- The Lucky Regiment -[]
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- Chapter 24 -
Helm Campaign - Part 3[]
Helm Cache
Helm, Free Worlds League
22nd April, 3027
12:00 hrs
Grayson Carlyle smiled as he pointed out the recently reactivated Phoenix Hawk to Harris Graff, a man whose days in the regiment were numbered. The 'mech was an SLDF model, and with its double heat sinks and better weapons it was likely double the effectiveness of a current design. One of the other mechwarriors, Janice, had been thrilled to be told her rather battered family one could be traded in for one from the cache to be reactivated by the Marauders.
"It'll be quite an upgrade on your old Assassin, more firepower, better armor and a comfortable cockpit."
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Assassin Medium 'Mech
"I know but my old Assassin has been in the family for generations, I'd rather stick with her if that's alright."
"The Assassins have good targeting gear."
"That they do, Colonel, mine has served me well."
"Solid armor for its weight."
"That too, Sir."
"And a good radio." And there lay the problem, certain standard Marik frequencies had been covertly used by someone in it.
The eyes flickered, Harris had twigged something wasn't right. And it really wasn't, Edmund had jammers in place and a radio interception system. He had been determined to keep the nature of the location secret, and had the tools to do so, so when someone had tried to broadcast to Colonel Langsdorf it hadn't been a secret transmission, or a particularly complete one.
"It's strange, Harris, two sentries died when you were on watch on that last night on Sirius V, I thought the locals did it." Harris tried to reach for his pistol, but Lori was standing behind him and was too fast. He crumbled like a sack of potatoes as a small electric stunner was briefly applied to his exposed neck. Grayson crouched down next to him, "Those men trusted you, we all did."
Two of Grayson's men walked over, both had told to expect something along these lines. "Take him to the improvised cell, I think he's got a few things to tell us, and if doesn't talk to us, the Marauders seem to have a few people who know a bit too much about interrogation." He was thinking of Edmund's suspected 'former' MIIO employees. Lori nodded, she would ensure he arrived in the cell without too many bumps on the way. It made him wonder though, who else was a spy?
The next morning
Grayson was standing not far from the cache looking up at the blue sky, aware they were being watched from on high. He had just begun to brief Edmund on the various pieces of information that Graff had revealed after being threatened with being sold to Loki. "Truly embarrassing, Edmund, I had no idea I had spies in my company." Edmund shrugged.
"It's pretty common to make a bit on the side selling info, It's rare to betray the company though."
"How do you handle it?"
"I send a monthly invoice to the Federated Suns."
"I was thinking more of preventing espionage?"
"I had new hires vetted, espionage is still a danger though. I figure if we survive this the financial temptation will be gone, but then I'll have the problem of people retiring. You can't win."
"That doesn't fill me with confidence."
"It shouldn't, I spent my last campaign dealing with a client whose inner circle was infiltrated, you end up having to operate knowing your official plan may be compromised." He'd heard a few bits and pieces about that campaign, including where Victoria had been, it was oddly comforting that other companies ended up in just as weird situations.
"So you keep things to yourself?" Lori would say he was already a master of solitary brooding.
"That and I try to ensure nobody knows exactly what forces I have on hand or where they all are." It sounded like a recipe for chaos, but there was something to be said for always being able to pull off a surprise. "Anyway what did your man say?"
"First he said he worked for the Duke, but I told him that wasn't exactly news, and hinted about his likely fate. Then I focused his mind by telling him Loki had ways of making him talk, he panicked and explained to me that in fact Comstar carried out the attack on Tiantan with his help. I truly didn't expect to hear Comstar mentioned."
"Why would they do such a thing?" Edmund looked skeptical.
"It would make my landhold invalid, and thus give the Duke control over this place. Why the Duke wants control appears very clear. I think there must also be something in there that Comstar needs." He looked down the cliffs to the entrance, it was quiet for now with just a few sentries patrolling the entrance. "I think Comstar must have records going back to Minoru Kurita's raid, and perhaps earlier, so they probably worked out roughly where it was, and then something must have triggered their actions more recently."
Edmund stood quietly and then spoke softly. "To what end for Comstar, could this really be worth twelve million dead?" It was a hell of a risk for their reputation.
"You were willing to sacrifice your entire company and mine for those memory cores."
"They will change life across the Inner Sphere for the better." Edmund seemed engrossed in thought, as he digested the change. "The weapons here will shift the balance of power, but trying to secure them for the First Prince is in line with my profession. Anyway Comstar should welcome the spread of knowledge, they always preach about their duty to humanity."
"Perhaps we see Comstar wrong, with the spread of knowledge eventually comes the ability to replace them. And they are not just a telecoms provider, they act as a go between and almost sole provider of news for many worlds. They are almost a great power." Just missing an army, well hopefully missing an army he thought.
"Or your man is full of sh*t, and trying to divert our attention from something else." Edmund was probably trying to work out how the Capellans were involved, he was truly consistent in that regard.
"Don't you think it's odd that Comstar are not transmitting any messages for us or anyone I tried to hire to go in?."
"I'm not sure they are passing any messages to any of the local traders either, the old man who passes for the Davion consulate has received no mail since the Marik landings." Grayson knew that Edmund had told the man he was to pass on a copy of any messages from official or unofficial channels. The poor chap had been rather nervous to discover the modest salary he received had responsibilities. "It makes some sense, but it seems a bit extreme."
"I'm worried about what their next step is."
"The Duke will need more troops and transport, and he'll want three to one odds given the setback his initial force faced." Edmund looked up at the sky. "I think we both agreed a couple of full strength regiments would appear able to do that, but it will take time assemble them and get them here." And of course the Duke had lower grade Mechs and limited time before either the Captain General or House Steiner appeared on the scene.
"What could Comstar add?" Grayson frowned as spoke, various scenarios playing out in his mind.
"Communications support, free priority messages and intelligence help. That would make a big difference in the deployment speed." Edmund had a definite focus on those fields, it was in many ways what made him a bit different to the average mercenary. He figured that was a side effect of operating in the periphery where comms was probably horrendous in all respects, indeed even the most basic Comstar station was supposed to be a rarity in those parts.
"What if they have a bit more than that to commit, for example Battlemechs?"
"Comstar has never fought a war, and all one ever hears about is the odd mercenary contract and sees the security guards outside the station entrance." Edmund spoke without much certainty.
"Think about it, Terra saw heavy fighting and huge troop deployments, the Exodus probably couldn't carry everything and some of the military industrial base could have survived. Heck this place feels like it is full of the stuff they couldn't fit on board." Grayson thought about the odd selection of both brand new Battlemechs and vehicles from the factory, and those that had seen action. There had probably been cast offs left all over the Hegemony worlds as the ships were loaded up. "We could be up against comparable mechs."
"So they'll be early and in greater strength, not really what I had mind." Grayson studied Edmund's face, there wasn't the obvious fear that there should be. That probably meant something against the normal rules and customs of war was already planned.