Cavalier's Gambit 2 -Ch 3-

Chapter 3

Wayne shifted his hands around the physical controls that Tink had put in. He didn’t need them, not at all in fact because of his implant, but she’d made a really good point about them.

Just because he didn’t need them, didn’t mean he couldn’t benefit from them. Even if his mind was distracted, he could force a pedal, shift a hand, and move.

He wasn’t superior for not having them, he was superior by using both his implant and his body to push Warhorse to the extreme.

Pushing Warhorse to stretch forward with his mind through the legs, he moved the arms independently with the controls, as well as re-angled the shoulders shifting the way the Walker held itself.

Then he bent the whole of it backwards against it’s own weight pushing the knees out and extending his arms forward. He found the point of gravity in his mid-waist and balanced on it.

“That is… that… that’s just cheating, Cavalier,” Barbie complained. “How do you even manage that? That’s just-I don’t think I could manage that on my best day. Even if you told me it’d happen in your bed and I was the main event.”

Unable to help himself, Wayne laughed and his concentration fell apart. He let Warhorse fall back to a normal at-ease position.

“Practicing. Trying to work my implant at the same time that I push the physical controls. No reason not to use both, right?” he offered, then turned to look at Barbie’s Dreadnought. Her codename had been assigned by Josephine in the end.

The very unimaginative name of ‘Lance’ had been given to her. Apparently the fact that she was in a Dreadnought and once she got going fit Josephine’s inner-aesthetic in regards to a knight wielding a lance.

“Uh huh, I think I’ll have a hard enough time remembering to squeeze the pouch while working the shaft,” Barbie muttered. “Maybe I should get a damn implant.”

“Armorer can arrange it if you don’t have one. Squire had one put in as well. Her control has gone up considerably since then,” Wayne said as he started to look at the surrounding areas.

They’d only been dropped off a few minutes ago. He’d sent Natalie to secure a position and set up the communication to the Confed drop ship that would remain in orbit.

Sal and Mick had gone with her.

Cara was currently scouting wide and far.

The fact that Patchwork was incredibly fast, powerful, and armored as well as it was, fit her deeply. She enjoyed just whipping around the field only to go slow and stalk through an area.

Wayne flicked through his pictures and focused on one of the new ones. His fingers gently shifting it so he could look at it directly.

Josephine’s photos from her graduation party. A green strapless dress that had put a lot of her on display, far more than she likely had expected to.

Several different photos all in the same dress. Next to photos of her, him, and Miriam.

“Stop it,” Josephine’s voice cut through his internal speaker. “That’s… stop.”

“My Lady,” Wayne said eagerly after turning off his external comms. Only the interior microphone would pick him up, which meant only Josephine or anyone else on the line. Josephine had the ability to drop into anyone on his unit. “And I’m allowed to touch my prizes whenever I like thank you very much. I earned these. They’re precious.”

“Uuuuugh, Wayne you can’t… whatever,” Josephine whined, huffed, then laughed. “How… was your trip home?”

“Good. Really good. Was a nice break. How’re you, my Lady? I watched your press conference and… well, all of your broadcasts. Beautiful as ever, my Lady,” he said, grinning at the camera.

Their surroundings was an open area on planet Gin and in what had once been a small city. It’d been obliterated by fighting as resistance forces fought against House Feda.

“I’m doing alright. I… I’m alright,” she said, pausing in a way that made him feel like she wasn’t saying something.

“It was you kid sibling huh?” he asked, his eyes sweeping the area slowly one way, then the other. Looking out into the distance and across shattered homes. It was a wonder his own home planet hadn’t been worse than this considering it had been invaded.

Blood of Dashi had been more concerned with taking resources and hive cities though rather than population centers outside of the hive.

“That’s… what it looks like. It’s somewhat shocking if I’m being honest,” Josephine said with a groan. “Now everything is rushing forward and I’m just… yeah. I’m just glad you’re back. I wanted to call you while you were out but I just— yeah.”

Wayne thought through what he was allowed to say, what he wasn’t, and what he would likely be able to guess at. The rumors circulating about their engagement had grown sharper as of late.

To the point that it was all but confirmed.

“You can call me and tell me anything at any time, Josie,” Wayne said, breaking comm regulations. He wasn’t supposed to use anything identifiable by name. Given that their code-names were widely distributed, that wasn’t so much of a concern. “As your fiance, or so the rumors go, I would be a poor fool of a man if I wasn’t available to you at any time. I’d listen to anything you had to say. Anything. Okay?”

“Okay, Wayne. Thank you. Your fiance appreciates it,” she mumbled. “What if you were my fiance?”

“Then I’d no longer be the most eligible bachelor in Mirkil space, and you wouldn’t be the most eligible bachelorette,” He said easily. “That and I wouldn’t be able to keep myself from kissing that pretty face of yours. Why?

“Am I suddenly engaged without even being able to say yes? Because the sheer number of rumors and articles is a bit… much, Josie. Even my blind self can read between the lines. Before you ask, I’m not mad. But you know the baggage I come with. A suitcase named  Miss and the other Armorer.”

“You wouldn’t be mad? Really? And yeah, I know. Those are some pretty great suitcases. I ah… kind of want them for myself. Er, not in the same way I want you that is. That-that is… if we were engaged I would want… you… ugh,” Josephine said, laughed, then groaned. “I was supposed to be so much braver about this! Everything is going my way and it’s all going well so whyyyyyyy.”

“Because it matters to you,” Wayne answered as he looked across Barbie. She was doing the same thing he was. They were holding the meeting space directly and making sure there wouldn’t be anyone trying to slip in early. “It matters to you, so you’re nervous. Worried that I’d say no because I don’t see you that way or that I didn’t want to risk Armorer or Miss.

“On top of that, you’re worried that everything I’ve been saying, and pushing for, has all been idle talk. That it was just me being overly flirty without actually wanting to commit to anything.

“Though I should warn you, I’ve already…”

He was about to say ‘put my clothes away in the luggage’ but this was ridiculous. Wayne was not who this was.

Instead, he laughed.

“Look, Josie, I want you as a woman, alright? Desperately. I’m already sleeping with Tink and Miri probably isn’t far off,” he said, still laughing. “You’re gorgeous and if you weren’t the princess, I would’ve already made a play. Alright? Is that straightforward enough?

“You’re not allowed to wear the tiara or the crown in bed though. Well, maybe once. If only for funsies.”

Josephine laughed openly now.

Warmly.

As if all the worries in her head had just quite literally been swept away.

“Wayne, don’t ever change. I promise to wear the crown at least once,” she said, a smile clearly in her voice. “Yes, we’re engaged. We’re set to be married next month. Tink and Miriam both know, neither cares.”

“Great, glad to hear it. Well, you’re my Lady Josie. Good thing I’ve given a crap about you since I discovered you as Lady Mirkil,” he said, his cockpit freezing on a white square that’d just unfolded in the ruins of a house. He moved his cockpit beyond the home so it wasn’t directly in front of him. He paused it just at the edge of his view. “What’re you going to do about your sibling?”

“Nothing… nothing yet. The simple reality is we don’t have proof of it so we’re looking into it. We’ve limited all their access to security, funds, and communications,” Josephine muttered, sounding bothered. By the way, before you get nervous, I had your communications encrypted and hardened for your Walker. It won’t work externally but for you and me… we’re okay.”

“We’re better than okay, my Lady. Now I don’t have to feel bad to fantasizing way too much about you crawling all over my lap when I had you in the cockpit,” he said with a laugh, His laser cannon shifting around till a crosshair was dropped on top of the white-box. It was almost casual like.

“Good! I don’t have to pretend I wasn’t fantasizing about it more than a few times either then,” Josephine offered with a chuckle. Then she sighed again. “I should’ve called you sooner. You always make me feel like everything is fine. That this is… it’s all fine.”

“The planets were retaken, the MDF is on the rise, Mirkil house has a lot of power, you’re the crowned princess and while it sounds horrible, the royal tree got pruned down. Likely the royal allowance was drastically chopped down,” Wayne summarized. She had a lot on her plate, but in the same breath, she was in a great position to be the crowned princess. “The MDF has it’s own pet Cavalier that seems determined to win every scrap of affection from it’s crowned princess. All for himself and greedily so.”

He had said the last while watching the white box.

No matter how long he stared at it, he couldn’t make heads or tails of what a ‘Keten-F0X-L’ was.

“I haha-well-that-Wayne… I… yes I suppose you’re very right,” she said, her voice taking on a very breathy and non-Josephine tone. “Mm! Mmm. Well.

“Hell… I feel like a little girl all of a sudden. I hope you don’t lose your respect for me.

“No. I would never think less of you for letting yourself be yourself,” he murmured. His brain racing along at the same time. “Hey, I was bored one day and was poking at a share’s list at my home by the way. Someone had put a Keten FZeroX. What the heck is that?”

He had a pretty good idea of what most weapon manufacturers were. He had never heard of Keten and he was expecting it to be some communication device. Someone had snuck into the perimeter it seemed.

“Well, thank you. I’m glad you still see my as your Lady Mirkil even as I come apart. As to the Keten Fox, not zero X, but Fox, it’s a doll. I had one as a little girl. I have no idea how that ended up on your share’s list. Might’ve been an auto correct. Which list was it?” she asked.

“Warior to Cavalier, I have several squads of the Ginil House Defense Forces coming to you. They do not see me,” Cara stated.

“One second… my dearest Lady,” Wayne said, then flicked the comms to his frequency. “Received, Warrior, beacon waypoint it and move out. Thank you.

“Squire, I’ve got one party on approach. Squire, remain with the commo and keep yourself linked for firing patterns. Send Longbow, to pick a spot where you like him. Have Shield remain and defend the commo.”

“Yes, Lord,” Natalie said with absolute certainty. He had been trying to push at her slowly to start becoming his second in command and it was why he put Sal and Mick under her to handle the objective.

Communications for the planet were still disrupted and nearly destroyed outright due to the guerilla war.

“Lance,” Wayne started.

“You know, I’d almost prefer sheathe,” purred Barbie, followed by a flirty laugh. “Maybe I can put in for a change of name? Become your sheathe?”

Wayne froze as his brain processed what was just said.

“We’ve got Ginil on approach from the beacon she just put on the comms, can you watch that approach?” Wayne said in his best ‘Lord Hesh’ tone and not respond to her fun banter.

“Of course, your personal sheathe is on the move,” Barbie replied with a laugh that sounded husky “Mwah.”

The Dreadnought passed by him and took up a different direction, the kissing noise sounding loud in his cockpit.

Wayne turned off the communications, then just sat there. Contemplating his life.

“Well,” Wayne said, knowing Josephine had heard everything. He had no words to even give to his Lady Mirkil at the moment. Torn between horrified at what’d just been said, watching the electronic fox doll hidden in a building, and the incoming delegates.

“Miriam already warned me about Barbie,” Josephine said with a laugh. “She predicted this outcome before Barbie had even put in for her transfer. At this point I’m more grateful for the fact no one has actively pursued you up to this point like that. Miriam told me that Tink had been passive, she herself had been mostly passive, and even I was passive.

“I’m not concerned about Barbie. I wish I could be as forward as her though. That was actually kinda funny in a flirty way.

“Though… I’ll not be allowing her to change her codename.

“I’m curious if she’ll be this flirty after our engagement comes out. That’ll be—”

“Waynnnnnnne,” moaned Barbie. “Will you still think about me after you start railing the hot princess? You’re engaged to her, right? It’s all over everywhere. It’s somewhat wild. The entirety of my previous team sent me at least two articles each about it.

“Is it true? It seems like it should be. She’s a beautiful woman and you’re a really good looking man. Not to mention you’re the only Mirkil Cavalier. Having you in the family blood would help.”

“Ah,” Josephine said, then laughed. “That answers that. I didn’t realize how many women would be calling beautiful as of late though. Barbie, Miriam, and Tink as well. I feel like I’ve got more interest from women in the last month than I have in my whole life.

“I’ll blame my fiance.

“Apparently he just makes me look incredibly feminine and attractive just by being my fiance.”

Wayne responded to neither. He had noted two Walker’s heading his way.

They both came up as House of Feda and both were Freebooters.

Wayne opened up his coms to everyone.

“I’ve got two House of Feda Freebooters coming our way. Warrior, how many were in the group you saw move past?” he asked.

“Four. Two broke away and went to a separate location,” Cara immediately answers. “I am moving to scout for others now that both parties are inbound. Does my perfect Lord have any instructions for his Warrior?”

“No, scout, remain safe, report in frquently,” he answered. “Lance, you get a line on those two Ginil yet?”

“Yes, I can see them, they’re coming our way. Looks like Trailblazer and a Lugh. Can’t get anything off of them though. Too far for me. That stupid fancy AI of yours reading things off for you already?” Barbie asked. “How many times I gotta get you use me like a sheathe for your sword before you buy a girl an AI like that? If it helps, you’d be my fourth boyfriend?

“You already said you’d get me the fancy implant. I could never afford it myself and spec-ops exosuits require specialty hardware once you get one and the unit wouldn’t cough up the money for it.”

Wayne held his tongue to the roof of his mouth and didn’t reply.

For all of three seconds.

“You’d have to get run through so often you’re more likely to be considered a Ship’s Mistress instead of Walker pilot,” he said and began moving over to where the Fox doll was. He moved over to it, carefully dropped down to one knee beside it, and then turned off his external communications.

“Really? Awesome. Cavalier’s Mistress Barbie reporting to get her plastic pushed in and her hair pulled,” Barbie announced, her words coming across with a rolling purr across them.

Wayne shook his head, then turned on his external speakers. He put the volume low.

“Hey, it’s not safe here,” Wayne said aloud. It was likely that Josephine would hear him but he didn’t care in this moment. “You need to go back where you came from, alright?”

Wayne was resisting the urge to turn and look to the spot the child was at.

Because that’s clearly what it was.

A refugee child in the area with a fox doll.

“I don’t know how to get back. I came for-for supplies and a Walker came past and I ran. I ran and ran and ran and… and… and then I hid. I’ve been hiding for a day or two. Now I’m lost,” answered a voice.

“Alright,” Wayne said. “Then stay down, stay quiet, and when it’s over, I’ll take you back to wherever you belong. Okay? If you have a birds eye view from the top of a Walker, you could find it, right?”

“I think so,” said the high pitched voice. It was clearly a child under ten, though Wayne wasn’t sure of the actual age or the sex. Little kids were hard for him to identify by ear.

Wayne grunted, stood up, and took several steps away. Making sure to put some distance between him and the child.

Just in case something went wrong. Wayne decided to keep moving after he took those steps and began to move to intercept the House of Feda representatives.

They’d desperately wanted this single planet and had failed to take it.

This planet had been the capital of the minor house and where most of it’s wealth had been. All of it tied up with the port and several hive cities as well as the capital.

House Ginil had failed to resist everywhere else, but in the end, this single planet had managed it. Now House Feda was locked in a death struggle for the one planet they wanted and were doing their best not to destroy it in a pyrhic victory.

Which was the point of the peacekeeping mission so that the two houses could try and come to a deal. Though Wayne thought it was stupid. It was deeply unlikely either side would actually want a cease fire, they just wanted to look like they were talking.

Because the Confed was getting interested in the conflict.

Hence Mirkil getting involved and sending Cavalier Hesh.

Wayne’s thoughts came to an abrupt and sudden stop as he stared at the two Walkers from House Feda.

“Longbow. Mark up on me, one on the right, I need you to be ready to pound something into it,” Wayne ordered.

“Yes, sir,” came back the gruff voice.

Mick knew his work and Wayne wasn’t going to doubt it.

He raised up his heavy ballistic weapon, leveled it at the Walker on the left and opened himself up to the frequency they were supposed to be on.

“House Feda! Halt! I want to conduct an inspection on the two Walkers approaching the site!” demanded Wayne. “Immediately. Stand to, open the cockpit, and prepare for review! Non-compliance will be treated as a hostile action!”

What had set Wayne off was very simple.

There were multiple remote control sensors, cameras, and a com buoy sticking out of the back of the damn thing. He had noted it with his eyes first, that it didn’t belong on that particular model of Walker, only for the white box to unfold itself and offer him up the details.

Then the new additional AI reared up and began listing out all the ways that could be utilized to break into the comms relay.

If I can get it to surrender, I could stuff a remote dock into it and let my Implant attack it directly through Warhorse as a conduit, couldn’t I?