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Iron Blooded Commander
- Chapter 4.2 -
From the Ashes, Flowers bloom[]
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Remedy the mistakes made in Battle[]
Red Base
Zaniah III, Lyran Commonwealth
3020
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Red Base
"So we need to discuss our mistakes, where we could have done better, and most importantly, what do we need to make sure next time this happens, we all end up walking away without a scratch while our enemies smolder. Broken arms suck." And dead kids give nightmares.
Of course Benny spoke up first. "We need some actual infantry traps. We could have led the enemy through the streets that we already prepped to take them out. Mines are the most obvious but remote explosives are good too, it would give our infantry control of what goes off, keep it from becoming indiscriminate."
"I like it. Let's put on the list we need a unit for demolitions. I'm sure we can find some madmen in our company. What else?"
"We need better training… I wasn't able to do much during this fight. Every time I had to do more than just shoot LRMs at range, I… I failed." Gauge spoke up next, I couldn't see them as his hands were under the table, but I knew he was fisting his hands in his clothing. It was a bad habit of his.
"Agreed, but Gauge, you did fine. We are all green pilots going up against an actual military force. The fact we all survived is good. It means we get to walk away with what we learned. Training is already something we are going to work on. I think I have a way to help with that, but the problem is it relies on other people willing to help, so table that one for a bit. What else?" I said, reaching over and patting his shoulder.
"We need a better command structure… sorry, Commander, but there were times we could have used some better synergy." Hanna offered, "The infantry was running around doing whatever they wanted, or just staying tight in buildings during the fighting. If they had been given directions to move, or keep working with us, we could have probably fought off the enemy with less problems."
"Yeah, we do need a new Command and Control squad. I'm useful enough, but when I'm in the middle of a fight, I was too focused on what's in front of me. Benny, I put too much on your shoulders when we started. Infantry command, Mechwarrior, and more than a few extra jobs. Who do we have in the infantry you think can take over as infantry command?"
He looked a little abashed for a moment. "You already have the ones I would trust doing other jobs. Elias, is our Artillery head. Markus is in the Defense Unit. Hanna is with us now. Honestly, Commander, we might not have anyone experienced to take over. We might have to train someone up."
"Experience. It does always seem to come to that, doesn't it? Well any ideas on how we can figure out who our new infantry leader should be?"
"Wargames?" Gauge surprisingly piped up. All three of us looked at him and he realized he was the center of attention. "Umm. We set up a war game… Make it a copy of the fight we just had. Since we have all the data already. Just have people challenge it, the one who does the best, can take the job?"
"Wargames don't show leadership though, Gauge, they just show who can tell people where to go…"
"No. Gauge is right, a wargame is perfect, but we make it real. Benny, we set up an actual infantry war game. Small squads of our infantry vs a mech. We can have them try to take it down, mechs have a virtual damage mode. We can get some of the equipment our infantry will need to take part. See how everyone does, whoever does the best, or leads best we make them the head of our Infantry."
"I like it." Hanna offered with a grin. "Let's do it, it'll be useful for us too. We can use it to get used to fighting infantry.That is a concern no matter what the mech jockeys on Solaris like to say."
"Alright, Benny. Sorry, but I'm dropping this in your lap. Delegate if you have to, but let's make it work, if you need something just let me know."
Weary Benny sighed. "Yes, Commander."
Fulling the Promise[]
Four days later. Everyone was out of the hospital if not fully recovered. It was time.
None of us wore black. No, instead everyone was wearing our normal uniforms. As we gathered far from base. We stood in the ruined and burnt streets where the battle had taken place. Where Rough Squad had lost their lives, and where the blood of our company was spilled.
We all stood around as the last trucks dropped off the last few soldiers. The entire company was here right now. Not a single person that wore the Eisen-Blume wasn't filling this street. The numbers were growing. I could barely even start counting just how many there were, I had even been forced to make another fleet of trucks just to transport us all.
Finally when I was satisfied I clambered up onto the hood of a Norman looking over the crowd. Thankfully I had been prepared, and a megaphone was handed up to me by Benny who was at my side.
"Those of you, who were here from the beginning know that the first time we had a moment like this, I made you a promise. An oath, as your Commander to every one of you. Today I fulfill that promise. To those who have joined us since, watch, and know that I will never break my promise to you. Only when this ceremony is conducted for me, will my oath end. Iron Blooded Orphans! Today we plant the blooms that grow from the land where our Iron blood was spilled!"
I turned, nodding to Benny who opened up one of the many, many boxes I had made this morning. It had taken me a while to get them to look right, but I was pleased enough with them now.
The four foot long piece of metal, had a spider lily shaped out of the top of it. It was metal of course. This was not something that was meant to disappear. I hoped that despite the weather on Zaniah, the metal flowers will last.
That's why I had made them out of Battlemech armor.
Slowly I moved forward stepping down from the truck taking the first metal flower. Literally an Eisen-Blume. And pushed it deep through a crack in the old broken concrete, deep into the earth. When I rose, I fumbled with the megaphone thanks to my broken arm, before raising my voice.
"We plant these, not for the dead. But to remind us, that here, our family's blood was spilled. There is one flower for each of you. Plant one. Push your loss into the earth, and let everyone for a million years who walks here know that this is where we fought! This is where our blood was spilled!"
I dropped the megaphone then. I couldn't wipe my eyes with my stupid cast. I stood there, before my flower, as did every member of my company. Orphans, all but one, as Alfred was among us. Planted a metal flower. When we left that street it was covered in hundreds of them. A spot of bright red, in forgotten ruins.
Meeting of Commanders[]
The next day, I had finally put together a meeting with Colonel Enders of the 10th Sky Rangers. Funnily enough, I hadn't even had to reach out to him to set this up. Colonel Enders had contacted us to set up a meeting.
I guess proving that my orphans knew how to scrap with the League has given us a bit more respect. Which was good. I had wanted to meet with the 10th anyways. They had something I needed.
Pulling up to the large military base that the 10th was based out of it reminded me just how little we had been offered. It was huge, well kept, and bristling with weapons. The concrete walls were thick, and mounted with enough weapons that it would make a very tough nut to crack open.
The fact that the 10th were a full regiment, even if at the moment they were recovering? They were big boys. That they were placed here on Zaniah was more LCAF's doing than anything the Governess had set up. This was a border world after all. It was important to keep it safe and strong, and yet it was quiet enough that they could recover. At least that was my understanding.
Walking through an actual military installation with history, and discipline made me a little self conscious at just how different my little band was in comparison.
I was led into an office, the desk had a neat stack of folders settled upon it, and there sat Colonel Herb Enders, the current CO of the 10th Skye Rangers.
"Commander Eisen-Blume, welcome, please take a seat, can I get you anything to drink?" He stood, his tanned skin and perfectly cut uniform was a good look for him, I took the hand he offered as I nodded.
"Some water, would be fine Colonel."
"Yes, the heat has been rather horrid today." He offered passing over a bottle of cold water out of a small fridge as we took our seats. "I would like to apologize before anything else Commander. We had our orders from the Governess office. Despite the fact they aren't directly in charge of our contract it is customary for companies in my position to heed the words of the planet's representative, as long as it doesn't go against the contract. She was quite firm that she wanted us to not have any communication with your company."
I nodded along as he spoke. "I didn't know if that was the case, but I'm not surprised to hear about it. Governess Alessa, wanted to give us a rough time."
He grimaced lightly there. "Yes… I didn't agree, and I would like you to know that I did speak with the MRB about the order when they contacted us regarding your arbitration. Dreadful conduct."
"Thank you. Although if it helps, we have settled our debts with the Governess at this point."
"Good! Good. I never like having to protect a planet when politics are hampering our every move."
"Speaking of, may I ask… I assume it's politics, but why don't the 10th fight back against the raids? You don't strike me as the sort of CO to let these raids go by."
This time he did more than grimace, he took a harsh sip of his tea that he poured for himself. "Politics is right. The defense of Hartzborg was deemed the highest priority on the planet. We were given strict orders, to never even allow the chance that damage could come to it. During a raid we are required to lock down the Starport, don't ask me the reasoning, I just follow my orders. Even if they do make us all feel rather useless."
"I see. I won't ask any more about it then. Orders are orders. May I ask instead, what prompted you to reach out?"
"Ah, well the order from the Governess was rescinded, and I felt I owed you a face to face meeting, you did try and reach out to us for so long. I viewed it as only fair." He leans back in his chair. "Your defense, well you earned more than a little bit of my time with that."
"Well in that case, I had been hoping to speak about some joint training. Although that will have to wait. The damage sustained has put us out of the fight for a while."
"Yes, I heard about your mechs, even saw some of the battleROM from your Hauptmanns Centurion. I can't say I've ever seen a Locust attempt to tackle an Awesome before." He quietly took a sip of his tea, but I could still see the slight smile beneath his mustache.
I felt a flush go up my cheeks, "It was a spur of the moment thing."
"It was brave. Take no offense at my joke, Commander. I was damn impressed when I saw it. I couldn't name many Mechwarriors that would have done the same in your position, even less who are leaders."
"I'll take the compliment, Colonel. I would do it again, if those few seconds bought the lives of my Lance then they were worth it."
"Exactly." He tipped his tea cup at me, "So Commander, I have no issue with some joint training time in the future, I have heard you are joining us on a more permanent basis?"
"Yes the Governess was… kind enough to confirm our landhold on Red Base."
"Not a bad setup for the first year of your Company, Commander. I've seen mercs that have been around for decades that haven't earned their own home."
I nodded, thanking him once again for his compliment. "Speaking back to training though Colonel, I as interested in asking if you have access to any Military MechSims, I need something to keep the training of my Mechwarriors up while our metal is repaired."
"Hmm. I do. The base we occupy does have some sim trainers, but unfortunately, they are old models. They don't travel well, and the few active ones left are rather busy. My own men need to keep in shape as well." He said apologetically.
I nodded. It was a simple fact in the sphere, the older something is usually the better it is. If it wasn't simply broken.
"I don't suppose… You said active… Are any of them nonfunctional?" The idea was there.
"Hmm. Yes, this base was an old training facility, there are eight of them in total, or were, now only… four I believe? Are still working, the other four are either offline, or disassembled for spare parts."
"I happen to have a pretty good AsTech. A friend of mine was interested in joining ComStar before I set this up, he can fix just about anything in my experience. What would it cost to get one of those nonfunctional sims?"
He huffed a quiet laugh into his tea. "I've heard such claims before, but if you think you can do better. I have no issues. They are just collecting dust currently. I'll have some of my men pack it up and ship it to your Red Base, it's the least I could do after failing to assist you before."
"Well Colonel, in that case, I accept your apology in full, and thank you."
Sharing of Secrets[]
So we now had twenty four Mech Sims set up in a previously unused hangar. The scans from the broken one, had shown the issue to mostly be a single damaged electronic part that had given out, a mix between a hard drive, and a memory stick.
So that was thankfully fixed once it was copied. The new training room, I sold to my kids as a 'secret gift' and told that just like the underground, to keep their mouth shut about it.
Of course I couldn't exactly hide something like this. Even with 24 of them, they were now 24/7 occupied. These weren't the toy sims that kids could play with at every mall in the sphere. No, these were military trainers. You need to use an actual Neurohelm to move, and there was a setup period so each person had to have the brainwave scan installed in the sims.
Then they had a massive database of mechs and customizations. They even had a lot of mechs that were more modern, obviously the database was kept up to date by the 10th. Then each sim pod was connected together, all 24 could be in a fight simultaneously. The pods shifted and moved. They blasted you with hot air which could get the insides sweltering. The damn things were Star League era tech.
Each of them were brand new. Every issue that the sims might have earned over centuries of constant use? Gone. As if I had plucked them straight from the final years of the Star League. Now they were mine.
But as I said, I couldn't hide them. So I wasn't truly shocked when I was stopped by Sergeant Kurtz just a day or so after opening the new training room.
"Commander? Mind if I have a minute?"
"Sergeant, of course I'm on my way to my office, join me." I walked along with the older man, and it was pretty obvious I was about to have an uncomfortable conversation. He was wringing his hands, and looked a little constipated. He was obviously not looking forward to this conversation.
Now neither was I.
We settled into my little office as he took the chair opposite me, the same chair he had sat in a month ago when we discussed whether he wanted to stay or not.
"Commander. I've been at this for a long time. I'm not exactly a young man anymore. I know what a base, even a merc base is like, the issues that come up. The amount of work it takes to expand… I've noticed things. Things like we never had ammunition delivered. Yet, we burned through more ammunition in a week than most regiments spend in monthly training. Things like to appear despite never being delivered. I checked. Our perimeter is fairly secure at this point. Yet things just appear without any coming or going." He trailed off there for a while simply staring at me, as if wanting to ask a question but not sure how.
Finally I broke the silence. "Sergeant. You can understand that all companies have secrets. Things we don't share with just anyone."
"Yes I know and I won't push, Commander, that's not what I mean. I just want you to know that I have noticed things, and if I have noticed, others might have as well."
I nodded, what else could I do? "I would appreciate, if anything you see, or think you see, you keep to yourself Sergeant. The last thing I want is rumors to get out that could cause trouble for my kids."
He snorts a little at that. "My mouth is shut, Commander. You don't get very far in life, especially military life, if you go around blabbing secrets." He hesitates there. "But you can trust me kid. You brats have grown on me. If I blabbed about the weirdness, most won't listen, but the ones who do? It would just mean kids I've trained will die."
I nod slowly. Pondering what I could do about this, what I should do? It came to me slowly. A realization. That nothing improves, unless we improve it. I don't like the great houses. Each of them has lost sight of what makes humanity great. It's not our capacity for war, or even our ingenuity, it's our ability to work together. To build, and help even the weakest of us.
And they have lost what it takes to do that. The single most important aspect of a social relationship.
So I made a decision, would I come to regret it? Perhaps, but I couldn't go wrong by following a simple motto.
Do the opposite of whatever the great houses would do.
So I nodded, stood up and decided to show trust in humanity. Trust which is so absent in the Inner Sphere. I pulled out my Noteputer. "This is where everything started. It belonged to my mother and I found it-"
Desperately wanting to join the Orphans[]
A Different Perspective
Gertrude Bruden, although everyone just called her Gerty, had not known what to expect when she had decided to risk it. Leaving the orphanage and traveling across the entire length of Starboro to try and see if she could join them.
The Iron Blooded Orphans.
It had been a rumor at first. The Merc company that was taking over some of the defense of the city. Then the rumors grew. That they were all children. That their Commander was a tiny blonde girl barely 10 and yet she had a smile that would freeze the hearts of grown men. That they were all killers, and murders, and thieves.
Finally the truth came out. That they won.
The rumors both died and ballooned after that. Any negative thoughts towards them were gone. The Iron Blooded were heroes. Zaniah needed heroes.
But the news had shown it all. Some of the battle footage during the raid, and it had been amazing. The League had run. For the first time, in as long as Gerty had been alive. The League raids had been pushed back before they could do any damage. The same raids that had killed her parents just a few years ago.
So she decided to risk it. To head to their base. To join them. She hitchhiked across the city, sitting in the back of old trucks, or in one case holding onto the back of a construction truck as it ambled along, when she started noticing she wasn't alone.
The closer she got, the more kids started appearing. Others soon joined her on the journey. Orphans one and all. Then there were no more trucks to hitchhike with and instead down a long dusty road the group of orphans started walking.
The heat was just starting to get to them when they heard the truck approaching. Down the road a truck was trundling up, it slowed as the group all walked over to the side of the road to let it pass, but the vehicle slowed coming to a stop beside the group.
The head that popped out was an older boy and he gave everyone a gentle smile. "Let me guess, coming to see if you can join the Iron Blooded?"
Berty spoke up first. "Yes! We want to be mechwarriors too. We want to fight!" The general mutterings of agreement behind her filled her with excitement. They were all doing this!
The boy just nodded looking a little sad as he looked over the group. "Well. You are certainly brave enough. C'mon, let's get you all something to drink, and I'll give you a ride back to base." He offered stepping out, and the handsome boy smiled at all of them. As he walked to the back of his truck and pulled out a hose, Gerty realized the truck had a full water tank on it's back, and freshwater started flowing.
They all gathered around to drink their fill, "So I'm Freddy, what are all of your names?"
"I'm Gerty, Gerty Bruden." "Hanz Franz! Nice to meet you!" "Vitali."
And more and more names flew out until he laughingly told us he wouldn't remember all of them. "Well come on then, go ahead and hop on. And whoever looks sick come join me in the cab, I'll turn around and drive you to the base. Save you the walk."
Freddy drove them down the long road until the base slowly came into view. The long concrete wall that surrounded the base had a red stripe along the top, she felt her heart speed up. This was it!
The truck pulled to a stop at a checkpoint and from the large building next to the entrance, a few kids came out. All were carrying weapons, and looked around smartly, despite breaking into a conversation, "Back early Freddy, found some strays I see!"
"It seems that way! Mind taking them in from here?"
"Sure sure, you go do your job I'll do mine. Alright, newbies! Come over here, and let's get you all in some cool air, and go over everything. We will be contacting the orphanage you were at just to prove you are an orphan, if you aren't an orphan, that's okay as long as you are over 18. If you aren't 18 yet, sorry but we can't have you join just yet!"
The words flowed over all of them, as they were led inside the guard house, it actually had stairs leading down right behind the desk and window the guards had been watching from, downstairs it was nice and cool, and they even had a little water fountain to drink from which many took advantage of.
Gerty just felt more and more impressed. They really were all just kids! She kept expecting to see an adult come down and start putting down orders, but it never happened. The guard assigned to go over her induction brought her to a quiet room off the hall. "Here come on and sit down, I'm Markus, I'll be going over setting you up, if you have any questions feel free to ask, we have a few weird traditions so if something confuses you just ask."
"O-Oh that's great. I'm, You will take me I mean? It wasn't just a rumor, that you accept everyone?"
"Hah! That's a common first question, yeah if you are an orphan, and you want to work, we welcome you. The Iron Blooded Company accepts everyone."
"I thought it was the Iron Blooded Orphans?"
"A nickname! Don't worry, Commander calls us that sometimes too that's where it comes from."
Gerty felt her nervousness fall from her shoulders the more questions she got answered, the more everything was working. This might actually work! She might be more than just some girl stuck in an orphanage. After Markus confirmed she actually was an orphan, they finished a few pieces of paperwork, and she was led back outside.
When she saw the base itself she was actually pretty confused. A large hangar, and buildings that looked like they were falling over.
"Yeah, everyone thinks that when they first see Red Base. C'mon, the real thing is surprising." He led her inside the large hangar, and for a moment she was disappointed at not seeing any mechs. But then?
Then Markus led her down a large ramp, big enough for two Battlemechs to walk side by side, and then she hit the real Hangar. The massive amount of activity almost drowned her as she tried to keep up with it all. Kids.. Teenagers like her were everywhere. Jogging around in groups chanting cadence, some were driving trucks in and out, others were carrying parts to and fro. It was an utter hive of activity.
And the mechs! She stared in awe as a Centurion was being worked on, sparks flew from where a teenager was doing something to the armor on the shoulder. Fixing it?
Markus raised his voice to be heard over the din. "C'mon this way!" Leading her through a door the noise cut out drastically, and she couldn't even get the question out before he patted her shoulder. "This is the real Red Base. Everything upstairs? Just smoke and mirrors. It's a tradition to bring the noobies down the mech way first, so it hits you all at once. C'mon, I'll show you your new room, and you can change into the trainee uniform, then we can grab you some chow before we go over your training schedule. Oh and we need to get your Dogtags! That's important, don't let me forget."
"Y-yeah! Sure!"
Gerty didn't think she had ever been more excited in her life. For once. Something good had happened. The first good thing since her parents died.
Growing and Upgrading[]
It took nearly a week it felt like before things regained an equilibrium. Issues stopped cropping up every minute. Our second round of bootcamp was filled with new members. Those that do exceptionally well were rewarded with time on the Sims, with the idea that the best on the Sims might get a chance to be Mechwarriors in the future.
Competition for Sim time was understandably fierce. But that was good. It meant the kids were training seriously, constantly trying to get that sweet sweet experience. And as we had learned, Experience, while not everything, does tend to trump most things.
But now I have some free time. And it was time to go check out my new ride. It had been completed a while back. I had used her to create both the new Sim pods, as well as all the Eisen-Blume during the memorial.
But that was the extent of my time in her. Mostly, as trying to pilot a mech with a broken arm was a difficult experience to begin with, I was incredibly glad I wasn't going outside. The dunes would have been incredibly dangerous if I had to pilot with a cast, imagine slipping and being unable to regain the balance on the mech because my arm wasn't able to move? Still, the new Centurion NFX was a huge departure from my Locust. Mainly because this thing didn't have a Small Nanoforge installed.
No, the large laser was the replaced weapon this time, because the Centurion NFX? It didn't have a Small Nanoforge. It had a Medium Nanoforge. What was the difference between the two? No idea. What the hell a Large Nanoforge needed to be mounted on? No idea. I was actually wondering if there even was a Large Nanoforge for mechs. Thinking instead if it was naval equipment.
Regardless, I had sacrificed the main weapon of a Centurion for the Nanoforge, but considering the huge upgrade from a man-portable Nanoforge, to a small? I was betting the medium was a beast of a constructor.
And I needed to expand the base. A lot. During initial construction I had created enough rooms for every one of us to have a room, and some spares. We were already doubling up on rooms at the moment, and expanding every day.
That was not acceptable to me.
Thankfully, I was a genius. Eh I was alright. And I had known I would need to expand later. So any time I finished another room construction? I made at least one fake blast door that just wouldn't open, no matter what the kids did to try and pry them open. Until I needed to expand again. Then I would go down, late at night, actually make the blast door functional, and then expand outwards.
Then at some point in the morning, when the kids were playing the 'try to open this Blastdoor' game. It would work.
So we kept growing.
Well thanks to the increase in population, I had to be sneaky at night. Create a second larger barracks hallway. This hallway I treated less like officer quarters like the previous one, and instead had each room slightly larger, but with bunk beds, and a larger bathroom. Once I had all the dimensions right, and how it was supposed to look. Well, Green fog ballooned out of the right arm of my Centurion, and I willed matter into reality.
At least that is what it felt like. The construction speed was massively improved. More than a factor of ten from what I could tell. I laughed as the world around me seemed to simply shift and change in a cloud of green light. This was fun.
When it was completed, the newly expanded barracks would easily house the massive influx in population we were receiving. I spent a while in the mech after, just getting used to how it moved, and how different it felt to be so much taller.
The legs were the hardest part to get used to though. They bent the wrong way. Deciding that getting used to a new mech was important I went ahead and added a row of Mech sims into my personal Mechbay. That way I wouldn't have to fight the kids to actually get in some sim time.
Can't have the kids who have never actually piloted a real mech beat me after all.
That would be embarrassing as the Commander.
Seeking a Buyer[]
Now that peace was restored, and I had less things on my mind to worry about, like being stabbed in the back by the person hiring me. I had a big issue ahead of me. Money. While the contract from the Governess was paying out a certain amount of C-bills per month, it wasn't an amazing offering. Despite the big cash injection from after the battle, in the end I needed way more cash if I was going to step things up.
So I put together a box full of Centurion parts, pieces we pulled from the damaged Centurion that we were already replacing with brand new Nanoforged pieces, and went off base to find a merchant interested in picking them up to sell elsewhere.
The problem came when trying to find a merchant willing to put down a few million C-bills for spare parts.
They existed! I was sure of it. But not on Zaniah. At least none that I could find. I didn't exactly want to sell this stuff through anywhere ComStar could find out about it. If I really wanted to sell something immediately, I knew I had access to the LCAF supply lines, I could put whatever I wanted up for sale on that, and it would get bought up by someone that needed it.
But that meant telling ComStar because the phone company knows all.
The longer I could keep ComStar in the dark about what I was doing, the less questions they would have about me. So I was trying to make this sale myself, and unfortunately going nowhere.
Which is why I, a fourteen year old, was standing at the entrance of a bar that is right outside the spaceport. The exact sort of place you go to find a dropship captain.
God I never felt more like Luke Skywalker in my life.
Of course life was never as good as the movies. This was just a bar. It smelled, drunk men and women were all over the place, and there was a visible look of surprise when I walked in. My broken arm probably didn't do much for my appearance, but I was a badass Mercenary Commander, got the scars to prove it, so they will just have to live with it. I walked up to the bar, because what else does someone do when looking for something in a bar?
The bartender took one look at me, and actually dipped his head surprising me. "Commander, how can I help you?"
I smiled my reputation on Zaniah was exploding. My MRB picture had been on the evening news for days after the raid. "Looking for a ship interested in buying salvage, hard to sell 'mech parts on planet."
"Huh. Not many come here looking to buy mech parts, but if you are looking for merchants, try that one." He pointed out a group in a corner, laughing and drinking some beers together as they partied.
"Lovely, thank you." I stepped off the bar stool and headed over. But not before dropping a few C-bills on the counter.
I was noticed pretty quickly by the group, and I could see the look of confusion pass over faces as each person noticed me. "Evening. I'm looking to sell some Mech salvage, I heard someone here is a merchant?"
"Well lass, I'm certainly a purveyor of goods, but I don't usually pick up mech parts on this route. Nor do I usually buy from random children in a bar!" The man was red faced, and red bearded and he laughed thunderously at his own joke. I gave him a minute to finish his amusement
"Well I have 40 tons worth of premium Centurion salvage, the mech not the aero fighter. And it's well packaged, and would keep well on a trip to Solaris."
"Just came from there, lass, like I said, not usually in business for mech parts on this route. How's a wee one like you end up with 'mech salvage eh?"
Oh Curiosity. You are the best of allures. I took a seat, as I settled in I introduced myself. "Commander Victoria Eisen-Blume, of the Iron Blooded Mercenary company. We just sent off a League raid."
"Oh Hell. I did hear that the Mercs were kids, I just didn't expect the kids to be so young!" He burst into laughter, "Captain Frerick McCarthy, of my one true love, my dear Mule Senta Freia. Well I can't say I'm super interested in mech parts, but let's talk about cost yeah?"
"Sure." I smiled a gentle grin. This merchant was going to walk out of here a good few million poorer. But that's business for you.
Growing sneaker[]
Making a deal with Captain McCarthy took a long time. Mostly because he was drunk to start, and getting drunker through the night, but he held out, haggling on the deal before we finally agreed. I made some hefty cash, and transported the massive metal box full of parts to his ship the next day, checked and verified before pay would complete.
The C-Bills were exactly what I needed. Now that I had more liquid funds, It was time to plan and prepare.
I continued to build up both the defenses, and the size of our underground complex, over the next few months, while I started preparing for some of the trips I would need to get everything sorted out. Finding a unit that could handle the first leg of the problem wasn't that difficult, training them so they could hopefully complete it without being seen, or dying was far more.
Delta Unit, Now formally named Delta Ops, thanks to Carl's willingness to poke an active Firestarter mech as an infantryman was the one I selected. They were loyal, and more than that… well, Crazy. I needed crazy.
Teaching a group of kids covert ops skills wasn't exactly an easy job, made harder because I have no idea how to really teach the skills either.
I didn't have those skills. Hell no one did. It wasn't commonly spread around, much less to a group of orphans. Even Sergeant Kurtz looked at me like he thought I was crazy when I told my command staff I was training them in covert operations.
So instead I decided the best way to do it is live training. I gave Carl a sensor pack, sent him out into the desert in different clothes that were nothing like our normal uniform, and told them to infiltrate Red Base.
Of course everyone was alerted that if they saw anyone from Delta Ops to sound an alarm those that did? Earned some extra sim time. The first few times were disasters for Delta Ops. But every time Carl would meet up with me after failing and we would go over what caused the failure, and if there was something that could have saved him? Something that would have helped him get farther? I would get it. Buying, and selling, even picking up a few more stealthy weapons on the company store to make sure they had equipment they needed.
So I would produce equipment, and off Delta Ops would go trying again. As I said months passed before one night as I was sitting in my office, my door opened, and in walked Carl, wearing his infiltration gear with his gun out.
"Bang, Your dead, Commander." Kurtz told her.
All I could do was smile.
Fitting In[]
A different perspective
Vitali was used to things not going his way. Too difficult to live with, had been the words his once adopted parents had used when returning him back to the orphanage. He knew he was difficult. He couldn't help it. He was always angry, lashing out, half the time he didn't even know why he did it.
It was why he decided to leave the orphanage, to join the Mercs. They could at least let him get a shot at some Leaguers. Of course, he hadn't expected how… Easy it all was. He got not quite a private, but a very comfortable room. His own clothes, that were fit just to him, boots, gear, weapons.
He really liked the weapons.
Although he was still himself, even in a new place.
His bloody fist was proof of that.
"Private! I want an explanation." Hauptmann Benjamin 'Benny' Rommel was a tough son of a bitch. Vitali had gotten into a fight with him on his first few days, and got the shit kicked out of him because of it.
Benny was good. Skilled enough to send Vitali on his ass when he caused some trouble. But this time he wasn't fighting Benny. No this was worse.
"Fucker! Benny! This asshole hit me!"
"I can see that, Private! Quiet up. It's my time to figure this out now." He ordered and even Vitali could respect the quiet that spread when he ordered. The old timers respected Benny a lot.
Hell, Vitali did too. He was a Mechwarrior after all.
"Alright, Vitali, walk with me." He ordered and Vitali after only a moment, to defeat his instinct to disobey, started following. "You don't get along with many of the others do you?"
"They're annoying. They all want to play around. I want to kill Leaguers." Vitali ended up admitting honestly.
"Yeah, I figured that was it. You aren't alone in that you know? Although it's a small number, we all have seen some shit, some of us lost family to the League, some of us are here for revenge."
"Yeah So?" Vitali challenged. "Bet the rest didn't just bloody another kid, so what? Going to kick me out?"
Benny slowed, turning just a bit and giving Vitali a smile of all things. "Hell no. We aren't here for kiddy school. We are here to fight a damned war. That hate? We are gonna use it. Use you until you're actually doing something useful instead of just causing trouble."
Vitali didn't have a response for that, which Benny seemed to know because a moment later he was knocking on a door, something Vitali had never seen the older boy do before walking into a room. He turned, "You coming?"
Vitali scoffed but walked in.
That was how Vitali met Rough Squad. That was how after getting into a fight with Lenden Motherfucking Scorch, he was invited to Rough Squad. So his life, when he gave it, would mean something.
Vitali found his home.
New Job[]
"I've brought all of you here today to discuss the single most important job we may ever do." I told the gathered crowd.
Benny, Gauge, Hanna and Carl were sitting to my right. Alfred, Lenden, Elias, and Markus on my left. The complete command staff of the company, as it stood. I had been slowly researching this in secret for months, coming up with plan after plan.
Now it was time to bring it to light. To see if anyone saw something I didn't. "I brought you all into this, because I need manpower and perspective." I pushed a button and the holo table. A piece of equipment I had spent an inordinate amount of time and C-bills acquiring. This one was brand new, and the display had none of the glitching, or fuzziness of the model I had originally bought. In fact this may be the holotable in the best shape in the entire Inner Sphere. I guess I was just 'lucky' that the one I picked up wasn't as broken as I had been told.
I waited for a moment for everyone to take in the planet spinning. It wasn't an up to date map, in fact it was probably not even wholly accurate, but it was a good enough representation.
"This is the planet Helm."