Foresight (ATwT) Chpt 10

Anna Devail's office
The Will (Union-class DropShip)
Crucis March, Federated Suns
28th May, 3102
From Malagrotta the Devails’ Devils had been taken from the Periphery March by the Federated Suns and informed that they were being taken to the Capellan March to join an offensive against the Capellan Confederation. Planners hoped that the Devil’s Clan technology would be a nasty surprise to the Capellans.  As part of the plan the unit was taken through multiple other systems to the staging world of Torrence in the Crucis March only a single jump from New Avalon.
Torrence was a beautiful breadbasket world in the heart of the Federated Suns having never faced external invasion and only rarely seen pirate activity.  The population lived rich and comfortable lives which was in stark contrast to any of the worlds that the Devils had previously visited.  One of the main employers on the planet was Veridian Dynamics which had a massive combat vehicle factory on the planet.
“I said no” Anna Devalis said looking up at Eric Storm.
“Anna…”' he begun, if looks could have killed Eric knew that he’d be dead “Star Captain, please listen” he said using her official rank only he was ever allowed to use it and only when they were in private.  The two of them had agreed that if he decided to use her Clan rank then there was a reason for the good of the Clan for him to be using it.  “Kathryn’s Black Hawk was crippled on Malagrotta, we had no choice but to scrap it the weapons have already been salvaged.  She will pilot the Atlas II in your lance and I am joining it as all of my Mechs are now gone.  I was a MechWarrior with the Watch, I have led men into battle and I have failed them, I will not command men once more but I can still fight.  This is my surkai to this unit.”  He said invoking the Clan Rite of Forgiveness.
“This is not what I am not agreeing with.” she admitted while she was sad that Eric was willing to give up on commanding a lance of his own in battle, she understood his choice.
“With our reduced Mech numbers it makes sense for us to pad out our firepower with what we can.  We can afford the vehicles produced here on Torrence and Veridian Dynamics will give us a discount if we feed performance back to them.”  He explained his idea with less Mechs in the unit they had room to reconfigure the Union-class DropShip making it easier for them to deploy the armored vehicles as well.
“We do not serve for House Davion!”  She snapped although it was in their contract the unit was still on a mission from Clan Nova Cat, something she did not want to let go.
“Neg, we do not however this deal will serve this unit.” Eric Storm countered “and we could serve our Clan with this deal.  The T-21D Tiger II Tank is based on the T-12 Tiger which has served the Federated Suns since the Reunification War.  Our Clan would be well placed to understand what it could face in the future.”  He explained the fifty-five ton tank was a solid desig with a Rotary Autocannon, Multi-Missile Launcher, machine guns, a magshot gauss rifle, heavy armor and an ECM suite unfortunately they were slow only capable of sixty-four kilometers per hour.  The Devils would have three of them to back up their single Joust Main Battle Tank and provide a fire support role for the BattleMechs.  “The two Vali’s are a new take on the Star League’s support tank but instead of using a weapon we are familiar with, the Arrow IV Artillery Missile, the engineers at Veridian Dynamics have sunk two Extended Range ten-tube Long Range Missile launchers into it.  They have superior range to any Clan missile in service presently something else we need to understand.”
“Again, you make a fine argument Eric, which is why you make a good XO for me and for this command.  You fought well in the battles that have brought you here, it is not your fault that the warriors under your command died.  I will accept your surkai, however, I still do not agree with your final decision.”
“We need the BattleMechs," he explained their previous fights had shown how easy it was to lose them and their pilots. "We are currently a short company if you include the vehicles.  Adding the four Mechs will bring us up to a full company and they come with their own Leopard.  These mercs do not want to fight on their own and they are willing to follow our lead, we can keep them isolated on their own DropShip and tell them exactly what we have told Wilsbacher about our past.”  He explained during their time on Torrence a small mercenary command known as Sanderson’s Rebels made up of six warriors had approached them and requested to join the Devalis’ Devils after hearing about the command’s battles against the Nova Cats and their successes against various pirate bands.  The unit came with its own Leopard-class DropShip which would make keeping the unit’s Nova Cat mission under wraps easier, though the addition of the armor crews onboard The Will would make that more difficult.  They would tell the newcomers the same as they told Matt Wilsbacker that the unit originated within Clan Nova Cat but has been caste out and were now alone, now that they were going to be far from the Nova Cat’s Den sending secret messages to the Clan would be near impossible anyway they’d have to play a longer game in their contact with the Clan.  “We could use their scouting expertise and they have two Mechs that could come in useful defending our armour’s flanks.”
“Those murder machines are no BattleMech, when faced with a real target they will fall immediately.  We would be better with a pair of IndustrialMechs!”  Anna Devalis complained “You neglect to mention their real ‘prize’” she said sarcastically.
“Their prize is exactly that, Captain.” Eric said trying to remain calm.  “They have not one but two Land-Air-Mechs” he saw Anna’s face twist in disgust “I know this Clan’s founder hated the LAM program, I know it has been instilled in Clan Nova Cat ever since, but the beasts are on the rise again in the Inner Sphere.  Entire regiments of the dezgra machines are in service with various nations.  The two Screamer LAMs in Sanderson’s Lance are cutting edge machines built within the last ten years they have improvements the Inner Sphere has made to the technology hardwired into them.  We will be at the front research into them, we could learn a wealth about their capabilities.”
“Most likely as much as I could learn shooting one from the sky.” Anna Devalis said still angry at the thought of having them in her command.  She looked up at him “You really think they could be an asset to us, quiaff?”
“Aff, I do” he answered “We cannot afford to pay for four Mechs and yes two LAMs on our own nor can we hire more pilots and still be able to get the armor lance and pay for modifications to this DropShip.  We need to compromise and since losing our own fighters this is what we need to do for the good of the command.”
“LAMs cannot defeat aerospace fighters in open combat, you know this, Quiaff?”  Eric nodded “I hope Sanderson’s people know how to use their machines as I have no idea how to utilize them nor do I particularly wish to learn.”  She admitted glancing down and then back to him “but then this unit was not created to do things I wish to do.”  She said standing up reaching out with her hand “Eric, you may doubt your capabilities as a commander but listen to me now, your argument for these ‘changes’ our unit is going through are for the good of this unit and for the good of our mission.  Those are hallmarks of a good leader.”  She said shaking his hand “You are good for this unit and I am sure, eventually, we will find that these additions you have made here will be good for it as well.”
“Thank you, Star Captain” he said using her true rank as a reflection of his respect for her and his thanks for her agreeing to his suggestions.  Administering a unit and making decisions for the good of its future were easy but leading men into battle, that was still something that Eric would be wary about for some time.  “Now let’s meet these new additions.”
---------
Previous Chapter - Foresight Index - Next Chapter
Category:Foresight Chapters
Category:Works by DragonCat