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Dragon Quest
A short BattleTech novel by RogueBaron
by Roguebaron |
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DCMS Headquarters,
Dieron, Al Na’ir Perfecture,
Dieron Military District,
July 19, 3060
“Atami-Chu-i, please report to Martinez-Sho-sa! Atami-Chu-i …”
Chu-i Atami yawned in his cot, cussing at the PA that robbed him from his sleep. He didn’t have good sleep for days as his unit, Dieron Red Brigade Armor Regiment, had been training for the next deployment at Kiesen, to reinforce the 12th Dieron Regulars against Clan Ghost Bear. His physical training made him tired, but as an armor platoon commander, he had to spend more time in the simulation room, acing tactics and strategies when his subordinates went to rest. He only spent 5 hours a day to rest, and he knew he would spent even less hours in his bed today.
Mumbling incoherently, Atami donned his uniform and dragged his feet toward the office of Sho-sa Martinez, the CO of 2nd Company, Dieron Red Brigade Armor Regiment. On the way to his CO, he walked through the hangar and watched his Vedette tank having a final checkup from the technicians. Atami joined the DCMS 5 years ago, hoping to become a mechwarrior like most teens, but physical test failed him. He was instead transferred to the Red Brigade and assigned to a Vedette tank, a 50-ton tracked vehicle he learnt to love over the 5-year period. He made a good career with his Vedette, which earned him the rank of Chu-i and a privilege to command his own platoon.
Arriving at Martinez’s office, Atami knocked the door three times. At the sound of Martinez’s concession, he entered the room and took the liberty to take a seat in front of the CO.
“Sorry to wake you up, Atami,” Martinez said while opening a thick binder. “I know you’ve been busy preparing for Kiesen deployment, but I have a rush job for you.”
“A rush job, Martinez-sama?” Atami asked. “Does that mean I don’t get to go to Kiesen?”
“It depends,” Martinez replied. “If you can pull this off quickly, you may be able to return to Dieron to go to Kiesen. You’ll be exhausted, I know, but on the bright side, you and your platoon will have a chance to fight weaker forces before you face off with the Ghost Bear, a privilege that the rest of the Red Brigade don’t have. You’ll be the most combat-ready platoon in the entire regiment.”
“Where am I going, Martinez-sama?”
“How does Chaos March sound to you?”
“Uh…” Atami cringed. “Mercenary haven… I hate mercenaries. They don’t have dignity, fighting for the highest bidder. Who should I face at Chaos March?”
“Worse than mercenary,” Martinez smiled. “Or maybe better, depends on your perspective. As you might’ve read or heard, the Word of Blake had took control of Terra and several worlds in Chaos March, including Caph, a war-torn world with no particular leader. The Blakists haven’t been hostile so far, but many feel that these fanatics are preparing something. Their maneuver is obvious that they are inching toward authority of the Inner Sphere.
“Your job is simple: extract an independent scientist from Aswan, a ruined city on Caph. This scientist is working on something that might be useful for us in the battlefield. We can’t let the Word of Blake have this invention! You and your platoon are to infiltrate Aswan, abduct the scientist, and bring him to Dieron. The details, including the map of Aswan and the defending forces, are on this binder.”
“Aren’t there any other unit closer to Caph, Martinez-sama?” Atami asked. “Not that I’m complaining, but my platoon have been training to fight the Ghost Bear. Fighting the Word of Blake will throw away our sync.”
“True, but you can regard this mission as a stealth exercise,” Martinez resounded. “The premise of stealth mission is the same, no matter whom you’re hiding from. And I’d rather have you do it than some other units. I like your dossier, and I know you can pull this off.”
“Is there any reinforcement?”
“Negative. Speed and stealth is the utmost importance, and a battlemech unit will draw too much attention. That’s why we’ll send a small armor unit. The Lindon’s Battalion, however, is a mercenary unit under DCMS contract. You can ask for their assistance, but only if you’re in dire need of support. The details are in the binder. The dropship will leave in 20 hours.”
“I will not let you down, Martinez-sama,” Atami stood up, bowed, then left the room. |
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