Epilogue

Randi propped her elbows up on the bar and slowly nursed her drink. She was not savoring it; she hated the taste. Right now, there was simply too much on her mind to do anything but sit, sip, and stare into empty space.

Nyx was safely hidden in the dropship hangar courtesy of her strange host and she had been admitted onboard without the slightest hassle. It seemed that no one on the ship, or at least, no one hanging about the sparse bar room knew who she was.

'Finally, a some peace.' No sooner had she thought this, than suddenly felt a light tap on her shoulder. Randi set down her glass and turned to see a dark-haired man smiling at her.

"Mind if I join you?"

She shrugged and turned back toward the bar. "Suit yourself. I should warn you, however, that I am not the best conversation."

The man sat down on the barstool next to her. He grinned. "Actually, I came over on a bet. The guys said I'd never get you to talk to me."

Randi took a sip of her drink. "Those grunts by the billiards table? Yes… I think I made one of them cry."

"Well, you did park a 75-ton 'Mech in front of the bar after beating the living crap out of the local glory boys and their toys." He chuckled and extended his hand. "Fernando Acosta, at your service. You can call me 'Fred'."

"You are the Shadow Cat pilot." After a brief pause of suspicion, she shook his hand. "I am Randi. Thank you for your help earlier."

"Heh, you softened them up," he said, with a wave of his hand. "So, Randi, what brings you out to this little moth-eaten corner of the galaxy?"

"My last employer, a mercenary unit, er, released me on rather… unpleasant terms."

"I see," Fred mused. "What did you do?"

"You heard what that pirate said-- I was born."

Fred raised an eyebrow. "If you don't mind my asking, how did you end up here? And what were you doing running with a merc unit? I thought your kind didn't get along too well with mercenaries."

"It was the only good option I had at the time. To be honest...I rather wish I had not been forced to leave.

"Why didn't you go back… back home?"

She gave him a weak half smile. "I would be 'demoted' to another Caste if I went back, and I could not bear living as anything but a MechWarrior. Such is the price of failure."

"So, you've got nowhere to go now?"

Randi heaved a sigh. "In about a month or two, the news will be all over the network and I will be blacklisted from every unit in the galaxy-- mercenary or regular. I could not even throw in my lot with a band of pirates, now."

Fred chewed his lip in thought. "You know, I might know of a company that would hire you. If you're interested, that is."

She turned and gave him doubtful look. "I do not suppose there is such a thing, but I am curious. Tell me who it is."

"My company." Fred beamed. "I just started up my own merc unit, the Vigilante Guard. I have everything set up and ready to go. Now, I need some good MechWarriors. I'm not gonna be in business long just running around by myself in a Shadow Cat."

"I have seen my fair share of action, and I can assure you that I am a skilled pilot. However, my talent would never outweigh my blood. Be honest. You could never trust me."

"I don't see why not. You took three salvos of missiles for me before you even knew if I was friend or foe. You don't strike me as a cold-blooded killer," he said with a smile. "I really need an experienced MechWarrior in the unit. After watching that throw-down you had earlier, I'd say you know what you're doing."

Randi thought for a moment. "As you said, I do not have anywhere else to go…"

"Then you're hired!" Fred raised his glass and tapped it to Randi's, then finished his drink and grinned. "So, what's your call-sign?"

Randi paused for a moment in thought. "It is… Black Wolf."

"Black Wolf, eh? Welcome aboard."

If you enjoyed this fic and are intrigued by Randi's past, you can check out a three-part prequel to "Black Wolf", entitled "Counting the Days". This short fic was written by me, and is uploaded under RougeBaron's "Knights in FerroFibrous Armor" short BattleTech fanfic series. Many thanks to the Baron for hosting my prequel in his project. The planned sequel to "Black Wolf" will be a full length fic, and will be uploaded under my own account.