FuH Chapter 22

=Fighting Uphill - Chapter 22=
==The Next Gig==
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===Evaluating the DropMech===
5th January, 3014
Asgard Base, Tharkad
Lyran Commonwealth
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The Great Tortoise plodded along at the blazing fast pace of fifteen kph, the fastest it could safely run along the flat ground of Asgard's Dropport tarmac. Off paved ground and on relatively soft dirt and earth, it would have to slow to its walking pace of just under eleven kph or else the sheer impact of its feet would liquefy the terrain it was running on, turning the surface into so much hot mud that would kill any speed gained from running.
And this was a problem because even a superheavy mech could walk faster than the Great Tortoise could run, even before the new superheavy Triple Strength Myomer were added to them.
"I'm sorry, ladies and gentlemen." Archon Katrina said, turning to the assembly of LCAF Generals and important civilians. "While the DropMech concept shows a lot of promise, it's clearly not a battlefield ready platform yet. If you want landed Dropships to provide tactical battlefield mobile command and artillery support functions, we'd be better off with just using regular dropships like the Fortress class and just fly them in short hops to where we need them. It'd be faster than that thing." Katrina pointed at the Great Tortoise, "It would carry more firepower besides and for the drop collar the Great Tortoise takes up, I could have a normal Dropship carrying equivalent amount of armor and far more firepower in mechs and vehicles. I'll keep funding research in DropMechs, but until you can build one that can actually keep up with the main battle line, I can't justify continued mass production."
"Well, maybe we can use the main engine to take the weight off the legs." one general in the back suggested. "Those thrusters are designed to run for weeks on end, and in any kind of dense atmosphere, they won't waste fuel as reaction mass."
"General, we've already tried that." an engineer replied. "On anything but ferrocrete, running the main thrusters like that all the time that close to the ground is going to blast out lots of debris constantly, and that will seriously erode away all of the DropMech's leg armor in less than an hour, with disabling or even outright destruction of the legs happening not long after that. That might be okay for emergencies, or for taking off for orbit and landing, but not regular on-the-ground maneuvering."
"It's a shame." Katrina said sadly. "I rather like the idea of the DropMech. It's too bad you can't put a Dropship type engine in a regular mech."
"Actually, Archon, you can." another engineer said. "Well, not a regular regular mech." he qualified, "Dropship type engines are just too big and bulky for them, but superheavies can take Dropship engines. It'd fill up most of their center torso and extrude a little into the sides, but it is doable. In theory."
"You think you can make a superheavy mech fly?" Katrina asked surprised. Even with the new Triple Strength Myomer for superheavies, Katrina had thought it was still impossible to get a superheavy mech to use jumpjets, let alone outright fly. "Why haven't you tried it yet?"
"Because your predecessor, Archon Alessandro, decided he liked the DropMech concept better, my Archon" the lead general said. Then looking somewhat embarrassed, he added, "And so did most of the High Command as well."
Katrina just stared at them for a long moment before squeezing her eyes shut as she felt an all too familiar oncoming headache. This was just one more of Alessandro's messes that she had to clean up, Katrina told herself, nothing more.
"All right." she said slowly. "I want a preliminary design proposal and cost-benefit analysis for this flying superheavy on my desk by the end of the month." Katrina opened her eyes and glared at the generals and business executives. "And I want a serious proposal, people, not a bunch of pie in the sky 'we might be able to do this' promises."
As the weapons demo ended and the group broke up, Katrina was met at the foot of the observation platform by one Simon Johnston, the man Katrina had appointed to be her head of the Lyran Intelligence Corps.
"Yes, Simon?" Katrina asked.
"Archon, as you know, Wolf's Dragoons contract with the Capellan Confederation will be running out later this year." Simon began. "They've started putting out feelers for a new employer with both us and the Draconis Combine."
"Why not the Free Worlds League?" Katrina asked thoughtfully. "Ah, of course not. They've just helped install the new Captain-General. I'm sure they've learned everything they needed about the Free Worlds League by now."
"Quite." Simon agreed. "Do you wish to acquire their services?"
"On the one hand, I dislike the idea of having known spies in my armed forces." Katrina thought aloud. "On the other hand, the fact that we know they're spies should be able to limit how much critical information we leak to them. Once Takashi gets done with the latest round of purges, he's going to want a common enemy to point the rest of his people at. With the loss of two field armies, the Commonwealth is going to look like a particularly juicy target to him, and he won't necessarily be wrong. Five regiments of the best mechwarriors in the Inner Sphere with their own integral aerospace assets will be a good start to making up for last year's losses."
"So, is that a yes?" Simon asked.
"Yes, Simon." Katrina replied. "Fighting them was already bad enough when they were on the Capellan side. I'd very much would not want to see Takashi wield them against us."
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===Final meeting with the Power Couple of Atreus===
10th August, 3014
Atreus City, Atreus
Free Worlds League
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"Ugh, if I had known how much paperwork went into being Captain-General, I might have just let Robert have it." Captain-General Duncan Marik groaned as his betrothed Candace Liao sat in his lap and played with his open collar. Unfortunately, in Duncan's opinion, they were both still fully clothed even if their uniforms were more than a bit rumpled and slightly undone here and there.
"Hmm, it's one of the dirty secrets of leadership in the Inner Sphere." Candace told him, almost whispering in his ear. "The higher the position of power you get, the more paperwork gets thrown at you. The paperwork isn't glamorous or fun, but it gives you an accurate picture of what's going on, at least as long as you don't get overwhelmed with all of it. That makes picking good subordinates who both will present you with as accurate information as possible, but at the same time have the judgment and competency to not bother you with trivia that they can take care of on their own. And if you delegate too much handling of paperwork to your subordinates, you'll wind up as nothing more than a powerless figurehead who has no idea what's going on in your own realm. It's a careful balancing act that not leader masters."
"Well then, Candy, I am so glad to have you as my very able and entertaining tutor." Duncan said, showing his thanks by nuzzling the spot where Candace's her neck met her shoulder. Candace's own head leaned back to better fit Duncan's in. "What's next?" he asked between kisses.
"Let's see." Candace giggled as she reached over to Duncan's desk and tapped in a command. "That assassin you call your personal weapons smith is representing a consortium of his fellow smiths who want a government grant to build a new factory using the information Comstar got from 'Fort Candace'." That was the name Duncan had finally decided to give the Star League facility on Helm, especially since "Fort Duncan" was already in use on Oriente. "Hmm, it's supposed to mass produce high end medium lasers, the kind that are currently only expensive handcrafts. You know, the ones that have nearly the same performance characteristics as large lasers that have been in use since before the Star League."
Alot of that was going on around the Inner Sphere since the Helm Cache had been discovered. Comstar had been by Fort Candace to download its archival files for their public libraries. People had quickly discovered information on Star League factory automation processes among lots of other new information in the new library files. Combined with what the weapon smiths of the Inner Sphere had learned and invented since the fall of the Star League, a lot of high end weaponry that had been only specialty handcrafted items before were soon going to be common issue. The Lyrans for example were already building factories to mass produce Light Gauss Rifles that hit as hard as a standard Star League model like the one in Candace's Cyclops.
"Grant it." Duncan told her without taking his physical attentions off her neck.
"Okay." Candace agreed as she tapped the approved command into the desk. "Everyone invested into the old large laser factories are going to riot though."
"Hmm, let them." Duncan replied as he weighed his chances of getting away with unbuttoning more of Candace's shirt. "They can talk to all the soldiers who will be replacing their old large lasers with these new advanced mediums." He paused as a thought occurred to him. "Maybe we should also finance upgrading their large lasers to something more advanced."
"Sadly, Parliament only grants you so much money in your budget." Candace told him. "You're already pretty close to the limit if you haven't gone over yet. We should double check everything when we're done, and you're probably going to have to start making decisions on what to cut."
"Argh, more paperwork!" Duncan groaned, abandoning Candace's neckline to lean his head back against his luxury executive chair's headrest.
"Better a little paperwork now than having to fight a war later because you didn't get it right the first time." Candace told him as she took advantage of Duncan's new position to get in some neck nuzzling of her own.
"I'm beginning to doubt that, Candy." Duncan murmured as he enjoyed her attentions.
The intercom buzzed. "Captain-General, Colonel Wolf and Major Kerensky are here to see you." Duncan secretary said.
Candace immediately jumped out of Duncan's lap and started trying to make herself presentable. She quickly buttoned up everything that needed buttoning, but there was only so much Candace could do to straighten out her hair and clothing. Duncan did the same, if not as hurriedly. They were reasonably presentable with Candace standing by his side, Duncan thought, when Wolf and Kerensky were let into his office.
"Colonel Wolf, Major Kerensky, thank you for coming so promptly." Duncan greeted, rising from his seat to shake Colonel Wolf's hand.
"It is no problem, Captain-General." Colonel Wolf replied unflappably. If he noticed the slightly disheveled state of Candace and Duncan, he was professional enough not to give any indication of it.
The same couldn't be said of Major Kerensky who looked both Duncan and Candace up and down shamelessly. She smirked and raised an eyebrow.
"Perhaps we came too promptly, quiaff?" Kerensky asked knowingly. She laughed when Duncan blushed like an embarrassed schoolboy, then spotted the open petition projected above Duncan's desk and looked at Duncan again. "Now why haven't we thought of that?" Kerensky asked rhetorically. She turned to Wolf. "Next time I have fill out one of those stupid reports you insist on, I'm going to borrow Joshua while I do them."
Colonel Wolf only acknowledged her with a nod, as if he were entirely accustomed to this kind of borderline insubordination. Which he probably was, now that Duncan thought about it.
"So, Colonel, it's come to my attention that your contract with the Capellan Confederation is expiring later this year and that you're looking for a new employer." Duncan said quickly. "You're looking at the Lyran Commonwealth and the Draconis Combine, but not the Free Worlds League?"
"Duncan, I believe Colonel Wolf has learned everything he needed to about the Free Worlds League while working for the Capellan Confederation." Candace told him.
"Actually, Senior Colonel, we Dragoons go where the action is." Wolf corrected before Duncan could ask when Candace meant.
"Ugh, yes." Kerensky said with disgust. "Peace is breaking out all over the Free Worlds League. Stomping on a few rebellious holdouts is hardly worth our time, especially when you now control the whole FWLM and have an excess of military power for it."
"If action is what you desire, I'm sure I can loan your services to our Capellan allies." Duncan offered. "Hanse Davion's fleet did a number on the Capellan systems he passed through on his way out of the League, and he's now camped out on New Aragon just right when Candace's father was going to take it back. I've sent him some FWL units to firm up his Federated Suns border, but he wants more."
"That's If he wants me to lead the liberation of New Aragon of course." Candace added with a sigh. "And for that matter, the other worlds you've taken from the Confederation for House Davion. I'd love to have the Dragoons and your advice for the campaign. And because you'll be working for the Free Worlds League, the contract clause stipulating that you don't be used against your previous employer will no longer apply to the Suns."
"I am honored, Senior Colonel, but I'm afraid I have to decline." Wolf apologized. "I have already accepted contract with the Lyran Commonwealth. It is already looking like the conflict between House Steiner and Kurita will be bigger than just kicking Hanse Davion off a few planets."
"I'm still mad that I never got to fight him." Kerensky groused. "Maybe I should form my own mercenary company and take Captain-General Duncan's offer."
"You have no head for money side of the mercenary business." Wolf told her. "You would have no money and no mechs inside a year unless you go pirate."
Kerensky said nothing in reply, just acknowledged Wolf's statement with an angry pout and a nod.
"Ah, well in that case, Colonel, I hope you won't take this the wrong way, but I hope I don't see you across the battlefield from me in the future." Duncan told him.
"Do not worry about that, Captain-General." Wolf replied. "Given how... close you and the Confederation have worked together, I made sure the LCAF High Command understood that the Free Worlds League was included with the Capellan Confederation in our 'previous employer' clause. I didn't want any misunderstandings. After all, given how closely allied you two are now, sending us against FWL targets will almost inevitably include Capellan defenders. So you will not be fighting us, not for the next five years anyway."
"Thank you again, Colonel Wolf." Duncan said sincerely. "Whenever Candace's father and I finally get around to negotiating the date of our marriage, we'll make sure to send you an invitation." Duncan sagged a bit and added dejectedly, "It'll probably be some time next year. Or longer."
"Probably not that long." Candace said. "But yes, enough time to plan a properly grand wedding and invite everyone of importance in the Inner Sphere. Which given how many of those important people want to kill each other, the wedding will probably be on Terra."
"I look forward to attending." Colonel Wolf told them, smiling. "And not just because it is the two of you getting married. I have always wanted to visit Terra. Captain-General, Senior Colonel, farewell."
"Blake be with you, Colonel, Major." Duncan said in farewell.
"And good luck on your spy mission!" Candace added.
Colonel Wolf winced but acknowledged Candace's sentiment with a nod.
"Blake be with us?" Major Kerensky said thoughtfully to herself as she and Wolf exited the office. "Blake is all about peace. That must be why I have been missing so many glorious battles. Jerome Blake must be mess..."
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The closing door cut Duncan off from hearing what else Kerensky was saying.
"Candy?" Duncan said as he swept Candace back into his arms.
"Yes, Duncan?" Candace replied as she put her own arms around his shoulders.
''
"What did you mean about Colonel Wolf's spy mission?" Duncan asked.
"You don't...?" Candace began in surprise. Then she buried her face in Duncan's chest and began laughing softly. "Oh, of course you don't know."
"Candy?"
"Duncan, everyone in the Inner Sphere knows that Wolf's Dragoons are scouting the Inner Sphere for General Alexandr Kerensky's returning army." Candace said pulling her head back to look into Duncan's eyes, still in good humor.
"Wait, so Major Kerensky..." Duncan began as realization hit.
"...is probably directly descended from Alexandr Kerensky himself." Candace finished for him. Her smile faded as she saw the pensive expression. "Duncan, what's wrong?"
"The SLDF returning might not be a good thing." Duncan replied, thinking of Major Kerensky. He had done a lot of field training exercises with the Dragoons, and Natasha Kerensky had struck him as more representative of Dragoon culture than the much more diplomatic Jaime Wolf. And if the descendants of Kerensky's SLDF exiles were more like Major Kerensky...
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