Rumors of War

"Copy that, Jiang-Jun.  Blackhand out."

Zvolimir, called the Blackhand, turned the comm-switch off.  He could barely believe what he had just been told.  The commander of the Liao Cháng-Chéng, Jiang-Jun Do San Mu, had just ordered his unit to mobilize for the first time in years.  He welcomed the coming action, but the details had him reeling.

He turned to Jerry Wargate, a portly man with long flowing moustaches.  Jerry could tell that something was off, but Zvolimir seldom showed panic.  Unsure of what was to come, Jerry ventured "What did she say?"

"We're moving.  Seems Davion and Steiner units have attacked the aerospace defenses around Lumptur.  Enemy mechs are on the ground."  Zvolimir pondered the situation as he stared at the paneling on the floor.  Now Jerry knew why he looked so shocked.  Blackhand hated the Federated Suns with a passion, and now he was going to get to kill Davion pilots.

The Gatekeepers company was on the LCC combat rosters, but hadn't been formally recognized...even though the unit had almost two decades of illustrious service.  They were still reserves, and most of the last five years had been spent in police action against Dispossessed mechwarriors, private mercenaries and even the "Free Capellan" rebellions that had sprung up along the fringe.  Of course, the Blackhand believed most of the Free Capella garbage was incited by House Davion, so the Gatekeepers showed no mercy against mechwarriors who raised arms against House Liao.

Zvolimir switched on the viewscreen and brought up the system map.  It would take a while to move from Huan-Kun to Lumptur, so he began the prep routine for their dropship to lift off.  Jerry started barking orders to the Big Whale, their jumpship, to begin getting ready for a jump to Lumptur system.  No sooner had they  had given the order to prep the ships, the comms chattered to life.

"What the hells?" a familiar, lilting voice sparked from the comm-link.  "We're moving already?"  It was Uglygreen, a mechwarrior who had recently joined the company but had already proven his mettle a dozen times over.  He was part of a patrol unit moving through the perimeter, and his lancemate Earnd piped up as well.

"Dammit, I was supposed to get a thing from a guy today!"  Earnd sounded a little miffed, but Blackhand knew that both of them would be excited to hear the news.

Zvolimir smiled as he hit the return button, "You can find that damn Hunchback doll on Lumptur.  And we'll also find some Davion and Steiner scum to kill.  Maybe one of them that we salvage will have what you want."

"What?!" came Earnd's stunned response.  There hadn't been any full on House on House fights since the last Succession War.  It had ended badly for the Capellans, and it was the source of Blackhand's rage against the machines of House Davion.  "You mean..."  Earnd began again, but was cut off by Uglygreen's brazen hollering.

"We get to fight Davion mechwarriors?!"

"That's right, fools."  he replied into the comms box.  Blackhand grinned as he and Jerry locked eyes.  "It's time...for REVENGE!!"

There was a short silence, then Uglygreen said what all of them were thinking.

"WAAAAA HOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooo!!!"