Escape from Irece: Failed Diplomacy

31 December 3142

Arjun shifted impatiently from foot to foot as he waited outside the service entry. The other mechwarriors had busied themselves with their machines. He saw Reggie hard at work on the foot of his Lament mech, while Vanja ran diagnostics through her hand computer on a mech that looked to be the mirror image of Reggie’s. The two Knights Errant shared mechs of the same design. Scuttlebut was that they shared other things too. Further away, he could make out Nova Cat techs swarming like bees over his father’s Peacekeeper, although he couldn’t make out what they were doing. As far as he knew his father’s mech was in perfect condition but he was too frustrated to be even mildly curious.

A scream tore the air above him as a Nova Cat aerospace fighter flew overhead towards the front lines. Aside from the occasional fighter and the irregular thump of heavy weapons in the distance, there was nothing to obviously mark the fierce fighting between Nova Cat and Combine forces not more than 10 klicks from his current position. He glanced up at the towering neo-gothic architecture of the Clan’s genetic repository. Despite still visible damage from the Second Combine-Dominion War nearly a half-century ago, the structure was awe-inspiring. He knew this was the ultimate goal that the Combine was pushing toward. Equally well, he knew that the Nova Cats would defend it to their last breath.

With a whistling noise, the electronic doors in front of him opened and his father stepped out into the light, blinking briefly as his eyes adjusted to the light. Arjun took advantage of this momentary pause to interject himself, stepping directly in front of his father.

“Father, we can’t just walk away,” he pleaded. “These are the people that took us in when we had nowhere else to go. They helped us rebuild.”

He pointed at the clantech extended range PPCs sported by Reggie’s Lament. “They gave us those! You can’t turn your back on them!”

His father didn’t respond. He just looked at Arjun with a mixture of fatigue and sadness. It was not something Arjun was used to seeing in his robust father. Gideon Nostra-Gardbaum was a Knight of the Republic, made of steel, grit, and determination. The sudden vulnerability was almost enough to stop Arjun from explicating the arguments he had been rehearsing in his head as he waited on the ferrocrete tarmac. Almost.

“These are our kin! Our brothers, sisters, uncles, and cousins. They are all we have left.” He stepped back and crossed his arms. “I won’t leave them, Father.”

“Cut the insubordinate act, kid. And address your commanding officer properly,” growled a deep voice behind Arjun as a firm hand was placed on his shoulder. He turned to see the almost two-meter frame of Reggie Overton directly behind him. He was momentarily stunned. Reggie was normally a laid-back guy, but clearly he felt that Arjun had gone too far.

“Its ok, Reg,” said Gideon, holding his hand up. He turned to Arjun. “Son, I know you don’t understand why I am doing what I am doing. But life must go on, whatever the cost. Please be patient and you will understand in time.”

Gideon turned to Reggie. “Its time to suit up. I want to be back at the spaceport in fifteen minutes or we might get snarled up in this conflict.” He turned back to Arjun. “Arjun, I need to switch mechs with you. I want you in the Peacekeeper. I know you have been training in it, so you should be fine.”

The sudden and odd command threw off Arjun just as he was preparing another counter-attack. “Father … you want me to what?”

“No time to explain.” Gideon turned toward the field and lifted his voice. “On the double, everyone! We move out in five.”

As Arjun stepped into his cockpit from the gantry, sudden movement in the back caught his attention and brought him up short. An elderly man was sitting uncomfortably in the Peacekeeper’s rumble seat, behind the command chair. He was wearing the white coat-like uniform of a clan scientist.

“Scientist Bateson?”

“Arjun, is that you?” The scientist seemed as surprised as Arjun, as if they had bumped into on another in the New Barcella spice market. “I was expecting your father.”

Arjun noted that this explanation still didn’t explain why a Nova Cat clan scientist was sitting in the cockpit of a Knight of the Republic’s mech moments before that same Knight fled the planet to leave said clan to its doom. Short on time, Arjun simply said “Why are you here?”

Bateson paused thoughtfully before responding, fingering a large box he clutched in his lap. Then, he smiled jovially. “Ah well, your father really ought to be the one to talk with you about it. Rest assured that all will be answered in due time, my son.”

Given the current circumstances, Arjun might have been offended at Bateson’s patronizing use of “my son.” But Arjun liked Bateson and no matter how much he might like to blow off a little steam, he couldn’t be angry at the scholar. The kindly old man was the Nova Cats’ leading geneticist and had taken a keen interest in Arjun ever since he had arrived with his father and sister five years ago. Bateson had wanted to know as much as possible about Arjun’s family history, tracing all the way back to Arjun’s namesake and great-grandfather, the legendary Arjun Nostra.

So Arjun just shrugged his shoulders and put on his neurohelmet. “Try to make yourself comfortable. This could be a bumpy ride.”

The intercom crackled with Heath’s voice.

“We have incoming. It looks like a Combine scouting unit. First Sworders. Two lances of mechs. Light and medium, mostly.” Heath’s voice was tight and clipped as she reeled off information.

Arjun felt a mixture of anxiety and relief. Maybe they would finally get into the fight after all. His first real fight! His hands were sweaty on the controls as he anticipated his father’s response.

“Heath, pull back. Everyone, hold position. I am opening a channel.” His father’s voice was commanding over the intercom.

“Warriors of the Draconis Combine. This is Gideon Nostra-Gardbaum, Knight of the Republic of the Sphere. I am travelling with two Knights Errant of the Republic of the Sphere and a small contingent of Republican forces. We are refugees and do not wish to involve ourselves in this conflict. Please allow us to pass and we will proceed to the nearest spaceport and leave immediately.” Arjun’s hands tensed on the controls at the implied defeatism in his father’s voice. He longed to teach these Snakes a lesson.

Moments later, a PPC beam narrowly missed the right shoulder of his father’s Vulture IV omnimech. The combine units had answered and it appeared that Arjun’s desires would be requited.

“Republicans, you are free to engage! Arjun, get up on that ridge and stay to the rear. Heath and McQueen get in front and give us some targets to shoot at. Everyone else, advance on my flanks and stay together. Now!” Gideon’s commands were given and obeyed without thought.

Arjun gritted his teeth as he veered off the road and began to lumber the 95-ton mech up the hill. He longed to rush into the fight. However, he knew his responsibility. With its C3 Master computer, his father’s mech was the centerpiece in a powerful network that must be protected. With Heath spotting, he could provide extremely accurate long range fire support. As he reached the ridge and saw the combine mechs stretched out before him, he lowered the Peacekeeper’s arms to deliver a powerful blast.

Heath’s voice crackled over the intercom again. “They’re pulling back. Should we follow, sir?””

“That is a negative.” Gideon said. “I am opening a channel to Khan Nostra. Hold your positions.””

Arjun leaned back in his seat and wiped his sweaty brow. He had recorded none of the four kills on the day, but he had landed some well-placed shots from long range. He looked over his shoulder at Bateson. “You doing alright?”

Bateson did not look comfortable and he was drenched in sweat, but he proffered a smile nonetheless. “My posterior doesn’t seem to have the genetic engineering required for this kind of work.”

Arjun smiled in spite of the tense situation and thumped his command chair. “Its not the genes, it’s the padded cus–”

“Khan Nostra, this is Gideon Nostra-Gardbaum.” His father was broadcasting his message to all members of the unit. “I have in my possession the most important genetic legacies of Clan Nova Cat as well as some of its most important scientists, including Scientist Bateson. My intention is to leave Irece immediately and to safeguard these legacies and scientific knowledge for the future. These legacies are being carried in my Peacekeeper mech. Unfortunately, the Combine has decided to target my unit. I request assistance in evacuating the planet.”

Arjun’s heart caught in his throat. The entire legacy of the Nova Cat clan was riding in the seat behind him? In a flash, he now understood his father’s purpose. Life must go on, whatever the cost. He also now understood why his father had switched mechs. Some things are more precious to a father than the genetic legacies of his ancestral clan. Tears of love and rage welled up in Arjun’s eyes.

There was no immediate response from the Khan. Then the intercom crackled to life, “How long have you and Bateson being cooking up this scheme? … No matter, you were right and I was wrong, … about everything.”

Khan Nostra’s voice trailed off and then came back strong and authoritative. “Star Colonel Kadir Nostra. You are to bring forward the Ninth Battle Cluster and protect the Republican units at all costs. Gideon’s Peacekeeper must make it to the spaceport. Clear a path at whatever the cost.”

“Quaiff, Khan Nostra” came another gruff voice. Arjun heard the screech of a Combine aerial squadron passing by overhead.

“Take whatever units you have left and evacuate with the Republican units. The legacy must survive. I want you to travel to–”

A brilliant flash of light filled the horizon from end to end. Even with his neurohelmet on, Arjun couldn’t suppress the involuntary movement of his hands as they moved to cover his face. Behind him, he heard Bateson cry out. Then a deep rumbling sound grew behind him. As he turned his head to look into the rear of his 360 degree vision, the Peacekeeper was struck by hurricane force winds that made it stagger and nearly topple over.

The storm lasted nearly thirty seconds, kicking up dirt and rocks that dinged all around the mech and across it, sounding almost like a rainstorm of the gods. When he finally regained his balance, he was able to look behind him, but he already knew what he would see. A great mushroom cloud was growing from exactly where the clan genetic repository had stood.

Arjun turned to look at Bateson. The old scientist’s cheery disposition had been wiped from his face. His skin was red and puffy from the heat of the cockpit, but his face might as well have been etched from stone. The depth of sorrow in his eyes held Arjun’s gaze.

“Now, … we are the last hope.” He said quietly.

Related Personnel
Related Mission