Hap heard the door to the sleeping shelter open and Selene gave a questioning woof. Anastasia mumbled in French as Hap half turned and saw Mags and Joker stumble into the sleeping shelter.
"I thought I told you guys to go to bed…" Hap detangled his arm from Anastasia, and checked his watch, "We got about four hours before we need to be crossing the wire."
"Oh we actually have some time to sleep, we were just coming back here to fool around."
"I told you we're not doing that." Mags said as she turned her back to Hap and started to undress, "I just…dormir, dormir, sleep." Even though there was just a dim safety light illuminating the shelter Hap could see a few L bills flutter to the ground as Mags took off her bra.
"I thought we lost all their money." Joker said as he started picking up the money.
Mags shook her head as she held up a piece of leather wrapped around a bundle of cigars. She waved it as she spoke quietly in Spanish.
"Yeah those are probably worth more than a couple lousy L bills." Joker agreed as she handed him the bundle and climbed into their bed. Joker put the cigars on the shelf next to their tactical vests and neuro-helmets before following her into bed.
Hap snuggled up to Anastasia. She murmured as she pressed into his chest. Selene yawned and gave a half whine before stretching and walking over to Hap and Anastasia's bed. She jumped up half between them and half on top of them, and tried to get comfortable.
"Non Bebe" Anastasia said sleepily and gave the coyote a half hearted push. Selene moved to the foot of the bed and curled up at Hap and Anastasia's feet.
"I said no." Mags hissed and Joker grunted as Mags elbowed him.
Hap gave Anastasia another squeeze. Hap knew he should sleep, but part of him wanted to enjoy the moment. He was surprised the anxiety of pre-combat wasn't keeping him awake. He remembered the old Soldier's adage, never run when you can walk, never walk when you can sit, never sit when you can lay down, and if you're laying down you may as well sleep. He knew he should sleep, but he wanted to savor this time.
Joker started snoring and Mags mumbled something and then Joker grunted and rolled over.
Hap closed his eyes and settled into a more comfortable position as Joker began to snore again. Part of him knew the very real possibility that in a few short hours one or all of them could be dead or seriously injured, but that always seemed unlikely. It felt more likely they'd complete this mission and in a few days they'd be on the Phaidin headed toward New Avalon. This meant they'd be splitting up soon, at least Anastasia. Hap gave her another squeeze, he wanted to hold on to these moments while he could.
Anastasia's travel alarm went off. Selene looked up but remained curled up as Anastasia sat up and stretched. Hap rolled over and started reaching for his clothes. Mags sat up and pulled the blankets around her as Joker groaned.
"Joker get up." Hap said.
Joker groaned again and tried to pull the blanket back from Mags.
Anastasia looked at Selene, "Where's William? Get William."
The Coyote's ear twitched as Anastasia spoke to her. Selene hopped off the bed and touched her wet nose to Joker's bareback. Joker yelped and immediately stood up. He looked angrily at Selene then at Anastasia.
"Don't be mad at her." Anastasia said.
"I'm not." Joker said as he grabbed his pillow and hurled it at Anastasia. She dodged by ducking behind Hap.
Hap got off his bed, "It could be worse, it could have been her ice cold feet."
Anastasia gasped, "traitre" as she pummeled Hap with Joker's pillow. Selene glanced between Joker and Anastasia, and started barking excitedly.
Hap pinned Anastasia's arms to her side with a bear-hug as Selene stood on her hind legs and put her front paws on Joker's chest and barked. "Hey, you're upsetting Selene." Mags said. "stop."
Hap looked around. Selene sat down and looked between Joker and Mags as her tail swept up the dirt and dust on the floor. Mags shrugged as her eyes met with Hap. Hap glanced down at Anastasia as she blew a strand of stray hair out of her face. "Mags is right." Anastasia said quietly.
Hap again felt a longing to enjoy these moments while he could, but he let her go as he said, "Yeah, we need to get ready."
Within a few minutes the mechwarriors were ready and headed toward their 'mechs. The area for the mechs and combat vehicles was illuminated by a few stadium lights. Hap could see the Compact techs working on their allies 'mechs. Brant met the Coyote Lance at a folding table by the tech's car.
"Sorry boys and girls, I couldn't pull hot chow, but I got instant tea or coffee, and ration bricks." Brant said as he motioned to the cups and square boxes on the table.
"I'll take a coffee. You got a chocolate bar?" Mags asked as Brant pushed a brick and a cup to her. Mags turned the cup upside down and pressed a small metal button and then shook the cup. Hap knew shaking the cup was unnecessary. The ration heating element used an electro-chemical reaction of the chemicals trapped in the double wall of the ration cup.
"May I have a tea and fruit flavored bar?" Anastasia asked.
Brant handed a cup to Anastasia and then selected a bar marked FRUIT and passed it to her. The ration bricks were probably some of the least loved rations Hap had experienced. They were the size and shape of a large bar of soap and were generally considered about as appatizing. It was one homogenous lump of roughly a days' worth of calories. Because they were extremely shelf stable, and relatively small and light these were usually packed in survival kits or used for a lifeboat rations.
Hap could see these weren't quite like normal military rations. They were white and marked "Federated Suns Assistance for International Development (F.S. A.I.D.) Not For Military Use or Sales."
Anastasia either didn't notice or didn't care as she activated the cup's heating element and set it on the table. She pulled off the cup's lid and flipped it over and peeled back the foil that separated the sugar and cream packets from the tea. Shet emptied both into her cup.
"You're not surprised that food was allegedly given by your government for aid or development has found its way to our military operation?" Brant asked.
"Brant, there's a lot of ways these rations could have gotten here." Hap said. "These things are notorious for becoming black market contraband."
Anastasia flipped over her bar showing a stamped date, "It expired last year. Someone in the compact probably figured their poor malnourished people had enough problems and gave them fresher rations. They sent them our way because instead of just disposing of the rations, it pleased them more to show their disdain for mercenaries. That's my theory. If you have another Taurian conspiracy about Federated Sun's hypocrisy can we save it till after the operation?"
"It's not a conspiracy, we got the proof right here. I just wanted to point out the evidence of sloppy accountability or how your government says one thing, but does another." Brant said as he took a cup, activated the heater, and shook it. "Look I know your family has sworn fealty to one of the most hypocritical and I'd argue worst House Lords in the inner sphere, I can't do anything about that, but I can at least make you aware of who you're dealing with."
"Very good. Thank you." Anastasia answered, "But we have a more pressing issue we should be focused on."
"Yeah" Joker said, "We should be focusing on if these rations are still good." Joker opened his ration, looked it over and sniffed it, then tried to take a bite. "These things are fine, they just got hard. That's all that expiration date means. You just got to soak them longer in your coffee." Joker said as he took the lid off his coffee cup and dipped his ration brick in the steaming coffee. "Just make yourself a field expedient mocha, and you're good to go."
Hap activated the heater on a cup of coffee and took a chocolate bar. He gave the heating element a minute to do its work. As Hap waited he looked at Joker's ration wrapper. "I think you grabbed a meat flavored ration, Joker."
"What?" Joker said as he grabbed the wrapper. "Oh damn. I mean it's no big deal, it's like steak and eggs for breakfast with coffee, right?"
"You tell me." Hap said as he pulled off the lid and dipped his chocolate bar in the warm coffee.
Joker took a careful sip, "It's a little salty." He then took a bite of the soggy ration brick, "but at least it's softer."
"How's it taste?" Hap asked.
"Meaty…and coffee…it's fine." Joker said as he took another bite. "You know it's a whole days' worth of ration, so I think I'll just save some for later." Joker said, then dumped his sugar and creamer into his coffee. "Hey Hap, you drink your coffee black right?"
Hap passed his coffee lid with the cream and sugar packets to Joker.
Brant chuckled, "Joker you're always good for a laugh. Well while you guys enjoy your breakfast, Masja and Tasja and I will get your 'mechs prepped. You know, because some people actually have to earn their pay around here."
Anastasia spread out the map and used her mechanical pencil to explain the operation. She started by pointing out their location and where they needed to go. She detailed the path that her and Mags would take to get to the generators. Most of their path was in a draw and it looked like it would keep the two mechs from direct observation from the fortress, but the last couple hundred meters were in the open. Anastasia also pointed out a few of the automated turrets that she remembered seeing on both the compact and the MIIO's maps.
As Anastasia briefed the lance Selene put her front paws on the table and pulled herself into a standing position. For a moment it looked like she had joined her lance mates to look over the map, but then she snatched up Joker's ration bar and disappeared under the table and sat down at Anastasia's feet as she chewed on the dry ration bar.
Anastasia looked startled as she glanced down at the coyote and back at Joker. There was an uncomfortable moment before Anastasia spoke, "Sorry. Do you want the rest of my ration bar."
Joker glanced at the small pile of rations that Brant had left them. All the remaining bars were labeled "MEAT FLAVOR", but there were a couple more cups of tea and coffee. Joker nodded as he took one of the teacups and activated the internal heater.
"I should warn you it has a slightly fermented taste, but I believe the ration still retains most of its nutritional value. The taste is reminiscent of Guignolet."
"What's Guignolet?"
"A cherry flavored liquor" Anastasia replied.
Joker snatched the ration that Anastasia offered him and dipped it in his tea. He used the ration brick to stir his tea as the ration warmed up.
"Did either of you receive any patrol information from the Compact forces? Zhang said he would send it to us," Anastasia glanced at Hap, "however we retired early last night."
"Yeah we saw that you put out a guard Coyote." Joker said as he gave Anastasia a suggestive look.
"No, Professor, no one came and found us." Mags said.
Hap glanced around, "I doubt a runner is coming." Hap pointed back to the map. "Alright, we move here. This is the release point the Compact gave us. From there Mags and Anastasia stay together, but proceed as quick as they can to the generator, which will probably get the attention of the garrison."
"And once they are arrayed and exposed, we call down our air-support." Anastasia said.
"That's the plan." Hap said, "Hopefully we survive. Any questions?"
Joker took a swig of his tea. "Nope, but I can tell you this is good cherry liquor tea." Joker took a bite of his ration, "and that's like eating cherry liquor butter. New best ration."
"Now I'm questioning if I did the right thing by giving you the remains of my ration." Anastasia said.
"No no, I had the Budae Jjigae last night." Joker hit his chest with his fist. "Make strength, good fight. I'm ready to go." Joker took another long drink of his tea.
Anastasia stopped drinking her tea mid sip, "You're suddenly not making sense, and I'm significantly concerned about this ration."
"He's fine, he just repeating something the Compact soldiers said yesterday," Mags said, "but I'm with the professor on this, you need to focus and take this seriously."
"I'm serious." Joker said, "I'm good. Let's go kick some ass."
"Mags, you good?" Hap asked as he took a sip of his own "field expedient mocha".
She nodded her head as she took a bite of her ration bar.
"Alright load up." Hap said.