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New World Order
Start of a HUGE Alternate Universe story
by The Nice Guy |
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Einstein, Deep Periphery
Drop Zone Alpha
Star League Base Beta 25
The mercs’ first impression of the structure’s interior was a dim, dank building punctured by beams of light in some places where sunlight streamed in through holes in the walls. It was once obviously a well maintained, high-technology entry station, as can be evidenced by the cracked electronics on the walls and the broken cameras and shattered auto-turrets scattered all over the place. There were quite a few human bones left behind, since the Spidercrabs kept out any animals that might have taken them.
The place was quite large, almost the size of half a football field. There was a main reception lobby, a guardroom, and several general-purpose rooms with dusty couches and dusty chairs. The furniture was all broken or damaged in some way. Obviously, there had been some vicious fighting going on. But who was fighting what?
The ragtag groups of mercenaries slowly explored their immediate surroundings, being sure to aim at any movement that did not belong to their team. Sure enough, there were anxious moments when one group bumped into another. Things often straightened out quickly, so they could go on their way.
It didn’t take them long to find two staircases leading down, presumably to where the labs are. A lift was found as well, but without a power source to operate it, it was unusable. The mercs gathered in the reception lobby to discuss their options.
“Okay, we have three ways of getting to the next level down, wherever that is.” Captain Jadine Sheik was, not surprisingly, the first to speak out and take charge of the situation. “I think the base defenses have all been destroyed, but we can’t afford to make that assumption. There could still be more Spidercrabs waiting for us down there, as well as who knows what else they had been cooking in their labs.”
Most of the mercs had agreed that the killer machine drones were a result of an experiment gone wrong. After examining the remains of the drones, however, Frank, as well as the techs all discovered that the components were far too advanced for the Inner Sphere’s present level of miniaturization. Not to say that the Star League could not have done it, but they just could not believe that the Star League had this sort of technology available but did not employ it in the war against Amaris.
“But what are our objectives here?” Frank asked. “I mean, looking for artifacts and lostech is fine, but shouldn’t we look for a way to activate the base power so that we don’t have to scurry around with our lights? It’s also much easier to see what’s going around in case we get into a fight. I think the computers may have valuable technical data that we can sell, so that’s another reason for finding the power switch, since they need electricity to run.”
“Good idea, but how are we going to find the power switch, circuit or whatsoever? I dunno why, but maps seem to be in short supply here. I guess that paper maps have a habit of being rotted away in three hundred years,” a tanker commented.
“I guess we’ll know when we come across it, won’t we? Just keep your eyes open, and don’t mess around with stuff if you don’t understand them. If you find anything that looks like a power switch, you just radio the rest of us so that we can get someone who deals with fusion engines to you that is, if you don’t have one.”
In the end, it was decided that a group would use the lift cables to rappel down. Assuming that there any defenses in the lift shaft had been deactivated, destroyed or expended, it should be a simple matter to get to the next level.
For the staircases, two teams had also been assigned to take each staircase. They would advance slowly, watching out for any remaining automated defenses, as well as more Spidercrabs. The remaining two groups would remain at the reception lobby, to reinforce the other groups should they encounter opposition or cover their retreat if necessary.
The primary objective of all teams would be to restore power to the base, either by activating the base fusion reactor, or the auxiliary diesel generator, provided that the fuel had not completely evaporated in the past three hundred years. Once this had been done, they would discuss over radio their next move.
Frank’s team had been assigned to one of the staircases. Loaded down with equipment, it was an exhausting trek down the endless flight of stairs. After about a hundred flights without an exit, they were so tired and hungry that they decided to have a quick meal and a short nap before continuing. Judging by the transmissions from the other teams, they were not doing much better either. The other staircase team had also stopped for a breather, while the lift team had been held up by the lift blocking the way. They were currently cutting their way through, and resting at the same time. Treasure hunting, it seemed, was a tiring task.
At least we don’t have to fight dragons, Frank thought as he bit off a portion of his ration bar.
But the Spidercrabs had been bad enough, and he really hated to think of what else might be lying in wait for them at the next level.
The other members of his group were either sprawled out on the stairs taking a quick nap, or wolfing down their food. Everyone was drenched in sweat, and panting heavily. They were in no condition for a fight, and Frank worried about how they were going to get back up later if anything went wrong.
After about an hour, they got on their way again. All of them prayed that they would reach the base level soon. The joke was running around that if the Spidercrabs did not get them, the stairs will!
Thankfully, they finally reached an exit door after another thirty flights. By this time, their batteries were already at less than half power, making the resumption of power throughout the base an absolute priority. Nobody wanted to try to go back up in total darkness, up a hundred and thirty flights of stairs!
The door was locked, and it took a bit of skill with a wire by the team’s technician to open it. Grasping their weapons tightly, the mercs slowly opened the door.
It was pitch black past the door, and a heavy musk smell was everywhere. The mercs inched their way past the door, being careful to illuminate the immediate area around the door to check for dangers.
Thankfully, there was none. Moving past the door, the mercs tried to decide how to go about restoring power.
“There must be some self powered console that can tell us what we need to know. Bases usually have a few redundant systems that provide backup or information in case of accidents or mishaps.” The Raider tech, Denilson, was proving to be an indispensable source of help.
“Alright, everybody fan out and start looking for anything that’s a map, a manual or a console. I highly doubt we’ll find the fusion engine easily, so we’ll just do this step by step.”
The area they are in was obviously a lab, with numerous desks piled with mounds of rotted pulp. Smashed computer screens were also everywhere, as well as scattered bones all over the place, testifying to the violence that had been visited upon the underground base. Weapons were also found, mostly around the bones. The mercs picked up some of these weapons. The weapons may be lostech, and valuable.
The empty shells of Spidercrabs were also all over the place, reminding the mercs of possible danger.
Clearing the desks of their contents, the mercs searched for the information they needed. Drawers, shelves, and cabinets were opened, their insides examined.
Meanwhile, Frank and Denilson decided to take another tack. Finding an undamaged computer station, they proceeded to try to restore power to it using their own batteries. Isolating it from the rest of the system, to prevent power leakage, they had managed to boot up the system on that one station. Denilson was currently shifting through the files for the information they need. Maybe they could find some reference to the power supply.
“Hey hurry up, I don’t think the batteries are going to last much longer!” An anxious Frank called out to his teammate.
“Hmmm, there’s a list of base personnel here. I’ll check out the names of the fusion engineers. Ah hah! Here are two names. Lila Nedved and Edward Caruthers. If anything bout the reactors are to be found, it must be in their workstations!”
“Let’s go look for their stations then.” Frank agreed, disconnecting the batteries from the computer.
“Hey, people!” Frank shouted to his team. “Look for the computers of these two people! Lila Nedved, and Edward Caruthers! They’re the engineers in charge of the fusion engines. They should have info on how to start them up in their computer files!”
“I’ve already come across a desk with the name Edward Caruthers on an engraved metal plate! Come on, it’s over here!” A dragoon warrior called Rety replied.
As the team gathered around the desk, Frank and Denilson hooked up their batteries to the computer, and proceeded to access the information within.
Only to come up against several layers of password protected security and firewalls.
“Damn! This is not going to be easy! I’m afraid I’m not very good at this. I can’t break through! Anyone here good at computers?” Denilson asked.
The mercs looked at one another. Obviously nobody has been trained to tackle computer security.
Luckily for them, Rety knew someone who was.
“There’s a Dragoon tech in Captain Sheik’s team who knows how to break computer systems. She was the one who played all those prank jokes when we were in space. Her name’s Pamela. Let’s get her over here so that we can get the info we need.”
“But how are they going to get here? Heck, we even have difficulty finding our way back to the stairway!”
At that, there was suddenly an explosion from a corner of the room. Two doors were flung away as the mercs dove to the ground.
Holding their weapons at the ready, the mercs anxiously waited to see the culprits.
As images emerged from the smoke and resolved themselves into human shapes, Frank’s team belatedly realized that the doors that had been blown apart were the lift doors.
The team rappelling down the lift shaft had arrived.
And quite conveniently too, as Pamela was with them. It took Frank’s team only moments to explain the situation to the newly arrived members of Captain Sheik’s group. Pamela did not waste any time in cracking the security.
“Wow, the security here is really tough. It’s going to take a while, and more batteries. I can do it. You guys will just have to wait.” Pamela was getting excited at the challenge of breaking into a star league system.
“Hey, don’t you feel uncomfortable here? It’s getting a bit stifling.” A merc commented as they waited for the information.
“That’s due to the lack of ventilation. The air vents and fans are all not working, so the stale air stays down here and doesn’t get flushed out. Another reason for us to restore the power.” Frank replied. “We’ll suffocate in here if we don’t get the fans running soon.”
After a nerve wracking thirty minutes, in which their battery supply run dangerously low, Pamela finally managed to get the information they needed. A detailed map of the facility was also found, which they hastily hand copied onto some spare paper Frank carried.
With the information now in their possession, the mercs quickly followed the instructions stated to activate the fusion reactors, splitting up to speed up the process.
The cooling pumps were activated first using a backup generator. Then the magnetic coils were set to control the fusion process.
After that, it was a simple matter of pressing a switch in the main power control room to activate the fusion engine, which was left to Frank’s group.
As Frank stepped over a destroyed turret, and past the broken security doors leading to the station, he could see that fierce fighting had occurred here. As his group entered the station itself proper, he could recognize the signs of a final stand by the base defenders against their enemies. A skeleton lay near the shutdown switch. Evidently, the base personnel shut down the engine and its relevant subsystems just before they died.
They must not have wanted the base and its secrets to be revealed, Frank reasoned. But if that was so, why didn’t they just blow the whole place up by letting the reactor go critical?
Flicking open the button cover, Frank uttered a small prayer before pressing the power button firmly with his finger.
The lights came on immediately, and the whirl of fans starting up could be heard, as the base came to life after a hiatus of three hundred years.
Thankfully, none of the base defenses gave the mercs any trouble, since the base attackers had apparently destroyed all of them.
The mercs wasted no time in pulling out every drawer from the desks, hunting for advanced technology. They avoided the labs like the plague, fearing what they might find.
Frank took a different tack, as usual, entering the laboratories instead to look for lostech. He also had a hunch that things are not as they seemed on this world.
Meanwhile, the lift, now operational but with holes in its floor and the ceiling, was patched up by welding some metal plates onto the affected areas. It was then sent up to the entrance floor to fetch the other two teams down to the basement labs.
After sauntering through the labs, looking at the equipment, Frank had finally decided to sit down at a computer terminal in the lab and see what exactly the Star League researchers had been doing. The security protocols throughout the base had just been disabled by Pamela, so accessing the data was no trouble at all.
And Frank was shocked at what he found.
“Where’s Frank?” Captain Vansen asked when he stepped off the lift.
“He strolled off into the labs, sir. The boys have found some great equipment lying around. We’re going to be stinking rich when we get back to the Inner Sphere!”
“If we get back.” Frank suddenly butted in, as he walked to his officer. “And for your information, the lightning gun is not lostech. It’s technology discovered by the star league. And what we’re here for is actually this new technology, not these star league era weapons. Captain, can I talk to you and Captain Sheik in private? It’s very important.”
Looking carefully at Frank, John Vansen noticed that Frank was wearing a shocked look, as if he had just seen a ghost. He did not miss the emphasis Frank placed on the word ‘discover’ either.
“Sure. Let’s get Jadine, and then you’ll tell us what’s so important.”
Ten minutes later, they were in a small office that once belonged to the commander of the base. The mercs had already scoured the office for all and any lostech technology, and had come away with several antiques. There remained an engraving on the wall, with the words “On the shoulder of giants”.
Words once uttered by Issac Newton. Fitting words for this base. Frank thought as he looked at the engraving.
“Alright, what are you going to tell us that is so secretive that you have to do this in private?” Jadine asked.
It took Frank a while to answer the question, as he gathered his thoughts. “When we were first told about this place, it was described as an abandoned star league installation out in the deep periphery. And with advanced technology research going on. We were shown weapons that we had never seen before, that seemed impossible to make with our present level of technology.”
“So we came here, to this world, to seek out these technologies and weapons, to make a fortune by selling them to the highest bidder. But we never stopped to ask, why here? On this world, not some other desolate rock where there’s no atmosphere, harsh weather, or some such? Such a garden paradise, which I’m sure you’ll agree, will attract anybody to set foot on it, which will put the bases at risk of discovery. Also, why so many bases, all over the planet?”
Reports had just come in to the mercs off the Nile, that at least five other groups had encountered Spidercrabs, and discovering similar bases after beating the drones off.
“Wouldn’t it be better simply to put the bases all in one place, where it’s easier to defend and coordinate research? There were so many things we never bothered to think about, that we took them for granted and made assumptions. When we landed, you know I took samples of the local air and soil. I did tell you that there weren’t any dangerous infectious agents here, but there’s also something I’ve found which I did not tell you at the time because I wasn’t sure what they were.”
“What I found were tiny particles that were neither virus nor bacteria. I didn’t know what to make of them at the time so I did not mention it. But apparently the scientists here knew what they were. What I found were nanomachines. Imagine tiny machines operating on a cellular, or even molecular level, and you get the idea. These machines were fixing the nutrients in the soil, leeching harmful chemicals and breaking them down, and killing any organism that seemed to be harmful to people. This paradise was a direct result of the nanomachines engineering the environment. Also, when I went through the medical reports, not a single person got sick due to an infectious agent.”
“So you’re telling us that everything we see on this world was created by the Star League?” Captain Vansen asked, incredulous.
“Nope. I didn’t say that.” Frank shook his head. “The Star League did not create the nanomachines, though the scientists found a way to control them after they were discovered very early on. They didn’t invent the technology behind the lightning gun either. Someone else got the idea first, and they just copied it.”
“Then where did the technology come from? The Rim Worlds Republic?”
“Oh, all the technology came from this world alright, though not in the way you would expect. This wasn’t just a research station. It was an archeological base as well.”
At their uncomprehending looks, Frank finally threw down his bombshell.
“They were uncovering alien, as in non-human, artifacts on this world.”
Einstein, Deep Periphery
Drop Zone Alpha
Star League Base Beta 25
“What!”
“You have to be joking!”
The two officers could not believe what they just heard. Aliens! And the Star League knew about it! It was simply impossible.
Frank was adamant on this point, though. The evidence, especially the data in the files that stated outright that extraterrestrial presence had been found on Einstein, was irrefutable.
“Look, it all makes sense. All the advances made by the Star League, when all the other Successor States couldn’t. Their scientists were not more intelligent. They just had a better idea of where to go or what to do. It’s all inside the files. HPG technology, advanced myomer implantation, lithium fusion batteries. These were all results of the research and recovery of artifacts on this world!”
“Then how did they find this planet in the first place?”
“Let’s go to one of the lab computers. I’ll show you the whole story, or as much of the whole story as we know it.”
At the labs, Captains John Vansen and Jadine Sheik got hold of the true history of the Star League’s work on the planet.
The Star League was already on the lookout for possible sites for hidden research bases even before they had finished the subjugation of the Periphery states. An expedition stumbled across Einstein quite by accident when they landed to replenish their water supplies. Someone literally tripped over a strange combat machine half buried in the dirt. Its technology was quantum leaps beyond what the Star League had.
Amazed at their find, the expedition quickly set up a camp to investigate. They managed to unearth large quantities of alien technology. Unwilling to take the risk of discovery of this potential goldmine by the other successor states, the First Lord ordered all research to be carried out on the planet itself, which they dubbed Area 51, after an ancient earth myth of hidden bases in the middle of nowhere.
To reduce the possibility of discovery by the other powers due to supply problems, Area 51 was required to be as self sufficient as possible, not a difficult task after the nanomachines were discovered.
As the alien material was all over the planet, and some of it was pretty fragile, several bases had to be set up to facilitate excavation and handling. Thankfully, deep mining excavation techniques were not required. The deepest the teams ever got was fifty meters.
By carbon dating, it was found that the machines date back about fifty thousand to a hundred thousand years ago, back when man was still playing with fire and stone tools. Hints were also found of a huge conflict on the planet, because of the weapons found at all sites. It seemed that there were two sides, and the side that won did not lay claim to the planet, apparently abandoning it. They also did not bother to clean up after themselves, a sign that they did not bother much about material losses.
Many of the machines found had advanced algorithms built into them that enabled them to function without a sentient pilot. Taking these algorithms, the Star League used them for the Casper drone warships for the defense of Terran Hegemony worlds.
Advanced superconductor formulae, hyper-pulse generator technology, all were results of the research done on this one world. Nobody ever suspected that the Star League had been getting its technology not from its own scientists, but from the remnants of a long ago alien civilization. A campaign of misinformation and lies was more than sufficient to make the member states believe that it was all the Star League’s own efforts that led to the breakthroughs.
The linguists and mathematicians also played important roles in deciphering the technology. Although not much progress was made into the specifics, what they did uncover suggested that there was actually more than one alien race, in fact several, all fighting on one side, the one that lost. Not much was found about the other side.
Most importantly, they discovered that there could be a possible intact alien base somewhere on the world. There were many hints of a ‘sanctuary’ for the various alien races on Area 51, but its location was hidden under many layers of advanced ciphers that took decades to decode.
After the location was found, deep inside a mountain, every attempt was made to try to enter it. Despite their best efforts, every attempt failed. It seemed that the material protecting the base was not only made of impervious metal alloys, but reinforced with a subtle energy shield as well that could resist even nuclear strikes.
So another way to enter the base was tried. The reports in the computers were not complete by the time the mercs got to this section. There were huge sections missing from the records, including important details like the location of the alien base and how the door opening process works, which were erased from the files. Even the Norton 3060 Unerase program failed to retrieve the information. Whoever did it probably did not want the information to fall into the wrong hands.
But that also raises many crucial questions that the mercs were unable to find answers to. There was no mention of machines like the Spidercrabs described in the excavation files, nor in the files relating to the various weapons or AI labs. The only mention of them was when the base was attacked during its final days, where holovid records showed them overwhelming the base defenders. Conveniently, that was also about the time Terra fell to Stefan Amaris. Obviously, he did not know about it, or he would have exploited the technology, for which the rest of humanity should be grateful.
So where did the Spidercrabs come from? The files reported some camera videos showed them dropping from the sky, but nothing else. The cameras were destroyed soon after. Who sent them? Was it the Rim Worlds Republic? Or someone else? It could not have been the successor states. They were too busy with their own matters, and did not know of Area 51’s existence in the first place.
About the alien base, what the mercs did find out was that an attempt with the new method was tried, but it seemed the base was attacked immediately afterwards. No further communications with the entry team was had after they entered, and it was entirely possible that they had perished inside the alien structure. The Spidercrabs definitely did not come from the alien base, as cameras placed outside the doorway did not show them swarming out, according to the records.
One piece of good news for the mercs was that one of the pieces of equipment for entry into the alien base was still in the base. It could be accessed through a locked vault.
Learning of its location, Frank did not waste any time in getting to it. The vault was already opened by a bunch of curious mercs, who now wondered at the contraption before them.
The piece of equipment in question was the size of a car, with wires and electronics all over it. There were no obvious signs of how to it works, nor were there any instructions.
After much examination by the techs, they finally figured out how to safely dissemble the whole thing into smaller parts that could be transported to the surface, which they promptly did, so that it could be safely placed in the Nile.
All the equipment the mercs could find also received the same treatment. They decided to split the booty later, when there is time. Examination of the devices, both Star League and alien, would also have to wait. Nobody wanted to fiddle around with some strange gadget that might blow up literally in his or her face!
All the data in the computer files were also copied onto data cores, where they would also be transferred over to the dropship to be uploaded into the ship’s files. The files would be purged from the base’s systems, to deny the Falcons easy access. In fact, they had wanted to blow the whole place up completely, but Frank and a vocal minority of the mercs had opposed it. They might have a use for the bases later.
All this work took the better of two days to complete, during which the mercs got in touch with one another concerning their various discoveries. The information concerning the source of the advanced technology was released only to those with at least the rank of captain, all dropship commanders, as well as certain selected personnel.
Needless to say, they were all shocked by the extent of the deception the Star League had perpetuated against humanity throughout its entire existence. It had wanted to keep the best technology for itself, and threw scraps to the other houses.
But the Star League still fell in the end, rotted from within so much that nothing in the universe could have prevented the eventual fall. The technology on Area 51, lost for so many generations, denied to the Inner Sphere, might now have a chance to be released to the rest of humanity, even if the houses would have to pay the mercs generously for it.
And there was the trifling matter of the hidden alien base, as well as the much more pressing one of the impending Jade Falcon assault.
The pieces of equipment that was once used to open up the alien base were all identified from the records at the various bases and gathered up by the mercs into their dropships. Interestingly enough, there were six devices at the various bases, all seemingly identical. Meanwhile, trusted techs and engineers continued to try to ferret out the location of the alien base, the location not being found in any of the bases, as well as the means to operate the devices.
But there was still something that bothered Frank very much concerning the Spidercrabs.
Einstein, Deep Periphery
Drop Zone Alpha
“Deserk, can I talk to you for a while?” Frank had managed to get hold of Deserk, who had been driving a jeep shuttling stuff from the base to the dropship.
“Sure. What is the matter?” Despite his leg wound, he had insisted on helping out. Since they were pretty short on manpower at the moment, or at least until some of the more badly wounded mercs got better, they had to put everyone to work.
“How’s the leg? I can give you some painkillers to dull the pain, if you wish.”
“Neg, I do not require the painkillers. It still hurts a bit, but pain is a good sign that one’s still alive, right?” He laughed. “But that is not what you came to talk to me about, quiaff?” His tone turned serious.
“Yeah, that’s right. I came to talk to you about the dreams you had.”
“The ones in which everybody got killed?”
“Yup. I kinda felt the Spidercrabs were very similar to the machines you had described. Just as ruthless, too. And the tech was very similar to the stuff the Star League found, at least the stuff of one of the alien factions.” Deserk was one of those who knew the truth.
“Well, that certainly bodes ill for our expedition. So there could be more of their drones lying around, only that we don’t know it yet? And my dreams seem to indicate that the Spidercrabs have bigger brothers, which we have not seen yet.”
“Exactly. I’ve told Captain Sheik, and Captain Vansen, but they’re now so fixated on the Falcons that everything I’ve said just sails on right through their heads. And just how confident are you about your dreams?”
“I’m very confident of my visions, and my dreams. Have not the events of the past few years proven the power and truth of Nova Cat soothsaying? Ignore them at your own peril, which I do not think you will.” He grinned. “You are wary, and that is a useful trait in a warrior. Where do you think the alien machines are, if they even exist here?”
“I don’t know, there’s plenty of places to hide on a planet this big. Caves in a mountain, perhaps, or even in the oceans. But if they are around, why haven’t they attacked yet?”
“Maybe a signal is necessary to trigger them? If I remember correctly, there was a line of bones around the base…”
“That’s right! They attacked only after somebody stepped over the line! That was the trigger! So there could be more alien drones around, only that we haven’t triggered them yet.”
“We should be thankful for that. If they are activated then what happens in my dreams may come to pass.”
“We really should be getting off this rock. But instead we’re here waiting for the Falcons and who knows what else to come wipe us out. Not my idea of a good time.”
“Indeed. But we cannot leave this place with only three jumpships, and to abandon the others would be a mark of greatest cowardice.”
“Yeah.” Frank sighed. “Looks like we would just have to take things one step at a time. How’s the batchall coming along?”
“Major Ian is doing fine. He will be ready when the time comes. By the way, how do you find your new mech? Did you get the Enforcer or the Grasshopper?”
“I got the Grasshopper. It’s a good mech, but I would have liked to have the Enforcer, because of the Ultra autocannon. Captain Vansen thinks that giving me a heavier mech should keep me alive longer.” Frank sounded dubious.
“Huh. Watch out, my friend. Bigger mechs attract more shells. Why do you think I prefer my Black Hawk, even though I could have moved up to a heavier mech?”
“Sheer incompetence?” Frank gave an innocent smile.
Deserk looked shocked for a while, before he caught on, and both men laughed heartily at that.
Einstein, Deep Periphery
Drop Zone Phi
Major Ian Dorlacen, commander of the Arch Lancers combined arms mercenary battalion, was nervous. Never in his wildest dreams could he have envisioned taking on Clan Jade Falcon on a world in the Deep Periphery with the possible future of humanity at stake, at the head of the most ragtag group of mercs ever assembled. Frank Meronac had already made it quite clear to him that a peaceful solution would be much preferred. They would be willing to part with a copy of all the data if the Falcons are willing to return them their jumpships and a way home. Ian was highly doubtful that this will work, but he was not going to put his troops in unnecessary danger if he could help it. So he had agreed to try a soft-sell approach. Hopefully, the Falcons will simply accept what they have to offer, return them their jumpships, and depart.
Snowball’s chance in hell, truth be told. There’s no way the Falcons will be bought off like this. But we ain’t got a choice. But Ian just kept his thoughts to himself. The rest of the mercs were also smart enough that they knew what was the likely outcome of their batchall.
Part of the problem was that they had absolutely no idea what the Falcons were doing here in the first place, or exactly how much they knew about Area 51. For all the mercs knew, the Falcons are simply on a training exercise, however unlikely it may be.
The bottom line was, they had to be ready for anything, if they are to get their jumpships back, along with the way home.
And the very first step to that would be a successful batchall.
Ian had felt that Jadine Sheik was a better candidate for the challenge, with her intensive knowledge of the clans. However, she had told him, as well as the other commanders that his rank was more important. Anything that he had needed to learn, she could teach him, and had, with the help of the former Nova Cat Deserk. He had went through several rehearsals with the other two mercenaries in the past two days, and his performance had convinced the others that he could carry off the batchall successfully.
Even so, he felt unease at his position, as well as the instructions in case the Falcons are spoiling for a fight. Like Tukayyid, divide up the world into numerous battle zones, with each mercenary detachment centered on their dropship groupings battling a Falcon unit of similar strength. The reason was that the different mercenary commanders wanted to prove their own unit’s competence and a chance at clan salvage. Furthermore, such actions have a high chance of wearing down the Falcons, as well as forcing them to expend as much supplies as possible fighting each group of mercs. But the reluctance to split up forces runs strong in many commanders, and Ian was no exception. He much preferred several large showdowns, with the environment properly ‘prepared’ beforehand, of course. He had not become the commander of a mercenary battalion in the Chaos March by being ‘honorable’. Yet he had always fulfilled his contracts to the best of his abilities, never defaulting once.
He was originally from the Taurian Concordat, before joining up with the Green Mountain Boys as a mechwarrior for a life of adventure. He left the Boys after a few years, to try to form his own unit, and succeeding spectacularly. However, he still felt deep pangs of regret whenever he thought of the family he had left behind. Is abandoning my family worth all this? This question haunted him constantly, every time he heard some news about his homeland, now left far behind in his past.
And now he wondered if he was going to die on this world, surely a paradise, but still far away from his family. His unit was good, having been blooded in numerous skirmishes in the Chaos March, and composed of hardened veterans. A company each of mechs, armor, and infantry gave him a great deal of flexibility in tactics and plenty of options, especially in restricted terrain, where his battalion excels in.
Standing in the bridge of the Excalibur class dropship Battle’s Bane, Ian watched as the crew prepared to open communications to the Jade Falcon fleet. A holocamera was placed in front of him, while portable screens were set up around him should he need to consult with the other mercs during the batchall.
Right now, the dark, attractive face of Captain Jadine Sheik was on one of the screens, giving him last minute advice.
“When speaking, you must always project an image of strength and confidence. Any less and they will try to turn the bargaining to their own advantage. Remember, declare the forces we are defending with first, which is practically everything, and they will give us the choice of the battleground, as is the custom. The Falcons may have up to two entire galaxies, so terrain will be very important. They may invoke safcon, so watch out. If they do, just refuse them. We’re honorless mercs, after all.” She grinned wolfishly. “They will probably underestimate us, so it’s up to us to take full advantage of that. Try to use clan conventions as much as possible. It puts them off and shows that you respect them and are worthy of respect at the same time.”
“Anything else for me to know?”
“Yes. Good luck. You’ll need it for the rest of us.”
“Sir! Ready to open a line to the Falcons.” A tech shouted out.
Giving his uniform one last tug to straighten it, Ian prepared to face the enemy commander.
System Einstein, Deep Periphery
System Transit
Warship Blue Aerie
Galaxy Commander Lizabet Danforth was surprised when she was called out from her room to the bridge, and even more so when she was told that the mercs are offering a preliminary batchall for possession of their jumpships. She had half expected them to hide on the planet for a guerilla war.
Valten Folkner had seen to the interrogation of the crews of the captured jumpships, and obtained a great deal of useful information, which will help her greatly in the bidding within Rho Galaxy and bargaining against the mercs.
While there are 8 regiments of mercenaries, only 3 regiments are composed of mechs. The others are armor and infantry units. As for aerospace forces, they have only a measly 80 fighters in all, no match at all for the numbers the Falcons are bringing in.
Nevertheless, Lizabet was still wary of her enemies. Although most of the units on planet are scarcely better than bandits, there were still quite a few with relatively good reputations able to give her clusters a good battle. Among their number was the hated Wolf Dragoons, who had foiled the Falcons on so many occasions.
Also a worthy foe might be the Arch Lancers, who distinguished themselves in the fighting in the Chaos March. Although they have not fought the clans before as a unit, several members had, which makes them familiar with clan tactics, and thus a deadlier threat. The various Falcon commanders would select the rest of the mercs for their own battles. With so many enemy units, they will have no problem in picking a target unit to destroy. Indeed, many of her officers were already looking forward to crushing the dezgra mercs completely.
Stepping onto the bridge of the Blue Aerie, Lizabet was saluted by Valten Folkner. She had wanted to issue the challenge first, but apparently the defenders were more alert than she thought.
I had best be careful of making dangerous assumptions. There is no telling what they are capable of.
Walking up to a holotank, she prepared to greet the enemy warrior responsible for the batchall.
The holotank shimmered briefly, and then an image of a scarred male warrior appeared. He wore a green uniform, with only an insignia of rank. His expression was stern and solemn, his eyes portraying unease.
“I am Major Ian Dorlacen, Commander of the Arch Lancers, chosen by my peers to represent all of us for this batchall. I apologize for appearing in so limited a capacity, but we are only destitute mercenaries with scant advanced technology available to us. We welcome you to Einstein. As a matter of fact, we are wondering what your clan sees in this place.”
“I am Galaxy Commander Lizabet Danforth, commander of Jade Falcon Rho Galaxy, leader of this task force. I understand your limitations. Your attempt to dissuade us from taking possession of this world, however, is futile. We know that there is an abandoned Star League Base on the planet with lost technology, and we intend to claim it for the glory of our clan. Neither you, nor anyone else, shall deter us from this goal. I presume you have found the said bases in question, quiaff?”
“Yes, I mean aff. The bases are abandoned, and we have found much useful knowledge. We are willing to share the data in return for our jumpships. There is no need for us to do battle.”
“We are the clans. We are warriors, not merchants in trade. We take what we want in fair battle, and woe betides any who stand in our way. We reject your offer. If you want your jumpships back, you will have to fight us for them. With what forces do you defend this world and its treasures from the talons of Clan Jade Falcon?”
The man looked disappointed. “Very well. So be it. Looks like we have no choice. As the defender, I am defending the planet and the Star League data with all our forces. The information on our forces is being transmitted over even as we speak.”
Lizabet nods. “As the attacker, I am using the whole of Rho Galaxy. Where do you wish to fight?”
“All over the planet. I suggest that we engage in combat according to the positions of each mercenary unit, since we do not have a formal unified command.”
“Like Tukayyid, quiaff?”
“Neg. Not exactly. The Com Guards had their Precentor Martial as overall commander. Not so for the clans. Here, the positions are reversed. You Falcons have an overall commander, while we’re all over the place.”
“But do you not have authority over the others? After all, you presented the batchall.”
“No. I have no authority. I presented the batchall because somebody had to.” He paused. “So, are you willing to accept my choice of the battlefield?”
Lizabet narrowed her eyes. “Very well, I accept the selection of the field of combat. Rest assured, if you win, you will have your jumpships back. I will need to oversee our internal bidding now, and you will be informed of the results.”
“I suppose I am to thank you now, but I simply cannot understand why we have to fight. You want the data from the Star League, we just want our jumpships. We could simply exchange for the things we want, and go on our way. Instead you insist on fighting us, and much blood will be needlessly shed. Why?”
“We are warriors. Fighting is our way of life. Without war and battle, we are nothing. I regret the impending deaths of your men, but that comes with being a warrior. In any case, my warriors are angry that treasures of the Star League are in the hands of dezgra mercenaries. You will have to fight well to survive this battle. Well bargained and done.” She nodded to the technician
With that, the image of the mercenary shimmered and disappeared.
“So what do you think?” Lizabet turned towards Valten Folkner.
“They seemed to be holding something back. More Inner Sphere deviousness, I suspect.” Valten folded his arms, not impressed with the courtesy Lizabet had shown the filthy freebirth.
“Indeed.” Lizabet had suspected as much. “The plan of having our forces attack all over the planet may also be a ploy to trick us into committing our forces piecemeal, where they could gather their strength and crush each unit singly.”
“Will you let your commanders bid for the right to crush the mercenaries? The data coming in shows that despite their numbers, the mercs are not stronger than Rho Galaxy. But bidding will decrease our strength on the ground.”
“Bidding amongst the Star Colonels will commence as usual. However, everybody will get a chance to fight. The only difference will be the types of foes they will face. Those who bid well will get to fight the better units. Those who bid poorly will have to settle for scum. Those troops discarded in the bidding will be assigned to those mercs who are neither scum nor truly worthy foes. Treat it as a test of bidding skill for my Star Colonels.”
“I think that Creed Mattlov will be eager for one of his trinaries to crush the Dragoons. He will probably have to go under the cutdown for the opportunity.”
“All of my subordinates will have to take care that their thirst for glory does not outweigh their duty to the clan. I will not tolerate any wasteful defeats that weaken us unnecessarily. The Khans have been patient enough to allow me to rebuild the Galaxy back up to full strength.”
“But the Blue Aerie will be under Galaxy Command, quaiff?”
“Aff. I am sorry, but again you will have to sit this battle out.”
“Stravag! How I wish for a real battle with another Warship! Those Inner Sphere freebirths had better build more warships soon, before I become solahma!” Valten, more than anyone, lived for capital ship combat.
Turning to a nearby tech, Lizabet ordered her, “Tell the Star Colonels that they are to report to the bridge for bidding now.”
“Aff, Galaxy Commander.”
As Lizabet Danforth waited for her Star Colonels, the starships of Rho Galaxy came ever closer to the planet where they would gain their clan an unassailable technological advantage. |
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