Heavy Cruiser Leviathan
Owned by the PMC " Armageddon's Steel Legion "
Orbiting the planet " Mantharaka "
Bwooooo, bwooo, bwooo !
Bwooo, bwooooo, bwooo !
Bwoooo, bwooo, bwooo !
The " Hostile Contact Detected " alarm...!
Its soothing tones were very familiar indeed to Jared. They were, as much as the gurgling warbles of any of the ships' coffee pots as they concocted thoroughly dark ( and greatly treasured ) cups of Java, or the industrial hyrrrrrrm whine of the dozens of heavy hydraulic servos of Mech Bay manipulator arms, as they slotted in fresh and fully laden magazines for the Mech's Autocannons , missile batteries, and machine guns, or removed and replaced slagged and crumpled armor plating.
The echo of the main drive core, as well. Wwbmmm...Wbbmmmmm,it went, deep withing the central section of the vessel, where it was best protected by several yards of hyper-dense- battleship-grade ablative titanium and steel. It wasn't quite the " All or nothing " armor principle that had been followed by the US Navy over a thousand years prior, as most of the vessel possessed similar levels of protection, but the core was still by miles, the best protected area on board- and it still couldn't stop the humm of the drive core, permeating the bulk of the Leviathan's interior.
There were more sounds and noises of this ship he was deeply accustomed to, of course: The rumbling, thunder-esque booom of the main long range weaponry ( range Gauss cannons, sourced from reverse engineered SLDF technology ) going off whenever they encountered a marauding band of buccaneers, prowling the space lanes and trade routes between worlds, in their combat dropships and light destroyers. Or, there was the warbling bree-ep of the shipwide PA system activating, subsequently followed by a variety of the company's ranking officers issuing some kind of proclamation/ command/ announcement, or so on. Yet another, would be the building and soon-to-reach-a-crescendo humming of the FTL drive itself, contained within the core, whenever it was spooled up to send the Leviathan bolting off into lightspeed...along with a similar humm that was a falling down variant once the ship had reached its destination.
There was was an entire soundtrack of auditory signatures that Jared was wholly familiar with, as if he had from day one- which he had. After the first few weeks of being aboard the Leviathan, let alone before he had risen to command her, they'd become his world. He knew the second he heard any of them, what was coming afterwards. He had long ago gotten ahead of being aware what each of them signaled, the very second that he heard them emanate from their sources.
Right here and now, though...it was the warning that something unfriendly had just dropped out of FTL in-system !
Headed right for them, and at full speed.
Bwoooo, bwoooo, bwooo !
Bwooo, bwooo, bwooo !
Bwooo, bwooo, bwoooo !
And, the alarm was already exerting its effects on him, though it'd only been going for a few seconds. Then again, a few seconds was all it needed...
With a volume level set by default to be cranked up this loud, that wasn't much of a shocker.
LADAR...that's the LADAR catching something...
We've got unfriendly guests arriving...
His eyes flickered open, though he didn't quite jolt upright. That would be rookie-esque behavior, so instead, he let himself rise from where he lay in a more controlled, yet still brisk and fluid manner.
A dryness clung to and lined the inside of his mouth...proof he must've been catching zzzs for a while. There was a distinctive tightness at where his joints had gone un-limbered, a result of them being still for at least a few hours.
The Mechwarrior lifted himself up onto one side- his right- as he shook his head once or twice, shaking off the foggy effects of sleep that was hanging over him like a tangled up sheet...which was bizarre thing, as he didn't actually have a sheet covering him at the moment. Rather, he'd dozed off on the top of his private quarters' bed, without having drawn anything over himself at all...though, given that he was in the habit of only getting wrapped in blankets at times when he was confident of not having something cropping up out of the void that he'd need to deal with pronto ( eg, when he was taking the company through a section of Federated Suns space, which they were on good terms with ), this was at least keeping with the norm.
MechWarrior and mercenary norm, that was. Which was actually most the other kind of normal as well...to an extent. At least when it came to the Inner Sphere/ Periphery. They weren't exactly stable and mortal danger free, either of them, and for someone born and raised there, let alone someone who made their living getting sunk into any of the myriad of bouts of open violence that exploded across those regions on a regular basis, getting yourself ready for action as quick as was possible was near the top of skills you'd need to learn.
And Jared, though he wouldn't say so himself, was no raw rookie.
He glanced to his right...
...finding that, under the sharp white glow of the overhead lights, fused into the ceiling, Sumire was awake as well.
Mostly, anyway.
She was still more or less firmly pressed up against him though,with one arm loosely draped over his upper torso, and had been ever since they'd collectively fallen asleep here...having neglected to remove any more clothing than the upper layers. As in, Jared had only T-shirt and on, while Sumire was down to her ( somewhat revealing, but that was ok; it wasn't as if there was anybody around to watch ) tank top, with her dark hair haphazardly mussed and tousled. Her Tactical Comms-Pad, which spent hours of every day tucked securely into the crook of her left arm, was, needless to say, nowhere to be found here and now. She'd actually nearly taken it along with her, before remembering at the last moment that nobody sleeps with their Tac-Pad, and so had set carefully aside instead.
Speaking of things getting set aside, though, she had least not done that with her ability react appropriately to a " Imminent Hostile Contact " alarm, though the submerged sense of just having woken up ( and out of the blue by a screeching alarm, on top of that ) was hampering her a...just a tad.
Still, not by that much, and she was already in the process of scrubbing the sleep from both her almond-shaped eyes, digging into their corners with her palms, and nimble fingertips.
" Morning, sunshine ! "
".. Feeling alive yet ?! ", Jared asked her, feeling a smirk beginning to pull at one end of his mouth. " Seems we're back on the clock ! "
He was careful not to shout, but there was a palpable sense of anticipation that had already begun to bloom through him. How could it not ?
Despite the inherent rudeness of the alarm waking him up, he was still aware there could be only one reason for the alert going off. There was only one reason that the ship was warning them that someone was coming, and more importantly...
...he knew who it was.
Exactly who, and it was someone who promised to be the greatest challenge he's ever faced.
Or...his total destruction, along with his entire company. A sentiment that Sumire had voiced more than once ( not to mention loudly and pointedly ) and one that she would doubtlessly do again, because she was wired to do so as Jared was to do the opposite.
And-
-well, it would have to wait, of course. Because a contact alarm was still a contact alarm, and that by default required that you shake off the cobwebs, get your mind fully online ( or at least 75 percent ),
" Awake ? Yes ", Sumire murmured, swinging both her long legs off the mattress, to place her bare soles on the chilly deck.
"...Alive , though ? I could remind you who just showed up to kill us...but you already know. Its too late to run now, anyway. "
Of course. That' the point...!
...Which is that only cowards run from fights that they can actually win..
..and I am no coward. Neither is anyone I have with me on this vessel.
Jared had no need to point this out to her yet again, though. Not anymore...
She understood. For all her protests- vocal, strenuously put protests-, she had at last grasped how fundamentally opposed Jared was to not locking horns with the Black Widow in a pitched battle, lance against lance, and how he'd long ago put his foot down on doing anything else.
Sumire was right about one thing in particular, though: The Legion couldn't escape now.
" If I wanted to run from danger, babe, I'd have become a merchant ", Jared declared, following the Navigator in the act of standing up.
" Well, merchants may not have assess to a combat vessel crammed several hundred tons of Battletech, and slugging out with another machine of the same stature and firepower... ", began the long-repeated reminder from the Navigator, on point as always. "...but they still live and run through he same hot zones as we do. They've learned a few tricks for standing up for themselves- including spotting an unwinnable fight before it begins ! "
The alarms were still filling the compartment with their noise, around them and overhead, as they both began to hunt around for their scattered and discarded items of clothing. Ones that would certainly be needed going forward, as although this wasn't a formal military outfit, having a woman walking around without a top or bra on ( especially one with a tantalizing body like Sumire's ) would be distracting and disruptive to smooth and civil daily operations...to put it mildly.
Some standards were needed, even for Mercs.
" One from the Lyran Commonwealth, because they're the most spineless of the lot !", Jared added with a tinge of derision, as he found and then lifted his piled and bunched up shirt, which had wound up somewhere just north of where his head had been laid.
" Come on...aha !"
There you are...
In a fluid motion, he shook it out with a quick snap of both arms, turned around, began tugging it on over himself...and was greeted by the very pleasing sight of Sumire's exposed breasts, which subtly quivered in superbly alluring way, as she set about sliding her legs into her uniform's lower half.
God Above...
Legs which were no less visually appealing...insofar as how they were both long and toned.
You did real well sculpting this one.
No matter how often he laid eyes on it, Sumire's form was always mesmerizing to see. Even the few seconds worth was enough to stir up his pulse, and put a smile on his face- because how could it not ? How could it not ?
None, was the answer. It couldn't. There was no way, because with her voluptuous ( yet not skinny , just sturdy ) figure, the Taurian woman was undeniably, and un-exgerratedly beautiful, whether nearly completely undressed, or wearing muddy Hazmat gear. It was probably just as well, then, that her usual attire was so primly modest...because while nobody had the right to observe that amazing body. Whereas her considerable intelligence and sharp tongue were easy to be aware of ( and a single staff meeting was enough for both to be exhibited ), anything aside from them was very much exclusive.
As it the should be. Jared didn't bother wasting his credits in any of the..." Gentleman's Clubs " that dotted any of the cities of the worlds that the Legion visited. He had someone to have something with, not just sheet dancing for dough.
Didn't mean they couldn't get personal, of course, but it wasn't the same with club escorts...in the worst ways it could.
But..there was no time to get re-acquainted, and for the umpteenth time as well.
After all, the alarms had spoken, and their message had been crystal clear...
Their enemy- the company's enemy- had arrived.
The Black Widow, was here.
To name but one, of their enemies...
" Alright everyone- get your dancing shoes on ! We're about to get into the thick of it. "
Clapping his hands together with a loud smack that rang out like a whip, Jared strode through the entrance doors of the Leviathan's CIC. Sumire was right by his side, not even a step behind, with her ever-reliable datapad once again coming along for the ride.
It was a way of coming in that everyone on the command staff was very familiar with, and sure enough, neither Yang, nor Dr. Murad, or Darius batted an eye as their commanding officer and the last member of the top-ranking company staff arrived, as did the plethora of crewmembers that were diligently and busily attending to their assigned tasks from wall to wall.
The scene they'd long ago become accustomed to. It was a component of their daily routine, and as essential as having coffee at the beginning of every morning cycle. The command staff would assemble there, one by one or sometimes by various forms of pairs (though the Jared/Sumire duo was always consistent ), till they were all there and present.
It was then, that the proceedings would get underway, with Darius generally being the one that broached each new item on the agenda, to be submitted to Jared for the final decision to be made...after, of course, it'd been bounced between the others first so they could apply their own opinions and choice of options to it. The Armageddon Steel legion was a civil organization, at the end of the day, and democratic measures like that were not uncommon in the usual stream of what went on.
But, today...somehow..
Things were different.
And it was in a way that was immediately overt-
" Boss ! We already are ! "
What the- Jared could not help but blink.
That's not normal...
" Have a look at this...! Quite a nugget I got right here.. "
Yang was not one to get up at the front of the line, so to speak, at least during the daily briefs. He was most comfortable down in the sea of grease and sparks that was the set of Battlemech bays on the Leviathan's lower decks, and while he was no wallflower, he was primarily the one who wasn't the first to speak up...
...except now. Somewhat oddly.
But, not that much. There was, then again, some precedent for it.
The portly Capellan man was gesturing urgently toward the central holo console, which was, as per usual, ablaze with its signature azure and amber orange light. The soft electronic glow was easily illuminating everything and everyone around it...which included the forms of Darius and Dr. Murad in their usual positions opposite their counterparts, on the other side of the table.
Arms crossed as they generally tended to be, Darius was staring at what the display had to show, while nearby, the heavily built woman from the Free Worlds League was also studying it intently, albeit with a more...enthralled expression than that of the XO, who's own face was an calmly composed as Jared had ever seen it.
Unlike Yang, who was uncharacteristically in a mood- but angry or concerned ? There seemed to be a decent amount of both apparent, that Jared couldn't tell definitively either way...
Which was why he thus now asked-
" Slow down, Mr. Virtannen ! Take it one step at a time ", the PMC commander instructed, as he and Sumire reached the rest of the gang.
" What was so critical, that you were dancing on coals waiting for me to get here ...? "
As he spoke, though, Jared's gaze fell upon what the holotable was so insistently portraying...but even then, it still didn't inherently give away what Yang might be getting at. All it did show, was an array of what was clearly a set of...
...LosTech !
Yes, it is
" That's right, boss...you found it. "
It was LosTech, Jared could now tell. The holotable was displaying a collection of gear and weaponry that had been created by the Star League Defense Force, over 300 years ago. The most powerful and effective examples of technology that had ever been crafted in the Milky Way, had been done so by the hands of the SLDF, and even though 3 centuries had gone by since they'd varnished into the depths of the Deep Periphery, that milestone hadn't yet been reached...
Not quite. Not that Jared understood why, either. If examples of this " Lost Technology " existed, then surely it would be possible to do some reverse-engineering, and rebuild more copies for full manufacturing. Or, the same could've been achieved if more expeditions and missions would be carried out to locate hidden SLDF bases ( the enigmatic " Castles ", that were usually buried deep within mountains, which in turn were also hard to find themselves, within the most remote regions of the most remote and uninhabited planets ), which would doubtlessly contain more troves of online SLDF tech, or at least a fully rigged data core laden with schematics and blueprints.
Well, they do have that kind of treasure. Heck, Castle Nautilus was chock full of it...
Damn Taurains turned up and forced us to blow the place to rubble to stop 'em getting their hands on it though...
Lightly exhaling in annoyance at the memory, Jared shelved his frustrations of the galaxy's incompetence at recovering/replicating LosTech aside for the present , and instead leaned forward on the edge of the holotable, setting his palms on it.
A blue-orange Gauss Rifle glimmered back at him- as did a Pulse Laser. And a pair of Deep-Capacity Heat Sinks. And...a COIL.
There was an actual COIL that he was seeing here ! A COIL ! Granted, Jared had several of them in his possession, but finding them had required a long and profoundly frustrating search across nearly a dozen black markets ( some of which had distastefully been in Capellan space ), before he'd finally been fortunate enough to come across several COILs that were in good enough shape to be worth selling.
If there was any LosTech worth possessing, it was a COIL. Their exceptional power ( which was increased exponentially the further the Mech armed with it moved before firing ) alone could shear an arm off any Mech short of an Atlas, or punch through its central torso ( CT )'s armor plating. Indeed, only the Gauss Rifle could match it in terms of " This will put you on your ass ".
But, Yang knows all this as well as I do...
We both know. So...why...
Wait...perhaps, he's found , or been informed, of where we might find more of them !
Admiration turned to more curiosity, and intensely so. But, rather than outright ask...this time, Jared opted to simply prompt his Head MechTech to supply the answers.
He straightened up, and turned his attention to the Capellan, raising one eyebrow expectantly, and gesturing as much toward the holographic high-end, borderline ancient weaponry.
Fortunately, the MechTech was quick on the uptake. "...That is all actually from a recent development, boss. "
" A ' recent development ' ? ". Now both of Jared's brows were up. " You're going to have to clarify that. "
" And use details, Yang. ", Sumire crisply insisted, at last speaking . " You're the most laconic person on this ship- and one of the most I've ever met. "
" Ok, that's a cheap shot. I only use the words I need- not 50 more, like you. ", Yang struck back.
" Better 50 more than 50 less. Now, get on with it. The contact alarms went off, in case you hadn't realized "
Yang rolled his eyes. " Yeah, I got it, Nav...",
That being said, Sumire had a point, which even he recognized, so he acquiesced and delved into the specifics.
The Mechtech stood, leaving the stack of crates and boxes that he tended to use as an improvised chair by the holotable, and put a hand out to operate one of its interfaces. Deftly adjusting them, he brought up the portraits of a pair of Mechwarriors that everybody in the room was well antiquated with.
And not in a good way...
" You asked, so I shall deliver. ", Yang declared, waving his real hand at the holo-images that had just appeared.
" You're looking at a bunch of Lostech...and at the visages of the one and only Black Widow herself. And, just as the whipped cream on top, the Bounty Hunter as well !..Whoever the heck he is. "
" Yes, yes...the so-called ' Deadliest MechWarrior that ever lived '. ". Jared did not bother to hide his skepticism. " And her runner-up, the legendary " Bounty Hunter ".
" Overplayed tools, the both of them. Keep going, Chief. "
It was the perfect opprinunity- really, quite perfect- for Sumire to loudly remind him of how the BW had one of the highest recorded kill counts of any Mechwarrior that existed on any database that anybody ( from a single Merc Company to one of the 7 Powers ) in the whole of the Inner sphere .
Then again, however, Jared had gone to great lengths to patiently remind and educate her on how the Armageddon Steel legion did not run from their enemies, and that they would hold their ground without having run away first, as doing the latter was something strictly reserved for those who's spines were filled with jelly. He had done all he could to get that point across to her...which had required getting past her oddly out-of-character paranoia over anyone's reputation, no matter how formidably ominous it may or may not be.
To be truly just, though, Jared hadn't 100 percent tossed away considering the lethality of either the Black Widow herself, or her retinue of LosTech-weighed down MechWarriors. He did value Sumire's assessment of what the BW was capable of, and had no reason to suspect or even think that the Taurain was exaggerating-
- as much as she said that the BW was a high-level threat, though. She'd also said that the BW " would absolutely end them ", if they ever crossed paths. Which was about to happen today !
Yes, she should, by all past track records, be interrupting him with some kind of quasi-scolding about how he was dangerously underestimating exactly how superior the BW was compared to him, how he had doomed them all by wholly committing to this battle, and how he and the rest of who among the Company's MechWarriors he'd take with him had all but no statistical chance to come out this with a win.
This would be the perfect time for all of that...even though it was basically the 11th hour. The alarms had gone off, and the Mechs had been under the care of the MechTechs for more than long enough by now to be ready. Every MechWarrior on the Company payroll was in fighting health, and with that, the full eqatuion was complete.
The Legion was ready to go. But, Sumire could still go for a last bid to change Jared's mind-
...
..And she did not.
Not a word. If she had wanted to speak up, Jared would still let her speak , despite how much it'd have annoyed him to no end, as he permitted everyone under his command to speak their mind if they wanted. Yet, that she had not done so was the final proof that she understood he message he had for her.
And that she'd understood him all along. She understood him, his nature, his very character. The sudden realization was...like a puzzle piece getting slotted neatly into place. Though Jared hadn't doubted her commitment to him ( as much as he'd ever doubted hers to him )...this counted for so much.
Maybe more than he realized...if the smile that his mouth now became was a sign of anything.
One he didn't bother doing anything to, as Yang went on as asked.
" ..Well,its about this absolutely a last-minute kind of nugget of intel we found linked to both of 'em...and you should probably thank Doc as much as anyone. She kinda helped me out with it. "
He jerked his chin toward Dr. Murad. " Actually, more like a 50/60 split. "
" You're too kind, Mr Virtanen ", the Free Worlds League local responded, with a shake of her Hijab covered head.
There you two go again...
Adorable.
Glancing toward the company's resident aerospace engineer/ SLDF historian, Jared bade her to lift the slack. " Is that so, Doc ? "
Evidently, she had expected to be addressed , because she immediately turned to face him, and answered by launching into what could only be a prepared spiel. " Oh, absolutely, sir..."
" I know we're pressed for time, so I'll keep this short: We've done some deep-dive examining of all the battles recorded as the Black Widow having fought in, as well as for the Bounty Hunter. What we dug up, showed that all the wrecks of their destroyed targets showed clear signs of having been slagged by... LosTech weapons. All that you're seeing here: Pulse Lasers, Gauss Rifles, ER Lasers, COILs...! "
Her tone, and volume, had taken an decidedly excited upwards pitch the moment she uttered the word " LosTech ", though nobody was surprised. Her love affair with the ancient regime that had initially produced it was well known to all...ever since they'd first learned of the existence of the Dobrev, and its ( possible ) ties to the void-swallowed SLDF...
Which she was alone in caring about. At least in that sense...thinking they were essentially the saviors of the whole Inner Sphere, even when they were at the height of their power..
...though, given that they were nowhere to be seen , that was all very much in doubt.
But, regardless, she would be allowed to go on uninterrupted. Something valuable would likely come from it.
" Every last fight on their names ,tracks that way ", the Doc went on, panning her focus from one staff member to another as she did. " All of them. They're in possession of vast stocks of LosTech, sir. And not just their weaponry, or MechGear..."
Oh...here it comes.
Go on, and just say it.
"..but there's also a chance, based on all that, that they might have been drawing from a fully intact SLDF Memory Core ! ", the Free Worlds Leaguer finished, triumphantly spreading both hands in a suitably fitting gesture of emphasis. " A SLDF Core ! If I could get my hands on any of their Mech's battle computers, that would..or at least gives me a high shot, of confirming if they do, and where it is ! Do you understand ?! We could get another, actual, honest to God, SLDF Memory core !"
It was really cute, how her eyes were shining like a child's at the mere hint of tracking down one of those techno Holy Grails, Jared had to admit. It was a lot like watching a teenager getting permission to get earrings, or getting her driver's license. Basically, she was practically giddy over it...as she'd always been. If there was ever anyone of the Inner Sphere who carried a torch for the ( very likely not ever ) return of the SLDF from the depths of the Deep Periphery, where General Kerensky had led them off to all those centuries ago, it was her.
( Exactly why she'd want them back, though, was another matter. She did believe they were somehow saviors who simply hadn't arrived yet, after all...)
But, that was beside the current point, the Merc Commander grasped. Said point being, of course, that both of the " legendary " Mechwarriors come for the Legion were essentially LosTech troves on the move !
" So, we'll have even more more top-shelf gear at our disposal...after annihilating them. ", Jared remarked.
" Now that is some encouraging news, and no mistake. "
A cluster of sparks rose within him at the mere thought of that...
All that sweet, delectable SLDF weaponry.
Could be all ours. And that's saying something, given the the last core we found...
" Not this again, Doc ! ", huffed the Taurian.
She'd taken a long while to get past her crippling fear of the Black Widow, but her overall lack of fawning all over the " legend " of the Star League was very much still embedded- and Jared had no intent of prying it loose. Mostly because he was on board with that kind of thinking.
It just wasn't practical to have those kinds of flowery thoughts...and Sumire was practical to a fault.
As she was loudly and explicitly reminding the Doc right now-
" Sumire- "
" Doc, look here. We're grateful for the intel on the LosTech, that's for sure. But, you know as well as I do that the two deadliest Mechwarriors of the Inner Sphere- "
" Ahem ! ", Jared loudly cleared his throat.
"...Yes, let me backtrack a tad: two of the three deadliest MechWarriors, ", Sumire seamlessly corrected herself, before barrelling on. ", are less than 2 hours away, from reaching us ! The contact alarms aren't for show, you know."
She now took on a slightly lecturing tangent." Given their reps as being as dangerous as they are, they're not stupid enough to let us intercept them in orbit- we're going to have to fight it out on the ground. Lance on Lance...against them. Quite possibly, both at once. "
It was on such an ominous note, that Darius at last entered the discussion, via uncrossing both arms, and then leaning on the edge of the holotable as if he were the Chief Executive of ComStar itself.
" And that is where we deal with them ", he decisively told the Navigator. " Full on House Steiner style, like we always do. "
" Yeah. Just swinging the cudgel- why mess with something that's gone swimmingly for you every single time, right ? ", interjected the Capellan.
Dead on, Yang. Jared smirked.
Dead on.
Dr. Murad agreed, though in her own scholarly, fantasizing-about-the-SLID way: " True. The application of excessive firepower is how the Star League fought its battles as well...
" Doc. Are you serious...? ", Sumire grumbled, not wanting to sit through that ramble all over again.
Thankfully, the Doc in question managed to get a handle on it, and stopped before irritating the Navigator any more.
That's another reason I love you, Sumi, ran the Merc Commander's admiring thoughts.
You and I both get that all this " The SL is out there somewhere, and its coming home for us bringing ponies and lollipops " is fairy tale.
Nothing more, nothing less.
It was always a satisfying moment, whenever they thought alike. Which was actually often, all things considered. The ( debatable ) critical threat of the BW and the BH wasn't, not really, but kissing up to what remained of the Star League's legacy certainly was.
Just a fantasy.
Still, what wasn't was how they didn't have that many minutes on the clock till their highly-unfriendly company arrived, and being sure they were fully prepped to deal with it was , and had been, the highest company priority.
They had to get their Lance on the ground. They had to get into the best positions possible to receive the combined forces of their greatest enemies...who were all but right on top of them.
Chomping at the bit, and loaded for bear. Bad news for them, though...
So was the Legion.
And it was time to kick them in gear. Jared inhaled, slightly..
Then-
" Ok, all of you ! "
He pitched his voice loud, though not shouting. Just a few decibels above that of a conversation, and easily enough to get all 4 heads to orient his way.
School's in session, kids. His commander's spirit was rising again, and he could feel the battle approaching.
They needed to know that it on them to meet it head on, and they were doing it now.
" The time for talking- here, at least- is over. We're in condition red, and we're staying there till every last Mech of the Black Widow and Bounty Hunter are smoking scrap ! "
He turned toward Yang. " Chief ! All the upgrades, repairs and rearming for the mechs are done, yes ? "
The Capellan nodded briskly. " Roger that, boss. All and every each one, wrapped up, and ready for action soon as you say when. "
" Well, thank God you stayed on with us, and not the Confederation. No Communist state is. ". Jared then turned his attention to the Company's XO.
" Darius ! Be sure you watch for their dropships. See if you can't maneuver the Leviathan into a firing lane against either, or preferably, both. "
The Nassau Heights native nodded comprehensively. " Roger that. "
Yes...
You all know the score.
They were snapping to, and getting into the groove. All of them- that's why this company was as respected as it was within the MRB, and even outside it. It was because the brass at the top was as well oiled as the MechWarriors and MechTechs, and other ship's staff that made up the unit, and as well suited to staying that way as any of the 7 Powers' armed forces. They may not have been as strictly regimented, and had a more informal way of operating, but when the rubber met the road, they'd come together, and they'd get results.
He saw it on all their expressions- even the formerly recalcitrant Sumire. She was still apprehensive- nothing that could be done about that- but at least she was committed to ensuring that Jared's commitment would have all the support she could give it...even if she still thought they didn't have much of a shot.
Which they did, though. They were anything but a rank and file PMC...not by a lightyear shot.
If that wasn't the case, then none of what they had would exist. That the rule of the Inner Sphere- might made right. And the Armageddon Steel Legion, had more than a touch of might to be thrown around and against whoever deserved and had earned it from them.
Bad news for the Black Widow and the Hunter: They'd gotten on that list. Mostly by dint of existing...and by having the gall to threaten the Legion. Such an offense wouldn't be allowed to stand.
Jared would see to it himself.
Not much more to say or do now...
Well, there is one...
The Commander nodded again, partially in response to Darius' acknowledgment, though also to own call to issue a final set of rallying words.
Probably unneeded, he knew. He did believe in actions over words, or at least that words were mostly used as a preface for action, that was true. But...
...this was the fight of this career. The fight that would be worth nothing in the history books, if ever there was one. It was, special. And, a special , standout battle deserved something that was outside the norm.
Not a long speech, no. But, long enough to get the point across. Get the blood up, so to speak.
He did not need to met each of their gazes; they were already paying attention, as they were wired to do by now. Even those elsewhere on the vessel, or those were on the bridge here with them, though they were not as near, would listen closely to what he had to say.
All he need to do was speak..
So, he did.
" Comms ! ", he called out, putting a authoritative edge to his voice.
" Put me on the PA. Every deck, every compartment. Now ! "
The Comms team was quick to react, and a few seconds later, the head officer on that section of the bridge announced that the link was fully set up and prepared.
" You're online, Commander. "
Excellent...
Let them now know what's about to go down...and what it all means for us all.
Jared had no prepared words, but he did not need them. He simply needed to speak truly, from his own self. To do what he always did.
He put a hand forward, and with a few quick keystrokes, opened the microphone function on the console before him. An emerald green light glimmered, indicating that the ship-wide PA was indeed functioning.
His tongue ran across the back of his teeth, and he knew there was no more delaying to be had.
So, his mouth opened, and he spoke:
" Attention, all hands ! All hands, this is your commander ! "
The bridge's speakers came alive, filling every corner of the space with noise. Heads from wall to wall craned up, toward its source...
Such was the case across the vessel. As Jared wished, every last corner of Leviathan could hear him now.
Thus, he used it.
" The enemy is here, Legionnaires ! We know what they have, we know where they're going, and most of all, we know what they want ! They're after the loot on the Dobrev, the stash of LosTech its carrying, and they're here for our heads to get it ! "
Fire coated what he was telling them, and not an ounce of it was contrived.
" I won't let them ! My Mechwarriors and I won't let them ! We've crushed everyone and anyone who's ever had the spine to go up against us, and today won't be any different ! We're going to give them all they can handle, and then some, because when have we ever done otherwise ?! Not once, is when ! You know this to be true...you know. "
" Stand to your posts. Stay alert. God and our guns willing, we're going to the ones left standing when this is over. That is all, Legionaries.
"We have a fight to be had. "
' King Titan '
Jared's personal Atlas.
59 ft tall, and 100 tons, of pure, unrestrained, power.
Just looking at it, was enough to grasp how utterly lethal it was. The Assault Mech was like a bunker on legs; an absolute unit, and a pillar of toughness. Its skull-esque face screamed death, primal ferocity, and the fathoms-deep potential to unleash devastation and destruction of the highest level upon any target its copious arsenal of LosTech hardware locked onto.
The twin barrels of its UAC/10 batteries, jutting out strikingly from its chest's left side, were perhaps the most visible sign of that might...aside from the Mech's sheer stature. It was akin to standing at the base of the Burj Al-Khalifa tower in Dubai, back on Earth- being at the base of something that loomed over you, so high you needed your head all the way back to fully see the top. So wide, it could block light from above...
You were literally in shadow, if you stood before the Atlas. The King of Titans.
The Emperor of Machines...
The Atlas.
Jared had taken this one into battle again, again, and again. Over 100 enemy Mechs ( mostly Capellans ) had gone down while he was in the Titan's cockpit, not to mention the dozens of main battle tanks, missile carriers, Urban Assault Vehicles ( UAVs ), and Armored Personnel Carriers ( APCs ). So many had been obliterated by the scorching lasers, heavy shells, and missile warheads, that instead of one-by-one kill tallies, he marked them down with icons that represented 10.
Each. Having 100 tally marks would be a bit gaudy. And even then, at the rate he tended racked up kills, he'd still run out space.
Mess with he best, and you die like the rest.
Drooooooomm...
The rumbling whine of a Mech's reactor coming online pulled him from his reverie...
...and reminded him that he was very much in the cusp of yet another battle.
The Annihilator mech in the next bay over was waking up...the last of the command Lance to do so. Weighing in at 100 tons ( thus putting in the same class as the Atlas ), the Annihilator was also a tremendously powerful mech, capable of throwing oceans of lead downrange with its array of heavy long range Ultra-Autocannons, all of them synced by its Ballistics Stabilization Computer ( BSC ). Several Pulse Lasers provided ample backup when things got closer, and a pair of machine guns stood as the final line of defense.
Well, that, and its arms, of course. The augmented actuators in them let the " Beer Gut Mech " ( A nickname that was technically apt, as the Annihilator did have a rather bulging midsection ), punch with the impact of a speeding freight train. Tubby though it might appear , the Annihilator was still a tall, solidly built, and exceptionally dangerous Mech that was right up there with the Banshee, the King Crab, and of course...the Atlas, for the collection of Assault Mechs that were the greatest threat on any field.
It hadn't gotten its official designation for nothing, needless to say.
Still, it was useless as useless got without a Mechwarrior...but that was already covered.
" 66 here-online. Repeat, I'm online. ", reported the other Company Mechwarrior who hailed from the Federated Suns. " Checking systems now..."
Jared brought his wrist-mounted comm up to his chin, and issued a reply. " Copy that, Dragon. You're the last one in the lineup- soon as you've finalized your systems, we'll begin the loading process. "
" Confirm. ", he finished.
" Roger that, Commander ! "
" Got it, Dragon. "
Jared ended his end of the comms call, though the channel remained open. It needed to be, of course, as he needed to communicate with the rest of the Lance...
..not to mention the second one. There were going to be 8 Legionnaire Lances on the deck for this Op- over 800 tons of metal. 800 tons ! It was going to be the heaviest combat deployment of his company Mechs in their whole history...
By a country mile.
Already, the bay was brimming wall to wall with the growly, industrial-strength of numerous Mech reactors reaching full power, and the low-gear klaxon of the warning sirens, signalling that a Mech was about to begin moving, and for anyone remotely near to give it a very wide berth- getting stepped on by 100 tons of combat machine was something that the Legion reserved strictly for whoever they ran into on the field.
Preferably, you'd just shoot them, but occasionally, they closed the gap, so thus...it was time for CQB ( Close Quarter Battle ).
I still remember that time Dekker kicked a Locust with his Cyclops...
One sided as all heck. Why in the name of the Lord would you fight a Cyclops..in a Locust ? Geez. That's a rookie mistake.
We don't do that here.
What they did do, however, was succeed.
Over and over again, to put it simply, yet aptly. They had all dropped together over 200 times, set onto the surface of dozens of worlds all over the Inner Sphere, from the ones that were smothered in layers of ice and snow so vast and dense they could easily be mistaken for Antarctica if you didn't know better, to ones that were carpeted with endless, thriving jungles that would put the Amazon to shame, to deserts and arid landscapes that were comparable with the Atacama itself, all the way back on Earth.
Marching through all those immensely varied environments, they'd exchanged fire with everyone from Capelleans ( though, that was par for the course; everyone was lining up to shoot the Space Communists, if given half a chance. ), the myriad of pirate gangs that voraciously roamed wherever they choose ( similar to a PMC group like the Legion, with the exception being the Legion didn't attack everybody they saw for the sake of it ), any of the " unaffiliated " colonies that had no control over anything other than themselves, and even the Lyran Commonwealth ( Who despite being astonishingly wealthy, weren't exactly tactical masterminds. Out of the Great Powers, they and the Capellans were the ones Jared didn't mind lighting up ) !
They'd even wiped out a few zealous cults, dedicated to the veneration of SLDF technology and buried deep in the unmapped wilderness of planets. Dr. Murad's vocal disdain of them had been quite amusing to Jared, given that it was her who was saying them. If she had not already a faith of her own to follow, it wouldn't have shocked the PMC commander to find her among them. After all, the ecstatic reaction she'd had to the crates upon crates filled with LosTech was nothing short of a sight to behold. One could only assume how over ( any ) moon she'd have been to have been gifted an SLDF memory core...
In short, the Mechs of the Legion had fought through enough battles to burn through a convoy's worth of ammo...several times over, and on more planets than the vast majority of citizens of any world, of any power, would ever expect to visit. Their armor plates, those thicc blankets of ablative materials, had soaked up lasers, plasma and shells from the muzzles of a thousand different adversaries on the battlefield, yet they were still here. Along with the Mechs they safeguarded.
Along with the Mechwarriors who steered them into combat.
Along with the ships' staff and crew who gave them the intel they fed upon like oxygen, and who stood by to welcome them back when the battles were won...
A sense of actual accomplishment manifested though him, as it had many times before.
" Commander ?! Commander, all green across the board. Ready to deploy, on your orders. "
Despite his musing, Jared had kept an ear open on comms, and the report stemming from the pilot of his Lance's Stalker was exactly the kind he'd been waiting to hear . Already seated straight up, he needed only to speak.
So, he did. " Copy that, Dragon. Actuators loose ? "
" Roger. "
" Guns cool, ready to go hot ? "
" That's affirmative. "
" No anomalies to speak of ? "
" Negative. MechTechs found nothing, and neither did I. ".
" Perfect. Then, let's get to dispensing some pain, Mechwarrior. Report to your pod. "
" Right away. But, before I do so..."
" ...They will need many bullets, Sir ", the other Mechwarrior assured him, repeating an old mantra of one of the FedSuns' most esteemed Mech battalions, of which he had complete ed years of duty prior to enlisting with the Legion.
One's who's sub-culture Jared was familiar with, and readily accepted.
" ..And today, we feed the vultures ", he proclaimed, finishing the rest of the chant that the other MechWarrior had begun. It was anohter holdover from the military days they'd both left behind, yet technically had revived via the chosen career of a Solider of Fortune.
Mercenaries ( as the most blunt term for them might say ) or not, some elements from that past life would carry on.
As the 2nd FedSun MechWarrior now did, carrying the tremendous bulk of his Mech to lumber forward like some kind of storybook giant, headed for the Exatmospheric Assault Drop Container ( EADC, or " E-Dak " ) that would carry the command Lance to the surface.
Even taller and wider than any of the Legion's assault mechs, the EADC had to be, for it needed enough internal space to accommodate all 4 of the Assault Mechs. Considering the awesome stature of each of the 100 tonners, that the cocoon was able to house them led to it all but blocking out completely the lights that lined the bay's ceiling.
As soon as the Edak was moved via rails to the doors built into the hangar's deck, they would open, and away it would go, plummeting from low orbit, all the way down to the ground. A gargantuan freefall, of over 200,000 ft, which had the E-dak glowing white hot well before it was even halfway to its destination. The MechWarriors going along for the ride were, despite being double wrapped in both the EADC's superdense temperature-resistant hull and the cockpits of their Mechs, would still be rattled and jounced like a player shaking the dice in their hand prior to casting them. They would brace themselves as best they could, aware that as E-dak's fell as fast as a meteor did, they would be on solid ground once again in very short order, without question.
It was like being in an elevator...with the cables sliced. And then it stopped...with its built in retro boosters and drag-chutes stealing just enough of all that speed so that the E-dak and its passengers wouldn't be pasted upon landing. THe very second it did, the hatches blew open via explosive bolts, leaving the MechWarriors abaord free to come stomping out, weapons blazing immediately if that's what was needed.
Either way...they would be on the dirt, and finally in the fight.
One I should be on my way to right now...
Yes...
Jared's Mechwarriors were all suited up, geared up, and astride their machines. Said Mechs were now residing within the EADC, all 3 of them. They were as ready to go as they could get, and they were chomping at the bit to boot.
They were just waiting on him..
" Seems you're the last one to get on the LosTech-Geeks express, Colossus..."
From off on his right, Sumire made an observation.
One that was very much on point, for certain.
Jared turned his head to find the beautiful Taurain was still there...where she'd been ever since the PMC boss had arrived on the hangar floor along with the other of the command Lance to " Get wrapped with steel " ( as MechWarriors called placing yourself within a Mech ). She'd wordlessly followed him, all the way up to the catwalks that surrounded the 3 walls of the bay the Atlas was standing in, and had continued to remain unspoken as Jared had one last talk with the MechTech team supervising the towering heavyweight. Even as he'd fist bumped several of them, grabbed his helmet, and checked his laser handgun sidearm...she still hadn't.
Thoughts ran crazy in Jared's mind as to why...and he didn't like it.
This was literally the last minute before things became irreversible...no, they already were. He was about to drop with his men- Dragon 66, Test 9, and Archangel. They were waiting on him as he stood here in this moment, and he could not keep them.
But, why was Sumire here , if not to say anything ? Not that her company wasn't welcome- it was- but...
She was out of time, as well. Jared needed only to climb into his own cockpit...and then it would be past the point of no return for what the Navigator lady might want to communicate.
Jared had wanted to not prompt her...even as the clock ticked down to drop. He wanted her to come out with it on her own.
Yet...
The E-Dak was beckoning...as was his Atlas.
And, yet...
" Yeah...that's about summing it up ", Jared agreed, with a fittingly concurrent nod.
" Better go join them, before they leave me behind. I haven't let them go alone; that's too dangerous."
He tipped his head toward the idling E-dak. " Today won't be the day that changes... "
" I know ", Sumire calmly noted. " You're that kind of boss- the kind they'll always follow, because you always lead. "
" Like Markham did ? "
" Markham wasn't as crazy as you. "
A chuckle-inducing remark, and one was pretty much as true as one could be. Jared didn't mind the light laugh.
Not at all. If only it could last longer...
" Point taken. ". The PMC commander shrugged, with a relaxed manner. " But boldness and craziness are on the same coin. "
" True...they are. ", the Taurain agreed.
I wouldn't mind doing thing for a while longer, honey...
...but the Black Widow breathing down our necks.
Oh, and the Bounty Hunter. Whoever that is...
Without fully pulling is gaze from the symmetrically pretty face in front of him, Jared widened it with a gradual turn to include his Atlas' head...with its cockpit hatch yawing open. It was calling to him...
..and he wanted to answer. He would...
Just...just one more thing, though.
One more.
He breathed in, began turning back.
" So, Sumire. Was there something you wanted to as-"
And...that was all. He suddenly found he was breathing in.
" Hh. "
Because...Sumire was kissing him now.
He could have stopped her.
He could've...
As he'd turned, she was already right about to, having covered the gap between them in a few quick strides.
She'd embraced him, pulling him right up against her, tightly and closely as could be. Her chest, who's firm softness was always well hidden beneath the cobalt blue of her top, now pressed very noticeably against Jared's own.
Matched only, by the softness of her lips, as they clamped and also pressed deeply, not to mention passionately, against those of the Mech Commander. Her hands glided to where they could grip most securely, across certain shoulder blades and upper back...
Yes..Jared could've stopped her. He could've stopped, any of this.
But, why would he ?
That was it- he wouldn't
Because...he actually couldn't. There was no way.
He lived for this..as much as he did for the life of a MechWarrior. The feelings he had for this woman were..well, there weren't enough words to cover the breadth of it all.
But, they were tremendous. Overwhelming...and she would hug him like this, and kiss him like this, then there was not a twitch or pulse in all his psychical form to stop him, from returning everything in full, and not matching her ounce for ounce.
As he did now, seamlessly and immediately.
He proceeded to grasp her, around her waist, lower down. Not quite touching her ass ( though, nearly...and besides: It was a finely shaped one to behold ), but near enough. The PMC commander drew her as close to him as she'd drawn him to her, though he was careful not to squeeze her too hard..
Seriously...
I don't know how I ended up with someone like you...but I am not complaining.
He could not hurt her. Not ever...
...and Lord , any moment like this, was worth keeping going, long enough to matter.
Sink into it, and let it ride...
...but...inevitably..
...They were mutually forced to come up for air, while still in each other's arms. Their foreheads bumped, lightly...as the echoes of the bay's noise went on and on.
As their pulses mutually continued running like an overcharged V8 engine, and as their breathing continued coming in low, gasps.
Less than a minute had gone by- there was still plenty of room on the clock to drop, though it seemed like much longer...
...and they were at a good angle to literally see eye to eye.
Staring into the ones of the Taurian, and seeing the burning desire that was there, Jared understood now, that this was what she'd wanted to say. This was what she had wanted to communicate so much, that she had used no words till now.
She hadn't had to.
Words weren't enough...and they both understood. THey both knew this wasn't about sex ( which they hadn't actually had yet ), or anything casual. It went without saying, that they were going for the long haul. Heck, that'd become crystal clear quite early on, and it didn't let them forget it.
Or vice versa.
The PMC boss slowly reached up with a thumb, tenderly brushing over Sumire's cheek.
One last gesture, before he knew he'd have to go to join his Lance, and drop with them to battle the Widow and the Hunter.
But, even as he did, and while not taking his eyes off hers...
..She finally spoke. Barely above a whisper, but more than enough.
What she did have to say, was so much more than enough, and yet just as much welcome.
And true.
So very, very true they'd turn out to be...
"..I love you", the Taurian murmured, with her voice laced with nothing but affection, and well-welcomed spark of confidence.
" You finish this with them...and I'll be waiting for you, because you may be total madman , but you're my madman."
" And I'm your girl, Jared...always. "
" Always. "