Chapter 4

Brit's Diner, Montenegro,
Solaris City, Solaris VII,
Freedom Theater, Lyran Alliance,
September 28, 3067

The long-awaited cash flow from winning the blood pit, plus bonus for killing 2 mechs, finally came to Ground Control. The advent of another moneymaker was greeted with joy. So far Mac was the only one that could bring money to the stable. Mickey and Stan lost most of the time, and their mechs required repair more than the profit they made. Amber brought home some money, but it was not enough to support the others.

Jeremy realized that his victory brought changes to the stable's atmosphere, so he decided to up the ante a bit. "I'm buying lunch," he said. "You decide where you want to go."

"Hey, why don't we go to Brit's," Mickey chimed. "Hyolee works there."

"Good idea!" Kilroy added. "We love hanging out by Hyolee's place."

"Is the food good?" Jeremy asked.

"Usual stuff," Jenny answered. "But the service is good. You know Hyolee, she likes to take care of her friends."

"Then Brit's Diner it is," Jeremy approved.

Brit's Diner offered a friendly ambience for Solarans, mechwarriors and non-mechwarriors alike. Like any other public place in Solaris City, talks in Brit's Diner were dominated by games and bets. But unlike Hangar66 or Thor's Shieldhall, customers didn't come to Brit's Diner to brag about personal exploit in the arena. Without the influence of alcohol, talks were mostly about general fights.

Of course, Jeremy asked for Hyolee to be their server, so he could leave a big tip for her. He guessed that would make her glad. Jeremy smiled and gave a courtesy nod as everybody took his or her seat. As he expected, everybody came except Mac. He understood if Mac felt a little threatened by his presence. But he never intended to be Mac's rival. He had his own plan, and it didn't include Mac. Besides it was not his fault if the other members liked him better than Mac. His good-natured attitude made them happy.

"Hey guys!" Hyolee greeted them with excitement in her eyes and big smile on her lips. "My gawd, you bring the entire stable with you today. What would you like to start with?"

As the gang ordered, Jenny came and took the seat next to Jeremy. She wore a simple tank top underneath her leather jacket that was short off her navel, flaunting her slim but muscular abs. Her spiky hair was bleached in colorful hue, mostly blonde with red and pink highlitght. Her Mydron pistol peeked behind her jacket, warning anybody not to mess with her.

Jeremy had heard many versions about Jenny's past, but none could claim definite fact. Some said she was an ex-05P. Others said Zhenzhang deGuang, Word of Blake agent, mercenary, or even Clan folk. It didn't matter for Jeremy. One thing for sure: As the security officer of Ground Control stable, Jenny fit the bill.

"Enjoying the spotlight, aren't you?" Jenny said as Hyolee got busy taking orders. "I see what you're doing here. You're establishing yourself as the alpha mechwarrior for the heavy circuit, taking it from Mac."

"What are you talking about?" Jeremy squinted. "I'm not robbing Mac. He's still the best mechwarrior we've got, and he's my partner, whether we like him or not."

"He sure doesn't think it that way," Jenny scoffed. "He doesn't care enough to join us. He thinks he's above everybody else because he's the only one that brings good money from big fights."

"Keep in mind that most of your salary comes from Mac's paycheck," Jeremy spoke softly so nobody could hear him. "He's a jerk, I agree with you, but he's not just a jerk. He's a rich jerk who fights well in the arena."

"That's about to change," Jenny stated sharply. "There' no reason Major Tom keeps two mechwarriors in heavy circuit. He's trying to replace Mac with you. As soon as he gets comfortable with your winnings, he'll let Mac go."

"Don't be so sure about it," Jeremy smiled, but couldn't help noticing Jenny's signals. "I just won one match. There are still a lot to prove."

"Modesty, modesty," Jenny leaned on his shoulder. "It may be a good thing back where you came from. But here, it'll get you killed. Have a little pomp, my friend. That's the only way to win Solaris' crowd."

"I'll keep that in mind," Jeremy replied awkwardly, pushing Jenny off his shoulder. It became clearer each day that Jenny was making an advance toward him. Jeremy had never refused a girl's advance, but he was not interested in making acquaintance. The memory of his ex fiancée still latched on his mind, and he was not ready to let it go just yet.

Just then, the food arrived, and the conversation quickly diminished, giving Jeremy a time to think. He never thought he would get approval from other members that soon. He just wanted to win one match at a time, all the way up to the Grand Championship, and he didn't expect to create controversies among his friends. But everybody already looked at him as Mac's replacement, even though Mac was still employed and arguably the biggest money maker in the stable. Perhaps everybody was just tired of Mac's attitude, so they couldn't wait to get rid of him, regardless what he did.

Perhaps that was the way it went in Solaris.

Hangar66, Montenegro,
Solaris City, Solaris VII,
Freedom Theater, Lyran Alliance,
September 28, 3067

It was past midnight, but Hangar66 Bar never rested. Hangar66 to Montenegro was like Thor's Shieldhall to Silesia, and the managers strived to keep up that reputation. Mechwarriors liked to tell stories of their accomplishments in the arena. The waitresses were trained to fake interests on the stories, because the happier the mechwarriors, the more they tipped. It was mutual benefit for both parties. But for Mac, the ambience was disgusting. Even the liquor felt awful.

Since Jeremy came, Mac didn't feel good anymore. Jeremy beat him on his audition game. Although it was clear that Jeremy had help (possibly from Kilroy), he was still upset about it. Worse yet, the Ground Control crews started to worship him like a celebrity, and Jeremy bought off their affection by buying them lunch. What a wimp. Just thinking of the whole situation made Mac want to throw up.

Another man came to Mac's table and took the seat. He ordered his drink, then lit a black cigarrette. Mac hated the guy. If he were a mechwarrior, Mac would have challenged him in a duel, shot him out of the cockpit, and trampled on him like a cockroach. But he couldn't do it. He needed him. The man was Bertoli Mafia's best gremlin. Mac had known him for a long time, and knew he would get things done if he came to this man.

"Enjoying the company of a new recruit, I reckon?" the man taunted him.

"I'm cool," Mac gritted his teeth, trying vainly to hide his rage. "He won't stay long in Solaris."

"Liar," the man chuckled. "You're threatened by him. Otherwise you won't be talking to me."

"Threatened my ass," Mac started to growl. "He's a nobody. I got him good. I just have to put him on my crosshair and Boom... he's gone."

"I'm not talking about your skill. I'm talking about your red-haired girlfriend."

If Mac had a gun, he would've shot the man in the head. How dare he bring up Amber! But on second thouth, perhaps he was right. Mac knew that his relationship with Amber was nothing more than mutual satisfaction in bed. And he knew that Amber felt the same way. Sooner or later the attraction would wane. The last thing Mac wanted to see was Amber hooking up with Jeremy. He knew it was just his imagination, but it could happen. She already had lunch with Jeremy. Who knows what happens tomorrow!

"One day you'll learn your place," Mac sneered. "Do you want this business or not?"

"Business," the man grinned. "What do you have in mind?"

"VEST loaned a new mech to Ground Control," Mac sipped his drink. "Major Tom gave it to that Jeremy crook."

"Alright," the man pulled out a notebook and wrote Mac's information. "Do you want it to look like an accident? A malfunction? Or just a blow?"

"No, no, don't kill him," Mac beamed. "Make him look bad. Leave the killing to me."