Receiving Ends
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| Receiving Ends | |
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| Story information | |
| Author | Donavan Dufault |
| Type | Short Story |
| Product | Shrapnel Issue 10 |
| Content | |
| Universe Date | 8 July 3050 |
Receiving Ends is a short story by Donavan Dufault that was published in the tenth issue of Shrapnel.
Plot summary
The Clan Wolf warrior Skadi awakens inside her Nova 'Mech, underwater, the 3 July 3050. She and her Star, under the command of Star Commander Keithen, had been attacking the planet Planting of 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 under the sea. After finding her 'Mech wasn't seriously damaged, she examined her commander's Mad Dog, and constates than the cockpit had been crushed and than he was dead. she managed to take her 'Mech out of the water, and rejoins the rest of her Star in the battle. On planet, they were facing the Forty-first Avalon Hussars, but their oponents, a simple lance of unintified 'Mechs, weren't of those. As any of her starmates wants to take command, Skadi takes it, assigning the targets. She took the heaviest' enemy target, the Dervish, down, despite the physical attacks of the Inner Sphere MechWarrior. Skadi immovilized the enemy 'Mech and dismounts. When the enemy pilot tried to abandon his disabled machine, she throw him out and began kicking him. He was a older pilot named Suffield. Skadi was furious over Keithen's death, and surprised herself discovering than she was crying. Then, Suffield laughs, relieved to see than the Clanners are also human, and explains her, comprensively, than he also cried when his unit losed someone. After Skadi pointed than she had killed enemies before, his prisoner saids than is very different, to be at the receiving ends of the kicks. Suffield's words force Skadi to reevaluate her feelings about her commander, and she accepts than she feels bad for having lost the chance to win the Star Commander's respect. Skadi interrogated his prisoner, searching for info about the Hussars' loaction and defenses. Suffield initially pretends to know nothing, but after Skadi threatened to kill him with her vibrosword, he finally saids her what he knowns, in exchange of her word to the Wolves to treat his mercenary unit well. She accepts, and offers a hand to his captive, smiling for having a chance to honor her commander winning the day for Clan Wolf.
Featured characters
- Keithen
- Skadi
- Suffield
- Yara
Featured BattleTech
- Dervish
- Hermes II
- Mist Lynx (Koshi)
- Locust
- Stormcrow (Ryoken)
- Nova (Black Hawk)
- Mad Dog (Vulture)
- Valkyrie