Okay, since my friend can't seem to send to the FFML, he asked me to
send it for him. Any C&C is to be sent to him.
From: John Go <hpackrat@hotmail.com>



Standard disclamers: None of the characters in this story are mine.
Ranma
1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. Battletech belongs to FASA.

Note: I wrote this the way it is cause I like writing in the direction
it's
heading and am not going for originality or uniqueness. I do welcome any
C&C
or ideas that'll help the fic along though.

<0>

The diminutive old woman gazed at the screen before her. Although her
skill
and cunning had allowed her to keep her position, she had no illusions
as to
whether or not her subordinates plotted her downfall.

Although her Clan was small when compared to the others, it was still
one to
be respected by the other Clans. This was due in no small part to her
cunning and the Clan's many secrets, many of them of great use on the
battlefield as well as out of it.

But now it was time to find a worthy successor that will watch over her
Clan
in the turbulent years to come. With the Treaty nearing its end, she
could
foresee disaster looming before her.

With the time the Treaty had gained them, the Inner Sphere has had time
to
correct many of the technological imbalances that caused them so much
grief
in the early days of the Return. With the aid of the Wardens of Clan
Wolf
and the Inner Sphere's greater numbers, whatever advantages the Clans
had
held were little to nonexistent.

This time, the Clans will not have it so easy.

Before her was a list of potential candidates, many of them were of her
genes. One of the most promising was a young Mechwarrior by the name of
Shan
Puu. Though still young, she had shot up thru the ranks with a speed
that
belied her lack of experience.

"Hmm, though not of the potential I was hoping for, she does have
determination and a certain cunning that makes her successful in most of
her
endeavors. But she needs seasoning."

Tapping into her console, the Khan sent her orders to their
destinations.

<1>

At the world of Outreach, an Overlord-class dropship called 'Way to
Heaven'
sat on a landing pad in an isolated portion of the starport. Although it
was
easy to see that it had suffered many battle scars, the care with which
it
had been repaired was such that only the most intense and thorough
inspections could tell how serious the damage had been.

Here we find the longhaired owner of the 'Way to Heaven', Soun Tendo,
observing a training exercise by the students of the Tendo Anything-Goes
School of Combat from the observation bubble in the dropship.

Soun was a trim, fit man in his early forties, his hair and moustache
showing no sign of his age. A veteran Mechwarrior, he had seen many
battles
from the cockpit of his Mech and was considered an excellent instructor.
As
he watched his students, Soun thought of his family's future.

Ever since the death of his wife during the Trial of Possession at
Tukayyid,
the fortunes of the Kimiko's Cavaliers mercenary group have been on the
decline. Soun just didn't have the tactical instinct that a successful
mercenary commander needed to lead his men. His wife, Kimiko Tendo had
been
the one who led while he guarded her back.

With her gone, the Kimiko's Cavaliers had shrunk from a reinforced
battalion
to less than a company. If it weren't for his skill as an instructor,
Soun
would have not been able to maintain the dropship that had become his
family
's home.

It was here that the communications officer arrived with a ComStar
message
for him. After reading the message, Soun was ecstatic enough to halt the
exercise and requested the presence his daughters for a conference.


Kasumi had been busy supervising the maintenance of her father's Archer
when
the call came in. She had taken over as the head Aztech when her
predecessor
had moved on and had developed a certain reputation for efficiency
despite
her deceptively meek ways.

Although young, all of the Tendo daughters showed a marked talent in
their
chosen professions.

When her father's call came thru, she had just finished giving some last
minute instructions to her assistant. "Now remember to scrub those
heatsinks
thoroughly. We don't want to repeat what happened last time, do we? So,
we'
re going to go over the systems again later to make sure that the job's
properly done."

The assembled aztechs nodded their heads in understanding. No one wanted
to
say no to Kasumi, disappointing her just seems to be something you
avoided
at all cost. Sorta like the IRS. Besides, she makes the best cookies in
the
Inner Sphere.

"Good. Now, please excuse me while I see what my father wants."


In the bridge of the Way of Heaven, Nabiki had been busy going thru the
family's financial records when Soun's call came in.

"Yes, Daddy?"

"Could you and Akane come see me in the observation room? Kasumi is
already
on her way and I have an announcement to make to each of you."

"I'll be right there, Daddy." Turning off her consoles, Nabiki motioned
for
her executive officer to take charge in her absence.

Although still young, Nabiki had proven her ability to rule as the
ship's
captain for over a year now. And before that, she had been in charge of
the
Cavaliers' financial interests. It had been thru her efforts that her
family
had avoided bankruptcy despite her father's reluctance to accept any job
offer that didn't involve low-paying garrison duties on low-risk worlds.

With her nose for opportunity, she had been able to keep the family one
step
ahead of bankruptcy but unless something changes, she didn't see anyway
to
avoid the eventual closure of Kimiko's Cavaliers.


Akane moved her Centurion to the right as she sidestepped the flight of
SRMs
that the Clan Jenner had launched against her. Raising her right-arm
autocannon in response, Akane targeted its head and fired off several
bursts
out of the LB10-X.

Rocking from the impact, the Jenner pivoted counterclockwise and tried
to
move out of Akane's line of fire while staying in range for its SRMs. It
was
relying on its greater speed to save it from the pounding it was taking
from
the Centurion's autocannon.

Realizing that she couldn't keep up with its movements, Akane twisted
immediately in the other direction, catching the Jenner just as it
launched
another salvo of SRMs. Quickly reversing direction, she was able to
avoid
most of the SRMs except for three that flayed at her left-arm's armor.

Triggering her autocannon and torso-mounted medium lasers, she returned
the
favor by peeling a big chunk out of its hide before it could move out of
the
way.

The Jenner feeling that discretion was the better part of valor, cranked
up
its speed began to outdistance the slower Centurion while executing a
zigzag
pattern to avoid getting hit.

Not wanting her quarry to escape, Akane released a salvo from her left
torso
LRM at the fleeing 'Mech, hoping that she would get in a lucky shot.

But before the missiles could strike the Jenner, the cockpit suddenly
went
dark.

"You know, Akane, this is just the kind of thing that makes the guys
think
you're so weird. You're always cooped up in the simulator every time
you're
out of your Centurion. It just isn't healthy."

Glaring at Nabiki, Akane exited the simulator after removing the mini-CD
that held her current statistics. "Humph! Just because I'm dedicated to
becoming a Mechwarrior doesn't mean that I'm weird. Besides, they all
just
want to get into my panties. Perverts!"

"True. Anyway, Daddy wants us to meet him at the observation bubble, so
you'
d better get dressed and hurry."


On the other side of the starport, a small convoy comprising of a cargo
carrier and three BattleMechs made their way thru the tarmac.

In the lead was a battle-scarred Orion, its slow heavy steps moving it
at a
steady pace. An old but tested design, this 75-ton 'Mech has seen much
action in its checkered career, often turning the tide of battle with
its
gauss rifle or surviving retreat due to the toughness of its hide.

Behind it, the robust forms of two Mechs, a Clan Loki and an unknown
design
with Clan markings could be seen. Because of the higher technological
base,
the Clans had bigger, meaner, more powerful BattleMechs that overshadow
their Inner Sphere counterparts.

The Loki had the standard low, boxy chassis similar to a Warhammer, but
instead of the Warhammer's standard gun arms, it had the crab-like arms
of a
Marauder. One of the best-known Clan Mechs, the Loki was fast, well
armed
and deadly, able to scrap Mechs far heavier than it with its lasers and
PPCs.

On the other hand, the unknown design looked like it had features that
can
be recognized from both the Victor and the Shadow Hawk. From a distance,
it
could be mistaken for the classic Inner Sphere Shadow Hawk, but a closer
inspection dispels this illusion.

Up close, one can see that although the Mech possesses the head and the
shoulder guards similar to the Shadow Hawk, it also has features similar
to
the Victor, with an ERPPC for a lower right arm and several weapon ports
on
the left arm behind the hand as well as on both sides of the lower chest
area.

The Mechs strode with along with a light step. Their great weight not
seeming to hold any meaning to the Mechwarriors that piloted them as
they
seemed to walk with a suppressed energy and agility one doesn't expect
in
such a heavy machines.

All the 'Mechs were enameled in desert camouflage, but with the two
Mechs
having red and black trimmings along its torso and legs.

Each of them sported some illustration that reflected the pilot's inner
nature or call sign. The Orion bore a giant panda with its right paw
raised,
either in defiance or greeting, on its left torso.

On the right-torso of the unknown Mech was painted an untamed, black
stallion with a fiery mane along its back, rearing in defiance, while
the
Loki sported a wild red lotus as its indication of the 'Mechwarrior's
inner
nature.

"Yo, Pops! Where the hell are they? You said it was close by."

"Yeah, Pops. Onee-san's right. You said it wasn't too far from where we
got
off."

"They're suppose to be at the far end of the starport. Shouldn't take us
more than thirty minutes."

Genma watched as his son maneuvered around a passing cargo carrier with
grace and delicacy, while his sibling chided him on being more alert.
Though
he doesn't show it, he was secretly proud of the skill Ranma and Ranko
showed with every move, maneuver, or tactic. He only wished that Nodoka
were
here to see them.

Now he just had to survive the beating that they're going to give him
when
they find out about the engagement.


Soun ran his hand over his face. He knew there would be problems with
this
scheme. Summoning his resolve, he presented his announcement. "An old
friend
of the family will be coming here with his family. They are all
experienced
'Mechwarriors and will be taking tactical command of the company. In
addition to this, one of you three will be engaged to his son to insure
the
continuation of the Cavaliers."

"What!" Kasumi, Nabiki and Akane stared at their father as they digested
the
news that he had given them. "Why?"

Soun sighed in resignation as he glanced out the observation bubble
before
turning back to his daughters. "Because we need someone who can lead the
Cavaliers in combat and none of us have the ability to do so. If
something
is not done soon, your mother's legacy to you three will disappear."

"I've tried to lead, but I don't have your mother's ability in the
field.
And with the state of our finances, we cannot wait for Akane to gain the
necessary experience to try. The engagement is merely my way to make
sure
that the company stays within the family."

The three sisters continued to stare at their father. "If none of you
marries him, well, at least your mother's legacy will continue even if
it
isn't her family that does it for her."

The sisters winced as Soun laid on the guilt. Each of them wants to
honor
the memory of their mother and keep the company in the family, but to
marry
a total stranger? They knew their father had many old fashion Kuritan
traditions that he clings to but this was a bit much.

Kasumi thought about her campaign for the starport doctor while Akane
wondered about how their father could do this to them. Nabiki, on the
other
hand, was intrigued by this development, but wasn't sure if she was
willing
to sacrifice that much for the family. "Who is this family friend,
Daddy?"

"His name's Genma Saotome, once a company commander for your mother and
an
old lance-mate of mine before I met your mother. He left several years
after
Akane was born to personally train his kids, but promised to return if
we
needed any help. The marriage agreement to join our families was
something
we wrote up while we were.ah.drunk. But it's still quite valid and had
the
approval of your mother."

Soun tapped his chin at a memory. "In fact, I think you and his kids
were
once very close, Akane. You three remember Ranma and Ranko, don't you?"

"Oh my, you mean Nabiki and Akane's playmates? Wasn't Ranma the one that
dragged Akane into that Commando and managed to wreck the repair bay
while
playing? I seem to remember having to hold back Ranko and Nabiki from
joining them."

Akane and Nabiki blinked in confusion. "We did?" "You did?"

"Oh yes. Mother and the aztechs spent a week freeing it from the small
hatch
its head was jammed into. Some of the older aztechs still laugh when
they
remember it over a cup of tea."

Akane blushed in embarrassment while Nabiki smirked at her discomfort.
"Gee,
Akane. I didn't know you were that determined to be a Mechwarrior."

"Oh, that wasn't the only thing that you four liked to do." Kasumi's
eyes
twinkled in mischief. "I seem to remember the four of you once playing
doctor before mother stopped you four from going too far. Ranma and
Akane
were especially eager to learn."

Akane coughed in embarrassment and changed the subject in order to
deflect
attention away from her. "So, what're Ranma and Ranko like now, Dad?"

Soun chuckled slightly before answering. "I don't know."

You could hear a pin drop from the silence the permeated the room.

It was the beeping of the intercom that broke tension in the room for
Soun.
"Yes?"

"Sir? Comm. Tech. Morrison, here. There's a convoy heading towards us.
They
seem to be accompanied by three BattleMechs. Should I warn them off?"

"No need. I've been expecting them. Direct them towards the entrance to
Bay
2. Out."

Turning off the intercom, Soun turned towards his daughters with a smile
on
his face. "Shall we go greet our guests?"


Soun and his daughters were just in time to see the 'Mechs enter the
Cargo
Bay area. The Orion didn't faze them in the least, but the Clan Mechs
were a
real surprise. It was unlikely that the Clans have begun selling their
Mechs, so for them to possess two meant that they salvaged them after
defeating their mechwarriors in combat.

"Oh my! I've never seen a Loki up close before. I wonder how they
managed
take it away from the Clans?" Kasumi couldn't wait to get her hands into
its
systems. It's very rare that she gets a chance to look, much less work
on,
one of the best BattleMechs in known space. "But what kind of Mech is
that
one next to it? Hmm, it seems to have Clan markings though."

 "Wow! They must be very good if they managed to snatch a Loki and a new
type of Mech from the Clanners." Nabiki's mind was abuzz with schemes to
pull the company out of the poor house. If the Saotomes were good enough
to
gain Clan Mechs, then they just might be what they needed to turn their
fortunes around.

Akane couldn't help noticing the way each step the Clan Mechs took were
done
with precision and swiftness, but didn't want to act like a greenhorn in
front of the students present. Bad enough that she wasn't good enough to
even lead a lance of Mechs yet. So she kept silent, even if she was
anxious
to see her old playmates again.

The three Mechs stopped in front of the Tendos with a flourish, raising
an
arm in salute. The hatch of the Orion opened to reveal a large, bald
mechwarrior wearing antique glasses. "Soun! How are you, you old war
dog?
Ready for a rematch?"

Laughing in response, Soun embraced the mechwarrior as soon as he
climbed
down the mobile gantry. "Of course, you old bear! I still haven't gotten
back at you for last time!"

After exchanging their greetings, Soun directed Genma to his daughters.
"I'm
sure you remember my daughters. This one's Kasumi, next is Nabiki and
last,
but not least, Akane."

Genma looked at each other in turn and shook his head. "Soun, you've
raised
them well! They all look so much like the commander. You must be very
proud
of them."

Turning towards the BattleMechs, Genma shouted at them. "Hey, you two!
Get
down here and say hello to your old playmates!"

Two pigtailed heads appeared from atop the two Clan BattleMechs. "Yo!"
With
that, the two figures began to jump down, using the arms and protrusions
of
the 'Mechs as ledges to jump off from.

The Tendos watched with disbelief at the two acrobats as they made their
way
down their 'Mechs like human mountain goats. Jumping down a 'Mech was
probably the stupidest way to get down a twelve meter tall war machine.
But
these two were doing it with an ease that indicated plenty of practice.

It was when the two were down on the deck were the Tendos able to get a
good
look at them. Up close, the Tendos were able to get a good look at the
two.
Ranma was taller than Ranko by a foot and he had black hair to her red.
But
despite the difference in height, hair color and gender, Ranko and Ranma
could never be mistaken for anything but brother and sister.

Both of them wore the cooling vests that all Mechwarriors wore when
piloting
their BattleMechs. But aside from this, they also wore a single piece,
sleeveless garment that covered them from their necks to their knees. A
pair
of shoulder holsters that carried their personal arms topped all this
off.

Genma stepped over to them and placed a hand over their shoulders. "This
is
Ranma and this is Ranko. Ranma, Ranko. These are the Tendos, your old
playmates, Akane, Nabiki and Kasumi. Soun Tendo over there is their
father."

"Yo! Pop here says that you needed a couple of Mechwarriors to help get
your
company back on its feet." Ranma thumped his chest. "Well, they don't
get
much better than Ranko and me."

Ranko elbowed Ranma and apologized to the Tendos. "Sorry about that.
He's a
bit smug about our skills." Her lips split into a grin as her eyes
twinkled
in mischief. "But he's right. They don't come much better than us."

"Pardon me, Ranma, but how did you two manage to get Clan BattleMechs?"
Kasumi was very curious about the unknown Mech. "They're not noted for
leaving their Mechs for just anyone to salvage them. The one you were
riding
is unknown to me."

"Nope. We didn't salvage these beauties. We stole them right from under
their noses!" Ranma beamed with pride at his ride. "As for my ride,
according to the database we hacked into, it's a new Omni called an
Orochi
or Tiamat. It's supposed to be named after some multi-headed dragon or
something."

"It isn't a bad Mech. It's fast for its size with plenty of armor. Plus,
it
runs pretty cool despite all the energy weapons on it. Wish it wasn't so
big
though, makes it kinda stand out."

"Will you quit whining about that already?" Ranko turned to Kasumi to
explain. "Oneesan here just took whatever he could get his hands on when
we
escaped from the Clanners. He was looking to take a medium Mech, but had
to
settle for big boy over there."

"Hmph! It still seems kind of slow to me, and you're in the same boat
too.
That Loki isn't exactly what I'd call light on its feet."

"So? I kind of like having the extra armor and weapons. I'm tired of
having
such a thin-skinned, under-gunned Mech like that Commando. Besides, it's
not
like we could rebuild them after the Clanners were thru with them."

"Oh my! The Clans captured you?" Kasumi was much more interested in
their
Clan experiences than hearing about their former rides. "It must have
been
quite a trial for you with the way they try to brainwash every one they
capture."

"Nah. It wasn't anything we couldn't handle. The Clanners had nothing on
the
Maskirovka. Now there's a bunch of really sadistic mind twisters.
Compared
to them, the Clanners were a bunch of amateurs." Ranma and Ranko
shivered in
remembrance.

"Hmm, I see." Kasumi tried to think of what kind of trouble the Saotomes
could've gotten into that they were familiar with the methods of the
Capellan Confederation's feared Intelligence organization. She put this
thought behind her as Ranma started to point out the differences between
the
Orochi and the Loki to her while Ranko took this time to get
reacquainted
with the other Tendo sisters.

Spotting Akane, Ranko flung herself at her and caught her in a bear hug.
"Akane! Long time no see, girl! How've you been? Still beating up the
boys?"

"Ah." She had forgotten how enthusiastic Ranko is.

"Hiya, tomboy!" Or how irritating her brother can be in spite of how
cute he
turned out. Wait a sec! Where did THAT come from?

"Baka! You're still calling me unfeminine after all this time? Why I
 oughta." Ranko giggled in remembrance of the antics the two would go
thru
with each other as she held back Akane. Honestly, you'd think they were
interested in each other or something. Interested in each other? Hmm.

"Aw, don't mind him, Akane. That's just the way he is." Ranko looked
behind
Akane and spied her favorite playmate. "Nabiki!"

It was now Nabiki's turn to be squeezed like an orange as Ranko
transferred
her hug. "How ya doin', Nabiki? Still got those kittens we saved? Hey,
that
reminds me! You still owe me ten bucks for the vet!"

Nabiki returned the hug as she attempted to regain her breath. "Geez,
Ranko!
Ease up on the hugs! I still need to breathe, you know?"

Ranko giggled as she released her victim. "Aw, what happened to the
Nabiki
that used to plan on how to get us into the simulators while the grown
ups
weren't looking?" Nabiki smirked.

 "She got sneakier and bought her own simulators!" Both of them laughed
at
that. "So how ya doing, squirt?"

"Hey, ease off on the short jokes." Ranko pouted at her, unaware of how
her
expression and pose made her look extremely sexy. "Bad enough that my
twin
bro is taller than I am."

"<Chuckle>. Still the same old Ranko, I see."

While Ranko and Nabiki got reacquainted, Ranma and Akane reacquainted
also,
but in their own amicable way.

"Hey, baka! Wanna go see if you can still beat my butt in the
simulator?"
Akane wanted to see how much he'd improved since the last time. Or at
least,
that's what she told herself.

"Lead on, tomboy! I wanna see if you still need someone to hold the
control
stick while you push the firing button." Dang, she's cute when she's
like
that. What the heck is he thinking of? This is the Tomboy we're talking
about here. Still.

Nabiki watched as Akane led Ranma to the simulation room. "Hmm, looks
like
sis does have an interest outside Mechs after all." Turning to Ranko,
Nabiki
indicated the departing duo. "What say we tag along and cause a little
mischief for those two for old times sake?"

"Lead on, McDuff. Oneesan has been particularly pompous of late."

------------

Akane waited as her Centurion powered up for the match. The mission was
simple really. Just a search and destroy of the enemy Mech in a forested
area. She would've much preferred an open plain for their contest but
the
computer was the one to choose the arena.

At least, she knew what kind of Mech to expect. From what the briefing
had
stated, Ranma was riding some version of the Panther. From her lessons,
she
knew that the Panther weighed at thirty-five tons and sported a particle
projectile cannon as its main weapon, either extended-range or normal,
with
a short-range missile system as a secondary weapon, possibly Streak SRM.
Anything else is subject to speculation.

This means that she would have a fifteen-ton weight advantage and a
larger
weapons package than her opponent. Plus, she had an ace up her sleeve.
Her
Centurion was the newer 9D variant with jumpjets. This cancelled his
jumping
ability so his only real advantage lay in his speed.

In the back of her mind, Akane wondered why Ranma hadn't chosen a
heavier
Mech that was closer to his own Mech's stats. Still, the Panther was a
well-known hunter/killer. No need to get overconfident.

Nodding to herself, Akane engaged her sensors and started in the
direction
of Ranma's last known position. As she neared the woods, she slowed down
and
took extra care to survey the area for ambushes. Ranma might've shut
down
his Mech so as not to tip of her sensors to his heat signature.

When the sensors showed nothing but snow, she suddenly realized that
Ranma
might have ECM. This didn't do her much good when a PPC bolt slammed
into
her right arm autocannon. There had been no warning as all her sensors
were
being jammed.

Akane twisted quickly and released a salvo of LRMs in the direction
where
the bolt came from, hoping to catch him with a lucky shot as his ECM
made it
impossible for her to get a lock.

The Panther faded back into the woods as her LRMs blasted tree trunks
instead of ferro-fibrous armor.

Akane growled under her breath as she checked on the status of her
autocannon before advancing. Although the Centurion was well armored for
its
weight, the autocannon can only take a few hits like that before going
out
of commission.

If that happened, then her chances of winning this will be halved.

Gritting her teeth in determination, Akane cautiously entered the forest
that hid her prey.

-------

Ranma maneuvered his Panther deeper into the forest as he tracked what
he
could of Centurion's movements with his sensors. Although the trees and
his
ECM did mask its movements as well as his own, there was enough of a
return
to guess roughly where it was headed from this distance, especially with
it
moving like that.

He smirked as he though of what Akane's expression might have been when
he
took the shot at her Mech.

Normally, when confronted with a more heavily armed Mech, Ranma would've
taken the chance of rushing in after the initial shot, confident in his
ability to dodge any return fire, to take out its head with his Streak
SRMs.
Then, with its sensors out, he could take his time disabling the Mech.

But since they were fighting in such a heavily wooded area, he can skip
attacking the sensors and concentrate on its autocannon and legs. This
was
because the composition and density of the vegetation provided enough
interference to make most sensor readings useless.

Now, all he had to do was keep far enough away not to be targeted by her
LRMs while keeping out of the way of the autocannon.

Spotting a good position for an ambush shot, Ranma waited as the sounds
of
the Centurion making its way thru the woods told him that he didn't have
to
wait long. Too bad about it being too humid though or he would've tried
to
overload her heatsinks by burning the underbrush if it weren't.

The Centurion briefly entered Ranma's line of sight. It was enough for
him
to get a shot off with his IIKhan's Claw ERPPC. As it stumbled from the
hit,
Ranma couldn't help but remember the advice of one of his old
instructors.
In a snipe hunt, position is everything.

As he ran off, Ranma could see thru his rear viewer the trees that hid
him
being shredded by sub-munitions. Hmm, the Centurion must mount one of
those
lighter ballistics autocannons. The blast pattern was a lot wider than
it
shoulda been with normal ammo.

"Oops. Looks like she spotted me." Ranma turned the Panther around and
fired
off another shot from his ERPPC at the Centurion before using his
jumpjets
to jump over a clump of fallen forest giants. Cruising ahead at half
speed,
the Panther started to put some distance between the two of them when he
heard the roar of jumpjets being activated.

"Damn! Looks like this is going to be a running battle." Chiding himself
for
not thinking that this Centurion might have jumpjets, Ranma started
angling
his Panther so that he'd circle around ever so slightly like a hunted
deer.

Behind him, stray laser bolts passed slightly to his right. But he
didn't
let these worry him. Even if they were extended range medium lasers,
they
won't be able to hit him from this distance with any accuracy. It's the
LRMs
and the autocannon that he has to worry about.

Stopping abruptly, the Panther pivoted then took off at an angle from
its
original course. Then turning, it pointed its ERPPC in the direction it
just
came from.

-------

Akane saw the Panther disappear thru the trees and pushed her Centurion
to
follow as quickly as it could. There was no way she was going to let it
get
away after getting close enough to use her autocannon on it. It was bad
enough she hadn't been able to hit it so far since the match started.

As her Centurion entered the spot where the Panther disappeared, she was
met
with a PPC bolt right into her Centurion's face and a salvo of six
Streak
SRMs into its chest. "WHAT!"

She had been so intent on catching up with the Panther that she didn't
think
of the possibility of it turning on her. Coupled with the unreliability
of
her sensors due to the Panther's ECM and the forest, this allowed it to
get
the jump on her.

"Game over." The computer's feminine voice intoned Akane's death knell
as it
decided that the direct PPC bolt had penetrated her Centurion's head
armor
and killed the pilot.

Akane ripped off her control helmet with a scream of frustration. She
couldn
't believe it. A Mech that was fifteen tons lighter than her Centurion
had
managed to take her down without even taking a single shot! No way was
anyone THAT good.

"Gee, Akane. You didn't even tag him once! Who'd have thought that your
fianc� would be so much better a mechwarrior than you are?" Nabiki's
smirk
could be heard from the speakers inside the sim-pod.

"Who said anything about his being MY fianc�, Nabiki?" Akane was peeved
that
her sister had seen her defeat. She was going to hear about this for a
long
time.

"Eh? Fianc�?" Ranko's voice could be heard in the background. "Akane has
a
fianc�? Ooh, who is it?"

"What? The tomboy has a fianc�? Poor guy. Who's the unlucky slob?"
Ranma's
voice could be heard on another channel into the control booth of the
simulators.

Akane didn't hear the reply as Nabiki had turned off the intercom, but
she
did hear Ranma's response thru the pod's walls. "WHAT! OTOSAN NO BAKA!"

-------------

Genma painfully pushed himself up from the floor of his cabin after the
twins have had a chance to cool down enough to listen to reason. "Look,
boy,
I know you don't like having your fianc�e chosen for you but it's a
matter
of family honor. You have to accept the engagement."

Ranma glared at Genma from where he was being restrained by his sister.
"Since when did you care about honor, Pops? It's always been something
you
could conveniently forget when you wanted to."

"Ever since I realized that this engagement comes with Mech Company as a
dowry." Genma shrugged. Or at least, he tried to but his shoulders were
too
sore. "Besides, it's only an engagement. Not like I could force you to
actually marry the Tendos. Anyway, that still doesn't change the fact
that
they need a Mech commander to handle the tactical scene. The engagement
is
just a formality. If you want, just train Akane to take over. That way,
you
can get out of the engagement without any problems."

Ranma grumbled loudly at the injustice of it all. "It still stinks. Man,
Akane's really gonna pound me for this."

"Oh? Sounds like you've picked out your fianc�e already, Oneesan." Ranko
smirked at her brother, mischief dancing in her eyes.

"Baka, you know how short-tempered she was. You think she's changed much
since then? She's gonna blame me for this. I just know it! She always
did
when one of her ideas went wrong."

"You remember that much?" Ranko stared at her brother. It's been ten,
maybe
twelve years, since they last saw the Tendos. She found it hard to
believe
that Ranma could actually remember what happened that far back.

"You weren't the one that got hit by her every time she got mad. My ribs
still hurt from all those elbows." Ranko giggled in response.

"So I take it you're going to put up with it?" Ranma's shoulders slumped
in
resignation as he sat down on the cot.

"Sigh. Yeah. The company is in bad shape. Most of the astechs are either
old-timers or newbies waiting for a better berth. The mechs are
relatively
decent if a bit old, but the few mechwarriors they do have are either
greenhorns or thinking of buying out their contract and looking for work
elsewhere cause of the lack of action. All in all, they're a company
that's
about to disband unless business picks up."

"Yeah. I got the same results. It'd be a shame to let that happen now
that
we're here." Ranko slapped her brother on the back. "Cheer up! This is a
better start than building our own merc company from scratch. This way,
we
start out with a dropship and several mechs with support. Even if this
thing
doesn't work out, it's still a good way to build up our rep. This way,
we
help both our old friends and ourselves."

"Feh, easy for you to say. You aren't the one getting engaged to the
violent
tomboy." For some reason, Ranma felt a shiver run thru his spine like as
if
a tracking laser were being trained on him. Must be just nerves getting
to
him.

---------

"Why that no good baka.!" Akane's grip on the console threatened to
crush
its reinforced polymer covering. Around her, various other monitors
showed
the other vital points of the dropship such as the control room and the
engine room. "How can he say that about me?"

"I guess you did leave a lasting impression on him, Akane." Nabiki
chuckled
as she fiddled with the panel. It was a good thing that she installed
those
hidden cameras and microphones all over the ship. It helped reinforce
her
image as the all-knowing captain of the Way to Heaven. "A bit too
lasting
though."

"Still, you have to admit they are right. You don't have to marry Ranma.
Just go thru the engagement as a formality so that no one will question
him
taking operational command of the company. Then, when he's finished
training
you, you can take over."

Akane grumbled fiercely. "I still don't like it. The pervert might try
something because of the engagement. You know that all guys are
perverts."

Nabiki raised an eyebrow and considered her little sister. Seems like
her
old boyfriends had made a big impression on her. Problem was, it was the
wrong kind of impression from what she could see.

------------

The next day, Ranma and Ranko took the troops out with Akane to see who
were
good enough to trust around a Mech, while Nabiki and Soun went to see
about
getting a contract. That they were disappointed was an understatement.

Most of them weren't ready yet for the battlefield, and the only five
mechwarriors they could trust behind their backs were greenies,
including
Akane. This gave them nine mechwarriors with their respective Mechs,
just
three Mechs short of a full company. Plus, they didn't have any vehicles
or
infantry to support them.

This was not good. Who would hire them like this?

Ranma watched in exasperation as the Valkyrie landed awkwardly on its
butt
behind the Battle Hawk as it tried to position itself to attack the
Battle
Hawk's rear. A kilometer or so away, Ranko was busy with Hiroshi and
Yuka in
their Mechs as she put them thru target practice against a moving
target,
mainly herself. Behind them, the Way of Heaven looked down at them as
the
day wore on.

"Daisuke! You're going to have to avoid using moves like that if you
haven't
mastered them yet! Get up and do fifty jumps. Maybe that will help you
learn
to do it right! Sayuri, you should've been more alert to Daisuke's
moves!
You knew he had jumpjets and you've seen him practice yet you didn't do
anything when he took off. Additional simulation time for you!"

Groans could be heard thru the comm. as the green mechwarriors watched
their
leisure time fly away. They had been training hard since morning as
Ranma
and Ranko drove them on at a furious pace. Trying to prepare them as
quickly
as they could for when they would be deploy.

The private channel beeped to attract his attention, so he muted the
command
channel he was using. "Yo, bro! How's your bunch coming along?"

"Not bad, sis. They might be green, but Crying Man did a good job of
teaching them the basics. They just need a little seasoning and they'll
be
ready. How about yours?"

"About the same. Both of them need to work on their marksmanship and
Hiroshi
has to learn how to work in concert with Sayuri, but nothing that I
can't
handle. How's Scarlet doing?"

Ranma jetted his Orochi sideways as Akane swung the torso of her
Centurion
around trying to get a bead on him with her right-arm LB5-X. He then
jumped
over the Centurion as she tried to use the left-hand ER-medium laser to
tag
him, taking care not to overshoot her by too much as he twisted in
midair to
be able to face her when he landed.

Landing right behind her, Ranma stopped the Centurion from swinging
around
by clamping its left arm with his Orochi's left hand and pointed his
ERPPC
at the Centurion's head. When he was sure that Akane got the point, the
Orochi released its hold and stepped back.

"Not bad. Better than a greenie. She's at least a regular in terms of
skill.
All she needs is experience and she could command a lance. Wait a sec."

Turning on the command channel, he started to critique Scarlet's moves.
"Yo
Akane, you need to use those jumpjets of yours more. They aren't just
for
jumping over stuff, you know. You've got to think more three
dimensionally.
Your legs won't always be able to get you out of trouble."

Foul oaths could be heard from the Akane as she verbally expresses her
frustration at fighting Ranma. "Damn it! Stand still so that I can tag
you!"

"Now what kinda training is that? You think your enemy is going to stand
still so that you can shoot him? You gotta learn how to out think and
out
maneuver your opponent better, Akane."

"It just isn't fair that a Mech as big as yours could move like that!"

Here Ranko felt the need to get a few things straight. "What does fair
have
anything to do with riding a Mech, Akane? We're mercenaries. We don't go
for
all that honor stuff. We can't afford it."

"Ranko's right, Akane." Ranma transferred their conversation to a
private
channel. "Mech combat isn't like the stuff you see on the holovids. It's
usually dirty and hard. Even the Clans aren't above backstabbing when
they
can get away with it."

"Yeah, the Clanners always had better, meaner Mechs than us." Ranko's
voiced
chirped up from the comm. "Why do you think we like these Clan Mechs we
got
so much? This way you got the chance to practice against a Clan Mech
without
getting blown up by it. Sims just can't compare."

Akane moved her Centurion closer to Ranma's Orochi. "You mean I lost
cause
Ranma's in a Clan Mech?"

"Nope!" Ranma had to cut this off at the bud or else Akane will think
Mech
combat is just a matter of who's got the better Mech. "You've got it all
wrong. Even if I had been using a slower Mech like a Victor, I'd still
beat
you. If you'd used your jumpjets more creatively like I did, you
would've
done better."

"He's right, Akane." Ranko backed up her brother. "You knew that both
your
Mechs have the same speed and possess jumpjets. The rules were that the
one
who could tag the other first would win. You just lost to a better
mechwarrior, pure and simple."

"It just doesn't seem right that his Orochi can move like that, Ranko. I
have trouble doing half his moves and I'm riding a medium Mech!"

"So? That just shows how good he is. All you need to do is practice a
lot
and study the stats and moves of other Mechs and their pilots. Heck,
look at
me. I can do all his moves and I do them faster!"

"But not better, sis, not better. You tend to get careless when you rush
those moves. Just a sec." Ranma turned on the command channel when he
noticed Daisuke slacking off. "Higher, Daisuke, higher! You need to go
higher to do that move right!"

The comm. squawked as Nabiki entered into the conversation. "Ranma,
Akane,
Ranko. You three better get back here. We've got a line on a potential
contract, but we need the three of you to look it over before we
accept."

Ranma acknowledged the transmission. "Right, Nabiki. Could you send Pops
to
take over?"

"Will do."

Switching channels, Ranma called in his sister, a grin making its way
across
his face. "Better pull them in, sis. Looks like we got us a bite."

------------

"Well, it doesn't look too bad when you consider how many Mechs we
have."
Ranma and Ranko looked over the contract with Nabiki. "It might be a bit
closer to the Clan lines than I'd like, but the place does have its own
garrison and all we gotta do is guard the research facilities
themselves.
Not the whole planet."

Behind them, looking smug was Nabiki dressed in her immaculate yet sexy
captain's uniform while hovering in-between the twins was Akane, showing
her
impatience by shoving Ranma aside to make room for her. "Let me see,
baka!
How am I supposed to see if you keep blocking the monitor?"

"Hmm, we'll need to know what facilities and installations have priority
incase of worst case scenario." Ranma traced his fingers along the
wording
of the contract, trying to ignore his reluctant fianc�e. "I want an
added
clause that clearly states that I decide on how the Mechs should be
deployed. Also need to add a waiver to this that'll absolve us of
responsibility incase we're outgunned and have to retreat.

"Gotta hand it to you, Nabiki. This looks sweet." Ranko looked at her
with
respect as Nabiki smiled enigmatically, while Akane pored thru the
document.
"What's the catch?"

Nabiki frowned. She had wanted to keep the catch a secret until after
they
accepted the contract. "Our potential patron has a reputation of being a
bit
eccentric. Plus, he has this habit of reneging on contracts if he can
getaway with it."

Before the twins could cut in, Nabiki quickly forestalled them. "He
isn't
too bad as long as we keep an eye on him and insist on cash up front.
And
don't worry. I'll send him your conditions and my revisions so that he
can't
backstab us with the contract. It'll be ironclad, I guarantee it."

A horrible suspicion occurred to Akane. "Nabiki, that patron who gave
you
this contract wouldn't be.Happosai, would it? Please tell me it isn't
Happosai."

Nabiki winced as Akane's guess hit the bull's-eye. She had hoped to do
some
damage control before the Saotomes finally met the infamous
entrepreneur,
arms merchant and pervert supreme, but it looks like her sister had
tipped
her hand.



Continuing...