CHAPTER 9

Review Corner:

Ulquiorra9000: I can't wait to write the action scene with 'healthy' Sagittaire, but there are still a few chapters to do.


Halstead City,
Halstead Station, Ashio Prefecture,
Dieron Military District, Draconis Combine,
February 4, 3074

Noloty had been at the bottom of the pecking order before. She knew what happened to new recruits. But to be at the bottom of the pecking order on a bored unit was the same as being a punching bag. The mechwarriors, infantrymen, and even the technicians always found a way to ruin her day. Coffee was the most common items they demanded from her, which was normal, but the sheer amount of coffee she had to provide took the better part of her day. Added to that food, snack, entertainment, and other ridiculous items, she spent her whole day running errands, far removed from a mechwarrior's combat duties she expected when she joined the Ryuken-go.

"It doesn't have to be that way, you know," Vash joined her as she was unloading food from the jeep. "I am the CO of the infantry company. If they see you going out with me, they'll back off, and you can resume whatever duty you long to have. All you need is to spend a night with me."

Noloty knew what Vash was asking. "Thank you, Sir, but no thank you. I'll be alright."

"You might think you'll be alright but you won't. They'll just come at you like sharks on the prowl, and they'll just keep pulling you under, until you can't breathe anymore." Vash lowered his shade to have an unadulterated eye contact with Noloty. "Let's have some fun and show those sharks that you know what it takes to be the bigger fish in the pond."

"With all due respect, Sir, I am not going to come to bed with you."

"I could pull rank, and it won't be pretty."

Suddenly Tai-I Kiyomi joined the fray. "Leave her alone, Duke."

"Kiyomi, it's been such a long time since we 'danced', isn't it?" Vash sneered. "Are you jealous of our newest member? My 'door' is always open."

"She said no… twice," Kiyomi pulled down her red bandana, setting it right above her eyes. "Keep asking and I'll slap you with sexual harassment."

"You said no, but you fell to my bed anyway."

"Which I regret for the rest of my life."

"Regret? As far as I remember, you had a good time."

"And for that I'm giving you a chance to back off. If you keep pushing beyond your welcome, Sho-sa Scarlet will be one angry woman."

Vash took a step back, looked at Noloty, and smiled deviously. "Think about it, you won't regret it," he said, then threw a quick callous stare at Kiyomi before scampered off toward the rest of his unit.

"I appreciate the aid, Ma'am, but I can hold myself against him," Noloty said.

"Duke is a good leader and terrific soldier, but his body produced too much testosterone for his own sake," Kiyomi muttered. "This is what happens when you sit idle for a long time. Testosterone not used, calories not burnt… what we need is DCMS sending us to front line, so all these uber-machismo do not come to waste."

"I thought we were going to liberate Ashio, Ma'am," Noloty mused.

"We are," Kiyomi sighed. "But until we got the words, we just have to stay here and get bored."

"I'm fine, Ma'am, I can handle myself," Noloty said.

Kiyomi looked at Noloty for a while, then walked back to wherever she came from. "Well, then, carry on, Soldier. Let me know if Duke becomes too much to handle."


Halstead City,
Halstead Station, Ashio Prefecture,
Dieron Military District, Draconis Combine,
February 15, 3074

The relief soon arrived, but it was not what Noloty expected.

"I am not sure where the communication FUBAR lies between Coordinator Hohiro Kurita and the top brass of Dieron Military District," Scarlet briefed the Ryuken-go. "The Coordinator wants us to drop off at Ashio as soon as possible, but Dieron hasn't even mentioned Ryuken-go in their initiative. And the way things go, I doubt it would happen in the next few months. I feel the need to talk to Dieron top brass to release Ryuken-go so we can go to Ashio.

"As for you, rather than having you sit here growing flab, I'm sending you as reinforcement to assist Davion units. The mercenary unit Redfield Renegades, working under contract with CCAF, are harassing border planets in FedSun Capellan March. The 1st Federated Suns Armored Cavalry has been dispatched to deal with the backstabbing chinks, but the Davion unit is operating at 60-percent strength."

"1st FedSun Armored Cavalry," Noloty whispered to Kayoko. "Isn't that Major Fernandes' unit?"

"Who the hell is Major Fernando?" Kayoko sneered under her breath.

"I don't know but he was present when Sho-sa Scarlet gave me a tryout. Liaison, maybe?"

"Yes, liaison in bed," Kayoko snickered. "It's called 'booty call'."

"You're an ass," Noloty sank her elbow on Kayoko's ribs.

"Tai-I Kiyomi will lead the Ryuken-go armor company to the planet Mira," Scarlet pulled up the holo-map of Valexa PDZ in Federated Sun Capellan March. She highlighted the world Mira, about 3 jumps away from Halstead Station. "Elements of Redfield Renegades have been disrupting mining operations at Mira. Your job is to secure the mining sites from mercenary attacks. Oppositions are light to medium. Nothing you can't handle."

"Consider it done, Ma'am," Kiyomi nodded and bowed.

"Tai-I Seether will lead the command and fire lances to Valexa, to join forces with Valexa CMM," Scarlet continued. "Redfield Renegades have been resupplying elements of Operation Thunderstrike that are still holed up at Valexa. I want this done by the book. Sweep the Capellan clean from the world of Valexa with minimum casualties."

"It's an honor, Sho-sa," Seether said.

"Strike lance, you're going to Mesartim," Scarlet highlighted the planet on the holo-map. "Farming industries are suffering from pillaging by the Redfield Renegades. You are going to defend the farming industries from the mercenary bastards. Opposition is light, so I only send one battlemech lance. Heishi Kayoko, take point."

"Wait… for real?" Kayoko's eyes almost popped out of the sockets. "I get the lead on this one?"

"Congratulations, Sho-ko Kayoko," Scarlet said with ice-cold expression. "This is a good start for your military career. I am not expecting things you can't handle, but if things get hairy, Mira is about 2 lightyears away from Mesartim. You can enlist the armor company if you need to."

"I'll get your back, Sister," Kiyomi said with a wink.

"Sho-ko Kayoko… great promotion, girl! I'm very proud of you!" Noloty sank another elbow.

"I uh… I don't know what to say…" Kayoko stuttered. "It's a great honor, but I do have uh… I do have a request, Ma'am." She gained composure and straightened her stance to look at Scarlet in the eye. "I want Heishi Noloty in my team."

"What?! Kayoko what are you doing?" Noloty turned white as a ghost.

"You want an intern in your team? Absolutely not!" Scarlet thundered.

"I need her, Ma'am," Kayoko said, drawing attention from the entire battalion. "I've known her since boot camp. I know what she's capable of, and I know how she can benefit to the team."

Scarlet looked at Kayoko like a teacher looking at a slow student asking for a remedial exam, trying to decide if her request would benefit her career or become the bane of the unit. It was an absurd request. Scarlet didn't want an ex-Black Dragon operative within her unit in the first place. But the support for Noloty was overwhelming, first Tai-sa Tsagoi, now Kayoko. She couldn't dismiss it. In the end she gave Kayoko the benefit of the doubt. After all, she just promoted Kayoko. "We talk about this in private, Sho-ko. Everybody else: dismiss."

"Kayoko, I greatly appreciate you asking for me, but please don't do this," Noloty held Kayoko's arm. "You've just been honored by Scarlet. I don't want you to get promoted and court-martialed on the same day."

"I need someone I can trust," Kayoko yanked her arm free from Noloty's grip. "There is no other mechwarrior in this unit I trust more than you. Now stick around, I have to collude with Scarlet."

Noloty had just opened her mouth but Kayoko already left.

"Sho-sa Scarlet, Ma'am, I know I spoke out of turn, but I need someone like Heishi Noloty in my team," Kayoko painted the CO of Ryuken-go with pleading gaze. "I need her skill, I need her firepower, and most of all, I need someone I can trust."

"She was a Black Dragon operative," Scarlet snorted. "You can't trust a traitor."

"I was a Black Dragon too."

"You were Buckminster Militia."

"Liaison of the 2nd Sword of Light, which is the hotbed for Black Dragon Society. But just because she hailed from a traitorous organization doesn't mean she is a traitor. I know her, Ma'am. I know she is not a traitor. She is a great mechwarrior with pure heart. All she wants is to serve the Draconis Combine."

"You swear on your mother's grave?" Scarlet shot a tomblike stare at Kayoko.

"Absolutely, Ma'am."

"Alright, you can take her," Scarlet relented. "But not her mech."

"Ma'am, she rides a Sagittaire. I can use that firepower."

"And if she decides to stab you in the back…"

"What? No! She won't do that!"

"I'm not taking that risk. You can take her, but she rides a mech you can easily overwhelm." Scarlet turned to her 2nd in command. "Seether, do we have an extra battlemech, preferably 30-to-50 tons of Succession War era?"

"All our mechs are used, Sho-sa," Seether consulted his tablet. "But somebody is selling a refurbished Quasit under 3 million."

"Quasit? That's not even a battlemech!" Kayoko lamented. "What is she gonna do in a Quasit?"

"If she's as good as you make me believe, I'm sure she'll find a way," Scarlet replied with a smug smirk. "I don't care what she does with it. I care that she wouldn't be able to hurt Ryuken-go members, including you."

"Ma'am, with all due respect, please reconsider," Kayoko said, half begging.

"You overstep your boundary, Sho-ko!" Scarlet bared her teeth. "I gave you leniency by allowing you to take your traitorous friend with you. But I will not let you risk the lives of other Ryuken-go members! See your friend in the Quasit, or someone else in your stead!"

Kayoko choked. She looked into Scarlet's eyes in vain attempt to find her logical, compassionate commander, only to find a woman scorned. She balked and tossed a bow. "Yes, Ma'am."

When Kayoko returned to Noloty, she hung her head low and pursed her lips. Noloty immediately knew that something went very wrong. "You're pressing Scarlet too far, Kayoko," she said. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine taking orders for the infantry... for now. The time will come when we fight together like the good old days."

"Oh, you are coming with me," Kayoko sighed heavily, "… in an industrialmech."


Tsagoi beamed from ear to ear as Noloty fired off her frustration like a machine gun.

"Scarlet is out of the line," he took a large swig of Li Lung beer.

"I think she hates me," Noloty leaned on the bar table while toying with the fifth shot glasses, the only one with scotch in it. The rest of them scattered empty on the table.

"She doesn't hate you."

"She doesn't?" Noloty leaned back on her chair and propped up her feet on the table. "First she puts me at the bottom of the totem pole as an intern, only to 'serve' the senior members. Then she strips me from my battlemech – one I acquired with blood and sweat - and replaces it with a refurbished industrialmech. Tell me if she doesn't hate me."

"Scarlet might be prejudiced, but she doesn't hate you." He pulled one leg off the table and put it in his lap. "She knows your worth. She's not going to accept you if she thinks you're no good for the Ryuken-go."

"She didn't want to in the first place," Noloty tried to retract her leg, but Tsagoi pinned her ankle to his leg.

"Yet she did, after she gave you a tryout," Tsagoi slipped her flats off and brushed his hands along the sole of her foot. "Look, Scarlet is a mechwarrior of skill and determination. Her mech can withstand an ungodly amount of punishment. Not many mechwarrior can beat her in a single combat, yet you came real close to dropping her."

"The more reason to hate me," Noloty bit her lips. She yanked her foot as hard as she could, but Tsagoi's firm grip didn't let her move an inch.

"No, it isn't. She is not a petty Solaris mayfly who gets threatened by competition. She is a real Kuritan warrior, forged in the fire of Bushido for years. She was just the kind of gal who won't pat your back for a job well done. She knows your merit. She just won't say it to you." He caressed her tender sole for a good few minutes, then moved on to massage her toes one by one. "Putting you in an industrialmech is a bit too extreme, but trust me, she meant you no ill. It's just the way she is. You're a warrior, Noloty. Suck it up; you'll get used to her."

"Sorry, Sir, I don't mean to complain," Noloty didn't know if she consumed too much alcohol or Tsagoi was good at what he did, but she found it harder to think with each passing minute. There was a surge of warmth coming from her toes that swept upwards to her stomach. She noticed that she had stopped fighting, and instead shifted for a more comfortable position.

What am I doing? she struggled to get a grip of the situation. Why am I talking to him about my boss? He's a ranking officer, I'm just a grunt soldier. We can't hook up like this! I'm gonna get us into trouble! But she couldn't find the will to end it. She wanted to talk to him, and she wanted him to touch her, and not just her toes.

"I'm not your boss, so you can say anything to me," Tsagoi let go of her toes to get another gulp of beer. "I'm saying this for your own sake, since you're the one who deals with her the most." He finished the bottle and put some C-bills on the table. "And you can drop the 'Sir' while we're not in military affair."

Noloty retracted her leg slipped her flat back on. "Thank you for the advice," she struggled to formulate a sentence. "And thank you… for the uhm… massage." She didn't want to come on too strong at him, but she wanted him to know how much she appreciated his simple act. "It'll keep me warm at Mesartim."

"Then maybe I'll give you more when you return," Tsagoi replied with a tint of mischief in his eyes.

Noloty thought she was too inebriated to think clearly, but she knew she looked forward to it.