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."

Exile of the Faithful - Chapter Six

Exile of the Faithful - Chapter Six

Cathay

Solaris City

Solaris VII

Lyran Commonwealth

9 September, 3052

     Faith stepped through the door, entering the multi-story building that housed significant portions of the Capellan influence on Solaris. From the outside, one might never even notice the building, slightly dilapidated, with little to hint at the importance of some of the residents within. She took the first set of stairs that she came to, heading down a level to a long corridor. At the end of the corridor, a burly guard stood watch. While his image did not lend itself to any kind of quickness, she had no desire to test him. People in this segment of society rarely employed substandard help.

     "I'm here to see the lady of the house. I'm expected." She handed the guard a small poppy that she had found in her dressing room following the last match. It was a signal, and one she could hardly mistake. And so, she was here, to see what, exactly, the local Capellans wanted with her.

     The guard held out his hand, and she reached into her jacket, producing a small hold out pistol and handing it to the doorman. She wasn't going to be shooting her way out of this situation anyway. After a few seconds, the guard, satisfied, opened the door and allowed her to pass. She continued on her way. The hallway could have been any hallway in any drab building throughout the Inner Sphere, cold barren walls, and a floor not dirty and yet not quite clean. She reached the end of the hall to find a door slightly ajar. She knocked and walked through.

     Walking into the room, the environment changed completely. The lighting was subdued, it's source obscured, leaving the room cast in a myriad interaction of light and shadow. The room was decorated in dark, rich colors, deep reds and purples mixed in amongst the dark Capellan greens.

     Casting an impressive image, Jasmine Xiu sat casually against the plush of an oversize chair, draping one arm over the arm of the chair. The soft lighting highlighted her delicate Asian features.

     "I'm glad you accepted my invitation, Faith. We were very disappointed that you didn't come see us upon your arrival here on Solaris." As she spoke, the woman gestured for Faith to take the seat opposite her. Faith obliged, sitting back in the plush chair, careful to remain relaxed.

     "Yeah, well I didn't exactly leave the Confederation on the best of terms, so a warm welcome wasn't what I had in mind here."

     "Yes, that entire situation was quite...unfortunate." She paused as if deliberately choosing her words. "It may interest you to know there have been....further developments in that regard."

     Something was going on. Xiu was well known in the Capellan community, and this invitation to meet was about as official as an unofficial request could get in the internecine mess of Capellan politics.

     "I'm sure you're going to share"

     "Indeed. Shortly after you made good your escape from Purvo, the entirety of the Gatekeepers battalion treasonously fled the Confederation, stole their equipment, and took their services to the Draconis Combine."

     Faith laughed aloud. "I can't say as I'm surprised. Blackhand was about as unbalanced as they come. So what, the Gatekeepers and their mini-Napoleon have been unmasked and I can return home to a party and open arms?"

     Jasmine frowned. "Alas, no. While the traitorous machinations of the Gatekeepers have been revealed, Lady Romano does not take lightly her subjects going rogue. She feels that disloyalty is a blemish of character that cannot so easily be dismissed. The circumstances have, however, cooled her furor in seeking accountability."

     Faith leaned forward. "I'm not big on Mask double talk. What does that mean?"

     "It means that while you may not be welcome in the Confederation, the Maskirovka is not directed to seek your death or capture at this time."

     "I'm touched. You'll forgive me if I don't exactly celebrate. I came here to build up something I could stand on, and that plan hasn't changed. I like that I may not have to worry about you guys sticking a knife in my back, but I'm a free agent now."

     Jasmine gracefully stood. "Whatever you might think, I am not mindlessly in lock-step with Sian. I play a role here, as every Capellan citizen does. As you do, even if you may not embrace it at the moment."

     "Still wouldn't hold your breath. You'll forgive me if I'm still a bit cagey. You guys made this issue, now deal with it."

Exile of the Faithful - Chapter Five

Exile of the Faithful - Chapter Five

The Jungle

Cathay, Solaris City

Solaris VII

Lyran Commonwealth

7 September, 3052

     "Hello mech fans, welcome to another exciting broadcast from one of the top venues that the gaming world has to offer. I'm Cliff Cleary, and I'll be giving you the call tonight from the Jungle, the jewel Capellan arena in the heart of Cathay. Tonight's fight is a little something special. Not part of the normal circuit, tonight we bring you a grudge match that features intrigue, politics, and the return of a Solaris favorite from a few seasons past."

     While some gladiators liked to turn off the chatter of the broadcast call, Faith left the SBC feed playing through her comms. It had been some time since she stepped foot in the arenas of Solaris VII. She had seen many battles since then, but the battles of Solaris were something different. For her they were a joyride, a high to ride, and she hoped to ride this high all the way to fame and fortune.

     "Our competitor from the Capellan Confederation, you are all familiar with Martin Chao. Over the last two years, he has made a steady, if less than noteworthy rise into the top twenty, staking a claim as one of the top Capellan mechwarriors here on the game world."

     Faith hadn't fought Chao before, but she knew his type. He was a mouthpiece, a puppet. He had the talent, and powerful backers carefully rode and directed that talent. He was good, but not flashy.

     "And then we have the source of all the controversy this past week. Two years ago, as part of House of Lords stables, Lady Faith McCarron tore up the leaderboards and earned a quick and loyal following. But with the Clan invasion and the fires of Inner Sphere politics, she left to serve her native Capellan Confederation on the true battlefields. While details are sketchy as one might expect from such a tightly guarded realm as the Confederation, what's clear is that two years later, Faith has fled the Confederation in the midst of scandal. Some call her a traitor. Some call her a victim. Regardless of all that, tonight will test her against the honor of Liao establishment here on Solaris. As the headliner of a brand new stable, Valkyrie Stables, Faith has made it clear she intends to make a name for herself here on the gaming world, and powerful Confederation loyalists seem eager to block that."

     "If that drama doesn't get you fired up, I don't know what will. So enough of the introductions, mech fans, this grudge match is about to begin!"

     She pressed her Enforcer into a walk. There was no need to rush into things. Chao was in a Cataphract, and the twenty tons worth of extra weapons meant she preferred not to let him get the jump on her. She made an effort of carefully patrolling the area, dropping back whenever she ran into a major branch of the stream that ran through the lush jungles that gave the arena it's name.

     In theory, a pilot who played often in the Jungle would have an advantage, but the arena staff were careful to regularly re-sculpt the landscape, and with it, the path of the river. To be certain, there were general trends, but anyone who thought they knew the precise layout of the streams, slopes, and openings in the tree cover would find themselves sorely mistaken.

     Her heartbeat remained slow and steady in the cockpit. With battle not yet joined, there was no high, no rush. That would come. For now there was just the comfort of the cockpit, whose temperature remained almost frigid at the moment. The Enforcer she piloted was unfamiliar to her, the design being one of Davion origin, and the model she piloted was a non-standard variant at that. Her right arm packed a new model Gauss rifle, an ultra cool running weapon, but one that took a steady hand to pilot. Spread over the opposite arm and torso was a bank of five medium lasers. The weapons compliment was an impressive one, but it came at a cost. An extra-light engine sat at the heart of the machine, and it's lighter weight brought with it increased fragility.

     On the battlefield, she knew it would mean an early exit from most fights for her. But in the short and brutal combat of the arenas, she knew she could make it work, at least against the likes of those she was likely to face in the early going of her comeback. By the time she won a few matches, she would be more than set to secure a ride more suited to her style.

     Her reverie was interrupted by a slight glint of reflected light to her left. She resisted the urge to quickly swing her whole machine in-line with the disruption, but kept her movements slow, so as not to alert her possible prey. And her prey was what she had found. A scant few hundred meters off, Martin Chao's Cataphract was lumbering through the shallow water of a stream. He wasn't facing her, moving at a slight angle to her.

     She kept her targeting system in passive mode. At this range, she was a good enough shot that she wouldn't need it active for her first salvo if she timed it right. She waited until he had moved forward, predictably following the course of thew stream. When he was facing sufficiently away from her, she brought her machine into a fast walk. With careful motion, she brought her mech slowly around until she found herself trailing directly behind the Capellan mechwarrior.

     She could have flipped her targeting system active and had plenty of time to squeeze off the shot, and at this range, she would have torn through his rear armor in a single salvo. On the battlefield, she would have done so without hesitation. But here, combat was part martial prowess, part show. And what she needed at this point in her Solaris career was some showmanship.

     She flipped over to her mech's external speakers. "If this is the best the Confederation has to send after me, Chao, I'm glad I left."

     The enemy mech froze for an instant, then began to twist. She squeezed the trigger off for a full alpha strike. The gauss slug tore through the center of the heavy mech's back, tearing into critical internals by itself and sending the mech lunging forward. The array of medium lasers slashed into the armor in and around the breach like five hellish green claws. Waves of heat poured through the rents torn in the Cataphract's rear protection, and the mech stumbled to one knee, twisting laboriously to try to face it's tormentor.

     Chao raised the PPC in one arm as he braced the mech with the other arm. Her external speakers still active, Faith laughed aloud. She had switched her targeting system fully active by now, and before Chao could align the arm for a shot, she squeezed off another slug from the gauss rifle. The supersonic slug tore into the PPC barrel, sending arcs of energy from smashed capacitors dancing in all directions.

     "Try again. This may be your home turf, but I'm out of your league. Come back when you're ready to make me sweat, Chao." She closed the gap between the two mechs quickly, and drove the elbow of her left arm into the upper torso of the Cataphract, carefully to the side of the cockpit, enough to rattle Chao severely, but not a killing blow to the cockpit. It was enough to send the mech tumbling onto it's back, and Chao knew he was done. He signaled defeat.



Press Suite, The Jungle

Cathay, Solaris City

Solaris VII

Lyran Commonwealth

7 September, 3052


     Roughly forty-five minutes after the fight ended, Faith strode brashly through the doors to the press room housing the assembled media. She was dressed in knee-high combat boots, black leggings, and a snug tank top of conspicuously Davionish dark red, her blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. As the reporters began to shout questions, and cameras scrambled to focus and begin shooting, she quickly climbed the two steps to the raised platform and made her way to the podium.

     She had done these before, and with practiced ease, she let the room sort itself out. The routine was settled, and the reporters from lesser outlets and those with smaller levels of prestige among the press corps allowed their voices to quickly trail off into silence, as the few top-end reporters battled to get their questions out. Faith kept her expression stern, but not too negative.

     "Miss McCarron! This is your first bout on the Solaris stage in almost two years. How did it feel to take to the arenas?"

     Faith tilted her head slightly, feigning contemplation for a second. "It's good to be back, and having a mech under you always feels good, but you saw the fight, this was more of a warm up for me. Ask me that question again after some serious competition and I'll let you know.

     "Your return was unannounced and came as a surprise to all of us. There has been little solid news on your leaving Capellan space. What made you decide to return?"

     She smiled. "Seemed like a good idea."

     "Following up on that, there are rumors that you fled the Confederation. There have been hints that your leaving was a result of everything from a drug problem to some even saying that you are wanted by the Capellan government on charges of murder. Do you have any comment?"

     Faith cleared her throat. "You would have to ask the Capellan government about that. All Liao mechwarriors serve at the pleasure of the Chancellor. You'd have to ask her. Next question."

     "It's been announced that you are to be the headliner for a new stable, backed by Vance Grigsby. Given his obvious ties to House Davion, is it safe to say that you have switched your allegiances here on the game world?"

     "My allegiance is to where the money is. I came here out of a job, so I followed the money. A girl has to earn a living, you know."

     "Given the circumstances of your leaving, are you worried about your safety here on Solaris?"

     She smiled wryly. "I'm always worried about my safety. I shoot big guns at big robots that shoot back with their own big guns. I'm focused on winning my matches. Out of the cockpit, I'm not going to be shy or live my life. I'm here to make money, and I'm going to enjoy my money. Plan to see me a lot. But that's it for now, folks. You'll be seeing plenty of me, I promise. For now, I'm going to enjoy my victory. Have a good night."

     With that, she made her way away from the podium and out the door the way she came. She made her way down the hallway toward the visiting dressing room. A few meters outside the door to the dressing room, Vance Grigsby stood waiting. He wore a suitably expensive suit, telling her that he had already met the press and probably planned to make later appearances. As she approached, he smiled. "You handled that quite well."

     She nodded, and he stayed a step ahead of her, opening the dressing room door for her. The two entered, and he closed the door behind them. Her combat garb had been removed in her absence, doubtless by some staff member. "Of course I did, I'm not new at this. The fight was easy, I told you. And the press, they're always looking for a story, it's easy enough to feed them."

     He perused his handheld nonchalantly. "You're going to be the story for a while, and that means lots of people are going to be keeping an eye on you. You'd be wise not to take too many risks or live too wildly in public for the time being."

     She chuckled. "So you're telling me to be a good girl?"

     He tucked his phone in his jacket pocket. "Hardly. But be a bad girl in private, in safe places, that's all. There's no telling whose interest you may have aroused." 

Exile of the Faithful - Chapter Four

Exile of the Faithful - Chapter Four

Grand Ballroom, Solaris Hilton

International Zone

Solaris City

Solaris VII

Lyran Commonwealth

23 August, 3052

     The doors to the main ballroom remained closed, manned by two of the hotel staff. It had been a while since Faith had attended one of these events. The high social circles were never her comfort zone, but they meant a great deal when one was dealing with the bright lights of the Solaris stage. And that stage was going to be her redemption.

     "For a military brat you do know how to pick out a dress, I will give you that." Vance Grigsby quipped as he ever so slightly adjusted his suit. It was garish, but not overly so. It yelled money, but not in an overtly tacky way as some of the new Solaris money tended to.

     He was right of course, Faith had spent most of the previous day picking out her dress from one of the finer clothiers in Solaris city proper. Perhaps giving her an expense account had not been the best idea, but Vance had wanted to make a splash for her appearance, and she endeavored to not disappoint. The deep blue dress contrasted perfectly with her eyes and hair. The time spent with the designer had paid off, as it hugged her every curve in a way she was sure she would be thankful for when the inevitable throng of Solaris paparazzi focused on her after word had leaked.  She had made sure her makeup was perfect, accentuating the fire of her eyes and the precision of her features.

     Vance took her arm as they approached the doors, and with a slight nod from the master of ceremonies, two attendants opened the doors so that Vance and Faith could make their entrance.

     "Please welcome Vance Grigsby, CEO of Solaris' own Grigsby Endeavors. His escort for this evening is the Lady Faith McCarron, formerly of House of Lords stables."

     The two entered the ballroom, filled with the assembled upper echelon of Solaris society. The look on many of their faces was one of surprise. Faith knew that Vance had planned the event for maximum publicity and exposure. She had kept her arrival a secret, and he had kept his early preparations for a new stable equally under wraps. Tonight was to be the unveiling, the surprise announcement that made the splash that would ensure maximum press exposure, and, in turn, maximum money.

     As the furor subsided, members of the waitstaff quickly made sure that Vance and Faith had glasses of champagne. It helped as they made the rounds of the various dregs of the Solaris upper crust. Most squirmed at the thought of Vance Grigsby's further encroachment into the Solaris gaming scene.

     After a few moments of working the crowd, the came upon Alan Zheng, one of the more loyal Capellan stable owners, and some garishly dress floozy who dangled on his arm. "You have outdone yourself this time, Grigsby. We all knew you coveted a place in the gaming industry, but showing up with a washed up mechwarrior on your arm, this is a new low."

     Faith tense at the insult, but a gentle touch from Vance on her arm signaled her to tone down her defenses. This was his domain, and much as she might not like it, she needed to defer to him in this situation. At least until she had regained her stature here on the gaming world.

     "Afraid you missed out on an opportunity, Alan? That's not like you." Vance kept a cool smile.

     "It might have been an opportunity last year, before this one had slain several loyal Capellans in an attempt to cover her own downward spiral into debauchery. Fitting though, that she should find a place with you, one who is known to peddle such...trash."

     Vance chuckled. "Come now Alan, I am nothing but a legitimate businessman. And besides, I very much doubt you would like us to compare the pedigree of our escorts for this evening, given your company's ties to the....shall we say...oldest and basest profession in history."

     The fact that Zheng's companion did not flinch at the intimation of her involvement in the Solaris skin trade spoke both to her level of intellect and her lack of scruples.

     "If you think you are going to force your way into the stable industry with a traitorous has-been like this, you are in for a major fall, Vance." Zheng smiled slyly, and the nods from a few of the small crowd that had gathered showed that he was not in the minority opinion.

     Vance gave her arm a gentle squeeze. "You've managed to buy your way into the top twenty, why would you think that I can't?" He chuckled for emphasis.

     Zheng lunged forward slightly. "Martin Chao has made his way into the top twenty completely on his own merits. You and your traitorous whore will never make it that far!"

     At that epithet, Faith tugged at the grip of her escort. "I'm more loyal than you and your Cathay lackeys! I've bled for the Confederation, what have you bled for, asshole?!" Vance gently tried to rein her in.

     "Mr Zheng, while my colleague may be rather excitable, she does have a point. She has fought many a battle in the service to your beloved CCAF. Now, as a loyal subject of Hanse Davion, I would be the last one to intrude upon a matter of Capellan....honor...such as it may be. But Miss McCarron is a business partner of mine, and business is something we both understand quite well. We could spar over this all night, Alan, but we both know how foolish that would be. What would you say to settling this in the arenas?"

     Zheng laughed aloud. "You are desperate in your search for legitimacy, aren't you, Grigsby? Why would I agree to fight you and your whore?"

     Vance smirked. "The fact that you stoop to such insults shows a lot Alan. But if the lady and I are such an insignificant nuisance, why not dismiss us in the arenas? It's a simple matter."

     By now, a fairly significant crowd had gathered. She suspected that had been Vance's intention all along. There were significant players on the Solaris scene watching now, and with each passing moment, it was becoming harder and harder for Zheng to turn Vance down.

     "Fine!," Zheng spat, "Martin Chao will meet your traitorous whore in the Jungle, in single combat, and we will settle this once and for all!"

     Vance practically leaped at the chance. "Done! Faith will dispatch your yes man, and it will mark the inaugural victory of my new stable. Shall we say, two weeks time?"

Penthouse Suite, Sun and Sword Hotel

Black Hills

Solaris City

Solaris VII

24 August, 3052

     Faith lay on her back, staring through the skylight up into the stars on a rare cloudless Solaran night. Her breathing was slowly returning to normal, and a few beads of sweat remained on her skin. The ridiculously soft black satin of the sheets embraced her back, but the top sheets remained cast to the side, exposing her skin to the cool air of the room.

     "That went better than I could have hoped for. At least if you can beat Martin Chao" Vance Grigsby said as he lay next to her on his side, his hand resting gently on her abdomen.

     "I can beat Chao in my sleep. Why do you think you sided with me?" she replied.

     He chuckled in response. "I like to think the last few hours had something to do with my decision."

     Faith let herself laugh softly. "Don't play that card Vance. I know you can have any one of fifty whores on your payroll in your bed on a given night."

     "Then why are you here" he countered.

     "Adrenaline," she replied. "You danced on the edge tonight, gambling that one of those fools would take the bait because of their ego. It might be a different kind of rush, but it was a rush just the same. And I've never found as good a cure for a rush as a good couple of hours between the sheets."

     "And I won," he quipped. "In more ways than one. You're going to kick his ass in a few weeks, and I'm going to rake in the money.

     She let a soft laugh escape. "You mean WE are going to rake in the money. This is going to be your sweet spot, you know. The press is going to be all over this.

     He closed his eyes. "Yeah. And I'm going to rely on you to play that card. I didn't accept this risk just because you have a steady aim and a tight ass. You're press savvy. You can play this angle up. I'm relying on that to spark interest in our stable."

     She smiled. "Relax. I can play to the crowd just fine. And with my whole disloyalty angle, they'll be eating this stuff up faster than you can blink. The Davion angle rubs me the wrong way a little, but I can get over it if the price is right."

     Vance smiled "You seemed to let the Davion angle rub you fine just a few minutes ago." He paused with a smile that was a little too smarmy for Faith's taste. "It's not like you are fighting Liao soldiers. Solaris is a business. If you want to make the money, you'll deal with that part. And tonight shows me that you do want to make the money."

Exile of the Faithful - Chapter Three

Exile of the Faithful - Chapter Three

Black Hills

Solaris City

Solaris VII

Lyran Commonwealth

19 August, 3052

     Everything about Vance Grigsby's office complex fit in perfectly with his persona. Everything was new, and expensive enough that it screamed money. Not old money, the kind of money and power that came with nobility, but new money, the kind that came from a man who had made it himself and wanted to make sure that the world knew about it.

     Even the staffer that ushered Faith in fit the Grigsby mold, her hair was just the right blonde, her skirt just a little too tight and a little too short. The assistant took her place beside Vance's desk, as he reacted with a smile.

     "Faith McCarron. Now there is a face I never thought I would see on Solaris again. I thought you left to go play with the big boys now that those clanners have come to gobble up everything in existence?"

     He motioned to a chair opposite his desk, which Faith took. She leaned back, trying to exhude as much comfort with the situation as she could. "Yeah, well times change. Robbing Arby's can be more dangerous than I thought."

     Vance chuckled. "I've heard many a rumor about you. That you were doped up on stims, killed a few House Liao lackeys, and they're chasing your ass throughout the Inner Sphere. Now the stims part I believe, we all know you've got a weakness for the dust, but I thought you bled Liao green and soy sauce."

     "Let's just say that tales of my disloyalty are greatly exaggerated. But that doesn't really matter once the seed is planted, does it?"

     Vance motioned to his assistant, who poured him a scotch, and offered one to Faith, which she accepted. "Now, what I hadn't heard is that you were back here. And the fact that you're coming to see me first means you don't trust your old contacts down in Cathay. Probably a good idea, the Mask is thick down there. So what are you here for, a job? Not that you don't have the looks for it sweetie, but I wouldn't have thought you the humble type."

     "I'm not looking to push dust or turn tricks for your little...enterprise, Vance. I still have my dignity intact."

     Vance made an exaggerated gesture. "You wound me, my dear lady. I'm as respectable a businessman as it gets. I have clients throughout the city, and my goods are the best they come. You know that first hand, sweetie."

     Faith smiled ever so slightly. "Vance, we both know how deep your reach is. But I also know how much you like to paint yourself as the respectable one. That's the part that brings me here. I'm on shaky ground, things aren't what they were, and the House of Lords is more of a memory than anything else. What I need is money, a mech, and a stable. What I've got is what you need if you want to crack into the games business, talent."

     Vance paused for a moment, sipping his drink. "You're good, no doubt about that. And you've got the persona to headline. But why me? You know that I'm as Davion as a roast beef sandwich. If you're looking to stick it to Liao, I'm not interested. And I don't want a partner thats got her head so far up her ass about revenge that she let's business slide. As I said, sweetie, I'm a businessman. Money before loyalty, you know?"

     Faith took a drink of the scotch, a fairly good one from the taste of it. She let the burn slowly subside before answering. "That's exactly why I came here. You may be shady as hell, but your motives are clear as crystal. I don't need politics. I need business. You may be dirty, but you are down to business. You want to make money on the games to legitimize your other "holdings", I need to make money and I've got the skills to tear the circuit up. So what do you say?"

Exile of the Faithful - Chapter Two

Exile of the Faithful - Chapter Two

Crossroads Inn

Joppa, The Reaches

Solaris VII

Lyran Commonwealth

18 August, 3052

     It was raining. Though she had spent considerable time on Solaris, and the climate in The Reaches was exactly the same as that in Solaris City proper, it seemed to Faith that it rained more here in the reaches. It was a light rain, light enough that you could notice the sounds of water dripping off various rooftops and gutters. But it was raining nonetheless, and rain meant clouds. Clouds obscured the sky. Clouds cut her off from the stars.

     It was fitting, she supposed, since she was now cut off from what was once her home, cut off and on the run from the Confederation. At least for the time being, she told herself. Nobody was going to keep her down for long.

     "Staring at dreary, rainy streets serves no real purpose, you know?" she heard Cat say as she moved up beside Faith. Where Faith was leaning against the iron railing of the second floor balcony, Cat stood upright and poised, as ever.

     "Helps remind me of where I am." Faith replied.

     "I think you are focusing more on where you are not. You are not on Altorra. You are not with the Rangers. You are not with your daughter."

     "Yeah, all that's pretty obvious" she interrupted.

     "We are here because it is one of the only places where you are safe, and probably the only place where you can build up enough of a power base to restore your reputation. Back there you were a soldier, a cog in the machine. But here, you are Lady McCarron. You have a reputation, influence, a following. You have to build that Faith up bigger than she ever was before." Cat said.

     She was right of course. That was the whole reason they had come here. With the Maskirovka on her trail anywhere in Confederation space, she couldn't stay there. She had thought about turning mercenary and heading to the newly established mercenary star world of Outreach, but it would be do easy for the Mask to just disappear her there. But here on Solaris, she might just have a shot. The larger her public persona here on the game world, the more protection she would find.

     "I know. And I've got that covered. I have a meeting tomorrow to set things in motion. What about you, you said you had to go somewhere on business?"

     Cat's gaze did not meet Faith's. The dark haired woman stared out into the rain and mist. "Yes. Important business. Business that only I can attend to while you are here doing what must be done."

     Faith sighed. "One of these days, Cat, you are going to stop with the mysteries."

     Cat chuckled. "Perhaps, but not today, Lady McCarron. Not today."