CHAPTER 16

Markham Marauders' Base Camp,
Ashio, Ashio Prefecture,
Dieron Military District, Draconis Combine,

October 21, 3074

Dultom Markham didn't have to see the face of Precentor Mordecai to know what thunderstorm he was bringing. The Word of Blake had taken their contract to a different direction, and to be honest, he was glad he could finally piss on it. He could almost laugh, thinking that the Ryuken-go actually gave him a reason to punch the Word of Blake in the face, after how they treated the Markham's Marauders.

Dultom was not one for politics. He was always about money. Yet this Jihad started to go south for the Word of Blake. The entire Inner Sphere had put aside their differences and slowly pushed Blakist forces back, forcing them to fight on their heels. Working for the Word of Blake paid handsomely, but he didn't want the Markham's Marauders to be associated with them. All empires fell eventually, and he thought it was time to look beyond the Word of Blake.

"I knew the Markham's Marauders was a waste of time," Mordecai launched his full assault. "I always knew you would cheat. You and your coward band you call yourself mercenaries! You don't have what it takes to get things done and run at the first sign of trouble! You are a disgrace to the entire mercenary community!"

Behemoth, Dekker, Glitch, and Medusa came forward, but Dultom spread his arm to hold them back. "The Ryuken-go is leaving Ashio. Our job is done."

"Then where is the head of Duke Nikolai Jansma?"

"It's not in our contract. I told you, if you want the Markham's Marauders to deliver Duke Jansma, you have to write a new contract. As you are not willing to pay for it, we're not doing it."

"Your job is not done until you deliver Duke Jansma to the Word of Blake!"

"What are you scared of, Precentor?" Dultom said teasingly. "Duke Jansma doesn't have a battlemech force. He relies on DCMS to protect his turf. The Markham's Marauders destroyed Ashio Militia, the 16th Sun Zhang Cadre, and sent the Ryuken-go back to DCMS space with 70-percent casualty, while you still have solid grips on Ashio. Why is this Duke important to you?"

"I want Duke Jansma!"

"Then get him yourself. We're leaving."

"I will not allow you to leave!" Mordecai grimaced. "I will not allow you to stop! You are to go back to Shigata and take the head of Duke Nikolai Jansma for the Word of Blake! Then, and only then, you are allowed to leave!"

"Is that how it goes, Precentor?" Dultom's voice turned grim. "My army is still capable of fighting one more combat unit. Or would you prefer to settle this in a one-on-one? Jormungandr is at combat loss grouping, but it can handle one more duel."

Mordecai rescinded. He knew Dultom's reputation as a fearsome fighter. "I will not pay you!"

"You won't, but your superiors will," Dultom regressed back to his laid back, playful persona. "Word of Blake depends on mercenaries to do its dirty jobs. If the Blakes don't pay the Markham's Marauders, MRBC will order all mercenary units to stop working for the Word of Blake. What do you think will happen next, hm?" Dultom paused, enjoying the discomfort he had inflicted upon the Precentor. "You see, Precentor, I've been doing this for decades. I know what I'm doing. I come to Ashio to have a good fight with a good unit, and get paid for that. I get what I want. Now it's time to go."

Mordecai reached for his sidearm, but last-minute insanity check reined him in. "I will send words to the MRBC about your abysmal performance, Dultom Markham! You will not find work as a mercenary again!"

"I expect you to do that, and perhaps it's time to retire. I'm getting too old for this."

Mordecai shot one final stare at Dultom, then turned around and returned to his shuttle.

"Retire?" Darius Oliveira scoffed as he took his place next to Dultom. "Since when you become a liar?"

"I have enough money to buy off a small periphery nation and live out the rest of my life in a harem of nubile women," Dultom sniggered. "You think I won't do that?"

"You won't do that," Darius replied halfheartedly. "You're not going to retire until you kill her, or drag us all to hell doing so."

"Her?"

"You know who I'm talking about."

Even though he knew who Darius was talking about, being confronted with an in-your-face reality still stung. But Dultom had known Darius long enough to confide in his executive officer. "I want to know everything about Heishi Noloty Malche. I want to know her history. Her background. Her family. Who she beds. Where she went for training. What mission she did. Why she suddenly ends up here, first with Tsagoi Sandokan, now with Scarlet." He turned to Darius with vengeful embers in his eyes. "We have a lot of time until we arrive at Galatea. Contact our Kuritan affiliates and dig her up. Put her in the spotlight. Our path will cross again, and when it happens, I will rip her heart off her chest!"

"Aye aye, Captain Ahab," was all Darius said in reply.


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

October 20, 3074

There were not a lot of tall skyscrapers left at Shigata, but the ones standing provided nigh limitless visibility to a wide area. Noloty, Kayoko, and Kiyomi accompanied Scarlet and Duke Nikolai Jansma watching white streaks in the sky that could only came from Markham's Marauders dropships.

"I still can't believe they are pulling out," the duke commented as he observed the dropships in the distance. "The Ryuken-go, low on ammo, outnumbered 5 to 1, somehow managed to convince the Markham's Marauders to leave Ashio."

"We have to pay a hefty price," Scarlet replied. "The Ryuken-go has to leave Ashio as well. That is what Lt. Col. Dultom Markham and I agreed."

"Still," the duke turned around, "the Marauders are in the cusp of total domination. How you managed to convince Dultom Markham to walk away from a decisive victory can only be described as tactical brilliance."

Scarlet glanced at Noloty, who silently – but intently – followed the conversation. "Let's just say we have a secret weapon, something the Marauders doesn't have an answer to."

"Whatever it is, I'm glad the Kanrei sent Ryuken-go to Ashio," the duke grinned from ear to ear. "I will tell the High Command through HPG message, that the Ryuken-go has performed above and beyond the call of duty. I would strongly recommend each one of you to receive commendation."

"Such citation is premature, My Duke," Scarlet was still bitter about not finishing the mission. "Our mission is to free Ashio from the Word of Blake. We have not completed that mission. Even though the Markham's Marauders are leaving, the Word of Blake is still here."

"A crippled force, thanks to your effort," the duke interjected. "You debilitated them to the point their grips lose strength. You gave Ashio freedom fighters a fighting chance." He observed the Marauders dropships for a little while, then started making his exit. "I have to start mobilizing what is left of Ashio paramilitary. Thank you for everything you have done. Give my best regards to DCMS High Command. Tell them that Duke Nikolai Jansma send his highest gratitude for the best combat unit DCMS has to offer."

"My Duke," Scarlet bowed respectfully, then waited until the duke disappeared into the stairs before giving Noloty an animated look. "I can't believe we are to be commended for lying!"

"We did not lie, Ma'am," Noloty defended her strategy. "We just utilized one of the most basic military tactics. All warfare is based on deception. The Art of War, Chapter I, verse 18."

"Do you really believe that crap?" Scarlet's lips curled into a small smile, a completely scarce occurrence.

"It works, doesn't it?" Noloty replied with a shrug. "I offer my humble apology if my idea brings shame to the Ryuken-go, Ma'am, but I only think of the future of our unit, as well as our mission."

Scarlet turned around and watched the Marauders' exit from Ashio. Her crimson hair danced in the wind. She took her time, until Noloty, Kayoko, and Kiyomi started fidgeting, wondering what she was thinking. "As you may have noticed, we have an opening for 2nd-in-Command," Scarlet turned halfway around. "You think you're up for it, Noloty?"

"Me?!" Noloty couldn't believe her ears. Her bones turned to mush. "I- I- I uh….."

"Congratulations, Tai-I Noloty Malche," Scarlet nodded approvingly. "You're it, until you're dead or I find somebody better. Now I have to finish my report, and my apology to DCMS High Command for not completing my mission. I expect the entire Ryuken-go to be ready to dustoff in 6 hours."

"Uhm… Ma'am…" Noloty's head was still buzzing. "I uh… what… what…"

"What?" Scarlet returned to her austere self. "Getting trouble already? Is this what I should expect from a graduate of 2nd Sword of Light? Am I wasting my time?"

"Uh… no, no Ma'am… I'll get it done, Ma'am."

"Carry on, Tai-I," Scarlet muttered brusquely, then rushed to the stairs.

Noloty waited until Scarlet went down the stairs, then looked at Kayoko and Kiyomi with complete terror in her eyes.

"Holy shit Noloty… Tai-I!" Kayoko threw herself at Noloty and gave her a bear hug. "Oh My God! I'm so proud of you! I knew, I always knew you're up for big things! I never have doubt!"

"I uh…" Noloty was still hanging on the edge of reality. "I don't know what just happened…"

"You're my boss now, that's what happened," Kayoko let go of Noloty and snapped a salute. "This is the way it should be. You should station above me, ordering me around."

"No… no… no…" Noloty begged for Kayoko's sanity. "This doesn't change anything! You're still my friend! Don't let ranks come between us! In fact, you deserve a promotion too. From now on, you're Chu-I Kayoko!" Then she turned to Kiyomi, "I can do that, can't I?"

"Just like what Scarlet did to you," Kiyomi smiled. "You're 2nd in command. Your words are our orders, unless Scarlet overrides them. But I don't see the reason. Scarlet trusts your judment. I do, too."

"Aww, thank you my friend," Kayoko beamed. Her lids became heavy with tears. "Triple blue bars would look good on my uniform. I just hope a hot high-ranking officer would take notice."

"Nobody's going to notice your triple bars if you have your cleavage on display," Kiyomi quipped. "I'd say it's your biggest asset to reel in high-ranking, big-muscled DCMS hunks to your bed."

"Shut up!" Kayoko stuck her tongue at Kiyomi, then wrapped her arms around Noloty's shoulder. "Come on, let's celebrate! You're buying, at least the first round!"

"I can't," Noloty cringed. "I have to get the unit ready for dustoff. Scarlet's order."

"There's a time for everything, Noloty," Kiyomi joined in. "Don't worry, we'll help you pack up. Now it's time for booze. Let everything sink in. You'll get a much better grip of reality after a few rounds."

"I'm ready to go," Kayoko tuned in. "I don't have to pack up, because I don't have a mech anymore."

"I'll keep my eyes open for you," Noloty tapped Kayoko's back. "And you know what, Sho-sa Scarlet is using the Marauder 5S because her mech is wrecked. When Titania is fixed, I'll authorize the Marauder for you. Wait until you command 2 ERPPC and a Gauss rifle on the battlefield. You'll feel like a grim reaper."

"Well damn," Kayoko chuckled. "You're the best, Noloty. You know what, I'll buy the first round."

Noloty didn't know how to say 'no' to that. Nor did she want to.


Risa was packing up her medical supplies when Vash came.

"Hi there," he chimed.

"Hi," Risa replied awkwardly.

"Listen, about yesterday…" Vash shot a goofy smile. "I'm sorry if I crossed the line. I just thought that we were not going to survive, so I didn't want to waste the opportunity to kiss the most beautiful girl I've ever met."

"That's uh… quite alright," Risa's face turned bright red.

"I want to say thank you again for everything you've done for the Ryuken-go. You stayed with us until the end, and you took good care of my infantrymen. You have the courage of a soldier, Risa, even though you are not trained as one."

"I guess it's my calling. I want to help people."

"You have chance to fulfill your calling with the Ryuken-go. There are a lot more wars to fight."

"What are you saying?" Risa looked at Vash with blank stare.

"The Ryuken-go does not have an organized Medic Corps. All we have are just half-trained paramedics who only know how to wrap bandage and shoot morphines. You, on the other hand, you know exactly what to do in a pitched battle. I've seen you work. Your performance under pressure is commendable. We could benefit from somebody like you."

"Are you saying… Are you asking me to join the Ryuken-go?"

"I'm sorry to throw this thing to you like this, but basically yeah, I'd like you to come with me… us… as a member of the Ryuken-go."

"Wow…" Risa covered her mouth with her hand. "This is really… unexpected. I mean, I want to be a doctor. After this war is over, I want to go to medical school."

"Look around, Risa. How long does it take for the medical school to enroll new students? Five years? Ten years? There is no guarantee when the war ends. The Word of Blake is still here. Ashio militia could fight a long war of attrition. With Ryuken-go, you start working your dream job right away."

"But…"

"Who needs school? I didn't go to school. Most of my men didn't go to school. You don't need school to fulfill your destiny, Risa. You need heart. And you do have the heart to become the best medic in the DCMS. Come on, we need you. I need you."

Risa pondered Vash's invitation hard. What he said made perfect sense. It would be a while until medical school open again, and by the time, she could have been worn out by war. She might not have the energy or the spirit as she had today. However, without proper training, all she could do was to wrap bandages and shoot morphines, just like the rest of Ryuken-go medics (at least according to Vash). She couldn't make a significant contribution to the Ryuken-go.

"I'm not a proper medic yet," Risa sighed. "I don't have the skill, nor the equipment, to make a difference for the Ryuken-go. Are you sure you want me in your unit?"

"DCMS has excellent platforms for that," Vash nodded in assurance. "Field surgery trainings, med kits, laser scalpels, state-of-the-art drugs, you name it, they have it. You only need to provide your guts and determination to be the greatest medic the Inner Sphere has ever seen. I know you have them in your heart."

"How do I know that this is for real?" Risa flashed a smile.

"I have never been more honest," Vash smiled back. "Join us, Risa. Draconis Combine needs you."

"Well, I have no more family in this planet," Risa made up her mind. "I can't promise you anything, but if you give me a chance, I'll do everything I can for the Ryuken-go and Draconis Combine."

"I think the Ryuken-go just acquired a great asset," Vash said with a broad smile. He advanced toward Risa, swiped her golden locks aside, lifted her chin, and mashed his lips on hers.

This time, Risa returned the favor.


Keiichi was dragging stuffs from the JI-100 when he saw Risa coming his way. His world stopped, and he dropped everything to greet her.

"Risa-chan! I am so sorry, I didn't have a chance to talk to you," he blurted like a machine gun. "I have so much things to do, dragging salvage from the battlefield, fixing mechs, things like that. We salvaged an Orion from the other day, and I think we can do another one. Great, isn't it? We have two Orions for free. Unfortunately we lost a lot too, and worse yet, we lost mechwarriors. Those two Orions will not have pilots for a while. But that's OK, we can find mechwarriors easily. Anyway…" He paused to catch his breath, and his face turned dark. "We have to leave. I've been meaning to talk to you, but I have been swamped…"

"That is not necessary," Risa giggled. "I come to tell you that I'm leaving with you."

"What?! You're coming with me?" Keiichi saw colors. "That's… that's… that's great! I'm so happy we don't have to say goodbye to each other! So many things to say in such a short time… There's so many things I want to share with you…"

"Yes, Tai-I Vash asked me to join the Ryuken-go, and I accepted."

"Oh." Keiichi's fireworks immediately puffed out into black soot. "You uh… go with Vash?"

"Yeah, I mean, he said the Ryuken-go needed some medics. I always want to be a doctor, but Ashio is not going to recover in a few years. DCMS offers some programs for combat medics, and I thought if I could be a field surgeon and help troops and mechwarriors, I'd be very glad. Probably better than being a doctor at a hospital."

"Well that's great," Keiichi puffed.

"Is there something wrong?" Risa cocked her brows, intrigued by Keiichi's reaction.

"No, no problems at all," Keiichi forced himself to smile. "I'm happy for you. Crap, why didn't I come up with that… Stupid Keiichi! So, you and Vash… you know, together?"

"No, no, not like that," Risa broke into mirth. "He offered me a job, and I accepted. When I first met him, I was scared of him. But he's actually pretty good. He cares about his men, and I respect that."

"Well, yeah, good!" Keiichi chuckled awkwardly. "Tai-I Vash go out with a lot of women. Not my business, but I think you should know, before uh… you know, I just thought you should know."

"Well thank you for the information. I don't know if I need that, but I appreciate it anyways." Risa smiled brightly and gave Keiichi a quick bow. "I apologize, you're busy, and I don't want to hold you up. We can talk during the flight. I'll catch you later!"

"Yeah, OK, I'll catch you later!" Keiichi waited until Risa went into the dropship, then smacked his head around. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" He hung his head low, then went back to the JI-100.