Exile of the Faithful - Chapter Nine

Exile of the Faithful - Chapter Nine

Club Foxy, Black Hills
Solaris City
Solaris VII
Lyran Commonwealth
10 September 3052


     Only a light haze hung in the air of the club as Faith and Shannon sat at a table on the perimeter of the club. The Foxy club was Davionist to the core, but catered to a wide segment of the Solaris population. There was something for everyone, from the televised mech fights that were displayed in various areas to the dance floor that attracted throngs of young party goers.

     The waitress appeared and placed the shot glasses they had ordered, two in front of each woman. They each took a glass, tapped them together in a toast, and downed the shot. Faith noticed that Shannon was careful not to make prolonged eye contact. Not drunk enough yet, she thought.

     "So, answer me this. You're a mechwarrior, trained to pilot a million c-bill war machine, on the biggest game world in the Inner Sphere, and you're running errands in a short skirt for a shady, mid-level criminal. Where did you fall off the merry-go-round?"

     "You'd be amazed how quick you can fall with a loss or two. I was convinced I could break through on the circuit, and after a couple of losses and doubling down each time, I was in debt up to my eyeballs. I did a stint with the Deneb Light Cavalry, so when I came here, it wasn't with my own machine. You can only keep putting the debts off so long before they come calling."

     As she listened, Faith kept scanning the room. The crowd was light tonight, mostly fans and average citizens out for a night on the town. What Faith was looking for was some excitement, and it didn't seem like it was going to materialize here.

     "So why'd you lose the fights?" This was where she would be able to actually learn something about the woman.

     "I figured all mechjockying  was the same. I'd seen action in the field, so I figured I could handle myself in the arena. But as I'm sure you know, it's a different game out there. The rules aren't the same, the skill set isn't the same. I didn't adjust."

     Faith nodded. "Speaking of adjusting...let's blow this joint. I've got an idea."

     She practically sprang from her table, leaving some c-bills behind, and grabbing Shannon by the arm to coax her along. The two women soon found their way outside, and made their way through the light Solaris drizzle through the streets of the Black Hills. By moving just a few streets over, the found themselves in a slightly more colorful neighborhood.

     They stopped outside a reasonably well kept storefront with a neon sign that advertised itself as "Mek Daze" one of a dozen or more "gaming" parlors around the city where civilians could pay to play in video game like simulators of the mech duels on Solaris. She had never tried one, but imagined the experience left something to be desired for the true mechwarrior.

     "You have to be kidding. You wanna play the pods?" Shannon asked incredulously.

     Faith let out a laugh. "Why not? We're mechjocks, right? Nah, all I'm really after is a crazy time. We could sweep the floor with those mechbunnies, that's no fun. I'm out for an experience. Trust me, this is gonna be great. Stay here for a second. I'll be right back."

      Leaving her partner in crime at somewhat of a loss, Faith quickly dashed across the street toward an alcove where some men were lingering. In a place like this, she was anonymous enough to not attract attention, but but knew the Solaris drug trade like the back of her hand. After a few words and a quick cash transaction, she found what she was looking for. Now a satisfied customer, she darted back across the street, took Shannon by the arm, and walked through the doors of Mek Daze.

     The simulated gaming den was like any other across the city, and probably replicated on many a world in the Inner Sphere. The technology behind the sims was cheap, nothing approaching military grade, and it made for an interesting diversion for many a Solaran patron. Far from uniform, the clientele made up several diverse groups. The vast majority were Solaris youth, as quite a subculture had grown up around the industry. If it kept middle class youth off the streets, most people were happy. There were also, of course, tourists there simply for a one time thrill. And there was also a small segment of hard core types, who took the simulator battles very seriously, going so far as dressing up like "mechwarriors".

     The duo made their way through the various crowds towards the main event, the simulators themselves. Looking rather chuffed with themselves were a group of twelve of what she guessed were the tryhards, wearing some kind of uniform they had concocted themselves. In the other line was a collection of mechbunnies and tourists who, as luck would have it, were still two short of forming a drop company.

     "C'mon, this is perfect," Faith said with a grin.

Exile of the Faithful - Chapter Eight

Exile of the Faithful - Chapter Eight

Larsha

Capellan Confederation

10 September, 3052


     Why do I always get stuck on jungle planets? It was ironic, considering that Cat disliked the heat and humidity. Partly it was due to having been raised  in relatively cold conditions, but there was also the fact that it just felt dirty, offending her sense of order.

     You went where the objective took you, though, and that brought her to the hot, humid, dank jungles of Larsha. At the moment, at least, the small makeshift camp smelled less of the normal jungle stink, and more of the scent of a recent battle.

     The sun had recently set, and the camp was getting settled. The lance sized unit of the 5th Confederation Reserve Cavalry had been running down a band of pirates that had somehow slipped into the system and were probing for a weak spot. On a backwater like this, with a second line garrison unit, it had been a simple matter for Cat to figure out where the person she was looking for, and slip in as a tech. Security was beyond lax, but she wasn't about to complain.

     She would have preferred if her quarry had been in the barracks when she arrived, thus saving her all the leg work, but circumstances couldn't be helped. She had to wait for the right moment to approach, and that had meant performing some of the duties of the tech disguise that she had adopted. It had been a few years since she found herself patching together components, especially ones as old as the Succession Wars-era Vindicator she had just patched up.

     She strode nonchalantly across the camp, her hands stuffed in the pockets of her coveralls, doing her best to blend in and not attract too much attention as she made her way toward the lance commander's tent. She was about to poke her head in the tent when she spotted a figure a short way off on the edge of the treeline, smoking a cigarette and peering down at a noteputer.

     He was the one she was here to see. She made her way towards him, casually making as much noise as possible so as not to surprise him. The man was engrossed in whatever he was reading, however, and seemed not to notice her arrival until she was right on top of him.

     "Whatever it is, just set it on the rock over there, I'll look at it later," he said without looking up.

     She smiled wryly. "That piece of shit Vindicator is up and running. Though I have to admit, I had not figured to find you piloting such a piece of junk."

     Ace Kaller put down the noteputer and looked up. "I'd recognize that voice and condescending tone anywhere. What the hell are you doing here, Cat? You decide to take up being a tech here at the ass-end of nowhere?" He motioned for her to take a seat on the fallen tree beside him.

     "I find it hard to believe that anyone would come to this terrible of a planet voluntarily. No, I came here tracking you down."

     He took a long drag on the cigarette he was smoking before answering. "Yeah, the Confederation doesn't take too kindly to helping fugitives escape. Glad to see you made it out. Faith come with you?"

     "No, she is back on Solaris, most likely raising some hell, money, and support at the moment. I thought this was a mission better suited to going alone." As she spoke, she noticed he looked more tired, and more gritty than she had remembered him.

     "For the better, I guess." He let the statement linger in the air like a question. She knew him too well, recognizing it as an in.

     "She will be back...eventually. She just wishes to return on her own terms. And part of that is tying up loose ends."

     "What exactly does that mean?"

     "It means that she needs to be able to act freely, without anything on her mind to worry about. That is why I came looking for you. I am looking for Acadia."

     He stared at the ground for a moment before responding. "Yeah, the Confederation also doesn't think that it's a good idea to leave kids with people who help fugitives escape. Not that I could have handled her on my own anyway, but still. She's back on Sian, placed in foster care, no doubt with a suitable eye kept on her. I don't know if they think Faith would make a move to get her back or not, but I'd bet on them being careful."

     "I highly doubt they bet on me getting her out. Which I will. I may not be one for children, but I understand what they mean to their parents. She deserves to be raised somewhere other than some Confederation nursery."

     "Just be careful. I know you think you're some kind of indestructible, but this is dangerous. And I don't know your story, but I know this isn't your home turf. It won't be easy."

     She smiled wryly. "I have gotten this far, have I not? I have won a few away games in my time. And I intend to win this one."

Exile of the Faithful - Chapter Seven

Exile of the Faithful - Chapter Seven

Black Hills

Solaris City

Solaris VII

Lyran Commonwealth

10 September, 3052

     Faith sipped on the scotch while Vance Grigsby returned to his seat. "That first win was just what we needed. It's created plenty of buzz, and no small amount of trash talk coming out of the Capellan sector. All of that translates into money, which I'm sure you know."

     She smiled as she replied, "Hey, I've got a limited window here, making a fortune isn't an easy thing to do. And I've already gotten feelers from the Liao side trying to mend fences."

     Vance frowned and raised an eyebrow. "I hope you rebuffed them."

     "Relax, I know what I'm doing. I rebuffed them without hurting any more feelings. This isn't politics to me, it's business. They understand that as well as you do. I want money, I want it fast, and I want insulation so they can't touch me. I'm going home one day, and I want to be bulletproof when I do it."

     Grigsby leaned back in his chair. "Which brings me to my next point. We have to build things fast at this stage. That means adding bodies. There's obviously no shortage of people looking to sign on with that first win. But we have to be discerning. I'm not going to pretend that I'm a judge of mechwarrior talent."

     She made an exaggerated gesture. "I'm hurt, Vance, truly."

     "I didn't judge you on talent, I judged you on star power. The two are different. I'm not looking for stars here, I'm just looking for winners and moneymakers. I've got the files all ready to go, just need you to screen them."

     "Give me an office and I'll take care of it. How hard can it be?"

(Three hours later)

     "This is pointless," she said to herself as she stared at the mess of files spread all over the desk. The files themselves were relatively complete, with information, history, win-loss statistics and more, but she was starting to realize that picking a group of mechwarriors to put your stamp on was easier said than done. She had never worked in any administrative capacities in any of her previous assignments, and it was becoming clear that picking talented mechwarriors from their dossiers was no easy task.

     "Anything I can do to help, ma'am?" Vance had made sure that she had a staffer to help her with anything she had needed, which so far had been copious amounts of coffee. The woman had thus far done an exceptional job of making sure Faith was taken care of, and other than that, had stayed out of the way.

     

     Faith leaned back in the chair and took a drink of coffee. "Get me a lance or two of experienced mechwarriors that I can hang my hat on?" she quipped as she ran her hand through her hair.

     "I don't think it's that easy ma'am, or everyone would be doing it." The woman was right of course. Faith took a moment to size the other woman up. She was blonde, and older than Faith by a few years, she judged. There was a nervousness or anxiousness in her stance, as if she were holding something in.

     "That's the truth. And you don't have to call me ma'am. Faith is fine. I didn't catch your name."

     The woman hesitated for a second, obviously not used to being asked for her name. "It's Shannon. Shannon Metz." She looked away for a moment before continuing. "Ma'am....Faith, I know it's not much to go on, but some of those guys have fight vids. It might tell you something about their piloting. I mean, it's better than a file, you can't glean much from a piece of paper."

     Faith nodded. "Yeah. Maybe I'm looking too deep here. I'm trying to form a core group, and I'm looking for more than just piloting and gunnery, but it's hard to catch that from a stat sheet."

     The woman took a step forward, seemingly trying to bolster her confidence for a big push. "I know maybe I'm out of line here, but I'm a mechwarrior, and I see what you're trying to build. If you could give me a shot..."

     Faith held up a hand, and leaned back in her seat. "So wait, you're a mechwarrior, but you're here being one of Vance's floozies? No, this is Solaris, it's not that far fetched." This talent search was going nowhere, and her patience was wearing thin. Faith stood abruptly. "You can tell me your story, but we're gonna do it out on the town."

     The woman appeared flustered. "Ma'am, I don't know if Mister Grigsby would-" Faith cut her off with a wave of her hand.

     "Don't worry about Vance. He sent you to help me fill a roster. That's what we're going to do. I'll meet you back here in an hour. You want to be a mechwarrior, make your pitch on the fly, girl."