Chapter Three
Docking Pad 47B, Main Dropship Terminal
New Avalon, Federated Suns
1200, 16 August 3020
Colonel Jeremiah Stalwart started down the ramp of the Union class dropship Eunomia, accompanied by his three most senior officers. Also along was one junior officer Mechwarrior Marcus Filmore. All of them were wearing the "dress uniforms" of the Stalwart Protectors.
Their jacket and trousers are standard Davion green. They wore a silver shirt with detachable cuffs underneath and matching silver caps. On each cap was a flash with the symbol showing which section the owner was assigned to. The lest breast pocket showed a unit patch of the Stalwart Protectors. The right breast pocket displayed the various ribbons each of them had earned from the Protectors and from the other services they had belonged to. One consession to current styles was that MechWarriors could attach spurs to the heels of their calf high leather boots.
Marcus made several notable exceptions with his uniform. While the tartan sash he wore could sometimes be found amoung other units and many units allowed certain members to wear swords their were other items not so common. One was the frilly cuffs and another was the cod piece he wore.
At the bottom of the ramp they met with another person dressed as they were. Ensign Victoria Stalwart stood at the front of a fairly discipline group of 20 people. They were dressed in either civilian civilian clothes or stripped down former miltary clothes from at least three different armies.
Victoria called the mismatched group to attention as her superior officers approached and then rendered a salute. Her father returned the salute even though he would have preferred giving her a hug he knew what his responsibility lay at the moment.
Victoria dropped her salute and said, "Colonel, unit new hires are ready for your inspection."
"Very well let us begin."
Victoria led her Colonel through the ranks of recruits. The other officers stood by and waited for them as they looked over every recruit individually. While some people would consider all this as simply "pomp and circumstance", the Protectors used this little ceremony to let every person jioning the unit know that this was a unit with certain expectations and these expectations started as soon as you jioned. If the new recruits were looking for one of those merc unit, like in the Tri-Vids, who did whatever they pleased and somehow got the mission done, they needed to look elsewhere.
Once done looking them over, Colonel Stalwart stood back in front of the group and saluted and dismissed Ensign Stalwart. Then he addressed the new recruits.
"Welcome all of you to the Stalwart Protectors. As you will find out for yourselves, we are one of the finest military units in the Inner Sphere. All we ask of you is that you live up to the standards of this great unit. If you do you will find not only a place to work but a place to call home."
After a brief and well timed pause he continued, "I am Colonel Jeremiah Stalwart, the commander and owner of the the Protectors. Next to me is LTC Anne Singh the unit's execuetive officer, Major Emil Booth the Commander of Ground and Air Troops and Major Millicent Benson Chief of Support. When I dismiss you those who signed on for combat posts will report to Major Booth. Those in the just as important non-combat posts will go with Major Benson. They will get you settled in. As of this moment you are all members of the Protectors. Live up to that proud name. Dismissed."
The two majors strode forward and began to gather their people. Meanwhile the other four officers came together a little distance away for a less formal meeting. This time Jeremiah did get to hug his daughter and did not let go for a full two minutes. When he did she was immediately embraced by first Anne and then less heartily by Marcus.
Looking at her with the other two he beamed with pride. When Jeremiah and Victoria's mother had divorced, the seven year old Victoria chose to stay with her father. She had been raised by the Protectors. Anne was her unofficial step mother. Marcus was another story.
After a few moments Victoria said, "Sorry to break this up Dad and Anne but we don't have time to catch up now. We'll be late for the lunch meeting with our new employers."
Anne spoke before Jeremiah could protest, "Just like we taught you. Business first the pleasantries. Glad to see you took some of my lessons to heart."
Marcus raised his arms and said, "Yayy our noble princess speaks most wisely. Let us summon a carriage and see what kind of people these scholars truly are."
Jeremiah lowers his head and says, "Very well seems I'm outvoted. Let's go see these people. Hope you at least picked a good restaurant."
Secretly he was very proud of his daughter's sense of propriety.