Hard Choices
Sarna News
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| Hard Choices | |
|---|---|
| Story information | |
| Author | Marc Follin |
| Type | Short Story |
| Product | Shrapnel Issue 14 |
| Content | |
| Era | ilClan era |
| Timeline | 13-22 June 3151 |
Hard Choices is a short story by Marc Follin that was published in the fourteenth issue of Shrapnel.
Plot summary
On his unit's cantonment, Lieutenant Gabriel Morales, of the Republic of the Sphere army, ssists to the reproduction of the holomessage in which the Exarch Devlin Stone dissolves the Republic. Soon, the unit's members, which was in Free Worlds League space, found themselves divided about what to do. Gabriel's superiors ask him about his opinion, and order him to remain calm. After meeting with his pregnant wife, the Lieutenant talks with her about what to do. Being natives from Callison, in the Wolf Empire territory, found themselves homeless. The next day, Gabriel is awakened by a call of Varin, one of his men. He had been caught off base, and after Morales reunites with him, the young explains him he had been talking with mercenaryes of the unit Baker's Butchers, about defecting the base and joining them. The leader of the Butchers also offers a place to Morales, which didn't answer. After talking about the offer with his wife, Gabriel realizes than joining the mercenaries is their only real chance. Morales talks with Baker, which tells him than, to be accepted, he has to steal several 'Mechs, ammo and parts. Reluctantly, he agrees, though he didn't want to shoot his former comrades. The next night, Gabriel, his wife and two more MechWarriors infiltrated in their 'mech hangar. A firefight between former RAF soldiers ensues outside the base, and Gabriel's lance uses the chaos to escape. Despite being forces to shoot his former comrades, they didn't kill anyone. Once in the Butcher's DropShip, departing to space, Gabriel and his wife talked about what they will do, and they planned to abandon the Butchers once they finish their first contract.
Featured characters
- Gabriel Morales
- Helena Winslow
- Ji-Young
- Thompson
- Varin