Hartford Gardens
The Reaches
Solaris VII
Lyran Commonwealth
11 January, 3053
Faith had awoken less hungover than she expected. She wasn't entirely sure the same could be said of Paige, but she certainly couldn't fault the intrepid young reporter for lack of enthusiasm. After a quick brunch, Faith finally managed to rid herself of her new found sidekick and made her way back to the arena, where her mech was still berthed. She didn't really expect to find any further evidence of whoever was behind the sabotage of her mech, but she needed to check on the status of the repairs regardless. She did not have her next match arranged, but at the low level she was fighting matches at currently, a fight could appear on fairly short notice, and right now, she needed all the fights she could get.
At this hour, the arena itself was fairly empty, only techs and stable personnel were to be found. The facilities themselves were relatively well kept, but it was still the Reaches, and not Solaris City proper, with all of the baggage that came along with that. The money wasn't as big out here, but the fights were easier to come by, and the quick cash and screen time were helpful in between what matches she could secure on the main circuit.
She checked her weapon with security at the door, then made her way inside. She had hardly made it in the main entrance when a rather nondescript man in a dark bland suit headed her way. He oozed bureaucrat in so many ways it wasn't funny, and she knew she was in for an annoying time. As he reached her, he pulled out a badge of some sort.
"Faith McCarron?" he asked in that annoying way that nobody you actually wanted to talk to ever did. She nodded and he continued. "I'm Frank Miller, Solaris Gaming Board. If you have a moment, I'd like to talk to you about your last match?"
She sighed. "I don't, but I don't think that would stop the SGB, so let's talk on the way to the hangar bay."
The two began walking towards the bay. "I understand from your press conference post match that you decided to not use your mech's weapons. Is that correct?"
"Did it look like I used my weapons?" she retorted. Being flippant might not have been the best approach to take, but she was in no mood for bureaucratic banter.
"While it's certainly your prerogative to use whatever weapons you wish, we received information that perhaps some sabotage or fixing of the match was involved. I'm sure you understand, we take these allegations very seriously."
They reached the bay, and she made her way towards her mech. "Look, I'm sure you do. And yes, somebody messed with my mech's systems prior to the match. But I handled it."
Miller frowned. "Why didn't you report this?"
Faith stopped abruptly, resting her hands on her hips. "Because I can handle it. The last thing I need is people from the Gaming Board poking around and tipping off whoever is after my ass. I figured it was best to keep it quiet. If I have a target on my back, I want to-"
She was cut off by the thud of a heavy pistol firing. It echoed loudly through the mostly cavernous bay, making it difficult to determine where the shot came from. The target was easily identified, as a round slammed into the back of Mr. Miller's head, sending him flying to the ferrocrete floor and spattering blood everywhere.
After briefly recoiling, Faith dropped to a crouch and scanned the surrounding bay. She peered in the direction the shot appeared to come from, and saw only a pistol laying on the ground. She recognized it immediately. Shit. Whoever is after me has a serious hard on for taking me down.
She quickly ran over and scooped up the pistol, then sprinted out of the bay. Whoever was after her didn't want her dead at the moment, obviously, or they would have taken her down instead of the hapless SGB agent laying dead on the mechbay floor at the moment. Still, she didn't want to stick around. It was a clumsy frame job, but it was a frame job nonetheless, and she intended to be long gone by the time the authorities arrived.
This is going from bad to worse, girl. You better get on whoever this is, and fast.
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Friday, April 1, 2016
Hartford Gardens
The Reaches
Solaris VII
Lyran Commonwealth
11 January, 3053
There's a reason I didn't become a tech. No, there are many reasons I didn't become a tech. Faith had been poking around the innards of the Phoenix Hawk for nearly three hours. It wasn't that she didn't trust the techs, but she didn't exactly trust the techs. Something had gone wrong in her mech, and as soon as the armor plates had cooled enough to explore the systems, and her obligatory press conference had taken place, she had come to the hangar bay to try to figure out exactly what.
She had just about given up on the idea of finding it herself, pondering calling in a independent tech to take a look at things, when she spotted something out of place. Gotcha!
"Hey, smooth move fudging the truth at that presser." The reporters' voice caught her off guard and she nearly smacked her head against one of the mech's endo-skeletal bones. Distangling herself from the mech's innards, she climbed out and made her way down to the ground level where Paige stood, hands crossed across her chest.
Against the far wall, Faith saw herself from the media event earlier, displayed on a tri-vid. "What happened? What happened was that Strader was bush league. I knew I could take him, so I did it without weapons. Haven't seen the numbers yet, but I think the audience will love the show."
"It was an opportunity. Everyone in this town likes a show, and my explanation gives them one. Plus there's no point in calling out whoever tampered with my ride. I don't know who it was, but until I have them in my sights, not much point in making it public." She did her best to wipe the grease and grime away with a rag as she spoke.
"So it was sabotage! I knew it had to be." Paige exclaimed, quite proud of herself for the confirmation of her discovery.
Faith sighed, "Yeah. I just figured it out myself. Someone got in there and spliced a little relay into the wiring on my fire control systems. Cut off the signal to the weapons, but fed a ghost signal back to the targeting computer telling it that everything was fine. That's why it never showed up on my displays, even after I realized my guns didn't work."
Paige shifted her stance. "Well? What are you going to do about it? You have to figure out who did it."
Faith frowned. "Yeah, I know. But it's not going to be easy. I can't just go poking around asking questions like some reporter."
Paige leaped at the opening. "But I can. Come on, I sense a partnership here. I can help you with this, and in return, you can let me in on some of your story."
Faith laughed as she walked toward the locker room. "You really don't give up, do you? Alright, but I don't want you poking around stirring up some hornets nest. I have some rebuilding to do on my career here, and I don't need land mines blowing up on me."
"You've got a deal, partner!" Paige said, grinning from ear to ear.
Federated Hotel
Black Hills
Solaris VII
Lyran Commonwealth
11 January, 3053
The two women slammed their shot glasses down on the table at the same time. They had already finished the first bottle of cheap vodka, and had started on the second. Faith was far past the point where she wanted to test her ability to walk without endangering herself, and judging from the giggles, so was Paige.
"Fuck writing an article, we could make your story into a book. You've had so much crazy shit happen. I always thought maybe if I had to, I could write a book on my father. He was the champion back in '32. But you've got it beat." Paige said.
Faith took a few seconds to blink away the fog of the alcohol before responding. "I wouldn't go that far. I've been around a bit, that's all. And I damn well hope there's a few chapters left in my book, girl."
Paige leaned back in her chair, visibly taking a moment to reorient herself. "Yeah, well you might want to watch your back for a while if that's the case. You've obviously got a target on your back, and until we can figure out who's after you, things are going to be dicey, I'd wager."
Faith ran her fingers through her hair. "If you were betting, where would you put your money?" She slowly and deliberately picked up the bottle and scooped up the pair of shot glasses on the table between them.
"No way to know without digging. Could be Hasek's boys not taking a liking to having a Cappie in their ranks. Could be Cappies mad at you for all your shit back home. Hell, could be somebody we haven't even heard of just wants you gone for some reason, like money, and are just playing someone to get the deed done. Whatever, it's gonna take more sniffing around."
Faith sighed. "Yeah, no shortage of people on my shit list."
Paige laughed. "I know the feeling. So...one more for the road?"
Faith shot her a grin, and started slowly pouring two more shots. "You're plastered. No road for you, not unless you want to end up in the gutter."
Paige replied with an exaggerated wave. "I'm fine. You've gone shot for shot with me"
"I punch above my weight class, what can I say," Faith quipped as she slid a shot towards Paige. The two women downed their shots, Paige coughing slightly at the end of hers, as she began to stand, wobbled slightly, then let herself fall back into the chair.
"On second thought, maybe the road isn't such a good idea."
Faith very deliberately stood up, bracing herself against the table as she made her way over to the small island that delineated the boundary between the small kitchenette area and the main living area. She picked up Paige's coat at tossed it towards her, before stumbling towards the bedroom. "See you in the morning, newsgirl."
The Reaches
Solaris VII
Lyran Commonwealth
11 January, 3053
There's a reason I didn't become a tech. No, there are many reasons I didn't become a tech. Faith had been poking around the innards of the Phoenix Hawk for nearly three hours. It wasn't that she didn't trust the techs, but she didn't exactly trust the techs. Something had gone wrong in her mech, and as soon as the armor plates had cooled enough to explore the systems, and her obligatory press conference had taken place, she had come to the hangar bay to try to figure out exactly what.
She had just about given up on the idea of finding it herself, pondering calling in a independent tech to take a look at things, when she spotted something out of place. Gotcha!
"Hey, smooth move fudging the truth at that presser." The reporters' voice caught her off guard and she nearly smacked her head against one of the mech's endo-skeletal bones. Distangling herself from the mech's innards, she climbed out and made her way down to the ground level where Paige stood, hands crossed across her chest.
Against the far wall, Faith saw herself from the media event earlier, displayed on a tri-vid. "What happened? What happened was that Strader was bush league. I knew I could take him, so I did it without weapons. Haven't seen the numbers yet, but I think the audience will love the show."
"It was an opportunity. Everyone in this town likes a show, and my explanation gives them one. Plus there's no point in calling out whoever tampered with my ride. I don't know who it was, but until I have them in my sights, not much point in making it public." She did her best to wipe the grease and grime away with a rag as she spoke.
"So it was sabotage! I knew it had to be." Paige exclaimed, quite proud of herself for the confirmation of her discovery.
Faith sighed, "Yeah. I just figured it out myself. Someone got in there and spliced a little relay into the wiring on my fire control systems. Cut off the signal to the weapons, but fed a ghost signal back to the targeting computer telling it that everything was fine. That's why it never showed up on my displays, even after I realized my guns didn't work."
Paige shifted her stance. "Well? What are you going to do about it? You have to figure out who did it."
Faith frowned. "Yeah, I know. But it's not going to be easy. I can't just go poking around asking questions like some reporter."
Paige leaped at the opening. "But I can. Come on, I sense a partnership here. I can help you with this, and in return, you can let me in on some of your story."
Faith laughed as she walked toward the locker room. "You really don't give up, do you? Alright, but I don't want you poking around stirring up some hornets nest. I have some rebuilding to do on my career here, and I don't need land mines blowing up on me."
"You've got a deal, partner!" Paige said, grinning from ear to ear.
Federated Hotel
Black Hills
Solaris VII
Lyran Commonwealth
11 January, 3053
The two women slammed their shot glasses down on the table at the same time. They had already finished the first bottle of cheap vodka, and had started on the second. Faith was far past the point where she wanted to test her ability to walk without endangering herself, and judging from the giggles, so was Paige.
"Fuck writing an article, we could make your story into a book. You've had so much crazy shit happen. I always thought maybe if I had to, I could write a book on my father. He was the champion back in '32. But you've got it beat." Paige said.
Faith took a few seconds to blink away the fog of the alcohol before responding. "I wouldn't go that far. I've been around a bit, that's all. And I damn well hope there's a few chapters left in my book, girl."
Paige leaned back in her chair, visibly taking a moment to reorient herself. "Yeah, well you might want to watch your back for a while if that's the case. You've obviously got a target on your back, and until we can figure out who's after you, things are going to be dicey, I'd wager."
Faith ran her fingers through her hair. "If you were betting, where would you put your money?" She slowly and deliberately picked up the bottle and scooped up the pair of shot glasses on the table between them.
"No way to know without digging. Could be Hasek's boys not taking a liking to having a Cappie in their ranks. Could be Cappies mad at you for all your shit back home. Hell, could be somebody we haven't even heard of just wants you gone for some reason, like money, and are just playing someone to get the deed done. Whatever, it's gonna take more sniffing around."
Faith sighed. "Yeah, no shortage of people on my shit list."
Paige laughed. "I know the feeling. So...one more for the road?"
Faith shot her a grin, and started slowly pouring two more shots. "You're plastered. No road for you, not unless you want to end up in the gutter."
Paige replied with an exaggerated wave. "I'm fine. You've gone shot for shot with me"
"I punch above my weight class, what can I say," Faith quipped as she slid a shot towards Paige. The two women downed their shots, Paige coughing slightly at the end of hers, as she began to stand, wobbled slightly, then let herself fall back into the chair.
"On second thought, maybe the road isn't such a good idea."
Faith very deliberately stood up, bracing herself against the table as she made her way over to the small island that delineated the boundary between the small kitchenette area and the main living area. She picked up Paige's coat at tossed it towards her, before stumbling towards the bedroom. "See you in the morning, newsgirl."
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Hartford Gardens
The Reaches
Solaris VII
Lyran Commonwealth
10 January, 3053
Faith had gone over the systems in the Phoenix Hawk twice. Everything seemed in perfect order. She even deviated from her normal tendency to abbreviate the startup sequence, and went through things totally by the book. Everything looked solid. She couldn't help but shake the sense of uneasiness in the back of her mind, however.
She had no particular reason to trust Paige Townsend, the reporter who had brought her the warning that something was up. Then again, she had no reason to doubt her either. Paige was a small time reporter for a small time print news outlet on Solaris. For whatever reason, she had taken a dogged interest in Faith's story upon her return to the gaming world, but Faith supposed that Solaris must be littered with thousands of reporters looking for the break of a lifetime to jump start their career to bigger and better things in the highly competitive news market.
Faith flipped on her comms in time to hear the tail end of the stadium announcer's introduction of the two combatants. Her opponent for the night was one Malcolm Strader. She had studied his recent fights, and he was small time. She knew that she could handle him, in spite of the fact that her 3S-Phoenix Hawk gave up five tons to Strader's 4R-Enforcer.
Her board lit up green, and the gamemaster's green light followed a second later. She strode her mech out confidently into the lush green of Hartford Gardens. The Reaches arena was fairly small, and so combat would be joined relatively quickly. The terrain alternated between light trees and stretches of green open terrain. The only real cover came from a series of walls high enough to hide a mech, but generally not long enough to provide lasting cover.
Strader was a cautious fighter. Combined with the lower top speed of his Enforcer, she was confident he would not push things too aggressively. That would be her edge. She had a significant speed edge over him, even without engaging the mechs MASC system, and her jump jets could launch her 45 ton mech 60 meters further in a jump than Strader's own.
She pushed her mech into a run, quickly pushing past the shallow lake in the center of the arena, and bringing her mech to a halt behind one of the massive concrete walls. She flipped her sensors over to passive mode, and flicked the switch to activate the sensitive seismic sensors located in her mech's feet. Then she waited.
She did not have long to wait. In under a minute, the telltale sign of mech footfalls pinged her sensors. Strader was approaching cautiously, moving through the light woods on the other side of the wall. With her sensors on passive, and her mech motionless, she could get the slip on him.
As he reached the edge of the woods, he increased his speed slightly, taking him along the wall on the opposite side from her waiting mech. Just a few steps further..... When the pings of his mech's steps mad him right where she wanted him, she hit her jump jets and vaulted over the wall.
She landed in a perfect position, raising her mech from it's crouch 50 meters from Strader's Enforcer, flipped her sensors to active, and dropped her crosshairs onto the tempting target of his weak rear armor. The cross-hairs pulsed gold with a lock, and she hit her main trigger to fire an alpha strike into the hapless enemy mech.
Nothing happened. She glanced at her readouts again, everything showing green still. She hit the trigger again, then her secondary trigger. Nothing. By now, Strader had spun himself around, rather clumsily, and fired a burst from his class 10 autocannon. The shells found their mark, rocking Faith's Phoenix Hawk. He swung his large laser into line and carved a line of damage into the torso of her mech.
Whatever had happened, her weapons weren't working. At this rate, she was not going to last long against Strader. Hurriedly, she slammed the throttle forward and closed the gap between the two mechs before Strader could think to trigger his jets. She slammed her mech's shoulder squarely into the larger machine, sending it toppling towards the ground. As soon as she had cleared the falling enemy, she hit her jump jets, sending her mech sailing over the wall and coming down in the meager cover of a stand of trees.
Shit is going south fast. I hate to dump the ammo, but it's only a liability to me now. She hit the release on the ammo bins for her machine guns and anti-missile system, and the ammo jettisoned with a clunk. If I'm going to win this fight, it's going to have to be the old fashioned way.
She spent the next to minutes dodging fire from Strader. He was keeping his autocannon fire to a minimum, husbanding his precious ammo for a better shot. The large laser struck home several times, but mostly be was keeping her at bay. If she could not get close to his mech, she had no chance.
If lady luck had been laughing at her until now, she suddenly changed her mind and began to smile on Faith. As Strader moved slowly to reposition himself for a better shot, smoke and flame engulfed his mech's right leg. He had struck a mine, several of which were randomly seeded around the arena grounds by the arena staff. It caught him off guard, sending his mech falling to the ground once more.
Faith pounced at her chance, hit the MASC activation circuit, and sprinted her mech full speed toward the prone mech. It's pilot struggled to get the 50 ton machine to it's feet, and had almost succeeded in doing so when Faith's mech smashed full speed into it, sending both mechs falling to thr ground and tossing Faith hard against her harness. The Enforcer landed on it's back, with Faith's Phoenix Hawk on top of it.
Acting quickly, she managed to bring her mech to it's knees and proceeded to club the enforcer repeatedly with her now useless arm mounted large pulse laser. It took several blows, but finally one struck home on the mech's head, splitting the cockpit like an egg and smashing Strader into unconsciousness.
The Reaches
Solaris VII
Lyran Commonwealth
10 January, 3053
Faith had gone over the systems in the Phoenix Hawk twice. Everything seemed in perfect order. She even deviated from her normal tendency to abbreviate the startup sequence, and went through things totally by the book. Everything looked solid. She couldn't help but shake the sense of uneasiness in the back of her mind, however.
She had no particular reason to trust Paige Townsend, the reporter who had brought her the warning that something was up. Then again, she had no reason to doubt her either. Paige was a small time reporter for a small time print news outlet on Solaris. For whatever reason, she had taken a dogged interest in Faith's story upon her return to the gaming world, but Faith supposed that Solaris must be littered with thousands of reporters looking for the break of a lifetime to jump start their career to bigger and better things in the highly competitive news market.
Faith flipped on her comms in time to hear the tail end of the stadium announcer's introduction of the two combatants. Her opponent for the night was one Malcolm Strader. She had studied his recent fights, and he was small time. She knew that she could handle him, in spite of the fact that her 3S-Phoenix Hawk gave up five tons to Strader's 4R-Enforcer.
Her board lit up green, and the gamemaster's green light followed a second later. She strode her mech out confidently into the lush green of Hartford Gardens. The Reaches arena was fairly small, and so combat would be joined relatively quickly. The terrain alternated between light trees and stretches of green open terrain. The only real cover came from a series of walls high enough to hide a mech, but generally not long enough to provide lasting cover.
Strader was a cautious fighter. Combined with the lower top speed of his Enforcer, she was confident he would not push things too aggressively. That would be her edge. She had a significant speed edge over him, even without engaging the mechs MASC system, and her jump jets could launch her 45 ton mech 60 meters further in a jump than Strader's own.
She pushed her mech into a run, quickly pushing past the shallow lake in the center of the arena, and bringing her mech to a halt behind one of the massive concrete walls. She flipped her sensors over to passive mode, and flicked the switch to activate the sensitive seismic sensors located in her mech's feet. Then she waited.
She did not have long to wait. In under a minute, the telltale sign of mech footfalls pinged her sensors. Strader was approaching cautiously, moving through the light woods on the other side of the wall. With her sensors on passive, and her mech motionless, she could get the slip on him.
As he reached the edge of the woods, he increased his speed slightly, taking him along the wall on the opposite side from her waiting mech. Just a few steps further..... When the pings of his mech's steps mad him right where she wanted him, she hit her jump jets and vaulted over the wall.
She landed in a perfect position, raising her mech from it's crouch 50 meters from Strader's Enforcer, flipped her sensors to active, and dropped her crosshairs onto the tempting target of his weak rear armor. The cross-hairs pulsed gold with a lock, and she hit her main trigger to fire an alpha strike into the hapless enemy mech.
Nothing happened. She glanced at her readouts again, everything showing green still. She hit the trigger again, then her secondary trigger. Nothing. By now, Strader had spun himself around, rather clumsily, and fired a burst from his class 10 autocannon. The shells found their mark, rocking Faith's Phoenix Hawk. He swung his large laser into line and carved a line of damage into the torso of her mech.
Whatever had happened, her weapons weren't working. At this rate, she was not going to last long against Strader. Hurriedly, she slammed the throttle forward and closed the gap between the two mechs before Strader could think to trigger his jets. She slammed her mech's shoulder squarely into the larger machine, sending it toppling towards the ground. As soon as she had cleared the falling enemy, she hit her jump jets, sending her mech sailing over the wall and coming down in the meager cover of a stand of trees.
Shit is going south fast. I hate to dump the ammo, but it's only a liability to me now. She hit the release on the ammo bins for her machine guns and anti-missile system, and the ammo jettisoned with a clunk. If I'm going to win this fight, it's going to have to be the old fashioned way.
She spent the next to minutes dodging fire from Strader. He was keeping his autocannon fire to a minimum, husbanding his precious ammo for a better shot. The large laser struck home several times, but mostly be was keeping her at bay. If she could not get close to his mech, she had no chance.
If lady luck had been laughing at her until now, she suddenly changed her mind and began to smile on Faith. As Strader moved slowly to reposition himself for a better shot, smoke and flame engulfed his mech's right leg. He had struck a mine, several of which were randomly seeded around the arena grounds by the arena staff. It caught him off guard, sending his mech falling to the ground once more.
Faith pounced at her chance, hit the MASC activation circuit, and sprinted her mech full speed toward the prone mech. It's pilot struggled to get the 50 ton machine to it's feet, and had almost succeeded in doing so when Faith's mech smashed full speed into it, sending both mechs falling to thr ground and tossing Faith hard against her harness. The Enforcer landed on it's back, with Faith's Phoenix Hawk on top of it.
Acting quickly, she managed to bring her mech to it's knees and proceeded to club the enforcer repeatedly with her now useless arm mounted large pulse laser. It took several blows, but finally one struck home on the mech's head, splitting the cockpit like an egg and smashing Strader into unconsciousness.
Federated Hotel
Black Hills
Solaris VII
Lyran Commonwealth
10 January, 3053
At first, Faith was unsure if the terrible buzzing sound was real, or in her head. Without opening her eyes, she knew that the horrible pain in her head was most certainly real, and no matter how hard she tried to block it out and fall back asleep, she failed.
After what could have been five minutes or five hours, she wasn't quite sure which, she finally made the mistake of opening her eyes. The Game World was almost always dreary and rainy, but as her eyes opened, she would have sworn that the systems sun was parked five meters outside her window. Of course, the fact that she had left the curtains open was not helping matters. Then again, the empty bottle of scotch laying on the floor at her bedside probably was the main culprit.
"Fuck off!" she shouted. Turning her head away from the window helped, but not much. It did, however, clue her in to the buzzing sound that had been plaguing her. Her comm unit, laying beside her on the bed, continued to drone on, calling for her attention. Attention that she was in no mood to give at the moment. She picked it up and flung in generally in the direction of the window. It did not help the buzzing, or the light pouring in.
After a few more minutes, she summoned up the will to sit up, stubbing her toe on the empty bottle. Cheap shit, anyhow. She glanced over at the clock. Almost 1300 already, damn. She had a match this evening, scheduled for 2100 in one of the Class 3 arenas out in the Reaches.
Half an hour later, after a lukewarm shower and a handful of oxy-pills, she felt somewhat better. Or at least hungry, which was a good sign. She slipped on a pair of dark fatigues, a tank top, and her Sternsnacht, pulled her hair back into a somewhat rough ponytail, and headed out the door.
On reaching the lobby of the hotel, she made her way to the desk. It wasn't the highest class establishment in the city, certainly a far cry from her suite at the Solaris Hilton she had enjoyed on her previous stay on Solaris, but it got the job done. It was generally clean, and more importantly, it enjoyed a somewhat lower profile, something she was looking for at the moment.
"Anything for me today, Rick?" she asked the desk attendant. She had now been here long enough that the staff knew her, and she paid her bill religiously, so they were friendly.
"Not today, ma'am. But you have a....um...visitor." He gestured toward the front door. A woman was already making her way toward Faith. Great maker, what did I do to deserve this?
Faith started towards the door, and the woman fell into step beside her. She was probably around Faith's age, with dark hair and a light skin tone that pegged her most likely as a native of Solaris dreary weather. She was dressed casually, pulling her comm unit out of the pocket of her dark brown raincoat. "My fight isn't until 2100 Paige, and it's out in the Reaches. Can't a girl grab lunch in peace?"
The woman chuckled. "The adoring public knows no hours, and so neither does the press."
They made their way out onto the street, and much to Faith's disappointment, the reporter kept pace with her in spite of her efforts to quicken her step. "It's the 31st century, I thought print media was dead." Or maybe I just hoped.
"The Federated Suns has the highest literacy rate in the Inner Sphere. Or at least that's what the big boys over at FCNS always say. But the news is a cutthroat business here on Solaris. An intrepid reporter has to stay on her toes to make ends meet, you know."
Faith pushed her way through the door at the corner Arby's, which, aside from a few people that were obvious tourists, was fairly empty. She made her way to the counter and tossed a few D-bill notes on the counter. "Whatever the Hanse Davion special is, as long as it's greasy."
"Make that two."
Faith stared at the reporter.
"Hey, uncovering the truth makes a girl hungry. Kind of weird for a Cappie to be eating greasy Arby's burgers though, isn't it?"
Faith put her hands on her hips and sighed. "I told you, Liao threw me out on my ass. You don't believe me, there's a Triad member with a broken nose over in Cathay who can vouch for me."
The eager boy behind the counter returned with two baskets, each containing a greasy mass that passed for a burger, and fries that helped explain Hanse Davion's heart attack last year. Faith grabbed hers and made her way to the booth furthest in the back of the restaurant. To her dismay, Paige slipped into the seat opposite her.
"I'm still sure there's way more to that story. And one day I'll get it, trust me. But that's not why I'm here."
Not waiting to finish the mouthful of burger she was working on, Faith shrugged her shoulders. "Ok, I'm dying of anticipation," she mumbled.
"I still have a million questions. Like why you're starting out slumming it when 2 years ago you were a hotshot on everyone's radar. Or why you're hanging out in the Black Hills. Or why you're not sporting the 4th Tau Ceti logo anymore. Or where that shady chick that always used to hang around with you is. But hey, don't mind me, I'm just nosy."
Faith scoffed, "I hadn't noticed."
The woman smiled a genuine smile. "Charm goes with the territory. But thanks. And no, I'm not here to grill you about any of that stuff. I'm here with a juicy tidbit of information."
Faith gulped down a mouthful of Timbiqui root beer. "So you're here to share it out of the goodness of your heart, right?"
"I didn't quite say that. But this is something you'll want to know. And I figure if I help you out, you'll be more willing to talk." She didn't wait for Faith to respond before she kept going. "Your fight tonight is against a fighter from Blackstar. In theory, they're as Fed Suns as the rest of us, but everyone knows Drew Hasek-Davion is Hasek to the core, and they're...well, they're Haseks."
Faith frowned. "What does Fed Suns politics have to do with me?"
"Politics has to do with everyone. You should read the paper more. But anyway, the Haseks power base is the Capellan March. They see Liao as the boogeyman behind everything. Hell, they don't even see the Clans as being as big a threat as Max Liao's ghost."
"Then they are idiots. I've fought clans. They're bigger and badder than anything in the Rimward side of the Sphere."
Paige nodded. "That may be true, but that's not the point. The point is I'm not the only one who's got questions about your past. Lots of Capellan March types would rather see you meet a nasty fate rather than go anywhere here in the Black Hills. Now, Blackstar is a big stable, and they might think twice about pulling something in one of the major arenas. But they've got pull in Davion circles, and your fight is out in the Reaches, where the gaming board is a little less omnipresent."
Faith stopped eating. "So you're saying they're going to try some shady shit?"
Paige nodded again. "I don't know exactly what. I've got connections, but they only go so far, you know? There's all kinds of chatter that you're going to get what's coming to you, but it's real scant on the specifics. Just watch your back. I'd hate to lose a juicy story, you know?"
Black Hills
Solaris VII
Lyran Commonwealth
10 January, 3053
At first, Faith was unsure if the terrible buzzing sound was real, or in her head. Without opening her eyes, she knew that the horrible pain in her head was most certainly real, and no matter how hard she tried to block it out and fall back asleep, she failed.
After what could have been five minutes or five hours, she wasn't quite sure which, she finally made the mistake of opening her eyes. The Game World was almost always dreary and rainy, but as her eyes opened, she would have sworn that the systems sun was parked five meters outside her window. Of course, the fact that she had left the curtains open was not helping matters. Then again, the empty bottle of scotch laying on the floor at her bedside probably was the main culprit.
"Fuck off!" she shouted. Turning her head away from the window helped, but not much. It did, however, clue her in to the buzzing sound that had been plaguing her. Her comm unit, laying beside her on the bed, continued to drone on, calling for her attention. Attention that she was in no mood to give at the moment. She picked it up and flung in generally in the direction of the window. It did not help the buzzing, or the light pouring in.
After a few more minutes, she summoned up the will to sit up, stubbing her toe on the empty bottle. Cheap shit, anyhow. She glanced over at the clock. Almost 1300 already, damn. She had a match this evening, scheduled for 2100 in one of the Class 3 arenas out in the Reaches.
Half an hour later, after a lukewarm shower and a handful of oxy-pills, she felt somewhat better. Or at least hungry, which was a good sign. She slipped on a pair of dark fatigues, a tank top, and her Sternsnacht, pulled her hair back into a somewhat rough ponytail, and headed out the door.
On reaching the lobby of the hotel, she made her way to the desk. It wasn't the highest class establishment in the city, certainly a far cry from her suite at the Solaris Hilton she had enjoyed on her previous stay on Solaris, but it got the job done. It was generally clean, and more importantly, it enjoyed a somewhat lower profile, something she was looking for at the moment.
"Anything for me today, Rick?" she asked the desk attendant. She had now been here long enough that the staff knew her, and she paid her bill religiously, so they were friendly.
"Not today, ma'am. But you have a....um...visitor." He gestured toward the front door. A woman was already making her way toward Faith. Great maker, what did I do to deserve this?
Faith started towards the door, and the woman fell into step beside her. She was probably around Faith's age, with dark hair and a light skin tone that pegged her most likely as a native of Solaris dreary weather. She was dressed casually, pulling her comm unit out of the pocket of her dark brown raincoat. "My fight isn't until 2100 Paige, and it's out in the Reaches. Can't a girl grab lunch in peace?"
The woman chuckled. "The adoring public knows no hours, and so neither does the press."
They made their way out onto the street, and much to Faith's disappointment, the reporter kept pace with her in spite of her efforts to quicken her step. "It's the 31st century, I thought print media was dead." Or maybe I just hoped.
"The Federated Suns has the highest literacy rate in the Inner Sphere. Or at least that's what the big boys over at FCNS always say. But the news is a cutthroat business here on Solaris. An intrepid reporter has to stay on her toes to make ends meet, you know."
Faith pushed her way through the door at the corner Arby's, which, aside from a few people that were obvious tourists, was fairly empty. She made her way to the counter and tossed a few D-bill notes on the counter. "Whatever the Hanse Davion special is, as long as it's greasy."
"Make that two."
Faith stared at the reporter.
"Hey, uncovering the truth makes a girl hungry. Kind of weird for a Cappie to be eating greasy Arby's burgers though, isn't it?"
Faith put her hands on her hips and sighed. "I told you, Liao threw me out on my ass. You don't believe me, there's a Triad member with a broken nose over in Cathay who can vouch for me."
The eager boy behind the counter returned with two baskets, each containing a greasy mass that passed for a burger, and fries that helped explain Hanse Davion's heart attack last year. Faith grabbed hers and made her way to the booth furthest in the back of the restaurant. To her dismay, Paige slipped into the seat opposite her.
"I'm still sure there's way more to that story. And one day I'll get it, trust me. But that's not why I'm here."
Not waiting to finish the mouthful of burger she was working on, Faith shrugged her shoulders. "Ok, I'm dying of anticipation," she mumbled.
"I still have a million questions. Like why you're starting out slumming it when 2 years ago you were a hotshot on everyone's radar. Or why you're hanging out in the Black Hills. Or why you're not sporting the 4th Tau Ceti logo anymore. Or where that shady chick that always used to hang around with you is. But hey, don't mind me, I'm just nosy."
Faith scoffed, "I hadn't noticed."
The woman smiled a genuine smile. "Charm goes with the territory. But thanks. And no, I'm not here to grill you about any of that stuff. I'm here with a juicy tidbit of information."
Faith gulped down a mouthful of Timbiqui root beer. "So you're here to share it out of the goodness of your heart, right?"
"I didn't quite say that. But this is something you'll want to know. And I figure if I help you out, you'll be more willing to talk." She didn't wait for Faith to respond before she kept going. "Your fight tonight is against a fighter from Blackstar. In theory, they're as Fed Suns as the rest of us, but everyone knows Drew Hasek-Davion is Hasek to the core, and they're...well, they're Haseks."
Faith frowned. "What does Fed Suns politics have to do with me?"
"Politics has to do with everyone. You should read the paper more. But anyway, the Haseks power base is the Capellan March. They see Liao as the boogeyman behind everything. Hell, they don't even see the Clans as being as big a threat as Max Liao's ghost."
"Then they are idiots. I've fought clans. They're bigger and badder than anything in the Rimward side of the Sphere."
Paige nodded. "That may be true, but that's not the point. The point is I'm not the only one who's got questions about your past. Lots of Capellan March types would rather see you meet a nasty fate rather than go anywhere here in the Black Hills. Now, Blackstar is a big stable, and they might think twice about pulling something in one of the major arenas. But they've got pull in Davion circles, and your fight is out in the Reaches, where the gaming board is a little less omnipresent."
Faith stopped eating. "So you're saying they're going to try some shady shit?"
Paige nodded again. "I don't know exactly what. I've got connections, but they only go so far, you know? There's all kinds of chatter that you're going to get what's coming to you, but it's real scant on the specifics. Just watch your back. I'd hate to lose a juicy story, you know?"
Saturday, November 28, 2015
Exile of the Faithful - Chapter Nine
Exile of the Faithful - Chapter Nine
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.
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
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."
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."
Saturday, November 21, 2015
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?"
"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."
"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."
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