Chapter III
Shooting Stars Field Base, Ayodya,
Carver V, Chaos March,
December 12, 3059
The attack on the Cavaliers by unseen attackers was discussed with everybody. The Shooting Stars and the Knell's Cavaliers gathered under the tarp tent to discuss the attack. Kyle Garret stared at the plot of enemy's firing pattern. "This is obviously Long Tom guns," he explained. "Based on your report, there are 3 of them. And since you could not spot them, it means they were outside the city, farther than the maximum distance of your radar."
"Do you know who's got Long Tom units?" Sebastian mused.
"Zhanzheng deGuang," Natalie replied. "Local fighters and guerillas don't use artillery. Long Tom must be supplied from the major house, and beside the Zhanzheng deGuang, I don't know anybody else with tight relationship with any major houses."
"And I lost a mech because of their cowardly attack!" Knell fussed. "Let's kill them and send them all to hell!"
"Ah, usted habla las tonterias, amigo!" Miguel interjected. "The Zhanzheng deGuang must have hundreds of mechs in Carver V. This is their lair, their natural habitat."
"My friend Miguel is right," Kyle added. "Our mission is evacuation, not search and destroy. Beside, there's something about this attack that bothers me. It seems that they know you are coming. Artillery usually needs about 5 volleys to get close to the target. In 3 volleys, they already hit one of your mechs. Coincidence? Perhaps, but I tend to consider the worst case."
"So what does it mean?" Sandra Findley interjected. "Somebody sold us?"
"Not necessarily," Natalie said. "They could have a spotter. Artillery's accuracy increases with a spotter."
"True, but how did they know where to put the spotter?"
Nobody would answer Kyle's last comment, because nobody wanted the truth. And the truth was the Zhanzheng deGuang might know about the Cavaliers.
"Who else knows about us coming to Carver V?" Sebastian asked Kyle.
"My superior," Kyle answered. "And his superior, and perhaps the superior of his superior. But I have the right to ask you the same question. Who else knows about you coming to Carver V?"
"What, you think Hanson's Roughriders sold us?" Sebastian fumed. "We are a professional mercenary unit, for God sake! Or do you imply that there is mole inside us?"
"Can we talk in private, Commander?" Kyle signaled Sebastian to step out of the tent.
As the two commanders discussed the situation alone, Evee dragged Allison out of the tent. "We have to be careful, Allison," Evee said. "There might be a mercenary with his own agenda."
"What? Are you that certain?" Allison frowned.
"Look, FedCom hates Liao, and Liao hates FedCom. The Shooting Stars are a bunch of zealots that would rather die than giving Liao the advantage. The Cavaliers, on the other hands, fights only for money. Chris Fulton used to work for Liao. Bill Xander was a pirate. And we don't know anything about the 'Psycho'."
"I've been fighting with them for sometime, and they are professional." Allison looked Evee in the eye. "Everybody may have a motive, including you. So next time, think before you accuse somebody of treason. You might not trust them, but they're your family. They're the only ones you can trust with your life."
Evee was about to open her mouth, but Kyle and Sebastian had come back to the tent, so she followed Allison back inside.
"We have to move out," Kyle said. "We have to assume that the Zhanzheng deGuang knows our position. Natalie and I will find a new place for our field base. In the mean time, I need a recon team to scan the vicinity. Find anything unusual."
"Matt, this one is you," Sebastian added. "Take your lance to scan the city and beyond. I need a good spin, maybe two. Make sure that you know everything there is to know about the city, map it if necessary. Then report back to me."
"That's a roger," Matt Mamias nodded. "Alright Scout Lance, let's move out."
When Allison started to prepare, Evee caught her again. "Be careful out there."
Allison smiled. "If there's something bad happened, you'll be the first one to know."
Next on Escape from Carver V:
"This is not your fight, mercenaries. Whatever the Davions pay you, we'll pay you double. If you're smart, you'll lay down your weapons and give us the Davion's position. If you reject, then prepare to die! You have 1 minute to decide!"
"If you really want to live, kill your lance mates. They're dumb and not worthy our money! Kill them, and Zhanzheng deGuang welcomes you!"
"I will never work for them or you!"
"Then let's do this the hard way. Prepare to die!"