IBC Chpt 1-5

==Iron Blooded Commander - Chapter 1.5 -Copy and Paste==
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===Building list frustrations and responsiblities===
Solaris City​Solaris VII, Lyran Commonwealth
June, 3020 
When the flames of the Inferno missile finally died down, I piloted my Locust back downstairs. The destruction of the tents was a hard hit for us. A lot of the orphans, or those who were too old for the orphanages had basically started living here. They stored their personal items here. Irreplaceable things. Things that had been left by their dead family. Now gone up in flames.
 
I was furious. 
 
But the only reason I wasn't creating an army of Centurions to go have a talk with Mr. Wright, was because no one had died. Yet. There were a few burns, but Benny had those injured in a truck and sent to a hospital. They would be fine.
 
Fortunately, we had caught the people. Not even the Solaris City PD would be able to just wipe their hands of this one. The two men that had been caught would probably lead to some trouble at the Wright Stables. 
 
Hopefully. it was enough to get us some space until we were gone.
 
Once I was downstairs, I couldn't even get the stupid Neurohelmet off and rest, Gauge had a list of parts he needed to repair the Centurion. 
 
So I went through them. Creating them directly onto the flatbed already holding the Centurion in small metal containers, so no one would think it weird. Everything was ready to go for Gauge to begin repairs.
 
But now I have almost a hundred soldiers signed up. Mouths to feed and lives that are now my responsibility. I groaned. Why had I done this? My first plan had been to go straight to Helm. Make a copy of the core and go straight to Tharkad. Get a noble title, and a planet, turn it into a Forgeworld that would make the iImperium weep. But things weren't that simple. 
 
This world was dangerous. Only now that I had a small Company of troops, and half a Lance was I feeling at least safe enough not to be completely pushed around. "It's fine, Vicky. You got this." I mumbled to myself as I thumbed the radio. "Benny, once you get everything solid up top come down here, we have some things to discuss."
 
"Roger that, Commander."
----
===Staff Meeting===
The conversation I needed to have with Benny was an important one. Gage was already down here looking over the mech when he arrived and I waved them both over. I had created a small table and a few chairs in order to have a place to eat while down here, and that is where the three of us sat. 
 
"So, Benny. It's time I explain everything about what is going on."
 
"Commander?" 
 
"W-wait, Vicky, are you sure you should be telling him that?" 
 
I nodded. Benny was throwing an annoyed look at Gauge at that, but I grabbed his attention back quickly. "Gauge. Benny is going to be in charge of defending us, keeping us all alive. Benny, there is something you need to be made aware of. About how we are going to be getting supplies so you know what is going on. Otherwise you would have figured it all out eventually, and maybe started asking uncomfortable questions. Before we start… I need your word Benny. This goes no farther without my permission. No matter what. You can't tell your friends. You can't let this get out. Ever."
 
He cocked his head to the side, Bennys blue eyes piercing as he nodded. "Alright Vicky. You have my word. Whatever this is about will go with me to the grave."
 
I smiled nodding. "I knew I could trust you." I pulled out the Noteputer and placed it on the table. "This is my noteputer, it was my mothers. It is in fact not a noteputer at all. It's an incredibly advanced piece of Lostech. Something I am pretty sure was created by an ancestor, as it's gene locked to me. No one else can use it." I once more went with my lie, it was easier than saying eldritch abominations gave it to me.
 
I pointed it away from the table and hit the option I already had queued up, and a metal box appeared, with hundreds of Eisen-Blume patches. Something for the soldiers to add to their BDUs to mark their Company. 
 
"It can create anything it has a blueprint for, as long as I provide the raw materials."
 
"What the f***." Benny muttered wide eyed as he stood up and walked over to the box that to him appeared out of nothing but green light. After pulling out one of the patches and looking it over he slowly put it back with a nod
 
"Yeah, that's how I felt when she dragged me out to a junkyard and showed me." Gauge grumbled loudly as I beckoned Benny to retake his seat. 
 
"This is how I was able to afford all of this. We can create copies of parts, vehicles, and weapons. Then sell them, a factory that can create anything in the palm of my hand."
 
He looked quite shocked as he processed what I had just told him. "Why not just go to House Steiner, or hell ComStar. This would…"
 
"It would change the balance of power. I said this to Gauge already but let's break it down, Benny. Let's say I tell the Archon. Give it to her. What happens? They start production the likes of which has never been seen. They restart the war, and so does everyone else. We are in a slow period of the war now, but imagine what happens when they start creating hundreds, thousands of Battlemechs a day. Someone finds out. They always do. You can't keep production like that a secret."
 
He slowly nodded as I continued. "The Combine of course finds out. What would they do if they knew that all they had to do is win the next war. No concern for the future because after they win the war then they get to rebuild everything just like new, without any loss in tech. Nukes would only be the first act."
 
Slowly he nods. "Okay. Okay… I agree. You're right, this can't get out. Fuck." He muttered, shaking his head as he seemed to wipe away the images of war in his head. "Okay so you have this Lostech, it lets you build anything. But you need to keep it a secret. You can't just reveal it to anyone so you keep it quiet… You've been telling everyone that what you are selling was from a cache of equipment your mother had from her Lostech hunting…" 
 
"That's the trick. It's something believable. How many people have made it rich off a cache of equipment found while hunting. Nothing I have sold is really Lostech though. That's the point. I tell them I have equipment my mother had and everyone is at least willing to believe me. More believable than some kid with a pocket factory right?"
 
"Okay, yeah it makes sense. Shit, everything you have got for us… The trucks. We kept losing trucks, but more always showed up." He says as if striking a eureka moment. 
 
"Yep. The Locust can create things now too. It's not the original Locust I purchased. It's actually a brand new one. One that has the lostech integrated into it. Again though, Gauge and I tested it. It's still genelocked to me."
 
"What happened to the old Locust?" Benny asked, almost slyly his eyes glowing with greed.
 
I laughed loud and sharp as Gauge chuckled too. "I destroyed it!" I couldn't help but say, seeing his face fall as if I just stabbed him. "Sorry, sorry. I shouldn't joke, but creating a 'new' blueprint from something takes a long time, or at least it did. Originally, we only had a handheld Sensor system that could slowly create a blueprint, but you had to slowly scan something from top to bottom by hand. It would have taken weeks! Instead we basically had the noteputer extract the blueprint from the Locust. It is much faster, so instead of weeks it only took a few days to get the scan, and then produce a new mech."
 
The look in his eyes was once more hungry "In that case making a mech. How much would it cost for another one?"
 
I chuckled at his question. "You're next for a 'mech, Benny. I plan on having you in charge of Bravo Lance when we get there." I tell him and he bursts into a smile as I just offered him his childhood dream. Which, I had. "Right now we only have a Locust, or a Centurion blueprint. So you will probably get a CND-AL. Like Gauges. But I'm not producing any more Battlemechs until we get situated on Zaniah, when we have a little more privacy if you get my drift."
 
"Right. No right. Commander, I can wait. It's not like I can do much with one while traveling." He said but I could hear the disappointment in his voice.
 
"Soon, Lieutenant. Can't have the man in charge of my army not be a Mechwarrior, can I?"
 
"Of course not, Commander! It would be embarrassing, for sure." He was smiling his boyish grin at that. Which the three of us all matched. Mechs were a big deal after all.
 
"Good. So that's the deal Benny. We need a list of equipment we have to get. Anything too big can be broken down and recreated on Zaniah. I am giving you carte blanche. What do we need for the future?"
 
That pulled him from his dreams of the future as he considered. "Well if we are talking about things we need, we need some anti-air defense, and some anti-tank." He muttered. "Right now we are good on infantry equipment. The armor you picked up is really solid… Although that makes more sense now. That stuff is expensive per kit, but you basically gave me a box of the damn things in different sizes even." he muttered. 
 
"Okay, let's focus on that then. Anti-air, and anti-tank, vehicles, and equipment. I hadn't considered air. Which is a mistake, you are right. We have mechs for anti-tank, but we do need something for the infantry as well. I don't want the kids running around without any way to protect themselves… SRM launchers." I called up the Noteputer Blueprints, and smirked as I realized that while chasing after the assholes in the van I had scanned the man-portable SRM launcher. 
 
"Okay, we have infantry anti-armor covered. I can create SRM launchers."
 
Benny nodded. "That's great. Those are solid, if dangerous to use, but better than nothing. Now if we are talking vehicles. Since you want us to be a motorized company? LRM Carrier would be amazing. Those are pricey though." He offered.
 
I stilled. Before gritting my teeth as I wanted to bash my head in. "I am a complete moron. Stupid stupid!" I grunted as I slowly calmed, breathing out as I nodded. "I forgot about SRM and LRM Carriers." One of the scariest vehicles at least in the games. But here they were still just as deadly. "LRM carrier. Benny. I don't care what the price is. Gauge go with him. We need one. Just one LRM carrier, I completely forgot about LRM Carriers!" 
 
"What's so special about LRM carriers Vicky?" Gauge asked slowly after a moment, the boys shock was obvious at my outburst. But they just couldn't see it!
 
I took a moment to calm myself, turning more towards Benny who was also looking at me curiously. "One of the few blueprints that were still on my Noteputer when I got it was a sensor system. It came in a man portable one like I told you, but what I didn't mention is that the thing is probably the most powerful Sensor package in the Inner Sphere. One hundred miles Benny. It tracked every mech, every person, every vehicle. In one hundred miles. The normal ECM that interferes with sensors didn't do squat to stop us from seeing what we wanted."
 
Unlike Gauge who always failed his strategy courses in school, Benny picked up on it immediately. "These sensors… Can you install them in the carriers?"
 
I took a moment. It would be a risk. I could always just rely on indirect fire orders for the carriers. But I was fairly sure I could. "Yes. It would be risky, if anyone finds out, but yes. I could."
 
"Okay. Gauge. Let's go. We need an LRM carrier, and we don't have much time!"
 
"Benny, bring it down here ASAP we won't have the space to bring it with us, So I'll need to break it down for the blueprint. But get that carrier!"
 
"Yes, Commander!" The boy yelled backwards while running towards the Norman truck. Gauge drifted along after him more slowly, his lack of understanding on what we were getting at would be something Benny could explain on the drive. Hopefully somewhere on Solaris someone was selling.
 
I couldn't wait to see the faces of the first enemy that tried to attack the Iron Blooded Company. I wonder if I should tell them before it happens, that we are beginning operation Stehl RAHN?
 
I shook that silly thought away. That would be saved for the mass air drop of power armored infantry.
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===Boarding and idle threats===
Time flies when you are busting your ass for an interplanetary expedition without a competent logistics officer. Sergeant Alfred Kurtz ended up joining me the day before the trip working as such, but even his experience was limited. But it was more than mine. 
 
We stocked up on everything we needed, and a few things I had forgotten. "Toiletries!? Crap!" But in the end, the trucks were going out, and dropping things off at the Leopard, and as the rumors spread about what I had done. What I had created. Benny was inundated with orphans, from other orphanages looking for work. Most of them were older. Even more already aged out. But if they were an orphan. We accepted them. 
 
It did stretch supplies a bit. Worse because I wasn't about to actually 'create' anything on board the Leopard. It would be a suckers bet to assume the captain didn't have cameras in every section monitoring my group of troublemakers. 
 
So I had to make absolutely sure I would have enough. I also went out of my way as dusk was coming down to purchase as good of a vid-player as I could find, and as many current vids on the market as I could afford without destroying my already diminishing budget. Even with Gauge selling off parts like I was having a fire sale. Money kept slipping right out of my fingers.
 
There were always more things to buy.
 
The sun broke on the day that we were leaving. I had slept in the cockpit of my Locust, just because I kept being woken up in the middle of the night to produce something, or copy something Benny, or Gauge brought me. 
 
But in the end. Trucks left the Mechbay for the last time. I still held the 'lease' on the building for a few years, but I closed down the blast doors leading to the downstairs, and once everyone else was gone. Covered them in a pseudo concrete to hide the entrance. 
 
Then it was off. The trucks heading towards the Leopard were covered in my soldiers. The flatbed with the Centurion had a group of them resting on top of the mech, and all of them were armed. I wasn't going to allow anything to interfere and nothing did. A quiet drive up to the spaceport to finish our final loading. 
 
The initial load went quickly, my Locust pulled into it's gantry without a problem, when I realized I had another issue. With a sigh of frustration I realized that I wouldn't be getting my Leopard blueprint today. The range of the scanner meant that even if I could move my Locust inside the Leopard I would never get a complete scan. 
 
Plus the Captain would probably toss me out the airlock if I tried to move my Locust around inside her Leopard. She was a fearsome woman.
 
It was only after I docked and headed outside to finish everything that I noticed it. A very shiny expensive looking speeder car. The same one Mr. Wright had driven to the orphanage in.
 
As soon as I noticed him, he stepped out and seemed to exude the quiet confidence of a wealthy man knowing he was protected. 
 
I headed over. Despite being busy to see what this was all about. I highly doubt he would attack here. Not at the spaceport. 
 
That would be suicide. 
 
"Miss Victoria." 
 
He called out to me as I stopped well out of his reach a harsh glare in my eyes. "Mr. Wright, What do you want?"
 
"Why just to see you off. You see it's rare that someone I decide to be annoyed with manages to slip away."
 
"Picking on kids usually leads to that. Yeah." I retorted back swiftly, earning my own glare in turn. "I hear if you target people that can fight back you end up running into trouble. How are your two men by the way?"
 
"If you are speaking of the unfortunate attack on your mechbay I had heard about it. A true stroke of luck, they didn't damage anything valuable, was it not?"
 
"Luck had nothing to do with it. Your men were incompetent. I wonder how long before they chat up the Solaris PD about who gave them that launcher?"
 
"Not something I concern myself with. I heard both suffered an accident. Didn't you hear?"
 
I grit my teeth at that. I hadn't in fact heard that they were dead. It seems Mr. Wright had more connections than I had expected for such a low ranked stablemaster.
 
He nodded, smiling. "Yes, don't think this is the end of this, Miss Victoria. You will be back, and I have a long reach."
 
I huffed, as if he could threaten an entire merc company. Deciding to poke him a bit more I switched tracks. "How was your match the other day? The Wright Stables, VS the Adrian Light Cavalry right? Heard your lance and demi lance, got crushed. I didn't get to watch it, you see. I was too busy dealing with a certain attack. But I heard the words 'crushing' as a good descriptor."
 
"Hmm yes. Attacks do happen here on Solaris, and other places as well. Zaniah III wasn't it? That isn't very far at all."
 
"Send as many thugs as you want. Here on Solaris, we play by the city's rules. On Zaniah? You would play with mine." 
 
"Perhaps. We shall see won't we? Good luck, Miss Victoria." He said before turning and heading into his speeder. I watched him drive away and the only thing I could feel was amusement.
 
"I really hope you do try to send some trouble my way, old man. I'll devour them."
----
It took four hours after that to get everything secured to the Leopards quartermaster's satisfaction. Four long hours.
 
Finally it was done. And I learned a very valuable lesson about myself. "Oh god, oh god, I'm gonna be sick. Oh god oh god!" 
I didn't really like space travel. I've been in planes before in past lives. Hell, I've piloted one before. But nothing I have ever experienced matched the feel of a Leopard not so much flying out of the atmosphere, but more like punching through the air that dared try to impede it's path. It was a rocket that wasn't shaped like a rocket. I hated it.
 
Benny thought my reaction was hilarious.
 
Although he was nice enough to get me a barf bag. In return I used it. Instead of just puking on him. Cause I'm nice like that.
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===Fun and Follies of Interstellar Travel===
It's really hard to put into perspective a travel speed measured in days or even weeks. The longest trip I had ever taken in either life was just a day or so. And even then, that was with the ability to stop and go look at a museum, or at least get out of the car.
 
Space was amazing. Looking out into the stars was incredibly distracting. For the first few hours.
 
Then it gets boring, and there is absolutely nothing to do otherwise. I made sure to make a ton of Vid players and had passed them around to the kids, so there at least was something to watch for everyone. 
 
Mostly mech battles, but hey we're from Solaris.
 
But even that got boring by day five. I had Sergeant Kurtz set up small training rotations in the cargo bay where there was space. Most of it was basic exercises. Or some basic positioning training for infantry, give them a gun, take the ammo out and let them clear the 'spaces' of the cargo bay to get experience working in a team to do it.
 
It kept a lot of the kids busy. I joined in both the exercise and the training. I needed it too. But other than the game consoles. The same ones I had Gauge sell off the fixed versions of to rent Smalls dirtbike, there was nothing else to do, but exercise, train, or watch vids.
 
Boring.
 
Day eight is when we finally jumped. Normally the trip is only five days out from Solaris, to the jump point but Jumpships run on their time, not yours.
 
Especially if you aren't important.
 
So eight days of sitting around, and then another forty to reach Zaniah III. The jump though. 
 
The jump though.
 
Well let's just say I'm really glad I don't have jump sickness. Sure it made me dizzy, and my sense of balance was 100% sure that the left was up for a good thirty minutes after, but I was fine otherwise.
 
Some of the kids though? TDS is not fun.
 
Ten of them had it. And it was only thanks to everyone pitching in to help take care of them that the barracks set up in the storage bay didn't smell like puke for the rest of the trip. 
 
The rest of the long boring trip. Over a month. Stuck in a small metal box with an army of teenagers.
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===Arrival and Meeting the Employer===
Zaniah III, Lyran Commonwealth3020
By the time the ship hit atmosphere. The situation in the ship had become a little tense. Tempers flared pretty consistently, and I had been forced to order a few punishment details for the soldiers that stole or broke something, or worse, got into a fight.
And for the young girl that had tried to sneak into the cockpit of Gauge's Centurion. She got put on the shit list by everyone. That was a big no no.
 
In the end though thanks to the vid screens, and games, and the large amount of exercise I started mandating. The peace was mostly held inside a cargo bay full of teenagers.
 
The crew of the ship had sealed off the front of the ship on day fifteen and refused to deal with the nonsense again.
 
I didn't blame them.
 
Once again landing in a Leopard wasn't flying. It was smashing the planet's atmosphere, like the planet owed the Leopard money. Rough, would be a gentle term for it.
 
By the time the flight did slow down and even out, we were already on approach to the planet's starport. Landing was swift, and the message from the captain to hurry up and depart was the last I heard from her. 
 
I couldn't blame her. Day 20's karaoke rock show, performed by a bunch of teenagers with the only musical accompaniment from some movie end credits was not easy on the ears.
 
----
Hartzborg spaceport
 
The unloading was interrupted by a very expensive limo pulling up to our hangar. The man in suit and sunglasses that stepped out couldn't be more obviously a professional bodyguard if he tried. The woman that stepped out after was wearing a very expensive business suit with a pencil skirt. And as she looked over at the activity I could see her nose scrunch up as she started stalking, the click of her heels on the concrete audible even over the trucks beginning to move. 
 
I waved Sergeant Kurtz, to continue unloading as I headed her off. Stopping infront of her I was annoyed to notice that she was a good head and a half taller than me with her stupid heels. 
 
"Commander Victoria Eisen-Blume. Are you our contact, Governess Alessa?" I asked as I stood in their path. The older woman's Brunette hair tied back in a fierce knot behind her head didn't shift as she nodded. 
 
"Governess of Zaniah III Baroness, Maria Alessa a pleasure." She offered her hand, although I could tell it was anything but a pleasure. I kissed the hand anyways. 
 
"The Iron Blooded Company is here to assist Zaniah III, in the protection of the capital city Starboro."
 
"Yes." She offers in return looking over my troops in displeasure. "The Tenth Sky Rangers are housed near here. They will contact you soon I am sure. If they try to command you to focus your defense on Hartzborg Starport, refuse them.The tenth refuse to follow my requests to offer protection to more of Starboro's factories. The city is large, and in the last three attacks, the League has damaged us almost irreparably. I won't stand for it again. I need another unit closer to stop the next inevitable raid." She looked me over.
 
"The Iron Blooded won't let you down. Lady Alessa."
 
She frowned even deeper when she noticed the lack of mechs moving out of the leopard. "I was told you had two Battlemechs."
 
"We do. My own mech will be last off the ship and we have a walking wounded Centurion that they are testing the new fusion engine now. It should be back to fighting fit in a few days once we settle in." 
 
She nodded slowly once more looking over my infantry. "I suppose in the end I get what I pay for." She tells me directly. "I don't expect much from your company 'Commander' just enough to slow the League's assault on my factories. When the attack comes, I expect you to fight, mercenary. I expect you to fight and save what I am paying you to protect."
 
I can't help but feel a little heated at how low in esteem my company is being treated but really. She is sort of right. We aren't just green.
 
We are super green. Completely unrated by the MRB. Even if we are at least listed. So I take a deep breath and decide to play nice. "We won't run. Our company is new, but I promise you Lady Alessa, we are expanding quickly. If someone comes to make trouble we will fight. There is no other option for us."
 
She huffs, as if she had heard the same before, which considering mercenaries and their reputation being their main currency she probably has. 
 
"General Faulkner will be over soon to escort you to the base you will be using for the duration of your contract. Commander Eisen-Blume, I do hope you remember that promise when it comes time to actually perform." With that stinging endorsement she turned and left. 
 
"What a charming woman." I couldn't help but say softly at her back long after she got back in her limo.
----
===Meeting the Contacts===
General Faulkner was a paper general if I had ever seen one. The general was easily two hundred and fifty pounds if not more, and the heat of Zaniah meant that by the time he clambered out of his very expensive looking Limo to greet me he was sweating like a pig. 
 
By this point everything was unloaded from the Leopard, even my Locust I had moved off to the side so the Leopard's Quartermaster could take on whatever goods they were planning on picking up before they left. 
 
I approached quickly, before offering him a salute, which he lazily returned. "Ah. And you are the young Commander are you not? General Ernst Faulkner." 
 
"Commander of the Iron Blooded Company, Victoria Eisen-Blume. It is a pleasure to meet you, General. I was told you would be taking me to where we are bunking?"
 
"Oh yes, here here. It's all on here. It's a good trip from here, I do apologize, but I am sure your people will enjoy the chance to get some fresh air!" He chuckled to himself as I took the manila folder from the aide that was at the generals side and opened it up.
 
It was a map. Showing where the base was. It wasn't like I was familiar with the land after all, so it took a while before my smile hardened a little.
 
The capital was probably a hundred miles all around. Almost all of it butting up against a large river that was crossing the entire area. We were on the complete opposite side of the city from where our base was located.
 
"Yes, a bit of a trip. I am sure my men will be happy to take in the sights. It will be helpful to see what's around after all." I agree despite the one hundred and ten degree weather making me want to murder whoever thought to come to this planet.
 
Oh right.
 
"Very good! My aide here will escort you to the base. I am afraid I have a very important meeting to get to, so I won't be able to join your escort, you understand!" He said with a jovial laugh, and I was actually happy the tub of lard wouldn't be going with. He would probably need to stop every ten minutes to piss.
 
"Oh, General. How will I get in contact with the guard unit, The 10th?"
 
"Oh yes, yes. My aide will take care of that for you. They will handle any of the minutiae, Lieutenant Conor here will be your liaison with my office. I must be off, Commander. I am pleased to see another mercenary company fighting to defend the Commonwealth!" He offered with barely a backwards glance, waddling back towards the limo.
 
Probably to get out of the heat. 
 
I wait until he is back in the car and it's moving before turning to the Lieutenant "So what did you do to get stuck with being the liaison to my company. Must have been pretty bad." I joke causing a crack in his facade as he smiles lightly.
 
"I am sure I have no idea what you're talking about. Lieutenant Fredrich Conor. I look forward to working with you." I laughed as I shook his hand. 
 
"Well, Lieutenant," I purposefully enunciated the Lyran way of saying it, "In that case let's get my boys moving so we can get settled in. I have a lot of work to do. Also, is it always this hot?"
 
"Oh no. This is pleasant weather. The breeze helps. Of course that means we will have a dust storm sometime this afternoon, which can be deadly."
 
"Wonderful."
 
-----
===A Real Fixer Upper===
 
I left Benny in charge, as I raced ahead with my Locust. For one I wanted to get used to moving long distances in the thing, and for two I wanted to get to the base before the rest of the troops to make some 'modifications.' 
 
Gauge was stuck traveling with the convoy in his Centurion that was walking wounded. Thankfully, that meant we could pack more men on the flatbed we brought with us, Although the heat was the problem.
 
Benny's problem for now.
 
Racing through first the outer streets of the Hartzborg spaceport, and then into the brown dirt of the desert around it I let my speed really go. Letting the Locust hit it's top speed for the first time. It only took me a little over an hour racing through the desert to reach the base coordinates. While it would take the convoy much longer. 
 
The base was a shit hole.
 
That was my official military description for it. When they said it was an unused base, I expected, one that was a little ill kept, but still a military base. Instead what I got was what could only be described as an ancient wreck. The only reason I even found it, is because the planet didn't have any concept of plantlife. 
 
An absolutely ruined ancient wall surrounded the base. Most of it had been destroyed, and just looking I could see the chain link fence that was supposed to denote the border had been knocked over, or destroyed in the who knows how many years it has been since anyone has been here. 
 
With a grunt I did a full scan of the base to get an idea of what I was looking at.
 
The hangar that made up the only building still completely solid was coated in sand. Apparently the doors had been blown open, or been left open, and the inside of the mech bay now had a sand dune.
 
The scans showed that the water system was broken as well. The pipeline it had once drawn water from was broken and so we would be without water if I didn't do something. Luckily. I was alone. I had already checked the sensors for anything that could spot me, camera's, people, anything.
 
It was completely dead. So I went to work. I fixed the pipe, although I actually had to dig it up first, but that wasn't too bad. Locust feet were pretty good for chicken scratch digging. Once I got the pipe fixed, and cleared to let the water come in I already noticed an issue with the water not being clean. The sensors were reading it as dangerous to drink. Lovely. They were shipping dirty water to the base.
 
But I had a fix for that. 
 
Heading into the Hangar, I used the nanoforge to collect the sand dunes into balls of solid compact sand that I kicked out of the building and then dispersed with another burst of nanites. Satisfied once the entrance was clean. I picked a spot and went to work on a ramp downwards. Just like back home. I excavated an underground mechbay instead of using the destroyed one on the surface. Having done it once before it was actually fairly easy. Although I tried to match the interior as being similar to the surface barracks.
 
I didn't want anyone in my army wondering why everywhere they went there was an underground bunker that matched the one on Solaris. That would raise questions. Well, more questions than it will already raise.
 
The industrial water purifier was created in green light and billions of nanites, and I routed the water pipes through it, and then put the clean water into a tank that would be our source of drinking water for now. At least it would be safe for the kids to drink when they got here. Plus another fusion engine to power the purifier and the building. I was pretty sure they weren't going to provide me normal power. 
 
Then I once again covered the ramp down with blast doors. Before coating them so the door looked just like the rough concrete floors. Thankfully, the neurohelmet Nanoforge gave me more control on how things looked as they came out than the noteputer did.
 
This mechbay was not nearly as large, or deep as the one I built on Solaris, so I had time to head back out, and look at the barracks buildings before the kids got back. My first impression was horrid. The old buildings had been half overrun with sand, and some had collapsed because of it. Knowing I couldn't do much about the buildings, my initial thought was to build a new barracks, or transform the mechbay into a workable sleeping space.
 
That was when I noticed another problem. My metal intake had dropped to zero. It froze me for a moment before I remembered I was now 24 light years away. Of course the metal extractor stopped feeding whatever storage space I apparently had. 
 
"Crap, shoot!" I grunted. I checked the scanner, and while there were metal nodes in the area I could use. It would take too much time to make one, and be back in time to fix this kerfuffle. I did a swift check and noticed that between constructing the hidden bay and the water purifier, I wouldn't have enough to even build a metal extractor, if I did much else.
 
Furious at myself for not noticing sooner, and, and for the damn Governess for giving us a fucking ruined base. I started calculating what I could use at least to get my people some comfort from this heat until I could 'find' the hidden mechbay downstairs. Which I would now have to expand even further to have an interior barracks. 
 
An air conditioning unit was what I decided on. If even for one night. I wanted my people to be as comfortable as I could make them. It was quickly built directly into the hangar, hiding its existence from casual notice. I immediately turned it on, to try and cool down the hangar bay before everyone arrives. It would be where everyone would stay at the start. It looks like our tents would get some early use. 
 
With that done. I didn't have much time left. About three and a half hours had passed, and the convoy finally arrived at the 'base.'
 
I parked my Locust outside the mechbay, and climbed down the ladder as the convoy's dust appeared over the horizon. I still had a lot of work to do but at least when the kids got here, they wouldn't die of dehydration, or heatstroke. With a grimace I wondered what other surprises I would be having in the next few days.
 
With a shake of my head I started moving as the trucks arrived. Later tonight I would head out, because as they say. Somewhere in the galaxy, a Commander builds a Metal Extractor.
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