[dcs_p]Norbert Owens. The short Mechjock from Terra itself, or so the man had always
claimed, had been piloting the Assassin for years. He’s got to know the Mech
inside and out. Regardless of calling it cheating or not, Mike knew Devon could
investigate every bit as much about the Assassin Mech. For Mike, Norbert was
the key. It would have to be enough.[/dcs_p]
…
[dcs_p]Sasha Breen scowled. Her face was twisted so far from its usual appearance,
Rally knew she was in a bad mood. He quickly dismissed his original idea of
asking her some direct questions about the evening’s fight. Today, or at least
this hour, was not a time to try her patience.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Rally closed in for the kill, walking tiptoed in his bare feet across the hard
ferrocrete floor in a circle around his prey. If he noticed how frigid the rock-like
surface actually was, he apparently paid it no heed. He and Sasha had spent
three weeks training on it. Rally had adapted.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]In fact, Rally had become quite comfortable with it just late last week.
Rally was good at what he did. Once a bondsman of Sasha Breen, he’d been
selected as her personal trainer for all hand to hand combat. Despite Sasha’s
defeating Rally on their first meeting, she instantly recognized Rally’s skills during
their brief battle. If not for Rally’s untimely misfortune that day, a nasty slip on
wet moss followed up by a kneecap by Sasha herself, she might never have
captured him as her bondsman. She’d always been secretly proud of Rally’s
performance under her and it was only through careful political plays that she’d
secured him a position in her Steel Viper star.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Rally’s own kick came swift and unexpected to the blinded Sasha. He had
guessed her worries might interfere with today’s sparring, but never imagined just
how badly she’d perform. Before she could begin to recover from the blow, her
back hit the cold floor hard.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]”Surat!” she cried out, ripping the blindfold from her eyes for the second time.
She was angry, but only with her situation. She fought back the urge to take out
any more stress on Rally, who was no doubt on her side when it came to today’s
problems.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Sasha sat upright. She, for one, noticed the change in heat as it lowered her
own body temperature, sapping away the warmth from her overexercised legs.
She pushed herself off the floor with the base of her wrists, coming up into a
relaxed stance. There would be no more fighting today. Lowly surats. Words
could not describe her feelings about the coming fight. She prayed Colonel Mike
Strider would get what was hopefully coming to him.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Rally faded into relaxation. Now was the time for any words he might put forth.
The best he could come up with ended up being, “You can not concentrate
Sasha. You’re all out of whack.”[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Sasha glared up at him. Regardless of how much she admired the man,
especially as her capable martial arts trainer, she despised his use of an Inner
Sphere contraction in her hardliner Clan presence.[/dcs_p]