by R. E. Graham
The siren sounded again as the match ended and both of the active sim pods doors lifted up. Lawrence covered in sweat, rushed out in shame. Several of the pirates on the other side of the barrier pointed at him and laughed while others yelled at him for losing.
Skarr noticed Mariah emerge from her own pod calm but elated. A wide smirk spread across her lips as her name was displayed on the main screens.
Major Wer approached the winner and extended her hand. The female contestant did the same, and they shook. The young mechanic felt anxious inside knowing that fight would be tough to match.
I gotta win. I won’t blow my one chance.
“Alright, settle down everyone,” the Major said as she raised her left hand toward the crowd. “We have one late entrant who wants his chance at becoming a mech pilot.”
Daena turned toward Skarr, and he felt like his stomach dropped. He started to take a step forward but stopped as the Major quickly twisted back to the other winners.
“Would any of you be willing to go up against our last contestant?”
“Are we out if we lose?” one of the men asked aloud.
The Major shook her head. “No.”
“I’ll do it,” Mariah said confidently.
Oh great…
A wave of worry washed over Skarr as the Major looked to her right where the last winner now stood. Mariah glanced over at the mechanic and grinned like a predatory animal.
“I’ll go again.”
“Alright, hop in!” Daena shouted.
Off at the back of the barriers sat the event organizer. The Major nodded to him and pointed at Mariah then gave the man a thumbs up.
Skarr felt like he was in a dream as his feet led him up to the empty pod. He realized that Mariah was glaring straight at him.
“I’ll make this quick,” she said before she ducked and climbed in.
“This is it!” the announcer shouted over the speakers. “In our last match up, we have Skarr Sarius versus the dazzling winner of the last match, Mariah Glade!”
Many of those gathered cheered and began chanting for Mariah. Skarr felt nervous but determined. He stepped into the pod excited for his chance.
The Major walked over as the door for the false cockpit had been left open. “Hey, which mech are you going to take?”
Skarr just stared at her blankly. “Um…I…”
His screen activated, and a selection of mechs came up. He used the joystick on his right to click through until he found one he thought might be a good choice.
“Well, I guess the Goblin.”
Daena smirked at the mechanic and then nodded once. “Well alright then. The button to close the pod is on your left.”
Skarr blushed as he frantically searched for the control then found it. “Uh, thanks.”
“Good luck out there, greaser,” the Major said sarcastically as the door began to shut.
Yeah, I need all the luck I can get…
The pod became very dark, except for the illumination from the main screen in front of him. He could hear the dull roar of the people outside and shook his head to clear his thoughts.
“Focus on what you’re doin’. They don’t matter,” he muttered to himself.
“You ready Skarr?” a male voice asked over the internal speaker.
“Ye…yes.”
The remaining screens inside the pod began to activate and displayed how a Goblin would be on the inside. While the physical controls in the false cockpit were generic, the screens were at least simulating as though they were design specific.
He suddenly noticed the smell of sweat that had been left behind by Lawrence or whoever else had used the pod that rotation. Gripping his controls tightly he cracked his neck and took a deep breath.
“Hey, greaser. You ready to lose?”
Skarr recognized the voice as belonging to his opponent.
“I didn’t come down here to lose,” he said boldly.
Mariah chuckled. “We’ll see about that.”
The line was cut, and the terrain for the match began to load in. Unlike last time, this match was going to be fought in a dry landscape with valleys and rocks throughout it.
Okay, so it is more arid. Less cover, but the valleys will give me someplace to hide if I need it.
A large "3" appeared on his main screen. It began to countdown, and he could once again hear the crowd scream as the battle started.
His radar detected an enemy Sierra straight ahead over a cropping of boulders.
“Guess she took the same ride after all…” he whispered.
He throttled up his Goblin and it stomped forward. Right away the Sierra jumped up as high as it could, and Skarr sat in the sim pod dumbfounded by the move.
“What is she planning…” he was interrupted as a plume shot out from the barrel of the enemy mech.
A heartbeat later a ballistic round smacked his mech right in the chest. Skarr managed to keep his mech upright and checked his Goblin’s armor readout. For quick reference during combat, a mech’s readout display would show from blue at full strength, to orange which indicated some heavy damage, to red, meaning critical, then black which meant it was lost or disabled. His chest armor was already orange.
“Not a good way to start…” he mumbled as he moved his mech down into a valley.
“What? Scared already?” Mariah asked as she taunted her rival.
Skarr didn’t even bother responding as his mech became hidden from the upper level.
He mentally recalled what he could remember from old movies and shows about how the Goblin was very strong at mid to close range. Its plasma slingers were very dangerous and not to ignored by veteran pilots. He knew that Mariah was willing to take significant risks in a fight, but could he get her to fall into a trap?
“Hey, it’s Monica, right?” he asked over the radio.
"It's Mariah, you oaf!" she barked back angrily.
Skarr watched as the Sierra continued advancing toward his hiding spot.
“Awesome. Well, I was wondering if after this if you’d like to get a drink or something?”
That got a quick rise out of the other pirate. “I wouldn’t date a greaser even if I had no teeth.”
"That's funny. I just thought that after I win, you'd be down for one. But that's fine. I can find someone else prettier."
“Ha! I’m going to crush your ass into the ground.”
The Sierra continued to stomp right up to the Goblin. Even though she couldn’t visibly see it, her mech’s HUD gave a highlighted display of where her opponent was.
She fired another round from her cannon into the lip of the dry ground above her target which sent small pieces of debris to rain down on Skarr. Inside of his pod, he could hear the simulated fragments bouncing off of his mech's hull.
Wow, they even have the tiny sound effects built in…wait, what are you doing? Get focused Skarr!
Just as the Sierra closed into close range, the mechanic stomped on his foot pedals which launched his mech out of the valley and straight into the air. The pod lifted and shook just as a real cockpit would in battle which made his stomach feel like he was weightless.
“You bastard!” Mariah growled as she tried to hit the rising Goblin in the air.
Both of her shots missed as Skarr fired both of his plasma slingers in a barrage. Green globules peppered the Sierra and the surrounding ground.
Mariah tried to navigate her mech to the left in an attempt to dodge at least some of the incoming fire. Her armor was taking damage, but nothing serious just yet. In her bitterness, she locked on with her buster missiles and fired one.
The Goblin’s anti-missile system automatically kicked on and fired a burst, harmlessly exploding the missile between the two mechs. As Skarr's WarMech quickly descended to the ground, he didn't think to activate his jumper pack again until it was almost too late.
“Oh slag!” he shouted as he remembered and stomped on his pedals again.
The burst from the pack wasn't enough to
slow the mech enough, and it landed so hard that both of his mech's ankles showed red on his display.
“Oops…” he said to himself.
“Haha, you’re a fool!” his opponent cackled as she stepped up to the lip of the valley and aimed her mech’s cannon at Skarr.
“Gotcha!” he boasted as he fired another flurry of plasma at his target.
Green globs pummeled the enemy mech's weapon, disabling it altogether. Before Mariah could react, her Sierra’s main camera pod built into the "head" of her mech was destroyed.
The Goblin rose back up in an arc of flames and landed on the opposite side of the valley where the Sierra stood.
“Damn you!” Mariah snarled as her system automatically brought up the visual feed from backup optics on the hull of the mech.
Skarr fired another burst from his arm-mounted weapons and the damage from the plasma gutted the other WarMech. It tipped forward and fell into the dry land below.
A very loud buzzer rang out through both pods and the warehouse.
“And we have ourselves a new victor!” the announcer blared. “Give it up for Skarr Sarius!”
The mechanic breathed heavily as the screens powered down and he was left in the dim of the simulator.
I did it…
He could still hear his opponent over the radio. “Gah!” she screamed as she pounded on her controls.
The door to Skarr's pod began to rise, and his skin enjoyed the cooler air that rushed in. Major Wer stood there with her arms on her hips with a genuine smile on her face.
“Well done, greaser.”
Skarr couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear. “Does this mean I’m a pilot?”
“Ha, not yet. But, you’re one step closer.”
The mechanic felt a little less joyful as the words sank in, but he still was confident.
As he climbed out of the pod, he noticed Mariah was doing the same at that moment. He made eye contact with her and wasn’t sure what he should do next. Yes, she defeated her first opponent. But then almost just as quickly lost to a different contestant. No doubt she would hold that against him for quite a while if they both got confirmed as pilots.
The young woman stormed off in a huff as the crowd also began breaking up.
“Um, Major,” he said as he looked for the commanding officer.
“Yes?” she asked as she turned back to him.
“When will we know if we were chosen?”
Daena crossed her arms. “I have to take the list of the winners to the big man when he gets back from Dusk. He gets the final say on who gets chosen. But, you did well,” she remarked as she left.
A couple of the other mechanics that had been watching came up to the nearest barrier. They shouted for Skarr’s attention. The newest winner couldn’t help but be excited by their energy as they cheered for him.
I’m one step closer to my dream. I can’t wait!
Chapter 10
Cycle: 434 Month: 3 Day: 25
Outer Rim Colonial Alliance Space
Planet: Ko’Bac
Location: Onyx Headquarters
The trip back to Ko’Bac had thankfully been uneventful for Mikhail. He spent the time during transit to continue reading all of the files and records of the operations Onyx was involved in. He began to become frustrated as all he wanted was to be able to see the big picture and not have to dig through all of the detailed reports.
Back at what was now his new home, Mikhail was following up on the progress of the repairs on all his WarMechs from the battle on Destiny. Toni had maintained the motivation with his team, and they had been able to complete their tasks on schedule. Which seemed like a surprise to the pirate lord. All that was left now was to find some new pilots. Lord Onyx had called a meeting with the Major so that he could move forward with the next phase of his needs.
Due to needing to leave the base to meet with the other lords Mikhail hadn't had time to get together with the mech officer before leaving.
“Lord, here is the list that you requested,” Daena said as she handed Mikhail her tablet.
She took a step back and placed her arms behind her back in military fashion.
Mikhail studied her complexion and noticed small spots on her face that looked like old scars. Even though she was in her early thirties, she appeared very healthy and youthful.
“Why are there five names? I thought you needed to replace four mech pilots?” he asked as he first looked at the names.
“Each of them passed the first tests and my approval process. That doesn’t mean they have what it takes. I would rather have one too many than not enough.”
Glancing over the list again the pirate lord recognized one right away. “Skarr Sarius, do you know him?”
"I knew that he was one of the mechanics stationed here on Ko'Bac, but I did not know that he had the desire to be a pilot. I had each of the applicants participate in a simulation battle against other applicants to give them a fair fight and each of the winners advanced."
“So Skarr did manage to pull out a win?” Mikhail asked interested in the young man’s potential.
The Major nodded. “Yes Lord, he managed to defeat his opponent with only suffering thirty percent damage. Not bad at all for a fresh recruit.”
“Impressive. I want you to keep an eye on him and assist him wherever he needs it. Make him a special case if you must.”
“Lord?” Daena said with a confused look on her face.
“He saved my life from the guy who tried to shoot me on base. It’s the least I can do.”
“Yes, Lord. I will do my best. However, with respect, I can’t coddle him. He has to be able to stand on his own two feet.”
Mikhail was a little surprised yet happy by the woman's response. "I wouldn't want it any other way, Major. You are in charge of the Midnight’s WarMechs after all. Make the call."
Daena's face lit up some, but she quickly tried to hide her joy in his belief in her. "Thank you, Lord. Is there anything you need of me at the moment?"
“No, that’s all for now. I will make sure you get all of these people on your team,” Mikhail said as he tapped his finger on the tablet.
The Major bowed her head one last time then left the office. Lord Onyx was grateful for the quiet when a quiet knock came from the door.
“Come in,” he said as he moved behind his desk and had a seat.
Rhonda poked her head inside and smiled. She walked in with a slight skip in her step. A dark black and gray jacket was in her hand, and she kept it mostly obscured behind her.
“You seem awfully happy today. Did you find some stash of sweets somewhere?” Mikhail asked as he became infected with the Duchess’ energy.
“Not quite,” she said as she moved over toward the desk.
Sunlight peered through the window behind the pirate lord and added an illustrious special glow on the woman's face.
Wow, she looks so different to me right now. I don’t think I’ve noticed her like this in a very long time.
“So, what has you in such a good mood?” He just had to ask.
The two of them had been on many runs and raids before, but she always seemed like a more serious woman than many others he had met. Granted, that was after they had become reluctant pirates. Cycles ago the two had grown up together in Largo. He had considered asking her out, but she got a boyfriend then he fell in love with Leesa, and it never came up in his mind again.
Seeing her like this now began to bring back old feelings that had long ago been packed away in the recesses of his mind.
“Well, I found some clothes stashed away that were Yondo’s.”
"Oh," Mikhail said entirely not expecting that response.
“No, no, no. There’s more,” she said laughing at the man’s clear disappointment. “So, I was thinking, Lord Henders has a nickname that everyone knows him as. A name that strikes fear or at least respect from his enemies.”
“I suppose “Redbeard” has a certain ring to it, I guess.”
“Well, I came up with one for you!” Rhonda said with even more happiness exuding from her.
Mikhail brought up his hand to support his chin as he placed his elbow on the arm of the chair. “Well, you have my attention now. This has gotta be good.”
She held up the jacket she found, and Mikhail noticed that it was about his size. "I thought that Skull King suited you very well."
“Skull King?”
"Yeah. Your last name means "king," and you are now a lord of Onyx. It is a name that will strike fear into your enemies wherever and whenever they hear it. The man who killed an inquisitor by his own hand and then snatched the reigns to a powerful pirate fleet in the same rotation.”
Mikhail sat there and rocked in his chair for a moment as the idea percolated through his mind. He stood up and looked out the window. His eyes slightly squinted from the intensity but then they adjusted.
Outside a truck hauling goods from one of the transports that had recently dropped off supplies to restock the base drove by. He could see that a gentle breeze was passing by as two of the trees rhythmically waved at him. Then something strange happened. A man in full body armor walked by the window and looked right at the pirate lord.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen that armor on base before…wait!
His body tensed up as the mysterious man raised a rifle he was carrying and aimed it straight for the window.
“Get down!” Mikhail shouted as he dove for cover and a laser bolt pierced through the window.
Rhonda started to duck just as the second red bolt cut through the glass and burned through the upper right side of her chest. The pirate lord drew his sidearm and returned fire. The volume of the weapon firing in the office was near deafening, but he had to shoot back.
Behind the pirate lord, the door slid open and Thomas had his pistol ready. He saw Rhonda on the ground and Mikhail firing out through the window. Just as he took a step inside two more bolts that missed Lord Onyx's head by a hair sliced through his chest and head, killing the bodyguard instantly.
Mikhail leaned down then got back up to fire again. However, before he could successfully hit the assassin, the man used his jump pack to launch himself out of view.
