[Fan Fiction] Outrageous Fortune

[Stuckenschmidt]

Brom`s Home (Bromhead)


"This is the life", he said to himself while he sat in front of his favorite Bistro and stretched himself. It was still considerably early in the morning and he had slept well, but nevertheless he was a bit tired. Nothing a good breakfast and a cup of coffee could not fix. Usually he would not have had the time to sit here on a working day, but this was not a usual day.

"That`s it for you, right?", a female voice said.

He turned around and saw Shareen. One of the waitresses and a good acquaintance for two, no, almost three years now. He liked her from day one. She was smart, witty and at the totally wrong place. A bit older than him, she had started working here while she was a student at the University. Then she made a degree, could not find a job and is now hanging around here to bring other people their food. He always wondered for how long she would continue with it and, in all honesty, hoped that she would be able to find something better someday. Unfortunately he would not be here to witness it anymore. And she knew it.

"Aye. My shuttle leaves in four hours."

She looked at him and he saw a slightly worried expression in her eyes.

"Do you promise me something?"
"Sure."
"Take care of yourself, okay?"
"Hey, I am just going somewhere and repair things."
"Yes. Of course.", she said with a tone that implied that she pretended to believe him. She leaned forward, gave him a short hug and said: "That are four bucks fifty. As always."

He paid the bill and stood up. It had been like this for maybe two weeks now. As soon as he said that he was about to leave, people became awkward. Sure, he understood that his friends would miss him. And even more so his family. Mom and Dad had already been worried when he had left the countryside and moved to the city. But leaving the planet? They tried to be strong, but the knowledge that their younger son would be gone soon was a bit too much.

Yet it was necessary. He simply had to go. His family was great, but being a farmer for the rest of his life? Never. Moving to the city had been a large step forward. Life was more rich and free here than in a large village. Besides that it had turned out that he was a talented mechanic and the job at the space port was exactly to his liking. But working on the shuttles and sometimes on a ship in orbit had more and more confirmed his nagging feeling, that he was wasting his life here and that there was a whole universe of opportunities waiting for him.

He began to browse job offers. Soon it turned out that things were not always like they seemed or how they were supposed to be. On paper this was a large happy democracy. But in reality a farm boy from the farthest reaches of the realm had to learn, that he was laughed out of the room when competing with people from elite universities for jobs on Navy Dropships. It became clear that his future was waiting for him outside the Federated Suns.

Along pops the Periphery. And the "Outrageous Fortune", a Leopard-Class Dropship. Its Commander had not been too specific, but he understood that it belonged to some kind of Freelancer Mech Unit in the making. He had avoided the term Mercenary, for despite the fact that all major Houses employed them, it had still a negative ring to it.

Anyway. They needed another crewman for the ship. The payment was not opulent, but okayish. Plus it was his chance to go out there, be part of a team and see something of the galaxy. He went down the street and smiled. In a few days he would be aboard his new home and after a few weeks of learning the ropes his new life would begin.

 

[Stuckenschmidt]

Unfortunately this is the first and, until release, last entry, so it is in a hiatus for the next almost two months. The reason is, that I have nothing to work with until I have the game in my hands. I don`t know anything about the MechPilots and the Commander (backstory, appearance), their Mechs, the Dropship or even date and location of the campaign start.

This being said, the young man introduced here (his name is Arthur Broad, or just "Art" for friends) is going to be the main narrator of the story, although some entries will be from the PoV of other characters. Since the events (and maybe even the main characters) of the game are going to be canon, a non-canon character as narrator who witnesses the story without being one of those who actually drive the story forth is a good way to avoid Mary Sue problems.

So, see you all again in late April.

 

[Prussian Havoc]

I like how you are going about this. +1

I’ll be looking forward to the curtain-going-UP at some point after Launch. :bow:

 

[Stuckenschmidt]

Aarnau (Colmar / Lyran Commonwealth)

The House at the edge of the town was considerably large, although not more than the others around. Two floors, a large garden. A nice place to live and grow up in, with nature, pastures and some small woods right around the corner. The interior decoration revealed, that the inhabitants must live here for quite some time already, since the furniture was a bit old-fashioned already and there were lots of family pictures around.

She went to a cupboard and took a picture frame into her hand. With the other one she slowly glided over the picture of a man in uniform. Her husband approached from behind and put his arm around her shoulder.

"Don`t worry. He is a smart guy and I am sure he is fine, whereever he may be now."

She leaned her head against his chest. "I hope so. I just wish, that he would have the chance to send us a message. I wish, all of this would have never happened."

"I know. But he is as he is. He chose the rocky path and either he succeeds or...I hope he is also smart enough to back down."

A tear ran down her cheek. He gave her a hug and a kiss. "I am sure he is in no trouble and that we will see him again in good health. Just like our other kids."



Flaum Orbit (Taurian Concordat)

He looked through the window into the infinite black emptiness that was space. Out there, far away in the north, was his home. A melancholic smile flashed over his face. Old love never dies, as the people say. But, and that was equally true, more often than never love did hurt.

He put his hand into a pocket and got an oval metal badge out of it, the lights reflecting on its silver surface. On it was a Fist, surrounded by the words "Indomitable Will". He let his fingers glide over it. How often had he uttered these words. That was what he believed in. What had defined his actions. What he was made for. What brought him into this part of the Universe, as far away as possible from everything he had loved so much.

Indomitable Will. The Koch family was not important. Just another Lyran family with german ancestry. But his parents had been eager to convey to him and his siblings, that living in the Commonwealth was a lucky privilege, since one lived considerably prosperous lives and enjoyed many liberties. Hence it was important, that the citizens were willing to give something back. The Kochs had a long tradition of working in the public service.

He had listened closely. And although he had not been as good a student as his parents would have liked, he nevertheless had internalized the civic duties and ideals they had tried to teach him. When he turned 18, he had decided to make the step outside the comfort of the family and join the Armed Forces. At first his parents were surprised. But then they were also proud, although with a wistful undertone, since they knew that he would have to leave the planet.

The Koch family was not important. Even less so part of the nobility, which filled the ranks of the Mech Regiments. Hence, as common citizen, he became part of the Mechanized Infantry. It is an often repeated bonmot, that Mechs dominate the battlefield. That is true, if Mechs are present. But more often than never they are not. And even if so, the Tank and Infantry units are nevertheless necessary to achieve victory. And so he became part of the eternal war of the five Houses.

Nobody was able to recall a time without war. But the Archon decided, that it had been enough and tried to make peace. The response was a telling silence. Until, suddenly, the Davions approached the Archon and talks about a possible Alliance began. In the meantime nothing changed. His unit belonged to the large force, that was dropped on Alexandria to regain that planet from the Combine. The fighting was intense, but eventually they succeeded.

The Alliance talks continued and eventually the FedCom Accords were signed. The Commonwealth and the Federation were Allies. But there was no immediate benefit from it and the war raged on. In the same year he served on Tamar, which was under attack from the Combine. But not only Commonwealth forces tried to beat back the invaders. As usual also Mercenary forces were present. He had fought alongside Snord`s Irregulars on Alexandria already, and so it was on Tamar. Where the Irregulars had almost switched sides, if the Archon had not increased their pay. He respected their combat skills, but this lack of loyalty toward their contractees had cast a shadow over his perception of Mercenaries per se, although he knew that there were better men out there.

He took another look at the upper edge of the badge. Martin Koch. SCPL. Senior Corporal. During his years in service he did not only survive, his superiors deemed his abilities to be good enough to lead a squad. There was also the prospect to become Sergeant and Platoon Commander someday. But 3024, the year which would probably have seen his promotion, was not a good year.

The Commonwealth and the Federation were Allies. But really just that? From the beginning there had been rumors, which intensified as time went by. Melissa Arthur Steiner. The young daughter of the Archon was popular among the troops, just like her Mother. Being the only child, she was the designated Heiress of the Commonwealth. And, according to rumors, suddenly also betrothed to 41 year old Hanse Davion.

Not everyone was pleased. Maybe it had been different, if the Archon had more children and someone else would have been the Heir. But so it seemed to be, that the price for the Alliance was that the Commonwealth would become the Junior Partner of the Federation. At best. Its colony at worst. Many deemed this price as too high. The debates among the units became more intense and eventually the Military Leadership did react.

Those who questioned the benefits of the Alliance were suddenly Abweichler. Dissenters. A strong word, which already implied questionable loyalty of the people that got labeled in that way. Many of those, who had served for years and deemed themselves citizens, were shocked and dumbfounded to suddenly be about to get ostracized. The debates came to an end. Many of the dissenters did bury their feelings inside them and never talked about it again in public. Some did not. And had to leave.

Senior Corporal Koch. Honorably discharged in 3024. The only souvenir of his life in the Infantry was his old dog tag. He put it back in the pocket. There he was. A soldier without a unit. Why not create his own? He had served along many Mercenaries. Why not become one of them and prove, that serving just for money did not mean to not be loyal or worth less than regular soldiers?

Then he heard a humming sound behind him. He pressed a button.

"Yes?"

"Sir, we are about to descend into the atmosphere and approach the landing zone."

"Pilots and Technicians to the Mechbay in order to board the Mechs. I`ll follow in a minute."

"Aye."

So this was his new life. A ship. A few Mechs. A small group of people he had to lead. So far they were just some random strangers, but soon they would act and fight as a Team. He had not much time left to achieve this, for in a month this Team would have to be ready to offer its services to others.

 

[Stuckenschmidt]

Bellerophon (Orbit)


Arthur was quietly working on the Heads-Up-Display when he started whistling and noticed, how the sound echoed in the hall. He looked up, smiled and whistled again to enjoy the effect. He was here for a few weeks now, but this place did not cease to amaze him.

The "Outrageous Fortune" was not really an impressive vessel. Designed to hold a small crew and a few Mechs, one felt a bit cramped at times. But the Mechbay was the exact opposite. Especially from his position.

He leaned back in the cockpit seat of the Battlemech and looked around. He could see the other Mechs in the hall and now that it was considerably dark and quiet, they made a rather peaceful impression. But he had seen videos of them in action during mock battles in the Taurian Concordat and there they had shown their true nature. Fast, intimidating, deadly.

He looked down at the floor of the Bay. Although this was one of the smaller Mechs in the Universe, even from here everything on the ground appeared to be small. He wondered how it must feel to be in this Cockpit during combat. But, on the other hand, maybe he did not really want to know, since he was glad about the job he had.

After leaving Bromhead he had been travelling to Taurus, the capital of the Concordat. When he arrived there, it was a culture shock, because he suddenly realized how much of a backwater planet Bromhead was. This planet was populous, prospering and rich in cultural life. And by being so, it was in no way how people in the Federation imagined life to be outside the Inner Sphere. In return, some people reacted not really welcoming when they learned, that he was a `Davion`.

Nevertheless it was a pleasant, although too short stay, for he had to meet his employer there. Upon arrival he was assigned duty as ship engineer. But after two weeks of observing his work, the Commander decided to give him a job as Mech Technician instead. And here he was. Adjusting the Engine Heat Display of a Mech. And he liked this one. A Spider 5V.

It was a pretty light and swift one. It did not have a lot of armor and the two Medium Lasers did not necessarily make it a frightening foe. But he had seen its incredible speed and how the pilots had used the Jumpjets. Speaking of Jumpjets. This thing weighed just 30 tons. He still wondered how such a massive vehicle was able to make a jump and land again without breaking apart.

Then he heard a voice in his ear via the Intercom.

"Art?"
"Yes?"
"Crew meeting in the canteen in 30 minutes."
"Aye. On my way."

He packed away his tools, closed and locked the cockpit and eventually let the hydraulic lift put him back on the floor. Crew meeting. He expected no surprises, for it was obvious what it was about. During the first weeks they had stayed in the outskirts of the Concordat, where they practiced battles with other Mech Teams in order to improve skills and Teamwork. Then they headed westward (although the proper term would have been anti-spinward, but nobody except the ship pilots actually said something like that) deep into the Rimward Frontier. For one week they were in orbit over Detroit now and serviced the ship and Mechs. Everything was as ready for duty as possible. Without any doubt, the real work of this ship was about to begin.

Leaving the Mechbay he wondered what his profession was. Technician? Freelancer? Mercenary? He liked Adventurer.

 

[Stuckenschmidt]

Bellerophon (Orbit)


The canteen was one of the larger rooms on the ship since it was open 24 hours a day and also served as restroom for the crew when the kitchen was closed. When Art entered, he noticed that the rest of the crew was already there.

The Leopard Class has a small crew. The Engineers around Chief Hansen were sitting on a bench and Art was able to see that they were sitting around some kind of circuit diagram, using the waiting time to discuss some professional matters. On the other side of the room the pilots around their Main Pilot Meyer sat lazily on a sofa and had some soft drinks. In a corner the Doctor. He had not seen him a lot during the recent weeks and he would not be surprised if the same was true for most others aboard the ship. He was the reclusive type of guy. Not unsympathetic, but more a thinker than a people`s person. And then there was Emily. It was anyone`s guess where the Commander had found her, but she was in charge of the kitchen. Which meant, that the kitchen and the canteen was her personal realm and nobody doubted that. Roughly 30 years old she was already older than some others here and hence a bit of a big sister for the younger ones. She was caring, but also strict and she allowed no bad manners in her Kingdom. Right now she served some small pastries and although Art was not really hungry, he could not resist her muffins.

Besides the ship crew, there were those who had to deal with the Mercenary business more closely. First of all the Mechpilots. Five of them stood in the center of the room and talked to each other. A bit apart from the others he saw Darius Oliveira, the second in command, with a gloomy look. Well, he always looked gloomy, so it was not much of a surprise.

Eventually the other four Mech Technicians. Chief Virtanen sat on a chair near the door with his eyes closed. He was rightfully tired, since he was the link between the Commander, the Mechpilots and his Tech Team. The recent weeks had been demanding since he did not only have to respond to the requests of the pilots, but also oversee and partially instruct the other Technicians. Although he was not around for a long time yet, Art had already learned a lot from him and he respected him a lot for that.

So, with a total of twenty people it was a small world. A curious thing especially about the ship crew was, that most of them came from the Commonwealth and he wondered whether that was a coincidence or not. Anyway, one man was still missing, but then the door opened and he entered the room.

"Attention!", Oliveira shouted.
"At ease.", the Commander said.

There he was. Standing at one end of the room, looking around in each face. Martin Koch.

Maybe he was a bit too easily impressed, but Art thought that the Boss was fascinating. Nobody really knew a lot about him, besides that he was a Lyran Soldier in his former life. He did not knew, in which position Koch had served, but it was obvious that he was used to issue orders. Everything about him, his face and his eyes told him, that he had seen a lot combat action. But although there was no doubt, that he was in charge, he nevertheless had the habit to listen to people before making a decision. After a short pause, he spoke to his crew.

"Comrades. It is a pleasure to address you like this, for as of today our enterprise will offer its service to any willing and suitable contractual partner. We have all come together from distant and different parts of the known Universe and now serve under the same banner to bring forth our small community. I don`t want to hold a long speech about king and country, for I am sure that everyone will do his best out of sheer sense of duty and self discipline. Hence I just want to welcome everyone aboard and wish all of us the best of luck."

The people applauded shortly, accompanied by a "Hear hear" or "Well said" or "Aye" here and there.

"And, in order to mark the occasion, today we shall grant ourselfes a small privilege. Emily?"

She opened the door to the kitchen and one could see a few crates of beer, which were swiftly carried into the room. Art grabbed a bottle and opened it.

"A toast!", Koch said and raised his beer. "To Koch`s Grenadiers and success."
"KOCH`S GRENADIERS AND SUCCESS", the crew replied.

 

[Stuckenschmidt]

Bellerophon (Surface)


Koch directed the Shadowhawk to the left of the Lance and got an overview of the situation. So far it had been working out fine. A few pirates were hiding in the outback of the planet and needed to be taken out. So far the resistance was rather weak. But, on the other hand, his own Unit was not even a Standard Lance and his Pilots not Veterans. Nevertheless they had managed to take out a Locust and a Striker.

"Silence to Lance. I engage the second Striker. The rest advances on the Firestarter. But keep your distance, I don`t want anyone to get fried."
"Aye.", the others replied.

A minute later, the light Tank exploded in the distance, while the Firestarter received a lot of damage, when he was attacked from different angles. Koch himself joined the fray after finishing the Tank off. Confronted with four enemies, the light Mech stood no chance. After a short fight, he was going down.

"Sir?"
"Yes?"
"New contact closing in."

That would have to be their primary target. A rather low-level pirate leader. But their customers wanted to see him gone. When the BattleMechs got closer, they realized, that a Kintaro was approaching them.

"Silence here. I will open fire first. And don`t forget. Moving and shooting is the name of the game."

*****​

An hour later in the MechBay. The Crew had gathered and listened to the report of Behemoth (the pilots desperately wanted to be addressed with their callsigns for whatever reasons).

"The Boss gives him a full salvo and he takes some damage. Then a lucky shot from me, and his right arm is gone. At this point the show was over, but he wanted to go down fighting. The Boss gets a lot of missile hits, but when we received another broadside from us, his fusion reactor exploded and the battle was over."

The Crew cheered and gave the pilots some pats on the back or shoulders. On the other side of the Bay were Koch, Oliveira and Virtanen standing together.

"Nothing serious.", Virtanen said. "Just a few armor plates. Give us maybe a week and we are good to go again."
"And our contractees?", Koch asked.
"The Free Worlds League says thank you. They even gave us a bonus. Two hundred thousand bucks in total. Well, and a bit loot.", Oliveira answered.

Koch nodded. The "loot" was indeed meager. A machine gun and some SRM ammo. But the important thing was the money. Another mission and they would end the month with a slight profit. Not impressive, but they would stay afloat. Hopefully it would stay that way.

 

[Stuckenschmidt]

"Outrageous Fortune" (Canteen)


"This is for you, Arthur.", Emily said with a smile, when she handed him a plate Penne Carne. He held the plate under his nose for a while and inhaled the scent. This was a good day. He looked around and suddenly he saw Glitch sitting alone. For a moment he stood there indecisive, but eventually decided to go to her. The MechPilots usually stayed among themselves, but today seemed to be an exception.

"May I?", he asked. She looked up and saw the young man with a rather insecure smile in front of her.
"Please do. You are Art, right?"
"Yep. I am usually working with the Spider."
"Dekker told me about you. He is pretty pleased with your work. Just in case he did not tell you about it."
"Is he doing fine?"
"The Doc says, he needs another week to get rid of the headache. But nothing serious."
"I take it the last mission was dangerous."
"To be frank, not really. A few Tanks, a Locust. Nothing to write home about. But in these metal coffins. I mean, they weigh 30 or 50 tons. It is not comfortable to move in them at 40 kilometers. But in a light Mech at 90 kilometers you get rattled anyway. Add to that a swarm of missiles and an unlucky hit, and you are at the sickbay. But that`s part of the job."
"How did you get into this job?"

Suddenly she became quiet and looked at him with a piercing glance. Art did not know a lot about her. She might be in her early 30s, although the short hair and the dark eyes made her look younger. And now these black eyes were looking at him as if they were searching for something.

"I guess this is one of these conversations.", she said.
"Sorry, I did not mean to be curious."
"Yes, you did. But it is okay. I have heard, that you are from the Federation. Me too."
"Seriously?", Art said surprised. "Where?"
"Argyle."
"That`s right in the center. I have heard good things about it."
"It is a nice place. Especially when your parents have good jobs. Unless, of course, an error of justice, let`s call it a glitch, happens and you are sent to jail for ten years despite being innocent."

Now Arthur stared with large eyes at her. He surely had not expected such a story twist.

"True story.", she said. "An unsolved crime. A flawed DNA scan. And your life goes down the drain. It took the system and my family`s lawyers ten years to correct this mistake. But that part of your life is gone forever and you learn things you never intended to know."

Arthur sat there with a lump in his throat. She had spoken calmly while she had looked at him, although her voice had been more than just mildly serious, and maybe a bit regretting, at the end. He wanted to say something, but had no clever idea.

"But then you were free again.", he eventually said.
"Yes. And it was beautiful. I started a small business, was successful, got abducted by pirates during a voyage, married their Boss, left them when he died and now I am here."
"Really?"
"No.", she answered with a grin.

Suddenly they both laughed, although Art felt incredibly silly.

"But enough about me. Koch said, that we are going to Detroit. That`s a long trip. Long enough to tell me something about you."

Art was relieved, that they were changing the subject. Obviously there were things he did not need to know and she was charming and experienced enough to give him a hint. And so he started telling stories about life in the outback of the Federation, the farm he grew up on, his parents and siblings.

 

[Stuckenschmidt]

Somewhere in the Magistracy


A single cherry blossom fell slowly to the ground. Followed by some more, when a gentle breeze blew through the tree. She kneeled down and picked one of them up. When looking at it, as it lay in the palm of her hand, she reminded herself, that these blossoms had many meanings, and all of them seemed to point toward her own existence. The beginning of a new season. The passing of time. The transience of being.

"It is time."
"Yes, My Lady."
"Don`t call me that. I am still Kamea."
"Maybe for yourself. Maybe even for me. But for everyone else you have to be High Lady. And act accordingly."
"So far I am just the Queen of this garden. But this has to change. Are we ready?"
"As ready as we can be. We have troops and support within the Coalition. But there is still something we need."
"Hm?"
"Someone, who does not belong to us. Someone who will do those things, we can not risk to sacrifice the lifes of your loyal soldiers for."
"Mercenaries?"

She turned around and looked at the sky, where the sun was about to set. Three years. Three long years of hiding, surviving, gathering support, funds, soldiers. This was supposed to be the liberation of the Reach by its citizens. Of course that was the rosy-tinted version of what needed to happen. The harsh reality was naturally different. Otherwise she would sit on her throne in Cordia City right now.

"Probably you are right, but I don`t really like that. They are fighting for the highest bidder."
"Beggars can`t be picky, My Lady."
"I know.", she said and made a pause. "So, are there some candidates?"
"My Lady, a reliable source told me about a new Mercenary Company in the region, that would surely meet our requirements."

He gave her a Datapad and she began to read a report.

"Koch`s Grenadiers. My german is a bit rusty, but doesn`t Koch mean Cook?"

She looked toward him and saw him smile.

"Don`t say it, beggars and all that. Fine, I`ll trust you with this. Contact them and let them prove their worth. But not directly. I think I know the right person who might do me a favor."

 

[Stuckenschmidt]

Detroit Orbit (MechBay)


All Technicians had gathered to look at, what the Company had gotten as reward lately.

"Sir, what on earth is this?", someone asked.
"This, my friends, is a part of a Commando 2D chassis.", Virtanen replied.
"And what are we going to do with it?", Arthur wanted to know.
"Waiting for the lucky day, that we find another part, of course."

Some people giggled, for it seemed to be a rather weird thought, to go on a scavenger hunt for Mech parts. On the other hand, maybe there was really a chance to get enough parts together to eventually build a proper Mech. But at the moment it was just a horrid pile of steel.

"Morning, Gents.", a voice behind them said and it turned out to be the Commander.
"Good morning, Sir.", the group answered.
"So, Yang, what is the status of our Lance?"
"Fine, Sir. The few bits of armor you lost yesterday is already replaced. I take it, that it was a smooth hike out there."
"Basically yes. We encountered a Commando, a Panther and a Blackjack. The latter was their Boss. He had already lost both arms. And after losing one leg he shouted I AM INVINCIBLE while he was going down."

The group laughed, while Koch recalled some more details of the last mission.

"Another thing.", he said and came back to business. "What about the Vindicator?"

"As requested...", Yang explained. "...we removed the Small Laser and improved the armor of all Torso sections with the unused half ton."
"Great work. So, carry on, I don`t want to disturb any further."

On the way out he met Oliveira.

"Sir? Do you have a minute to discuss a new contract? And I`d like to have Yang there too. Meyer is already informed."
"O-kay?", Koch said with a sceptical tone. "Then in my quarter in 15 minutes."

*****​

Captain`s Quarter


"Not rated by the Mercenary Review Board? Sounds sketchy to me.", Meyer said.
"Yes, maybe. But I think it is a reliable source.", Oliveira countered.
"How so?", she asked.
"The proposal came via a HPG Priority Message. Whoever is behind that, he or she does not have to worry about money."
"Well, who exactly is behind it?", Koch said.
"Good question. All I know so far is, that it is someone from the Canopian Nobility."
"That`s indeed a bit meager, but, to be frank, not a problem in my book. Let`s reply that we are coming to the rendezvous point in Bellerophon and listen to what they have to say. Samire, plot a course."
"Aye, Sir."

 

[Stuckenschmidt]

Bellerophon Orbit (Command Center)


Koch, Virtanen, Meyer and Oliveira had gathered in the Center and stood around the Holographic Projector. At 2 PM, the announced signal came in and the picture of a woman appeared.

"Commander Koch?"
"That`s me.", he replied.

`Nobility, alright.`, he thought. It was not about her dress or hairdo or without any doubt expensive pearl ear rings. It was the combination of facial expression and the undertone in her voice, that he had seen and heard before and immediately expressed the sharp distinction between her and people like him. It must be something these people are born with and he still had to see someone successfully imitate this better-than-thou attitude. Sure, there were proper Nobles too, but, as the saying goes, although one can take the tiger out of the jungle, one can`t take the jungle out of the tiger.

"My name is Ana Maria Centrella."
"My pleasure, Lady Centrella."

Koch looked slightly to the left, where Meyer quickly wrote something on a piece of paper and showed it to him. It said: ROYAL FAMILY!!

"Commander, your achievements as soldier and mercenary precede you. Hence I would like you to perform a task for us. We would like to avoid public attention, especially in respect of ComStar, so we did not advertise this mission via the Mercenary Review Board. We have good faith in your discretion concerning the nature of the assignment."
"What exactly is the nature of the mission?"
"It is of utmost importance, that you secure this site."

The picture of Lady Centrella disappeared and was replaced by footage of a huge metal object.

"This is the Argo.", Lady Centrella explained. "It is one of only two known prototypes of this ship class dating back to the late Star League Era. Unfortunately it is located on a moon, near a fortified pirate base. We want you to secure the site and defend it from any attack, until we are able to reignite the engine and recover the vessel from the surface of the moon. What do you say, Commander?"

There was a short pause. Koch felt the need to think things over. On the other hand she wanted an answer. And Nobles always want an immediate answer.

"Lady Centrella. The Grenadiers are at your service."
"I did expect no less, Commander. We will send you the details immediately."

****​

A few minutes later, the conversation had ended and Koch and his Officers were discussing the result.

"Damn, that was surely something else.", Virtanen said.
"Indeed.", Meyer agreed. "House Centrella. If she is really who she pretends to be, then this is our chance to get a premium client and have a nice career."
"Not to mention the pay.", Oliveira added. "They offer 1.1 million C-Bills. A million! And tons of loot of whatever we will find."
"Sure.", Virtanen agreed, although with a thoughtful tone. "But we should not get carried away by fame and fortune. That vessel, or better wreck, is ancient and I don`t see how they want to get tens of thousands of tons of scrap metal flying again. I sincerely hope they have an exit strategy. Commander?"
"I agree with all of you.", Koch remarked. "It is an amazing opportunity, but also a serious risk. As I see, we have to move to the Alloway System. It is a quite long voyage. Let`s make sure, that we get the best available Intel before we get there. And no word to the crew for now."

 

[Stuckenschmidt]

Axylus Orbit (MechBay)


The Bay was echoing with lively conversations. Arthur was talking to Sarah Tanaka, the Technician who usually maintained the Blackjack. After leaving Bellerophon, the "Fortune" had been returning to Detroit, where the Company occupied a Pirate Depot. It was defended by a Griffin with a good pilot. The result had been, that the Commander was walking around with an arm sling for a few days.

Besides that they had a short shore leave on Detroit and everyone was way more relaxed after it. The planet, although not really technologically advanced, had large temperate and beautiful landmasses, perfect for recreation. He and Sarah had spent some time near the coast and enjoyed a bath in the ocean. Anyway, one day on a planet with sunshine and a fresh breeze had compensated them for the recent weeks aboard the ship.

Then they went to Alloway. But instead of heading for the planet, they were now orbiting a small moon. That could only mean one thing.

"Ladies and Gentlemen.", the Commander eventually said and pointed toward a Holographic Projection of something that kinda looked like a spaceship.

"This is our next mission. We are going to the surface, secure the crash site of that vessel and defend it against any and all enemies. This is our first mission on a moon. This means low gravity and no atmosphere. I want everyone to be extra careful about heat management and usage of Jumpjets. Furthermore there is a pirate organization under the leadership of a woman called Grim Sybil. As silly as it sounds, she hails from the Tortuga Dominion and knows her business. There are lots of anti-aircraft turrets and we will have to deal with that threat first. Additionally the enemy will field Tanks and Mechs. I have no doubt, that this will be the hardest task we have encountered so far, but I am sure that we will overcome any obstacles ahead, if we stay focused and do our best. Dismissed."

The Commander went away and as soon as he was gone, the people began to whisper while going back to their stations. Art was monitoring the Pilots. They were more serious than usual. Probably they have been informed before and knew what was ahead. The rest went back to their respective Mechs for a last check of all systems.

 

[Stuckenschmidt]

Axylus (Surface)


"Missiles free.", Koch said and watched, as the LRMs found their way toward the Anti Aircraft Radar.

A minute later the structure was nothing more than a huge pile of burning debris. The Lance then destroyed a power generator and another Turret, although the latter did not pose much of a threat. But better safe than sorry, as the Commander often said.

The four Mechs advanced deeper into Pirate territory toward the Argo. So far the mission had been easy. Too easy, as far as Koch was concerned. A few Turrets, half a dozen Tanks. It was nigh impossible that it would stay this way.

Eventually the Mechs stomped around a corner and then they had a clear view on the derelict Dropship.

"Wow.", Behemoth said.
"Indiana Base, here Indiana One. Primary target in sight. Anti Air Defence eliminated. Landing Zone calm. Repeat. Landing Zone calm.", Koch reported.
"Roger.", confirmed Meyer via Radio.

It took a short time until the "Fortune" landed close to the Argo and the Canopian Engineering Team boarded the large Dropship.

"Sir.", Behemoth in the Spider said. "Incoming contacts from the south. So far two Mechs. A Commando and a Locust."
"Indiana Force. Stay close, focus fire. We don`t have a lot of room to maneuver. Stay in motion as far as possible, but don`t let them come close."
"Roger!"

Koch saw the enemy approaching from the south, but there were more units coming behind the first two Mechs. He also saw more Tanks and a Jenner. He jumped on the roof of a nearby structure to get a better overview, while the battle started around him. Interestingly enough, the Jenner was the first victim after a lucky shot that destroyed his right arm and Torso. The tanks were next, but the other units moved as much as possible, focusing their fire on the Vindicator. Koch saw a SRM hitting the head.

"Glitch. Status?", he asked.
"Not bleeding too much, Sir.", she answered. That would have to be enough to assure him that she was not dead yet.

In the meantime the Locust went down, but the Commando still kept moving, although it had already lost both arms. Suddenly Koch noticed a few lights above. A salvo of indirectly fired LRMs went down on the Spider.

"Behemoth?"
"I am fine, Sir, but structural damage. I see two more contacts."
"Fall back in line. Me and Dekker will meet them first."

In the moment the Fusion Reactor of the Commando exploded, a Shadowhawk appeared, followed by a Quickdraw, who had fired the salvo with its LRM-10. A Heavy Mech among light ones could only mean, that this was Grim Sybil personally.

Koch`s group opened fire on the Shadowhawk first. Glitch`s PPC was still firing, although the Vindicator had to take more damage. Fortunately Sybil`s Quickdraw shot at the yet undamaged Mech of Koch. Eventually Sybil was the last enemy standing, while Lasers, PPC, Autocannons and Missiles scored hit after hit. An agonized sound was the last thing he heard via the radio, before the BattleMech got destroyed.

"Sir. Everything clear. No contacts around.", Behemoth reported.
"Indiana One, here Mason One. Mission accomplished.". The Canopian Team had finished its task inside the Argo and were ready to leave the planet.
"Indiana Force. Board the Fortune.", Koch ordered.

A little later, the Leopard Dropship took off the moon`s surface. Koch and the other pilots had left their Mechs and gathered, when they suddenly heard one of the Technicians shouting.

"HOLY CRAP!"

Everyone was hurrying to the next windows and witnessed something, nobody had seen in the last two centuries.

 

[Stuckenschmidt]

Axylus Orbit (Command Center)


Koch returned to the Command Center after having visited Glitch at the sickbay. She had been right about her injury not being serious, but the Doc nevertheless wanted to keep her there for at least a week. Relieved he had left, for there were more serious matters to discuss.

"Yang, what`s our status?"
"Well, three of our Mechs are damaged enough to need immediate repairs, but I guess we can get it done in two weeks. Give or take a day."
"And that`s not all.", Oliveira added. "We got plenty of loot. Mech parts, weapons, ammo. And the best of all is, that the Canopians found a whole Centurion inside the Argo and we already transferred it to the Fortune."
"Nice indeed.", Yang added. "Although it is completely empty. But with the equipment we have plus some investments on the market, we can turn this into a proper Mech."
"That`s all fine, people. But, as you may have guessed, I`d like to talk about the other message we got."

It became silent. The Canopians had not only expressed their gratitude for a job well done. They had also revealed the "true" contractee the Grenadiers had been fighting for.

"I don`t like this.", Meyer said. "With all due respect, but we were lucky today and came out on Top. And we were fighting versus some Pirates only. But taking part in a civil war? And who is that Lady Kamea anyway?"
"The rightful High Lady.", Oliveira noted. "You know that I am from the Aurigan Reach. I was in an orbit over the capital, when the coup took place three years ago. The last High Lord Tamati had died and his daughter Kamea would have succeeded him. But on the day of her coronation, her uncle Santiago Espinosa overthrew the government and made himself Director. Or just say Dictator."
"Don`t get me wrong, but I have a hard time to believe that Kamea was democratically elected.", Meyer responded.
"No. Surely not. But at least her family did not rule alone but with the consent of the other Houses of the Reach."
"Let`s not go down the slippery slope of good versus evil.", Yang told. "The question here is, whether it is in our interest do participate or not. I say no. We are mercenaries. If we pick sides in such a conflict, we`ll be immediately on the Black List of everyone who supports the Directorate. Why alienate potential customers?"
"Aye.", Meyer agreed. "The Canopians support Kamea already. And when the Canopians are there, the Davions are not far away. Shall they help her."
"Maybe we are their way to help her?", Oliveira replied. "Or do you think they will send the Crucis Lancers to the Periphery?"
"Probably more effective than a single Lance of newbie mercenaries.", Meyer said in an already angry tone.
"People, let`s keep calm. I see where all of you are coming from. But I think we are going to do it.", Koch intervened.
"WHAT?", Yang and Meyer said simultaneously.

 

[Stuckenschmidt]

Axylus Orbit (Kitchen)


Koch sat in the kitchen and slowly ate a sandwich Emily had made him. Usually she did not allow people to enter her realm, but in this case she made an exception. While chewing, he watched how she did cut up vegetables.

"I have heard that your Officer meeting got a bit louder toward the end today.", she said.
"Hm? Yeah."
"May I know the reason?"
"It is about a job we got offered. Yang and Meyer think we should not accept, since the risk of ruining our standing with some factions here is out of proportion compared to the potential reward. And they are right."
"So you won`t accept?"
"Yes, we will."

She looked at him quizzical.

"What sense does that make?"
"I am not sure. But I have to do it."

She stopped working and put the knife aside.

"You have to?"

He made a deep breath. He knew that this day would come, when it was inevitable to be honest to at least one person aboard this ship. Although he would have preferred, if said day would have come later.

"Say, where did I get the money for all of this? A few Mechs. A whole ship."
"The banks?"
"Yes. Technically. But do you think that the banks would have borrowed a single Bill to an unemployed former soldier, if someone would not have vouched for me?"
"What are you talking about?"
"See, common grunts like me were not the only ones being sceptical about the FedCom Alliance. And when we were out of the army, some of us were approached by, let`s say, people from the upper end of the food chain with a similar worldview."
"Wait. Waitwaitwait. Are you telling me that you left the army and now joined some...shadow army?"
"I did not leave the army."
"Of course you did. You know what? You could still be in your unit and enjoy what you like if you had just kept your mouth shut."
"Excuse me, but the last time I checked I was a free citizen."
"Oh, how great. And as soon as a citizen has to cut back on something, he may jack it all in and conspire with some traitors?"
"They are not. They are loyal to the interests of the Commonwealth."
"But not House Steiner? What are they going to do? Crush Melissa`s wedding and kill everybody? With you in the first Mech to enter the room? Since when is it your business anyway who marries whom? As far as I am concerned she can marry an infirm 70 year old crook as long as the result is a large power that might bring some stability to the world."
"But the Federation is different from us. And who do you think will be the dominating partner in this relationship? Hanse or a little girl?"
"Who cares? And I tell you something. For someone who thinks, that Nobles should not look down on others, you are pretty fast with making other people look small. This attitude of `they are not like us and thus worse` is exactly what makes the Universe such a crappy place. For centuries. And you are contributing to it."
"Okay, then it is my fault and I did everything wrong. But at least those people helped me. So how can I deny their request to do this specific job? Does loyalty count for nothing anymore? Is that bad too?"

The two looked at each other and after a short while both had calmed down. Eventually she walked toward him and laid her hands on his shoulders.

"I love you. You are a good man. Maybe too good at times. Do what you think you have to, but please don`t be a pawn, should these people want to set the world on fire."
"I`ll try."

She made a sigh and looked to the ground. After a few seconds she walked back to her workplace, grabbed a knife and began to cut onions. It was silent for a while, until she eventually said something.

"The world does not need a second Kerensky."

That`s it. The last word. Too much idealism is bad for the Universe. Koch left the room with a bitter feeling. He did not like it, when she belittled his sentiments. Even less so he liked the thought, that she was maybe perfectly right. He had his obligations toward his financiers. But maybe someday they would ask for too much and he would have to break with them. But for now he would follow their demand and at least meet with the exiled leader of a restoration movement.

 

[Stuckenschmidt]

Zathras


The Periphery. People in the Inner Sphere think about anarchy and horrible living conditions when it gets mentioned. Although there are worlds, that fit this description, it is an invalid generalization. Many small states have formed along the Periphery and bring stability to the sector and even "independent" worlds like Zathras were not automatically doomed. It had belonged to the Magistracy for a long time, but was not part of any realm at the moment. Nevertheless the Magistracy as well as the Free Worlds League had an eye on it, so that the buffer world between them remained stable.

Koch walked toward a considerable large mansion in the countryside. Outside a spacious and well-kept garden. He stopped for a short while and looked to the left, where he could see a nice fountain between the breasthigh hedges. Whoever lived here had taste. And lots of money.

A servant guided him to the entrance hall of the mansion, where he had to wait a short while, until a door opened and a young woman, accompanied by another man, entered the room. She was of average height, lean, long black hair and brown eyes. She wore a red dress, but almost no accessories besides a headband and two earrings. He made a bow.

"Lady Kamea."
"Commander Koch.". She put out her hand and, as it was deemed proper, he gave a handkiss. "You are welcome here. This is Lord Alexander Madeira, my Chancellor."

She pointed toward the man to her right, a rather large and thin person.

"Commander, please come with me, so we may talk about our affairs. And to host you with a small refreshment."

****​

The small refreshment consisted of a pretty opulent supper. During the first course, the conversation revolved around culture and life per se. Koch was surprised to find out, that she was interested in literature, especially the Combine Classic Authors of the Age of War, since she was supportive toward the Bushido and the poetry connected to it.

When the main course was dished up, the talk moved toward politics. The Lady`s admiration for the idea of a Star League. The foundation of the Aurigan Coalition in the early 30th century, after the Capellan Confederation had to give up worlds in the course of the Succession Wars. Eventually she reported about the coup of her uncle and how she lived in different places within the Periphery for three years.

Then it was time for dessert and Koch ate the most beautiful piece of chocolate cake in his whole life. For a second he thought about asking for the recipe.

"So, Commander, as you can see, there is no alternative for me than trying to regain what is rightfully mine. To not only restore House Arano as High Lords of the Coalition, but also the rights of the other Houses as well as the common people of our nation."

Koch had his own thoughts. His financiers had given him very small leeway to reject her offer. And, after all, she was charming, educated and reasonable. Without any doubt he would sign up for her cause. But all this talk about rights and freedom within a Monarchy, no matter how Constitutional it was, was rather unnecessary. Maybe she was right and she really was the better choice for the Aurigan people. Maybe.

"Lady Kamea. You have delivered your arguments well. But I have to beg your pardon when I have to ask, what exactly a small unit like mine can contribute to your cause. A single Lance will not win this war."

"This is true. Of course we have gathered a regular army too. Yet there may arise tasks, which have to be performed with more discretion than the common action on the field of battle. Hence we will occasionally ask four your service to further our cause besides the frontlines. I can assure you, that both parties will benefit from this agreement."

"In this case, My Lady, Koch`s Grenadiers are at your service."

Koch, Lady Kamea and Lord Madeira stood up and went to a neighboring room. On a desk were two copies of a contract, that got signed by Koch and her. As of that moment, the Grenadiers were on duty for the Restoration of House Arano.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Lady Kamea. But there is something I have to ask for."
"What would that be?"
"A picture."

 

[Stuckenschmidt]

Detroit Orbit (Mechbay)


The whole crew was ordered to meet in the Mechbay, for the Commander wanted to make an announcement. Since he had gone on a journey, the "Fortune" had moved to Detroit again to do some more work for the Free Worlds League and earned had good money without problems. Besides that, everyone had been busy. Especially Art and his colleagues, who were working on making the Centurion combat ready.

Then there was some motion at the gate of the Bay.

"Attention!", Oliveira shouted.
"Soldiers!", Koch said while he gave a sign with his hand. Above him a banner was unrolled.

"This is Lady Kamea. She and her House Arano were betrayed of her birthright to the throne of the Aurigan Coalition, which is now ruled by the usurpers of House Espinosa. As of now, Koch`s Grenadiers will serve for Lady Kamea`s cause. Her friends are our friends. Her enemies are our enemies. And her enemies are numerous and strong. Let there be no confusion. We are not fighting petty pirates anymore. This is a campaign and we are at war. I expect utmost attention while performing your duties. We don`t know what lies ahead of us, so be prepared for everything. Understood?"

"YES, SIR!"

"Dismissed."

Koch left the Mechbay together with Oliveira.

"Is she worth it?", Oliveira asked.
"I think so. I hope so."
"What are we going to do for her? And when?"
"I have no clue."
"Nothing beats precision, aye?"

Koch had to smile. Emily had said the same.

 

[Stuckenschmidt]

Liu`s Memory Orbit (Mechbay)


"So, what do we have here?", Koch asked.

"Sir, feast your eyes on the new Mech in our Bay. A fully equipped Centurion.", Yang replied.

"Looks nice."

"It is, Sir. Unfortunately we were not able to equip it with a proper A-Version armament. There are two Medium Lasers and a LRM 10 in the Torso. But we had no AC/10 for the right arm. Instead we installed an AC/5 and also a SRM-4 to compensate that. But you will be pleased to hear that it is almost heat stable and has better armor than a normal 9-A."

"Very good. Anything else?"

"Yes. We also tried to improve the Blackjack, but it is difficult. It overheats too easily, so we added another sink. But to do that we either had to reduce armament or armor or Jump Jets. We chose the last option. With the effect, that its ability to jump is now severely limited."

"Don`t worry, Yang. If this would be easy, I would not need you. Good work with the Centurion. And the Blackjack? Well, we`ll keep it as it is now. Should we get a Heavy someday, we will mothball it first."

"Yes, Sir."

When the Commander went away, Arthur approached Yang.

"Is he pleased?"

"I`d say yes."

"I would have thought, that the loss of mobility would make him worried."

"Maybe he is. But at the end of the day he probably prefers firepower over mobility. The Centurion, and to a lesser degree the Blackjack now too, are good examples for that, for they can deal Alpha Strikes for quite some time now. Less jumping capability is a considerably small price to pay for the ability to have a high damage output over a long period of time."

"Can`t we have both?"

"Sure, but then we would have to decrease the armor protection. Something no Mech Pilot actually likes. And that`s what he meant when he said, that it is not easy. There is not a perfect solution, a Mech that is a jack of all trades. Each Mech has specific benefits and drawbacks."

"And the Locust?"

"Well, although there is no Mech that can do everything, there are surely designs who can`t do anything."

The two men laughed and went back to work. The Vindicator had received structure damage and needed to get fixed as soon as possible.

 

[Stuckenschmidt]

Úr Cruinne Orbit (Mechbay)


Arthur loved his job, but there were days, when there were these nagging doubts about his life choices. Like, for example, when he had to witness something like this.

He made a sigh, when he looked to the right, where Behemoth was standing with a sly grin in her face.

"You know, it was totally not my fault.", she said.

"So what you are traing to tell me is, that you were minding your own business when, all out of a sudden, the right arm fell off."

"That is, more or less, exactly what happened.", she answered, before she could not hold her laughter anymore. "But in all seriousness, it was just bad luck. We were down there to secure an installation of the Planetary Government, when a few pirate Mechs showed up. At first it was just a Locust, but then we had suddenly two Commando in our flank and they focused their fire on me. We had no real problems to deal with them. But two unfortunate SRM salvos, a critical hit and the arm was gone. Sorry to cause you overtime."

She gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder and left the Bay, leaving Arthur behind with a lot of work. Soon afterwards, Yang approached and evaluated the situation.

"Sure, that will be a few days work. But let`s see the sunny side. She only lost a Mech arm, not a real arm."

Art peeked at his Chief and the prosthesis he had instead of his own right arm.

"Say, Chief, may I ask what happened to your arm."

"One of my favorite stories.", Yang said in his typical ironic tone, that caused some confusion among his people about his true opinions more often than never. "Back in 3010, I was still a young Technician then like you are now, I was on St. Loris with the 2nd St. Ives Lancers, when the FedRats dropped by with two full Elite Regiments. They knew their business, I can tell you that. At one point of time they completely surprised us. I was working in the Mechbay, when they attacked and the Bay collapsed. Fortunately I was just in a Mech Cockpit, otherwise there would have been nothing left of me than bloody mud. But the Cockpit still got mauled and with it my arm."

Yang shrugged. "Not the best day of my life, but at least not the last. When I could walk again, I left the CCAF and joined this and that Mercenary Team to patch up their Mechs. Like this one."

Yang pointed at the mutilated Spider and then looked toward Art with a thoughtful face.

"You know what? Don`t spend too much time on it anymore. Just make it good enough that we can sell it."

"Are we going to?"

Yang made a happy face and gave Art a sign to follow him to the rear end of the Bay, where two other Technicians were just making last tests with the Cockpit Instruments. Suddenly Art understood, why the Spider was not important anymore.

"It took some time.", Yang explained. "But eventually we had enough parts. The Panther 9R. I like it. Clearly better armored and armed than the Spider. Although classified as Light Mech, it is almost a Medium. Good jump capabilities plus a PPC. What`s not to like? Anyway, the Commander said we`ll keep it. And as soon as the Spider is gone, you are going to be responsible for this one."

"Aye.", Arthur said and looked at `his` Mech with the excitement of a child getting a new toy.

 

[Stuckenschmidt]

Sacromonte Surface


Koch had seen a lot worlds in his life, but Sacromonte was one of the most unpleasant ones. He can live with deserts or frozen emptiness. But this one was just a barren, lifeless, moon-like rock. Maybe that was the reason, why some Pirates liked it here. To an extent, that their base-building efforts began to worry the other entities around. Along came the Grenadiers.

The Mercenary Lance had taken positions at the end of a narrow valley and were expecting a supply convoy to arrive.

"Contacts incoming.", Dekker in the Panther reported.

"Fall back in line and wait for the bandits.", Koch ordered.

Shortly later, the first Tanks arrived. Simultaneously the Lance slowly, but steadily began to advance, focusing fire on this or that enemy vehicle.

"Locust on 10.", Glitch said.

The torso of Koch`s Centurion turned to the left and immediately ripped of an arm of the enemy Mech with a well-aimed salvo. When Behemoth`s PPC made a clear hit on the Torso, the tiny Mech was already finished. The Grenadiers continued to move forward, until the last Striker faded away in an impressive explosion.

"This looks good.", Dekker said, when he looked around at a bunch of smoking wrecks. "But I think one is missing. I get a faint signal from behind that narrow ridge over there."

The next thing Koch heard was the voice of Oliveira in his ear.

"Commander?"

"I am here, Darius."

"We got a priority message from our special friends."

"Aye. We`ll clean the area here and return asap. Over and out."

When his unit hunted down the last Scorpion Tank, Koch thought about what was coming up. They had signed up for the Restoration and obviously it was time to begin.