Part 797: Let's Read Warrior: En Garde - Part 7

Let’s Read Warrior: En Garde (part 7)

Book 2
Chapter 17
Solaris VII (The Game World)
Rahneshire, Lyran Commonwealth
20 February 3027

Welcome to Solaris, where we’ll spend the majority (roughly half) of the next two thirds of the book. Justin Xiang is begging Fuh Teng, a Capellan `Mech jockey, for a job. Fuh Teng is down on his luck, since Phillip Capet killed his brother in a fixed match that gave Gray Noton a bunch of money. Fuh Teng seems disinclined to hire someone wandering in off the street and demanding to pilot a BattleMech; and we learned earlier that Shang Tsun Tsen Shang (he really is Shang Tsun, though, albeit with less soul eating) has basically set Fuh Teng up to die in the “rematch” with Phillip Capet today.

Fuh Teng is actually a pretty great guy, all around. Even ordered to lose (and die) he’s still willing to give Justin some helpful advice. And by that, I mean he tells Justin he’s been ordered to lose (and die) when Justin spots him putting an inhibitor in his PPC; and that Justin should bet on his opponent if he wants to make some money.

So Justin Xiang blindsides him and has Fuh Teng’s chief technician help him steal Fuh Teng’s Vindicator.

We cut to Gray Noton and Enrico Lestrade. This fight’s been fixed to give Gray the first half of his fee for “misdirecting” a JumpShip. Enrico Lestrade also mentions that he’s invited the winner of the match between Fuh Teng and Billy Wolfson to his private box, fully expecting that winner will be Billy Wolfson.

We’re then introduced to the best (worst) thing in BattleTech: the PPC.

I don’t mean the weapon, I mean the drink. It comes in five flavors, which Gray Noton explains to the Contessa Kim Sorenson:

Steiner PPC: Four parts grain alcohol with two parts peppermint schnapps.
Liao PPC: Four parts grain alcohol with two parts plum wine.
Kurita PPC: Four parts grain alcohol with two parts Sake.
Davion PPC: Four parts grain alcohol with two parts bourbon (or Tequila, for the New Syrtis version).
Marik PPC: Four parts grain alcohol with two parts Ouzo.

I’ve never worked up enough courage to try one, but I imagine the Steiner PPC tastes like Peppermint and Fire. If anyone wants to take a hit for the thread and try one of each, I’d be interested to hear which one is the ‘best’ and which is the ‘worst’ (my bet’s on the Kurita PPC being the worst). However, I can’t in good conscience actually advocate anyone trying five (or really, even one) of these since I don’t want anyone dying of alcohol poisoning.


Contessa Sorensen then comments on the fight. Fuh Teng’s Vindicator vs. Billy Wolfson’s Hermes II (thread relevant). She seems convinced that Fuh Teng should have a clear victory, but Noton can’t help smugging at her that Fuh Teng is injured and probably not likely to win, etc.




Book 2
Chapter 18
Solaris VII (The Game World)
Rahneshire, Lyran Commonwealth
20 February 3027

Fortunately, Fuh Teng’s Vindicator just happens to have the proper hookup for Justin Xiang’s robot arm. He’s quietly intimidated by Billy Wolfson’s Hermes’ Autocannon (for some reason) but then decides he’s being retarded. He then begins fighting the Hermes II, keeping his PPC out of the line of fire and firing only his medium laser and missiles because

After fucking around for a while and taking a Gyro hit (that doesn’t faze him in the slightest because Justin Xiang), Justin PPCs the Hermes II and hits the flamer fuel (PTN’s notes: The what?) stored in the `Mech’s arm. He then radios Billy Wolfson and tells him to punch out, since the mythical flamer fuel is deadly to a `Mechwarrior. Wolfson tells Justin to go fuck himself, since he’s got a 100,000 c-bill “no surrender” bond that Justin will get if he punches out.

For reference, that’s 1/3rd the price Gray Noton asked to misdirect a DropShip, and double what Enrico Lestrade was originally going to offer (seriously).

Wolfson calls Justin a bastard and attacks, so Justin blows his `Mech apart. Wolfson punches out, and Justin threatens him because Wolfson called him a bastard. The combat was well written, at least.



Book 2
Chapter 19
Solaris VII (The Game World)
Rahneshire, Lyran Commonwealth
20 February 3027

Gray Noton is pissed, since he just lost 100,000 c-bills (50k for his fee, but the match would’ve doubled it). Then he contemplates how he actually lost 115,000 c-bills since it’d cost 5,000 to kill Fuh Teng and another 10,000 to make sure nobody could trace it to him.

Then several persons shout foul, since it’s not Fuh Teng in the Vindicator but Justin Xiang, but Gray Noton tells them to shut the fuck up since they bet on the `Mechs not the pilots. The Solaris announcers are on the ball, though, and they manage to give an “impromptu history” of Justin Xiang (even though we don’t get to hear it).

We then cut back to Justin, who’s taking up Baron Enrico Summer’s offer. He gets spat at by someone in the private box, since they’re all Davion patriots and etc. Kim Sorensen defends him (this is a plot point), but Justin Xiang ‘defeats’ them soundly by mocking their poor judgment for betting against his Capellan superiority. Then Baron Lestrade says he made a promise, and anyone who doesn’t like it can GTFO. Nobody leaves, because the Baron of Summer throws great parties apparently.

Justin then snarks at Kim, since he didn’t want her protection. She tells him to go fuck himself since she’s just using him to annoying the Capellan Marchers, and was ‘exiled’ from the Federated Suns herself by her father since she considers Capellan Marchers parasites and says so in public, hurting his business.

In other words, she’s the 3050s Paris Hilton; except her daddy builds hover-limos. Gray Noton then chats with him, the three of them (Gray, Kim, and Justin) retreat to speak in private.

We then cut to a hover limo, and learn that Kim is a spy for someone. I WONDER WHO SHE COULD POSSIBLY BE WORKING FOR (here’s a hint: we already know who the only Capellan spy on the planet is, and Justin’s Dad heads up the intelligence arm of one of the great houses (the same house Kim is from)). So she couldn’t possibly be working for the Davions. No way.

Then she fucks Justin Xiang on the back seat.