CHAPTER 6

DEVIL IN DISGUISE

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jdoug1448: Thank you for your continuing support, I'm glad you find it useful. I'm trying to make this story appealing to both fans, and also to others that don't know any of the universes (although the chance is slim).

Port Krin, Antallos,
Inner Sphere Periphery,
December 20, 3064

Through the busy streets of Port Krin, Trystan led Saskia back to the hangar. He kept his profile low inside the crowd, avoiding contacts with the pirates. Saskia's face and identity had not been exposed, so he was not worried about her. His appearance, on the other hand, was typical grimy look of common slaves in Antallos. Anybody would notice that he was a slave wandering without purpose. Trystan knew how the pirates treated slaves who tried to escape. Severe punishment was an understatement.

Fortunately the pirates were too busy looking for a dragon to notice him, so the two of them could slither their way in the crowd back toward the hangar. The large building was virtually destroyed. Various Carbine industrial mechs – basically excavators on two legs - pulled concrete blocks that buried the battlemechs, hoping to salvage as much material as possible. Technicians shouted their orders, guiding the Carbines to dig gently so as not to damage the battlemechs under the rubble.

The Carbines gave Trystan some ideas on how to get money for the dropship tickets.

Trystan spotted Lei Fong, and waited under a shadow until Lei Fong walked away from the site, presumably to grab something to eat or to relieve himself. When nobody noticed, Trystan made a quick dash and dragged Lei Fong to a secluded place behind the hangar. Lei Fong didn't expect such a sudden maneuver, and he could only look into Trystan's eyes as the scrawny young man pinned him to a wall.

"Lei Fong, Sir, I am sorry to have to talk to you like this, but I don't have any other way," Trystan said.

"You… alive?" Lei Fong pulled himself together. "Why didn't you contact me?"

"I did! I called you on your personal comset, but something blocked the signal…"

"Bullshit! I should whip your ass for insubordination!" Lei Fong snarled as he pushed Trystan back. "Everybody thinks you're dead!"

"Let's keep it that way," Trystan whispered. "Let them think I'm dead."

"What are you talking about? Get back to the hangar and start working!"

"No, I'm not going back!" Trystan looked at Lei Fong in the earnest. "They think I'm dead, so now I'm free…"

"Free? Free my ass! You are the property of Band of The Damned…"

"I am a free man!" Trystan gritted his teeth. "I was not born a slave!"

"You are a slave now!" Lei Fong returned the heat. "Accept your fate or be destroyed by it!"

"Slave?" Saskia couldn't help chiming in. "You're but a slave?"

"No, I am not a slave! I am Trystan Vandenberg, the grandson of Duke Gideon Vandenberg, the founder of Blazing Aces mercenary! I am going out of Antallos, back to where I belong!"

"I don't give a damn who you are and where you came from! You are a slave, a property of The Band of The Damned! Return to servitude, or they will skin you alive if they find out your insubordination! You know damn well what they do to runaways!"

"I cannot go back," Trystan looked into Lei Fong's eyes. "Please help me. You've been a great mentor and friend to me. I treasure our relationship above all else, but I cannot stay here. I have to go, and this is my only chance. Please, I beg you."

Lei Fong looked at Trystan for a long time, trying to decide what to do. He noticed Trystan spent a lot of time stargazing, a clear sign of his desire to leave Antallos. He agreed that any society should not be built upon the suffering of others. Slavery did not have a place in the 31st Century. However, it was what it was in Antallos. Human atrocities existed, and if he didn't accept it, he would be destroyed by it.

Lei Fong turned from Trystan, then realized that he was not alone. "So you meet a girl and then suddenly you are the grandson of a mercenary hotshot?"

"Leave her out of this," Trystan said, half whispering. "She had nothing to do with my decision."

"Your request put me in a difficult position," Lei Fong muttered. "You put me as an accessory to your escape. The punishment is just as severe."

"I do not ask for you to help my escape, except for one small request," Trystan pleaded. "I need access to one of those Carbines."

"Are you going to steal a construction equipment? Is running away from Band of The Damned not enough thrill for you?" Lei Fong blurted. "Think with your head for once! Nobody knows you are still alive, so use that as your advantage! Get into a dropship and slip away!"

"I would, but the dropship needs a fee for the service," Trystan replied. "I don't have anything. You've never given me anything in a year I served under you."

"And just how much do you need? Do you really need one million c-bills to buy a ticket out of Antallos?

You get in that thing, you're putting yourself on their crosshair! You wanna leave Antallos? Fine, leave! But don't entertain yourself with theatrical exit! Nobody's gonna cheer for you!"

"I know, but I don't have a choice," Trystan puffed a labored breath. "I need it."

"Are you doing this to impress her?" Lei Fong growled, curtly making reference to Saskia. "Trying to prove that you're not a slave? Because if you are, then you're a stupid, imbecile, Nordic moron!"

"I might be just that, Sir, but I will still do it. Please help, for old time sake. I have never asked anything from you during my servitude. I did everything you asked me to. Please help me. This is the last thing I will ask from you."

"Perhaps I'll just hand you to the pirates and get money from it," Lei Fong grumbled. He walked back and forth, cursing under his breaths, torn between risking his life to help Trystan and saving his own skin. In the end he leaned forward to Trystan, "The Carbines are equipped with hard-reset button on the left leg. Press the button for 5 seconds to return the computer to factory setting. All custom programming will be erased."

"Thank you, I owe you my life…" Trystan said.

"But if you get caught, I will deny any knowledge of this!" Lei Fong stated firmly. "I'm just gonna enjoy you getting lashed until the flesh peels from your back!"

"We have never met," Trystan replied. "The last time you saw me was yesterday, before the hangar was destroyed, and I died with it."

"Good," Lei Fong spat. He looked at the haggard-looking Trystan, then to Saskia, then back at Trystan. "When's the last time you eat?" He drew a piece of money from his pocket. "Buy yourself a sandwich, will you?"

"Thank you, Sir!" Trystan grabbed the money and returned to Saskia, who followed the entire proceeding with skeptic in her stare. "Alright, here's the plan," he said as he stripped his shirt off. "We'll wait until dark. Then I'll steal one of those construction mechs and bring it to the dropship. One Carbine costs more than one million c-bills, so we'll be covered. I'll ask the dropship captain to make a short stop at the escarpment to pick up your puppy. Then we'll say bye-bye to Antallos."

"Tongue delight intent but hands still fall short of mark," Saskia replied with doubt. "Too many battlemechs stand alert between here and dropship."

"If we do it at night, they would just think the Carbine was en route to get gas," Trystan wiped his face with his shirt. "They're looking for a 40-meter long metal dragon. One out-of-place Carbine would not pique their interest."

"And what if it does?" Saskia stole a glance at Trystan's naked torso. There was not a lot of flesh on his upper body but ones that existed were well toned, gleaming under the morning sun. It took her mind out of focus for a brief moment, before she regrouped and regained composure. "You have a plan to avoid complications?"

"Run," Trystan replied matter-of-factly.

"Run?" Saskia scoffed. "You think construction vehicle can outrun combat platforms?"

"I have not considered such scenario because the chance of it happening is superfluous," Trystan huffed. "What is your plan? I don't see you making any besides criticizing one at hand!"

"I would negotiate an escape…"

"You can't negotiate me. I'm a dead man, remember? The pirates do not know I'm still alive."

"Is there none absent stealing?" Saskia cringed.

"None that we can execute within a day. The dropship leaves tomorrow. This is the only chance we have."

Saskia took a deep breath. She didn't like Trystan's plan. There were too many factors that they had not considered that could foil their escape. She knew she could find another way. As she became more and more accustomed to local culture, she saw at least 3 opportunities for her to negotiate her way out of Antallos. The problem was none of them worked for Trystan. His situation did not go along with Saskia's plan.

Yet she decided to stay with him, a decision she didn't understand in the first place.

"What should I do?" she relented.

"There is plenty of time to fine-tune our plan," Trystan unfolded the money from Lei Fong. "As for now, we need food and water. I know this area; there is an ethnic restaurant not far from here. Al Hafedz. A little spicy for my taste, but spicy ethnic food beats empty stomachs. Who knows when we can have food again."

Saskia didn't say anything. She had been on high alert without food or water for more than 24 hours. She was exhausted, starved, and dehydrated. She stripped her jacket and tossed it to Trystan who started putting on his dirty shirt again.

"What is this? I'm not wearing your clothes!" Trystan tried to return the jacket.

"Your shirt serves as beacon for trouble," Saskia said nonchalantly. "Pheromone to hostiles. See all bonds to slavery purged. Wear mine to conceal self."

Trystan knew that Saskia was right. He was lucky everybody was preoccupied with the Gilvader that nobody noticed him wearing slave clothes in the middle of the city. He tossed his shirt and wore Saskia's denim jacket. She outweighed him by so much that her jacket hung loose on his shoulder.

"Thank you," he said as his face turned beet red.

"Then let us to meal," Saskia replied shortly.

Trystan took a long detour encircling the hangar with Saskia following suit. They walked two blocks until they arrived at a small eatery. They quickly ordered water, and when they came, they finished the glasses in one big swig.

"So… slave, are you?" Saskia said as she wiped the beads of sweat on her forehead.

"I am forced to," Trystan mumbled.

"Your friend thinks otherwise."

"He is part of this society, a crooked civilization that roots back to the first century of humanity. Slavery has long been gone from humanity for millenniums. No one should suffer in the benefit of others."

"I agree," Saskia said then finished her second glass of water. "Yet mind writhes in muddle upon 'the grandson of mercenary hotshot' condemned to bow and scrape."

Trystan took a deep breath. He was not ready to relive the treachery of his teammates and the bitter breakdown with his twin sister. Everything had been stored in a special 'locker' in his heart. He knew one day he had to open that vessel and hold everybody accountable for their betrayal. He just didn't think now was the time.

"I was… betrayed," he massaged his temple. "Let's leave it at that. My unit was pinned with no escape route. We were scheduled to be terminated. Some people who shouldn't make decision made a decision to sell me as a slave in exchange of transportation."

"Who are you, really?" Saskia leaned on her couch. "If you were the descendant of the founder of a mercenary unit, why were you not the leader of it?"

"I am…" Trystan didn't have a chance to finish his sentence. A dark figure moved right next to him and grabbed his neck. Before he realized what was going on, the dark figure slammed something onto his nasal bridge. His vision turned dark in less than one second.

"What in Guylos' name?" Saskia shot up from her chair but the dark figure shifted swiftly behind her back. The thing moved so fast Saskia doubted it was human at all. Before she could take a good look at the assailant, he twisted her arms behind her back, and pressed something under her chin. It was cold and hard, and Saskia could only think of one thing about what it was.

"Follow my direction, and you will not be harmed," a raspy voice rang next to her ear. "Walk out of this place, nice and slow. Disobey my command, and I will slit your throat."

"What do you want?" Saskia jerked her arms, but quickly submit when the cold 'thing' under her chin started digging into her flesh.

"I said follow my direction!" the voice grew hoarse with impatience. "Test my patience again and you will pick up your head from the floor! Now walk!"

Saskia threw her gaze upon the servers, asking for help, but only received cold stare in return. They lived in such a harsh world that violent was part of their life. Trystan slumped on his chair, with head flat on the table and blood pouring from his nostrils. With the only one that could help her subdued, and the rest of the attendance unwilling to lend a hand, she knew she had no chance to escape. Biting her lips, she started walking outside the restaurant, wondering what was waiting for her at the end of the sudden diversion.