Ep12

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

## Summary

While taking what was supposed to be a relaxing job on a tropical planet, Beta’s past comes back to haunt him and the other Marauders with devastating consequences.

## Play by Play

While the Lord Commander and Diva leave the Yojimbo to look for other contracts, the remaining Marauders and Lazarus remain onboard.  Time is spent looking into more information about Talon’s betrayal and Okada.  It appears that many people from House Kurita disliked Talon but Okada, though directly benefiting from his ousting and dishonor, was not involved in Talon’s downfall.  He was simply well-liked enough to fit into Talon’s old position.  The other five people who orchestrated Talon’s downfall are still at large but haven’t risen to any particularly high rank and are actually blameless as well.  They did not sabotage any mechs themselves, they just altered records to make it appear that Talon did.  The two soldiers who died under Talon’s command did so under normal battlefield circumstances, certain people simply capitalized on these events to make Talon look bad.  While things don't look much better for Talon, things do appear better for his family and their honor.  Talon agrees to send this information back to his family but to omit any mention of The Benefactor.

The remaining mech warriors onboard the Yojimbo decide to take a relatively easy job on a nearby planet called Kern, supporting a local garrison, which also promises to be an opportunity to enjoy some beachside relaxation.  Talon has some reservations but he is overruled by the others who are ready from some well earned rest and relaxation.  The Marauders arrive in the small town and are immediately minor celebrities due to their status as mech warriors.  Three months pass and the Marauders spend their time relaxing, all except Talon who spends his time prepping military tactics.  Early one morning the Marauders receive alerts that pirates have appeared and will be in position to attack in four hours.  As they prep for the encounter a message comes through from the pirates who identify themselves as the Dark Stars and state that they have come for Beta.  Beta scrambles to try and flee the planet while the other members try to understand why these pirates are after Beta at all.  He finally reveals that the Dark Stars are lead by a bounty hunter named Geist who pilots an Atlas.  Geist is working for a man named Hendrich Grimm, the man that Beta stole his Catapult from.  Hendrich Grimm is a particularly nasty and vicious pirate leader, a man who has no problem murdering someone in creative and distasteful ways for no particular reason, a man who lives off of fear.  This is the man who Beta stole from and this is the man who has put a price on his head.  Unable to see any way to get out of confronting Geist, the Marauders decide to put Beta into the Orion and have Laurent pilot the Catapult as a distraction.

Geist approaches on the battlefield and offers to let the other Marauders leave in exchange for Beta, his bounty is not for them only for the man who stole the Catapult.  The Marauders reject that idea and the fight begins.  Contending not only with heavy enemy fire, but an active volcano as well, the Marauders have a difficult fight ahead of them.  Geist taunts Talon with digs at his dishonor and Valravn with the knowledge that she is piloting her mother’s Griffen, all while trying to establish which mech is being piloted by Beta.  Talon and Valravn take heavy damage, and Laurent tries to hit things with his missiles while being mainly unsuccessful.  Lazarus falls but manages to stand back up while Valravn is not so lucky.  At this moment, Beta steps forward in the Orion and reveals himself to Geist who now realizes that his target is not in the Catapult.  Now having his true target in his sights, Geist unloads on Beta and scores a headshot with an AC 20.  Beta attempts to eject but is unsuccessful the AC 20 enters the cockpit, killing Beta instantly.  His bounty compete, Geist cedes the battlefield leaving the Marauders shattered.  Talon blames himself while Valravn is angry at the waste of Beta’s life.  The Marauders mourn and prepare for the return of the Lord Commander, now without the man closest to him.  In the meantime, news comes in that a contract that Valravn was interested in previously has become available again.  Talon confers with Valravn and it is decided that they will take the job…and the next time that they encounter Geist they will avenge their fallen lance member.

## Media

* Youtube (remove this bracket text and add the link)