Mechwarrior: Mercenaries IC

[Ravenloft]

"You're in a brigg, I thought that would be obvious to you... You lost the Trial of Posession I challenged you to, Clanner, thats what happened." Jacen said, noticing the look of angry recognition that crossed the woman's face. "Now, how about you tell us a little about yourself? What clan do you come from, why were you attacking the Steiner weapons facility?"

 

[Tymeless]

"Why should i talk all you need to know is my name. Samantha." She looks up at the man defiantly knowing that she is bound by her honor and will do anything he insist on her doing.

 

[Ravenloft]

"Samantha, does honor mean so little to you? If you continue to act as 'lowborn filth' I will continue treating you as such." Jacen answered. "I ask you again, what clan are you from? Why were you assaulting the Steiner installation?" He asked as he paced calmly back and forth in front of the cell Samantha was held in. He gave Christopher a glance, as if to ask him if he was intending to jump in on the questioning.

 

[Tymeless]

Samantha lowers her head in shame. "Look my head is pounding i'm confused. I've just lost my entire team and i'm scared. I apologize for my rude behavior as much as i don't want to, but think about how you would act in my shoes. My clan is wolf clan and we were told that it was a key installment to a rival. My orders were to secure the location for my superiors. Now i've failed and I'm nothing more then a slave. You see how well you take that."

 

[MilkManDan007]

Bad Cop

He had stayed back against the wall, his arms folded across his chest, as he watched the young Wyn try his hand at interrogation. He wasn’t half bad, getting the young pilot to disclose what clan she had come from and at least a small part of her mission to secure the facility. She shot Jacen a bit of attitude, something pretty brash for a prisoner and bondsman to do. Christopher stepped forward. He’d had enough of her lip.

“Samantha, was that it? It doesn’t really matter to me. You lost a Trial of Possession, you lost your honor. You came in with superior forces and lost to a bunch of ragtag, mercenary freebirths. Even if Jacen here hadn’t claimed you as his bondsman, which he has every right to do, you’d probably be relegated to training if you ever returned to your clan and would never have the chance to regain your honor.”

He stepped closer to the bars, looking down on the caged woman as he continued to speak.

“The way I see it, you have two options: stay here with us, under Jacen’s command, or we can plop you down in an airlock and jettison you out into the vacuum of space and simply list that our prisoner died from her wounds without regaining consciousness. I’ll leave it to you to make that decision.”

Christopher turned and left the brig, heading off to his quarters for a little rest. He had put the fear into her, and hopefully, she would choose to serve under Jacen. It would be nice to have a highly trained clan gun in the lance anyways.

 

[Tymeless]

“Samantha, was that it? It doesn’t really matter to me. You lost a Trial of Possession, you lost your honor. You came in with superior forces and lost to a bunch of ragtag, mercenary freebirths. Even if Jacen here hadn’t claimed you as his bondsman, which he has every right to do, you’d probably be relegated to training if you ever returned to your clan and would never have the chance to regain your honor.”
“The way I see it, you have two options: stay here with us, under Jacen’s command, or we can plop you down in an airlock and jettison you out into the vacuum of space and simply list that our prisoner died from her wounds without regaining consciousness. I’ll leave it to you to make that decision.”​

Samantha had a look of fear and pain in her eyes, "Look I have every intention of living up to the honor of my word. I'm not gonna like it but its all i have left is my word. You can treat me however you want or call me whatever you want I have nothing now and nothing is ever going to change that. My crew and myself were inferior and I don't deserve anything anymore." Samantha watched as he walked away and the tears from all the emotional stress she was under began to well in her eyes. Samantha pull yourself together your a well trained clanner who only has your honor don't let them get to you. You can't let them see you cry then they will think your weak. The tears were there ready to come down but Samantha would not allow herself to cry in front of her new master.

 

[Ravenloft]

"You say you were to secure the Steiner ammo dump for Clan Wolf? Interesting... How long were they giving you to complete your mission?" Jacen asked as he watched Jackal with admiration as he left the brigg. "No wonder father respected the man so much, he certainly doesn't mince words." Jacen thought as he looked back upon Samantha. Her eyes seemed to glisten, and he wondered how much Christopher had gotten to her.

"You will be treated as well as you treat us, Samantha, understand? Listen, I've heard how good your kind is, and if you can live up to even half as much as I have heard, you will be a valued member of our unit. Now... I have an idea..." Jacen said as he stepped closer to Samantha's cell.

"As far as your clan knows at the moment, you have simply failed to report upon your... Success... In taking the Steiner facility. I would like you to send out a call to them, lure some of them here, so that we might... Appropriate their mechs..." Jacen was uncertain if such an action was wise, but what it lacked in wisdom, he was sure ballsiness made up for.

 

[Tymeless]

Samantha even in her distraught state came to respect the guy Jacen. He seemed to be calm and had a sense of caring. She wasn't happy to be owned by him though but she could respect him. He had courage and balls. He might not be on par skill wise as her, but their team did take down their entire team so she could respect them all. "Not that I look forward to bringing down my fallen comrades but I'll do as you request because if they found out about me right now they would kill me anyway."

 

[Ravenloft]

"Good, good, come on, lets go make a call." Jacen said, opening Samantha's cell. He stood to the side, so that she could step out. "I have quarters already prepared for you." He added with a smile. "Welcome to the team." He added as they left the brigg.

 

[Tymeless]

Samantha followed Jacen out of the brig and took her cell and made the call to her clan. "Mission failed I lost my team other then myself request for backup they are wounded and should be easy to take down. White Wolf out."

"They should arrive in 14 hours Jacen. Can i get a shower or at least a change of clothes if you even have anything that will fit me." Sam pleaded with the imposing man before her.

 

[Ravenloft]

"White Wolf?" Jacen asked bemusedly, reguarding what he took to be her call sign. "White Wolf, thats actually pretty good." He added, giving her a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Of course, let me show you to your quarters, I think you will find everything you require there, but if not, just call for anything you might need, and we'll see what we can do. Welcome to the team, White Wolf." Jacen said as he showed her into her quarters.

"I will leave you to your shower." Jacen said as he closed Samantha's quarters and keyed in a silent alarm, just in case she decided to go wandering. He put out a call to Christopher. "Jacen here, we've had a change of plans, our visit with the Freetrucks will have to wait." He considered that for a moment before altering his statement. "Send a small detatchment ahead with the body, let them know we are comming. Chris, meet me in the battle room, A.S.A.P, we have just under fourteen hours to come up with a plan to... Acquire... Some clan mechs. I'll explain more in the battle room." Jacen added before Christopher could interject, cutting communication as he did. "Stubborn as his father..." Jacen said to himself, knowing that was what Chris was thinking.

 

[MilkManDan007]

He was just settling into his berth, drawing an old shirt across his face to block out the light so he could catch a quick nap, when his communicator buzzed and Jacen’s voice came cracking through.

”Jacen here. We've had a change of plans. Our visit with the Freetrucks will have to wait. Send a small detachment ahead with the body, let them know we are coming. Chris, meet me in the battle room, A.S.A.P, we have just under fourteen hours to come up with a plan to... acquire... some clan mechs. I'll explain more in the battle room.”

Christopher heard the communicator click off before sitting up and staring blankly at the wall. Acquire some clan mechs? He closed his eyes and dropped his head, rubbing his forehead as he spoke to the empty room.

“Stubborn kid,” he said as he stood and began to walk to the briefing room. “Same as his old man. Hope he’s got the balls to back it up.”

The briefing room smelled as a briefing room should; a mixture of old cigars and spilled beer overpowering the paper and ink of the various inventory reports and transportation logs scattered about. Jacen was already there when Christopher strode through the door.

“Alright, kid, what the hell kind of plan did you and Ms. Personality come up with now?”

 

[Ravenloft]

"I had her call for back up, knowing the way the clan's like to bid, I figure they will only send one or two to help her, more than likely, more low ranking free births. If we can get the jump on them, we should be able to take their mechs intact. Think of it Chris, Clan tech, in our hands! None of the houses have even been able to acquire any as of yet! Our techs told me that they salvaged a couple of lasers, and internal components from the one I downed. If we can get some more, we'll be able to call our own prices on missions!" Jacen knew he was getting cocky, but the thrill of potentially getting his hands on some shiny new clan tech was all he could think about.

 

[Tymeless]

Samantha got into the shower knowing for a fact that they were monitoring her so she had no intention of trying to escape. She soaked in the water as it came down on her soft smooth body. She watched as the blood from her wound to the head rolled down her body and her soaked hair began to stick to her shoulders. she grabbed the shampoo and washed her hair as best she could and then finished up with the rest of her shower. She got out and was surprised that they had clothes that would fit her. "Well guess i should make myself at home here." she laid down on the bed and quickly began to fade out into a restful sleep.

 

[MilkManDan007]

The Briefing Room

Christopher stood there, dumbfounded by what he had just heard. They had gotten lucky, really lucky, with the first wave of clan mechs, and now he was trying to bring more down upon them?

“Jacen, have you completely lost your marbles, or did you just leave them in your other jumpsuit?” came the exasperated reply. “The only reason we’re not her bondsmen, or dead, is because we got lucky. We weren’t good, we were lucky. We lost two mechs, and mine’s pretty screwed up. It’ll take me a week just to realign the gyro and replace the foot and lower leg!”

He began to pace around the room, ranting about the brashness of the plan, the lack of resources they had at hand, the absolute idiocy of the whole situation.

“I mean, seriously, Jacen, there’s no way we can take on another lance in the condition we’re in. Your father would have been very disappointed in how rash you’ve been acting and the amount of damage you’ve caused!”

Jacen had heard much of this before from Christopher, and simply ignored much of what he had to say, thinking mainly of the clan tech he hoped to acquire. Christopher was on a roll and had no intention of stopping anytime soon.

“We’ve already lost one pilot, a good man who had his whole career in front of him! What possible benefit could you see in challenging them again? They do have to act a certain way because of their crazy honor system, but they are better trained, better equipped and have a shit-ton more experience than any of us here! The only real chance we have would be..” he paused, his eyes narrowing slightly as a wide smile came to his face.

“We could use it against them, Jacen,” he said, sitting at the table and leaning forward, his dour mood brightened by the possibility that this hair-brained scheme might actually work. “I’ve been reading up on some of the stuff ComStar has put out about the clans, and their Trials of Possession can be over just about anything.”

He shuffled some of the papers on the table, tossing old reports and printouts to the floor in search of the ComStar documents.

“Here, look at this, Jacen,” he said, holding up the document with the signature blue seal of ComStar in the corner. “There was a unit up by the border that challenged a clan member to a Trial of Possession for his mech. The clanner accepted the challenge, but since the trade had to be equal, the clanner wanted the pilot as a bondsman if he lost. And since the clanner’s mech was the prize, it couldn’t be damaged so the two had to duke it out man to man. Well, the guy lost, but the clan pilot actually accepted the challenge.”

He dropped the papers to the table and sat back in the chair.

“I think if you really wanted to get your hands on some clan tech, that’s the way to do it. When they show up, challenge them to a Trial of Possession, their mech for your service as a bondsman. Or we could use Samantha as a bargaining chip. Their mech for her back. If you fight him one-on-one, you sure stand a hell of lot better chance outside of a mech.”

 

[Tymeless]

As Samantha was asleep her eyes began to move rapidly as she faded off into dream land. She was in her Mech and she was quite happy about it, it was the only time she felt free the only time she felt joy or a rush. The only time she felt alive. A smile formed on her face for a moment she was with her clan. She was definitely happy. Then she heard over the intercom.

Spectre: come in White Wolf we have clanners coming in at 2 o clock.

Samantha awoke in a panic sweat formed on her brow and then she recalled she was now nothing more then a slave nothing more then an indentured servant to her new master Jacen and she began to weep.

 

[Ravenloft]

"I knew you'd come through for me, Jackal, thanks." Jacen said as he read the artical Christopher had handed him, and began to smile as well. "Excuse me, I must go speak with White Wolf about this..." Jacen said as he headed for the door, looking back. "My bondsman's call sign..." He explained before leaving.

Samantha didn't answer her door immediately, so Jacen manuall opened it, calling in. "At attention, Bondsman. I have an important matter to discuss with you. When the clanners get here, I want YOU to challenge their lance leader to a trial of posession, you, for their mech, understood?" He stood just inside the door way of her chamber. "Call it a test of where your honor lies..."

 

[Tymeless]

Samantha was at attention quickly still trying to figure out where she stood in life but knowing she had nothing but to live up to her sense of honor or she would be nothing. "Yes, Jacen as you wish. I have nothing left to lose anyway do I?" She smiled at him to fake like she was accepting of the situation.

 

[Ravenloft]

"Is there... Anything you need? To prepare for the trial?" Jacen asked after a moment of staring at Samantha. He strode over to the personal food dispenser that took up one wall of her room and typed in a request for a strong, herbal tea. Once it was done, he took the cup in hand and offered it to Samantha. "Here, its soothing..." He said with a smile as the steam from the cup reached her nose. It smelled of jasmine.

 

[Tymeless]

Samantha looked at Jacen and smiled at him. He was treating her like someone normal this made her smile a little bit. She took the tea from his hand and whispered. "Thank you." She then raised the cup to her lips and took a sip. "This pretty good but i'm gonna need more of a stress release then this if I'm gonna win this thing." She looked around the room.

 

[Ravenloft]

"We have a training facility, care to spar a little?" Jacen asked, noticing Sam's restlessness. "I'm no Van Dam, but I can handle myself in a fight." He added, with a fair show of pride.

 

[Tymeless]

Samantha looked at Jacen for a few seconds considering the answers just briefly. A spar would be good but her head was still throbbing and her body was in pretty bad shape. "No Jacen as much fun as that sounds to beat up my new master, I'm quite sure my body couldn't take it right now and its gonna be hard enough for me to win you a new mech." she looks around the room and debates what could possibly help her relieve her of stress.

 

[Ravenloft]

"Okay then, another time..." Jacen watched her seem to cast about for something. "Listen, I know you're going to win this trial, so just relax, okay? You don't always have to be so tense, let your hair down a little, it will make you feel better."

 

[Tymeless]

"Let my hair down a little. What is this concept? Loosen up, easy for you to say you haven't spent your entire life training on a rigid schedule. Following an honor system that allows very little time for anything that would be considered self pursuits. I don't know how to do anything but be rigid and why aren't you challenging them yourself after all you defeated me didn't you?" Sam sat down on the bed and took another sip of tea not quite sure how to act anymore there was almost an air of warmth in the room.

 

[cats]

Rydia Freetruck

IC: I loaded my pistole so I would be ready the moment the ship landed. I brought my firestrarter just in case. My variant only had energy weapons which ment the machine would also be ready to go. "Damn Clanners."

Truth was until that last phone call I didn't care one wayor another for the clans but now I had a very strong feeling, and a purpose to stay o the battl field. It would only be an hour now.