CHAPTER 9

AWAKE, SLEEPER

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Port Krin, Antallos,
Inner Sphere Periphery,
December 21, 3064

Looking for Saskia in Port Krin was similar to looking for a needle in a haystack. Trystan knew she had at least 12 hours ahead of him. Every time he sat down and thought about his plan, he agreed with Lei Fong. Saskia was not worth chasing. He would only put his life – and Lei Fong's – in an unnecessary risk by hunting down Saskia and whoever took her.

But he couldn't just leave her. If Saskia didn't crash-landed at Port Krin, he would've still been a slave with no chance of escape, forced to work as a technician for the rest of his life. If Saskia didn't take him with her, he wouldn't have had a chance to arrange a lift-off. Leaving her to save his life didn't go along with his strict morale standard.

And then there was that strong urge to save Saskia from the grips of evil. It was not the heroics as Lei Fong suggested, and it was far removed from his usually methodical approach. He just had the resolve to ensure Saskia's well-being without the protection of her dogged zoid. Why he had this urgency that defied his own standard, he didn't know… yet. He just knew he had to do it.

So he returned to the place he saw her the last time. The restaurant Al Hafedz was closing down when he barged in and demanded information from the servers. It was not as simple as he thought it would be; most of the servers were from the second shift, while the ones that witnessed the assault worked in the morning. The servers and managers threatened to call security, but Trystan persisted until one of the chefs recognized him. Fortunately the chef was working double shifts that day, so he saw the entire proceeding. He told Trystan that a man in military uniform dragged Saskia several blocks from the restaurant. He gave Trystan a general direction but he didn't follow the two long enough to know exactly where they went.

Trystan followed the direction of the chef, tiptoeing in the dim light of Port Krin, until he arrived at an abandoned slum. The place was mostly deserted, with rotting building scattered over a wide area. Vegetation started to sprout from what was once a hot-plastered industrial complex. Some people gathered around bonfires, trying to cook meals, or just warm themselves in the cold night.

Trystan continued his course through the abandoned slum until his ears caught a faint voice in the distance. He followed the voice until he arrived at a deserted warehouse. The voice grew louder into agonizing screams, cries, and desperate moans. A second voice sizzled sparsely, rousing in derogatory tone. Trystan wasn't sure if one of them was Saskia's voice, but since this was the only lead he had, he decided to investigate.

Making sure that nobody saw him, Trystan tiptoed into the warehouse. It was mostly dark, but he could make out some movement at one corner of the large building. He inched closer, using the darkness as his cloak, until he was close enough to take a good look at the activities on the corner. It was, indeed, Saskia who was crying in distress. Her hands were tied behind a pole and her legs were stretched forward, secured to a wooden bench by straps by her knees and ankles, straining her knees in a very uncomfortable position. A dark-skinned man in a military fatigue mercilessly defiled her bare feet, scratching and prodding her naked flesh with anything within his reach. Her hoarse voice and her excruciating spasms were evident that she was reaching the limit of her endurance.

For a while Trystan kept hiding in the dark, calculating the best strategy to take down the man. He could charge him with all his might but he didn't know him. What if the man had quick reflex and was able to subdue him? He was of no use for anybody. He needed a weapon to snipe the man from the distance. But he laughed mentally at the thought of harnessing anything but pebbles. Could he bring down the man with a slingshot? He didn't even wear a shirt to make a slingshot.

Fortunately, his much-needed break arrived at the right moment. The man's comset rang, and he stopped torturing Saskia to take the call. Trystan quickly found a plank on the ground and slowly, carefully, made his way toward the man. He was too engrossed in the conversation that Trystan managed to get within his arm's reach. He continued to mumble indecipherably over the comset as Trystan disposed his arms behind his shoulder, ready to swing his plank.

As soon as he heard the beep, Trystan swung the plank. The wooden plank broke into 3 pieces as it bludgeoned the man's head. The man careened and dropped to the ground flat faced.

Breathing laboriously, Trystan inspected the man, now lying unconscious. He didn't know if the man was still alive, so he moved quickly toward Saskia. She was wheezing and gasping for air. Her hair and sleeveless undershirt were soaked by profuse sweating. Tears and sweat blended into streams on her face. Her feet turned beet red and her toes splayed and trembled from all the torture, which Trystan suspected had been going on for hours.

"Release me," Saskia whimpered between sobbings.

Trystan moved to get the blade from the man's belt then cut Saskia's straps. Saskia groaned in pain as she swung her legs over the pile of bricks that had been holding her heels for hours. She tried to stand but her knees wobbled as soon as she put weight on her feet. She yelped and slumped right onto Trystan's midst.

"Easy! Easy! Don't force yourself," Trystan tried to support Saskia but he was amazed at how much weight she bore down on him. He had to strain his leg muscles not to fall backward. "Here, sit on the bench for a while," he said as he gently pushed Saskia back. He put her legs up to check on her feet, but he was quickly enamored by her bare feet. Her soles, covered by thin sheen of sweat, glistened under the dim light. Her plump toes stood on guard like sentinels upon her high arches. Looking at her exposed, vulnerable, yet defiant feet made his heart pump faster, and next time he knew he was stroking her soles up and down, from the balls of her feet to her heels.

"No, don't…" Saskia drew her legs away from him. Her feet were so sore from the torture that even Trystan's gentlest touch made her uncomfortable. "Just give back my shoes." She took several deep breaths as she leaned back on the post, then noticed the bloody bandage on Trystan's pinky. "You're hurt!"

"Just an unfortunate encounter with the pirates, nothing to worry about," Trystan awkwardly tried to act tough. "Are you OK? Did he hurt you?"

"I'm alright," Saskia steadied her breathing. She didn't want to confess, but she was glad to see Trystan. She thought he was just somebody that tried to make use of her, but his stunt positioned him higher than most men in her life. "Gratitude for coming back. I hope soon to return favor."

"Forget about favor, you'd do the same for me," Trystan said as he turned his attention to the unconscious dark-skinned man. "So what's with this creep? What does he want from you?"

"He demanded location of Gilvy," Saskia replied, "much like miscreants that had laid eyes upon him. Tongue unveiled name Star Captain Osiris of Clan Wolf."

"Wolf?!" Trystan shot a doubtful stare at Saskia. "What the hell is Wolf doing on Antallos?"

"What is of Clan Wolf?" Saskia cringed. The name was familiar to her but after getting tortured to the brink of insanity she couldn't get her mind to work.

"In short: a bunch of arrogant assholes with superiority complex who think they are more divine than normal human beings…" Trystan scrambled Osiris' pockets to find any information, but came out empty handed, "… humans like you and me. They think pirates are the lowest of all kind. They typically treat pirates as target practice or hunting preys for their cadets. It is uncharacteristic of them to walk among pirates."

"Possibility arises when eyes set on proper path," Saskia suggested.

"Then we need to find out which proper path their eyes are set on," Trystan said and hauled Osiris up from the floor. He sat the Clansman on the bench and bound his hands behind the post. Then he strapped his ankles on the bench, just like what Osiris did to Saskia a few hours ago. He drew Osiris' sidearm and tossed it to Saskia. "Can you handle it?"

"Life has seen 8 months of service in Helic Republic Military," Saskia pulled the cartridge to see how many bullets she had in the ammo bin, then slammed it back in and cocked the hammer in one fluid motion. "It fascinates, your weapons bear striking resemblance with ours."

"We root from the same ancestors, don't we?" Trystan winked then started slapping Osiris around. "Hey, Star Captain! Wake up! We have questions for you!"

Osiris slowly opened his eyes, groaning and grimacing in pain as his head throbbed. His eyes fluttered wildly, coping with the massive headache. Slowly he regained consciousness, and when he realized his situation he twisted and squirmed with all his might. But the restraints kept him in place. All he could do was to shoot murderous stare at Trystan and Saskia, especially upon noticing the young man had acquired – stolen – his much-revered kukri.

"Give me back my blade, freebirth!" he hissed.

"Way to make your case, considering your position," Trystan played with the kukri to aggravate Osiris more. "Where did you get this thing? Did you kill somebody at the Circle of Equal?"

"What is freebirth?" Saskia asked. "His mouth spits it with abandon."

"It's an insult to normal humans," Trystan explained. "Clan people like him are products of genetic engineering. They are not born, but 'made' in canisters. They don't know the joy of sucking tits so they call us 'freebirth' out of jealousy."

Saskia's jaw dropped to her chest. Her face turned red. "Your tongue is as foul as his!"

"Freebirths without honor! You stole my blade after a disgraceful attack! Give it back to me!" Osiris doubled the effort to get out of his bondage, but came up short. The duct tape was too strong even for him.

"You ambushed me without warning!" Trystan replied just as intensely. "That is very un-Zellbrigen, don't you think?"

"I do not have to adhere to Zellbrigen when dealing with pirates!" Osiris growled defiantly.

"And what is of Zellbrigen?" Saskia interjected.

"Clan's codes of honor in the battlefield… it's best if you ignore it. Nobody cares about it but the Clans, and even this one doesn't give much regard to it anymore." Trystan returned to Osiris, "So tell me, Star Captain Osiris of the Wolf… what are you doing here, far away from your space, dishonoring your clan by ambushing people?"

Osiris had a lot to say, but none of them would help him. He just stared back at Trystan and ground his teeth.

"What is Clan Wolf's interest in Antallos?" Trystan continued. "This planet is too far from your Occupation Zone to be considered an asset for your Clan. There is nothing here worth considering, only pirates. Why are you here? What are you looking for?"

"You will not get anything from me!" Osiris cringed. "I am Star Captain Osiris of the Wolf. The Wolf Clan will bear down its claws upon you, pirates without honor, until none of you are left!"

"I am not a pirate," Trystan scoffed. "I'll be long gone when Wolf Clan destroys this planet, if the Wolf Clan cares about you."

"My Clan will come for me!" Osiris snarled.

"I don't think so. You are just a missing asset. A replaceable missing asset. The Clan will just replace you with a newer, stronger, faster version of you. It was and will always be The Way of The Clan. So spare me the machismo and start answering: What are you doing here? What are you looking for? What is Wolf looking for?"

"I told you, he mined information of Gilvy," Saskia tuned in.

"How does the Wolf know about it so fast?" Trystan mused. "She is barely here for 30 hours and the news already spread to Wolf? That doesn't make any sense. Who else knows about the zoid?"

Osiris maintained a straight face as he refused to answer.

"Perhaps ears caught news," Saskia suggested. "Our escape was not particularly mute."

"You don't understand," Trystan sighed. "Their Occupation Zone is at the opposite side of the Inner Sphere. It takes them weeks, even months, to reach Antallos. They have been here quite a while. I'm afraid they are doing covert operation in this area."

"Which should not give voice to concerns," Saskia said. "He asks but the location of Gilvy. Other consideration had been removed from mind."

"He cannot learn your existence and travel 10 parsecs in less than 30 hours," Trystan massaged his temple. "We're missing one piece of information, and he's taking it to his grave." He sat in front of Osiris and pushed the tip of the kukri on Osiris' chest. "I'm running out of patience, Star Captain. Talk, or I will start peeling off your skin with your own blade."

"You will not gain anything!" Osiris replied defiantly.

"What are you defending, Star Captain? Your Clan? Your superior? You have been abandoned! Nobody will come to your rescue! You are here alone while your position in your touman has been taken by a younger warrior. It's sad but it's true."

"I will not dishonor my Clan!" Osiris roared, but deep inside he agreed with Trystan. The Wolf Clan would not come for a solahma who foolishly endangered himself in a pirate world. Star Captain Benten would just leave him if he knew that Osiris had failed his task. Yet there was still spark in him that would not let his Clan be disgraced by his action. "Have you not accustomed to Clan culture after all these years? You disgraceful surat! If you want my information, fight me in a Trial of Possession!"

"You are in no position to challenge me to an honorable combat," Trystan felt he had pushed the right button. "You have been beaten. I claim you as my bondsman."

"You have not beaten me!" Osiris erupted. "You attacked me from behind, not an honorable combat! I am not your bondsman!"

"You talk about honor but you don't know what it means," Trystan said calmly. "You ambushed me at the restaurant. You cheated me from an honorable combat, just like Vandervahn Chistu cheated Ulric Kerensky at Wotan."

The mentioning of Vandervahn Chistu fueled Osiris' rage even more. "Fight me in a Circle of Equal!"

"There is no honorable combat between a bondsman and his bondholder."

"I am not a bondsman!" Osiris was still defiant. "You did not beat me in an honorable combat!"

"Then perhaps I have other use of you. I am leaving Antallos, and I need money. I'll just sell you as a slave and use the money to buy tickets."

"Slave!" Osiris rattled his teeth. He was an aging soldier with declining career but he had the pride of a young, fresh warrior. Ending his career as a slave to a pirate band was more horrid than death. "You cannot sell me! I challenge you to a Trial of Possession for my life! I bid myself and my blade to defend my position! Fight me in the Circle of Equal, you freebirth!"

"Fighting me is not an option. I have beaten you the way you have beaten me. Bondsman or slave, pick your poison," Trystan gave Saskia an assuring nod.

"Death!" Osiris said, but he started to accept the fact that his chance was diminishing. He ceased all attempts to escape his bonds. He sat with his head down, his chin almost touching his chest. His breaths became heavier and heavier by the minute.

"There is no honor in death," Trystan said. "Regain your honor as my bondsman."

"There is no honor as bondsman of a pirate!" Osiris huffed. "It is the same as a slave!"

"I am not a pirate. I am an honorable mechwarrior. I am leaving Antallos. I can use your talent, first as a bondsman, later as a leader of a sub unit. Prove your worth to me and you can reclaim your honor."

It was, indeed, an intriguing offer. Returning to the Clan would find Osiris serving Star Captain Benten, a man unworthy of the glory of the Wolf. It was the end of his career. Trystan just offered him a chance to lead a unit. As unfaithful as he could think, the prospect was better than serving under Benten.

"Fine," Osiris finally yielded. "I, Star Captain Osiris, submit myself as your bondsman."

"Good," Trystan smiled victoriously. "Then tell me what you know. What is Wolf's interest in Antallos?"

"The steel dragon possesses a weapon that can shift the balance of power in the Inner Sphere," Osiris explained. "The Ghost Bear is holding advantage with their Leviathan super-battleship. The Wolf can neutralize the Leviathan with a new weapon derived from the steel dragon."

"Dude, you picked the wrong thing to start," Trystan chuckled, referring to how poorly the Gilvader performed against the pirate's assault battlemechs the other day.

"When the Wolf becomes ilClan, you will revisit that remark with your tail between legs!" Osiris sneered.

"I'll be happy to," Trystan smiled and cut Osiris' straps with his kukri. "The steel dragon has only been here for only 30 hours. How did the Wolf find out it is at Antallos?"

"I do what I am asked to do," Osiris replied as he rose. "I do not care about anything else."

"Wait a moment, have you lost mind?" Saskia interjected as she noticed Trystan releasing Osiris. "You grant his release? His hands broke your nose and cast suffering upon me! And now you would see them free?"

"No, he's my bondsman," Trystan replied hastily. "He's our ally now."

"Come to plain words! What is bondsman?"

"Clan people are superior combatants but one-dimensional fools," Trystan explained. "They dread dishonor more than death. Bondsman is a prisoner by honor. Once a Clan man becomes a bondsman, he will submit to his bondholder, or master, in honor." He turned to Osiris. "Right, Osiris?"

Osiris didn't answer. He looked at his blade on Trystan's hand. "Give me back my blade."

Expecting nothing, Trystan stretched his arm to hand over the kukri. But as soon as Osiris' fingers touched the hilt, he yanked Trystan's arm and choke-held the young man. The tip of his kukri sank into Trystan's chin.

Somehow Saskia knew it was going to happen. She moved to the side and put the gun on Osiris' temple. "Remove him, or see brain upon ground!"

But Osiris was not discouraged. "This is an ancient blade from the legendary Gurkha warrior," he hissed on Trystan's ears. "Every time it is unsheathed, it has to draw blood before going back to its scabbard. I do not care who you are. If you disrespect my blade again, I will bathe it with your blood!" He tore a slit just under Trystan's right eye, then let him go.

"Ouch! Goddamit! What is wrong with you?!" Trystan jumped around while holding his face. "You mad Clanner! You almost blind me!"

But Osiris calmly wiped Trystan's blood off his kukri, then slung it back into the holster. "You have been warned. Stay away from my blade!"

Saskia didn't know what just happened, but she decided it was too much for her to understand. She dropped her gun and checked on Trystan's face. The slit was far from potential damage to his eye.

"I can't believe he just did that!" Trystan bemoaned. "Crazy-ass canister lover!"

"Your hand gave life to his blade," Saskia snorted as she wiped the blood off his face. "Just take his life and end this madness."

"We need him," Trystan blinked several times to clear his eye. "Trust me. He's a valuable asset in our journey. We need him."

Saskia was too tired to think. She decided she would just go with it.