IBC Chpt 2-3

==Iron Blooded Commander - Chapter 2.3 - Raise your Flag==
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===Matter of Trust===
Red BaseOutskirts of Starboro CityZaniah III, Lyran Commonwealth3020
Time passed quickly enough after. Our short bootcamp did wonders for the kids, especially since limitations like ammo, or fuel didn't exist for us. Every day there were lines of soldiers shooting out into the desert under Sergeant Kurtz. Who seemed to be doing well actually. Despite being out in the desert he looked more put together than he had been just a few months ago back on Solaris.
 
The older man was clean shaven other than his mustache that now looked better than it did when we met on Solaris, plus, he actually looked rather pleased as he would run the kids through training every day. It seemed to agree with him. 
 
During their training there was a group I made sure to tell Sergeant Kurtz to mark down. The calmest least aggressive kids got noted down, and out of those, I passed a secret to each of them with orders to not tell anyone and keep it to themselves.
 
Each secret would lead to a stash of snacks. That would be much appreciated by the teens running through boot camp every day. Those that managed to keep silent, and not hit the stash were added to the list, and one day I pulled them aside. One by one. With a simple question.
 
"What is the most important job in our entire Company, and why isn't it filled yet?" 
 
The question stumped every person I asked. When they gave an answer that wasn't the right one. I simply shook my head, told them, there would be a meeting soon.
 
That built up a certain amount of mystique to the question. In the end, a week after the questions I pulled them all into a meeting downstairs. The group was thirty six of the quiet soldiers, those that were calm and tended more towards taking care of the others. When they gathered it went silent. The discipline that had started to come out as the Centurion reward hung over their heads was still incredibly effective.
 
"I have asked all of you a very important question. None of you managed to give me the correct answer. Today I am going to tell you that answer." I let that statement echo around the dark room. I was currently standing on a vehicle that was hidden by a white tarp, and the entire rest of the room was dark, not a single light active.
 
"The Eridani Light Horseman learned this lesson three hundred years ago. They attempted to leave Kuritan space, finding the next Dragon to be too dangerous to continue to work for. Ah. I bet with that little hint most of you know the answer now. The non-combatants of the ELH were taken prisoner while the main forces were off working. They didn't have anyone there to protect them. So in the end. They were massacred. Every one of them. That is why the ELH created the most important job in their company. Those that don't stride forward to fight the enemy. But instead stay behind. To protect that which is most important."
 
I stopped there. Letting the knowledge stew around the room for a while. I could see the understanding flow through the room. "You are the ones that if you accept this appointment won't receive the accolades on the battlefield. In fact if we do our jobs right, and our employer never betrays us, you may never see combat. But I don't find that likely."
I stepped down from the vehicle, grabbing one end of the tarp, and pulled hard. The entire sheet came fluttering down beside me revealing the utterly pristine, LRM Carrier. 
 
"This is what I decided on. A unit of LRM carriers, who's only job is to stand not on the battlefield for money, but on the battlefield where loss means the end of us all."
 
"Commander." 
 
I turn towards the voice. Marcus. He was someone I knew well. We were around the same age, and had lived together in the orphanage for years after all. "Marcus?"
 
"I'll be honest, when you gave us that question, we all thought the same. Mechs, or maybe officers. And when you brought us down here I expected to maybe get offered a mech or something like that. But you're right. This is important. Defending our family, even if all of our mechs are away we need to be able to hold off any trouble… I'll take this position."
 
"So will I!" Another voice called out from the crowd, and then another. And another. I smiled. As I took in their support. It seems I wasn't the only one that remembers the EHL's woes, especially since we kept seeing it. Wolf's Dragoons being a very recent example as well.
 
I nodded pleased that Marcus and the others were taking this so seriously. 
 
"That's not all." I tell them as I turn, pushing a button to light up the room. The room now lit is revealed to be full of LRM Carriers. The walls are covered in boxes of ammo, and fuel ready for them to burn through to get the training they will need. "These aren't just normal carriers." I said giving them a chance to look over the fleet of vehicles and enough resources to keep them going for months.
 
"Each of these vehicles is equipped with Lostech." I tell them. And the room went dead silent. 
 
"The sensor systems of each of these carriers has been upgraded. This knowledge doesn't leave this room. It doesn't get spread among everyone. Not because we don't trust them, but because if no one else knows it doesn't put a target on our back."
 
It took a moment before anyone spoke. But as much as we were training for military diligence, we were still teenagers. "We won't, Commander. None of us will. We swear it." Marcus spoke out. His eyes were firm. They would keep silent. 
 
"I know." I walked through the crowd and put my hands on shoulders, looked into eyes. "None of you would be here, if I didn't have that confidence. I am asking you to be our protection group. Your first duty will always be to make sure the rest of us are safe. It's a heavy duty, but I trust you. We all, every Iron Blooded past, present, and future. Trust you."
 
The rest of the meeting had me explain what the sensors could do. They would soon be busy every day full of training to make sure they would be ready.
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===A Different Perspective===
The entire room was tense. Hanna herself had the jitters. She was sure of it. She had done everything asked of her. Worked harder than any of the others, and had defeated every challenge placed on them during their two month boot camp.
 
Now they were waiting around the rec room underground for the results. The final 'day' of the official bootcamp just ended, and Sergeant Kurtz was in a meeting with Lieutenant Benny, and the Commander. 
 
God, the Commander. Vicky had been normal until suddenly she wasn't. Mechwarrior. Commander. 
 
Rich.
 
No one knew how it had happened, Gauge refused to say anything, and Benny had just told her not to worry about it, that Vicky was on our side. At first she hadn't been sure. But this?
 
Giving Benny a mech had swayed everyone quite a bit. He wasn't just one of the oldest kids, he was everyone's Big Brother.
 
But then… Then the offer had gone out. Another mech to the one who performed the best? Hanna took a deep breath, even just thinking about it made her so nervous!
 
"How much longer do ya think?" Lenden asked as he continued to pace around the room. 
 
"Long as it takes, I suspect." Carl said from where he was laying out on the couch, a throw pillow over his head. 
 
"Yeah, but how much longer!" Lenden growled out.
 
"Stow it! Keep your head. Acting up now will tank your chance if you were chosen." Hanna scolded although everyone in the room knew Lenden wouldn't be chosen, a bit too hot headed, and he hadn't performed great on the physical tests, until closer to the end. It had taken a lot of work to get him to do, instead of complain.
 
Not like Hanna had. She had been the best almost every day. She offered a silent prayer to Benny for forcing her to workout so much back when they were younger. She had kept the habit even through the long trip to Zaniah which had only helped.
 
She hoped it was enough.
 
"Fuck! Don't joke. We all know it ain't gonna be me. You're the one likely on the short list, Hanna!" 
 
"Hey she is right, Lenden cool your exhaust, I mean, shit man we might not be in the list for this one, but the Commander already brought in three mechs! Three! I'm gonna keep my shit stowed, and in perfect form cause next time a mech comes through I want to be on the short list." Vooren said from where he was doing a set of pushups. The boy used to be a troublemaker. One of the orphans most likely to be brought home late by a cop.
 
Now? He turned that around hard. He was clean cut thanks to Sasha who was good with scissors and kept everyone trimmed up when they needed. His performance had improved so much he was basically the second performer behind Hanna herself. 
 
Before anyone could respond to that, the door opened. The door that was mostly used as an office for the 'command' staff. 
 
And out she stepped. 
 
The Commander.
 
"Commander on deck!" Hanna stood to make the call, and everyone jumped to their feet. The kids that had been loitering around in small conversations jumped to their feet. 
 
Like usual the shout caused a bemused smile to cross Vicky's face. "At ease." 
 
Everyone gathered in the room stood at attention and the Commander rolled her eyes. "Alright since you are all here. Put out the word, gather everyone in the mech bay for a general meeting. Hop to it!" She called out, sounding amused at how quickly the news caused them to start running. 
 
Hanna was the first out the door to spread the word. She made sure to slam a palm against every door down the barracks hallway in case someone was napping or just spending time in their rooms, as she ran around. A few kids stopped her but with her news they soon raced off as well. 
 
It was probably the fastest muster in the company's entire history. 
 
Looking doubly bemused the Commander was sitting lazily on the still unclaimed Centurions foot, one leg dangling down as Gauge, who didn't really have a rank, but everyone knew he was basically the Commanders right hand man and their mechtech. And Lieutenant Benny standing on either side of her. 
 
"Well. That was quick." She joked as she stood up. Despite the fact she was in charge of them, she still treated them more like family, than soldiers. "Iron Blooded!" She suddenly called out loudly, her voice echoing through the hangar. Silence followed. 
 
"You know why you are here!" And we did. We had been waiting for this day for weeks, ever since Benny had revealed the reward for the one who did the best in boot. "This Centurion needs a Mechwarrior. One of you has been chosen to take up this task. Not as a reward, but a duty. These Mechs behind me represent the future of our company. Of our family. Without them, we will never have a future. Which is why I made sure we had them. Now. You are all ready to kill me if I don't get on with it."
 
There were a few scattered chuckles, but well there might have been some truth in that. 
 
"Soldiers of the Iron Blooded Company! Salute your comrade who has earned this duty! Hanna, step forward!" The room went silent. She was sure. Despite the fact she could see her family around her all cheering and screaming, she couldn't hear a thing. It was completely silent, she was sure of it.
 
Was the room always spinning like that?
 
A push from behind had her stumbling forward. "Stop fucking around, Hanna! Get your ass in gear!" A growled voice from behind her finally tore her mind back to the present. Lenden, she realized as she took a peak before looking forward. 
 
Vicky was smirking down at her, as if she was enjoying her freakout. "Bitch." She grumbled at Vicky, a familiar catcall between them. Vicky would respond with Gorilla if she was being mean, Hanna hated being compared to a gorilla. Or Vicky would call her a bitch back, or asshole, or all the little snips the two had for each other. 
 
But not this time. No this time the word out of her little sister's mouth was something unexpected. "Mechwarrior." She said and it all hit her again. 
 
She felt herself swaying and it was only thanks to Benny grabbing her shoulder that she didn't fall completely on her face.
 
"Come on, Mechwarrior, straighten up." Benny whispered into her ear and it was only his voice that made her legs find the strength in them she needed to stand up straight. Vicky pulled something from on the foot of the Centurion where it had been resting and offered it to her. 
 
It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. A neurohelmet. She took it with shaking hands as Vicky continued, "Hanna! Just like the others before you. You have a big decision to make right now." Vicky offered, smiling down at me. But then she spoke loudly, yelling it out into the room so everyone could hear, "What is your name Mechwarrior?!"
 
She swallowed. She had been trying to figure that out. They all had, each of them had to pick a name, either from their family, or as had become a tradition, copying the first two, picking a last name from history. To try and emulate them. There was actually a Kerensky somewhere in the defense unit. Although Tanya Kerensky always complained she was emulating Natasha Kerensky not THE Kerensky.
 
But now it was Hanna's turn. She had to make a decision. She had a few ideas, but like many of the orphans, hadn't settled on one yet. But this was it. No more waffling. She took a deep breath letting it out. "My Name is Hanna Hayha."
 
Vicky blinked for a few moments before nodding at the name chosen. "It seems everyone likes to pick a name with a weight to it. It's a strong name." I nodded slowly as the crowd around us cheered. 
 
Then Vicky jumped off the foot of the mech… No my mech. She thought a shiver running through her. Realizing she was being led up and around, towards the gantry by the smaller girl, "N-no Vicky, I'm not ready!" She squeaked out which earned her a smirk she knew meant this moment would be used against her in the future forever, before she was tugged along regardless. 
 
Up the gantry and into the cockpit of her new mech. Hers. Vicky walked her through the entire startup sequence. And the cheers of the entire hangar echoed around her when the mech finally came online. 
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===Standing your own two feet and moving forwards===
I was never going to let her live this down. "C'mon, Mechwarrior! Stand up! Shake it off, if someone is shooting at you staying down means death move move move!" I called out into the mic. This had somehow become one of my favorite parts of training with my lance.
 
Gods, it was a full lance now! "Red 4 I see your face stuck in the sand still move!" I yelled again reminding Hanna of her lance position. It seemed to spur her on, as she struggled to raise up in the horribly shifting sand.
 
Gauge was running along beside Benny, the two of them, actually performing an obstacle course that I had set up weeks ago. Having to duck, or jump to get over obstacles, and fire at the targets meant they were constantly training the movements needed to really pilot in combat. 
 
Hanna wasn't there yet, but she would. 
 
I loped around the rising mech, seemingly zig zagging over the rough terrain. It had been the most important act I was practicing. 
 
When the battle eventually came, my ability to keep moving without slowing was going to mean life or death.
 
"R-Red 1, I'm ready to continue!" Hanna called out over the line, she sounded a little wet.
 
"Broke your nose?" 
 
"N-No. I think it's just bleeding. I'll be fine!"
 
"Good! Get moving. Left, right. Start marching. This is the terrain we will be fighting in, in the future, if you can't even keep your feet you can't fight!" With that I continued moving Hanna moving with me. Her stilted movements fighting her gyro at every step as the sand attempted to shift under her feet, or the rocks cracked and splintered. 
 
Seriously the ground was either quicksand, or walking on glass. Sometimes changing from one step to the next.
 
As we moved I noticed the horde of watchers hanging out by our new fence. They were gawking and watching, enjoying the sight of the four mechs in Iron Blooded colors running around.
 
The company's first lance. Red Lance. Everything was on our shoulders.
 
"C'mon, Red 4. More laps until you feel as comfortable walking in this as you do on your own two feet!"
 
And so the training continued.
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===Fate of a certain Drill Sergeant ===
The completion of the first bootcamp had a drastic change around the base. Everyone received actual rank pips to add to the collars of their jacket, and because of them a hierarchy was forming. 
 
It wasn't a bad thing though. The higher ranked kids were soon leading. Squads formed, and then units. The infantry started to figure out almost on their own what they were going to do. Rough Squad for example started training using the Norman trucks, in guerrilla warfare. Sneaking out into the desert and working together to take out a camp of soldiers by surprise. The Camp was usually manned by the kids that started taking over guard duty. Dubbed Delta Squad. Those that spent a lot of their time at the checkpoints, and would act as MP's, needed training to handle sudden attacks. Rough Squad was happy to help.
 
It was wonderful. More and more squads and units began breaking into specialties. Sasha Frumpt had taken over Medical, and had a small army of some of the younger kids working as nurses. 
 
Watching them drag, literally drag one of the kids from Rough squad who had taken a nasty cut out in the desert to medical despite his resistance and struggles, had been a good time.
 
And I did my best to keep in touch with what every group was doing and needed. Benny was better at it than I was, but I could actually figure out how to supply what they needed. 
 
Rough Company earned themselves a fleet of Technicians. The Norman Utility trucks, with SRM launchers bolted to the back. Delta really liked their machine gun nests. 
 
Medical was happy for the ease of access to supplies. Although nothing fancy yet. Getting access to a hospital's machines was proving annoying.
 
It was like that across the Company. Small squads breaking out into specialty units. Now that everyone had a rank beyond Sergeant Kurtz constant bellows of "Maggots!" Those that earned their leadership positions were starting to take initiative. The fact I not only condoned it, but rewarded the squads for doing so meant it was almost explosive. Thankfully not literally.
 
Which is why I was frustrated with one of the men under my command.
 
Sergeant Alfred Kurtz, wasn't one of us. Nowhere did that show more in this. His job to train us through boot was basically done. Yet he hadn't truly dedicated himself to do anything more. Over the past week other than running some of the kids from Sasha's orphanage through some PT he hadn't really done much else.
 
Which is what brought us to this meeting.
 
I watched as Sergeant Kurtz entered my little office, he offered me a salute which I returned.
 
"Take a seat, Sergeant." I told him. Watching as he settled into the chair. "Something to drink?" 
 
"No, no thank you, Commander."
 
"Well Sergeant, you joined our little company for a specific reason. I needed a soldier that could teach my kids how to soldier. You have done a good job. I am completely pleased with your work. 
 
"It wasn't me at all, Commander. Your reward kept them all eager. Never trained a group of people more eager."
 
"Take the compliment, Sergeant. Now, what am I gonna do with you?" Sure the kids weren't fully trained up. But Sergeant Kurtz wasn't a professional drill sergeant either. He was just a soldier I had hired because he was the only one that would take the job.
 
"Commander, I still have much to teach."
 
"We have much to learn, Sergeant, but you don't have that much left to teach, at least not as just a drill Sergeant. Now that the soldiers are done with your bootcamp, they are out learning on their own what they need. You haven't moved."
 
He flinched lightly at that, "Yes, Commander. I… wasn't sure what to do next. I've offered some advice to Rough Squad, about guerrilla battles i've been in, but they have already learned everything I know about that."
 
I nod. "I heard. Your advice was good, and it gave them a starting point, but frankly, Sergeant, You aren't a drill sergeant, although you have done a good job getting everyone through a basic boot camp. You don't have the experience to do much more. I've noticed it. Benny has noticed it. So Sergeant, what am I to do? We had you contracted for a year. I can keep you on, move you to a different position officially, your experience is useful still. There will always be a need for experience, especially since that is something we lack the most, or we can finish your contract here. A severance pay that will more than pay for your ticket offworld if you choose."
 
He hesitated. "Commander. I, permission to speak freely?"
 
I chuckle. "Granted."
 
"When I joined up, I didn't expect this to be anything more than a shit show. I accepted because the pay was good. That's it. You didn't impress me when we first met, and I expected to have a miserable experience, but I was desperate. The money you offered, and were kind enough to guarantee, was worth a rough deployment in my mind. I didn't expect to actually find myself liking your little company. The kids are a pain in my ass. Teenagers always are, but I can respect their desire to be something more. They train hard. They keep discipline which is something I wasn't expecting to see."
 
I waited a moment as he trailed off, before prompting him "But?"
 
"No. No, buts. If you will keep me, I would be happy to continue to work for your company. I'm not an orphan, but I can offer my experience and my work." He said standing straight and tall. 
 
I leaned back for a moment. "Sergeant, I have a new job for you then. I still want you keeping an eye on the training of my kids. They are kids, so not all of them can keep a constant level of fitness. That's your first job. You're the adult in the room. I want you to keep an eye out. So I'm assigning you as part of our supply squad. Friedrich is great with handling the water and food convoys, but I still need to be aware of when a soldier's boots wear out. Or if something gets destroyed and needs to be replaced. Your job is to be the one aware of it. One of my kids lost their helmet? You find out, and get them a new one. Their gun breaks? Report it, and they get a new one. You follow?
 
"A quartermaster? Never done anything like that, Commander, but yeah. I think that I could learn. And I think I'll be able to wrangle the kids and keep them ready."
 
"Good, Sergeant. I'm glad to have kept you on." I pull out an Eisen Blume patch from my pocket and toss it at him. "Next time I see you I expect you to be in regs for our unit." I tease as I dismiss him. His uniform was still a Lyran infantry BDU. His salute was sharp. Seems that we managed to keep ourselves together long enough we earned some respect. 
 
Hopefully it will spread.
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===Considering unit's Options===
"Sorry I'm late. Got caught up making sure our ammo stores are up to date, our defense unit is going through LRM ammo like they are candy." I call out as I enter the meeting room. Gauge, Benny, and now Hanna were residing inside.
 
Hanna wasn't aware of everything yet, but I knew we would need to expand our command staff pretty quickly to handle the amount of people we are dealing with, so bringing her into our meetings was useful.
 
She had been one of the grunts up until a week ago after all.
 
"No problem, Commander. Also I finished putting together our ORG chart!" Benny said, looking quite pleased with himself.
 
"That's good. It's been kind of awkward trying to figure out what ranks to use. I think we have a few of everything until now." I say flopping into the chair.
 
"Which is why I made sure to take care of it. Now. I figured simple is best, Private for our base infantry. Corporal for our squad leaders, Sergeant as the highest non officer rank. Then we move into officers, and Lieutenant is a good one to start with. Our newly gazetted Lieutenant Hanna joins this rank. Hauptmann for unit leaders, then we have Colonel. We aren't big enough for a colonel but it's good to have the rank there if we need it. We are just a Merc corps, so we don't really need to go much more in depth than that."
 
"That sounds fine, Hauptmann Benny. Let me know what kind of marking we want for each rank, and I'll make sure a few boxes of them end up in our stores. Congratulations on your promotion."
 
"Yes, Commander!"
 
"Gauge, how is our repair unit going?"
 
"Ah, Vicky, not great. I picked everyone that had the knowledge, or interest which already wasn't a lot, but getting everyone to sit down and try to learn some repair tricks, that I remember from the old man? It's not going well. There is a sentiment that the combat troops will have a better chance of becoming a mechwarrior, so why would they want to spend all their time just stuck on the backline, repairing."
 
I scratched my head, groaning at that. "I don't have a great solution there. They are right. I'm not going to be passing out mechs to those on the back lines."
 
"Well reward them another way then?" Hanna piped up from her quiet corner. 
 
"How? I'm not gonna offer them a mech."
 
"What about salvage?" She offered back. "We can salvage all the mechs we want but if we don't have a repair group it's not gonna matter, so maybe offer if they can fix the broken mechs we bring in through salvage, they can pilot it?"
 
I thought about the offer, but Gauge actually beat me to responding. "It's not a bad idea, but we will have to have it formally laid out about who gets to pilot the mech, and maybe in combat situations that is put to the side, because we will need them repairing in an emergency not fighting over who gets to repair the mech they want?"
 
"Well, Gauge, congratulations, as the Lieutenant in charge of our repair squad, you get to put it on paper. It's a good idea. I like rewarding them for working hard. Put something together and we will see what we all think at our next meeting." I said, switching topics, "Benny, you've been getting Sergeant Kurtz's quartermaster reports, how are we looking? I know we got another waste of time and money from the Governess."
 
"We did this time, it was actually less than before. I checked the water they sent us, and frankly, Commander? It wasn't fit for drinking. For them to send us unsafe water? I don't like it, it smells fishy."
 
"That's because it is." I acknowledge with a sigh. "We knew they would pull something like this eventually. Benny, Gauge, Hanna. Make sure the mechs stay above ground, and pass word around for everyone to keep a close eye on our perimeter. Tell them, it's a training exercise, and there is likely to be a breach in the coming month. Whoever spots it first, give them a snack ration as a reward."
 
"You think they are going to try and break our contract?" Hanna asked, almost gasping in shock. "B-but. We are in Lyran space!"
 
"Just because all of us are Lyrans doesn't mean all Lyrans are our friends, Hanna. The governess likely feels that our mechs would do better in the hands of her Mechwarriors." I offered and the look of utter offense that spread across her face had me laugh. 
 
"Don't worry." Benny offered, "We are far better supplied than they expect, our water purifier alone is making us money hand over fist. I've had to expand our water selling expeditions three times in the last few months, and now that Sergeant Kurtz is assisting Freidrich, I expect to make even more."
 
"But we are here to protect them. Why would they do this?" Hanna asked quietly, the large girl despite everything else, had a special faith in the Lyran military. 
 
"Greed, Hanna, and our military liaison was kind enough to hint that something was going on back when this all started. So this is a trick from the Governess's office. But don't worry. We know they are looking to break our contract, but as long as we stay prepared we will be fine. They don't even know about our full Lance."
 
"Oh. You didn't inform the Governess about the new mechs?" Hanna asked, shocked, knowing that if I had, an expanded mech roster could potentially earn me additional pay, if I felt like renegotiating the contract.
 
"Of course not. When they come to disturb our anthill thinking we are dying of thirst, they are going to find an army come rushing out."
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