[dcs_p]”Anybody out there. The main quarters is being destroyed Where are our
guards and security? Report, over. Somebody talk to me.”
There was no answer. Worse even was the sudden appearance of a silhouette
blocking his view of the night outside the shed. Its dim highlights barely showed
under the light of the moon. Marc hadn’t even thought to check his sensors yet.
He’d been too concerned with the swarming Longinus troops that had nearly killed
him.
Here comes trouble.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Star Colonel Devon Carns clenched his teeth in frustration. Sweat beads ran
together on his forehead, gliding down into his eyebrow. His concentration was
like never before. He was eager to prove his combat skills yet again.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]He’d powered down to get off enemy sensors, taking refuge in a grove of
Miranda’s native billow trees. It was one way he could even the odds a bit. The
bastards must have sabotaged all security comm systems, based on the remote
charge that had blown his Direwolf’s system offline just minutes ago. As the
seconds flew by, he plotted an ambush for the next Mech to wander into
weapons range.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]He had volunteered for tonight’s guard duty on a whim, or at least that was how it
seemed to the other Striker Mechwarriors on patrol. But Devon had already
known some of what was coming. He had not exactly anticipated it, but rather it
was revealed to him. His meditation tonight had given voice to his dreams as it
always had. But tonight’s revelation was different. Clearer… The clearest
vision I have had.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Only unreliability with previous visions had robbed him of the desire to warn
everyone tonight. Early on in his days with the Strikers, he’d earned a reputation
for his false predictions. This particular problem was his true Achilles heel, which
had always left him open to verbal attacks by the few Inner Sphere surats
courageous enough to openly criticize him. His strength as a warrior had earned
him more than enough respect though, easily making up for this other weakness.
In fact, his strengths had surpassed that weakness so far that it was becoming
easy to completely forget about it.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]But he still wished he could have contacted Dana Douglas to tell her of his vision
and its consequences. His lancemate and coupling partner for the last four
years, Dana was also a person of visions. She was currently off-base for a few
days undergoing a thorough medical review. All her symptoms suggested she
was with child.
Pregnant.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Devon couldn’t believe he might be having a freeborn son or daughter. Warriors
of the Clans rarely bore children. Such a thing was controversial. How life has
changed since joining the people of the Inner Sphere.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]His choices would define his legacy of course, and in these he had walked a
razor’s edge between Clan and Inner Sphere. He hoped the best for Dana and
had even considered marrying the woman. The concept was almost too alien to
his way of life. Nevertheless, he wanted to make Dana happy just as much as he
wanted to live and die as a warrior.[/dcs_p]