DMHFV29

=Chapter 29=
==Dead Man's Hand: Family Values==
Tranh Truk Ngo Memorial Spaceport
Nha Tranh, Kowloon
Bucklands Province
Lyran Alliance
25th August, 3058
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"Damn it feels good to be back in the saddle." Joker mused to herself as she felt the reassuring hum of her Loki around her.
It had been more than a year since she'd gotten more than simulator time, every medical text available making it clear that pregnancies and close proximity to even a shielded fusion reactor wasn't the best combination. As such she had been effectively dispossessed 'for the duration', and then had the wait for the doctors to give her the all-clear after her brush with death. That wasn't to say that she hadn't hit the militia proving ground hard the first chance she got, wailing on them like they owed her money. Indeed, it had actually ended up being the other way round, as she'd gotten more than a little carried away on the live-fire range, and had to fork out to repair some damage.
Still, it felt good to be back at the controls of her 'Mech again. She knew that a lot of MechWarriors, probably the majority, truth be told, liked to give their rides names, but Joker had never really understood the need. Her Loki was simply known by her callsign, Ace of Spades. She felt no great compulsion to call it 'Death Bringer' or 'Dreadnought', or, ironically given it had been the name given to an UrbanMech in the unit she'd served in before Tamar, 'Fireball'.
Hell, back at the Blue Griffin on Galatea, she'd once met a crazy old burn-out who'd named his Stalker 'Gravity's Rainbow', whatever that meant.
No, she wasn't one for getting overly sentimental. She'd had two 'Mechs shot out from under her, both times replacing them with bigger, more powerful machines taken from her enemy. Should the need ever arise again, she'd do the same in a heartbeat.25 August 3058
The main screen displayed a live feed from a camera atop the control tower, while one of her secondaries had the RADAR/LIDAR feed from the same. Both showed the approaching Jade Falcon DropShip, a Broadsword, according to the Coast Guard ship that has escorted it in from the jump point. It would have been possible to use a jump taxi to bring it in sooner, but that would mean giving away a possible tactical advantage to an enemy. As such, they'd been forced to endure a crushing 2G burn to arrive ASAP, the envoy apparently in some kind of hurry.
Joker quickly re-read what little her warbook program had on the Broadsword: effectively an updated Leopard, it was designed to carry a single Star of OmniMechs, at the expense of the integral fighter bays. There were reports that some had been refitted as troop transports, able to carry up to twenty five Elementals, all be it in rather cramped conditions, but there was no evidence that the inbound ship was anything but stock. Even so, it still carried an impressive arsenal, causing Liz to deployment two Battalions of crack infantry, another of armor, and her only company of BattleMechs. Backing them up was a truly insane number of militia troops, IFV's and armor, all be it equipped with older, less powerful weapons. If called to fight, they'd be reliant on sheer guts and superior numbers to carry the day.
So, it was no surprise that Liz had had a contract drawn up, employing Dead Man's Hand to act as a bulwark, stiffening up her forces.
She watched a screen as, escorted by a full squadron of Coast Guard aerospace fighters, the Broadsword made its final approach, landing on the long runway. Smoke billowed from the undercarriage as the brakes fought to bleed off its forward momentum, even as a breaking parachute was deployed from the rear. It could have very easily landed vertically, but by pure coincidence, every available pad was full of either cargo transports or Coast Guard vessels, each and every one with their weapons manned and ready. Even with their targeting systems on passive, it sent a clear message to the Falcons that, while they had been granted safe passage as a diplomatic vessel, trying anything 'funny' would be the equivalent of sticking their faces in a wood-chipper.
Eventually, the aerodyne DropShip slowed to a halt, and a pair of modified coolant trucks sprayed it down to the point where a massive tug was able to drag it to the military terminal. There a set of mobile stairs was wheeled into place with the airlock.
"Okay, people: hands off cocks and on with socks." Joker warned as she brought her Loki up to full power, taking the safeties off of the weapons, "It's game time."
"Ace of Clubs, ready." Aung announced, his Archer hidden in a nearby hanger.
"Eight of Spades, ready." Scilicorn called out from where his Wolverine II was lurking in the shadow of the control tower.
"Eight of Clubs, ready." Kelso confirmed from where her Shadow Hawk was actually perched atop one of the terminal buildings.
"Ace of Spades, ready." Joker looked out from the entrance of a massive cargo handling building where her Loki stood ready, "First sign of trouble, light 'em up."
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Category:Dead Man's Hand: Family Values
Category:Works by JA Baker