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Iron Blooded Commander
- Chapter 12-2 -
The Immortal Warrior: And the Phantoms of the SLDF[]
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A Troubling Visitor[]
Donegal Broadcasting Corporation Skye Studio
Skye, Lyran Commonwealth
3023
Four days later. Still mid production I was watching as Benny made a fool of himself on the set trying to get an action scene right, his eyes kept catching the camera and ruining it.
It was hilarious. But I couldn't laugh. He was already upset from the last time a few days ago when he tripped.
That was when I noticed the very expensive hover car pull onto the lot. Something that shouldn't really be allowed what with us being mid scene. And Mike seemed just as annoyed as the noise from the hovercar ruined the shot that Benny had actually managed to keep his eyes on target.
That was when a man in a suit stepped out and from the way even Mike changed from his irritated look to an obviously faked welcoming look as he stepped away from his camera.
"Duke Lestrade." He offered when he got close enough and bowed.
Ah it was this asshole. Great.
"Mr. Haufenpfah, I apologize for the interruptions." He offered slowly, and it was obvious he really wasn't sorry. His eyes hadn't left the Nightstar that was hanging over the set since he stepped out of the car.
"No apology necessary, It is an honor for the Duke of Summer to come to our set. Beautiful isn't it?"
"Yes, a weapon suitable for the best of the SLDF." The Duke muttered, turning away from Mike. His full focus settled on me.
Someone was well informed.
"Victoria Eisen-Blume."
I frowned a little. How rude. "Duke Aldo Lestrade." If he wanted to do the no titles thing, I could do that.
That made him frown, but he seemed to take the mild rebuke in my tone after a moment responded. "Commander, I have heard many interesting things about you."
"That's a surprise. I don't think I have done enough for that."
"Oh? Lostech caches don't grow on trees. Nor does young orphan girls that no one has ever heard of often have meetings with the Archon. Meetings that take multiple days are even stranger."
"It was a week. The Archon was kind enough to host me for a short time while we spoke of business. I think the only reason I was invited to stay so long was Melissa taking a liking to me."
He chuckles although it wasn't a sound of amusement. The Dukes lips perpetually pursed gave him a very unhappy mein. "You say that as if you have no idea how big a deal it is that Katrina Steiner let an unknown around her daughter. The girl that is the heir to the Commonwealth, and has her legendarily overprotective mother ensuring no one that hasn't been fully vetted get so close."
I shrugged. "I am afraid there is nothing special. I was traveling with Morgan Kell. So that is why the Archon was willing to see me. Melissa and I simply got along."
"Or perhaps you aren't so unfamiliar to the Archon at all?"
I blinked. What?
"What?"
He stared at me for a time before seeming to remember we aren't alone. "Nothing then. Show me around your set? I am very interested in seeing SLDF equipment on Skye." He orders to Mike which the man was quick to jump on, leading the Duke around the set, Ricardo Hunt the Immortal Warrior himself shaking the Duke's disinterested hand, as he was shown our equipment.
I was very glad I didn't have to deny the Duke, since he never actually asked to get into any of the mechs. As if I would let this guy anywhere near my equipment if I had a choice. This is the asshole that was trying to start a civil war in the Commonwealth.
He wanted to split off the entire region of Skye and become its leader. As if he wouldn't immediately be eaten by the Combine, Confederacy, or League.
He is a grade A moron. And the sort of guy you can't trust not to stab you in the back… Like he had done to his father to get this position.
That was Duke Aldo Lestrade, and I really didn't like how he was looking at my 'mechs.
Thankfully. It seems his behavior from before had already been all he wanted to say to me. He spent the next twenty minutes getting pictures taken of him on the set, with our BattleMechs in the background.
I had no doubt that images would be in the papers soon, all hinting at how it was all thanks to our duke that actual lostech was on Skye. But whatever, he could do whatever he wanted as long as he kept his grubby hands off my stuff.
Him especially I would never give anything.
The production continued not long after as the Duke drove off. Although it took a while to get everything back to where it was. The Duke had definitely troubled the production a bit.
Invitation for an Exclusive School[]
HPG Terminal
Zaniah III, Lyran Commonwealth Space
3023
A different perspective, Gauge Blake
Gauge hadn't been surprised at the message. Adept Michaelson had gone out of his way to tell him that now that he was working on Zaniah he would invite Gauge back over for lessons like he had once done.
Gauge had accepted. Of course he would. He always wanted to learn more. Yet there was something different about it. Gauge was led into one of the private offices in the HPG and there sat Adept Michaelson.
"Gauge, My boy! Please come in. Come in!" Adept Michaelson waved him into a new office. It was smaller than the one he had on Solaris Gauge noticed.
"Adept Michaelson, It's good to see you, how are you adjusting to Zaniah?"
The older man laughs a little hollowly. "I'll admit the heat is rougher than I expected. Thankfully I spend most of my time inside."
"Yeah the heat was rough for us at first too."
"Yes, I heard that it isn't so much anymore… Cooling suits under your armor?"
Gauge laughed a little, "You heard about that? Vicky wanted us to keep it quiet, but yeah we found a lot of cooling suits, and Vicky figured the best way to use them was to make sure everyone had one. It keeps us from overheating when we are outside."
"Hah! Lostech Cooling Suits to keep cool while out and about. How luxurious." Michaelson offered with an unreadable expression over his face. "Gauge. I asked you to come because I have heard some concerning reports. I was hoping you would answer a few questions about your lostech discoveries. ComStar is as always very interested in such finds."
"Oh. Sure, Adept Michaelson, what is it you need to know? We talked about it a lot last time."
"Last time I was only asking as a friend, this time it's a bit more professional. The Cache you spoke of on Helm is destroyed."
Gauge grimaced. "Yes."
"You and your friend ended up destroying a priceless heirloom of our past due to your carelessness. I admit this is partially my fault. I taught you quite a bit about the needs of being a member of ComStar years ago, but I never truly finished teaching you things you needed to know then. So much has been lost because I thought I had more time."
"What? What do I need to know?"
"So many things my boy. I'm going to set up a schedule for you, if you like, where you can come in and take some classes, things that only a member of ComStar usually learns. But I always knew you would end up serving Blakes will. I just assumed you would at least visit Terra before starting."
"Oh, Thank you. I am always eager to learn new things." Gauge offered with a smile, even if on the inside he was wondering what Adept Michaelson really meant.
"I know you are, my boy. I know."
We're OutofHere!!![]
Skye, Lyran Commonwealth Space
3023
So the movie finally wrapped up shooting. It took way longer than expected, mostly because this was only supposed to be an episode for a TV show, and instead ended up like a made for TV movie mashed with a full blockbuster movie based on a TV show.
It didn't entirely fit, but that was the feeling I got with how much money and time was being thrown into this production.
When it was all said and done. It was surprisingly quiet, as we finally had everything turned back over to us. My mechs were all loaded up into the Colossus, and one final night we had an after party with the cast and crew. Considering we basically were both at this point it was a nice sendoff.
And then on a sunny Skye morning I was blasting off into space.
"Sad to see it go, Commander?" Benny asked and I shook my head.
"The only thing you are going to see go is my lunch if you try to get me to talk!" I moaned at him as we flew off.
We were going to head home. So that we could make sure there weren't any disasters waiting for us before we went out again. It was time for us to finally start implementing Operation ISDF IS HERE!
I named it myself. And no matter how much Benny tried to scribble out the title on the operation document didn't matter. I could always just create a new one from my Noteputer! I win!
Of course. If I realized what was going on at the time I would have turned the dropship right around and strangled Mike Haufenpfah.
Energetic Director's Interview[]
Donegal Broadcasting Corporation Skye Studio
Skye, Lyran Commonwealth
At another time. In a not so distant future.
A different perspective, Mike Haufenpfah
"And here he is! The man of the hour! Director Haufenpfah!"
"Please, Debbie, just call me Mike. I am aware of how difficult my last name can be."
"Hah! And funny too. Mike, your sensational Immortal Warrior series and movies have been a phenomenon in the Inner Sphere. Every planet watches your show!"
"I doubt it's every one." He offers humbly, but the glittered and glammed hostess was having none of it.
"Nonsense! There isn't a man or woman in the Inner Sphere that doesn't know the name Immortal Warrior!" Behind her a Holovid activated showed a few scenes of the Immortal Warrior TV show. Mostly explosions as the show was well known for but also gun fights and mech battles.
"That used to be one of my favorite episodes there." Mike offered seeing the Immortal Warrior standing atop a mech as it raced into battle.
"But it's not anymore?" Debbie immediately digged and the audience had some gasps audible even on the stage..
"No, not anymore. Now that I finally managed to produce… Well the entire reason I am here now"
"Yes! The Immortal Warrior: And the Phantoms of the SLDF! The mid season movie has been sending audiences wild! Mike, I heard that this movie was originally just a single episode?"
"Oh it was worse than that, Debbie, I've… Well the Phantoms of the SLDF. It's something I've always wanted to do on the Immortal Warrior. Ever since I was a boy!"
"Oh you did say in an interview a few years ago, the Immortal Warrior was originally your childhood stories?"
"Oh yes. I used to tell them to my siblings, I have plenty of them believe me. That was where it all began but… The Phantoms of the SLDF. It was something I always wanted to show. I finally talked the executives into the episode. But if I can be honest with you Debbie, It was just going to be another episode in the season. I didn't have the funding to really make it spark and then…."
"And then! The Iron Blooded Company?" She couldn't help but finish his sentence and he found all of his energy leaving him, completely calm.
"And then the Iron Blooded Orphans." He shook his head even today months after they had fallen into his life he couldn't believe his luck. "It was pure serendipity." He uttered that sense of peace washing over him. It had been something he never could have hoped for. "At first it was just rumors. And then fact, and then? Well. I barely believed it. I got confirmation that a colossus was spotted traveling the Inner Sphere."
"Yes. I remember there was even a segment on the news about it. A Colossus seen and active in Lyran space. But I don't remember hearing anything about who was in possession of it."
"Ah well… I know a few people in certain businesses. Fans and things. When I sent the message out asking if anyone knew anything about the owner I got a hit. And then… I sent them a request. Here is a secret that no one would know. When I first sent them the request… I didn't have the pay to pay them!"
"No!"
"Oh yes. It was a one in a million shot. If I could get their attention I could bring it to the execs, and get the funding. Funnily enough that is exactly what happened. I sent the request through ComStar. And a few days later, I got a message from Commander Eisen-Blume. She actually told me she had more than just a Colossus on hand. You must understand. I had expected another normal episode but just inside a Colossus. Something a little new, a fresh set."
"She surprised you?"
"Oh yes. I knew she had a Nightstar, and that was already going to be front and center believe me, but everything else? It was supposed to be normal mechs in a normal-ish episode. It's not like we haven't done special episodes before."
"Ah the infamous Draconis Temple Episode?"
"Just so! But this… I had talked to the execs about it and got a substantial funding improvement. I'll admit now most of that funding was because they wanted to be the first to have a Colossus on the TriVid screen in what two hundred and fifty years?"
"I can imagine that would be quite the feather in their cap."
"It was. And it worked. But Commander Eisen-Blume? What can I say but she never does things calmly."
"I have heard rumors about her, and of course there is… That."
"Yes I knew you would bring that up, but let me go through his first. It helps explain it."
"Of course Mike. Don't let me interrupt a master storyteller at work."
"Hardly. I am but a humble wordsmith. So the Colossus. WhiteBase they call it, lands on the lot. The Commander had warned me she had more SLDF hardware she would bring along. Nothing. And I tell you this again Debbie, and to all those listening. Nothing prepares you for seeing almost four hundred tons of lostech stepping off a lostech dropship."
The studio was quiet as Mike relieved the moment he stroked his missing beard for a moment before shaking the image out of his head.
"It was like taking a step into the past. I never…… I never felt any connection to the Star League until then."
The hostess couldn't help but audibly gasp. "Really?"
"Oh it was… Magical. No, that doesn't do it any credit at all. Trust me on this Debbie. We do have ideos of the first drop. It will be released on the special edition directors cut. Yet in that moment… We truly were standing before the SLDF. Everyone felt it. The energy. The Excitement."
"Well don't keep me in suspense Mike. You are filling out a powerful image for us here."
"Of course. I won't go over my first meeting with the Commander. It wouldn't do the girl justice. But the images of those titans? The Titular Phantoms of the SLDF? That earned me quite a bit of leeway. The episode became a two partnered, and then a three!"
"What? But It's a movie now."
"Yes! That's the most amazing part. The execs wanted more. More screen time with the Lostech mechs. And the Commander was completely unbothered by the idea she accepted without issue. But it was… Well. The reason it's a movie? Entirely her doing I hate to admit."
"Really? What did she do?"
"Well it was during one of our first dress checks. The SLDF soldiers wearing their outfits… But well. They were terrible! Not bad, don't get me wrong they were perfectly good outfits for an episode of Immortal Warrior, but the Commander took one look at them. And well after getting a good laugh, told me in no uncertain terms. That it was not acceptable for the SLDF."
"Really!?"
"Oh the Commander despite her age never had any issue with saying what was on her mind. She was then kind enough to remind me that they had a rather odd looking outfit already available if I wanted to use them."
"Oh yes. The 'armor' of the Iron Blooded Company."
"Well they call themselves the Iron Blooded Orphans, and I believe they are bigger than a Company now. But yes. She offered to allow our actors to wear her uniform, and I couldn't help but think it would add something to the production. I was right."
"Yes. The unique armored forms of the SLDF Phantoms were… Magnificent alien almost!"
"Yes. That's a good way of looking at it. The armor is alien. But it was there. And we used it. The execs after I spoke to them about further changes… Well they told me they wanted more. A movie instead of a three parter. I was already ripping my entire script to pieces to make up the new look of the SLDF so I threw it in the bin, and started over again."
"That's quite a few re-writes in a short time."
"Oh it was. Honestly if it was any other movie I would have refused, you can't just rewrite a movie in a few weeks and then film it. It takes time… But not this one."
"I had heard rumors filming went very quickly."
"Incredibly so. You have to understand we had everything on hand ready to go. Thanks to the Commander we had all the mechs we needed and more. We had the people everyone wanted to get in on the story once they saw those mechs."
"I had heard you were forced to turn down some actors?"
"I did! We had a few famous actors, I won't name names of course. That demanded to be in the film, but we had to refuse. The time crunch was on… Honestly I'm glad we refused."
"Because of the thing." Debbie asked with a wiggle of her eyebrows and Mike laughed thunderously.
"Yes! Because of the thing. But it's not time for that just yet, but I'm getting there."
"Good! Because I am excited to ask so many questions about it. I think over 90% of all the questions we received to ask you all had to do with that."
"That… Well I should say it surprised me. But it doesn't. That.. Anyway so we got the greenlight to go for a movie. Production ballooned, but it was an energy, a fire inside us all. We were rushing, every scene was filmed nearly without issue, other than a few here and there." He took a deep breath as he suddenly fell back into his chair. "I have never been on a set that was like it. This movie was… special. Not just because of the Lostech, but it was more than that."
"Everyone knows that. Not after that ending."
"The ending." He nodded. He knew he would have to explain this eventually. He just wasn't sure how. "It… You have to understand. That scene. That was an accident."
"An accident?"
"It was never in any script. It wasn't planned. That entire scene from start to finish, was unedited. No, it was more. It was candid."
"What? No. I refuse to believe that."
He chuckled. "You're not the first to tell me that, but it's true. I wasn't even the one to film it!"
"Okay roll back your camera there for a second director. Are you telling me that scene was what? Just…"
"It was exactly what it looks like, and that is what makes it special." He smiled. "It was on the day we shot the finale. The Phantoms of the SLDF shaking hands with the Immortal Warrior before they would walk away into the sunset. We were taking a break on the set. That… I bet you are wondering who she was?"
"Of course! It's the question on everyone's mind! She wasn't even in the credits!"
"Oh she was. Just not as an actress. That Debbie, was the very woman herself. Commander Victoria Eisen-Blume. The one who made the entire film possible."
The hostess blinked. "That girl was the Commander?" She gasped looking to the audience. "I do believe we are the first to hear that fact isn't that right?" She called out and her audience went wild you could hear the whispers and shouts for a moment before they finally quieted at her raised hand. "That was Victoria?"
"Hah! Don't call her that, she gets the oddest look on her face. Yes, that was Vicky… She had purposefully refused any role in the film. There were only so many roles and she wanted her soldiers to get their slot. They are on the younger side, and everyone was very excited."
"So why was she there?"
"Well when the job of the role came out? Every one of her people refused to do the role. They all said the same thing. 'That was Vickys job.' Every one of them."
"That's quite the loyalty!"
"Oh they are that. But it was more than that. I just didn't get it at first. She… She did fine on the scene herself. You will notice her fierce little glare when she stomps the SLDF Standard into the ground."
"I did indeed. After the ending I had to scroll back and see if I could find her."
"And she was there. It happened right after that scene. We stopped for a break… She… I don't know why she kept the standard. Or what she was doing or thinking. She went and sat on her Nightstar-"
"Oh! So the Nightstar she was sitting on, it was her own mech?"
"Yes. The Phantom… We decided to keep the nose painting. That wasn't something we did for the movie. That is what the Nightstar was called. The name was painted long before it ever landed on Skye."
"Oh! Interesting behind the scenes tidbit there! Do you know why it's call that?"
"Only vaguely. The Iron Blooded would only smile as if it was a great joke. The only thing they would say was something about The Phantom of the SLDF."
"Is that where the name came from?"
"It is actually. The original title was just "The Immortal Warrior and the SLDF." I know it wasn't anything special but."
"Many of the episodes follow that naming scheme."
"Exactly."
"So she was sitting there?"
"Oh yes… I can't… You have to understand the entire ten minutes she was there. We didn't edit a second of it, it was exactly as you see. She was sitting there. And she just… It was like she felt such a connection to the standard that none of the rest of us could feel."
"Yes! That look of sorrow on her face? It still gives me chills…" The hostess gave a exaggerated shiver for a moment
"It did to us as well. Franklin, one of the Junior cameramen, was testing out his camera when he noticed. He… Well I am thankful he was wise enough to record it. We didn't notice at first. You know? Many of us were just walking around, but it was… like a feeling, an energy drawing you in. Then the sun set. We had picked that location for the sunbeams. It was even used in the scene we had just shot, but I never expected to see them land on her."
"Tell mem Mike. You know the Commander better than the rest, what was going through her head then? When she went from utter sorrow to…"
"To the fierceness of the greatest warrior?"
"A good way to put it."
"I honestly can't tell you Debbie. All I know was that at that moment. If she had ordered me into battle? I would have grabbed any weapon on hand and followed."
"Hah! You say that jokingly, but there has been a huge uproar about your ending credits. 'The girl and the standard' became probably the most fascinating scene of your entire movie. And it was just what you had your end credits overlaid over."
"Yes… I did say there was something almost magic about the entire production. The Commander. Vicky was a big part of that. I know, I will never have a film experience that matches it."
The host and director were quiet for a moment, the strength of the words spoken had even silenced the normally talkative woman, before after a few moments she regained her focus. "Well folks. I think that's time for a commercial break. Join us after as we ask even more questions about the newest movie to hit the Inner Sphere. The Immortal Warrior: And the Phantoms of the SLDF!