Main event

by James D. Long

  "I do, but I can see you do not understand." Ajax paused as the waitress returned to serve two bowls filled with large, flat noodles and steaming, aromatic broth. Ajax picked up his spoon as he continued.

  "I've been going to the Hiring Hall for more than three weeks, and on several occasions Angus and I have talked about you and the kind of unit you plan to form. From what he's told me, I believe I would fit in well with your plans. I also believe you are a leader I could willingly follow." He paused to let Rose absorb the words.

  "You must consider yourself an excellent judge of character," Rose said, to which the man nodded with a slight smile. "Be that as it may, I should probably warn you that what little Angus knows of me he has learned from my sister, the unit executive officer, and she barely knows me at all."

  "Yet they both trust you."

  Rose reflected briefly, then finally allowed that it was true. "You're right, but I'm still not sure why they believe as strongly as they do."

  "Force of personality? Charisma? Perhaps divine favor. I cannot say, Captain. I can only say that I have seen its effects.

  "You are listed as a potential company. You started with three members and have doubled in size within two days." Ajax held up a restraining hand. "I know you would dismiss this as planning on the part of your sister, your executive officer, but still it happened. You have also been approached by the Borghese delegation."

  Rose choked on his soup and reached for his napkin before further embarrassing himself.

  "Please, Captain, no need for alarm. I was with Angus when the Borghesians arrived to meet him yesterday for the trip to the spaceport. The civilians announced themselves before I could excuse myself."

  Rose tried to catch his breath. He had assumed that the two men were probably careless in the way most civilians were, but the casual manner in which they were conducting business was almost criminal. Whatever little thought Rose had entertained about making Borghese his first employer disappeared like the steam of his soup.

  Ajax waited a respectable time for Rose to compose himself, then continued. "I would like to offer my services to your company." He reached into his shoulder pocket and withdrew a memory disk. "Here is a copy of my personnel file. It is current, as of three months ago. If you have the time and are interested, I can go over the highlights now."

  "Please continue." Rose set down his spoon and relaxed slightly. He wanted to concentrate on the man's story and be able to remember it when he made his decision later today.

  "I was raised to fight with the Warrior House Hiritsu of the Capellan Confederation. For my entire life it was all I ever wished for. It was all I ever wanted to be.

  "I was with House Hiritsu for ten years, all of them troubled. From the beginning there was no talk of honor or glory, as I had expected. There was only hate for the Federated Commonwealth and Hanse Davion. We fought engagements of all types, almost exclusively against Davion. As I fought, I watched my lancemates throw themselves at their F-C opponents with complete disregard for their lives. So many died, and in many cases, I suspect they wanted to die locked in combat.

  "At twenty-eight, I was the old man of my lance. Despite new recruits, we were constantly under-strength. Eventually I could hate no more. For the sake of my spirit, I had to break from Hiritsu. Outreach was close and I managed to make it here after only minor difficulties."

  Rose looked across the table at the other man and wondered what he'd been forced to do to escape his Warrior House. Rose had never seen any of the famous Capellan Warrior Houses in action, but he knew of their tradition as able Mech Warriors and fierce fighters. Fanatical devotion to the celestial office of the Capellan Chancellor was expected from all members of the Warrior Houses, both on and off the battlefield. To leave Capellan space at all must have taken tremendous courage and sacrifice.

  Rose regarded the man with a carefully neutral expression. Inside he had already made his decision, however. If the warrior's records could be certified, Rose would be glad to have Ajax as a member of the Black Thorns.

  "We are drilling tomorrow for the first time as a unit. If accepted, can you practice with us?"

  "I regret, sir, that I cannot."

  Rose was surprised by the response. He had understood that Ajax had his own 'Mech, and assumed that it was here on Outreach. His eyebrows went up in silent question.

  "It is my 'Mech, sir," the man said. "When I left House Hiritsu, I took it with me, although it was undoubtedly the rightful property of the House. I am no thief, sir, and was therefore obligated to inform my commanding officer of my actions."

  "I see."

  "Before I left No Return."

  "Are you telling me that you told your commanding officer you were going to take your 'Mech and leave the planet before you actually did so?"

  Ajax nodded his head solemnly.

  "It's a wonder you're still alive," Rose commented dryly.

  "It is no wonder, sir. My commander refused to act on the information for one day." Ajax's eyes lost their focus, as if he were seeing something very far away. "She was, like me, an old-timer. I had already jumped by the time House Master York knew.

  "Now, however, I feel that I must pat more distance between myself and House Hiritsu. That is why I have been somewhat secretive about my movements. It is also why I cannot disclose my 'Mech. I am sorry."

  "What are you piloting, Ajax, that makes it so worthy of House Hiritsu's trouble?"

  "My 'Mech is an advanced Raven," the warrior said, making Rose give out a low whistle. "It mounts the latest in advanced weaponry in addition to a Beagle active probe and Guardian ECM suite."

  Rose rubbed his chin and considered the place such a 'Mech would have in his company.

  "I'll tell you what we can do. I'll have Rianna run a standard check on your service jacket. If everything checks out, meet me back at the hotel tonight around eight and I'll introduce you to the rest of the unit. Come with us tomorrow and watch us in action. I can allow you to pass on the first exercise.

  "In the meantime, however, I've got to get to the repair bay to check on my own 'Mech. Can I trouble you for a ride?"

  Ajax nodded and Rose grabbed the check, just slightly faster than the smaller man. He paid in silence, then the two walked out to the car. Ajax was as silent as during the first trip, which made Rose wonder if driving reminded Ajax of piloting a 'Mech, possibly bringing out the same personality he showed in battle. Rose was still wondering when Ajax abruptly pulled up at the repair bay.

  "Until tonight, Captain." Rose extended his hand across the car seat and shook Ajax's outstretched hand.

  Rose watched for a moment as Ajax drove out of sight, then he crossed to the cavernous buildings of the main repair bay. Despite being dropped off right outside the main gate, it still took almost half an hour to walk to the area where his Charger was housed.

  Crossing the bay toward his 'Mech, he could see that things were not progressing as he'd hoped. The giant machine was still supported by a large winch that rode the massive rails above the length of the service bay. Drawing closer, he could see that the final preparations for refitting the 'Mech's leg were under way, but Esmeralda was locked in a heated debate with a Dragoon technician.

  Rianna was shoulder to shoulder with the big woman, but she was not speaking. By the way his sister's arms were crossed and her jaw firmly set, Rose knew that she was on the verge of exploding all over the middle-aged technician.

  The three men of the unit were well back of the confrontation, apparently willing to let Ria and Esmeralda handle matters. Resting on the good foot of the Charger were three Dragoon technicians. Rose picked up his pace and hoped he'd be in time to prevent anything unpleasant.

  "Rianna!"

  Ria's head shot up, but Esmeralda didn't bother to look Rose's way. While the larger woman continued her arguing with the Dragoon technician, Rianna stepped around her and met Rose just out of earshot.

  "That damn Dragoon tried to tell us how to reattach the leg," she said.
"That got me fired up and then Esmeralda jumped into the middle of it." Rose wondered about the rest, but they were now too close to the Dragoon for him to ask any more questions. Esmeralda had the good sense to stop talking when Rose came up alongside her. After nodding to his unit, he turned to the Dragoon.

  "From what I hear—all the way across the bay, I might add—there's a problem." Rose smiled politely, but his eyes said he was anything but friendly.

  "Sir, my crew was preparing to reattach the leg when these two women demanded we stop. Now I find myself locked in a debate about the correct procedure for reattaching the severed leg." Rose admired the man's cool. Despite the verbal abuse he'd taken from Esmeralda, he hadn't lost his calm. Rose looked inquiringly at Esmeralda, who took a moment to compose herself before speaking.

  "Captain, this crew was about to reattach the leg without running a stress test on the hip mount."

  "Which is unnecessary," continued the technician,

  "because the damage is localized to the main support shaft below the mount."

  "And I'm telling you," finished Esmeralda, her voice once again rising, "that it is necessary. I should know, I was the one that severed the damn leg in the first place!"

  The technician involuntarily stepped back under the force of Esmeralda's words. Rose knew he was about to order the stress test when another group of men approached.

  "Some kind of trouble, Technician Bailee?"

  Rose looked beyond the Dragoon tech at the approaching Dragoon captain and his attendants. Although new to Outreach, Rose recognized the distinctive markings on the man's jacket as those of the Dragoon Gamma Regiment. Esmeralda looked into the man's eyes, flashing a silent challenge.

  "Just a disagreement over a minor technical issue, sir. Nothing to worry about."

  Rose watched as the two Dragoons stared at one another. Although Bailee had fought head to head with Esmeralda, he was not about to let the Dragoon officer win the fight if he could not. Rose hoped the too-dapper young officer would leave, but seeing the look in Esmeralda's eyes, he knew the hope was doomed.

  "Perhaps I can help." The captain stepped next to Bailee, but he was staring at Rianna, his eyes suddenly alight. It didn't take a mind reader to figure out what he was thinking.

  "After all," he continued, "such beauty deserves the best Wolfs Dragoons has to offer." With oily charm he extended his hand to Rianna, but Esmeralda cut him off.

  "Then why don't you be a good boy and go find him. We could use a hand from the best." Rose heard a howl behind him and did not have to turn to know that Hawg was falling over with laughter. Bailee gulped and succeeded in keeping his face neutral, but Rose saw the clenched fist that revealed how dearly the effort was costing him. Even the members of the captain's group were smiling.

  "Oh, such a sharp, pointed wit."

  "Oh, such a sharp, pointed head," Esmeralda said, and Rose quickly stepped between them. The two were glaring at one another, the captain with obvious hate, Esmeralda with obvious amusement.

  "Captain, I don't think this is necessary. We had just reached an understanding."

  "You're right about that. The Dragoons understand as well. You malcontents bring your battered jalopies here to be repaired by the best technicians in the Inner Sphere and to learn from the best warriors available." He indicated Rose's 'Mech with distaste. "Then you have the audacity to insult us." The captain shifted his attention from Rose to Esmeralda. "You're cannon fodder. Something for the Clans to destroy before they have to fight the real warriors of the Inner Sphere."

  It was Ria who answered. "Oh, will that be before or after the Dragoons betray us the way they turned traitor to their own Clan kind?"

  Rose heard the words, but could not believe Ria had actually spoken them. Nothing would offend a member of the Dragoons faster then questioning the unit's loyalty. Rose heard the six men at the foot of his Charger moving about, ready to attack or defend themselves as necessary. The captain opposite him looked like he was ready to take a swing at somebody when Bailee placed a hand on his shoulder.

  "Please, sir. Not here."

  The young captain shrugged off the hand and glared at Rose. "Where else is there? They wouldn't dare face us on the field."

  "Dream on."

  Rose interrupted the unknown speaker. "Captain, we are scheduled for the practice field tomorrow against a unit known as The Gargoyles. Perhaps you would be willing to take their place?"

  The captain seemed not to hear Rose, then his eyes lit up.

  "You can't be serious. You really want to fight us? We'll kill you."

  "Possibly, but on the practice field we'd live to apologize." Rose stood very still, trying to keep his face as calm and neutral as possible. After several tense seconds, the captain relaxed.

  "You're on. One of my lances is down for refit. I guess we'll have to do with only two."

  "But . . ."

  "That will be acceptable," blurted Rose, firmly stopping his sister's comment. "Until tomorrow."

  The captain didn't bother to acknowledge him, but turned and stormed away, his men in close support. Bailee eased his cap back and blew out a long breath. Shaking his head, he walked over to his assembled technicians and began conducting the stress analysis on the hip mounting. Rose's unit assembled around him, Esmeralda with a big grin on her face.

  "What in the hell are you smiling at?" he grumbled.

  "We're going to pound that creep to smithereens, and I was just imagining the pleasure of it." She ground her thumb into the palm of her hand for emphasis.

  "Wait a moment," Rose said. "We're going to fight the best the Inner Sphere has to offer with a unit that has never fought together. We're definitely outnumbered and we're probably outgunned. And, in case you forgot, this is their home field." He stopped and looked around at his team. The smiles had faded with the grim realization of what they'd gotten themselves into.

  "Now that may be the reality of the situation," Rose went on, "but we're not beat yet." Cautious smiles replaced earlier grins as his people listened. "I guess we can start building the legend tomorrow. Rianna, I might have a new recruit. Take his files and have them checked. If they're legit, we're up to seven, but don't get your hopes up for tomorrow. Even if he joins the unit, he's unavailable for the practice.

  "Esmeralda, I know you've got a map of the field." A predatory grin confirmed his faith in her ability. "Work with Badicus on a plan of attack. There's no sense in standing back and letting them come at us.

  "Angus, you and Hawg stay here and make sure all our 'Mechs are ready to go." Rose checked his chronometer. "We'll meet back at the hotel at seven sharp to finalize our tactics."

  Rianna cleared her throat. "What about you?"

  "You're going to drop me off at the spaceport. As important as this exercise is tomorrow, I've got to talk to Captain McCloud about the Bristol. If she wants to become part of the unit, we're in good shape. If not, we'll just have to see. We need to start looking for contracts, not just recruits.

  "If there's time, I'm also going to try to find out about that dandy we just insulted. Maybe I can learn what we're up against."

  Rose looked once more around the group. Now that they had a plan, their confidence was back, hopefully tempered with a little realism.

  "Well, don't just stand there, people. We've got a fight to win."

  18

  Harlech, Outreach

  26 September 3054

  "This is Thorn One. Everybody on-line?"

  Rose was still warming up the Charger, but decided to break the silence sooner than usual to give the rest of the team time to communicate. Five voices responded in the affirmative.

  Running through the system in sequence, Rose was increasingly happy with his 'Mech. Though he'd not had the chance to pilot it before today, he counted on his years of experience to carry him through. Early that morning the lance had traveled as a unit along a carefully marked course from the repair bay and the spaceport storage facilities. It was the first time in mor
e than a year that Rose had watched the sun rise from the cockpit of his 'Mech and the feeling left him somewhat nostalgic.

  He had allowed Rianna to take the lead, mostly because she knew the way, but also to get a better view of the unit as they traveled. All the 'Mechs moved with grace, but Angus was by far the smoothest. Walking just to the right of Rianna, his Valkyrie traveled with a silky ease it took most pilots a lifetime to achieve.

  Once they reached the practice field each 'Mech was swarmed by a host of Dragoon techs. The crews attached sensors, readouts, and inhibitors that would let the 'Mechs duke it out in combat without killing each other.

  Although the system was expensive to operate and not nearly as good as the real thing, it was the best one Rose had ever seen outside that used by ComStar. As each 'Mech moved away from the preparation area the pilots put their machines through a series of tests to calibrate the new instruments for the Dragoons monitoring the match. Rose used the time to learn more about his 'Mech.

  Despite what most civilians think, each 'Mech is unique. Except for the gross differences between individual designs, each 'Mech tended to take on a personality of its own. Indeed, part of the difficulty in becoming familiar with a new 'Mech, no matter what the design, was learning the subtle changes that were part of the system.

  Like all Chargers, Rose's was extremely fast, especially considering the eighty-ton weight. It was also capable of jumping one hundred and fifty meters, a phenomenal distance for an assault 'Mech. Before launching those eighty tons into the air, however, Rose wanted to get to know the 'Mech a lot better. Originally built on Luthien, this particular Charger's cockpit was completely annotated in Japanese. Converting that to English had been Rose's first order of business once the 'Mech left Solaris.

  The Charger's weapon systems were adequate, but not outstanding. The torso mounted a Shigunga long-range missile system that could fire twenty missiles in under two seconds. The missiles were guided by an Artemis IV fire-control system slaved to a targeting computer. The entire system promised excellent first-strike capability, especially in the hands of an experienced gunner like Rose.