Receiving Ends
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Receiving Ends | |
|---|---|
| Short story by Donavan Dufault | |
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| Publication | |
| Published | 15 September 2022 |
| Published in | Shrapnel Issue 10 |
| Publisher | Catalyst Game Labs |
| Pages | 9 |
| Chronology | |
| Era | Clan Invasion era |
| Timeline | 8 July 3050 |
Receiving Ends is a short story by Donavan Dufault that was published in the tenth issue of Shrapnel.
Contents
Plot Summary[edit]
Clan Wolf MechWarrior Skadi awakens in her Nova, underwater, on 3 July 3050. She and her Star, under the command of Star Commander Keithen, had been attacking the planet Planting in the Federated Commonwealth as part of the Clan Invasion. A group of unknown defenders had blown the bridge she and Keithen were crossing, and both had fallen into the sea. After finding her 'Mech wasn't seriously damaged, she examined her star commander's Mad Dog, and noticed that the cockpit had been crushed and he was dead. She managed to climb out of the water and rejoined the rest of her Star in the battle.
On planet, they were facing the Forty-first Avalon Hussars, but their opponents, a simple lance of unidentified 'Mechs, weren't Hussars.
As none of her starmates wanted to take command, Skadi took over, assigning targets. She took down the heaviest enemy target, a Dervish, despite the physical attacks of the Inner Sphere MechWarrior. Skadi immobilized the enemy 'Mech and dismounted. When the enemy pilot tried to abandon his disabled machine, she caught up and began kicking him. He was an older pilot named Suffield.
Skadi was furious over Keithen's death, and surprised herself when she discovered that she was crying. Then, Suffield laughed, relieved to see that the Clanners were also human, and explained to her, in depth, that he also cried whenever his unit lost someone. After Skadi pointed out that she had killed enemies before, her prisoner said that was very different, to be at the receiving end of the kicks.
Suffield's words force Skadi to reevaluate her feelings about her commander, and she accepted that she felt bad for having lost the chance to win the Star Commander's respect.
Skadi interrogated her prisoner, searching for info about the Hussars' location and defenses. Suffield initially pretended to know nothing, but after Skadi threatened to kill him with her vibrosword, he finally told her what he knew, in exchange for her promise to have the Wolves to treat his mercenary unit well. She accepted, and offered a hand to her captive, smiling for having a chance to honor her commander by winning the day for Clan Wolf.
Featured Characters[edit]
- Star Commander Keithen
- MechWarrior Skadi
- MechWarrior Suffield
- Yara