AWF Chpt 46

-----
=Chapter 46=
<<Previous Chapter - Return to Story Index - Next Chapter>>
-----
==A Warrior's Family==
----
===Return to Monhegan===
Monhegan
Federated Suns
December 3029
----
The flight back to Monhegan was uneventful. They were off planet and back to the jump point before the Capellan Aerospace Fighters could catch up with them. Grizzly and Patrick were both put into medical observation for the duration of the return flight. Patrick's 'mech cockpit had sustained several hits from missiles and Grizzly's mech had fallen during the raid. According to the docs both of those events required several days in the sick bay even though both MechWarriors weren't feeling injured.
Hap spent most of his time helping the techs repair armor and reassuring David that Patrick wasn't going to kick him out of his lance. David said he understood but he still moped around the ship for the week it took to return to Monhegan.
When the DropShip finally landed Hap was glad to get off of it. As Hap parked his Griffin he saw Mags and Joker in the 'mech bay touching-up the paint job on their 'mechs. They saw him they walked across the gantry to speak to him.
"Glad to see you're back, Jefe." Mags said
"Yeah, Anastasia has gone crazy since you left." Joker added
Hap looked at their 'Mechs and noticed that Anastasia had repainted her Mech but it seemed to be an inverted version of the McFinnigan "tartan" camo specs. "I see she repainted her mech." Hap said.
"Yeah, she put the tartan on the other shoulder, when I asked why she said, because she is left-handed." Mags said.
"That's not crazy." Hap said, "I thought you were going to tell me she weaponized the mint in the garden on the barrack's roof."
"Is that she meant when she said mint's probably the apex predator of the herb world?" Joker asked.
Mags shook her head, "No, she was trying to explain to you why there was mostly mint in the herb box."
"That still sounds normal for Anastasia." Hap said. "Did you guys all go out and get matching tattoos?"
"You're laughing now," Joker said, "but wait till you see your room."
"What has she done with my room?" Hap asked
Joker and Mags exchanged looks. Joker cleared his throat. "Well we need to get cleaned up."
Hap slung his back pack. "I'd better go see what Anastasia has been up to."
As Hap walked through the 'mech bay he could feel the cold air blowing in from the open bay doors. One of the techs piloted Patrick's Dragon, and as it entered the bay another tech was already closing the giant doors. Hap could feel a few hot air blowers as he walked to one of the man-doors.
Hap stepped out into a cold crisp fall day. The sky was a clear blue and the sun was out, but it was cold. Small piles of snow were gathered in the corners of buildings and other shady spots. Hap took in a deep breath. It was good to be off the DropShip. He made a mental note he'd need to get a lightweight jacket or something warm for his go-bag. He walked as quickly as he could to the barracks, glad that Anastasia had him purchase new and warm clothes before ComStar effectively restricted them to the company area. He was looking forward to a hot shower and thicker clothes.
It was mid-afternoon and Hap assumed the barracks would be mostly empty. He heard Rolf's heavy metal music and found him in the spare room that he had turned into a weight room. As he walked past Rolph looked up from the bench where he was doing curls, "Hey Hap, everyone make it back?"
Hap stepped into the room and nodded as Rolph turned down the music, "Yeah Patrick and Grizzly got scuffed up a little, but I think the Doc's already cleared Grizzly, and Patrick should be fine in a few days."
Rolph nodded, "Good. Nothing new around here. You guys blow up some Capellan shit?"
"Yeah, we also ran into a Goliath.", Hap told him.
Rolph dropped his weights, "No shit, a GOL-1H Goliath? I thought they only had tanks?"
"Yeah the intel that was based off of pictures, and from overhead that Goliath looked like a tank."
Rolph nodded. "I could see how someone could make that mistake. Did you bring down the Goliath?"
"No." Hap shook his head, "We had gotten hit pretty badly before we realized that we were up against a Goliath. Patrick didn't feel confident about trying to take on the Goliath, and I couldn't argue. I took a couple shots at it and all I managed to do was chip his paint, and piss him off."
Rolph picked up his weights, "Only a few 'mechs have more armor than a Goliath, and it was a raid, so you wouldn't have been able to salvage the 'mech anyway." Rolph did a few reps, "still it would have been badass to have a Goliath in our company. I'd trade my Trebuchet for that in a heartbeat."
"Yeah, who wouldn't?" Hap agreed, "I think I'll leave you to your workout." Hap said and Rolph nodded and turned his music back up.
Hap walked down the hall and moved aside the privacy screen. His room looked completely different. There were rich burgundy and purple curtains over the window. Two floor-to-ceiling bookshelves had been installed in addition to a wardrobe, and another wall locker had been placed into the room.
His bed had a burgundy and purple quilt that had a shield divided into four with a fox in the upper left hand corner, and a raven in the lower right. The upper right corner had a blue and gold checkered pattern and the lower left was a fleur-de-lis.
In the corner of the room Anastasia was sitting at a small writing desk in the corner. Anastasia was wearing her silk robe. She was applying makeup using a small table top mirror. She saw Hap's reflection in the mirror and stood up so quickly she knocked her chair over. "Harold, you're back."
Before Hap could react she almost tackled him with a hug. Hap found himself pulled down to kiss her. He enjoyed the moment and the embrace and then took a careful step toward the bed.
Anastasia gently pushed back, "You smell like a DropShip."
"I've been on a DropShip for nearly two weeks." Hap replied
"Exactly. You need a shower and then you need to get into your dress uniform." Anastasia playfully turned him around and then pushed him toward the water closet.
Hap decided to tease Anastasia by walking slowly, "Why do I need to get into my dress uniform?" Hap glanced over his shoulder and noticed Anastasia was wearing her Davion green dress trousers."
"We're meeting with the MRB representative and the AFFS mercenary liaison for dinner." She gave him another gentle shove, "Now get in the shower while I lay out your dress uniform."
"The MRB and AFFS reps are coming here to see us?" Hap asked as he started to undress in the bathroom and Anastasia retreated to his wall locker.
"This is the most inquisitive I've ever seen you, and it's at the worst time. Yes. They are coming to see us, and meet the company leadership." Anastasia said as she gathered clothes. "Now that McFinnigan and Sons is affiliated with AFFS wants to see what they've gotten out of the alliance, and I believe the MRB is taking this opportunity for a routine inspection of the company."
"Sounds like a lovely evening." Hap said sarcastically as he got into the shower and pulled the curtain.
"Agreed. If it were up to me, we'd enjoy a quiet evening in." Anastasia said. Hap could hear her putting his dirty clothes in the hamper. "Now I smell like a DropShip's air filtration system." She moaned.
"You want to join me in the shower?" Hap asked half kidding, half hopeful.
"We really don't have time for that. We'll likely be late as it is." Anastasia said.
As Hap started to wash himself he heard Anastasia set her makeup kit on the bathroom sink. "Anastasia" Hap called out, "Where did the furniture come from? Did you to risk assassination to go shopping?"
"No, our personal effects arrived." Anastasia said "Before deploying I had put all my room furnishings in storage. Now that we're assigned to McFinnigan and Sons our possessions were shipped to us."
Hap thought for a moment, he hadn't seen anything of his. "Our personal effects? I think all I saw were the furnishings for a young countess's dorm room."
"I'm not a countess yet, and three of your duffel bags, a weapons case, and a tough box arrived. The bags mostly contained uniforms, a few clothes and field gear. I unpacked those. I secured your weapons in the company armory. The tough box contained equipment for making beer, and is under the bed. There was also a rather obnoxious lamp. I assumed this was most of your worldly possessions seeing as how you generally live a Spartan lifestyle, and I assumed that your mean spirited ex-wife took any furniture or items of material value in the divorce." Anastasia said.
Hap mentally reviewed what he had locked away in the company storage area before they deployed to Klathandu. She was correct he lived a pretty minimalist lifestyle, The BOQ was furnished and he had let his ex take most of his furniture. One item didn't make sense, "What lamp are you talking about?"
"It was a lurid wall lamp of a buxom trollop with a very low cut blouse. She was leaning over in such a way that she was about to spill out more than just the beer glasses in her hands." Anastasia said.
"Oh The Yangtze Pale Ale Gal." Hap said, "I won her in a promotional event the Yangtze brewing company did with the militia. I had almost forgotten about her."
"Well now you've contributed her to the Tir na nOg's galley." Anastasia said.
If it had been anything else he would have been angry that she had just given it away without asking him. He was still annoyed, just on principal, but he had never known what to do with the lamp. It was obnoxious, and not his style. "I'm surprised Joker didn't try to steal it."
"He did, and Mags suggested it go to the galley. When I took it there Kelly was happy to find a place for it, but Elinor was less than pleased with your contribution."
"My involuntary contribution." Hap clarified, "What did the grand dame of the company say about it?"
"Oh we'll hang up trash and treat it like fine art, but we crack my fine china because we don't know how to treat centuries old heirlooms." Anastasia said perfectly mimicking Elinor's annoyance and accent.
Hap thrust his head out of the shower expecting to see Elinor standing beside Anastasia. Anastasia was alone applying the last touches to her eye makeup. She glanced over at Hap, "I'm sorry I've spent a lot of time with Elinor and Roweyna lately. That accent starts to grow on you. Elinor's also quite nice, and rarely goes anywhere, she seems to watch all the children."
"I get the sense she really loves children." Hap said as he rinsed off and finished his shower.
"Roweyna gets that sense as well, or rather Elinor often tells her how much she greatly desires 'proper' grandchildren." Anastasia said as she started to put away her makeup kit. "Although, Patrick has a son and wife back on Donegal. She left because of Patrick's alcoholism. Elinor wishes they were here."
"The funny thing is, when Patrick's sober he's a good lance leader and nice guy." Hap said, "Even drunk he's not that bad." Hap dried off and was glad to see Anastasia had put out clean undergarments.
"Given how little we see him sober, and how generally surly and sarcastic he is, I can understand why his wife isn't living with him."
Anastasia left the bathroom as Hap pulled on the dress trousers and buttoned up his dress shirt. He walked into his bedroom to find Anastasia trying to button her sunburst vest to her jacket. He helped her get it buttoned, and then she returned the favor. They paused to admire their reflection in the large mirror that had also been delivered with Anastasia's things.
Anastasia turned to look at the real Hap. She ran her fingers along one of the sun rays of the vest and carefully adjusted Hap's service ribbons and a regional medal had been awarded. "You look good, my love." She looked again at her reflection, "And I look like someone's daughter playing MechWarrior."
"You look fine, and you were rushing me to get dressed, so we'd better go." Hap gave her a playful nudge, "It's not like you have ball gowns or cocktail dresses to choose from."
Anastasia quietly opened the wardrobe revealing it was stuffed full of gowns and dresses, "I have several dresses that would perfectly complement Davion Green, or the yellow in the sunburst."
"Alright, so this uniform isn't flattering on you, but you earned the right to wear it." Hap told her, "There will be other times and places to wear those dresses."
Anastasia gave the dresses a longing look before closing the wardrobe. As they left the barracks Hap asked, "What happened with you and Mags that you decided to take over my room?"
"A few things changed while you were gone." Anastasia said dismissively.
"What things changed?" Hap asked
"I'm just glad your back and you weren't hurt during your mission. I heard Grizzly and Patrick were injured." Anastasia said.
"Yeah" Hap replied. He decided to ignore, for the moment, the way she was changing the subject. "We ran into a Goliath. If you'd been there it probably wouldn't have been a nasty surprise."
"I sense that Patrick doesn't care for me, and he already has a Valkyrie pilot organic to his lance."
"David nearly got fired so if you're looking for an opening you can talk to Patrick." Hap buttoned his own service jacket and found his sunburst vest .
"I'm content with my current lance." Anastasia replied, "I like my lancemates, particularly my lance leader. I also understand Grizzly complains incessantly."
"That's an understatement." Hap said as he opened the door to the stairwell. "Where are we going?"
"The Tir na nOg's the formal dining room." Anastasia said as she started walking down the stairs.
"The Tir na nOg has a formal dining room?" Hap asked.
"Yes, it's below the command deck. It's rarely used because Elinor feels the members of the company are generally too rowdy for formal meals. She only allows the room and her fine china to be used for very special occasions." Anastasia explained as they stepped outside. "Roweyna told me there was an incident, but she refused to elaborate. I will be on my best behavior, and I suggest you do the same."
"I doubt Elinor is concerned with you getting too rowdy." Hap smiled as he tried to imagine what was considered too rowdy for McFinnigan and Sons and how Anastasia could be drawn into it.
"As long as the commander isn't forcing me to help him finish a bottle of whiskey you're probably right." Anastasia said.
"Yeah, that evening did get a little rowdy now that you mention it." Hap said.
"I don't recall ever being that sick in my life." Anastasia said as they started up the DropShip's ramp.
Hap chuckled, "So you worried about meeting a new member of ComStar?"
"No. Roweyna said the MRB usually sends," her voice changed to mimic Rowyena, "'ah simperin' little man in a robe that speaks incessantly of the good will of a long dead man that has so far been unable to stop centuries of war."
"We'll that's too bad, I know how you prefer your acolytes to be of the sarcastic and bitter variety." Hap said as he punched in his pass code.
A man behind them cleared his throat. Hap and Anastasia turned to see a tall man in an expensive black dress suit briskly coming up the ramp. He was easily more than half a century old, his silver hair was slicked back but he looked strong and athletic. He had an aristocratic air of authority about him. He had an elegant walking cane in one hand, but it was obviously just for fashion.
"Subaltern Vallois and Captain Calahad. I too happen to be running late, this is quite fortuitous, some might even say, by Blake's good will." Both officers were surprised at how quickly and effortlessly he climbed the ramp, "I'm Kristoff Tempes, the Comstar's representative for the Mercenary Review Board."
----
<<Previous Chapter - Return to Story Index - Next Chapter>>
046, Chapter