*I don't own Krensky's clans or Mechwarrior. I don't own any battlemechs or
the Marauder and Stone Rhino that Battletech did own but then robotech sued
for. Thanks for screwing it up Robotech. Anyways I don't own anything but
the main characters and the story line. I don't own Khan Perigaurd Zalman
of the Steel Vipers, Blah, Blah, and Blah.
This is my first Fic, so let me know how you felt and keep the flames low
unless you have something of actual importance to say. This chapter is slow
paced and boring but when the next chapter hits the ground running. And
with that note, on with the show! *
It had only been a month since the Khan of the Steel Vipers himself had promoted Matthew Bradley to Star Capitan, but already he had been in countless simulations in the training halls. Unknown numbers of assailants had rushed in and had been annihilated by his hand. Rather the opponent was human or computer made no difference, in the end only the instructors could beat him, and even that was an up-hill battle for them.
He had started his military career as an Elemental after his father had earned his blood name, it was Matthew's resourcefulness, however, that had reserved him permanent seat in a Battlemech. He had been chosen to fight with in a Trial of Possession against the Jade Falcons for the world of Black Earth. The plan to ambush the falcons backfired horribly when the Falcons had Elementals in place the trial had begun. The Steel Viper force was a Dire Wolf, a Nova Cat, a Summoner and 5 elementals up against an Atlas a Timber wolf a Loki and 5 Falcon Elementals.
The Steel Vipers had lost a Dire Wolf to a lucky LXB shot. A mixed blessing took out the Atlas, the Loki and 3 Falcon Elementals but had also claimed the Thor. The battle had a critical turning point when Matthew had punched a hole in a Falcon Timber Wolf and rammed a shard of armor into the delicate leg actuator, effectively tripping in from the inside out. The remaining forces pummeled the downed mech with all they had, sealing the Timberwolf's fate.
The Pilot of the NovaCat was Perigaurd Zalman, Khan of the Steel Vipers. He had recommended the two surviving Viper elementals for Mech pilot training. Since that day Matthew had spent day and night in the training hall running brutal simulations against the highest AI setting that the machine could offer. When he wasn't there, he was in the Mech Bay toiling over the Loki that was salvaged from the Trial of Possession.
The Loki that Khan Zalman had granted him was not like any mech he had ever seen before. The controls were radically different from a standard mech. The view screens were in the upper corners of his HUD. Shutdown, override, and coolant controls were on a panel above the HUD. The foot pedals were in their correct place but arm movement was not. Matthew had discovered that they were controlled by armrests that could be shifted away from him. The firing mechanisms for them were on the undersides of them. If Matthew ever had to fire without turning his torso then he had to grip the arm rests, pull them in the desired direction and squeeze the buttons at the end. Torso and pitch controls were next to the radar screen in front of him. After searching for a while he located to self-destruct and eject controls. They were on his left in cases to prevent accidental activation. This configuration would take getting used to but he would manage.
The second Elemental was Dave Thompson. His blood name had been in the clan for some time and there were heavy expectations for his future achievements. He was only given the rank of a Warrior but he did'nt mind at all. Dave enjoyed the new view from the top. The two had been together almost unseparated since the Trial of possession that had earned them the world of Black Earth. Khan Zalman had granted Dave his choice of any mech in any junkyard within 3 worlds. After two weeks of searching, Dave settled upon a Timberwolf that had been on Tyukkiad during the invasion of the Inner Sphere.
The two of them had been side-by-side nearly every moment since the Khan had granted them those mechs. Yet why he had paid them such special attention was unknown to them. Dave had always figured that the Khan had nearly an entire hangar of mechs at his personal disposal and had no need for anything else. One day about two months after the trial for Black Earth they had discovered the Khan's intentions.
It had only been a month since the Khan of the Steel Vipers himself had promoted Matthew Bradley to Star Capitan, but already he had been in countless simulations in the training halls. Unknown numbers of assailants had rushed in and had been annihilated by his hand. Rather the opponent was human or computer made no difference, in the end only the instructors could beat him, and even that was an up-hill battle for them.
He had started his military career as an Elemental after his father had earned his blood name, it was Matthew's resourcefulness, however, that had reserved him permanent seat in a Battlemech. He had been chosen to fight with in a Trial of Possession against the Jade Falcons for the world of Black Earth. The plan to ambush the falcons backfired horribly when the Falcons had Elementals in place the trial had begun. The Steel Viper force was a Dire Wolf, a Nova Cat, a Summoner and 5 elementals up against an Atlas a Timber wolf a Loki and 5 Falcon Elementals.
The Steel Vipers had lost a Dire Wolf to a lucky LXB shot. A mixed blessing took out the Atlas, the Loki and 3 Falcon Elementals but had also claimed the Thor. The battle had a critical turning point when Matthew had punched a hole in a Falcon Timber Wolf and rammed a shard of armor into the delicate leg actuator, effectively tripping in from the inside out. The remaining forces pummeled the downed mech with all they had, sealing the Timberwolf's fate.
The Pilot of the NovaCat was Perigaurd Zalman, Khan of the Steel Vipers. He had recommended the two surviving Viper elementals for Mech pilot training. Since that day Matthew had spent day and night in the training hall running brutal simulations against the highest AI setting that the machine could offer. When he wasn't there, he was in the Mech Bay toiling over the Loki that was salvaged from the Trial of Possession.
The Loki that Khan Zalman had granted him was not like any mech he had ever seen before. The controls were radically different from a standard mech. The view screens were in the upper corners of his HUD. Shutdown, override, and coolant controls were on a panel above the HUD. The foot pedals were in their correct place but arm movement was not. Matthew had discovered that they were controlled by armrests that could be shifted away from him. The firing mechanisms for them were on the undersides of them. If Matthew ever had to fire without turning his torso then he had to grip the arm rests, pull them in the desired direction and squeeze the buttons at the end. Torso and pitch controls were next to the radar screen in front of him. After searching for a while he located to self-destruct and eject controls. They were on his left in cases to prevent accidental activation. This configuration would take getting used to but he would manage.
The second Elemental was Dave Thompson. His blood name had been in the clan for some time and there were heavy expectations for his future achievements. He was only given the rank of a Warrior but he did'nt mind at all. Dave enjoyed the new view from the top. The two had been together almost unseparated since the Trial of possession that had earned them the world of Black Earth. Khan Zalman had granted Dave his choice of any mech in any junkyard within 3 worlds. After two weeks of searching, Dave settled upon a Timberwolf that had been on Tyukkiad during the invasion of the Inner Sphere.
The two of them had been side-by-side nearly every moment since the Khan had granted them those mechs. Yet why he had paid them such special attention was unknown to them. Dave had always figured that the Khan had nearly an entire hangar of mechs at his personal disposal and had no need for anything else. One day about two months after the trial for Black Earth they had discovered the Khan's intentions.