MechWarrior: Dark Age - The Raven's Plight
Chapter 2
Three's mind drifted. They had been waiting in the silence of space for what seemed like weeks but had in reality been less than one day. Their proximity to the local star meant he and his team had soaked up a lethal dose of radiation, but they would live long enough to carry out their mission.
Suddenly a hole seemed to open in the fabric of the universe and a ship appeared. The unmistakable profile of a Conqueror-class WarShip. The target had arrived. Immediately the team activated their jets and made for the vessel. Their glory was at hand.
RAS Frost Fire
Zenith Jump Point, Dneiper
Raven Alliance
31 May 3136
SaKhan Persis Anu, second most powerful woman in the Raven Alliance, stood proud and tall, her lean frame that of the aerospace phenotype. Though the ship floated in microgravity, her magnetic boots held her firmly in place. Her dark red hair had been cut short to better suit the environment. Though her bloodname was a general one claimed by many Clans she had managed to rise to a position of importance within the Snow Ravens. Her rise to power had been both meteoric and brutal.
A quiet chatter filled the bridge, technicians busily fulfilling their duties, seeing to the safety of the ship. The ship's commander, Star Commodore Ramirez Sukhanov, turned to face her. "All stations report secure saKhan. Deployment of the jump sail has begun."
"Excellent. You have things well in hand here. I shall be in my office if needed." She turned and began to leave when an alarm began to sound.
Attaching themselves to the hull had been easy. Gaining entrance less so. The airlocks were well secured. Snow Raven elementals doubled as marines, but each team had successfully gained entry. Three followed his commander up to the bridge. The elemental guards were surprised by the appearance of three armoured figures. They put up a valiant, but ultimately futile, struggle. Two was killed by a sustained machine gun blast to the stomach, the bullets easily tearing through the thin armour. One had his arm torn off, but the HarJel prevented him from dying. Three managed to kill the guards and enter the bridge.
"What is happening Star Commodore?"
"One moment saKhan, we are determining that now." He checked several displays, then checked again. "My Khan, it appears that we have been boarded."
Incredulous Persis turned to Ramirez. "How is that possible? There are no other ships present."
"I do not know, but…" The Star Commodore was cut off by the sound of weapons fire on the other side of the door. A moment later the doors were forced open and an armoured figure entered. The armour was a glassy bronze colour and of a style unfamiliar to any of the Snow Ravens. The figure pulled two long knives from a place of concealment and advanced.
Star Commodore Sukhanov made to reach for his sidearm, but the figure threw one of the knives and in a display of amazing marksmanship pierced the Star Commodore's throat, severing the carotid artery. Sukhanov collapsed to the floor, twitching and gushing blood. He tried feebly to stop the blood flow, but his struggles ceased after a moment. He was dead.
Being a warrior, Persis Anu reacted as such. She drew her laser pistol and rapidly fired three shots as they bronze figure ran at her. The shots damaged the helmet, cracking the seemingly brittle material. The enemy raised its remaining knife and plunged it into Anu's shoulder. She cried out in pain and dropped the pistol.
As the saKhan fought, another bronze armoured figure entered the bridge, this one with only one arm. The second figure raised a machine gun and sprayed fire across techs and equipment alike. The few survivors, non of them warriors, wisely hid behind banks of electronics while formulating plans to help the saKhan.
Meanwhile Persis Anu continued her fight with the armed figure. Try as she might she was unable to gain any advantage over the intruder. In desperation she leapt towards the rapidly cooling corpse of Ramirez Sukhanov. Moving much faster than the intruder expected she tore the knife out of the Star Commodore's neck and whirled to face her opponent. The figure removed its damaged helmet revealing the face of a young man. His face was burnt, peeling and covered in blistered sores… all signs of radiation overexposure. His mouth pulled back in a rictus grin.
They charged at each other, weapons swinging. The knives clashed, a harsh metallic ringing accompanied by flying sparks. Persis was using her left hand, her right arm still numb from her earlier injury. Her opponent was quite skilled with a blade, she was having difficulty finding an opening.
The bridge crew had managed to take out the other figure, proving their worth as members of the Clan.
At last Persis found the opening she was looking for. With a desperate lunge she sank her knife into the throat of her opponent. He shuddered, a shocked expression on his then he fell back. Persis kicked his knife away then knelt beside him. "Who are you?"
The young man laughed, the blood gurgling in his throat. "You… think you've won? Ha cough you… are doomed…" With a final gurgle he died.
Persis stood up and glared down at the corpse for a moment until another alarm blared, calling for her attention. She raced over to an engineering station. There she saw something that made her blood run cold. The core temperature of the reactor's were spiking through the roof.
In the cold vastness of space the great bulk of the Frost Fire exploded, a brief flare before the airlessness of space snuffed it out forever.
Beta Galaxy Command Compound
Tabayama, Raven Alliance
8 June 3136
Galaxy Commander Kincaid Howe stared at the communiqué in disbelief. The destruction of the Frost Fire had been confirmed, as had the death of saKhan Persis Anu. Loremaster Julias Siegel had already been in contact with Khan McKenna. She had confirmed him, Kincaid Howe, as the new saKhan of the Raven Alliance.
There was much to do. He would have to appoint a new Galaxy Commander to the Storm Crow Galaxy. That could be done after he traveled to Alpheratz, where there were immediate concerns to look after… such as running the Alliance while Sterling sunk her talons into the ruling Davion.
A new day was dawning for the Alliance. Only time would tell whether he was up to the task.