Foresight (ATwT) Chpt 3

Training Range, Devalis’ Devils Private Range
Molino, Minette Operational Area
Crucis March, Federated Sunss
12th December 3099
The Marauder C plodded across the training range at a slow walk as it’s pilot Anna Devalis tested its new systems. As part of the upgrade from single to double heat sinks, she’d requested the techs to reduce number of heat sinks and for them to fit two machine guns which were mounted along the Mech’s central line under its forward leaning nose giving her some heat free anti-infantry weapons. Now after weeks of refit the Marauder C was ready for operations again and she was on the range. As the Marauder C moved, she twisted the torso from left to right feeling a hitch in its turn when it twisted to the left “Box, this is Lucifer One, I have still got a hitch in the twist to the left. Leave a note for the techs.” She ordered
As the Marauder C continued along the route, she smirked at the callsign it was the same as a model of aerospace fighter if anyone ever cracked their communications, they could mistake her unit for aerospace units. The Devil’s had two aircraft but neither were of the Lucifer model instead the Khan had allowed them to take two primitive tech Star Dagger Aerospace fighters which had been modified with standard armor and with a pair of extended range medium lasers which constantly threatened to overwhelm the aircraft’s heat capacity. Anna had asked her Techs why they couldn’t upgrade the aircraft with double heat sinks like they had her Marauder their response in between the expletives was that “they were not miracle workers” or aerospace engineers after which she chose to leave them alone. The pilots would just have to get used to the aircraft how they were until she could find a way to trade them for something better.
Twisting the torso of the Marauder C again to the left she felt the hitch in the twist but also saw on her sensors another contact. “Box, I have something else on the range.”
“It’s not one of ours, Lucifer.”
“I know that!” She snapped angrily she wasn’t sure if she was angrier at the non-professional response or the continued use of contractions. They were Clan warriors in private they should act as such. “I am investigating, understood?” She asked each of them had been briefed if you were asked if you “understood” something from a superior in this unit then it was the equivalent of a “quiaff?” interrogative and your response should be formal.
“Affirmative, Captain” Box responded as she turned the Marauder C to the right and throttled up to a full speed walk. She reached the other contact within only a couple of minutes seeing it was a factory new Warhammer WHM-9D definitely not a local Mech. On its chest on top of its standard urban camouflage was an orange starburst bisected by a sword with two stylized letters – StarCorps Incorporated insignia.
“This is Captain Devalis of The Devalis’ Devils please identify yourself.” She said standing the Marauder C square to the Warhammer, if the pilot decided to do anything they would be in for a fight.
“I am Naren Shankar lead negotiator for StarCorps Industries” the pilot said identifying herself as the seventy-ton Mech stopped at just over one hundred meters her accent was thick and full of flavor like she was from a world far different from the one that Devalis was used to. “Are you enjoying your time here on Molino?”
“The cadre duty is a different pace than my people have been used to in the past” she said diplomatically, truthfully, she hated it as did the others in the unit. To make matters worse the local duke was constantly trying to give them land grants to entice them to stay on the planet longer and make their time on the world permanent.
“I can imagine” he said his Mech circling around the Marauder C “an interesting modification you have made to your Mech, machine guns on a Marauder, well it was about time someone did it.” Shankar said looking over the Mech “the ammunition feed must be causing some issues.”
“I was just working those out.” She admitted the ammunition from the autocannon fed into its weapon perfectly her people would figure out the machine gun feeds. She twisted the Marauder C’s torso to track the other Mech which walked with the confidence of a well-seasoned MechWarriors at the helm.
“We could possibly help you with that?” Shankar suggested “as you may have guessed my purpose here is to buy your contract from Molino and bring you to the world of Crofton.” She explained Crofton was familiar to Anna Devalis she’d heard that it was a manufacturing world for the Federated Suns. “You will serve as part of the defense of Crofton and you will allow us access to your unit’s impressive cache of Clan technology.”
“All taken as salvage it won’t be perfect.” Devalis said trying to make sure they didn’t get too close attention other than the Clint IIC all of their Mechs were refurbished Inner Sphere Mechs.
“The integration of Clan and Inner Sphere technology is important to my people as we move forwards and have access to more Clan technology. We have gifted four Warhammer BattleMechs to the defense of this world to secure your contract, your unit will do great things for our company.” Shankar explained as the Warhammer stopped Infront of the Marauder C “your unit could be very important to my company.”
Manufacturing Line, StarCorps of Crofton
Crofton, Anjin Muerto Operational Area
Crucis March, Federated Suns
3rd June 3100
Following their time on Molino and now here on Crofton the Devalis’ Devils had now been out of combat for more than a year and Anna Devalis was beginning to question her unit’s purpose they were not forwarding the goals of their Clan. They had buried a transmitter here on Crofton as they had on Molino and on Brockton where they had stopped off briefly in each case it stated what the Devils had encountered on the world and where they had headed next should the Nova Cats lose contact with the unit.
Today was an important day as after nearly six months of training and research with the StarCorps Industries she had finally been given access to the StarCorps manufacturing line and been given a tour of the facilities there. As she walked along the lines of Warhammer BattleMechs which were under construction there she thought back to the negotiators words when the Devils signed on with StarCorps your unit could be very important to my company. As she walked past the newly completed BattleMechs she spied a new model of Marauder which was in one of the Mech cradles it had lasers in its arms and an autocannon over its shoulder like traditional versions of that type of Mech but under its nose were a pair of machine guns like her own Marauder C. She stopped as her guide continued to speak about the production line and where these Mechs would be going and all she could think of was “This place would be very important to her Clan” as she looked at the Mech that mimicked her own BattleMech.
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