Gellen's Heights, Sheratan
Capellan Confederation
46.5 light-years from Terra
October 11, 3028___________________________
A streak of cerulean blue sliced across the canopy of my CPLT-1
Catapult, leaving scorched, black tendrils seared into its ferroglass as an aggressor CLNT-2-3U
Clint BattleMech rose into view.
I stared blankly at Hastings, who leaned forward from the shadows of the over-sized armchair which enveloped him, the low lighting of the pub catching the leather of his jacket and causing it to iridesce slightly, like a snakeskin. The faint red glow of his augmented reality glasses, over which he now glared at me, only added to the sinister appearance. The quiet roar of a Solaris VII dueling match, being broadcast from a bank of holoscreens over the bar, punctuated the silence.
"
Corner of Prosperity Avenue and Commerce Boulevard
Gellen's Heights, Sheratan
October 11, 3028
___________________________
The car cast a torrent of rainwater skyward, as it carved a path through several inches of standing water, before coming to a rest curbside. We'd stopped on the outskirts of an old, decrepit industrial park, flanked on either side by ramshackle warehouses that stretched as far as the eye could see.
"So let me get this
Warehouse E47
Gellen's Heights, Sheratan
October 11, 3028
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"Your boss hired us to transport you, and this thing," Charles replied, jabbing a thumb in the direction of the Centurion, "to Outreach. Where you end up after that is not within the parameters of our contract."
"My boss? Ms. Latoya, at the spaceport? Or do you mean Hastings? Because he's not my...ohhhh boy..."
Regency Estates
Gellen's Heights, Sharatan - Central District
October 12, 3028
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The heavy recovery vehicle rumbled to a stop outside of the low-rise tenement where I shared an apartment with my roommate, Jasper. As awesome as it felt to show up riding shotgun in an admittedly bad-ass mercenary rig, I was hopeful that Jasper might not notice me getting out of a truck laden with a huge war machine; I preferred to avoid as many awkward
Gellen's Heights Spaceport
Gellen's Heights, Sheratan - Northwest District
October 12, 3028
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A Leopard-class DropShip screamed overhead, angling into a long, low loop as it swept around the perimeter of the spaceport before easing onto a nearby ferrocrete landing pad. Its white and blue hull livery, emblazoned with the same mercenary insignia I'd seen on Charles' recovery vehicle, made a truly impressive sight as
DropShip Tana
Gellen's Heights, Sheratan - Northwest District
October 12, 3028
___________________________
"What's your assessment, Chief?" the tall, sandy-haired woman inquired, her Irish brogue echoing down the dimly-lit corridor of the DropShip.
"Believe it or not, they're not as bad as they look. The Hunchback's going to take a bit less work, but the Jenner got literally blown apart. I reckon we c
DropShip Tana
Gellen's Heights, Sheratan - Northwest District
October 12, 3028
___________________________
"Get me the QUARTERMASTER!" a dark-haired, pale-skinned fellow with fiery hazel eyes bellowed into a wall intercom as I entered the mess hall, his exclamation loud enough to be heard throughout the entire compartment
"You've got him. What do you want, Dexter?"
"What have you done?" Dexter
DropShip Tana
En route to Sheratan Jump Point
October 12, 3028
___________________________
A series of perpendicular green lines exploded outward from the center of my visual field, racing toward the horizon and tracing the shapes of trees, hills, roadways, rocky outcroppings, and two low-rise commercial buildings into existence in every direction. A firestorm of colors and textures soon followed, cascading across the digital world and filling the landscape with
With a mighty push, the Tana rose from its ferrocrete landing berth, plumes of smoke rolling past the flight station's spherical viewports as the vessel broke free of Sheratan's gravity. The inertia of the ship's movement pushed me back against my jumpseat, and the outline of the Gellen's Heights spaceport quickly rolled into view as the planet fell away beneath us. Moments later, the deafening roar of the vessel's engines was accompanied by a low 'boom' reverb
The rec area of the mess hall felt warm and welcoming, outfit with a ratty sofa and two worn but comfortable chairs set before a large trivid holoscreen. Commander Maxwell took place of prominence, his lanky form sprawled out horizontally on the couch, arm draped casually along its headrest, while I found an accommodating spot in one of the armchairs. Nearby, a trio of Maxwell's cr
30 minutes later...
Lunch had been a whirlwind of frenetic energy, gregarious conversation, and astoundingly-good food for DropShip fare. Charles Maxwell was definitely an outlier as I'd come to understand mercenaries. While his crew was comprised of a mashup of misfits from all sorts of different backgrounds, it was clear to me that his personnel vetting process seemed to largely weed out the characters of ill repute that frequented many hiring halls. Instead, the vibe tha
"Alright, Jackson," Marius' voice crackled,
"I'm turning weapon control over to you. Just like your real-world ride, the simulation of your Centurion
carries two Medium Lasers, an Autocannon/10, and an LRM-10 launcher. You're going to be most effectiv
Two weeks later...
October 24, 3028
DropShip Tana
On final approach to Outreach
___________________________
Two weeks of time had gone by in an instant. Charles, making good on his word, had partnered me with BattleMech-certified members of his crew at every opportunity, both in the simulator and out, to try to sharpen my mettle and prepare me for the very insane adventure which lay ahead. Consequently, I'd been able to get an up-close-and-p
"Yeah, Dexter. I definitely couldn't forget about you."
"Dankeschon, Jackson," the MechWarrior grinned - creepily - before wandering off.
I sat, flipping my stylus around in my fingers for several long moments, trying to center my thoughts. I had to admit that, of Charles' MechWarriors, Warrant Officer Dexter 'Abaddon' Friedman was the person about whom I knew the least. He originally hailed from the Lyran Commonwealth and was the
Harlech Interplanetary DropPort
Harlech, Romulus
Outreach
October 24, 3029
_____________________________
With a gentle 'whump,' the DropShip Tana eased onto its ferrocrete landing pad, the roar of its drive engines transitioning from a guttural roar to a slowly-fading whine. I slowly unbuckled my seat harness and rose to my feet, glancing at my seatmate, Alexander Blackwood, as I did so.
"So, I guess this is it, huh?" I as
Phil's Tavern
Harlech, Romulus
Outreach
October 24, 3028
_____________________________
The tram ride from the interplanetary DropPort, located in the Inland South district, to the sprawling Inland North had been uneventful and relaxing. Whisking through a forest of dense, urban towers and sprawling compounds in the Corinthian style, the People Mover Express had provided its passengers with a tour de force introduction to the city as it traced an i
In the space of less than a minute, an astonishing series of events had transpired. A drunk guy attempted to take a swing at me in an act of outrage over what he'd heard Hanse Davion saying on the radio. After failing to hit me - instead, landing a very successful attack on the table - he'd tried again, only to be stopped mid-swing by some corporate type with unnaturally-fast reaction time and an incredibly expensive-looking wardrobe for the venue. Then, another oddball - i
Elsewhere...
Phil's Tavern
Harlech, Romulus
Outreach
October 24, 3028
_____________________________
"I'll even reimburse you for your change of plans. What do you say?"
I was dumbfounded. One minute, I was drowning my sorrows in a glass of cider, thinking that things couldn't get much worse. Then, a drunk guy was swinging at me, proving just how wrong I was. The next thing I knew, I was rubbing elbows with the CEO
*kicks the dust off the forums* Alright, is this thing on?
