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Sweet Revenge
Part 1 of 1
Synopsis:  Years ago, he was captured by the Clans.  Now Drogan Tack is out for a little revenge...

Sweet Revenge

    The Clans came when Drogan Tack was sixteen.  As a MechWarrior apprentice, his BattleMech, a century-old Locust, was no match for the impressive Clan 'Mechs.  Nevertheless, Star Captain Lars Jorggensson of the Ghost Bears found his fledging skills in the dimunitive 'Mech impressive.  He claimed the young warrior as his bondsman.  Under Jorggensson's tutelage, Drogan developed his piloting skills.

     He also developed a hard skull.  No one in the Clans used contractions, considering the use of shortened phrases disdainful.  Drogan's continual use of "ain't" and "I'm" angered Jorggensson, who rebuked the young man with solid blows to the top of his head.

    A week before Drogan was to join the warrior caste, the new Star League led an attack on the occupied planet, challenging the Ghost Bears to a Trial of Possession.  The Ghost Bear Binary occupying the planet lost, and was forced to withdraw.  Drogan and all other freeborn were left behind.  Angered by his abandonment, Drogan turned his energies toward fighting the Clans.  And that was how he ended up on the battlefield of Clan-occupied Constance.

    "Papa Bird, this is Eagle One.   All little birdies are good to go."

    "Roger, Eagle One," the mission commander acknowledged from his safe post aboard the Dropship Takaci.   "Spread your wings and good luck."

    "Thanks," Lieutenant Tack replied.  It felt great to be in a cockpit of a shiny new OmniMech Annihilator.  He checked his HUD gear, receiving all green lights for Tara and Anna Pellier's Orions, and Donald Miller's Sunder.   Anna and Tara were twins, equally matched in looks and skill; Miller was a former mercenary with Hansen's Rough Riders.  Tack had every confidence in his team's ability to battle the Smoke Jaguars.  Per the guidelines of the Trial of Possession, the Smoke Jaguars had bid their entire Trinary.  In return, the Takaci bid a company.  Not wishing to be outdone, the Clan bid downward to a Binary, then a single star.  Now it was just the Takaci's Command Lance against the Clan Devastator Star.

    Tack advised his lancemates of the Clan tactics of battle ahead of time.  He let them know that they could each take on one enemy 'Mech, but not touch another 'Mech on the battlefield, otherwise the battle could become a free-for-all.  As the defenders, the Smoke Jaguars decided the location for the battle, an open plain in the lower hemisphere, on the planet's largest continent.

    The comm crackled to life.   "I am Star Colonel Nicholas Osis.  Where are the surats that challenge us?"

    "Those 'surats' are here," Tack replied, smiling behind his neurohelmet.  The Star League 'Mechs were crouched in the undergrowth, power cut to minimal levels.  There was little chance they could be detected through the heavy mineral deposits of the area.

    Tack checked his sensors, reading the signatures of one Daishi, two Madcats, a Supernova, and a Loki.  He triggered the comm to his lancemates.  "That Hellbringer—Loki, rather, is the weight differential in this battle.  As far as the Clans are concerned, the Jaguars will lose honor for outclassing us by 65 tons."

    "Great," one of the twins snorted.  "We get smeared across Constance and they lose a little honor."

    "Pessimist," chided the other twin, probably Tara.  "When we smear them across Constance, they lose even more honor, for losing to an Inner Sphere lance they outweighed."

    "So we win either way," Miller sighed.  "I'd rather we win Constance and make them look bad."

    "Right.  First of all, I will challenge the Daishi to single combat.  He will accept, then I will destroy him."

    "You're starting to sound like a Clanner," Tara laughed.

    "Sorry 'bout that," Tack answered with an exaggerated drawl.  "It happens when I get in a cockpit.   Anyway, with the Daishi out of the way, a free-for-all won't be all that bad."

    "Good luck, sir," Anna said.

    "Thanks."  Tack twitched the joysticks, standing the Annihilator.  He thumbed the comm, opening a broadband channel.  "Osis, I challenge you to single combat."   Grinning, he linked up two of his extended-range particle cannons, and checked his systems once more.  All eighteen double-capacity heatsinks were functioning perfectly.  "Prepare to die," he said, as the Daishi stepped forward.  Then he fired.

    Two beams of blue lightning flashed out from the Annihilator's arms, slamming into the right leg of the Clan 'Mech.  A sudden wave of heat blasted Tack as the heatsinks fought to dissipate the energy from the blast.  Even as heat dropped off quickly, Tack set the 100-ton mechanical monster into lumbering motion, moving away from the depression where his lancemates hid.  The Daishi turned its torso, tracking him.

    Tack stopped his 'Mech abruptly and changed direction.  A salvo of autocannon shells whistled through the air where his 'Mech would have been.  The lieutenant knew that Osis wouldn't fall for the same trick again.  He fired his twin PPCs again.  One missed, scorching the ground, but the other hit its mark, the Daishi's right calf.  Tack actually saw armor plates popping off.

    "You are good, freebirth, but you will not survive this day," Osis said.

    "Neither will you," Tack taunted, launching a flight of SRMs at the enemy 'Mech.  He attempted to turn his 'Mech again, but the Daishi's LRMs found their mark.  The Annihilator registered armor damage on the torso and left arm, but nothing serious.  Still, a few more hits like that...

    Righting, his 'Mech, Tack switched to his pulse lasers, turning the fury of the green beams upon the same leg of the Daishi.  More armor peeled away beneath the onslaught, but the temperature in Tack's cockpit was getting pretty high.  He slowed his 'Mech and stalked around the enemy 'Mech, flushing his coolant tanks and waiting for the temperature indicator to drop into the green.

    Four beams of red light lashed out in succession, scoring the right torso of Tack's Annihilator with deep burns.  He bit his lip when the damage indicator warned him that he'd lost more than half of the armor on that side.  He triggered the SRMs again, but only one of the missles hit, darkening the paint on the massive 'Mechs left arm.

    The heat had dropped to the green, and he triggered the twin PPCs again.  Once again, only one hit the right leg, but the Daishi stumbled, falling to the ground with an earth- shaking crash.  Tack tasted blood and realized he must have bitten his lip.

    He triggered his comm again.   "I have changed my mind... you will not die, you will become—my bondsman."

    The Daishi struggled to its feet, limping.  Obviously, that last blast damaged the actuator.  Osis fired his autocannons.  As the shells ripped through the armor on the Annihilator's torso, Tack struggled to keep his 'Mech upright.  Heat washed through his cockpit, and he realized he'd lost a few heatsinks.

    Osis launched another salvo of LRMs.  "Freebirth do not take bondsmen."

    As the missles blew past his cockpit, he answered, "Then I shall take exception with you."  It was time to use his trump card.  Pivoting, he targeted the Daishi's right calf and fired his gauss rifle.  The head-sized slug embedded itself in the 'Mech's leg, shards flying out and pelting the ground.  The lumbering beast ground to a halt and tipped forward.

    "No!" Osis cried.  But there was nothing he could do, the Daishi's foot assembly had been blown completely off.

    Smiling to himself, Tack activated the comm again, summoning his lance.  As the assault and heavy 'Mechs cleared the top of the gulley, he turned on one of the Madcats.   "Prepare to die," he said, savoring the words as the left his mouth.

    The battle was over in several intense moments.  Anna Pellier's Orion had lost an arm and Miller's Sunder had reactor damage in addition to having lost both arms.  Tara's 'Mech survived with only actuator damage and depleted LRM supplies.

    Tack climbed down out of the cockpit and approached the downed Daishi on foot.  A hot breeze swept across the plain as he strode forward, pistol out and at the ready.  He climbed up and tore the hatch open, pointing his firearm inside.

    "Get out," he said.  Osis complied, leaning heavily on the rungs as he descended to the ground.  Once on the ground, he bowed his head.

    "I am your bondsman.  Do what you will with me.  My life is yours."

    A cruel smile twisted Tack's lips.  He smashed the butt of the pistol down on Osis' head.  "This is the Inner Sphere, surat," he said.  "Here, we use contractions."

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