Blue Skye

30 March 3050

In-system, Barcelona

Charna Province, Federated Commonwealth

As the Dropship left the azure-blue of Barcelona behind and entered the blackness of space, Margaidh felt a sudden relaxing of gravity. It was not weightlessness; the Dropship’s internal gravity was maintained at just below one G, but in contrast to the strain of take off, it made Margaidh feel suddenly heady. She unbuckled her seat straps and stood up, heading for one of the little round windows from where she watched Barcelona slipping away like a shining disk of blue and gold. From this distance it looked so tranquil and beautiful, with no trace of the carnage that had occurred there over the past two weeks. With the defeat of the Rangers, the first world of the Inner Sphere was now in the hands of an unknown and powerful enemy.

Ahead of the Overlord was nothing but a black sea of stars lighting the way to the unknown future. One such star shone much more brightly than the others, and as the Dropship pulled closer Margaidh recognised it not as a distant star but as the kilometer-wide solar sail of a Jumpship, extended to collect solar radiation that would recharge the Jumpship’s drives.

Margaidh frowned, wondering where the Jumpship was from, and where it would take the surviving Boys of Summer.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it, Leftenant?” said a voice behind her. Margaidh turned round and looked straight into the face of Sergeant Steve McKernon. She let out a cry of relief and threw her arms around him.

“God, Steve! You’re alive!

“Hey! Ow! Steady on!” he said, twisting away from Margaidh’s grip. She noticed then that his arm was bandaged and hitched up in a sling. “I got sliced up by a shard of glass when my cockpit blew,” he said.

“Why weren’t you on the crew deck when we launched?” Margaidh asked with a frown.

“I got on board just before we took off, so I stayed with what was left of my Mech until the floor stopped moving.” He paused, and looked around the cabin. “Not many of us left, is there?”

Margaidh shook her head and looked at McKernon’s face. For a moment, she found him rather attractive. He was a year older than she, and although he was no taller he was fit and muscular, as most Mechwarriors were. A lock of dark brown hair hung over his left eye, and Margaidh noticed with a sudden stab of pain just how haunted those pale blue eyes were. Like herself, McKernon had seen too much of death.

“What about the Commander?” Margaidh asked. “I haven’t seen him here yet.”

“He chose to stay behind.”

“Why?” Margaidh asked incredulously.

McKernon shrugged. “Maybe he thinks he can negotiate with them or something.”

Margaidh shook her head. “He must be crazy.” Or he couldn’t face the rest of us, knowing we’d lost. Knowing he’d let us down. She felt the sharp sting of tears in her eyes.

“Was it my fault, Steve?” she asked quietly. Steve McKernon just frowned. “Three quarters of my Company didn’t come back. How many of those deaths were my fault?” She looked at him with pleading in her eyes.

McKernon shook his head. “No, Leftenant. None of those deaths were your fault. If you must blame someone, blame Clan Jade Falcon.”

“I can’t help thinking that there might have been something more I could have done. I spent half the battle running round the foundry dodging a Loki, and by the time I finished, the battle was over.”

“That’s not quite what I heard, Leftenant,” McKernon said. Margaidh looked at him sharply. “I heard that you lured it away from the rest of your lance, and after the retreat was called, you didn’t pull out until you killed it.”

Margaidh allowed herself a faint smile. “I guess I could be on charges for that,” she replied. “It won’t be the first time I’ve been pulled up for reckless disregard of orders.”

“They’ll be calling you a hero, Leftenant. “And I’m proud to serve under you.” He extended his good hand for Margaidh to shake, but instead she embraced him again, more carefully this time. McKernon held her until she stopped crying.