Pilatus

Mechwarrior: Disposable Heroes

Reya Wyatt

“What in the fuck…” Cassandra proclaimed, looking out the window as the helicopter banked over Uncle Mack’s.

Reya glanced up. Being completely mentally exhausted, she was right on the edge of sleep, but couldn’t see from the opposing side of the cabin. In their short time together, she’d never heard Cassandra once utter anything remotely profane. The older woman seemed far too aristocratic for such language. The words seeped out as if her travel partner was both disgusted and somehow, not surprised. She didn’t say anything, having not uttered a word the whole trip from the Hyperpulse generator. Neither had Cassandra. Whatever it was hadn’t disturbed the flight path and the glow of the scrapyard floodlights grew around the windows as the pilot smoothly descended. Cassandra grumbled something else and rapidly hammered something on her datapad just as nose flared. Reya still couldn’t exactly see what was happening and was not in the spirits to take another verbal quip so she remained quiet until the pilot opened the door.

Cassandra immediately bounded after the Colonel and another person she remembered as Ollie Maxwell along with his scraggly work crew, but stopped as her harsh direction caught a glance of her mercenary smoking a cigarette at the food of his Marauder and her step seemed to lighten a bit. Reya glanced up at the pilot who merely shrugged as she stepped out. The commotion, whatever it had been, was still rampant in the air amidst shouted threats and pointed fingers, but she overlooked it and counted out the mechs: Phoenix Hawk, Archer, Raven, Ostroc, Shadow Hawk and then the imposing main gun of the Von Luckner was visible, angled up towards the night sky. She breathed an exhausted sigh of relief. They had at least all made it back, though a couple of them were badly mangled and her worry returned for Ingrid especially, but somehow she just knew Ziska would be too stubborn to die. It gave her a light smile in spite of everything. What in the world had been going on when they circled to land?

“Reeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyaaaaaa!” Sunny’s voice erupted. The girl seemingly emerged from a tunnel of household junk and tripped slightly as she bounded forward. Pops followed not far behind. Even though it was night, he still wore his sunglasses. Sunny jumped for Reya’s arms unexpectedly, nearly knocking her over, but she caught her and held her tightly as a moment of pure selenity washed over her at the child’s innocent embrace. Taking a deep breath, she held her tighter still only trying to savor the feeling for just a few more seconds. She had to wipe her eyes as Sunny leaned back, still in the crook of her arm. “No crying!” Sunny protested and patted Reya’s shoulders for emphasis. “Look! We got a Catapult!”

“I see that,” Reya replied, putting her other arm under Sunny to hold the girl’s weight. She was tired, but didn’t care. “Is everyone okay?"

“Ya, they just had a huge fight, though, Colonel says now they get lashes. I think I saw a tooth on the ground.”

“A fight? What?” Reya glanced at Pops.

“Boys will be boys, I s’pose.” Pops said, almost with a fatherly sense of amusement, looking over at the still unruly precession. Sergeant Dalton was busy separating what was left of the apparent sides. His massive arm pointed at someone like the barrel of an AC20 and silence followed. “Tarak did something to upset the tankers on the mountain and coming back alive just wasn’t enough. All full of piss and vinegar when they got here.”

Reya’s shoulders sank a bit at the mention of Tarak being the center of attention. “Oh no…” It was too dark and still far too many people were moving about for her to see him.

“Who gave you a flower?” Sunny said, looking down quizzically.

Reya’s eyes shifted down to the crisp white and red flower pinned to her dress. “Oh, the nice Precentor did, I think he’s gonna help us.” Even as soon as she said the words, she could sense the uneasiness in Pops’ glance at the Precentor’s mark. He didn’t say anything.

“Were they chanting at the microwave?”

Reya chuckled a little nervously. “Not exactly.”

Seeing the Colonel still preoccupied with Ollie for the moment, Reya very timidly approached Cassandra and stood to the side not wanting to face the Colonel on her own. She was talking to the Marauder pilot, Jon. Just like before in the cave, he seemed like this uncaring image of war and she didn’t trust him. Like many had said, if Cassandra told him to shoot the Knights in the back, he would do it without hesitation. She kept her glance away and crossed her arms. They were both going to need to see the Colonel together anyway and she waited for Cassandra to finish with him.

“...I always record the open freq, you never know when somebody might say somethin’ stupid. I heard some names when I was listening back through it on the way here.” Jon took a long pull at his cigarette and blew the smoke away from Cassandra. His mind played back through the recording and he wiped a hand over his face. “Stroheim... I think was one of’em. It’s on my ROMs.” He nodded towards the salvaged Catapult and the eager junkers giddily unrolling a firehose. “’Probly wanna get somebody to pull the radios before they hose that bastard out.”

Cassandra smiled approvingly, her red lipstick forming a sly grimace and she patted his cheek like she was petting the family dog. Her eyes cut back at Reya like a tag-a-long child. “Let’s go honey, you certainly have some explaining to do.”

Geonet 2.0 - Battle for the Megacity

Vivian's - Part 2

Chandi looked up and smiled at the newcomers. It was a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. If she had to be nice to strangers she’d let Alese get so drunk as to puke on them. She knew who they were but they were virtual strangers. They presumed to know her. She let them. It was always cute when people outside a company hierarchy thought she had a full run of the company. Smiling still that media smile, Chandi indicated the stools that the other older woman had just occupied. Ever the lady, she waited for the ladies to pass around the glasses of wine. Ah Riesling. Not the finest wine and rather not something one should really choose to present to someone who they were wanting to corporately or politically wine and dine. Maybe she wasn’t serious about this? Or perhaps she just did not know the appropriate wine. That was likely what it was. Chandi held out her hand so that they had to move closer and it was the same gesture that ancient ladies and royalty made so that their suitor or subject could kiss their hand.

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Alese’s eyes looked up at the strangers from behind another large sip through the straw, already a hint of a glaze forming over her sapphire glance. The two that approached were the same she had just noticed sitting at the bar. Randos normally didn’t have the chance to get this close to Chandi, but at least they seemed to have dropped the melancholy in favor of being more than a little over the top, at least for the blonde, and upon closer inspection both were significantly older which was a bit uncouth for what she knew about Spire etiquette. Alese blinked back at the girl as she was ignored completely; the sound of her straw emptying the bottom of the glass amidst crushed ice just as Xiang finished her introduction reminded the “humble representative” that there were indeed two people at the table.

Milo arrived in a flash, almost sensing the glass being empty and exchanged it for a second, moving smoothly between the two visitors with a colorfully arranged tray of fruit, what looked like dumplings, elegantly braised cutlets with a sauce and rice balls. Oh thank God… She thought, reaching for the accompanying chopsticks and trying not to laugh at the wine offering- Chandi could have anything she wanted in Vivian’s. However her expression faded as the first round of shots were also placed. The neon liquor swirled fearsomely in challenge and she looked at the small glass somewhat reluctant like a child having to gulp a particularly unpleasant medicine. This was even more potent than what Chandi had ordered, a compliment from the House. “Compliments of Miss Vivian.” Milo said, deftly making his exit again.

Alright, Alese, just one, you can handle it. We got some food now… Her internal monologue reasoned with an edge of doubt creeping. She winced as it went down and having no chaser, had to immediately go back to her regular drink. As the heat washed over her, she shook her head to get her composure back while the other woman, who had yet to be introduced, poured a measure of wine. Alese cocked her head slightly to read the label. “Oh hey, my mom loves that wine.” She said, cordially enough. It was evident the older woman was most definitely, not an heir. Not because of her clothing or any other Spire social marker, but because she smiled politely. Alese watched the movements of what was visible of the woman’s mechanical arm for a moment and the halo around her head shifted and changed from a hesitant red, yellow and pink to a curious hue of blue-green amidst runes, numbers and designs that peeled and dissolved into the air. She didn’t want to be rude and ask probing questions to a stranger, but returned the same genial smile back while Xiang attempted to talk business.

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Xiang couldn’t help but smile at the duo. These two women are definitely here for recreation and fun, and judging by Alese’s excited reaction to the Riesling, and Chandi’s seeming aloofness, they were a sort of foil for each other. Sort of like the ‘good cop bad cop’ routine she studied about in 20th century America. Alright then, might as well entertain them while she’s here.

For Chandi. Xiang Min stepped out of her seat, and bowed as well as taking the hand of the CybertronRX Heir and not exactly kissing it, but, in true Xiang Min fashion, she only said “M’lady.” As she gracefully bowed her head below Chandi’s hands, one leg on the ground, and one leg supporting it. She hoped Chandi understands the symbolism, it is a scene seen in many period pieces Xiang Min watched throughout her childhood, where dashing men and beautiful women graced each other in dance and balls in the Europe of old. This is not exactly reverence, but a graceful sign of respect from an age long past.

If Chandi is as knowledgeable as the data terms she read about her is. She would definitely know the meaning of this too.

She would also figure that the red-haired woman would have some comments regarding the choice of liquor she made for the occasion. Her facial expression is evidence enough of her disappointment. Might as well put out the fire before it turned into a conflagration.

“I know I know, I have to address the elephant in the room. I am aware Riesling is not exactly a Wine for formal occasions.” She commented on her choice of alcohol. “But I figured that, since we are in a club, something sweeter and more lighthearted would be appropriate. After all, I think a Pinot Noir would be more appropriate for candle-lit dinners than an EDM-filled club no?”

“Your friend over there seems to enjoy the Riesling I bought over.” Xiang Min said, noticing the blonde woman’s fascination with the bottle, and she could only smile at her genuine reaction. Definitely not an heir she thought as she studied her facial expression. It’s a bit too on the nose for someone that has lived on the Spire, unlike Chandi here who exhibited all the restraint and refinement even within the confines of a club out of all places.

Deciding to end on a lighter note. Xiang Min changed the subject a little bit. “Well, if you are not satisfied with the alcohol I bought. Perhaps I can bring to you something a bit different? Moutai Baiju perhaps? Shochu? Sake? Perhaps even Arak? My family was historically from that region. So I was taught on the different types of alcohol from there.”

She could only chuckle at the thought of Chandi trying Arak. It’s not every day that I would see an heir like her try alcohol only Mingfan enjoys drinking. The heir mused. Safe to say, she would probably have to house both Chandi and her blonde friend in the house’s guestroom if they were serious about trying those types of alcohol.

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The gesture to dance was not lost on Chandi. It would be a way to avoid speaking about business so this all seemed odd. Xiang Min had invited them to try different alcohol if the wine wasn’t pleasing. Chandi smiled. “My someone knows ancient customs. Tell me does that come as an etiquette lesson or did you research it because you have a flair for the dramatic?” She sipped the wine. It was decent and it was cold.

“You wanted to speak about something? Perhaps a boyfriend or a girlfriend? I don’t judge.” Chandi looked the other woman up and down then her gaze flicked to that of the older woman. “Perhaps your paramore is looking for consideration in my art designs? Or perhaps looking for some art connections only I can help with?” Chandi raised her eyebrow. “Oh you can speak freely around Alese. She and I have been friends for years.”

.

Xiang Min giggled as Chandi seemingly guessed kinda correctly at her gesture. “While I have my fair share of etiquette lessons as a child. This one comes from my interest in history, I do appreciate that you recognize the gesture I am using. Not many people, less so people younger than me, would understand the gesture I just gave.”

She also proceeded to smile as Chandi asked her what was with her interest in meeting with her. It’s nothing major, but she would like to confirm some initial interest with Chandi first, before going in to talk details later on. “I wish I was looking for your art designs or fashion suggestions Ms Chandrilla. I’m here more to talk about CybertronRX, and specifically, creating a fruitful partnership where we can benefit each other in the long run.”

“Now. I am not interested in talking details in a club out of all things, but, well. I am the co-CEO of a company that specializes in defense, and we have some sensitive cybernetics that need testing. I am willing to discuss an exclusive contract to have our more sensitive cybernetic equipment stress tested within your company, but I would need some… guarantees, and examples on how you wouldn’t abuse that trust SDS would be giving you with this equipment.”

The woman summoned a local bartender and ordered a glass of water, and drank it once the bartender gave it to her. Now patiently waiting for Chandi’s response.

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Alese had already downed several dumplings just in the time that Chandi and Xiang were talking, but it wasn’t working. Like trying to soak up a chemical spill with a pillow case. Her mind wandered absently as Xiang continued to yammer on about business and contracts and other very dry subjects. It was making her tired. God, does she ever shut up? Another voice protested from the back of her mind. The thought gave her a little smirk and she noticed that her head was bobbing a bit from the haze so she made a conscious effort to stop. Having nothing to add to this haughty deal making, she thought about other things that bobbed and were not dry, like ducks or buoys in the ocean. She had never seen either one, but if you went to the right place in MegaCity-01 you could see the ocean, at least in the distance. Seals were cute. Never seen one of those either and she wondered if somewhere they still existed. That made her smile and her mouth opened slightly like she was going to make some profound point until another bright revelation flashed forward: I wonder if they have Ducks and Seals in the Badger Sett??. She looked for her hand terminal to send a message to Badger, eyes brightening at the thought. Oh, I bet they do! She thought, legitimately excited. Her thumb flicked rapidly to the message screen and she picked up her glass with the other hand, taking another sip.

Something didn’t taste right and she looked at the glass she was holding in puzzlement, then she looked up and saw that it belonged to the other woman that had so far been silent. “Oh…” She flushed with embarrassment. “Sorry…” She added, attempting to reach for an unused glass to correct this error, however Milo was there instantly and nearly swatted her hand away to take over. Alese looked up at him adoringly as he poured a new measure for Julia. “Thank you, Milo.” She swooned. His stoic, professional demeanor never flinching while her halo warmed into pink and red as he filled the glass and deftly resettled the table before smoothly leaving again. Alese sighed wistfully and glanced back over to Chandi, not the least bit cognisant of all the shop talk. There was a lisp starting to form on the edge of her words: “I really wanna dance now. Can you tell Vivian to make Milo dance with me? It won’t be like the last time, I promise.”

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Up until now, Julia had been silently watching the conversation unfold. It was not the role of a bodyguard to get involved in affairs. Besides, Julia had to admit to herself that the conversation was well out of her depth. She wasn’t getting paid to understand Heir business talk and chime in. She was getting paid to keep Xiang safe. E-Street business talks tended to be a lot simpler, if less casual; ‘I have drugs. You have money. Give me enough money for the drugs or I shoot you’.

The girl in the bright clothes who’d come with the other Heir didn’t have the refined sense of decorum the other two had. Or maybe she was just that drunk. Julia watched the girl like a hawk as she drank Julia’s drink, looked puzzled and then apologised. The waiter then topped up Julia’s drink. All before she had the chance to get mad. The service here sure was impressive. The wasted girl was bugging her friend to let her dance with the waiter. That she needed to borrow clout confirmed to Julia what she suspected; this girl wasn’t an Heir. Still, you needed money or connections to get up here if you didn’t live here, so who exactly was this girl? Her name was Alese, but that meant nothing to Julia.

"You want to dance, but can you walk straight?" Julia asked Alese directly. Now she was speaking more, it was clear from her accent that she was no Heir, if her lack of makeup or elegance in her prosthetics hadn’t already made that obvious.

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“Hmmm.”

Xiang Min was busy analysing the situation unfolding before her. The offer for an exclusive contract with CybertronRX is still within her mind. But the conversation between Alese and Julia is slowly spiraling out of casual business discussion into casual weekend discussion. Not necessarily a bad avenue to branch off of, considering that this is Friday after all, but she was still a bit sad that they wouldn’t have the opportunity to talk tonight.

Oh well. Not a big deal, there’s always tomorrow.

“How about I dance with you instead?” She offered to Alese. “I would like to see your dancing moves if I may say so myself. I trust that your… condition right now wouldn’t affect your dancing abilities, no?”

In truth. She also sucked at dancing. But she’s always interested to see drunkards dancing around the dance floor like some ancient angry spirit. It’s one of her favourite pastimes whenever she’s out late at a club, usually discussing some stuff either with her sister or someone else.

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“Don’t need to walk straight to dance.” Alese said slyly and peeled off her jacket, tossing it aside with a suave flourish and exposing her bare arms to the shifting currents of neon light on her skin. The sweet air felt invigorating and though her head swam when she stood up it didn’t matter. She let her balance roll through it as if she were newly animated. The music was changing again and the energy pulled at her steps. She breathed in deeply and closed her eyes for a brief second, gathering herself like she was fluttering to the edge of a diving board before looking back at Xiang Min, a hint of challenge in her glance- She flicked her hair and set off to the center of the floor.

It was ironic that right in the middle of MegaCity-01’s most opulent structure was a place where all could be equal. Contracts, profits, plans, social structures and speculations didn’t matter: You could either dance or you couldn’t and in her sneakers, she glided on the wave of liquid carelessness with total confidence, clapping in time as the tempo picked up and finding a place in the crowd just big enough for the both of them. She knew this song, and lead off by spinning on her heel nearly three full rotations, her skirt forming into a smooth disc as the angelic hologram followed over her head before she stopped, facing Xiang Min again, her hands coming together clapping again right in time with the beat. The move instantly drew attention and she got a few whoops and cheers that she didn’t even notice.

The lights pulsed hard in sync with the beat making a fleeting snapshot of each motion like a camera shutter. Alese’s movements were both sensual and strong. Inhibitions lost, her hands sank around her hips and in the next frame pulled up through her hair and out again. Each frame a flowing picture of seduction, power, vulnerability, and freedom. Her eyes blazed back towards her new dance partner and just for sharp, fleeting instances the lyrics could be seen on her lips while her hair flowed behind in a mane of neon fire. In the back of her mind she could sense the energy and rhythm infecting the clubgoers around them as she peeled around others that joined, arching her back, side-stepping and clapping overhead.

It was easy not to notice the subtle rumble in the floor at first. No one on the dance floor would have likely felt it, at least not those under the same spell of intoxication and zeal as Alese. Hearing it was certainly out of the question, however at some point a glass fell, quickly followed by another, then a whole bottle from the bar area before the lights strobed once more and did not come back on. When the music cut out it took a moment for actual panic to set in as most were too far into the spirits to realize something was wrong and considered the sudden, total darkness to be some kind of fun trick by Vivian to spice up the night even more. However as the backup generators, which had never actually been used, continued to glitch in their automated startup cycles, the elation rapidly shifted to confusion and then outright pandemonium

Alese stood still, completely disoriented and having no artificial enhancements that helped her night vision, finding herself in the middle of a near complete blackout with only the dim light of her halo rotating above her, illuminating her bare shoulders. Frightened voices clamored and augmented eyes hovered in disembodied movements pressing frantically around her. A cold hand of synthetic skin touched her thigh and started up her skirt before she screamed like an absolute banshee, blindly kicking hard at whatever she could connect with. Wild cursing followed, but the hand was gone, instead followed by a powerful shove that took her off her feet and sent her careening into what felt like a female figure that she could only hope was Xiang Min.

.

The blonde woman was more than happy to entertain Alese. She seems decent enough in a dance and she’s happy to play the part of the fool for a little bit. It’s ultimately harmless and she gets to lay her hair down if only for a moment, a reprieve from the drudgery of her work life.

And damn can this woman dance, she moved through the dance floor like it’s nothing, dancing moves only she could dream of, quite ironic considering that she is quite adept in reading the battlefield and moving through it like its muscle memory. Nontransferable skills are a bitch sometimes, but no matter, it’s not like she’s dancing as if the world’s about to end. It’s just a quaint social dance, just a little bit of fun to start the weekend and a way to ingratiate herself with Chandi considering how close Chandi and Alese seem to be with each other.

But, she did notice when the rumbling started, she ignored it at first, thinking that it was just some localized freak accident, but the rumbling got larger, and larger, and larger, eventually culminating in a straight-up earthquake that rocked the club and most likely the wider city outside of it. Xiang Min was shocked, the area they were in was tectonically stable, and as the merry atmosphere of the club turned into pandemonium. The lights went out, only adding to the confusion as clubgoers then decided this would be the time to do a stampede, running and pushing everyone aside in a desperate bid to escape the club. “Julia!” Xiang Min screamed. “Meet me outside!!!”

Her Warpath neural enhancer activated after she said that. Significantly improving her vision, allowing her limited vision in the dark, there was someone who seemed to have grabbed Alese in the chaos, and somehow the person decided this would be the time to harass Alese? Really? A quick shove to the person sent him careening to the edge, as she grabbed Alese’s hands as the neural enhancer deactivated. In a split second, Xiang Min was on one side of the club, and the next? She was escorting Alese to the exit way of the club, eventually reaching the outside as both figures breathed a sigh of relief that they exited the chaos.

“Damn… That was close.” Xiang Min said to Alese. “Could’ve gone really bad down there. Crap! Where’s Chandi?” She said, accessing Geonet but somehow the devices were non-functional, a first in her life to see the error screen for Geonet flash through her phone screen. “Geonet’s… down. Wow.”

“Uhh, Alese. Do you where Chandi is?” Xiang Min asked. “I lost her in the escape and now I’m kinda worried about her.”

“Also, where in the world is Julia? Couldn’t see her from here. Did she escape?” She wondered.

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Julia had watched both Alese and Xiang head to the dance floor. Julia had never been great at dancing without drugs. The drugs didn’t help her dance better, in fact the opposite, but they’d get her onto the floor, at least. By the time she could pass for an age to legally attend clubs, she was already too senior a member of E-Street to feel like she could shed her responsibility. And here, too, she felt like she couldn’t get *too* drunk, as she still needed to guard Xiang.

So, she turned her attention to Chandi, the only other woman now sitting at their table. While Xiang had piqued Julia’s interest by not exactly being your textbook Heiress, she could not say the same for Chandi. This glamorous woman probably got her picture taken to be placed in the dictionary next to the definition of Heiress. Even talking to her benefactors had intimidated Julia back in the day. She wasn’t sure what she was nervous about here, however. She wasn’t street trash in her early 20’s anymore. She was a Spire resident.

"You sure you don’t want to join them?" Julia asked Chandi, projecting her voice to be heard over the music. "I’ll watch the table."

Before Chandi could answer, Julia felt something. The expression on her face changed to one of concern and her eyes dilated. Her instincts were never wrong. Something was happening right now. Barely a second after the change in Julia’s face, the table and drinks started to noticeably shake, and Julia stood up from her chair, looking around frantically with manic, wild eyes for any sign of danger. Her organic hand had instinctively crept up to the side of her belt, grabbing at empty space that might be where somebody would clip a gun holster too. The shaking was definite now. Some of the empty glasses on the table had fallen over, and the full ones were spilling their contents.

When the power went out, Julia placed her hand on Chandi’s shoulder before most of the dancers had even realised something was wrong.

"I don’t like this," Julia spoke to Chandi, with an anxious voice."Let’s get out of here. Don’t let go of me."

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Chandi had with a smirk watched Alese and Xiang head out to the dance floor. Alese was always fun to watch when she’d had enough to dance. Chandi swore that a belly dancing prima ballerina was reincarnated in the tiny mechanic. The last time she got drunk enough to have this much fun she had done ancient earth songs at karaoke. Something like Murriah Carry “All I Want For Christmas Is You” and Sindee Lawper “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”. Chandi had been convinced that it couldn’t get better but Alese had trapped Milo into singing some weird mating chant called “Summer Lovin’” and then kissed him at the end. Then threw up on his shoes. Chandi had to buy him a whole new outfit.

Chuckling at the thought, Chandi heard the glasses rattling and looked around in curiosity. Which was when she saw it. Glasses falling then the crash of crystal and glass. Lights went out and Chandi watched the chaos happening outside the Spire as the whole place went dark and she heard Alese scream. Rage white hot and unchecked passed through her. Her best friend was in that mass of bodies and people were going to die if they didn't move.

The touch on her shoulder was responded to with a glare from blue eyes that looked murderous. “That was Alese. They will all move out of my way or I will break them.” Chandi said flatly as she turned and began wading into the mass of bodies. People who baulked at moving were physically thrown.

She made her way across the floor only to find that Alese wasn't there where she predicted. Looking around she went back to Julia and nodded to her. “Let's go.”

Since Chandi being over six feet in her heels had been throwing people in said stilettos and a miniskirt people gave them a bubble of space. The fact that Chandi looked murderous didn't hurt.

.Julia had followed Chandi up to a point, because she remembered that Alese had been wearing a glowing halo, and in the darkness, there was no glowing halo. She scanned the crowd for any sign of Xiang, and couldn’t see her either. The most likely explanation was that Xiang was with Alese. They were dancing together, after all. Julia wasn’t worried this was a targeted assassination or kidnapping attempt. The scale was too large and the result was too chaotic.

When Chandi returned to Julia, Julia nodded and started to head to the main entrance. That was likely where the other two were, either by their own volition or the force of the crowd.

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Alese slid down with her back against the wall until she sat on the floor while Xiang Min stood like a sentinel. In the wide open foyer outside of Vivian’s the air was again clear and fresh and there was a lot more room for the panicked clubgoers to disperse as the lights flickered back on. She overheard what sounded like someone saying GeoNet had gone down, but amazing as that may have sounded, she just felt indifferent. Undeniably still intoxicated as she may have been however, her mind felt like it had rapidly broken out of the cloud of alcohol in the excitement and was now just a passenger in her drunken frame. Things happened a lot faster than she could follow, but thanks to Xiang Min, she knew she avoided what could have been a lot worse. She stared ahead for a moment at her sneakers, then curled her legs beneath her to cover as much of her skin as possible with her skirt. Cold, crisply conditioned air brushed against her shoulders and she realized she left her bag, jacket and hand terminal behind, though she didn’t particularly care at the moment. Seeing the bracelets on her wrists also reminded her that her halo was still on and she switched it off immediately as if it had instantly become a symbol of shame. The previous few minutes played behind her eyes again and she edged further behind Xiang Min like she wanted to disappear.

She hadn’t left home in days after what happened on the expressway and now this... Alese crossed her arms as the PSA sounded around them and the commotion seemed to ebb momentarily as everyone stopped to listen. Chandi would be looking for her and she just wanted to go home or back to the apartment. It felt good to think about the high powered redhead though she quickly felt guilty for her disparaging thoughts towards Xiang Min earlier and it made her feel like an even worse person. She leaned her head against the wall and rotated another bracelet on her wrist, carefully trying to focus her thoughts against her swimming consciousness. A tiny light activated at her touch and she knew Chandi would get the very short range radio burst that they usually used when riding and know she was closeby, then just follow the signal. Sometimes low-tech could be an asset in MegaCity. “She’ll find us in a minute,” Alese answered, not looking up at Xiang Min though. Very badly, she wanted to thank the other woman profusely, but in the moment felt too embarrassed of herself to even make eye contact. “Please just don’t leave me here by myself until she finds us.”

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The blonde woman simply nodded at Alese’s request. Standing still, guarding the mechanic woman as the chaos ebbed and flowed elsewhere outside of Vivian’s. “Don’t worry. I’ll stand here for as long as I have to Alese.” She replied. Knowing that right now, security and certainty is of utmost certainty. Of course, assuming things go all right, she would probably get some marketing material from this little kerfuffle, already she have seen some drones flying in the distance, definitely Stalwart make, protecting Tranche 3 or 4 clients from possible attacks of opportunity now that Geonet is down.

It was shortly after Chandi and Julia exited the club that Xiang Min relaxed her stance. Her body significantly relaxed as the group made contact once more. “I don’t know about you. But I think I want to retire for the night. Too much action for me today, and especially on a Friday out of all days.”

“Hey.” She turned her head towards Julia and Alese. “Since the city’s most likely in Chaos. Why don’t you two stay with me for the night? I have some guestrooms that will take care of both of you, and the security of our house is unlike anything you’ll ever see. And considering Chandi stays in the same building as Vivian’s, and the lowlifes might be out and about doing whatever they’re doing now that Geonet is down. I think it would be best for the two of you to join me for the night. What do you think?”

The offer is pretty straightforward, stay with her for the night, and then maybe have breakfast with her and her sister once morning comes tomorrow. Considering the distance from Julia’s apartment, and Alese’s… rather drunken stupor at the moment, it is the most logical solution at the moment.

.

The physicality of the route that Chandi took out of Vivian’s was not important to her. Nor was the time it took. It was infinitely too long in her opinion and her opinion was the only one that mattered. Her head on a swivel she scanned the crowd quickly as her bracelet chirped at her. She strode to the right a few feet and as a muscle bound thug sneered at Chandi there was suddenly a blur of movement and a razor sharp sai was against his Adam’s apple. “By all means please push me.” Chandi grinned with feral malice. The thug to his credit retreated. “Fucking dirty bourgy gonk.” She tossed after him and he just moved faster. She spun the sai and raised her skirt on her left side clean up to her hip flashing her black leather thigh holster missing the sai that lived there and holstered the sai then let the skirt fall over it again.

Seeing Alese and Xiang Min she stalked over to them. Chandi glared daggers at Xiang Min but her face changed to a soft worry when she looked at Alese. “Alese?” Not caring about her outfit she knelt down and reached out for Alese’s hands and pulled her into a hug. “Dearest? Want to go up to the apartment?” Her words were soft and full of concern.

Looking over at Xiang Min her lips thinned. “Not that I don’t appreciate that you’re being generous but it would be dumb to move. There is a higher concentration of authority here and we all know it will stay that way.” She stroked Alese’s blonde hair and rested her chin on top of the other girl’s head. “Let’s be reasonable, you don’t know me and I don't really know you. I only stay at my place or my parent’s place. Alese either stays with me or at her place. Which, sorry dearest, has been on lock down since she got it. She’s practically family.” She just told Xiang Min and Julia more about the salacious relationship between the two women than Chandi had ever told the tabloids. The tabloids that Chandi played to and it was blatantly obvious in this instance that the person in the tabloids was not Chandi, or rather it was a very shallow version of the woman kneeling in the dirt comforting the other woman. This would be very apparent to Julia because she had seen yet another side of Chandi.

.

Julia liked this one. She had spunk. Between the way she threatened the asshole earlier, to the fact she wasn’t afraid to get dirty, Julia wasn’t afraid to admit her preconception of Chandi had been way off. Alese would be in safer hands with Chandi if that fiery look in the Heir’s eye was anything to go by. Julia shrugged and turned her attention to Xiang.

”That’s a smart idea. I’m not walking back or driving back in this mess. I’ll stay at your house tonight, Xiang. At least until tomorrow, where I’ll probably need to run some errands.”

@Silver Carrot
@Kumbaris
@Almalthia

Mechwarrior: Disposable Heroes

Jonathan McCord

He hated the tunnels. Miles on miles of the Maruader’s lights painting the same picture of unremembered ferrocrete, cracked pavement and in some places, solid, mineral rock. Occasionally, he would pass a dingy sign or some graffiti, maybe even a stretch of warped railway. It was easy to remember, because there was nothing else to look at. A while back he thought he saw a mildewed SLDF banner painted in the corner of a large switchback and gave a huff of amusement before glancing down at the route plotter next to his leg as the meters continued to tick away slowly. Not a lot easily bothered him in the pilot seat during his career as mechwarrior, but these tunnels just didn’t agree with his blood. He could feel it in the controls as well. Ossie didn’t care for it at all. She was an open field hunter and these subterranean routes were nothing more than a narrow cage. Not that he was expecting to draw down on anyone while several stories below ground, but the monotony was nigh unbearable. Nothing to keep you sharp or weary, just walking and walking and unfortunately, plenty of time to think.

For a while he had thought about what he could have done had he gone back down the mountain and tracked the Warhammer that separated from the group. Cassandra had technically given him an “order” to follow the Green Knights back to Uncle Mack’s, but ultimately she wasn’t his commander, just his benefactor and he was pretty confident he could have justified his position particularly with bagging another mech. It had a head start, but the tracks showed clearly that it was wounded and its dragging stride was like blood in the water. He thought about it several times. That pilot was the last survivor of the massacre and he had let him slink away. Sure, that guy could have made it wherever he was going, but there was also a chance he didn’t. Then there was the Mechbusters. Jon knew he got pretty lucky with that initial snapshot, but sometimes he could just feel, even before it came out of the barrel, that it was a strike. That would be some BattleROM footage worth watching later. The one that got away though, was going to spell trouble. He failed that objective. There needed to be no survivors. Granted, no one even knew they were going to be there, but that was just how it went sometimes.

He thought about his dad most of all and it was hard going for a while as his thoughts darkened. Cassandra kept a private line open with Comstar, but there had still been no news, though he wondered if she found out anything on her visit today. She would have checked for him. She said as much. Cosmopolitan as she was, she kept her word. At present, he had more than enough saved from this job to settle up what was left of the debts, the family business and keep the farmland- He just had to give off this God-forsaken shithole planet. The FPA, the NPDRE, the Guard, the Crimson Fists… they could all do a flying backflip from the hotel office as far as he was concerned. He started to add the Green Knights to that list, but stopped short as again. Marit, as usual, was the first to drift through his mind. It felt like years since they’d met in the cave and then the raid on the dam, but that was just how war and fighting weighed on a man. He considered himself, now past the age of his dad when he was born and he wondered how his ancestors would see him as a man and as a warrior and he was never satisfied. Seventy-five ton steps pressed beneath him.

When the ramp for Uncle Mack’s came up, he got an odd feeling, like entering a room and finding a monitor unexpectedly turned on. The doors widened into the clear night sky above as the Maruader stepped up, the angle steep enough that he had to lift his chin slightly to look over the A-frame through the top of glass. Then he heard it: Shouts, screams and the unmistakable raucous of an excited gathering. The cockpit cleared the threshold and for a moment, he legitimately wondered if he had taken a wrong turn somehow, but no, there were the Knights’ mechs, surrounded by absolute bedlam, right at the foot of the Phoenix Hawk. “What in the fuck…” He murmured. His floodlights cast hard over the throng of chaos and Jon’s unseen face looked back in bewilderment as some shielded their eyes while others seemed completely uncaring or unaware. He looked around. Rivers was visible, mouth running, which was no surprise and again confirmed he was in the right place. Sgt Dalton was visible as well, along with a contingent of his platoon and appeared to have a man by the shirt collar in each hand tossing them around like pool toys. Jon shook his head and made ready for shut-down. It was beyond time for a cigarette.

Geonet 2.0 - Battle for the Megacity

Alese Piety

There was a dissipating uneasiness in the air as the lift opened for Vivian’s, like a thunderstorm had just passed. Though not directly noticeable, it was odd for a Friday night. Regardless, there were plenty of patrons so far into the spirits and the dance floor that Alese discarded the peculiar vibe almost as quickly as it was felt. What had not been uneasy, on the other hand, was the amount of alcohol in the mixing cup she downed prior to leaving Chandi’s apartment, which was apparently more than she had estimated; already giving her a light sashay in her step. The music and the UV lights shifted, pulsing, inverting and brightening colors across the club as if someone else had sensed a din in the air or maybe it was just for Chandi, which was entirely possible. Perfect timing. She thought, breathing in the crispness of the air like a sweet aroma. Vivian’s was a club for Heirs and there was a patrician fragrance in the atmosphere like high-end textiles and natural flora. While not as subtle as the apartment, it had an unmistakable allure that seemed to pull at base temptations. Alese touched a finger over one of her numerous bracelets as they walked and a digitized neon halo appeared over her head, slightly off-center, rotating softly in the dark light. Piety wasn’t exactly a common name in the GeoNet database, but she loved to own it fully and standing next to Chandi made her feel like a model on the catwalk. She beamed as they were escorted up to the redhead’s regular spot with the usual fanfare.

Nestling into the booth with a broad view of the club, Alese rocked her shoulders in time with the beat as a tropical concoction was presented to her with a flourish from Milo. As much as Chandi commanded him around he always had a sense of debonair and a strange aura of familiarity, at least to her it felt, that she couldn’t quite place and simply chalked up to him being good at his job. She thought she could detect a slight smirk towards her in his polished demeanor, but her fawning was interrupted with the order for shots and her glance widened towards Chandi with a look of disbelief and helplessness. “Oh my God, I said I wasn’t getting drunk! Are you trying to kill me?” She whined, repeating nearly the same line she had given Badger earlier. She grabbed Milo’s sleeve before he could dash off again. “Please bring me something to eat, Milo. I don’t wanna die.” She pleaded, giving him her best puppy-eyes as if she were a hopeless prisoner to Chandi’s drunk jail. This time she was sure she saw a smile.

The bass rhythm could be felt through the plush sofa and she already wanted to dance- a prospect that would only increase exponentially the more she consumed. Her eyes studied the “competition” as she sipped the glorious mixture of pineapple juice, rum and exotic fruit. These stiff legged bitches wouldn’t be able to touch her in her sneakers. Maybe just one shot, that’s all. Then she’d be set. Her glance passed over the bar as the club’s energy was beginning its charge into the night and more people arrived. There was a pair of women that looked like they were crying in their beer. A remnant from the feeling she got when they first entered. Her lips pursed a bit. No time for Debbie-downers tonight. Unlike the majority of this lot, Friday actually meant something to her and she had worked enough in sweat, grime and welding fumes to earn a night of not thinking too much about MegaCity. She was glad Chandi had shown up, though it had been a surprise, otherwise she might have spent another night alone, reading cheap romance from a tattered paperback. Still, she wondered for a moment how Badger was doing finding her items. She took another long sip and contemplated messaging him to pick her up some more books. If there was one thing the Pack would give away freely without question, it was salacious mysteries and glamor novels. After scaring her half to death just making him carry it around would be fitting payback.

@Silver Carrot
@Kumbaris
@Almalthia

Geonet 2.0 - Battle for the Megacity

Alese Piety

Whatever leather or swanky composite material the seats in Chandi’s car were composed of was more comfortable than Alese’s bed and smelled of exotic perfumes. Having been here before, she allowed herself to sink in blissfully as they set off before sensing the redhead’s heated glance being directed her way. “So?” She said, rolling her shoulders comfortably in the smooth fabric. There was more than enough room for three or more to easily stretch out in the back of the large car, though Chandi sat mostly upright in her usual aura of relaxed affluence. “I don’t judge the company you keep when I’m not around,” Alese continued, arching an eyebrow back in playful return judgment. “Oh, Chandi, can I get you a drink? Let me take your coat- Marry me Chandi…” She pantomimed gagging. However her teasing grin rapidly faded at the mention of the car and she looked away, embarrassed, forlorn even. Images flashed through her mind again and she started to speak, though Chandi had thankfully already changed the subject. She peeped up over the edge of the thick window frame into the glowing night of the city. One of the many corporate billboards among the animated holograms and traffic signals strobed and pulsed unusually for a moment, just enough to be noticeable. It was a GeoNet advert, however with sections of the image missing, it merely read, G oNe. Alese looked down at her Net bracelet and her glance narrowed. “That’s weird, it still thinks I’m at home.” Though it immediately corrected its readout as if it heard her speak. “There it goes.” She shrugged, but Chandi had already taken to evaluating her wardrobe choices.

The cleanliness of the air was the most noticeable characteristic of the Spire. Crisp and cool. There was almost a taste to it for the unaccustomed. Even the air scrubbers Norris installed at Iron Technica could not compare to stepping up the multiple social and physical steps to Chandi’s flat. Even the water in the shower felt better, like bathing in silk and again she lamented selfishly that this was an attainable choice that she had the ability to make. After nearly an hour she emerged, vibrant and in a riot of colors. She would lie if she said she hadn’t enjoyed every second and took her time to savor it, but since Chandi had decided to pop-in for a surprise visit, it felt a deft counterstroke to take her time in the lap of luxury. “God I needed that…” She said wistfully and glided over to the bar area moving some of the bottles around and tipping on her toes to examine others before preparing a selection for herself in a silver mixing cup. One of the cats purred against her leg, smelling Chandi’s floral scented body wash fresh on her skin as she stirred. “I swear I’m not getting drunk this time. This is just pregame.” She said, taking a sip and bending down to apply generous scritches, though as soon as the heat of the liquid descended to her empty stomach she felt the warmth of high-end alcohol rise back up through her nerves and smiled broadly, taking in a deep breath and savoring the taste. “Mmmm…Yes, that will do.”

There was a large mirror adjacent to the bar and she half-turned, drink in hand, and pivoted on one foot, looking down her shoulder discerningly at her figure for a moment. Satisfied, she put a new bag over her shoulder- a much sleeker option she kept at the apartment and more than anything she would have risked on the streets. “Alright, I’m ready.” She said, turning back to Chandi and taking another healthy sip before setting the cup aside. She fished a pair of glasses from the bag and slid them over the top of her head.

Geonet 2.0 - Battle for the Megacity

Alese Piety

Even though Alese was two years older than Chandi, the redhead’s presence commanded leadership. Aside from her social position, she was naturally tall and on her heels, towered over Alese as she strode into the shop as if it were hers for surprise inspection. It wasn’t really a matter of offense, just the way of things. Alese followed, glad that her dad was not around to see her opening the floor to two diametrically opposed MegaCity paradigms, though she was clearly nervous at the thought of him, or her mother even, arriving at any time in the middle of this impromptu gathering. Chandi was a “regular” at Iron Technica in a way and kept a lot of doors open in the Spire. She knew that her dad still had several contacts there, however there was always a tinge of bitterness, at least she thought from him, when it came to dealing with those still within the corporate matrix. They had put him out and his survival in spite of it had become one of his defining characteristics, not just as a man, but as her father. She could have easily moved into Chandi’s absolutely amazing Spire apartment and lived a different life, but it didn’t feel right and often made her think of her transient older brother.

Alese peeked out from behind Chandi, much in the same way as she had peeped inside the office door, looking past the other woman at whatever had stopped her in her tracks. ’BOB’… She furrowed her brow for a moment, not remembering the acronym, and mouthed the name to herself watching Badger already chest deep under the MCPD vehicle. “Bob…-” The terminology finally hit her and she recoiled with a red flush. “Wait! No! Ew!” The drone cocked curiously to one side, not sure how to interpret this emotion against its primary directives, but documenting it regardless along with her vitals. “EMBARRASSMENT?” It hummed in a heavily synthesized voice, again different from the vocal pattern it used before.

“Oh, shut up.” Alese quipped and crossed her arms, still red as Chandi continued her curious evaluation of their other guest. Something akin to a deep-space explorer examining an alien species. She understood Badger well enough to know he was at least intrigued at the discovery and keeping contacts like him happy, helped her street cred tremendously. She smiled that he was satisfied with her trade. For all those that she did barter with, she put genuine effort into finding things that were not only useful, but appealed to their individual tastes. Being a denizen of the streets and rooftops, she knew he would find use for the hard parts, but didn’t have the slightest clue what he would want with an old engine manual other than it might be something entertaining. “Perfect, I knew you would like that.” She said, walking back over to her toolbox and stepping up on a small stool, opening and closing a few drawers as she peered inside, momentarily searching. “Now he’s just trying to be smooth.” She said to Chandi, rolling her eyes playfully at HB’s compliment, before retrieving a handwritten list of items and small diagrams she had put together.

Alese glanced towards the myriad of pipes, fittings and valves under the police vehicle once more before handing the documents over for him to scan to his memory. “Get these few things for me and we’re square.” There was a tiny hint of challenge in her voice. The items weren’t overly difficult to find, but were very specific: An electrical heating element with a variable resistor, several copper fittings of different sizes and reduction and two carbon block pressed gravity filters- all of which needed to be pharmaceutical grade. She probably could have got most of the items through Chandi, but this was a fair side quest for him considering the value of her trades and would save her some considerable time, not to mention questions. Plus the fact that these were components to a greater system that he wasn’t privy would agitate the logics in his mechanized-digital headspace considerably. It gave her a little smile of satisfaction, getting even for him scaring the life out of her.

Turning back to Chandi, she let her shoulders drop in feigned exhaustion at business concluded. If they were going to Vivian’s, that meant there was going to be copious libations, which she was fine with, especially on a Friday, however at only 5’5”, she wasn’t exactly known for her strong tolerance. Still, she had hardly left the shop in over two weeks and was feeling again, at least somewhat, like getting out. “Just let me lock up and grab some clothes- I promise they’ll be suitable.” She spoke teasingly, like a teen addressing the critical evaluation of her mother. “I’ll just get cleaned up at your place and we can go from there.”

@BigPapaBelial
@Almalthia

Geonet 2.0 - Battle for the Megacity

https://discord.com/invite/YJsc9r7T

New link to those inclined, since the old one is expired.

Geonet 2.0 - Battle for the Megacity

Alese Piety

She always finished the Strykers by testing the turret, not just because it was a natural stopping point with the rest of the systems on the main body concluded, but also because it was fun to spin the gun around, especially if it had a water cannon. These two were interesting though, and something she had not seen before. There was a main water tank, but it was smaller with two additional tanks filling in the reduced area. The plumbing was also complex, almost like a soda machine where chemicals were meant to be blended before being fired out of the cannon. Normally, she would have driven it down to the reservoir and tested the settings on the spray, but that work order line had been specifically deleted. Then there was the fact that the additional tanks and downstream lines were all rated for high levels of hazardous contents which was very suspect. MegaCity Administration apparently didn’t want anyone outside the fold knowing anything further and that just made her more curious. She took her time with both vehicles making mental notes, but absolutely no pictures. Music blared from a pink boombox down on the hull as she sat cross-legged on top of the turret, a heavy, jobsite style laptop in her lap. Servo motors wined and chirped with newness as she spun the turret around, raising and lowering the cannon and grinning a bit at how easily amused she could be when no one was looking.

“Run the calibration one more time and we’re done.” Alese sat with her hands free of the controls while her drone obediently ran the test program from the cab once more, causing the turret to move again through all of its articulation limits. She could feel her stomach growl as the movement finished and with everything appearing to be in the green she shut the laptop down with finality, stopping the music and bringing about a calm silence of accomplishment. “God, I’m starving…” She groaned and stood up, stretching a bit. One more thing… then one more then, just one more after that, and before she knew it she’d been going for several hours straight. However, now she was thankfully finished and both contracts were completed, though technically not really until they got paid, but she had done her part and they were on schedule. One had to appreciate the tedious, easy jobs, she briefly mused before lamenting that if she had to do another disgusting automated street sweeper any time soon, she was just going to cry. Another grumble and her thoughts quickly returned to food. She happily climbed down the side of the huge vehicle and found herself face to face with a dark, feral-masked creature staring directly at her as though it had just been waiting there the whole time and she nearly fainted.

“Gyah!” She yelped as it felt like her feet literally left the floor and her electrified posture fell back against the cool exterior of the vehicle. For a split second she had just resigned herself to perish, but the voice that followed from the imposing figure was instantly familiar and had already started into his sales pitch. Monotone and professional as he was, she could sense there was a hint of amusement at her expense. Feeling her heart pound, Alese started for a breath until a coffee cup suddenly shattered against Honey Badger’s hardened exterior. The pieces fell to the floor and she looked up to see her drone holding a plate with a sandwich. Having sensed her elevated heart rate from one of her wristbands and heard her shocked gasp, it dutifully moved to her defense though it was presently without any weapons. “Stahp!” She cried hoarsely, still with her heart racing, however it had already thrown the plate which similarly broke against him. “STAHP!” She yelled this time and waved her hand. There was a moment of paused silence before, indignantly, it threw the sandwich as well, which flopped against him and slowly dropped to the floor. The drone drifted away cautiously and Alese leaned back again, rubbing her fingertips over her temples, taking a deep breath and brushing loose strands of hair aside. “Sorry…” She said, exhaling with a huff. “I’m still training it… Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” She said, regaining some composure.

Alese looked over some of Badger’s presentation for a moment as the drone returned with a broom and pan, though it kept its gaze focused on the guest as it worked. “I might have some stuff for you this time…” She replied and glanced over towards her main toolbox. “You probably should see this though,” She said and removed the large fairing that concealed the water tank beneath the MCPD chassis. “See if you notice anything different.” She said, letting the large panel hinge to the floor so he could see before stepping away and drawing a large welding curtain in front of the car in the back. ‘Ma’am Piety’ or ‘Madame Piety’ had such a nice ring to it she thought as she continued over towards her toolbox where she had saved a few items for him specifically: a synthetic nylon IR Laser/Illuminator with an extra visible beam, a compact, field capable RF Spectrum Analyzer no bigger than a datapad and a printed manual for an ancient, air-cooled internal combustion engine just because she thought he would like it. She was in the middle of gathering the items when a chime indicated someone at the counter. Her shoulders dropped for a moment with a sigh, wondering who it could possibly be. Not many people used the front door, but the voice did cause her another surprise. “Hold on,” She said to Badger, skittering across the shop floor and leaving him to his examinations.

The door to the spartan counter area cracked open and Alese poked her head through. The drone popped in right over her shoulder taking stock of another visitor. “Hey!” She said with a bright smile, though she kept the rest of her clothing: an old corporate t-shirt with the sleeves cut off and loose cargo capris, concealed behind the door, feeling instantly embarrassed of her laborer appearance while Chandi, as usual, looked like she just stepped away from a photo shoot. “Were we supposed to be going somewhere?” She cocked her head a bit as she spoke, though she knew before she asked the question what the answer was going to be.

@BigPapaBelial
@Almalthia

Mechwarrior: Disposable Heroes

Merry-Go-Round

The ride back was mostly quiet in the Merry-Go-Round. Sure, they’d scored a solid victory in the pass, but that was what Merry did, she won. The sideshow lance of Crimson Fists they had put down were just more tally marks to be scratched on the hull. Merry had clipped bigger game plenty of times, many of which the crew had long forgotten about. Takka drummed his fingers on the side of the column as he drove. He thought it was amusing how the mech jocks thought she needed to be “defended” because the Crusader was packing some inferno warheads. They didn’t need to be saved, particularly not by that bullet soaker Ramrod or crackpot pirate Ziska. At least Marit was easy to look at, but her boyfriend in the Marauder could eat a bag- they definitely didn’t need his help. His lip turned up indignantly as he thought about the rest of the Knights. Everyone wanted to throttle Raven, but the true subject of Takka’s ire was dancing merrily ahead in the Phoenix Hawk oblivious to the young ginger’s hateful stare. Jumping in the way of Merry’s gun barrel wasn’t healthy for most and that clown’s dimwitted interference was gonna cost him, just like it had cost Merry. By the time they had reached Uncle Mack’s, he had worked out what he was going to do and justified that whatever punishment came down as a result, was just going to be worth it. He grinded his teeth together in a lopsided grimace of restrained glee and sadism.

Right under his feet was the crew escape hatch. It had never been used because neither they nor Merry retreated from shit, but it had a bank vault style lever meant to be kicked by the driver in the event of a bail out. Making sure that the hatch was functional was part of his pre-op checklist as the driver, so he knew that it would work and as long as Merry was parked and completely shut down, no alarm would sound. As they crawled through the scrapyard out of the tunnel, he watched Tarak ease his mech into its assigned bay and where he normally would have pulled straight into the Von Luckner’s “reserved” space, he instead stopped and reversed in so Merry’s nose was pointed directly towards the mechbays. “Thought I felt a little vibration from the drive again, Cap.” He said to Aroxy over his shoulder, daintily engaging the tracks in the opposite direction and craning his neck at the backup camera like an old lady backing in a Rotunda at Discount Dan’s. “Just gonna park her so the tech pit has an easier time.” He heard Aroxy grunt a tired approval while Helma groaned at having to spend an extra minute inside. Ansel seemed to be nearly asleep. Everything was set.

As soon as he heard the main hatch creak and turn over with its usual thud against the hull, Takka jammed his boot against the emergency door lever, hiding its metallic release with the sound from overhead. As the rest of the crew wearily climbed out, he was already on his feet, sprinting like a shot across Uncle Mack’s. Like some feral creature, it had only taken him one or two seconds to bound out from under the tank and as they had drove along he had been quietly alternating his feet on the pedals, keeping them as stretched and limber as he could. He didn’t want to cramp up and now it was paying off. He wasn’t even tired and his feet carried him with a hate-fueled quickness that nearly surprised him. He could see Tarak and his entourage of misfits happily high-fiving and rejoicing in his return and he ran harder, leaning into it. Someone shouted and he could hear the attention shifting towards him, but it didn’t matter. He was nearly on top of them when one of Tarak's followers finally noticed him. The little girl was holding some ridiculous pink boombox, but in her shock at seeing him bearing down on top of her, she dropped it right in his path.

Unable to stop and running far too fast to avoid it, Takka desperately lifted his stride to clear the radio with his next step and he probably would have made it if it weren’t for the restriction of his heavy winter pants. His booted toe clipped the pink box just barely, but his second footfall clamored right over it, switching it on and sending him lunging directly into Tarak like a linebacker.

In a flurry of rabid cursing, sweat and spit...

The brawl was on.

And from one of Tarak’s cursed mixtapes, stuck inside, the volume jammed high from impact- The radio played…

Geonet 2.0 - Battle for the Megacity

discord.gg/T226aU8u

New invite link to the discord if anyone is so inclined. We do a little plotting there.