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Iron Blooded Commander
- Chapter 1.3 -
Copy and Paste[]
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Time Consuming Process with Surprises[]
Solaris City
Solaris VII, Lyran Commonwealth
June, 3020
I don't know how long I had been looking at my noteputer the next morning before Gauge poked me out of my stupor. "Hey, what is it? You have been silent for five minutes."
"Something I wasn't expecting happened." I angled the noteputer showing the list of blueprints saved into the system including the Locust-1S now, Including all the base parts. I could create LTV 160 Fusion engines as well. Basically if it was a locust part I could build one now. But...
"Locust-NFX what is a locust NFX?" He asked as he met my eyes.
"It's a Locust that has some of the tech from my noteputer integrated. Look." I point out the list of equipment including a NanoForge (Small) equipped in place of the Medium laser.
"You can create more of your lostech!" Gauge gasped in shock, but I wasn't even done.
"It also has the super sensor integrated into this locust instead of the old tracking system. This thing could work as a command and control mech considering how much data it can gather."
"That's good isn't it? Why are you looking so shocked?"
"Gauge, the hand held tracking system has a one-hundred mile radius, Now put that in a mech. We could literally get up to date data on any enemy mechs, or infantry in a hundred mile radius." I give that a second even I was a little shocked at how powerful that was. "Sneak attacks would be completely pointless, we would always know."
"Okay yeah... that makes sense." He muttered, blinking slowly as he processed that knowledge. Gauge was good with tech, but he still had trouble wrapping his head around the use of the tech.
"Okay so let's make one. I want to know what this thing can really do."
I settled the Noteputer on the ground after activating the construction of a Locust-NFX. Watching the green nano-machines slowly work together to create piece by piece a full mech was still amazing to me.
Unfortunately the construction time was long, way longer than even a Metal Extractor. I sighed, as I made sure to get the building properly locked down before we left. I had already fixed the hole in the wall that we had originally used as an entrance when we were kids so it was more secure at the very least.
"C'mon, Gauge, let's go get some work done while we wait."
Threats and Offers[]
The next three days were a slog. I couldn't build anything to sell, so I felt like I was wasting time. Gauge went back to work with the Old Man so he at least kept busy, and his dedication to learning the AsTech trade had only increased. Nothing quite like offering a starving man a chance at food.
Gauge really wanted a mech.
I intended to give him one.
Of course things had changed for me, even without me expecting it. I had registered the Locust under my name, so I was an official MechWarrior in the eyes of the government on Solaris. Being a registered mechwarrior came with a few benefits I hadn't realized. There was a certain respect given to Mechwarriors. It was almost like having a minor noble title. It also came with some other benefits.
Like strange men in business suits waiting for you at the orphanage.
Like I said, "Benefits."
"Good evening, Ms. Victoria, I am Arthur Wright, of Wright Stables. I heard of a new Mechwarrior on Solaris you see, no longer dispossessed." The older man hadn't even waited for me to enter the orphanage before he sprang on me, his voice trying and failing to sound joyous at my good fortune.
I held up a hand to slow him down, closing the door of the Orphanage behind me, the matrons were all looking at the man in shock at having someone so wealthy show up here.
And at his words the entire orphanage blew up. It was a simple fact that if someone rich looking was at the orphanage, all the kids' attention were focused like a pinpoint. And he just blurted out that I had a mech.
Before I could even respond to him, I had a horde of leeches grabbing onto my clothes all speaking in one voice.
Let me see your mech! Let me Pilot your mech! I want to be a Mechwarrior too!
He seemed quite shocked at the sudden raucousness I did my best to tell him with nothing but a glare that this was all his fault.
It took a few minutes to pull the minions from my limbs, and there were a lot of crying children who had never 'known' a mechwarrior before. When it was all over I had Mr. Wright in the small 'meeting' room that was where prospective parents met the orphans.
"I apologize, I wasn't aware that it was a secret." He said after we had settled down, one of the matrons actually bringing in tea and pouring him a cup, I eyed them oddly wondering what they were up to.
"It wasn't a secret. Just something new, that hadn't been released yet. The Locust is still being repaired. The previous jockey was rough with her." I offer. Not admitting that the old Locust was gone.
"Yes, Yosuke was always sure of his skills, despite not having any." The old man offered with a chuckle, although I didn't laugh. I had just figured out what the old man's angle was.
"He was a member of your Stable. That's how you knew what happened." I prompted, and the older man's silver mustache twitched into a smile as he sipped at the tea.
"Quite right. When a mechwarrior in my stable lost his mech due to failing to pay a repair bill, I had written him off of course, the initial repair costs had come from my pocket, so to learn he had gambled them? Ludicrous. No point throwing bad money after good. I had intended to offer a price on the mech myself to add the mech permanently to my stables, but was quite surprised to learn that it had already been sold."
"I was there when… Yosuke? Was chased out of the mech bay with a shotgun. I saw an opportunity. Old Man Ulrich was more than happy to not have to deal with selling off a mech that wasn't in the best of conditions. I get a working mech… the reputation that involves."
"Oh yes, a tremendous deal. I do admit, I came for a reason today Ms. Victoria. I wished to see the Mechwarrior who managed to sneak such an opportunistic deal through and," he sipped his tea. "I am interested in how a young orphan manages to afford a Battlemech."
"Good business practices."
"I see." He mentions after my response. I was purposefully glaring at the older man now to let him know that topic was over. "Then let me cut to the chase. I run my stable in the class two circuits. Light mechs are my bread and butter, I was quite disappointed to lose the eighth mech in my Stable, especially to such incompetence. As you are far too young to take part in the games yourself, I do find myself in an interesting situation."
"You want my mech."
"Indeed. Despite what you might think, finding an open mech isn't as easy as you might have been led to believe. There are bigger Stables than I that snatch up many of the new visitors, and usually only the dregs come tumbling down to my level. But my self depreciation aside. I had a match scheduled this coming week you see. My entire Stables Assortment of light mechs, Two lances, verse two lances, and now I find myself not only a mechwarrior short, but a mech as well."
"It's not for sale."
"Ah, that is what I feared you would say. Do understand Ms. Victoria, You are just a young woman, and you are on Solaris. You don't have the protections of a Mechwarrior working in a Stable, nor a family, nor even just the hired guns a mercenary, or a pirate might have with them." He slowed then, and I knew that he was threatening me.
"I do recommend you sell me the mech, Ms. Victoria. I would truly hate to have something happen to it. Or for someone to decide since you have the money to afford a Battlemech, that you are valuable yourself."
Crap. I was glaring hard now, and his kindly grandfather appearance really did hide a rotten man. I could see the smirk under his mustache as he took another sip of the tea as I considered my options here.
The biggest problem was the Locust he was looking for? It was gone. Even if I created a new one, it would be in perfect condition. No one would really be able to notice if I was piloting it myself, but the first thing the Stable would do is have it looked over.
They would notice the mech would be factory fresh.
"Then let me be frank in return, Mr. Wright. It's not for sale. Perhaps I might have offered to rent it to you for the match, but that isn't happening now. You might make me regret this, Sure. But even if I'm killed that Locust won't end up in your hands right away. And Solaris doesn't look kindly to men that kidnap owners of 'mechs to try and force them to sign them off. So yeah, you can cause me trouble. But I'll bet, you'll have more important things to worry about until your little match is over. Won't you?"
"A shame. I considered you moderately intelligent for your age thanks to your new position." He stands. "I suppose we will have to finish this another time."
"Oh, Mr. Wright. Good luck on your games." I offer just as the man is about to walk out, which leads him stalking rather like a ruffled cat as the door closes behind him.
"His mother was a Capellan." I cursed him.
Unfortunately this changes things. My plans were now shot. Laying low and slowly building up resources until I could get off this rock was no longer an option. Stable masters had a horrible reputation on Solaris for causing trouble. Even a low level stablemaster that takes part in the side games instead of the main circuit still had the money and clout to own multiple 'mechs. With plenty of men that work for them.
Sabotage was a common and very real threat on Solaris.
Nothing for it then. Time to go a little bit loud.
So as I watched the old man out the front window get into a very nice speeder and drive off. I turned away from the matrons who looked hopeful. Finally realizing they thought he was interested in adopting me. I didn't bother to inform them of the truth. Instead I headed towards a specific room.
Just outside Marcus stopped me. Like normal the boys had set up a 'watch' outside the room. Where a comfortable chair had been dragged out. Of course the door was still open and the three I was looking for were chatting away.
Marcus jumped to his feat as he saw me blocking the door. "Halt... Mechwarrior." He grudgingly adds. "The Commander is busy we-"
"Sergeant, let the Mechwarrior in." The boy I was looking for called out from within the room, I nodded to Marcus as I entered. Honestly we were friends. Family as all us orphans were. These were just the military nerds. I usually didn't interact with them much when they were like this. They took Larping to the next level.
Or was it really Larping in this day and age? Or was it just considered training?
I entered a room that looked more like a command bunker than a living space. Even the Matrons had given up on trying to tidy the place up. The three I was looking for were settled around a map table. As usual when the boys weren't out practicing shooting, or in the arcade sims, they were here. Talking strategy and tactics of battles.
Like I said. Military nerds.
"Sergeant." I call out catching his attention just before passing him. "Close the door and make sure no one listens okay?" I call out as I enter. "We have something important to talk about." I tell him, knowing hitting the military angle will get him to agree.
The door shuts behind me even as Benny the 'leader' grumbles. "Damnit, Mechwarrior don't come in and just order my troops around." He waves me to a chair across from him that had been cleared. Benny was just a little older than Gauge, he was actually the oldest of the orphan kids so he had a lot of respect from the younger boys. He was the older brother everyone looked up to. And the fact he was so close to aging out meant that everyone felt a little frustrated for him.
Once he hit 16 he was out on the street and probably joining a military academy to be a grunt somewhere. Of course for Benny, that wasn't a problem.
The fact he was utterly obsessed with becoming a soldier, and maybe eventually a Mechwarrior was something that made all the other boys look up to him. He was the heroic warrior older brother all of us adored.
"Benny. Elias. Hanna." I greeted the other two that were now standing behind Benny. Hanna for once not getting into an argument with me, the two of us got along exactly like sisters do. In which every time we saw each other we tended to whisper insults under our breath until we ended up wrestling on the floor.
I usually lost these fights, the girl was built like a football player and had the face to match.
She was also scary with a rifle. Hence why she hung around Benny.
"Commander!" He grumbles at me as I take my seat.
"Commander." I agree with a dip of my head. "That is actually why I am here. I don't know if you heard about the old man that just showed up to see me?"
"Heard of it, watched him come and go. What's going on, Vicky?"
So I sigh and explain that the old man basically threatened to have me killed. Or worse. In order to get my mech.
"Mother f*****!" Benny cursed as he stroked his nonexistent beard. "You really stepped in it, Vicky! Stablemasters have a lot of leeway and Mechwarriors that will do what they want in a pinch."
Hanna grunted. "Yeah but he is targeting one of us. Warriors ain't sh** out of a mech. We could take them."
"He won't involve them. He thinks I'm some orphan kid with a bit of cash. So he will just hire some thugs, but even one thug is more than I can handle alone." I put my cards on the table then.
"How would you like to actually be a mercenary? For real?"
The honest, and rather flattering anger on my behalf melted from their faces at my offer.
"Tell me more."
New Plans, new Tactics[]
I was lucky that the next morning after all this nonsense, my Locust-NFX was complete. That meant two things. One, I didn't have to worry about my new guards seeing a 'mech be constructed out of green light, and I had my production capacity again.
"Gauge, take a look at this." I call out as I am sitting in the Locust cockpit that morning. I jumped in, activated the mech and then opened up the construction abilities of the 'Small' Nanoforge.
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Locust Light 'Mech
Inside I was shocked that after looking at the same list of production from my Noteputer. While browsing I idly wished I had some sort of defensive construction to give my new guards a place to protect my Mechbay.
And then. As if by the magic of neurohelmets and space magic science. The construction blueprints for a concrete bunker were added to the blueprints available. I was able, with a few thoughts, to alter the blueprint to my needs.
Gauge pulling himself into the cockpit looked over the screen. I tilted his way as I mentally altered the construction of the bunker in real time.
"So you can altered the blueprints! I thought you would be able to since the noteputer always repaired things, but wow. Vicky, with this is there anything you can't build… Other mechs?"
I shook my head. I had tried to 'think' of other mechs, but nothing happened. Lack of understanding probably.
What was even more interesting was the discovery that while the max range of the sensor installed in my Locust, hadn't changed at all. It's minimum range for scanning items in high enough detail to create a blueprint had been extended. I really wouldn't need to spend hours scanning every part of something anymore. The Locust could get the detail needed as long as it was around ten feet from my Mech.
Considering this, and the fact I wanted to protect what I had, and retain some security an idea popped into my head. Why not just expand?
"Gauge, back up, I'm going to call the housing authority. See how much it would cost to get an expansion permit on the mechbay." The mech bay had been in a destruction zone that hadn't been worth repairing before. But if I could buy some more of the land around the mech bay.
Then I smiled even brighter, as I switched over to the sensor package, and started taking ground scans. "Cancel that." I called out before he even started walking away. "I have a better idea." I grunted as I waved him off to start the activation of the mech. "Gauge, wait outside for Benny's boys. Make sure no one comes inside." I call out using the exterior speakers of my mech.
I didn't have a lot of time before Benny's boys showed up to start their guard duty. And I wanted to make it seem like I hadn't altered the interior of my Mechbay in just a few minutes.
New Base of Operations[]
So fully reconstructing interior spaces was incredibly easy when you could make alterations with your mind and then have a billion nanites basically eat away and reconstruct what I wanted. The first step was to completely eat away the mech bay gantry. Saving the blueprints then starting to dig downwards creating a ramp.
This was the hardest part. As the nanoforge wasn't really designed to break down unusable matter like this. It wouldn't exactly go into my 'storage' after all it wasn't useful metal that could be processed into just about anything thanks to space science magic.
Instead I used it, the nanoforge was incredibly responsive to my thoughts. The ground I dug through to begin a ramp downwards was compressed down into an incredibly firm ground, Harder than concrete, although I might have to go back over it at some point to make sure it was capable of keeping up with the stress of heavier mechs stepping on it.
But that was for later. I continued digging down, until I was well below the surface level. Thanks to the ground penetrating sensor I was easily able to dig down at an angle that wouldn't interfere with anything.
And so after about four hours of work I had my new mechbay. The old bay opened directly into a ramp that led downwards into a much larger room that was for now about five times larger. I even set up a metal blast door that I could 'open' if I ever needed to expand more, although for now there was nothing but rock on the other side.
But every inch of the rest of the space was concrete, and metal. Industrial lights powered the whole thing. And to make up for the increased power usage from everything, I went ahead and modified the LTV 160 fusion engine that was in the Locust Blueprint, into a stand alone generator for my new 'base'
Secret bases were very cool. Especially in the 31'st century. The whole Star League fad hadn't died out yet, so it was very 'in' at the moment.
I completed a final walk through, creating a second ground path that was built into the edge of the wall that would allow someone on foot to go from the surface mech bay into the new underground area. Without walking on the main road.
Then I created a surface blast door. That sealed off the downward ramp. And a second Blast Door at the bottom of the ramp. On the surface two bunkers were created immediately inside on each side of the entrance. The pillboxes on each side were built to house at least ten men each, and had plenty of firing holes that could be used to fend off any intruders.
What could I say? I was still kinda pissed about being threatened.
With that. I was satisfied that our mechbay was secure enough that anyone looking to cause trouble would be at a severe disadvantage.
Once that was complete I settled my Locust back in the new mech bay, stepping out onto the gantry to rub my aching neck. That stupid Neurohelmet was not designed for fourteen year olds. Then I immediately turned back around, got back in my mech and produced one of the Norman pickups at the base of the gantry, before once more stepping out.
I was like half a mile or more underground. I really didn't want to hike up the incline. So I climbed into my new truck and drove up the ramp until I was at the surface. Where I called Gauge inside. I drove the boy around our new underground mech bay and delighted in his fascination with what I had constructed.
When I finished showing him the Fusion generator I swear he was drooling.
"Vicky, you created this entire place in half a day! Imagine creating a field base in such a short time!"
I nodded, but his statement actually made me push further. "Imagine a lance or so of Locusts running ahead of an army, every time the army needs to stop, there is a fortified base already set up and ready they can move forward or retreat to." I add which causes his eyes to widen as he goggles.
"That's insane." He mutters and I nod. If I ever did become a merc commander. I would really be a pain in the ass to fight. Imagine. Every time you have a battle the enemy builds a fortified base right behind their lines that they can retreat to.
"Anyway, Gauge, I have another job I am going to need you for. Since you are old enough to get away with it." At his look I pulled out the stack of C-bills I had prepared this morning and a list. His eyes met mine and when I reminded him I really didn't like getting threatened he laughed and his smirk was just as nasty as mine.
Play time is serious business[]
"Benny, welcome to the base." I said as the boy walked up with the rest of his 'troops.' Their numbers were swelling by the hour as news got out that if they wanted, they could join under Benny's command and get paid for their work. There were plenty of orphans and orphanages. And a lot of them were already beginning to be trained as soldiers. Just about all of us went into an infantry military academy if we weren't adopted. It wasn't like most of us had jobs or prospects at 16 after all.
I met him just outside the entrance, as he looked around. I could tell the frown on the boy's face as he looked over the Mechbay from the outside meant he wasn't happy. "This place is a mess. And it's gonna be hell to keep safe. You know that right?"
He pointed to himself and a few of the kids he brought with that actually had weapons. The rest of the kids would be used more for spotters rather than any real defense.
I gave him a grin. "I think you will find Lieutenant Benny, that the base is more secure than the outer perimeter will lead one to believe." He huffed at my mention of his rank now, which he accepted. Even kids didn't go around calling themselves a general or something without the actual army for it. It was a weird quirk of the people here. Even civilians were careful about military rank.
The kids of the Inner Sphere took play time very seriously.
"Alright, let's see what I am working with." He grunted as he stepped inside and came to a slow halt as he looked around. The interior space looked brand new compared to the damaged concrete of the mech bays exterior. I of course hadn't done anything to the outside of the building except plug the holes that remained.
"What the hell." Benny muttered as he looked around, noticing not only the pillbox bunkers, but the large blast door and downward slope. He turned first to the bunkers going through one of them completely to familiarize himself with it.
His orders came fast after that. All the kids were more than happy to follow them, as rarely did they get a chance to play in a bunker that was so very real.
"Well damn, Commander. If this is what we are protecting I'm not nearly as worried as I was before." He grunted out as he watched his 'troops' run around getting their stuff squared away. They were actually pretty efficient at it. Although some of the kids I didn't recognize were slower to keep up. The actual orphan kids that played with Benny all the time were fast to get done what needed to be done.
Like I said play time was serious business in the Inner Sphere. Especially when you have an older 'brother' like Benny.
"That's not all." I told him. I jump into the truck that was waiting and wave him in as we drive down the slowly opening blast doors. As we headed deep underground I could practically feel the excitement coming off the boy beside me as I pulled up to the bottom floor. And it actually takes a few minutes for him to tear his eyes away from the mech to notice it.
Gauge had been busy. I gave him nearly 100k C-bills. A huge amount for a group of orphans, but nothing to someone who sells mech parts.
And with it, he bought just about one of everything. A good infantry Rifle. A solid sidearm. A BDU that would be perfect for long term use. A helmet. A small medkit. Boots. And finally, a set of infantry armor that was pretty high end. Probably the most expensive single piece outside the big surprise.
Then I copied all of it, and mass produced it all thanks to the Locust. But the metal crates filled with infantry equipment isn't what caught his attention.
It was the Wheeled APC that Gauge had managed to find. The military supplier had sold it to us on the cheap, since it was heavily damaged.
Well. It 'was' heavily damaged.
A machine gun on the top of the thing gave it some punch and meant that Bennys little army wasn't just foot infantry, but motorized infantry.
Let me tell you even if it was cheaper. It still hurt my metal storage, after the damage the Locust had done to it. "Lieutenant." I called out to him and he actually jumped as he caught my eyes, and for the first time he gave me a solid Salute.
"Commander." He offered in return and I returned his salute as I waved him away.
"I'll be busy with some work that needs to be done. Settle in your men, Lieutenant. As of this moment we are no longer just some kids. We are a proper mercenary force."
I had never seen a more childish look of absolute euphoria on Benny's face than when I said that.
God help us all.