Chapter 20

Kilrymont Spaceport

New St Andrews IV, The Periphery

Rimward of the Circinus Federation

9 June 3077

 

               Marie sat alone in her room, wondering just how much trouble she was in.

               Consciousness had returned slowly.  She had foggy memories of being dragged into a room and something being tightened around her wrists.   Her body had still been numb, and she’d fallen back into darkness shortly afterwards. 

               When her eyes had cracked open again, she’d found herself on the floor of her room.  It had been cleared out of tools and equipment, and her wristcomp was missing.  From the bolts she saw attached to the door, she could guess the lock had been reversed to lock from the outside.  Not that she could have checked it, because her wrists had been shackled around the leg of her bed.

               Her first response had been panic.  Thomas must have come up behind her after getting the better of Caradin.  She didn’t know why he would’ve left her alive or gone to the trouble of dragging her to her room, but there were many possibilities she didn’t want to think about.  She had tried pulling herself free, but the bed frame was solid steel and bolted to the floor.  Her efforts just ended up straining her shoulders and digging the shackles into her wrists.

               As the initial rush of terror had passed and her mind had settled down, she had started thinking it over.  The first order of business was checking herself: aside from her wristcomp and her neurohelmet, nothing seemed to have been taken off of her.  She was still in her Hussars uniform.  Her only injuries were the egg on the back of her skull and the bruise on her forehead from where she’d hit the catwalk.

               That left the question: what had actually happened?  She hadn’t heard any scuffle, no weapons fire, not even a grunt or the thump of a punch landing.  Her first warning anything was wrong had been the hit to her head.  Caradin and Thomas were both seasoned soldiers, there was no way either had been able to subdue the other so quickly.  So what did that mean?

               She knew almost immediately what it meant, of course.  But she didn’t want to believe it.  She distracted herself by trying to move into a more comfortable position.  That proved more difficult than expected, with the best she could do being sitting with one arm under the bed and the other going around the bed leg.  She briefly tried kicking out the bedframe, but she couldn’t twist her clumsy legs around enough to get a good angle.

               Once she was able to sit in place, her mind went back to work turning over everything she’d seen and heard.  What was happening?  Who had put her here?  And what was going to happen to her?  Was anyone coming for her?  She had to fight down fears that she’d been left forgotten in her room.  Her throat was already parched, having had nothing to drink since the day before.

               Every once in awhile she heard footsteps approaching the door.  The first few times she heard them she started shouting for help, clanging her knees against the bedframe for noise.  The footsteps would stop briefly at the sound, but then move on, disappearing into the distance.  After the fourth or fifth time Marie stayed quiet when she heard footsteps.  She just leaned her head against the bed, dizzy from worry and exhausted from fighting her restraints. 

               She didn’t quite sleep, but instead fell into a half-awareness where she lost track of time for a while.  She snapped back to alertness as she heard the lock on the door rattle and click.  As the door cracked open, she heard Caradin’s voice outside ordering someone.  A few moments later the lieutenant walked in, carrying Marie’s neurohelmet under one arm.  Marie glimpsed Hoshino standing guard outside before the man closed and locked the door.

               Caradin set the helmet down on the desk before coming over towards her.  Marie tensed as the lieutenant knelt down next to her and wordlessly took her wrists.  Caradin unlocked her shackles and set them aside, then produced a bottle of water that she set down near Marie.  Caradin wordlessly stood up and went back to the desk, lowering herself into the chair and crossing her legs.  She gestured expectantly at Marie.

               Marie stared mutely at her for several long seconds while rubbing her sore wrists.  Then she looked suspiciously at the water bottle, conflicted for several long moments.  She ultimately gave in to the dryness in her mouth and opened the bottle, taking a long drink of the contents.

               “That’s better, isn’t it?” Caradin asked after Marie swallowed.  She gestured to the shackles on the bed.  “Sorry about that.  I said they weren’t necessary, but Thomas wasn’t having it.”  Marie did not react to this.  “I had a medic look you over, and they told me nothing was broken.  So, how are you doing?” 

               Marie blinked.  “What’s going on?” she numbly asked after a few quiet seconds.

               Caradin nodded in acknowledgement.  “I guess you’ve been out of it.  Sorry about that, too.  I asked Thomas to stop you before you left.  He was a little…enthusiastic in his methods.”  She shook her head.  “I just wanted to keep you from making a mistake.”

               “Making a…” Marie began to repeat.  “You told me to walk away and talk to Coghill.”

               Caradin’s mouth tightened and she shook her head.  “I said something to keep you calm,” she explained.  “You were pretty clearly on edge, I didn’t want you to have another panic attack.”

               Marie gestured around the room.  “And this helps?”

               Caradin raised a hand.  “Calm down, McCloud.  We’re in a very tight spot right now, I need everyone to keep a level head.”

               Marie’s chest tightened.  “What do you mean, tight spot?” she asked.  “Is Thomas selling out to pirates, or what?”

               In response, Caradin quietly pulled a cigarette out of her pocket and put it between her lips.  She wordlessly extended the pack towards Marie as an offering, which Marie answered with a cold stare.  Caradin pocketed the cigarettes and lit the one in her mouth.

               “Things don’t always go according to plan.  You of all people know that, don’t you?” Caradin asked after a long drag.  Marie simmered but nodded grudgingly.  “The galaxy loves to stomp on people like you and me.  It took my parents, my CO, and half the people I served with.  It took your father and your brother.  And it keeps coming back for more, doesn’t it?”  Marie nodded again.  “Sometimes you have to fight for what you want.  That’s why I started the Hussars.  I wanted to give people like you and me a place to belong, something I can grow into a strong force.  This job was supposed to help me do that.  Give my people a chance to recover, and give the new recruit a chance to get acquainted and trained up.  But things haven’t gone so well, have they?”

               Marie shook her head.  “No, they haven’t.  So what are you doing?”

               “What I’m doing is making the most of the situation I’ve found myself in.  Our client decided to change the plan.  They asked us to come and help with their pirate problem.  Something I’m very good at.  But then after we’ve done what they called us in for, they decided they’d rather not pay us what we’re owed.  It’s actually not that uncommon in this line of work,” she went on after a pause.  “Clients always complain about how much it costs and how long the work takes.  They start looking for ways to cut back, and they don’t care about who they screw over in the process.  So I’m left with no choice but to start looking for alternate routes to get what we’re owed.”

               Marie felt her stomach flip inside of her.  “You’re in on it,” she said.  “You’re going…you’re all going rogue.”

               Caradin looked bemused at that, as though she were looking at a child who believed in the Tooth Fairy.  “You know it’s not that simple.”

               “Isn’t it?” Marie shot back.  “These people hired us to be on their side.  What you’re planning…it’s breaking contract.”

               “One they broke first,” Caradin smoothly replied.  “Meridian already decided to cut us off until we get back the materiel their people lost, which wasn’t the deal.  Now they’re saying they can finish the job themselves, which means nothing for us again.  You can understand why my sergeant would be frustrated by that.  Meanwhile, we have a new client in desperate need of a ‘Mech unit and is willing to pay for it.”  She leaned forward.  “This is a business dealing, McCloud.  I need you to have faith in me.  The Hussars can be something great, but only if I have people I can depend on.”

               “LT, you know you can depend on me.  But this is crazy!”  Marie stood up.  She started talking faster and faster, gesturing at the door.  “If you let me out of here, we can still get a defense together, intercept the pirates when they try to come to the spaceport!  We’ll stop them here, and then it’ll be done.  We can go to Meridian and say the job’s finished, and then they’ll have to pay us then, right?” 

               Caradin’s eyes softened at Marie’s ranting.  “That’s what I like about you, you’re smart.  Thinking about the next step and how to take advantage of a situation.  But you don’t have all the details this time.  Meridian’s made it very clear they’re not paying us any more than they already have.  Rest assured if we finished off the Circinans they’d find some loophole to deny us again.  That’s just how these things go.  Clients are out for themselves first, and they never think twice about screwing someone else over to help themselves out.  You think the Kuritans lost any sleep when they branded your father a contract-breaker?  What do you think he’d do, finding out they’re selling him out like that?”

               Marie tensed.  “He’d figure something out.  He believed in honor, just like the Kuritans.”   

               Caradin gave her that patronizing look again and took another drag on the cigarette.  “Honor’s usually the first thing to go when there’s money involved.  The sooner you figure that out, the better off you’ll be.  And in any case it’s too late to change course.  While you’ve been in here, the Circinans have moved in.  The spaceport’s theirs.”

               Marie wobbled, a sudden wave of stress leaving her nauseous.  She sat down hard on the bed.  “We’re pirates,” she muttered.  “The MRBC is going to list the Hussars as Pirates and Rogues…we’re going to have other mercenaries hunting us!”

               “Not really different from any other day,” Caradin replied.  “Mercenaries fight each other all the time.  One side hires us, the other side hires another group, and we see who’s better.  And as for being listed as pirates, I wouldn’t worry about that happening any time soon.  As far as Meridian knows, pirates attacked and seized the spaceport while the Hussars were doing repairs.  Any spaceport staff are prisoners of the Circinans, and if anyone asks, so are we.  Everyone on-site will be leaving with the dropship in another couple days.  By the time anyone finds out what’s happened we’ll be long gone.  And in any case the MRBC has its hands full these days, they certainly don’t have time to listen to complaints from a backwater like this.”  She met Marie’s eyes.  “Trust me when I say this is the right move.  In another year this place will be in the distant past, no one will care anymore about who threw in with who.”

               Marie stared in shock at the dismissive tone in Caradin’s voice.  “How about all the people you’re selling out?  What about everyone the Circinans are taking prisoner to drag along with them like loot?”

               “That’s regrettable,” Caradin replied with a nod.  “But that’s just how business goes out here.  Believe me, Meridian sees the people of this planet the same way.  They’re just assets to be exploited.  Don’t buy that ‘proud people of the Periphery’ nonsense they put up in their holos.”

               Marie shook her head.  “No, I can’t accept that.”

               Caradin nodded again.  “Look at it this way: the Hussars can be a force for change.  There are a lot of people out there like you and me, with nowhere to go.  A unit like mine can help them, instead of just leaving them to disappear and die forgotten on some planet no one’s heard of.  And now I’m finally in a position to really make something of this unit.  You think it’s been easy working with those other three?  I’ve got Thomas who thinks with his fists, Wolf who is one more crazy banzai charge away from being Dispossessed, and Hoshino who I can’t turn my back on.  Thugs, all of them.  No patience, no real skill.  But you were a breath of fresh air.  I’ve never seen so much talent in someone so young.”

               Marie blinked.  “Well, thank you sir…But I can’t…”

               “I know.  I know,” Caradin repeated.  “Believe me, it gets easier.  I need you to trust me on this.  I need good people on my side, and when you’re in my place that’s hard to do.”

               Marie was quiet for a long moment before shaking her head.  “But what you’re doing…what the Circinans will do to these people…”

               “For what it’s worth, you’ve got my word I will personally ensure anyone who gets on that dropship is treated well,” Caradin replied.  “And between you and me, where they’re going will be a step up from scratching at the dirt or dying in a factory out here.  You know a lot of these Circinan technicians started as prisoners?”

               “No, I didn’t…”

               “After being taken out of a ditch on some other dustball they were trained and given a place to belong.  They got to do something with their lives.  And that’s the thing,” Caradin went on.  “Getting by in this galaxy is about making the most of the hand you’re dealt.  Sometimes you get a bad hand.  And sometimes you get a chance to change your luck.  Something I’m sure you understand,” she said with a gesture at Marie.  “There aren’t many units that would give a teenager with no formal training a chance piloting a BattleMech.  But you kept trying until you found someone who would.  Making something of yourself is all about being able to see your chance, and being willing to do what’s necessary when it’s there.”

               Marie was silent for several more seconds.  “I don’t know,” she said quietly.

               That’s fine.  That’s perfectly fine,” Caradin said.  “You need some time, you’ve got it.  I like that you think things out.  But I’m also on a schedule here, so I need you meet me halfway on something.”  She laced her fingers together and rested her elbows on her knees.  “Thomas tried taking the Blossom out earlier, but it turns out the security box has been replaced and upgraded.  When I found him he was pulling parts out of the cockpit to try and get at it.  I had to stop him before we were left with a big paperweight in the bay.”  Marie flinched at that, but otherwise stayed quiet.  “You’re a clever one, I’ll give you that,” Caradin went on.  “Upgrading the LAM’s systems to keep it secure.  I’ll guess you changed the access code, too.”

               Marie shrugged at that.  “I did the security box upgrade days ago during maintenance.  Can’t bypass that one with just a magnet.  I also added a few extra tricks in yesterday.  Got to keep my equipment safe.”

               Caradin nodded.  “Yes, you do.  And it was solid work.  Thomas couldn’t even get his helmet plugged in.  The computer just kept repeating ‘incorrect equipment.’  Now I couldn’t help but notice you also added a few parts to this,” she said, drumming her fingers on the neurohelmet.  “It doesn’t take a genius to figure out you added a security key so the ‘Mech won’t start without this helmet plugged in.  Now I could get someone to try this on, but I’ll bet you rigged it to melt brain cells without the right code?” 

               Marie tilted her head noncommittally at that.  “The Blossom’s my ‘Mech.  The way things were going, I had to make sure only I could start her.”

               Caradin smiled appreciatively.  “I like that.  It’s taking initiative.  You’re reacting to the information you had, and you were looking out for your unit.”  She patted the neurohelmet again.  “But now that you’ve got a better idea of the situation, I need you to unlock this so we can get the Blossom out of the bay.”

               Marie stared at her.  “Why should I?”

               Caradin’s gaze did not waver, but she clenched her jaw for a moment.  “Because I need all the backup I can get.  Things are pretty tense right now, McCloud.  I’ve got Meridian on one side and Circinan pirates on the other.  I can’t afford to show weakness to anyone, or things are going to get very bad for us.”

               “You put yourself in that situation,” Marie argued back.

               Caradin shook her head.  “I told you, right now my only move is to keep a strong face up, or I’m going to…we’re all going to get steamrolled,” she said bitterly.  “It’s only a matter of time before someone asks if the Hussars could handle another fight, and I can’t protect anyone if the Circinans push us out of the way.  The Blossom and Fleetfoot are in the best shape, I need both of them front and center to show we’re still strong.”

               Marie balled her fists.  “Fine.  Put me in the Blossom, I’ll take her out right alongside you.”

               Caradin’s mouth went tight at the corners and her eyes were cold for a moment before she took another drag on the cigarette.  “You know I’d love to, but I need to make sure you don’t have any lingering effects.  Sorry again about Thomas, he was really shortsighted.”

               “He splits my head open, and you’re giving him my ‘Mech for it?” Marie asked.  “LT, you’re asking me to trust you.  Why don’t you trust me and let me back in the Blossom?”

               Caradin lowered her face, massaging her forehead in one hand.  “I just told you why,” she said tiredly.  When she met Marie’s eyes again, her expression was sad.  “I’m in charge of this unit, but everyone in it has demanded something of me,” she said quietly.  “Thomas refused to follow me unless I made him a sergeant, and now he’s acting like he should be in charge.  Hoshino wants me to cover up what he’s done and pretend like it’s not horrible.  And Wolf…well, you’ve seen what I have to do to keep him around.  Can’t I ask someone to just follow my orders for once, and believe that I’m doing what’s best for my people?”

               Despite herself Marie felt a surge of sympathy in her chest for the woman.  Caradin looked so tired right now.  She was a woman overwhelmed by everything around her.  She opened her mouth to speak, but jumped as a sharp knock came at the door. 

               “Hang on a moment,” Caradin called back to the door, before looking expectantly at Marie.

               Marie caught herself as something clicked in her mind.  “What do you have to do with Wolfgang?” she asked.  “You told me yourself he’s your personal distraction.”

               Caradin sighed in exasperation.  “That doesn’t matter right now, McCloud.  Once the Circinan ship lands they’ll seize anything that’s not bolted down.  They have a codebreaker on their ship, you know.  All that security on the Blossom won’t stop them from taking it from you and me.  Right now you are my only hope to hang onto my machines.  So can you do this thing for me?” she asked, her voice taking an edge as she spoke.

               Marie considered it for several heartbeats.  Finally she took a breath and shook her head.  “All due respect, sir?  No.  I can’t be a part of this.”

               At Marie’s words, the expression on Caradin’s face vanished.  All emotion disappeared in an eyeblink, replaced by the familiar cold, unblinking stare that made Marie’s insides tighten.  Caradin took one more drag on the cigarette before dropping it to the ground.

               “I had high hopes for you, McCloud,” she said.  “You had the makings of one of the greats.  I was going to make you my sergeant once we got off-planet.  But I guess that’s all gone now,” she said with a sigh.  Marie sucked a breath in through her teeth as Caradin stood up.

               Caradin gazed at her impassively for a few seconds.  “What’s she going to do to me.  That’s what you’re thinking now, isn’t it?” she finally asked.  Marie balled her fists but stayed frozen in place while Caradin went on.  “Don’t worry about that.  I was being honest when I said I like you.  I want to see you walk out of here as much as you do.  And in any case, I don’t need to do anything to you.  I told you, I’m a scout first.  My job is figuring out what people will do under pressure.  What they can’t stand to give up.” 

               She put one hand on the neurohelmet, and Marie clenched her jaw.  Caradin narrowed her eyes at the reaction.  “Tempting.  I bet you’d bend if I break this.  But I’ll need this if I’m going to start my LAM, aren’t I?” she asked.  Marie glowered, biting back the temptation to say the Blossom wasn’t ‘her’ anything.

               “A nomad like you, there’s not much I can threaten to take from you, is there?  That’s what you’re thinking right now,” Caradin went on.  She rapped her knuckles on the door to the hallway outside.  The door unlocked and Thomas and Hoshino walked in.  Marie’s breath caught as she saw them escorting her mother between them. 

               At Caradin’s gesture the two men dragged Rachel around to stand against the wall.  Rachel was pale, her eyes flickering back and forth between Marie and the Hussars.  Hoshino looked away from Rachel and Marie, his own face tight.

               “Any word from Wolf yet?” Caradin asked the men.

               “On his way back from Plant Two.  Everything went smooth, Circinans have the facility,” Thomas answered.  “He’s double-timing it, should be back within the hour.”

               “Good.  As soon as he’s back I expect him back on patrol,” Caradin said, before turning her attention back to Marie. 

               “All right McCloud, here’s the thing,” she said, so calmly it sent chills down Marie’s spine.  “I need my LAM up and running as soon as possible.  I’ve tried being polite, and you’ve turned down my offer.  So here is my one and only counteroffer.”  She drew her sidearm and chambered a round, then calmly pointed the gun at Rachel.  “You’re going to give me the code to my ‘Mech, or you’re going to watch your mother take a bullet.”

               Marie was silent.  Not out of bravery or resolve, but because her words had simply abandoned her.  She could only stare wide-eyed at Caradin.

               “This is a slugthrower, McCloud,” Caradin went on.  “It doesn’t cauterize wounds like a laser.  There’ll be a lot of blood.  And I’m not aiming for anything vital, not yet anyway.  I bet I can get three, maybe four rounds in her before she bleeds out.”

               Marie opened her mouth, but couldn’t speak, or even breathe.  She coughed, trying to open her throat up.  Her eyes flickered away from Caradin, to her mother, then back up to the lieutenant.  She took a struggling breath, trying to find her words.  It would be fine.  All she had to do was tell them how to unlock the Blossom, and then…

               “It won’t work.”

               Everyone in the room looked at Rachel.  The woman was staring directly at Caradin.

               “My daughter hates me,” Rachel said calmly.  “Give her the gun, I’ll bet she’d be happy to put a few in me herself.  This sort of thing won’t scare her,” she added, her gaze flickering over to meet Marie’s.

               “Shut up,” Thomas ordered gruffly.  He pushed Rachel to her knees, so harshly she was pulled out of Hoshino’s grip. 

               Rachel smirked.  “Or what?”

               Caradin calmly placed the muzzle of the gun against Rachel’s forehead.  Her finger rested on the trigger. 

               Rachel took a breath, keeping her attention on Caradin.  “You’d better pray that thing doesn’t jam, lieutenant.  Or I’m shoving it down your throat."

               Caradin clenched her jaw again, and looked over to Marie.  “Well, McCloud?” she asked.

               Marie stopped breathing.  She could see it all playing out.  She could see her mother’s head exploding into a spray of blood.  She could see the gun being aimed at her, bullets going into her shoulders, her hands, her stomach, until she gave up everything just so it could be over.  She wasn’t sure it wasn’t happening now.  She felt like she was floating over her body, watching it all play out.  And it was too much to take at once.

               She started laughing.

               Everyone in the room stared at her.  She tried to choke it down, but having started, she couldn’t stop.  It had suddenly hit her how Caradin was absolutely right: life kept taking things from her.  Her father, her friends, her mother’s ship, her brother, even her last name.  And now, right when she’d thought she had a chance at getting something back, it had all been a lie, setting her up to take what little she had left.  She knew it was wrong to laugh, and she had maybe seconds before Caradin lost patience and killed her, but that somehow made it even harder to stop.

               Caradin glowered as Marie doubled over laughing.  Thomas grabbed a fistful of Rachel’s hair, holding her head steady under the gun.  “Lieutenant?” he asked expectantly. 

               Caradin paused, considering the hysterical Marie for a few seconds before looking at Hoshino.  “This one’s a dropship pilot, right?” she asked. 

               “H…Hai, lieutenant,” Hoshino breathed.

               “…she’d be worth something to the Circinans,” Caradin finally admitted.  At a gesture from her, Thomas pulled Rachel up to her feet.  “Put her with the others.  And you,” she added, looking at Hoshino as she holstered her gun, “get it out of her.  I don’t care what you need to do.”

               Hoshino looked bewildered.  “Lieutenant…she is one of ours.”

               “Don’t give me that.  She made her choice,” Caradin retorted, sharply enough that Hoshino flinched.  She took a step towards him and lowered her voice.  “Look at her.  She’s broken already.  And if she has any fight left in her, remember her family betrayed the Combine.”  She pointed at the neurohelmet on the desk.  “She unlocks that, or you and I will have a problem.  Understand?”

               Hoshino hesitantly nodded at that with a muttered “Hai, lieutenant.”  Caradin appeared satisfied with that and walked out with Thomas, who dragged Rachel along with him.  Marie continued shaking with laughter as the three of them left.  Rachel’s eyes stayed on her until the door slammed shut.

               Marie’s stomach flipped as she heard the lock click.  Her laughter quickly subsided, replaced by a chill at the oppressive silence that had descended.  For his part, Hoshino was standing near the door, a distant look in his eyes as he returned Marie’s attention. 

               “You’re not always the good cop, are you?” she asked quietly.  Hoshino somberly shook his head in response.  “Has it all been a lie?  Is this just how she does things?”

               Hoshino shook his head again.  “No, young one.  Caradin has been shouldering much these past few years.  She has simply been pushed too far this time.  She is full of anger right now.  You and your mother do not need to suffer that anger.”

               “And you don’t have to do this,” Marie said quickly.  She stood up from the bed.  “You don’t want to hurt me, do you?  Just tell Caradin you couldn’t get me to talk.”

               Hoshino’s lips went tight.  “That would not save you,” he said.  “No, I do not want to force you to talk, but Caradin gets what she desires.  If I fail here, then I will be punished, and she will simply send someone else to pull out your secrets.  Then I will have to live with knowing I am why you suffered even more than you would have with me.”

               Marie’s heart was racing and she felt her stomach twisting up, but she still managed to find the breath for words.  “Is that how you want to live?  Just constantly in fear of this woman who can order you to do anything?  Even things you know are wrong?”

               He shook his head at her.  “It is more complicated than that,” he said.  “You act as though I have a choice, but my hands are tied.  My honor depends on keeping Caradin satisfied.  And currently your life depends on the same.  Surely you see the choice is yours, not mine.  Simply tell me what we wish to know, and no harm will befall you.”

               “Do you think I believe that?” Marie quietly asked.  “No, I’m not letting Caradin use my ‘Mech for what you’re doing.  Didn’t you see what’s happening outside, Heihachi?  Do the people here deserve this?”

               Hoshino waved his hands defensively.  “You misunderstand.  I did not hurt anyone outside.”

               “But you’re letting it happen,” Marie said.  “.”

               Hoshino’s jaw clenched, and he was quiet for a few seconds.  “You do not know what would happen if I refused her,” he finally said.  “To me, and my family.”

               “But you’re fine with what happens to me and my family if I refuse?” she asked.  Hoshino stayed quiet at that.  “You wouldn’t tell me why you stay with these people.  This is why, isn’t it?  You like this kind of work.  Is this why your family kicked you out?”

               He shook his head.  “I was not exiled.  I left them, to save my family from dishonor.”

               “Well how good for you.  I’m sure they’re so proud of the samurai you’ve become,” she spat out.

               Hoshino flinched at that, a look of shame crossing his face.  His hands clenched and unclenched.  “I have no choice,” he said again, as he took a step towards her.  “If only you would cease this insubordination, and follow your commanding officer…”

               Marie raised her middle finger at him.  “You sound just like her.”

               Hoshino’s lips went thin and he clenched his fists tightly.  “McCloud…Marie-san, I…”

               They both looked up as the lock clicked.  Thomas walked in, slamming the door behind himself.

               “Wrapped up yet?” he demanded.  He looked Marie up and down, disapproving at the lack of injuries.

               “These things take time,” Hoshino replied defensively.  “If I push too hard…”

               “Lieutenant expects better,” Thomas growled.  “Don’t tell me you’ve got a soft spot for this one.”

               Marie saw her opening.  Thomas’ attention was focused on Hoshino.  The two men were on one side of the room, away from the door, and Thomas hadn’t locked it behind him.  Three, maybe four steps and she’d be out…

               Thomas glanced in her direction as she took her first step.  By her second, he had stepped in front of her, but Marie couldn’t make herself stop.  She drew back and aimed a punch at his face.

               Thomas smoothly deflected her punch with a tap on her wrist.  Marie tried to swing with her other arm, but was similarly deflected.  Then Thomas countered with a gut-punch that felt like a sledgehammer to her stomach.  The air went out of Marie’s lungs, doubling her over.  She would have collapsed in front of him, but Thomas had grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her away, sending her off her feet and crashing onto her back.

               “Unbelievable,” Thomas muttered.  He unholstered his sidearm.  “Did you really think that was going to work?” 

               Coughing and gasping for breath, Marie could only stare at the gun.  She managed to get herself up on her elbows, but didn’t have the strength to lift herself up any further. 

               Thomas shook his head pityingly at her.  “That’s your problem, McCloud.  You talk a big game, but you just don’t have the steel for this job.”  He approached, looming over her.   “Just another kid getting in my way.”

               Marie only barely heard him over her own heartbeat.  But even through the rush of adrenaline she could hear that voice in the back of her head again. 

               You are a warrior.  You will survive this.

               She pushed herself backwards, sliding along the floor.  Thomas slowly stepped after her, a dark look his face.  When Marie’s back hit the wall, her heart jumped into her throat.

               “Do you think you’re important?” Thomas spat.  “You think you matter even a little?  You’re just another name.  You’re a waste of my time.”

               You know what to do.  Wait.

               “You’re some stupid girl who thinks she’s a big deal.”  He leaned over to glare down at her.  “But the second things get hard, you just go to piec – ”

               NOW.

               Marie did not stop to think about it.  She clenched her jaw, shifted her weight, and snapped her left leg up as fast as she could.

               Looking down at her choking and sprawled on the ground, Thomas wasn’t ready for the kick.  Her metal-and-plastic foot struck his chin hard enough that his head snapped back, and Marie heard a muffled crack of bone giving way.  He stood up straight with the force of the impact, half a dozen teeth flying from between his lips.  He staggered backwards a few steps, and then his legs failed him.

               Thomas hit the ground like a pile of bricks.  Marie stared at him wide-eyed for a moment before glancing at Hoshino, who was staring equally shocked at her.  Then he fumbled for his own sidearm, while Marie dove for Thomas.  She frantically grabbed the gun out of Thomas’ limp fingers and leveled it at Hoshino, his own gun still in his shoulder holster.  He froze in place. 

               Marie slowly rose to her feet, feeling like she was hanging onto reality by her fingernails.  Her lungs were still deflated, and she could barely breathe.  Hoshino’s shocked look seemed carved into his face as he struggled to figure out his next move.  Marie shook her head at him, and held one trembling finger to her lips.  Her gun hand was shaking, as much as she fought to keep it steady.  Hoshino took a breath to speak, and she shook her head again. 

               “Drop it.  Kick it over,” she bit out.  Hoshino gingerly pulled his gun free, set it on the ground, and kicked it to her.  Not taking her eyes off of him, she pointed at the discarded handcuffs on the floor.  “Put those on.  Cuff yourself to the bed,” she ordered, trying to keep her voice calm. 

               Hoshino hesitated only a second, eyeing the gun still aimed at him before he moved over to the bed, got on his knees, and cuffed his wrists around one bedpost.  Marie finally took a breath when she heard the shackles click shut.  Her eyes were still anchored on Hoshino, she picked up his gun and pushed it into her waistband.  Then she stepped over to the desk and picked up her neurohelmet before moving towards the door. 

               She made it over to the door and managed to wedge the helmet under her free arm so she could put one hand on the doorknob.  “Where did they take her?” she asked shakily.

               Hoshino shook his head.  “You will never be able to…” he began, but trailed off as he saw Marie’s expression darken.  He sighed.  “She will be in the quartermaster storage,” he said.  “Please, Marie-san, do not make this difficu – ”

               Marie had stepped out the door and slammed it shut behind herself before he could finish.  She locked the door and allowed herself a second to take another shuddering breath.  Her heart was lurching in her chest, barely able to keep up with her mind.  She struggled not to think about Thomas.  He’s just unconscious, she told herself.  I didn’t feel his neck break. 

               For a moment, she’d considered following through.  She could’ve made sure neither man followed her.  She’d been armed, and Hoshino had been shackled.  It would’ve been easy to keep him quiet.  It wasn’t like the galaxy would miss him, anyway.  Those thoughts had been competing with the memories of her time with Hoshino on-planet.  How he had taken time to talk with her when everyone else had seen her as a waste of space.  How he’d spoken up for her when Caradin had been coming down on her.  She didn’t know what she thought of him, but seeing him at her mercy, she hadn’t been able to pull the trigger.

               She shivered and finally lowered the gun to her side.  Then she took another breath, and started walking.  She knew the way to the quartermaster storage.  Thankfully the halls were depopulated; Marie guessed the Circinans were shortstaffed after the Hussars had struck their camp.  Whoever they had left was probably busy securing loot and equipment, rather than patrolling hallways. 

               She tried to will her legs to move faster.  Normally limited to nothing more than a brisk walk, it felt like they were grinding along even slower than usual.  How long had she been locked up?  It wasn’t like she’d been walking around much, but her batteries only lasted so long.  She pushed herself to keep moving, knowing she didn’t have long before someone came to check on Hoshino, and knowing what would happen to her if she was caught.

               After a mind-numbing couple of minutes she’d left the spaceport’s residency block.  There was more activity outside as people drove trucks over the tarmac and worked around other buildings, but for the moment no one was nearby.  She made her way to the quartermaster’s storage in the next building.  Outside of it was a single man standing guard, holding a rifle.  Marie did not recognize him, but she could guess his allegiance.  For a moment she considered shooting him, but thought better of it; she didn’t need to be alerting everyone where she was right now.  Also she doubted she could aim straight with her hands still trembling.

               She went with the next-best option.  She squared her shoulders, held the gun out of sight behind her leg, and walked right up to the man, putting on the most confident expression she could manage.  Just pretend you’re asking Meridian techs to let you see those new Arbiters, she told herself.

               “Hey, I need to see the prisoners,” she said firmly.

               The man looked at her, his eyes trailing down to see her Hussars uniform.  “Didn’t hear no order about that,” he drawled.

               “I didn’t know you needed permission in advance,” she said.  “I’m here now, and I’ve got my orders.  Unless you want to take it up with my LT?  I hear she’s very busy, so I’m sure she’d love you bugging her.”

               The grumbled to himself.  “Not my problem,” he said, fumbling with his keys.  He stopped, his brow furrowing before he looked back up at her.  “Wait, aren’t you – ”

               The rest was cut off as Marie slammed the butt of the gun into his forehead.  He staggered backwards into the door, grunting in surprise.  Marie drew her arm back and smashed the gun into his head again and again, until his eyes rolled up and he crumpled like a puppet with its strings cut.

               Marie cursed under her breath and quickly looked around herself, seeing no one watching.  She tucked the gun into her waistband next to Hoshino’s, then knelt down and pulled the man’s key ring off his belt.  After a few seconds she found the key that fit the door, unlocked it, and shoved it open.

               Inside, the customary racks of equipment and supplies had already been stripped and pushed to the sides, making room for prisoners.  About two dozen people were clustered in the middle of the room, most of them dressed as spaceport staff but a few in civilian clothes.  They drew back as Marie exploded in.  They did not recognize her, and only saw the uniform and the neurohelmet under one arm.

               “Mom?” she shouted.  “Rachel McCloud!  Where are you?”

               She saw a few of them turn their heads to look in the back of the room.  Rachel appeared among them, her eyes widening with recognition.  She ran towards Marie, who extended a hand and took her mother’s, hanging on tightly.

               “Get ready to run,” she whispered.  She looked to the rest of the room.  “Everyone, I’m about to be a distraction.  Wait a few minutes, then everyone run, I don’t care where.  Get to motorpool if you can, but get out of here.  Sorry, I can’t do any more.”

               There was a murmuring as people processed that, looking nervously back and forth at each other.  A few of them moved out of the way as a disheveled and flustered Coghill pushed his way forward.

               “Why should we believe you?” Coghill demanded.  “Your people dragged us into here at gunpoint!”

               “I didn’t have any part of it,” Marie shot back angrily.  “And I don’t have time to argue right now.  The door’s open.  If you don’t trust me, take your chances staying here.  Good luck.”

               She left before he could say any more.  She pulled her mother along, the two of them stepping over the unconscious guard outside.

               “What happened?” Rachel asked as soon as they were outside.  “Did they hurt you?”

               “No,” Marie said quietly.  “But they will if they catch us.  Talk later, move now.  ‘Mech bay.  Come on.”

               They headed across the spaceport, Marie holding onto her mother with one hand and her neurohelmet with her other.  The cavernous ‘Mech bay was just a stone’s throw away, across a broad, open tarmac.  Marie furtively looked back and forth, seeing that for the moment the tarmac was clear, save for a few trucks parked between the buildings.  She could see activity near the entrance of the ‘Mech bay: movement, noise, and sparks from power tools.  Marie’s heart skipped a beat as she heard the telltale thumps of ‘Mech footsteps coming from inside.

               She pulled herself and Rachel behind a truck as Fleetfoot stepped into the light.  She fought to keep her breathing steady.  This close, the little Raptor was a towering monster.  The ‘Mech stopped outside the bay, standing motionless as though it were considering something. 

               Her heart was hammering in her chest as the seconds ticked by and Fleetfoot stayed put.  Caradin had to be looking at her sensors, or she was talking to the Circinans to see how everything was going around the spaceport.  Had anyone found Hoshino?  Marie felt a chill as she remembered just how precise Fleetfoot’s Beagle Active Probe was.  Was Caradin watching her right now, letting her huddle in terror for a few seconds before she opened fire?

               Marie slammed her eyes shut as Fleetfoot finally turned and started walking away, quickly moving out across the tarmac towards the edge of the spaceport.  She felt Rachel squeeze her hand. 

               “Mom…” Marie whispered.

               “It’s all right, keep moving,” Rachel whispered back.

               “Mom, this is stupid.  They’re going to catch us,” Marie went on.  “You should go back with the others.  Make a break for motorpool.”

               “No,” Rachel answered sharply.

               “Our luck’s not going to hold out much longer, and I can’t run, mom.  You might get away.”

               “No, Marie,” Rachel repeated.  “I’m staying with you, like it or not.”

               Marie hesitated just a moment before nodding.  She tightened her grip on her mothers’ hand and started walking towards the ‘Mech bay.  Her legs were moving even more sluggishly now, making the walk seem to take forever.  Somehow no alarms went up as they moved.  Finally, they made it to the entrance of the ‘Mech bay and walked inside. 

               The activity she’d seen from outside grew to the regular controlled chaos of a busy ‘Mech bay once she was inside.  There were half a dozen Scorpion tanks and a couple Arbiters sitting in the front gantries, with technicians moving around the vehicles, checking armor plates, ammo feeds, and fuel lines.  Marie had no idea how much hardware Meridian had been able to deliver, but she could see the Circinans were in charge: the techs all wore the skull logo on their coveralls.

               She and her mother kept their heads down and kept moving to the back of the bay.  The bustle of activity worked in their favor; the techs were busy with their work, and if any of them looked Marie’s way, they had better things to do than to stop work to ask questions.    

               The back of the bay was much emptier and quieter than the front.  Marie guessed Caradin had made it clear the Hussars’ ‘Mechs were off-limits.  Currently there were only Hoshino’s Katamari and the Blossom parked in the back, far from the ‘Mech bay’s main gate.  After another seemingly interminable walk they made it to the Blossom’s foot, where the lift carried them up to the ‘Mech’s cockpit.  During the agonizingly slow ride up Marie stared intently at the Blossom, her eyes darting over the LAM’s armored hull looking for booby traps or extra wires.  She wished she had enough time to look the whole ‘Mech over, but she knew that was out of the question.  She’d just have to hope there were no surprises waiting for her.

               Marie led them off the lift and to the Blossom’s hatch.  Only then did she release her mother’s hand so she could slide in, with Rachel following behind.

               “Do we have time to warm up the reactor?” Rachel asked.

               “I don’t think we have time to breathe,” Marie whispered back as lowered herself down into the command chair.  She swept her eyes over the dark control board.  She cursed at the sight of voids and exposed wires.  “Thomas was trying to get to the security box,” she said.  “He’s pulled out the fire control, and some other things.”

               “Can you get her started?” Rachel asked.

               Marie swallowed and ran a hand through her hair.  “Can’t pull the security box without crashing everything, and the reactor control and DI computer’s wired into it, so they’re still in place…” she ground her teeth.  “I’m going to try.  Get the hatch.”  If this doesn’t work I’ll at least make them have to cut us out, she thought.

               Rachel nodded and pulled the cockpit hatch closed behind them.  Meanwhile, Marie pulled on the cooling vest and neurohelmet and reached for the controls, keying in the preliminary code to power up the Blossom’s systems.  The main screen lit up in response.

               “Incorrect equipment,” the Blossom’s computer loudly announced, making both of them jump.  It continued repeating the message as Marie hastily searched for a cable on the floor.  Finally she plugged one wire into the wall socket and another into her legs.  As soon as the power line was connected the warning stopped.

               “Secondary authentication required,” the Blossom’s computerized voice announced.

               Marie took a breath.  “The black rose is the strongest of them all.  Admire the Blossom.  Beware her Thorns.”

               “Galedon was not the end,” the computer replied.  “Welcome aboard, MechWarrior.”

               The displays beeped as the power-up sequence started.  Marie switched off the safety protocols, pushing the reactor to start up immediately without the usual warm-up period.

               “Come on old girl, we need you,” she whispered to the ‘Mech. 

               She gasped in relief as a familiar hum started coming up through the floor.  Around her the cockpit came to life, and she felt the presence of the Blossom on her shoulders, the powerful myomer bundles in the ‘Mech’s limbs energizing to lift her mass.  Her sensors clicked on one by one, and the viewscreens lit up around her.

               “Reactor online.  Sensors online.  Weapons online.  All systems nominal,” the Blossom announced.  A moment later it beeped an error message as the diagnostic computers caught up to the hotwired main system.  “Error: fire control.  Error: IFF.  Error: Communications.”

               “Good enough,” Marie muttered.  She didn’t have time to worry over the missing equipment.  She could see the techs at the entrance were looking up at her, the Blossom’s activation being enough to distract them from their work.  She also knew any sensors nearby would’ve detected her fusion reactor coming to life.  With a nervous glance at the sensor readout, she noted multiple blips of nearby vehicles and ‘Mech reactors. 

               “Okay, strap in, mom.  We’re moving,” she warned as she nudged the throttle, bringing the Blossom out of her gantry.  She heard Rachel sit on the jumpseat behind the command chair and tie herself into the crash webbing. 

               Marie moved them away from the Hussars’ gantries to give herself some room, then pulled the mode lever to change the Blossom to an AirMech.  She knew they’d have to move quickly when they were clear of the bay, and the Blossom was vulnerable when she transformed.  It was best to get that part out of the way before they were out in plain sight.

               Her breath caught as the LAM’s nosecone and wings unfolded.  She had almost gotten used to the wave of nausea that normally accompanied changing modes.  This was a different feeling – the heavy feeling on her shoulders changed to an icy cold sensation, as though she’d suddenly been rendered in metal.  She felt light, like staying on the ground was optional.  Highlighting the feeling, a ground contour map was superimposed the lower part of her vision, giving her a view of every detail of the ground around her.  Marie gasped at the sudden flood of information.

               “What is it?” Rachel asked from the back.

               “The new switch worked,” Marie breathed.  “I can feel her.  She’s talking to me.”

               “Good.  Tell her to get us out of here, then.”

               Marie nodded and turned her attention to the viewscreens.  She was no more than sixty meters from the exit of the ‘Mech bay.  Once she was clear, she could be airborne and out of range before anyone could react.  She started the AirMech towards the exit to the ‘Mech bay –

               – which was when Wolfgang’s Commando stomped into view.

               “Hold it there, kiddo,” Wolfgang announced.  Apparently he knew the Blossom’s communications array was offline, since he wasn’t bothering with the commline; instead, his voice came thundering out of his BattleMech’s external speakers.  The Commando lifted its arms, aiming his laser and his missile launchers at her.  Below him, the techs quickly scattered.

               “Out of the way, Wolfgang,” Marie shot back over her own loudspeakers.

               Wolfgang snorted dismissively.  “What, you want to start something?  Look down, girl.”

               Marie looked at the compressed view around herself, and her eyes widened.  Halfway to the exit from the ‘Mech bay, and right next to the Blossom’s foot, a giant fuel tank had been squeezed in between the empty ‘Mech gantries.  Her eye had skipped over it earlier, but looking more closely, she saw the giant H2 symbol on it. 

               “Hydrogen fuel,” Wolfgang said.  “Straight from Meridian, to keep their Arbiters gassed up.  And wouldn’t you know it, I just got reloaded.  You know what it looked like when that Wolvie went up?  Imagine that times a hundred if I hit that tank even once.  It might burn my paint a little, but they’ll be finding pieces of you for a week.”

               Marie hesitated, trying to aim the Blossom’s guns at him.  With her fire control pulled out, she didn’t even have a targeting reticule to work with.  She knew she could still take the shot.  The Commando relied on speed over armor, and right now it was standing still.  Even firing blind, one good hit from any of her lasers could send him on his heels…but there was no way she’d take him out before he got a shot off.  And standing this close to the fuel tank, even a glancing hit on it would be the end for her.

               “Don’t bother, we both know you can’t hit the broad side of a dropship without a computer holding your hand,” he taunted, seeing her trying to line up a shot.  “This ain’t the time for no last stand.  You’re stuck.  Even if I step out of the way for you, there’s the LT and a whole bunch of tanks waiting out here for you.”  He paused, then snorted a laugh.  “LT’s in my ear right now.  She’s saying you can still get out of this.  Power down and hand over the activation code, and you and she get to part politely.”

               “…just like that, huh?” Marie asked.  “Or will my ejection chute not open?”

               Wolfgang snorted again.  “The way I see it, you’re not in a place to argue details.  Stand down and maybe you get to walk away clean.  Or try to be a badass and die in a fire.”  He waited two heartbeats while that sunk in.  “Circinans own this spaceport, and their ship’s headed in any day now.  What’s your plan here, girl?  Take on a dropship?”  Still, Marie hesitated.  “I’ll count to three for you, kiddo.  One…”

               Marie grit her teeth.  She turned her head to look back at her mother.  Rachel, seeing the intent in her eyes, simply nodded, and gripped the cockpit webbing tightly.

               “Two…” Wolfgang said.

               “Hey, Wolf?” Marie asked over her speaker.  “…Banzai.”

               She slammed her feet down on the jump jet tabs. 

               The huge thrusters on the Airmech’s back came to life, blasting white-hot fire out the vents.  Marie held the control sticks steady as the Blossom rocketed straight forwards under the thrust.  After the first ten meters the Airmech’s feet left the ground, turning her into a fifty-ton missile aimed directly at Wolf.

               To his credit, Wolfgang didn’t hesitate, and fired everything he had at her.  In a minor stroke of luck his medium laser went wide.  A few SRM’s from his chest launcher peppered her hull, but Marie didn’t have time to worry about that.  She braced herself as she slammed her shoulder into Wolf’s chest. 

               Armor flexed inwards, giving way and collapsing under the force as Marie was thrown forward in her seat by the impact.  The Commando was lifted off its feet, crumpling over her hull as they both cleared the ‘Mech bay.  . 

               The impact barely had time to register before the combination of Wolfgang’s missiles and the Blossom’s jet wash ate through the hydrogen tank and set off its contents.  Fully half of the compressed camera view disappeared in a fireball behind her, and the Blossom lurched with the blastwave.  The Commando tumbled off of her and the LAM was lifted up into the air.  She crested and then inexorably began to fall, leaving Marie frantically stomping on the foot pedals.  Thankfully the Blossom understood, and splayed her legs out as the ground came rushing up.  She hit the tarmac and skidded, metal screeching and sparks flying from her feet.  The gyro screamed, struggling to keep the half-mech half-aerofighter upright while Marie wrestled with the controls.  She teetered threateningly for a moment, but then shifted, heavily crashing to a standing stop on her feet.  Marie let out a heavy breath, as though she’d been punched.

               She could see the other enemies now: four tanks, Scorpions and Vedettes, were arrayed nearby, lit up in bright orange light from the hydrogen explosion.  She thought she saw a Valkyrie half-hidden behind a spaceport building, too.  Behind her, the fireball was melting to a huge smoke cloud rising into the air.  The Commando’s ruined chassis lay blacked on the ground, jerking as it was rocked by internal explosions.  The ‘Mech’s head split open and a command chair burst out of it before the SRM ammo finally cooked off and the ‘Mech dissolved into a second fireball.

               Keep moving!  the voice in her head shouted at her.  She couldn’t give the enemies a chance to think, which meant she couldn’t stop to think either.  She hit the thrusters again, sending her shooting over the tarmac.

               “Stay low!” her mother warned.  “They’re expecting you to fly!”

               “I know!” Marie shouted back at her.  As tempting as it was to shoot up into the sky and try flying to safety, she’d be flying right into the crosshairs of every gun out there.  On the ground at least she had buildings to take cover behind, so most of the opposing guns couldn’t draw a bead on her.

               Key word being most of the guns, Marie thought to herself as the lock-on alert blared.  Behind her a swarm of long-range missiles was launching into the air.  She wrenched the stick to the side, banking so sharply the Blossom’s wing came within centimeters of the ground.  Even so, some of the missiles still found their mark, leaving the Blossom shuddering under the impacts.

               “Faster!” she screamed, slamming her feet on the jump jet tabs again to kick on the afterburners.  Next to her the tarmac exploded as a string of heavy Rifle slugs barely missed her.  She knew she only had seconds before something substantial connected with her.  She had to get behind something.  Her eyes picked out the treeline hundreds of meters from her.  Even at top speed she wouldn’t be able to get to that cover before getting cut down by all the guns being aimed at her. 

               “Warehouse!” Rachel called from the back.  “Aim for the warehouses!”

               Marie didn’t have time to argue with her.  At her current speed the storage warehouses on one side of the spaceport were the only thing she could head for.  She banked towards them, shivering as another lock-on alert sounded.

               A parked jeep exploded as another cluster of LRMs barely missed the Blossom.  More Rifle shells followed, pockmarking the tarmac.  Marie swept in behind the nearest warehouse and immediately slammed the throttle into reverse.  She and her mother were thrown against the crash webbing as powerful retro-rockets slowed them to a shaky landing on the LAM’s feet.  They only had a moment’s peace unfortunately, as the warehouse they’d taken cover behind rocked with impacts.  It was no hardened military building, and its walls quickly started coming apart under the assault.

               “I thought they wouldn’t shoot it!” Rachel protested from the back.  “They were storing their own equipment there!”

               “Yeah, they’re not stopping,” Marie growled.  Her eyes darted over the displays, looking everywhere for a new plan.  Everything was flashing by so fast she couldn’t keep up with it all.  Still, through the haze of adrenaline she saw a tiny speck in the air. 

               “Worth a shot,” she said to herself.  “Hang on!”

               The Blossom lurched as Marie turned the clumsy AirMech in place to go back the way she’d come.  Marie pulled the stick back and hit the jump jets again, launching herself into the air just as another group of missiles arced over the warehouse, exploding on the ground where she’d just been.

               “You’re going right into their sights!” Rachel warned.

               “I KNOW, MOM!” Marie screamed back at her.  She cut the engines and let gravity slow her down, and reached out with the Blossom’s arm.

               Wolfgang’s ejection seat landed in her outstretched hand.

               The Blossom slowed and hovered in place as Marie feathered the thrusters.  She glanced at the ‘Mech’s metal palm to see Wolfgang still strapped into his command chair, hanging onto his crash harness for dear life.  .

               She turned her attention to the tarmac, and her heart lurched.  Had the tanks multiplied?  She was sure there hadn’t been so many just a moment ago.  There had to be at least ten down there now.  In the back of her head it registered that the tanks’ guns had been downgraded to the Heavy Rifles that Meridian could make, but she knew what they lacked in firepower they were making up in volume.

               Behind the armor was Fleetfoot, the Raptor standing far too close for comfort.  Caradin must have put the ‘Mech’s landspeed to good use to come back from wherever she’d been patrolling.  Other ‘Mechs were coming into view as well; the Valkyrie from earlier had appeared, and behind it was a familiar-looking Vulcan. 

               Steeling herself, Marie switched on her loudspeakers.  “Caradin, you listen to me!  You hold fire right NOW or I will crush this man right here!”  To punctuate the threat she thrust one arm forward, holding the battered-looking Wolfgang out like a prize.  Through the neurohelmet she could feel the Blossom’s fingers tensing.  She could crush the ejection seat and its pilot like a bug.

               There was no response at first, but no one fired.  Fleetfoot’s own loudspeakers finally clicked on.  “Do you really think you can?  That doesn’t sound like you,” Caradin’s calm voice asked over the tarmac. 

               “Try me!” Marie snapped.  “You think I care about this asshole?  The universe’d be better off without him!”

               “You trashed his ‘Mech, McCloud.  Surrender your ‘Mech and maybe we can call it a draw.”

               “No!” Marie shouted.  “You’re not making the terms here!  You shut down the guns and let me leave, or I swear you’ll be scraping your man off the ground!”

               There was a pause as Caradin considered that.  Then:

               “I don’t need another Dispossessed on my hands.  I already told you, the galaxy’s full of men like him.  I’ll just hire one that brings his own ride.  All units, open fire.”

               Marie cursed as she saw the tanks’ guns take aim and the lock-on alert screamed.  She switched her grip and clamped the Blossom’s hands in a cocoon around Wolfgang, then she cut her jets completely.  The first salvo from the guns went over her head as the Blossom dropped out of the sky.  She pushed the throttle back up a heartbeat later, the acceleration burying her in the seat as she regained altitude and climbed.  She aimed for the smoke cloud over the burning ‘Mech bay, the only cover she had in the air. 

               The heat alarms blared briefly as she rocketed over the burning building, but Marie ignored them.  Behind her everyone was firing, but the tanks couldn’t target her through the smoke.  She juked hard to the left and came out of the cloud, faking out most of her pursuers who aimed at where they’d been expecting her to be.  Fleetfoot still tagged her wings with a few of its lasers, but thankfully it did not get through the armor.

               Marie didn’t slow down, dropping back down to ground level as soon as the ‘Mech bay was between her and Caradin.  Going maximum speed, she weaved back and forth, the missiles and shells from her pursuers mostly scattering around her.  Within moments she’d made it to the edge of the spaceport and was skimming over the trees.  After one final salvo of LRMs bombed down around her, Marie was out of range, and within minutes she was out of sight.

 

*End Chapter 20*

 

Thanks for reading!

 

Battletech and Mechwarrior are the property of Catalyst Game Labs.

 

Rachel McCloud, the Bristol, Marie Rose (Sr.) and the Black Thorns are creations of James Long, who among other things wrote Main Event and DRT for the Battletech universe.

 

Image of the collision between the Broken Blossom and Wolf comes from Phear the Ham: https://twitter.com/PhearTheHam

 

A gallery of images from this story is compiled on my Ko-Fi page.  Donations are not required, but they are appreciated, and help me pay the artists to make more images for this story.  (Thanks, Eadbald!)

 

Follow me @lucendacier on X for story updates and the occasional BattleTech meme.

 

Audio version of this story is available at https://lucendacier.podbean.com/ , and on Apple podcasts.

 

Audio with images is available on Youtube, which also includes music I found out on the wilds of the Internet.