[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/eLoQcAy.png[/img][/center] [b]Abandoned Neodymium Mine Eunsan Mountain Range 250 Kilometers Southwest of Balya Gora March 25th, 3030[/b] [color=DeepSkyBlue]"Mine!"[/color] Sunny von Kemp declared to no one in particular, using a scavenged marker to scribble a short sequence of geometric glyphs on the side of an empty supply crate that had become her 'room' in the past few days. [color=DeepSkyBlue]"Nobody can touch it, it's mine!"[/color] [color=Peru]"You sure about that, Sunshine?"[/color] came the gruff, scratchy voice of Pops, straining from effort as he and another AsTech set down an identical crate onto a hand-truck to load onto the convoy. [color=Peru]"After all, if no one can touch that crate, you're gonna have to move it all by yourself."[/color] Sunny's expression soured for a moment, then shrugged. [color=DeepSkyBlue]"Okay, I'll put your tag on it, too, so you can help move it."[/color] She drew a slash mark by the first line of glyphs, then added another. [color=DeepSkyBlue]"There, it's fixed. Now I just need to tag my books, and--oh! Hang on a sec!"[/color] As Pops and the AsTech worked, Sunny picked up a sharp piece of rock from the cavern floor and ran to one of the walls. On it, she drew an [i]X[/i], and in each of its four corners, she started drawing simple symbols. At the top, she drew a flat, straight line. In the left corner, two circles connected by lines to form a cylinder, and a trio of wavy lines coming out of the top. In the right corner, a square with a wide line along the bottom, then a U-shaped line connecting it to the side of a triangle. And in the bottom, a long diagonal arrow pointing down, with five tic-marks through it. [color=Yellow]"Hey, cut that out!"[/color] the AsTech helping Pops with the crates scolded her. [color=Yellow]"The Colonel says we leave no trace behind!"[/color] [color=DeepSkyBlue]"It's for Lena,"[/color] Sunny demanded. [color=DeepSkyBlue]"You wouldn't get it."[/color] [color=Yellow]"Kid, I hate to tell you this, but your sister's--"[/color] [color=Peru]"--really gonna appreciate that when she sees it,"[/color] Pops interrupted the AsTech, his eyes poking out from over the rims of his mirrored shades and shooting the 'tech a deadly glare. [color=DeepSkyBlue]"She better,"[/color] Sunny smirked, [color=DeepSkyBlue]"it took me for-[i]ever[/i] to remember this stuff. Now, where's my Never Ending Hearts Revolution? I need to tag it so nobody else tries to take it!"[/color] As Sunny wandered off to mark her property, the AsTech turned back to the old man. [color=Yellow]"How long are you gonna keep lying to the kid about Wrathchild?"[/color] [color=Peru]"Who says I'm lyin'?"[/color] Pops shot back. [color=Yellow]"C'mon, Pops, we all heard her 'Mech go down during the coup. Sooner or later, you're gonna have to tell her."[/color] [color=Peru]"A dead 'Mech and a dead Mechwarrior ain't the same thing,"[/color] Pops insisted. [color=Peru]"'sides, even if I did believe Lena didn't make it, what good does that do Sunny right now? Everybody needs somethin' to get us to keep movin', get us from one day to the next. Right now, the thing keepin' that girl's spirit up is the thought of seein' her brother an' sister again. You really wanna take that from her, right when things are startin' to look up?"[/color] [color=Yellow]"...I guess not,"[/color] the AsTech shrugged, [color=Yellow]"But she's gonna hate you for leading her on when she finds out Wrathchild isn't coming back."[/color] [color=Peru]"Well, you let me worry 'bout that,"[/color] Pops said with finality. As they worked, the AsTech kept looking back at the markings Sunny had left on the wall. [color=Yellow]"So what exactly is that, anyway?"[/color] he asked. [color=Peru]"Low-sign,"[/color] Pops asked. [color=Peru]"Somethin' you won't find outside Von Strang's World, way out in the Barrens reach of the Periphery."[/color] [color=Yellow]"That's right,"[/color] the 'tech nodded, [color=Yellow]"you and Wrathchild and the kids are from the Barony, right?"[/color] [color=Peru]"Hell, I'm from every-damn-where and no-damn-where,"[/color] Pops chuckled, [color=Peru]"But yeah, Lena and Sunny and Diego are from a backwater planet run by a crazy old aristocrat family, the Von Strangs. Planet's got huge veins of diamonds, so most of the folks there are miners, gettin' kicked around and held down by the Von Strangs an' their goons. Since the aristocrats and their cops, or the 'Highs,' went outta their way to bust up any attempt from the miners--'the Lows'-- to organize, over time the Lows started leavin' messages in secret, in codes that the Highs couldn't figure out. Far as I know, nobody in the Sphere who isn't a Strang's World Low knows how to interpret Low-sign. Well, nobody but me, the kids, an' maybe a couple of folks in the Knights that Lena's taught it to."[/color] [color=Yellow]"Huh,"[/color] the AsTech nodded. [color=Yellow]"So what's it mean?"[/color] [color=Peru]"The line up top?"[/color] Pops pointed at the first glyph on the [i]X[/i] pattern. [color=Peru]"That's the floor of an empty room. Means there's nothin' here, that anyone who [i]was[/i] here left an' isn't comin' back."[/color] [color=Yellow]"And the circles with the squiggly lines?"[/color] [color=Peru]"Ah, see, that's a trash can,"[/color] he answered. [color=Peru]"Means there's something of interest to be found in the garbage. Or in our case, the scrapyard."[/color] Following that up, he pointed at the square and triangle. [color=Peru]"That's a rich man tipping his hat,"[/color] the old man explained. [color=Peru]"Means there's friendly folks with money."[/color] [color=Yellow]"So what's the last one?"[/color] he asked, regarding the arrow with the tic marks. [color=Peru]"That's easy,"[/color] Pops grinned, [color=Peru]"Directions. Down's south, of course, and the tic marks are how many days it'll take on foot."[/color] [color=Yellow]"I think I get it,"[/color] the tech nodded. [color=Yellow]"So all together, that says we've left this place, but if you travel five days south you'll find interesting friends at the scrapyard."[/color] [color=Peru]"More or less,"[/color] the old man said. [color=Peru]"Every group of Lows has their own set of signs, so even if the stars lined up an' the Guard happened to have another fella from Von Strang's World, chances are he wouldn't know these signs himself. So it don't matter a whole lot if we leave that sign behind, because nobody but Lena would ever know what it says."[/color] [color=Yellow]"And she's d--"[/color] [color=Peru]"She's gonna be happy to read that,"[/color] Pops insisted. Finally, the two loaded on the empty crate, the one that Sunny had marked. [color=Yellow]"How about these marks?"[/color] the 'tech asked. [color=Peru]"Simple Low-sign alphabet,"[/color] the old man answered. [color=Peru]"Her initials, [i]S.V.K.[/i]-- other words, the property of Sunny Von Kemp."[/color] [color=Yellow]"So those other marks she made are your initials? What letters are they?"[/color] [color=Peru]"Hah! Wouldn't you like to know,"[/color] Pops chuckled, as the two continued their work. Elsewhere in the cave, Sunny was marking the inside collars of a few T-shirts that had been handed down to her, some of whom had come from the volunteers who hadn't come back from the supply raid. On each one, she wrote the Low-sign for S.V.K. [color=DeepSkyBlue]"Mine,"[/color] she said to herself in a sing-song voice, [color=DeepSkyBlue]"Mine, mine...."[/color] [hr] [b]Outdoor Recreation Yard 2 Women and Children's Ward Fort Tie Shan March 25th, 3030[/b] [color=DodgerBlue]"Mine,"[/color] the little sandy-haired boy muttered as he scratched symbols into a hard rubber ball. To a stranger, these symbols were nonsense, but to those who knew, they were the letters [i]D.V.K.[/i] [color=DodgerBlue]"Mine."[/color] [color=Orchid]"Whatcha got there, kiddo?"[/color] came a warm, smiling voice from behind him. Diego turned and looked up to see the Captain, Miss Sally, putting on the kind of smile that Diego knew grown-ups only did when things were really sad. [color=DodgerBlue]"A ball from the rec room of the [i]Clover[/i],"[/color] he said. [color=DodgerBlue]"The other kids keep trying to take it, so I'm putting my tag on it. It's mine."[/color] [color=Orchid]"That's a good idea,"[/color] the Captain encouraged him. [color=Orchid]"And hey, I'll talk to the other kids' parents about making sure they play nice."[/color] [color=DodgerBlue]"It's the [i]new[/i] kids,"[/color] Diego said with a frown. [color=DodgerBlue]"The big kids who came in the other day. They don't [i]have[/i] parents to talk to."[/color] Captain Roth nodded, her smile becoming a frown. The prison fort was getting crowded, with a huge influx of new inmates just the other day. She'd gotten word that most of them had come from the southern city of Yuzhny Portveyn, where the Espian Guard had just finished off the last of Governor Xiu's loyalists. Plenty of the new prisoners had been loyalist fighters, FPA guerillas, political dissidents, or just as likely, their friends and families. Fort Tie Shan was near the bursting point with people, and tensions were getting high. Only the fear of reprisals from the guards had kept all-out violence from breaking out, and even that wasn't going to last much longer. [color=Orchid]"Well, the next time the other kids try to take something from you,"[/color] Sally said, kneeling down to pat Diego on the shoulder, [color=Orchid]"You come to me, and I'll set them straight myself."[/color] [color=DodgerBlue]"But they're not our crew,"[/color] Diego said. [color=Orchid]"We're [i]all[/i] in one crew here,"[/color] Sally answered, [color=Orchid]"they just don't know it yet."[/color] As Diego went to play, a younger woman approached the Captain. Like her, the woman's hair was silvery white, a quirk of genetics rather than the effects of aging. Her upper lip was almost permanently curled in a slight sneer, as if she'd always just smelled something foul. [color=Silver]"I've got the latest inventory,"[/color] Cynthia Roth, the Captain's younger cousin and Quartermaster of the Green Knights, said, keeping her body language casual lest the prying eyes of the security guards focus on the two. [color=Silver]"Like everything lately, it could be worse, but it could also be a hell of a lot better."[/color] [color=Orchid]"We'll think about what [i]could[/i] be some other time,"[/color] the Captain said, [color=Orchid]"and we'll focus on what [i]is[/i] for now. How are we on meds?"[/color] [color=Silver]"The Fort's medical staff wouldn't spit on us if we were on fire,"[/color] Cynthia scowled, [color=Silver]"so we're starting to burn through what we smuggled in when they took us. We've got enough antibiotics for about another week, but what's concerning me are the painkillers and uppers. I think some of the men are taking more than they're supposed to, and getting addicted."[/color] The Captain nodded. While the women and children had for the most part been left alone beyond detainment, most of the able-bodied men were shipped to nearby manufacturing plants and used as slave labor during the day, only brought back near the dead of night. The guards had no concern for their well-being, and failure to work was met with severe punishment, so many had taken to sneaking pills to give themselves energy or dull the pain to keep working. [color=Orchid]"And the food and drinks?"[/color] she asked, a coded question. At the very least, the warden hadn't begun starving the inmates, so actual food and drink wasn't a concern yet. [color=Silver]"Well we've got enough silverware to seat twenty,"[/color] Cynthia answered, [color=Silver]"and can probably mix three or four Martinis, though I'm still looking for the keys to the champagne cellar."[/color] Both Sally and Cynthia Ross knew that eventually, the warden and guards of Fort Tie Shan would turn their attention to them. Either the Green Knights would stage a rescue, or cause enough trouble that the NPDRE would begin threatening the prisoners to get the Knights to surrender, or the Knights would all die and the prisoners would outlive their usefulness. In any situation, they both knew a fight was coming, and had begun to make plans. 'Silverware' meant they had gotten their hands on enough loose pieces of metal to begin making crude blades. 'Martinis' meant the chemicals and containers to make Molotov cocktails. And the 'champagne cellar' meant the gun locker. It wasn't nearly what they'd need to stage a breakout, but if Gaius and his men were coming to get them, it might be enough to split the guards' attention. And Gaius [i]was[/i] coming for them, Sally knew it. If only because she and the other inmates were still alive. [color=Silver]"I've been running the numbers in my head,"[/color] Cynthia said, [color=Silver]"and it's really making me wish I'd listened to Mom and Dad and just gone to law school. But no, I just [i]had[/i] to go play space-hero with my cool cousin and her not-boyfriend, because I wanted to--"[/color] [color=Orchid]"Hang on,"[/color] Sally interrupted her cousin's griping, looking at the patch of dirt in the yard in front of them. [color=Orchid]"do you recognize that?"[/color] Before Diego had run off, he'd drawn something in the dirt. An [i]X[/i] pattern with four symbols in the corner. Sally recognized the code as something Wrathchild had shown her and the Colonel, something called 'Low-sign.' A triangle with a crescent at the top corner. [i]Devil horns,[/i] the Captain saw, [i]which means a dangerous man.[/i] A circle with three long lines reaching down from the bottom half, and a cross in the upper right. [i]The man has a long beard, and is missing his right eye.[/i] Three small triangles, and above them two crossed bones. [i]Dangerous to children.[/i] An elongated diamond, with the long end pointing up like a dagger, and a short line poking from the bottom. [i]Get a weapon, protect yourself.[/i] [color=Orchid]"Wasn't there a new guy who came in last week with the new prisoners,"[/color] the Captain asked, [color=Orchid]"with a beard and only one eye?"[/color] [color=Silver]"I think so,"[/color] Cynthia shrugged, [color=Silver]"Why?"[/color] [color=Orchid]"Just a piece of business I'm going to have to take care of,"[/color] she said, her voice becoming a growl, her hands tightening into fists. In a corner of the yard away from the eyes of the guards, Diego dug in the dirt until he found something he'd buried days before: a screwdriver, its head ground and sharpened into a long point. On the handle, he'd scratched the letters [i]D.V.K.[/i] [color=DodgerBlue]"Mine..."[/color] [hr] [b]'Diamond in the Rough' Bar NPDRE-Occupied District North Nui Awa March 25th, 3030[/b] [color=SteelBlue]"Mine!"[/color] a young woman's voice all but shouted over the din of the crowd, a raised hand signaling the source of the call. Seeing the woman in question, the bartender turned toward her and handed her a tall glass of amber liquid capped with creamy foam. The young woman threw back the frothy brew in a few quick gulps, then let out a contented sigh. Damn, but she'd needed a good drink, and as dingy and crowded as a soldier's bar was, at least the beer was good and cold. While part of her wanted to order another, and another, and maybe a few more after that, she had to keep her senses sharp. She was deep behind enemy lines, after all, and this was, as the Colonel optimistically put it, a target-rich environment. A little over a week ago, she was a Mechwarrior, leader of a lance of Green Knights, trying to keep this backwater world from tearing itself apart. Then they'd been sucker-punched, caught off-guard by enemies they never even knew were there. Her [i]Wolverine[/i] had been shot out from under her, blasted into a smoking heap, and she'd been left for dead. As far as anyone on Espia knew, Lena von Kemp was a corpse. At first, her only thoughts had been on survival. She'd lived off of scraps, scavenging bits of food and tattered rags, scurrying away from the enemy soldiers like a rodent. It wasn't until she happened upon an unlucky Espian Guardsman wandering off alone that her thoughts shifted to the offense. Lena subconsciously rubbed the bandages that wound tightly around her left hand. Poor bastard had given her a fight, but in the end, she'd gotten a canteen of clean water, a few days of rations, a change of relatively clean clothes, and a pistol for her trouble. Since that night, she'd linked up with a train of refugees fleeing the capital city and down to the cities of Nui Awa. Along the way, Lena had claimed a few more Guardsmen. She'd relied on jumping them alone in the dark at first, but here, with so many enemies about, she'd have to be more subtle about it. Tonight, she was on the hunt for bigger prey. Grabbing canteens or the occasional blessed fresh pair of socks was one thing, but she wanted more. She wanted access to the NPDRE's facilities, passes to get her onto their bases, into their armories, anywhere she could start doing some real damage. That meant reeling in an officer, and to pull that off, she needed to play it cool. [color=Khaki][i]"--another heroic victory by the Crimson Fists!"[/i][/color] came a newscaster's voice as someone cranked the volume of the holo-vid screen over the music. [color=Khaki][i]"Yes, these gallant masked avengers once again delivered the people's justice, smashing through a terrorist cell of the vile and traitorous FPA!"[/i][/color] The holo-vid screen showed footage from a skirmish earlier that day, of Crimson Fist Battlemechs rampaging through a heavily populated area, blasting vehicles that the newscaster claimed were 'cleverly disguised' FPA technicals. The big money shot was a wide shot of the Fists' lance leader, a 70-ton [i]Warhammer[/i], firing both of its Particle Projector Cannons into an alleged FPA hideout that looked mysteriously like a civilian apartment complex. A cheer went up throughout the bar, and a young captain raised his glass. [color=Red]"To the Crimson Fists!"[/color] he shouted, bringing another cheer. Some obnoxious electronic rock began playing, and even though her blood boiled, she'd found her target. She joined in the cheer, catching the captain's eye. He gave her a hungry smile, which she returned as she began to cross the room to approach him. Her stomach churned at the thought of what the boy had in mind, but it would all pay off in time. The Espian Guard, the Crimson Fists, they'd learn soon enough that Lena Von Kemp wasn't a corpse...she was a vengeful ghost. And she was going to haunt those fuckers forevermore. [color=SeaGreen]"Omhygod, the music here [i]sucks[/i], doesn't it?"[/color] a voice chimed in as someone sidled up to her. [color=SteelBlue]"Hm?"[/color] Lena turned quickly, a bit of split-second restraint all that was keeping her from drawing a weapon. She was met with a dark-skinned woman, maybe a few years older than Lena, with a shock of bright green hair. She wore a skimpy fluorescent top and mini-skirt, a necklace with a pendant just over her cleavage, and a plush white fur coat over it, an outfit picked specifically to catch a certain kind of attention. [color=SeaGreen]"I said this music sucks, doesn't it?"[/color] the party-girl repeated. [color=SeaGreen]"I want something I can really [i]move[/i] to."[/color] For a moment, Lena raised an eyebrow. Yeah, the music wasn't great, but it was the sort of dance music that was popular on this world. And the way she emphasized words was-- ...no. Couldn't be. Lena tested a response, just to be sure. [color=SteelBlue]"The band's just better on [i]tour[/i],"[/color] she said. If the party-girl didn't take the response, then it was nothing, some passing remarks about shitty bar tunes. If, on the other hand-- [color=SeaGreen]"Maybe, but you'd have to spend a lot of time on the [i]road[/i] to know where they're playing next."[/color] [i]Spacers' cant.[/i] A secret language of smugglers, bandits, pirates, and gun-runners found in the reaches of the Periphery. Pops had taught it to her when they'd first escaped Von Strang's World. Like Low-sign, it was a way to communicate without anyone being able to catch on to what was really being said, a coded dialect of key words and phrases disguised as idle chatter. Starting a conversation using words like "move," "tour," "road," or any other word about travel was often a way to tip someone off that you could talk the talk. [color=SeaGreen]"You spend a lot of time with touring bands?"[/color] Party Girl asked, keeping to the theme of chattering about music. What she'd really said was [color=SeaGreen][i]You're from off-planet, aren't you?[/i][/color] Lena wasn't sure what Party Girl had in mind--if she was a potential ally, if she was trying to run a scam, or if she was some kind of spy--so she answered carefully. [color=SteelBlue]"Not in a while,"[/color] she answered. [color=SteelBlue]"I've been hitting up the local shows these days."[/color] It was playing along, but ultimately a non-response: [color=SteelBlue][i]I've been on Espia for a few years.[/i][/color] [color=SeaGreen]"Ah, well, a show's a show,"[/color] Party Girl shrugged, [color=SeaGreen]"and show[i]business[/i] is showbusiness."[/color] Lena bristled. Emphasizing 'business' in this regard either implied that she knew Lena was a mercenary, or was implying she was a prostitute. [color=SteelBlue]"I don't know about showbusiness, but--"[/color] [color=SeaGreen]"No worries,"[/color] said the stranger. [color=SeaGreen]"I'm always on the lookout for talent, and I thought maybe the bands you toured with did [i]paying[/i] gigs."[/color] This time, the implication was straightforward: [color=SeaGreen][i]I'm looking for mercenaries.[/i][/color] [color=SteelBlue]"Yeah?"[/color] Lena blinked, trying hard to maintain her poker face. [color=SteelBlue]"What kind of shows are you into?"[/color] [color=SeaGreen]"Oh, I like my tunes loud and heavy,"[/color] she answered. [color=SeaGreen]"Some tunes that really [i]stomp.[/i]"[/color] Lena gaped for a second. Spacers' cant varied from every planet, moon, station, and asteroid, with as many dialects as there were stars in the Sphere. But anyone with even half an inkling could read it plain as day. [color=SeaGreen][i]I'm looking for men with Battlemechs.[/i][/color] [color=SteelBlue]"...I...I don't know if that's my scene,"[/color] Lena said, trying to regain her composure. [color=SteelBlue]"One sec."[/color] Lena excused herself and broke away from the conversation, nearly knocking over a barstool as the headed to the bathroom. Once inside, she took a few deep breaths and splashed some cold water on her face. Who the hell was this person? Why was she hitting up strangers in a bar looking for off-world Mechwarriors? It didn't make any sense. [color=SeaGreen]"Sorry, I didn't mean to throw you off,"[/color] Lena heard Party Girl say, looking up to see she'd followed her in here. [color=SeaGreen]"I was taking a gamble there; I see it freaked you out."[/color] [color=SteelBlue]"Who the hell are you?"[/color] Lena demanded. [color=SeaGreen]"Just someone who's doing what you're doing,"[/color] the stranger said, [color=SeaGreen]"Getting valuable things from stupid drunk soldiers. I figured you're an off-worlder, you're fairly good-looking, and you're hanging around in a soldiers' bar. So either you're a working girl, a scam artist, or you're hustling these idiots for information."[/color] She tried to play it cool, but Lena knew she'd blown her cover. [color=SteelBlue]"Well, you're partially right,"[/color] she admitted, [color=SteelBlue]"and partially wrong."[/color] [color=SeaGreen]"I'm sure,"[/color] Party Girl said condescendingly. [color=SeaGreen]"Either way, if you want to talk more 'music,' I won't be hard to find. But if you're just here hunting for another target, you should know...this bar's [i]my[/i] turf. Friendly warning."[/color] [color=SteelBlue]"Right,"[/color] Lena nodded. [color=SteelBlue]"In that case, I'll be seeing you."[/color] [color=SeaGreen]"Sure you will,"[/color] Party Girl nodded. As she passed her on her way out of the bathroom, Lena noticed the pendant on Party Girl's necklace: it was in the shape of a long, thin silver dagger. A stiletto. Lena tossed a few coins on the bar to pay for her drink, and wandered out of the Diamond in the Rough as the soldiers began to get rowdy. As the night settled over North Nui Awa, she wasn't sure if meeting this stranger made her feel less alone, or more so. She ducked around one of the corners and picked through her pockets, finding the combat knife she had taken from her first kill. With the tip of it, she began scratching symbols into the building's facade. A circle with two wavy lines draping down from either side. [i]A woman.[/i] A coil with a forked line at one end like a snake, and three wavy lines beside it. [i]Green hair.[/i] Two interconnected circles, with two straight lines inside the circles, and a wavy line in the section where they overlapped. [i]Talks in code.[/i] A cross with devil horns. [i]Could be friend or enemy, be careful.[/i] Lena knew it was next to impossible that anyone who ever saw this graffiti would ever know what it meant, but she had to hold out hope somehow that she'd eventually get back in touch with her unit. She'd left dozens of messages like it from here to Balya Gora; if the Knights were still out there, maybe she'd get lucky and some of them would stumble across it. As she began to leave, her eyes were drawn to the window, staring once again at the footage of the Crimson Fists and their "heroic" battle. Even if she never saw the Green Knights again, she'd find a way to make those bastards pay. Her eyes locked on her target, and she once again began to carve. She wasn't staring at Party Girl as she marked her target. She wasn't even staring at the captain she'd planned to take. She was staring at the Crimson Fists' 'Mech, the imposing form of the [i]Warhammer[/i], as she carved the Low-sign for [i]L.V.K.[/i] into the wall. While the mark was on the wall, Lena stared at the Battlemech on the screen, and knew her goal. [color=SteelBlue][i][b]Mine.[/b][/i][/color]