CHAPTER 4

Review Corner

Ulquiorra9000: Devlin Stone's doctrine of warfare is "No mercy for the Word of Blake". So yeah, every single one of them must die.


Shigata, Ashio,
Ashio Prefecture, Dieron Military District,
Draconis Combine,

September 8, 3074

The sight of the Dragon dominated the spectacle as the small convoy rendezvous with the Ryuken-go at the liberated Reeducation Camp. The totem mech of the Draconis Combine, the Dragon took a spot directly in front of Scarlet's Xanthos. A female mechwarrior, lithe in appearance, sprung from the hatch at the top of the Dragon and climbed down in cat-like movement. She stripped her neurohelmet as she reached the ground, revealing a medium-length brown hair. Her exhausted dark eyes were brimming with excitement.

"Gunjin Mirabel, 16th Sun Zhang Cadre, reporting to duty," she snapped a salute to Scarlet and Seether.

"At ease, Gunjin," Scarlet replied. "A hell of a job keeping up the good work for such a long time."

"I'm Duke Nikolai Jansma, planetary leader of Ashio," the duke took a spot next to Mirabel. "Gunjin Mirabel had maintained exceptional performance above and beyond the line of duty, with minimum support or contact with Draconis Combine chain of command, for an extended period of time. I would petition for appropriate commendation for her."

"An honor to be of Draconis Combine's service," Mirabel bowed her head a little. She maintained a straight face, but pride exuded from her eyes.

"In due time, Gunjin," Scarlet flashed a small smile at Mirabel. "I'm Sho-sa Scarlet, DCMS Ryuken-go. This is my second-in-command, Tai-I Seether. It is good to see you in high spirit, Highness."

"How strong is the armed resistance?" Seether pulled out his notebook.

"We have 3 separate guerilla units in Shigata, each is 50-warrior strong," Duke Jansma explained. "A dozen more existed outside Shigata. They are not strong enough to go head to head against the Word of Blake, or its mercenary arms, but they keep fighting, taking pot shots at Word of Blake's unsuspecting units. They have been waiting for DCMS force to retake Ashio from the Word of Blake, and they would be glad to fight under your command."

"I will have Tai-I Vash coordinate the effort with his infantry units," Scarlet said. "Tell them to stay alert. We need more time to mobilize our own units. When the time comes, they will hear from us."

"And what is of the Word of Blake?" Seether continued to catalogue the armed units around Shigata.

"At least one Level III battlemech unit, supported by armor and aerospace fighting groups as a part of the 23rd Division," Mirabel pulled up the overhead map of Ashio. "They station near Iscariot, the capital of Ashio, but some recons have been spotted around Shigata. Their experience level is unknown, although some guerilla infantry took down a couple of aerospace fighters. I think they are veteran at best.

"The one you should worry about is the mercenary unit Markham Marauders. They are battalion size, but they fight like a regiment. Their assault battlemechs move with the grace of heavies. The 16th Sun Zhang Cadre and Ashio militia never had a chance. We were decimated in a matter of weeks. They station somewhere near Shigata, so I would speculate they would mount a counterattack soon."

"Very good field observation, Gunjin," Scarlet said. "How well do you know this area?"

"I've been stationed at Shigata for months, Ma'am. I know its cambers and recesses."

"Then you'll be my eyes. I want you to map Shigata with a fine-tooth comb. I want to know every building, the condition of every building, every pot hole, every bump in the road. When you're done, extend 5 kilometers outside Shigata. Take note of every road condition. If the Word of Blake or Markham Marauders are to attack Shigata, I want to know which road they will take, and what features we can use to halt their advances. Are you up to this, Gunjin?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Mirabel straightened her pose. "My mech is not particularly designed for reconnoiter, but I will the do the best I can." Her eyes turned dark and lifeless, like those of a shark in the advent of killing its prey. "The 16th Sun Zhang Cadre was my family. Word of Blake took my family away from me, and I'll do anything to make them pay. Watashi no kazoku no tame ni!"


Keiichi finished up logging the damage on the DI Morgan when Kiyomi approached him. Her body language oozed impatience. He knew what she was going to say, and it made him upset. Mechwarriors and tank crews always wanted him, the chief technician, to fix their machines as soon as he could, as if he could rub a magic lamp and ask the blue genie to do everything for him.

"How long is it going to take?" Kiyomi blurted.

"One day you have to listen to me that a DI Morgan is not a front-line fighting vehicle," Keiichi grunted. "It is not designed to sustain heavy firefight. Three PPCs with 45 heat sinks do not make up for thin armor. Come, I'm gonna show you something." He took Kiyomi to swing by the DI Morgan's heavily damaged rear. "The last few shots already penetrated the structure. One more missile and your tank would have been history, with you in it."

"It is good enough for what I need," Kiyomi snorted, completely ignoring Keiichi's rant. "How long?"

"A week, at least."

"I need it in two days."

"I can't do it in two days. This is structural damage we're talking about…"

"I'll give you four. The Word of Blake is coming back, and I need my tank. Four days."

Keiichi opened his mouth for a rebuttal but Kiyomi already walked away. He threw his notepad on the tank in frustration. Four days were barely enough to fix the structure. The armor plating would need 2 more days, and that was pushing it. He could make it four days if he didn't stop to eat or sleep. And if he made it four days, next time Kiyomi would ask for 3. The pressure would never end.

To clear his mind Keiichi took off, wandering around the building, watching the infantry cleaning up the battle to free the Reeducation Camp. A few soldiers piled up confiscated ordnance from the Word of Blake stash inside the camp. Others stripped the Achileus battle armors (or what was left of them). Two nerdy-looking troops played around with some computers. And of course, a good number of soldiers were in the makeshift Combat Field Hospital getting treatment from 'paramedics' who, as far as Keiichi observed, were not part of the Ryuken-go.

And then his world stopped, as he laid eyes on a particular paramedic, with flowing blonde hair highlit with colorful streaks, an hourglass body, and round jade eyes that made his heart skip a beat. She was tending a soldier who obviously tried to get her attention, but she didn't seem interested. She kept applying bandage on the soldier's arm, in spite of his noncooperation.

Keiichi didn't have much experience with girls before. He grew up idolizing battlemechs, and the better part of his youth was spent around battlemech books and workshops and tutorials. He repaired his first battlemech at the age of 17, and he never slowed down since. To him, battlemechs were living creatures. They had feelings. They had souls. He had more satisfaction spending time around battlemechs than with other human beings.

But this time, it was different. He had never seen something so mesmerizing he forgot everything about battlemechs. He wanted to talk to her. Not just talk. Conversation that came from the heart. But considering he didn't have much experience in making meaningful conversation with humans, let alone a girl that hot, he panicked. He summoned his courage, walked toward her, then immediately backed away out of sheer fright. He did this several times until he realized he wouldn't be able to accomplish his mission without intervention.

Keiichi walked briskly around the complex until he found Noloty and Kayoko conversing at the feet of their battlemechs. Noloty was happily munching on Kuritan standard ration, a plain-looking cereal bar, while Kayoko was taking delight in her cigarette. Both giggled lightly, and looked to be in such high spirit Keiichi thought they wouldn't mind a little interruption.

"Hello, fair ladies," Keiichi threw a clumsy smile at them. "What's uh… what's happening?"

The Kuritan mechwarriors shot a dumbfounded look at him. "Chu-I Keiichi, we are fine," Noloty replied, fighting to talk clearly with food in her mouth. "To what do we owe this pleasure?"

"I uh…" Keiichi grinned awkwardly. "You know… I have some questions for you girls. What kind of guys leave you the best impression? Sensitive? Bold? Aggressive? Not too aggressive?"

A piece of ration fell off Noloty's mouth, coupled by a long stream of white smoke from Kayoko's nostrils. The Kuritan girls tried to find something smart to say, but in the end Kayoko just blurted, "What in the hell is going on?"

"Well uh… I have a problem," Keiichi scratched the back of his head, out of sheer embarrassment. "There is this… uhm, girl… I really want to talk to…"

"The blonde nurse?" Noloty mused.

"Do you know her?" Keiichi blurted, his eyes widened up with anticipation.

"We saw her but we didn't know her," Kayoko puffed a plume of smoke. "She was one of the liberated POWs, wasn't she? You had a good taste, Chu-i. She's a fine ass to take to your bed…"

"OK, OK, I'm not comfortable with that kind of conversation," Keiichi cringed. "I just want to talk to her, but don't have experiences talking to girls. I've never talked to a girl in that fashion."

"You're talking to us."

"Yeah but you're different."

"How different?" Kayoko rode the tide of Keiichi's awkwardness, adding insult to injury. "Not as hot as the nurse?"

"Kayoko, leave him alone," Noloty took pity on him. "Chu-I Keiichi, just be yourself. Talk to her like you talk to us. You don't have a problem starting a conversation with us, do you?"

"I don't know how to!" Keiichi said, half pleading. "I've never started a conversation with a girl like that. I don't want to embarrass myself. Please help."

"She's a medic, right? Go tell her you have an injury," Kayoko flashed a mischievous smirk. "When she asks, look into her eyes and say 'broken heart'."

"What are you, 13?" Keiichi scoffed. "Faking injury to pick up a girl?"

"Oh, you wanna real injury? Give me your hand!"

Keiichi inched away from Kayoko; terror bled from his eyes. "What are you going to do?"

"Do you want to talk to this girl? Give me your hand!"

Keiichi stood dumbfounded, debating with himself whether to trust Kayoko or find another source. In the end he reluctantly extended his hand, thinking of the worst that could happen. Kayoko got a good grip of his hand and jammed the ember of her cigarette into his palm.

Keiichi screamed from the top of his lung. He yanked his hand free from Kayoko's grip and curled his fingers on his chest, jumping up and down in pain. He had burn injuries from battlemech parts before, but for some reason the cigarette ember felt ten times worse. "You crazy bastard! What is wrong with you?! I outrank you! I can have you court-martialed for assaulting an officer! I will have you court-martialed!"

Noloty put her hand on her mouth to keep the food from bursting out, while Kayoko nonchalantly flicked the butt of her cigarette. "Your welcome. Take care of that injury before you get infection."

"You're sick! SICK!" Keiichi walked away, cursing under his breath. He inspected his burn mark on his palm. The red blotch started to bubble, and a string of profanities escaped his mouth, ranging from the mildest to things he wouldn't say in public. It hurt to even move his fingers, and it would be even harder to meet Kiyomi's impossible demand. Now he had to go to the nurse, and Keiichi made a mental note that if the pain were not worth it, he would seriously get Kayoko court martialed.

Coming to the hospital tents, Keiichi noticed the nurse was taking a break, resting on a chair with her shoes off. He paused a moment, enjoying the view of her cute plump toes, contemplating if he should get another nurse instead. He didn't want to embarrass himself, especially with this kind of injury. But other nurses are busy, and the blonde one, the best looking one, was the only one without a patient.

Mustering all courage he didn't know he had, Keiichi approached the blonde medic and got her attention. "Ahem, excuse me… Miss, I uh… I need some medical attention."

The medic stood up and grabbed Keiichi's hand. Her skin felt like silk, a jarring contrast with Keiichi's calloused hand. She inspected the oozing red blotch on Keiichi's palm, then shot a incredulous stare at him. "This is a cigarette burn!"

"Yeah, well, I uh… had an accident," Keiichi grinned awkwardly. "Can you… uhm, fix it?"

The blonde beauty cocked her brows like a pair of rainbows, and Keiichi could see where this conversation would go down to. Instead she walked barefooted toward a medical supply bag, and returned with a roll of bandage and some ointment. She applied the ointment on the wound and started wrapping up his hand. Her gentle touch was nothing like he had felt before, and for a minute Keiichi felt like he was dancing on the cloud.

"You should quit smoking," the nurse said. "It's not good for your health."

"Oh I don't smoke," Keiichi said nervously. "My crazy friend does…"

"Your friend did this?" the nurse winced.

"Uhm, yes, but the intention was good." That did not sound good, and she might think he was ill, but he didn't know any other way. "Anyway, everything is good. Except me… but now I am, thanks to you."

The nurse looked at him like he was an asylum inpatient, but continued wrapping his hand nonetheless. "You should be good now," she said. "Tell your friend to quit smoking. It's good for him and good for you too."

"Oh yeah, I'll sure tell 'him'," Keiichi snickered. "Thank you for your care, I feel much better now. I can go back to work. I have lots of work. I was worried that my injury will hold me back, but it doesn't look like it. You did a really good job."

"Thank you. I always want to take care of people. It is my calling," the nurse smiled for the first time.

"I'm the Ryuken-go chief technician, Chu-I Keiichi. May I have your name?"

"Risa," the blonde paramedic bowed a little. "I wish I could say Doctor Risa, but I'm not there yet."

"Wow, a doctor in progress," Keiichi chimed. "I can see you take pride in your work, just like a real doctor."

"You're too kind, Chu-I," Risa's face turned pink. "I was getting ready for medical school when all of this broke out. Really looked forward to it. Shame, though, I have to wait for things to pass to continue with my education."

"Sorry to hear that. Jihad screws up everybody's plan. But look at the bright side, you get to do what you like without going through years of school and training… I mean, I don't mean school is bad, what I'm trying to say is you get to do what you like to do without waiting… for school… unless you do want to go to school…"

"I get what you mean," Risa giggled at the expense of Keiichi's nervousness. "I want to go to school to become a doctor, but you're right, I don't have to if I just want to take care of people. That's why I want to be a doctor in the first place." She twiddled her hair with her finger. "What about you, Chu-I? Chief technician of a renown battalion, that sounds impressive."

"Oh, ha ha… it's actually fine, I just like battlemechs so much," Keiichi started to sweat. "Not just battlemechs, all kinds of mechs, industrialmechs, agromechs, constructionmechs, I like them all. In fact I ride one. Not a real battlemech, a constructionmech that is equipped with weapons. I'm not good in fighting. In fact, if I had to do what those guys did in battlemechs, I might have soiled my pants."

Risa's mirth reverberated through the hospital. "I still prefer you to mechwarriors. MechWarriors' ego is the size of their battlemechs."

"Then come with me sometimes," Keiichi became more confident by the minute. "I can show you my mech if you like."

Risa's face turned sour. "That... might be a problem. I'm still in quarantine."

"Quarantine?! By whose authority?"

"Tai-I Vash. I was taken prisoner by the Word of Blake, and Tai-I Vash said everybody from the Reeducation Camp are under investigation until he is absolutely sure that we are not turned into Word of Blake double agents."

"Well that is ridiculous! What does he think this is, Coronavirus Pandemic? This is not the 21st Century anymore! I'll get things straighten up."

"No, please don't," Risa leaned toward Keiichi a little. "Tai-I Vash is a very... very... scary man."

"Pfft… he's not scary," Keiichi waved off Risa's warning. "I know him. He'll listen to me."

Risa grabbed Keiichi's arm and looked at him in the earnest. "You haven't seen what he could do. I have. Please, don't get in his way. Better not to cross him."

"Ooh, well, alright," Keiichi melted at the touch of the blonde beauty. "But I uh... how can I see you again?"

"The hospital is my place. I'm not going anywhere. The Word of Blake hadn't done anything to me, so I'll be out soon. Until then, just come by."

"Well then, thank you again, Risa," Keiichi bowed. "I'll stop by sometimes to have my bandage checked. I'll see you around."

"Take good care of your hand, and don't forget to tell your friend to quit smoking," Risa gave a warm wave.

Keiichi had forgotten the pain in his hand.


Translation

Watashi no kazoku no tame ni: For my family's honor (hats off for you who knows where this awesome quote comes from!)