Refuge - Chapter 9: An Old Menace, Introduced
Imported from SF2 with no description.
The sinister men at the helm of the invading Confederation force are revealed. How far will they go to accomplish their objectives?
Refuge
by TypicalFloof
Chapter 9: An Old Menace, Introduced
Chapter Theme: Obituary - Ten Thousand Ways to Die
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpnEgq7t\_e0
Julian Devraux sat perched in his quarters aboard the Capellan DropShip. Chin in palm at his desk, Devraux's eyes roamed the topographical map, searching for insight. The Capellan commander sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. Feeling another headache coming on, he put his head in his hands and allowed himself to briefly close his eyes.
Damn you Roget! he glowered. Opening his eyes, Devraux's glare would have burned Vella to a crisp were it an orbital strike. But the commander did not have access to orbital artillery. He barely had access to two lances of 'Mechs!
Devraux was the Sang-shao of the Liao forces on Stridus-A. The rank was equivalent to a colonel and carried the same responsibilities and headaches in the Confederation Armed Forces as it did for his Marik mercenary counterpart. Devraux's stomach bubbled as Roget again flared into his mind. Damn him!
The Capellan commander had been bogged down for weeks now on the miserable backwater of a planet. His superiors had assured him that a modest force could easily steamroll the planet's pathetic militia, and consequently had refused his requests for more reinforcements. Devraux had explicit instructions not to destroy the capital city because his superiors did not want to risk outright rebellion. This meant that instead of an easy tactical victory, Devraux was stuck with mounting probing attacks against militia patrols, hoping to whittle them down enough to force Vella to surrender.
Though taxing on his men and 'Mechs, it would have been a simple matter if the League had not taken interest in the insignificant system. They contracted Stridus-A's defense to Colonel Roget's mercenaries, who made Devraux's life a living hell.
Colonel Roget was a shrewd tactician with experienced MechWarriors under his command. Though technically evenly matched, the Capellans had not been able to gain the upper hand. The two sides had mostly traded potshots until finally meeting in open combat. Devraux was proud that his men had scored the first blood: a Locust that had fallen in the forest north of Vella. In retaliation, Colonel Roget's MechWarriors promptly downed one of Devraux's own Locusts before retreating.
Devraux had tasked a small contingent of men to monitor the site of the downed 'Mech, hoping to capture the MechWarrior. But they did not find any trace of the Locust pilot. Devraux's men had been forced to return when Roget's 'Mechs arrived at the site and recovered the Locust. Julian Devraux could only conclude that the MechWarrior had died of his injuries somewhere in the vast forest.
A second minor victory had occurred the same day Devraux's MechWarriors defeated the Locust. The Capellan recon lance, led by Devraux's second-in-command, Lt. Zhong Wei, had stumbled upon a bumbling patrol of Vellan militia. The patrol consisted of two troop transports paired with one of the militia's 'Mechs: a Wasp. Wei himself scored that particular kill. The lieutenant recounted that it had been little more than target practice. The Wasp hadn't even gotten off a shot before Wei easily destroyed it.
With this caliber of recruit at the helm of the militia's 'Mechs, Devraux should have been able to easily destroy the Vellan militia, were it not for Roget's blasted Baker Company. Once Roget's DropShip first landed, Devraux's men had kept constant track of it since knowing the location of an enemy's ship was crucial. But the colonel had seized the opportunity of a severe storm to cleverly conceal his DropShip somewhere else. Devraux's men had been unable to locate it, much to his annoyance.
The Sang-shao's own DropShip was nestled safely in the thick forests many miles north of Vella. With the possibility that Baker Company's DropShip and corresponding 'Mechs were staged anywhere south of the Capellan perimeter, Devraux had to spread his patrols thin over a wide area. This made the task of defeating the Vellan militia even more excruciating.
So it was that the Capellan commander was reduced to scanning maps late at night like a common data analyst. Devraux ran his hands through his close-cropped hair. One of his recon company 'Mechs, Lt. Wei's in fact, had been damaged in a recent engagement with the mercenaries. Wei's Vindicator would spend days in the repair bay as a result. It was a setback Devraux could not afford. His superiors had become increasingly impatient at how long the “Stridus problem" was taking to clean up. The walls were closing in around Devraux.
A knock sounded at the Sang-shao's door. “What is it?" he barked in irritation.
Zhong Wei's smirking face slid around the door. He regarded Devraux with a devilish look in his eye.
Despite himself, a tingle ran up Devraux's spine. Wei had a sadistic side that Devraux tolerated because it sometimes came in useful. By the smug look on the lieutenant's face, Devraux guessed now must be one of those times. The lieutenant executed a crisp salute before the commander's desk.
Devraux returned the salute. “You'd better have a reason to be disturbing me at this hour." His tone wiped the grin off Wei's face.
“Yes, sir. I do." Wei cleared his throat. “One of our patrols captured a lone rider on horseback at our eastern perimeter. He did not appear to be a mercenary, or part of the militia. The corporal there didn't know what to do with him—"
Devraux cut him off with a sharp wave of his hand. “Excellent, have the corporal feed the man and tuck him into bed," the commander said, dripping with sarcasm. His steely eyes bored into his subordinate. “Get to the point!"
“That's just it, sir," Wei said. “It isn't a man. It's an anthro."
Devraux lowered his voice to a dangerous calm. “Well then, Lieutenant, have him shot, skinned, and made into a handbag." He slammed his fist on the desk. “Why should I care about some flea-ridden mutt when I have a planet to conquer!" the commander roared.
Wei flinched. “Sir, the animal said it came from a village to the east. It claimed that the lost MechWarrior who piloted the Locust is hiding there!"
Devraux sat back and steepled his fingers as he considered. “Alright; I'm listening now, Wei. What did you do with the mongrel?"
“I had it brought here, sir. Unconscious of course!" Wei hastily added. “I thought you'd want to… pick its brain. At the very least, maybe we can use this as a demoralizing tool against our enemies."
“Hm, that isn't a bad idea," Devraux mused. “I think I would like to hear what the animal has to say." He saw the dangerous light spark again in Wei's eyes.
Devraux made his decision. “Bring it aboard," he said. “Tell Captain Royce that none of his crew are to interact with, or speak of, the animal." The last thing Devraux wanted was word to spread among the DropShip crew and get out that Capellans were entertaining filth like anthros. Devraux spat. They were not even good enough to be slaves in the Capellan Confederation. The State had no use for them, except as fodder to grind beneath its heels.
“You may lead its interrogation yourself, Wei," the Sang-shao said. “Your primary objective is to verify if the mongrel is telling the truth about the mercenary. I have utmost confidence in you," Devraux said smoothly. “Once you have squeezed it for all it's worth, report to me for further orders. Dismissed." Devraux waved his hand.
Wei could barely suppress his excitement. He positively vibrated with eagerness. “Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!" The man actually skipped a few paces before catching himself.
“One more thing, Wei," Devraux added. Wei whirled at the door. “Do be gentle with our new friend. I don't want to have to explain to Captain Royce why there are new, uncleanable stains on his pristine ship floors."
“Yessir!" Wei bounded away and flung the door closed. Devraux snorted. Captain Royce liked to lord over Devraux's men while they were aboard his ship. While Royce was technically in charge whenever his ship housed a 'Mech company, especially in space, Devraux often reminded the man that he could have him replaced at any time if he so wished. While in reality Devraux had no authority to do so, Captain Royce knew he was well-connected, and the bluff served to make the man slightly less intolerable.
Devraux stared at the door before returning to the map with a shake of his head. He hoped this would pay off. At least Wei would get some enjoyment out of it.
Julian Devraux's confidence was not misplaced. By the next morning, Wei was again standing in his quarters to give the commander his report.
“It didn't change its story, sir," Wei was explaining. “I was thorough working it over, but it insisted the MechWarrior was indeed in the village, and that his name was Jenson." Devraux nodded. That jived with the research he'd done on Baker Company as soon as he'd learned of their contract. The commander had forced every MechWarrior to study each of Baker Company's MechWarriors until they knew their every move by heart.
“Take a look, sir," Wei said, sliding a small tablet across the desk.
Picking it up, Devraux saw a video from the anthro's interrogation on the screen. Devraux hit Play. Bound in a wheelchair, the anthro looked pathetic. It sat with ankles shackled to the chair's front and arms splayed on the chair's wide armrests. Devraux could see that Wei had taken advantage of the access to its chest. Its fur was matted with clots of blood from several lacerations, and bruises ran the length of its torso, visible even through the creature's fur. Its head lolled to the side, and it sat still, unmoving. Devraux cast an eye to the lieutenant standing in front of him.
“Is this another one of your indulgent home-videos, Wei?"
Wei sucked in air between his teeth. “Just watch, sir. It should be coming up quickly."
Devraux heard a muted clang and saw Wei stride into view. The animal moaned as it brought its head up. Devraux suppressed a gasp with difficulty. He was by no means a squeamish man, but he took no perverse pleasure in the interrogations like Wei obviously did. Now that the anthro's head was up, Devraux was able to see a bloody gash where its right eye had once been. The entire right side of its face was covered in blood.
“P-please! I told you everything! The human MechWarrior is in my village! His name is Casey! And y-you know everything about the village!" By the speed of the rising and falling of the terrified creature's chest, Devraux could tell it was hyperventilating.
Wei bent down to the pathetic creature. “Shhhh, shhhh," he crooned, cupping the animal's left cheek. “I believe you."
The beast's head sagged.
“But you haven't quite told me everything. I just have one more question." The animal's head snapped up. Wei paused dramatically. The man really did enjoy this too much, Devraux thought. Wei dragged a table in front of the animal and gestured to the map spread upon it. “Where is the trailhead?" he asked, so quiet that Devraux could barely hear.
“Wh-what?" came the reply. “What are you going to do?"
Devraux heard Wei sigh. “Wrong answer." The lieutenant walked around the chair and stood behind the anthro. Devraux could tell that Wei was grasping something, but the animal's body and the camera angle were blocking it from view. Wei bent his knees and knelt at its back.
Whatever he did next was like a shock to the creature. It went rigid in the chair, straining at its bonds.
“No! Please!" it shrieked. “I'll tell you, I'll tell you! Just please! Anything but that!"
Wei stood and put a hand on the shaking animal's shoulder. “I know you will," he said simply before lowering back down again. Devraux heard a sound like a carrot being snipped, and Wei deftly sidestepped the torrent of blood that rocketed from the anthro's rear. The anthro screamed in pain and thrashed violently as its severed tail hit the floor. Sprays of blood spurted in every direction as Devraux imagined the animal's bloody stump writhing behind it. The volume of its cries was so loud that the tablet's audio filter cut out.
Devraux had to admit the tactic was a stroke of genius. Even so, it turned his stomach. He fast-forwarded the gruesome scene an entire minute before he saw Wei re-enter the picture. The commander hit Play again. The anthro's screams had died down into agonized moans.
“Show me where," Wei said, again pointing at the map. The animal looked up, confused.
“H-how?" it choked, quaking. It moved its arms against the restraints uselessly.
Wei simply slid the map closer to the creature. He nonchalantly twirled the cutting instrument in his hands. “You have very pretty ears," he said, cutting off a chuckle.
In a panicked frenzy, the anthro shot forward and bobbed its nose somewhere on the paper.
“T-There! Search the valley at the b-base of the mountain for a big boulder and you'll find it! It'll take you right to the village!"
Wei nodded. “Good," he said before snapping his fingers. Devraux saw one of Wei's assistants lumber into frame and prick the anthro's arm with a syringe. It convulsed for a few seconds, foam dripping from the corners of its mouth, before falling utterly still. Devraux was glad for the plastic sheeting that covered the floor as the dead animal soiled itself.
“I made sure the room was cleaned up," Wei assured.
Devraux pushed the tablet away in revulsion. Fighting to keep his face neutral, the commander looked at his lieutenant.
“Well? Your read on this?" he asked. This was more to give him time to make sure his voice was steady than out of any genuine interest.
Wei considered. “From what the animal revealed, the village sounds mostly defenseless. We could easily take it."
“Yes," Devraux agreed. “In fact, I want you to fortify this location as a base of operations. And I want the lances temporarily restructured. Reassign our fastest light 'Mechs to one lance."
“Even the—" Wei caught himself. “Yes, sir," he said. Devraux enjoyed the man's confused look as he let him stew for several seconds.
Finally, Wei couldn't take it anymore. “May I ask why, sir?" Devraux was having too much fun to reprimand the man for speaking out-of-turn.
“You may," Devraux said, leaning forward. “And yes, the answer to your question is yes. Even the Firestarter. I expect the base camp to be ready in—" Devraux glanced at his watch— “eight hours. I will inform Captain Royce, and the DropShip should also be ready for liftoff by then."
Wei's eyes bulged. “We're… moving the DropShip, sir?"
“Correct. It's a little thing called 'shock and awe,' Lieutenant.
“Secondly, you will take command of the lance and make your way to the village. I expect you to leave in four hours."
“Yessir!" Wei replied.
Royce was not happy about the new orders, but there was little he could do about them. He was reluctant to expose the location of the precious DropShip, not to mention put more wear-and-tear on the ancient ship, but Devraux not-so-subtly hinted that Royce would be replaced if he refused to comply. The captain set his men in motion and they hurried to ready the DropShip.
Concurrently, Wei delegated the offloading of supplies and establishment of the base of operations. The men erected a hasty perimeter and fortified it as best they could. Soon the perimeter was bristling with machine guns, rockets, and all other available anti-personnel weapons. Wei recalled all 'Mechs from their patrols and reassigned them according to Devraux's orders. One lance — dubbed “Heavy Lance" — aptly contained the company's Marauder, Orion, and Wei's freshly-repaired Vindicator. Devraux didn't know whether the damage was less severe than initially reported, or if the lieutenant's boot on the techs' necks had “persuaded" them to hurry, but he was pleased to see the Vindy back in action.
The crown jewel of the Heavy Lance, and Devraux's personal 'Mech, was a 70-ton Cataphract. The heavily-armed behemoth boasted an Ultra autocannon in one arm, a torso-mounted LB 10-X autocannon, and four medium lasers. Devraux was loath to loan his machine to another MechWarrior, but he had business elsewhere. The lucky SOB who got to pilot the Cataphract in Devraux's absence would undoubtedly be so turgid as to have trouble cramming into his bunk.
So-configured, Heavy Lance was posted at the base camp, ensuring Baker Company would think twice before mounting an assault there. Light Lance was actually at reduced-strength thanks to Baker Company's destruction of the Capellan Locust. However, the lance still contained the other Locust, a Stinger, and the company's Firestarter. Devraux had practically made Lt. Wei beg to pilot the Firestarter, and after some suspense, finally agreed.
Devraux deployed Light Lance as soon as they were ready. With a several-hour head start, they would race east through the forests and arrive at the base of the mountain shortly before the DropShip would touch down in the valley. It would tax both man and machine, but Devraux was counting on their speed. The commander felt the thrum of the DropShip's engines powering up as Captain Royce made the final preparations for takeoff. Julian Devraux decided to take a quick nap as the rumbling intensified throughout the ship. He put his hands behind his head and grinned as he stretched atop his bed. Shock and awe indeed, he thought. Shock and awe indeed!