Part 786: Let's Read: Main Event - Part 29
Let’s Read: Main Event (part 29)Chapter 29
The Cedars, Borghese
14 July 3055
Days elapsed since book start: 338¼
Mercenaries recruited since book start: 6
Mercenaries recruited off-screen: 1
Things accomplished since book start: 1 (
Protagonists introduced since book start: 8
Protagonists mentioned but not yet introduced: 1
Antagonists introduced since book start: 3
Antagonists defeated since book start: 0
Chapters spent on Northwind: 5
Chapters spent on Solaris: 10
Chapters spent on Outreach: 4
Chapters spent on Borghese: 13
Morgain’s dead, but the Borghese militia is still approaching. Rose checks on everyone’s status then discovers that Ajax, his hired Capellan super-murderer, has abandoned his Raven to administer battlefield triage to the pilot of the BattleMaster Rose nearly killed.
This infuriates Rose. I’m not joking, Ajax’s attempt to save the life of one of Morgain’s men makes him angry.
Main Event posted:
“[…] Ajax has exited his `Mech and is administering first aid to the battleMaster pilot. I can see them both from here.”
“Is he crazy? […]” Rose closed the channel and fumed while he stared at the primary screen.
Rather than having an aneurism or yelling at Ajax not being the sociopath he’d been hoping for, Rose then thanks Antioch Bell for killing his friend and saving the Black Thorns. Antioch then tells everyone that the Militia won’t engage since
Rose then demands that Antioch explain his betrayal of Morgain. Antioch then explains everything we already know: that Morgain is a douchenozzle and got antioch (and an entire company) kicked out of the Lyran Guards.
Rose pretends to pay attention, but really doesn’t give a shit. Seriously.
Main Event posted:
Rose could see the anger and frustration building in Bell as he spoke. He was standing now and had begun to pace. Rose listened, keeping his eyes on the scanner. He wanted to know why Bell had fired the missiles, not the story of his life.
Jeremiah Rose, you stupid SON OF A BITCH!
We then learn that Antioch Bell has been virtually held prisoner on Morgain’s estate. Bell then reveals that the Bristol was sent to Clan space and invited the Jade Falcons to come visit. This is all part of Crenshaw’s plan, which I will sum up below:
Phase 1) Become Space-Mayor of Borghese.
Phase 2) Kill the Black Thorns.
Phase 3) Invite the Jade Falcons to Borghese.
Phase 4) ???
Phase 5) Profit!
Anyway, Bell then reveals (again) that not only did he Deus Ex Machina the last fight; but he also Deus Ex Machina’d the whole story to the militia. Rianna then goes to make a truce with the militia while Rose wonders what he’s going to do (spend the next two chapters fixing his `Mechs, most likely). We then take stock of the situation:
Black Thorns: Alive, 3 `Mechs destroyed. `Mechs remaining: 1 crippled Charger, 1 Phoenix Hawk, 1 Raven, 1 Valkyrie. Also, Antioch Bell and his Banshee will have joined the Black Thorns by the end of the chapter.
Morgain: Dead.
Oh, hey, only 4 chapters to go and we’ve actually killed an
Rose holds a meeting, the sum of which is: Oh shit, Jade Falcons. Ajax then psychoanalyzes the Clans and assumes they’ll bid on how many `Mechs it will take to accept Borghese’s surrender.
Main Event posted:
Rose stared in amazement. Of course Ajax was right. He’d been at Tukayyid where the Clans had died rather than break their rules of engagement.
They then decide that the Clans can’t have sent more than a trinary to accept the surrender, which is stupid and conjecture but will prove to be 100% true. Rose then decides to use clever tactics and asks the Militia commander to radio the capital and tell them the Black Thorns were destroyed. Rose then orders everyone to go to sleep so we can have everyone well rested for the extensive `Mech Repair scene we’ll get next chapter.
… I wish I was joking. Chapter over.