Mica Depot 278

Mica V

Periphery

3 November 3059

10:07:00 local time

Jennifer and Amy were strapped into the Mech simulators going through the day's first exercise. Michelle and Tiphanie were in the meeting room, watching their progress on a portable notecomputer.

In the background, a crew was busy painting Michelle's Highlander in the SLDF colours picked out by Alister while a delivery tech was maneuvering Tiphanie's new 20-ton Wasp into the next available Mech gantry. Val was resetting controls in the Highlander's cockpit and swearing creatively about the last person who worked on the mech.

Chris eyed his Battle armor's new paint job, done just before the Highlander. Not bad, he thought, allowing his eyes to scan up to the Marauder in the gantry right next to his suit. The Marauder was the first painted in the new scheme; the Figeuroas had done the work overnight without waking anyone. The team just woke up in the morning, and there it was ready. A detailed report was written and waiting for Jennifer at the end of her bunk. Chris noticed a small symbol that looked like a dragon hand-painted with great care on the side of the Marauder cockpit.

Kurtians are frighteningly efficient, Chris mused to himself.

"Now, how am I going to add another lance to our group?" he said aloud to himself. Time give Clyff a taste of my yesterday, he thought. He reached for his communicator and called Clyff.

"Hey, Clyff, I don't wanna overextend your generosity, but it's my turn to ask a big favour," Chris said with a mischievous tone.

"Oh, what's that?" Clyff replied.

"Do you think that Locust is still available?" Chris asked innocently.

Clyff laughed, "I'll meet you at Dusty's."

Dusty's Salvage

Mica V

Periphery

3 November 3059

12:00:00 local time

Chris and Clyff walked together toward Dusty's warehouse.

"I don't want to abuse your charity, but I need to add four more mechs if I can, so if we can get that Locust, then it'll be a start." Chris began as they walked. He proceeded to give Clyff the basic details of their first assignment, finishing with, "So, it turns out I'm officially a Captain, got the orders this morning, and we're officially a new company in the Privateers."

"Congratulations, Captain!" Clyff responded, looking impressed.

"Yeah, if I can muster together at least 4 more mechs! I appreciate all you've done, and I don't want you and your folks to think I'm just pushing now to see what else I can swindle out of you. I just thought if we could get this Locust, then I'll only have to search the Comstar hiring database for 3 more to make this first assignment work." Chris finished giving Clyff an imploring look.

Clyff pulled Chris off to the side as they entered the warehouse and, with a serious expression, began, "As far as everyone who has been involved are concerned, what you and your unit are risking, and those two girls are sacrificing is nothing short of saving every man, woman and child on our 3 worlds. There is nothing we can do that will ever repay that. As I said before, if you need anything we can provide, it's yours with all the gratitude we can muster. Besides, the bigger the procession, the better as far as Alister is concerned. Plus, all this money we're spending is going straight into the local economy! So, let's go see what Dusty has left that can help you get where you're going."

"Thanks, I mean it!" Chris said as they set off deeper into the warehouse.

Off to the right, a crew was easing a 70-ton Archer into the gantry where the Highlander used to be, with Jenna critically directing from the warehouse floor. The warehouse seemed to have more staff than before, running around cleaning up the space, moving parts, and working on various components in the alcoves.

"Ahh, my favourite customers!" Dusty exclaimed, striding from his office. Jenna heard him, barked something at the techs, and turned to join him.

"Afternoon Dusty, " Clyff replied, "Chris and I were wondering if you still have that Locust?"

"Sure do! I had it moved a little further down here, " he said, jerking his thumb toward the back of the warehouse. "Let's go have a look!" With a smile on his face and a glint in his eye, Dusty looked like Santa after learning there was going to be a second Christmas this year.

"Nice, Archer. Does it work?" Clyff asked as they walked past.

"Needs a new engine, but Dave had one at his yard, so I bought it, and it's arriving here later today. Once that's replaced, it should be good to go."

"Is that Amy's Shadow Hawk?" Chris said, looking in the other direction. 5 techs were working feverishly on the mech.

"Yup, it's going to be next week before that one's ready. That is one big job right there," Jenna answered. "How is she fitting into your group?" She asked.

"Oh, it's only day 2, but I think she'll be fine," Chris replied.

The group arrived at the Locust, and Chris climbed up to the cockpit with Dusty to have a look.

"Been Busy, I see," Clyff said to Jenna as the sound of the Locust powering on filled the background.

"It's been crazy, " Jenna said with mock exasperation, "All kinds of people are calling asking about mechs, military vehicles, and the sort. One woman even called to see if we sell guard dogs!?"

Clyff laughed.

Chris and Dusty rejoined the pair, happily chatting on the way over.

"Well, that one will do," Chris said to Clyff.

"Great!" Turning to Dusty, Clyff said, " Is that Archer the only other mech you have?"

"Hmm," Dusty said, looking at Jenna, "I have a Catapult, but it needs a gyro I don't have. I could call Dave back and see what he has." Jenna nodded in agreement.

"What do you think, Chris? Would an Archer and a Catapult be a good match for your new Locust?" Clyff said with a wide grin.

Chris gaped at Clyff, "Yeah, but I couldn't ask..."

"Nonsense, remember what I just said." Turning to Dusty, he added, "If you can get those two up and running, then wrap all three up, we'll take them!"

"Give me a minute to check with Dave!" Dusty hurried off to his office, leaving Jenna to carry on the discussion.

The three chatted about the new mechs' history while waiting for Dusty to return. Jenna seemed to know the history of every spare bolt in the business. Finally Dusty rushed out of his office to rejoin the group.

"Ok, Dave had the gyro, so I'll get the Catapult in here tomorrow morning. In the meantime, we'll put a rush on the Archer. Now, do you still need another?" He asked with just a little too much hope in his voice.

Clyff looked at Chris, who shrugged at him like, "This is your show." Clyff turned back to Dusty, "What do you have in mind?"

"Well, " Dusty began sheepishly, "Dave has a Hunchback torso, but the engine is gone. I have legs for a Hunchback, and I do have an engine to fit that one!"

"If you can get it working for next week, deal," said Clyff. Turning to Chris," If I keep this up, I may spend more than my wife before Christmas!" The group laughed.

"That's fantastic!" Chris started, "Thank you, Clyff! Now I just need to round up 4 more mech jocks."

Dusty turned to Jenna, his expression knowing, "Jenna?"

"What?" She said, pretending not to know what Dusty was getting at.

"She'll never forgive you if you don't at least say something this time," Dusty said gently.

Jenna looked at Chris and Clyff, then back at Dusty. "Fine." turning to Chris, "Gina wanted to know if you needed anyone else. She was crushed when we sold the mechs last week and has been near clinging to that Locust since. She lost her parents to a mining accident when she was 10; ended up in the foster system. Been hanging out in our yard since she was 11; we hired her as an assistant tech when she turned 14. She aged out of the foster system 2 years ago and has been living in one of our outbuildings since."

"Although she sleeps in the mechs more often than not," Dusty added.

"Yeah," Jenna agreed, "well, she is a great little tech and the best pilot we have. Plus, she desperately wants to join Lieutenant Michelle Kaufmann and Jennifer Kelm to go off and defend the Majority." She looked at Chris seriously, "She'd never forgive me if I didn't ask, since you came back here. I don't want that girl to get hurt, but I also know she doesn't really have a future here. What do you think?"

Chris drifted off, deep in thought about the implications. She is in the same age range as most of the unit, with tech and piloting skills. No military training, though. And another young life to put at risk. Chris felt himself aging a couple of years every day.

"I'd need to meet her and talk before making any decisions," Chris said.

"That's fair," Jenna responded, "I'll go get her." Turning, she strode out the back mech doors of the facility.

"Are there any experienced mech warriors you know of?" Chris asked Dusty and Clyff collectively.

"None that I know," Clyff replied.

"Hmm," Dusty started, "I know one guy. Not sure where he is. I'll see if I can find him and send him your way."

Mica Depot 278

Mica V

Periphery

10 November 3059

01:20:00 local time

Chris sat at his desk, having just tackled another set of never-ending forms. Who would have thought a unit that didn't exist 3 weeks ago would come with so much paperwork? He glanced at his watch and did a double take. 10 hours!? I've been sitting here for 10 hours! Chris rubbed his tired eyes, then looked to the long slim case opened and abandoned on his desk containing the new officer's rank insignia, all in satin black. One of the unwritten rules of special forces was "don't show the enemy who to shoot first," and the thought of wearing a rank insignia made Chris' skin crawl. So his compromise was these satin black bars that were almost invisible unless you were standing up close. Sadly, these, too, had been neglected, utility sacrificed to Chris' new paper gods.

Ok, I've been putting this off too long, Chris chided himself. He tapped the screen of his note tablet and brought up the unit roster. Michelle's alpha lance was all filled out, and mechs assigned. Beta lance, however... of four mechs, only 1, the Locust, had a name assigned. The girl, Gina Carlson, who Jenna and Dusty introduced him to, had turned out to be a pretty good option. He'd hired her after a brief interview and even agreed to hire her friend, Fae Dunkeld, as an assistant tech. Initially he wasn't sure which mech he'd assign her, even though she mentioned being very familiar with that particular Locust.

Well, it turns out Jenna wasn't overselling her! Gina delivered the Locust personally. Chris and the rest of the unit had been just inside the warehouse when she arrived. Just as the 20-ton mech was striding toward the bay doors, a toddler broke free from his mother and rushed straight past the police officers to jump excitedly right in the mech's path! Gina performed a near-perfect pirouette, lept sideways and skidded the little mech into what looked like a mock bow. The child and most of the gathered crowd of "supporters" cheered ecstatically. The unit mech warriors were shocked and impressed. Chris just saw his insurance policy pass before his eyes, but decided right there that the Locust was the best mech for Gina.

Dusty had pulled through as well. His contact, Paul Jenson, had turned out to be a dispossessed mech warrior from the Federated Commonwealth, who came to Mica V with his former lance-mate Kat Walker to try their fortune at mining after a rough mission in Capellian space left them mech-less. 3 years of mining had them considering other options. Chris reviewed their files again for the 3rd time. Paul used to pilot a Phoenix Hawk, was a good shooter and excelled at close-in fighting. Kat used to pilot a rifleman, providing fire support for their lance.

But does that mean they should slide back into the same roles? Chris drifted in thought; perhaps they should both pull fire support and find someone else to mix it up. Hard to know; there's not much on the market from here to Tharkad since the SLDF reformed. Where are I going to find another soldier who can pilot a mech?

Frustration and lack of food were wearing on Chris. He rubbed his burning eyes again, trying to muster the strength to at least finish mech assignments before leaving the rest of his problems until tomorrow. He shook his head and looked forlornly at his tablet. The screen dimmed, apparently preparing to go into sleep mode itself, being left unused during Chris' protracted thinking. His reflection resolved as his eyes refocused on the dimming screen, and he had a thought he hadn't considered before.

A sarcastic voice emerged from the back of his head, prodding this new line of thinking. OH, you didn't think you were going to get kicked upstairs to Captain and just get to go back to playing soldier in a couple months, did ya? Face it, Captain, you can take the big seat or ride this desk. Unless you'd like to go join the Clans, then sure an elemental can lead a unit into combat.

Chris sighed. Yes, his special forces training did include full mech training. But oh hell! Truth is the little bastard voice in my head is right... or i'm is going nuts. Either way, the result is the same.

Chris woke his tablet, selected his own name, and dropped it on the Archer. Has to be some perks to being in charge, he thought; plus, fire support is a good place to command a unit. Then assigned Kat to the Catapult and Paul to the Hunchback. With that, he got out of his chair and fell onto the bunk he had moved into his office yesterday, asleep before his head hit the pillow.

Leon foothills

Mica V

Periphery

4 December 3059

13:43:00 local time

Chris strode over the barren, rolling countryside, his Archer chewing up ground at a steady 50 km/h. 20 meters to his right, the evergreen treeline blurred together in his peripheral vision, 80 meters to his left, the edge of a 30-meter-deep ravine where a river flowed lazily in the opposite direction. Runway (Kat Walker) and Spike (Paul Jenson) flanked him on either side. Dancer, Gina Carlson's new callsign, had run a kilometre ahead to scout.

The unit is really coming together quickly, reflected Chris; just over 3 weeks since the final mech assignments, and this was their 4th and final live-fire combat scenario before the celebrations and interviews will eat most of their time.

Michelle is a natural at command! Her mech skills are coming along nicely, and her confidence is growing every day! Jennifer is another person in that Marauder; I'm amazed at how naturally that's coming to her. Best of all, everyone is starting to gel. If only we had another 6 months to train!

"Hammer, this is Spike; they're leading us toward the old mining road that leads up into the mountains," Paul stated.

"Roger Spike, looks to me like they're running the same playbook as the first simulation Hopper and Basilisk won. Dancer, you're coming up on 1 klick from the mountains; keep an eye on the forest line." Chris responded.

"Roger Hammer, I'm not seeing anything on scanners yet... wait! I've got a heat bloom 200 meters from the tree line!" Gina called back as she raced toward the mountains.

"Keep moving; I know what they're doing. Feed me what you're seeing." Chris replied.

A video feed opened in a window on Chris' HUD. "Ok folks, looks like they've parked a mech, probably Basilisk, off behind something to catch us from behind when we get to the mountains. Hopper was always concerned about ridgelines, probably going to come at us from on high while the Marauder sneaks up and nails us in the back. Cute, but not good enough."

"Amateurs. The pup should have throttled the Mech back into low power mode," Kat interjected, "How do you want to play this boss?"

"Simple is usually best. Spike, you stop right against the treeline 50 meters back from our little hidden dragon. Runway, you and I will move out the middle of this fairway; once we're directly adjacent, we'll line up and lay down a full spread to smoke her out into the open. Spike, when she clears the treeline, take her out of the equation."

Both responded with a quick, "Yessir!"

"Dancer, run 500 meters out, then circle back to us. I don't want you caught in the open if they spot us from the ridgeline and catch you alone."

"Roger, Hammer."

Chris slowed his Archer as they approached the spot. Paul had already come to a stop 50 meters back. Chris and Kat turned to face the treeline as Gina crested the hill on the way back to them. Chris' lance was far more experienced, with only Gina as a new pup. "Time to deliver another lesson in warfare. Age and treachery will beat youth and skill every time. Light her up!" Chris barked into the comm.

The Archer launch covers popped open as Chris was tensing up on the trigger. Suddenly, his proximity alarm blared in his ear, and a red outline flashed around his HUD, indicating a lock; a flash of movement on the rear section of his 360-degree compressed view was all the warning he got before a 90-ton Highlander rose wraith-like from the ravine. Beside the Highlander, a 20-ton Wasp matched the jump maneuver.

Chris twisted at his controls, trying to move; a massive training round lept from the Highlander's Gauss at point-blank range. Even filled with paint dust, the Gauss round to the center of it's back shook the Archer to its core. Chris' screen outline went from Red to Black, and the training mode in his mech locked out his controls. "Unit Disabled" began flashing mid-HUD.

"DAMN IT!" Chris exclaimed to his frozen mech.

Beside him, Kat faired no better. The Wasp had fired its medium pulse laser and 2 SRMs into the Catapult's back. The Highlander chased the shots with 6 SRMs into the same point. Kat's mech locked her out and froze in position an instant later.

Movement on the right of his viewer caught Chris' attention. The Hunchback was running to make room to maneuver while a Shadow Hawk sailed over the treeline, firing as it came. Luck was not on their side, the Shadow Hawk's autocannon rounds found the Hunchback's right knee, and once again, the mech came to an auto-stop, locked in place.

Gina was the only member of Beta Lance to respond instantly. All 3 Alpha Lance mechs touched down at the same time, each firing a constant barrage to bring the little mech down. Gina willed the Locust to perform a breathtaking display of agility. Twisting, turning, ducking and sweeping the bird-like mech toward the treeline in an attempt to find cover. She finished her final turn 8 meters from the tree line, almost escaping, only to see the two arms and cockpit of a Marauder just protruding from the trees, like a deer spotting a lion in the grass.

"OH," Was all she managed to say over the comms before both arms of the Marauder lit up, scoring a direct cockpit hit and locking the last of Beta Lance.

Chris punched the code to end the training session, which, amongst other things, merged the whole unit to the same comm frequency.

"Captain?" Michelle's voice intoned in Chris' ear.

"Yes, Lieutenant?" Chris replied, waiting for the cocky mech-rat to take a victory lap.

"I landed it... again," She said sweetly.