BoTH Chpt 67

==Blood on the Horizon - Chapter 67 -==
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===Brain Storming===
Date: February 28th, 3007Location: Tybalt, Capellan Confederation
"So, it's confirmed then?" I sighed, massaging my temples at the mess that was headed our way.
 
"Unfortunately, it looks like we managed to draw some unwanted attention," Sheppard reached across my desk and opened the small bottle of whiskey that we'd found when we captured the place from Major Vaultaine and the Fusiliers, "Looks like most of the Big Mac is heading back for their homebase, but we have no clue where the 2nd Mac and a portion of the 3rd went." 
 
Sheppard poured two glasses of the whiskey before nodding at me. 
 
"Which means that unless we get things figured out, we're utterly fucked," Sheppard tossed down the whole glass before pouring a second. "We're just now at barely a regiment at medium strength. We're not going to be able to hold up against something like the 2nd Mac or the 3rd. And that's before getting into how they're Elites and we're still rated at Regular."
 
"So we need something smart or dumb enough for us to win," I glared at the desk as I sipped at the whiskey. "What we managed here won't be enough to really do anything to stop a regiment of the Mac."
 
"Not unless we get really creative," Sheppard got an odd look in his eye. "We don't have to win, not really. We just need to get them in a spot where we can make them bleed enough to leave."
 
"Okay," I leaned forward. "Gimme your idea."
 
"Get me a cigar and a map," he grinned. "Then we're going on a walk."
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===Planning for the incoming Guests===
"So, we park the artillery here, here, and here," Sheppard pointed to the different spots on the map. "And we make sure that we've got the other artillery that we seized from the militia parked in and presighted on the positions that we have our Ballista pieces parked in."
 
"They're not going to do what we want," I replied. "It's the 2nd Mac, they have a reputation for not doing what people expect."
 
"That's why the base itself is bait," Sheppard pointed at the gates themselves. "We're going to have to make it worth it for the majority of the regiment to want to take it out. And then we drop enough artillery on top of them to use up all of our stores."
 
"So, I've got to sit at the gates and taunt the beast," I glared at the base that was now a rope around our necks. 
 
"All of this is assuming we get hit by the Mac at all," Sheppard shrugged. "It's entirely possible that we're just being paranoid."
 
"Better to be paranoid than dead," I sighed. "Let's start getting the guns sighted in. I don't want us to accidentally hit any of our own."
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===Investing in the Future===
Date: February 25th, 3007Location: Taurus Warworks, Taurian Concordat
"Given we've only opened the old Toro factory, we still have plenty of expansion space," the current CEO of Taurus Warworks looked at the representatives from the Marksman. "So we can begin production of this Mithril as soon as the machines to begin construction are completed."
 
"And the status on the Centurion ASF?" Lieutenant Hober asked. 
 
"Those lines will begin rolling spare parts out as we begin setting them up," James Rawlings confirmed. "I will have to thank you and your Major Hull for locating the opportunity. I expect we'll see a significant return on our initial investment."
 
"Well, I'm going to need some documentation to take back to Command." Hober crossed his arms over his chest. 
 
"I'll get everything I can to you," the CEO nodded. "I take it your ships are almost completed?"
 
"They'll be finished with the first few refits in a few months," Hober sighed. "I'm just trying to make sure that I get my job here completed. My crews are going to go stir crazy in the next few weeks. Not like there's a whole lot to do while our dropships are being refitted."
 
"Well, hopefully you'll enjoy the shore leave then," James grinned. "I know that I used to do some crazy stuff when I was a part of the Concordat military."
 
"We'll try not to burn down all the good bars," Hober smiled in response. "No promises on how much booze will disappear though."
 
"As long as you save me a drink we'll be good." the CEO opened a door to his office.
 
"There a reason you wanted your office right next to the factory floor?" Hober asked as he shut the heavy oak door behind him, the noise of the 'Mechs being assembled still present in the background.
 
"I'm an engineer," James replied. "And the people that work for me are practical people. We all like the money that we're making, but we need to remember that the bottom line isn't the only thing that exists. If I'm here, present and able to step out and look at the work we do, then I'm able to remember that our goal is to put out the best products that we possible can. And that if we consistently build the best products and have the best customer service. That the customers will come to us."
 
He then gestured for Hober to sit down in the chair on the other side of his desk. 
 
"That, and I think it's just awesome to look outside of my door and see multiple 'Mechs just coming to life every time I take a walk," James booted up a small noteputer and began printing out sheets of paper. "Now, I don't think you understand just how important the work that the R&D teams already did before you brought us the data."
 
"I might have an inkling," Hober replied. "I was the lead on the team that redesigned the DroST. First when we just did the small refits. And now with the massive overhauls."
 
"Right," James grabbed the paper and handed it to Hober. "Here's the rough estimates of setting up the factories for Mithril and the Centurion. That has our rough dates of completion, and when we expect to have units rolling off of the factory floors."
 
James flipped through a few pages and ran over one with a neon pink highlighter for a moment.
 
"This, is one of the things we'd like to branch into." the CEO locked eyes with Hober. "We're going to be making money hand over fist with just the 'Mech production. If we manage to pull off what I have outlined in the proposal, then we'll become a staple of the Inner Sphere. Please make certain that Major Hull sees this. He's in charge of a solid third of the company, and if I want to sell this to Protector Zarantha Calderon, then I'll need his help."
 
"I'm just a dropship captain," Hober glanced at the paper. "but I'll do what I can to persuade him. After all, I'm one of the patent owners for this refit. I'd love to rake in some of the dough."
"You and every other engineer on my payroll," James rolled his eyes. "Now get out of here, I've got work to do."
 
In the midst of the paper files, lay a pink highlighted sheet with the proposal to break ground on something that Taurus hadn't had in generations. Something that would take decades of work to complete, and billions of Taurian Bulls. But when and if it were ever completed, Taurus WarWorks would have something that no other company in Taurian space possessed. 
 
A working dropship yard…
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Chapter 67