The Call of the Falcon
By Jonathan Griffin
Based on the Battletech and Mech warrior Dark Age novels
Crimson beams of light flashed past his view port. This startled Lt. Griffin, he was in a daze. "I haven't seen action all day," he muttered to him self working his Mech into a run, "finally a battle." Of course it wasn't much of a battle it was just a joust tank. But, it was enough. As he got closer to the tank he saw it was painted tan and aqua, he saw the axe emblem on the side of the tank, and this reminded him, "Oh, we are fighting the raiders again.I forgot." As he aimed his two gauss riffles he saw it, it was a flash of metal then another one. Then he saw blue and then green. He looked back at the tank just in time.the thing that had distracted him was closing in on the tank. Finally it stopped, but not completely, it slid on the field and it's axe crashed into the tank cutting it right down the center. The tactic was a little brash and it unlocked something deep in his memory, like he had seen it before but where? Where have I seen that before? He thought. The Mech turned to him and then stopped. It hesitated then he heard, "Pilot of the Jupiter, shut down your Mech and get out, or I will cut you and it into tiny pieces" I know that voice. He thought to himself. Then he replied, "Over my dead body!!" The other Mech, the Hatchetman, charged at his Jupiter. Right off the bat, the pilot of the hachetman's pilot made a mistake. He was charging in a straight line. Lt. Griffin chuckled to himself. The opening was there, would he exploit it? Yes, he would. Lt. Griffin fired five medium range missiles straight at the hatchetman's right knee. He heard the explosion, he saw the smoke, but these things weren't good enough, then finally he heard the crunching of gears and he hear his foe's Mech fall flat on it's face. Lt. Griffin made his Mech walk over to his adversary's Mech; he put the Jupiter's foot on the hatchetman's left arm which had a laser built into it. Then he saw the sword in the starburst emblem that represented the sword sworn. Then he understood he switched on his radio and said, "Andrew, how many idiots in the sword sworn army would make that same mistake." It took Andrew a bit to reply, "Jon? Well, almost all of us." Then he laughed. "I should have known it was you," Andrew said, "You always did end the fight early, so I couldn't ware on your nerves." "Hold on, I will call for a retrieval vehicle." Jon stated before he switched over to the Highlander secret channel. As the recovery vehicle pulled up he heard over the radio, "Lt. Griffin is this an inopportune moment?" "No." Jon replied. "Ok. The duchess wishes to enjoy your company." the recovery worker said. "Ok. I will see her." Then he switched over to another line, "Andrew. get over here now. We are going to visit the duchess and I hear your fiancé will be there." "Right now, can't it wait?" Andrew complained. As Andrew ran over Jon worked the controls deftly so that the Jupiter's hand was low enough for Andrew to jump into. As he ran his Mech back to the base he could feel the heat of pushing a Mech to it's limits.
When they reached the base they heard the duchess had made arrangements for a helicopter to take them to the duchess's castle. They got in the helicopter and put on the helmets. Then Jon said, "Pilot how long is this flight?" The pilot replied, "2 hours sir." Jon replied, "Thank you." Now Jon had time to talk to Andrew. Better not bring up any thing about his fiancé right now but once we start talking I'll mention it Jon thought. Then Jon said, "Why did you leave?" "Well aren't you being officious?" Andrew replied. "Well at least those sword sworn idiots taught you some new words" Jon retorted. "Those idiots were my brothers in arms for two years." Andrew replied ominously. "Well at least I didn't abandon my brother, my fiancé, and my planet." Jon said. Jon knew his brother was not a supple person. But he would try to bend him any way. "Brother on paper only, not in blood ,and not in name either. And anyway you ant talk about my fiancé because you don't even have a girlfriend. Your heart is as cold as steel and you can't even open it to the duchess..oops I've said too much" then Andrew fell silent. Now Andrew wouldn't look Jon in the eyes. Jon chuckled. This surprised Andrew. Then Jon said, "You can be more explicit. You are older and there fore smarter." Jon said this deviously. "I accede right now. You are smarter than me and don't even think about trying the guilt trip on me." Andrew said. "Oh, you're no fun." Jon said smiling. Then Jon heard the pilot talking, "would you two like some lunch?" "What does it comprise of today?" Jon replied. "What it always does. sea rations" the pilot said. "Yes." Jon and Andrew replied in unison. As they ate Jon looked out a window and saw the beautiful mountains. Solace rushed over him like a tidal wave. The he heard, "you always did like the mountains." After that Jon dosed off. Jon woke up when the helicopter landed apparently the sudden jolt had extirpated Andrew from his sleep as well. Then the door opened. They rushed out of the helicopter. Then Jon saw the castle. It was beautiful. The only problem was that the ivy on the north wall was growing rampantly. There was a contrast though; the inside was stately, but just a bit musty. Then Jon remembered that the duchess's favorite castle was destroyed the last time the steel wolves had invaded. Andrew gawked at the size of the vestibule. Jut then a big door on the other side of the room slowly creaked open. Then through the door walked Tara Bishop, Andrew's fiancé.
By Jonathan Griffin
Based on the Battletech and Mech warrior Dark Age novels
Crimson beams of light flashed past his view port. This startled Lt. Griffin, he was in a daze. "I haven't seen action all day," he muttered to him self working his Mech into a run, "finally a battle." Of course it wasn't much of a battle it was just a joust tank. But, it was enough. As he got closer to the tank he saw it was painted tan and aqua, he saw the axe emblem on the side of the tank, and this reminded him, "Oh, we are fighting the raiders again.I forgot." As he aimed his two gauss riffles he saw it, it was a flash of metal then another one. Then he saw blue and then green. He looked back at the tank just in time.the thing that had distracted him was closing in on the tank. Finally it stopped, but not completely, it slid on the field and it's axe crashed into the tank cutting it right down the center. The tactic was a little brash and it unlocked something deep in his memory, like he had seen it before but where? Where have I seen that before? He thought. The Mech turned to him and then stopped. It hesitated then he heard, "Pilot of the Jupiter, shut down your Mech and get out, or I will cut you and it into tiny pieces" I know that voice. He thought to himself. Then he replied, "Over my dead body!!" The other Mech, the Hatchetman, charged at his Jupiter. Right off the bat, the pilot of the hachetman's pilot made a mistake. He was charging in a straight line. Lt. Griffin chuckled to himself. The opening was there, would he exploit it? Yes, he would. Lt. Griffin fired five medium range missiles straight at the hatchetman's right knee. He heard the explosion, he saw the smoke, but these things weren't good enough, then finally he heard the crunching of gears and he hear his foe's Mech fall flat on it's face. Lt. Griffin made his Mech walk over to his adversary's Mech; he put the Jupiter's foot on the hatchetman's left arm which had a laser built into it. Then he saw the sword in the starburst emblem that represented the sword sworn. Then he understood he switched on his radio and said, "Andrew, how many idiots in the sword sworn army would make that same mistake." It took Andrew a bit to reply, "Jon? Well, almost all of us." Then he laughed. "I should have known it was you," Andrew said, "You always did end the fight early, so I couldn't ware on your nerves." "Hold on, I will call for a retrieval vehicle." Jon stated before he switched over to the Highlander secret channel. As the recovery vehicle pulled up he heard over the radio, "Lt. Griffin is this an inopportune moment?" "No." Jon replied. "Ok. The duchess wishes to enjoy your company." the recovery worker said. "Ok. I will see her." Then he switched over to another line, "Andrew. get over here now. We are going to visit the duchess and I hear your fiancé will be there." "Right now, can't it wait?" Andrew complained. As Andrew ran over Jon worked the controls deftly so that the Jupiter's hand was low enough for Andrew to jump into. As he ran his Mech back to the base he could feel the heat of pushing a Mech to it's limits.
When they reached the base they heard the duchess had made arrangements for a helicopter to take them to the duchess's castle. They got in the helicopter and put on the helmets. Then Jon said, "Pilot how long is this flight?" The pilot replied, "2 hours sir." Jon replied, "Thank you." Now Jon had time to talk to Andrew. Better not bring up any thing about his fiancé right now but once we start talking I'll mention it Jon thought. Then Jon said, "Why did you leave?" "Well aren't you being officious?" Andrew replied. "Well at least those sword sworn idiots taught you some new words" Jon retorted. "Those idiots were my brothers in arms for two years." Andrew replied ominously. "Well at least I didn't abandon my brother, my fiancé, and my planet." Jon said. Jon knew his brother was not a supple person. But he would try to bend him any way. "Brother on paper only, not in blood ,and not in name either. And anyway you ant talk about my fiancé because you don't even have a girlfriend. Your heart is as cold as steel and you can't even open it to the duchess..oops I've said too much" then Andrew fell silent. Now Andrew wouldn't look Jon in the eyes. Jon chuckled. This surprised Andrew. Then Jon said, "You can be more explicit. You are older and there fore smarter." Jon said this deviously. "I accede right now. You are smarter than me and don't even think about trying the guilt trip on me." Andrew said. "Oh, you're no fun." Jon said smiling. Then Jon heard the pilot talking, "would you two like some lunch?" "What does it comprise of today?" Jon replied. "What it always does. sea rations" the pilot said. "Yes." Jon and Andrew replied in unison. As they ate Jon looked out a window and saw the beautiful mountains. Solace rushed over him like a tidal wave. The he heard, "you always did like the mountains." After that Jon dosed off. Jon woke up when the helicopter landed apparently the sudden jolt had extirpated Andrew from his sleep as well. Then the door opened. They rushed out of the helicopter. Then Jon saw the castle. It was beautiful. The only problem was that the ivy on the north wall was growing rampantly. There was a contrast though; the inside was stately, but just a bit musty. Then Jon remembered that the duchess's favorite castle was destroyed the last time the steel wolves had invaded. Andrew gawked at the size of the vestibule. Jut then a big door on the other side of the room slowly creaked open. Then through the door walked Tara Bishop, Andrew's fiancé.