punctured. Good.
Now Chen looked over at the battle's conclusion. A few hundred meters away, the hostile forces stopped pursuing the fleeing Capellans and turned around, returning to their command center. No doubt they'd take the time to repair and reload before advancing on the Capellan dropships. That bought the Capellans time to decide whether to fight back or simply flee the world, and Chen prayed that the latter wouldn't happen. If his allies blasted off without him, he'd be trapped here. Come on, my fellows. Make one last stand!
Chen had more immediate concerns than that, however. He was sitting here in the wilderness in his cooling vest, shorts, neuro-helmet, and boots. Hardly traveling gear. So, he threw aside his useless helmet, tore off his vest and boots, and limped over to his command couch in his shorts.
Luckily, Chen was the type to think ahead.
Chen knelt by his couch and unclasped a compartment in its back. He felt a rush of gratitude as a number of pre-prepared supplies presented themselves. One by one, Chen took all the stuff out: a shirt, pants, hiking boots, night-vision goggles, rationed food and water, a compass, a flare gun, matches, a knife, a USP with two magazines of ammo, and a medical kit. On top of all that, Chen's compartment had a backpack for carrying most of those items.
Forcing himself to relax and think positively, Chen put on the clothes and stuck his pistol into his left pocket, the knife in his right, and the money in the back left pocket. He downed two painkillers in the medical kit, then stuffed the other items into his backpack, put it on, and steeled himself for the trip ahead.
*o*o*o*o*
Bianjiang's sun crept across the sky, keeping the planet warm as Chen hiked alone across the plain. He could see a road up ahead and knew that it was connected to a nearby trade town, but most likely, the Davions and St. Ives Compact warriors had already sent agents there. He'd put himself in danger if he went there, so it was better for him to stay out here and use natural cover to approach the Capellan dropships. Too bad; he could use a hotel after all this crap.
Chen's stomach was rumbling by evening and he dug into his rations, some dried jerky, crackers, and canned beans, plus some water. He sat in the long shadow of a boulder, one of many on the plain. The environment wasn't completely flat; hills, rocks, and small valleys interrupted the flatness and the cover was vital. Chen knew that the enemy forces would have patrols out by now, mostly light 'mechs, Savannah Masters, and infantry squads.
Better check before I move out. Packing his leftovers, Chen crept around the corner of his boulder and scanned the area. After only a few seconds, he heard the distant footsteps of a 'mech, and a Wasp came up from behind a hill. The 20-ton 'mech was going at least 90 kph, and it constantly twisted back and forth on its torso as it went.
The ground shuddered as the 'mech approached Chen's position, and for the first time in years, Chen truly appreciated how advanced and powerful Battlemechs were, true marvels of engineering. He felt like an ant as the 20-ton Wasp came closer, sprinting smoothly and easily while keeping its weapons poised for a skirmish. Chen could hear the machine's insides whirring and clanking as the Wasp came within 300 meters, and he could imagine the myomer muscles stretching and contracting, incredible stress and tension in the fibers.
This thing's really got my imagination going. Chen allowed himself a wry grin as the Wasp curved away from his position, angling toward the open plain. Gradually, the footfalls grew quieter as the 'mech's patrol path carried it away, and before long, the 'mech vanished on the horizon as dark clouds gathered there.
Sunlight was fading fast, so Chen decided to stay where he was and make camp, if he could call it that. He didn't even have a tent, but the night wasn't too cold and rain was unlikely, so it was no real problem to be exposed. Peace returned to Chen's surroundings with the passage of the Wasp, and slowly, Chen relaxed.
But when the thoughts of battle and survival went to the back of Chen's mind, others came up. In just a few seconds, the full gravity of the last month crashed down on him and he felt his insides clench. While he had walked here, survival had overrode other thoughts. Now, he realized just how alone he had become. This planet was lost to House Liao, and he would soon become a hostile element to the local people. If caught, he'd be captured and sent who-know-where.
Chen groaned and clapped his hands over his eyes, and the faces of Major Jin, Han, Red, and most of all, Mei appeared to him. He had been sure, so goddamned sure, that he'd have a glorious career with them, or at least a decent one. And for a time, he had. Now it was all over. Years of friendship with Mei and Han had been taken by battle, whether in the Periphery or here. He'd never see them again, or fight with them again, or laugh and joke with them again during their off hours.
For a minute, Chen felt a spark of rage at those who had done this, the St. Ives Compact warriors and their Davion allies. He wanted to tear them all apart with his bare hands for the glory of House Liao and its honor, but the next minute, he felt the anger fade. He just felt cold inside, almost detached.
I don't have a reason to care anymore. The words sounded strange in his head, but when Chen lowered his hands and mouthed them to himself, they seemed more true. As a trained Mechwarrior, he had been prepared for the deaths of friends and comrades, but the sheer toll of war had stripped him of comrades, his 'mech, and his pride in House Liao. It seemed the Capellan Confederation's fate to always lose to its enemies, and as long as Chen fought for that nation, he'd lose, too.
Chen slowly stood and decided, right there, that his own survival and honor came first. He was Dispossessed, his 'mech a charred ruin. The battle he had risked his life for had been lost. So, what was left? Not surrender; he'd die first. He wouldn't give his enemies the satisfaction of taking him. He fingered the wooden charm around his neck, the one that read Little Dragon, and vowed that a dragon's spirit was stronger than that. Mei, thank you so much for carving this for me.
Taking off his backpack, Chen rummaged through the contents and found the flare gun. He studied them as an idea came to mind. If he set one off, he'd attract any and all nearby units. There was a chance that friendly scout forces would find it and rescue him, since the Capellans were going to wait at their dropships until the higher-ups decided when and if to abandon the world. Until then, Chen was sure that the ground commanders would have scouts to look for incoming enemy raids. After all, that's what Chen would do.
It's risky, but it beats walking. I might not even reach the dropships in time, anyway. The plan sounded crazy, but what else was there? As Chen aimed the flare gun at the sky, he noted with grim satisfaction that any plan was better than none, and he was strong enough to make this decision. He had been trained at the Capella War College to do whatever it took.
Chen held his breath as he squeezed the flare gun's trigger. With a hiss, the flare soared into the sky in a thin plume of smoke, then exploded. The whole scene flashed red for a few seconds, then the flare went out.
Okay, it's done. Let them come, whoever "they" may be.
*o*o*o*o*
Command Center, Bianjiang
Capellan Confederation
June 27, 3040
"Major, we've got something," an intelligence officer reported briskly as he entered Valerie Xia's office. He snapped a salute. "A scout vehicle radioed in and reported a signal flare, source unknown."
"Might be a trap," Valerie said at once, setting down her empty coffee mug. Thoughts raced in her mind. "I'm not sure what the Capellans will do. We've driven them back, but they've got drophips, and may or may not have reinforcements incoming. If the Capellans try to divide our forces, they could make a counter-attack to change the tide of battle."
The officer found that unlikely, but it wasn't his place to argue. Instead, he said, "What are we going to do, Major?"
"It's the little things that count," Valerie decided. "Have the scout investigate that flare, and I want other scout units ready to face a flanking maneuver. No blind spots. Have them plot an escape route, too."
"Yes, Major." The officer turned and left the office to relay the order, but personally, he was already celebrating victory. Romano Liao was a deluded weakling, and she had no way to oppose her sister Candace's will. Every last Capellan goon would burn!