WCGW Chpt 126

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==Chapter 126 - What Could Go Wrong==
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11 June 3043
Wokha (Former Outworlds System)
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The MI3 officer hand delivered the message to Colonel David Mitchell, which he took and read silently. He was about to ask the MI3 officer where Lieutenant Colonel Edwin Davion was when a jeep pulled up next to Intrusive, Intruder Dropship. "I called him over sir" the MI3 officer said. Colonel Mitchell handed the message over to Lieutenant Colonel Davion, who was looking smug as he walked up, and his face changed to that of a whipped puppy when he looked back up from the message.
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To: Rear Admiral Vickery, Lieutenant Colonel Davion, Colonel Mitchell
From: First Prince Hanse Davion
-Rear Admiral Vickery, your mission was carefully explained to you. Release those navigation tapes to SaRI without delay and support any further operations.
-Lieutenant Colonel Davion, it was a slight on my part not having you fully briefed in on this operation. Your are to provide Colonel Mitchell and SaRI all of your support. There some things you do not know but Colonel Mitchell will be soon briefing you in fully. I know about Breed and certain actions, do not bring further shame upon your name.
-Colonel Mitchell, you're not god and do not walk on water. Do not abuse the trust that has been placed upon you by myself. Do not make me regret my decision. Quit power playing and work with others I have sent.
H.D.
Additional from QA: All of you had better focus on your missions. There will be hell to pay if I have to make a yearlong Jumpship journey out there to set things right.
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"We have been properly chastised, Colonel Davion. Shall we go inside, and I will fully brief you into our various missions so as to avoid future confusion?" Colonel Mitchell asked.
"Yes, I think that would be best for both of us." Lieutenant Colonel Davion replied
Fifteen minutes later, both were seated and with fresh coffee, Colonel Mitchell began briefing in Lieutenant Colonel Davion. "Our primary mission is locating and recovering SLDF sites. We have quite a few locations to hit fairly well pinpointed. While none of these systems show on current star maps, we recovered one from 2765-2766 that details them quite well. Our first location, we located our Titan Fighter Carrier Dropship from the SLDF and recovered it intact plus quite a few other goodies. Second location is fairly radioactive, so we pulled back and it is still on the list. Third location was quite a haul, but our current find here makes it look like absolutely nothing was found."We have a deal with First Prince Hanse Davion and Quintus Allard that the Federated Commonwealth has first purchase rights on anything we locate and plan to sell off. That is how we make our living, selling what we find. Only this find is different. The equipment inside, well none of my commanders want to sell any of it. But, we have located information that Professor Igram from NAIS fainted over when he saw it. Literally fainted. To make things right with the First Prince and Allard, I have decided that we will be turning it over to the Federated Commonwealth in exchange for ten percent of the value of that Olympus Recharge Station. I still have a large overhead to cover.""Since we have our find here, the Arcadians are welcome to all the pirate salvage. We do not need any of it right now anyway. But we also carry out our anti-piracy contract, my people are developing a particular hate for pirates especially after our losses here. I hit all the high points, got any questions?"
"How can you be assured that the information you recovered is worth that much?" Lieutenant Colonel Davion asked
"Professor Igram says I am under valuing it if anything. Seems the information contains complete maintenance and repair schematics for every BattleMech ever produced up to 2765. I am no guru on the subject, but the way he explained it to me was what we have is almost as good as complete design information from a factory. Something about cutting out 95% of the design work and prototype work, thus shaving several years before a design is put into production. You are free to ask Professor Igram and I am sure he will talk your ear off about it." Colonel Mitchell said
"So, what did you actually find here?" Lieutenant Colonel Davion asked
"Care to go see it for yourself? Now that the issue is settled, I am about to open the place up to the troops so that we can really get to work inside." Colonel Mitchell replied
"Yes, please." Lieutenant Colonel Davion said
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Two hours later, Lieutenant Colonel Edwin Davion was almost speechless at what he had been shown, almost. "What makes you think the First Prince will let you keep all of this? If I was in his place, I sure wouldn't. For damn sure not those Dropships. Never seen one before, like an oversized Overlord."
"Not going to lie, that thought has crossed my mind a few times. But I like to think the First Prince is an honorable man and will stick to our deal." Colonel Mitchell replied
"That did not answer the question, what if he does not and demands what you found?" Lieutenant Colonel Davion asked
"Not worth worrying about right now until it happens. I will deal with that if or when it happens." Colonel Mitchell said
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12 June 3043
With the opening of the former SLDF base to all the SaRI personnel, the base was a beehive of activity. Battlemech techs were crawling over the cradled Battlemechs restarting fusion plants, Mechanics were doing the same thing to the multitude of vehicles and Aerospace techs had been brought down to work over the recovered Aerospace Fighters.
Captain Harold Croyle and his engineers, along with an armed escort were on the opposite side of the mountain clearing rubble and looking for what had to be a runway. Chief Warrant Officer Harry Caldwell was supervising a complete inventory of everything the base held. At the Nadir Jump Point, SaRI's Union CV had been detailed to conduct a survey of both asteroid belts in the system as best they could. Rear Admiral Vickery had turned over the navigational drives from the captured pirate Jumpships and they would soon be examined to try and locate the second pirate base.
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