Part 798: Let's Read Warrior: En Garde - Part 8
Lets Read Warrior: En Garde (part 8)Book 2
Chapter 20
Pacifica (Chara III)
Isle of Skye, Lyran Commonwealth
1 March 3027
Kell Hounds time. Patrick is still a bro, and reassuring one of his soldiers (actually a Lyran Commonwealth line trooper assigned to the Kell Hounds as a technician by the LyrCom) whos about to retire that yes, hell be able to do so and wont be stuck for six months on the backwater Pacifica. Hes nervous because a Lyran Colonel is here, as is Ardan Sortek and Andrew What am I doing here? Redburn.
Colonel Kell welcomes them all to Pacifica, even though the Lyran Colonel is a bit of a bitch. Patrick Kell then suddenly reveals to Patrick Kell and the Lyran Colonel that elements of House Kuritas Second Sword of Light have been lurking near Chara IV waiting for Ardan Sortek and Andrew Redburn to land so they can assassinate them with a BattleMech attack.
No, seriously, thats their actual plan. Patrick Kell just happens to know their entire plan, hes just that awesome (and Phelan Kell is pretty much his reincarnation, so yes, its entirely possible that Im implying Patrick Kell is a Mary Sue). That tears it, Im putting together a Mary Sue Bingo card for the thread.
Anyway, the Lyran Colonel is totally freaked out when Patrick Kell asks Ardan Sortek to join the Kell Hounds in killing some Snakes. In fact, Patrick seems just a touch batshit here because Pacifica is boring and killing Sons of the Dragon is far more fun than living peacefully on a planet prone to beautiful thunderstorms. Fortunately, the Colonel is at best tangentially involved in the story, and Ardan Sortek agrees to kill snakes without a moments hesitation.
We then cut to the Kuritan DropShip momentarily, which is disembarking `Mechs. Were supposed to infer a time skip here, but fuck it if Stackpole is too lazy to make a new chapter and slap a date on it Im going to imply that this is occurring on the same day. The Second Sword of Light is mostly Panthers, but theyve got a medium lance of Shadow Hawks (-2Ks, the version with PPCs) and Griffins. We also learn that theyve got at least one Dragon (possibly one of the new Grand Dragons!)
Anyway, it doesnt matter since the Kell Hounds launch an immediate assault taking out three or four Panthers to no retaliatory fire. So the Kell Hounds pretty much rofl-stomp the disembarking Kuritans. Dan Allard, our viewpoint character (not mentioned before since its not relevant) then gloats because the Kell Hounds have badly damaged six enemy `Mechs to no major damage, so hes confident the 2nd Sword of Light will have to withdraw.
Then an Awesome steps off the dropship, and OMFG its an Assault `Mech! Theyre horribly rare and theres no way everyone will be piloting one inside 30 years time!
Book 2
Chapter 21
Pacifica (Chara III)
Isle of Skye, Lyran Commonwealth
1 March 3027
Ha! It is happening on the same day! So somehow the Kuritans teleported from Chara IV to Chara III in a matter of goddamned minutes/hours instead of the days/weeks the trip should have taken.
OH NO AN AWESOME, I FORGOoh wait. Ardan Sorteks here, and hes got a Victor nobodys mentioned before. After waitwhat?
En Garde posted:
Three ropes of icy blue plasma groped over the Victor.
Gross.
So, after taking a PPC Facial were treated to two pages of Ardan Sortek casually taking the Awesome apart with his Autocannon/20. Then the Kuritans withdraw. Results? One Awesome destroyed, a few Panthers badly damaged, no major damage among the Kell Hounds.
We then cut to the Kell Hounds having a beer and gloating over their defeated opponents. We then learn that the Kell Hounds Aerospace company painted their machines in Kurita colors and took out a full company of enemy troops. Were then told that another DropShip came down in a swamp, but the math says it launched fully loaded. The DropShip was down for two hours and Andrew Redburn (who is here, but hasnt said anything for over a chapter) points out that two hours is plenty of time for the Kuritans to offload their cargo and take on an equal mass in water from the goddamned swamp.
This is a plot point. Patrick Kell advises that at least a company of Panthers must be on Pacifica, and everyone needs to be careful.
The Kell Hounds then promptly forget all about the guerilla force to get fucking hammered.
En Garde posted:
Kell nodded to Ardan Sortek. I now convene the first annual Ardan-Sortek-saved-our-asses party!
Book 2
Chapter 22
Solaris VII (The Game World)
Rahneshire, Lyran Commonwealth
30 March 3027
Fuh Teng is now Justin Xiangs right-hand man. Justin has bought himself a Centurion, and Gray Noton and Kym turn up. Gray scoffs since the Centurion is a piece of shit in a Solaris match. We then learn that Kym Sorenson bought it for Justin because hes sleeping with her.
100% serious.
Justin Xiang-Allard whored himself out to buy what is perhaps the most famous BattleMech in the Inner Sphere: Yen-Lo-Wang. This is not an implication.
En Garde posted:
[Justin] smiled at Kym. Its only a loan, you realize.
She raised an eyebrow. I hope you dont think I just give money to the men I live with. I do expect some repayment
Subtle.
We then learn that Justins Centurion is unbalanced, since some armor has been stripped from the left arm and added to the right.
Noton then comments on the fight being fixed, but Justin points out that itd be stupid to bet against him; hell never accept a fixed fight that ends in a Davion `Mechwarrior beating him. Noton is amused by this, and invites Justin to Valhalla (read: the bar where Shang Tsun lives) if he wins the match against Armstrong.
We then cut to the start of the match, and learn that Justins already beaten three other `Mechwarriors. He then quotes Sun Tzu while pulling up a diagnostic of the Griffin, since apparently most Solaris `Mechwarriors go into battle without trying to assess what sort of damage theyre causing to the enemy (really?) and it gives Justin a tactical edge.
Theyre also fighting in the Factory, and it sucks since its hot and nobody can see a damned thing. Justin then makes a series of (100% correct)
We then learn WAY MORE than we goddamned need to about how the Tharkan Broadcast Company controls and airs the fights across the Inner Sphere. After going on for about a page and a half, Justin then shoots Armstrongs Griffin in the back with his Autocannon/20. Armstrong fights back for about half a page before his reactor shielding goes and the Griffins cockpit electronics catch fire, burning Armstrong to death.
THIS IS A PLOT POINT (but not for the Warrior Trilogy. Armstrongs daughter is going to crush on, hate, hate-fuck, and eventually have a son with Justins future son).