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Her pulse hammered above everything else in the clean, dark air of her cockpit. The soft beeping of systems monitors was drowned out by a bass-like sound in the back of her head, her ears throbbing with each beat. The cold sweat poured down like tropical rain, making a thick mess of her hair. She brought her eyes back open, against the wishes of her body. Another light mech squadron pinged the radar. Comms lit up within seconds.“Orders ma’am?”She took a deep breath. “Pelt them with suppressive fire, use harassment tactics until they break formation.” She gave a hard launch with the thrusters, rocketing herself to the back line and marking her targets on the HUD. The void lights up with the bright red of a series of ER laser bursts fired in a suppressive cone at the center of the formation, with solid munitions flying through the ranks from the forward side. Coming up under the formation, the back rank splits in half to avoid her full body swoop into their center, her small laser cutting across the BattleMech on her left flank as she moves.She cuts the jets and puts her mech into a spin, opening up with the medium lasers onto the damaged mech and cutting straight through the hip joint of it’s leg. She counts five seconds, right as the heat sink reaches its lowest point, then fires again, piercing through just inches from the cockpit, internal components blown out into space.A mech on the far right flank breaks off, coming at her in a long curve, lasers locking on. She primes the SRM-6 for a single shot, counts two seconds before the lock on, then prioritizes the laser and fires. The rocket sends off through darkness, colliding with the laser just as the energy is diverted to fire. A spark of a electricity accompanies the explosion, temporarily sending the enemy mech haywire. She takes her time kiting the mech with laser fire. By the time the systems have rebooted, another rocket from one of her Stars sails through the air, colliding with the back of the mech and nearly tearing it in two. The rest of her Star forms up in a semi circle around the enemy formation, pelting them with autocannon fire. The center of the formation launches upward and scatters, the forward guard dashes past the oncoming munitions and each flank fans out to secure kills.“Center of their formation,” She says, marking the position on the heads up display. “Back to back and fire outward.” She gives a medium push from the thrusters, turning her back and braking as the meter count lowers on her HUD. She aims the medium lasers, holding her fire as the furthest mech clicks onto her targeting computer. As it swoops in for what it assumes is an easy target, she flicks on the SRM and fires one shot, trailing her laser to the opposite side and firing. Sure enough, the mechwarrior dodges away from the missile and falls straight into her laser, melting the armor just beneath the cockpit. As it closes in, she fires all three lasers again at the weakened point and fires a rocket straight for the cockpit. The mech is effectively scraped, but still flying towards her. She launches her mech “prone” and kicks outward, sending the scrap spiraling out into space.Bullets and lasers fly out from the formation like needles in the astral, scraping and melting the armor of the scattered mechs, forcing them to regroup and retreat. The comms of her squadron chirp to life, the indicators reading mission control.“Star Commander Lung, convoy is fueled and civilians have boarded, we are now aweigh. Return to the Crow’s Foot immediately. Mission complete.” The comms cracked off, and an uneasy feeling set into Lung’s stomach.Then the active probe lit up her display with an incoming mech, moving far faster than anything else she had combated.“What the hell is that?” Her second in command, Venka, whispered into the comm.“My sensors show a heavy class mech of some kind, heavily armed,” Said Sonoma, their newest member and only trueborn. “Orders, ma’am?”“Alright,” Lung maneuvered her mech to point straight towards the ship’s hangar. “Maintain the retreat, but prepare laser weaponry--”“Commander, we don’t have anything that could even dent that ‘Mech--” Sonoma started, but Lung cut her off.“No one said anything about hurting it. All we need to do is cut enough thrusters to give the Crow’s Foot a fighting chance. When it makes it’s sweep, open up short range lasers, aim for the thrusters to reduce its maneuverability. Keep munitions and missiles stowed, we don’t want the thing scrambling into evasive maneuvers. Now, full retreat.” She punctuated the order with a hard thrust of her mech, turn about and letting inertia do the rest as she took the careful minute needed to reconfigure the targeting computer to aim for the thrusters, then powered up the medium ER lasers on the left arm, in addition to the small laser on the right.The enemy ‘Mech began it’s sweep. Up close, her targeting camera could get a clear look of what must’ve been a Seraphim class mech, but the weapons were...strange. Something she couldn’t quite put her finger on. As the beast of a ‘Mech came into range, one of the pilots made a high-g downward maneuver to narrowly avoid being torn apart, while the rest lit up the space with laser fire. Unfortunately they missed just off their mark, with a heavy laser just barely ghosting past Lung’s shoulder. A few more potshots of lasers trailed after the target as it began another swoop maneuver, but still met with no luck.“Point Sonoma, aim for the cockpit, just to shakes his nerves a little.” She ordered, then readied for the next pass. This time the shoulder of the mech tore straight through the legs of Point Erin, and a heavy laser tore through the shoulder mounted missiles of Point Enya. A few of Lung’s lasers managed to strike the thrusters, putting two out of the dozen offline.“Maintain retreat, I have an idea. And it’s not exactly honorable.” Lung said, using her thrusters to put herself to a stop.“Commander, we’re not--” Venka started.“I gave you an order, Venka. Do not disobey me.” She said, cold and simple. By the time she had reached an idling speed, her squadmates were long gone behind her.As soon as the Seraphim was in view, she put herself in a high-G rush straight towards him. As he levelled the laser cannon, her Mist Lynx crashed directly into him, the barrels of her ER lasers directly against the center torso. She triggered the fire command, burning a molten pit into the side of the armor, then knocked the light laser again the heavy laser mount and fired, slicing through metal and wiring with raw heat.Then she opened the SRM-6s, and loosed a fully volley directly into the cockpit. The ensuing blast tore straight through the armor of her own mech, and annihilated her in a globe of fire, her flesh burning away in an agonizing instant.Then the simulation shut off completely, leaving her in the pitch black darkness of the simulation pod. The twin doors slowly began to bloom open like a chrysalis, and standing before her, in the snow white dress uniform was Star Captain Adkins, her scarred lips creased into a distinct frown, her blue-black, short cut and side parted hair shining in the synthetic light.Lung gave her a noncommittal grunt. “Can’t we shut the pain of death simulation off for once?”Adkins nearly snarled. “You’re lucky I don’t give you the switch for pulling stunts like that,” She said through gritted teeth, violet eyes narrowed at her like the stare alone would call a flock of Snow Ravens to eat Lung alive. “Get a meal with your squad, get a shower, then get to bed, Commander. It’s late.” With that, Adkins left her and her squadron, walking out of the simulation room with heavy footfalls. Venka scratched the back of her head, her honey blonde hair now stuck in an odd curved shape from the thick layer of sweat. “Is Adkins always such a hard ass?” She asked, almost joking.Lung rolled the stiffness out of her shoulders. “She means well, and I never say that honestly.”
Sonoma gave a smirk, undoing her raven hair from it’s rough ponytail and massaging the tension out of her scalp. “Are you showering or eating first?” She asked, while the twin warriors Erin and Enya got out of their pods, blinking to adjust to the new light.Lung heard the growl of her stomach first, then caught the scent of how rank she was, and felt her heart become wedged into a space of indecision. She shrugged, and said, “Popular vote. Do I shower or eat?”Sonoma and Venka immediately voted shower, while Erin and Enya voted for dinner. Lung gave them each the look of a woman scorned beyond measure. “By the blood of Kerensky, you’re all so useless,” She snapped and pointed to the technician in charge of the simulation computers. “You! Tiebreaker!”“Take a shower, you stink like roadkill.” He said, scrunching his nose. Lung wanted to snap at him for the insult, but honestly he was right. She sighed, walking off then with two of her squadmates to the women’s shower.After a long, cold shower and a short dinner meal, the weight of her eyelids had begun to bear down on her. She was struggling to stay awake by the time she put her hand on the biometric scanner for the door, stumbling through and vaguely remembering to lock the door behind her.Then she peeled off her clothes, flopped into bed, and as her mind dragged itself into sleep like an anchor to water, all she could think about was that seraphim….And the nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Lung took a deep breath, eyes closed and lights flashing all around behind her eyelids. The colors of black and white blinding her surreptitiously. When she opens her eyes, she sees the snow white of the Star Captain’s uniform sits down in front of her and the Go board in front of her, Adkins’ harsh gaze just slightly unnerving. Wordlessly she reaches for the white pieces on her side of the board, and places one close to the far corner of the Go board.The Commander’s lip twitches just slightly as she looks at the board. Adkins’ usual tactic works most of the time, but there’s always the risk that she’s feinting her. Lung reaches down, and places her piece parallel to Adkins’. Then Adkins places her next piece on the opposite corner.Lung raises an eyebrow, eyes wildly scanning across the rest of the board. She places a sacrificial piece between her corner and the one just claimed by Adkins. Adkins responds by closing a side of the first piece. The same process continues. Lung moves in to feint or counter, and Adkins throws herself across the board to take something important. Until there’s too many pieces on the board. Then she’s finally herself, doubling down on her feints and taking pieces rapidly, with Lung taking just as many with her.The Captain’s foresight pays off. Adkins’ feints finally take form, leaving Lung nowhere to safely start closing her off. It’s only a few seconds after her move, that Lung realizes she can not win. When she looks up, she sees Adkins staring at her, not the board.She opens her mouth to speak, but Adkins just holds up a finger. “I played the way that you should. Feints are well and good, but stop fighting in the short term.” Then the Captain stands up and leaves, letting Lung reset all the pieces to their proper place. Another woman then stands in front of her, her hair a pale red in color and her eyes dark and stormy. Her face has a number of small scars decorating in a motley pattern, and cybernetic implants in each ear. She reaches down for a white piece, takes it and places it on the board, just right of the center.“Tanya,” Lung says.“Lung,” Tanya replies.Lung places her piece farther above and to the left of Tanya’s, then rests back in her seat, while Tanya considers her next move.“Yingqing died last night.” Tanya mutters, then reaches out, and places her piece underneath of Lung’s.“So I heard, depression of the central nervous system. Died in his sleep.” She replies, placing a piece further under.“The BloodHouse will be calling for a trial of bloodright soon. Most of the participants have already named their nominees, including Adkins.” Tanya said, this time with more bite behind her voice.Lung was unfettered. “I already know Adkins’ choice, she picked the best bet for the name.” She smirked, just slightly.“Still, it must hurt to have your mentor betray you.” Tanya placed a piece towards the left, making a move to close in.“She’s not my mentor,” Lung deflects casually. “She picked who she thought was best for the name.”Lung places further away from the board, taking an opportunity to set up on the other side, while Tanya closes in for kills.“I have heard rumors that you have a small claim to Yingqing. Is there any truth to that?” Tanya asks, eyebrow raised, a glimmer of falsehood behind your eye.Lung’s smirk grows another millimeter. “I’m not a doctor, I don’t keep track. Although,” Tanya places another piece, and Lung doesn’t hesitate with the response, her web beginning to fully form as the takes the piece away. “Quite strange that we already have a dozen candidates for the name. Such a coincidence for him to die on this ship, don’t you think?”“I dislike your tone, Lung.” She said. She another move, playing aggressive, taking a piece for the trouble Lung had now caught her up in.“I’m only taking notice of a coincidence. Is that so wrong?” Lung reaches to place another piece and stops, looking out over the board. She calculates each move in her head, hesitating to move each time, her hand stuttering from place to place. Then she smiles, and sits back.“You’ve put us in a stalemate.” She says, leaning back, the black piece between her fingers. Tanya only gives her a hard glare, and stands up, leaving her with only the wisp of her red hair. Lung chuckled to herself, and briefly wondered if she should check the genealogies.