Birth of a New Legend: Book 3 of the Death Dealer Saga - Death’s Own Daughter.

by Jessie Wolf

  Aren’t you going to say something, Maiha? (Dee De)

  “Why? You’ll just figure out another way to give her the Death Dealer upgrade. So why fight it? This way everything will get done at one time.”

  Oh I get it. You want her to be the same as the rest of your family. (Charley)

  “No Charley, that ain’t it either.”

  Then what is it? Demanded Dee De.

  “She earned it a long time ago. Didn’t you two see where she had applied to be a Death Dealer? Hell she even took the entrance exam and passed it with a ninety-seven. That should have gotten her into the program alone, but for that stupid ban on women in the Death Dealers.”

  Oh so this is correcting an injustice. (Charley)

  “You got it in one, Charley.”

  I call out to Alice “Hay baby, can you come here for a moment?”

  “Sure I’ll be right there.” As she steps around the corner she sees me holding her the bio-feedback suit.

  Smiling from ear to ear I yell “Surprise baby. Look what I got you?”

  “Um… Maiha that is worth several hundred credits. I can’t accept that. Beside don’t you need it?” her look of confusion is perfect.

  “Nope. I hook directly into Vicky’s control systems. This is yours. Now come over here so I can help you get changed.” Once she is in the changing room it doesn’t take long to get her changed into the new suit. Once I activate it the nanites go to work. Over the next four hours they will do what they were designed to do. I decide to surprise her with the full extent of the changes after all is said and done.

  “Come on love, time for you to meet your new Puss-in-Boots.” At her look of excitement and the nod of her head we head out for the family hanger. “How are you handling your new suit love?”

  “It’s taking a little getting used to, but no worse than any other new piece of gear. The fact that it is so… um… revealing that is hardest to get used to.”

  “Hey, you’re no more exposed than I am.”

  “That’s true, I’ll quit complaining.”

  “Good, because I have a surprise for you.”

  “What else do you have hidden from me?”

  “Well… um… ah…”

  “Spit it out love. What did you or your mama do now?”

  “Welcome to the sister hood of second generation Death Dealers.” I say as I throw out my arms in a silly manner.

  When Alice hears this she stops dead in her tracks. “What do you mean by that? Everyone knows you have to go through weeks of surgeries and then there is the recovery time and all that training.”

  “Well not exactly. You see it’s like this.” I went on to explain how the nanites will slowly change her over the next few hours. The more I told her, the more excited she became. The fact that I had just given her, her fondest dream more than she could ever have expected. The kiss she gives me curled my toes and held the promise of more to come that night. “So now that you know let’s go wake up Puss.” With a giggle and a nod of her head she starts to run for the hanger.

  “Catch me if you can.” She yells over her shoulder. Naturally I took off after her. We were laughing by the time we reached the hangar. Before we enter I give her a quick kiss. Inside we find mama and all three of my sisters waiting along with mama’s new hand maidens. “Ok, Storm Dancers lets mount up and head over to the range. You three go back to the house and get robes for all of us. Be here waiting for us by the time we get back.” All three bow and head for the house as they walk away I can tell that my sisters have been working with them. They all are starting to move with that graceful glide that all the Ladies of House Nakatoma are known for. “Good work you two. Fuyuko, honey, I’m going to ask you here and now if you really feel up to making this run? You don’t have to. I only want you to do this if you're sure you can give it your all.”

  The smile Fuyuko gives me worth all the pain in the world to see. “Yes, sissy, I want to do this. No, I have to do this. If for no one else then myself. Do you understand?”

  Nodding my head yes. “Trust me, little sister, I understand more than most. Ok, Ladies mount up and prepare to move out.” I take Alice over to her new Puss-in-Boots. “Alright baby, you know how to set her up for a bio-suit. Just go through the normal sequence and the nanites will do the rest. Oh by the way what’s your call sign?”

  With a giggle she gives another quick kiss and mounts the steps to her cockpit. “You’ll know when you hear it.” And with that she was inside her cockpit. Shaking my head, I head back to Vicky and mount up. Vicky greeted me as I climbed into the cockpit. Within a few minutes I was hooked up and Vicky was at full power.

  “Ok Vicky lets perform roll call.”

  “Coming right up Maiha, I still need a few more seconds to synch-up the link with everyone.”

  “Why is that baby girl? Shouldn’t you already have the links with the others?”

  “Oh I have the ones for the rest of the Storm Dancers, but it is our newest member that we are waiting for to come on line. Ah here they are now. Hello Puss-in-Boots welcome to the family.”

  The voice that comes out of Vicky’s speaker is not Alice’s. It has an almost feline quality to it. “Thank you, Victory Maiden; I look forward to working with all of you. I know it’ll be just purrrfect.”

  “You’re welcome. Is your pilot ready to go?”

  “Oh yes. We are ready and raring to go.” Was all Puss said.

  “Maiha, everyone has checked in shall we lead them out?” Vicky asked me.

  “Sounds good to me. Open a channel, Vicky” I hear the click as Vicky opens the lance link. “Storm Dancers report in and the move out.”

  “Tempest Maiden on the move.”

  “Typhoon Maiden right behind you sis.”

  “Monsoon Maiden stepping out.”

  “Mountain Mistress is on the way”

  “Wave Dancer ready to dance.”

  “Koneko Mistress is ready to play.” This was followed by a very familiar giggle.

  Before I can say word mama comes across the link with the question we all want to ask. “Allison did you just call yourself Kitten Mistress?”

  “Sure did. Why not I have already tamed two of the biggest kitties on the battle field.”

  I am so glad that no one can see me right now. Because I swear I blushed clear down to me toes. Talk about embarrassment.

  Chapter 3

  “Ahhhh! Ain’t that cute. Wave Dancer has a girlfriend that is more girly than she is.” Someone outside of the Storm Dancers says over our link.

  Now normally I would immediately jump down whoever’s throat that is for being on our lance’s link, but Alice is way ahead of me and besides I think she knows who it is. “Blackthorn! You will get off this net now, or you can spend the next six weeks scrubbing Puss-in-Boots ass with a toothbrush. Over”

  “Ain’t going to happen, Koneko Mistress. I get to have the pleasure of scoring you all on this run. Over”

  “Koneko Mistress to all Storm Dancers. Drop down to private com-link. Over”

  A few seconds later Vicky and the rest give us private and totally secure com-link. “I’m sorry about all of this…” Alice starts to say, but I interrupt her.

  “Alice, baby, who is this ass hat?”

  “Hey! What’s his deal?” asks Nanami.

  “No joke! Talk about being a rude s.o.b.” says Fuyuko.

  “Can we just skip the training run and shoot him instead?” comes from Nanase.

  It takes mama to restore order to are little unit. “Quiet! All of you, now Allison, you were just about to tell us who has the gall to insult one of the Storm Dancers? Plus what his problem is with my new daughter-in-law?”

  The sigh that comes over the link is one filled with anger and frustration. “His call sign is Blackthorn and he has had it out for me ever since I broke his course record for a scout class APS. He also doesn’t like the fact that I’m not into guys.” As I think about what she says I realize that the way each one of my family�
�s Suits move begins to change just slightly. They almost have a more aggressive stance and sway to their walk. Almost as if they are taking on the emotions of their pilots. “To top it all off the last three times I or my team made a run on the range he found some way to screw with our run scores. I don’t know how, but he did. So now you know, if you want me to make the run solo I won’t be upset.”

  Mama answers for all of us. “Like hell you will, child you are part of this team now. If that… man… has a problem with you then he has a real problem with me!” oh boy! Mama is pissed off now. “Girls, I forgive all of you for your earlier language and any you will use on the training run. I have had enough of this bullshit of having to prove ourselves to these arrogant cock suckers to last me a life time. Tear this course apart.”

  Yup she’s pissed. Oh well nothing to do now, but follow orders. “Bring all weapons on line, Storm Dancers. Increase speed to maximum without losing each other. We hit the range as a team or not at all. I want a clean sweep ladies, so take your time to mark your targets, and leave nothing standing.”

  They all give me a load ‘roger that’ and then switch back over to the open link. Once there I look at our e.t.a. for the range. In less than two minutes we will cross the start line. More than enough time for that ass hole to change the settings for the range course. Time for a little fun. ‘Storm Dancers feel up to seeing how good we really are? Over”

  “What you got in mind, Dancer? Over” mama asks. I can tell she is more than ready to show everyone what her girls can do now that their pissed off.

  “Ten gold credits to the top shot plus five for every individual kill. How does that sound? Over”

  “This is Tempest and I’m up for it. How about you Typhoon? Over”

  “Count me in and make ten per individual kill. You game, Monsoon? Over”

  “More than game. I just want to know if Koneko can cover her end. Over”

  “Don’t worry about me. Little sister I can handle my end. So how about it Mistress can that beast you’re driving stand up to the heat? Over”

  “Oh, children. I think it’s time to show you all what a Lady can do with a man like this. You’re all on. Tower set the range to maximum difficulty. Over”

  Perfect I know they would set it up for that little ass hat to sink himself. Now there will be no way for him to change the settings without making it easier for us.

  “Are you sure you want me to do that Storm Dancers? Over”

  “This is Mountain Mistress. I just gave you an order to increase the difficulty level of the range to maximum for a team run of APS. Over”

  “Ok Storm Dancer lead. It’s set to max. You are cleared to begin your run in T minus ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, Go! Go! Go!”

  We crossed the line at just over eighty-eight miles per hour and we saw some serious shit. The first set of targets was an AI tank company our weapons flashed and only twisted melted hunks of steel remained. We each destroyed two apiece. We fell into a line-o-breast. The two big cats were in the center with the Highlander, one of the Patton’s on the right and the other two Patton’s on the left. This effectively spread our fire power out evenly. We moved down the range in a steady manner each covering the other. As the further down the range we went the harder and more numerous the targets became soon I had to drop back to provide air cover to take out the ground attack craft that had started to harass us.

  It wasn’t long before the Panther joined me in taking them on we left the ground forces to the rest of the Storm Dancers. It wasn’t long before we were facing off against assault class APS units. At first it was only a single lance. Mama and the girls used their superior speed and handling to tear them apart. But they were replaced by two more lances of assault APS and both me and Alice had to surrender the air battle to take on the new ground threat. We were each able to take down one assault apiece before having to resume our roll in air defense. Before I know it the run is complete. We actually won our training exercise.

  “Well, ladies, it looks like we did it. Anyone keep track of their individual kills? Over”

  “Sorry, Wave Dancer, but it looks like we’ll have to get with the tower to confirm who won top shot and got the most kills. Over”, mama put out.

  “Sounds good to me Mistress. Alright Storm Dancers, form up and let’s head back. Over” when they all acknowledge the order I lead out with mama bring up the rear. I keep the pace down to a slow easy pace of no more that forty-five miles per hour. As we move back down range I start getting faint bleeps on my sensor sweeps. “Koneko, are you picking up those ghost bleeps? Over”

  “Wave Dancer I was just about to contact you about that. Over”

  “Wave Dancer this is Typhoon. You don’t think our friend decided to give us a little surprise do you? Over”

  “Storm Dancers, heads up. It looks like we aren’t done with the run just yet. Over”

  “Roger that Wave Dancer. Monsoon, Tempest, and Typhoon swing wide off the trail. Koneko, Dancer, you’re with me. Over” mama was truly acting like a born leader. She had just put the three big guns of our team in direct attack formation while moving the faster and more maneuverable portion into position for a fast attack run against an ambush site.

  “Mountain Mistress I have lead. Koneko drop back for tail. Over”

  Just as we get into position the ambush is sprung. Three full lances of fast attack scouts hit the three of us. Normally on a training run our beam weapons are powered down to bare minimum straight and all kinetic weapons only dry fire. This is done as a safety measure. So when the first rounds hit my chest from an auto cannon are real I realize this ain’t an exercise. The growl that comes from Vicky’s speaker lets me know she’s pissed. And she ain’t the only one.

  “Storm Dancers this is real. Go live on all weapons; we have real boogies in the wire. Over”

  “Roger that Wave Dancer. Koneko move to engage. Over”

  “Mountain Mistress coming around save some for me. Maidens hit them hard and fast. These shit heads belong to House Light. Over”

  The scream of rage that comes from Monsoon Maiden is all I need to hear to know that none of these men will be going home. I target the shit head that had first fired at me. I hit him dead center with both of my PPCs’. It was as if the lightning god himself rained down the destruction on the poor bastard. A twenty ton Willington is no match for the kind of firepower that just hit it. Alice cut loss with twin beams of high powered death on a twenty ton Wentworth sending it to the scrap pile. Mama’s Highlander poured high speed titanium watermelons into the cockpit of a Firefly killing its pilot.

  From the left flank the Patton’s make themselves’ known. I can’t tell who is who, but by the amount of violence that one is raining down on the ones in front of it I would say the one in the middle is Fuyuko. She literally poured three full barrages into a thirty ton Wild Cat’s cockpit. The twenty-five ton Hell Cat that tried to help it did no better. She hit it with everything she had. In short she blew the top half of it to pieces.

  Her sisters were right behind her, and they were only marginally holding back. Between the two of them they sent a Free Rider, Sportster, and another Wild Cat to the scrap yard and their pilots to the happy hunting grounds. Oh yes, my family was pissed. Not that I blame them, they had some of their tormenters right in front of them, and the power to take their revenge. Out of sixteen enemy APS’ we have destroyed half of them in the first few seconds. There would be no mercy shown for these men. They were rapists and murderers of the worst sort.

  I target the largest of the enemy. A fifty-ton War Panther. Of the entire enemy APS’ this one was the deadliest. With a top speed of one hundred and ten, twin one hundred millimeter auto cannons, with two ninety millimeter pulse lasers and four forty-five millimeter plasma lasers that are mounted in sets of three in its chest. In other words, a lighter version of my Mountain Lion. I can tell the pilot is one of the best by the way it moves. I’m up against a real ace here.


  I forget all about the rest of the battle and concentrate on just him. He has to be their leader. If I take him out then the rest should break and run. I hope anyway. I cut loose with all four of my main guns and hit with only two. The right arm PPC slams into his left leg, while the PPL hits the right side of his chest melting the armor over the chest mounted pulse laser there.

  His return fire confirms my suspicion of him being an ace pilot. Both of his auto cannons hit along with two of the pulse lasers. The damage done to my right leg is minor, but the auto cannons both hit my right arm PPC. Effectively taking it out of the fight. I need to finish this fight, and now. I don’t know how many more targeted hits like that Vicky can take. So running the risk of overheating, I target all of my remaining weapons on his torso. Once I have a confirmed targeting lock I fire everything I have. My lone PPC hammers his center chest plate turning it into scrap. The PPLs hit almost right on top of the same spot causing even more damage. Between the three they leave his chest wide open for all six of my chest mounted lasers to rip out his power core. Between the loss of control over its reactor and the ammunition for the auto cannons the War Panther goes up like a super nova.

  Turning my attention back to the fire fight I find that there are only two enemy APS’ left. Both of them are highly damaged and surrounded by the rest of the Storm Dancers. Quickly scanning them all I find that most of the damage is superficial. Things like burned paint or cracked armor plate. It seems that only Vicky took any real damage. To say that I was even more pissed off than before is an understatement. I would love to splatter these yahoo’s all over the range, but I need information that only they can give me.

  “Storm Dancers. Don’t kill them. We need to get some information from them. Over”

  “So long as I get them when you’re done, Wave Dancer. Over”

  Fuyuko’s reply worries me. From the sounds of things her need for revenge just might drive her do to something stupid. When we get back to the house I think I’ll have a long, long talk with her. However it was mama who put things into perspective for her.