ADO Chpt 19

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==Rise and BreakChapter 19 - Aurigan Dreams (BattleTech CYOA)==
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===Briefing===
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"We can expect the raid to make landfall in just over six days." says Raju in a briefing for the leadership of the Rimward Sentinels, "Between the DropShips and the units they are claiming to belong to, we can expect between sixty and seventy two 'Mechs along with a full squadron of ASFs."
"What about shooting them down?" asks Tom, "We have a couple of ASF squadrons of our own and the locals have to have some as well."
"We've spoken with Lord Arano about this and the consensus is that our pilots are too inexperienced while their ASFs are too light." answers Commodore Geary, "It might be viable depending on what sort of aerospace opposition our enemies will be fielding, but until we know what sort of ASFs we'll be facing, it is too much of a gamble."
"We have been able to get some details on whom we are facing." says Raju, "To get started, that Dictator and Mule both belong to the Grey Bulls. Despite the name, they don't actually have anything to do with the Taurians and are a 'Mech-based mercenary unit with roughly two companies in that Dictator of theirs. Mostly mediums and lights with a few heavies, but no assaults while their MechWarriors are mostly Regular-rated with a few Greens and Veterans in the mix. Lord Arano had some relatively recent MRB records on them at hand because Lord Espinosa came across them in his search for pirate assets in this part of the Periphery."
"Wait, are these guys pirates then?" asks Vance from amongst the crowd.
"Nothing has been proven so they still have good standing with the MRB." answers Raju with a scowl, "However, they are well known in these parts and it is something of an open secret that they engage in piracy on the side. Just nothing provable since they are smart enough to avoid getting caught doing anything that would send their reputation down the drain. Don't expect any honor from them.
"There is one last thing that we can expect from the Grey Bulls before we move on, which is that they have a chronic lack of technicians. Their 'Mechs will be functional, but they won't be in good shape. Not like our 'Mechs are. Unless their new friends have chosen to give them some help for this job."
"What friends?" asks Vance.
"Farron Military Solutions," states Raju, "Owners of the Overlord and the Invader JumpShip. They're a multi-regiment unit, but only one of those regiments is a 'Mech regiment. The others are a tank and a couple of infantry, but that is getting off-topic because we are only dealing with that Overlord this time around. We can expect a full battalion of well-looked after BattleMechs aboard that ship and given what they are after on this raid, we are expecting them to be higher in tonnage. Farron Military Solutions aren't the Wolf's Dragoons or the Eridani Light Horse, but they are a cut above the usual second or third rate mercenary units that you find out here."
"What Major Montgomery means is that Farron Military Solutions won't be pushovers and they'll make you ground pounders work for your victory." says Commodore Geary.
"Which brings us to the deployment plan that we agreed to with Lord Arano," says Raju as the briefing gets into the nitty-gritty.
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===Discussion about Liz's Family===
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"What's this Basil guy like, Liz?" asks Kamea as I step out of the simulator.
Ever since we got news of the raid, I've been spending what time I can spare in the sims, getting ready for the upcoming fight. I'm still really inexperienced, but every bit helps and I've got the position to call rank to get whatever access I want to the simulators. Because I own them and all.
"An arsehole and a poor example of the Herman family." I answer, "I don't know why you are asking me that though. You're better off asking Vanessa or Vance, those two actually know him."
"He's your half-brother." replies Kamea as if stating something obvious.
"By blood, but I've never even met the man." I tell her, "As I told your father, he got banned from the Herman Ducal Palace before I arrived on Bromhead. I've had zero opportunity to meet him let alone get to know him. And that is just fine with me because at best, he thinks of me as nothing more than a thieving Neo-barbarian who takes what isn't hers."
"Youch," replies Kamea, "I had no idea that things were that bad between you. But you've seriously never had the chance to meet him?"
"Nope," I tell her, giving her a look as I walk past her and out of the room, "Look, Kamea, I'm sweaty and stinky after my time in the sim and someone else is waiting to use it. You want to interrogate me, it can wait until I've had my shower."
"Okay, but how come you have never met him?" asks Kamea as the Arano heiress follows me into the corridor.
"I never met any of the Hermans before I went to Bromshead to collect the Rimward Sentinels," I answer, "In fact, I didn't even know who my biological father was before his lawyers contacted me about his will."
"What?" exclaims Kamea, "If you never…how did you get to inherit everything if you had never met him?"
"He left to me in his will and made sure to legally cover his bases," I explain, "There was enough crew aboard the ships to keep the locals from forcefully seizing them and rather than pass up the opportunity of a lifetime, I claimed my inheritance. Also, it wasn't everything. Ava got the planet and the title of Duchess and everyone got a split of his C-Bills. There was probably a bunch of other stuff that I never knew about. I just got the command of the mercenary unit and a share of the C-Bills. Everything I got was from the Rimward Sentinels was already part of the unit when Duke Herman died."
"Wow, no wonder Basil Herman is so upset." says Kamea, "Not that it justifies anything, but letting all of that slip through his fingers. I know that I would be furious."
"It sucks for them, but I can't say that I'm sorry." I say, "I never sought any of it out, just accepted what was offered to me. I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to …to help people and strengthen the Coalition. As I said, it was the opportunity of a lifetime and I have no regrets in taking it."
"I guess I have no right to complain about that," says Kamea, "I wouldn't have my Atlas to pilot if you didn't and Father wouldn't have the Argo."
"Speaking of the Argo, how is that doing?" I ask, desiring a change in subject.
"Doctor Murad has successfully restored it to basic functionality at Tyrlon's shipyards," answers Kamea, "but she reports that it will take at least the rest of the year to get the Argo back into fully functional condition. Minus the odd quirk here and there."
"Really?" I say, "I'm surprised it is that easy to repair."
Except I am not because I know better thanks to those infernal memories about…not thinking about that, nope.
"Star League engineering," answers Kamea as if that explains everything and in a way, it kind of does, "And it was deliberately built to be easily repairable and to do so without access to the advanced infrastructure of the Star League. I don't have the expertise to understand the details, but Doctor Murad is telling Father that the Argo was designed to be intentionally easy to repair. Otherwise we would be looking at significantly longer than just several months to finish repairing the Argo."
"That's good to hear," I say, "Even if the map was the real treasure, it is nice that the Argo itself will be useful. It has over fifty thousand tons of cargo bay right? Not quite as much as a Behemoth, but certainly more than a Mammoth."
A shame that I won't be able to get it, but I already have a bunch of DropShips and as cool as the Argo is, I do already have the real prize from it. Even if I have to share that treasure with Lord Arano and Lord Espinosa.
"It will be a boost to the economy once Father has it working again," says Kamea as we reach my quarters, "Something to worry about once we have fought off this raid. Can you believe that Father put our lance in the rear, away from all of the fighting?"
"Yes," I answer bluntly as I open the door and step inside, "I'm a crappy MechWarrior and you're the heir to the Coalition."
And with that, I close the door and begin to get ready for my shower, ignoring whatever else the Arano heiress has to say.
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==Author's Chapter Notes==
;Word from the Author: This update is a bit shorter than I would like and took a bit longer to write than I would have liked, but it was a troublesome one I ended up deleting most of it because the briefing had become too much telling without enough showing. The replacement scene isn't really that much better, but it is good enough for me to accept it.Beyond that, Kamea gets updated on Liz's relationship with the Hermans and Liz gets updated on the Argo. The raid itself will be beginning next update.
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