BoTH Chpt 46

==Blood on the Horizon - Chapter 46 -==
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===Methods in their Madness===
Location: Bethonolog, Magistracy of CanopusDate: April 2nd, 3004
"Why do you train like this?" Morgan staggered out of the Archer and onto the gantry. "This is fucking madness."
"Better ammo, sweat, and some armor spent here than lives spent in combat," Major Hull shrugged as he looked up at the DroST that passed overhead. "Sure, we spend some extra funds on supplies, but we're gaining valuable experience that we couldn't get anywhere else outside of combat."
"One of those 'training missiles' cracked my cockpit glass," Morgan glared. "I'd say that's not very safe."
 
"Combat isn't safe and it points out a flaw in that cockpit. This means that we pull it, and mark down not to purchase from that supplier in the future. Because if a training missile cracked the glass, then what do you think a single LRM would've done?"
 
"Oh."
 
"Yeah," Hull patted the young man on the back. "You've got a good head on your shoulders, make sure you use it. Now, it's time for a debrief. So get on into the auditorium."
 
The 'auditorium' was really the cafeteria. Only the seats had been changed up and the personnel had been grouped up into the teams they'd been assigned for this training scenario. 
 
"Alright," Sheppard stepped up with a microphone. "I know we're all tired, so we'll make this as short as possible. Starting with dropships, what failures and notes did you take?"
 
"The Black Eagles lack the aerospace bays of the Unions," Victoria Jewel stated. "We've compensated by packing more weapons and armor on, but we'll have to be mindful of that in the future."
 
"The refits we're doing for the DroSTs are good," Lieutenant Hober spoke up. " Frustration. But we're going to need to reinforce the superstructure if we want to continue moving towards the idea of using it for fire support."
 
"Right," Sheppard nodded. "Get full write-ups finished and submit them, the Major and I will go over everything and decide on how we'll invest the budget for the rest of this contract. Now, onto the 'Mechs."
 
"We've discovered that some of the parts suppliers we are using have shipped us inferior parts," Major Hull was leaning up against the door. "We'll have to start doing more quality inspections before installing stuff like that. If we're seeing issues in training, then we'll see even more issues out in the field. Aside from that, we've identified some weaknesses in our combined arms work, we'll coordinate with Brown to fix that."
 
"Alright," Sheppard jotted down a note. "Tankers?"
 
"Same problem with coordinating with the 'Mechs," Naomi shrugged. "And our mechanics are in dire need of experience. Artillery performed well though. Their hard work on sighting and getting their maneuvers dialed in has paid off."
 
"Unfortunately, our ASFs is in orbit doing a patrol so we can pull off this exercise," Sheppard smiled. "In the future, we'll try to plan for one side or another to get support aside from the DroSTs. Now, if nothing else is critical, you're all dismissed. Go get some showers and rest up. And don't forget your reports! They're how we make these exercises more successful in the future!"
 
The massive group of mercenaries began to filter out of the auditorium, leaving only a few officers and a blond-turned-redhead behind. 
 
"So, first live fire exercise," Hull looked around at his senior staff. "Economically, we can only afford to do this once more for this contract, if we do it again at all. Should we secure a more lucrative contract, we can probably do this sort of thing more frequently."
 
"Excuse me, Major," Katrina Smith spoke up, trying to get the CO's attention. "Can I speak to you for a moment?"
 
"My notes on the exercise," Hull handed a notebook over to Sheppard. "Try to finish up without me. Just leave that back on my desk when you're done."
 
"You needed to speak with me?" Hull turned and walked to Katrina. "I try not to just say that I have an open-door policy. I try to live it out. So, what do you need, Ensign?"
 
"I wanted to ask about the exercises, and what gave you the idea for their introduction."
 
"Well, we went back through historical archives to see what we could apply to make even a new unit like ourselves able to compete with much larger and more storied units like the Eridani Light Horse…"
 
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"I apologize if I'm monopolizing your time," Katrina finally realized that it had been hours since she and the Major had begun speaking. "I just had so many questions."
 
"Don't apologize," Hull smiled. "I like answering questions. If I hadn't been a soldier, I probably would have tried to become a teacher of some sort."
 
"Right," Katrina nodded, grabbing her notebook again. "Why the six-unit lances?""For one thing, because we're a mercenary unit, we can experiment a bit to see what works. For another, it allows a bit more flexibility when it comes to engagements. Instead of a twelve 'mech or vehicle company made up of three smaller lances, we can field a company of eighteen, or twenty-four. Each 'Fireteam' (for lack of a better term) having long-range, short-range, and a decent medium punch backed up by artillery."
 
"You did use a lot of artillery," Katrina replied. 
 
"For a damned good reason," Hull smirked. "The two things we need in order to win any engagement are air superiority, and solid artillery spotting and shooting. 'Mechs are great, they're flexible and able to perform a lot of different tasks. But they pale in comparison to a bomb dropped, or an artillery barrage."
 
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"So, learn anything interesting?" Arthur asked as he settled back into his shared bunk with Katrina.
 
"Yes," she snuggled back into her lover's arms. "I think if we asked, that these people would support us when we get back to the [Commonwealth."
"Katrina, they're not even a full battalion," Arthur sighed. "It's good to have allies, but aside from a good cover, I'm not so certain that the Marksman will be anything beyond that."
 
"I guess we'll have to see what the future holds," Katrina replied, closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep."
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===A Hunch===
"You alright?" Sheppard asked me as I stretched and groaned.
 
"Just sore," I replied. "Forgot to stretch after the field exercises a couple of days ago. I'll be good to go in a minute."
 
"Well, you know that you don't have to come be my spotter, I can always ask Peterson or someone else to come do it."
 
"I'm capable," I cracked my neck and knuckles before finishing my stretches. "And I'll be more than able to push on once I'm warmed up."
 
"We'll start light then," Sheppard moved to a nearby treadmill. "So, you spent a lot of time with that Ensign the other day. Anything interesting happening there?"
 
"I'm pretty sure that that's Katrina Steiner," I matched pace with the other man. "If we keep her in our good graces, we might have a leg up on contracts in the Lyran Commonwealth. I'm waiting on Dunham to finish up getting into contact with some of his old friends for verification though. Until I get said confirmation though, I'm sticking with surface-level subjects. Nothing that would let a potential enemy know our weaknesses."
 
"I guess it's ultimately your decision," Sheppard shook his head. "I'd just advise caution. You never know where all of the enemies are until it's too late."
 
"You're right," I agreed. "I still think that this is a relationship that could benefit us."
 
"And you're not wrong, just be careful."
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===Negotiations with a sassy lady===
"You're certainly welcome to purchase those vehicles that did not pass our quality control standards," Anastasia Reed, the local Majesty Metals rep grinned. "I don't know what you want with junk, but I'm perfectly willing to sell them to you at a twenty-five percent discount off of the factory price."
 
"Ha!" I scoffed. "You aren't going to be getting more than scrap value for them on the open markets. I'll pay twenty-five percent of the total factory price."
 
She paused, realizing that we could continue this negotiating game, or she could just make a deal and be done with it.
 
"Look, I'm willing to drop to sixty percent market value for all vehicles that don't pass Quality Control if you're willing to drop any more negotiations on it."
 
"I want that in writing," I looked her in the eye. "but you have a deal."
 
"Now that business is done," the purple-haired woman looked around the cafe where we had met for this. "What do you say we find somewhere for something more… Enjoyable?'
 
"I don't do flings," I moved her foot away from my leg. "Thank you for your business, Miss Reed. The Marksman will be happy to do business with Majesty Metals in the future. I'll have our purchasing agents get in touch with your people so we can get a catalog put together for what we want to purchase."
 
"I don't know what you want with junk, but you're welcome to it," her face turned sour. "Good day, Major Hull," she stood up and made to leave. "Our people will sort out the details and call me if you ever decide your approach to fun has shifted."
 
"Not gonna happen," I muttered under my breath as I sipped at my coffee. "But she can dream all she wants to."
 
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"So, I notice that you didn't include Battlemechs in the negotiations with the Majesty Metals liaison." Sheppard arched an eyebrow at me.
 
"We need to round out our conventional forces," I shrugged. "At this point, we've got more 'Mechs and artillery than the rest of our forces. So, I've managed to get some Manticores and Pikes that had QC issues for sixty percent of their original cost. Given we've got the Phoenix up there," I pointed to space. "I figure we can do rebuilds and fix whatever was wrong with them. Sure, it'll cost us some man hours, but we'll be able to get some solid vics on the cheap."
"Just have Naomi make sure it's worth it." my XO sighed. "Anyway, while you were out on your date, our Magistracy Liaison stopped by. She wanted to meet with the command staff, and seemed kinda antsy too."
 
"I'll give her a call once I'm settled back into my office," I shrugged. "Got to make sure the techs don't want to murder me first."
"That's probably a good idea," Sheppard laughed. "Hopefully the machine shops are capable of what we're hoping for, otherwise we could have some issues."
 
"They've done everything we've asked of them so far," I replied. "Including rebuilding some of those antiques into modern 'Mechs. I think they'll work just fine."
 
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===Contractual Juggling for a Raid===
"MIM has tracked down the most recent raiders to a nearby world," our Magistracy Liaison changed the PowerPoint to a local systems map. "Seeing as that group is the most active in the area, we are activating Clause Five, Subsection Two, of our contract."
 
"So you want us out of your hair entirely then," I looked at the woman. "If you're activating that clause, then I want the salvage rights that are listed per that activation."
 
"We're not doing compensated salvage!" She glared. 
 
"Yes, you are." I simply relaxed in the chair. "Per our contract, if you activate that specific clause, then you're required to pay for every piece of salvage that we find, at market value. Your lawyers agreed to that contract. The Clause that I'm activating is the one that's supposed to happen when you activate Clause Five. It denies us salvage, so of course I wanted compensation. We can always ask the MRB to settle this," I offered. "Unless you'd rather us just carry out the raid and leave."
 
"I need to go speak to someone," she seemed nervous. "I will be in touch in the future."
 
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"Seems like someone didn't expect a new company to know our rights and contract," Sheppard grinned. "Five pounds says that she comes back with confirmation that we're to carry out that clause and then leave."
 
"No bet," Naomi shook her head. "We need to swing by Eidolon on our way back through to the Concordat for one last sweep anyway. I'm pretty sure there was more there than we found."
 
"It was a city," I shrugged. "Of course, there was more. We just didn't have time to do a comprehensive search."
 
"Regardless," Jewel finally spoke up. "We need to get ready for a fight. I doubt those pirates are just going to roll over for us."
 
"I'll start getting the camp packed up," Peterson glanced around. "Someone else want to inform the farmers that the Lease is going to have to be terminated? I don't want to break their hearts like that."
 
"I'll handle it," I sighed. "They're good people. So I'll make sure that we pay out the rest of the lease. God knows that the local government won't."
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Chapter 46