Wow. Your resuming the story? Awesome!
Yeah, I had a bit of inspiration and wanted to finally finish it. Plus its tagged on my Sig so people are more likely to look.
Chapter 17 – Milk Run09/18/3043 Aboard FWDS Aerlion, En Route to Sadurni, Free World's League“Basra!'”Corrine Marik banged her fist on the table, an action which would have upset the four wine cups on it were they not magnetized.
“You're a damn cheat, Llewell!”The Roma brushed his hands down bare arms and collected his winnings. Giselle and him were still in their bright tech overalls while Corrine and Duke wore the black jumpsuits of League spacers. A narrow purple diagonal stripe showing on their shoulder marked them as Cadets.
“I don't even have sleeves on Countess. Care for another round?”She tossed the cards back into the center, taking a drink for the cup,
“No I'm tapped out for the week.”Llewell shuffled the collected cards back into a stack,
“You're a legitimate Countess, why so cheap?”
“My lands and funds are held in trust by mother until I'm twenty-five, or get married.”
Giselle looked over to her clearly surprised. Few AMI Cadets were nobles as most had their own house Masters-at-Arms or private universities to provide martial instruction. Most were scions of the League's wealthy industrialists and political elite looking to improve their family's standing through service.
“So you have to ask your mother for an allowance?”Corrine deflated, turning ever so slightly red from something other than wine,
“Yes, and most of it goes to academy and maintenance fees.”Duke Karamazov, an ambitious name for an adequate Mechwarrior, nodded
“Sounds like a raw deal. Free Flight, Limited is paying my fees. You'd think with a last name like Marik AMI would be willing to cut a deal.”
“They would've. I turned it down.” She stood up and picked up her now empty cup.
“Alright have fun guys. I'm hitting my bunk.”She walked past the IrTech branded Ergonomic Containers in the cargo bay. Her first mission in Mechwarrior AIT was a 'Milk Run' guarding these upgraded Exostar Northstar 5cm (Large) Lasers. Twenty of which were to be transferred to the newly created 2nd Free World's Legionnaires gathering for training at their destination.
Along the way she stopped by the galley where the 20 IrTech Senior Technicians aboard were eating their dinner of richly spiced meats and fresh bread. These new Unions {The Union V, 3055 Upgrade except only 2 Air Lances (4 Fighters, 8 Mechs) with Ferro-Aluminium armor and an extra 200 tons of cargo} had much better accommodations for the 14 man crew and 24 bay personnel including a small rec room, more capable galley, and superior life support. The life support upgrade in particular eliminated the dank suffocating atmosphere she had experienced on her way to New Olympia after traveling on Monarch lines with her mother. While it was still a combat transport it was a comfortable and better equipped one.
This group of professionals were tasked with refitting the Legionnaires' equipment and making the lance of refurbished Guillotines and four pack of Cheetah light aerofighters on-board ready for battle. Additionally they provided support for the Cadet's Battlemechs (Her Wolverine, Duke's Orion, Giselle's Cicada, and Llewell's Trebuchet) in lieu of their normal crews, presently at an arms conference on Atreus. They were pleasant enough folk but she had no time for chit-chat with them today and deposited her cup into the dishwasher before heading to her room via a maze of ladders and slightly padded corridors.
After showering and redressing from the locker built into the bottom of her bunk she looked up at the small vid-screen built into the bunk. She keyed in 'Ian Davion' and a small video (saved on her console) played of Prince Ian Davion stood before the Marik Assembly looking sharply martial but regal and wise at the same time. His latest addresses were thematically similar desperately beseeching the LCCC to act before its to late and the Civil War rolled over into Oriente and Andurian.
Even Mandrill Tormano Liao had changed, likely under some influence from the Prince. Where he once curried favor with his sisters and tried to stay out of the public eye he was increasingly visible and more regularly traveled within the League from his home on Solaris VII. With the support of the Archon and both regiments of the Kell Hounds he had carved out a narrow piece of border territory from Elnath almost to Bithinia as a refuge.
Both regiments of Genyosha under Sho-Sho Yorinaga Kurita, the original First Prince Ian Davion's killer (in combat) and blood rival of the Kells were deployed to that theater. Additionally the Federated Armored Cavalry, formed by Ian, had sworn vengeance although they had other deployments, with the FWLM in Andurian, and MAF in Fronc. She knew through her father's SAFE connections that 'her' Ian was currently on Detroit undergoing light duty with his company of Armored Cavalry after a particularly fierce engagement with Warrior House Ma-Tsu Kai.
A soft whisper distracted her,
“He's just so dreamy.”Corrine realized the video had played and another was lined up with Ian on it. Horribly embarrassed she blushed much to the delight of her roommate who ably avoided the small pillow thrown her way,
“Are we going to bump into him again on Sadurni?”Their destination was four jumps away from Detroit and the Armored Cavalry regularly went up and down border regions deterring either Liao sister from launching raids into the vulnerable Duchy of Andurien. A Duchy which only last year had been allowed to rebuild its militia commands after being under occupation by Oriente and Orloff Peacekeepers since the Succession Crisis now that the Hussars and Grenadiers were needed in their own home provinces.
Still she lied because she was fairly certain, or hopeful, she would 'bump' into Ian while training with the Legionnaires so close to where he was.
“Probably not Gee. We both have lots to do.”Giselle settled into her own bunk opposite her throwing the pillow back with just enough force to make an impact,
“I'm sure he'd make time for you. I have eyes, and ears.”The lights turned off,
“Go to bed.”---------
On Detroit in the city of Flint, Captain Ian Davion along with 2nd FAC, Bravo Battalion, Company C wrestled with their emotions. Ian had foolishly underestimated Ma-Tsu Kai's scholar-warriors and now five of his command's Mechs had been lost, two with their pilots. The others had suffered critical damage from the elite air mobile infantry they were not equipped to handle. It was the worst raid he had conducted since taking command. While Golden Lion's firepower and his own 'tactically unsound but eponymous' rear guard action had preserved the command it had shaken his confidence. He took another shot of whiskey before finishing the condolence letters sending them to the HPG for processing.
He looked into the Mech Bay at Whetstone Depot from his office window, the last with light on for the evening. The Federation Armored Cavalry was forward based from this independent industrial world to appease Atreus and Canopus alike as neither wanted AFFS forces based within their own realms. Within its cradle his now partial Marauder, Golden Lion, was crawling with techs undergoing its third complete refurbishment in five years. The missing mechs were being replaced by local production Shadow Hawk and Swordsmen (referred to as Calliopes in the Magistracy). To combat Warrior House and Home Guard infantry he also acquired a Vulcan, what happened on Exedor would not happen again.
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Within the Excalibur
SIS Zheng Hei on Victoria Shiao-Zheng Michaelangelo Schmidt of Warrior House Kamata bowed deeply to Premier Candace Liao who had reverted to more conservative (and warmer) Imperial (Chinese/Russian) dress over the past years hiding her rapidly fading looks and sickly complexion with shadow and silk.
“Premier, you requested my presence.”Quintus Allard, her father-in-law and former spymaster to First Prince Hanse Davion, appeared out of the shadows behind her.
“Lord Allard, please brief the Shiao-Zheng on his mission.” She coughed and politely started to retire to her chambers, only accessible from a single elevator,
“I must attend to other matters.”The elder gentleman bid the Lord Colonel to stand before handing him a encrypted datachip.
“Everything you need is there, your target is very close to Betelguese. I wish you luck because,” He leaned very close to the other Warrior,
“While Candace is not Romano, failure is not an option here House Master.”