Part 771: Let's Read: Main Event - Part 13

Let’s Read: Main Event (part 13)

Chapter 13
Solaris City, Solaris
8 August 3054

Days elapsed since book start: 108
Mercenaries recruited since book start: 2
Mercenaries recruited off-screen: 1
Things accomplished since book start: 2 (Rose took a nap, Rose got a Shadow Hawk)
Protagonists introduced since book start: 5
Protagonists mentioned but not yet introduced: 1
Antagonists introduced since book start: 1
Antagonists defeated since book start: 0
Chapters Spent on Northwind: 5



Jeremiah, still bleeding from his gunshot wounds (because the author has completely misjudged how crippling being shot in the shoulder by a dozen little plastic flechettes would be) Godzillas his way into Carstairs’ office and starts getting blood all over one of Carstairs’ chairs.

Carstairs isn’t quite sure what the fuck to make of this, and demands to know why Jeremiah simply Hulk Smashed his way into the office; and calls Jeremiah out on his poor manners.

Jeremiah said ‘he thought he had an open invitation’ and is here, not because he’s pissed about the stupid-ass conditions for the last fight, but to tell Carstairs a story.

STORY TIME! STORY TIME! STORY TIME!

But first, pointless banter. Carstairs asks what Rose is doing next, then calls him a pussy for wanting off Solaris ASAP. Rose then thinks about telling the story for over a page before he mans up and actually starts talking.

I’m not going to lie, this chapter is tedious even compared to the others, it’s stupid and melodramatic and I almost couldn’t force myself through it. It’s also the second giant robot fight in the book; which isn’t saying much since Jeremiah’s fights are invariably short and stupid.

First off, Jeremiah Rose admits to being a member of ComStar. Now, earlier—we learned that he quit his position because there was a two-year waiting list for a ‘Mech. During this story, we learn that Jeremiah quit immediately after the Battle of Tukayyid, which occurred over two years ago.



Anyway, Jeremiah was with the 91st ComGuard division stationed in the Draconis Combine. Jeremiah wanted badly to go fight the Clans on Luthien. ComStar wouldn’t let him, and shipped his unit to Tukayyid instead; prompting Jeremiah to try to resign to go get himself killed.

Anyway, to sum up, on Tukayyid, Jeremiah fought the Smoke Jaguars and lost three of the soldiers under his command. The rest of his Level I was seriously damaged except Jeremiah, who simply had a giant ‘X’ melted into his armor by large lasers PLOT INVULNERABILITY. Also, quite possibly, because the Clans didn’t think him worth killing.

(Incidentally, this entire chapter is six pages long. I have condensed 90% of those six pages into the above paragraph; and I did so without once using the phrase 'Battle Lust', something the author was unable to accomplish)



Then the chapter ends.