Refrector of Harloc

 Hall of House Ding

Harloc V

Sian Commonality

Capellan Confederation

21 May 3152

Newly minted Death Commando Sheena Li strode confidently through the long hallway. The air was crisp and fresh, Spring having just come to this part of Harloc V. She was flanked by two guards of the House Po Ding, as the local nobleman had come to calling his militia-turned mercenary force of late. They did not bother her. She was here on a mission. That was all that mattered.

She rounded a corner and was greeted by a splendid garden, lush and carefully cultivated. There was a subtle hint of the smell of flowers on the air as she stepped out from the shelter of the roof into the sun. She had been in many gardens in her young life, but each one was a unique experience. The curator of this garden favored a local flower that was a dull yellow in color, and the theme ran throughout the expansive area.

She spotted her quarry and made her way to a man who stood idly by, taking in the garden himself. He was a man of about thirty, she guessed, dressed in green formal robes that marked him as the Master of the local noble House. His hair was black, slightly long, and he sported a matching goatee. He wore a white headband with a logo of some kind on it, a yin and yang marked by a gnarled tree and its root structure.

She paused beside him. If he took any notice of her approach, he had yet to show it. “You are the Refrector of Harloc?” she asked.

He drew in a slow breath, then exhaled. “I am Po Ding”

The answer was short, but he seemed to think it was sufficient.

“I am Sheena Li, Death Commando, here on the business of the Celestial Wisdom, Daoshen Liao.” She paused for a moment. Po had not yet moved in any way acknowledging her arrival. “You seem unconcerned.”

Po turned faced her slowly. “When a thing of beauty enters my gardens, I often merely observe it and do nothing. Why should I change my ways now?”

She was slightly taken aback by his course of action. “You seek to disarm me with flattery, Refrector? Forgive me but this is not often something one sees as a servant of the Chancellor such as myself, given my position.”

Po remained expressionless. “Neither am I used to threats in my gardens. You seemed to imply I should be concerned.”

This man’s responses were curious. She kept her own tone neutral “Most people are fearful at the arrival of a Death Commando dispatched by the Chancellor.”

Po nodded. “Death is implied in your name. If the Celestial Wisdom requires my death, then my life is forfeit. Why should this change my approach?”

She smiled slightly. “Your death is not required by the Celestial Wisdom. But neither are your flirtations aimed particularly well. I am here on business. I have little interest in your flattery.”

Po Ding was certainly a handsome enough man, but her inclinations were not towards men, even if she would allow her mind to wander to such things at a time as important as this.

“And yet it is yours to bask in, Death Commando Sheena Li. Just as is the sun here in my gardens.You speak of business, yet in all things, here we seek balance.”

She cocked her head slightly. “Balance upon a precipice, perhaps.”

Po finally allowed a smile to creep slightly into his visage. “We are all keepers of that balance, the balance of a youth upon a precipice. That is to truly know balance. But you obviously did not come here for a lesson. What business of the Celestial Wisdom may I assist you with today?”

She allowed herself to relax ever so slightly, having apparently passed the Refector’s test and word games. While others may have taken a more heavy handed approach, she had been raised to appreciate a more subtle tact in her dealings, particularly with the nobility.

“The Strategios say you have knowledge of the Andurien Invaders that plague our border even as the Chancellor himself is embarked upon a quest towards Terra.”

Po nodded. “Walk with me, Death Commando Sheena Li, and we shall discuss this.”

She obliged him, and the two began strolling slowly through the gardens. “You may simply address me by rank, Refrector. I do not stand on honorifics. I am merely here to get information to help in my assignment to deal a blow to these invaders.”

“Then let this be your first lesson on the invaders. Do not rush in, for they fight with well laid traps. Study your opponent carefully before striking.”

She was not entirely certain that he was not playing more word games with her. “I have studied the Anduriens and their tactics. I was led to believe you had something more concrete.”

“Then apply that lesson here as well, do not rush in. Balance in all things, Sao-shao. It is true, my House Po Ding has fought these Anduriens and secured significant intelligence regarding them. I would be happy to share that intelligence with you at your convenience. My files will be made available to you immediately. But I stress again, balance in all things. There is actionable material to be had, for certain, but there is time to do it right. I will show you all tomorrow and spare no expense. We will go over the intelligence in detail together. For now, I would invite you to relax, unwind from your journey and clear your mind as my guest. Balance in all things, Sao-Shao.

The man was pompous, to be sure, calling his mercenary band “House Po Ding” but there was a certain calm and truth in his words that she could not deny. She surely had a few days to spend on Harloc unlocking the secrets of the Andurien invaders, and she might as well spend it productively rather than constantly sparring with Po.

“Very well, Refrector. I accept your hospitality, and look forward to our working together to thwart this affront to the Celestial Throne and the Capellan State.”

An hour later, Sheena found herself relaxing in a hot bath, courtesy of the spa on the grounds of the House Ding family monastery. She had to hand it to Po Ding, he had blended well the trappings of nobility, monastic life, and a warrior culture, seeming to find the balance that he had mentioned so often in his earlier discussion with her.

He had read the Maskirovka dossier on Po Ding before her arrival. He had sought to blend philosophy, spiritualism, and a martial tradition into one, a kind of new Warrior House Order based on the already existing House Orders, but with his own unique flavor of zen and balance at the core, and for them into a fighting unit. And she could not deny the success thus far of Po Ding and his House warriors. He had taken what was a slovenly House militia, poached off prospects from the Duchy Regional Training Center, and opened up membership in his new order to the citizenry at large if any could pass what he deemed as his tests. He had taken this mob and formed them into a mercenary company that had already dealt defeat to both the Andurien Invaders and Clan Hell’s Horses in the so-called Hinterlands of the Inner Sphere.

His forces had met with great success thus far, and he had leveraged that to wrestle control of the coveted position of Refrector from a hated rival family. There was no arguing with success, even if his ways were enigmatic and seemed bizarre. And he had done it all without bringing down the wrath of the Chancellor by remaining loyal to the State throughout.

Her reverie was shattered by the entrance of a young boy of perhaps ten or twelve. The boy was some kind of servant or initiate, she wasn’t sure which, and he approached and let his gaze drop appropriately to the ground as he addressed her.

“Sao-Shao, the House Master bids you to meet with him at your earliest convenience for supper and wishes to know if you have any requests of him?”

She opened her eyes and looked toward the boy. “Tell the House Master I will oblige him shortly and will dine with him at his pleasure.”

The boy nodded and scurried away with surprising speed and silence. She had not grown up amongst the nobility, but had learned from a young age to be comfortable around them and their ways. She had always sought to serve the State as a MechWarrior, and learning the intricacies of court was basic survival in the cutthroat world of social climbing. But she had excelled at it well enough to earn her citizenship and entrance to the Sian Center for Martial Disciplines and later to Sian University’s Officer Cadet Program. If she could handle the Court on Sian, she could certainly handle a minor noble on Harloc. 

She sighed and climbed out of the tub, drying herself and beginning to get dressed. She found that her uniform had been removed while she was bathing, and in its place was a delicately embroidered set of black robes, trimmed in green to match the correlation of her uniform and BattleMech. Po had obviously been prepared for her arrival and was not caught so off-guard as he had perhaps appeared earlier in his gardens. She would have to watch this, Po Ding carefully. 

Halfway through her preparations, another servant quietly entered, a girl of perhaps fourteen or so years of age. She brought with her a pair of sandals for Sheena, and helped her finalize her appearance prior to dinner, fetching anything that she needed. When Sheena was ready, she exited the suite that had been prepared for her and was met by a guard from House Po as she closed the door.

Unlike Po Ding, she sensed that this guard feared her rank and position as a Death Commando. It was telling that the man showed an almost fear of her, considering he was armed and she was not. Of course, her training in unarmed combat meant that she could easily dispatch him in any number of ways, and she took comfort in this fact in spite of her being dressed for court.

The guard led her through several hallways and corridors until they came to what appeared to be an almost banquet hall. The main hall was populated with what appeared to be a selection of Po’s warriors. Though not dressed for battle, most carried themselves in the way of a warrior that told her they were more than merely untrained people dining with the House Master. 

The lighting was subdued but the air was clear. At the head of the room was a table where Master Po was seated with what she assumed were his officers or other highly placed members of the House. The guard led her to the seat beside Po, and Po himself pulled out the chair for her to be seated.

“I am pleased that you could join us for this evening’s supper, Sao-Shao. This evening it is all warriors of the House dining together, and it is a great honor to have one such as yourself here to dine with us.”

She nodded. “I am honored by your invitation, Refrector. You were quite right in your call to take my time and relax here before turning to business. Your house is well in order.”

As she took her seat, Po responded. “Please, first let us dispense with the honorifics in my case, Sao-Shao. While we are dining here, simply address me as Master Po, as all my warriors do. You are the guest of honor, and should be treated as such.”

She nodded and smiled at the subtlety from Po. He was inviting her to call him by a lesser title than he was owed, but yet the very name still acknowledged him as master of the situation. “Do you always dine with your warriors, Master Po?”

He shook his head. “No, this is a special occasion. Normally I would not call them all away from their training and meditation, but it is not so often that we have someone from the Court of Sian on our world with us.”

She nodded as a servant filled her wine glass. “I am a humble servant of the Chancellor, Master Po, not a courtesan of the Celestial Throne.”

Po took a sip of his glass. “And yet you are not in any way out of place here. That speaks to your dedication, Sao-Shao. Balance in all things. Allow me to introduce my trusted advisor, and executive officer, Lien-zhang Maxwell Ma. He is my right hand in all things, and will be working closely with us tomorrow when we begin going over your intelligence for you.”

The Lien-zhang nodded his affirmation as a form of salute to her, and she acknowledged his deference with a subtle nod of her head.

“We are most honored to have you here, Sao Shao.”

She turned to Po. You style your ranking system after the Warrior Orders, I see. Do you fancy yourself the Shiao-zhang of Warrior House Po Ding?”

Po shook his head. I am Shiao-zhang of House Po, but I am but a humble servant of the Celestial Wisdom and would not dare to claim status as a Warrior Order. Only in his infinite wisdom can the Chancellor elevate a Warrior House to the Orders. We here are a balance of Warrior House and mercenary. Balance in all things, Sao-shao”

As he was speaking, the servants were depositing plates of food in front of all of the guests, starting with the House Master, then herself, and slowly working their way throughout the room. It was tradition that none would begin eating until after the last was served. 

“Does not your mercenary status hinder your ability to serve the Chancellor and the state?”

Po smiled slyly. “Is not our very success proof of the opposite? Look at all we have accomplished so far in the name of the Celestial Wisdom. Were we not mercenary forces with a freer leash, you might not be here for your mission, as we would not have been in a position to thwart the Anduriens as we have done. And I think we can all agree that it is most fortunate that you are here on your current mission.”

She nodded to Po. He played the word games of nobility well. While not explicitly going rogue, he was pointing to his freelancing success as proof of his loyalty to the Capellan State. “Most Fortunate indeed, Master Po, as I am sure that tomorrow will bear out.”

By this point, all of the guests were served, and so the eating commenced. The talk was light of heart from this point out, with no serious wordplay going on.

Midway through the meal, the doors to the hall swung open, and a woman walked through on a deliberate path towards the head table and Master Po. She was clad in leggings and a tank top, wearing a pack, and carrying a staff of some sort. As she got closer, Sheena could make out her details more closely. The woman was small in stature, but well muscled and leanly built.Her fiery red hair was pulled back in a pony tail, and her face and arms were smudged with dirt. She had several tattoos about her face and arms.  The woman was clearly a warrior, and was yet quite beautiful in her own right. Sheena found herself musing on the woman’s attractiveness as she approached, but quickly snapped out of her reverie and immediately went on the defensive. No one else seemed bothered by this woman’s appearance, yet she was stalking through the dining hall towards the House Master unchallenged. As the woman got close, Sheena made a move to stand, but Po waved her back to her seat with a gesture of his hand. He himself stood and waited for the woman to approach.

Only when she reached the front of the table did the woman stop and bow her head before Po. “Master Po, I have accomplished your trial. What would you have me do now?”

Po stood silent for a moment, neither moving nor speaking. After a few seconds, he reached out to her with his hand. “Indeed you have. And at a most auspicious time. Give me your arm, child.”

As the woman raised her hand to meet Po’s, Sheena noticed a cord looped around the girl’s  wrist. Po grabbed his knife from the dinner and slid it between the cord and the woman’s flesh. With a subtle flick followed by a powerful motion, he cut the cord and let it fall to the floor.

He waited several seconds, and the woman’s gaze locked with his own. “Now, child, you are no longer an initiate. You are a member of House Po. We are your new Clan. Let it be so for as long as your heart is true!”

With that, the members in the hall began to clap and shout affirmations. After a few seconds, Po snapped his fingers in the direction of one of the servants, and they quickly rushed to the woman’s side. “Rest now, you will be cared for. You are now one with the House of Po Ding!”

The servant led the woman away, and after a few moments the hall quieted down from it’s raucous applause and affirmations. When the commotion had subsided, Po once again took to his seat.

Sheena turned to him. “What was that all about?”

Po smiled. “That was a new member initiated into House Po Ding. She will now serve with us as a full warrior with all of the privileges and duties that entails.”

Sheena nodded. “Yes, I understood that part, but there is more to it, yes?”

Po nodded in affirmation. “She was taken as a bondsman from Clan Hell’s Horses. Under her customs, she is indebted to us and now serves us as her new Clan.”

Sheena raised an eyebrow. “You are adopting Clan ways? Manipulating Clan ways? Is that not merely a form of slavery?”

Po shook his head. “Some might see i that way, but there is far more to her story than you may realize. My trusted aide Max claimed her as a bondsman under Clan customs, but under our ways she would have been a simple prisoner of war. Yet I saw more in her. I saw potential.”

   “Potential for exploitation?”

Po shook his head once again and placed his hand on Sheena’s arm. “No. Potential for growth. Her story is complicated. We offered her a path at redemption.”

Sheena frowned.

“You seem unconvinced?”

“Are you not exploiting her own societal flaws for your own gain?”

Po chuckled softly to himself. “First, let me say I find it refreshing to hear from a Death Commando concerns about possible exploitation. This makes me think there is much more to you than you let on to those around you. But let me assuage your fears, Sao-shao. What would you say if I told you that she is not only a Clan warrior, but a ProtoMech pilot?”

“I would question what that has to do with anything?”

Po touched her shoulder, and she surprisingly did not recoil at the touch. “Then you were like I was, ignorant of what it means to pilot a ProtoMech.”

Sheena shrugged. “How is it any different than piloting a BattleMech or BattleArmor?”

Po shook his head. “It is massively different, as I have come to realize. Did you not see the intricate tattoos around her eyes and on her arms?”

Sheena nodded. “I assumed they were some for of Clan markings.”

“No, they are more than that. They are enhanced imaging neural implants. They are similar to what the Word of Blake experimented with their abominations of Manei Domini or Kali Laio undertook with her Thugee Warrior Houses. They are a kind of direct neural connection to the machine itself, an enhancement on the Neurohelmet. But at great cost.”

Sheena’s mind was running a mile a minute. The Word of Blake had experimented with horrible cybernetic implants during the Jihad of the previous century. But she had never heard of the advances in Clan neural enhancements. The possibilities were endless for enhancing the connection between person and machine, but unfortunately, it seemed like these sorts of things always came with a terrible cost to the warriors themselves. The warriors were often driven mad, as in the case of the Word of Blake abominations.

“How great a cost?”

Po took a drink of his wine. “Suffice it to say it causes extreme mental illness, problems differentiating between man and machine, and often results in a kind of God complex in the user that becomes destructive.”

She stared at Po. “If What you say is true, then why claim this woman as your prisoner at all?

Po sighed. “Because what I say is true, and yet she is a warrior. The disconnectedness is enough to drive her mad. This is not balance, and it is not befitting a warrior, and most certainly it is not the way of Po Ding. A warrior deserves better. A warrior deserves balance between war and peace, between man and machine. We can give that to her here at the House.”

Sheena paused for a moment before responding. “You genuinely believe that, don;t you?”

He nodded. “I do. And when Max defeated her in combat and claimed her as a bindsman, I saw that it was the perfect fit for the House. We can give her purpose here as a warrior, and as a person. And we can give her reason to live beyond the connection with the machine. But we cannot do it alone. Prior to our return to Harloc, I engaged in a batchall with the Sea Fox merchants for some of their technicians. We are going to learn to integrate Nyxie into our unit, to allow her connections to her machine to flourish, and yet I can offer balance and comfort that mere Clan scientists cannot. Do you see now why it is a worthy cause?”

She was speechless for several seconds. What Po said, he obviously believed. While it made little sense to her, she was not so close to the situation as he was. Was this crackpot warrior philosopher correct in what he was saying? And if he was, why did she even care? She couldn't fully understand it, and yet it made sense to her. She was barely here a day and she was already subscribing to the crackpot thoughts of this warrior monk. What did the future have in store?”