BattleTech: The Nellus Academy Incident: BattleTech

By Jennifer Brozek

THE WARRIORS OF TOMORROW… 

The battlefields of the 31st century are ruled by the BattleMech; twelve-meter-tall, 100-ton bipedal engines of pure destruction. Piloted by MechWarriors, commanded by neo-feudal officers, owned by national governments and band of mercenaries, these ’Mechs make every other ground combat vehicle obsolete. 

This is the warfare of fusion-powered giants. 

This is BattleTech. 

THRUST INTO BATTLE TODAY…

Allegra Greene is no stranger to the military; her father is a general, after all. But when she enters the Nellus Military Academy, she finds far more than she expected. She finds a group of friends that will keep her going, challenging training, and instructors that push her to the edge and beyond.

Unfortunately, that's not all she finds, and soon the endemic politics and warfare of the Inner Sphere reach the Nellus Academy. And when their spaceship is hijacked and crash-lands on a remote moon, Allegra and her friends find themselves in a life-or-death struggle just to survive!
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Catalyst Game Labs
• Release date: Mar 22, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386845232

Book preview

Chapter One

Pylos

Nestor

Free World League

16 October 3067

I suppose you’ll want me to pull my hair back and show off my scars for everyone recording the event, won’t you? That’ll make a nice bit of PR, Allegra said, the acid of her sarcasm burning through every word. I can see it now, ‘Allegra Greene, daughter of the famous war hero, Colonel Seamus Greene, will be accompanying General Gurald Eichner on this historic flight,’ all while they do close-ups on my mangled face.

Your face is not mangled, it is scarred. And as a Cadet Second Class, you’ll wear your hair within regs. Seamus was not perturbed by his teenage daughter’s tantrum. Whether that means you cut it short in an attempt to hide your most distinctive feature or not is up to you.

Why are we moving here anyway? I don’t want to move to Pylos.

Pylos is the capital city of Nestor, and I was ordered to come here. And let’s not forget the Nellus Academy.

She rolled her eyes at the mention of her new school. I want to go home!

How’s it feel to want?

Familiar, she grumbled and suppressed a smile.

The in-joke lightened the tension and reminded her that he thought she was being unreasonable. She, however, felt she had every reason in the world to be unreasonable. She had been removed from her home with just two years of cadet training left before she could join the military for real. Now, she had to start all over with instructors and peers alike. And for what? Because some high mucky-muck decided her famous father would be a nice addition to his staff.

She tried a different tact. I’m sure you’re going to love being in charge of the newest refueling station on Nestor Three.

"Whether or not I like being in charge of a refueling station on a moon base is irrelevant. Neither is whether or not you are going to behave yourself on the PR parade. You will not embarrass me. Is that understood?"

She gave him the kind of sigh only a long-suffering teenager could pull off. "Yes, sir. I’ll behave and I’m sure I’m going to just love the new school. I’m sure the other cadets are just going to love me, too—especially after I steal one of their spots on this oh-so important PR stunt."

Seamus smiled patiently at his daughter over his noteputer screen, That’s my girl.

It was Allegra’s second day at the academy. Everything she had feared was coming true: she did have to prove herself all over again. The whispers about her were rampant. Right now, she sat in a small classroom with seven other students. However, as academies went, she had to admit this was one of the better ones she’d at tended. There was an attention to detail and a sense of discipline amongst the student body. At least on first blush. She’d have to wait and see for the rest.

The other students in the room were all vaguely familiar to her—the Nellus Academy was small—but she’d only met one so far: Kirk Nolan, another Second Class Cadet like her. Their uniforms had two bars on their shoulders showing their rank. He was a handsome, blond guy who spoke like he expected to host a tri-vid show someday. She ignored the others as they quietly talked among themselves until a too loud whisper caught her attention.

I heard she killed three of them with her bare hands, a young, redheaded boy said to a girl with wavy brown hair and slanted eyes that spoke of a mixed heritage.

Is that where she got the scar? the girl whispered back. Allegra didn’t raise her head from the homework she was reading. Scarred. Not deaf, she said, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

The silence afterward wasn’t the awkward, embarrassed silence she expected. Instead, it was the waiting silence of seeing who would blink first. As she stared at her reader, pretending to not care, Allegra waited.

Hesitation! Kirk announced. Point conceded to Greene. Holloway, rebuttal?

Uh…

Non-statement, Kirk overrode him. Point and match to Greene. Congratulations, Allegra, you’ve just won your first verbal spar at Nellus. Any comments for the audience?

Allegra looked at Kirk, trying to determine if he was messing with her. From the smiles on the older cadets’ faces, he wasn’t. She shrugged. Sure. If you have questions about me, why don’t you ask?

Although his face was beet-red, the one called Holloway nodded and asked, Well, did you kill three of the enemy?

And you are…?

Fourth Class Cadet Aster Holloway.

Allegra nodded. She knew the name. Everyone knew about the Holloway weather control satellites. They were the reason that Nestor was famed for its wines. Fourth Class meant this was his first year at the academy. They were also known as baby bars because of the half bar on their uniform sleeve. Nice to meet you. And no, I didn’t kill any of ‘the enemy.’ I killed two mercenaries with a needler. One was a lucky shot. The other was already almost dead.

Joseph Robson, First Class. Why are you here? The question was thrown at her like a challenge to duel. The speaker was a clean-cut, dusky-skinned guy with a shaved head. Well built, he had the kind of arrogance that comes from knowing you’re the best. His brief smile did not reach his eyes. First Class was the graduating class of the academy. Most people spent four years at Nellus. They had the star designation on their uniform shoulder.

I’m here because I’m the daughter of a war hero who got orders that brought him to this lovely planet. I’m in this room with you because, like all of you, your parents are someone important, and we’re all about to be trotted out for a bunch of grips and grins to show off Nestor’s future.

Joseph frowned. A bunch of grips and grins…?

Kirk nodded. She’s right. I’m pretty sure Dad’s running the tri-vid of this whole thing. I’m here because I’ve got the looks and I’m the top of my class. And we all know about Holloway’s back ground.

Science! Aster agreed.

Kirk continued, There’s two ‘top of classes’ from each grade here.

Grips and grins are no big deal. You get used to them, Allegra said. She looked at the other First Class cadet, a vaguely familiar looking pixie-haired girl with lanky limbs and a smattering of freckles across her cheeks. Who are you?

I’m Sigrid Zelenova.

Allegra paused. Zelenova.

Sigrid nodded and smiled. I understand your plight. And I can build or rebuild anything out there. Especially ’Mechs. Obviously, the skill runs in the family.

Obviously. Allegra smiled at her, understanding the difficulty of having famous parents. It’s nice to meet you.

I’m Rustin Lake, Cadet Third Class. My parents are politicians. I’m the top of my class in R&D. Weapons are a specialty. The speaker was a handsome black teenager with serious eyes.

The guy next to Rustin added, He’s also a damn good cook. I’m George Hawthorne, Third Class. I’m top in my class as a pilot. Both of them had the single full bar on their shoulders.

Eagles first and foremost! Joseph said with obvious pride.

Like you? Allegra asked him.

Best damn MechWarrior in the academy. He paused. But my parents aren’t anyone special.

Were you born here?

Yes.

Hometown hero, then. Gotta have one of those. Bet you’re good at sports, too. Allegra dismissed him with a turn of her head. She looked at the only person who hadn’t introduced herself: the girl Aster had been trying to impress. And you?

Lily Orit. Cadet Fourth Class, ma’am. Her voice was lyrical and shy, barely above a whisper.

Allegra smiled. Not ma’am. Just Allegra or Greene. What’s your story?

My parents are really important in the medical industry. And I’m going to be a medic, like them. I’ve tested off the charts for math and science. She paused, opening her mouth and then shut it again.

What’s your question, Lily? Allegra asked, her voice soft.

Why didn’t you get the scar fixed?

While she felt her face flush, the bane of all gingers and blonds, Allegra was proud that her voice was steady. The scar is too close to vital nerves and arteries to fix. It stretches from my brow, down my neck to my collarbone.

She paused, watching Lily’s face. She could see the girl frown at her obvious lie and continued, Also, while it could be fixed somewhat, it would never be erased. There would always be a scar no matter what. I’d rather keep the scar I got and remember its lesson.

What’s that? Joseph asked.

That you can’t always save the ones you love, but you can get revenge.

What do you think, Fitz? Force Commander Torin Szasz, an older man with a whipcord-lean body, asked.

They’re a good-looking bunch of kids, Commander. I think they’ll do just fine. Perfect for the ‘grips and grins,’ as Greene said.

The Commander nodded. I like the way Greene took charge of the room when her background came up.

She’s slated for War College if she keeps up her grades and performance. Fitz paused and then said, I wonder where Holloway heard that bit about her killing ‘three of the enemy’.

The older man glanced at his master sergeant with a sly grin. All kinds of places to get and put information.

Fitz shook his head.

Szasz shrugged. I know you don’t like it, but the General needs this boost in morale and confidence. Nestor spent a lot to get that refueling station. Word on high says the war’s coming to us no matter how stable the border’s been over the past few years.

Turning to look at Fitz, Szasz continued, The Lyran Alliance is up to something. I know that. So do they. He gestured to the kids on the monitor. We need the planet behind Eichner. We need the kids to get the hearts of the people involved. It’s these kids who’ll be fighting the coming war.

I know. Don’t need to preach to the choir, Commander. Fitz rubbed his brow. They’re a good-looking bunch of kids, he repeated.

Not by design. We got lucky. In this case, the top of the class all ended up having good genetics.

Fitz nodded as he put on his jacket. Time to lay it on the line for them. They’ll be ready to be part of posterity when the big day comes.

Counting on you.

I know. Master Sergeant Shaun Fitzwilliam left the monitoring station and headed down to the classroom, where he would put the fear of him into the kids. They would behave. They had to. They were Nellus Academy students, and they were his kids.

Chapter Two

Pylos

Nestor

Free Worlds League

18 October 3067

You blew up one of the science labs? Allegra asked.

Yes! Lily said, smiling. You should have seen it.

It was only half the lab, Aster protested. Not the whole thing.

And you didn’t get suspended?

The eight of them stopped as the classroom door opened and Master Sergeant Shaun Fitzwilliam strode in. As he did, he unbuttoned his Class A jacket, shrugged it off his massive shoulders and hung it up. Every student in the room sat at attention, focused on the cadre member in front of them.

Now that you all have had some time to get to know each other, let’s talk about this little ‘grips and grins’ event you all are about to become a part of. Fitz looked at the young faces before him and saw what he expected: neutral expressions with hints of surprise and suspicion in their eyes.

Lesson number one: you will be monitored constantly from the moment the student list goes to the PR department. That means you are required to be on your best behavior 24/7. This isn’t just because the tri-vid jackals want your number. This is because you will be attractive targets for any Lyran spies. Make no mistake about it, cadets, we are at war. And I don’t care one bit that Nestor hasn’t seen a lick of it. Do I make myself clear?

Yes, Master Sergeant! the cadets responded in unison.

Questions?

Immediately two desks lit up. Fitz nodded at Joseph. Robson.

Will we be monitored inside our homes? Joseph looked concerned at the idea.

Fitz nodded, Of course. From now until we deem it safe to stop. He turned to Rustin. Cadet Lake, your question?

Do our parents know about this? The monitoring?

Yes. And you may speak about this to them.

Allegra hesitated, and then pressed the key to indicate she had a question as well.

Cadet Greene, your question?

Why were we being monitored before you walked in?

Need to know, Cadet.

Allegra frowned, But—

Do not mistake this for a conversation, Greene.

The look the master sergeant gave her in contrast to his calm tone was enough to shut Allegra down, despite her annoyance at the need to know crap. From what little she had seen, Fitzwilliam was not a man to be messed with.

He looked around the room. A complete schedule and historical background notes on the refueling station has been down loaded to your noteputers. Learn them, know them, live them. Your regular classes are suspended for the next two days while the eight of you become the best of pals. I expect to see you traveling in a pack at all times.

Cool, Aster murmured as he glanced at Lily. She rolled her eyes and then turned her attention back to Fitzwilliam. Both of them smiled to themselves.

Cadet Greene, you’ve been through this sort of thing before, with the ceremonies after the attack on your previous home. I expect you to be a voice of authority and to share your expertise. You don’t need to be the spokesperson of the group…that’s Nolan’s job. But be there when the rest need it.

Yes, Master Sergeant, Allegra said, wondering how long it would be before the rest throttled her. First, she was shoved into a position of honor she hadn’t earned. Then, she was made the expert, because she had suffered through numerous rebuilding ceremonies with her father. Great.

Cadet Robson, your family will be hosting a dinner tonight for all of the families involved. Make sure all of the cadets know how to get to the winery.

Yes, Master Sergeant.

Allegra glanced over her shoulder and saw that Joseph had mastered the neutral expression so well that she could not tell if he was happy or upset at the sudden influx of people at his home tonight. If it were her home, she would be pissed.

All right. Review your schedule. Your classes will be in this room for the next two days. There’s plenty of reading for you to do. Not to mention the PR survey. That’s due within the next hour. So, jump on it. ETA for Doctor Ventley is seventy minutes. He’ll need some of that survey information.

Fitzwilliam looked at the students for a moment before nodding, retrieving his jacket, and leaving the room.

For a long moment, no one spoke. Then George said, Hey Allegra…I don’t know how to fill out this survey. Why don’t you help me, O Voice of Authority?

Stuff it, Hawthorne. Allegra glared at her noteputer.

Inadequate insult! Kirk announced. Point goes to George. Continuation, George?

I just can’t do it without your expert experience. George grinned.

You can stuff it, too. Allegra scowled at Kirk.

Misdirection. Point and match to Hawthorne. Comments for the audience, George?

Nah. I’m good, George said.

Congrats, Allegra. You’ve just lost your first verbal sparring match at Nellus. How do you feel? It was clear that Kirk enjoyed this game.

Like I need to beat you about the head and shoulders.

Promises, promises…

Ahem, Sigrid interrupted. The two of you can enact your courtship tonight at the winery. I know Joseph’s got just the place for it. We’ve all got a survey to finish.

Allegra looked at Joseph and wondered at his knowing grin.

Joseph’s place for it turned out to be a private dojo, complete with sparring ring.

After an interminable dinner, with the teenagers awkwardly mixing with the adults, Joseph’s father had suggested that Joseph show his guests around the grounds. Allegra had never seen so many people happy to have something else to do—and she was just as eager. It was too painful to watch the parents mingle with the cadre of Nellus, wanting to talk about their kids but refraining because said kids were in the room.

The tour of the house and the winery grounds consisted of Joseph pointing at things and naming them as they trooped passed. Most of it consisted of And that’s the library. and Over there’s the cask room. and Out there’s where the grapes are. It was clear he had a destination in mind rather than actually showing them around the grounds; one that Sigrid and Kirk both knew about from the smiles on their faces. His introduction to the dojo had been, And this is my place.

Built in the form of a geodesic dome, the dojo had two levels: one for hand-to-hand work and one, the lower half-buried level, for ranged weaponry. Allegra couldn’t help feeling a pang of envy. All her life she had moved every two to three years. She’d never lived in anything but government housing until Nestor. Even the officer’s quarters were smaller than this private playground.

Joseph took off his jacket and grinned. So, who wants to spar?

Sigrid shrugged off her jacket as well. I’m in. Open hand?

He nodded. No weapons, first fall wins.

Allegra shed her uniform jacket with the rest of them and watched with interest. She liked to spar. Most military brats knew how to win and lose gracefully. Despite not being a military brat and growing up privileged, Joseph seemed to fit in just fine.

Sigrid and Joseph stepped into the circle, but instead of doing any sort of opening ritual, Sigrid immediately moved in with a couple of aggressive punches. Joseph dodged and blocked, returning punches when he could. He saw an opening and went for a leg sweep. Sigrid zigged when she should have zagged, and landed on her butt.

Popping up like a cork in water, she grinned while the rest applauded. Two out of three.

Joseph’s answer was another leg sweep. Sigrid stepped over his leg and countered by snapping her right heel out, connecting with his shoulder. With only one foot to stabilize himself, Joseph tumbled backward.

With a roll, he was standing again, joy all over his face. "So that’s