MBEKI
18 June 3068Grid 45Y18X, Tangerine Desert
Solaris VII, Lyran Alliance
As Tsepo descended into the dig site, he spotted Taharqa crouched above two workers delicately dusting off the surface of some artifact. Taharqa was watching their work intently and gave no indication that he heard Mbeki approaching from behind. Mbeki coughed discretely.
Taharqa turned briefly toward Mbeki, registered his presence and then returned to his observations. “They think its Star League. Driscoll says 27th century most likely.”
A lightbulb went on and sudenly Taharqa’s strange behavior fell into place. Given his unorthodox style and clear assimilation, it was easy to forget Taharqa’s origin as a trueborn clan warrior. To the clans, the Star League was sacred, and thus any bauble from that grand era of human history was a holy artifact. Mbeki hadn’t expected Taharqa to hold onto such beliefs, but then Taharqa never failed to surprise him.
“I hate to interrupt, but one of our remote sensors has picked up heavy seismic activity ten klicks out. Either there is a minor earthquake happening or somebody else is out there.” Mbeki reported.
It took a second for the news to register, but then Taharqa turned toward Mbeki, his reverie broken. ”We better have someone check it out.”
“Juice is already on the way.”
Taharqa nodded. “I do not want to be caught with our pants down. Move everyone else to full alert. Lets mount up and be ready for anything.”
“Yes, sir.” Taharqa did not have to voice the concern they both shared. Green Ghosts. The enigmatic raiders had already sacked several of Interstellar Expeditions other archeological dig sites, for reasons unknown. The Flaming Devil Monkeys were here to make sure that it didn’t happen again. “We also have a heavy sandstorm moving in. At its current speed, I believe it will arrive before any of our uninvited guests.”
Taharqa was about to respond when Mbeki’s comm interrupted him. “I have multiple bogies inbound. Mechs and toads. I can’t ID the units.” Juice’s voice paused as if weighing whether to add something else. “They are not painted green.”
Mbeki glanced at Taharqa. From the look on Taharqa’s face, Mbeki realized that this wasn’t just another battle. This site was sacred and whoever it was that had chosen to violate that sanctity had brought holy war down upon their heads.
“Green or not, they are in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“Target. 9 o’clock, 200 meters.” Juice’s voice rang out. Mbeki saw a red dot appear in his targeting reticule.
“Roger,” he called as he pivoted the torso of the Gallowglas and loosed blue lightning into the swirling blankets of sand.
“Bogey down. Getting hot in here, jumping for cover.” Came Juice’s response.
Many mechwarriors would have found fighting blind through a raging sandstorm to be an unnerving experience, but Mbeki hadn’t even broken a sweat. He knew that the mobility of the Monkey’s jump-capable units gave them an edge in this fight. “Hotlips, how are things on your end?”
“Tanks are down. All clear over here.”
Mbeki nodded to himself. Bishop was covering their flanks as they engaged the main force, still unidentified. “Stay frosty, there might be more out there.”
“Target.” Juice’s voice rang through the comm again. Mbeki looked up at his display, but was distracted by the appearance of small humanoid figures emerging from the blowing sand directly in front of him. “I have toad infantry. Engaging.” He switched to his short-range pulse lasers and moved to target the advancing shapes.
Mbeki was not one to worry needlessly, but he was beginning to wonder just how many more enemy units were waiting for them out there in the sand. Then the toad’s SRM’s bathed his mech in fire and all conscious thought vanished.
In the end it was a slaughter. In the blinding sandstorm, the enemy force stumbled into a narrow ravine from which the monkeys were able to pick them off one by one using Juice’s Stealth to identify targets at will. Unfortunately, the sandstorm prevented immediate salvage operations, and the downed pilots apparently were able to retreat with the few remaining operational units. Now that the sandstorm had finally died away, Mbeki could look out at the destruction that he and his fellow Monkeys had wrought.
“Blakists.” Now it was Taharqa’s turn to sneak up on him.
Mbeki turned with a look of surprise. “Did one of the techs find something?” All of the mechs and tanks had been unmarked and without survivors to question, there was no way to verify just who they had slaughtered here today.
Taharqa shook his head. “No, but reports are coming in that Blakists are assaulting Solaris City. I am guessing they just extended a nice Wobbie welcome to us as well.” He grinned savagely.
After the Monkeys near annhiliation on Dieron, Mbeki knew what Taharqa was thinking: payback’s a bitch.