New Beginnings

 

Romul City

Chateau

Hell’s Horses Occupation Zone

7 August 3152

Point Commander Nyxie ran a hand through her red hair as she anxiously shifted her weight back and forth from foot to foot. Excitement and energy was in the air, as the warriors of the Eleventh Mechanized Cavalry Cluster gathered together to hear the announcement from their commander. The base was buzzing with the news that a raiding force from the Alynia Mercantile League had arrived in-system and was making their way towards the planet.There was every chance they would see combat.

She was born and bred for combat, a Trueborn with the ProtoMech phenotype, her frame was small but powerful. Enhanced Imagining neural implants helped her mesh with her machine. The Hell’s Horses were one of the few Clans that embraced ProtoMechs along with their combined arms philosophy. ProtoMechs were larger than BattleArmor, but smaller and more agile than traditional OmniMechs.

What was even more, the Enhanced Imaging implants she had received allowed her to link to both her machine and those around her to a level that far surpassed the traditional MechWarrior interface. It was a complicated web that allowed her to practically float around the battlefield, receive data and targeting from any of her comrades, and react to the changes in battle quicker than any warriors out there. 

The buzz of the room died down as Star Colonel Colleen Ravenwater entered the room along with her coregn. She quickly took her place at the head of the room. “Trothkin, I have just come from the command center. You have no doubt heard that we have company in-system from the Alyina Mercantile League. They are not friendly and attempted to issue a crude batchall upon burn-in. Suffice it to say they have bid their entire force in a raid against us here. We will defend with everything we have. This is a mercenary force, hired by the Merchant caste of the Jade Falcons. It goes without say that zellbrigen will not be in effect for this fight. We are fighting against Spheroids, so be ready for all that entails.”

One of her point, Warrior Edwardo, leaned close to her. “Even if they are dirty lucre warriors, at least it is finally a fight, quiaff?”

“Aff.” She shared the sentiment. It had been many months since they had seen real combat, and all of them were spoiling for a brawl. If it couldn’t come against the false ilClan Wolf and the sham of a Star League that Alaric Ward had proclaimed, at least a fight against the Jade Falcon’s hired guns was something.

Star Colonel Ravenwater began speaking again. “They are going to touch down in a few hours. We will all mount up to meet them. Star Captain Steven, your Binary will take the lead and search out the enemy. Once we find the enemy, we will send them packing back to their merchant masters.”

Nyxie bristled with anticipation. She was part of Star Captain Steven’s Binary, so she was guaranteed to see action. She put her arm around Edwardo and squeezed. “We will give them a fight, quiaff?”

He was practically jumping with eagerness. “Aff. I can practically taste the kill now.”

She shook her head as she released her grip on him. “Nothing foolish, Edwardo. We fight by the book and we win by the book.”

Edwardo had a tendency to be something of a loose cannon at times. It was a problem that affected many ProtoMech pilots, sometimes referred to as the God Complex, where they began to think of themselves as one with their machine and invincible. The Scientist caste had developed drugs to try to counteract it, but the results were less than perfect. Even Nyxie herself occasionally felt the twinge of invincibility when in the midst of a fight when she was merged with her weapon of war. She would have to keep a close eye on Edwardo.

Coston Bluffs

Chateau

Hell’s Horses Occupation Zone

7 August 3152

Nyxie watched through the gun-camera of her superior’s Pouncer T as the OmniMech marched behind a pair of Epona pursuit tanks half a kilometer ahead of where Nyxie’s own Svartalfa Protomech stood stealthily amongst some trees. You should be up there scouting, not the Fire Moth.

“Star Captain Steven, I would respectfully ask that you allow my point to take the lead. These mercenary surats are out there and we can find them, quiaff?”

“Neg, Point Commander Nyxie. We have gone over this before. We will find the enemy with our ‘Mechs, and once engaged, your ProtoMechs will swing into battle as a surprise. We will catch these lucrewarriors unaware and gain valuable intelligence. You are the trap. Play your part.”

The strategy was sound, but Nyxie would have preferred to lead the scouting herself.. She hated the feeling of helplessness that came with waiting for others to find the target. With the glider ability and agility of her ultraheavy Svartalfa  she and her point of Protos could sneak and slink among the terrain with the enemy unaware, and even bring down the foolish Spheroid scouts. What were the so-called Jade Falcons of the Alynia Mercantile League thinking, hiring mercenary troops from the Inner Sphere to do their dirty work? These were Clan worlds, and should be fought over by trueborn Clan warriors, not hired guns who fought only for money and fame.

She blinked twice, transferring herself to the point of view of the lead Hell’s Horses Fire Moth J. Her Enhanced Neural imaging implants allowed her to travel amongst any of the units in her detachment with a mere thought, letting her sweep over the field of battle like a god. She was born to lead and was confident in her ability to do so, so it was doubly frustrating to be held in reserve and relegated to a mere observer for the moment. She could not yet see the enemy, but knew they were out there somewhere. If only she were at the front….

She saw it before the Fire Moth pilot did, a glimpse of an enemy BattleMech darting through the woods. She couldn’t identify it at that quick of a glance, but it seemed like a Falcon Mech. No doubt some kind of payment to the mercenary warriors from the AML. These were not real clan warriors, no matter what mechs they piloted.

“Enemy contact, medium weight, grid Foxtrot three.” The Fire Moth pilot reported over the comms, relaying the information that Nyxie had already seen to their Star Captain. She could have done it so much faster herself. At least we have found them.

The Fire Moth pilot slowed his machine’s gait and remained in the cover of some dense underbrush, not wanting to blindly stumble into the enemy forces without knowing their strength and disposition. She remained in this point of view, watching for the enemy that had just been spotted to return to view. After a few seconds, it obliged her, leaping into the air from one thicket of trees heading towards another on it’s jump jets, aided by the ‘Mechs partial wing configuration. It was a Hierofalcon, just as she had suspected, and it was carrying a point of BattleArmor on its frame.

“Jensen, wait for the main element before engaging. Nyxie, bring your point up behind us but remain behind that ridgeline until summoned. Remainder, move up to contact with the enemy!” Star Captain Steven relayed his orders to the rest of the mixed binary of the 11th Mechanized Cavalry. Nyxie blinked herself back to her own ‘Mech, relishing the feeling as she took on it’s visage. Now she was in her element.She and her point would handle anything these Spheroids could throw at them.

From the comm chatter, she knew that the battle was now commencing, and she jetted into the air, extending her wings and gliding over the treetops with uncanny agility for such a large machine. She sensed her pointmates bounding along with her, a terror gliding through the air. They made their way to the designated waypoint, behind a low wooded ridge. 

Steven had pushed their Eponas through a gap in the ridgeline along with the mechs, and was engaging the enemy on the other side. Nyxie crouched her Svartalfa into cover amongst some trees and underbrush and blinked herself back onto the EI network, this time taking the point of view from the gun camera of their overflying Onuris attack VTOL, giving her an almost god-like view of the battle. She could see the Mechs and the Eponas engaging what appeared to be an enemy lance. She spotted a Wasp, a Commando and a Vindicator in addition to the Hierofalcon that she had spotted earlier. But the enemy ‘Mechs were not alone. A pair of Maxims had disgorged their complement of BattleArmor suits, Fa Shihs from the look of things, and they were giving a hard time to the ‘Mechs.

Release us to the battle. We can turn the tide. I know we can! 

She had been so focused on the battle that she had not noticed the enemy Balac VTOL blasting a hail of missiles towards the Onuris whose point of view she was currently sharing. Suddenly the feed blinked away, a lucky strike from an Advanced Tactical Missile damaging the rotor and sending the chopper careening into the ground in a fireball.

“Nyxie, your point is released to combat. Take down these dezgra mercenaries, focus on their BattleMechs!”

The command could not have come soon enough. Linked as one, the five ProtoMechs of her point jetted into the air on their wings, bounding over the ridge towards the enemy. She found herself a Commando to set her sights on, and fired the Medium Chemical Lasers in her arms into the enemy machine, carving gobs of armor away in the process. Following that up, she sensed a lock and willed her Streak SRM-Six rack into action, corkscrewing half a dozen missiles into the surprised enemy ‘Mech.

Recoiling from the blow, the enemy Commando raised its arm and fired a pair of lasers in her direction. With uncanny agility, she dodged the shot, bounding into cover behind some trees. She was not safe, however, as an enemy Fa Shih suit fired it’s man-portable Plasma Rifle at her, digging into her armor.

Instinctively, she fired her hip mounted machine gun at the enemy battlesuit, and the hail of slugs drove the enemy into the ground behind a tree, either wounded or killed. “Star Captain, these enemy BattleArmor are going to be a problem, the woods are thick with them!”

“Neg Nyxie, focus on downing the enemy BattleMechs and the infantry will break.”

Stravag! She popped from cover and snapped off another shot from her lasers, both beams catching her opponent squarely in the torso and tearing more armor from it’s frame. The Commando was on the back foot now, she had the advantage, but she could not press closer because of the heavy presence of the enemy Fa Shihs. 

The return fire from the Commando this time was too fast for her, and she shuddered as armor was cored from her torso. She would have to end this quickly. She dodged back into cover for a moment, and let her mind wander to the status of the rest of her point. They were being savaged by the enemy infantry, but were nearing takedowns on most of the enemy ‘Mechs. It would be a close affair, but they could still win it.

She bounded from cover once more, igniting her jets and leaping into the air on her glider wings, hurtling towards the Commando. She fired her lasers once more, but narrowly missed. She sensed a lock, however, and commanded her missile rack to blast the enemy machine. The six warheads found their mark, knocking the enemy 'Mech' on its back. 

She had no time to savor or complete her victory, however. Just as she had launched herself at the Commando, the enemy Hierofalcon had jetted into the air with a grace almost equal to her own. The two had passed in the air and she had lost sight of it while she had dealt with the Commando. Now she heard a quick and suddenly silenced scream over the comms, as the Hierofalcon poured its weaponry into one of the Horses Eponas, destroying it in a gout of fire and flame.

All around her, the battle had gone badly, with all the Horses Mechs downed, as well as both Eponas put out of action. Worse than that, three of her four point mates were down. The fourth, Edwardo, was fighting a swarm of BattleArmor suits and was losing the struggle.

“Stand down, Hell’s Horses. You are defeated. Surrender and no one else needs to die.” The enemy commander had broadcast over an open frequency.

There was a long pause. Nyxie readied herself to charge at the Hierofalcon. She would not go down easily.

“Aff, enemy warriors. Hell’s Horses, stand down. The field is lost.” The voice of Star Captain Steven was weak over the comms, but the order was clear.

Neg!  She could hardly believe it! How had they been beaten by these mercenaries? This was not supposed to happen. This could not be.

Echoing her thoughts, she heard Edwardo’s voice come over the channel. “Neg! It is you who shall die!” He sprinted his Svartalfa towards the enemy commander’s ‘Mech. She instinctively blinked herself into Edwardos machine, her mind riding his side carriage.

“Do not do it, Edwardo! You are ordered to stand down!”

“Neg!” She wasn’t sure if he spoke it or merely thought it, it was as if their minds were merged, her riding in his ProtoMech as if she were there. He bounded towards the enemy Hierofalcon.

With an almost calm grace, the mercenary ‘Mech raised its arm mounted Hyper-Assault Gauss Rifle and unleashed a hailstorm of supersonic slugs that cored into Edwardo’s chest, caving in the armor and tearing through the cockpit. She wrenched her eyes shut as Edwardo died, and it seemed an eternity before she opened her eyes again and regained control over her own machine. When she became aware of herself again, The enemy Hierofalcon was towering over her, it’s arm mounted rifle raised and pointed at her.

Again she heard the voice of the enemy commander over the open channel. “No one need die. What say you, enemy warrior?”

She composed herself, and with a thought, powered down her ‘Mech. She cracked the canopy and felt the cool air rush over her. All was lost. There was nothing to do now but surrender. After a moment, she climbed out of the cockpit of her mech and down to the ground, where she curled up in a ball at the foot of her fifteen-ton machine.

She didn’t know how long it was, but after some time, she was aware of a voice talking to her. 

“Your commander is gravely wounded. My men are seeing to him now, but he is not coherent. I believe you are the next in charge?”

She raised her head and looked at the man standing over her. He was not a large man, but was possessed with an air of grace about him that instinctively told her that he was the Hierofalcon pilot and enemy commander. He was clearly of asian descent, a Capellan from her best guess, with dark hair and dark eyes.

Slowly she uncoiled herself and rose to face him. Though he was small in stature, she was even smaller by way of her Protomech phenotype. Away from her machine and now clad only in a bodysuit, she felt tiny and alone. She steeled herself to speak. “I am Point Commander Nyxie, of the Eleventh Mechanized Cavalry Cluster, Clan Hell’s Horses.”

The man nodded an affirmation that had an air of calm to it. “I am Pai-zhang Maxwell Ma, of the mercenary House Po Ding. I am willing to accept your surrender.”

She stood motionless. “What terms do you offer?”

“My terms are fair, I think you will see. We will claim as salvage any equipment that we can. Your warriors are free to return to your own lines.” He paused. “You fought well, and under your customs, I would claim you as a bondsman, along with your devilish machine. Will you honor your customs and fight for House Po Ding now?”

She closed her eyes briefly, wishing she could reach out with her mind to be anywhere but where she was right now. “Aff. I accept your terms as fair. You also fought honorably. I will serve as bondsman until you see fit to release me and grant me bondsref.”

He nodded. “Excellent. When you are ready, we will return to our lines and you can meet Master Po.” He reached out and wrapped a length of rope around her wrist forming a bondcord. “You are now a member of the House.”

#####

It was a few hours later, and she had been allowed to pilot her machine back to the mercenary landing zone. She had been given a simple jumpsuit to wear over her bodysuit to provide some warmth. On the shoulder was a simple patch showing a gnarled tree and its roots on the background of a yin and yang. She had pulled her red hair back into a rough ponytail and she stood with the gentle spring breeze blowing over her.

Her world had been turned upside down. Never in a million years could she have envisioned being taken as a bondsman by Inner Sphere mercenaries. She was adrift without guidance, knowing not what to do.

A man appeared at her side. He was also clearly a Capellan, though larger than the warrior who had taken her as a bondsman. His dark hair was cut short and his chiseled features exuded an even greater calm than Maxwell’s. A black goatee framed his chin as he stood motionless. He wore a silk robe cut in green with beige highlights over Mechwarrior togs.

“I am Po Ding. Shiao-zhang of House Po Ding.”

“You are the commander?”

“I am the head of the House. We are not mere mercenaries as you know them. We are mercenaries built around a greater purpose. We seek balance in all things, between life and death, freedom and service. We are the House. You are part of the House now.”

She stood silent for a few moments. “I understand. I will serve honorably as your bondsman, as is my custom.”

Po remained standing beside her, staring out into the distance. “We are happy to have you, and I take you at your word of honor.” He let a few seconds pass. “I am told you asked for bondsref. It is my understanding that means death.”

She nodded. “I am nothing now. I am cut off from my people. You would not understand.” There was no way he could understand the depths of her loneliness. She had been one with her machine, one with her Point, one with her Clan. Now all of that was denied to her.

“It is true I understand little of your customs. And even less of your connection to your machine. It is my understanding that you are bonded extraordinarily close to your mount, more than we Mechwarriors experience”

“Aff, it is as you say. But I am cut off from that now.”

He shook his head. “For now, perhaps. But you are now of The House. We can help you find balance. Balance even between flesh and machine. Balance in all things.”

“I do not see how.”

He waited several seconds before answering. “The way may not be clear now. But it is there. Trust is built slowly, and with trust will come balance. We can help you find it. I ask only that you try. Does your honor not demand that much of you?”

She nodded. “It does.” It must. It simply must.