TWENTY NINE

by RougeBaron

Hill 039-84,
Quamutiik, Former FWL,
January 20, 3080

The sky had just turned dark, but life on Hill 039-84 had just started. Artillery crews ran around the ground shouting orders to one another, orchestrating a coordinated attack at the main base. Five Long Tom and three Thumper cannons roared in unison every two minutes like drums. The shells painted the sky with orange hue as they descended toward the main base, ending in fiery blobs as they touched the ground. The soft tremor of explosions came half a minute later.

Parker didn't know how Evee managed to turn the artillery crews to their own comrades. Everybody had their own approach to a situation like this. If it were him doing it, he might have broken a few bones. The fact that nobody screamed in agony told him that the artillery crews did it without physical abuse. How Evee did it, it hardly mattered to him. The job was done, the cannons were firing, and in the morning Parker could expect that the strength of the main army had been reduced significantly.

Observing the artillery crews working on their canons, Parker noticed Evee standing over the cliff, watching the explosions blossomed like mushrooms in the distance. The deafening booms of the cannons didn't bother her a bit. The soft cold breeze snaked around her hair, and for a moment Parker recalled how much he missed burying his face into those golden strands.

"Charlotte Mickers hailed us," Parker stated as he stood beside her. "Her army had taken control of the logistic base. Nothing important except half a dozen bivouacs and supplies for the main base. She's ready whenever we're done with our bombardment. I told her to coordinate attack by 0900 in the morning. I suppose we're done by then."

"We will," Evee replied halfheartedly. "The shells are good for only two more hours, so there's nothing more to throw at the main base by morning."

Parker sensed an unspoken trouble bogging her mind. He waited until the cannons blasted, sending high explosives to the sky, before stepping closer to Evee and caressed her hair. "What bothers you?"

"What do you see, Parker?" she sighed, losing herself in Parker's ministration but not so much that she got drunk from it. She kept herself composed. "Tell me what you see as far as your eyes can take you."

This was the part Parker had never understood about her. When Evee started talking with unearthly language, he felt she was transformed into a whole new world, and there was no place for him in that world. The language he spoke was largely engineered by the Clans: short, succinct, and right to the point. Being left out was not very comfortable. It made him mad and jealous at times.

But Evee was just being Evee. She was a Spheroid coming from a world completely different than the Clans. She had her own way to express herself. She was his to love but never to conquer or own. Her spirituality was never his to understand. Such was not the way of the Clans, but this irrationality and unpredictability was part of her treats that attached him to her. Sometimes Parker wondered if he was truly a Clan trueborn warrior, because he certainly didn't act like one when it came to Evee.

"I see a war," Parker played along, though he knew his answers would be catastrophic. "I see a large army of the Commonwealth of Narvosk being reduced in effectivity with our artillery barrages. I want to say that I see victory in the morning, but I don't think you are going that way. Right?"

Evee sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder. From her heavy breathing, Parker knew he missed her points and he had annoyed her the way she annoyed him with her spirituality discourse. Of course he could just put an end to it, but he had been with her so many years that he noticed her being spiritual during pitched battles. It may just her way to express her fear, and Parker didn't want to take it from her.

"Will we ever settle down?" Evee asked dreamily. "You know, like Lane and Jennifer? Pick a world, build a house with a large green backyard, adopt a pet or two, sit on the porch watching our kids play with the pets, make love when it's rain outside? Aren't you tired of being in constant battles?"

"You wish your life to be different?" Parker went right to the point like he always did.

"I don't know… maybe," Evee let out a long puff. "I mean, look at us. We're fighting a war we're not meant to. You took bullets that were not meant for you. I endured torture that was not meant for me. Why are we doing it? What does this war have to offer that is better than a home? Are we that gluttonous for punishment?"

"No, we're not," Parker mulled over the subject. "But consider this: Hotaru lost her boyfriend. Are we going tell her that we're turning our backs? Hotaru is a demure non-combatant, but I'm sure there's a piece in her that wants to see the Commonwealth of Narvosk sink. I don't want to have to look in her eyes and deny her from her revenge, and I'm sure you don't want it too."

"This conversation is not about Hotaru," Evee snapped.

"This conversation is not about just the two of us either," Parker quickly replied. "You are not a housewife. You are the commanding officer of the Ridinghood Cavaliers. Your decision will impact every individual in this unit."

"Well, yeah, but…" Evee stuttered. "Don't you ever want a home with a housewife cooking for you?"

Parker never saw that one coming. "You? Cooking? Where did you get this idea? Jennifer?"

"That is not my point, you brute trashborn!" Evee lost her patience. "I'm talking about our future! Do you want to spend your entire life in the battlefield? Do you want to wash your hands with blood every single day? Don't you want a home and settle down, away from this killing business? Aren't you tired of being afraid of losing me? I'm tired of being afraid of losing you!"

"But I already have a home!" Parker raised his voice. This conversation had gone too far and too uncomfortable for him, and he saw a chance to end it.

"Oh yeah? Where?"

"You!" He looked deep into her eyes, making every word count. "My home is wherever you are."

Evee stared blankly into Parker's eyes, not knowing what to say or do next. When she slowly understood what Parker meant, she rested her head on his broad chest and wrapped her arms around his neck. And Parker was only eager to draw her closer, then buried his face into her fluffy hair.

"Thank you," Evee whispered. "And you know what? Your home is my home too."

All Parker did was smile.


"Perhaps punctuality is not paramount from back where you came from, but in this unit, everybody works in a tight schedule and no one likes to slack!" Rocher belted, making sure his frustration was heard throughout the entire compound. "No one in this business will tolerate that kind of attitude! You can get the Mechwarrior killed!"

"Don't you dare tell me how to run my business!" the new chief tech, Chad, returned the fire right on Rocher's face. His shaggy locks perked up as he stood his ground against Rocher's onslaught. "I have ten years working as a Battlemech technician! I know what I'm doing! And take back your slacking accusation, you mercenary bastard! The only one slacking around here is you!"

"Then why isn't my Uziel repaired?" Rocher yelled as he took a glance to his mangled Battlemech. The 50-ton 'mech lost most of the armor, and only miracles held it all together. Cables and myomer strands dangled out of their places, and coolant oozed from the container. "Have you replaced the arm? No! Have you patched up the armor? No! Have you even taken a look at it and thought how you're going to fix it? No, you haven't! Then what the hell are you doing here?"

"I have half a dozen' mechs lined up for repair, and I start from the least-damaged one!" Chad yelled back. "Yours is the worst of all 'mechs, and it's your responsibility that you put it in that condition, not me! I'm not gonna waste my time fixing a 'mech that will not get ready by dawn, and ignore others that I know I can get into nominal condition!"

"That is unacceptable! Your job is to fix that damn thing so I can use it to kill somebody!" Rocher raised his voice. "I want it worked, repaired, reloaded, and ready to fight in the morning!"

"Look, your secondary generator is busted up," Chad snapped as he took a blueprint of the Uziel's interior and shoved it on Rocher's face. "This thing is gone! Burnt! Trashed! We can't even salvage it! And we don't have the replacement for it! Your gyro might be hit too, and you can't fight without a working gyro! Your armor is almost entirely missing, and some myomer bundles are cut off or ripped! We don't have enough myomers, and we don't have enough armor plating just for you! And where do you think you can find an ER PPC around this place?"

"Not enough spare parts? You think I'm blind?" Rocher pointed at the confiscated Bushwacker from the base defenders. "There's a 'mech nobody's using! Why can't you cannibalize that Bushy and use the parts and armor plating for my mech?"

"Why can't you use the Bushy instead?" Chad rolled his eyes. "It needs nothing from me!"

"I'm not getting into that decrepit, sluggish abomination!" Rocher gritted his teeth. His knuckles turned white from clenching so hard. "It's slow, stupid, and it doesn't jump! I eat Bushwackers for breakfast! Get to work and get my mech working!"

"Well if you value your Uziel so much, then use different battle scheme next time!" Chad spat. "I can work magic, but I am not God! Nobody can fix this horrid condition in six hours! Nobody!"

"I swear I'll have you fired!"

"Oh, save the trouble! I quit! You hear me? I quit! When we get out of this frozen hell, I'm going back to Pipedream! There's enough brain and intelligence there than here!"

The ruckus between Rocher and Chad had turned into a spectacle in the cold firebase, so much that a large crowd gathered to see what was going on. Their voices filled in the intervals between Long Tom and Thumper barkings. Nobody interfered; they just watched as the Mechwarrior and the technician dueled in front of the Uziel.

"You just can't let me have a moment of peace, can you, Rocher?" Evee arrived at the scene. "What is it about you that always draws conflict with teammates?"

"You ask Shaggy here, Commander," Rocher replied curtly. "My 'mech is still in the same condition as 6 hours ago thanks to his unprofessionalism!"

"It is your unprofessionalism that put your own 'mech in that situation!" Chad retorted. "We only have six hours left before we attack the main base, and I decide to divide my attention to other fixable 'mechs. There's an extra Bushwacker but Princess Rocher refused to use it and wanted it cannibalized instead! I don't have that many hands and I don't have that many hours to do it!"

"You're just not smart enough to do it in time!"

"I can't work with him!" Chad screamed, hurling his wrench to the icy ground. "I will not work with him anymore! Either he quits or I quit! This is just absurd!"

Evee massaged her temple. She started to agree with Parker about having Rocher in her lineup. He was a gifted Mechwarrior and his combat expertise –recklessness, to be exact – helped the Cavaliers to where they were at this point. But he just couldn't have peers. She thought his fight with Tiger Wong was finally over and they could move forward. No, apparently not. He just had to pick a fight with somebody.

"The Bushwacker is one of the best medium mechs in existence," Parker stated as he arrived after making a quick inspection of the 55-tonner. "It carries a large laser and missiles for long range fighting, and an autocannon-10 and a couple of machine guns for brawling. It is slower but stronger and carries more protection than the Uziel. Use it for our mission, Rocher. You'll need the extra armor."

"I don't need extra armor," Rocher scoffed. "What I need are jump jets!"

"Then Mechwarrior Bashiel will take the Bushwacker," Parker stated. "You'll have his Chameleon, which does have jump jets."

"Wha – Chameleon? Sonofabitch!" Rocher cringed. A Chameleon was a training 'mech which barely had enough heat sinks to support its lasers. It might not be a problem in the subzero temperature like Quamutiik, but the idea of going back to a training Battlemech disgusted Rocher. "That thing is a training toy! You can't be serious!"

"I need everybody to function properly when we attack the base," Parker huffed. "If you are more comfortable in a jumping Battlemech, then you'll have the Chameleon. The Uziel is out of the question."

Rocher sighed in defeat. "Fine! I'll take the Bushwacker!"


Far from the cacophony of voices, Tiger sat in a deserted corner of the firebase and checked his HPG message. He was surprised to see a new message from CCAF. It was more than a decade ago when he last received a message from a Capellan operative, and it still tasted like vinegar. His fingers shook as he carefully opened the message, wondering why the Capellan Confederation contacted him after so many years of heartbreak and disappointment.

Mechwarrior Tiger Wong,

Xin Sheng! First of all we wish you to have great life and wealth.

The past few years saw significant changes in CCAF chain of command. These changes brought fresh air to the old and corrupt military forces. The new head of military law enforcement immediately ordered investigation of unsolved war crimes from the Siege of Sarna March to Operation Thunderstrike, and your report on Styk atrocity was chosen among others.
We are glad to inform you that the CCAF has found your claim to be valid. Sao-shao Chan committed a crime by calling an air strike upon the city that killed many non-combatants, even after your lance neutralized the oppositions. CCAF command should have not tolerated such an act. Sao-shao Chan had been contained and is waiting a court martial. The Capellan operatives that took Chan's side had been stripped of their ranks and dishonorably discharged.
We will be glad to reinstate your status as a lance commander at the CCAF. All your ranks and commendations will be fully restored, along with the due salary and benefits. You are also considered to receive the Baton of Illustrious Service for your bravery and dedication to righteousness during this difficult time. The CCAF will be honored to welcome back such an honorable agent like yourself.

Congratulations, Sang wei. We look forward to your return.

Jiang-jun Feodorovich

It took Tiger several minutes to sink in the news. He carried this burden for over ten years, and now it was over in a puff of breath. Finished. Done. Then bliss came in. He was, after all, in the right, and although it took CCAF more than those ten long years to recognize him, it still felt marvelous. He leaned on his back, closed his eyes, and let a long dry chuckle slip through his lips, stretched from ear to ear in a victorious smile.

He was once again Sang wei Tiger Wong.

But soon his victory lap came to an end when he realized the consequence of the news. He would have to report back to the CCAF soon and leave the Ridinghood Cavaliers at war. They were inching closer to Narvosk in what could possibly be the bloodiest campaign they had undertaken so far, and his teammates would need him the most. Tiger acknowledged his position in the unit; he was second only to Parker in terms of fighting skill and strategic proficiency. His departure would devastate the morale of the Cavaliers.

In addition, he had grown fond of the quirks that the Cavaliers had, something that he shouldn't have done as a professional Mechwarrior. But what was not to love about the Cavaliers? From the compassionate and generous Evee as the commanding officer, the straightly ingenuous Parker, the loud and over-the-top Rocher (who happened to be a very reliable combat partner), to the stubborn but loyal pilot Chilali, they built up a web of trust that Tiger ever had in the CCAF or Lafayette Legions.

And then there was this sweet but surprisingly wise field surgeon that captivated his attention for the last few months. Hotaru was the one that put his troubled mind at ease. He promised her he would be there for her to share her burden and heal together. He didn't feel he had paid his due; Hotaru was still a somber recluse and preferred being alone when not working. Leaving for the CCAF meant not only leaving his teammates in the thick of war, but also breaking his promise to Hotaru.

Suddenly Tiger realized what it meant.

Jiang-jun Feodorovich,

Xin Sheng! Words cannot express my gratitude for the Capellan Confederation Armed Forces. I have been burdened by this matter for over ten years, and knowing that the CCAF finally recognizes my principles will finally let me to move on. There is nothing more than I would do for CCAF than to return and bear the mark of House Liao again.
However, I will have to pass your generous offer for the time being. I am involved in a war against a tyrannical state in the former Free Worlds League. My comrades need me as I need them to see the end of this war. I cannot and I will not leave them. As a fellow soldier, surely you understand my decision.
Please pass my sincere apology to the Chancellor and to whomever it may concern. I will report back when I get through this war, and hopefully your offer still stands. I wish the Capellan Confederation well and prosper.

With best regards,

Tiger Wong.