Ep18

**This page contains major spoilers for the story. You have been warned!**

## Summary

The Marauders regroup and are offered a proposal from the Senate, to go after the last remaining noble house holding out on New Abilene.

## Play by Play

Coryphee and Valravn have returned from their successful spy mission, arriving on the Yojimbo before the Lord Commander and Talon arrive back from testifying before the Senate.  While they wait Coryphee tries to learn more about the Marauders from Valravn, specifically why they trust the Lord Commander so much.  Coryphee has a hard time trusting him even though she trained under him and is curious to know why Talon and Valravn do.  Valravn relates some of their past adventures and reveals that all the people onboard the Yojimbo are there not by fate or chance, but rather by blackmail and manipulation.  Because of this, the Marauders have decided to cut the leash held by The Benefactor and find out the truth behind the darker motives that have been controlling them until recently.  They are going to find out the truth about The Benefactor and take them down.  At this point the rest of the team arrives and a debriefing occurs.  Valravn and Coryphee greet Peter the liaison and Talon meets the new ship’s cat Scrapple.  Peter has come aboard to see if the team is willing to take on a new mission from the Senate as their previous foray into the spy game was so successful.  Specifically, they want to hire them to take on the remaining rebels on New Abilene.

Arriving in the capitol of New Abilene, the Marauders meet with Anna Maria Centralla of the Magistracy.  She has a proposal from the Senate that the Marauders should strike out against Baroness Lazaroth of House Lazaroth, the final remaining noble house of the rebel forces.  House Lazaroth is fighting for the lands of New Abilene to remain in the hands of the noble lines who have held them for centuries while the Senate wants to introduce voting rights and do away with the lines of nobility.  While the Senate would prefer the rebels from House Lazaroth captured alive and held for trial, the Magistracy has given permission for them to be killed if they will not be taken alive.  Centralla also requests that the Marauders “grab” the enemy APC so it can be air lifted out of the battlefield.  She also advises them that Baroness Lazaroth would be open to an honorable duel on the battlefield if conditions were right.  Finally, the Senate has not yet decided what will be done with any captured enemy mechs so the team should be prepared for some in battle communications.

Conditions on the battlefield are not optimal as the weather report is calling for the possibility of tornadoes.  Battle commences with both forces seemingly well matched.  As the storms intensify, Hamid and the drop crew from the Marauders hang on to the outside of the Whim of the Wind and head off to attempt to capture the enemy APC.  The storm increases and a tornado touches down, destroying an enemy bulldog in the process.  LaVale comms in that something “big and metal” is closing in quickly and the team prepares for an ambush.  The big, metal thing turns out to be a Commando piloted by Jackal, a former possible lance recruit.  He has come to join the Marauders in their fight against Baroness Lazaroth in an attempt to join the team, especially since they have captured General Kam.  Jackal takes heavy damage but manages to hold his own when Baroness Lazaroth challenges Talon to an honorable duel out of his mech.  Talon and the Baroness meet each other on the field armed with swords and begin the duel.  Both are expert swordsmen but eventually Talon gains the upper hand.  The Baroness concedes the duel and surrenders, thanks to a very persuasive speech from Valravn, and is taken prisoner by the Marauders.  Jackal is tentatively welcomed into the Marauders while the Lord Commander and Coryphee have some tense words, and Coryphee tells him to get his act together.  Coryphee is also concerned about Jackal, namely what will happen if he finds out that she was part of the force that killed his former lance.

## Media

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