I'd like to thank Daryk for betareading this chapter.
Chapter 5: Solaris VII
'We didn't really talk about our respective escapes from our families. Not for some time. Leaving your family… Well, for me it was easier - I knew none of my family wanted to kill or enslave me. I also knew that fleeing the Triad would hurt them, but it wouldn't kill them. They would, hopefully, even understand my decision once they realised that I hadn't been imagining Dreamland. Kelly, on the other hand, had to deal with a crazy mother who routinely had people who failed her killed - well, not as often as most people in the Commonwealth thought, but often enough. And Kelly also had a scheming brother who wanted to remove her as a potential threat to his position as the heir as soon as her usefulness ran out. Or earlier - Sun-Tzu was never much for long-term planning, or so I understand. But Kelly also knew that following her escape, those guards and possibly even the servants who had not stopped her would suffer for that supposed failure. We didn't talk about that. But I was there for her. In Dreamland, and, after a few months, on Solaris.'
Diary of Katherine 'MadCat' Steiner-Davion
'Patient S-D's flight - before I arrived on Tharkad - leaves many questions. Had she known of my impending arrival? Or was this merely a coincidence? However, I might have to reconsider my views of her claims with regards to this 'Dreamland'. It is quite clear that she has managed to not only transport a full suit of power armour into her bed, but to also put it on in an instant. And armour hitherto not seen in the Inner Sphere. And while I would not dismiss out of hand the possibility that she created the armour, Occam's razor, in this case cuts the other way - it's more likely that she transported the armour from somewhere than that she created it wholecloth. And that makes it more likely that there is an actual Dreamland - though whether that is a realm of dreams, as she claimed, or merely a parallel dimension remains to be seen. If only the patient hadn't successfully evaded pursuit; further examinations and experiments have to wait until she is returned to secure facilities for treatment.'
Private notes of M.D. Phil Baker, Triad Medical Wing, Tharkad, 3050
International Zone, Solaris City, Solaris VII, Federated Commonwealth, May 20th, 3050
Leaning her forehead against the armoured glass of their hovercar, Cat stared at the sky. Somewhere up there, the dropship carrying Kelly was closing in on Solaris. If she had a telescope, she would be able to see the fusion torch soon - provided she had calculated, or guessed, the approach vector correctly. A strand of dark hair - she hadn't yet adjusted to her disguise - fell into her face and she brushed it away.
"She'll arrive safely, relax."
Cat didn't take her eyes off the sky as she replied. "I know." After a moment, she added: "And I am relaxed!"
"Sure."
She didn't have to look at him to know he was smiling. And he was right in that she should relax - if anything happened, Kelly could use the drug to fall asleep and return to Dreamland. Not that short of a dropship accident she had to fear anything - Cat doubted that the crew of the Mule had weapons that could hurt Kelly in a Nighthawk suit.
"And you can get the code key back for good," she said, if only to say something in return.
"Yes, now that we're all on the same planet." Alex laughed again.
Cat didn't. The way the key worked, they could only give it back to Alex and remain in the Inner Sphere while everyone was on the same planet. Which had meant Alex had to travel to Solaris as well. From Terra. How Nastajia hadn't gotten all grey hairs during that affair, Cat couldn't tell. It must be something about the elves.
But at least that was returning to normal, and future excursions of Alex would start on Solaris VII, not in the very heart of ComStar's power. And there would be future excursions. Cat was sure of it. They would need his help. She sighed.
"We'll beat them," Alex said in a soft voice. "We've beaten them in Dreamland, we'll beat them here."
They had beaten them in Dreamland, true. But that had been the SLDF - the finest army ever seen, in Dreamland or the Inner Sphere. Cat wasn't quite sure that the Inner Sphere would manage the same. The Federated Commonwealth would try their best, of course. But she couldn't help fearing that it wouldn't be enough - even though they were finally taking her warnings seriously, from what she could tell from the news here, what with the second wave of the Horde invasion having just started. If only her parents had trusted her… She shook her head. No. The Horde had started their invasion in March. There wouldn't have been enough time to move enough troops to stop them. And as much as she hated it, she doubted that the second wave would be stopped, either.
"At least the Kuritas are getting hit as much as we do," she mumbled.
"That's not an entirely good thing," Alex commented. "The Inner Sphere must be united to defeat the Horde."
This time, she turned her head to frown at him. "I know." But she still wouldn't shed a tear if the Horde wrecked the Combine before they were defeated.
Alex shook his head. "Now, let's go back to the Hilton. Kelly's expected to reach orbit in two hours, and I need to sleep to hand her the key."
Right.
Kelly felt the crate jerk - the dropship had touched the tarmac. Not the smoothest landing. Then again, cargo dropship pilots weren't screened as diligently as the pilots for dropships carrying members of the Liao family.
She clenched her teeth - this wasn't the time to think about her family. She had only a limited window of opportunity. The ship's crew wouldn't rush to unload the cargo - the tarmac outside was still glowing from the engines - but they wouldn't be tardy either.
She opened the crate from the inside, checked that her stealth system was running, and climbed out. A quick glance around showed that the hold was empty of people. But pretty full - cargo containers blocked most of it.
But Kelly had been expecting that. She was up on the roof of a bigger container in a second and lay down to wait - as soon as the crew opened the cargo doors, she could slip out.
But the crew took their time to start unloading the cargo. Either they were lazy or incompetent. Which, Kelly reminded herself, was a good thing since they would not be too observant then - a Nighthawk's stealth system was good but not perfect.
There! The hatch to the rest of the ship was opening! Kelly zoomed in on the door. A yawning crewman stepped through a moment later, grabbing a remote from the wall next to him. He pushed a few buttons, and the big cargo doors started to open. As planned.
Kelly slid down from the container and quickly made her way to the exit. The ramp wasn't yet down, but that didn't matter - Kelly had made worse drops in training. She jumped down, landing in a crouch that took her back to the obstacle course in Unity Field for a moment, then dashed away from the Mule, seeking cover nearby.
She could orient herself once she wasn't in any danger of being spotted. The ship's crew might be lazy. But the customs officers would be harder to evade.
And there the customs officials were coming - she could see the car entering the landing field, now that the heat had gone down. Kelly ducked behind a water tank and crouched down. As soon as the car was past, she legged it.
And called Cat.
Removing a suit of power armour in the tight constraints of a hovercar would have been nigh-impossible even for an operator much better trained and experienced than Kelly. And walking into the hotel that Alex had picked while wearing it wasn't advised.
Fortunately, all Kelly had to do was take the sleeping drug, remove the armour back in Dreamland, and return wearing clothes suited to the occasion. She might become a little too used to the code key, she realised.
But she did it anyway. Felicity helped her remove the armour while asking her about the 'exfiltration', and Kiwi tried her best to pick a good dress for the trip back. The faery meant well, but her style… Well, no one would suspect the blonde in the dress with the psychedelic patterns was Kali Liao.
"Thank you," Kelly told her friends.
"Hey! It was my plan, so I had to see it through!" Felicity said.
"I thought it was Alex's plan," Kelly said with a teasing smile.
"Partially his. Mostly mine. But don't let Nastajia hear that!"
Kiwi giggled at that, and Kelly swallowed the next sleeping pill with a wider smile…
…and woke up in the hovercar next to Cat.
"Kelly!"
"Cat!"
They kissed.
Alex coughed. "You just saw each other at breakfast," he pointed out. "In the palace."
"We spent over a year apart," Kelly told him as she handed the code key over.
"And you've spent three months together in Unity City." But Alex was smiling at them as he took the key back.
"Three months during which the invasion started," Cat commented with a deep frown.
"We still have enough time to stop it," Alex said. With a glance at Kelly, he added: "And the sooner we're off Solaris VII, the sooner we can strike at the Horde."
Kelly knew what he meant - if she picked another 'Mech, they could leave within days. Trade in Battlemechs was a seller's market, even on Solaris VII. But she needed a Raven.
"Between the funds I had recovered and what we can gain by selling choice bits of SLDF gear like advanced neurohelmets - and whatever else that I can bring back from Dreamland - we can afford to pay premium rates for 'Mechs," he pointed out.
"Is Bellentine selling the Raven?" Kelly asked.
"No, he's not," Cat replied.
As expected. If the man hadn't sold the Raven to the Federated Commonwealth - although Kelly was certain that the technical data had been gone straight to NAIS - he wouldn't sell it to them, either.
Which meant that they would have to force him into a situation where he had no choice but to part with it. Something easier said than done - but then, this was Solaris VII. People made and lost fortunes in an afternoon at the arena here. Sometimes even in the arena.
And Kelly needed the Raven. Facing the Horde without its ECM suite would be… unwise. Besides, she needed it to keep Cat safe as well. Victors tended to attract a disproportional amount of enemy fire at long range, and staying close to Kelly's 'Mech would make it much harder for the Horde to hit her.
She nodded at her friends. "Then we shall proceed with our plan."
Black Hills, Solaris City, Solaris VII, Federated Commonwealth, May 20th, 3050
Kelly wasn't entirely certain that visiting the sector of Solaris City associated with the Federated Suns part of the Federated Commonwealth was a good idea, even with the best disguise Felicity had prepared for her and Cat. But Alex and her lover thought that it was fine - and they had arrived a month earlier than her. Which had allowed them to get a feeling for the 'lay of the land', as Alex called it. So, she would trust their judgement. Even if the disguise was slightly uncomfortable to wear.
Still… Kelly couldn't help frowning as she looked around. This area was supposed to be amongst the best places in town, and yet… was that a beggar at the corner?
"What's wrong?" Cat asked, tensing up.
"Nothing," Kelly replied. After a moment, she added with a nod towards the man in ragged clothes: "I'm not yet used to the environment."
"Ah." Cat sighed. "It takes a bit to get used to it, yes."
"You both grew up in a palace and then spent ten years in Dreamland," Alex said. "But this is a nice area. Trust me, I know."
That was a nice area? Then Kelly didn't want to see the bad parts of the sector. Not without sitting in a 'Mech, at least. She wasn't even carrying a laser pistol. "Dreamland's much… nicer," she said. Even the bad parts.
"That's because few kids like to dream of bad parts when they enter," Alex said. "Anyway, there it is! The Pelican! Best Mechwarrior bar on the planet."
"Most expensive, in any case," Cat said.
Kelly nodded. That went without saying.
As they approached the door, she straightened a little. It wouldn't do to make a less than perfect impression.
"Good evening, Mister Camden." The bouncer nodded at them as they walked past a small line of waiting people - mostly tourists, from what Kelly could tell.
"Good evening, Boris!" Alex tipped the man generously, and all three of them entered the bar.
"Alex spent quite a lot of money to impress the staff," Cat whispered.
"I have to play my role. People need to know I'm rich enough to buy 'Mechs for my bodyguards."
"We're not armed as bodyguards should be," Kelly pointed out as they walked through the lobby of the bar. It was expensively decorated, she noted. But the artwork was… too diverse. It lacked harmony.
"That's because the bar doesn't allow concealed weapons," Alex said.
"I bet half the guests are still carrying," Cat mumbled.
Well, Kelly's hairpins concealed quite nasty spikes, but that was it.
The main room was loud and packed - and most of the patrons were staring at the huge screens showing a match between a Warhammer and a Thunderbolt. Both 'Mechs were slugging it out, PPCs and lasers being fired at close range.
"Let's go to the Green Room," Alex said, steering them toward it. "Bellentine is usually there when he visits. And if he isn't, we can watch the latest match of his stable on a smaller screen."
Kelly nodded. It would be good to take the measure of their target.
"There he is," Cat told her as soon as they entered the - blessedly not quite as loud - room. "Left table."
Kelly had spotted the man already and took a closer look while Alex guided them towards a free table across the room. Bellentine looked… very average. He was wearing an expensive suit, but not too expensive - none of Mother's courtiers would have dared to show up in one at the palace. He had a slight paunch, from what she could tell, but wasn't fat. He was bald, but that was his most striking feature - his face was forgettable. Oh. As he laughed, something glittered in his mouth. A gem set in a tooth, maybe? Still, with his average looks and size, that was a minor touch.
"He's talking to Juanita Scaramander," Cat commented as they looked for a waitress to order drinks. "Class four fighter, top ten. Independent."
Class four were the Heavy 'Mechs. The Mechwarrior was scowling at Bellentine - was this an attempt to recruit her? Or an attempt at intimidation? Whatever it was, it looked to have failed since the Mechwarrior got up and openly sneered at the man.
A tall, broad-shouldered man standing behind Bellentine bent down, asking something Kelly couldn't hear, but Bellentine shook his head in return. Whatever the man had proposed hadn't pleased him.
Kelly couldn't help thinking that this all looked just like the kind of cheap holovid drama that she wasn't supposed to watch. And yet… Bellentine had been running a stable for over ten years. And he had managed to keep a Raven operational for five years. He knew his business - which, on Solaris, had to be both dirty and bloody, according to what Kelly knew. She wished they could just break into his hangar and steal the Raven, but Bellentine would be prepared for such an attempt. Just cracking the 'Mech's security would take too long, never mind trying to sneak it out. And few dropships would let them load a stolen 'Mech into the hold.
No, they had to play this by the rules of the planet. They had to get the 'Mech by fighting in the arena. And that meant fighting for another stable. Like a common gladiator. Kelly didn't like this, but needs must.
Montenegro, Solaris City, Solaris VII, Federated Commonwealth, May 21st, 3050
Even discounting the unrepaired battle damage to the torso and right leg, the Victor was in bad shape. Cat could tell with a glance. The armour - what was left of it after several PPC hits had blown away much of it - was patchwork, the left arm actuators seemed to have been replaced with some ill-fitting parts from another model, and the leg joints were a little too bent for the standing position. Well, bad compared to Dragonslayer. The 'Mech would probably still perform adequately. But the head… the Techs hadn't fixed the cockpit yet, where the foot of an Awesome had gone straight through the armoured glass and into the unlucky gladiator piloting it.
"It needs a new Gyro and new armour. And a new cockpit, of course," Daniel Boone, the owner of the Moongoose Mechs stable, said. "Bastard murdered Frank," he added in a low voice.
Cat glanced at him. He had his fist - his flesh and blood one - clenched and was staring at the 'Mech's head. "Killian had him. He had just shot out his gyro. And then… stepped on him. Frank was beaten. There was no…" He scoffed through clenched teeth.
Cat nodded. Stepping on a downed 'Mech's cockpit… well, it happened in war. More often than not deliberately - just because a 'Mech had fallen didn't mean it was out of combat. And sometimes, when a Horde pilot had shot at ejected Mechwarriors, you wanted to make sure that the bastard didn't get away. But to step on a fellow gladiator in the arena after disabling their 'Mech? She'd seen the recording. The pilot had known what he was doing, no matter his claims about missing that the gyro was destroyed. "Killian will pay for this. I'll make sure of it." Well, she would've done that anyway, to deprive Bellentine of an assault mech, but this made things a bit more personal.
"Ah…" Boone drew a sharp breath through his clenched teeth. "You're going to pilot it?"
Cat rolled her eyes. Not again. She might be seventeen, but she was a veteran pilot. "Yes, I'm going to pilot the Victor. And I'm going to destroy Killian."
"But…"
Alex cleared his throat. "I can assure that Cat knows what she's doing. She's an expert pilot. Especially in a Victor."
Boone didn't seem to completely believe Alex, but he held his tongue. Well, it wasn't as if he had much of a choice.
"Don't worry, Mr Boone, even if Cat loses the match, you'll still have your debt cleared and a surplus from the sale while I'll bear the loss of the 'Mech." Alex smiled at him. "Whatever happens, you'll come out ahead."
Boone snorted, but without even a trace of humour. "Except for Frank being dead."
"That is a risk every gladiator takes when they enter the arena," Kelly commented.
Boone stared at her but didn't retort.
"So… how long will the repairs take?" Alex asked.
"If I get all the parts I need, a week."
And the rematch was scheduled in eight days. "Then we should best start on the repairs right now," Cat said, walking towards the scaffold next to the Victor's leg. She wasn't entirely dressed for tech work, but she doubted that they would get all the parts on schedule. Not on Solaris. Oh, if only they could transport 'Mech parts from Dreamland to Solaris! But the best they could do was to fall asleep wearing an advanced neurohelmet and cooling vest. Or a Nighthawk suit, but that wouldn't help with repairs either. Well, they could keep a chip with technical data in their mouth or something, but on Solaris VII, with all the modifications common to arena 'Mechs, even that wouldn't be really helpful.
She quickly ascended to the top of the scaffold and peered into the wrecked cockpit.
And grimaced. There was still dried blood on the remains of the seat. And on the remains of the console. "Let's start on the leg," she said. "Until someone hoses this out."
Boone had the grace to look embarrassed before he called for his techs.
Black Hills, Solaris City, Solaris VII, Federated Commonwealth, May 25th, 3050
"See anyone?" Cat asked, looking at the dark warehouse across the street. It looked deserted even on her sensors, but she couldn't see through the walls.
"No," Kelly replied over the radio. "The guards are still inside."
"Nothing on this side either," Alex chimed in.
"Then let's go!" Cat snapped and stood. A few steps and she dropped down to the street below, firing her Nighthawk's jump jets at the last moment to break her fall, then carefully moved forward.
To the warehouse.
Another shadow joined her from the side - Kelly. Her friend reached the side door first and used a vibroblade Alex had bought on Solaris VII to cut through the lock. A few seconds later, both of them were inside the warehouse with none the wiser. "If this continues, we're going to turn into bloody infantry," she mumbled to herself as she followed Kelly to the data terminal at the corner.
Her friend had the menu open in ten seconds and started searching. Cat walked to the corner of the aisle and kept an eye on the guardhouse in the back.
"Got it!" Kelly told her after a minute. "I knew they hadn't lost it and needed to reorder it!"
"Of course not!" Cat scoffed - as if a decent supplier would lose a gyro control module like that. Killian had tried to sabotage their repair efforts, but the man should have really expected his partners here to avoid destroying the module - it was worth a pretty penny, after all.
"The brown crate on the other side."
Cat nodded again, then moved down the aisle, passing between stacks of spare parts and scrap metal until she reached the crate.
She didn't bother opening it - she just grabbed it and started walking quickly to the exit. In and out with no one the wiser. What cameras they had would only show two blurs thanks to the stealth functions so she hoped that DEST would get blamed.
And they would be able to finish the repairs on her Victor in time to get a training session or two in with it, she added with a toothy smile.
Montenegro, Solaris City, Solaris VII, Federated Commonwealth, May 28th, 3050
Reactor Online.
Sensors Online.
Weapons Online.
All Systems Nominal.
Cat took a deep breath - through her mouth; the cockpit still smelt faintly of blood. She had personally hosed it out twice, but the hint of coppery blood seemed to cling to it anyway. Kelly claimed to not smell anything, but she was wrong.
She pushed the thought away, checked that the area around the Victor was clear, then took the first step. The Victor's leg moved as it should, though not as smoothly as Cat would've liked. Still, the 'Mech's balance held. Another step followed, no issues with that leg, either, and she soon walked through the gate onto the 'training ground' - a former parking lot and open-air storage site for a truck factory that hadn't survived the Second Succession War and had been repurposed into a place to test 'Mechs.
And with all the scrap metal dumped here, it was pretty close to the Open Class Arena The Factory, where the rematch would be held.
As soon as she was clear of the hangar, Cat accelerated, making the 'Mech run towards the closest heap of metal. Balance was good. Not perfect, but good. And the targeting systems were tracking smoothly where the guns were aiming at.
She triggered the jumpjets and soared over the heap. The landing was harder than she was used to - but she didn't slip and held her balance. The new gyro was working up to par. Still, something was… not right.
"So, how's it doing?"
Cat frowned at the question from McMillian, the senior tech of Boone's stable, over the radio. The Victor was doing better than she expected, but it wasn't nearly as smooth a ride as Dragonslayer. "The left leg actuator is still acting up a little - it feels like a slight limp," she replied. She took a few more steps.
"The 'Mech's not limping!" came the cranky response from the tech. "That's your fancy Lostech helmet."
Cat snorted, but the man might be correct - the electronics in the Victor were a mess cobbled together from half a dozen different models and systems, and the gyro they had just finished installing sported three different serial numbers and was at least a hundred years old. Even her advanced neurohelmet - which she had been using for years - might have some trouble making sense of that.
Well, time to test the weapons. But first… She switched the channel. "Kelly, do we have spectators?"
"Yes," her lover replied at once. "Two with a camera in the hangar next to ours. And what looks like a small drone floating near the back wall of the area."
So, they had spies. Time to put on a show. Cat dashed towards the range part of the testing area and took care to limp and sway a bit more.
"Tone it down a notch," Kelly spoke up at once. "That's too blatant."
Cat frowned at the criticism but did as she was told. Her friend was the expert on subterfuge, after all. Well, between the two of them - she was absolutely sure that Dad would run circles around Kelly when it came to plotting.
She bit her lower lip at the sudden pain and guilt she felt. Mum and Dad… I had no choice, she told herself. If I hadn't left, I would have never had the chance to be with Kelly again. They might have even cut me off from the drug needed to see her in Dreamland.
She forced those feelings away. She had a mission here. And then a mission against the Horde.
There was the first target. A truck set up so it was resting on the cab with the rear end sticking into the air, roughly reaching the height of a battlemech. She swung the Pontiac over to target it, then aimed the gun just slightly to the side and pulled the trigger.
The marker rounds hit exactly where she had aimed at - but since she had aimed off-centre, any spy would hopefully believe that she wasn't as good a pilot as she should be to challenge Killian.
She doubled down with her lasers and the SRMs. Well, the SRMs were pretty randomly spread out anyway, but she managed to place her lasers exactly as she wanted - one causing a glancing blow and the other missing by a hair's width. Well, it would have been a glancing blow if they were at full power.
She fired a few more times, with the same results.
"Improve your apparent aim for the last round," Kelly told her.
"Will do."
Closer to the centre, but still off. She followed up with a few kicks aimed at broken trash on the ground, taking care to fake almost losing her balance twice in four kicks.
That should do it.
The rest of the training session she spent running around and dry-firing her weapons - she had to get a feeling for the 'Mech, after all, or tomorrow's match would be a debacle. Killian wasn't as good as Cat, and she had gone through the Gunslinger program, but he had a lot of experience of actual fighting in the arenas, and that counted for a lot.
It wouldn't be enough to beat her, though.
Cat still wished she had Dragonslayer here.
International Zone, Solaris City, Solaris VII, Federated Commonwealth, May 28th, 3050
Kelly was lying on their bed in the Hilton, once again studying the latest records of Killian's fights - matches, she corrected herself - on her notepad when Cat entered the room in her bathrobe, head hidden under the towel she was rubbing against her hair.
"We've got a hairdryer," Kelly remarked with a grin.
"I know. Didn't feel like using it," Cat replied, pulling the towel away and throwing it at Kelly.
Kelly raised one hand in time to catch it before it hit her in the face. Then she focused on the pad again.
Cat sighed and sat down next to her on the bed. "You've watched it half a dozen times. I've watched half a dozen times. We've got Killian's number. He's a good pilot, but I'm better, and he's not as good a shooter as he thinks he is."
Kelly dropped the pad and sighed. "Don't underestimate him. He's got Lostech in the Awesome. Two Extended Range PPCs. Possibly three if what Boone's friends heard is true.
"Yes." Cat shrugged. "But he'll underestimate me."
Kelly knew that was true. Alex had played the rich Lyran merchant to the hilt, and while he called Kelly and Cat his bodyguards, everyone thought they were his mistresses. Cat's ploy today in the training yard would reinforce that impression, as would their young age. And that Alex, according to all appearances, was sleeping in the same suite as they were - no one knew that he was visiting Dreamland at night.
And yet… "I worry anyway." The Victor was a cobbled-together 'Mech without any advanced technology. Not even Double Heat Sinks. Cat had less armour than she was used to and less firepower.
"Don't worry. We're fighting in The Factory. Ideal for a Victor."
"I know." But three PPCs was a lot of firepower. If Bellentine managed to get enough heatsinks to compensate, the Awesome might even have greater firepower at close range than the Victor.
Cat leaned down and draped herself all over Kelly's back. "It'll be fine. I've got an advanced neurohelmet and a much better colling vest. I'll show him what that means."
Kelly turned her head to glare at her. "That's what I'm afraid of."
Cat laughed and bent her head down to kiss her. "Now relax!"
Montenegro, Solaris City, Solaris VII, Federated Commonwealth, May 29th, 3050
"And in the right corner of the arena: George 'Bloodhunter' Killian in his Awesome 'Triceratops'. Recently upgraded with more Lostech, this 'Mech has wrecked its opposition in an unprecedented five-match winning streak for Killian - quite the achievement for a gladiator in his first Class Five season!
"And in the left corner of the arena: Cat Stevens. An absolute newcomer with no prior matches on Solaris, she is replacing Frank 'Fireeater' Mahoney, who was accidentally killed in the last match against Killian, making this rematch a grudge match! The girl's got guts, I have to admit that. And a great figure, too!"
Cat clenched her teeth at the sexist remark from the commentator. Another reminder that she wasn't in Dreamland anymore - or in the Palaces of her family. No one would talk like that about a Princess of the Federated Commonwealth there!
"She's got guts, but not much brains, I fear, Johnny-Boy," the co-commentator chimed in. "A rookie against a veteran pilot? Many would say that Boone has lost his mind with his last pilot."
"Well, Jimmy, they would be wrong because I've heard from a trusted source that Cat here is the squeeze of Boone's new investor - and the money came with a condition: Cat got to pilot the Victor. Now that's a sugar daddy, right?"
"Right!"
Cat told herself that this would only make more people underestimate her. And drive the odds for her victory even higher - which was an essential part of their plan, of course.
She shook her head. She had to focus on the fight ahead - the countdown had started.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
"And it's on!"
Cat accelerated and started to trot out of the 'Mechbay into the arena. Into the muck of The Factory. That was one single good thing about not piloting Dragonslayer - she would hate to drive her 'Mech into this toxic mess. Cat gritted her teeth as she steered the Victor through the shallow pool ahead.
Her sensors, calibrated and optimised by Kelly in two long nights, showed Killian rushing towards the giant heap of metal and dirt in the middle of the arena. He wanted the high ground and clear lines of fire it would provide.
And he'd expect her to race him to the top since her Victor was a strictly close-range fighter.
Well, never do what the enemy expects, to quote her old instructor. Instead of rushing straight at the hill, Cat went right and waded through the pools of liquid there. By the time Killian's mad rush had taken the top, she was almost halfway around the hill.
"Oh, that's the first rookie mistake - the girl let Killian take the top of the hill."
"It might be her last mistake. Killian is an expert shot with those PPCs of his, and he can now command the entire arena while Cat is stuck down in the mud."
Cat scoffed and kept an eye on the Awesome on the hill. When the 'Mech twisted its torso, she dropped down into the pool. A moment later, three particle beams struck the mud behind her.
"Oh! And she fell! What a lucky fall! Have you ever seen that, Johnny-Boy?"
"No, I haven't. One might almost say that she took a lucky fall. But luck runs out sooner or later, and skill wins out every time." Now she has to get up in the pool, giving Killian ample opportunities to bring his three Extended-Range PPCs to bear."
"Five C-Bills say that she won't have any torso armour left by the time she gets out of the pool, Johnny-Boy."
"If she ever gets out of the pool, Jimmy! She's taking her time."
"Perhaps she was scared by the getting shot at for the first time in her life?"
More laughter followed. Cat scoffed again - and focused on crawling over the muddy bottom of the pool. Her seismic sensor still tracked Killian - he hadn't moved from the top of the hill yet. But could he track her? Not in the muddy water here.
By the time she reached her destination, the commentators were speculating if she had sprung a leak and drowned. If she was lucky, Killian would wonder that as well.
Not that it mattered. She spent another half a minute carefully lining up her 'Mech, then pushed the Victor's torso up until her head broke the surface.
Then she triggered her jump jets. The four jets - one in each leg and two in the torso - threw the 'Mech out of the pool and into the air. She heard the surprised yells from the commentators as she flew over the pool, towards the hill, but her attention was focused on her enemy on top.
Killian was quick, she had to admit - he whirled to target her. Too quick - of his three shots, only one hit, striking her 'Mech's torso.
In retaliation, she fired her SRMs before she hit the ground. The Awesome was out of range - but the hill wasn't. Her missiles struck the side of the hill, bursting into fireballs that set the hill's flank on fire.
"She's using Infernos! Is that even allowed?" Johnny-Boy sounded hysterical.
"It's not against the rules for this match," his co-commentator said. "But she… Oh. If that's another lucky mistake, then she's the luckiest rookie ever. The fire and smoke are blocking Killian's sight and thermal vision."
"Right. But he's already moving to cover the gap left…"
Cat flicked the radio off and kept running - straight towards the fire she had started. Killian would expect her to jump or go around it.
She went straight through. The heatsinks struggled for a moment, then compensated. And she was in range for her Pontiac, with Killian out of position.
Once more, he turned to face her, but she had her shot lined up already, and her shells struck the Awesome's torso smack in the centre, followed by her lasers. And her missiles splattered burning, sticky liquid all over the other 'Mech.
Killian's 'Mech recoiled, and his salvo went wide, one PPC scoring a hit on her torso. One of the bolts struck some unexploded missile in the ground behind her and blew it up.
Cat ignored that and the heat in her 'Mech and jumped again, soaring over the burning 'Mech. Killian stood his ground and kept firing - two PPCs - but missed her.
She twisted in the air, turning so she landed facing the Awesome's rear. Four lasers mounted there struck at her, melting armour on her arms. She ignored the damage and fired her autocannon point-blank into his back. She followed up with her lasers, blowing two of Killian's rear-firing lasers away, then hit him with more infernos.
The Awesome kept turning, lit up like a pyre, but her 'Mechs foot caught it in the left leg, denting and crushing more armour plates. Killian didn't stumble but when he brought his PPCs up, Cat jumped over the Awesome's head again, once more landing in his rear.
Her Pontiac almost tore the Awesome's arm off, but her lasers struck deeper into the shredded torso. And all four of her missiles sent the Awesome's heat spiking right before her next kick pulverised the damaged left leg.
Killian fell, still on fire, and rolled downhill for about ten metres before he came to a stop.
Cat quickly closed with it again. Killian was trying to get up, and, with her heat spiking and threatening to overwhelm her systems, she hit the Awesome with her Pontiac, wrecking part of its torso.
He had enough and ejected - almost too late; he barely cleared the hilltop and his parachute just managed to deploy before he crashed into some toxic mud.
It didn't matter. Killian had lost, and Cat had won. Taking a deep breath, she flicked the radio on again.
"... is unbelievable! Cat absolutely demolished Killian! Ruthless and crazy - who would use Infernos in the arena? - this girl certainly is…"
Cat changed the channel. Part one of their plan was complete.
Black Hills, Solaris City, Solaris VII, Federated Commonwealth, May 29th, 3050
"The woman of the hour! What a marvellous match, Miss Stevens!"
Cat smiled widely as yet another man approached her in The Pelican. Two days ago, when they had last visited, people had been making fun of her behind her back - and some had done so in a way she couldn't have missed. Now, after she had crushed Killian? Everyone was sucking up. It wasn't an entirely bad feeling, though. She had shown them all that she was an elite pilot. "Thank you, Mister…?"
"Ah, Davis, Jerome Davis! I run an Import/Export business in the International Zone. But my passion is 'Mech combat!"
"Ah. You and everyone else on Solaris, I bet." Cat nodded. "You've met Alex Camden, I assume? And Kelly Lieden?"
Alex didn't wait for any answer and just reached forward to shake the man's hand. "Happy to meet you, sir!"
Kelly merely nodded with her polite 'I don't care about you at all' smile.
"The pleasure's all mine," Davis managed to say - his smile showed that Alex had squeezed a bit too hard. But like an ARROW IV following a TAG, he turned back to Cat. "So, it was said to be a grudge match for the death of Frank Mahooney, which many think was no accident. Were you disappointed that Killian didn't die in the match?"
Was the man seriously expecting her to tell him whether she had tried to kill Killian? She shook her head. "I wouldn't stoop so low," she lied. If she had known Mahooney, she would've made sure that Killian didn't eject.
"Ah. And how did you…"
"Oh, excuse us, but I see Mr Boone, my partner, over there," Alex cut him off. "We've got a few more things to discuss. Stable business, you know?"
"Ah, of course!" Davis acted as if it was likely that they would discuss business at a victory party instead of at the stable, but Cat didn't care. After half a dozen 'fans' with the same questions and comments, things started to grate on her nerves.
Alex had already turned them away from Davis and started steering them through the crowd towards Boone. The man was in an animated discussion with a middle-aged woman, almost spilling his drink as he gestured.
"Mr Boone?" Alex spoke up.
"Mr Camden!" Boone beamed at them. "I was just telling Clarissa here about the finer points of the fight." He blinked. "Ah… I'm sorry. Mr Camden, Miss Stevens, Miss Lieden - this is Clarissa Kowalski. She owns the Sully Cargo Corporation."
"Sully was my late husband," Kowalski said as she shook their hands. "A small but profitable freight company."
"Ah. How many jumpships do you run?" Alex asked. "I might be in need of chartering one at a later date."
"With your winnings?" Kowalski asked. "A friend of mine told me that you've taken a few bookies to the cleaners."
Alex grinned widely. "It's not my problem that not more than a few of those gentlemen seemed to share the trust I had in Cat. Although I heard that Mr Bellentine lost enough money to even things out a bit."
Boone chuckled. "The bastard was overconfident, though I must say I had doubts myself." He nodded at Cat. "If you want to fool your enemies, fool your friends first, huh?"
"Precisely," Kelly said. "Of course, it greatly helped that people tend to see what they expect."
"To be fair," Kowalski said, "Few would expect that such a young-looking woman would be an expert pilot. Especially if they appeared out of thin air, so to speak."
Cat managed not to wince. This would attract the wrong kind of attention. She was in disguise, but the people Mum and Dad had looking for her were good. They couldn't stay too long here, or they might catch the attention of the LIC and MI5.
Kelly remained unfazed. "We have extensive combat experience, although not in arena combat."
Kowalski nodded. "I don't suppose you would share the secret of looking as young as you do?"
"I heard the Magistracy does great work," Cat commented. It was true, if misleading.
"And there's Terra, of course - if you can manage to get a visa," Alex added. "Or so I've heard."
Very subtle Alex, Cat thought.
"I see."
"Anyway," Boone said after a moment, "you've shaken up the scene. Bellentine lost his Awesome per the stipulations of the match, and he lost a lot of money betting on his victory. He'll have to move aggressively to make up his losses."
"That seems a bit reckless," Kowalski said. "But then, Bellentine never could lose gracefully."
"He'll need a spectacular victory just to soothe his wounded ego," Boone added with a chuckle. "But with his only assault 'Mech gone, his options are limited. And unless he can replace the assault 'Mech quickly, he'll lose his standing in the Class Five ladder."
Alex nodded. "If he desires a rematch then maybe we should oblige him."
Cat nodded. "I can take any of his pilots, no matter the 'Mech!"
She managed not to wince when she felt Kelly step on her foot.
Montenegro, Solaris City, Solaris VII, Federated Commonwealth, May 30th, 3050
The two assault 'Mechs in the bay looked very different, Kelly thought. The Victor looked roughed up, with melted and shattered armour, but nothing more serious than that. It still looked ready to fight, standing in its bay as techs worked on the armour. The Awesome, on the other hand, was on the ground, on its front, and looked like it wouldn't be walking, much less fighting, any time soon.
Cat had done a number on the 'Mech.
As they watched, one of the men on the Awesome spotted them and waved before climbing down and coming towards them. Boone, the owner - co-owner now - of the stable.
"Hey!"
"Hello, Mr Boone," Kelly greeted him.
"Hi!" Cat nodded. "How are the 'Mechs?"
"So… the Awesome is in decent shape. The left leg's a goner, of course, and the reactor shield needs some replacement parts, but the gyro's untouched, and the weapons are also fine except for the medium lasers you destroyed." Boone smiled as he wiped his hands with a rag. "And all the armour, of course. But I'll say one thing for infernos: They make for neat salvage. Cooked the Awesome nice and proper."
Kelly sighed a little when she saw Cat nod. Their plan had worked like a charm - they had been able to close the range without getting sniped too badly by those three ER PPCs thanks to the Infernos, which also neatly countered the Lostech heatsinks in the machine, but it wouldn't work a second time. Most arenas were already changing the rules.
"So, will you be piloting the Awesome?" Boone asked her.
Kelly frowned. "I'd prefer a lighter 'Mech. But I'll pilot it if we have to."
"It's not every day that you win an assault 'Mech," the man said, apparently taken aback by her reaction. "And it's a Lostech Awesome. Some pilots would kill their own family for such a 'Mech."
But Kelly was better with light 'Mechs. Besides, the 'Mech was quite slow compared to the 'Mechs the Horde usually fielded. Or the 'Clans', as they apparently called themselves here according to the latest rumours passing as news.
"We've challenged Bellentine to a rematch," Cat told Boone. "All his remaining five 'Mechs versus our two."
Boone frowned. "He's got a Warhammer, a Wolverine, a Centurion, a Vindicator and a Raven. That's a lot of metal, even for two assaults."
And Cat's assault 'Mech was more like an overweight heavy 'Mech.
"We can handle them," Cat said.
Kelly nodded. "Provided we can get the 'Mechs repaired quickly - before Bellentine can upgrade his own 'Mechs with more Lostech."
"And provided he doesn't find a replacement for Killian," Boone said. "He's Bellentine's best pilot, but he'll be stuck in the hospital for the next three months, or so I've heard." He grinned. "Bastard got messed up when he ejected. Broke bones on landing, and the toxic sludge he dropped into messed him up even more. Might go bald after this."
"It all depends on whether or not he accepts," Kelly pointed out. "He would have to risk his entire stable for this."
"Word is, he's already so deep in the red from the loss of the Awesome and his bets that if he doesn't win big, he's losing the 'Mechs anyway," Boone said. "How the tables have turned! Two days ago, I was in his place. And now?" He smiled. "And it's all thanks to you."
Kelly nodded. That was obvious. And it was also obvious that Boone was sucking up to them. At least he was now taking them seriously instead of humouring his new partner's apparent mistresses.
She didn't really care either, though, as long as she got the Raven.
Black Hills, Solaris City, Solaris VII, Federated Commonwealth, May 31st, 3050
If looks could kill… Well, between Boone and Bellentine, half the people in the Green Room in The Pelican would be dead now. Including Cat herself. The stable owner wasn't even trying to hide how much he loathed them.
Which meant Cat was only too happy to beam, her best friendly smile at the scumbag as Alex approached him and his entourage. "Mr Bellentine! Good evening!"
Bellentine bared his teeth in a sneer. "Mr Camden. Miss Stevens. Miss Lieden. Boone."
"Bellentine," Boone snarled back.
Cat smiled and nodded, but Kelly just inclined her head in that 'I'm so above you, you need a ladder to reach the soles of my boots' manner of hers.
Bellentine didn't bother introducing his own pilots, which was… Well, Cat actually couldn't tell if that was a good or bad thing. Was the man rude towards his pilots? Or was this something else?
"So, have you considered my offer?" Alex asked.
The man broke off his glaring contest with Boone and stared at Alex. "You won't con me a second time, Camden," he spat. "I know your tricks now."
"So you think your pilots can't beat Cat and Kelly?" Alex raised his eyebrows in a rather overdone manner.
That got a reaction out of the pilots - three men and two women - standing behind Bellentine. The tall man next to the stable owner scoffed loudly. "You got lucky that Killian got fooled. But we've got your number now."
Bellentine turned his head and hissed. "Matt."
"Sorry." The man slowly nodded.
Bellentine turned back to Alex. "I don't know why you've been meddling in this affair. It's none of your business."
"On the contrary - since I'm Daniel's partner, it very much is my business." Alex smiled widely.
Cat suppressed the urge to groan at the cheap comeback, but several of the other guests in the room chuckled.
Bellentine sneered in return. "I'm not going to fall for such cheap tricks. If you want to fight my pilots, we'll fight it out in a week - winner takes all."
Alex agreed immediately.
Cat bit her tongue. This was what they wanted. But Bellentine had agreed too quickly. Too eagerly. He would have some trick up his sleeve.
She glanced at Kelly. Her lover was concerned as well - Cat could tell despite her smiling expression.
So, they would have to repair their 'Mechs, guard against sabotage, and find out what Bellentine was up to.
Three tasks, pick any two of them.
Great.
Montenegro, Solaris City, Solaris VII, Federated Commonwealth, June 7th, 3050
Kelly couldn't help feeling ponderously slow as she moved the Awesome into The Factory. There was no helping it, though - the Awesome couldn't go any faster, not without a complete redesign. And there was no time for that, even if they had a new engine.
"And here it begins! The Grudge Match of the year! An Awesome and a Victor versus a Warhammer, Wolverine, Centurion, Vindicator and a Raven! Bellentine has really given all for this match, right Jimmy?"
"Oh, yes, Johnny-Boy! That's his whole lineup out there - if he loses this battle, he's ruined. If he wins the battle, he's back in business."
"And that's what this is all about, folks - grudges. Cat Stevens and Kelly Lieden here are hell-bent on avenging Frank Mahooney. Last week, Cat just failed to burn Killian alive, sending him to the hospital for months instead. Today, they are facing Killian's stablemates. But what drives this revenge? No one knows. Only the mysterious Mr Camden, reportedly in a relationship with both Cat and Kelly, knows why he spent millions on this match."
Kelly switched the channel off. There was no need to listen to this drivel. She had a battle to win. One of the most important battles of her life. If only they had found out what Bellentine was planning. They had caught no sabotage attempt even though they had been basically sleeping in their 'Mechs, and they had repaired the Awesome in time for the match, but they had no idea about Bellentine's plans.
"So, I'll close with them, and you cover me with your PPCs," Cat told her over the radio.
"As planned," Kelly replied.
Next to her, Cat's Victor stepped out of the mechbay. The Factory hadn't changed since Kelly's fight - except for some more battle damage. It was still a field littered with heaps of twisted metal and toxic muck. Kelly really missed her Raven's advanced sensors here.
"Alright, let's get this over with!" Cat announced and put her 'Mech into a slow trot - slow enough so Kelly's 'Mech could keep up without having to run.
They advanced towards the central hill. Kelly expected the enemy to try a flanking manoeuvre. They mainly had medium 'Mechs, so they would have to swarm them and focus their fire. Put together, they had respectable firepower. Together, the Warhammer and Vindicator equalled Kelly's three PPCs, and with the Centurion's autocannon and LRM rack, they had a solid edge at longer range. But at close range, Cat's Pontiac would rip the lighter 'Mechs apart.
They would be aware of that as well, of course. So… She narrowed her eyes at the sight on her screen. The sensor readings were weak and getting blocked in the centre, near the top - the Raven must be there - but…
"They're charging up the hill?" Cat had noticed them as well.
"Do they want to shoot it out?" It didn't make much sense. Cat would be able to reach the top very quickly. And the lines of fire for Kelly's PPCs were clear. She could shoot at whoever wanted to take a shot at Cat. And she didn't think anyone of the other 'Mechs would stand up well to three ER PPCs.
"If they want to slug it out, I'll oblige them!" Cat announced. "Let's go!"
Cat's Victor was already rushing towards the hill, and Kelly pushed the throttle forward to keep up - at least somewhat. They wouldn't beat the lighter 'Mechs to the hilltop, but they would be close to the Warhammer's arrival.
One way or the other, this would soon be over.
As if the enemy had heard her, they appeared on top of the hill - led by the Warhammer. Kelly immediately fired all her ER PPCs at the heavy 'Mech - it was piloted by Bellentine's best Mechwarrior and the most dangerous opponent. Wincing at the sudden heat spike, she saw two of her PPCs hit, one in the torso and one in the shoulder, knocking the 'Mech a step back and foiling its aim.
But the Centurion and Vindicator fired their long-range weapons at Cat, and the Victor was blasted by LRMs and a PPC, the autocannon going wide. But where was the Wolverine?
Kelly checked her display while her 'Mech slowed down, the heatsinks struggling while her PPCs cycled. She could barely make out the 'Mechs on the hilltop - the Raven must be hiding behind them, shielded by the hill.
And there was the Wolverine - and the Raven? What? So close to the Victor? - shooting at the Victor from the flank. Whatever Cat was about to get in range of her Pontiac, and the Warhammer wouldn't take many of those salvos, and…
The area just in front of Cat vanished in an explosion, making her stagger back and almost fall down when she lost her footing. And before she or Kelly could react, another explosion, further up the slope, followed. Then the entire side of the hill started to slide down, towards Cat's 'Mech!
"Jump!" Kelly screamed, just as Cat triggered her jumpjets.
But the landslide was too fast - the Victor had barely left the ground when the dirt and metal wave hit its legs. Cat cut the jump jets immediately, but too late to avoid falling down into the muck.
"Cat!" Kelly stared, shocked, as her friend's 'Mech was buried by the avalanche. At the last moment, the head exploded and Cat shot up in the sky. Then the Victor disappeared in the landslide, which flowed past Kelly and came to a stop shortly before the toxic pool behind her. Cat deployed her parachute, and Kelly breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that her friend wasn't going to land in the toxic pool.
Then she clenched her teeth. The Factory was littered with unexploded ordnance from countless matches. Missiles and shells that hadn't worked. Explosions weren't uncommon - but not at this scale. Not so perfectly placed and timed.
Bellentine hadn't tried to sabotage their 'Mechs - he had trapped the arena!
And now, with Cat's 'Mech down, all of them were coming for her.
Good. She bared her teeth in a grim smile. You'll pay for this! Kelly thought as she lined up her next salvo - her PPCs had cycled, and her heat had been dissipated. I'll kill you all!
As soon as the Warhammer appeared in her sights, above the vanished hillside, she fired. One PPC hit the hill, but two struck the enemy 'Mech again, both hitting the torso.
The Warhammer fired back but only managed to strike her Awesome's left arm. Then the mediums appeared, firing from the hilltop. LRMs peppered her torso, and another PPC barely missed. The Wolverine jumped, trying to flank her.
She ignored it and focused on the Warhammer. She fired all her ER PPCs again, spiking the heat inside her 'Mech and causing the computer to blare a warning at her.
Overridden.
The Warhammer, struck in the same leg by two PPCs as it tried to advance down the slope, lost its balance and fell. An attempt to catch its fall ended with one PPC buried in the muck. The heat from the weapon baked the mud inside the barrel, rendering it useless.
In return, the Awesome was blasted from the hilltop and the flank. Armour shattered and blew off.
But she had armour to spare. She took a few steps forward, only firing two of her PPCs, just as the Warhammer tried to get up, and ripped its damaged leg off. The heavy 'Mech fell down again, then rolled down the mudslide, losing the damaged arm in the process. The pilot ejected, and Kelly had to resist the urge to blast the bastard out of the sky.
Instead, she switched targets. The heat was bearable again, so she shot at the Centurion, stuck on the hilltop, as the Vindicator jumped over the area devastated by the landslide. Once more three PPCs struck, two of them in the torso, one in the left leg.
The 'Mech was thrown back, stumbled and fell - but it managed not to slide down the hill.
As Kelly turned to face the other 'Mechs, the Wolverine landed behind Kelly and opened up on her back. She ignored it - the Awesome's armour could take it. For now. Instead, she fired two PPCs and the medium laser they had installed in the head at the Vindicator.
The 'Mech staggered for a moment, missing with its own PPC, but kept standing, and the LRMs peppered the battered front armour of Kelly's Awesome.
The Wolverine dashed forward, kicking at her leg. In return, she smashed her 'Mech's battlefist into its side, then followed up with two ER PPCs at point-blank range.
The medium 'Mech lost its footing, falling down, and she lashed out with the awesome's foot, crushing the 'Mech's gyro under it. The pilot ejected.
Kelly turned, then almost fell when her left arm was blown off - the Centurion stood again, and the Vindicator and Raven were closing in. Snarling, she turned again, showing her back to them, and fired a full volley at the Centurion. One of her PPC bolts struck the damaged torso, and the Centurion vanished in a fireball as its ammo detonated.
Three down. Two to go. Sweat running down her front, soaking her top, Kelly swung the Awesome back to face the Vindicator and Raven, which had been pouring fire into her damaged side - just as she was about to shift her aim, a swarm of SRMs hit her side, and one of her PPCs went offline.
She muttered a curse and returned fire on the Vindicator. Her two remaining ER PPCs hit - it was too close to miss - and shattered the 'Mech's torso armour. The heat inside the cockpit spiked again - a number of her heatsinks had been destroyed - but the enemy had it worse. Even with her sensors blinded by the Raven, she could see the plasma escape through various rents in the torso - the engine shielding had been torn!
The Vindicator slowed down as its heat spiked, and Kelly fired every remaining weapon at it. One PPC missed by inches, but the other struck its centre, followed by her medium laser, and the Mech froze, then toppled over as its reactor shut down.
That pilot ejected as well, and Kelly turned towards the Raven.
The Raven hadn't been touched so far, and her Awesome was falling to pieces. But she still had more firepower - and she knew the Raven better than anyone else. Ignoring the lasers melting her armour and the SRMs blowing away the remaining pieces of her left torso, she carefully took aim and fired.
With one leg actuator blown off, the Raven, going all out, stumbled and fell down, sliding through the mud - and coming to a stop next to her.
Kelly raised her Awesome's left foot, and the Raven's pilot ejected.
The match was over. It was over. She had won. She gulped down air, wiped sweat from her skin and turned to look for Cat.
Who, it turned out, was standing on a fractured piece of armour and waved at her.
Kelly moved her 'Mech to her friend while the first recovery teams entered the arena, then scrambled down the rope ladder, almost slicing herself up on the jagged remains of her 'Mechs armour and innards.
Cat was waiting below. "I was so worried!"
"You? I was worried!" Kelly retorted as she jumped down the last two metres.
Then they were hugging and kissing, uncaring what the two idiots commenting on the match would make of this.
They were alive. They had won.
Montenegro, Solaris City, Solaris VII, Federated Commonwealth, June 8th, 3050
When Kelly and Cat entered the 'Mech hangar of Boone, Cat could see signs of the victory party the techs and astechs had had there last evening: bottles and other debris strewn around, disposable boxes and cups from various delivery services and what looked like a sound system that had been cobbled together from a 'Mech speaker and various electronics, then ran until it melted.
The feud between Boone and Bellentine obviously hadn't been limited to the two owners. Well, such things rarely were.
Not that it mattered any more. They had won the feud for Boone and gotten the 'Mechs that they needed. Well, both the Raven and the Victor needed repairs, but that wasn't a problem - Techs had dealt with worse damage, especially on Solaris.
That didn't stop Kelly from worrying over the Raven, of course. Cat grinned when she saw her friend climb over the light 'Mech, peering at the electronics and weapons laid open for inspection. "We'll have enough time to go over it during transit," she said.
"It's easier to do what repairs we can here instead of in a dropship," Kelly replied without looking up from the beagle active probe mounted on the Raven.
Time to tease her a little. "You were awesome in the Awesome," Cat said with a wide smile. "Are you sure you want to switch back to a light 'Mech?"
This time, Kelly turned to glare at her. "If I had been in the Raven, I would have detected the trap before they could trigger it."
Cat nodded, suppressing the memory of that horrible moment when she was about to be buried alive in toxic muck and metal. "Yeah. But we could mount the stuff in a heavier 'Mech."
Kelly snorted. "And you could switch to a Highlander or an Atlas."
"Touché." Cat swallowed the retort that the difference in armour between a Victor and a Highlander wasn't as big as, say, the difference between a Raven and an Awesome. Kelly preferred light 'Mechs, as Cat knew.
Kelly nodded, then looked back at the cockpit of the Raven, still wrecked by the ejection's rockets, before climbing down again. "We'll need to leave soon," she said. "Before we attract even more attention."
Cat agreed. Even with the war against the Horde - the Clans, she reminded herself - the LIC and the MI5 wouldn't stop looking for them. The same went for the Maskirovka. And while she would never regret kissing Kelly, especially not after watching her lover mow down those damned treacherous gladiators, their embrace had been plastered all over Solaris' media. "Unless Alex thinks he can get an Atlas," she said. Kelly snorted, though Cat wasn't entirely joking - Alex had hated seeing them fight without being able to help them.
"He can take the Awesome," Kelly said.
"We could also recruit some soldiers," Cat added. "We've got some spare 'Mechs now, so it wouldn't look weird."
"Soldiers, and reliable ones at that, here?" Kelly frowned.
"It's a big planet. And with the invasion going on, there should be a few who want to fight the invaders but can't do so easily for a variety of reasons," Cat said, shrugging.
"A variety of reasons that likely render them unfit for war," Kelly retorted. "Galatea or Outreach would be a better choice."
Both of which would have a bigger presence of intelligence agents, though, from all over the sphere. "Can't hurt to look around," Cat said.
"It could hurt," Kelly corrected her.
Cat reminded herself that Kelly wasn't paranoid - she had experience in those matters. Yet… "We'll be careful then," she said with a grin and cocked her head towards the door. "Let's go see what Alex's been up to with Boone."
"Sorting out our departure, I believe."
"Right."
Royal Palace, Avalon City, New Avalon, Federated Commonwealth, June 12th, 3050
Arthur Steiner-Davion looked up from his reader where he was studying for his Academy test when Dad entered the living room. Smiling? "Dad?"
"Arthur?"
"Good news from the invasion front?" Arthur hoped that there was - they hadn't had much good news so far. For most planets hit by the Clans, the only good news was that the forces on them had managed to evacuate before being completely destroyed. Fortunately, his brother's unit was amongst them, and Victor was safe. For now.
"Well… things are proceeding according to plan there," Dad said.
"The plan that requires us to trade planets for time so we can counter-attack sometime this year?" Arthur bit his lower lip - he hadn't meant to sound so sarcastic. But he met Dad's eyes without wincing.
"Yes, that plan," Dad told him. "It takes time to shift troops around. And we can't attack piecemeal."
"We would've had a bit more time if we had listened to Katherine," Arthur said. The way Dad flinched made him feel guilty. "Sorry, Dad."
"No, no, you're right. She did warn us. But we couldn't just mass troops on her intel. At least her information and warnings helped our troops get away with fewer losses than the DCMS is suffering," Dad told him.
That was a faint silver lining. So, if it's not that…?
Dad sighed. "I think we've found Katherine."
Arthur gasped. "You did?"
"It's a possibility." Dad pulled a disc out and handed it to him. "It's not definite, but… I think it's her."
Arthur quickly slid the disc into his reader and… "Dad! That's a Solaris match!" He knew the arena - The Factory.
"Yes. The LIC personnel there have been ordered to verify whether or not this is your sister."
"But…" He trailed off as the action started - a Victor versus an Awesome. And the Victor demolished the Awesome without taking more than armour damage. "You think that's Katherine?" She had complained about wanting a Victor, but… this was Solaris. And that was a class five match. He wasn't an expert, but the name of the Awesome pilot rang a bell.
"The fighting style matches the style she displayed in simulator matches."
"Oh." Arthur checked the date. "That was two weeks ago."
"Yes. And there was another match a week ago." Dad sighed. "She… the pilot didn't do as well there. She's OK, though."
Arthur drew a sharp breath and loaded the next match. Dad watched over his shoulder. And hissed with Arthur when a landslide buried the Victor. "Damn. That explosion…"
"Sabotage, or so my analysts claim. A trap."
"Damn cheaters!" That left the Awesome alone versus five 'Mechs… Four. Three. Two. Arthur whistled. "That is a great pilot there."
"It might be Kali Liao," Dad told him with another sigh.
"Kali Liao?" Arthur had heard that the daughter of Roman Liao had vanished as well, and that Katherine had claimed to have met her in her dreams, but…
He stared at the picture of the two pilots kissing in the arena. "Oh."
"Yes," Dad said. "'Oh.'" He sighed. "If those two are Katherine and Kali, then your sister neglected to tell us a few details about her relationship to the other girl."
Arthur nodded in agreement. This was… "At least she's not dating Hohiro Kurita?" He smiled weakly at his own bad joke.