First proper new bit, I sort of ended it before with them heading to New Avalon... and the rest wasn't spelled out. So here we go. I've got some more I'll post later
House Sortek Owned Land, Staging Base
Brunswick, New Avalon
Crucis March, Federated Suns
9th October 3105 Arriving in the New Avalon system had been a surreal experience for Warrior House Sortek, they had arrived in the El Dorado system in a nearly destroyed Davion II-class Destroyer which had once been a proud vessel before it was shot to pieces by the Draconis Combine but on their arrival in the New Avalon system they had been met by two massive Federated Suns Battleships. Following Li Sunn’s rebellion there had been little in the way of descent from within the unit instead the Warrior House members had been subdued barely able to focus and now the sights in the New Avalon system was yet another surprise. In their home the Confederated Suns had only a few battleships after years of conflict with the Draconis Combine and all were defending manufacturing worlds deeper in the Confederated Suns, New Avalon was a system full of wrecks of its defence fleet and the Draconis Combine vessels that they took with them.
While the WarShips defending New Avalon came as a surprise stepping foot on New Avalon was a pure joy from the assembled warriors as they streamed out of their two DropShips. Grandmaster of the Warrior House Imarra Sortek led her troops out of the DropShip and dropped to her knees almost as soon as she stepped on the world’s soil, she knew this was not her world, her New Avalon, but it felt like coming home.
The Warrior House had been given a disused Staging Base for their exclusive use, there was not a single member of the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns within eight kilometres of their position although they were under constant observation by Federated Suns fighters and observation satellites. Within a week of their arrival a group of historians from the New Avalon Institute of Sciences (NAIS) who brought the unit up to speed on the various historical changes compared to their universe. They learned about Aleksander Kerensky’s survival, the Exodus of the Star League army, the horrors of the Succession Wars, the brief unity of the Federated Suns and the Lyran Commonwealth and the invasion of Kerensky’s descendants known as the Clans.
For nearly two weeks the members of Warrior House Sortek were allowed to travel across the wild and unspoiled continent of Brunswick. During their time there they were allowed to use several of the AFFS gunnery and Mech ranges and they had been visited by members of family, who were removed by an entire universe but shared the same name. Few of the visits had gone especially well her people were loyal to the Confederated Suns, they were a Warrior House loyal to the Chancellor-Prince of that realm a realm that no longer existed and the people of the Federated Suns hated those of the Capellan Confederation.
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Today Imarra Sortek walked her Men Shen OmniMech away from the firebase which they currently called home, she knew New Avalon and she knew Brunswick especially which were making more of an impact than any visit by a family member. Slowly the Warrior House’s reactions to people visiting had convinced the Federated Suns officials arranging these “reunions” to quit sending visitors to them. The people here and her Warrior House would never be family, even she could not look at Connor Sortek and not think of the burned face of the Duke of Robinson or Bishop Sortek and not think of the Elder of her Warrior House.
The fifty-five-ton Men Shen walked slowly through the Mech range detecting a group of BattleMechs approaching all had the symbol of the Federated Suns. Her people had encountered few BattleMechs on Brunswick during their time there only when they approached major settlements. Scanning the incoming BattleMechs none she recognised, the Federated Suns had been very careful so far with what they shared with the unit, her sensors told her that all four Mechs were of the assault class. Her medium OmniMech could outrun them all but if it came to a fight and they had anything like long range weapons she would be dead. As they came into visual range, she could tell that two the smaller two were Templar OmniMechs while the largest BattleMech of the four was a one hundred ton Devastator which was popular in the former Capellan March and the Terran Supremacy. The last BattleMech was an unknown design it a low slung BattleMech with rounded armour, boxy weapon arms and back-canted legs.
“This is Golf Sierra One to incoming Federated Suns BattleMech lance please identify.” She communicated facing them she made sure that her weapons were not powered and her targeting system was off.
“This is Marshal Bishop Sortek permission to approach Grandmaster.” A familiar voice requested
“Granted Marshal, welcome” she said as the Mechs approached she slowed her walk so they could catch her. The two Mechs of the same type fell into formation behind them while Bishop pulled up alongside her, the low-slung Mech remained on her far side. “Welcome to our corner of this beautiful world, as prisons go it’s a beautiful one.”
“It’s hardly a prison Grandmaster, but I take your point you must be going a little stir crazy?” Bishop Sortek asked while he would hardly class it as prison the presence of WarShips in near orbit made it impossible for them to escape.
“Yes, we are an elite unit Marshal, we are not going to simply integrate with your people we are not citizens of your Federated Suns. Some of my people wouldn’t recognise your First Prince if he walked up and slapped them.” She explained she heard Bishop’s chuckle interrupting her “no disrespect Marshal but have I said something funny?” She asked as the taller BattleMech slowed to a near stop allowing the other Mech to close.
“Grandmaster of the Warrior House Immara Sortek allow me to introduce Victor Ian Steiner-Davion, Duke of New Avalon, First Prince of the Federated Suns.” Bishop said
“Welcome to New Avalon” Victor said from his BattleMech “I’ve been observing your situation since you arrived, I thought it was about time I introduced myself, welcome to my nation. I hope your cell has been comfortable.” He half joked referencing what she had said the Mech’s arm indicated in the direction behind Imarra’s BattleMech and the two began heading across Brunswick’s countryside.
“Thank you… sire” she said stumbling over the term, in their universe the Chancellor-Prince was like this one known as the Celestial Wisdom. “We appreciate what you have done for us but we are a little at our wits end. We are an experienced combat unit without a target” she repeated what she had said to Bishop Sortek.
“I am well aware; I have seen your scores on the automated ranges.” He said, Imarra Sortek herself was easily on par with most MechWarriors in how own Davion Guards, while he was confident that the Guards would prevail in battle it was more due to the numbers his RCTs could bring to a battle than the skill difference. “You have options Grandmaster” He said as the two Mechs continued to make their slow walk over the range.
“Firstly, you could muster out of service retiring to live in peace, you have all earned it from what I have read, this can be done either individually or as a unit.” He offered Imarra had waited for this, it was her worse nightmare the break-up of everything that she had left. “As your equipment was not issued by the AFFS we will purchase any equipment from your warriors and they can retire comfortably.” He offered
“That is a generous offer” Imarra admitted, she had not expected the offer to purchase the equipment, her people really could live comfortably for the rest of their lives with the money their equipment was worth. “But my people are warriors, we would struggle to retire.”
“I am not surprised it is difficult to turn away from a life in the Mech seat.” He said twisting his BattleMech’s torso away from Imarra the First Prince unleashed a volley from the weapon arm with two solid red lasers and three volleys of green laser fire at a target. The firepower unleashed was incredible for a Mech design she had never seen before, the volley of fire was easily equal to an entire arsenal of some BattleMechs and that had only been one arm.
“An impressive design.” She commented firing a volley of long-range missiles from her Men Shen, her Mech was more of a scouting and raiding design than the blunt instrument that it appeared he First Prince piloted. She wondered if it said anything about the Prince but also it made her wonder what else this universe hid.
“She is called Prometheus.” Victor responded “the design is known as a Daishi, which is Japanese for Great Death. She was designed by Kerensky’s descendants; they name her Dire Wolf.” He said moments later he unleashed the Mech’s massive autocannon from the Mech’s other arm and the short-range missiles on a target closer to them, Imarra joined him in firing multiple laser blasts into another target.
“Which leads to your next option” Victor offered “you could leave the Federated Suns as a unit.” He said “there is a mercenary market out there...”
“We could not be sellswords.” She stated emphatically some of the others may be willing but she could never do it.
“I do not blame you” Victor said targeting another target “your unit would need to change its name, the Sortek name is tied to the former Federated Commonwealth nations. And due to your skill level, you would likely be sent against an enemy who matches your skill level, but perhaps one that has access to superior technology.” He said engaging another target, behind them the other three warriors were also engaging other targets on the range as they felt more comfortable with the First Prince and Grandmaster discussing the future of Warrior House Sortek.
“It is the warrior not the technology that makes a battle, we are elite, we would find a way to prevail.” She said defiantly
“I used to believe in that” he replied looking at her Men Shen, “your Mech is an OmniMech in your universe that was developed because the Star League in your universe stayed and you avoided some of the horrors of the Succession Wars. Your technological level increased and you developed new technology while our Inner Sphere almost regressed to the dark ages in places due to those four terrible wars.” He explained “the Inner Sphere you see today is only like it is because we found a memory core from the Star League but also because of technology that we have captured or traded from the Clans. The Clans have refined the technology of killing another man to a near fine art.”
“A warrior can close some of that gap.” Imarra said defiantly
“I agree but as mercenaries, independent warriors, you literally would be the warriors who have to try and hold the line against a technologically superior force without assistance.”
“We could not do that.” Imarra admitted
“Thirdly, you could join the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns.” He offered “your unit will remain together; you will initially be based off of New Avalon from your current firebase within House Sortek’s landhold.” He explained “you will be deployed with other AFFS units as an independent auxiliary force, you will be supported and supplied as if you had been raised by the Federated Suns herself.”
“As an independent command…” she said pondering the moment “we would remain a Warrior House?” She asked carefully.
“You may designate yourself as such, the term does not have good feelings within the Federated Suns due to its connection to the Capellan Confederation but the Sortek name is well respected and I am sure you can add to that.” He said carefully having a Warrior House on the rolls would be strange but he was sure they could make it work, they may even be able to turn it to their advantage.
“We would need to recruit and train our own way.” Imarra cautioned the First Prince “a Warrior House is an Elite organisation but we do not take anyone. We build our own unit and train in our own way.”
“As an independent command you may maintain your own training and recruitment.” Victor said there were several units in the Federated Suns that were not aligned with any individual brigade, they all trained and fought different than the rank and file of the AFFS. “The Sortek landhold here on New Avalon perhaps could lay the groundwork for such a training facility?” He suggested
“I think I can sell that to my command. I am not sure if they can all swear their loyalty to you. Many of them had made that oath already and may struggled to have a second oath.” She said as the Daishi stepped in front of her Mech although it was a short BattleMech for an assault class design it still towered over her Men Shen and was probably twice as wide. “And we would not relish fighting the Capellan Confederation.
“I understand that” Victor admitted, he was pragmatic enough to understand that people within his military were not completely loyal to him. “Different people join the military for their own purposes. Your unit will be expected to carry AFFS Insignia, use its ranks and wear the uniform.” He cautioned her “you will of course be allowed to retain the unique positions you currently hold as part of the Warrior House, Grandmaster.” He said acknowledging their differences but also warning them that they would have to conform. “As for fighting the Capellan Confederation I cannot and will not guarantee that you will not fight them” he warned her the needs of the Federated Suns may force them to do what they did not relish “but we will do our best to garrison you away from their border, we have many enemies.”
“Agreed, sire” she said using the term far more confidently this time, her people were a combat unit and having a military purpose would help them overcome the loss of their universe and the difficulties of this new one.
