Disclaimer: I think it would be shorter if I said only what I actually own. I own the planet names Jrebera, Nerthoria, Zerin, Irora, Rethorec, and Trior. I own the characters Alex Kerios, Meria Krithita, Trolec Verrtsi, Hreth, Youkai, Nethretor, Theoric Harredir, and Hetroric Deriath. I own the Puppy, Raven, and Vengeance Marauder Battlemech chassis, as well as the Warmechs. The song For Whom The Bell Tolls was written entirely by Mettalica. There may be more in future chapters, but I will include them in then.

Author: I hope you enjoyed the last couple chapters. I know I liked writing them! Anyway, I just wanted to say that my stories have been up for a while now and yet I still have only gotten one review. Oh well, I guess it takes some time for people to actually read the stories. And just so you, it will be a bit before I update this story, I want to write a bit more on my other one, The Echani Jedi. Things between the clans are about to heat up!

When Alex and Meria returned to the main complex, a sentry nearly ran into them. They could see that something has happened. "What, what has occurred that would require such speeds?" Alex said quickly.

"We got a transmission from the Inner Sphere just now, it seems they are interested in speaking with you OvKhan Alex and OvKhan Meria. They would not reveal their intentions. If you ask me, it sounds like a trap, but I'm only a sentry." He said, trying to catch his breath.

"If they want to talk, then we will talk. I know everything about the communications systems here, I did design quite a bit of them. We will use a trans-relay in order to avoid disclosure of our actual position in case they try to trace it. Thanks for the insight by the way, we will be very cautious. Do yourself a favor, find a girl that you like and take her to see The Kerensky Chronicles. We just came from there. Come on Meria, it seems that our time of peace has ended in tandem with our date!" Alex said, rushing to the communications console.

"Alex! What if they can trace the signal from the relay?" Meria asked fearfully

"They would have to be at the relay in order to do that, and once the communication's ended, the relay is set to explode with a large enough blast radius to take out anything within 5 miles. Anything within 10 will be severely burnt. And we already survived one invasion, and we are more prepared now." He responded, putting his hand gently on her shoulder. "I doubt that we will need aid from mercenary clans in this war Meria. Computer: Display status of torture prisoner 1!" Alex said. He seems extraordinarily calm. Meria thought. Perhaps it's from his upbringing. He has learned to be calm and control his emotions, for the most part, during times of possible crisis. An amazing skill. Her thoughts added.

TORTURE PRISONER 1 STATUS: NONEXISTANT. REMOTE USER 0945206 RELEASED CAGE POWER SUPPLY ONE STANDARD DAY PREVIOUS TO THIS LOG IN. TRACER STATUS: INTACT FUNCTIONAL. INSERT DATAPAD FOR TRACER CODES TO UPLOAD INTO JUMPSHIP NAVIGATIONAL COMPUTER. The computer screen displayed. OPTIMAL COURSE FOR PREDICTED TRAJECTRY PLOTTED. DOWLOADING DATA TO ALL DARK STAR JUMPSHIPS NOW it said as the screen flashed.

"Alex, Meria! I have multiple Jumpspace ruptures detected around the planet! I suggest you initialize program Camo and Shutdown immediately. I have already made it so that the turrets remain underground and don't fire, but if they learn that we are here, I will fry them all!" Youkai said through the intercom system.

"Youkai, how did you get back into the system?" Meria asked curiously.

"She reprogrammed her human's mechanical brain to allow her to plug herself in. I have done the same. I have learned much this night Alex. And by the look on your face when we met up, you have as well. We will keep watch on the sensors, and as much as I enjoy combat, if you don't use Camo and Shutdown, I will Alex. I don't want to be turned into fried metal!" Nethretor echoed through the halls. Damn, they're both learning at an unheard of rate! I wonder how far towards humanity they can become. Alex thought.

"Get yourselves outta there! If I use it while you're in there we'll lose you forever!" Alex yelled as he plugged many programming commands into the console. He finally got to the screen he required, and put in the code. "Tell me when you're out of the system, I won't hit the button 'till you're both out here!" he yelled into the console next to the one he was on. The screen flashed, and two datadiscs popped out of the drives. Alex slammed his fist on the Initiate button, picked up Meria, and sprinted towards her house. "I moved the Elemental suits to your garage, as well as my Warmech. If these invaders dare to come near us, we will fight and we will kill. They will learn the extent of our fury!" Alex said, spurring his Love nearly into a killing frenzy. He could see the flames of anger and hatred burning in her eyes, and he could feel the flames of her heart roaring higher and higher with the prospect of coming battle. She's a warrior alright, and by what I feel, a damn good one when pissed off. Alex thought, his own heart yearning for battle. "Come, we have to hide for now. We will both change into something more suitable for battle, then we meet in your room. Go, I am stored some light yet protective combat armor in your bottom drawer. Go!" Alex yelled, not caring for stealth. He ripped down a rope that he built into the ceiling, revealing a trap door.

Once inside the small opening in the bottom of his new Warmech, he rolled out into a combat roll to minimize impact damage to himself. He donned his Elemental Battle Armor and rushed into the cockpit. "You wanted to speak with me Inner Sphere Minister?" Alex said into the microphone as he powered up his Warmech, the Yami Youkai, taken from the now ancient Japanese language, which, when translated, means Dark Demon.

"Alex, what a pleasant surprise-" "Yeah, and your 'Mechs here was just as pleasant! You interrupted the greatest day of my life you little asshole! What the Hell do you want?" Alex interrupted, not allowing the Inner Sphere leader the pleasure of finishing.

"How rude! And I am sorry about messing up your obviously busy life Alex, but I was wondering if you were going to willingly join us, or if I would have to take you by force!" the transmission came, full of overconfidence.

"You took away from me the greatest day of my life, and now you think that I am gonna just sit idly by and let you ruin all that I have worked so very hard to create? No, the Dark Star clan will never take allies, only those who wish to join will be taken in and treated as an ally. You must all die for your crimes against my people! We will obliterate every damned Battlemech here with our far superior Warmechs! I built each and every one myself, giving each one their own life and personality! However, it is not any of that that is what drives me this day, no. It is something you could never understand, it is Love. I fight this day for my True Love Meria Krithita!" Alex yelled as he opened up the doors and leaped out in the Yami Youkai. He watched as the defense systems all activated. LRM70s blasted at the dropships, while Spread Fire PPCs (or SFPPC) tore apart the invading Battlemech's armor. "Computer: focus Dark Star defense systems on dropships only. Override code: Death." Alex said as his weapons powered up and he reached the planet's surface. He saw Meria and her new Puppy emerge from the ground next to him. "Computer: execute invasion combat protocol 'For Whom The Bell Tolls'." He yelled, making sure that the Inner Sphere 'Mechs heard him.

Make this fight on the hills in the early day

Constant chill deep inside

Shouting gun, on the run through the endless gray

On they fight, for are they right, yes, but whose to say?

For a hill men would kill, why? They do not know

Suffered wounds test their pride

Men of five, still alive through the raging glow

Gone insane from the pain they surely know!

The exterior loudspeakers boomed as they rose from the ground for all to hear. It was a song of pain, and one of fury. Meria laughed and began to sing along happily. Alex joined in, his face bearing the most evil grin ever seen by the aged commander. "Dear God, what have I done? I've just sent good men to their deaths! All troops get your asses the hell outta there!" he yelled into the transmitter.

"Sorry! This is Hell! We aren't gonna let anyone go anywhere! Watch your screens pal, because the ten Jumpships you've sent are gonna go bye-bye now!" Alex said with a twisted evil laugh. He grinned as he heard the dying screams of the Elementals that the Clans sent with the Inner Sphere task force, burning them down with the flamethrower that was hidden in the torso, right where the heart should have been. "Hahaha! Having fun?" he yelled out his window to Meria, who was also grinning evilly.

Take a look to the sky just before you die

It's the last time you will!

Blackened roar massive roar fills the crumbling sky

Shattered goal fills his soul with a ruthless cry

Stranger now, are his eyes, to this mystery

He hears the silence so loud!

Crack of dawn, all is gone except the will to live

Now the see what will be, blinded eyes to see!

The loudspeakers continue, filling the night air with anger and malice. The battle raged on, hundreds of Battlemechs burning or falling. Elementals ran for their lives, only to either drown in the vast Ocean, or to burn by the lasers from the defending Warmechs. "Enough Alex, I get the point! Just let the survivors live! Pease, I beg of thee!" the Inner Sphere commander pleaded.

"Pathetic, but the lesson has been learned. We are not a war-mongering clan like the others, we actually prefer peace. We will allow you to send Jumpships full of empty dropships to retrieve the survivors, without their 'Mechs, understand? If you dare to violate this agreement, you will be our first example." Alex replied, shutting down the defense systems.

"Thank you Alex! Thank you! I will not endanger the lives of my people any further. The dropships will be empty of any and all weaponry beyond standard infantry pistols. Signing out." The commander said hastily. The sound of the incoming Jumpships was easily heard, and minutes later, dropships could be seen falling from the stars.

"All here who bear the insignia of any allegiance aside the Dark Star clan must get out of their Elemental armor and Battlemechs immediately. You are then to enter the nearest dropship and return to your homeworlds. Any who do not comply will be killed mercilessly." Alex bellowed through the loudspeaker.

Within the hour, the surviving invaders had departed and the Jumpships were out of Dark Star space. Alex's decision left questions among his fellow clansmen however. These questions were all the same: 'Why did we not kill them? Why did you force us to let them live?' Alex's answer was always the same.

"Because, this was a pathetic attempt at taking us over. We got the point through, and we also defeated a misconception about our clan's way of life and the personalities of the people within. We taught the universe a lesson this day, not only are we not to be joked about, but we take this matter very seriously. The survivors will go to interviewers so that they may write books on the battle here. The whole universe will know our strength, but not our weakness. The decision made to day will ensure more times of peace." Alex answered, repeating himself over and over.

"I agree with Alex wholeheartedly! We are now feared, but in a way that no other clan has ever been, for we are also respected. Our actions this day have defined who we are to the universe! We have shown the universe our way of life, and it has attracted the intrigue of millions of scholars and writers! We are already immortalized within clan history! We just formed this year, and we are already the most well known clan of them all!" Meria declared boldly, supporting Alex's decision like it was her own. All the listeners to her words clapped and cheered with sudden understanding and newfound purpose.

"Now do you realize what our goals are? We fight to bring peace back to this place! We fight in order to keep Terra away from those who would abuse its beauty! But most of all, we fight for everything that makes us who we are, friendship, personality, Life, Death, Love, Hatred, Happiness, Anger, Sorrow, everything! This is our destiny! This is now our quest, not just our goal!" Alex yelled, spurring the crowd even further. "I believe that is enough for this day, however. Meria and I are tired, and we wish to continue our night as it was, although we know that that will no longer be possible. Our anger and fury has been vented, for only a handful of warriors survived this day, and yet we had no losses at all. I believe we should continue with normal life until the time of our destiny arrives. I will see you in the morning." Alex added, rubbing his eyes wearily. Meria took his hand as they walked down the hallways and streets, returning to their homes.

Author: That one was a bit longer then I expected it would be. Oh well, it was fun writing it! As I said, I will be taking a break from this story and writing more on my other one, The Echani Jedi.