by Jessie Wolf
Yup straight man of the year here. “You could say that, mama. I guess that the easiest away to put this is to tell you outright. Dee De and Charley both felt that you all would be better off with the full Death Dealer up grades. That also includes some of the secondary configuration treats. From what I have gained from those two knuckle heads is this.” And with that I gave them the full run down of all secondary configuration systems. Then told them of all the modifications that were done to their set ups and how they would be better able to sync with their power Suits. To say that they were surprised is an understatement. The one who surprises me the most though is mama.
She grabs me in a huge hug. Then whispers in my ear something that I never thought possible. “You are definitely a gift from the Goddess my dear. I no longer doubt that.” I lean back away from her to see the tears running down her checks. “You have on this day answered more than just the prayers of your sisters, but a great many of my own as well.”
“Sorry to disappoint you on this mama, but I know for a fact that I am no gift from the Goddess. I’m too much of a selfish hard ass for my own good.”
“No child, you are. When you first came to House Nakatoma all those years ago, seeking the hand of my sister in marriage, my mama told me then that one day you shall return the honor of clan.” She held my gaze with a shocking intensity. “I did not believe her, all I saw was a rude, self-centered, egotistical, ill-mannered, young man with no true sense of honor. I thought to myself ‘How can this barbarian ever restore our families honor?’ Matsu must have seen then, what I’ve only just now begun to see with my own eyes. Nakatoma Maiha Mana you have done more than just restore the Honor of our family. You have restored my faith in the blessings of the Goddess.” I could see there was no way to change her mind about how she felt so I just gave up. Besides, I learned long ago, that when it comes to the women of the Nakatoma clan you may pick your battles, but you well never win the war. This one situation where resistance is futile.
“I won’t argue with you on this mama, but only because you have more experience with Her ways than I do.” Smiling up at her face. It still ticks me off that most of my family will be a little taller than me. I mean here I am the one with all of the kickass power and I’m the shortest. Where is the justice in that I ask you? “Are you sure that you’re ok with this? I mean now you have no choice in giving up your position as Reverend Mother?”
“Yes my dear, I am quite sure. I have been in the service to the Goddess for more than sixty years. I believe that She has finally decided to reward me after all this time.”
“Um… I hate to question you on this, but how can you be so sure?”
“That my dear sweet Maiha, is simple. All of my private dreams and hopes have been answered on this day.” At my confused look she explains. “I have long been jealous of Matsu and your good fortune in having your own family. I have longed for a daughter of my own, but never having one. Now though I have four. I have always wanted to have the ability to defend our people, but because of my vows I lacked any real way to do so. Now I shall be a Death Dealer like my four beautiful daughters. Oh I may not ever march onto the battle field, but now I understand those that do. When you return home now I will be better able to help you. All of what has happened here on this day is at the will of the Goddess. Of this I have no doubt.”
“Ok if you’re happy I won’t question you again.” Turning around to my sisters. “All right you three. It’s getting late and we still have to get you suited up for the first time. Let’s go claim your Power Suits shall we?”
“All right about time big sister!” was Fuyuko’s rather excited reply to hearing this. I can tell she can’t wait to begin her training in earnest.
“Hey let’s go!” popped off the twins at the same time.
“Hold on there, little sisters. We have one more piece of business to take care of first.” With all of them staring at me I drop the last bit. “Call signs” that is all I said and you would have thought that I threw a cat into a dog show.
“How do we pick our call signs or do they give them to you?”
“I thought we had to earn a call sign before we could use one?”
“What unit will we be assigned to?”
The questions would probably have kept coming if it had not been for mama stepping to save the day. “Children! Peace! Calm down this moment.” After a few minutes had passed “Now I’m sure that your sister has put some thought into all of your questions. Let us allow her the chance to speak shall we?” turning to me with a gesture of get on with it. “Would you care to continue now, Maiha?”
“Thank you mama. For starters seeing as how you will only be assigned to one unit until you are old enough to join the regular military we can have our own call signs. Oh and by the way your unit commander is right here.” I said while pointing at mama. “That’s right little sisters, mama is the boss. You all now belong to… um… a little help here would be appreciated mama.”
“We shall call our unit The Storm Dancers. I believe that name shall bring us good luck. What do you think, Maiha?”
The very idea of calling over three hundred tons of combat hardware a bunch of dancers was too funny for words. “Mama, I can see calling them Storm Chasers, but why Dancers. You and I both know that those machines out there are as graceful as a load of bricks trying to fly.”
“Why child look at them. Each of those Suits will be piloted by the daughters of the former Reverend Mother. With their training and natural grace being enhanced by the AIs why those machines will look as if they are dancers. As for the Storm why it should be obvious to you Wave Dancer.”
It takes a few minutes, but I finally do get it. The waves are never more deadly than during a storm. Now with my family as back up and my own Power Suit I have just became twice as deadly as before. With them joining me in this war maybe just maybe I won’t have fight so hard on my own. Yes it should have been obvious to me; I just didn’t see it at first.
“You are correct mama, and I just didn’t see it. As the storm grows it drives the waves higher and higher. This in turn makes them stronger and therefore deadlier.” At her smile I see that I have grasped the meaning of her little lesson here. Even now I realize that she can teach me more than just how to be a proper lady and woman. I may have decades of military knowledge and experience, but that doesn’t mean I have all the answers.
“Very good. Now have you decided on their call signs?”
“Yes ma’am.” Turning to the twins I start with Nanase as she is the youngest of all three of my sisters. “Nanase your call sign will be Tempest Dancer, because you shall be like the gentle breeze that quickly becomes the destroyer.” She smiles at this I can tell how happy she is with her call sign. “Nanami yours will be Typhoon Dancer, the divine wind that brings a cleansing rain.” The smile that crosses her face is all I need to see. She will live up to her call sign just as her twin will live up to hers. Oh yes, my baby sisters are about to become a force to be reckoned with.
When I turn to Fuyuko I can tell she desperately wants to know her call sign. She so wants to have a call sign she can be proud of. “For you little sister you are like the relentless force of the Monsoon. You wear down your advisories without letting them know what is happening. You are Monsoon Dancer.” Upon hearing this she tries to crush the air from my lungs with the hug she gives me, all the while saying, over and over, thank you.
“What about mama, sissy? Do you have one for her as well?” Nanami asked with all the seriousness she could muster.
“Oh I haven’t forgotten her, baby sister. Not by a long shot.” I tell them all.
“Child, I do not need a call sign. I have one already, remember. It’s Grand Lady.” Mama tells us.
“Nope that won’t do. That call sign makes you a target. What you need is a new call sign that fits with the new you. One that shows us and the world your quiet and deadly strength, but is a beautiful as you are to behold.”
“Child, what you jus
t described is a mountain blizzard.” She tells me.
“Thank you for naming yourself Blizzard Dancer.”
“Why you little scamp. You set me up. Didn’t you?” she asked me.
“Yup sure did. Now Storm Dancers it is time for you to meet your new play mates.” And with that statement I lead them outside to find their Power Suits.
As we walk outside I hear several wolf whistles and cat calls. “Ignore them, please. Better yet take it as the compliment that it is. I do have to admit we do present one hell of a good looking sight. Especially you, mama.”
“Trust me child, though it has been a long time, I still remember what it was like to be stared at as a good looking young woman. What I would like to know, is how are you doing?”
“Why are you worried about me, mama?”
A giggle escapes her before she answers. “Why you ask. Child of you and your sisters you have the most … um … developed figure. This is most likely your first experience with this type of scrutiny.”
“I had not thought of that, but it doesn’t seem to be bothering me. It’s either the behavioral programing or the fact that I have gotten used to the looks I get from our guards at home.” I tell her in truth. As I think about it I find that I’m actually enjoying it. “Besides as a great lady once told me ‘If you got it flaunt it.’ Can you guess who told me that, mama?”
Again she giggles before answering me. “Her name won’t have been Matsu Owens would it?”
“In the words of someone else I know very well ‘You got it in one.’ Yes it was her mama.” I start to giggle at this. “However there is one young man that I just might have a go at.”
“I would have thought it that cute little pilot of Puss-In-Boots? What was her name again, sissy?” Fuyuko slips in on me from behind mama.
“Just who do you thinking you’re fooling Fuyuko? I saw how you flirted with Sergeant Whyte. I thought he was going to pop his zipper by the time he walked away.” Looking over at the twins who were giggling just as hard. “You two have no room to talk either there, little sisters.”
“Hey. No fair we’re just trying to do what we needed at the time.” Was Nanase reply.
“Oh yes, and what would poor Jimmy say if I asked him, what did you do to get that trap?”
“Girls, girls, behave yourselves. Remember you are now Ladies of House Nakatoma. Show some decorum please.” That was all mama had to say, but she threw us all into an unstoppable giggle fit with her next comment. “However the Mountain Wolves First Sergeant is very easy on the eyes. Do you think I might have a chance with him, Maiha?”
“Oh mama, you have to be kidding me. We could dress you in a gunny sack, and you would still turn heads.” It takes me the better part of five minutes to get that out. At her questioning look I explain it for her. “Mama, you are what is known as prime MILF material.”
“Maiha! Just where did you hear something like that? Wait! Never mind; you have probably used that scale more than once you dirty old young lady.”
“What can I say? I was a dirty old man a lot longer than I’ve been a cute young teenaged girl.” I told her with all the grace and decorum of a High Families Lady. This gets her to giggle along with the rest of us. As we walk across the town square towards what will soon become our Power Suits we looked like five young women out for a walk across the park, with the only one to stand out being mama as far as age went. If you didn’t know that she was our mama you could’ve sworn that she was just our older sister.
As we approached the captured Power Suits I noticed that mama was putting just a little bit more wiggle into her walk. Oh she still had that beautiful gliding hypnotizing walk that all of the women in our family have spent years perfecting. Only now the way she moved was more along the lines of a professional dancer not a priestess.
Unknowingly all of us had begun to follow her example. Knowing that mama should be the one in the lead as our elder I step back and to the left of her. Seeing me do this my sister’s quickly follow suit. It was time for mama to shine. Seeing as how the one of the two men to have caught her attention was standing next to the Highlander we wanted to give her all the chances we could for her success.
“Ah good evening ladies. I see that you are all kitted out for your first lesson as Power Suit Pilots.” The First Sergeant of the Mountain Wolves greeted us. “You look a little uncomfortable there, Reverend Mother. Are you sure you want to do this? I mean I can find you a better way for you to return to the estate compound.” Oh he was a diplomatic as well as smooth operator. The man was putting on a show so mama will know he likes what he sees. I can’t wait to see how she handles this.
“Thank you, First Sergeant. However I am no longer a Reverend Mother. I am leaving the Temple so that I can raise these four rather unique young ladies with me.” She had a small smile on her face. Oh hey, mama is on the hunt. Her next few words put an end to any misconceptions to the contrary. “If you would be so kind as to give me a hand in mounting my Power Suit?”
Yup she’s after her first man in a long, long time. “Come on Storm Dancers let’s get you mounted up for your first lessons.” I tell my sisters.
“Excuse me ma’am, but did you just call your family the Storm Dancers?” asked the First Sergeant.
“Yes she did First Sergeant. Why is there a problem?” asked mama with more than a little curiosity.
“Please call me Top, Lady Dai Etsu.” He told her with a smile. “The reason why I asked is that for the longest time the traditional call sign for the House Nakatoma Command Team was Storm Chasers. Only the members of the House Family were part of the Command Team.”
“I take it that you approve then, Top?” mama was asking him. I could tell that she truly interested in both the man as well as his answer. “Oh and please call me, Dai Etsu.”
“Perhaps when we do not have an audience, Lady Dai Etsu, but yes I do approve of the name for your family’s team lance.” He told her.
“Oh but Top doesn’t a lance only have four Suits and not five?” she coyly asked.
“That is true my Lady, but it is not a hard set rule. Most command units have five to six suits in their make-up.” He had switched over to his instructor mode. I can tell just by the way he was treating her. No longer was he her subordinate. Now he was the one in charge. I could tell that she was in very good hands. What he did next surprised me. “Ladies, you will each find an instructor waiting for you at your individual Suits. Please head over and introduce yourselves. Lady Maiha, I did not arrange for you to have a trainer, but if you’ll give me a few moments here with her Ladyship I’ll be right over to give you a hand in getting mounted up.” With that he turned back to mama. “Now Dai Etsu, this Suit is known as a one hundred ton Highlander H41-R3 assault class.” And with that he went on to explain all about mamas new play mate.
Taking my cue from what he told me, I led my sisters over to where their Suits were waiting for them. While not as intimidating as the Highlander the Patton’s still gave off the air of ‘bring it on bitch’. At each one was one of the heavy suit pilots from the Mountain Wolves heavy lances. I could tell that they would be in excellent hands. I left them to become familiar with their Suits and headed over for my Mountain Lion. As I look up at her, yes I can already tell that it’s a she, all eighty-tons of pure deadly purposes. There was no denying this fact. I think it was the twin mounted over-and-under two hundred millimeter particle projection cannons and one hundred eighty millimeter heavy pulse lasers in each arm. Four barrels of high speed thunder and lighting. “Dee De can you give me the specs for your new ‘little sister’ here?”
I know you did not just call this oversized walking tin can my ‘little sister’. (Dee De)
He most certainly did, Dee De. How can anyone compare that monster to two such as us? Well, it is beyond my comprehension. (Charley)
“Of course I could all ways just say that she’s your big dumb sister who will be at a disadvantage to the rest of the Strom Dancer Suits.”
What do you mean? (Dee De)
“Well when those nanites that you and Charley cooked up get done with those Suits they’ll have AIs powerful enough to compete with you. Didn’t you realize that?”
One baby sister coming right up! (Dee De)
ML5-A3 Mountain Lion
Weight: eighty tons
Height: thirty feet
Top speed: one hundred and five mph
Cruise speed: ninety-five mph
Armament: two: two hundred millimeter particle projection cannons, two: one hundred eighty millimeter heavy pulse lasers, and six ninety millimeter medium plasma lasers.
Electronic warfare: stander land warrior package
All in all, not a bad hall. I mean this big girl has more than enough fire power to keep just about anyone in their right mind honest. God, I can’t wait to get on board her. With quick and practiced ease I climb up to the cockpit. Once there I pop the hatch and climb in. Looking around I see that she was well taken care of by the previous owner. After closing the hatch I hunt down the ‘Bio-Suit Configuration’ switches. Once I found them I take my seat, pulling on the helmet I picked up on my way here. I take the time to adjust and fit my helmet correctly. Once everything is in readiness I flip the switches. I feel the control lines connect to my cybernetic arms and legs. I watch as the helmets heads- up display comes on line. I feel the cockpit begin its reconfiguration. The next thing I know Dee De and Charley are releasing the nanites to upgrade the computer system to a true AI. Fifteen minutes later I receive the all-important all systems green good-to-go signal.
“Welcome aboard commander.” Comes from the cockpit speaker. The voice has a very feminine sound to it. Almost sexy even. The type of voice that grown men dream of. “How can I help you today?”
“Well my dear you can start by letting me know your name.”
“I would love to be able to give you my name commander. As soon as you give it to me.” comes the voice.
