31
Mechdur
Aurigan Space
The sudden activity had generated a buzz of rumour across the planet. Gossip columns began to scroll with tales of armies landing and Lord Arano himself taking to the field to confront some hitherto unknown threat. Rumours which were in fact true, if somewhat embellished. By the time the real news was being broadcast, speculation was at fever pitch, with crowds thronging the gates and fences of the Rosco industrial spaceport to catch a glimpse of the drama.
For his part, Lord Tamati Arano was happy to deliver a little show, something that looked good on the news and boosted morale. He kept one eye on the distant crowds as the inbound dropships arrived, fat bodied Titan class heavy haulers touching down in a roar of engines, with a few smaller shuttles joining them around the landing strip. He already had a company of Royal Guard 'Mechs arrayed at the edges of the spaceport. By themselves an intimidating sight, but the heavy troop transports were a significant escalation.
The Aurigan Coalition had its difficulties. He knew it, the people knew it, his rivals knew it. The nation was too small and too poor to adequately confront the forces working against them. They didn't even know who was picking at their society or why. Raids had been increasing, casualties mounting, fear had taken a grip as isolated communities worried about slavers and looters paying a visit. Even larger settlements, like the cities here on Mechdur, were becoming uncertain, and that did not bode well for Lord Arano's position as monarch. Decisive action was required, and the heavy DropShips brought the means to act.
The newly arrived Titans shut down their engines, the edges of their hulls still cooling after their atmospheric descent. Ground crews made their way forward with fuel trucks to top the craft up and provide any maintenance if needed, compliments of House Arano. As they got to work, the dropships opened up, deploying their own loadmasters and logistics personnel, followed ultimately by the meat of the operation, a column of heavy tanks in pristine military grey.
"They look the part, I'll give 'em that," Captain Raju Montgomery of the Royal Guards grudgingly complimented, the burly battlescarred mechwarrior judging the squat Siegfried tanks as they were carefully guided out of the dropships by their loadmasters. "Twin AC-20s I'd say. That's going to ruin anyone's day."
"I'm waiting for the mechs." Arano squinted at the sky in anticipation. "I suppose they are in reserve, but it would help ease the public to see a full regiment parade down here before they deploy."
"The press office is sending up some reporters on a dropshuttle to take a look at the warships." Raju smiled thinly. "That should make some ripples. They sent the ship that led the attack on Sian."
"So I heard." Arano watched a triangular shuttle circle overhead, looking for a place to land. "Well, we better go introduce ourselves. Call over the rest of our guests, we'll talk in the spaceport lounge."
Having an impromptu diplomatic conference in the departure lounge of the spaceport probably wasn't ideal, but at least it was the First Class lounge. Arano nodded to a couple of guardsmen standing at the door as he walked between them, Ambassadors from Earth, the Taurians and Canopus already gathered and indulging in some of the freebies allowed to First Class travelers.
"Ah, Lord Arano, finally." Cody Hagen of the Taurians let slip an overly exaggerated sigh. "Are we ready?"
"I could wait a little longer if it meant more of this free wine," Esmerelda Tahiri of Canopus quipped, swirling her glass of half imbibed liquour. "A lot better than I expected out here."
"The Earth Force troops just landed, their commanders should be here shortly," Arano informed them. "Ambassador Lantze, again, my thanks to the Earth Alliance and her people."
"Better wait and see if it works first," Hagen scoffed before Lantze could answer, the Earth diplomat shooting him a scathing look.
"You are welcome, Lord Arano. I am confident this matter will be resolved swiftly."
Further commentary was cut off by the arrival of the men of the hour, General Dan Gilbert in the olive uniform of the Alliance Army, and Captain John Sheridan in standard duty blues.
"Welcome, gentlemen." Arano grinned. "And please help yourself to refreshments after your journey."
"Much appreciated." General Gilbert grabbed one of the small pastries laid out for the meeting, the delicate nibble entirely inadequate for the broad army General. "I won't be here long my lord, Ambassadors." He nodded to each in turn. "I need to make sure everything is down and unloaded."
"Of course." Arano was quietly pleased to be dealing with someone who just wanted to get down to business. "I've asked us to gather here to make sure everyone is on the same page. General Gilbert and Captain Sheridan have settled on a plan of action. If you would, gentlemen?"
"Yes, well, pretty straightforward." Gilbert shoved the pastry down his neck as quickly as possible. He was not a man at home among diplomats and nobility, Dan Gilbert wasn't well spoken or affable enough to rise to the highest of ranks, which required political sensibilities and the capacity to smile at people who hated your very existence. He was a practical man, someone who enjoyed being knee deep in mud and engine oil, planning out the most effective way of killing a whole bunch of people. It was a profession he excelled at.
"To be brief, I'll be setting up my headquarters here on Mechdur. It's location roughly at the centre of the Aurigan Coalition makes it a good springboard for any operations. We're only one or two jumps clear of any possible target."
"What did you bring with you?" Ambassador Hagen skipped straight to his main concern.
"A combined arms brigade, one mech battalion, one armoured battalion, one infantry battalion," Gilbert answered, just as bluntly. "The Mechs are staying with the troopship until we need them, tanks and infantry are deploying here."
"You have a warships then?" Tahiri asked. "The one from Sian?"
"We have two." Gilbert turned to his companion. "Captain?"
"The Agamemnon and the Okinawa," Sheridan fielded. "The Agamemnon is a destroyer and will be taking the lead in searching for hostile spacecraft. The Okinawa is a troopship, Tantalus Class, and will be our main method of shifting forces around quickly."
"So just one warship and one transport?"
"Don't underestimate the Okinawa," Sheridan chided. "She has enough guns to handle herself and is optimised for ground support. If called for, she can easily intercept dropships or board a pirate jumpship."
"Right now her job is to investigate the outer systems and look for trouble," Gilbert laid out. "If she finds it, she'll deploy her mechs and eliminate any pirate bases she spots."
"The Agamemnon will scout the spacelanes and survey the lesser populated planets," Sheridan added. "Although first, I believe we have some business with Mr Lantze?"
"Yes, in fact," the middle aged Ambassador confirmed. "I need you to transport me to a world known as Detroit."
"Like the city?" Gilbert raised an eyebrow. "Where?"
"Approximately two jumps distant, it is a reasonably affluent and advanced independent planet," Lantze informed. "We need to determine their intentions and if they are part of this plot."
"Can't you get there some other way?" Gilbert showed his lack of diplomatic niceties. "That's going to take my destroyer out of the game for a week or two."
"I've considered that, but if Detroit is a threat, I want to make sure we can deal with it swiftly and decisively." Lantze held firm. "I do have authority on this matter."
"Very well." Gilbert just decided to live with it. "It will slow our operation, but not by much."
"At this point, we still have no clear idea who is raiding us and why," Lord Arano offered. "It is possible these pirates and mercenaries are being sponsored by one of our neighbours. Detroit is rich enough to do this, though what they gain is a mystery."
"Nobody has much to gain from your collapse." Hagen shrugged. "Yeah, we've talked about taking these worlds back into the Concordiat, but there's just no real appetite for it. The Taurians aren't imperialists, unlike our neighbours."
"Is that a barb aimed at us?" Tahiri flicked a glance his way.
"I was thinking Davions, actually."
"Of course, my mistake." The Canopus ambassador smiled. "Never far from the Taurian mind, are they?"
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
"Honoured guests, please." Lord Arano had to step in to calm matters down, something which was becoming a habit. "We've all agreed to work together in a spirit of cooperation. Let's stay true to that."
"Point is, we need more data, and we get that from prisoners and captured gear," Gilbert carried on. "For that, we need to find some targets and give them a beating. Now, so far all attacks have focused on lightly populated rimward territories, but they won't stay out there. We expect an attack on either Coromidir, as the capital, or here on Mechdur, as the most economically useful planet."
"The capital is defended by the bulk of the army," Arano answered. "I am confident in its strength."
"And now my boys and girls are here to keep this planet safe." Gilbert nodded. "So we look at other targets, look for remote bases, check out unchartered worlds outside your space."
"Any pirate with a brain cell would bail the hell out when they see two warships on the news." Sheridan considered the realities. "If they are real pirates, they are only here for some easy money. they won't gamble their lives on it, they'll go hit somewhere easier."
"Plenty of targets our here in the Periphery, makes you wonder why they are taking a shot at Auriga," Gilbert agreed. "Why not one of the independent worlds? Why somewhere with an organised military, a stable central government?"
"That didn't make sense to us either." Arano nodded. "So if they keep attacking, we know they aren't opportunists sensing weakness?"
"Nobody would pick a fight with a destroyer if they didn't have to." Sheridan nodded. "If they keep attacking, its because that's their specific mission."
"Which brings us back to why. Why you?" Gilbert analysed Arano. "What makes you different, and who gains from your collapse?"
"The answer will come once we beat this enemy," Arano determined. "I have full confidence in our victory."
"I'll begin operations at once," Gilbert determined. "Captain Sheridan, hang around in orbit for ten or twelve hours, make sure you get the Aggy on every news channel out here. Then take Mr Lantze to Detroit, for his sins."
"Yes sir."
"I'll stay here and coordinate an initial search with the Okinawa. if someone attacks she can handle it," the General reasoned confidently. "With luck, we'll have this resolved by the end of the year. Our main problem is finding these pirates and mercs. If they're smart, they'll keep their heads down and avoid direct battle."
"Unless their mission demands it," Sheridan suggested. "Then it gets ugly."
"Yes." Gilbert grabbed another delicate pastry. "For them."
Capellan Space
Near the Free Worlds League.
"I hate the countryside." Candace Liao fought the urge to vomit as her transport bounced around the unpaved road, her mood as vicious as her reputation. "We gave them free run of a space port, yet they insist on marshaling out in the wilds?"
"Colonel Wolf has his routine." Romano was far less bothered by the motion than her sister. Indeed, she suspected Candace's temper was less to do with motion sickness and more with Jaime Wolf playing games with her. "He keeps his unit away from ours."
"Paranoid, he's out here so we can't spy on him."
"We are spying on him, so is it still paranoia if it's true?"
"Don't get caught up in thinking too much, it doesn't suit you." Candace took some deep breaths to steady herself. Romano was right, of course. Wolf's Dragoons had been incredibly resistant to her attempts at sneaking in agents to learn some secrets. The Maskirovka were damn good at their jobs. As secret police went, they set the standard, yet they had failed to uncover more about the Dragoons than Jaime wanted them to know. That at least three agents had suffered 'accidents' just made it worse.
"I still don't know why you hired them, after what they did to us on Sian," Romano huffed. "And now we're going out there to be nice to them."
"That is why I am Chancellor and you are not," Candace said curtly. "They are a useful asset and we do not throw away assets based on feelings. Only for practical gain."
"If you say so, sister." There was still no love lost between these two. The death of their father hadn't changed that. If anything, it was worse.
Their motorcade passed by the picket 'Mechs guarding the perimeter, their MechWarriors no doubt informing the Dragoon command team company was on the way.
"Just follow the plan," Candace reminded her sister. "This is a critical moment for us, a chance to completely reverse our recent losses. Do not jeopardise it."
"We're topped off for weapons. I'm not thrilled about these Capellan made LRMs though. We've had more than a few fizzle in the tubes," Joshua Wolf related, with obvious distaste. "Lowest bidder bullshit."
"Our autocannon misfire rate is up too," Natasha Kerensky added to the woes. "I've got the quartermasters visually checking every round, but misfires are going to be a thing for a while."
"Always going to be something." Jaime Wolf accepted the situation for what it was. Working for the Capellans had been a balancing act. On the one hand his grander mission required it, but on the other, he had to be very selective regarding the jobs he ran. More than once, he had to diplomatically swerve away from raids or suppression missions that could lead them into killing civilians, something Candace Liao seemed to recognize and find amusing. The Dragoons had very clearly stated where their redlines were, but the Liaos still tried to push them over it.
And now apparently they were supplying them with barely adequate munitions.
"Next mission over the border, we'll try and bring back some League ammo, look into setting up some alternate supply lines. Just in case."
"Just in case what?" Joshua asked.
"Just in case the Liaos try to fuck us." Natasha grimaced. "Hard as that may be to believe."
The possibility was never far from their minds. Jaime had taken precautions. He kept his dropships fuelled for a hasty escape and his jumpships charged and ready. He kept his regiments separated, his troops on alert, his intelligence apparatus razor sharp. So far it had gone well, but he was expecting the Liaos to pull something before their time was up.
The other big issue had of course been the unexpected arrival of Kerlin Ward and the dire news he had brought with him. The Dragoons had been a major project put forth by the Warden Clans, a project that had failed. It left them unsure about the future and where exactly their loyalties would lie. Most of the Dragoons believed in the Warden path and were from Clans that held those practices. Would they be disbanded and returned to their home clans? Would they be deployed as a vanguard, weakening the Inner Sphere before invasion? Would they just be discarded by the Crusader clans as a bunch of irrelevant Freeborns?
Jaime had kept them focused on the task at hand to stave off such concerns, but it was only a short term solution. His warriors were questioning the future, especially those who had started families on this mission. It was inevitable that a day would come when they'd need to choose one side or another, the Clans or the lives they were forging here in the Inner Sphere. As mostly Freeborns with Freeborn families, Jaime knew which way he was leaning, probably how most of his warriors were going too. The question was whether they'd live long after turning their back on the Clans.
"Colonel, we got incoming." One of his staff poked their head urgently through the flap of his command tent.
"Hostiles?" Jaime went to alert.
"Yes sir, the worst kind sir. Liao sisters just crossed the perimeter."
He exhaled heavily. "Fuck."
"I hear that's their preferred plan." Natasha tilted a crooked smile. "Nice to have admirers, huh?"
"Candace only wants me for my army."
"You must feel so used." Joshua tried to make light of it. "Want me to throw a bucket of engine grease over you? Might make her actually keep her hands to herself this time."
"I'll be diplomatic," Jaime politely refused. "Same goes for you two. Just pretend we're happy to see them."
"I'll be nice." Natasha grabbed Joshua by the arm and dragged him in close. "Put if she puts a finger on my toy, I won't be held responsible."
Jaime actually laughed at that one, a real laugh. He still had no idea how exactly Natasha Kerensky, finest mechwarrior currently drawing breath, had managed to fall for his younger brother, but here it was. Joshua was everything she wasn't. Sure he was an excellent MechWarrior, but he didn't have the same level of cockiness or hyperconfidence Natasha exuded. He wasn't as extroverted or loud, he was sincere, often thoughtful, the sort of man who would probably have enjoyed the quiet life, if not for this mission. And yet there he was in the grip of a girl idolised by most men and a hefty chunk of women too. The most hilarious thing to Jaime was that Joshua didn't seem to understand how this had happened either.
"Even a Liao isn't that crazy." Jaime grabbed his jacket and made himself look more like a commanding officer. "If they're out here in person, it's probably time for the big show. Game faces on."
The Liao motorcade rolled through the camp like it owned the place, a statement to remind the assorted Dragoons where their money came from. It looked grand and Jaime played along, let Candace imagine she owned them entirely. The convoy split, armoured cars peeling off to set a perimeter, with APCs disgorging stacks of elite soldiers. At the heart of the procession was a luxurious but well protected truck, the vehicle grinding to a halt just outside the command tent. Jaime and his two closest companions lined up as one of the Capellan troopers opened the door to the armoured truck, clearing the way for the Jade Dragoness herself.
"Colonel Wolf, eternally a pleasure."
She extended her hand to him which he bowed and kissed as was expected, a formality Candace definitely liked to impose upon him.
"Welcome to our camp, Chancellor. I trust all is well?"
"It is. Romano and I are touring our forward bases to speak with the brave warriors of the Confederation." She caught his eye. "It seemed a good time to visit my mercenaries also. Shall we speak privately?"
"As you wish, please join my senior staff in the command tent."
Candace gestured for Romano to follow, the stony faced younger warrior barely glancing at the 'Mech and following glumly along.
Once in private, Candace switched instantly to a less formal aura, unbuttoning the top of her exquisite green silk outfit and flopping into Jaime's chair. Without asking permission, of course. Such were her little games of control.
"You're not idiots, so you know I wouldn't be all the way out here without good reason." Candace put her feet up on the map strewn trestle table ahead of the chair. "Your raids have been to soften up the border and weaken enemy forces in preparation for a full scale, broad front invasion. That time has now come."
"We stand ready to serve," Jaime said simply. "But if I may? Yes, we have hit some key logistics points. The fixed defences are weaker, but Marik is by now on full alert. For all their flaws, they can see the same patterns we can. They'll be expecting an attack."
"Which suits us." Candace smiled indulgently, enjoying this moment when she knew something Jaime did not. "Do you know which forces guard the border opposite us here?"
"Militia units from the Procyon Duchy."
"The household guards of Anton Marik, Duke of Procyon." Candace nodded. "Have you ever met Anton Marik?"
"I have not had the pleasure."
"Meeting him is no pleasure," the elder Liao sighed, a tinge of a bitter memory crossing her brow. "He was sent to the Babylon station, effectively exiled by Janos to keep him out of internal power games. A wise enough precaution. I did the same thing to dear step-mother, but Janos has failed."
Candace grew suddenly very serious.
"Tomorrow morning, Confederation units will begin their attack. Losses are expected to be heavy, but not critical in all sectors, except this one."
"Anton Marik's." Jaime pieced things together. "You bought him off."
"No, he actually thinks he bought me." Candace chuckled lightly. "When the attack begins, Anton will denounce Janos as a weak and uninspired leader, a damp fish squatting on the Marik throne, an insult to the title of Captain General. Anton will return from Babylon, rally his soldiers and storm Atreus, removing Janos and installing himself as Captain General."
"Simple as that?" Joshua scrunched up his face in extreme doubt.
"You'll find the terms 'simple' and 'Anton Marik' often find themselves in close proximity." Candace smiled softly. "He is quite convinced that Janos is a weak and broken man, his failures far outstripping his successes. When given a more dynamic and charismatic option, the Free Worlds will gratefully accept Duke Anton as the superior option and saviour of the future, thus ushering in a new age of peace and prosperity."
"Nice sales pitch." Natasha remained unmoved. "What about reality?"
"The reality is that this broad front attack will draw in and pin down most of the Marik Militia between here and the capital. Janos can't afford to pull fresh troops from the Lyran border in case Ice Bitch Katrina decides to snatch a few more planets. Janos fears her more than me, and that is going to be his gravest mistake. "
She smiled to herself briefly before focusing again.
"I want Marik to commit to this invasion. I want them fighting my line regiments so they can't pull back and defend Atreus itself."
"So Anton and his rebels drive on Atreus?" Natasha shook his head. "Won't work, even without pulling in hardened units from the Lyran front, you still have a couple of Guards regiments and some Atrean Dragoons in reserve. That'll be more than enough to chew up Anton's local levy."
"You are absolutely right." Candace gave an energetic nod. "Can you guess what I'm going to do about that?"
Jaime exhaled very lightly. "You're sending us."
"For the duration of this campaign, you will be seconded to Duke Anton Marik," Candace confirmed. "You will deploy to Delos and link up with Duke Anton's rebels. You will then take the lead, cut through the elite forces we all know are going to be waiting for Anton, and ensure this coup succeeds."
"It's a tall order. Most of the Militia we've fought have been below average, but the Guards are well trained, very well armed, and have combat experience," Jaime laid out. "We're also having supply issues, and I doubt Anton will have much to spare."
"Already taken care of. You'll have everything you need," Candace promised. "And you'll have Romano." She waved at her younger sister.
"I'm not sure I understand?" Jaime glanced at the dour girl. "She's a fine warrior but..."
"Not as a recruit." Candace giggled. "Romano commands four regiments of elite mechwarriors, my last strategic reserve. Forget Anton, Romano is your back up, and I guarantee you her warriors are fully capable of ripping through anything Marik throws at them. Anton gets to wave and smile and claim victory, but make no mistake, the actual victory will hang on you and Romano."
Jaime slowly nodded. "Alright, I can work with that."
"Go to Delos, Romano will remain here. Once the real fighting starts, you will link up, clear a path to Atreus and earn a victory even greater than your previous wins. You get to storm two capital worlds. Imagine your fee for the next employer."
"It'll take about a week to gather my forces, arrange supplies, probably the end of the month before we can engage."
"Good enough. Anton will deploy you where needed, but he will be advised by someone on my staff." Candace shrugged. "Let him think he's in charge, it'll be easier."
"We can do that."
"It won't be easy, but it will alter the shape of the Inner Sphere." Candace stood. "I hired you against the advice of almost everyone, because I saw in you the skill to do the extraordinary. You demonstrated that at Sian to my cost, now demonstrate it for my benefit. Good hunting, Colonel."
The Chancellor departed with a firm nod, Romano following her without a word said, leaving the three Wolves to process the new information.
"That was weird." Natasha looked over to Jaime. "She didn't try to grab your balls or anything."
"She's already got them in a vice." Joshua winced. "So, we're the meat shield for Romano Liao."
"Sounds like. We go in first, do the grunt work, and Romano's pristine elite show up to claim the glory and execute the prisoners." Jaime pursed his lips, decidedly unimpressed by his new orders. "We'll need to be careful on this one. The Liaos won't give a damn if we all die in this game."
"That's probably the plan," Joshua reasoned. "We're not exactly popular. Romano hates our guts."
"She's definitely leaving us to die in a ditch somewhere. Back up? More like a gun to the back of our heads," Natasha scoffed. "Alright genius, how do we get out of this one?"
"We play Anton." Jaime reasoned. "He's prideful, egotistical, but if Candace thinks she can manipulate him, then so can we."
"Nice." Natasha grinned. "But his army is worth shit. Liao is right, Romano's people will go through anything Marik has like week old tacos through a toddler."
"If Anton gets ideas above his station, she will absolutely end him. I'll bet you anything that's why Romano is really going in," Joshua reasoned. "She's the executioner."
"For Janos, for Anton, probably for us," Jaime understood. "And she has the firepower to do it too."
"This is going to be a fun one." Natasha suddenly broke into a wide grin. "I knew taking this mission was a great idea! You just keep setting me up with the best fucking fights a girl could ask for!"
"I dunno, even for us this is a big one." Joshua looked to his brother. "Can we really pull this off? Outwit the Liaos and survive a direct assault on the Marik homeworld?"
"Ask me again in six months."
Cooperland Colony
Cranston Snord had a job to do. He was being paid to teach these newbies what it meant to be a MechWarrior and he was earning his pay today.
"It's not that I'm against it. I know sandals are a good idea. I even like them, hell, the Romans conquered half the world wearing sandals. I respect that. But you can't put spurs on sandals, Gary. They don't jingle. They don't jangle."
"I get that boss but you're in a mech, it gets hot, you're going to want sandals."
"Just come with me on this journey for a minute, Gary." Cranston took his young colleague by the shoulder and directed him to look out over the green fields of the proving ground. "You're a MechWarrior, king of the land, staring down at lesser mortals. You have to live that life, you have to be that man, a god among the riff-raff. You're larger than life, an inspiration, everything you do, all that you say, you gotta feed that aura. You know what works? Cowboy boots with spurs. You know what doesn't?"
"...Sandals?"
"Congratulations on learning one of the basics of the life. Make others believe you are a legend and you might actually believe it yourself." Cranston slapped him on the back. "It's your first steps on a long road kid, and those steps are gonna jingle and jangle. Pick some good boots and we start training after the weekend."
"Yes sir."
"I ain't your sir. Do I look like your Geography teacher?"
"Well, honestly..." Gary offered an apologetic expression before thinking better of it. "No, not a bit."
"Get back here first thing Monday morning, bright and early, about midday."
"Midday?"
"That's plenty early for this unit." Cranston grinned. "Go, get gone, take that clothing budget and make me proud kid."
He watched the young man skitter away toward the barracks assigned to his team with a tiny bit of pride. He was actually enjoying the role of teacher, maybe even getting into it seriously. He certainly hadn't planned for it, but maybe this was going to work out after all.
"It would appear your approach to the sanctity of warfare has not changed."
"Huh?" Cranston craned his neck to see who was interrupting his moment. "Do I know you? You sound like..."
Standing behind him, with a completely unreadable expression, was Kerlin Ward, Khan of Clan Wolf and his ultimate superior.
"Oh. Well. Shit." He quickly broke a wide smile. "How've you been?"
"I am unsure the level of contact you maintain with Colonel Wolf. I will simply say the Crusaders have won the debate, war is coming, and I am exiled."
"Right. Bad news then." Cranston had no idea what he was supposed to do in this situation. Was he supposed to sympathise? Offer advice? Play it safe and just smile and nod?
"Fortunately, the Warden cause has not fallen yet. I am here to explore a new path forward through the Earth Alliance. I understand you have had the most opportunity to work with them. Speak truthfully and plainly, am I wasting my time?"
Khan Ward had just asked Cranston Snord for his opinion. He made a mental note to check the weather report for hell.
"No my Khan, I don't think you are. I think there's potential here, and out of every group in the galaxy, these are probably the only ones who would understand what a Warden is. I don't know what your plan is, and it'll be over my paygrade anyway. But if you are looking for help? This is about your only option."
"Colonel Wolf offered much the same opinion," Ward accepted. "I am to speak with an Anna Sheridan. Do you know where she may be found?"
"She'll be around here somewhere, her office is in yonder building." He gestured over to the scientific complex beyond the 'Mech fields. "Nice girl, ask her about her husband. That guy had some wild stories."
"Cranston!" A voice pierced the sky. "Cranston Snord! Don't you run!"
"Speaking of wild..." He turned to face the challenge. "Angie! You look great, are those new shoes?" He kept the smile nailed on as he observed she was wearing an unmatched pair. "Or one new shoe at least?"
"Why is there a car outside my office?" The incoming banshee demanded. "And I don't mean outside my window, I mean in the corridor outside my door!"
"Well, long story, but if it was outside, somebody might have seen it."
"And why is it asking me if I need to lay down and take a nap?"
"It can probably sense your agitation, which combined with your caffeine intake..."
"It's a car! Why does it care? How does it know? How can it talk? What is it doing in my corridor?"
"Well, ultimately, I'm going to help it fight crime," Cranston answered, as if that was the plain obvious answer anyone would reply with. "But first I need to hide it, and who's going to look for a car in a corridor?"
"But... but... but..."
"Before we talk more, I'd like to introduce you to my boss' boss. Kerlin Ward." Cranston gestured. "Khan Ward, Angela Ginelli, smartest person alive."
That raised an eyebrow, exactly the reaction Cranston had guessed.
"Is that so?" Ward acknowledged. "My pleasure."
"Right, sorry, guests." She rapidly smothered herself down and took a steady breath. "Welcome to the Experimental Applications Facility. I am Dr Ginelli, I look after the mech development."
"She does a lot more than that," Cranston sneaked in. "She's the reason they're all here in the first place."
"Cranny..."
"Punted an entire solar system. Who can do that?"
"Cranny!" She snapped. "We don't talk about that."
"Everyone knows by now." Cranston smiled on. "Smartest person alive. She won't admit it and goes bright red every time I say it, so naturally I say it a lot. But I also mean it. Smartest person alive."
"I sense a fascinating story, Doctor Ginelli, but I must first locate a Mrs Anna Sheridan," Ward reiterated his task. "I am to make myself known to her so I may take up a role here."
"Role?" Cranston shot him a sudden look. "What role?"
"Advisor on BattleMech development and deployment. Among other things."
"She's in a meeting with her superiors. Are you expected?"
"Not until later. If she is busy, I can wait." Ward inclined his head.
"Wait, wait, wait..." Cranston glared. "That's my job! I'm the advisor on 'Mech stuff!"
"Indeed?" Ward clasped his hands behind his back. "Perhaps then I am surplus to requirements. Perhaps I could learn from you, Mr Snord. Tell me, should I be jingling or jangling more?"
Ginelli looked back and forth between them utterly lost but able to see Cranston was not in his usual good mood.
"If you have the time, I could give you the quick tour?" She offered as much to separate the two men. "Show you a little about what we do here?"
"That would be extremely useful, thank you Doctor." Ward nodded to Cranston. "Until later, Mr Snord."
She very quickly and pointedly led Ward away from the fuming Cranston, directing him along the edges of their building toward the mech hangars.
"So you knew Cranny from before?" Ginelli sparked some conversation. "Was he always, you know, what he is?"
"Eccentric? Yes. Captivated by trinkets of the long forgotten past? Certainly," Ward acknowledged. "He would never have fitted in with my command, but he is undeniably skilled, after his own fashion. He is a valuable asset, and while I have more to offer to this facility, in this particular role, Snord is eminently useful. I would recommend retaining his services."
"But you should be the chief advisor?"
"It would be a better use of available resources. I bring more information and experience with me, especially technical sources," Ward spoke simply. "As chief of this science cas... department, I am sure you are keen to learn more advanced means of arming and operating BattleMechs?"
"Always," Ginelli confirmed. "Right now we're experimenting with swap out weapon kits. Trying to shrink our own weapons to fit into existing mechs."
"An excellent idea. Modularity is a doctrine to aspire toward."
"Our main focus right now though is control systems, like Humpty over there."
Ward peered over the range to spot a stripped down mech pacing back and forth.
"An Urbanmech?"
"Yes, Humpty, we call him. Our first donation and a big help. You could call him the daddy of all Earth Force mechs."
"Well, that must be a nice accolade for such a humble machine," Ward allowed. "What is it doing?"
"Helmetless control."
That caught Ward's attention. "How so?"
"Artificial Intelligence." Ginelli answered. "We've been trying to get this working since day one. Replacing the human brain tied in with neurohelmets with an automatic system that corrects for balance and movement with no direct input."
"And it works?"
"To a degree. It's still experimental," she reluctantly admitted. "We can't match the speed and smoothness of a neurohelmet. We can push it through basic movements, get it running and turning at speed, but rapid changes and athletics aren't happening. But drones are, fully automated mechs. That's going to happen."
"Mechs without a mechwarrior?" Ward seemed physically pained by the suggestion. "They will always be inferior."
"No doubt about it, one on one, maybe up to three on one. But two hundred to one?" Ginelli twinkled a smile. "We're a small little group in the big scheme of things. We don't have the armies the Inner Sphere can raise, so we need a way to counter that. If we can make the AI run those things well enough to move and shoot at even a basic level, that'll help."
"It has been tried before, it never worked."
"Well, its worth trying again," Ginelli enthused. "This is a new field for us. AI development is pretty heavily restricted, but we've had some desperate times lately."
"I can appreciate innovation," Ward allowed grudgingly. "But I assure you, with the help I can give, you won't need artificial MechWarriors. I can share our technological advances, let you leap ahead a couple of centuries. I would require some additional assurances from your government, but I am more than willing to help expand your BattleMech potential."
"But how do you know what our potential is?" Ginelli asked honestly. "Our weapons and cooling technology are more advanced, our material science will soon catch up. Once we crack how your fusion reactors work differently to ours, I'm confident we can create a mech with a perfect balance of speed, protection, and firepower. Our second generation designs are already incorporating electromagnetic barriers to help scatter energy weapons, something taken from our warships. Can you really offer us much more?"
"More doesn't always translate to better, and with my help you may find paths neither of us has considered."
"Can I show you something?" Ginelli turned to the hanger. "You have clearance to be here right?"
"Your security detachment was very thorough in their checks," Ward assured. "I have authorization from your President... from our President." That was taking some getting used to.
"Alright, let me show you my two pet projects, give you an idea of where we are."
She led him to the main hanger, several dozen techs hard at work among the gantries.
"That's Sir Isaac, by the way, our Warhammer." The enthusiastic woman pointed out as they passed. "We use him for weapons testing. Those big pods we're attaching are gatling pulse cannons Cranston fetched from the Thunderbolt project."
"Thunderbolt? The heavy mech?"
"Our new multirole fighter, the first prototype is due in the sky very soon. They're handling it at the base on the opposite side of town." Ginelli smiled. "Four times the firepower of a Uni-pulse cannon."
"Cranston Snord fetched them?" Ward gave her a look. "With the approval of the base commanders?"
"Well yes, I mean..." She closed her eyes. "Oh no. Oh hell no. I'm going to have to give them back tomorrow morning aren't I?"
"It might be worth asking the other engineers if they are missing anything," Ward nodded. "But I have no doubt they will be excellent weapons."
"Oh, that wasn't what I wanted to show you, those are going to be standard issue." Ginelli kept walking. "Left bay."
Ward followed her direction and found himself admiring a sleek fighter plane, cleanly polished bearing the Earth Force badge. A perfectly good looking aircraft.
"It's a LAM," she informed him. "Land-Air mech, I've been wanting one ever since I heard about the idea. We found a couple of wrecks, studied some museum pieces. My team wanted to just copy one, but no. I insisted we build our own to test and see if we could. That is the first unique Earth Alliance Battlemech, the Sylph."
"I respect the achievement, but I fear you may have selected the wrong machine to start with." Ward scrutinised the design. "The LAM concept has limited utility."
"Oh, I know. This isn't meant to be a mass production model, we probably won't even make more than one squadron," Ginelli agreed. "It hasn't even flown yet because the only test pilot crazy enough to get in is busy working out the Thunderbolt prototype. It has engines several times more powerful than the T-bolt is going to fly with, it has more guns, cyclone plasma cannons, Uller lasers, gauss cannons. On a fighter jet! Do you see the sheen on the hull? We coated this thing in powdered Minbari pieces, bits of their fighters and warships we shot off and recovered at immense risk. The Minbari use a type of crystal that refracts a sizeable portion of energy weapons fire. We can't replicate that yet, but we can do this! Nearly the same thing!" She beamed as she reveled in the design. "It has active stealth fields developed for a project they won't even confirm exists, it has control systems so advanced I am pretty sure they are Hyach tech, it has an energy web that is the closest we can get to true electromagnetic shielding. This mech, this thing you see here, is the amalgamation of our most potent military technology. We built this spectacularly over engineered machine, Mr Ward, because we can."
He looked at the scientist, her eyes alight with a fanatical passion. She absolutely obsessed about her work. In her own way, she was as single minded as any warrior.
"What will you do with this mech?"
"After tests? Probably nothing, maybe stuff we'll never hear about if they find a good enough pilot." She shrugged. "It's a proof of concept. It's to show the Senate and the Generals what we can do here, what the potential is. We'll never build more than a few, because it uses incredibly rare materials, the engine alloys, the alien components, the sheer complexity... we could have had a division of Marauders for the cost of that one test craft. When it comes down to it, that is what the military will chose, squadrons of Thunderbolts and regiments of Marauders, because they aren't idiots."
"But this will exist as a demonstration of your ability, as scientists and engineers." Ward understood. "You built it because it was impossible, to show you could."
"If we can make this, we can make anything. Hopefully for a lot cheaper." Ginelli nodded. "Same for the Monster."
Ward gave her a look.
"You made another?"
She giggled mischievously.
"Ever wondered what a four hundred ton mech with battleship cannons might look like? Wanna see?"
"I'm glad you could fit me in." Edward Morden smiled, a plastic smile that looked pleasant, but had little behind it. "I know Kerlin Ward is due later today. Interesting story there."
"So I heard." Anna Sheridan steepled her hands in front of her, adopting a headmistress like posture, arms resting on her desk. "Is this about my funding request?"
"No, the board of directors is still debating that," Morden answered. "Honestly though, IPX is in the middle of shifting its resources. I wouldn't expect much more for the Cooperland dig."
"The city still has countless secrets to give up," Anna defended. "This project is vital not just to Earth, but to the whole Inner Sphere! Helping them uncover their own history!"
"I know and I agree. Actually, that's kind of why the board sent me." Morden kept smiling. "We've been here a few years now, and between the Minbari war, the leap, the loss of resources... IPX has had a hard time. The good news is that we've adapted, restructured for this new reality we find ourselves in. Bottom line is, it's time to go back to what we do best."
"Which is...?"
"Interplanetary Expeditions, of course." He grinned wider. "The Senate has renewed our charter and updated it for this new location. IPX is back in business. We're going back out there into the larger galaxy to begin our survey and excavation work again."
"In the Inner Sphere?" Anna asked, her interest rising.
"That's right, the Sphere, the Periphery, anywhere we want," Morden confirmed. "We've commissioned our first new Explorer, one with a KF drive and DropShip support, a hybrid of Earth and Sphere technology. She'll be ready early next year."
"What's the first mission?"
"We don't know. That will be up to the Project Manager and the board."
"Who's the manager? Chang? Trent? Bryson?"
"Actually, the board want you." That smile never faded.
"Me?" Anna laughed slightly. "I don't have the field work to..."
"You're running the dig here, and you're pretty much the day to day manager of this facility given Dr Ginelli's... erratic nature. Plus your work on the old capital makes you the most familiar with Star League technology. You are IPX's resident expert, the perfect fit."
"Look, Mr Morden..."
"Dr Chang spoke highly of you. There's no one better qualified to lead a major expedition like this." He cut her off. "Now, this is a major operation, minimum five years and given the distances, you might not get home much, so the board understands if you'd prefer to pass."
"I didn't say that," she corrected. "It's just a surprise."
"It'll be months before this project is ready, plenty of time to make up your mind. If you let us know by the end of the year, that's fine."
She nodded, the possibilities racing. This was the sort of thing she had signed up for, the chance to make discoveries that could alter civilisation. She'd expected to be hunting alien technology, but lost human technology held an appeal all of its own.
"We'd be looking for military technology?" She wondered.
"In part, but from the records we've looked at, the Star League had some amazing pieces of mega-engineering. For instance, their terraforming technology, material sciences, genetic therapy. All of it far beyond our own attempts," Morden clarified. "With the recent disaster on Mars, Earth is suddenly obsessed with technological advancement again."
"That black ship reminded us not to sit on our laurels."
"Exactly." Morden nodded. "You know I was there? Saw it up close."
"What was it like?"
"Beautiful. Beautiful beyond words." He answered honestly. "It was awesome, and I mean that in the most fundamental way I can. It inspired awe, pure absolute awe. And then terror. I was lucky to survive, most of my friends didn't. But for all the horror, for how scared and small that thing reminded me I was, it also showed me what we could be. There's so much left to discover out there, I want to be part of that."
"So do I," she responded just as candidly. "I'll need to think about it."
"Of course. Take some time."
"But this opportunity, this could be my life's work." Anna nodded thoughtfully. "I'll be in contact Mr Morden."
He kept smiling.
"I never once doubted it."
"What did he think of Monster?" Rhonda Snord looked up at the clouds, stretched out on the grass, with her coat folded up behind her head.
"He said it would be destroyed by a scout lance before had a chance to shoot anything." Ginelli stared at the same clouds beside her.
"He's right." Cranston rounded out the sky gazing trio. "You know Amaris..."
"I know, he said the same thing," Ginelli bit back, remembering Kerlin Ward's attitude. "He's smart, but he thinks nobody else can see what he sees. We do, we just sometimes we like to go ahead and build titanic mechs anyway. Just because!"
"Preaching to the choir." Cranston smiled.
"I think Monster's rad," Rhonda declared. "It's bodacious."
Her father tilted his head, face bemused.
"What the hell have you been listening to now?"
"Chillax dad, don't have a cow."
Ginelli laughed lightly to herself. This was one hundred percent Michael Garibaldi's doing.
"Well, if you're having fun." He looked back skyward. "So, about that car..."
"If it's gone tomorrow, I won't say anything," Ginelli proposed. "And you go and apologise to Commander Sinclair for stealing his pulse cannons."
"We needed them more!"
"Cranny!" She wagged a finger. "What did I just say?"
"Fine. But when I teach that car to fight crime..."
"You have a crime fighting car!" Rhonda turned sharply.
"Not yet, but soon. It has an AI and it's programmed for good. Actually, it's probably too good. I guess the designers saw too many movies where AI nukes the world, so they went way over the other side with this one."
"It's a prototype autonomous taxi, same basic software we're using on Humpty," Ginelli clarified after spending an hour checking the vehicle out. "That's the civilian version, they gave it a personality to make it more friendly."
"They made it so helpful it wants to end crime." Cranston smiled. "I love it."
"What happens when it finds out it's stolen goods?" Rhonda pondered. "Will it go crazy and explode?"
"No, I mean... no? Doctor?"
"It isn't that advanced, it's just a quirk in the programming." Ginelli shrugged. "Sorry to pop that bubble."
"What happens when it finds out dad's a megalomaniac kleptomaniac?"
"How are you learning these words?"
"Mikey."
"You need to control your man, Professor," Cranston grumbled. "Filling my girl's head with crazy ideas. That car is going straight in the museum."
Ginelli smiled again, smiled genuinely. It had been a while since Garibaldi had been sent on assignment again and it never got less lonely. She found herself leaning on Cranston and Rhonda quite a lot in his absence, the easy going mechwarrior unofficially adopting her as an older, but just as eccentric second daughter. It helped.
"He liked the Sylph though, right?" Rhonda went back to the last topic.
"Everyone likes the Sylph." Cranston grinned. "Twenty bills says that by tomorrow he offers to pilot it."
"It's reserved for Sinclair and everyone knows it." Ginelli replied. "I mean he brought back most of the Minbari pieces it's coated in."
"I think that's my favourite part. He's going to fly a jet painted in the powdered corpses of his earlier kills." Cranston chuckled. "I am definitely going to do that one of these days. Little bits of Marik mech glued to my ride."
"Me too." Rhonda nodded enthusiastically. "You're still giving me Monster, right?"
"If I can, sure, but you know how it is."
"Yeah, guess so." Rhonda exhaled. "Buzz kill."
"You still thinking about calling the science minister?" Cranston leveled his voice, becoming serious. "You should you know, you're wasted here."
"I'm doing good work," Ginelli countered.
"You're piecing together toys," he returned. "You punted a Fu...fudging sun, Angie! Into a different continuum! Yeah, the 'Mechs are cool, but you are a hyperspace physicist, not an engineer."
"And what if I do it again?"
"Will you? Do you know why it happened?"
"Yes, actually, I do. But when they ask for proof, what do I say? It came to me in a dream?"
"All the best stuff does," Cranston dismissed. "You belong back on Earth. I love you Angie, you are a breath of freshly caffeinated air, but you don't belong here."
She closed her eyes. He was right, her work was different. But she was afraid to go back, to face her peers after her mistake.
"What can I say? What about all the people left behind? I did that."
"And you can fix it."
"I don't know if I can."
"I do, you already said you found a way to identify dimensions. That's ridiculously huge! That's a Nobel prize!"
"I don't want a Nobel prize."
"So accept it and donate it to my museum."
"Cranny."
"Seriously Angie, you've probably cracked more of this than all those other scientists combined. This is your specialty, your work, and yeah, your responsibility."
"But how do I face them?"
"Screw it." Cranston growled. "How do they face you?"
"I... I don't know..."
"Has anyone ever said thank you?" he asked pointedly. "Did they ever thank you for what you did?"
"Why would they?"
"Because you saved them. You saved the world, the whole world. You were this close to extinction, Angie. They needed a miracle and they got you, which, for the record, is way better than a miracle, because miracles don't keep being this funny for this long. A fudging LAM. All the tech in the world and you build a fudging LAM."
"I like transformers! And that's not the point!"
"A LAM that cost triple digit billions. I sometimes wonder if you're real and then remember you have to be, because fiction isn't this crazy." Cranston grinned. "They don't deserve you, but here you are. You are a good person, and like I keep saying, the smartest person in the universe. Go home Angie, walk right through the front doors in your mismatched shoes, carrying that gallon jug of coffee, and you tell them you're going to open the way back home."
"You really have that much faith in me?"
"We all do," Cranston confirmed. "Me, Rhonda, big mouth Mikey. It's about time you got some fu...dging respect."
"Right on." Rhonda joined the chorus. "So we jail breaking?"
"We're jail breaking." Cranston nodded. "Pack a bag Angie, we're going to Earth."
"But you aren't allowed on Earth." Ginelli blinked at him.
"Pack a bag, and as you do that, I'm going to explain why we call it a jail break."
Posted for
@Spartan303, since he's busy.
