Chapter 7
Reign of Fire
Mandalas - Faithsong Mountains
12th August, 3022
Another Perspective.
Cale was on guard at the barracks, his nerves afire with the sermon given at the commencement of the shift. The Faithsong Mountains were black as an event horizon, he couldn't help but wonder at the paranoid levels of protection the Father had ordered prepared. Of their three mech lances one was kept on standby at all times. And the airfield was kept busy as the faithful were sent to purge the unbelievers from the planet.
The stories about the Knight Templar were punished severely and suppressed whenever they reared up amongst the weaker willed who gave into fear and bogeymen. Raising his nvgs he looked around, searching for seditionists or curfew breakers, at one in the morning anyone who was not in their barracks better be on duty, and he would report their presence to the Judiciary to ensure that was the case.
A sound intruded on his hearing. A krump like an explosion in the distance. The flash of light against the horizon, behind one of the hillocks. Another followed it a second later before they stopped.
As the whistling sound reached him he grasped the importance of the situation. Running for the base alert siren the world in front of him went white as the explosion struck the turret next to his watchtower, the blast hurling him from the structure as the second shell slammed down. A moment later two more krumps were heard, the shells they were firing racing him on the way to the ground, unable to beat his head start.
As his breath whoophed out of his body and the sick sound of snapping bones reached his ringing ears he saw as another turret was struck by plunging fire, two more were plunged into storms of fire as missiles rained down from the heavens. Sirens began to blare as somebody reached their panic button and Cale had little worry for much except why he couldn't feel anything, or the taste of blood was filling his throat.
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And back to our regularly scheduled broadcast.
Fire rained down on the facility as my Auspexes screamed out into the night identifying one target after another. Panicked defences were coming online and going offline almost as quickly once plunging fire from the Battle Cannon or barrages of LRM-15 fire descended upon them. The night was no barrier to my sight, though I knew the others were depending on thermals and sensor data I fed them.
"Warden, we have incoming." Behemoth said turning her Atlas to the four incoming contacts.
"No Behemoth, you have incoming. Keep them off me until enough are down to bring in the Warden's Rest." I said concentrating on the more complicated task of ballistic mathematics. The delicate art of trying to make a normally direct-fire weapon drop its shells on people instead. All while also trying to concentrate on feeding auspex data to the others.
"Glitch, Dekker, bring down missile fire on the following. Probable LRM turret." The data feed continued as I spared a moments attention to the enemy lance. A Blackjack, Jenner, Spider and Locust.
Without my direct participation Behemoth found herself in more troubled straights than if I simply joined her, though there was little threat to her from them, combined they were at least a sufficient threat to warrant caution.
"Darius, report."
"Sixty-five percent of their turrets have been neutralised." I concentrated on my ammo hoppers. The bombardment had cut into my ammo reserves heavily and I was down to fifteen shells. I ceased fire with the cannon and raised the Stormspear Rocket pod. I saw the lance of enemy mechs freeze as the missile pod raised, I sensed the terror in each and every one of them as I programmed in the firing sequence, the machine spirit rising to the task.
Six Turrets were selected as targets and the rockets volleyed out three at a time aimed at the lighter turrets as I designated the remaining heavy targets for LRM bombardment.
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The Father stood in the light watching as the rocket barrage descended upon the turrets. Most of the fortresses defences had been levelled from extreme range with terrifying precision that is only ever possible when someone has extremely accurate targeting data.
The so-called coffin-ship on the airfield had arrived and sealed against intrusion, and now they were under assault, the contents of it could never help. More LRMs dived in and further turrets were annihilated as the hellstorm of firepower destroyed all but two or three of their remaining turrets.
A pillar of flame and smoke was already descending towards the airfield.
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The attitude in the attacking mech lance changed as the rocket barrage went off and my stance changed entirely. The moment was paid for as Behemoth unleashed the fullness of her Atlas' firepower on the Blackjack, the destruction was utterly complete, heavy lasers, AC/20, SRMs, LRMs... by the time the volley had stopped nothing remained of the medium mech.
The moments hesitation saw me thunder into motion. Advancing. The locust simply ceased to exist as the Thermal Cannon blazed as I charged past it, shoulder-checking the molten ruins. The base was on full alert and the Warden's rest was descending, duelling with the few remaining turrets as the theocrats fought to get the rest of their mechwarriors to their machines.
It took almost seven minutes at full pace to reach the base proper. It'd take another minute or two for Behemoth to catch up, not counting whatever time it would take her to kill the other mechs. But that wasn't something that worried me as I arrested my stride.
The people running about like ants paused to look up.
"People of the Theocracy that rules this little ball. Your crimes are many. Your atrocities indisputable. Your evil unquestioned. But rejoice. For judgement is here."
The Battle Cannon was levelled on one arm, the Thermal Cannon on the other, the heavy stubbers sought out targets.
"And it is time to complete the purge." The stubbers opened fire, the heavy flamer attached to the Thermal Spear roared as it gouted flaming promethium over the people in the streets of the fortress. There was no mercy within me as the weapons fire from the Warden's Rest joined in. Local forces began their rapid advance behind me, weapons flashing.
But they maintained their distance as it was evident that there was to be no mercy or restraint. I advanced towards the cathedral rising high overhead at the centre of the fortress. A beautiful structure the people fled towards the Cathedral in a river of bodies fighting to get there before flame or bullets scythed them down. They fled into the cathedral as their guardians fired at me sporadically with infantry scale fire or the occasional rocket launcher.
Behind me I heard the locals butchering anyone they found. Finally I was before the Cathedral and the theocrat who ruled Mandalas stood before me, in a preachers robes. Standing on a pulpit.
"Stop!" He shouted holding up a hand. "This is a house of god."
"I behold your house of god. A house of lies, blood and murder. I behold the actions of extremists murdering their own people for no other reason than they don't hold to the same level of faith." I said as I leveled my weapons. It never even occurred to him what I was doing.
"Betrayers, traitors, apostates who rose up in a civil war against us."
"You are not free whose liberty is won by the rigour of other, more righteous souls. You are merely protected. Your freedom is parasitic, you suck the honorable man dry and offer nothing in return. You who have enjoyed freedom, who have done nothing to earn it, your time has come. This time you will stand alone and fight for yourselves. Now you will pay for your freedom in the currency of honest toil and human blood." I incanted.
The Father dropped and screamed as the Thermal Cannon began firing, he turned and presumably screamed but I could not hear his insectine pleading over the sound of the Thermal Cannons rage. It was played over the Cathedral, the structure melting and vaporising under the concentrated beam, those who attempted to flee the structure were gunned down by the rebels who were keeping a healthy distance from me.
I never stopped firing and soon the rebels were backing away. Melta fire poured into the ground where the Cathedral stood, stone and metal melted and were rendered molten and continued to be so as sustained fire continued to pour into the crater.
After almost five minutes there was no evidence of the Cathedral except for the stone steps the Father stood upon. A lake of molten fire behind him bubbling.
I turned my countenance down to the Father.
"Get up. Face your church and walk. Submit to your death and the remainder of your people will be spared."
The Father turned and quailed before my face.
"And if I don't?"
"Then I will have the rebels bring them before you one by one and I will execute them one by one until you do so."
The Father looked out. "I don't believe you."
"Fair enough." The last sight he enjoyed was realising he was right, before a moment of naked terror as I kicked him into the molten lake.
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"It was marked to us." Darius said as we stared up at the coffin-ship. I could tell it was fucked. The Markhams Marauders sigil and colours adorned the side of it and many attempts had clearly been made to open it and gain access to the internals. "But it has your name on it." He pointed to an access hatch six metres up.
"Get me a scissorlift." I said cocking my head, the Throne Mechanicum implants rattling against the back of my neck like techno-gothic dreadlocks.
The technical vehicle was found and brought over, climbing into it I unclipped the holster for my bolt pistol as the basket rose towards the access hatch. On reaching it I pressed my palm against the scanplate.
"Omnissiah. Behold thy glory.
Grant thy servant passage.
Behold a Knight of the Mechanicum
And grant thy servant entry,
That the enemies of the omnissiah
may fall.
Amen."
I didn't know the source of the prayer. And the look on Darius' face said it wasn't in english, or even gothic. The binaric cant coming from an implant deep within my throat I hadn't even realised I possessed, a tongue I had likely only ever used in communion with the machine spirit, unknowing.
A slab of adamantium slid out, half a foot thick and my breath caught. It gathered momentup as it's petal tip flew towards the ground, slamming into it with enough force to jolt the scissorlift and force us to rapidly grasp the safety rails or risk falling. The ramp lay there revealing most of the contents within. A Knight stood within the alcove, not of the same pattern that I commanded, but close. A Dominus. It's weapon types rested in racks on the back wall. As the scissor lift dropped I marched up the ramp. Heart thumping in my chest.
Darius was just behind me as I went over to the cogitator and began operating the console.
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Inventory;
Knight Dominus ; Preceptor of Death.
Armament Options;
Purgatus Heavy Plasma CulverinMagna LascannonQuestor Light Quake Cannon2x Light Twin-Linked Battle Cannon TurretsRack Capable of Pairing with 2 Manticore Missiles.2x Carapace Twin Meltagun demi-turrets or Heavy Stubber Variants.3 Stasis Units; Sacristans.
Field Manufactory; Knight Castellan and Questoris Munitions Production.
600 Tons Spare Parts.
Classified Implantation Packages, Simulacrum Genetor and Throne Mechanicum.
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Written in a combination of Binary and Gothic I quickly navigated the menus to the stasis units and selected 'release'. The hiss of the units discharging almost caught me by surprise. I turned to Darius. "Darius. Get every mechtech we have over here, and have our rookies stand guard the whole time with our light mechs. I also want a crane and my Throne Mechanicum brought over, I will be transferring the Preceptor of Death here to the Warden's Rest as soon as possible."
I was in awe. A display rested in the corner of the screen, in binaric.
T҉he̢ ̕u͏ni͜ve̵r̶s͝e̕ ͏i̸s not͡ ̨a ̕f̛r͠ie̢ǹd̷l҉y ́pla͝c̡e͠. An̴d ̧o͡t͝h͜e͜r҉s ͝are ̷lea҉r̸ņing̀ ̀fro̡m͘ ͘y̨ou.̵ Ta̛k̀è ̵t̛h̵is ͘gìf̡t͘.̢ Contin͝ue̷ e̡ńt́e̢r͝tain͢i̴ǹg me.͘ ̷T̶hiǹgs͝ ͘w̴il͡l͜ g̀e̛t̶ ҉h͞a̵r̀der.̕ ̛B͟ut͘ t͜hos̛e̴ ̴ẁho͡ en̡t͞e̷rtai̷n̴ ̶ḿe ͟wi̵l҉ļ co̴n͘tin̕ųe͝ ̀t̷o̧ r̵e͜ceive҉ ̶g͞i̢fts.̷
The text erased itself even as I watched. "And Darius, I want everything from this gutted and transferred onto the Warden's Rest, including the hull. Carve it up and store it in the cargo hold."
I heard the pods open and figures take their first steps in presumably ever, whatever had brought me here probably just wishing the men into existence. They emerged and Darius froze. "Boss, we can't claim..."
"Duke Giordino," One of them marched forwards, his own implants waving behind him as he took me up in a ferocious bear hug. "God am I glad to see you boy, I don't know how long we've been in stasis, but... events back home were, bad." He said as I felt recollection bloom in my subconscious.
"Trotter. You look like you got swallowed by an ash-cat, vomited out and shat on." I slapped his back.
"Not possible, I don't smell that good." He said wrinkling his nose. "It's not all good news though boy. We've suffered a number of setbacks and it's not great. A number of coffin-ships were shotgunned out hoping to supply you, but our world it's... gone."
I felt a crashing within me, a remorse for a place I had never actually known. "Wait, coffin ships sent out to find me?"
"Your Uncle refused to allow his technology to fall into the hands of our enemies and sent everything he made to try and find you. But the Red Duke started it shortly after I was dispatched with Sally and Gromit, nuclear war. Far as I can tell there was nothing left, the only radio signals we picked up after it went lightshow were radio storms caused by nuclear fallout." He turned to face the Dominus. "This one was built specially for you. The others were made to do with as you saw fit, to help you with anyone you trusted enough to pilot one."
My eyes teared up and Darius walked off a short distance giving orders. The other two Sacristans came out of their alcoves, Gromit still hurling on the deck. They kept a respectful distance, more respected retainers than family friends like Trotter was. "Well I have a bunch of techs coming over to tear the pod apart, i'll march the Preceptor of Death over to my new ship instead, but I need you guys to help them pack everything up properly and safely for transfer to the Warden's Rest."
"I can do that lad."
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The Warden's Rest
Burning away from the worthless planet behind us we headed for the jump point with the Hysteria following closely. The bridge of the Rest crowded. "Has Markham been transferred to the Stasis unit as requested?"
"Yes." Darius said worried, he didn't like the technology, not understanding how it worked. Yang meanwhile was caught up in conversation with Trotter. Those invited sat on plastic chairs brought up from the mess. "Ok everyone. We're headed for New Avalon, and I don't think anyone here is going to be fooled, the trip will be probably several months long on its own. But I've forwarded a request to the New Avalon Nobilitas Hospital for priority treatment for Markham, and they've allowed for his admission, coupled with seeking permission from the Federated Suns to even land at New Avalon to seek treatment instead of heading for Outreach and paying far above the odds for whatever hacksaw they have there."
I leaned back and smiled, "I've gone over our finances, and we're sitting flush at the moment, but such an extensive trip, maintenance costs, your paychecks," I paused for the chuckles to subside, "is going to likely burn a hell of a hole in our reserves. But I don't intend to simply waste our time."
I held up a very heavy case. "With the acquisiiton of the Preceptor of Death, I am one Knight over capacity for experienced pilots. Behemoth, Glitch, Dekker, I want one of you to become a pilot for the Knight Templar." I said plainly and they all looked shocked and excited, they all clearly wanted it, moreover, my people sent others out there apparently, and I hope to find them before others do, if you wish, we can begin the procedure to install appropriate implants and training."
They all looked eager. "For now, Behemoth, I would like you to take the Knight Templar." I saw her fall a little in love with me at those words. Though having a bunk-buddy would be all well and good I didn't plan on starting a relationship with my employees. I was going to save my noble blood and charm for Lady Arano when she resurfaced, a power base to build from...
"When do we start."
I held up a hand.
"I warn you all. This is not a simple request, or offer." I brushed back my hair exposing the nest of mechadendrites sticking out of my skull like dreadlocks. "This procedure is deeply invasive, and there is the possibility of complications, aneurysms, insanity even. And that is only the first part. The next is imprinting on the Throne Mechanicum, thanks to Trotter we have access to one new Throne Mechanicum. Dekker, Glitch, i'm afraid you'll only be able to interact with the simulators. The Throne Mechanicum is imprinted to a person, and trying to rotate that may cause severe neurological damage."
I removed my shirt and turned. "Additionally, there is a large number of neural plugs along the spine that mechadendrites in the Throne Mechanicum can attach to. These surgeries are extensive, invasive, and will change your life forever."
"So?" Glitch said, "a goddamned computer glitch was enough to send me to prison. That changed my life forever. At least here we get to choose it."
Behemoth chuckled. "And if it means I can take the Knight Templar into battle, i'm your girl." The intent behind the last three words, knowing I wasn't going to reciprocate, hurt a little.
Dekker grinned. "I won't jump into bed with you to get the job, but 20 c-bills is 20 c-bills." I rolled my eyes.
"Perhaps I should ask some primary school students instead of the kindergartners." I laughed before Darius caught me by surprise.
"Kane, why don't you offer this to Markham, from what i've come to understand, you have a complete neurological link to the machines, your limbs aren't needed for it, if... if Markham can't be helped, couldn't this let him continue in a capacity otherwise denied him?" Darius' question was so intent, and serious, that I felt a cold guilt at not even considering my partner.
"Darius, if I could I would but..." I looked over at Trotter who stood up.
"Mister Darius, you may not know me, I'm Timothy Hog, Sacristan to House Giordino, and i've seen the scans for Markham when we put him into the stasis chamber, and I don't like what I see." His words began.
"Markham is stronger tha.." Darius stopped as Trotter held up a hand.
"He may very well be, please don't mistake me," He sighed and reversed a chair sitting on it, "Warden is no medicae, he don't know shit about how a person works short of where to poke holes in it. But from what I could see, in addition to the limbs lost we're looking at significant shrapnel wounds, possibly pieces still in his body, I saw subtle signs of possible neurological damage in his eeg readings as well as skull fractures..."
The mood in the room went somber as his augmetics clicked nervously.
"I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but I've been discussing things with Yang, and not only do I think Markham would never survive the surgeries to implant the necessary augmetics for operating the Knight or Dominus, but even with treatment I am unsure Markham will even be capable of piloting a Battlemech in the future," He stepped over and patted Darius on the shoulder, "From what I hear Markham is a good man, but in my professional opinion, his days of piloting a machine requiring a neural interface is probably over."
The room was silent for some minutes as they all processed that. Processed the fact not only was the surgery invasive, but for someone in Markhams state at least it could be fatal.
Behemoth turned to look me in the eyes. "If Markham can't do it, then I will. Because he wouldn't want any of us to give up an opportunity like that out of some pity for him. I am willing to try."