TOW48

Chapter 48 - The Other War
Rebekah kept her body close to the gravel hiding in her makeshift blind as the sun neared the horizon. The rough rocks were becoming even more uncomfortable as time wore on. She raised the binoculars careful to avoid revealing her position with a glint. There had been no activity in the quarry but based on reports she had sifted through over the past two months these Bandits seemed to be crepuscular. Showing their faces in the light might be to much to ask but maybe twilight or darkness would bring answers. Whether those would be welcome answers had yet to be determined.
As the sun set she noticed motion on the lake's surface zooming to watch a cyclopean Horned Owl float to the surface like a dead fish. Without more advanced night vision she couldn't make out fine details and the insignia were blacked out. She had a hunch it might one of the lost mechs from Rex's Star.
The lifeless war machine drifted slowly to the far shore driven by some unknown source. Rebekah spotted the movement of a Tallasi heavy transporter running dark from the direction of the Inland Sea. This new arrival made a wide K turn before backing its large flatbed trailer into the water using some kind of boating ramp.
She noticed something unusual as the floating Horned Owl neared the shore. A dozen strange shapes emerged from the water's surface with their claws on the floating mech. “What are those?” Zooming in she saw rounded helmets and armor but no distinct markings.
Becky snapped the best pictures she could in the low light conditions and inferior optics while the exoskeletons were securing their salvage. Once the task was complete the Tallasi departed and was shortly replaced by another. As they sunk once more an Incubus rose to the surface. “Elementals? Underwater Elementals. How can we fight them there?”
Her radio found its way to her hand, but she hesitated to use it. Cara would come in the jeep but if anyone was watching the roads they would certainly be ambushed on the road back to Belle's Wharf. Opening a datalink to Cyne would be obvious to anyone watching emissions exposing her position. Better she lay low collecting intel, trust Cara not to drive into a likely trap while ignoring her stomach and joints for some time until she found out what might have happened to Rex.
Four more mechs came and went but no Conjurer appeared above the waters. At 03:44 that night the strange Elementals awkwardly mounted the Tallasi which departed from the quarry lake and was not replaced. She waited until the sun was almost up before hiking back to the Rally Point.
Her assistant was waiting there in the bushes dressed in a gray utilitarian outfit with fresh clothes to replace the damp and increasingly uncomfortable ones that Rebekah was wearing with ones from her bag. “Had to bypass the Belle's Wharf checkpoint. Something big happened last night. They were more attentive than usual. We have to get back before Reveille. Did you find anything?”<br>
“So much.
I will tell you while I drive.”
 
Cara tossed the keys to her and she crossed over to the driver's side seeing a dent in the quarter panel and scratches on the door. “We are going to talk about your driving skills later.”
The young woman hastily got in the car, “It was my first time. I need practice.”
“Pull something from the motor pool.”
----
At Belle's Wharf Star Colonel Manali Danforth stood before the assembled Warriors of the 202nd Battle Cluster and its support elements standing in the burnt out ruins of Eastshore. His graying black hair waved in the sea breeze as the sun crested the horizon.
“Warriors of Clan Coyote, we are dealing with an enemy that we do not understand. That they say we cannot understand. The Bandits of Delios believe that we lack the will and ability to counter them. I intend to prove them wrong. Too many of our kin have been lost to their cowardly actions.
Henceforth I am ordering that we divide the Cluster into its component Trinaries. The weak hearted Diamond Sharks have allowed this wound to fester.
''
We will rip off its Scab by deploying in dedicated Hunter Killer missions to root out these Bandits until they have no safe haven on land or in the sea.
Galaxy Commander Leo Koga, trothkin to our Khan, has given me full support for this operation which we will conduct according to Burrock counterinsurgency strategy.
We will dig deep
Rip their support from the earth
Then burn them out of their dens.
Tomorrow begins OPERATION:CAUTERIZE to stop the bleeding on Delios and reclaim the Scablands.
All Warrior Cadets are to take an expedited Trial of Position today and prove their worth to the Clan.
I expect you all to prevail.
That is all. Warriors dismissed!”
Rebekah worked her way to Star Captain Cyne's command tent in disguise while Colonel Danforth oversaw the decamping operation. She bypassed senior Warriors collecting their specific patrol areas and objectives invisible to the higher castes who likely though she was there to clean or maintain something.
A Patrol Officer barred her passage into the tent with his rifle. She presented her codex, “I am Star Commander Rebekah, I have an urgent report for Cyne. Let me through!”
“I don't believe you. In fact I am putting you under arrest for impersonating a Warrior.” As one of the younger Warriors in the Cluster she was often mistaken for one of the SibCadet Auxiliaries but had never been accused of impersonation. Most of the time she was in uniform but hadn't enough time to change in order to make Reveille which they did by the skin of their teeth.
The Patrol officer lowered his rifle in order to reach his cuffs but she twisted the rifle and smashed the stock into his nose which spurted blood as he was unable to defend himself from the surprise action. She pushed him through the tent flap to find her Star Captain, a 24 year old Tamarian whose windworn features marked him as a trainee at one of the northern sibkos receiving his briefing for their upcoming operation.
“Triston, thank the Great Father you are here.” She pointed to the Patrolman, “He said I was a fraud.”
Triston looked just as surprised as Cyne at the interruption and the sight of a Warrior in now blood covered Laborer clothes. The patrolman staggered up and drew his sidearm aiming at her only to have it chopped down by her Star Captain. “You are dismissed, Patrolman, clean yourself up, and expect KP duty for the rest of the week.”
He paused looking at Cyne for any support but found none, rebuked he gathered his weapons and departed the tent. “Alright Rebekah you had better have a good reason for everything that just happened or you will join him.”
“I do. I swear it on my genemother.”
Cyne figured he already had time with Triston and this would get to him eventually anyhow better to save the breath. “Be quick about it. We have much to do this morning and not enough light.”
“I will, Star Captain.” She held out a datacard. “May I use your map table?”
“Aff.” The maptable flared to life presenting her grainy 2D images in a viewing cube which played out in fast forward to the keen interest of the Star Captains.
Once her presentation was complete she began walking out with Triston. “Stay Commander Rebekah. I would like to speak with you.” She paused staring into his blue unblinking cyber eye, “Captain Triston you are to begin implementing the Galaxy Commander's orders. Quiaff?”
“Aff, Star Captain. Rebekah, I will see you at the barracks.”
Once the Star Captain had departed he beckoned her over to him once more, “That was a reckless action Commander Rebekah. You could have endangered yourself, your auxiliary, and by extension the Cluster. You understand quiaff?”
She looked down careful to avoid staring at the scars that marked the transition between his regenerated hand and original body. “Aff.”
“Good, I understand that you are looking for your trothkin Rex. I admire that dedication.
We are a Clan after all, one big family where each caste supports the others. However, there are always family secrets. You have shown promise throughout your very short career. We have been watching you?”
“Watching me how.”
“Not how. Why would we want to Watch you?
You see the Drum Canyon Sibko was an experiment, slightly different that the others created at the same time. We encouraged your Pack Masters to be more creative in your training and encourage your natural talents rather than force you to conform like the others.
Many of them were Wolves, Burrocks, or Goliath Seekers taken as Abtaka rather than trueborn Coyotes. Of course you did not need to know at the time.”
Although she had only been a Warrior for a five months she had spoken to fellow Warriors about time in Sibko. They were confused by stories from Drum Canyon compared to their own training. “Why now?”
“Because now you need to be more than a mere Warrior. Your Clan needs you be a winner.”
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