Wolf's Free£ancers

Web novel by LtCol[W£]GrinnerWolf

Templar

MechWarrior Chronicles

Winds of Change
A proud Khan. A rebellious warrior. Together, they must strive against all odds to ensure the survival of their clan.
A Web novel by A Garang Wolf, copyrighted by AFAR (©AFAR 2003) (ahfaiz@nstp.com.my). Other copyrighted materials belong to their respective owners.

Synopsis:
Due to unrelenting pressure from rival clans, the Ðreaded Legion faces total annihilation. In order to survive, it must adapt to new ways and leave clan space before it is too late. However, the Ðreaded Legion can never trust Inner Sphere surats completely. Thus it must prepare for the day when it needs to draw on its reserve fighting force no one suspects exists - the Wolf's Free£ancers mercenary unit.

Chapter 1: Rebel with a cause

Chapter 2: The long journey begins

Chapter 3: A question of faith

Chapter 4: Death Comes on Swift Wings

Chapter 5: Lull before the storm

Chapter 6: The Crossover

Chapter 7: Rebirth

"Launch all fighters!" ordered saKhan Prataban as the Servant of Siva completed its jump to the nadir point of New Ethiopia system, home system to the Dreaded Legion Clan. Just outside of her starship's weapons range were two light destroyers and a squadron of obsolete space-superiority fighters. A fraction of a second later, the Light of Brahma jumped in-system.
"All fighters, do not engage," ordered Prataban over the Black Mamba frequency. "They are just our welcoming committee. I repeat, do not engage."
"My Khan," said Star Captain Mahindra. "We are being hailed."
"Onscreen," ordered Prataban.
"State your business," said a person with a weather-beaten, leathery but otherwise impassioned face.
"Khan Voltage," acknowledged Prataban with a curt nod. "I shall dispense with the pleasantries as well as the customary taunts regarding your bloodline and go straight to the point. You know why we are here, quiaff?"
"Aff," Voltage affirmed.
"Will you give me safecon?" asked Prataban. Although a defending Clan could very well deny safecon to an attacking Clan, safecon allowed for, among other things, the conservation of resources and helped avoid ill-planned sporadic battles or skirmishes.
Voltage did not answer immediately as though weighing his options but without the slightest hint of an emotion betraying his thoughts. When he answered, it was with just a simple "Aff", his face remaining emotionless.
"Excellent," Prataban responded. "I shall transmit my batchal now."
"As will I," said Voltage, after which the main view screen of the Servant of Siva went blank.
"My Khan," said Mahindra. "The destroyers and fighter escorts are moving off. We have transmitted our batchal and... we have received theirs."
"That was rather fast," remarked Prataban. "Could they know exactly what we would be pitting against them?"
"I doubt it," responded Mahindra. "Even with the stealth probes they left behind after Star Admiral Hershey's suicide attack, they could not have anticipated what we would be fielding."
"Then they must really be more desperate than we thought," said Prataban. "Put up Voltage's batchal on the main view screen."
"Their designated safecon areas are placed on three separate continents with three totally different climates and terrain," observed Mahindra aloud. "More significantly, they do not appear to have the strength to match ours. They have to be digging in."
"Very good, Star Captain," remarked Prataban. "Except that digging in when greatly outnumbered is almost as sure as fighting from inside your own open grave. All we need to do is flank them, round them up and pounce on them till they are obliterated."
"Aff, I was about to get to that," said Mahindra who was not about to let Prataban make him appear like he was fresh out of sibko training. "They have to be planning a surprise for us. And with that stoic look on Khan Voltage's face, I would not be surprised if it is something treacherous. Possibly un-Clan-like."
"What do you mean?" asked Prataban.
"A prey when cornered fights even more fiercely, for it has nothing more to lose," said Mahindra.
"Aff, aff, get on with it," said Prabatan irritably, as it was her turn to feel defensive about Mahindra trying to make her look like the lesser officer-tactician.
"The note from our operative, 'Expect treachery', could very well indicate that when pressed into desperation, the Dreaded Legion would abandon Clan traditions purely for survival," explained Mahindra.
"And risk a trial of annihilation?!" asked Prataban disbelievingly.
"There are different levels of annihilation - personal and institutional," argued Mahindra further. "From the way Hershey and her forces had pitted themselves against us knowing that they would all die as a result, it is possible that the Dreaded Legion have chosen personal annihilation over that of their Clan at all costs."
"Your argument is based on nothing more than a hunch," said Prataban in rebuke.
"With all due respect, my Khan," said Mahindra confidently, "If you would kindly recall the contents of my personal dossier, they show that I am a specialist in the area of Clan demise. My doctoral thesis had been based on a Clan not too dissimilar from the Dreaded Legion; a Clan whose name shall not be mentioned openly..."
"Aff, aff," said Prataban, in an effort to quickly deflect any attempt by Mahindra to lecture her. "But if what you say is correct, will they not also cause institutional annihilation? After all, by abandoning Clan traditions, will they not also change the nature of their Clan into a... pirate Clan?"
"Assuming that is what they intend, they see their Clan as being 'more than Clan'," explained Mahindra. "A kind of superiority complex not unlike anything we have ever seen."
"More than Clan?" asked Prataban, sounding a little miffed.
"Aff," responded Mahindra. "Each warrior is taught from birth that the Clan is everything, but our traditions temper that with the notion that resource conservation is primal too, which is why Clans exist the way we do; it justifies institutional concepts like bondsmenship, absorption, etc. But for some, and even for whole Clans, traditions count for very little if the Clan itself is under the threat of demise."
"Where are you going with all this?" asked Prataban.
"All I am saying is this: do we push them into abandoning the ways of the Clans by making them even more desperate than they are, or do we match the strength of their forces so that we give them a fighting chance to survive as a Clan?" said Mahindra. "In the event that they fail, they would be less likely to turn their backs on Clan traditions."
Hearing that, Prataban's expression darkened visibly. "Know this Star Captain," she declared. "I do not intend to fail. I will field a superior force and they can very well interpret it as a compliment to them - I do not care. But I will not fail. Besides, a rebellion like this must have already been decided upon. If they are going to abandon Clan traditions, they will do so regardless of how large a force we throw at them."
"Nonetheless," Mahindra added, "it is my duty to caution you; a duty placed on my shoulders by Khan Larissa Selvarajan herself. Although the Dreaded Legion may decide to abandon Clan traditions, it is unlikely that it would be by unanimous decision. We can use that to our advantage; turn the Dreaded Legion clanners against themselves; provided we give them a fighting chance."
"Neg," said Prataban. "The Dreaded Legion will be absorbed, or they will die, all of them."
Hearing that, Mahindra's suspicions were confirmed beyond all doubt. Prataban was here for personal glory above all else. Clan traditions, or at least their spirit, be damned. A warrior like Prataban was like cancer, eating away the very cannons of Clan traditions. But Mahindra was powerless to do anything, as Prataban was still his superior.
"Accept their batchal and add two star's worth of warriors for every galaxy they field in our adjusted batchal and resubmit," ordered Prataban. "We will defeat them. And if they decide to go rogue, we will unleash all of our reserves and use whatever else at our disposal to crush them completely."
Several minutes later, at the Dreaded Legion War Room, planet-side, "Do they suspect?" asked Darkstalker while highlighting the changes in the adjusted Black Mamba batchal on the War Room's main display.
"Aff," replied Voltage. "But from the adjusted batchal, I would say that they intend to crush us, regardless of what we may or may not do."
No sooner did Voltage finish sharing his insight, Argamemnon stepped into the War Room, along with his ultra-conservative entourage.
"Ahh! Star Colonel Argamemnon," greeted Darkstalker with a smile. "You are just in time."
"Star Colonel Darkstalker," acknowledged Argamemnon somewhat coldly. Despite his humiliation at the hands of a cadet, Argamemnon managed to regain his sense of pride by beating other contenders for the rank of Star Colonel in a trial of position. So much so, the humiliating episode was all but forgotten.
"Now that we are all here," said Voltage without preamble, "based on the Black Mamba adjusted batchal, Star Colonel Argamemnon's Wraiths will be taking on the Black Mamba Elite Strikers in Black Valley. Communications will be limited, but we have trained our warriors and support personnel enough to ensure that the Elite Strikers' do not gain the upper hand."
"Ready and waiting, my Khan," acknowledged Argamemnon.
Turning to newly-appointed saKhan Dig, "The Snipers Elite will take on the Black Mamba Mist Weavers at Mount Crystal Rain," said Voltage. "You are in your elements here, my old friend."
"My Elite Snipers are ready and waiting, my Khan," acknowledged Dig.
"Colonel Darkstalker's Greenbacks will take on the Black Mamba Skinners in Belantara Jungle," said Voltage. "And I will base my Command Lance there as well. Any questions before we depart to our individual destinations?"
"My Khan," said Argamemnon. "It has come to my attention that you have asked the non-essential personnel of the lower casts and their families to abandon the cities for our deep-mountain shelters. And you have instructed that they be given twice the usual dose of inoculation against radioactive fallout. Is there something we should know about?"
"Neg," replied Voltage. "They are merely precautions. Considering that this may very well be the last time we all come together as the Dreaded Legion Clan, I only wish for the collateral damage to be kept to a minimum."
"But our cities are hundreds of miles away from the battle zones..." interjected Argamemnon.
"That is enough, Star Colonel," said Voltage sternly but without raising his voice. "You and I may have had our differences, but this is no time to cause division in the ranks."
And after a short pause, "If there is nothing else, you are all dismissed," said Voltage.
With that, everyone but Darkstalker turned to leave. When only he and Voltage were left in the War Room, "That was close," said Darkstalker.
"Huh!" snorted Voltage. "But not close enough, fortunately. Just make sure that none of Argamemnon's spies are able to send runners to report to him the goings-on in the other battle zones."
"Would it not be easier to just arrest them?" asked Darkstalker.
"If it comes to that, aff," replied Voltage. "For now, let us keep up appearances."
Three days later, the first full scale engagement took place in the acidic terrain of Black Valley. The radioactive and heavy metal contents in the soil and cloud cover made communications and enemy detection extremely difficult at best, and there were many places the Dreaded Legion Wraiths could hide from the Black Mamba Elite Strikers. Skirmishes would occur along supply lines but losses on both sides were minimal. However, having identified the Wraiths' probable staging grounds, the Elite Strikers advanced in full force.
"Fog is too think, Star Colonel," said Star Captain Shotlock. "Recommend we counter with short-to-medium range weapons."
"You think we have the time to change our Omni-Mech load-outs?" Argamemnon asked his second-in-command.
"Do we have a choice?" replied Shotlock with a rhetorical question.
"Have Alpha, Beta and Gamma lances continue running interference," instructed Argamemnon. "But I want them relieved by the first wave of heavy and assault Omni-Mechs ASAP. I do not want to lose too many of our light Mech pilots so quickly in this war."
"Aff, Star Colonel," acknowledged Shotlock.
The Wraiths' staging grounds consisted of a network of winding ravines and hillocks that led to a warren northeast of Black Valley. With Mount Vesuvius, an inactive volcano, to block attacks from the rear, the Wraiths needed only to wait at reinforced positions for the Elite Strikers to come within striking distance of long range weapons and pulverise them from the front or sides. But the heavy fog, which was not unanticipated, required a change of tactics. The Wraiths had to go out further from their staging grounds to meet the Elite Strikers and stop them from boxing the Wraiths in tightly. And in this type of close quarter battle, the kill-to-death ratio would be close to 1 to 1.5, what with the rules of honourable combat or zelbrigen being strictly enforced. The wraith's had the upper-hand of familiarity with the terrain, but since the Elite Strikers outnumbered them, they all knew that it was going to be a very difficult fight.
Out in Alpha quadrant, Alpha lance was slowly being cut to pieces. Although their speed made it difficult for the Elite Strikers heavy Mechs to hit them, they were running low on ammunition and armour.
And it was similarly the case with Beta and Gamma lance in Beta and Gamma quadrants respectively.
"How much longer are we going to keep this up, Lance Commander Agnes?" asked MechWarrior Stuart. "I might as well have tissue paper on my Mech as armour. One more hit and this Cougar is history."
"Just a little longer, Stuart," assured Agnes. "We just have to hold our ground a little longer."
"Contact, bearing...!" Stuart started, but he abruptly cut off his warning with "Ejecting!!"
Agnes twisted her Mech's torso just in time to see Stuart's ejection pod skyrocketing upwards. And behind Stuart's now wrecked and smouldering Cougar loomed a 95 ton Executioner.
"Fade! Fade! Fade!" Agnes shouted into the coms, instructing her lance mates to run in different directions. They would rendezvous at an alternative regrouping area, which they hoped had not been overrun yet. But before they all fled, each one took a parting shot at the Elite Strikers Executioner.
Agnes' "shotgun" Puma which was equipped with Clan LBXs did the most damage but it hardly stalled the Executioner's advance for more than a few seconds.
A minute later, Agnes keyed-in the main Wraiths' frequency on her coms and said, "Alpha lead to Cavalry 4, come in, over." She let a few seconds pass before repeating her broadcast. "Alpha lead to Cavalry 4, come in, please.... Damn, they are still out of range."
But almost as soon as she finished, she heard a crackle and partial message coming through.
"This... Cavalry.... Hold your.... copy? Hold... position, over." It was Lance Captain Ramses.
"Aff, holding position," replied Agnes.
Switching over to her lance's frequency, Agnes said, "Alpha 1 to Alphas 3 and 4. Hold positions, copy?" Nothing. Only silence and the occasional non-filterable static could be heard.
"Damn the Elite Strikers to hell!" Agnes cursed, as she switched back to the Wraiths' general frequency. Her lance mates were well on their way to the alternative regrouping area and who knows what could be waiting for them there. She could either disobey a direct order and support her lance mates or stay put as ordered.
"...4 to Alpha 1, we are being.... I repeat... being over...," said Ramses.
"Alpha 1 to Cavalry 4, coming to your aid now," responded Agnes. Quickly, Agnes turned her Puma around and headed to her lance's primary regrouping area.
She arrived just in time to see a Wraiths Vulture go down in flames and black sooty smoke. And less than a hundred metres across it lay the ruins of the Elite Strikers Executioner that had destroyed Stuart's Cougar earlier.
"This is Alpha 1, ready to assist!" said Agnes excitedly.
"Cavalry 4 to Alpha 1, draw the Hellbringer away as far as you can. We do not need to defeat the Elite Strikers here. We only need to stall them and keep them from converging for as long as we can, over," said Ramses.
"Aff," acknowledge Agnes as she quickly flanked an advancing Elite Strikers 65 ton Hellbringer and shot its left arm. As she turned to flee, she saw Ramses' 70 ton Summoner engaging a 100 ton Dire Wolf head on, while a Wraiths Hellbringer was engaging an Elite Strikers Summoner.
"We cannot win this one, quineg?" she spoke into the coms.
"Neg," affirmed Ramses.
"So, how long do we keep this up?" asked Agnes.
"Till the Elite Strikers withdraw or till we are no more," responded Ramses.
"Coming around to aid you," said Agnes as she turned her Puma around.
"Neg! I repeat! Neg!" shouted Ramses. "You will do as you are told, Lance Commander."
"I will not stand around and watch you die, Ramses!" Agnes shouted back. "I am engaging the Dire Wolf."
"Stay back!" warned Ramses. "Or I will shoot you myself."
That gave Agnes reason to pause.
"Who is to know out here?" Agnes pleaded. "I will not allow you to die this way," Agnes declared, as tears started welling in her eyes.
"You have no choice in this matter," responded Ramses as he continued to trade shots with the Dire Wolf pilot. "And neither do I."
"Arrggghh!!" Agnes screamed in frustration, as she turned her Puma around to engage the Elite Strikers Hellbringer again. When it came within range, she shot it with her LBXs and made for some nearby hillocks for cover. The Hellbringer's return fire missed her Puma by mere centimetres.
"We are under the strict order by Khan Voltage not to violate zelbrigen here, and I intend to follow that order to the...," said Ramses. Sadly, he was cut off in mid sentence because his Summoner took a fatal blow to the centre torso from the Elite Strikers Dire Wolf and blew up. The explosion was so abrupt and violent that his ejection pod was destroyed even before it could be launched. Nothing remained of Ramses; nothing that was worth recovering.
"No..." said Agnes weakly, as she caught the explosion from the corner of an eye. Her vision blurred almost instantly, as more tears welled in her eyes. She quickly blinked them away and pressed on, but with a different kind of determination. Her body felt numb and everything appeared to be in a dream-like state.
The Elite Strikers Hellbringer drew nearer to Agnes' position, but instead of running farther away, she made for open ground and angled for the Elite Strikers Dire Wolf. Memories of her and Ramses alone together flashed through her mind in quick succession. And although she appeared to be focusing on the looming Dire Wolf that looked utterly menacing and ghostlike in the thick fog, it was her mind's eye that was preoccupying her.
Warriors were forbidden to form love bonds with one another, other than that which was based on camaraderie. Still, Agnes had a particular attachment to Ramses and Ramses to her. In the lower castes, it was called being in love. In the Warrior caste, it was tolerated at best as "special comradeship". Truth be told, both Agnes and Ramses considered themselves a pair and had been sexually loyal to one another ever since their sibko days.
A devastating shot from the Dire Wolf snatched Agnes violently out of her reverie. She had to fight the controls of her Puma with all her might to prevent her light Mech from taking a tumble. The left torso and left arm of her Puma were all but gone.
With a defiant scream, Agnes fired back, using her remaining LBX, at the Dire Wolf. She then rammed it and slammed on her Puma's self-destruct button with a clenched fist, smashing the safety as she did. Almost instantly, her Puma blew up with white eye-piercing lights, taking Agnes and the Dire Wolf along with it.
Meanwhile, in Beta quadrant, "Our infantry scouts from Alpha quadrant report that our left flank is holding, but losses are extremely high," Shotlock informed Argamemnon from the cockpit of his Timber Wolf.
"Unfortunate, but necessary," responded Argamemnon. "It is time for us to turn the tables on the Elite Strikers. Move out, Wraiths," ordered Argamemnon from the cockpit of his Dire Wolf.
By holding the left flank and driving a pincer through the middle, Argamemnon intended to cut off the Elite Strikers in Beta and Gamma quadrants from support and box them into a relatively small open area in Gamma quadrant. Thus far, Argamemnon has held most of his heavy and assault Mechs back, letting his light Mech forces blunt the Elite Strikers advancement as much as they could. It was time beat the Elite Strikers into submission.
Several minutes later, "Contact, bearing 240, 500 metres," announced Shotlock.
"Aff," acknowledged Argamemnon. "Choose your targets well and engage. Keep pressing their right flank but hold the centre. We have to get them to channel themselves into Gamma quadrant."
"Aff, Star Colonel," said a chorus of voices over the Wraiths frequency.
Although slow moving, Argamemnon's two Stars worth of Mechs outweighed and outgunned the Elite Strikers' advancing force in Beta quadrant. And although the Elite Strikers could outrun the Wraiths in their relatively lighter Mechs, they were determined to press forward and converge. Argamemnon would allow them to converge partially but on his terms.
Just then, a Wraiths Savannah Master came within communications range and sent a burst transmission.
"Right flank is holding, but losses are beginning to pile," observed Shotlock after putting the communiqué up on his heads down display (HDD).
"Aff," acknowledged Argamemnon. "Let us not waste any time then," he added, as he fired off his first shot at an Elite Strikers Summoner that had just come within weapons range.
Several minutes later, the Wraiths managed to push the advancing Elite Strikers to the edge of Beta quadrant. Just then, another Wraiths Savannah Master relayed a burst transmission.
"Left flank has collapsed," announced Shotlock after glancing at his HDD.
"Aff, and none too soon," acknowledged Argamemnon. "Relay the order," he instructed.
"Aff," acknowledged Shotlock, as he sent off a burst transmission back to the Savannah Master. It was instructions for the Wraiths reserves to abandon bass-camp and reinforce the right flank in Gamma quadrant.
Several minutes passed and the Wraiths have surrounded the Elite Strikers in Gamma quadrant, but not in the open as planned. Somehow, the Elite Strikers managed to push further into the Wraiths right flank, but were driven back and into Ifrit's Teeth, a treacherous area filled with deep chasms and hills that were too steep to climb by non-jump-capable Mechs.
"This is not good," said Argamemnon to Shotlock, over their private channel.
"Recommend we pin them down with jump-capable light and heavy Mechs, while the rest of us find their command lance which is probably at our base camp now," said Shotlock.
"Aff," acknowledged Argamemnon. "Relay the order," he added, as he turned his Dire Wolf and headed back to base camp.
"At once, Star Colonel," said Shotlock.
Several minutes passed. And then, "Contact bearing 50, 550 metres," announced Cavalry 7.
"Aff," acknowledged Argamemnon. "Hold your positions and do not engage." He then keyed in the general communications frequency between the Wraiths and Elite Strikers into his coms and broadcasted, "Hails, Elite Strikers Commander. This is Star Colonel Argamemnon of the Dreaded Legion Wraiths. It is time for us to speak again."
A moment later, "A deft manoeuvre, Star Colonel," responded Star Colonel Aruthia Padmanathan of the Elite Strikers, whose Executioner was just coming into view. "I commend you; could not have done it better myself."
"Your praise is appreciated," said Argamemnon. "More importantly, this battle is at an end. Your forces are divided and we have cut your numbers down to become the same as ours." Scrolling through the enemy Mech damage display, Argamemnon continued, "And judging from the damages you have suffered, it is unlikely that you can win the stand off here."
No response.
With an audible sigh, Argamemnon continued, "Your forces have fought valiantly, Star Colonel. Let us not waste precious lives and materiel. I offer you desgra."
No response. But just as Argamemnon was about to order his Wraiths to advance, Star Colonel Padmanathan said, "I accept. My Elite Strikers are standing down. I am sending my scouts to inform the rest of my forces. Well bargained and done."
"Aff, well bargained and done," acknowledged Argamemnon.
"A request, if I may, Star Colonel?" asked Padmanathan. "I would like to meet you face to face and shake your hand."
"Aff," said Argamemnon, "As do I."
Half an hour passed. Argamemnon, Padmanathan and most of their senior officers were out of their Mechs and on the grounds at the Wraiths base camp, engaged in polite conversations over refreshing electrolyte replenishing drinks. Suddenly, a smouldering Savannah Master came into view. It was approaching at high speeds and did not seem to be slowing down. When it reached base camp, it crashed into an abandoned MechWarrior barracks with a horrible bang.
"What is the meaning of this?!" asked Argamemnon, alarmed.
"Lance Captain Sandoval!" Shotlock called out to an Elemental warrior on perimeter duty. "Check it out."
"Aff, Star Captain," replied the Elemental warrior.
Several minutes later, the Savannah Master pilot was extricated. He was still alive but barely. And just before he passed, he handed a message chip to the Elemental Lance Captain, who then turned it over to Shotlock.
After reading the message on the chip using his wrist computer, Shotlock looked over to Argamemnon and indicated with his most serious expression that they needed to discuss something urgent.
"If you would excuse me, Star Colonel," said Argamemnon.
"Certainly," said Padmanathan.
Just then, Padmanathan received a burst transmission on his wrist computer from his own infantry scout whose Savannah Master had just come into view. After a quick read, his expression darkened with sheer anger.
"This is treachery!!" shouted Padmanathan.
Argamemnon's mind whirled in confusion. "What is going on?!" he shouted.
"Star Colonel," said Shotlock, his voice and expression laced with a tinge of helplessness and disappointment. "Orbital bombardments by Black Mamba space forces have commenced."
"What? Why?!" asked Argamemnon in shock.
"Rules of zelbrigen were violated in the other battlezones by Dreaded Legion forces," continued Shotlock. "And our scout was attacked by Legion Intelligence personnel to prevent this news from reaching us."
Argamemnon turned to face Padmanathan just in time to see the Elite Strikers Star Colonel drawing his service auto-pistol and levelling it squarely at him. In response, the Wraiths Elementals levelled their weapons at Padmanathan.
"Hold your fire!" Argamemnon ordered his Elementals. "Star Colonel, please, let me explain, " pleaded Argamemnon. "Elementals, lower your weapons," he ordered further.
None of the Wraiths Elementals responded, at first. Then, hesitantly, they obeyed Argamemnon's command by lowering their aims, if only slightly.
"Start talking, Star Colonel, and fast," said Padmanathan, contempt clearly in his voice and expression.
Over at Mount Crytal Rain, "We have always known that the Dreaded Legion Snipers Elite does not observe rules of zelbrigen," said Myst Weavers Galaxy Commander Siva Shanker.
"Really?" saKhan Dig responded coyly, as he slipped behind the safety of a ridge with his captured 100 ton Ghost Bear Kodiak. "Well, I do not need to breach any of the rules of zelbrigen to defeat a joke of a sniper-jock like you." After a short pause, "And how is the 'head', by the way?" asked Dig, alluding to the pounding he had been giving Shanker's Sunder Mech's head section.
No response, which was a sure indication that it had suffered serious damage.
"Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!," Dig continued to taunt. "Even with zelbrigen, the Snipers Elite kill ratio is 7 to 1. How much do you think our kill ratio is without zelbrigen?"
Still no response.
"Well, I have taken the liberty of doing the maths for you," said Dig. "From the kills that my Warriors and I have registered in this battle, it is now 10 to 1. This battle is at an end. Leave while you still can."
"I will not accept desgra from a contemptible warrior like you!" shouted Shanker in anger.
"I offer you none!" Dig replied angrily. "I am telling you to save yourselves while you still can. I offer you no safe conduct."
Suddenly, Shanker's Sunder appeared on scope 750 metres to Dig's right flank. A Myst Weaver Timber Wolf MK II was following closely behind Shanker at 900 metres. And to Dig's left flank was a Myst Weaver Nova Cat at 800 metres and it was moving in fast.
"Huh! Amateurs," Dig snorted and remarked under his breath. Other than that, he did not do anything. He did not have to. For, lying in wait were a star of Snipers Elite Auxiliary Mechs. The "Auxies", as they were referred to fondly, were new additions to the Snipers Elite headed by Lance Colonel Juan, the youngest and most promising warrior among the Dreaded Legion's "rising stars". And they consisted of fast attack Heavy brawler and streak missile boater Mechs. At passive radar, they could not be detected until the Myst Weavers came within short range weapons distance.
At 400 metres from their respective targets, the Auxies sprung their ambush.
Snipers tended to fare badly against brawlers at close range. Although a sniper Mech may have the total firepower that was equal to a brawler Mech, sniper Mech weapons were configured for long range battles. And for that reason, the amount of energy it took to lob destruction over long distances necessitated a slower recycle rate compared to brawler weapons that lobbed destruction at short range.
"Do not fire at the Sunder," Juan reminded his Warriors. "Leave him to saKhan Dig."
"Aff, Lance Colonel," came a chorus of voices over the Snipers Elite frequency.
And as expected, the battle was short and brutish. The Nova Cat was torn to shreds even before it could do any significant damage to the attacking Auxies. Its pilot did not even have a chance to eject before its core went critical.
Likewise, the MK II was also torn to shreds, but it had put up a better fight considering its thicker armour. In the end, it too went down, but it almost took out an Auxies Vulture along with it.
And when Shanker's Sunder was the only attacking Myst Weaver Mech left standing, Juan called for the Auxies to fade.
"Come back here, you cowards!" Shanker shouted as he lobbed round after round of ERPPC and ER Large Laser fire at Juan's retreating 65 ton Couldron Born. Although the damage was heavy, it was far from debilitating. And within moments, Juan was out of range.
"It is just you and me now," said Dig. "And I will show you why the Dreaded Legion has more Clan specialty Mechs taken as isorla than any other Clan in existence."
Turning to face Dig's menacing Kodiak, Shanker managed to catch the sight of the only 100 ton Clan Mech variant in existence with jump jets, doing a jump-snipe from behind the cover of a ridge. Shanker hastily shot at Dig's Kodiak, nailing it at the right hip, smashing and pulverising armour into slag, but it was not enough to avert Dig's onslaught.
With practiced ease, Dig fired all his weapons, which consisted of three Clan light gauss rifles and three ER large lasers, at the already weakened head armour of Shanker's Sunder, Killing the Myst Weaver Galaxy Commander instantly and nearly ripping out the entire cockpit section from the Sunder. And with no pilot at its controls, the Sunder continued to run a few paces before stumbling forward and prostrating in front of Dig's triumphant Kodiak.
"Another Sunder for the Snipers Elite Mech bays," Dig remarked with grim satisfaction.
Back at the Servant of Siva's bridge, "My Khan," Mahindra called out. "We have lost contact with Galaxy Commander Siva Shanker's command lance."
"Damn the Dreaded Legion to hell!" screamed Prataban in anger.
"We are continuing to receive sporadic accounts from survivors of Mount Crystal Rain battle," continued Mahindra calmly. "The Myst Weavers appear to have been routed... and are desperately in need of evac, ASAP."
Prataban did not respond and only stared into blank space with a twisted expression on her face. Mahindra recognised it well enough. It was bloodlust raising from the dashed hopes of someone craving for victory.
"My Khan," placated Mahindra gently. "There is nothing more to be done by our warriors there. Let me send the evac order and retrieve them while we still can."
Half a minute passed before Prataban finally conceded. The twisted expression on her face was replaced with grim resignation that the fight was lost.
"Send our dropships to pick them up. All of them," said Prataban.
"Even the Skinners?" asked Mahindra. The battle in Belantara Jungle was not going well for the Black Mamba Skinners as well.
Hearing the question, anger returned to Prataban's face, but quickly dissipated and her expression returned to calm determination. "Yes," she said, "but only when they ask for it, not before."
"Aff, my Khan," acknowledged Mahindra with relief.
"In the meanwhile, we shall continue destroying Dreaded Legion cities and industry assets and provide whatever fire cover our forces need from orbit," continued Prataban.
"Recommend we move our orbit position to cover the Skinners over Belantara Jungle," said Mahindra. "We can launch cruise missile attacks at other parts of New Ethiopia.
"Make it so," said Prataban. "I will be in my ready room. You have the bridge, Star Captain."
The Servant of Siva bridge personnel were deathly quiet, mostly. Only the faint beeping sounds emitting from work consoles and monitors could be heard. Through no fault of their own, victory has eluded the Black Mamba Strike Force yet again. While it can retaliate with orbital bombardment, it was no consolation.
Upon entering her ready room, Prataban activated her personal communications link to the Black Mamba Khan with a voice command. She closed and locked the door behind her and waited for the holographic display to come on. A few minutes passed before the static on the display showed the Black Mamba crest, and shortly after that, the disembodied head of Khan Larissa Selvarajan. Reflexively, Prataban lowered her gaze in shame and said, "My Khan, I... I have failed."
A few seconds passed before Selvarajan responded, due to the immense distances between their two points of communication, as well as the number of relay hyper pulse generator (RHPG) satellites their communications signal needed to pass through. "Explain," ordered Selvarajan.
"My Khan," began Prataban. "The Dreaded Legion have violated the rules of zelbrigen."
A few more seconds passed and then, "Aff, aff," acknowledged Selvarajan irately. "It was not unanticipated. What disappoints me, Sharon, is that you went into battle with full knowledge of it and failed to prepare our warriors fully for it as well."
"And how would you know that?" Prataban asked, confused and suspicious.
"How else would you explain your disgraceful failure?!" Selvarajan snapped. "We have fought with the Dreaded Legion before, and by their side, even! Have we not learned anything from them?"
"My Khan," pleaded Prataban. "These are not Inner Sphere surats we are dealing with. Our warriors are mostly blooded and they know what it is like to fight without the rules of zelbrigen."
"Indeed," acknowledged Selvarajan with irony plain in her tone of voice. "And still we are defeated and routed."
"Should I have sent in more of our warriors into the fight to counter their treachery?" asked Prataban in earnest.
"Neg," replied Selvarajan plainly. "You should have sent in less. That way, Voltage's forces would have been more disinclined to violate zelbrigen."
"What...?" asked Prataban, still confused.
"By Kerensky!" exclaimed Selvarajan. "The Dreaded Legion were about ready to break. It was a simply matter of time before they get absorbed into another Clan. If it was not ours, it would have been some other Clan. But at least they would have been part of the Clans, not some renegade force threatening to defect to the Inner Sphere."
"I beg to defer, my Khan," objected Prataban.
"Aff, you would be begging a whole lot more by the time I am finished with you," said Selvarajan, cold fury clearly in her eyes. "Do you know what sets us apart, you and I?" continued Selvarajan. "You see things only as a mere warrior should, all mired with personal achievements and glory. And for your failure to be more than a warrior, you have cost us not only precious lives and materiel, you have cost us an entire Clan!"
Taken aback, Prataban became speechless. Her mind raced as she reflected on her tactical errors, both obvious and probable.
"You will send me a report detailing the preliminary evidence you are able to gather that show the Dreaded Legion to be in violation of the rules of zelbrigen," ordered Selvarajan. "I will inspect it before sending it off to the Clan arbiters on Stranamechty. Make no mistakes this time, Sharon. Your report will be the basis upon which a trial of annihilation against the Dreaded Legion is launched."
"Oh, I intend to condemn them with every morsel of evidence I have at...", Prataban began assuring, but before she could finish, Mahindra interjected over the intercom.
"saKhan Prataban," said Mahindra, with concern clearly in his voice. "The Dreaded Legion Light Carrier Attica has just jumped in-system. She has launched a wing of fighter interceptors mixed with heavy bombers and they are all on a fast burn toward New Ethiopia. Based on their trajectory, the fighter-bomber wing will reach our new orbit position in under forty five minutes. The two light destroyers we chased away are coming around again with their remaining complement of space superiority fighters. Clearly, they intend to prevent us from providing fire cover to our Skinners."
"Aff, I am returning to the bridge," acknowledged Prataban. Focusing her attention on Selvarajan's disembodied head again, she said, "With your permission, I shall delegate the task of gathering preliminary evidence against the Dreaded Legion to the able hands of Star Captain Mahindra."
"Neg," replied Selvarajan. "I am handing over command of the Black Mamba Strike Force to Star Admiral Mahindra. I have just communicated his promotion via battlefield commission and his new orders to him. You, saKhan Prataban, will begin compiling that report now. And I want it transmitted to me in the next half an hour. That is all."
Prataban was flabbergasted. She began to stammer a response, but no sooner than she did, the holographic display went blank.
Down in Belantara Jungle, the Dreaded Legion Greenbacks have succeeded in corralling the Black Mamba Skinners in a swamp-filled valley called Frogs Basin. It has been called that ever since Dreaded Legion scientists released over 40 species of frogs into the swamps as a way to further research the effects of devastation on the environment and its rehabilitation due to Mech combat. But it might as well be called Death's Basin due to the high number of casualties and injured warriors, both Mech jocks and Elementals, faced by both sides.
When the order was given for the Greenbacks to begin ganging up against single targets, all hell broke lose. The Skinners gave as good as they got, but due to their inexperience at fighting free of zelbrigen rules and the fact that they were fighting on the Greenback's home terrain, the Skinners quickly found themselves bunched up into Frogs Basin with no way out. They had no choice but to dig in, sniping when they could and taking cover from return sniper as well as artillery fire.
The Skinners had called for evac, but due to the presence of mobile surface to air dropship killer missile (SADKM) platforms that had moved into position over the last hour, no dropship could ever reach them safely. Even if they could land to evacuate the Skinners, they would probably be shot down upon take-off.
"We need air support, now!" shouted Star Colonel Gobalan into his coms.
"And we have none to give, Star Colonel," replied Star Admiral Mahindra. "We are under attack ourselves. But we will provide you with orbital bombardment support."
"That is not acceptable!" cried Gobalan, angrily. "These are mechs. Shooting them with capital ship class energy and gauss weapons would be akin to hitting flies with a jack hammer!"
"We are attempting to take out as many SADKMs from orbit as we can," informed Mahindra. "Once we have taken out enough of them, we will send in dropships closer to your position, copy?"
"Aff, I copy," said Gobalan, a little placated. "We will hold till then, if we can hold."
"Aff," acknowledged Mahindra.
"Correct me if I am wrong, Star Admiral," continued Gobalan. "Our battlenet reports indicate that the Elite Strikers and Myst Weavers have been defeated. There is nothing to stop the Dreaded Legion from bringing down reinforcements on us, quinaff?"
"Aff, they have been defeated, but the Elite Strikers are in negotiations with the Dreaded Legion Wraiths to have them fight on our side," informed Mahindra.
"Say again?" asked Gobalan in disbelief.
"I said, the Elite Strikers are in negotiations with the Dreaded Legion Wraiths to have them fight on our side," repeated Mahindra. "Star Colonel Padmanathan has just sent a message to that effect via a scout transport that was able to clear the radioactive cloud cover blocking long range communications out of Black Valley."
"And...?" asked Gobalan impatiently.
"And we shall wait for further developments," said Mahindra, stating the obvious.
"Damn!" Gobalan cursed. "In the meanwhile, the Snipers Elite are making their way here."
"That is probably the case," acknowledged Mahindra. After a few seconds lapsed, he continued, "You know, seeing all you Skinners from up here bunched up like that has given me an idea."
"I am all ears, Star Admiral," responded Gobalan.
"I want you all to form up shoulder-to-shoulder and advance north of the valley," said Mahindra.
"What?!" Gobalan asked in disbelief. "That is the worst idea I have heard all day… with all due respect, of course."
"Bear with me, Star Colonel," said Mahindra coolly, although it was clear that he would not tolerate any argument from Gobalan. "You will keep your formation tight - no more than 50 meters apart. The moment one of you falls, I want the rest of your warriors to close their ranks. They must under all circumstances continue to hold their line and advance."
"To what purpose?" asked Gobalan.
"Quite simply, Star Colonel, you are to concentrate your fire on individual targets that are within range of your warriors," explained Mahindra. "And the only way for the Greenbacks to counter the kind of concentrated firepower that you are levelling against them is if they were to do the same, just like in ancient, Napoleonic times."
"If they do?" asked Gobalan.
"Well, how could they?" asked Mahindra right back. "There is a jack hammer from on-high waiting to smash flies."
Over at Khan Voltage's base camp about half an hour later, "My Khan," said Darkstalker. "The Skinners are advancing northwards out of Frogs Basin... and they are pushing our forces back."
"What?" asked Voltage incredulously.
"They appear to be marching like... tin soldiers," explained Darkstalker. "And they are gaining ground. Mobile artillery division is having difficulty moving and targeting at the same time. So, our artillery fire is largely ineffective."
"What about our missile boater Mechs?" asked Voltage.
"They are too spread out to concentrate fire on any one target," replied Darkstalker.
"Well, get them to work together and return fire!" ordered Voltage furiously.
"Star Captain Logan and his warriors tried just that but had to scatter when they came under fire from the Servant of Siva," explained Darkstalker.
“And our air support?” inquired Voltage.
“Just as ineffective,” replied Darkstalker. “The strafing runs by our space superiority fighters have been foiled by concentrated fire as well. And our bombers are too slow and vulnerable to even come close.”
"Break camp," ordered Voltage. "We will move our reserves to intercept."
"At once, my Khan," responded Darkstalker.
"And patch me through to Star Captain Alexandria," ordered Voltage.
A few moments passed and the disembodied head of the Light Carrier Attica captain appeared on Voltage's mobile holographic display.
"My Khan," said Alexandria in acknowledgement.
"Star Captain, where is my stealth bomber?" asked Voltage. "It should have reached its target by now."
"The DBX-1 continues to be plagued with propulsion problems, my Khan," explained Alexandria. "While it had successfully launched with the rest of the fight-bomber wing, it experienced system wide failures 15 minutes into its flight."
The DBX-1 was a cranky stealth bomber. It was supposed to have been the vessel that destroyed the Black Mamba Dropship Carrier Light of Brahma. Had it not been plagued by so many design faults, the lives of Star Admiral Hershey and many of her warriors could have been spared. But that was not to be.
"The rest of our mixed fighter-bomber wing was cut to pieces well before they reached the Servant of Siva," continued Alexandria. "And while one of our bombers managed to launch two volleys of type 3 ship killer torpedoes, those torpedoes were destroyed in mid-flight."
"I want that destroyer out of the equation in the next fifteen minutes or you can very well kiss all of our futures goodbye, Star Captain," said Voltage. "Is that understood?"
"Aff, my Khan," replied Alexandria. "All too clearly."
Meanwhile, several thousand kilometres from New Ethiopia drifted the DBX-1 and its crew of three. Although it had lost propulsion power, it was still moving at great speeds. But without propulsion power, it trajectory was way off.
"Come on, you stupid bitch!" shouted the DBX-1 commander, Star Captain Quraishi. "Wake up! Papa needs you to WAKE UP!" he screamed while he tried desperately to ignite the stealth bomber's engines. And in desperation, he banged his fists against the propulsion display panel.
"I do not think that will help, Star Captain," remarked first officer Star Commander Bridget as she continued to run diagnostic checks on the rest of the DBX-1's systems. But no sooner than she finished her remark, the DBX-1's propulsion system came alive.
"Hey! What do you know?" remarked Quraishi happily. "Nothing like the universal fix." And as he began to steer the DBX-1 back on course, be engaged the stealth bomber's afterburners.
"Star Captain, is that wise?" asked Second Officer Star Commander Layola in surprise. "You have just given away our position to the enemy."
"We have no time for subtlety," replied Quraishi.
And surely enough, a wing of Black Mamba space superiority fighters began moving to intercept.
"Call it," ordered Quraishi.
"Five minutes to target lock," responded Layola.
"And three minutes to intercept," responded Bridget in reference to the incoming wave of space superiority fighters.
"I will cut off the afterburners in two and a half minutes from my mark - MARK!" said Quraishi.
"That would give us a target lock in five and a half minutes," said Layola.
"That is the best we can do," responded Quraishi.
Back on the Servant of Siva, "What the hell?!" remarked a bridge tech from his observation console. "They actually built it."
"Tech 1st Class Jonathan," Mahindra called out over his shoulder from the Captain's chair. "Please keep your words precise and succinct. What is it that they have built."
"My apologies, Star Admiral," responded Jonathan. "The Dreaded Legion have actually built the stealth bomber, the designs for which our intelligence operatives had unearthed years ago. Its was too flawed to begin with, so no one thought that they would actually build it."
"Is that what is flashing on our radar?" asked Mahindra.
"Aff, Star Admiral," replied Jonathan.
"Its schematics, on my console, NOW!" ordered Mahindra.
Quickly, Jonathan brought up the DBX-1's overall schematics, especially weapons configuration, on Mahindra's side display attached to the Captain's chair.
After about a minute of looking through the DBX-1's schematics, Mahindra activated ship wide klaxons and ordered, "All crews, except bridge crew, abandon ship! I repeat, all crews, except bridge crew abandon ship!"
Then, turning to the tech manning the weapons console, "Put all weapons turrets on auto, but keep our port side turrets locked on ground targets," Mahindra ordered. "Cut the klaxons on the bridge but keep the rest on the ship going," he ordered further. "What is headed our way, we hardly have any defence against."
Back on the DBX-1, Quraishi cut off the stealth bomber's afterburners at the two and a half seconds mark and shifted the course of the bomber a little. That way, the chances of it being detected by extrapolation of the stealth bomber's original course would be minimised.
Predictably, the Black Mamba space superiority fighters flew right pass the DBX-1. However, they quickly peeled away to circle back. No doubt, their pilots had sensed instinctively that they had all flown pass the stealth bomber.
"We only have one shot at this," remarked Quraishi. "So, we damn well better make it count."
"Aff, Star Captain," both Bridget and Layola responded.
And at about the five and a half seconds mark, target lock on the Servant of Siva was achieved.
"Target lock achieved," announced Layola. "Engineering section."
"Launch the skipper missiles!" ordered Quraishi.
"Launching!" announced Layola. "All systems go."
"Now, let us get out of here," said Quraishi, as he altered the DBX-1's course to head back to the Light Carrier Attica in a wide loop. But just as he did, the stealth bomber experienced propulsion containment systems failure. Almost immediately, the Black Mamba space superiority fighters altered course to intercept, what with the DBX-1 flashing on their radar displays like an angry beacon.
"Suggestions?!" asked Quraishi hurriedly.
"Containment failure is irreversible," said Bridget. "Even if we shut down our engines, the DBX-1 would still show on radar. I suggest..."
"Brace yourselves," said Quraishi, cutting off Bridget in mid sentence. He then punched the eject button for detaching the cockpit section from the rest of the DBX-1, and with a violent jolt that nearly blacked out all three pilots, the cockpit section separated itself.
About half a minute later, the DBX-1 exploded brilliantly after being hit by a single ERPPC fire.
The thing about stealth armour used on an experimental Dreaded Legion space crafts was that, although it could absorb and contain signals that would otherwise give away the positions of those ships, it did nothing to protect them from enemy fire. And the fact that stealth armour weighed much, much heavier than standard space craft armour meant that other types of armour had to be forgone in order to keep the experimental crafts lean and highly manoeuvrable.
Worse still, the cost of building a DBX-1 was nearly equivalent to that of a heavy destroyer. It would, therefore, be a very long time before the Dreaded Legion could find the resources to build another one, if at all it got around to doing it.
Meanwhile, on the Servant of Siva, "We are getting intermittent locks on three incoming ship killer torpedoes," announced a tech manning the sensors console. "Our auto-turrets cannot get solid fixes."
"They are called 'skippers'," explained Mahindra. "Highly experimental and denounced by most Clans as a coward's weapons."
"The only reason why we are detecting them at all is because their electronic counter measures are so powerful that they scramble their own target lock on us," Jonathan pitched in. "They then need to reacquire target lock and correct their course before scrambling everyone's lock on them with their ECMs again."
"Prepare to abandon ship," ordered Mahindra. "There is nothing more we can do."
He then opened a channel to the Skinners’ commander and said, "The Servant of Siva is about to go down, Star Colonel Gobalan. Fight well. You are on your own. I will see you planet side, if I see you."
Gobalan was shocked, but merely responded with a heavy sigh. He was too busy fighting the Dreaded Legion Greenbacks to ask for details or explanations. And he signed off without more.
Turning to Star Commander Kumar, Mahindra ordered, "Escort the saKhan to the bridge crew emergency transport."
"I am afraid I cannot do that, Star Admiral," responded Kumar. "I anticipated your order and tried to escort the saKhan earlier, but she refused to leave."
"I want her off this ship!" Mahindra said angrily. "Even if it means at gun point!"
Just then, the Captain's ready room doors slid open revealing a wary looking Prataban. She had earlier tossed away her space warrior's cap and unzipped the front of her tunic.
"There is nothing for me to go back to, if at all we survive this," she said. "Please, Star Admiral, let me go down with this ship I once commanded. It is only fitting for a commander who has failed her Clan, quiaff?"
"It is not for me to decide, my Khan," replied Mahindra.
"It has pretty much been decided, I assure you," countered Prataban. She then turned around and closed the ready room doors behind her.
"Leave her," said Mahindra.
"Aff, Star Admiral," said Kumar in compliance.
The skipper missiles hit the Servant of Siva's Engineering section, one after another, just as the bridge crew emergency transport departed. The explosions caused by the impact of the skipper missiles, which were carrying type 3 nuclear warheads, were powerful enough to rock the emergency transport violently but not enough to destroy it.
Looking out the observation ports along the rear and port side of the transport, the bridge crew could see their beautiful ship being torn apart section by section. Slowly, and almost lazily, pieces of those sections began falling toward New Ethiopia.
Planet side, Belantara Jungle, without the benefit of fire cover from the Servant of Siva, the Skinners' shoulder-to-shoulder march out of Frogs Basin was halted by the arrival of Voltage's command lance and the reserve units directly under his charge. Keeping their own formations tight, Voltage and his forces, as well as the remaining fight-worthy Greenbacks, traded intense firepower with the Skinners. And since Voltage's forces had a large number of freshly fielded Mechs, the Skinners losses began to pile.
In acknowledgement of their defeat, many of the Skinners pilots whose Mechs had shut down from overheating kept their Mechs in shut down mode. The more determined ones kept on fighting, however, until Gobalan called for a ceasefire on the general frequency shared by both the Black Mamba and Dreaded Legion forces.
"Cease fire! I said cease fire!" cried Gobalan. "Khan Voltage, I, Star Colonel Gobalan, yield the field of battle to you. To fight on is both wasteful and futile."
"Acknowledged, Star Colonel," responded Voltage. "Well bargained and done."
"And none too soon," remarked Darkstalker over the general frequency as Dreaded Legion dropships bearing friendly IFF signature and markings of the Dreaded Legion Wraiths arrived on the scene. Several minutes later, they landed behind the Skinners as though to prevent any of the Black Mamba Mechs from retreating and escaping through the rear.
But as Voltage expected, when the landing ramps extended, out came Mechs bearing hostile IFF signatures as well as the markings of both Black Mamba Myst Weavers and Dreaded Legion Wraiths. The battle of Frogs Basin was far from over.
Standing side by side were the Mechs of Star Colonels Padmanathan and Argamemnon. Both had achieved missile-lock on Voltage's Dire Wolf but they held off firing.
"Star Colonels," Voltage called out over the general frequency. "What exactly are your intentions?"
No response.
"Tell us, Argamemnon," Darkstalker began, in an attempt to break the tense silence. "Are you now a Black Mamba warrior?"
That received a response.
"Neg," said Argamemnon. "I am here to salvage the proud legacy of the Dreaded Legion."
"Ahhh... so that is what you are doing," prodded Darkstalker. "By colluding with the enemy?"
"You are the enemy! You and that freebirth Voltage!!" screamed Argamemnon.
"You fool!" retorted Darkstalker. "Why do you think Khan Voltage let you have your own command if he knew well in advance that this stand-off would come to pass?"
"I do not know and I do not care!" replied Argamemnon. "You and your lying forked tongue!"
"Am I lying?" asked Darkstalker rhetorically. "We bolstered your numbers with our own to ensure that you, Argamemnon, would be victorious against the Myst Weavers," explained Darkstalker."
"Really?" asked Argamemnon, and it was his turn to be coy. "And why would you do that?"
"So that those who would not follow the new course I have charted for the Dreaded Legion would still have a leader from among their ranks to follow," Voltage answered. "This is the moment of truth. This is where we all go our separate ways, and for the better."
"And you expect me to believe that?" asked Argamemnon, sceptically.
"I do," Shotlock interjected over the general frequency.
"What?!" Argamemnon remarked in shock at his second-in-command's revelation.
"Forgive me, Joseph," said Shotlock. "I should have spoken to you about this earlier. Just before the arrival of the Black Mamba Strike Force in New Ethiopia star system, the Wraiths received fresh Warriors from the Cadet Corps as well as veterans from the Greenbacks. Their psychological profiles indicated that they would be more inclined to follow the new path set by Khan Voltage. But they were also very loyal to him, which would explain why none of them violated the rules of zelbrigen."
"What? What are you saying?" asked Argamemnon in disbelief.
"Quite simply, Joseph, the reason why many of them fought to their deaths without once violating the rules of zelbrigen was because Khan Voltage ordered them to do so," explained Shotlock. "That is the most logical conclusion that can be deduced from all this, and for that reason, I believe both Khan Voltage and Star Colonel Darkstalker are telling us the truth."
Just then, more dropships could be seen flying in over the horizon. They bore the friendly IFF signature of Dreaded Legion Snipers Elite.
"If you will not believe us," Voltage continued, "then believe the odds. We outnumber you three to one. With no orbital fire support and with ammunition as well as armour running low, you Joseph Argamemnon, your followers and the remaining Black Mamba warriors will be annihilated, here in Frogs Basin." After pausing for effect, Voltage continued by adding, "The alternative is the offer I extend to you to begin anew, as dignified warriors of the Black Mamba. I am sure that Star Colonel Padmanathan would vouch for your integrity, quiaff?"
"Aff, I would," acknowledged Padmanathan.
"Then it is settled," affirmed Voltage. "Those of you who wish to follow Star Colonel Argamemnon may break formations and proceed to his side. No harm will come to you, and no one will think less of you. Similarly, I invite those who wish to follow me to switch over to my side."
At first, no one moved. Then, slowly, Dreaded Legion warriors began to switch sides. There were not many who did, but the fact that the switching took place at all meant that not everyone was truly at ease with the choices he or she was forced to make previously, including Shotlock.
"Where are you going, Andreas?" asked Argamemnon with a tinge of sadness in his voice.
"I am sorry, Joseph," replied Shotlock. "Truly I am. It has been an honour and privilege serving with you. But my heart is with the Dreaded Legion."
Suddenly, to everyone's shock and dismay, there was a terrible explosion near Voltage's position. His Dire Wolf was knocked to the ground and suffered massive loss of armour. But otherwise, Voltage himself was unhurt.
There was a deep crater where the explosion took place and in it were the charred remains of a Greenbacks Uller and Timber Wolf MK II.
"What in Kerensky's name happened?!" Voltage demanded to know.
"Genie 1 to Alpha Wolf," said Lance Commander Leslie over the general frequency. "My Khan, it was an assassination attempt against you. But Lance Commander Jenny foiled it."
"Is she alive?" Voltage inquired, concerned. "Did she eject in time?"
After a short pause, "Neg," replied Leslie.
Apparently, the Black Mamba spy who had infiltrated the Dreaded Legion ranks managed to commandeer an Uller and rigged it with enough high explosives to take out heavily armoured Assault class Mechs. But Jen had noticed the Uller veering toward Voltage's Dire Wolf for no apparent reason when the exchange was called and decided to intercept.
Realising that his path would be blocked no matter how he manoeuvred the Uller, the spy went for broke and blew the Uller up upon collision with Jen's MK II. Jen had done all she could to keep the Uller at bay, save launch her Mech's LRMs for fear that she would hit and destroy critically damaged Greenbacks Mechs that were standing in tight formations between her and the Uller. Unfortunately, her efforts to save her Khan had cost Jen her own life.
"Why?" Voltage thought aloud.
"Perhaps the assassin thought that by eliminating you, the Dreaded Legion would crumble," Darkstalker answered.
"Well, he thought wrong," Voltage countered.
A few days later, as Voltage was preparing to board his patched up Dire Wolf Mech on one of the outbound Dreaded Legion dropships headed for the Badlands, which was a backwater area of Dreaded Legion space, he received a hail for simultaneous HPG transmission from someone he dreaded facing but yearned to speak to nonetheless. Hastily, Voltage docked his Dire Wolf in its designated docking bay, disembarked and headed for his ready room on the dropship.
Bringing up the holographic display, he braced himself for a vicious verbal onslaught. When he turned it on, the Black Mamba crest appeared. It was then quickly replaced by a strikingly beautiful but fierce looking disembodied head Voltage had come to recognise all too well.
However, to his surprise, the fierce expression changed to one of relief and affection, as though the disembodied head finally realised that it was Voltage it was seeing.
"I am glad you are alive," said Khan Larissa Selvarajan. "Please believe me, I did not authorise your assassination," she pleaded in earnest.
"I believe you, Larissa," said Voltage.
Selvarajan's expression then reverted to fierceness when she said, "What have you done, Leigh?"
And at that point, Voltage's usual emotionless composure fell away and was replaced with sadness and regret. "I..." he began, but could not finish his sentence.
Seeing that, Selvarajan's fierce demeanour changed back to one of affection. And she said, "We could have been great together. You by my side..." her voice soft and comforting.
"I am so sorry," said Voltage. "It was something I had to do, for the sake of my Clan."
"I do not understand...," said Selvarajan.
"And I knew you would not," declared Voltage, determination returning to his tone of voice. "At least not yet. We are two of a kind, you and I, but we are also very, very different. Maybe that is why we have always felt for each other. And please do not think for an instant that the idea of being by your side had not tempted me to throw away all my carefully laid plans. Certainly, that would have been easier, but easier does not always mean right." Voltage paused to compose his thoughts and then continued by saying, "You are my soul mate, Larissa, but..."
"But you have to do what you have to do," Selvarajan finished Voltage's statement for him.
"Please, do not come after me and my people," pleaded Voltage.
"But I am duty bound," remarked Selvarajan sadly.
"And I am not asking you to shirk your duty," clarified Voltage. "I just do not want to see the Black Mamba suffer any further loss at my hands or the hands of my warriors. Believe me, the Dreaded Legion is far more prepared to face the consequences of its actions than you could ever imagine. Take it as fair warning."
"Aff," acknowledge Selvarajan, as the mental pictures of the Dreaded Legion stealth bomber DBX-1 came to mind. "So, where to now?" she then asked, almost innocently.
Hearing that, Voltage smiled and laughed good humouredly. "I will call you," said Voltage. "And perhaps when I do, it would be under better circumstances. In the meanwhile, I will leave the remnants of my Clan here on New Ethiopia - people who do not wish to embark on the great hegira - in the good hands of Star Admiral Mahindra."
"But the trial of annihilation..." Selvarajan began to say.
"Is irrelevant," Voltage cut her off. "Those who wish to be absorbed have laid down their arms and are at your Clan's mercy. The token solahma warrior forces garrisoning the Dreaded Legion border worlds have also agreed to lay down their arms and to officially distance themselves from my actions and the actions of the warriors who follow me. Please treat them well."
"Aff," acknowledged Selvarajan. "Well bargained and done."
"Well bargained and done," affirmed Voltage.
"Good hunting, Khan Voltage," said Selvarajan, signing off.
"Good hunting, Khan Selvarajan," Voltage answered in customary fashion. And the holographic display went blank.

Chapter 8: The Gladiators

Chapter 9: Here be Pirates

Chapter 10: The Good Fight

Chapter 11: Price of Freedom

Chapter 12: Heart and Soul

Chapter 13: End Game