Wherever the Universe Takes Me
by Ulquiorra9000
Chapter 23
Easton, Zoetermeer
Lyran Commonwealth
May 31st, 3050
It was a miracle anyone got to sleep that night. Chen was dead on his feet, but his training wouldn't let him rest easy while assassins roamed Zoetermeer, hunting anyone associated with Jackson's Werewolves. Well, former members of that group. Chen wasn't sure how Jimmy was going to handle the group's outstanding debt, however big or small that debt was. He also wasn't sure which planets would be safe, and which wouldn't. Would the assassins follow him off world?
He got his answers soon.
"I got some ways to cover the debts. Leave it to me," Jimmy told the survivors the next morning. "My cousin runs a business. I'll ask her for some help and arrange something with our debtors. I was the commander, so I'm taking responsibility. Don't sweat it."
"And the assassins?" Kathy asked, arms folded. "Can we even get off this world without 'em following us?"
Jimmy grunted. "I have fake IDs at the ready for a situation like this. They're one-time use, since they're kinda cheap, but they'll get us off Zoetermeer. Then after that..." He spread his arms wide. "We scatter to the four winds. Former Werewolves, the universe is yours to explore."
Kathy nodded and took Chen's hand. "I'm going with you, Scrappy."
Chen was only half surprised. "I don't live the safest lifestyle, y'know."
"Oh, please." Kathy snorted. "You should've seen what I did with my old gang, Scotty's Beam Boys. Bring it on."
The other soldiers were going to go their own way, and that left Peter. He sat there uncomfortably in the lobby with them, glancing back and forth between Chen and Jimmy.
"Do what you gotta do, Peter," Jimmy prompted him. "I imagine you want to re-enter the civilian sector? Programming, and stuff like that?"
Peter nervously clasped his hands in his lap, staring at his shoes. "J-Jimmy, I... can I go with you?"
"Sorry, bud. You wouldn't like where I'm going."
"I..."
"You wanna run off with someone..." Jimmy jabbed a thumb at Chen and Kathy. "Try them. They're good fighters, but can't fill out paperwork to save their lives."
Peter swallowed. "Chen, Kathy... um..."
Chen motioned. "I'm not sure where we will go next. Join another group, form our own, become freelancer security guards... I can't guarantee anything."
"Maybe -" Jimmy started.
"I like this life!" Peter blurted out.
Everyone stared.
"I'm used to the danger. The adventure," Peter babbled, twisting his hands in his lap. "I... I can't go back to software firms, or... or a white-collar job! It's too boring now! I want to help people fight and go on journeys all over the place. Chen, Kathy, I want to go with you!"
He sat there huffing for breath, as though he had just ran here. It was understandable; Peter was a computer whiz, but not much of a public speaker. But the conviction in his voice was remarkable.
Chen glanced at Kathy, and they nodded. "If you want to, come with us. Let's see what kind of adventures lie ahead."
Peter nodded shakily. "O-okay. Um... when do we leave?"
"I'm gonna check with the starport and see when the next DropShip lifts off," Jimmy said. He stood up and looked around at everyone. "Damn. I guess this is it... the last time the gang's all here."
"Oh, spare us," Kathy said with a grin. "We'll be fine. Totally fine."
*o*o*o*o*
Fjord Heights, Vorarlberg
Free Rasalhague Republic
September 18th, 3051
It was already dark when Chen, Kathy, and Peter stepped off the passenger DropShip Summer's Veil and onto the city's landing pad. Not to mention raining.
"Here." Kathy unfolded a large umbrella, and Chen huddled under it with Kathy and Peter.
"Not the best first impression," Chen admitted lightly.
"Oh, whatever. I think we're about to have a really good time here," Kathy said brightly as the three of them parted from the crowd of tourists and searched for a cab. "You'd know that better than either of us, Peter."
"Y... yes." Peter glanced away. "Militia recruiters were very clear, Kathy. And open to negotiation."
Kathy clapped a hand on Chen's back. "Just don't get carried away, Mr. Death Commando."
Chen snorted. "Please. I can have a gentle hand if need be."
Then he saw the look on Kathy's face. "I'm serious!"
"Okay, sure..."
*o*o*o*o*
The weather lightened up a bit, just a bit, the next morning. Chen and Kathy took a shuttle bus through the city (Peter stayed behind at their hotel), and watched the city's skyscrapers flash past until they were outside city limits. In the distance, mountain ranges stood tall, capped with snow, and there were more than a few forested hills and mesas along the way. Hmmmmm, nice terrain for training in BattleMechs. And not a moment too soon.
Chen was feeling cooly confident when the bus arrived at the militia training camp, Site Alpha.
"Ah! You must be Katherine Bliss and Chen Yeung," a man in navy blue fatigues said, jogging across the pavement to greet his two guests. He had a distinct Swedish accent. "Welcome. Please follow me."
Chen shared a glance with Kathy and nodded. They followed the soldier across the camp, and already, Chen felt at home. This place was a bit shoddy, but pretty big for a militia training camp in Rasalhague space. He saw an aerospace fighter hangar and landing strip, an ATC tower, the huge admin building (three satellite dishes on top), barracks, vehicle repair bays, and best of all a BatleMech repair and storage bay. Chen had kept himself sharp with simpods ever since his honorable discharge from the CCAF. But to see 'Mechs once again, and to know what was coming next...
He must have been grinning like a fool when he and Kathy stepped into the admin building, because Kathy elbowed him. Chen straightened his face at once.
"Welcome," an older man with short-cropped gray hair said curtly when Chen and Kathy entered his office. "Be seated." He, too, wore navy fatigues. Behind him were two overstuffed bookshelves and a framed painting of a Victor admiring a sunset.
"I am Overste Karl Bjekkon, commanding officer of Site Alpha," the man said, still in that curt tone. "Your credentials check out. Now, I wish to discuss the finer points of your stay here."
Chen knew what was coming. He was prepared for his angle.
Overste Bjekkon leaned forward slightly, hands folded on his desk. It creaked. "You have experience that no one within two jumps of Rasalhague space can provide. Our enemies are many. Our troops are green. So! Handsome compensation is yours, if you can prove worthy."
Chen knew that Overste Bjekkon had more than one reason to have such distaste in his mouth. After all, he and Kathy were mercenaries, and only desperation had gotten them into Rasalhagian borders at all. Not to mention how this must be a blow to Rasalhagian pride, to so urgently cry out for help. But if it's to save a nation...
Kathy beamed. "Those are totally fair terms, Overste. I promise you, Chen and I will share all our expertise and turn those green troops of yours into soldiers of steel."
Chen nodded. "If your men learn half of what I did at the Capella War College, well... you'll have to see it to believe it."
That's right. Play yourself up, promise good results, entice the Overste to make big concessions to see those results for himself. Chen steadies his breathing to hide his excitement.
Overste Bjekkon nodded again. "I like the sound of that, mercenary Bliss, mercenary Yeung. Or should I say, Sergeant? That is, you will be given a similar level of command and responsibility as a proper KungsArme Sergeant."
"Should I assume that other freelance instructors get the same treatment?" Chen asked.
"Correct." Overste Bjekkon narrowed his eyes slightly. "I am sure you will want many things from us. Remember that I can only offer you so many C-Bills for this."
Chen cleared his throat. "I won't ask for much. Perhaps 500 per week?"
Overste Bjekkon blinked. "That is a rather low pay rate, given what we are asking you to do."
"Yes," Chen said, "because I request that the bulk of my pay take the form of a BattleMech."
There. He said it.
Overste Bjekkon, meanwhile, didn't look nearly as surprised as Chen expected. "I see. Yes, as a dispossessed MechWarrior, you would rather cut the middle man and acquire a machine now, rather than save up the cash for one. I suppose you want one of our cutting-edge models?"
Chen suddenly wondered if the tables had been turned on him. "I suppose some browsing is in order."
Now Overste Bjekkon allowed a predatory smile to creep across his face. "I like you, Sergeant Yeung. You know what you want, and apply all leverage to get it. Now, listen to me."
He bolted to his feet. "Exceed my expectations, and any BattleMech on this planet is yours to keep. Meet my standards, and you shall acquire a lower-tech BattleMech. Fail those expectations... and you'll be lucky to get a single damned C-Bill from this militia."
Chen knew exactly what this meant. All or nothing: do an incredible job and get a 'Mech, or fall short and leave empty-handed like a fool. This Overste had met Chen's aggressive demands with a perilous tightrope to walk.
Now Chen stood as well. "I like you, Overste Bjekkon. You stand up to me without sabotaging me."
Kathy snorted. "Oh, get a room, guys."
To Chen's surprise, Overste Bjekkon burst out laughing. "I like you too, Sergeant Bliss. You have a good head on your shoulders. You may not have qualified as a Death Commando, but your record is astonishing. I offer you the same terms I did Sergeant Yeung."
Kathy stood, too. "I'll shake on that." She extended a hand, and Overste Bjekkon accepted it.
A few minutes later, Kathy and Chen were being escorted by a Korporal to their room in the officers' quarters. Once there, Kathy tossed her duffel bag onto her bed and cracked a wide smile.
Chen recoiled. "I don't like that smile."
"Will you be jealous, Chen, when I get a shiny new 'Mech and you don't? At least I'll get a new ride off this planet."
Chen folded his arms. "Excuse me. I learned much from the Capella War College. I will forge those trainees into absolute fighting machines."
Kathy's smile stayed right in place. "Oh, Scrappy..."
"What? Tell me."
"I won't have to." Kathy was clearly fighting not to laugh.
"Kathy...!"
*o*o*o*o*
That afternoon, the somber gray rain clouds were still threatening another downpour, and a few drizzly drops did fall every now and then. But Chen didn't mind a little nasty weather. He was here to forge some fighting machines!
"You are the best hope of the Free Rasalhague Republic!" Chen barked as he paced back and forth before a crowd of one hundred trainee soldiers. "You have suffered at the hands of invaders! You are afraid. You face despair. But I am here, and I will break you into tiny pieces and rebuild you into warriors worthy of the name!"
There was no response. Someone coughed.
Okay, maybe my motivational speaking isn't stellar. Chen changed tack. "You have not met me before, but I have been in your position. Fresh, untried, ready to prove everything. Well, why don't you try and impress me, cadets? Feel up to it? Huh?"
This time, they responded with a unified "Yes, sir!"
"Good!" Chen chose a young man in the front row and got right in his face. "You! Son! What's your name?"
"Sir! I am Gregoro Gustafso. Born and raised right here on Vorarlberg!"
"Hmnmmm. What are you made of, Gregoro? Got any fight in you?"
"Sir, I have a dream. To create a more perfect Free Rasalhague Republic where the people need not live in fear of any invader. We will never suffer tyrants or despots again."
This kid had ear-length blond hair, sharp green eyes, and a sharp jawline. And a solid build. Chen thumped a hand against Gregoro's chest. "Think you can take a punch, Gustafso?"
"Um... sir?"
"I said, can you take a punch!" Chen got right in the kid's face. "What, you think your enemies are gonna challenge you to checkers on the field? Can you take a punch and keep fighting!"
"S-Sir! I believe so, sir!" Gregoro cried. "I was on my high school judo team. I made it to the regionals in my senior year."
"Interesting." This was going nowhere fast. Chen took a deep breath, calculated the right strength... and sank a fist right into Gregoro's chest.
The other cadets gasped, and a few stepped back in shock as Gregoro stumbled back. He clutched his chest. "S-Sir!" he wheezed.
Chen snorted. "What's the matter? I thought you knew how to fight."
"But... now, sir?"
Chen pointed. "Show me that endurance. Get down! Twenty pushups!"
"Sir..."
"Now, dirtbag!"
Gregoro dropped and delivered those twenty pushups. Chen folded his arms and watched with approval... until he sensed something. He saw the other cadets glaring at him with mingled horror, disgust, and confusion, as though demanding answers.
Chen made an exasperated noise as Gregoro shakily got to his feet. "Cadets, I took much worse hits than that at the Capella War College before your parents ever fucked! I faced off against Wing Chun and Shaolin masters under a punishing hot sun and recited poetry about the deeds of proud Liao soldiers of centuries past! I had my soul and body forged into a tempered blade that no enemy could dull."
"Sir." One of the cadets raised his hand. "Forgive me for speaking out of turn. But we are not in Capellan space."
Chen advanced on the cadet. He appeared to be Gregoro's age. "What's your name?"
"Mikael Svennog."
"Really." Chen delivered a tame but firm backhanded blow that twisted Mikael's head to the side.
The cadets audibly gasped.
"Get your head on straight, Svennog!" Chen roared. "Is this a preschool? I am surrounded by teenagers who expect a friend out of me! You are here because you are ready to crawl through the mud with bullets in your guts! You are here because you are ready to become indestructible tools of the Free Rasalhague Republic's will! You are weapons to be forged, honed, and thrust into the heart of the enemy! But you can't take a fucking punch?"
The cadets started breaking out in indignant cries.
"We're not barbarians!" one of them told Chen.
"Go back to Sian!" another cried.
"Just another mercenary thug," a third put in.
Chen felt like a cornered animal as the cadets turned on him. Dammit! What was this? Didn't the Rasalhagians want soldiers ready to fight? They were soft like putty!
He felt someone clap a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey there, Scrappy," Kathy said in his ear. "Follow me."
Chen pointed at the cadets. "Get back in formation and don't move."
Once he and Kathy were a few dozen paces away, near one of the barracks, Kathy grinned and shook her head. "C'mon, Scrap. We're here to push them, not mangle them."
Chen motioned. "This is how I was trained, Kathy. If they don't get a taste of it now -"
"I get it. They need a firm hand," Kathy cut him off. "And I know you can do it. But reinforcing Capellan stereotypes isn't gonna work."
Chen sighed. "That bad, huh?"
"Just... let them beat themselves up, all right?"
"What does that mean?"
Kathy chuckled. "Think about it."
"I'm serious. Dueling the instructors and taking licks is how Capellan soldiers become what they are."
"Just... find an indirect route." Kathy gave him a gentle shove on the chest and walked off to resume training her own group of cadets.
Chen stood there, mind whirring as other cadet squads jogged up and down the camp. Thunder rumbled in the distance and an armored Manticore rolled leisurely toward a vehicle bay, its treads creaking.
Fine.
Chen resumed his spot before the cadets. "Don't expect another punch from me, cadets. But expect no mercy! If you plan on being called warriors, prove it. Time for some cardio. Move it!"
He blew a whistle that he'd been given, and the cadets turned and expertly started jogging in perfect unison. Chen jogged alongside them to keep up. "Cadet Gustafso!" he barked.
Gregoro tensed. "Yes, sir!"
"You've got yourself a fine dream, kiddo. But it ain't gonna come easy! Earn it, or forget it. You hear me?"
"Yes, sir! Count on it!"
"Good. Maybe you lot oughta learn from him," Chen added as the group jogged along a curve along the pathway, near the live-fire training field. "Having a vision of the future can move you even when your spirit is broken and your bones are mush. You don't know your own strength until you need it most. Understand?"
"Yes, sir!" the cadets cried.
Chen kept them going, and he used this as a chance to explore more of Site Alpha along the way. It took him another few minutes to spot what he really wanted to see: BattleMechs! The camp's entire eastern half was dedicated to them, and he saw a lance of trainee 'Mechs, two Griffins and two Centurions, jog as they followed their trainer (in an Orion) to the target range.
Medium and heavy 'Mechs for training? Chen thought. Either the Rasalhagians were much wealthier than he expected... or they were desperate to show off to the many mercenary instructors here and spread the word of the FRR's apparent might later on. Well, whatever. This simply meant more and better toys for Chen to play with.
Chen barely noticed that everyone was getting exhausted. Including himself.
He blew his whistle. "Fall in formation!"
Wheezing and panting for breath, the cadets formed up, many of them trembling and wiping their brows. Damn. If anyone fainted here, he'd get fussed at. At this rate, he'd be the proper bully around here -
Chen winced when someone doubled over and retched.
"What the hell was that?" Chen demanded.
"I-I'm sorry, sir," the offending caded said weakly, coughing. "H-haven't run that much before..."
Chen sighed. "Anyone else about to lose their lunch?"
Yes, actually. Another cadet doubled over and lost her lunch, and the rest of the cadets were clearly fighting not to join them. Chen scratched his head, trying to figure out a way to explain all this to Overste Bjekkon. At this rate, he'd be lucky to have two C-Bills to rub together.
Kathy, please tell me you're having a better time than I am!