Deeper Mysteries

Mackenzie let out a soft sigh and opened the communication link.  She hated having to be the one to make this call, but she knew Jaxun wouldn’t call himself.  He was too proud, too wrapped up in whatever the Jade Falcons had done.  Ivan would have an idea of what to do, he always did.  She pushed the call button and hoped.  The link went live and she smiled softly. 

Ivan’s smiling face greeted her and she had to stop for a minute and study him. For the first time she 

could remember he actually looked old.  His hair was cut short and his eyes were ringed with crow’s feet and something felt off about him.

“Greetings Mechwarrior Mackenzie of Clan Jade Falcon.”  He greeted her softly. 

“Greetings Galaxy Commander Ivan Kirov of Clan Goliath Scorpion.” She replied in ritual fashion.

“Are you well, child?” 

“Well, no, but that is not why I called.  Something is wrong with Jaxun.” 

“What kind of something?”

‘His mind is not right.  There is something wrong with him.”

“Well, that is not good.”

“When I was young, I remember you taking something, something that you said altered your mental state.”

“Necrosia.  I take it as part of my vision seeking rituals.”

“Do…do you think Necrosia could help him?”

“The mental conditioning he has been through is severe, if Clan Jade Falcon lives up to their reputation.” 

“Do you think it could help him?” 

“It is entirely possible.  But that particular treatment is a severe one.”

“Could you send some to us?”

“Not by itself.  It would take an experienced practitioner to figure out the proper dosage…and the visions can be very traumatic.  I would prefer to do that myself.” 

“You are nowhere near us.”

“I am closer than you think, but not close enough.  I can make this work for the both of you, but it may not turn out the way you think it is going to.” 

“Ivan, he is not the same person, and I need my brother back.” 

“All right, Mackenzie, I will do what I can.  I need to make some other calls.”

“Thank you, Ivan.”

“Take care of yourself, Mackenzie.  I will help where I can, but this is going to be hard on both of you.”

Three weeks later

The dropshuttle landed at the Falcon HQ with a series of soft thumps.  She was absolutely unamused by this turn of events.  In the middle of the night a communique had come in from somewhere off the beaten path and it had set off a flurry of activity inside the Dire Wolf and the Khans had summoned her immediately.  It had been a hasty meeting and she had been dispatched across the Occupation Zones at full haste.  The Snow Ravens had been contacted and moved a half dozen ships to provide a command circuit to get her all the way from one side of the OZ to the other. 

Now she was on Apollo, in the middle of the old Rim Worlds Republic, now under the control of the Jade Falcons.  She shook her head as she stepped off the ramp and was greeted by a pair of Jade Falcon Elementals. They bowed respectfully.  “Which one of you idiots is Star Commander Jaxun?”  She said with a huff.  Her attendants brought the rest of the packages that the Loremaster had sent along with her. 

“He is currently with the rest of his unit, Star Captain.”

“Wonderful, do you wish to waste more of my time or would you like to take me to him?”

“Aff, Star Captain.” 

“Which is it?  Waste my time or take me to Star Commander Jaxun?” 

“We will take you to Star Commander Jaxun immediately.” 

“Good, Let us try not to waste any more of my time.” 

The Elementals escorted the Mechwarrior and her attendants to an APC and had a short ride across the HQ to a training ground.  The outline of a Castle Brian fortress broke the horizon and she shook her head again.  Another day she would have been pleased to explore the ancient computer core of that facility and discover its secrets.  Today however was not that day.  The APC rolled to a stop and she entered the makeshift barracks. 

“Which one of you defective freebirths is Star Commander Jaxun?” She announced loudly to the assembled Jade Falcons. 

Mackenzie had just finished an eight hour training rotation learning the clan’s combined arms tactics.  Mostly it had consisted of getting used to carrying a point of battle armored infantry on the outside of her battlemech.  It was a decent experience, but mostly it was being  glorified taxi for the armored infantry.  Farraday had spent the day riding around with her, and despite her youth, she was an expert at directing traffic from her side of the interaction.  She had just finished a shower and was relaxing with the rest of her star when she heard that voice cut through the air and the noise of the barracks. 

She’d heard that tone before and her head turned immediately.  She had never expected to hear it from someone so…short.  The woman wasn’t much older than Mackenzie, but she had a hard edge to her, like Ayat or Luna.  She recognized that scowl.  She knew those eyes.  Her breath caught in her throat.  Jaxun had just emerged from the showers and was barely dressed when he heard the challenge again.  The siblings made eye contact and Jaxun had no idea what was going on. 

“I am Star Commander Jaxun.”  Her brother answered the mechwarrior. 

“Oh good, it only took me calling your name twice to get your attention.”

Jaxun walked slowly over to the mechwarrior and loomed over her.  She was shorter than most, clearing at most 1.6 meters in height.  She looked up at him with an appraising eye.  “You are a little short for an elemental, quiaff?”  That brought a chuckle from Farraday and a couple of the other Trueborn elementals, but Jaxun shook his head.

“I was led to believe that Aerospace pilots were shorter than you appear to be.”  He responded.  That brought more laughter from his point mates. 

“Oh it has wit.  I bet it even thinks that is a point in its favor.” 

“I have many points in my favor, perhaps we should discuss this later, Star Captain?”

“Star Captain Annabelle Kirov, 1^st Seeker Cadre, Clan Goliath Scorpion.” 

“Did you say Kirov?” Jaxun asked her slowly.  Memories started to flood through his mind and he shook his head slowly.

“I did not stutter, freebirth.  You know what a Seeker is, quiaff?”

“Aff, I have heard the stories.” 

“Oh good, that means I should not have to explain myself more than three times.  Someone has brought you to the attention of my clan’s Loremaster, and your candidacy for induction into our organization has been put forward.  I am here to evaluate your potential worthiness. Quiaff?”

“Neg.”

“Your comprehension is not required, merely your compliance.” She handed the orders over to him.  He read them quickly, noting the pertinent points.  He nodded for a moment and bowed.

“Very well, Star Captain.  Allow me a moment to dress and I will accompany you.” 

“Dress quickly, my time is precious.”  She dismissed him with a wave. 

“Aff, Star captain.” 

Mackenzie shook her head and got close to her brother while he dressed.

“What’s going on?”

“The Goliath Scorpions are interested in me, personally.  Someone said something and I am being considered as a potential recruit for the Seekers.”

“Like Ivan?”

“And the rest of them.” Jaxun pulled the sleeveless shirt down over his head.

“What does that mean?”

“Intelligence tests, a few tests of character, and most importantly, I have to take Necrosia.” 

“For what?”  the gears in Mackenzie’s head started to turn. 

“To see if I am capable of tolerating the drug.” 

“That’s what Ivan used to take to give him his visions when we were young, quiaff?”

“Aff, it is a derivative of the venom of the Goliath Scorpion.  It induces altered mental states and opens the mind to all sorts of perceptual and intellectual possibilities.”

Mackenzie smiled softly to herself.  Ivan had put this plan in motion, he had to have.  “How long is this supposed to take?” 

“A week maybe?” 

“Do you think she knows?”  Mackenzie asked her brother quietly.

“About what?”

“About Ivan?  I doubt it.  If I remember correctly, he was reported killed in action at Misery to the rest of the Clans.”

“What do you think she would do if she found out about him?”  She asked him.

“Oh I imagine this would not turn out well.” 

“Then we should probably not tell her.”

“Aff.” 

“How long does it take for you to dress yourself?”  Annabelle called out from the barracks.

Later that afternoon

“You reacted oddly to my blood name before.  Explain yourself.”  Annabelle said quietly.  Despite her much smaller stature, her presence filled the room they were in.  They had returned to her shuttle and were sitting in a small office.  Jaxun was reminded of an experience in school where he had been called to the Administrator’s office. 

“My father knew a man named Kirov a long time ago.  He left quite an impression on my father.” 

“Your father was…Nikolai Sokolov. Ah yes, the spy.  The prodigal wolf son who returned to the clans with his war bride and returned to the fold of the  clan watch.”

“Yes, he spoke of his friend Ivan Kirov many times when my sister and I were children.”  He stretched the truth briefly.  He knew that Ivan had been reported killed in action at Misery and had no intention of breaking that confidence.  Her face twitched briefly when Jaxun mentioned Ivan’s full name. 

“Yes, your father is well documented in Ivan Kirov’s reports from that era.”  She smiled softly to herself.  “The architect of the invasion.” 

“Are you related to him?”  Jaxun asked her quietly then realized how stupid the question sounded. 

“He provided the matrilineal DNA for my sibko, along with Lucia Myers.” 

“I am unfamiliar with Lucia Myers,  but I heard many stories of Ivan Kirov from my father when they were both operating as a part of Wolf’s Dragoons.” 

“Sit, we will start the first of the tests.”  It was not a request.  She pulled the small kit out of the desk and set up the recording unit.  He had taken a similar test when he was in school, but this was a different experience. Her tone was challenging and it made him reconsider some of his answers.  It was grueling, and it took the better part of four hours to complete.  He was exhausted by the end of the day. 

“Stay, eat dinner with me.” She said firmly.  He nodded his agreement and her attendants prepared a meal for the two of them.  Skewered meats were cooked over a burner in the center of their dining table along with an assortment of vegetables and sauces.  A thin flat bread was also provided. 

Jaxun studied the knives at her waist and she caught him looking.  “Trying to figure out what is in my pants, quiaff?”  He blushed for a moment and shook his head.

“Neg, I have seen blades like those before, but I can not remember where.” 

“The Zulkari are a ceremonial weapon of the Seekers.  Unless you have seen a seeker before today, I do not think you would have had the opportunity, quiaff?”  She smiled at him for the first time and he felt very comfortable in her presence. 

“This is a very fine meal.”  He changed the topic, not wanting to lie to her again.

“Bannock is an excellent cook.  He has been with me for almost a decade now.” 

“That is good then.”

“He was a gift from an older seeker, a warrior named Halas when I joined the Seekers.” 

“Do you have a familiar?”

“I see someone has heard the stories.”

“Aff, but I have had so few experiences with your clan that it bore questioning.”

“I do not have a familiar, no.  I am told that Ivan Kirov carried no familiar either, and it does not seem to be something that our particular branch of the Blood House is particularly adept at.” 

“The Blood House is the collective grouping of warriors that all share a Bloodname heritage, quiaff?”

“Aff, two for two on paying attention.”  She dipped some of her flat bread into a particularly spiced sauce. 

“My father sort of explained it to me when I was a child.”  The mention of the word father brought an irritated look to her face.

“How kind of him.  Explaining to you that you were a part of a heritage that you could never claim.” 

“I have very fond memories of my childhood with the Dragoons and my parents.  I learned a lot from them.”

“And then on your first encounter with the Jade Falcons you were taken as a bondsman.”

“I tried to ensure that the rest of my friends made it offworld.”  He said quietly.

“And then the Falcons made you into this, quiaff?” 

“aff, I was tested and my aptitude was for elemental operations.  I was rebuilt as an Elemental.” 

“You are not unpleasing in this form.” 

“Thank you.” 

She nodded and rang a chime on the table.  One of her attendants returned and cleared the table for them.  She smiled up at him and nodded.  “Now be a good freeborn and take me to bed.”  The statement caught him off guard and she saw the hesitation in his eyes.

“You do know how to couple, quiaff?”

“Aff, I know how to couple.”  He smiled slowly.

“Good, then you should have no problems taking me to bed.”  She said firmly.  She grabbed his hand firmly and led him deeper into the shuttle.  The door to her quarters opened quickly and she pulled him deeper inside. 

“What is your issue freebirth?”  She turned her attention back to him.  “Do you prefer men, quiaff?”

“Neg, I just have not coupled with anyone in a while.”  He stared down at her.

“Then this will be good for you.”  She smiled up at him and pulled the shirt up over his head.  She nearly had to jump to pull it completely off and he reached out to catch her instinctively.  She smiled and kissed him.  

Later

Jaxun smiled to himself and wrapped his arm around Annabelle.  She stretched into his arm, wrapping it around her shoulder and pulling his hand down her stomach.  Her skin smelled like a breeze blowing across the sand and he could not for the life of him figure out where that came from.  She had her head nestled into his shoulder and pushed her shoulder into his side. 

“You seem very pleased with yourself.”  She smiled up at him.  

He nodded back, gently tracing the line of her abs with his fingertips. “Aff, you were correct, I needed that more than I thought I did.”

“You seem to be thinking clearer.”

“Aff, I feel…better I think, more aware, more alive.” 

“Good.  Tomorrow will be a harder day for you.” 

“Why so?”  He traced his fingers up her chest, settling into the deep scar that ran between her breasts.

“Tomorrow you take a very hard test on Star League History.  We will also spend some time on the firing range.”  She swatted his hand playfully.  “You boys are always fascinated by that scar.” 

“It is an unusual cut in an unusual place.” 

“I have Danced the Scars on more than occasion, aff.” 

“That is not a term I am familiar with?”

“It is a very specialized form of the Circle of Equals we use to settle disputes amongst ourselves.” 

“The Goliath Scorpions or the Seekers themselves?”  his fingers drifted back to the scar and she shook her head at him. 

“The Seekers, it is the reason we carry the Zulkari blades.” 

“A highly ritualized form of combat, quiaff?” 

“Aff, it is the first warrior to score five cuts…one on each shoulder” She pulled his much larger hand up her chest and brushed the tips across the long healed scars, “And then one on each wrist,” she pulled her arms up and showed him the deep scars on hers, “And then the final cut right across the chest”  she splayed his fingers out across her chest and relaxed.  “The cuts all have to be at the perfect angle, the perfect depth, and the perfect length.” 

“That sounds extremely complex.”  He rolled slightly, crossing her leg with his and looking down at her. 

“It is a level of precision that we expect from the Seekers and is a hallmark of the Goliath Scorpion style of warfare.”  Her fingers roamed over his chest, exploring bare skin.  “Any fool can hit a target with a thousand bullets.”  She brushed her fingertips across his navel. “The real challenge of warfare…the raison d’etre if you will for a true warrior is to find that perfect moment.”  Her fingers trailed lower.  “To take that one perfect shot where you know you hit the target and it just drops.” 

Jaxun grunted as her fingers took hold of what she was aiming for.  “You can hit that target again and again, quiaff?” She smiled up at him. 

“Aff” and he pulled her against him.  Somewhere, in a tangle of clothes, his communicator was beeping, but he could not hear it.

Jade Falcon Barracks

“Farraday, Jaxun is fine, quiaff?”

“Fine is a poorly defined word with you Mackenzie.  You spheroids use it to describe multiple conditions that are not necessarily exclusive.” 

“I mean you think he is going to be all right with that Seeker?”

“Oh, Aff.  To be selected as a Seeker is an honor rarely bestowed and I have never heard of anyone outside the Goliath Scorpions ever being considered for it.  He must have impressed someone higher up in their Touman.” 

“What did you think I meant when I said he was fine?”  Mackenzie tilted her head at her friend.

“The way you typically use that word means one of two of things.  Either you mean all right, as you indicated, or you typically mean aesthetically pleasing or attractive.”

“Eww, he is my brother, Farraday.” 

“Aff, your sib is attractive.” 

“Not that way.” 

“So you have not coupled with him?”

“Neg, I have never coupled with my brother. That is ewww.” 

“You have never slept with your sib, quineg?  Not even before his transformation?”  Farraday asked her with a confused smile on her face.

“No…never.  That is a remarkable no fly zone for us spheroids.”

“How quaint…I think is the word for it.” 

“Have you slept with one of your sibs?”  Mackenzie tilted her head at her friend.

“Of course.  There was a boy in my sibko.  Heinrich.  Tall, muscular in all the right places with a giant…”

“Whoa, we are crossing into the too much information zone.”

“Ayat Icaza, did you know the Spheroids have a custom where they frown on sibs coupling?”

“Well, they are barbarians, Farraday.”  Ayat shook her head.

“You have done this as well?”  Mackenzie asked her.

“Of course.  Everyone needs to blow off steam.  You can either vent that steam or crack under the pressure.” 

“This makes a conversation I had with Ivan make a lot more sense.”

“Did you couple with Ivan Kirov?”  Farraday chuckled at her.

“Uh…no.  he is ancient and married.” 

“Married?”  Farraday asked her.

“Yeah, he swore a bunch of vows to another person he decided he was going to share his life with to the exclusion of others.”

“Why?”  Ayat asked her.

“It is a spheroid custom, an expression of trust and fidelity.”

Farraday shook her head and started laughing.  “Truly you are a bizarre people.” 

“You sleep with your sib mates and by all appearances treat sex as just another thing for people to do and my people of origin are the strange ones?”

“Aff, but you are half one of us. I am glad you are picking up our culture as fast as you are.” Ayat nodded firmly and set the bottles of beer on the table.  “I do not believe your sib is going to make it back to the barracks tonight.”

“What do you think he is doing right now?” Mackenzie asked her friends.

“Probably Annabelle Kirov.”  Farraday took a long drink of her beer.

“Eww.” 

“What, she is an attractive woman.  Do you not wish your sib to be happy?” Ayat asked her.

“Well of course I want him to be happy.”

“And obviously you will not couple with him to help him be happy.”  Farraday smirked at her. 

“Okay, we are done for the night.  I am not having any more of this conversation tonight.”  Mackenzie finished her beer and went back to her bunk. 

“Spheroids.”  Bekker said from his chair, shaking his head.

The Next Morning

Jaxun awoke with a start.  He was in unfamiliar quarters and slowly looked around trying to get his bearings.  It took him longer than he wanted, but he finally found his communicator sitting on a table next to the bed.  He had a dozen missed calls from his sister, but surprisingly the rest of the Jade Falcons were leaving him alone.  Her orders must have been well received by the Khan for him to have been left alone. 

“I thought you were going to sleep away the morning.”  Annabelle smiled at him as she emerged from the small bathroom attached to her quarters. 

“I am sorry, I have no excuse.” 

“Relax Star Commander, you make cute noises when you sleep.”  She pulled the pants for her uniform up while they talked. 

“Thank you for your indulgence, Star Captain.” 

“Creed is currently cleaning your clothes, they will be ready within the next twenty minutes.  You should shower while you wait.”  She pulled the suspenders over her shoulders and clipped them to the front of her pants. 

“Thank you.” 

“You have a long day ahead of you.  Prepare yourself mentally and physically for what is about to happen.” 

“Aff, and thank you.” 

“We will see if you are still thanking me after the day ahead of you.” 

Jaxun smiled again and managed to squeeze into her shower.  That was something he still wasn’t completely used to.  The genetic engineering that had rebuilt him had made him significantly larger.  The tiny shower stall barely contained him and he was having trouble turning around in the shower.  He spent some time getting used to the shower and finally cleaned himself off.  He emerged from the shower wrapped in one of her considerably smaller towels. 

“You look ridiculous with that towel, it barely covers you.”

“It was mostly sufficient for drying.”  He shook his head and slipped on his duty fatigues.  They left her quarters and walked down to the external doors of her dropshuttle.  Two very heavy long cases were laying next to the door.  She nodded at the two cases and Jaxun picked them both up.  The Falcons had conveniently placed an open topped transport at her disposal.  He slid the cases into the back of the transport and slid into the passenger seat, barely. 

“Ride in back, quiaff?” She looked over at him, watching him try and figure out how to fit in the tiny seat.

“Aff.”  He slipped into the back of the transport and stretched his legs out.  “My thanks.”

“Your communicator woke me this morning.”

“I am sorry for that.”

“Who is Mackenzie and why did she call fifteen times last night?  

Do you have a pet in the lower castes, freebirth?”

“Mackenzie is my sister.”

“So she is not a pet, quineg?” 

“Neg, she is a Mechwarrior in Alpha Galaxy.” 

“That is quite the summit for a freeborn.”

“Her commander has an affinity for freeborns.” 

“Interesting.”  She pulled the transport to a stop at the firing range the Jade Falcons had erected during their layover on Apollo.  It seemed like everyone was undergoing their firearms recertification and Jaxun saw several members of his star qualifying with heavy weapons for the few times they were outside of their powered armor.  He waved briefly and then her eyes drifted back to the cases in the rear of the transport.  He shouldered them easily and carried them over to the range.  “Good freebirth.”  She smiled at him and started unpacking the cases. 

In each case was an overly large laser rifle with a scope assembly Jaxun had never seen before.  The first case she had opened up looked like it was fitted with an Elemental in mind, with a larger trigger assembly and a fore grip that felt comfortable in his hands.  She also pulled out a spotter’s scope and started dialing in the ranges. 

“Take a few shots with the rifle so the sight adjusts to your eye.”  She said firmly.  She nodded her head downrange to the targets sitting at two hundred meters.  The first shot was off the mark, but the scope whirred and buzzed against the side of his head and the next shot was closer.  Five more shots and he had dialed up the range finder on the scope and was ready to take shots at the target.  She slid the ear protection over his head and pulled the mic down towards his mouth.  The ear protection drowned out all of the other sounds around him.

“Impress me.”  She said over the comm in the ear protectors.  He nodded and started laying shots down the range.  In quick succession he hit each of the center rings of the five targets.  He turned and smirked at her.

“You are off a half a millimeter on the first target.  The second target you connected cleanly.  The third and fourth targets you are off two millimeters in either direction of center.  The last target you missed by almost a centimeter.  I said impress me, Freebirth.” 

“What?” was all he could manage to reply.  Looking down the sight he saw each and every imperfect shot. 

“With that rifle, shooting at that range, a blind woman could hit the center mass as well as you did, quiaff?” 

“Neg.” he responded loudly.

“Do you require a demonstration?”

“Aff.”  He barked through the comm.

“Fine.”  She let out a low sigh and slipped a similar rifle from the other case.  Without adjusting the sights, she turned her head and looked him straight in the eye and opened fire at the first target.  A minute later she fired the second shot, hitting the target dead center.  In five minutes, she had hit all five targets center mass without even looking at the target.

“How?”

“You think too fast and too much.” 

“I do not understand…”

“I know, but that is all right.  You are new to this style of combat.  I can teach you, if you can learn.”  She thumped him firmly on the temple.  “Do you think you can learn, freebirth?” 

“Aff, I can learn Star Captain.”

“Good, new sight your rifle for the next row of targets back.”

“What row of targets?”

“Three hundred meters back from what you were aiming at.”

“Those are a half click away.”

“This is not about how far the target is away.  It is about you and only you.  Find your center, your sense of being and purpose.  Center yourself to that.  Focus on it and you will find that your mind will open up and time will feel like it is standing still.  In that moment, distance is irrelevant, and you will feel like you can reach out and touch the target with your fingertip.” 

Jaxun let out a soft breath and steadied himself.  He focused…let himself go in the moment and lined up the shot.  He saw the flash as the beam made contact with the plate, but it was not dead center.  He felt her frown through the comm, but she said nothing.  He lined up another shot on a different target and tried to go through the process again.  The shot hit the target, but not dead center. 

“You are rushing yourself.  This is not a matter of being a good marksman hitting a possible target.  You have proven you can do that already.  This is about finding yourself in the perfect second to make the impossible shot.  Slow your breathing down.  This is not something you are going to do quickly.  If it takes you all day to make the shot, that is acceptable, quiaff?” 

“Afff, “ he said slowly.  This was not something he was familiar with, but he was trying, trying to make the shot, trying to please her.  That thought brought up a host of unwelcome memories he fought back down.  He slowed his breathing and shut his mind down from everything else.  She stood next to him, watching his process.  He didn’t realize it, but she was also taking shots at target further down range. 

Minutes passed and he relaxed his mind while his body stayed rigid.  He was locked into the zone, letting his mind open.  Finally, as the dam burst, he closed his eyes and took the shot.  He felt the air slowly escape his lungs as he looked around.  “Not bad, surat.  You are a hundredth of a millimeter off of dead center.  For your first time, you performed quite well.” 

Jaxun noticed the rest of the elementals and a half dozen mechwarriors had gathered around him while he was working up to the shot, but it was not his shot that they were studying.  Two kilometers away from where they were standing, the King Crab Jaxun had brought down had been stood up and she had been lighting up the armored panels of the cockpit glass while he had been taking his shot.

“How…”

“It is not hard, but it requires practice and meditative focus.  Would you like to try another shot or would you prefer to eat something before I turn your day upside down?”

“Food, I think.  I feel exhausted from that experience.”  He sat the rifle down on the bench in front of them.  She nodded at him and started packing her rifle back in the case.  Jaxun did likewise. 

“Your pet, I mean sister seems to want to talk to you.  You can bring her to lunch if you would like.”  Jaxun nodded and put the case back in the transport.  “She is kind of cute, do you think she wants to couple with me?”  Annabelle asked him quietly.

“I have no idea, I think she prefers men.”  Jaxun answered her.

“I usually do as well, but every once in a while, variety is a nice change.  Perhaps I should ask her if she chooses to come along.”

“Aff, that I am sure would be an interesting conversation.” 

Annabelle smiled at him and sat down in the driver’s seat to give him a modicum of privacy.

“Mackenzie.” He smiled at his sister.  She grabbed him firmly by the arm and pulled on him.

“This worked a lot better when I was taller than you!”  She pulled harder and Jaxun finally acquiesced and let her pull him behind the tiny shack where the ammunition was stored.  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” 

“I am fine, Mackenzie.” 

“You are fine?  You don’t return any of my calls all night and just show up at the firing range with the Seeker and everything is fine?” 

“ I am sorry I did not return your calls, I was busy last night.” 

“With what’s her name?  Spooky Sauce?”

“Her name is Annabelle Kirov, and the first round of testing went very late last night.  She offered me a meal after I was finished and then it was late.”

“I checked, you did not come back to the barracks.”

“Of course not, I coupled with Annabelle and spent the night with her.”  Mackenzie’ jaw dropped.

“You just met her!  She could be related to Ivan for all we know!  How could you decide that with all of the people we are surrounded by that she was the one you were going to sleep with!?”

“She expressed the desire to couple.  She is quite..aggressive.  She is related to Ivan, and you can not mention his name anywhere around her.  He is something of a sore spot for her, and if she gets curious, she may go asking questions that neither one of want to answer.”

“You can sleep with her, but I should not mention Ivan around her?”  Mackenzie shook her head.  The horn on the transport beeped twice.

“Look, Annabelle has invited you to join us for lunch if you would like.  Talk to her.  Get to know her.  She is not half bad.”  Jaxun turned to head back to the transport.  “Besides, if you want to, you could probably sleep with her as well.”

“What?”  Mackenzie said slowly and walked towards the transport. 

Joe’s Diner
Apollo

Bekker sat at the large table with Luna, Ayat, and Farraday.  They had evidently eaten at one of these restaurants on one of the other stops along the way into the Inner Sphere and Farraday had nearly broken his arm demanding he join them for their excursion to this one.  There were a few civilians going about their business, but mostly it was just the group of them.  He was staring at the menu trying to divine the difference between a patty melt and a cheeseburger…

The door opened again and Farraday picked up the seat he was sitting in and moved it closer to her side of the table.  His eyebrow raised at her and she tilted her head in response.  The appearance of Mackenzie, her sib Jaxun, and the Seeker gave this action more context.  She was making room for them to join the rest of the Falcons, not laying claim. 

“If you wish to sit with your friends, go right ahead.  Grab empty seats from the table next to you.  I will be by to get your order soon.”  A tired looking man walked past their table and deposited food for another group of patrons.  Jaxun and the Seeker exchanged glances while Mackenzie was already grabbing her chair and joining the table full of Jade Falcons.  Jaxun grabbed chairs for the both of them and smiled at his comrades as they joined the table. 

“Greetings Annabelle Kirov.”  Luna smiled at the officer.

“Greetings, Luna Hazen,” she turned her attention to Ayat, “Ayat Icaza, quiaff?”  Her eyes floated to Bekker, “Brathovd Bekker, quiaff?” She finally turned her attention to Farraday, “and you must be Farraday, quiaff?”  They all nodded in response to her questions.

“I am Mackenzie, by the way.”  Mackenzie added to the greeting exchange.

“Aff, your sib mentioned your name.” 

“you qualified for your pistol certification, quiaff, Mackenzie?”

“Aff, Star Captain, I am fully certified to carry a side arm.”

“Good, I will make sure you are issued one when I return to the HQ.” 

“Thank you, Ma’am.” 

“Star Captain, how goes your evaluation?” 

“Well, but it is very early in the process, it will take time to present a full picture of the worth of the candidate.”

“I have never heard of anyone outside the Goliath Scorpion’s ranks ever being considered for the Seekers.” 

“It has been over a century since it happened the last time, but there is a precedent for it.” 

“Well that is good.  What brought our warrior to your attention?”  Ayat asked her quietly.  She had set her menu aside and was 

waiting for the man to come back and take their order.

“I was not privy to that discussion.  The candidate’s name was put forward and I was sent here to investigate his capacities.”

“Admirable.  How are you taking to the Inner Sphere?”  Farraday asked her.

“I have not seen much of it, honestly.  The parts I have seen have been pleasant enough.  Still nothing like being home on Roche.” 

“I have always wondered why the great fortress of the Goliath Scorpions is named Spiderholm.”  Ayat tried to make pleasant 

conversation. 

“It was named by the WIdowmakers when they originally settled the planet.  It was only ceded to the Goliath Scorpions during the Absorption after the Loremaster intervened to save the life of Jerome Winson.” Mackenzie said quietly.  Every eye at the table turned to stare at her.  “What?”

“That is odd fact to hear from someone who did not grow up in the Homeworlds, Mackenzie.”  Annabelle narrowed her eyes.

“What can I get you folks to eat?”  The man finally reemerged from the kitchen and had brought a shake for Farraday, Luna, and Ayat.  “Just like the last time, I will be more than happy to take care of your friends.” 

“Butterscotch, please.” Bekker said with a nod.

“Peanut Butter, please.”  Mackenzie smiled at the man.

“Banana for me?”  Jaxun nodded.

“I will just have a straw and a glass of water, aff.”

“Perfect,  Take your time and look over the menu.  For the Elementals, we are experimenting with a larger portion to see if we can meet your needs without having to make you order multiple portions.”  The man smiled at them and disappeared into the back. 

“Wait, we have not eaten here before?” Ayat asked Luna.

“How precisely do you know the origin of the Spiderholm, Mackenzie?”  Annabelle pressed the question.

“It is a fair question, I did not know the origin of the name.”  Luna Hazen turned her attention to Mackenzie. 

“Fine, when I was young, I had trouble sleeping and my father provided me with recordings from one of his colleagues who was a Seeker.  One of the tapes was a history of the clan and its holding on Roche.”  Mackenzie said slowly. 

“Interesting, you still have the recording, quiaff?”

“Neg, well, not personally on me, my aunt would have them on Outreach with the rest of my personal belongings from that time.”

“What is an Aunt?”  Annabelle asked them slowly.

“it is a familial term, usually meaning the sibling of one’s parents.”  Bekker answered the question.

“Ahh.  I still have trouble with some of the Spheroid family terminology.”  Annabelle nodded.  The man returned with their drinks and Jaxun was surprised by the larger milkshake he had received.  He noticed that Farraday had been given one of similar size.  Mackenzie’s eyes narrowed when Annabelle slipped the straw into Jaxun’s drink. 

“Again, my name is Hollywood, what can I get you folks to eat?”

“I will try the Patty Melt”  Bekker said with a nod of his head.

“Do you want to make that a double?”

“A double?”

“My apologies, would you like for us to add a second patty and additional cheese to your sandwich?”

“Oh…I guess that would be fine, aff.”

“Very good. And you?”  He turned his attention to Farraday. 

“I will try your Elemental sized Ribs platter.” 

“Excellent choice, will you have the vegetable of the day or a soup?”

“The soup is fine.” 

“And you…Star Captain?”  He looked at Luna.  “I am working to understand our glorious clan’s command hierarchy, I mean no offense if I have gotten your rank incorrect.”

“Aff, I am a Star Captain, Hollywood is your name, aff?”

“Yes, I mean aff.”

“Very good, you do your people a great service by supporting the clan, Hollywood.  I will have the Deluxe salad with the grilled pork.”

“Excellent choice,  Star Captain, what kind of dressing would you prefer?”

“I will take the house’s barbecue sauce.” 

“Very good.  And You?”  He turned his attention to Mackenzie. 

“I will have the Fish and Chips, extra portion of the Fish and some extra tartar sauce.’

“The fish are fresh this time of year, a good choice.”

“I will have the chicken fried steak, elemental sized, please.  Baked potato and the vegetable of the day are fine.” 

“I will have the fruit salad, yogurt, and a very small portion of grilled chicken.” 

“Excellent, I will get your food ready and bring it out as soon as I can.” 

“I am glad I was able to see all of you together like this.”  Annabelle said quietly.  She took a sip of the Milk shake and nodded. 

“Why?”  Luna answered her.

“When I left I was given a sealed package for the six of you, and now that I have met you it will make delivering them much easier.” 

“A package from whom?”  Bekker asked her.

“The Loremaster sealed the packages herself and put them in my charge, I will have them delivered this evening to your quarters.” 

“That is very kind of you.”  Luna said quickly.

“No worry, this saves me some time and allows me to concentrate on the task at hand.”

“I am glad we can help you discharge your duties.”  Farraday nodded at the smaller mechwarrior.

“Your help is appreciated.” 

In what felt like no time at all their food arrived.  Everyone had put in a long day at their various tasks and the meal was a welcome change of pace.  Bekker nodded sagely at his introduction to the double patty melt.  The meal passed quickly for everyone and the food was delicious. 

“We should return to the base, quiaff?” Luna said to the officers under her command.

“Aff, there are more things that need to be finished today.”  Bekker agreed.

“I still have more evaluations to perform.”  Annabelle nodded at the Jade Falcons.

“Mackenzie, coming with us?”  Ayat said as she grabbed the jacket of her uniform.

Mackenzie turned her attention between her brother and her starmates.  Jaxun finally nodded at her.  “I will see you tomorrow, sister.”

“Aff, I will see you tomorrow.”  She stood up and hugged him around the shoulders.  She followed the rest of her starmates to their transport and disappeared towards the base. 

“Shall you commence with turning my day upside down?”  Jaxun smiled at the seeker.

“aff, though I suspect you will not be smiling when it is over.” 

6 hours later, Jaxun could only agree with her.  Her recording devices had been set up and she had spent the better part of the day asking him rapid fire questions about dozens of different aspects of Star League History.  Worse, he had been hooked up to a machine that stabbed needles into various parts of his body when he got a question wrong.  At one point during the examination, electricity was added to the mix. 

She had made it perfectly clear that he could stop at any time and the questions and their consequences would end.  It had taken a great deal of energy and all of his considerable willpower to not take that option.  When the testing was finally done, she unstrapped him from the machine and helped him to her quarters. His muscles were on fire, alternating between spasms and sever contractions. 

“What was the point of that?  I don’t think I answered half of those questions correctly.”

“Your freebirth is showing.”

“I am tired and in severe pain, forgive my freebirthness.” 

“Aff, but only because I think you are cute.  The point of that was to see if you could appreciate the value of knowledge.  People have gotten hurt for it, People have died for it.  How much were you willing to endure to gain knowledge, and what knowledge did you already possess.  You did better than I expected.  You had an exceptional instructor in the area of military history and ethics.” 

“Thank you.”  He wheezed.  She pulled the shirt off of his chest and tossed it aside.  “If you are interested in coupling right now, I think you are going to have to do a lot of the work.”  He smiled up at her. 

“I usually do a lot of the work.”  She smirked back at him and pulled the small jar from her nightstand.  She opened it with a twist and daubed some of the cream on one of his sore spots.  Her fingers firmly worked it into his skin and he felt the pain start to wash away. 

“Oh…hey that is nice.”  He relaxed into her hands and let her go to work.  She shook her head and finished applying the cream to his sore spots. 

“Now the downside is that it induces extreme muscle relaxation, so I don’t think you are going to be moving much tonight.”

“Well, I can live with that.”  He smiled up at her.  She propped his torso up with a combination of blankets and pillows and found a comfortable spot on top of him.

“If we spend more time together, I think I am going to need a larger bed or a shorter elemental.”  She wrapped his arm around her waist and patted the back of it softly.

“I vote larger bed.” 

“I suspected you would.  Can I show you something?” 

“Aff, you can show me anything.” 

“We will see about that.”  She pulled her noteputer off the nightstand and opened up a video file.  “All of us, the Seekers, I mean have odd quirky things we collect.  I collect animation.” 

“Like cartoons, quiaff?”

“Aff, but I have made it a lifelong mission of mine.”

“My sister and I used to watch the Littlest Atlas when we were children.”

“The Littlest Atlas?” 

“It was a children’s cartoon about an anthropomorphic Atlas that had to overcome obstacles and challenges to become a better person and learn the necessary skills to survive in the Inner Sphere.” 

“That sounds fascinating.  Do you have a copy of it?”

“Neg...but can you establish a link to the HPG Station?”

“Aff, why?”

“I have a friend who might be able to help you out with that.”

“Really?”

“Aff.  Have the Comstar officer connect to Tukkayyid, we are calling a man named Henry Jones.”

“Will they be able to find him?”

“Aff, he is a Comstar Precentor, he should not be hard to find.” 

“Very well.”

Five minutes later the comm screen aboard the shuttle flared to life.  Jaxun shook his head for a moment at the sight that greeted him.  Henry Jones was sitting in an office with his field jacket hanging over the back of his chair.  It looked he hadn’t shaved in a week and there was a bottle of scotch sitting on his desk. He stared at the screen for a moment and thumped the monitor twice.

“What the hell is this?” 

“Good Evening, Henry.”  Jaxun waved from the bed.  They saw the camera mount articulate and zoom in. 

“Jaxun?  Jaxun Sokolov?  What the hell have they been feeding you, son?”

“It is good to see you too, Henry.  Are you keeping busy?”

“As busy as I am supposed to be.  Who is that exquisite creature using you as a chair?”

“Star Captain Annabelle Kirov, clan Goliath Scorpion.” 

“Annabelle Kirov?”  Henry about choked on his scotch.  “Is she…”

“Yes, Henry, she is a Seeker.” 

Heny recovered his composure and saluted in the proper clan fashion before returning to his relaxed posture.  “May the light of the Great Father’s Wisdom shine on you in all the places you walk.” 

“And may his Vision grant you the clarity to see the true path of the Honor Road.”  She returned the greeting. 

“What can I do for you kids?”

“Kids?”  Annabelle looked at him.

“A term of endearment and familiarity.  I know Jaxun’s father and he is a friend from a long time ago.  No offense or challenge intended, Star Captain..”

“Forgiven, this time.”

“Now back to the question at hand, what precisely can I do for two fine upstanding children of Kerensky?”

“Do you still operate the theater you had when I was a child?”

“2^nd company?  Yes, the Science Fiction Double Feature still put up a show every weekend.” 

“Do you have any animation in your archives?”

“Sure, from what I understand we have a large collection of animated films and television series in the archives, why?”

“Annabelle Kirov is a collector of such things.” 

“”Of course she is…”  He coughed for a moment.

“Could you make a copy of your library and send it to us?”  Jaxun said softly.

“It will take a couple of days to find everything, but certainly I can.  Are you going to be where you are right now for the foreseeable future?”

“We should be here for a while, I have heard no orders to the effect we are moving soon.”

“I have heard nothing on my end that we are expecting traffic from your side to come this way.” 

“No news is good news, then.   What do I owe you for the data?” 

“Take care of your sister.”

“No C-Bills?”

“After Pandemonium and everything else that happened, no.  I consider it a favor.  Happy I could help.  Do you need me to send a message to anyone while you are on the line?”

“Not right now, everything is under control from this side.”

“Be safe, I will put together a data packet for you and your charming young friend as soon as I can.”

“Thank you Henry.”

“No problem kid, I hope they make condoms in your size.”  Henry terminated the connection from his end. 

“What was that?”

“That was Henry Jones, who might just be the baddest man on 

whatever planet he happens to be standing on.”

“Quineg?” She looked at him incredulously.

“Aff.  I have heard war stories about Henry that give me pause.” 

“What precisely was Pandemonium?”

“After the 4^th Succession War, my aunt put together a team of mercenaries to avenge the death of her adopted father.  My parents and a group of other mercenaries volunteered for the mission and they struck at a Taurian black site that was code named Pandemonium.  They dropped hard and heavy, but the Taurians outnumbered them three to one.” 

Annabelle had rolled over on her stomach, putting her elbows down into his ribs to prop her face up.  “What happened?”

“They were captured by the Taurians and imprisoned.  Thanks to a surprise commando raid they didn’t detect the inbound approach of more Dropships and Henry and his command did an Avalanche drop into the prison complex itself.”

“How many warriors?”

“Thirty six mechwarriors all piloting assault weight machines dropped onto tha facility like the wrath of an angry god.  They freed the prisoners, made fast friends, and looted the facility before the Taurians could send out a call for help.  That is when Henry became friends with my family.” 

“And what is the Science Fiction Double Feature?” 

“The Tombstones 2^nd Company have spent the better part of their existence collecting every bit of cinema that they can find.  Every planet they visit they scour historical archives, pawn shops and rumors of old movie studios.”

Quineg?” 

“Aff, when I was a boy I remember my mother taking me to the movies when they were on Outreach.”

“Then they will have many animated things?”

“Many times many.”  He smiled at her.  She leaned forward and kissed him.

“Now how does he know as much as he knows about the clans?”

“You know Precentor Martial Focht?”

“The Comstar man?  Yes, I saw him aboard the Dire Wolf.”

“Henry is one of his Commanders.  He has been working for Comstar for as long as I can remember.”

“The Precentor-Martial is more astute than I gave him credit for.”

“I have not met the man, I would not know.”

“And the condoms?”

“He wants us practicing safe sex when we couple.”

“He is thoughtful then, quiaff?”

“Aff.”  He slid his arms around her waist and leaned forward to kiss her.  He heard a creaking sound and then the bed collapsed underneath the two of them.  He wrapped her tightly, absorbing the impact with his body.  That had been a poor decision on his part and every part of his body hurt.  “We definitely need a bigger bed, quiaff?”

“Aff, I think I will keep the elemental I have.”    

Later

Jaxun spent the better part of the next day enduring more tests and examinations.  Fortunately, none of these required him to be hooked up to the torture device he had spent the previous day with.  The questions were getting more intense but he thought he was handling the challenges better than most. 

“Now, we are getting close to the end of the easy portion of the testing, Star Commander.”  Annabelle said quietly.

“The easy portion?”  He stared at her incredulously.

“Being a Seeker is more than knowing things.  You have to show us that you are capable of creating lore that will expand our knowledge of the Star League.  This requires a level of scholarship that not everyone can perform.”

“What do I need to do?”

“One thing at a time first.  I have a question you need to answer first, and then we can discuss your scholarship.  Then I will make ready the Necrosia.” 

“What?” 

“I have tested your blood, and you seem compatible with it, but the only real test is to try it.”

“Aff.” He answered her.

“First, however, you need to answer this question.  What do you consider the greatest single strength of the Star League to be, and what is it’s single greatest weakness?”

He thought for a moment, and lost himself in the moment before he answered.  “The Star League’s single greatest achievement was also its single greatest failure: The unification of the great houses and centralization of  power under the office of First Lord. Through unification, humanity reached unthought of achievements, but this unity also paved the way for the usurper and fracturing of the League itself.”

Her eyes widened in surprise as she considered his answer.  “Are you sure that is your answer?”

He blinked and thought about it again…”Well, I mean The Star League's greatest achievement was the creation and unification of the Star League Defense Force. Without the stability provided by strong and loyal military organization, the League would have crumbled in its first decade." He exhaled "The Star League's Greatest Failure was its inability to place power in the hands of those capable of using it.  If the League had believed in the Great Father, our Exodus to the Homeworlds would have been a glorious crusade to reunite the shattered sphere into a singular whole under the wisdom of the Great Father and his son.” 

She studied him for a moment and nodded.  Jaxun thought she was frowning about something and he didn’t particularly enjoy that look on her face. 

“Very well.  Now your scholarship.  This will be hard for you, but I think you will be able to manage it.”

“What must I do?”

“Pick a topic related to Star League history.  Anything you want to select is a fair target for this project.  You will have to research this topic and synthesize your research into a coherent argument supported by the evidence you find.  You will have time to complete this project, but I will be making sure that you are making progress with periodic updates.” 

“How long is this project supposed to be?”

“Mine was three hundred pages long and used nearly a thousand sources.” 

“What?”

“Aff.  As I said.  This is a project.  It shows the rest of us that you can commit to the hard work of the scholarly aspect of what we do and that you have a clever mind capable of insights that are worthy of being shared with the rest of us.” 

“That is a tall task.”

“Are you saying you can not complete it, Freebirth?”

“Neg, but it will require time and energy.”

“Aff, and are you willing to put in that time and energy?”

“Aff.  I am willing to do the work.”

“Good, I will let you think for a moment while I prepare the necrosia.  Perhaps it can give you a vision of what you should study.”

“Truly?”

“Aff, though I would not choose medicine as my topic.”

“That’s what I wrote mine on.  I would see the flaw in every statement you made.”

“That is good to know.” 

She smiled at him and left him alone in the office for a moment to think.  He sat there for what felt like an eternity before the door to her meditation chamber opened.  He had seen her go in there for various reasons, but had not been invited into it with her before now.  He saw that she had changed into a ceremonial robe.  It was a dark green color that seemed to shimmer in the light. 

“Kneel, supplicant.”  He fell to his knees in the middle of the circle.  Her recording devices were situated around the room.  She stood over him, resting her hands on his shoulders.  “You seek the wisdom of the Scorpion, quiaff?”

“Aff.”

“But wisdom requires pain to temper it, quiaff?”  She grabbed him his hair and pulled his head back. 

“Aff.” 

“So will you take the pain to receive the wisdom?”  one of her hands was pressed against his throat and he was surprised by how strong her grip was.

“Aff.” 

“Then receive both.”  He felt a sharp prick against the skin of his neck and every nerve ending in his body erupted in fire.  He vaguely remembered seeing the vial in her hand and the ominously glowing green liquid touching his lips.  His eyes rolled into the back of his head and then he felt like he was falling.

“Jaxun…tell me what you are seeing.”  He heard Anabelle’s voice through the haze in his mind.  He nodded to no one and started to talk. 

“I hear a wolf howling in the distance…I can hear other noises as well.  The wolf is fighting something, but I can not see what it is.  I am in a garden…I know this place.  Hayden is here.  She is trying to get me to come closer to her, she wants to show me something in the garden.  I see…a giant scorpion on the door she is trying to pull me through.  It only has one of its claws but its tail is whipping back and forth as I try to get closer to it.  The Scorpion lets Hayden go past, but it sees me…sees all of me. I stop in front of it and the tail comes down hard.  I can hear Ivan’s voice echoing in my ears.”

“What is he saying?”

“Come home…and then the voice changes.  I can hear my mother, and my father, and my sister, they are all asking me to come home.” 

Jaxun’s eyes fluttered open and he pulled himself up to his feet.  

“Relax, Jaxun.  You are safe.”  Annabelle was sitting at the table in her quarters, writing some notes.  “Do you remember your vision?”

“Aff, I think so.  That was the most intense experience I have ever had.”

“Necrosia is a powerful tool for opening the mind.  I was not sure how tolerant you were going to be of it, so I gave you a fairly small dose.”

“That was a small dose?” he studied her face with wonder.

“Aff, I usually take a dose four times that strong, and I am much smaller than you are.” 

“Aff.  What do you think it means?”  He asked her quietly.

“We can discover that together.”  She smiled softly at him.  

“Though I do have a few things we need to do today.”

“Such as?”

“Well, we need to get a new bed.” 

Aff, what else?”

“Break in the new bed.”  She smiled at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Aff, we do.”  He pulled her up tighter into his embrace. “If we are taking requests, a larger shower would be grand.”

“Noted.  Then we can discuss your future.”

“Aff, and possibly your future too.”