Chapter One Hundred and One: Duel (Modified Both lose)

Chapter One Hundred and One: Duel (Modified Both lose)

Proserpina, June 2nd, 3020

"You may only land with one Dropship and only your personal 'mech may leave." I was informed. "You have been selected as First Prince Ian Davion's second in this duel of honor between the Coordinator and your liege lord."

"I'll be dropping in an aerodyne, and only my personal Warhammer will be disembarking from the dropship." I informed Tai-Sho Ano Rentoshi. "Do not open fire or the Kentares Guard will come in and kill you."

"You are promised safe passage alone to the dueling site." Tai-Sho Rentoshi repeated. "Do not deviate from the course we provide."

"Well, Ian's being stupid again." I shrugged at Colonel Packer. "I'm taking the Messenger down along with Natasha." I looked the command staff in the eye. "I want everyone to honor the outcome of the duel no matter what may happen. Am I understood?"

"Yes sir!" Echoed through.

"Good, now I've got a dropship to catch." I told them.

June 6th, 3020

"Tai-Sho, I think this would be a good spot for the duel to take place." I looked out over the maps that I had been provided. "It provides no specific side an advantage, and in fact, grants them both a disadvantage."

"Hmm," The Tai-Sho stroked his mustache. "We shall have to go and inspect it personally, but I am inclined to agree with you."

"Let's get a VTOL and go take a look then." I said in response. "We don't exactly have time to waste if we want this duel set for tomorrow."

"Yes, let us go." Rentoshi replied, and he called an aid over to get a VTOL for us. "I did not expect one such as you to take to the duties of a second so well." Rentoshi attempted to make conversation while we waited.

"Just because I don't believe in fighting fair on the battlefield doesn't mean that I am without honor." I stated, "And I always carry out my duty to my liege as I am assigned."

"Well then, may I never meet you on the battlefield." Rentoshi said as he stood still as a statue

.

Meanwhile, I just folded my arms across my pilot Mithril suit and waited for the VTOL to arrive. I had already given Ian a piece of my mind earlier, and was now just discharging my duties as necessary.

–

–

Three hours later…

Rentoshi and I stepped out of the VTOL, ready to do a visual inspection of the area that we thought would make for the best place to conduct the duel.

"Yes, I think this will do quite nicely." I said as we looked at the two hundred square acres of plains and forest around us. "There's no real advantage no matter where you start."

"Yes, we would have to start them on opposite sides of the forest in order for it to be equivalent for both sides." Rentoshi offered up.

"Alright, seeing as both sides are equal, we're going to flip a coin for it." I said and I reached into a pouch on my Mithril tac vest and drew out an old USA quarter. "This is a quarter from the old Terran United States of America." I explained to the Tai-Sho. "You call heads, and if it lands there, you get first pick of the side, if it lands tails, I get first pick."

"That sounds more than enough." The Tai-Sho agreed. "Let us flip this coin."

"Alright." I agreed, and flipped the coin onto the dusty ground beneath our feet while Rentoshi called "Heads".

Looking down, I let him see what it had landed on before I grabbed it.

"Tai-Sho, west side or east side?" I asked. "It's your decision."

"I believe that we shall take the east." He said. "Now that we have established this, let us mark out the exact dimensions of the dueling grounds."

Dueling grounds, June 7th, 3020

"First Prince Davion," I greeted my liege lord. "I have a spare Mithril pilot suit that should fit you."

"No Mark, I can't put it on, or it will violate the rules of the duel." Ian told me. "Now, are you going to give me a hand getting into my Atlas, or are you going to stand there glaring at me."

"I'm more inclined to do that latter." I said with a frown on my face. "This is not a good idea, Prince Davion."

"I have a name you know," Ian tried to be funny but I was having none of it.

"Ian, please reconsider this." I said.

"I already have, and my mind won't change on this one." Ian smiled sadly before pulling me in for a hug. "Take care of Hanse for me if I lose." He whispered. "He doesn't know how to be a good ruler yet, but that's because he's going to be a great one."

"Go kill yourself a snake Ian." I smiled. "Let's all go home today."

I helped Ian onto the ladder leading up into his Atlas, and then climbed into my Warhammer in the same manner. Both Tai-Sho Rentoshi and my 'mech's weapons would be safed unless we noticed a breach in the rules

Ian's Atlas powered up, the behemoth bristling with Clan tech aside from the Gauss rifle, which was of NAIS manufacture. Hopefully, it would be enough to take on Takaski's Royal Battlemaster.

Rentoshi and I met up in the middle of the field in our 'mechs, he in his Marauder, and myself in my Warhammer.

"Are you ready, Coordinator?" I broadcast on an open channel while Rentoshi did the same.

"I am ready, Duke Hull." Takashi responded.

"Are you ready, First Prince?" Rentoshi asked.

"I'm ready, Tai-Sho." Ian responded.

"Then this duel is begun." Rentoshi stated.

The two 'mechs didn't even bother with weapons at first, instead, they moved into melee range and began a straight up brawl. With both 'mechs in what seemed to be a 'mech sized boxing match for a time.

Then, as if on cue, the two rulers began to use their weapons on each other in conjunction to their fists, each trying their best to ensure that the other was weakened faster. With Takashi using his medium lasers, machine guns, large pulse laser, and SRMs to great effect, precision targeting areas that would lower the Atlas'armor over the important areas. Whereas, Ian was just cutting loose with his clan based ER medium lasers. Melting large swaths of armor off of Takashi's battlemaster. And then something went wrong.

A reactor going critical was actually not a common thing on the modern battlefield or even in the days of the Star League. In fact, there were numerous safeties to ensure that they did not go critical on the battlefield so that their pilots and 'mechs could be saved/salvaged. Which is why when both of the duelers mechs went critical we were shocked.

My Warhammer was rocked by the explosion, and I barely managed to tell my computer to track the ejection seat of the Coordinator and the ejection pod of Ian.

"Tai-Sho." I said, my communications systems cutting through the EMP. "I do not believe we had anything set up to deal with this."

"No Duke Hull, we did not have a plan for this." Rentoshi replied. "We shall leave it to our superiors to negotiate this."

"Understood." I said after a moment. "Let's get a VTOL in here, I'm tracking both ejections."