CHAPTER 24

BATTLE BORN

Review Corner:

AncientRaig: These are all good info. Thank you for the insight; I will use them in future chapters.

Pacifica Training Academy,
Chara III, Freedom Theater,
Lyran Alliance, Inner Sphere,
March 11, 3065

For 4 months Saskia and her Gilvader were constricted to the ground, losing the ability to fly. The Magnesser Field that provided lift in zoids at Planet Zi did not exist in any other planets they visited. But Lei Fong modified the Gilvader to provide self-levitation using some portion of the booster. The Gilvader's could fly on Chara III, although at a much reduced speed. But nonetheless it put Saskia and her zoid in a very good mood. The Gilvader didn't throw much tantrum anymore, and Saskia ignored most of Vicky's harassment in favor of pleasantries with the rest of the team, much to the chagrin of the former helicopter pilot.

Their aerial fun, nevertheless, produced some recon holograms Trystan needed to build his strategy. He spent two hours looking at the holograms with Saskia and Lei Fong, dissecting every corner, every hill, every valley, as if he was playing table top game with battlemech miniatures. Lei Fong was not much of a playmaker, but compared to the rest, he was the closest to being a strategist. Saskia had some rudimentary skill, but without much knowledge about battlemechs, she could only contribute on general tactics. Trystan had to handle the details by himself.

"Looks like the Blazing Aces made 2 bivouacs at the eastern and western part of Starpad," he said, as he gazed blankly at the recon holograms of the city. "As we stand now, we have 1 lance of medium battlemechs and 1 lance of Commandos, courtesy of Jason Youngblood. We can overwhelm one bivouac, but as soon as we attack, the other bivouac will come to aid. We don't have enough firepower to handle two of them at the same time."

"You condemn Gilvy to idle?" Saskia snorted. "Months past he commanded 10 battlemechs, moved by greed and thirst for blood."

"I need you in the air, in case they call their dropship," Trystan sighed exasperatedly. "We have not located their dropship yet. Osiris and Vicky said it was not at the landing strip. Your recon holo-video do not show it either. If they hid it in this planet, they did a really good job."

"What meaning does dropship hold to you?" Saskia mused. "It is but a transport."

"I want to disable the dropship so they don't have a means to escape off world," Trystan explained. "And for your information, a dropship is not just a transport. It is a fire support platform, a monolith with blistering weapons to provide cover fire for the battlemechs. Your zoid is the only one with matching firepower, and even then it may not be enough."

"Then what do you want to do?" Lei Fong sniggered curtly. "Beg for more cadets from Pacifica?"

"No. Jason Youngblood has done enough," Trystan's voice tensed. "If only we can cut off the communication between the two bivouacs. You know, the electronic zipadeedoodah to jam radio transmission. That's what we need. If we have it, we can isolate one bivouac, take it out, then move on to the next before they can call their dropship."

"And where do you think we can get that zipadeedoodah?" Lei Fong stared at Trystan.

"We can fashion electronics from what Gilvy provides," Saskia tuned in, "with tinkered hands instructing in their use. It may not be the proper means, but there is yet use upon intent."

"I'll see what the beast packs under its hood," Lei Fong let out a sinister chuckle.

"I would not have prying hands upon Gilvy absent consent," Saskia gave Lei Fong a dirty look. "Your counsel, my hands!"

"Carry on, then," Trystan said while he zoomed in on a spot in a recon hologram, revealing a Griffin with 2 missiles launchers on its shoulder. "Caelia," he whispered solemnly. "You're still here, with these murderers." He turned off the holoprojector, then called his bondsman, "Captain Osiris! Get the jeep! We're going to Starpad!"

City of Starpad,
Chara III, Freedom Theater,
Lyran Alliance, Inner Sphere,
March 12, 3065

More than a week had passed since the Blazing Aces landed on Chara III. Exhaustive efforts to search and destroy the separatist group had been conducted, but after 10 days with no result, everybody started to feel that they were chasing ghosts. Hopes of flowing c-bills evaporated, replaced by frustration and paranoia. They were in Chara III for a reason, and they began to doubt if it was for separatist suppression as they were led to believe.

Caelia expected this to happen. She had been suspicious the moment she saw the man on the briefing. She knew she had seen him. She knew his mission parameters were dubious. She tried to forward her concern, only to be spurned by greed, overconfidence, and poor leadership in general. Her mother wouldn't take such a fishy contract. Nor her brother, if he was still around.

Trystan Vandenberg, her neurotic brother.

As she sat in a café near downtown Starpad, she revisited the events that led to the purge of Trystan from the Blazing Aces, and the taking of the unit by Blitzie and Linc, two scoundrels that knew nothing about running a mercenary unit. She still remembered Trystan's confused stare, searching for guidance in her, only to be greeted by similar ignorance. She blamed him for being reckless, pulling his trigger on an innocent man. If he didn't kill Major Chip Taylor, the Blazing Aces was still in a good shape, doing lucrative contracts in the blooming FedCom Civil War.

True, Chip was not a great leader, but he was much better than Blitzie and Linc.

"Commander Vandenberg, we are finished," one of her subordinates rose from the seat. "Returning to the battlemech."

"Good," Caelia replied halfheartedly. "I'll be right behind you."

Caelia finished her drink then slowly rose from her seat. She paid for her lance mates, as she promised them she would, then dragged her feet toward the exit. Her lance mates were already out of sight as they rushed back to their battlemechs. Caelia had no desire to return to her Griffin quickly. She had a feeling this patrol would end up like yesterday, and the days before that. There were never separatists threatening Starpad. Something else was taking place, and it made her mad to be completely oblivious.

Her mind was still wandering when a dark shadow flashed at the corner of her eyes. She turned around but the shadow crashed into her in blinding speed, bringing her 5'5" frame to the ground. It happened so fast it was a miracle her head didn't bang onto the pavement. Before she could regain her senses, somebody wrapped his arms around her and heaved her away from the sidewalk. She realized she was being dragged toward a dark alley, and her mind immediately went to defense mode. She cocked her arm and sank her elbow into the assailant's side as hard as she could, hoping to break a rib or two. It felt like she just elbowed a wall. Her assailant barely flinched. His left arm wrapped around her waist as his right went under her chin, straining her neck. She tried to bite the guy's hand but he quickly retracted his arm, and came back with a long blade pressing against her chin. She knew she had no escape.

The assailant dragged her to the dark alley where another man waited. Caelia couldn't believe her eyes. She was just thinking about him, and now he was standing right in front of her, exactly the way she remembered him more than a year ago, when she cast him away as a trade with some pirates.

"Trystan?" she stammered. "You're here? How did you… How… How…"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I don't mean to hurt you but they can't see me or everything will come to waste," Trystan said, half whispering. "Caelia, you have no idea how long I dream for this…"

But Caelia regained composure and resisted his advance. "How did you know I'm here? How did you escape the pirates?" She wiggled free from her assailant, and for the first time she took a glimpse of the man. Sweat exemplified his muscles, bulging underneath his dark skin. His thick moustache and long sideburn complemented his afro haircut, which added an inch to his already impressive height. "Who the hell is this?"

"This is Captain Osiris. He helped me escape the pirate band at Antallos."

"Your… what?" Caelia thought she was daydreaming. "What is going on?"

"Caelia I don't have time to explain every detail, so I'm just gonna say this," Trystan said. "This is a trap. Your contract is bogus. The Sentinel RCAT sent the Blazing Aces to Chara III to get ambushed."

"Max Canis Vlataa!" Caelia finally remembered the man on the briefing. "I knew I saw him before! He's playing a game with us! And Jason Youngblood?"

"In the same league with the Sentinels and the 160 Davion Guards."

"Davion Guards too? Holy shit…" Caelia burst into a fit. "Damn you Linc, you spurned my warning! Now look what you did! You've killed us all!" Then she started to connect the dots. "Are they… assisting you? You're behind this? How did you get these people to help you?"

"There are some who still regard Duke Gideon Vandenberg highly, and are saddened to see the direction the Blazing Aces are taking nowadays."

"Thanks to you!" Caelia spat. "Major Chip Taylor was a much better commander than any of us could ever be. You, me, Blitzie, Linc, we are just juvies compared to Chip. But you just have to think that you are the righteous heir of the Blazing Aces, that the Blazing Aces has to be led by a Vandenberg, that you – groomed and destined to lead a premier mercenary unit - has to take command because you are a Vandenberg! Do you, Trystan?!"

"I admit, you are right," Trystan said morosely. "Those things did cross my mind. But they were not the reason I killed Chip."

"Well it doesn't matter! You and your ego destroyed everything! Where in a deep hole because of you! But I guess you don't care because all you want is to put your ego back at the top of the Blazing Aces!"

"I did care! I still do!" Trystan raised his voice, never mind prying ears. "I killed an innocent man, and I put you and the Blazing Aces on the opposite side of where you should be. You have no idea how that feels. Part of the reason I'm here is I want redemption. Absolution. Closure."

"Then find it somewhere else," Caelia turned her back at her twin brother. "There's nothing you can do here to bring Mom and Chip back."

"I can't do that. I have to avenge Mom."

"You avenged Mom by killing Chip. Now you want to avenge Mom by killing somebody else. You're not going to stop until you kill everybody."

"That is not true! Blitzie and Linc confessed that they killed Mom!"

"And you took their words for granted?" Caelia turned around again. "Why did they do that? Why didn't they just let you rot in the pirate world thinking that you have avenged Mom? Why did they have to tell you?"

"I don't know," Trystan leaned back on the wall. "But swear to God, it is the truth. They admitted it right before they traded me to the pirate world. I don't know the reason why they told me, but if they didn't do it, why did they admit it? There could only be one reason. They did it for real."

"You never change, Trystan," Caelia let out a labored breath. "You always think the universe is conspiring against you. Why can't you just stop torturing yourself and live? Let Mom die in peace?"

"I know you're mad at me. You have every right to do so. But please listen to me. I am leading a battlemech team to attack the Blazing Aces. I will kill Blitzie and Linc. I will not harm anybody else, unless they get in my way." He looked at her in the earnest. "Please, please, please, choose your allegiance wisely. I will respect your decision, even if you go with Blitzie and Linc. Just don't get hurt. Promise me, don't get hurt."

"Then what's gonna happen after that?" Caelia mumbled.

"If I live, I will assume command of the Blazing Aces. I will ask the survivors to join me rebuilding the unit as our grandfather envisioned. If I die, then I'll tell Mom how much you make her proud."

Caelia broke down in tears. "I miss Mom."

"Me too," Trystan drew Caelia into his embrace. "I miss you too."

"Are you absolutely sure that Blitzie and Linc killed Mom?" Caelia wiped her tears on Trystan's shirt.

"By their own words."

"Then kill them for me."

"So join me. You can help us with inside knowledge. I need to know where they park the dropship."

"Not a chance," Caelia pushed Trystan away gently. "Mom never taught me leadership the way she taught you, but she made sure I understood loyalty. I am still, and will always be, a Blazing Aces. You are not, and you are attacking the Blazing Aces. Technically you are my enemy. I will not give up our positions. If you want the dropship, you have to torture me."

Trystan flashed a small smile. "Mom will be proud of you." He took out his comset and slipped it in Caelia's belt. "If you need a brother, call me anytime. The line is secure. Just make sure nobody sees you."

Caelia returned his smile. "See you in the battlefield."

Trystan nodded. "Be careful out there." He turned to Osiris and gave him a signal to go, when Caelia called him, "Trystan." He turned around and looked at his sister. "Yes?"

"The Blazing Aces is desperate for resolution. Humberto leads the scout lance to do morning sweep daily. Linc has been tapping into HPG uplinks, hoping he could intercept comlink between groups."

"Duly noted," Trystan beamed. "What route is Humberto taking?"

"Find it yourself," Caelia turned her back at him. "Consider it a gift from your sister, but don't forget we are still standing at the opposite sides of the war."

"Thank you," Trystan said, then disappeared into the shadow.

"Commander, Ma'am," Caelia's subordinates came rushing to her side, just seconds after Trystan and Osiris disappeared behind a corner. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, uh, I was just taking a little detour to clear my head," Caelia fibbed.

"You must be careful, Commander, the separatists may be setting up an ambush."

"Yes, right, the separatists," Caelia couldn't hide her smile. "Alright, return to your battlemechs and let us finish our sortie. It has been a long day."

Pacifica Training Academy,
Chara III, Freedom Theater,
Lyran Alliance, Inner Sphere,
March 12, 3065

"The Blazing Aces' scout lance is running a routine patrol around the city of Starpad," Trystan blabbered like a machine gun as he pulled Saskia's aerial recon holograms in front of Saskia. "I used to work with Humberto, the commanding officer of the scout lance. He's methodical, he's meticulous, but he likes to take the safe routes. So," he zoomed in on the outskirt of Starpad and highlit the flat plain all the way to the edge of the forest, "he's more likely patrolling these open ranges from the city to the wooded area. He isn't one to venture into the forest, or too far from the city, searching for enemies."

"Tarry one moment," Saskia shot a dubious look at Trystan. "How did you come upon this?"

"I told you, I used to work with the CO of the scout lance."

"Yet only presently memory presents itself for the taking?"

"My memory is in shambles under months of abuse by the pirates," Trystan didn't want to tell Saskia that he visited his sister. Saskia would not take it lightly. "I need you to confirm it for me. Take your zoid to Starpad and map out their movement. Humberto pilots a rare, high-performance Phoenix Hawk. I'll have Lei Fong upload the data onto your zoid, so you know what to look for."

"More reconnaisance?" Saskia scoffed. "To what end?"

"If we can prove that my assessment of Humberto is correct," Trystan made some X marks on a small pass between two wooded areas, "we can put 2 Commandos in this position, acting as separatists. Humberto will take the bait and pursue the twosome. But we'll wait for him behind these overhangs. As soon as he crosses the line, we'll trap him in a crossfire."

"A reasonable course, yet with little to balance the scale," Saskia stated. "If you wish them dead, give voice to desire and Gilvy will see it done."

"I don't want to kill them just yet. I want to recruit them to join our cause."

"And if they refuse?"

"Then we have no choice but to kill them."

"Very well," Saskia finally agreed. "Lei Fong remodulated Gilvy's transceiver with new purpose. Eyes have yet to lay upon showing, but the coming days are wet with promises."

"Good. Perhaps you can see what it can do. Jam enemy's transmission. Intercept comlink. Hack database. I don't know, go crazy. Expose the Blazing Aces and strip them naked."

Saskia flashed a small smile. "Well thought. A pleasure to be of service."

"Pleasure is mine," Trystan bowed his head in reply. "Your work put us on high ground. The Blazing Aces have no idea what's waiting for them."