March 4, 3050

Pyrrha Nikos was walking along the hallways when she heard the alarms indicating that a jump was about to happen. As she continued to make her way, the Jumpship jumped, traveling light years in an instant. And as per normal, Pyrrha felt a little dizzy, but this was made worse by the alarm continuing. Pyrrha was confused as to why the alarm was counting as they had already made the jump until she recognized what it was. She ran towards the mech bay. She spotted the other members of her lance, Weiss and Ren, running towards their mechs. While Jaune was still putting on his coolant vest as he ran toward his Lumberjack. As Pyrrha arrived in the cockpit of her Griffin, she placed her neural helmet and heard her mercenary commander Winter Schnee say, "It appears the planet we have been contracted to garrison is under attack. I have heard word from the local government, meaning that they are still alive and will be able to pay us. But we will be dropping into a hot zone. So be prepared." the transmission went dead as Pyrrha started up her mech. As the control panel buzzed to life she heard the voice of an angel say in Greek, "Reactor Online. Sensors Online. Weapons Online. All Systems Nominal."

As Pyrrha felt the shaking of atmospheric entry, she heard Jaune ask over the comms, "So do you think this planet has a sushi restaurant?"

"Jaune why would there be a sushi restaurant on this planet?" asked Weiss over the Comms.

"I don't know." replied Jaune "That's why I was asking."

"Jaune why would you want to know that?" asked Ren in his usual monotone voice.

"Hey that's a valid question." interjected Pyrrha

"You see Pyrrha gets its." said Jaune. "But do you think this planet has a sushi restaurant?"

But before Pyrrha could respond, the dropship made impact and the crane that held her Griffin began to move it to the center of the hanger. As the platform lowered and the bay door opened to the planet. Pyrrha ordered, "Weiss and Ren you'll be scouting ahead and asses the enemy's forces."

"Copy." said Ren

"Of course." replied Weiss as her Mongoose and Ren's locust ran out of the dropship and onto the forested region.

"Jaune you'll stay with me, providing additional long-range support." said Pyrrha as her Griffin's and Jaune's Lumberjack walked out of the dropship.

"Hey Pyrrha." asked Jaune "after we beat the pirates would to check if they have a sushi restaurant here?"

"What if they don't?" asked Pyrrha, blushing

"Well ah maybe they're catholic and they have fried fish?" said Jaune

Pyrrha chuckled as she noticed something. She asked, "Jaune do you hear that?"

"I don't hear anything." said Jaune

"Exactly." said Pyrrha as she and Jaune moved away from the clearing "Ren, Weiss any update on the enemy?"

"Negative." said Ren

"I have not found any enemy force yet." said Weiss.

"That's odd by now-" said Pyrrha as her computer's voice, Bitching Betty, said, "Enemy mech detached." And Pyrrha saw a large yellow, black, and orange hunched-back mech land in front of her. Pyrrha on instinct, launched her jump jets, thrusting her mech 60 meters back. Pyrrha yelled on the comms, "Ren, Weiss, get back here we have, uh I don't know what we have but they're strange mechs." as she finished, Pyrrha heard from her comms.

"What are those?" asked Jaune over the comms as he was interrupted by the vid screen of Pyrrha's Griffin being taken over. On the vid screen was a blond woman with green face markings sitting in what Pyrrha could tell was a mech cockpit. The woman exclaimed, "My name is Mechwarrior Yang of Clan Jade Falcon. I challenge you and your star to a duel. I will bid my mech and my fellow Mechwarrior Ruby of Clan Jade Falcon."

"I'm sorry," said Pyrrha caught off guard by the request. "Are you the bandits that attack this world?"

Yang shouted over the comms, "I offered you an honorable duel and you accuse me of being a bandit? How dare you! You shall feel the wrath of Clan Jade Falcon." all twelve of the mysterious mechs lasers were fired. Though four of the shots missed the Griffin, the remaining shots blew the mech's left torso off.

Pyrrha quickly launched her jumpjets as Bitching Betty made the obvious observation that the left torso was gone. As she flew 150 meters back, Jaune fired his LRM 20 at the mysterious mech. As she landed, Pyrrha fired LRM 20 and her PPC without a second of hesitation. As the shots peeled off the armor of the enemy mech, it flew toward Pyrrha. Pyrrha turned her mech and began to run while yelling "retreat." over the comms. As she gave a quick thanks that Penny hadn't gotten around to removing that one ton of ammo from her central torso.

Yang sat eagerly awaiting to launch the last satisfying blow against this dishonorable freeborn. To accuse her of being a bandit for offering two mechs against an entire star made her blood boil in rage. Two mechs against an entire star was honorable enough, thought Yang to herself, no matter what that spheroid implied. Breaking herself out of her trance of hate, Yang noticed from the corner of her eye her sensors revealing another mech. Did the Innersphere have such little honor that they would introduce another mech so late to the duel? She knew it could not be the light mechs that Ruby was taking care of due to its 80 tonnage. But she could not focus on that mech, she was honor bound to finish her duel because at least she had honor, unlike that freeborn scum.

Yang readied her ER medium lasers as heat dissipated from her Nova. Then, a beast of 80 tons bolted from the forest and punched Yang's mech.

Pyrrha twisted her Griffin's torso to see why the mysterious mech hadn't attacked her yet. But, instead, she saw a Charger slam its right fist into the enemy mech.

As Pyrrha turned her torso around, she said over the comms, "It looks like we've got a Charger helping us."

"Of course there is." Said Ren as Pyrrha could see his and Weiss's mechs, extremely damaged. Wiess's Mongoose had extreme damage in its legs but, by a miracle, was still running. While Ren's Locust had lost its right small laser along with half of its right armor. Even with the damage, the mechs outpaced them toward the clearing. But as Pyrrha continued seeing the clearing, Jaune was hit in the rear with two autocannon rounds. Without hesitating, Pyrrha's mech jumped to cover Jaune's damaged rear. But before she could make it, a few more volleys hit Jaune's fusion engine. Pyrrha scream "JAUNE." As she heard from her communicator, "Fusion engine critical." And Jaune, "I'm." the mech blew apart, causing Pyrrha to reflexively shield her eyes. As she opened them, Pyrrha searched for Jaune's ejection seat responder. But nothing, Pyrrha knew that Jaune's ejection seat wasn't the best, so maybe the responder was damaged. That was it, thought Pyrrha as she surveyed the area. She turned and saw the tiny figure of another mech. She couldn't recognize it but knew it was the same one that ki- that destroyed Jaune's mech. In a pure rage, she fired the remaining volleys of her LRM 20. The rockets that hit splashed over the enemy mech's armor as it moved into more dense forests.

"Pyrrha." Shouted Weiss as her mech turned to Pyrrha's Griffin "we need to go."

"We need to search for Jaune." Replied Pyrrha

"He's." Said Weiss, not wanting to acknowledge the truth

"He's responder is just broken." Replied Pyrrha

"We need to go." Said Weiss

"I'm the" Pyrrha caught herself realizing what she was doing. Putting her lance in danger for this. Pyrrha shook her head and said, "Let's go."

Mechwarrior Yang was fuming at the mouth. As not only was she accused of being a dishonorable bandit for enacting an honorable duel now a spheroid decided to ram into her Nova. She was too busy ensuring her mech did not fall over that she did not notice the 80 ton monster was running off. But as the Nova stabilized, Yang saw what her sensors referred to as a Charger. Like an animal that had been attacking, Yang began to chase the Charger, matching its high speed. She fired a few of her ER medium lasers at it, making sure she did not overheat, which would slow her mech down. But as she did, the 80-ton monster turned its torso and quickly fired a few lasers before turning back to normal. As a few autocannon rounds hit the rear of the mech as Yang fired four of her lasers. Though a few missed, the ones that did hit peeled off their rear armor. As Yang turned into the clearing, nearly losing control of her damaged mech, she saw the other dishonorable mechs leagues in front of her running towards a spheroid dropship. It was grey with the deep red letters TORC visible, while other letters were clearly there, but there were on an angle Yang could not see. These mechs showed no honor, so why should she- Yang pushed the thought from her mind realizing forsaking her honor was not worth it. Yang saw on her video screen her sibkin Ruby, and she said, "Yang we need to leave. It is obvious that there is no honor to be won here. So why waste the ammo on them?"

"Are you saying this because you want to visit the state of the Founder?"

"Maybe." replied Ruby. "Also I won a bondsman. But even if I did not want to visit that statue or win a bondsman it makes no sense in wasting time and ammo here."

"Ruby is right." said Black as Yang saw her image appear on the vid screen "we could be more useful to the Clan if we fought an enemy worth fighting."

Yang, annoyed at the presence of Blake, said, "I guess you are right Ruby." as she pulled back her mech into the dense forest.