"Sumire, let me say this again: Calm down, and relax. ", Jared all but ordered. " What're you all in a tizzy over ?! "
Immediately upon entering the Leopard's CIC room, the Elite-ranked Mechwarrior found himself confronted by the sight of Sumire Meyer pacing rhythmically back and forth at a briskly frenetic pace. She was clutching her ever-present PDA with even more tightness than usual; pretty much to the point of whitening her knuckles, and nearly cracking the casing on the device.
In short, she seemed more than a tad angsty. The high-speed stress-fest that was unfolding here was more than enough reason for Jared to be concerned. Not for hearing about the" Black Widow ", though. He'd simply not ever seen her so worked up. About anything.
What the fudge...?
" Oi- Sumire ! ". Jared snapped his fingers. " What's happening here? "
That was a question he'd had on his mind as soon as Sumire's frightened statement of the Black Widow having been the one who'd contacted them. As soon as he had, Jared had ordered his pilots to immediately standby their Mechs, and be ready to board them at a moment's notice. He did not recall raising his voice in the process, though...unlike the Navigator.
As Test9, Dragon66, and Archangel scrambled to comply, stowing their drinks ( finished or not ), Jared had set off toward the landed Leopard. Moving nearly at a run, but not exactly ( of course not ), he'd entered the blocky landing craft, and made straight up to the CIC.
There, he'd found the
" I was asking the same thing ", stated Dr. Murad. Standing off to one side, the headscarf-adorned aerospace engineer/ SLDF fanatic was watching Sumrie's rapid pacing with great interest and more than a slight amount of concern on her round face. However, exactly where that concern was coming from, Jared couldn't quite place.
That in of itself was vexing. The " Black Widow ", on the other hand, could wait.
" I mean, the second she realized where that mystery transmission came from ", the doc went on, " She acts like the next plague of Eygpt was about to strike. Or that someone had placed a metaphorical bullseye on her back. Completely angsty, as you can tell. "
" That's because there is !", the Navigator exclaimed, sharply rounding on her, shaking one knifed hand to drive the point home.
The relatively cramped confines of the Leopard's CIC were now positively ( or rather, negatively ) charged with electric tension. Sumire may have been the only one who was all worked up, but everyone was getting at some of the residual vibes- and they didn't like it, though for considerably different reasons.
" Alright, alright. Calm down. What I need to know, though, is: Why are you so... convinced? ", Dr. Murad pressed, sounding as thoroughly bewildered as Jared would've expected. She was an academic, after all- being aware of even a Mechwarrior who was as well established as the Black Widow wouldn't exactly be something most like her would be familiar with.
"Who even is this..."Black Widow " character you speak of, anyway? Is she some sort of legendary Mechwarrior- ? "
Oh, boy. Don't open the floodgates, doc...
Well aware of how Sumire would respond to the question, Jared immediately opted to step in. The last thing he wanted here was letting Sumire's irrational fear of the Black Widow result in some overblown description of her skillset, thus turning her into a major source of fear for anyone who wasn't familiar with her rep.
To be healthily informed of her ? Good. To be terrified of her ? That didn't serve any useful purpose at all.
" Basically, yes ", Jared confirmed the Doc's speculation.
To his ( not ) surprise, though, that wasn't enough for Sumire. With a slightly sputtering gasp, she now pivoted to look at him, eyes noticeably widened with fear and apprehension in equal measure.
" Boss...that's barely covering it ", the Taurian rigidly insisted. " She's no run of the mill Mechwarrior. Respectfully, you know that. "
" I know she's capable. ", her commander evenly replied.
" That's not doing her justice ! "
It was at that point that Dr. Murad spoke up again, a tad more insistently than earlier. " Who is she, though ?! Nobody's told me. "
" Oh, you're going to. ", Sumire declared.
" I'm looping in Darius, right now. ". She deftly worked her pad, establishing a connection with the ship in low orbit. " He needs to know about this. "
Jared thought that sounded fine. Darius was statistically less inclined to freaking out compared to Sumire, and no less well advised on the " legendary " Mechwarrior known as the Black Widow. Upon finding out that she'd contacted the company just now, he'd probably take it better.
Probably.
" Proceed ", Jared told the navigator. " I'm sure he'll be fascinated. "
" As long as he understands that we're screwed if the Black Widows turns out to have a beef with us, its fine wether he is or isn't. "
Jared shook his shaved head, muttering to himself in Russian various ways of expressing how difficult women could be. Sure, they were both well versed in the " legend " of the Black Widow, it seemed only he wasn't falling into the trap of getting so wrapped up in it, that he was perceiving said Black Widow as any kind of invincible , was the worst mistake any of them could make.
Do you really think she's who she appears to be, Sumire ? Do you ?
After another several seconds, the voice of the company's second in command sounded over the speakers, loud and clear.
" Sumire ? I read you. Send traffic ", Darius stated, by way of greeting. " Did you deliver Dr. Murad to the target site yet ? I'm reading the Leopard is on the ground there- "
" Darius. You need to listen to me: I got a message from someone a few minutes ago. "
Off to the side, Dr. Murad huffed in annoyance, still perplexed as to who the BW was. Jared raised a palm, signaling " Wait a second: You're going to get the full scoop in a moment. ".
And, sure enough:
" What ? Sumire , what're you saying ? "
" The freaking Black Widow, that's who ! The most dangerous Mechwarrior who's ever lived, bar none ! I wouldn't normally remind you, but I got Doc Murad here, and she's completely unversed in exactly how deadly that woman is. "
At the uttering of the phrase " the most dangerous Mechwarrior who's ever lived, bar none ", Jared watched all the minute details of an expression of what could probably best be called, "Wait a second-that's who's reaching out to us ? Should I be scared? "
Now you're getting somewhere, eh ?
" My, god, Darius- ". Sumire raked a hand through her hair, gritting her teeth.
" Ok, that's my cue- "
Jared pushed off the center console where he'd been leaning, and made his way forward toward the clearly frazzled Sumire, as Darius replied:
" Sumire- calm down. ". Darius was his typical self- in control, even-keeled. He was clearly doing what he could to transfer some of that to Sumire ( and God knew she could use some ), but it only appeared to be having the opposite effect- if it were even possible for her to get more angsty than she already was.
Lowering his voice, Jared lightly placed an arm around her shoulders, and spoke. " Mead ( honey ), did she threaten you ? Or any of us ? "
" ...Well, actually yes. "
Finally, the Taurian was able to get a semblance of a hold over herself again-definitely an encouraging sight. If Sumire had any weaknessess, getting carried away on things she was fixated on ( for good or otherwise ) was arguably near the top of the list.
Exhaling, biting her lower lip, Sumire closed both eyes for several seconds, before opening them again.
" But, she did send you a message, though. And, I don't think you'll like it. "
" And why is that ? "
Sumire was on the knife-edge of replying, when her tacpad abruptly began squawking- the way it did when there was a transmission being tight beamed to the Leopard. Immediately, the Navigator's face paled, and she virtually stopped breathing.
" Oh, God ", she murmured.
" What ?- "
Sumire was staring at her pad, as if she'd literally spotted a ghost.
" Commander...she's calling us again. "
" Jared Narkov.
I know who you are. You are the owner and commander of the private military company known as " Armageddon's Steel Legion ". Aka, mercenaries. "
The level of derision that dripped off the word " mercenaries " was nothing short of astounding, Jared had judged. It was remarkable, how much scorn and hate someone could attach to their voice.
Then again, it matched the expression of the clearly hostile woman who's hologram now had bloomed over the CIC's central console, displaying her face and upper torso.
Natasha Kerensky. The Black Widow. In the flesh.
Well, close enough.
On the plus side, she was quite attractive, in the " tough, warrior woman " sort of way. Nicely placed, Slavic-esque cheekbones, burnt red hair that was briskly styled to lightly reach a pair of sculpted shoulders, from which a pair of equally fit arms extended. Her eyes were a shade of jade green, and radiated a fundamental intelligence.
Overall, Jared deiced that if he hadn't already met Sumire, he'd have been sorely tempted to get to know this Widow. He'd heard of her, needless to say, but not ever seen her in person.
" Natasha. ". He hooked his thumbs into his Mechwarrior uniform hip pockets. " So, we finally meet, eh ? "
The " legend " didn't miss a beat in replying. " Not for reasons you'd ever want, Commander. This is not a negotiation. "
Then again, the raging hostility she was exuding in every way wasn't doing much to increase her considerable appeal. Indeed, Jared also found himself beginning to despise her.
Said Black Widow barrelled on reinforcing that notion for him, with every word as razor-aggressive as the last and the one before: " No more mincing words. I know you and said company are pursuing the derelict jumpship known as the " Dobrev ". Your reasons for doing so are irrelevant, because your hunt for that vessel ends now. Its whereabouts are my concern, and that of my own company. If you continue to pursue the " Dobrev ", I can promise you that you will encounter my Mechwarriors and I on the battlefield. When that happens, we will end you all. "
Out the corner of his view, Jared observed Dr. Murad whispering some kind of prayer...or something to that effect.
"And then, we will end the rest of your company. All who follow you will die, Mechwarriors or not. "
" Hm. So, I guess no quarter for even the humble second in command, " Darius was standing his own ground as well; Jared was yet again pleased he'd kept him around this long.
The Black Widow ignored him. All her ( irate ) attention, was on Jared.
" There is one final task you will perform for me before you abandon your hunt, however. You will pile all of the contents of the " Dobrev " outside the vessel, in clear view. Do not question why. Simply do this, and then vacate the entire planet. "
" In other words: You want for me to back off, and kick the Dobrev to the curb. ", Jared clarified. " And then, get lost, so to speak. "
" How perceptive you are. Yes, that's exactly what you will do.". If it were possible for a hologram to display a vicious sneer, this one would've.
" As we speak, I am approaching the Dobrev's site itself. I will arrive within one solar day. By then, I expect you to have complied with my orders. I will not repeat them, nor what I will do to you and your company if you do not. "
" Sounds like you expect me to...what's the expression? Ah, right: ' Knuckle under '. That won't happen, I assure you. "
" You know who I am, Commander. That sould be all the impetus you need. Kerensky, out. "
The message, with that final sentence, ended.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Jared, crossed arms and once again leaning against the central hologram table, spent most of those seconds studying the reaction of the others who were gathered here. Or, more accurately, studying how the ladies were responding; he already knew Darius wasn't flinching, Black Widow or not.
Dr. Murad ? You were curious about this " legend ". Now, you know more. Satisfied?
" Oh...Good Lord. ", said doc exclaimed, in a tone barely above a whisper.
Glancing at her, Jared saw she was looking no less than...amazed ? Excited ? If anything, she didn't quite look afraid, or profoundly shocked.
What ?!
" Yeah, that's about the scope of it ", Darius agreed.
He wasn't nearly as tense as Sumire had been ( or still was, to be fair ), but there was something in his voice that indicated he was taking the Black Widow rather seriously.
The XO then weighed in more completely. " The Black Widow has a tally that exceeds 100 Mechs destroyed. The number of Mechwarriors in existence who have one that high ? I can count them on one hand. All talk related to her in merc circles is centered on how she tends to leave next to no survivors in the wake of a battle- whether that's due to finishing them off, or simply making a clean sweep of each battlefield. Not that you're any less dead either way. "
" Emphasis on dead ", Sumire interjected pointedly.
Here we go again.
" Everyone: her name is Kerensky. Kerensky ! ".
Dr. Murad practically shouted the name, accompanying it with suitably energetic gestures. If she'd been interested at all earlier, now she was definitely committed in full. Frankly, Jared had been anticipating this, though he couldn't resist rolling both eyes anyway.
And, surprising nobody...
" Yes...you got that right. ", the CO acknowledged.
" Natasha Kerensky. Aka the " Black Widow ". Leader and owner of the Black Widow Company, one of the most lethal and reputable PMCs around in settled space. Aside from us, needless to say. "
" No, no- listen ! ". Dr. Murad was on a roll, nearly out of nowhere, and Jared could only wonder how much Sumire would attempt to dam that tide.
Oh, this is going to be fun.
" Doctor, is this going to turn into some sort of...dissertation on the legacy of the Star League ? ". Jared asked, recrossing his arms.
" Damn. I should've seen that coming too. ", Daris remarked.
Ignoring the obvious undertones, Dr. Murad quickly continued. " Commander, XO, everyone ! Its Natasha Kerensky ! Who else can she be, but a descendent of the great General Alexander Kerensky himself?! "
" Better buckle in ", Jared advised the others. " She's going off on one of her ' All hail the mighty Star League ' again..."
" Well, she is a fan ", the XO reminded.
" When General Kerensky led the SLDF into the depths of space-' The Exodus ', its been known as-that was the last anyone saw or heard of either him, or anyone from the League. ". The doctor had already lapsed into lecture mode, much to some mild bemusement from her audience. Aside from Sumire, needless to say, who was still in a state of " We are up to our necks, and the water is rising ".
" Why are we even chasing the Dobrev ? Because its origin point strongly indicates- ".
On " indicates ", Dr. Murad uncharacteristically pounded one fist into the palm of her other hand.
"-that her original homeport was somewhere in the Deep Periphery, and that she's been adrift ever after leaving there ! I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that the Deep Periphery, and especially its most uncharted regions, are exactly where the Exodus headed off to ! And, let's not forget- Natasha Kerensky ? Kerensky ! Why did nobody tell me of her ?! "
" I am...astonished you did that all on one take of the lungs ", Darius commented. " I also think that was the longest string of words I've ever heard from you, and that's saying something. "
Jared was certainly in agreement on that, but he was more inclined to let his subordinates discuss this a bit more among themselves, before putting his own foot down about what they were going to do. Besides, there was no way Sumire was going to let Dr. Murad's fangirling over the SLDF's ( supposed ) greatest champion go off without her own predictions of woe.
Another voice of reason could be useful, aside from him stepping in once and for all. It was fine if Dr. Murad harbored respect for what technological prowess the SLDF/SL had ever possessed, but she'd taken it into some kind of crusade. The entire operation to secure the Dobrev had her encouraging its pursuit as much as Jared actually issuing the orders ( which, needless to say, was what was actually turning the wheels; as much as Steel Legion liked Dr. Murad, they wouldn't do something like this for her, without their commander's say so ).
One of them would kiss anyone from the SLDF if they materialized right now, and the other wants to lock herself behind a blast door from them, and grab a shotgun. Quite the contrast
" Say what you will about me, Darius Olivera, but you can't ignore what's right in front of us all ", the doc responded.
" Natasha Kerensky, aka " The Black Widow ". She's the first of the SLDF, the first of the Star League that's ever been heard of. In 300 years...300 ! "
At that, Sumire finally intervened again. " Doc- tap the brakes, for a second, will you ? "
Still at the highpoint of her quasi-soapboxing, Dr. Murad turned to look at the Navigator.
" Hm ? "
" You're going a mile a minute- you're completely ignoring that we're dealing with the Black Widow here- and assuming she's a descendant of General Alexander Kerensky ?! ". The Taurian covered her face with a hand, inhaling sharply, before breathing out again slowly.
I can't say you're not standing on any legs, Su . Jared was thinking along similar lines to her.
" First- she's the deadliest Mechwarrior alive for a reason, doc ! Every- and I want to say this again- every-documented engagement she's ever fought has ended with the opposing lance, or lances, wiped out. Often, with no survivors. That's how she operates. That's how good she is at the controls of a mech. Over a decade of combat experience, on top of some Great House-level training."
The Navigator went off on her own tangent now. She was equally as passionate, in her methodical way.
" And as for her being a descent of Kerensky, the SLDF general...come on, doc ! The SLDF died out 300 years ago, when all of its survivors skedaddled off into the Deep Periphery. The deepest reaches of space, where nobody of the Inner Sphere, or the Rimward Periphery, or, yes, even the Deep Periphery itself, could find them. They're all gone, doc. All of them. "
Breathing again, Sumire concluded. " The Black Widow is deadly as heck, that's not up for debate, but she's not sone link to the SLDF. I don't care if she's a " Kerensky " or not; that doesn't mean for 100 percent she's related to that Kerensky. All that does matter is- as I'll say again- she's the deadliest Mechwarrior alive, and she's gunning for us. We. Need. A plan. "
" That doesn't involve getting anywhere near her. Thanks for listening. "
Another blanket of quiet descended on the CIC, interrupted only by the beep and chime of the monitoring instruments. It lasted roughly as long as the previous one, give or take several seconds.
" Ok...you might've eclipsed Dr. Murad for " Longest rant of the day ', Sumire "., Darius decided.
" That's a narrow win ", Jared sided.
The Taurian was not amused. " That's how it is, gentlemen. "
" I don't any of you listened to me, ", Dr. Murad protested, emotion beginning to fill her tone. " Respectfully, commander- are you paying attention? It's one thing for us to have a lead on a ship from the same region of space as where the Exodus's destination was- now we're in contact with someone who comes from there as well ! "
" Imagine. The great-times-20- granddaughter of Alexander Kerensky, comes back to the Inner Sphere! No wonder she's so dangerous; the SLDF had technology that exceeds our own quite easily! LosTech, as we know it now. What could she tell us about what the descendants of the SLDF have been able to design during those 300 years ?! Perhaps, the SLDF still exists! Way out there, so deep in space, it wouldn't ever be found..."
Having wildly built up her theme, the Doc didn't stop. " She could tell us so much ! Not only about their technology, but also about their society! The SLDF had to have founded their own civilization out there...one I am sure is so much more livable than ours. "
" You'll have to be a lot more specific than that, doc ", Darius dryly informed her.
" Well, to begin with, I bet they don't need mercenaries out there- "
She was interrupted at that point, by a burst of heavy laughter from Jared.
He couldn't help himself. There wasn't much room in the Doc's wild imagination for any other reaction to it than this. Here she was, fantasizing over some kind of...what ? The utopia that she claimed existed out in the untamed reaches of space...ha !
For someone so intelligent, she was being stupid. The SLDF/SL had died. If the Black Widow had been one of them who's been on the Exodus, and then come back to the Inner Sphere, or if she'd been one of the League's diehards who's stayed back and refused to participate on it-
None of that mattered. Dr. Murad wasn't a Mechwarrior, or someone who had aspired to be, which would be close enough. Either of those would be more street-savvy, and more familiar with how the galaxy worked. It was the same now as it was during the era of the Star League: As long as there were men, they would fight.
With the SLDF/ SL still in existence in some form or another, or not.
Even if it were true, it didn't matter. The SLDF weren't the saints the good Doctor thought they were, and the only ( faintly ) possible connection to them was blatantly obviously out to gut them like fish. That in of itself was enough.
" Doc, let me- no, I will-stop you right there ". Now, it was Jared's turn to go on a bit of a spiel. He hadn't even been practicing it, either.
" Commander, whatever you're about to suggest- I advise we just do as she says ", Sumire offered her ( unasked for, as usual ) recommendation. " There're plenty of high paying jobs in the galaxy; giving up some rusted our derelict is a trivial price to pay to keep on breathing. "
" You assume much, Meyer. As in: If we fight her, you think we can't win. "
" She will end us if we go up against her ", the Navigator warned. The conviction with how she spoke was palpable, Jared noted.
Admirable. But, even though I won't tell her, it also won't do her any good
" No, no ", Dr. Muras shook her head vigorously. " We cannot do that! The secrets of the Star League could be ours-! "
" You're still committed to chasing that, I see ", Darius sounded like he was rolling both eyes. " Doctor Murad, Sumire: we go where the money is. The Dobrev is worth millions of C-Bills to anyone willing and able to pay. "
" That's not why we're after it- "
"- and its not why we should stop ", Sumire objected, more insistently than earlier.
" The Black Widow is as close to invincible as its possible for anyone to get. We're not fighting her. No offense, Commander, but that includes all Mechwarriors. "
It was by now, that Jared sensed his patience beginning to wear thin. He was not quite angry with Sumire, not yet, but he wasn't pleased with this borderline defeatist talk. Jared hadn't survived years on the lamb after running away from home, or his stretch as a Solaris Gladiator, by getting intimidated by anyone- let alone by their rep alone.
Nobody on his crew was unfamiliar with that was how he ran the Steel Legion. Running from a fight wasn't his, or by extension, their way.
It was simply how he ran his own company. And by extension, it was the mentality of any Mechwarrior that was worth his or her salt. That was applicable to even someone as " infamous " as the Black Widow, Kerensky blood or not. Jared didn't care how lethal she was, or was alleged to be. He would not run from her, no way.
You're going to hit a serious speed bump, Black Widow.
" Commander, what-"
Not letting her acquire more momentum, the company CEO began to take her back down to Earth, so to speak. " Here's what's going to happen: "
He walked to the center of the CIC, hands clasped behind his back. He met both the women's expressions again; Sumire looked frustrated and nervous, Dr. Murad eager, but cautious.
" You still on the line, Darius ? ", he asked.
" Right here, boss. I think I know where you're headed with this. "
The law needed to be laid down, and so it would be:
" The Black Widow is coming here. She expects to be casting her web over us. But when she arrives, we'll put ours around her. We're going to obliterate that spider. "