literature

The Kobe Dragons: Chapter 26

Deviation Actions

DrOfDemonology's avatar
Published:
2.2K Views

Literature Text

26
Kobe, Solaris City
Solaris VII, Lyran Commonwealth
9 June 3042


The final two matches of the second round of the Solaris City Combat League drew high ratings for the Solaris Broadcasting Corporation and it affiliates, and had the bookies very busy. A great deal of money was won and lost by a great many people.
    On the nineteenth of May, the Argos Armadillos, fighting for the pride of the Free Worlds League, squared off against the Coventry Roughriders, representing the Lyran Commonwealth. They fought in the Hirsh Arena, and to the great joy of House Steiner supporters the Roughriders emerged victorious. The next week on the twenty-sixth, the Taurian Bulls were eliminated from further competition when they lost their fight against the Rasalhague Polar Bears. It was a hard defeat for the Bulls because their Rifleman was destroyed during the battle and its pilot, Christine de Boer, hospitalised. Not to mention they were out of the running for the Championship.
    Only eight teams now remained: the Montenegro Eagles for Montenegro and the Free Worlds League; the Cathay Tigers for Cathay and the Capellan Confederation; the Kobe Dragons for Kobe and the Draconis Combine; the Coventry Roughriders for Silesia and the Lyran Commonwealth; the Rasalhague Polar Bears for the Free Rasalhague Republic; the Crimson Lancers for the Magistracy of Canopus; and the Solaris Sharks and the O’Neil Grenadiers for the International Area and Solaris VII itself.
    There was a lot of pride being felt by the people of Solaris who’d been born and raised in the city, because both home teams had made it to the third round. None of the teams representing the Great Houses had been able to do this. Of those living on Solaris who’d come from the various Periphery realms, all hopes were now on the Crimson Lancers to bring them honour and glory. The fact that the Canopian team had made it this far was a surprise to many. The media was having a field day because everyone loves a good underdog story, and the Crimson Lancers were all gorgeous to boot, which never hurts. The Canopians had scored several endorsement contracts.
    Everyone was excited about the upcoming third round of the SCCL and the line-ups were announced on the last day of May. The first match would see the Crimson Lancers facing the Solaris Sharks in the sands of Al-Nafud. Most bookies were predicting a win for the Sharks. The second match had the Kobe Dragons facing the Montenegro Eagles in the forest of Shirakami. Odds were split fairly evenly by the pundits, although a lot of Games fans were favouring the Dragons because of their impressive and lethal record. The third match featured the O’Neil Grenadiers versus the Cathay Tigers in Archon City. Again, the odds were pretty even. The fourth and final match had the Rasalhague Polar Bears taking on the Coventry Roughriders in the hilly Eagle’s Eyrie. Odds-makers were favouring the Roughriders. More from bias than anything else because so many people couldn’t see how the esteemed House Steiner could lose to the Free Rasalhague Republic, a nation only a few years old.
    Time would tell.

                                                                          *****

Located on the corner of Unity and Luthien with a great view of Theodore Kurita Park, the Kobe Children’s Hospital was one of the city’s older buildings. Unlike the Astrid Palmer Memorial Hospital which catered to the rich and had no shortage of funding, the KCH had an annual pledge drive to raise needed funds. Like most hospitals of its kind, its staff were hardworking and dedicated to the children they treated.
    So when the Kobe Dragons walked in unannounced one afternoon and asked if they could visit some of the kids and make a donation, the nurse at reception told them that it would be a great honour for the hospital. She called her supervisor and told him the news. No, she wasn’t kidding. A few minutes later Hiro Watanabe arrived and again told the Dragons how deeply honoured the hospital was by their visit. If they could please wait, he would inform Doctor Jon Hozumi, the Associate Executive Director of the hospital, that they were here and could arrange a formal visit.
    “We just want to see the children,” Cera replied. “Nothing formal.”
    “But surely we need to call the media and–”
    “No press,” Tashizo told Watanabe. “These kids have enough problems without a bunch of reporters getting in their faces.”
    Cera turned to the receptionist. “Excuse me, what’s your name?
    “Nurse Yumi Takanashi, Kuroda-sama,” Yumi replied, bowing.
    “Well, Yumi-san, perhaps you could take us to see some of the children here?” Cera asked kindly. “Any ward you want. We’re not in a rush.”
    Yumi lit up with a wide smile. “It would be my pleasure, Kuroda-sama.”
    “I’m sure you can spare her for now, right, pal?” Tashizo gave Watanabe a pat on the shoulder and a very meaningful look. Not giving him any time to reply, the Dragons moved past the reception desk with Yumi in the lead. They were wearing their official Kobe Dragons jackets which caught the attention of people they walked by. Garadun also had a huge nylon sports dufflebag slung over his shoulder.
    Yumi took them down a long hallway and into an elevator. When they stepped out a few moments later into another corridor, they were on the third floor. One of the signs on the wall in front of them said HAEMATOLOGY-ONCOLOGY in both kanji and English. In layman’s terms this was the hospital’s cancer ward. Cera took Garadun’s free hand and gave it a squeeze. A child was wheeled by on one of those rolling stretchers, plugged into a couple of different medical devices. She looked so despondent.
    Tashizo felt his heart break. “Damn, that poor little kid.”
    “All our children are in need,” Yumi informed them. “But the ones here have some of the greatest challenges facing them. A visit from Kobe’s heroes could only do them some good.”
    Cera gave her eyes a quick wipe. “All right, Dragons. Let’s go.”
    Yumi guided them to a large room with a dozen beds, each housing a young child. They were mix of boys and girls between five and twelve years old, and the one thing they had in common was that they were all bald. Most of the girls wore some kind of head scarf or hat. Parents sat by a few beds and a trio of nurses were there. Everyone looked over when the four MechWarriors entered the room.
    “Excuse me, children, if I might have your attention,” Yumi announced, smiling. “I have a very special treat for you today. The Kobe Dragons have come for a visit.”
    There were surprised comments from the parents, but it was the kids who made the most noise, all of it excited. The ones who weren’t already propped up with pillows tried to sit up. Cera and Aya did their best not to cry despite the terrible condition the children were in. They needed smiles and encouragement to match their bravery.
    Cera stepped forward and bowed. “Good afternoon. My name is Cera Kuroda and I am the captain of the Kobe Dragons. These are my lancemates: Garadun Morr, Tashizo Odate, and Aya Kanno.” She grinned. “Now then: who would like a present?
    Hands shot in the air, each child calling happily. Garadun put his dufflebag on the floor and opened it: it was stuffed with Kobe Dragons caps, t-shirts and toy BattleMechs, as well as other toys like plush animals. He and his friends dug in and went around the room, handing out whatever the kids wanted. The caps were understandably popular. When it came to the toy ‘Mechs they all wanted one, boys and girls alike. Cera and her team took their time, stopping and speaking with each child, usually at length.
    For Cera the most surprising thing about it was her best friend. In all the years she had known Garadun, he had never been one for children. As a rule he didn’t like them very much, if at all. He was never going to be a father, not ever. His paternal feelings were for cats, not humans. Yet sometimes he could get along with kids because he never talked down to them; he spoke to them as he would an adult. Even here in the oncology ward he stayed himself and wouldn’t sugar-coat anything. These kids knew better than anyone the kind of hell they were going through. He refused to insult their courage.
    “Hello, my name is Garadun,” he said to one boy, offering his hand.
    The boy shook. “Taro Wada. It’s a great honour to meet you, Garadun-sama.”
    Taro’s mother, who was standing beside the bed, gave Garadun a bow and a smile, which he returned. He handed the boy a black cap with the Kobe Dragons logo (which he signed with a silver marker) and a four-pack of toy BattleMechs, replicas of those piloted by the Dragons. Taro was thrilled.
    Garadun pulled over a chair and sat down. “You speak English, Taro-san?
    “Hai. Yes, Garadun-sama,” Taro replied proudly. “I study at school.”
    “My Japanese not so good, so we help each other, yes?” Garadun took the cap and put it on the lad’s head. “Sucks to be in the hospital, don’t it?”
    “Hai, Garadun-sama. It not easy. I always sick.”
    “What do you have?”
    “Leukaemia. I’m sorry, I don’t know how to say it in English.”
    “Not problem, Taro-san.” Garadun leaned forward in solidarity. “I hate hospital, too. Been in many time. Not fun. But we hope they make better, yes?
    “The doctors say his case is hopeful,” Taro’s mother supplied.
    “That good.”
    “Why were you in the hospital, Garadun-sama?” Taro asked.
    “Taro, that’s private,” his mother interjected.
    “No, it is okay.” Garadun stood up, slipped off his jacket and pulled up his t-shirt to reveal the burn scars on his chest and left arm. Taro reacted like most young boys would: he thought they were wicked cool. Nearby children looked on with interest.
    “You have a hard fight ahead of you, Taro-san,” Garadun told him after putting his jacket back on. “Cancer sucks. But you’re as brave as any MechWarrior I know, so you hang in there and fight back, okay? You can win.”
    “Hai, Garadun-sama! I will win,” Taro replied, determination on his face. Garadun bumped fists with him, then moved on to the next bed.
    When the Dragons finished their visit, the parents joined them in the hallway and thanked them for bringing a bit of joy into the lives of their children. Cera and her friends said it was their pleasure, that it was an honour to visit such brave kids. They were still talking when Jon Hozumi, the Associate Executive Director, showed up with a few of his staff and the doctor in charge of the ward. After introductions were made, Cera took a big presentation cheque from the dufflebag and gave it to Doctor Hozumi.
    “A quarter-million ryu?” he said in amazement.
    “It’s from all of us,” Cera informed him. “Shiz, Aya, Gar and myself.”
    “Thank you very much.” He bowed. “You are extremely generous.”
    “The children deserve it,” said Aya.
    “Be sure it gets put to good use,” Tashizo added meaningfully.
    “You have my word, Odate-sama,” said Hozumi, bowing again.
    “Good. Now, can we meet some more of the children, please?” Cera asked, smiling. “It’s them we came to see, after all.”
    “Of course. If you’ll just follow me, I’d be happy to continue the tour.”
    “Actually, Yumi-san’s been acting as our guide,” Cera told him. “If you don’t mind I’d like her to continue. She’s been an excellent host.”
    “As you wish, of course,” Hozumi replied politely, but Cera could see that he was a bit affronted by being upstaged by a mere nurse. Garadun and Tashizo exchanged smirks behind his back and Aya tried not to giggle.
    “Where to next, Yumi-san?” Cera inquired affably.
    “Why don’t we try physical therapy?” Yumi suggested.
    “Sounds good to me.”

                                                                          *****

As could be expected, word of the visit to the children’s hospital got out very quickly. While the various media outlets hadn’t been officially notified, people at the hospital had taken plenty of holographs and holovids of the Kobe Dragons and the children together; which were uploaded to fansites and social media pages. These were of course picked up by the news services who sent reporters to the hospital. The Dragons were gone by the time they arrived, so they interviewed staff and children. With the story now all over the networks, the Dragons decided to stay home for the first match of the new round of competition. They’d wanted their visit to be low-key. Going somewhere public like the Snowbird right afterwards went against the whole point. They didn’t want praise for their actions, didn’t want to be fussed over. It had been about the kids, not themselves.
    Li Song and Yuriko joined them at Garadun’s condo to watch the fight. Both women were very proud of their friends; although Yuriko told them that the Kobe Stables brass were a little annoyed that their MechWarriors had done everything on the quiet. They would’ve preferred the visit be organised with plenty of press coverage.
    Cera rolled her eyes. “Which is exactly what we didn’t want.”
    Garadun called room service and ordered dinner while everyone relaxed and waited for the match to begin. Tashizo was in the big comfy armchair and watching the pregame coverage. Cera and Aya sat with Yuriko at the dining table and told her about their visit, how heartbreaking it’d been to see so many sick children. Li Song joined Garadun in his bedroom while he changed into worn jeans and a t-shirt. He flopped on the bed and she settled down beside him, giving him a kiss.
    “I’m very proud of you, Garadun. You did good today.”
    “It was Cera’s idea. But yeah, I think we lifted a few spirits.”
    “I’m sure you did,” she said, kissing him again. They lay quietly, content to simply be together, sharing kisses occasionally while he slowly caressed her back and she ran a hand over his chest and stomach. They’d nearly dozed off when Cera gently knocked on the open bedroom door.
    “Am I interrupting?” she called with a mix of caution and amusement.
    Li Song grinned. “No, we’re not having sex.”
    “Well, I wanted to let you know that the food’s here.”
    “Thanks, Cera,” said Garadun, his eyes still closed. “Be there in a minute.”
    After Cera left, Li Song murmured, “Making love is a good idea, though.”
    “Always. But tonight when we’re alone. Then I’m all yours.”
    “Yes, you are,” she said and gave him a squeeze.
    “Love you, too.”
    They joined their friends a few minutes later. All the food was laid out on the dining table so they took their seats and dinner got under way. As always, the meals provided by Shinjuku’s restaurant were delicious. Conversation centred on today’s match as well as their own upcoming battle with the Montenegro Eagles, who had the edge in speed and manoeuvrability with three of their machines being jump-capable. Of the Dragons, only Garadun’s Hunchback had jump jets.
    “But their Orion is no match for yours, Cera-san,” Tashizo noted smugly.
    “True,” Cera agreed. “Although their Quickdraws are faster than anything we have and they can jump farther than Oni can. We’ll have to be careful.”
    Aya pointed at the common room’s big holoscreen. “Match begin now.”
    Those who hadn’t finished their dinner simply scooped up their plates before they gathered in front of the holoscreen, using the coffee table or even their laps. Wasp and Stinger, who’d been lounging on the sofa, started mooching for nibbles. Everyone settled in as the Solaris City Combat League intro came to an end. This was followed by a shot of a Leopard class DropShip as it flew down out of the sky over the burning desert of Al-Nafud. As it neared the ground, they could see the name League One painted on the side. The bay doors opened just before touchdown. The huge ship landed and a few seconds later the Solaris Sharks emerged, led by team captain Lane Harrison in a Marauder. His lancemates included Gavin Wilcox in a Stalker, Rose Whiteley in a Trebuchet, and Suzanne Lenoir in a refurbished Clint. The rare BattleMech had been modified, dropping its jump jets in favour of two more tons of armour.
    As the Sharks started marching across the sands, the scene switched to show League Two touching down. The bay doors opened and the Crimson Lancers deployed from the DropShip quickly and efficiently. First out was team captain Victoria Palvin in a custom Marauder. The rest of her lance included Elizabeth Marks in a Vindicator, Hyun-Sun Park in a Griffin, and Anne Falchi in a personalised JagerMech.
    The broadcast went to split screen to show both teams as they hunted for each other in Al-Nafud. The commentators kept on talking, spouting out stats and speculation to kill time until contact was made. Although the bookies and pundits favoured the Sharks to win, the Dragons had put their money on the Lancers. The Canopians had amply proven that they were skilled MechWarriors, not porn holovid stars. Not to mention Garadun and Cera liked the Magistracy of Canopus, having fought and sacrificed alongside their fellow Fighting Fusiliers to protect Gambilon’s people.
    The Sharks and Lancers finally met up in an area north of the desert’s central bunker that had a lot of rocky terrain mixed in with the sand dunes. As the teams closed on each other, the Lancers concentrated their firepower on Wilcox’s Stalker. Hits from PPCs, large lasers and long-range missiles poured into the huge ‘Mech, melting and blasting armour from its entire torso and weapon pods. One of the strikes got through and damaged the Stalker’s delicate gyro. The BattleMech toppled over, with Wilcox managing to hit Park’s Griffin with his large lasers. Caught off-guard, the Sharks fired back but didn’t do much damage. Harrison only hit Palvin’s Marauder with a single autocannon burst, and Lenoir did the same to Falchi’s JagerMech with her own light cannon. Whiteley also struck the JagerMech with a volley of missiles, blowing armour from its chest and arms.
    Despite the pounding it had taken, Wilcox somehow managed to get his Stalker back on its feet, however unsteadily. Marks and Park concentrated their PPC and missile fire on it again. The missiles missed but the PPCs didn’t. One melted the remaining armour on the right flank, damaging the internal structure and SRM launcher located there. The second PPC beam slagged armour off the Stalker’s left leg. It crashed to the ground once more, and this time the fall knocked Wilcox out cold.
    Palvin closed on Harrison, Marauder versus Marauder. He struck her with one of his medium lasers and his autocannon; she shrugged off the hits. As Garadun had once observed, Marauders were heat pigs. If they fired all their weapons they didn’t have the heat sinks to deal with the waste heat and usually went into shutdown. Which was why most pilots only fired half their PPCs and lasers at one time. Victoria Palvin, on the other hand, had modified her ride to deal with the problem. She’d removed the Marauder’s autocannon and used all the weight saved to install an additional nine heat sinks. This enabled her to fire all her weapons and only build up negligible heat. It was exactly the kind of thing Garadun and Cera would have done.
    The beautiful Canopian hit her opponent with all she had, melting armour from the torso and left leg. Falchi ran her JagerMech at top speed, closing on Whiteley’s Trebuchet so it couldn’t use its LRM launchers to any good effect. The two BattleMechs exchanged a barrage of laser fire. The JagerMech was hit on its right leg, torso and arm, which it took easily. They were normally equipped with two AC-2s, two AC-5s, two medium lasers, and paper-thin armour. Her JagerMech sported a large and medium laser in each arm, as well as seven additional tons of armour.
    The JagerMech’s counterstrike was devastating and ended the match. The lasers in its left arm damaged the Trebuchet’s left arm and torso. The lasers in its right arm hit the head, destroying it completely and poor Rose Whiteley with it. Outnumbered two-to-one and stunned by the abrupt death of his lancemate and friend, Lane Harrison shut down his Marauder and signalled his team’s surrender. Victoria Palvin accepted straight away, telling her team to stand down. The match suddenly over, the SBC switched back to the studio where the anchors launched into an unnecessary and predictable analysis of what had just happened. Garadun muted the sound.
    “God, that poor woman,” said Li Song, putting her hand over her mouth.
    “Tough break,” Tashizo agreed grimly.
    “I don’t think anyone’s going to make light of the Canopians after this,” Cera noted and got up to get another beer from the fridge.
The Kobe Dragons is set in the BattleTech universe. Characters appearing use the MechWarrior 3rd Edition game rules for stats. The BattleTech setting is copyright Catalyst Game Labs.

The Kobe Dragons is an original story, and all the characters therein are copyright by me.


BattleTech is of course copyright by Catalyst Game Labs, although this story and all characters within, as well as the cover art, are copyright by me.

You can find all the chapters of the book here drofdemonology.deviantart.com/…

Solaris City Map

Kobe Dragons Logo
© 2017 - 2024 DrOfDemonology
Comments15
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
Nuclear-Fridge's avatar
I like the Marauder and JagerMech mods being run by the Canopians. Lose the autocannon ammo and you don't need to fit CASE!