Some people requested an expansion of what kind of mayhem Joker and her band of merry reprobates got up to, so here we are. Sorry if it doesn't exactly match the regular 'Creepypasta' vibe I aim for with this series: I'll have to see if anything comes to mind as I'm writing. It will contain elements, locations, characters and themes often found in Cannonshop's "Ngo/Kowloon" stories (with his permission), so a passing familiarity with those may help, but will hopefully be unnecessary. I'd recommend checking out the BattleTech fandom wiki for more information on that.
Dead Man's Hand: The Kowloon Job
Office of the Duchess
Nha Tranh, Kowloon
Bucklands Province
Federated Commonwealth
21 December 3053
Elizabeth 'Liz' Ngo, recently invested Duchess of Kowloon, wasn't sure what she'd expected to waiting for her in her seldom used official office, but it certainly hadn't been this.
Oh, she'd read the files, both those publicly available from the MRBC and the one provided by the AFFC Department of Mercenary Liaison, but they'd both been rather light on details, and in the latter's case, heavy on speculation. Fortunately, they had included the standard issue holo-images, allowing her to instantly put names to faces.
First, there was the towering hulk of a man standing in the corner, trying not to look like a gangster's heavy in some cheap holo-drama. He was obviously Jay Aaung, ex-Legion of Vega who'd been dismissed from the DCMS for almost beating a senior officer to death when he'd found the man in bed with his then wife. It was only the fact that the officers own wife had been the daughter of the local Lord that had saved Aung from an appointment with the hangman, and instead earned him a lifetime exile. He drew the eye the same way a gas giant attracts stray commits: by simply being too big to ignore.
Next were the two on the couch; a tall, rakishly thin man with a pencil mustache and the smile of a used car salesman, and a shorter woman with flowing black hair who could have easily passed for a native. Emilio Scilicorn and Bobbie Kelso, both from the Davion half of the Commonwealth, records relatively clean and unassuming. At least, until Tamar and the by now infamous Morality Inspections. Just how they ended up falling in with such a unit was no doubt a story unto itself, but that would have to wait.
That left just the tall woman who was standing looking out the picture window, her back to the door, hands in her pockets. The enigmatic and mysterious Joker who was the closest thing the mercenaries had to a leader. Her file made it clear that her personal history, even her real name, was a total mystery, one that LIC would very much like solved, according to the note attached to her file. She had evidently been behind the formation of the unit when the Wolves invaded Tamar, plotting a series of hit-and-fade attacks that had drawn the invaders out of position and allowed the rescue of a number of civilians, and then capture of a DropShip full of supplies and replacement parts intended for the front lines.
While impressive, it had been the fact that their first port-of-call had actually been Kowloon itself, while Liz had been off 'Bending the Knee' to Archon-Prince Victor, that had gotten the young Duchess attention. They hadn't been looking to sell any of the equipment they'd captured, but rather had simply returned two young ladies who had been forced into slavery in order to pay off illegally leveraged family debts. That had been a lucrative side-game by the planets now very former Regent, and one of the reasons Liz had taken the decision to deal with him herself, rather than risk him being let off with a slap on the wrist by some off-world court. The mercenaries had escorted the two women back to their families, not even accepting the cost of the taxi from the spaceport, then left the world without fanfare.
Since then, they had gained a certain reputation among certain circles of being able to get things done that others would have deemed impossible. Oh, they weren't the kind of mercenaries you called on to capture an entire world, but they were exceptionally well versed in art of slipping across the truce line to recover artifacts... or individuals.
"Time is something I only have a finite amount of, so let's get to the point." Liz walked around behind her desk and pulled a hard copy file from the draw and dumped it on the polished wood, "Henry Jade Falcon. Formerly Cadet Henry Ngo of the Blackjack School of Conflict."
"Your brother." Joker spoke with that no-accent accent many mercenaries seemed to possess, "You want him back alive, or dead?"
"Is there a difference?" Liz asked, keeping her face and voice as level and emotionless as possible.
"You want him alive, we talk." Aung rumbled from the back of the room, a sound like two tectonic plates grinding together, "You want him dead, we walk."
"We're not assassins." Kelso added.
"Alive would be preferable." Liz nodded, "It's a matter of record that I've only got a few years left to live, and I don't want to leave my world at the mercy of another outsider."
"Alive is doable." Joker nodded, flipping through the file, "Word is, he's gone native, which gives us two obvious choices. Option 1, we go in hard and fast, smash his unit and claim him as Bondsman. Once he's back here, you can see about de-programing him."
"I already have people looking into it." Liz tilted her head to one side, "And Option 2?"
"Option 2 is we call ahead, use their honour code against them and declare a Trial of Possession for both him and his legacy." Joker closed the file and slipped it under one arm, "It's a little trickier, as we need to find something of equal value to offer up should they win... but I can probably come up with something. Either way, it's something we're going to have to get right the first time: they're not all stupid, and they can adapt surprisingly quickly."
"I'll leave the details up to the professionals." Liz nodded, then hesitated, "There is one more thing: my other brother, Patrick. He was on Tamar..."
"We didn't see him die." Joker looked genuinely saddened, "If it's any comfort, I heard he fought like a mad bastard, and took several of them down with him."
An uneasy air filled the room, no one quiet sure what to say for a few minutes.
"As for payment..." Liz started.
"Our standard fees are listed with the MRBC and MercNet." Joker nodded, "We'll need a retainer fee up-front to cover the costs like supplies, transport, bribes, the usual."
"You budget for bribes?" Liz asked, one eyebrow raised as she looked up at the taller woman's gray-green eyes.
"It helps to know who you're paid off, and how much." The mercenary grinned like a shark, "It's good to keep tabs on just how deep some people are in the shit, should you need to push them down or help them out."
"What an interesting idea." Liz smiled, "I'll have to start doing the same."
"Then I believe we have an agreement." Joker produced a data-pad, the crest of the MRBC clearly marked on the top.
Liz pressed her thumb against the reader, and the computer blinked.
"Congratulations, Duchess." Joker pocketed the pad and offered her hand, "You just hired yourself some mercenaries."
DropShip Ante-Up,
Outbound, Kowloon
Bucklands Province
Federated Commonwealth
26 December 3053
"Hands off cocks and on with socks." Joker handed out copies of the file Liz had given her on her brother, "You know the job, but we need to know the man."
"Henry Morgan Ngo. Born at the Post Hospital, LCAF Coventry, August 15th, 3033, the second child of Duke David and Lt. Colonel Marjorie Ngo, both deceased. He was attending the Blackjack School of Conflict when the Jade Falcons came calling, and reports from those who made it off world state that he commandeered a Chameleon from the academy hanger and joined the instructors in trying to defend the spaceport. Interestingly, there's a note here from LIC stating that he remained at large and actively resisting the Falcons for two days after the official surrender."
"Man after my own heart." Kelso smiled, "Does it say if he's single?"
"While I wouldn't put it past LIC to bug someone's bedroom, it doesn't say." Joker looked at her friend with mock distain, "It does, however, state that is an excellent pilot, highly adaptable and quick-thinking, especially when it comes to improvised tactics and strategy. Take of note is his preference for close-range, and even physical, combat, which is probably because he's a decidedly average gunner at best. So, if you find yourself facing him, try and keep the range open as much as possible, but be ready to trade blows if needed. Now, Henry here has reportedly gone native, to the point where he has joined their military and even achieved the rank of Star Captain. The fact that he has managed this in one of the more Conservative of the Clans says a lot about how far down the rabbit hole he's fallen."
"No more devout than the recently converted." Scilicorn frowned, "So, no chance of him coming willingly, then?"
"Highly unlikely: he's apparently a true believer in the cause of restoring the Star League. Which, in a vacuum, I don't have a problem with. I just don't like the way the Clans are going about it." Joker sat down, leaned back and crossed her arms, "This isn't going to be a quick and easy smash-and-grab. Not this time. We're looking to capture a hostile target who will fight back with everything he has. We want him alive, but I don't want anyone taking any risks with this: yeah, we make a living pulling the Clans collective pants down, but that just means that they're not going to underestimate us, should they realise who we are."
"Only a matter of time." Aung rumbled, sipping his tea, "We've killed most of the stupid ones."
Planetary Command Center
Malibu
Jade Falcon Occupation Zone
7 April 3054
Star Colonel Nathan Roshak strode into the main control room purposefully, ignoring the somewhat concerned Techs working most of the stations. They were predominantly locals, only recently taken under the Clans wing, and still learning their ways. To them, an incoming, unannounced DropShip could only mean a raid or the prelude to an invasion, with all the senseless death and destruction that came with it. They had yet to learn that things were not so... chaotic, random, within the Clans.
And, if it was some Inner Sphere fool looking for a fight, his Cluster would deal with them long before they reached any civilians.
He stopped before the main screen, eyes locked on the image, which showed the current location of the DropShip, what the deep space tracking system had been able to tell of it, its estimated time and point of arrival. Interestingly, it was decelerating, preparing for orbital incursion, which did not make sense if it was a hostile raid...
"Show me the message." His voice carried, calm, cool professionalism, and the duty communications tech hurried to rout the video to the main screen.
The status display vanished, replaced with a simple image depicting four playing cards: the ace and eight of spades and clubs. Not an insignia he was familiar with...
"Okay, now listen up, because I'm not in the mood to repeat myself: my unit and I have been tasked with returning a certain Bondsman turned Star Captain to his homeworld." A woman's face appeared on the screen, hauntingly familiar grey-green eyes looking down at, and seemingly straight through, the Star Colonel, "The exact details of how I do this have been left to my discretion. And, as much fun as shooting our way in, hitting him over the head with something and then shooting our way out sounds... I have been asked not to antagonise too many people this side of the Truce Line. So I figured I should call ahead and give you the option of playing by your rules. As such, I declare a Trial of Possession over Star Captain Henry Jade Falcon and his genetic legacy. I bid one lance of four BattleMechs, details to follow should you accept. I will even give you the right to decide the time and location of the Trial. And, before you get any smart ideas, everything is being relayed back to our hidden JumpShip, which will jump back out of your occupation zone and tell everyone how you backed out of an honourable fight against mere Inner Sphere Freebirths. I eagerly await your response."
With that, the screen went black, before returning to the display of the approaching DropShip.
"Bold, to say the least." Nathan Roshak looked round to see his subordinate, the man whose presence on the world, had seemingly instigated this chain of events.
"Bold, but not foolish." the Star Colonel shock his head, even as he treated his friend with a warm smile, "By challenging us, directly and openly, she seeks to force our hand. She obviously believes she can defeat us in a Trial..."
"So, the question is, why?" Henry nodded, rubbing his chin as he contemplated what was not being said more than what was, "Who is she, to believe so?"
"This I would like to know before I face her in combat." Nathan Roshak turned to look back at the screen, "I intend to accept the challenge, and lead our forces against her myself. Should you wish, I will permit you to join me. But first, I want you to find out just who these... Mercenaries, are. There is a story there, something we are missing, and information is Ammunition." he paused, "Who would send mercenaries all this way, just to see you returned to your homeworld?"
"Elizabeth." Henry frowned, obviously conflicted, "It has to be Elizabeth."
DropShip Ante-Up
Inbound, Malibu
Jade Falcon Occupation Zone
9 April 3054
"Ha, they accepted." Scilicorn held out his hand, "Pay up."
"Sone of a bitch, it actually worked." Kelso withdrew a 100 C-Bill note from her pocket and handed it over, "Sorry for ever doubting you, boss."
"You're just sorry you lost a bet." Joker smiled, looking at the screen, "Okay, so who's our first contestant? Star Colonel Nathan Roshak, 124th Striker Cluster, Rho Galaxy. Star Captain Henry Jade Falcon: looks like he doesn't want to come quietly. MechWarror Shelby Jade Falcon... and we have a hit on the LIC files. Seems she was formally Cadet Shelby Hoffstein of the Blackjack academy."
"The FedCom's still offering a bounty on any active service personnel returned alive." Scilicorn mused, "Think that extends to cadets?"
"Easy money if they are." Aung chuckled, bumping fists with his comrade.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves: MercNet lists the 124th as an Elite unit, and the Falcons are said to be almost as aggressive as the Smoke Jaguars." Joker warned, "I'm just glad that that warship we spotted on the way in jumped-out before we got pinged, or this would have been a whole lot more interesting."
The other three mumbled in agreement: facing a warship was not part of the deal.
"And last but not least, MechWarror Linda Jade Falcon... who's another 'Trueborn'." Joker shrugged and she loaded up the units profile and transmitted it, "Well, I guess we'd better let them know who we are."
Planetary Command Centre
Malibu
Jade Falcon Occupation Zone
10 April 3054
Nathan Roshak and Henry sat in the formers office, which had previously belonged to the planets Duke, and went over what little information they had on the approaching mercenaries.
"I ran the woman's face through our database, and got a match." Henry pulled up a file on the portable holographic projector that had been placed on the conference table between them, "Her name is, apparently, really is Joker. Obviously not her birth name, but the only name on file for her with the MRBC and AFFC. She was on Tamar when the Wolves invaded..." his voice trailed off for a moment, something his superior chose, tactfully, to ignore, "According to the report the Watch put together, she was in hospital recovering from exposure to an unidentified hallucinogenic. Despite this, she somehow managed to not only evade capture, but draw the Wolves out of position and raid the spaceport, capturing the same DropShip they seem like using now, and escape off-world with a number of civilians."
"I feel the sudden need to buy her a drink." Nathan Roshak chuckled, "Anyone who embarrasses the Wolves like that can not be entirely bad, mercenary or not."
"Evidently embarrassed them enough that, according to the Watch, Khan Natasha Kerensky has taken a personal interest." Henry handed over a data-pad, "Should they discover we have had contact with them..."
"You mean captured them and taken them as Bondsman, Quiaff?"
"Neg. I can not say why, but I have the feeling that they are are not the kind to allow themselves to be taken as Bondsman."
"You did, and look at you now: not only a Abtakha, but a Star Captain."
"I hardly think that I could be considered a good example of the average Inner Sphere MechWarror: I grew up on a world that has known nothing but pain, death and suffering for most of its history. I have seen the scars of the endless, senseless wars that the House Lords insist on fighting, even as they slowly grind humanity to dust between them. Elizabeth, my sister, the one who sent these mercenaries, she has a favourite saying: We have lost so much knowledge we no longer know what we have forgotten. I see all that the Clans are, all they can do for the people of the Inner Sphere, not the corrupt, uncaring Lord's they serve, and it is all I can do not to weep."
"You told me once that your sister is dying..."
"Cholmann's Syndrome. And I have asked: even for the Clans, it is still an incurable condition. The New Avalon Institute of Science like to claim they have a possible treatment that could at least stop it from progressing further, but after what they did to our Great Uncle... Liz would die rather than set foot in Davion space."
"We have come so far, and yet still have so much further to go." Nathan Roshak lent back in his chair, deep in thought, "An idea does occur to me, and I would ask you to hear me out before calling for a Circle of Equals and beating me senseless."
"Oh, this has to be good." Henry chuckled, "What crazy scheme have you come up with this time?"
"We lose this battle, you go home to Kowloon, and prepare its people for the day they become part of Clan Jade Falcon." there was an odd calm to his friend and commanders voice, even as he skirted the edge of treason with his words, "You are the elder: you have a stronger claim to your sisters title, even if she... even if not for her condition. You would have a voice amongst the leadership of the Federated Commonwealth..."
"Right up until Loki arranged a little 'accident'." Henry shook his head, "I understand where you are coming from: far better to win a battle without having to fight, should you wish to rule over anything more than a pile of rubble, but the system is too broken to be fixed, even from within. No; they need to be forced to listen to reason, even if we need to hold a gun to their heads first."
DropShip Ante-Up
Inbound, Malibu
Jade Falcon Occupation Zone
12 April 3054
Adjusting her headset, Joker sat before the communications console, the rest of the bridge crew trying to look like they weren't listening in. The screen before her crackled to life, a text message warning of a thee second delay in communications between the ship and ground side, even as the swooping hawk insignia of Clan Jade Falcon appeared and then faded.
A man's face took its place, and Joker recognised it from the files they had received as that of Star Colonel Nathan Roshak. He was hansom, in a rugged sort of way, but certainly not Jokers type... not that she was sure she had a type. But there was an unmistakable intelligence behind his eyes, and she reminded herself to be care to watch her words and reactions during this final phase of negotiations.
"Joker, I assume." the Clan officer smiled, "Forgive me, but the file you transmitted gave no rank or position, and our existing file on you is... limited to a few notes as to how you escaped Tamar."
"Star Colonel Nathan Roshak, I am so glad you agreed to settle this is in a dignified manner. And no, the file we sent gave no rank, because I do not hold one. My team and I are equals, they just prefer to have me do all the paperwork. Hence, I am tasked with speaking on their behalf in matters such as this. I assume, given you have requested to speak directly, that there are so matters you wish to iron out before we make planet fall?"
"Aff: there are indeed certain, formalities, that must be observed, even if you were of the Clans. To star with, you have issued a challenge over an warrior under my command, someone in whom I have invested not only time and effort, but my reputation as well. Regardless of the outcome of the coming Trial, I will need to be able to justify my agreeing to it. I need something of value that I can claim I was fighting to gain in return."
There were several seconds of silence, before Joker realised that he was waiting for her to respond.
"Well, our cargo hold still contains a considerable amount of equipment we... acquired from Clan Wolf. But I have a feeling that you are after something less tangible."
"Indeed I am." Nathan Roshak chuckled, "Should I prevail, I ask that you answer a single question for me: why is Khan Natasha Kerensky so interested in you? There are plenty of notable warriors, both of the Inner Sphere and among the Clans, but you she has singled out by name. I would very much like to know why that is."
"I will answer you that right now for nothing: I honestly don't know. We have never met, and to the best of my knowledge, I have never faced her in battle, something I feel sure I would remember. I know she was on Tamar when we made our departure, so maybe she is upset that we... embarrassed her, in some way? Or maybe I accidentally stole her favourite pair of fluffy slippers. You'd have to ask her that."
"Interesting." Nathan Roshak chuckled, "Who knows: maybe one day I shall. But, on to business. I have selected this area for the trial." the screen split in two, and a map appeared showing a cluster of large buildings, a number of roads and railways leading through it and out towards an open area large enough to land a DropShip, "Back before the Succession Wars, it was an industrial complex, but it was abandoned centuries ago. The local militia and garrison troops previously used it for live-fire training. Fortunately, the buildings were constructed to survive not only the wear and tear of daily use, but the occasional industrial accident, and are in no danger of collapsing on us. You may land your DropShip here," a blue circle appeared in the open area, "and then advance to this line," a red line flashed into existence in the edge of the complex popper, "before the trial itself starts." a green line appeared on the opposite side of the map, "My warriors and I will start from this location." a yellow outline formed around the complex, "This is the engagement zone. Once the trial begins, anyone who leaves this zone will be deemed to have been disqualified, and count as a loss towards their team."
"I believe that the phrase is Bargained Well and Done, Star Colonel." Joker smiled, "I look forward to seeing you again, face to face."
"I am sure it shall be an interesting experience, for both of us." the Clanner winked, "Nathan Roshak, out."
Militia Proving Grounds
Malibu
Jade Falcon Occupation Zone
13 April 3054
Henry watched the fairy trail of the descending DropShip with some sense of trepidation, rain pouring down the light poncho he wore over his cooling vest and shorts
They were there for him, sent by a sister he had not seen in years, for reasons that remained unclear. Part of him yearned to return home, but he forced himself to push that part of himself deep down inside, where he could ignore it. He had been telling the truth when he had told Nathan Roshak his feelings concerning the Clans and their mission of liberation: three centuries of war had down little but prove the blind, bullheadedness of the so-called Successor Lords, and how little they cares for the people they ruled over.
His grandfather had once told him of an ancient leader, who had ruled his people through fear and terror: the man, Henry forgot his name, had infamously said "One death is a tragedy, a million is a statistic."
Well, there were plenty of statistics in the Inner Sphere, including his own father and brother. They may have gone to their deaths believing it was for honour, or duty, or the greater good, but the truth was that they had died for the selfish, vain glory of a distant, uncaring Archon and her Husband. When he had been younger, Henry had truly believed that the Federated Commonwealth was different, and that it was the other Houses that had been the ones holding humanity back from regaining the lost glory of the Star League.
But, then again, he had also believed in Father Christmas and the Tooth Fairy.
No. Too much blood had been spilt across too many worlds and too many years for anything good to come out of the Succession Wars. The entire damn system was rotten to the core, and needed to be burned down and replaced with something new. And now, as a warrior of Clan Jade Falcon, he had the chance to be the one to strike the match that would start that fire. And then the Clans, who understood war should be between warriors, and kept away from innocent civilians, would reestablish the Star League as it should have been, and not just a hollow continuation of the old system under a new name.
Ducking down into the cockpit of his Nova, he secured the hatch and grabbed his neural helmet. As a Star Captain, he could have chosen a larger, more powerful design, but he had fallen in love with its rugged simplicity and its, low, agile frame. He had chosen the Primary configuration, given the close, restricted nature of the battlefield before him. Combined, the dozen ER Medium Lasers could claw through the thickest of armour, while it's jump-jets and hands left him with plenty of options.
Nathan Roshak had stated his desire to take on the woman who called herself Joker directly, leaving the others to engage whatever targets they saw fit, and Henry felt confident that they would emerge victorious.
DropShip Ante-Up
Final Approach, Malibu
Jade Falcon Occupation Zone
13 April 3054
Joker felt the impact of the DropShip landing through her 'Mechs command couch, and instantly flicked the switch to disengage the umbilicals and restraints holding it in place. The rugged Loki, the pick of the equipment they had looted during their escape from Tamar, flexed beneath her as the reactor went from standby to full power in an instant, her screens filling with information. In a stark contrast to the ancient and much abused Phoenix Hawk she had piloted previously, she didn't have to kick any of the screen to get them to work, but insisted it was at near perfect operational levels.
"Reactor online. Sensors online. Weapons online. Communications online." the computer, still using the same 'Bitching Betty' voice that had been part of the Macki program, announced, "All systems nominal."
"Ace of Spades to all Cards." She called out of the units encrypted frequency, "Sound off."
"Ace of Clubs, ready." Aung reported from the heavily modified Archer to her immediate right.
"Eight of Spades, ready." Scilicorn's Wolverine II saluted from across the Mech Bay.
"Eight of Clubs, ready." last but by no means least, Kelso reported from her rebuilt Shadow Hawk.
Joker smiled to herself: to an outsider, she knew her unit probably looked like a gang of fools, delinquents and pretenders. But, she new from experience, once the shooting started, there was no one else she would have trusted to have her back.
"Okay, so standard triangular deployment, just like we practiced in the simulators. I'll go down the slot, Jay, you take the right, Emilio and Bobbie, the left." she ordered even as she started towards the descending ramp, "Keep it nice and tight: nobody start anything until I give the word. We have to play this one by their rules."
A chorus of conformations echoed over the radio as the Dead Man's Hand marched out into the storm.
Militia Proving Grounds
Malibu
Jade Falcon Occupation Zone
13 April 3054
"And so it begins." Nathan Roshak muttered to himself under his breath as he watched the icons appear on his screen.
Hellbringer. Obviously taken from the Wolves on Tamar, and most likely belonging to the mercenaries leader, making it his primary target.
Archer. Long range fire support, at a distinct disadvantage in the confined spaces of the old factories and warehouses. But you go to war with the army you have.
WVR-7H. It took him a moment to place the model, but then he understood why his tactical computer refused to give it its full name. If it was indeed an SLDF Royal variant, it could pose a legitimate threat.
Shadow Hawk. Another venerable design. And, if upgraded, still a threat.
"The Hellbringer is mine. The rest I leave to you." he informed his warriors, "May your wings be swift."
"And our talons sharp!" their voices responded as one.
Starting his Summoner forward, Nathan Roshak started towards a long trench that had, centuries past, contained a conveyor belt for taking ore from the massive storage hoppers to the waiting smelters. It had long since been picked clean of anything even remotely salvageable, and now served as little more than enough drainage ditch. Which meant that, with the worsening storm dropping an unending torrent of rain upon them, it had quickly turned into a river. It did, however, have the advantage of allowing him to approach the centre of the complex with only the upper torso exposed. His passive sensors struggled to find anything amid the twisted mountains of steel and ferocreat, the massive static build up in the air only making it worse.
He considered switching to active sensors, but he might as well send up a flair announcing his location.
One advantage he did have over the mercenaries was the fact that he had spent time amidst the ruins, training with his warriors and those of the only recently departed Gamma Galaxy. And it probably was for the best that they had left, as he doubted that Galaxy Commander Mar Helmer would have allowed him this indulgence...
Twin streams of tracer fire ripped into the water directly ahead of him, stopping less than a meter from his Mech. He stamped down hard on the foot pedal, bringing the Summoner to an emergency stop. His screens still showed a jumble of phantom contacts and interference, so instead he relied on his own eyes. Leaning his Mech back slightly, he looked up to where a second conveyer belt still hung from the rusted remains of the ceiling... upon which stood a jet-black Hellbringer, with a single Ace-of-Spades playing card on the right torso.
"I am not sure which I find more impressive." he called out over an open frequency, "That the structure can still take the weight of your OmniMech, or that you were brave enough to test it?"
"What you call brave, others would call foolishness." Joker responded, raising her Mechs right arm, "Don't suppose I could persuade you to throw in the towel, so we can end this before anyone gets hurt?"
"I would like nothing better than to end this here and now... but I would require that you surrender to me."
"I think we both know that that's not going to happen."
"So be it." Nathan Roshak sighed, then fired his LRM-15 launcher, aiming ot for the mercenary, but rather for the supports for the walkway.
Smoke, dust and larger chunks of debris filled the air, raining down to the floor below, but also obscuring his view. Twin ER-PPC blast erupted out of the cloud, but Nathan Roshak had already taken a side-step to the right, mean that, while one left a scar on the armour of his left arm, the other did nothing more that flash-boil water into steam. For once, the inclement weather worked to his advantage, as the storm quickly cleared the dust just enough for him to see the Hellbringer descending to the ground on its jump-jets.
"The game is afoot!" the Star Colonel smiled to himself, "Let us see just how good she truly is..."
Henry carefully maneuvered his Nova through a maze of what looked like boilers, or other pressure tanks. Someone had obviously attempted to salvage some of them at one point, leaving massive, jagged holes that had then been eaten away at by rust and the occasional stray shot from a training exercise. Enough remained to limit his line of sight, but also hide his OmniMech from the enemy.
Pausing, he listened carefully: he could hear the sound of something moving around in the massive, vaulted shell of a factory, but he could not tell what.
He had been attempting to flank the Shadow Hawk, but he had lost it amid the bombed-out ruins of an administrative block. He had tried to circle back, only to be cut off by an exchange of fire between Shelby's Conjurer and its Inner Sphere counterpart, a name he had learnt to never say aloud. He had watched as a burst of autocannon fire had tore into the left leg of his lovers Mech, and had almost moved to engage her opponent, before reminding himself that, until the mercenaries broke Zellbrigen, honour demanded that he stay his hand and trust that she would prevail.
Ducking back into the old factory, he had consulted his map, trying to work out just where the Shadow Hawk could have gone. This had led him to the massive chamber filled with old boilers that had been too big or expensive to easily remove. Given some looked to be almost the size of a DropShip, he could see why: they had probably been assembled in place, then the building constructed around them, a testament to the long lost prowess of the Star League.
A faint trace appeared on his sensors, indicating that something was in the next chamber, an area marked on his map as having once been a maintenance bay for the massive IndustrialMechs that had been employed by the factory complex. The wall between them was thick, built to withstand the blast of one of the boilers exploding, but there was an option...
Looking up, he could see a massive window, easily there stories high, almost completely devoid of glass. Judging by the map, it looked out over the roof of the maintenance bay.
It was a calculated risk, but it was probably the last thing the other MechWarror would expect. Crouching, he fired his jump-jets, sending the Nova up and out through the window, the twisted remains of the frame exploding around him. Feathering his jets, he brought the Nova down onto the roof of the maintenance bay, which promptly gave way under the weight.
Cursing under his breath, he fired the jets again, cushioning the landing somewhat, but still making a more dramatic entrance than he had intended.
Looking round, he saw the hulking form of the Archer standing by the doorway. In its hand it held a massive structural support, one end still encased in a lump of ferrocreat. It turned slowly to face him, and he could almost see the smile on the other pilots face as they started to pound the impromptu club into their free hand.
"Oh shit..."
Joker ducked down behind a wall, keeping out of Nathan Roshak's line-of-sight.
His Thor had her out massed but not out-gunned, but had heavier armour, of setting her advantage. He was obviously also far more experienced in its use, meaning he knew exactly how far he could push his machine, while she was still getting used to her own. He was obviously also a skilled pilot and gunner, as was typical of Clanners.
However, he had evidently chosen the primary configuration for his Thor, which tended to favour long-range combat... so long as you didn't count the Class-10 LB-X Autocannon that would made short work of her armour if she let it. But it did mean that, if she could get close enough without being seen, she might just be able to do some damage before he could respond.
Doubling back behind the cover of a partially collapsed wall, she slowly and methodically made her way behind where he had been. Only, he wasn't where she had expected him to be, and a hail of cluster munitions peppered her right arm and leg. Pivoting on the leg, praying that he hadn't done any serious damage, she brought all her weapons to bare and opened fire.
Head flooded her cockpit, despite the advanced double heat-sinks, and her vision swam even as she watched the Thor stagger backwards as one of the ER-PPC's draw a jagged line up its left leg, the other missing the off-centre cockpit by less than a meter. The medium lasers did little damage to the bigger Mechs chest armour, but the half-dozen short-range missiles that followed them up pitted and pocked the previously pristine armour.
In comparison, the hail of machine-gun fire did little more than chip away at his paint scheme, but it was clear that he had been at least somewhat surprised by the speed and ferocity of her attack.
Not that it stopped him from responding, and a blast from his own ER-PPC added to the damage done to her right leg, and her screen it up with a warning of an amour breach. He followed it up with a volley from his LRM launcher, but he had evidently misjudged the range, as those not picked off by her AMS failed to arm before hitting her Loki. Even without the explosive warheads detonating, the kinetic impact was enough to force her to take a step back to avoid falling, giving him the time to duck out of view again, no doubt assessing the damage her Alpha-Strike had done.
It was clear that the fight was far from over.
Henry back-peddled, the impromptu club missing his Nova's left shoulder by maybe a meter, leaving a deep impact crater in the ground where it struck. The Archer pilot didn't let up, and swung again, forcing him to keep moving back on the defensive. Fortunately, a low ceiling prevented the far taller Mech from following, giving him time to get his bearings. The Archer continued to swipe at him, so he unleashed all his lasers, burning deep holes in the leg and lower torso armour of the bigger machine, the sudden wave of heat in his cockpit almost taking his breath away.
But it was worth it, as he saw the Archer stumble backwards, giving him time to side-step into the open and prepare to fight back. The Archer followed his move, firing back with its own lasers, doing minimal damage to the Nova. Despite massing some twenty tons more, at close range, the Archer would be at a disadvantage, so long as he could get the club out of its hand. Firing another blast, this time with only half his lasers to stop the heat level from spiking again, Henry charged forward, igniting his jump-jets at the last moment, delivering a flying kick to the Archer. It stumbled backwards, tripping, and Henry rode it down, ending with his Nova standing on it's chest.
Looking down, he saw a worrying grin on the other pilots face as the massive covers on the Archers missile launchers snapped open, the suddenly the world was filled with smoke and flame.
Henry remembered reading about the almost legendary dupes between Morgan Kell and Yorinaga Kurita, where the commander of the Kell Hounds, a man he had, in part, been named in honour of, had attempted a similar trick when he found himself in a point-blank battle with his opponents Warhammer. The fights had been required reading at Blackjack, and they had to write a paper about how he would counter such an attack. He'd gotten an A+ for his.
All this flashed through his mind as he mind as he rode out the impact of some forty missiles, all the time watching he secondary screen to track any damage... only there didn't seem to be any. If anything, it was almost as if the missiles had been little more than balloons filled with water...
Henry looked up: half of his canopy was obscured with thick, candyfloss pink gel like paint! A quick systems check indicated that a good half of his lasers were compromised. Oh, he might be able to clear them be firing, but it was just as likely that they would overheat and explode. In one attack, his opponent had rendered him half blind and taken away half his ranged weapons.
This was not going to be easy.
"Stravag!" Nathan Roshak hissed as he felt his Summoners left leg stiffen under him.
Joker's attack had done little direct damage, but according to the diagnostic screen, some of the armour that had been melted by her ER-PPC had run down into the left knee of his OmniMech before solidifying again. While no permanent damage had been done, and all of his weapons were still functional, it did reduce his speed and mobility, giving her a clear advantage. It was only by keeping his speed down and movements measured that he was able to keep her from seeing the damage she had done.
They had been playing cat-and-mouse from almost half an hour, stalking each other amidst the ruins of the ore processing plant, trading weapons fire, neither seemingly able to gain the upper hand. He couldn't help but be impressed by Joker's raw talent as a MechWarror, but it was obvious that she had only rudimentary training and poor discipline. He couldn't help but imagine just what kind of warrior she could become under the tutelage of an experienced superior. One willing to take the time to mold her into the truly exceptional pilot she had the potential to become.
He wanted to be that individual: perhaps more so than Henry, bringing Joker into Clan Jade Falcon would prove that, while the people of the Inner Sphere needed the leadership of the Clans, they still had the ability to rise above what they were. He would temper her like a blacksmith did a blade, forging a weapon capable of cutting down all who stood before the rightful destiny of his Clan.
Of cause, first he had to defeat her, which was prove to be easier said than done.
Twin emerald beams lanced through the air, digging into the armour protecting his LRM launcher, and he pivoted on his already damaged leg, sending it stream of autocannon rounds back in response. His computer warned him that he had expended half of his ammunition, so he followed it up with a shot from his ER-PPC, the sudden spike in heat making the ice cold rain that was falling through the shattered roof hiss to steam as it landed upon him.
Joker responded with a one-two punch from her own ER-PPC's, followed by a volley of SRM's, before moving to disengage again, his attacks having evidently done at least some damage.
Sensing an opportunity, Nathan Roshak set off in pursuit.
The wall exploded outwards, bricks, glass and dust flying everywhere, as the mercenary Archer tackled Henry's Nova like a Rugby player. The force of the two impacts forced the air from his lungs, and he could feel at least two of his ribs crack as they were forced against the harness holding him into his command couch.
Realising that he was effectively being carried over the bigger Mechs right shoulder, he pounded on its broad back with his arms, denting the armour with every strike. On the third attempt, he evidently hit something important, as the Archer lost its grip. He fell to the ground, the mercenary tripping over him and crashing into the side of a smoke stack, the remains of which proceeded to collapse on top of them even as they struggled to rise. Looking through a section of his canopy that wasn't covered in pink paint, Henry could see that his opponent was buried under far more debris, but the Archers greater physical strength and the greater range of motion of its arms was allowing it to dig itself almost as fast as he was.
It soon became a race to see why could untangle themselves the quickest, but Henry was suddenly distracted by the sound of music echoing off the nearby buildings. Looking round, he saw a sight that he knew would stay with him until the day he died, and he surely hoped that his gun cameras were recording, because otherwise nobody would ever believe him.
The mercenary Shadow Hawk and... WVR-7H came down the middle of the road, arm in arm, actually dancing a pretty decent attempt at a tango.
In perfect time to the music, which he now realised was coming from the Shadow Hawk, Henry watched as it spun its partner out, the 7H levelling its autocannon and firing a burst that ripped into the right shoulder of Shelby's Conjurer. There was an explosion, and the Mechs right arm fell to the ground, forcing her to fight to remain stable as the centre of gravity shifted drastically. They moved back together, and the 7H somehow actually dipped the Shadow Hawk, which reached out above its head with its right arm, the medium laser spearing Linda's Kit Fox through the centre as she attempted to jump between two buildings. The safeties on the lighter machines reactor kicked in, forcing the pilot to eject before it crashed uncontrollably into the side of one of the factories, then fell to the ground before exploding.
Seemingly unphased by the deviation they had brought, the two mercenaries danced off down the road and out of sight.
Henry looked round, and the Archer actually raised its arms as if to shrug, before it resumed digging itself out of the debris.
"Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!" Joker swore under her breath as new alarms sounds, warning of an armour breach on her left arm, leaving it dangerously exposed.
She'd thought she'd had her opponent cold, but he'd reacted far faster than she'd anticipated, fighting back with unexpected ferocity. She'd used every trick she had, and was only just keeping ahead of him as missiles and particle beams exploded around her like fireworks. It was clear that he wasn't trying to kill her, but she had no intention of being anyone's slave, no matter how they worded it.
No, she'd avoided that kind of life back when she'd knifed the first pimp who'd tried to get her to turn tricks for him, and she'd sworn over his still twitching body that nobody would ever treat her like a commodity ever again.
But that didn't mean that she intended to go quietly. She'd accepted the mission, and honour demanded that she do everything she could, within the agreed upon limitations, to see it through. There was still the possibility of saving two people from the Clans, a chance to return them to the life they'd once known, and Joker couldn't help be imagine that that was exactly what Sister Lucy would have wanted.
Like she often said, you can take the girl away from the nuns, but you'll never take the nuns away from the girl.
She urged her Loki forward, even as a constant stream of cluster munitions chewed through her rear armour and a blast of ionised particles almost severed her left arm, cutting the power feed to the ER-PPC housed there. She duck around the next corner, uncovering a flicking the switch to purge her remaining SRM ammo as she went. CASE panels in her lower right back snapped open, and unused missiles rained down behind her.
All but skidding to a halt, Joke turned her Loki side-on, her right arm out just as Nathan Roshak rounded the corner behind her, and fired.
The blast from her remaining ER-PPC missed the Thor... but that hadn't been what she'd been aiming at.
Henry cursed under his breath as the Archer loomed over him, and he fired all his lasers in desperation.
Five worked, burning fresh scars in the heavier Mechs armour, four failed, the safeties cutting in. But the last three, all in his right arm, attempted to fire, but instead exploded. The arm shattered, starting as electrical fire that threatened to engulf his entire Mech before the emergency system cut in, filling one torso with fire suppressing foam. Unfortunately, this was only partly successful, and warning lights announced a loss of power to the leg, then the computer began an emergency shutdown of the reactor. Henry struggled to override it, even as return fire from the Archer tore fresh rents in his armour, foam pouring out as if his Nova was a living being, bleeding to death.
"Reactor breach imminent." the computer announced even as the controls started to lose power around him, "Override, disabled. Emergency shut down initiated."
The Nova went limp, leaving Henry with just the dull glow of the emergency lights. The Archer, no doubt picking up his complete loss of power, stopped its attack and stood over him. One massive battle fist came up and wagged its finger.
For Henry, the battle was over.
The ground under Nathan Roshak's feet erupted in a seemingly unending string of explosions as the discarded SRM's detonated one after the other. His Mech bucked and twisted, the right leg snapping off at the knee, sending him crashing to the ground even as his reactor went into emergency shut-down. He hit the ground with sufficient force to render him at least temporarily senseless, and when reality returned, he found himself looking up into the barrel of an ER-PPC, the metal glowing a dull cherry red from where it had been fired so many time.
"It would be a shame to have to kill you now." Joker's voice called out from the PA built into her Mech, "Yield."
"I yield." Nathan Roshak responded, knowing that there was no way that his opponent could her him, so he blew the emergency canopy release on his cockpit, for centuries a universally accepted indication of submission.
DropShip Ante-Up
Malibu
Jade Falcon Occupation Zone
15 April 3054
"I'm getting too old for this shit." Kelso complained as she put her hands on the small of her back and stretched.
"God, I hope not: you're not that much older than I am!" Joker laughed as she watched a prime mover carry the remains of the Thor she'd battled into the waiting DropShip.
Everyone had been so tired after the Trial, they had agreed to meet the next day to discuss what was going to happen next. Joker may have had a low opinion of the Clans in general, but even she had to admit, when they gave their word on something, you could take it to the bank. As such, she'd been roused bright an early the next morning and informed that a staff car was waiting to take her to the planetary command centre. Grabbing a quick shower, she'd thrown on a clean uniform and grabbed a self-heating coffee to have on the drive.
Much to her surprise, Nathan Roshak hadn't been waiting for her, and instead she'd met with a Star Captain Mia Von Jankmon, whose slender frame and oversized head instantly identified her as an aerospace pilot. The Star Captain had informed Joker that, with Nathan Roshaks defeat, she was now the ranking Jade Falcon officer on Malibu, and as such, it was her duty to see that the terms of the Trial were met. Joker was a bit confused, but she was far from an expert in dealing with the Clans, so she went along with it. Mia Von Jankmon confirmed that they had indeed won the Trial of Possession for Henry Jade Falcon, and they would be granted safe conduct out of the system.
Next, the Star Captain had asked how much Isorla the mercenaries intended to claim?
Not being overly experienced in dealing with the Clans, and only thinking of the money they would make by selling the remains of the Clan BattleMechs, money they would desperately need to offset the running costs of a small, independent unit flush with captured Clan weapons and equipment, she had instinctively said all of it.
"Ah shit, they're here." Kelso bright her back to the present, and Joker looked around to see the proverbial 'other shoe' walking towards them.
She'd expected Henry; he had been the entire point of their little excursion behind the lines, and she had half expected Shelby to find some way of joining them, especially when it became clear that the two were romantically involved. What she had not expected, and had almost caused a fight with Mia Von Jankmon when it had been explained, was that they had also acquired two Bondsmen in the form of Nathan Roshak and Linda Jade Falcon. The very concept of owning another human being was abhorrent to the mercenary, and she had tried everything she could think of to get out of it... only for Nathan Roshak to already have a counter argument ready for everything she tried. The man genuinely seemed eager to experience life in the Inner Sphere, and Joke couldn't help but feel like she was being used in some way she couldn't full understand. What she could understand was that apparently Clan Jade Falcon would take it as a grave insult if they refused, with the insinuation that, if needed, Galaxy Commander Mar Helmer would be recalled to take up the issue, along with the big and scary warship that carried her command.
That not-so-subtle threat had been enough to force Joker to back-down, for as much as she hated the very concept of slavery, she handed the idea of getting her team killed just to make a futile gesture of defiance.
"Okay, let me get one thing straight." Joker turned to address the four warriors, each dressed in simple coveralls, with a grey fabric bracelet around their right wrist, "I know you're playing me. I may not be Hanse Davion, but I'm not stupid, either. I don't know what game you think you're playing, and, honestly, I don't care. I've been hired to take him home," she gestured towards Henry, "and that's it. The rest of you are just ballast, far as I'm concerned. I suspect that you're up to something that puts my people in danger...well, they say vacuum exposure is a nasty way to go."
"If you do not mind me saying, I find your stance... confusing." there was a sly grin on Nathan Roshak's face as he nodded towards the Ante-Up, "Your ship and its crew: you took them from Clan Wolf, Quiaff?
"Commandeering an enemy vessel is a long held military tradition, allowed under the Rules of War." Joker countered, with perhaps a bit more force then she had intended, "Her crew were free to leave soon as we go back into Commonwealth space, but apparently we treated them far better than their previous... employers, so they decided to stay. Oh, and speaking of them: I don't know how you usually treat DropShip crews, but I hear you've mistreated anyone on my crew, and..."
"Out the airlock without a spacesuit." the former Star Colonel finished for her.
"Just so we understand each other." Joker nodded, "I've set aside some bunks for you in the passenger cabins. I suggest you get settled in and maybe see the Crew Chief about some extra clothes and anything else you might need."
With a polite nod of his head, Nathan Roshak led the others up the crew ramp and into the DropShip.
"Ain't nothing good gonna come from this." Scilicorn sauntered over, "Especially if they run into our other guests before we boost for orbit."
Joker grunted: shortly after returning from her meeting with Mia Von Jankmon, she had been called down to deal with a couple of attempted stowaways. The two of them, little more than kids really, were apparently in love, but had been informed that they were to be sent to different Casts now they were part of the glorious Clan Jade Falcon. They'd contemplated suicide, but then word had gotten round about a group of mercenaries from back in the Commonwealth who'd not only given the Falcons a very public black eye, but we're being allowed to leave unmolested. Packing what they could carry in a pair of duffle bags, they had attempted to sneak onto the DropShip under the cover of night.
At first, Joker had been inclined to send them packing, but upon hearing their story, had relented, and instead offered to take them as far as Kowloon, where they'd be able to seek assistance from the authorities. They were far from the only civilians displaced by the invasion, and several organisations had been set up to help those whose homes were now on the wrong side of the front lines resettle.
Only thing was, they hadn't been part of the Trial, and she wasn't exactly sure how the Clans would react to what probably amounted to theft of state property.
DropShip Ante-Up
Uninhabited System
Jade Falcon Occupation Zone
26 April 3054
Joker sat, sipping coffee from a plastic bulb, as she went over the time and cost projections for the repair work resulting from their trip to Malibu.
Taking salvage into consideration, they had enough equipment to get her Loki, Scilicorn's Shadow Hawk and Kelso's Wolverine back up and running, but a lucky hit had badly damaged one of the LRM-20 launchers on Aung's Archer. There was always the option of pulling it out and replacing it with the LRM-15 launcher from the Thor she'd taken down, but it was worth more salvage than the repairs would take, once they made it back to civilisation. This left her with the dilemma of was it better to leave his Mech with half its primary weapons off-line, and hope they didn't run into any trouble before reaching Kowloon, or replace it with a miss-matched launcher, taxing the fire-control system, and making it that much harder and expensive to maintain it in the long term.
Days like this were why the others were more than happy to leave her in command: they just shot what they were told to shoot at. She was the one left struggling to balance the budget and run risk assessment.
"May I sit here?" a voice asked, and she looked up to see Nathan Roshak floating in the air beside the table.
"So long as you're not looking for witty repartee." she shrugged, tapping away at her calculator.
The former Clan officer sat in the chair opposite, strapped himself in with the lap-belt provided, and sat watching her.
"I've never owned a cat, and I've no intention of starting now." Joker remarks, not even looking up, "Something particular you wanted? But before you answer that, I'm very particular about who I share a bunk with, and that ain't gonna be you."
"As enjoyable an experience as I'm sure it would be, I have not come looking for gratification of the sexual kind." Nathan Roshak smiled, "I was hoping to continue our conversation from before the Trial."
"If memory serves, the only conversation we had was you asking me why that crazy bitch Natasha Kerensky has such a massive hate-boner for me. And I'll repeat what I said then: I have no fucking clue what she wants with me, and I have no intention of ever finding out. Smart people, people who want to go on living, don't antagonise that woman. To the best of my admittedly rather limited knowledge, the only person to ever get one over on her and live was the Bounty Hunter. That ain't me."
"Well, then I guess the question becomes, who are you, to have angered her so?"
"I'm nobody from nowhere." Joker looked up, and saw a look of confusion on his face, "I grew up in an orphanage, because neither of my parents wanted me. Hell, they didn't even name me. I learned pretty quickly that nobody was going to come save me, which meant I grew up quick and mean. By the time my body started to fill out, I had a police record. By the time I left the orphanage, my face was known by every cop in the city. First person I killed was some son-of-a-bitch who tried to rape me. I felt a little guilty, sure, but not as much as I thought I would. Not long after that, I stole a BattleMech from the local militia, hopped a ship heading off-world and never looked back. Been a mercenary eve since."
"You have no formal training as a MechWarror?" Nathan Roshak asked, stunned, "No time spent in a regular army?"
"Do I look like the kind of person to be all 'Yes, Sir! No, Sir! Three Bags Full, Sir!'?" Joker laughed, "If you're looking for some insight into how I defeated you, you're going to be sorely disappointed, because from where I'm sitting, it wasn't anything more than dumb luck. You had me on the ropes, and I got desperate, but that sure as hell doesn't make me the next Morgan Kell or Grayson Carlyle..."
"Or Jaime Wolf?"
"He was one of yours, so that doesn't count. No, the motto around here is pretty much 'fake it 'till you make it'. If anything, the only reason we did so well is because we don't think like you'd expect MechWarrors to think."
"Like two BattleMechs dancing the tango in the middle of a battle?"
"That was unusual, even by our standards."
"Thank you." Nathan Roshak undid his restraints and floated out of his seat, "This conversation has been... enlightening."
"Whatever." Joker waved him off, and returned to her paperwork.
DropShip Ante-Up
Zenith Jump-Point
Kolovraty System
Federated Commonwealth
30 May 3054
"Explain to me again why we're still carrying excuses baggage?" Kelso asked as she dropped two magnetised chips onto the table, "Call."
"Because, if we try and drop them off any sooner, LIC will swoop in and grab them all, including Henry, and the we don't get paid." Joker looked at the pot, and added two chips of her own, "Call."
"Can't we just, I don't know, leave him in a bar on a recharge station or something?" Scilicorn asked, adding his own chips, "Roshak, I mean. Guys staring to weird me out with all the questions."
"Always with the negative waves, Emilio, always with the negative waves." Aung laughed, sounding to all the world like a rumble of distant thunder, "You're just pissed because he walked in on you and Linda getting to know one another better."
Joker and Kelso burst out laughing at their friends obvious embarrassment.
"Kiss my ass, ya bums!" Scilicorn dumped the remainder of his chips into the middle of the table, "All in."
"Too rich for my blood." Kelso let her cards drift free.
"Fold." Aung rumbled, then sat back to see what Joker would do.
"That's a whole lot of chips." she eyed the pot, "You really think you go what it takes?"
"I think it's gonna cost you to find out." Scilicorn grinned.
"I don't know: it's an awful lot to risk..." Joker seemed to ponder her options for a moment, then pushed her chips forward, "Call."
"Well, I got a pair of Nines..." Scilicorn turned his cards over one by one, "and another pair of Nines."
Kelso and Aung whistled in appreciation.
"Not bad." Joker nodded, "Not bad at all."
Grinning, Scilicorn moved to collect the pot, but Joker started to turn over her cards.
"All I have is the Ten... Jack... Queen... And King of Spades. So, the only card I need... " she tapped her last cared, setting it slowly spinning in mid air, "is the Ace of Spades."
There was a moment of silence, which was broken by Kelso and Aung busting out laughing, while Scilicorn looked like someone had kicked his dog.
"Looks like you'll be doing all my laundry for the rest of the mission." Joker lent back in her seat with a massive grin, "Try not to over-starch my shirts this time."
Tranh Truk Ngo Memorial Spaceport
Nha Tranh, Kowloon
Bucklands Province
Federated Commonwealth
1 July 3054
Liz watched the mercenary DropShip descend upon a piler of flame, zeroing in one one of the massively re-enforced landing pits. Its massive landing struts extended and absorbed the jolt of the landing, even as hoses started to spray it down with coolant. She was no stranger to off-world travel, although she did her best to avoid interstellar jumps due to her chronic Transit Disorientation Syndrome. Oh, sure she knew that some considered it a gift, and that with the proper training, especially Spacer's Guild training, TDS suffered could become some of the best hyperspace navigators in the known universe. But she was not only a Noble, meaning that the fiercely independent Guild would never even consider letting her join, but she was also a dead woman walking, and probably wouldn't live long enough to become a Master Navigator even if they would.
It was just one of countless dreams she'd learned to let go of.
But, today, one dream was coming true. Oh, it had taken a considerable amount of string pulling, favour trading, and when all else failed, outright blackmail, but she had made sure that the ship carrying her brother had made it home without incident. LIC had made it very clear that they would be dropping by to debrief him, but at least he would be home, and not whisked off to some hidden base that didn't officially exist subjected to whatever mind games they normally used on people recovered from the other side of the front lines. Rank had its privileges, and Liz had made sure to insist on every last one.
A klaxon sounded, indicating that the DropShip was safe to approach, and workers in bright yellow IndustrialMechs started attaching umbilicals and fuel lines, even as the crew hatch opened to meet a portable staircase that had been brought forward. Even from the back seat of her approaching limo, Liz recognised Henry as he stepped out into the light of his homeworld for the first time in far too long. She felt her heart skip a beat she she saw how much older, more mature and sure of himself he looked in comparison to the last time she had seen him in the flesh.
Right behind him came a woman, somewhere between Liz and Henry in hight, with dirty blond hair. Liz recognised her from the report that Joker had forwarded once they were safely back across the boarder: Shelby Hoffstein, a Blackjack native and one of Henry's fellow cadets who had likewise been indoctrinated into the Clans warrior cast. The mercenary had included a note indicating that Henry and Shelby were romantically involved, and Liz reminded herself to be extra polite to her possible future sister-in-law.
Next came two strangers, dressed in the same dull, utilitarian uniforms as her brother and his partner. One was a taller man with what could only be described as rugged good looks that made Liz feel... peculiar, in ways she wasn't used to. The other was a shorter, younger woman with jet-black hair that seemed at odds with her almost deathly white skin. Poor girl would probably burn like mad come High Summer in the binary-system. They were obviously the two Jade Falcon warriors who the mercenaries had been all but forced at gunpoint to take as the spoils of war. It had been clear in the communication she sent that Joker had felt very much the same as Liz did about the whole concept of owning another human being, but that was the price demanded to have her brother home, so she would find a way of living with it.
The limo pulled to a halt a short distance from the bottom of the steps, and Liz did her best to compose herself for what was about to happen.
Tranh Truk Ngo Memorial Spaceport
Nha Tranh, Kowloon
Bucklands Province
Federated Commonwealth
1 July 3054
Joker watched the four former Jade Falcon MechWarrors make their way down the steps to the waiting Duchess with a strange mix of bemusement and sadness: she had long ago made peace with the fact that she had no home, no family waiting for her, but there was still a certain stab of pain every time she was reminded of what she was missing.
Would Sister Lucy, the closest thing she had to family outside of her crew, be waiting for her if she returned to that far distant world where she was dragged-up?
Fuck, she didn't even know if Sister Lucy was still alive, or what state the orphanage was in. She had closed the door on that part of her life the day she hopped into the cockpit of a Wasp she had no legal rights to be anywhere near and ran for it. It had only been, what, five, six years? Since that day, but it felt like a lifetime. She certainly wasn't the same cocksure, foul-mouthed kid she'd been when she left Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. Sometimes, she wondered if anyone back there would even recognise her...
Joker heard the slap, even over the noise of a busy spaceport, and looked down to see Henry holding his cheek as his sister glared daggers at him... then enveloped him in a fierce embrace and start crying uncontrollable.
On second thoughts, fuck that: families were too weird for her.
"Ain't that always the way." Kelso appeared at her side, watching the unfolding drama with bemused interest.
"I'd have to take your word for it." Joker shrugged, "What about our other guests?"
"Social worker come picked them up from the other hatch: gave them a little something from the petty cash to help them get started." Kelso lent against the hatch way, "How long we staying?"
"Few days. Maybe a week. Depends on how long it takes to get that LRM launcher on Jay's Archer fixed." Joker mused, shoving her hands in her pockets, "Someone from the AFFC Quartermasters office is supposed to be coming over to make an offer on the salvage, and the balance of our payment for this little family reunion should clear soon. Then it's a case of resupplying and finding a new contract. Ain't no rest for the wicked..."
"And the righteous don't need it." Kelso agreed, "It's a hell of a life, for sure."
The End
