Finally getting out of the rut...

Hopefully finally out of the writing block rut here. I have a pretty decent portion of a post written, and with luck, I will have it finished, polished, and posted within the next day or two.

Exile of the Faithful - Chapter One

Exile of the Faithful - Chapter One

Mule-Class Dropship Penny's Pride

Nadir jump point

Purvo System

Capellan Confederation

12 June, 3052

     Faith woke to find herself face down on the cold deck. She had been in and out of consciousness several times in the last...well, she didn't know how long. Her head was splitting with an almost unreal pain, and her stomach was rocked with cramps that seemed as random as they were intense. Then there were the chills. She could not shake the chills and shivers, even though she knew that the room was probably quite reasonable in temperature.

     She tried to stand, but as she pushed herself up off the floor, her arms buckled and she slammed to the deck once again. She contemplated yet another attempt, but heard rapid footsteps making their way over to her.

     "How many times must I tell you, do not try to get up and walk around," Cat said as she helped Faith to her feet. "I know you are as stubborn as a mule, but this is not helping. You have to ride this out." With Cat's assistance, she made her way over to the bed, and curled up in an almost fetal position. Cat pulled a sheet over her and knelt next to the bed. "Remember, you are not simply suffering withdrawal from a single drug, but all of whatever were in your concoctions. Wait until you are recovered. Then we can figure out this mess."

Auxiliary Barracks

Purvo

Capellan Confederation

9 June, 3052

(Three days earlier)

     Faith wanted to slam her fist into the wall of her temporary berth. Incompetence, that's what had nearly cost the day. If it weren't for the efforts of dozens of brave MechWarriors, the FedSuns forces would still be rampaging over the planet. That's what happens when you put some second-line commander with delusions of grandeur in charge of a real operation. 

     "By Kerensky, I'm giving the Strategios a piece of my mind of saddling me with this assignment. After I figure out how to get the hell out of this assignment." She spoke aloud, even though the room was empty.

     She picked up her comm unit and started to dial, then realized that it was not connected. "No signal? Damn, these bumpkins are worse than I thought. Can't even keep comms up in their base."

     At that moment, the door flung open and Cat burst in, carrying a satchel. "Pack your gear, FAST!" As if to emphasize her point, she started grabbing strewn about items and stuffing them into Faith's gear bag.

     "What the hell is going on? Did you know the comms are down?" She stood there, waiting for some kind of reply.

     "Comms are not down. Only yours is down. Now hurry up."

     "What do you mean only mine? What the hell?"

     Cat paused from her hurried packing spree to face Faith. "You fucked up, that is what is going on. You pissed off that pompous fool on his own turf. We all know he fucked up, he always fucks up, but this time you gave him a scapegoat, and he means to use it."

     Faith rested her hands on her hips. "He's a blowhard. So what?"

     "He may be, but he is a blowhard with connections to the local Maskirovka agent. He wanted to pass off the near-debacle onto someone, and he must have had sources. He got the Mask to pull your last blood test, and it came back laced with god knows what. He is going to use that to railroad you."

     Faith started grabbing her gear and packing, even as she tried to wrap her head around what was going on. "So why are we running? I have to defend myself. Sure I was juiced to hell, but I still downed 2 or 3 times as many Rats as his whole little command lance put together."

     "That will not matter. They are out for blood and a scapegoat. If the Mask get their hands on you, we lose any hope we have. We have to get out of here before-"

     She was interrupted as the door opened and two Gatekeeper infantrymen entered, sub-machineguns at their sides. Before Faith, or they, could react, Cat had swung around to face the door, pistols already raised. The autopistols barked rapidly, the rounds catching each of the troopers in the upper torso and spinning them to the ground.

     "Shit! What the hell is going on?" she yelled.

     Cat turned to face her. "You have to get it together, and fast. We have to get out of here, or else your neck is going to be in the noose."

     With that, Faith crammed the last of her essentials into the bag. As an alarm sounded, they bolted out the door, in search of freedom.

The Art of Compromise - Chapter Two

The Art of Compromise - Chapter Two

Penthouse Suite 2, Cathay Arms

Cathay

Solaris VII

Lyran Commonwealth

22 May, 3049

     Faith dropped her gear bag on the floor of her apartment. She quickly headed over to the kitchen bar, poured herself a shot of cheap vodka, and downed it immediately. She hadn't bothered to shower or change after tonight's fight, she had simply thrown on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt over her cockpit garb, swapped a pair of comfortable tennis shoes for her boots, and headed straight home. She was in no mood to party.

     The fight had been easy enough. Her opponent wasn't even in her league. She should have won the fight much quicker, and maybe a few people had lost some money betting on how long the fight would last, but who cared. She was about to head to the shower, when a sharp banging on the door caught her attention.

     "What is it, I don't need this now," as she opened the door, Cat pushed her way in with a huff. 

     "What the hell was that?" Cat stood with her hands on her hips. She was dressed casually in loose fitting combat trousers and boots, a white tank top that fit her snugly, and had her black hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. Her expression was not pleasant, she looked like she was spoiling for a fight.

     "It's called a win. I trashed the guy. Now if you hadn't noticed, I'm kind of a mess right now, I was planning on taking a shower." she said defensively. 

     Cat was not impressed. "Oh you are a mess, alright. You should have taken that hapless boy down in half the time you did. You were impatient, you pulled shots. If you were facing a real opponent you might be dead right now."

     Faith stepped closer to the other woman. Cat was taller and more muscular than Faith, and Faith knew she would almost certainly lose a fight with the dark haired woman, but right now she was not in a mood for criticism. "Well if you're so perfect, why don't you step into the arena with me and we can hash it out, miss know-it-all?"

     Cat scoffed, "I am not here to fight you. I am trying to figure out what is wrong with you."

     She shoved Cat in the chest. "Nothing is wrong, I'm fine, now get the hell out of here!"

     As she pushed Cat, the larger woman grabbed her arm and twisted her around by it. She forced her a few steps forward, then slammed Faith face down into the large plush sofa, pinning her down and leaning close to her.

     "I came here to help. If you want me to leave, fine. But do not try to take whatever your problems are out on me." With a parting shove, she stood up and headed for the door. Faith sat up quickly, filled with anger and wanting to punch her fist right through a wall. Cat was almost at the door.

     "Cat, I'm scared!" The other woman stopped as Faith continued. "I just fell deep into something big and I'm scared to death. And I don't even know why I'm telling you this, but there it is."

     Cat slowly walked back into the room and sat, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees across from Faith. "Tell me what has happened and I will try to help."

     Faith stared at the floor as she recounted the tale. "A couple of days ago, I got an invitation to a meeting with Arthur Hopewell. He wanted me to work for him."

     Cat frowned. "Hopewell is about as Davion as they come. Small time business dealings, big time money. There are rumors that he has ties to the FedSuns government, but nothing substantiated. Why would he want to offer you a job?"

     "He didn't. The rumors about him and the FedRats, they're probably true. He's blackmailing me." Faith sighed.

     Waiting for a moment as she pondered, Cat finally responded. "To blackmail someone, he must have something to hold over you. What is it?"

     Faith ran her hands through her still dirty hair. "A while back, after a fight, I hit up some of the clubs like usual. And afterwards, I may have gone to a hotel room to party with a guy....or three. Hopewell must have set it up somehow, because he has pictures and video."

     "That is not a particularly big deal. All it shows is that you have a rather healthy appetite. If the video were leaked, you might have to face embarrassing questions for a few days, but if anything, your popularity would rise. The audience would eat up a good sex tape."

     Faith shook her head. "That's not the end of it though. According to Hopewell, one of the guys is an MIIO agent. If that came to the attention of the Maskirovka, at the very least my career as a mechwarrior would be over and they'd ship me off to some backwater where I could never find out anything about anything ever again. At worst I'd end up in some gulag somewhere." She paused and took a deep breath. "And on top of that, the pics and video shows that I might also have had some illegal drugs there. That could mean jail time, and definitely would get me run out of town by the gaming board."

     Cat stood and began to pace. "I knew I should have warned you about that. Your habits are going to cause you nothing but trouble."

     "I know, but....wait, you knew about that?"

     She nodded. "About the drugs? Yes, I suspected. At the very least that you were using stims to get jacked up before a fight. I will not bother to lecture you on the long term consequences, but you must be more discreet, at least."

     Faith laughed. "Yeah, well it's a little late for that now. I just....I don't know what do do at this point."

     "What has he asked you to do?"

     "So far, nothing. But he made clear that he will. And that if I don't go along, or if any harm comes to him, that the info gets released and I get burned."

     Cat shook her head. "This will not be easy. But I am willing to help. We can fix this, given time and patience. The first thing we will have to do is mitigate any damage that he does. You will have to trust me, and let me know the instant that he asks you to do anything. The more he has you do, the deeper he will have you compromised, so in the short term, we must work to minimize any damage you do and leave no evidence leading back to you. In the long term, we must find out how he has this data kept. Then we gain control over it. Then we kill him."

     Faith laughed. "That easy, huh?"

     Cat shook her head in response. "No. But I have been thrown to the wolves on matters such as this, and learned many lessons the hard way. In the end, we will beat him."

     "Why are you doing this, Cat? I mean, we're friends and all, but you've only known me a couple of months. Why take on a risk like this?"

     "My reasons are my own. Maybe once we take this scum down, I will share them with you."

The Art of Compromise - Chapter One

The Art of Compromise - Chapter One

Hopewell Plaza
Black Hills
Solaris VII
Lyran Commonwealth
20 May, 3049



     Though it was done subtly, signs of the owner's wealth were visible throughout the entrance to the office building that was Hopewell Plaza, the Solaris headquarters of Hopewell Enterprises. From the company logo finding its way nearly everywhere, to the ultra-modern construction, to the immaculately tailored employees, it was clear that Hopewell was a profitable enterprise.

     Of course, what exactly that enterprise was seemed to be another question entirely. When she had received an invitation to a meeting with owner Arthur Hopewell, Faith had done what research she could on the interweb. Real estate, consulting, and other nebulous terms were thrown around when describing the company. But what stood out was it's links to the Solaris gaming industry. Hopewell had apparently invested heavily with various stables, arenas, and design firms around the city to the point that it seemed like he had his fingers in everywhere.

     The invitation had been vague, but an invitation by a power player on the Solaris scene like Hopewell was not something you simply turned down. Her initial instinct had been to go in dressed as her usual casual self, Sternsnacht Python and all, but she had thought better of it. This was Hopewell's turf, best to respect it. And so now she stood at the reception desk, dressed in a dark green skirt suit, heels, hair and makeup all done to perfection.

     "Faith McCarron, I have an appointment with Mr. Hopewell." she forced a smile to the secretary sitting behind the desk, who looked like her practiced smile was practiced 24 hours a day.

     "Of course, he's waiting for you. His office is at the end of the corridor, you can't miss it."

     Faith headed down the indicated corridor, and found the office door, complete with a large bronze name tag with Arthur Hopewell's name emblazoned on it. She knocked on the heavy wood door, and entered when she received a reply.

     Arthur Hopewell was dressed just as you would expect him to be, in a suit current with the latest trends, perfectly tailored, with a sword and sunburst Davion pin on his lapel. He looked to be about in his mid forties, with light blonde hair, and the smile of a politician, far too natural.

     "Yes, thank you for coming Miss McCarron. Or is it Lady? You Lords prefer that title here on the game world, don't you? Well, with a gaming record like yours of late, who am I to argue. Please, have a seat."

     She took a seat in front of his spacious desk. The seat was luxurious beyond belief, soft leather that welcomed the occupant comfortably. "Can I offer you a drink, Lady McCarron? Scotch perhaps. I have a 14 year Balvenie that just arrived from Terra."

     "Of course, thank you." The man had obviously done his homework. He poured two robust rocks glasses of Scotch, handing one to Faith before sitting down behind his desk with one himself.

     "I must say, I'm impressed with your performance here as a newcomer. Only 22 years old, and you are tearing up the lower divisions of the medium and heavy circuits. But more than that, you have fire, and you're doing it with flair. Seems like you might have what it takes here on Solaris to make a career of this."

     Faith took a sip of the excellent scotch and nodded at his praise. "Thank you. I'm not sure how long I'll be here, but I am loving the opportunities the game world provides for a good mechwarrior."

     "Oh yes, there are endless opportunities here. I'm no mechwarrior, but I've made my fortune here and have no plans on going anywhere. And as a pillar of the community, I am always on the lookout for young rising stars like yourself. We could have a profitable association together."

     There it was, starting to come out. He wanted something, but she wasn't sure yet what it was. "Perhaps. But as you know, House of Lords is unaligned. And I am Capellan by birth. I'm not sure that would fit with your squeaky clean Davion image."

     He dismissed her concerns with a wave of his hand. "Nonsense. We rise above factionalism here on Solaris, at least on a superficial level. Besides, it is your connections with the Confederation that interest me. The local Triads love you, and you're still officially on the Confederation rolls, are you not?"

     She nodded.

     He pulled a folder from a drawer on his desk. "Whenever I consider a partnership with someone, I make sure to do my research. it's always best to know with whom you are dealing. Your brash personality isn't just in the arena in front of the cameras, is it? It seems you are quite the party girl, aren't you?"

     Faith chuckled. "I like to live the Solaris night life, yeah. What's the point in raking in the cbills if you don't use them?"

     "Indeed. And you use them beyond the club scene, don't you?" He opened the folder and slid several photos over to her. They had obviously been captured with some kind of hidden camera. The images were of her, in rather compromising positions with several men in a suite at a Solaris hotel. She couldn't quite tell which one from the images.

     She shrugged. "So I like me some beefcake. Piloting stompy robots can get a girl all hot and frustrated you know. And for the record, I didn't spend any c-bills on these guys, if that's what you're worried about."

     He smiled a smile that left her feeling rather uncomfortable. "You haven't yet caught on. I have little interest in how you satisfy yourself, my dear Lady." He paused for a moment. "Do you know any of those gentlemen?"

     "Yeah, not really sure gentlemen is the right word. But no, I don't know them. I'm sure they told me their names and all, but that wasn't really what was sticking in my mind at the time, you know." She was starting to get annoyed with this man.

     "Yes, well I have no idea or interest in who two of them are, but you should be very interested in who the third one is. The blonde, he is a known MIIO agent. That's right, a Davion agent." He raised an eyebrow.

     "So I banged James Bond. Big deal. Was he the one who took the pictures?" Just about now she could have slugged the guy in the face.

     "No. I arranged for someone to have the images recorded. There is video as well, if you're interested. But I don't suppose you are, you were there for the live event. But I tell you who just might be interested in these images and that video. What would the Maskirovka say if they found out that you, a Capellan Citizen and CCAF mechwarrior, were playing games with a Davion spy? I imagine they would be none too happy about that, now would they?" His smile was gone, but she could tell in his eyes that he was pleased with himself. He passed her several more images. "And there's more. These images here show you have some expensive tastes. Opiates, Dust, Stims, I wonder what the Solaris gaming board would think of that?"

     She stared at him with fire in her eyes. "You snake. I have half a mind to kill you right now. You're trying to blackmail me, seriously?"

     He laughed. "Oh no my girl, I am not trying. I AM blackmailing you. And some food for thought, I have these images stashed away somewhere safe. I monitor them from time to time. Should you kill me, or I die in an accident, or at all, they will be automatically released. So you better hope I live a good long life, because if I don't, then it's a race to see if the Solaris Gaming Board can throw you in prison before the Maskirovka whisks you off to some dungeon somewhere on Sian."

     She smashed her fist into the table. "And what, exactly, am I supposed to do?"

     "Whatever I need you to. Having someone with Capellan connections is going to go a long way for me. You will be one of my most prized assets."

Test of Faith - Epilogue

Test of Faith - Epilogue

CCS Ilsa Hyung

Styk System

Capellan Confederation

1 August, 3075

     Faith was awake, but did not open her eyes. She had already woken up several times before, and she started to find that waking up to look at the clock only served to make time pass more slowly as she lay in bed in the medical bay of the Capellan Warship Ilsa Hyung. She knew that Acadia was there watching, but she did not move or give any sign that she knew. She just lay back and relaxed. After a few minutes, she heard Acadia turn and begin to leave.

     "Not so fast, kiddo," her voice was still somewhat weak, but it had improved. She opened her eyes in time to see her daughter turn and return to her bedside, taking hold of her left hand.

     "Hey mom, how are you doing?"

     Faith grimaced. "I think somehow every part of my body hurts right now, all at once. But I'll survive. How are you?"

     Her daughter smiled. "Fine. We're still about 12 hours from the next jump. At least a couple weeks from Sian."

     She squeezed her hand. "It will be good to get back to everyone." Acadia looked down as Faith mentioned returning. "You are mad at your father, arent you?"

     The younger woman pursed her lips. "No."

     Faith sighed. "Not only are you a lousy liar kiddo, but remember who you're talking to here. I was the queen of being pissed off at your age." She paused for a moment. "You should cut him some slack."

     Acadia tensed. "Why? Why the hell shouldn't I be mad at him?! He was going to do nothing, he was just going to leave you to whatever those crazies wanted to do to you. He didn't even give a damn."

     At that point, Faith cut her daughter off. "Knock it off. Your father and I have been fighting beside one another longer than you have been alive. Don't tell me he didn't give a damn, because I know him better than that. And you, for someone who did such a selfless thing, risking it all, you are being damned selfish when it comes to your father."

     Acadia gave a huff in response. "Selfish? How do you figure that one?"

     "Your dad and I are the best of friends. We have been through hell and back together. Don't you think for one second that he didn't want to come after me, that it wasn't tearing him up that he couldn't. But he couldn't. Sometimes it's about more than one person. It's about the unit, and the people in the unit. How was he supposed to go to the husbands and wives and kids of the people who would have died coming after me and tell them, sorry, but your loved one was less important than me getting one person back. Tell me that."

     Acadia stood in frustrated silence.

     "And then on top of that, he has to deal with his only child being mad at him for making the only choice he could. How do you think it made him feel letting you go off on a suicide mission, knowing that what was probably the last time he would see you that you were hating him? How do you think that felt for him?"

     The young woman flailed her arms wildly. "He didn't even know. He wouldn't have let me go, I had to go on my own."

     Faith raised her hand. "Bull. You think he didn't know the whole time that you were going to do what you did? Why do you think Cat agreed to come along with you? How do you think you guys found out about the CCAF raid timing? How do you think there was a shuttle with Death Commandos waiting to extract you guys? Just like he couldn't choose to go himself, he knew he couldn't choose to stop you if you were determined. So he let you come after me because he knew you had to for your own sake, and he risked losing you because of it. And you are mad at him after all that? So yeah, you are being selfish."

     Acadia stared at the floor for several minutes in stubborn silence. "Look, I'm sorry. This whole thing has just been insane, that's all.

     "I understand, kiddo. But you did great. I owe you everything."

     Acadia smiled. "Nah. You brought me into the world, the least I could do is keep you around in it for a few more years, right?"

     "Well, when you put it that way...Now, go on. Get out of here. Let this old lady get some sleep. I have to get back into ass-kicking shape"

Test of Faith - Chapter Twelve

Test of Faith - Chapter Twelve

Jezrael Desert

Pleione

Word of Blake Protectorate

28 July, 3075

     It was show time. They had no choice but to succeed now. If they failed, they would end up in Blakist hands, or vaporized in a nuclear mushroom cloud. They had practiced and trained for weeks. There was nothing left but to do it. It was mostly silence as Cat drove the vehicle through the desert to the step off point.

     "You seem unusually quiet and preoccupied. Is everything alright?" Cat asked Acadia. It was true, normally the young woman was a chatterbox before something big. Now, she seemed to say very little.

     "Yeah." she responded, staring out the window into the blackness of the night desert.

     "You must not lose your focus. Keep the plan in your mind. This will work." Cat wasn't sure if she was saying it more to reassure her young charge, or to reassure herself.

     A few more moments of silence passed. "I told Paxton the truth."

     Cat smacked the steering wheel with the palm of her hand. "Stravag, child. You did what?! Why did you do that?"

     "I know you said to trust nobody, but he's clean, I know he is. And I didn't want him near the city when the bombardment hits."

     Cat virtually growled in frustration. "You told him that as well? About the attack plans? Blake's Blood, child. You need to get a handle on yourself. Just because you are coupling with some boy does not mean that you must pour your heart out to him. At it certainly does not mean you can pour your brain out to him. What if he tells someone? Or what if he is as emotionally reckless as you and tries to do something, and gets captured and THEN tells something."

     "He won't. I know he won't. And I'm sorry, but I just did what I had to. And besides, I don't give you hell for your sex life, no matter how weird it is."

     Cat smiled and playfully slapped Acadia on the leg. "I do not discuss secret plans with my coupling partners."

     "As if. Besides, you probably only bang people with higher clearance than you have anyway." At the very least the mood had lightened, even if Cat was furious inside with Acadia's recklessness. After a few more minutes, they were at the starting point. Fortress Thunder Rock loomed above them.

     "We are here." Cat stated the obvious. They each got out of the vehicle. Cat put a hand on each of Acadia's shoulders. "Remember everything we have gone over. Get as far inside as you can, but once they discover you, make sure your face is picked up by as many of their cameras as you can. Swallow the transmitter the instant you make contact with your mother. And then for Kerensky's sake, keep yourself safe for as long as you can. Buy me as much time as you can. Right?"

     Acadia nodded. "Thank you aunt Cat. For everything. See you soon." And with that, she turned and sprinted off into the night.

     Do not thank me until this is over. If I fail here, you are both lost.

*****

     Acadia got through the outer wall with relative ease. Even at night, there were so many vehicles entering and leaving the facility that one small person slipping in went unnoticed. She crept deeper into the facility methodically, working her way through mostly dark and deserted areas. Her first test would not come until she reached the first door that required an ID badge to open the lock.

     At a busier time of day, it might have been more difficult, but she was entering through an area used primarily for shipping and receiving. The Blakists had no doubt detected the Capellan task force and were on high alert, but their attention would be far from the food and supply delivery areas. She waited until a robed adept approached the door and swiped his badge, then she slipped quietly in behind him before the door closed.

     She worked her way deeper into the compound, staying in shadows, corners, behind equipment. Just as she had practiced. Cat was confident enough that Blakist security would catch Acadia naturally that she had discouraged her from attempting any obvious blunders in order to get caught. Everything had to appear natural.

     Though her heart was racing, part of her felt like a child again, sneaking around the 4TCR barracks or Castle McCarron late at night when she was supposed to be sleeping. A few times she had crept into the command center unnoticed, and watched the boring, mundane activities of a functioning military unit. But that all seemed so long ago now.

     She started to move from one shadowy corner towards the detention area, but suddenly a pair of robed Adepts turned the corner, carrying some paperwork. She immediately retreated, trying to duck back into the shadowy corner where she had started, but as she did, a door opened and light from inside an office bathed the hallway in light.

     "Intruder! Alert security!" She didn't know which Blakist had called out the alarm, and she didn't care. She sprinted towards the two Adepts she had first seen, and barreled through them, knocking them both to the ground. As she ran down the corridor from which they had just come, she noticed the dome of a security camera covering the area, precisely what she wanted.

     A second later, a loud alarm klaxon began sounding. It was only a matter of seconds before she encountered resistance, but in that time, she noted at least two more cameras observing her. The idea was that with an intruder in the building and alerts sounded, the head Manei Domini would have to be aware of the breach of security, and it would not take one of the Blakist super-soldiers long to determine Acadia's identity. That's what they were counting on.

     She turned yet another corner and stumbled onto two security guards. They raised their weapons hastily, just as she drew her own pistol. They exchanged quick shots, before Acadia darted back behind the corner. She pressed herself against the wall and stopped to catch her breath. Too late, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye, and as she turned, a bolt from a stun gun slammed into her side. She shook violently, and fell to the ground.

     Blakist guards were on her in seconds, cuffing her hands behind her back and shouting, both commands at her and questions into their comm units. She screamed at them, "Let me go you toaster worshiping pigs! Let me go! You're all going to die!"

     It took a sparse few minutes before the guards lifted her off the ground, hands still cuffed behind her back, and began roughly marching her toward the detention area. The led her down several corridors, and through a few checkpoints without so much as stopping. She had obviously been fast tracked for something.

     Finally, they arrived at a door, and as it opened, they shoved her through the opening. She emerged in a small room, with only a metal chair in the middle. The room was empty except for a woman wearing white Word of Blake robes standing on the far side of the room looking at her. The woman's eyes shone a sapphire blue, almost mimicking the color of the accented streaks in Acadia's hair. Acadia stared back at her with as much courage and anger as she could muster.

   The woman walked closer to her, looking her up and down as she circled her, coming to a stop in front of her. Then Eisheth laughed. "This is it? This scrawny little runt is the daughter of Faith McCarron? Pathetic."

     Acadia spat at her, "Sorry to disappoint. I didn't do my makeup today."

     Eisheth took a step closer and stared into her eyes. "My dear little girl, there isn't enough makeup in the world to make you into even a pale imitation of your mother. I have gotten to know you mother intimately over these last months, and I have found she is very strong in spirit, a true warrior. You on the other hand....you can only muster this clumsy attempt?"

     "We'll see how clumsy I am when I kill you! Take these cuffs off and I'll show you some spirit." She was mustering up all the bravado she could. Deep down, she was truly terrified of this woman, this monster that stood before her.

     "Ha. By all means, I look forward to this." The precentor pulled a knife from her robe and walked behind Acadia, slicing off the plastic zip cuffs before sheathing the knife and returning to stand in front of Acadia. "There, you are unbound. Hit me, little girl."

     Acadia was beyond confused now. She hadn't expected that turn of events. After a second to recover, she lashed out with a punch towards the woman's face. The Manei Domini brushed aside the blow with her left hand, and with almost superhuman speed and strength, reached out with her right hand, grabbing Acadia by the throat and lifting her off her feet, slamming her into the wall. She pinned her there and pressed her face close to Acadia's.

     "You pathetic, little girl," she laughed. "You are a frail, and an exceptionally frail one at that. You are hardly worth my time. In fact, if not for who your mother is, I would crush your neck right now and dispose of you without wasting another second. The only difficulty I am having is deciding which will bring me the greatest pleasure and reward. Should I simply kill you, slowly, painfully, agonizingly in front of your mother to break the last remnants of her will? Or should I break you and turn you to the Master's will and let her see me have you as a pet? Your mother has survived months of pain, agony, and humiliation and only now is she beginning to break. I could break you, frail thing, and have you worshiping me as a goddess in barely an hour."

     The door opened, and Eisheth let Acadia drop to the floor. "Ah, look who has arrived, fresh from the sensory deprivation tank."

     Acadia gasped audibly as she saw the guards dragging her mother in. Almost as an afterthought, she popped loose the small transmitter strapped to the roof of her mouth, but down on the casing, and swallowed it. She barely recognized her mother, naked, her head bare, face gaunt. Her body was emaciated and weak. The guards dumped her unceremoniously on the ground, as if she was garbage, and then left. Acadia started to run to her, but Eisheth grabbed her by the back of the neck and forced her to her knees. "You are going nowhere, pet." she hissed. Then calmly, in an almost soft voice, she called out "Faith. Faith, you must wake up. I have a special visitor here for you."

     After a short while, Faith started to move, lifting herself up with her arms and blinking as if dazed. Acadia wanted to cry. The fire was gone from her mother's eyes. After a few seconds, Faith's gaze shifted from Eisheth to Acadia. "No. No, this is a trick. This isn't real. This cannot be real." Her voice was weak and strained.

     Eisheth smiled. "Oh, my dear Faith, it is quite real. This is, indeed, your lovely daughter. She came here to try to save you. And, I suppose, in a way, she will. Once I turn her to Blake's will, she can help to bring you the last few steps of the way."

     As the monster spoke her words, Acadia watched as the life and the fire returned to Faith's eyes. Slowly, clumsily, but steadily, she managed to stand up and stumble a few steps towards them. When she spoke, there was an anger in her voice that Acadia had never in her life heard. "No. No! You cannot have her. So long as I am alive you will not have her!" Faith stumbled closer, as if she was going to attack the Blakist with what feeble strength she had left. When she got within arm's length, Eisheth slapped her across the face, and she slumped to the ground motionless.

     "No! You b*tch!!!!" Acadia wrested herself free of the Precentor's grip and began pummeling her with blows, most of which seemed to be innefectual. Eisheth grabbed her by the throat and pinned her to the ground.

     "I am growing very tired of you. Perhaps you are more trouble than you are worth."

      Though she kicked and struggled, Acadia could not free herself. "Go choke yourself on Toyama's --" She was cut off as Eisheth squeezed harder. Just then, she heard the door open.

      "I told you we were not to be dis-" gunshots rang out, echoing harshly in the confined space of the room. Acadia felt the pressure on her throat release as two bullets tore into Eisheth's shoulder. The Blakist cyber-warrior spun away bounded to her feet. Acadia saw Cat's black clad form sprinting across the room, pistols in both hands, trying to get a bead on Eisheth.

     With almost insane speed, the red-haired Blakist lunged at Cat, knocking the guns from her hand and allowing her weight to follow through as the two smashed to the ground. As each scrambled to their feet, Eisheth drew her knife in a swift motion and slashed, slicing through the material of Cat's jumpsuit and opening a gash across her left arm. Almost simultaneously, Cat delivered a blow square to Eisheth's jaw with her right fist, sending the Blakist reeling for a second.

     It was all Cat needed, as she lunged and engaged Eisheth again. The two grappled in a fight that seemed almost choreographed, each blocking and countering, where one scored a blow the other retaliated in kind. Never in all her years had Acadia seen Cat so fierce as now. Time seemed to freeze as she went toe-to-toe with the augmented Blakist warrior. It was the battle that the two were made for, Cat having been bred for war from the best that the Star League had to offer, and Eisheth, a human blended with technology for the purpose of exterminating the children of Kerensky.

     And then, in an instant, it seemed to reach it's end. Cat misjudged a blow, and Eisheth pounced, knocking the older woman's right leg from beneath her and sending her sprawling onto her back. The Blakist poised over her with a death blow, her eyes burning a bright red. Acadia had never seen such hatred and rage in someone's eyes.

     And then Acadia squeezed the trigger. The round struck Eisheth just above the right eye. The Manei Domini spun around and backwards, landing face down on the ferrocrete floor. Acadia didn't even remember picking up the gun, which must have been knocked from Cat's hand. She didn't remember lining up the shot. She only remembered the burning hatred in the Blakist's eyes, and squeezing the trigger.

     Cat lay on her back, her chest heaving up and down trying to catch her breath. Acadia sat motionless on the floor, the pistol in her hand, her face blank. Only a few seconds passed, but it seemed like lifetimes. Almost in unison, both regained their wits, and scrambled over to where Faith lay slumped on the floor. Cat spun her over and checked for a pulse.

     "She is alive. We have to hurry out of here. Get something to cover her with." Acadia ran over to the body of the fallen Blakist monster. She pulled the white, but blood spattered robe off of the lifeless woman's body, pausing for a moment to look into her mechanical eyes. She was dead. Whatever monster inhabited those eyes was gone forever.

     She ran back over to Cat, and the two of them wrapped the still unconscious Faith in the Blakist robe. Just then, the ground shook beneath them. It was a subtle rumble, but it could be felt nonetheless. "The bombardment has started. We have to hurry!"

     The only upside to the fact that the Capellan flotilla was beginning to pulverize parts of the planet surface was that the Blakists inside now had many other things to deal with. It allowed them to move quickly through the facility, past more Blakist bodies than Acadia could even fathom how Cat had dealt with. Before long, they had reached the perimeter.

     The night sky was ablaze with light, a terrible rain of death from the heavens as the Capellan warships blasted Word installations from orbit. "How are we going to reach our extraction point?" She asked Cat.

     "Never mind that. How are we going to  get far enough away from this place before they hit it?" she replied. At that moment, a figure brandishing an assault rifle popped from cover behind a rock outcropping a few meters away.

     "You ladies need a lift? C'mon!" It was Paxton.

Test of Faith - Chapter Eleven

Test of Faith - Chapter Eleven

Jezrael City

Pleione

Word of Blake Protectorate

27 July, 3075

     Acadia pressed her hands down firmly on Paxton's chest and closed her eyes as she let her breathing slow, still straddling him. She could both feel his chest rising with each breath, and feel his still rapid heartbeat in his chest.

     "Not that I'm complaining, but what's gotten into you tonight, anyway, Acadia?" he half chuckled as he spoke. She had dropped in unannounced shortly after sundown, and their lovemaking had commenced almost immediately. Pleione's single large moon was now well overhead in the sky outside the apartment.

     She slowly slid off of him, then dropped onto her back beside him. She took a moment before speaking. "I'm leaving after tonight, Pax."

     He rolled over onto his side and stared at her. "What? What are you talking about?"

     She stared straight up at the ceiling, barely lit by the moonlight shining in the window. "Just what I said. You won't see me again after tonight."

     "Is this some kind of joke?"

     She ran her hands over her face, letting her fingers run through her hair as she let out a long sigh. After a moment, he rolled further over, swinging one leg over her so he sat astride her, as he gently took her hands in his. "Say something?"

     She closed her eyes as she let out her next words. "I haven't been honest with you." His grip loosened, but he did not let go. She opened her eyes to see him staring down at her, confused. "I'm not a student studying here, I'm a mechwarrior in the CCAF. My name isn't Acadia McClellan, it's Acadia McCarron. The Capellan officer you saw the Word capture, her name is Faith McCarron, and she's my mother."

     Now it was his turn to fall silent. He slowly let go of her hands and rolled over on the bed. She quickly rolled to face him, and put a hand on his cheek. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you the truth before. I probably shouldn't even be telling you now, but I couldn't just take off and not say something."

     He reached up and took her hand. "So tell me, were you just getting close to me to see what I knew, or what?"

     She shook her head. "No, I mean....at first.... Pax she's my mother, I had to do everything I could. But we've spent so much time together, and that doesn't make it any less real. I mean, after a while, I realized....I just...am I making any sense at all? Please say yes."

     He pulled her close to him. "Yeah, I understand. I just wish you had said something. I mean, I could have helped, I can still help."

     She put a finger to his lips to quiet him. "No. We have a plan, and it's my risk to take."

     "Wait a minute, you don't mean....you're going to try to break her out of there yourself? That's crazy, that's a suicide mission."

     She nestled her head deep into his chest. "I can do it. I have to do it."

     He sighed heavily. "Why now? If you wait, we can maybe come up with a plan and help you."

     She lifted her head up and looked into his eyes. "No, it has to be now. Listen to me. Last night, a CCAF task force jumped in system. That means they'll be here tomorrow night. I have to have her out by then."

     His eyes lit up. "A task force? So they're finally here to kick the Wobbies out?"

     Her head sank for a moment. Then she lifted it again and stared at him with a renewed fire in her green eyes. "No, and that's why you have to listen to me, why I couldn't leave without talking to you. You have to get out of the city and away from any possible Blakist presence."

     "I don't understand"

     She bit her lip. "They're not here to liberate the planet. They're here to bombard the hell out of the Blakists. They're going to hit the fortress and any other Blakist forces they can with god knows what. Orbital bombardment, maybe even nukes, I don't know."

     "There has to be something I can do to help you."

     She kissed him gently on the forehead. "I have to go in a couple of hours. Just hold me till then."