IBC Chpt 1-4

==Iron Blooded Commander - Chapter 1.4 -Copy and Paste==
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===Dealing with a series of Drive bys===
Solaris City​Solaris VII, Lyran Commonwealth
June, 3020 
Thankfully, I did have some privacy in my Mechbay. Once all the equipment was handed out to the kids, along with the second Norman truck I had turned over to the Militia giving them a second set of wheels to use day to day. The APC wasn't exactly great for city driving.
 
Gauge and I set to work. I needed more cash if I was going to get off Solaris, and that need to leave had only increased despite the coolness of my secret base. Ever since that Jerk had showed up at the Orphanage I could practically hear the ticking in the back of my mind as my time started to run out. 
 
Because I can guarantee that he was watching me now. And if he felt he couldn't do anything to me himself, it wouldn't be too difficult for him to whisper some questions into certain ears about where my equipment I am selling came from.
 
Or why an orphan had that much money in the first place.
 
So yeah I was in a bad place.
 
But every day that passed made me stronger. The third day after meeting the old man, the thugs started coming in. First they tried to bother me on the street, but the pickup full of armed kids, Shut that down almost instantly. But from there I knew it was going to get more serious. 
 
The first time the Mechbay was hit by a Molotov from a vehicle, was annoying. The fact no one was hurt is the only reason I didn't retaliate. And funnily since I didn't have any defenses set up outside there wasn't much to really damage. 
 
The second attack was more damaging. The pickup the kids used was firebombed, thankfully it was empty, sitting outside the orphanage at the time.
 
They had a new one in an hour, And the scrapped one was hauled away at my cost. The Solaris PD didn't have any suspects. Leaving it as just a random gang attack. Dang it.
 
That is what my militia dealt with over the next week. A firebomb here or there, if I left the mechbay I was followed. 
 
I eventually set up a room inside, deciding it was too dangerous to go back to the orphanage. 
 
Most of the orphans that were old enough to fully 'join' my little army followed. I let them put up some mobile tents I bought for them.
 
Thankfully the 24/7 protection worked. I made sure Gauge had guards as well, and the kids actually held good discipline after the firebomb took out the truck.
 
They were orphans after all, we were all a bit guarded about things we owned. Money came in, as I continued to sell mech equipment. I had Gauge move farther and farther out to sell equipment, trying to hide the fact we were selling so much equipment. Unfortunately it wasn't quite enough.
 
Three days before, the mech match that Mr. Wright would be preparing for things got more serious. Two attacks happened at the same time. A firebomb on a truck that was outside the orphanage at the time, but this time the kids were in it. Thankfully they all managed to get out with only minor injuries. The car that threw the Molotov out an open window got away, and once again a Norman truck went up in smoke.
 
The second was more serious. An actual drive-by happened at the Mechbay. Luckily everyone spends their time in a concrete reinforced bunker but the gun fire was serious, if it wasn't for the concrete bunkers I had made, there would have been more than just injuries. This was a full scale attack.
 
And there wasn't anything I could do. We reported it to the police, including who we believed had done it but even Benny who was almost sixteen but not there yet, was just a kid in the eyes of the Solaris PD. 
 
They weren't going to, or able to help.
 
So I stayed up late that night running through options. Finally late I realized that I was looking at this the wrong way. I didn't have any intention of staying here on Solaris, this was just where everything started. Staying here wasn't actually solving anything.
 
With a grin I woke up Gauge and gave him a task for the next day.
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===Registration Day===
Solaris VII HPG Compound
Walking into the local ComStar branches was an odd feeling, part of me trusted them, I mean Gauge was basically an honorary member. Another knew how vile they could be. How much damage they have, and will do.
 
I shrugged it off, no point in losing sight of what I came here for. I had a meeting with Adept Michaelson. Gauge was standing beside me more than happy to bring me here for a meeting with his sometimes mentor. 
 
Adept Michaelson was someone I had met before. Gauge had dragged me into the comstar building a few times when we were younger. The interior of the building was done up in Comstar colors and schemes, and it was incredibly busy. The HPG right outside was massive and dominated the entire area. After all, everyone wanted the Solaris games vidcasts.
 
Walking in I followed Gauge as he got us through security quickly enough before I found myself brought into a small but well loved office. 
 
"Gauge! It is good to see you, my boy." The older Adept was in his mid fifties with a close shaven beard and short cut hair hidden by his hood. But his smile was usually the first thing you notice. Shiny white teeth and it spread his entire face wide. He stood and clapped Gauge on the shoulder as he turned to me. "And Vicky isn't it? It's been a few years, but your name is always coming out of Gauge's lips." He chuckled probably hoping for embarrassment but none was there this time.
 
The two of us were too serious to let that distract us. "Good afternoon Adept Michaelson, thank you for taking the time to see us. I didn't know who else to reach out to about this."
 
He purses his lips for a moment. "Indeed? When Gauge requested a meeting for a friend I was quite curious about his reasons. I have heard some… Interesting things about you recently Miss Vicky."
 
I nodded trying my best to hope they were just the rumors going around, and not that I had the ultimate Lostech. "My Mother left me a small hoard of mech salvage. The actual message about where it was, and how to access it only came to me recently, but I've managed quite well with her gift, which is what brings me to bother you today, Adept Michaelson."
 
"Then please sit. I am quite interested to hear this!" He chuckled as he took his seat back at his desk and I sat across from him. 
 
"I am looking to register a mercenary company with the MRB." I tell him directly, and see his eyebrows rise up in surprise. 
 
"I see. I wasn't expecting that." He joked out as he looked me over his smile bright, but his eyes were sharp.
 
"Yes, I figured it would be a shock. I asked Gauge if we could speak to you because if nothing else, you are someone we know. I'm going to be looking to expand what I have right now to at least a full Lance, and some more motorized infantry. But I can't do that here. Solaris has a lot of mech jockeys, and equipment, but not 'that' much. It's too skewed. I need to get off planet, get to a place where we can start really training. I was hoping you would help in finding us either a larger mercenary band needing some additional help willing to offer some training, or at least a planetary guard position somewhere quiet that we could get some time to train up."
 
He leaned back in his chair looking solemn as he looked over at me. "Very unexpected indeed. You do know Ms. Victoria that there are training schools all through Lyran space, many of them would be willing to take a girl that already owned a mech."
 
"Yes, but all of those schools involve joining the military afterwards. I am looking more towards a mercenary lifestyle. My mother was a bit of a lostech hunter on the side, she never found much actual lostech from what I understand, but she did find a few caches of things here and there. That's mostly what I am selling off to afford this now."
 
"I can understand wishing to follow in a parent's footprints, especially one that is now lost, but I must wonder if you are ready for what you are planning to do?"
 
"I'm an orphan, Adept Michaelson. My future is being stuck on Solaris as a low end Mech Jockey until my Locust is too damaged to pilot, then I end up on the street just another dispossessed. At least with a company under me I have a future. Even if that future ends early. It's better than dying slowly here."
 
"Mercenary groups, especially small ones, don't tend to last very long. I hope you understand for every Wolf's Dragoons, there are hundreds that don't survive their first year."
 
"I know. Believe me I know, but I have a good start. I sold enough equipment to have a good nest egg, I have my mech, and before I leave I will be buying another mech. Probably a medium. Gauge will be my second Mechwarrior." I comment purposefully hinting that Gauge was coming with me.
 
You know in case this man actually did feel any affection for him.
 
This actually did bring a frown on his face. "I see." He sighed a little as he leaned forward in his chair. "Since I don't believe I can convince you otherwise, I suppose it is my duty as a ComStar Representative to assist you in setting up a registration with the MRB. Do you have a name for your mercenary company?"
 
I nodded really, there was only one name that could ever fit for a group of orphans in a distant mech future. "Iron Blooded."
 
And over the next few hours I ran through a lot of paperwork. ComStar bureaucracy isn't a joke.
 
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===Setting course for a new Destination===
It was dark when Gauge and I finally left the HPG. The paperwork for setting up a Mercenary Corp wasn't very hard, although I fudged the numbers a bit. Saying that I was expanding still so only having 1 mech wasn't right.
 
The problem of course came in finding a job. I had originally wanted to maybe work as an extra unit attached to a more experienced merc group, but well. That didn't end up happening. They were a few interested in my mech, but not everything else that comes along with it. Each of them denied the offer once they learned that I wasn't just a single Mechwarrior but a company of orphans forming an infantry company.
 
Instead I was forced to change what I was looking for. I needed a planet that required a mercenary contract for a guard. Someplace that I can give the Iron Blooded a chance to actually gain some Iron. 
 
It took hours to find a contract that we were big enough to take. The fact I offered two mechs, one of which I don't have is the only reason I got it. A guard rotation on a planet one jump from Solaris in the Federation of Skye. A little planet called Zaniah III, it was completely unimportant except for two things. One, it was right on the border with the FWL. And second?
 
It had a certain Sanctuary on it. A place where exhausted mechwarriors tired of war could go to be left alone. A certain member of the Kell Hounds was currently there, hiding out after his Phantom Mech incident. 
 
I chose it. Despite it being a desert world. With lower than normal gravity and an unfortunate temperature around the equator of 45 C. It was hot, dusty, and a miserable world to live on. Hence why they were willing to accept a small mercenary contract to help defend it. 
 
They struggled to get any who wanted to go.
 
Three days.
 
In three days a chartered Leopard would pick us up and take us to Zaniah III. I had that long to get Gauge a mech, hire some actual instructors to train my infantry and Mechwarriors, and of course convince a bunch of orphans to move an entire planet away.
 
This was going to be tough.
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===Recruiting the Trainer===
Well delegation was the name of the game. I sent Gauge off with enough C-bills to purchase some sort of medium 'mech. A truck and a few kids to keep him safe. Benny and I on the other hand didn't get to go buy Battlemechs. We had to go hire some old crusty sergeants to train troops.
 
We had three responses back from the request we sent through ComStar. 
 
The first one, came in, took a look at my age, and Benny who I introduced as my infantry commander and immediately turned around.
 
It wasn't really a positive experience. 
 
"Well this ain't lookin good, Commander." He said and I nodded. The resume we had for the first man was already in the trash as we waited for the second. We had given some time between meetings as we expected to actually have a meeting.
 
Instead we were waiting for Alfred Kurtz, Ex-Lyran Guard Sergeant. He had completed his years in the guard and resigned to go home. Why he was on Solaris, I had no idea. Benny was getting antsy. Despite the fact I assured him he was in charge of the infantry he didn't like that we were recruiting outside of the orphans. 
 
"It's alright. We just need someone that can help with training, we have too many troops and not enough training. That's all." Before I could say anything further it was time.
 
The man that entered didn't quite match his picture on his resume. The picture was in perfect military dress. This man looked like he had a few rough years. Although he still had the military bearing, his clothes were worn, and his once pristine mustache was bushier. He saluted as he entered which Benny and I returned before I motioned for him to take a seat.
 
"Before we get any further Sergeant, let me be clear about what my merc company is. Just so you aren't blindsided. We are brand new. I am currently the only mechwarrior, but we are getting another mech and warrior as we speak. A majority of what we are is infantry. All of whom are recruited from the orphanages of Solaris."
 
I gave him a moment to process that as I motioned toward Benny. "This is Lieutenant Benny, who is in charge of our Motorized Infantry regiment. He is currently fifteen. I am Commander Victoria, and I am fourteen. The eldest trooper we currently have is about a month away from sixteen. We are children. Orphans who decided that we were going to do more than just sit here on Solaris and rot. If working with us is something you can't stomach. Please say so now."
 
I am sure he was quite confused to walk into a room with a few young kids, but after that I could see his jaw drop a little in surprise at the true state of my young merc company. He seemed to take a moment after that to really look the two of us over. "Yet you are commanding a mercenary company. I was told in the report that you had mechs and infantry. That is… admirable for one so young."
 
"Admirable. Sure I suppose you can call it that." I accepted after a moment. "I am looking for someone who can train troops. Yes, they are young, and yes they are orphans. But we have gone through all the same schooling as any Lyran. Benny is the top scorer from his military academy. We are young, yes. But just as willing as anyone else, and we do have funds. That isn't a concern."
 
"You're an orphan as well? Were your parents nobility?" He asked, and I could tell immediately he was curious about pay. The way he kept playing with the worn cufflinks on his arm. That was probably brass rather than gold at this point. 
 
"No. My Mother was a 'mech Jockey here on Solaris. She had a secondary interest in lostech hunting. She never found any true lostech, but she had left enough salvage in secret to me, that I have plenty of funds to get what we need. Enough to start this company with the mech I already own, and the one that should be on it's way now."
 
He nodded. I could tell he was still hesitant, who wouldn't be? If a bunch of high schoolers asked you to join their army, would you feel confident? "Your offer for pay… It was quite generous which is why I came, I admit." He seemed to grimace at that. "I don't wish to sound… Rude. But can I be sure you can sustain the pay you offered?"
 
"I understand your worry, I'm young, and not even a noble. Suddenly offering you a hefty pay for your rank and experience. If it will remove any concern. I don't mind having the pay go through ComStar. We can settle on a set amount of time, say a year? And have it held in trust for you."
 
He blinked a bit, before flushing lightly. "I accept. I apologize again, Miss- Commander. Your youth is definitely surprising, but if you set up the pay through ComStar, for a year to start. I believe I will accept to join your company, if you still offer me the position."
 
I nodded. Benny nodded his head as well, and I reached out to shake his hand. "We already have a guard contract. Two days from now we are leaving Solaris. Sergeant we have one further meeting to get too. But I will contact you if you are accepted, and once ComStar has the trust." 
 
"Thank you, Commander."
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===Mechs and Bombs===
The third meeting didn't go well. Once I got to the point of the age of the trainees they decided this company wasn't for them. Fair enough.
 
 With that we had a training sergeant so we could get our troop of infantry trained, but I still had a lot of things to do in two days. I had Benny reach out to the Leopards quartermaster to settle food, and general supplies we would need for our little army. 
 
 I had another job. After setting up the trust with ComStar and letting Sergeant Kurtz know that he was hired. I took a squad of boys and hit the town. We had so much more that we needed before we could leave. 
 
Unfortunately, the room on a Leopard wasn't exactly spacious. Thankfully, we would only have two mechs, so the captain was letting us use the rest of the mech bay and fighter bay as temporary barracks. Even if the space was still going to be tight. 
 
It wasn't going to be the most comfortable trip, but it was what the contracting governor of Zaniah had been willing to pay for our small troop. I think she really only wanted the two 'mechs I had put on the contract. The aide I had spoken too briefly as we completed the contract had been rather uninterested in the infantry company, only really asking about the mechs.
 
Heading into Solaris I had a very serious purchase that I needed to pick up the moment I realized we were going into a desert world. I wanted to make sure I had a water purifier ready. 
 
There actually was a company that sold industrial water purifiers here in Lyran space. "Water Pure Industries" was a bit of an odd duck company. They had been bombed multiple times, through the Succession Wars, but always rebuilt their factories to keep supplying the very necessary equipment. 
 
Unfortunately the equipment was industrial grade. So it was big, heavy, and expensive. I winced at the price, especially since it would be harder to keep making money as quickly once we left Solaris. But I bought one anyway. We dragged it back into the Mechbay, where once I had everyone off doing something else, I used the locust to disintegrate it, loading the blueprints.
 
I didn't think the Leopard captain would let me bring the thing normally, so I was gonna have to build one on planet if we needed to. I still wasn't sure what we were going to be looking at once we got there. They had said an unused military base would be given to us close to the capital city, but I had no idea how comfortable it would be.
 
Which was fine. I was gonna be cheating anyway. 
 
When I finished deconstructing the water purifier, Gauge arrived with his new mech.
 
It was a Centurion. Was. Now it was a wreck. He had his small squad of troopers drive it in on the back of a flatbed. It was in rough shape. An unattached left arm, although the arm was on the truck, gave a solid impression that it wasn't at it's best. Gauge shooed everyone but me out of the mechbay once it was parked so we could discuss what the best option was. 
 
"It was cheap. And despite the damage, it is a complete mech. Nearly a million C-bills off, because the Fusion Engine is scrap at this point but… You said the Noteputer could reconstruct even damaged equipment right?"
 
I hummed. It was one thing to reconstruct something like broken actuators, or myomer in a damaged mech, it was another to touch a fusion engine. But I shrugged. "I'll get in the locust and give it a full scan first. If we have to, we just buy a fusion engine before we leave. It should auto fix the blueprint if we have all the parts."
 
I scrambled into the Locust, and thankfully since I was able to get very close to the Centurion The scanning didn't take more than an hour, before the blueprint was completed in my noteputer. Looking it over I sighed in relief. The CND-AL. The energy variant Centurion was a complete blueprint. Thankfully the Noteputer didn't have any problem with 'fixing' the borked fusion engine. Whether that's because it was just able to fix the problem, or the fact I already have a fusion engine blueprint meant it knew what it needed to fix, I had no idea. 
 
"Good news." I call out after I once more secure the Locust. "Blueprint is completed, We have everything we need." I step onto the gantry. "Well, Gauge. She is yours so it's up to you. Do we bring her as is, and see how much repairs you can do on the flight over. Will give you something to do, and give the troopers some experience with helping you do some repairs on a mech. Or do we just." And I wiggle my fingers letting him know I mean to reconstruct the thing from scratch.
 
He hesitated. I could see in his eyes the desire for a brand new Centurion. "I, I could use the practice. Plus it would be weird to walk out with a fixed Centurion right?"
 
I nodded, smiling that he picked that up on that issue. I Would have if he asked, but I definitely prefer him working on it during the trip. Waking out with a pristine mech would send up plenty of red flags, people had already seen how damaged it was after all. "Alright. Gauge, you're in charge of contacting the Leopard and getting your mech secure, and beginning repairs. Give me a list of what you need to repair the whole thing, and we will make sure it 'appears' on the ship."
 
I grunted then as the building shook lightly. Stumbling I hit the gantry railing and held on, before the shaking stopped. Gauge and I were looking around before it hit us. Gauge ran to the Norman that was always stashed down here so no one had to walk up the incline back to the surface, while I raced into my Locust once more. 
 
The radio frequency we used around the Mechbay was already active when it started up.
 
The noise on the other end wasn't good. Gauge beat me upstairs before I stopped at the fire and devastation that met my eyes. A bomb had gone off. No, I realized in horror. A missile. An Inferno missile. It must have been shot from outside the mechbay because the wall directly away from the entrance was up in flames. I realized with a stuttered heart that is where the old Gantries used to be. And now it was where the tents had been set up for sleeping quarters for the orphans that wanted to stay.
 
The kids on guard duty were running around, not sure what to do, some were using fire extinguishers to try and put out the flames. 
 
That didn't work.
Others were just trying to get everyone away from the fire. I switched on my exterior speaker. "EVERYONE OUT. Ignore the fire unless someone is on fire, get out of the mechbay!" I led the group out, My sensors told me that there wasn't anyone else in the fire. Or at least, anyone still alive. My heart beating I went to the next problem now that everyone was getting out of the burning building.
 
Using my sensors to try and find out who had done this. I immediately searched for weapons in the area.
 
I near instantly locked onto the culprit. Unfortunately for them, the sensors I had on this Locust were practically magic compared to what a normal locust would have. So the van that was driving down the street already a block over, and well out of sight, that had an infantry SRM launcher resting in the back was instantly highlighted on my map.
 
Furious, I made sure all the kids were out of the mech bay before I called up the Solaris PD. And started off after them. If there was one thing that would bring swift attention from the police. It was a Battlemech heading out onto the street, weapons hot. 
 
The operator for the PD I got through my coms, sounded calm, until I explained I was chasing a van through Solaris that had just fired an Inferno round into my mechbay, while I was in my Locust.
 
That immediately got the attention I expected. They kept trying to get me to stop, or let them handle it but once I was sure the police were on their way I closed the communications channel.
 
I raced through the streets, stupid neurohelmet as always making my neck ache as I raced thundered down the road. I hadn't had a lot of practice driving this stupid thing, but with my adrenaline up I wasn't about to let that stop me. Thankfully it wasn't like I was driving over rough terrain. Flat city streets are pretty easy to run through, despite having to dodge pedestrian cars that were in the way.
 
Although when a land vehicle saw a Battlemech running down the street they usually got out of the way in a hurry. Survival instinct and all. 
 
The van didn't stand a chance of escaping me. I didn't even have to fire my SRMs when I caught up. They were stopped at a light. Making sure it was the right truck, I went right for the finale. I kicked the side of the van hard enough to knock it on it's side. My SRMs pointed at the now crashed vehicle just daring the men inside to try and make a run for it. They didn't. 
 
By the time the Solaris PD got there. I was more than content to step away, and let them handle everything. They, after all, opened the back of the Van and caught the smoking 'gun' in the hands of the men inside. 
----
===Declaration of Who We Are!===
The Solaris City PD were not in fact 'okay' with me chasing a vehicle through the streets in my Battlemech. The fact I didn't actually fire any shots, or cause any damage other than a few shocked pedestrians as I wasn't exactly moving 'slow' meant that thankfully they gave me a slap on the wrist in a hefty fine, but hauled the two men in the van away in cuffs.
 
Satisfied that at least that was done. I went back to the mechbay at a more sedate pace. Constantly in contact with Benny who had returned to the mechbay to take charge. Unfortunately, it was still burning. 
 
Inferno rounds don't just 'go out' until they are good and ready. Benny had the troops using every fire extinguisher in the building to keep it from spreading any, and thankfully the whole mechbay was concrete and steel, so it wasn't too much of a concern. What was going to burn, was already burned.
 
But it was dangerous even so. The smoke kept pouring out of it causing coughing fits in the kids until I told Benny to just let it burn. Anything damaged could be replaced. When I got back I didn't even put my Locust inside, instead I powered it down outside the mechbay in the lot, and used the extending ladder to climb out, back onto solid ground. I winced as I rubbed my neck as I walked over. Watching the smoke pour out. 
The Solaris City Fire Department did eventually arrive, but they basically ended up doing nothing once they were sure it wasn't going to spread.
 
Like I said Inferno rounds don't just get put out.
 
"Benny. Gather up everyone. We'll be having a meeting here. Now. I was planning on doing this anyways, but hell, might as well use this."
 
I climbed back up the Locust and settled in the cockpit. The backdrop of the burning Mechbay would hopefully make a powerful image. It took a little over ten minutes for all the orphans that were part of our group to line up and get ready. 
 
Honestly, there were more than I expected. Some of them weren't even orphans anymore. Some were already over 16, people that had been released into the world and expected to find an income and a life to live. Most joined military academies. Those that couldn't. Or thought they wanted to try a different way, usually ended up in the gangs. 
 
It was a rough life for us, to be thrust out into the streets of Solaris at sixteen. Many of them of course kept in touch. After all, we were all the family that each other had. So seeing the numbers standing down in front of my mech, a lot of older teens staring up at me, with a look of awe. They looked at me as the pinnacle, I was what they all wanted. Money, Mechs.
 
I settled my fluttering stomach as I started talking.
 
//"Today. We were attacked. This shouldn't be a surprise to any of you. We are orphans. All of us. Attacks from outsiders is what we deal with every day."\\ My voice echoed nicely, the crackling fire still burning inside hopefully adding something.
 
//"I caught the thugs that made the attack, but as usual, this is Solaris. We all know the people doing the job aren't the ones in charge. I bet some of us have even done things at another's order that they didn't like. That they found distasteful. We all have. If nothing changes, We will again."\\
 
//"That's why I am doing this. I offered you jobs that you could trust, because I am just like you. An orphan. Just like I am your family, you are mine. So I offered you pay when I was threatened, and gave you equipment that could keep all of us safe."\\
 
//"This thing I started building that day wasn't something I expected. It came out because someone out there wanted what I had earned. They wanted my mech. So I asked my family to join me in my blessings. To earn real pay, for real work and to be treated like more than just family-less orphans. Which we aren't. We all have a family. In each other."\\
 
//"This thing I put together grew faster than I expected, and is stronger than I ever dreamed. Look around you. Your brothers and sister stand beside you! I realize though that this can't be the end. I can't leave it at this. Some of you have been wondering, what are my intentions with my wealth, Wonder no more."\\
 
//"A few days ago I went into the ComStar Office, and registered a new Mercenary Company."\\ I let that settle over the teens hungry eyes staring up at me, as I stood tall in my cockpit, something I had made earlier hidden in my right hand pulled up as I threw the edge of it over the front of the cockpit. 
 
I had decided I might as well go full ham at this point. If I was going to do this, I would not leave my family wondering where they stood, or what it meant anymore. They needed more than just to be told they were family. They needed esprit de corps. So when I raised the flag, The red flower was bright but covered in splatters of paint as if it was dirty, the cracked white looked more like stone, or concrete. It was anything but pretty. It was rough. And dirty. 
 
It was perfect to represent my little family.
 
//"We are all orphans. Not a single one of us has blue blood. We have Blood of Iron. This is the Eisen-Blume. The Iron Flower that rises wherever our Iron Blood is spilled."\\ My voice boomed out over the group of orphans from the Locust's PA system, the look on their faces as I was offering them something more than just a job was settling in. 
 
The hungry looks I saw on every orphan from time to time, whenever someone spoke of a rich noble, or something beyond their reach. //"I am not Victoria of no name. I am Victoria Eisen-Blume. I name myself!"\\ I yelled out, and the crowd went dead silent. Names were important to all of us. By picking a last name. Well it was quite a statement.
 
I had basically told the orphanage that I wasn't an orphan anymore, that I wouldn't be coming back.
 
The flag I hooked onto a hook on the cockpit leaving it there fluttering in the wind as I rose. //"The Iron Blooded Company is open for business. We already have a contract to defend a Lyran world. We leave in two days."\\
 
I look down on not a group of children but soldiers as I finish my speech. //"My blood is ready to be spilled, but when they cut me, they will only find Iron! What will they find when they cut you!? Blood? Or IRON!"\\
 
The roar back at me, locked it in. If nothing else, I would have plenty of troops to transport. I almost sighed but I kept my back straight as my men, my soldiers roared their approval. I had so much work left to do.
 
Once everything calmed, I directed everyone to Benny. For a list of those who were willing to leave Solaris, and join the Company in full. 
 
Not one decided to stay.
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*; Chapter Note from the Author: I was laughing at every person that was realizing the Iron Blooded Orphan connection. The story wasn't originally going to have any IBO references, but as soon as the idea hit me, I kept chewing on it. At one point, I almost re-wrote the whole story to take place on a periphery planet and REALLY fall into the OBI tropes. But I decided to just include it into what I was already doing. I think it works pretty well.
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