Dispossession of a Duke (House Morten Book 1)

by Aer-ki Jyr

I'm a full time professional author who got their start here writing fanfiction. I was on a break and was reading a glut of battletech books when I got this story idea in my head. It stuck so bad I started to write it out and it ended up becoming a novel. Didn't have permission to write it, so I can't make money off it, but otherwise it's written as legit Succession Wars era.

2. Chapter 1

1

January 18, 2989

Federated Suns

Crucis March

Cholis

"This is it," the real estate agent said grandly as he led Stephan and Roger, his bodyguard, up the curving staircase to the front door of the mansion he'd just bought sight unseen. "I told you. Immaculate condition. I hope you'll be pleased with it, Lord Morten," he said as he used the keycard and swung the large double doors wide open with an extra hand flourish as the main hall came into view.

"Thank you, Mr. Frantz," he said, looking forward but not yet stepping in. "We can find our way from here."

"Is there anything else I can help you with?" he pressed.

"One mansion is enough for now," Stephan said flatly, so the realtor wasn't sure if he was joking or serious.

"I'm available whenever you need me," he said, handing Stephan the keycard. "The codes for every building, including the guest house, are on there, and there's a recoder with extra keycards in the main study so you can adjust them as you like," he said with a tip of his broad rimmed hat that matched his grey business suit appropriately.

Stephan took the card, then the local realtor scurried away, now a fairly rich man given his percentage on the 73 million C-bill mansion that had sat on the market for 32 years for lack of a buyer. No one else on Cholis had the money to buy it, other than perhaps Duke Thorsen, and it wasn't like the planet had anything on it worthy of outside investment other than scenery and peace and quiet. The planet had a population of 1.3 million, and the nearest neighbor was some 8 kilometers away, with the nearest town another 18 beyond that. The main city of Brinestorm was some 128 kilometers away, which was where he had arrived on the Davion dropship that had brought him and Roger here ahead of the rest of his family.

"Well," Stephan said after the realtor was out of earshot and heading back to the city in a car that looked to not care for the dirt roads that had led them out here. "This is it."

"Any port in a storm, Steph," Roger said without using his title…for he never had since his father had assigned him as his protector at the age of 16. He'd become more like a big brother eleven years his senior and had traveled out to New Avalon with him onboard their dropship before the bad news had broken. Everyone else there had gone back carrying orders from Stephan, but Roger had refused to leave his charge alone and in the care of Davion hands. The two of them had remained to work out the details of the 'compensation' before heading out to Cholis as the vanguard of the many to come from House Morten.

They both walked inside to a fully furnished living area that could easily hold 20-30 guests, with hallways heading off in two directions that led to a complex that could easily hold upwards of 50 residents, with several out buildings that could be converted in a pinch to hold more. His family was going to be arriving, hopefully, with around 500 people, so he had to get as much conversion work done ahead of time, for he didn't want any of them to have to find accommodations in the city.

"What do you want to get rid of first?" Stephan joked, seeing the furnishings that he knew his mother would hate with a passion.

"I'd say nothing until we can order replacements," he answered practically, putting a hand on the Lord's shoulder. "It's a start."

"Yes it is," he agreed, poking a finger into one of the orange/white chair cushions experimentally. "And at least nobody can take this one away from us…unless Davion has a change of heart."

"We're out on the edge of nowhere, Steph. Davion doesn't care about Cholis. I doubt he'd even miss the tax revenue if it suddenly disappeared."

"His auditors would. They're very thorough," he said from experience dealing with them on Neubenn.

"I'm surprised this place even has a HPG relay," Roger said as he sat down on one of four couches in the room and put his feet up on the accompanying low glass table as he let out a sigh of relief after the long and bumpy ride here in an offroad truck they'd bought upon landing to carry the few belongings and supplies they had with them. Most of Stephan's personal stuff was still back on Neubenn.

"It's one of the reasons why I chose this planet. I'll need it to start making the purchases we need and recruiting offworld personnel. Damn Davion for not letting me bring our own people out here."

"Duke Nosebleed will need all the help he can get," Roger said irreverently, referencing Norvin Derren's height, at 6'8'', but with such a slender build he looked like a stiff wind would knock him over…which had happened more than once, according to the tabloids at least. One such occasion had resulted in a nosebleed, and the name had henceforth stuck. "The First Prince can't let him have any excuses for screwing up the planet, now can he?"

"We're going to have to train everyone," Stephan said, leaning against a bar top that had racks full of various forms of alcohol fully stocked. Too bad his family didn't drink. He was almost tempted to right now.

"We know how to do that."

"Our trainers aren't coming with us."

"We have all the files and curriculum House Morten has built up, and enough brain trust in family members to get the ball rolling. It will take time, but this isn't a death blow."

"Feels close enough."

Roger frowned at him. "What's eating at you? Or, maybe I should say, what's new that's eating at you?"

"I've exiled my own family to the backwater. Now that we're here…I finally know what backwater means."

"So what's the first step?"

Stephan glanced at him, knowing it was a goad to get him out of his depression. But even knowing that, it still helped. "Tomorrow the Davion rep will be here. Today…I guess we just explore and get something to eat. You're cooking."

"We probably better not leave the doors open," Roger said, hopping up to attend to it himself. "Who knows what kind of wildlife might wander in."

"Better than townsfolk," Stephan said, pushing the second door aside before Roger could get to it as he headed back outside. "Let's get the unpacking done first."

The next morning like clockwork a convoy of civilian hovercrafts meandered down the valley road, just above the swollen Nigalle River from the previous evening's downpour that had relented to persistent but light rain this morning. Mud flipped up where the leading chains hit the 'road,' but otherwise the 6 hovercrafts were unmolested, all bearing the insignia of House Davion.

Stephan Morten was waiting under the cover of a side entrance that had an elegant wrap-around porch as the vehicles came past the 'fence' of large shrubbery and into a vehicle foyer, large enough to hold twice their number, that circled a fountain statue in the center that was being flooded by the persistent rain. That water didn't result in mud, for as soon as one got past the evergreen bushes they were on top of ferrocrete that had decorative inlays visible in reflected sunlight that right now appeared as equally dull and gray as the rest of the 'side' entrance.

Uniformed men scurried out of the lead vehicles, taking up a defensive perimeter except for one, which held up an umbrella for a woman who exited the extra-length hovercraft that was apparently the local back road version of a limo. She walked on booted heals that came up to her knees, and above that was a trim but long skirt accented by a flowery top that looked to be incompatible with even a few drops of rain. Her attendant fought hard to keep any off her, but in the end of the short hike up to the porch, the rain won out.

"Lord Morten?" she asked, knowing what he looked like already from study, but feeling the need to be polite and not assume he would always answer his own door.

"I am," Stephan said, letting her inside a single door and out of the humid air beyond as two of her guards flanked the door outside. A third tried to follow her in, but a simple and firm hand signal from the woman waved him off and he remained outside with the others.

"Thank you for agreeing to see me so soon after arrival," she said, looking around at the empty room and the pile of orange cushions stacked up against one wall as the present furniture all seemed to be monochromatic, with whites mostly, but also some black cushions that didn't quite seem to fit the furniture frames. "I hope I'm not intruding as you get settled in."

"There's only the two of us here, so not much intruding to do," he said, gesturing for her to sit opposite him across a circular table that was business-like, yet could equally have doubled as a place to play a hand of cards. "The sooner we can get working on offworld orders, the better."

"That's one of the many reasons I'm here, Lord Morten. My name is Carroll Davion, and before you ask, I'm 121st in the line of succession…meaning I don't have a snowball's chance in hell of ever becoming First Prince. I work for the benefit of my House, though, and for the Federated Suns. My name, as well as my appointment here as Ambassador at Large, is expected to open a lot of doors and cut through any red tape that you might need. My uncle…extended uncle anyway…wants you to succeed, and knows that delays can be the death of any operation. I'm here to minimize or destroy any that come your way. I understand you already made jumpship purchases while on New Avalon?"

"Yes, but it will be some time before they arrive. Some had to finish out existing contracts first. I have a lot of things I need on planet, and a great deal many beyond. First priority is getting this estate into some semblance of order before my family arrives. That means construction crews to renovate the existing buildings and to add more. I also need a dropship landing platform with support services established further down the valley. These are my two top priorities. I can't begin bringing in a lot of new personnel until I have room to quarter them."

"Local apartments are out of the question for your workers, I take it?"

"If I have to, but ideally I want everyone within the boundaries of the embassy estate."

"I can put you in touch with the local craftsmen's guild. Renovation work I can assume can take place rather fast. New buildings though…I have no idea what they're capable of or what projects they're currently on. Would you like me to set up some meetings for you?"

"The sooner the better," he said as Roger walked into the room behind him but didn't say a word as he took a chair on the couch.

"My bodyguard," Stephan said, having heard him enter.

"Well, I'm glad you're not alone. Will you be needing to hire private security?"

"I will handle that on my own. I'd prefer not to have a large number of Davion agents in my personal staff," he floated boldly.

"None will be mine," she said just as bold. "My instructions are quite clear. Keep an eye on you, but not interfere or infiltrate. Your message said there was a guest house for me to use?"

Stephan pointed off to his left. "About 80 meters that way. I don't want any of your people anywhere else on the estate at any time."

"Agreed," she said simply, folding her fingers in front of her. "I'm honestly not here to cause problems, though I doubt you'll take my word for it. You're probably still quite mad about everything that has happened."

"It cannot be undone, so I've put it behind me."

"Eyes forward then. How can I be of help today?"

"In addition to construction concerns, I need to hire staff. I don't know what talent pool there is here, and I'd rather not have to guess and waste time if I do have to look offworld."

"I can have my staff look into it and get you an appraisal if you tell me what you're looking for?"

"Everything."

Carroll smiled. "Of course. I apologize for such a dumb question. You came here with a couple suitcases, I believe?"

"Three actually."

"I arrived here a little over a month ago. Duke Thorsen was quite surprised by my arrival. I didn't explain much to him. I thought it'd be best if you two had a private meeting, but if you want me there to explain anything I'm always available. I am curious, however. This new fiefdom you are going to put together in the Periphery. Do you have a name for it yet, or do you want me to continue referring to you as House Morten?"

"Far too early to worry about naming something that doesn't yet exist."

"And you? Should I address you as Lord or First Lord?"

"Stephan will do. If I got you stuck on the edge of nowhere, at least we can be on a first name basis."

Carroll smiled. "It is a little different than I'm accustomed to, but I wasn't exactly forced to come. I rather like the potential of this assignment, and I admire your creativity in crafting it on what had to be very short notice."

"Keep your people where they belong and don't play any tricks," Stephan warned, "and we'll get along just fine."

"After what's happened to you, I know better than to poke an open wound," she said, standing up abruptly. "If there's nothing more you need, I'll see to settling into the guest house?"

"It's unlocked."

"Nice meeting you, Stephan Morten," she said, promptly exiting as she felt her welcome evaporating by the second. After she left, Roger huffed.

"Annoying little twit. Why didn't you make her stay in the city?"

"This way if I need something I'll always know where she is. And since we don't have any security with us, might as well have the Davion goons here to scare away the locals."

"It's going to be hard to vet the locals. Might be better to hire security from offworld."

"Don't worry about security right now. Just get me a decent cook and house staff."

"Am I that bad?"

"Compared to what we're both used to, yes. Compared to ration bars, no. But the closer we can make this feel to home the better. I don't want you cooking for Mother when she arrives."

"Absolutely not," Roger said, knowing of her penchant for quality in such matters of household affairs. "Cooks on the top of my list then."

"See if you can do something fast. Duke Thorsen will be here in three days. He called when you were off hiking. Find anything interesting?"

"The terrain is interesting. It'll need a lot of extra work though, building on mostly inclines, even if they're subtle. That river though could be a concern if it ever floods higher. Not for the house, but for other stuff we build."

"I'll keep that in mind. See if we can have an appropriate meal for the Duke when he arrives."

"Worried about first impressions?"

"I have no idea what he's like, other than a formal general, but it is a long trip out here and etiquette demands we offer him something better than ration bars…"

3 days later…

Another convoy of vehicles made their way out and down the valley House Morten now owned. In fact they owned two, coming to a total of 198 square kilometers of untouched wilderness with a tiny square of civilization carved out of it for the mansion that was originally built to be the retirement home of an industrial titan who had had his fill of urban landscapes. Once he had died, his family wanted nothing to do with the planet and had simply put the estate up for sale and left it that way until Stephan had bought it…along with the extra land that he'd need for other purposes.

The Duke had approved that purchase, which otherwise wasn't for sale in any market. Most of the planet was owned by the duchy and thus under the Duke's control…rather than one of his own personal possessions. If he was replaced, the new Duke would inherit it, much as had happened with Neubenn. Only the personal proper of House Morten had been bought by House Davion. The rest of it belonged to the duchy and was now the temporary property of House Derren.

The sale of a piece of Duchy land to a private owner had to be approved by the Duke, but when it came to wilderness nobody really cared for nobody was making any backdoor profit off it. Still, it had been a generous first step in their soon to be relationship that Stephan was glad for. Especially that since the sale was finalized, the land no longer fell under the Duke's domain…or tax sphere.

What House Morten owned here was officially designated as an embassy of an entity foreign to and unbound by the laws of the Federated Suns. It was the first little piece of their new fiefdom, and would serve as the training ground and springboard for the servants of House Morten…all of whom had been required to remain on Neubenn rather than travel with the family here.

So it was on his own soil that Stephan waited under a clear day's sun, yet chilly breeze as the Duke's envoy arrived…though it only contained four vehicles, two of which were hovercraft armed with machine gun turrets on the back. Even on a backwater world like this, off in the wilderness, people would still try to take pot shots at nobility, he guessed. Some things never changed.

The Duke walked out wearing a modest uniform. Only a few medals attached from his military days in the Federated Suns Armed Forces. He'd gotten this duchy as a reward for long and loyal service and moved his entire family out here some 18 years ago. Beyond that, Stephan knew nothing about the man as he stood before his ornate double doors wearing the traditional cape/jacket that active members of House Morten used in lieu of a business suit and tie. The jacket was normal and form fitting until it came to the waist, then it flayed out slightly to wrap around into what almost looked like a dress, but with the straight lines and black with gold trim that designated it as man's clothing. A seam opened down the middle of the front allowing his legs to move forward, and as he walked a few steps to greet the Duke the air pulled the rest back into a subtle cape's flourish behind him.

"Lord Morten," the Duke said, extending his hand as if they'd known each other for years.

"Duke Thorsen," he said, accepting the modestly strong grip from the graying man who kept his hair cut military short beneath a simple cap that tilted to the right side. "I'm glad you could meet with me so soon."

"Not at all," the Duke said with a wave of his hand. "You're the most important thing to happen to this planet since I was installed. I would have been here sooner, but I wanted to give you time to settle in."

"Not much settling I can do before my family arrives, but we're managing," Stephan said as he led the former General inside and past the main living area to a dining hall just beyond that had a long rectangular table already set up with a wide array of food items on serving trays. "I took the liberty of having lunch put on. I hope there's something here that you find edible."

"Smells quite good, thank you. Shall we sit and eat, or talk and eat at the same time? I may be a Duke but my manners have been said to be wanting in some areas."

"I can multitask," Stephan said, sitting down at the right side of the table with the head chair missing so the pair could be seated across from each other on an even standing. He grabbed his plate and began scooping on a pile of mashed potatoes, which prompted the Duke to begin the same.

"I had heard your House didn't eat meat," he said amicably as he studied the various foods. "You look healthy enough to me, but the military swears you can't get enough protein without it."

"It takes a bit of mixing and matching foods, but it's all here before you if you know the chemistry of it. Our troops didn't have to fight any wars, but their health records were measurably better once we got them away from eating corpse."

"Really?" the Duke said, genuinely curious. "No fainting spells?"

"Not once we got the recipes worked out appropriately. After that it was relatively easy to mass produce. And the food keeps longer than corpse anyway. A bit of civilization advancement over nature, as it were."

The Duke took ample amounts of potatoes, peas, ventara root cubes, then paused over some long tubes.

"What are these called?"

Stephan smiled. "Doguls. They're basically a tastier version of a nutrient bar. Pair those with apples or other fruit and you've basically got all the nutrients you need to live for months."

Thorsen speared a pair of them onto his plate then sat down before biting off the end of one of them, then looking up with an approving gesture.

"Taste is far better than I expected. I'd swear there was meat in there somewhere."

"High protein and fat count. That's what your taste buds register, not where they come from," Stephan said before eating a few more bites. "How is this planet's food supply?"

"Tolerable," the Duke grumbled. "We have to grow basically everything here due to the lack of a regular supply line from the interior. We only get a handful of jumpships coming in every year, and those merchants usually charge 5 times what it's worth back on the larger worlds. That's the only reason they bother to come this far out. But getting chocolate is worth it. Nobody grows the beans here."

"So you haven't spoken to the Davion rep?"

"We've spoken a few times. Floated something vague about some economic boons coming this way along with your arrival but wouldn't go into details."

"A new trade route is being opened up and is coming here with regular jumpship runs, empty or full…for the next 50 years anyway."

The Duke's fork stopped halfway to his mouth as the shock hit him. He gradually lowered it to his plate before fixing Stephan with a serious glare.

"I'd prefer a blunt answer to this next question, however uncomfortable it might be. Are you here to replace me?"

"No," Stephan said, shaking his head furiously. "After what just happened to me, I'd never even think of dispossessing someone of their world unless they were some form of villain abusing their people. No, Duke. I'm not a threat to your duchy. But like me, the First Prince can choose to take it from you at any time he wishes. That's not why I'm here."

"Why exactly are you here, then? This tax haven your estate is being put into under some 'embassy' clause befuddles me. It's outside my jurisdiction yet within my duchy. I thought maybe you were being slow walked in to replace me. Nothing else makes sense."

"Do you know what happened to me?"

"Carroll Davion told me you were dispossessed of your duchy and were moving your family out here to get away from the politics elsewhere. She didn't say more than that."

"I was dispossessed because I'm young and not my father, but only to make room for a more powerful House that the First Prince needed to move around from other worlds. He ripped my family from everything we'd built to deliver it to someone who is probably going to run it into the ground…all because of politics. I'd never do that to you, but the Davions would if they had reason to. I'm here because I've struck a deal with the First Prince to get out of the Inner Sphere. I intend to build a new fiefdom in the Periphery, integrated with the Federated Suns but not legally part of it. My House is now independent with the First Prince's approval and support. He's running a trade route out to a planet of my choice that will then continue on into the Periphery to locations that I claim in the future. He's promised this for the next 50 years, but I am beyond his authority now. Hence the embassy label on my holdings here."

"Damnation…" the Duke said, leaning back in his chair. "That's the craziest thing I've ever heard."

"I'm going to utilize what you've got on this world in terms of personnel and resources, but I know I'm going to have to order and hire a lot from offworld. That will all be coming here on the trade route jumpships, but they're not just for me. They're for anyone to use with business purposes. My position here is being officially kept off the books, but word will spread eventually. If you're savvy, you should be able to utilize the new trade route to help with problems here."

"Problems?" the Duke said, his eyebrows raising slightly.

Stephan waved the comment off. "No offense intended, Duke, but my family has been dealing with the dilemma of tax withering for so long it's easy for me to spot, and most of the smaller outer planets in the Federated Suns are suffering from it. There comes a point, mathematically speaking, when the taxes going out to New Avalon exceed the new revenue coming in and a planet begins to wither up as the money simply is drained out of it. When the Davions squeeze hard enough, there's nothing a planet can do except hang on and hope they loosen their tax grip...or start using the black market and doing as much as possible off the books, as many of the smaller worlds do."

"Never," the Duke said firmly. "I've been by the book my entire life, and I'm certainly not going to start cheating now that the First Prince has installed me here. That said, Cholis was in economic decline when I arrived and I haven't been able to do much to blunt it since. Problems we do have, I'll admit. So am I to get this straight…you're going to use this estate as a sort of base of operations to launch military campaigns out into the Periphery?"

"I'm a long way from doing that at the moment, but essentially yes. It's also to allow some of my family a place to live in the Federated Suns who don't wish to brave the darkness out there. I'm not exactly sure how bad it will be, but at the minimum it's what we'd call a 'fixer upper.'"

"I've heard stories that it's quite bad, and the last time we were raided was 6 years ago. My militia couldn't hold them back and they emptied most of the spaceport of its cargo then left. We haven't had much worth stealing since then. Am I to assume you'll be bringing in a mech force to this estate?"

"I have to buy one first, but yes. I'm forbidden from returning to Neubenn, sending messages, and the only people I can bring with me are family members…and House Davion is transporting them personally out here to arrive in a matter of months, hopefully no more than a year's time. I'm the advance team and I need to get as much built up here as I can, but none of our highly trained personnel can come with them, nor can I request that they come. They all have to remain so Duke Derren has a full hand to start his new rule. I have to build everything from scratch except the brain trust within my family."

"How large is your family?"

"I'm not sure how many of the passives want to leave Neubenn, but I'm expecting around 500 or so."

"Passives?" the Duke asked curiously.

"My family long ago chose to become a mix of monarchy and meritocracy. Being born into the family line is just the ticket in the door. If you want to go your own way, you're supported and allowed to do whatever you want. Service to the House is not required, but if you desire it you must pass a series of tests after a lengthy amount of training. I became an active member of the House at age 19. The active members all have a duty to do, and we divide up our House into various Lordships. I'm the First Lord because I oversee everything, but we have a Lord of Military Operations, Lord of Logistics, etc. My sister is actually two years older than me, but she did not want to be First Lord. She found the quiet power and responsibility of maintaining supply lines was her preferred niche, and she's damn good at it. I've got her and others to lead from the top, but all the middle and lower ranks have been completely denied to me."

The Duke blew out a long breath. "That's quite a mission profile you've got before you."

"Hanging over my head like a Regiment of battlemechs held up by only a string," Stephan admitted. "If I can't make this work, my House is effectively ended. House Davion bought up all the personal land holdings, corporate shares, etc my family held on Neubenn. We've been completely liquidated, and aside from this estate, we have nothing except a very large bank account to our name."

"So not just deposed, but banished?"

"The First Prince doesn't want any resistance to the new Duke."

"Did you offend him in some way?"

Stephan laughed, humorlessly. "He praised my family for the good work we've done, indicating that we'd done a little too well and created something of value he could trade off. He was sympathetic enough to offer compensation…hence this deal I've struck with him, but he definitely rewards those who screw up more than those who serve faithfully. I had never thought it would go to these lengths, though. I went to New Avalon expecting to be appointed Duke in my father's place, then found out I was being dispossessed, spent a month with the First Prince and his people arranging this deal, then came out here. That's been my year so far."

The Duke was left shaking his head. "Your reward for success was being removed?"

"I was young, inexperienced, and unproven. Had my father still lived he never would have been removed. But I'm the new guy and expendable…along with my family. When he offered compensation I tried to figure out how I could escape this happening again, and the Periphery was the only answer I had."

"In charge of your own fate then?"

"Unless he changes his mind and sends an army of battlemechs to take it from me. But first I have to build it. Legally though, my House is now independent, and we won't be paying a single C-bill in taxes to New Avalon or you, but you'll still get the benefit of our money being infused into Cholis's economy."

"And I look forward to that, Lord Morten. What do you see this new trade route also bringing?"

"Eventually you'll be the link between my fiefdom and the Federated Suns. Crossroads are always an opportunity for commerce. Until then, you'll have far cheaper shipping costs for things like chocolate."

"Economics isn't my strong suit. Military affairs are, and as it is I only have 10 mechs in my infantry. I can't afford more than that, and they're there mostly to scare off the smaller raiders. A larger group comes in and I lose half my mechs and have to buy more from offworld. No production facilities here, I'm afraid. Are you going to have a defense force for your embassy?"

"Of course, and we'll also help defend the planet when it's raided. We're not here to separate ourselves from your people, we're here to integrate and be friendly neighbors. But as it stands, I don't even have my personal mech with me. It belongs to Neubenn. And it'll be some time before I even get a few mechs bought and sent here, and then I have to get them refurbished up to our standards, and I'll need techs and facilities for that, which will also have to be built here. I'm afraid I'm going to be pulling heavily on your construction industry for at least the next few years."

"They can use the money, and if they don't feel like working their assess off for it, let me know and I'll kick them where it counts."

"I've already purchased a number of jumpships and dropships that will be delivered after my family arrives. I don't have dates yet, but it'll be a while. The largest of those will be carrying some 200 used mechs obtained from places you don't even want to know about. Davion is gifting me them as a replacement for the forces I'm having to leave behind on Neubenn, but he can't give me new purchases without drawing attention, and I will have no mechwarriors to pilot them. In the meantime I plan on buying a few of my own and getting them here to cover the estate. I don't even have a security detail at the moment, and I'm counting on the backwater geography of Cholis as my only defense against unwanted attention."

"200?" the Duke asked, his eyes widening.

"Crappy mechs that will have to be rebuilt, most likely, but yes. We kept a standing army of 220 front line mechs ready and able at all times on Neubenn…despite some people saying it was overkill. Counting reserve mechs and trainers, we had between 280 and 340 during my years in service, which included a quasi-mercenary force that we loaned out to Federated Suns worlds that were getting raided or looked to be in jeopardy from the Dracos in order to give some of our people combat experience. I have none, but I've been subjected to lengthy war games along with the rest of our forces. Most of which are deemed 'green' for lack of blooding by offworlders."

"Neubenn not a hotspot for raids, I take it?"

"Geographically far enough from the Dracos border to not interest them yet, and too well built up for raids, though occasionally an idiot will try."

"Nice problem to have…and a splendidly sized force for a militia."

"Our family has a motto. 'Don't take what you can't hold.' As it is, I can't hold more than a cup of coffee at the moment, and it is thoroughly disconcerting."

"My security force is already screening the road leading up here to keep away the press and tourists wanting to snap photos of you, but I'll provide anything else you need in the interim. Just ask."

"Does everyone drive here?" Stephan asked. "I thought you would have flown out?"

"I don't possess a single Vtol on this world," Thorsen said embarrassedly. "An extended Company of mechs is the best I can do, and I've had to fight for that. There were only two on planet when I arrived here, and I had to dispossess both mechwarriors on the grounds of drunken incompetence within the first three months. How soon can you get a few mechs and mechwarriors hired?"

"If I wanted to bring in mercenaries it would be faster, but I prefer not to. I would hope to have at least a Company operational within 2 years and scale up fast after that."

"Then my mission is to keep the raiders off you for two years," the former General said, thinking hard.

"Technically that's not your job."

"It's my world, and even if you're not within my legal domain you're within my protective umbrella. Don't ever think otherwise."

"Well then, in that case you can call me Stephan," he said, dropping his fork gently to the plate and extending his hand across the table and over top the bowl of peas.

"Harris," the Duke replied, taking the informal offer of friendship in an eager grip. "And I think this planet is going to be very interesting in the coming years if we both can hold it. I expect once word gets out that you're here along with a lot of resources, the raiders might up their target evaluation of Cholis."

"Quite possibly, or some other noble families looking to cash in or cause trouble. I guess we're whistling through the graveyard for a while until I can get a firm foothold established."

"Not really," the Duke said, sitting back in his chair with his shoulders seeming to have grown several inches during the conversation. "They'd have to find it on a map first. I think anonymity will serve you well against domestic concerns. But these raiders have spies, and when they see a cargo of value they tend to show up at exactly the wrong time."

"Well then, we'll have to be a bit more devious, won't we?" Stephan said with his first genuine smile in months.