“Target position check,” Tenner ordered, almost casually.
“No change,” the Hunter from the sensor blister called back.
“Excellent. Maintain speed and heading,” Tenner ordered, but before his helmsman could reply, a bright wash of light strafed the forward hull just before the bridge. The deck heaved and men were thrown to the floor as a forward laser battery was bisected and exploded. Pulling himself back into his chair, Tenner roared for order. As the flames parted, he watched the Scythe twirl away as the anti-air weapons littered across the upper hull of the Vicious exploded into action, tracking the target, but too slow to keep up.
“Enemy mech!” the Hunter cried.
“Really?” Tenner asked deadpan.
“It was hiding in a sensor shadow until the last moment. It’s the same unit that engaged us earlier,” the man said, trying to control his voice.
“Traitorous pup,” Tenner said under his breath as he considered his next course of action. He nodded and then jammed his finger on the communications command panel bringing up the holographic interface. A man’s face appeared on the screen.
“Get it ready,” Tenner said. “I want to take a stroll.” The face merely nodded and then signed off the line. “Helm, keep this fleet headed towards the prize. You know what needs to be done. I’ll return shortly.”
Tenner strode from the bridge to a chorus of “Yes, leader!”
It took him several minutes to make his way to his destination nestled between the main engines on the lowest deck. The Man of War-class ship was large and it took time to reach one end from the other. But the timing was perfect and his orders had been completed by time he arrived at the launch bay. There was only one machine in the large bay, but that one machine took most of the available space all on its own.
Tenner’s Alpha was a massive mech. Created by Military as an armored troop transport in mech form, it was large even by Military standards. It had more than enough room to ferry a squad of soldiers, but Tenner had put that space to other purposes. He’d completely gutted the machine and installed a Patterson reactor scrounged from one of his corvettes that was twice the size of the original making the mech massively overpowered. He’d spent the rest of the extra space on equipment to control and funnel that massive energy to a number of small PDEs nestled all over the rear plating, from knee joints to shoulders. As a result, his Alpha was large, fast, and powerful. The downside to all of that power was that the machine was hard to control.
Tenner had wrecked more than once in learning to fly the beast, but had eventually acquired the skill and perfected the design changes. He liked to gloat that his Alpha was a match for any wing of Military mechs. In reality, Tenner had the skill to back the boast up. He’d proved it more than once, and those battles had long since become legend among both the mercenary groups and the Military task forces earning the Deep Wolves a wide berth. It was time again for Tenner to unleash the fury of his Alpha and strike down the upstart once and for all.
“All systems are ready, Leader,” the engineer said as soon as Tenner walked up to the loading lift. “Ammunition fully loaded, and all weapons are primed. You are ready to launch,” the man finished, handing Tenner a pressure suit. So much of the Alpha was devoted to engine and weapon systems that the machine didn’t even have a life support system.
Tenner quickly suited up as he took the lift up to the mid-chest plating. The chest plating was already parted and Tenner climbed in through the small portal, taking care to not catch his breather pack on the edges. Once inside the cramped cockpit, he plugged the breather into a special socket designed to hold it and strapped himself in. Once he was secure, he ran through his startup checks.
The holo-imaging system came online, creating a perfect 360-degree replica of the area around him. Tenner fought back the familiar sense of vertigo, and sealed the cockpit up. The chest plating slid back into place adding its substantial armor to the protection of the pilot. He then quickly and expertly ran down the list of checks as the giant machine came to life. Tenner could feel the deep rumble in his chest from the overpowered Patterson reactor as it began to spool up.
Finally all checks were complete and the Alpha was released from its gantry. Tenner expertly walked the mech backwards to the edge of the landing bay doors which had opened during his startup checks. The deckboss walked him out from atop the gantry, and then saluted when Tenner hit the right point. The next part was easy, and exhilarating at the same time: Tenner simply leaned backwards. The massive mech tumbled out from the bay.
A hundred feet below, the main engines of the Alpha fired, and the mech righted itself. Throwing open the throttle, the giant mech shot upwards into the sky. He quickly passed the Vicious and began hunting for his wayward pup. It didn’t take long to spot the purple spiral racing from an exploding ship. She’d downed another of his fleet. Tenner’s anger, no, his pride, couldn’t take it any longer. He lined up his long range laser canon, attached to the outside of his right arm, and squeezed the trigger. The brilliant green energy lanced out at the speed of light, dead on target for Kella’s Scythe.
Kella didn’t even see it coming. It happened so fast that she didn’t even have time to brace herself and she was rocked violently against the straps of her harness from the surprise explosion. Warning buzzers began to scream wildly as sparks snapped from a blown control board, and she felt a horrible shudder come from her leg controls. She punched up the damage and in horror, realized that her Scythe had just lost its right leg at the hip.
She poured on the speed and fled. She twisted around the enemy cruisers, but found her turning was greatly slowed by the missing limb. The cruisers began firing towards her and came uncomfortably close. Her game of cat and mouse with the fleet was over with the damage she’d sustained, and her new assailant was the factor that had tipped the scales out of her favor. She needed to get to the Vicious and destroy it, or everything had been in vain. She flipped over and shot off towards the flagship but zigged away at the last moment, warned by a sudden sensor buzzer. The laser trailed after her, and she realized she couldn’t escape it. She brought up her arm and managed to deflect some of the beam, but the power was so great that the mirror shield overloaded and exploded, taking her left arm with it.
Panicked, she scrambled to find some cover from this unknown enemy. She wasn’t even sure where it was at. Her sensor display was behaving erratically tracking a target only to lose it again, as if the sensors were only picking up shadows. It took her a moment too long to realize the enemy was using a sensor jammer. A cute little trick, the jammer collected and then mimicked the same waves of the sensor device, in effect rendering the machine attached to the jammer invisible. Kella was surprised she was getting any return at all on the display and chalked it up to Gavin’s superior design. Even so, she barely had time to gasp when the blip appeared again. Far too close for her to evade.
“I have you now,” Tenner laughed out loud as he finished his coup de grace. The sleek mech before him didn’t even react as he swooped in behind it and lashed out with his fist. The armored glove of the Alpha punched through the armor of the Scythe like it was paper. Tenner could feel the machines and cables give way though the feedback on the tips of his armature gloves. The pilot realized, albeit far too late, what was happening and was with all of her might resisting, but her mech was no match for the power of the Alpha.
Tenner chuckled as he twisted his arm around inside the torso of the mech, destroying and crushing everything as he searched. The mech pulled a mono-blade and thrashed with it scoring a few minor hits, but Tenner found what he was looking for. He clenched his fist tightly and the impaled Scythe stopped moving, hanging like a dead animal clenched in the teeth of a predator. It was over. Tenner upped the power of the PDEs and headed back for the Vicious.
“Are you done yet?” Gavin asked angrily over the channel.
“For the last time, no,” Hughes replied. “I’m working as fast as I can, Brains.”
“She’s been gone far too long,” Gavin said, mostly to himself, as the camera remote floated around the bridge anxiously.
“She’s a skilled pilot,” Hughes said through gritted teeth as he wrestled an emergency emitter into place with the assistance of six of Gavin’s robots. “I’m sure she can take care of herself. Hell, Brains, she took out my Knight. That was my first loss. Ever.”
“I’m so sorry for you,” Gavin said emotionlessly. He knew that Hughes, whatever his reasons, was trying to cheer him up, but Gavin couldn’t stop worrying. Increasing his worries, his ‘helpful’ band of VIs kept throwing up probabilities of her successful return. He’d always appreciated the odds before, but now, he wish he didn’t know.
“All I’m saying is that you should have some faith. When we get this behemoth fixed, we’ll show those damn mercs the door and track her down,” Hughes said as the emitter finally slid into place. “Speaking of which, where are the Wolves?”
“Still closing,” Gavin replied, checking the sensors. “They’ve regrouped and tightened their formation,” he finished with a sour note.
“Ah,” was all Hughes could say. He turned to look out at the horizon as the sun dipped below it, lighting the green sky on fire into dazzling yellows and bright greens. The jungle around them seemed to loom closer than it did before and a shiver ran up Hughes’ spine. The temperature was dropping. He was getting that old bad feeling again.
“Gavin, I’m coming in,” Hughes said after a moment. The robots could prepare and set the next emitter without him. He quickly trotted across the long expanse of wing, taking care to not kick any of the vanes or sensor spines sticking up from the smooth exterior. Hughes remembered his first glimpse of the Praetorian back on Dulabar and how big he thought it was then, parked on the tarmac at Duckett’s Landing. Now that he was running along the top of it, he realized it was far bigger than he had originally given it credit for.
By time Hughes climbed the ladder down into the upper airlock, he was short of breath. Falldown’s gravity was only a hair over the standard Gravity, but Hughes was already feeling the strain in his muscles. He was suddenly struck with the odd idea that this planet would make for a good training camp.
“There’s food in the forward lounge,” Gavin said over the ship’s intercom.
“Thanks,” Hughes said, realizing that he was indeed hungry. It wasn’t the reason he’d come inside, but now that Gavin had mentioned it, his priorities shifted slightly. He quickly grabbed a snack and a water pouch and moved on to the bridge. If his suspicions were correct then they’d probably be getting a phone call. No sooner did Hughes reach the bridge when the communications station beeped. Gavin quickly punched up the holo transmission, and a pit formed in Hughes’ stomach. He placed the snack on a chair, no longer hungry. He hated it when he was right.
“To the living computer onboard the Praetorian,” the merc said, smiling wide. The camera was tightly focused on his face, which was lit darkly by dim, blue-tinted light. “I demand that you deactivate yourself immediately, surrendering that great ship to me.”
“Who is this?” Gavin shot back, his camera remote front and center in the return transmission. Hughes noticed he wasn’t in the frame.
“Ah, pleasantries,” the merc said with a sneer. “Very well. My name is Tenner Anders and I am the Leader of the Deep Wolves mercenary company. As a mercenary, I am bound to the contracts I take, and I’m known for completing any contract I take on. Unfortunately for you, my contract is you.”
“To what purpose?” Gavin asked.
“An interested party has requested you be acquired.”
“I was under the impression that the Military disliked hiring Mercs,” Gavin growled.
“Oh,” Tenner sighed. “We’re not with the Military.”
“Then who?” Gavin shot out, but Tenner dismissed his question with a wave.
“I do apologize, but I’m bound by a strict confidentiality clause,” he said smiling crookedly. “Now that our pleasantries are concluded, let us move on with our business. I need you to do as you’re told. You have no viable option of resistance.”
“Like hell,” Gavin said but Tenner cut him off again.
“Are you referring to this?” The camera pulled out away from Tenner and a body flashed before the screen. Gavin could only stare as the camera focused on the figure as it crashed violently to the floor. The figure was bound, and the face was bloodied. Even so, Gavin could tell it was Kella from her bodysuit and from her figure. The VIs quickly ascertained a 98% probability match.
“I thought so,” Tenner sniffed. “You understand that she belongs to me, yes?”
“She belongs to no one,” Gavin said, quietly.
“Wrong!” Tenner shouted, quickly standing up. “This bitch is mine! I gave her everything! She ran with my pack, and then she just decides to run with another? I think not!” Tenner said as he unleashed a heavy boot into her middle. Kella cried out and tried to curl up against the pain, but was unable to do so, prevented by the bonds. She lapsed into a coughing fit and Gavin could do nothing but watch.
“No,” Tenner said shaking his head, his anger calming. “No, I think not. But see, if I’m not mistaken, and I could be, as it is quite hard to judge your reaction from that emotionless camera serving as your freakish avatar, but I think she means something to you. And judging how hard she was fighting against me, I would say you mean something to her. Am I right?”
Gavin said nothing, nor moved. Tenner smiled, and sat down.
“Then we have an understanding. I am going to give you five minutes to completely shut yourself down, or I will take out my anger on her before you. You will see every horrid detail as I exact my displeasure. It will not be quick, nor will it be pleasant.”
“Can’t take me on yourself, eh?” Gavin said tonelessly. Tenner’s eyebrow ticked.
“Don’t test me,” Tenner said coldly. “You have five minutes.”
The communications snapped off and Hughes found himself releasing breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. “Son of a bitch,” he whispered.
The camera remote floated over to the helm chair and flopped down. “It’s over,” Gavin said morosely. “I can’t sacrifice her for my freedom. I can’t.”
Hughes watched as the remote shivered slightly and realized with a start that Gavin was in a state of defeat. Hughes felt a sudden pang of sympathy for the man and realized that there was something they could still do. Something he could do.
“Gavin,” Hughes said quietly. “I need to know, do you trust me?”
The remote floated upwards and swiveled around to look at Hughes.
“Four minutes, thirty seconds from mark,” the Hunter from the weapons station called out. Tenner was pacing the bridge, making a long circle around the bound and prostrate Kella. He was leaving her on the bridge to suffer. He was sure he’d broken a bone or two with that last kick, and she’d suffered some damage when he’d gone probing for her mech’s Patterson reactor. She needed to be taken to med bay, but Tenner knew she’d hold out for a few more minutes. She was even still conscious and somewhat aware of what was going on.
“I have a communication!”
“Put it up,” Tenner said, grinning.
Tenner stopped grinning when a man in a Military uniform appeared on the screen. “My name is Major Evan Hughes. I’ve been helping the thieves aboard this craft in order to gain their trust since they took me hostage. After your last transmission, I was able to use a control box while the AI was distracted and disconnect it from the ship. Should you meet my terms, I will turn over control of this ship to you.”
“Really?” Tenner asked; unsure of exactly who he was dealing with. “And why would the Military simply hand over such a grand battleship to a mere Merc?”
“That’s simple,” Hughes replied without hesitation. “We only needed the data contained in this ship’s databases. The ship itself is inconsequential.”
Tenner breathed in, his eyebrows lifting as he mulled it over. Finally he nodded. “Alright, name them.”
“I wish to be given safe passage to a neutral planet with a starport. Secondly, the girl.”
“The girl?” Tenner repeated tonelessly, his ire building.
“Yes,” Hughes nodded. “Release her to my custody. You see, she’s become something of my pet, and I would like to keep her.”
Tenner grinned and then laughed. “Is that so?”
Hughes didn’t move.
“In that case, I agree to the first, but I’m going to have to think over the second. You see, I have a very large complaint with the behavior of our little runaway and it needs tending to.”
“I understand,” Hughes nodded. “But I have grown rather fond of her, much to her dismay, and I would hate to lose such a skilled pet. So she is my second condition.”
Tenner’s eyebrow twitched. “I could simply storm the ship by force and kill you, you know.”
“Not that I am underestimating you, sir,” Hughes said with a grin. “But the control box gives me full control of this ship and all of its assorted weaponry. Storming the ship would be very costly to you, while my alternative is but a small price.”
Tenner mulled it over further and then nodded. “Deal, but the girl stays with me until you disembark. I need to discipline bad behavior.”
“Indeed,” Hughes said. “We have a deal. The Praetorian is standing down.”
Kella could only choke out a whimper. Tenner laughed and ordered his ships forward.
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