AWF Chpt 70

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=Chapter 70=
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===Field Repairs===
Battlefield, St. Ives
St. Ives Compact
February, 3030
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Hap flipped up the welding mask and inspected his work. They had taken the left arm from the Capellan Wasp to replace the arm of Anastasia’s Valkyrie. The Crockett had destroyed the Valkyrie’s arm above the elbow. Hap had stripped down the Wasp’s arm and welded additional strips of titanium steel alloy to the “bones” and the connection point to reinforced the smaller ‘mech’s arm so it would be able to handle more armor and myomer muscle.
This was the first time Anastasia’s ‘mech had taken significant damage, and could no longer be considered pristine, but once the new arm was done it wouldn’t be noticeable, or hurt the ‘mech’s effectiveness. It wasn’t uncommon to replace a damaged ‘mech part with a similar part from another ‘mech. Usually, it was ‘mech that shared characteristics. The Valkyrie was a beefed-up Wasp, so taking a component form a Wasp for a Valkyrie might require a little modification but it wasn’t a major feat in engineering. Hap’s dad had even mentioned in a pinch a Stinger would also work. Sometimes though, necessity created some innovation. Hap had seen a Rifleman from Prince Hansen’s own Rough Riders marching in a parade that had been fitted with the legs of a Warhammer.
Hap glanced over at Anastasia. She was working on the Vindicator’s small laser. The Compact forces didn’t have a spare Hessen IX Small Laser for Chyou’s ‘mech so Anastasia was using the parts of the UrbanMech’s Harmon Light Laser to replace the components that had been destroyed during Chyou’s fight with the Immortal’s Kintaro. Like the Valkyrie, the Vindicator was lying on its back with the arm outstretched. Anastasia was standing at the laser. Next to her was the arm and small laser removed from the UrbanMech.
Rebuilding a weapon like that was less common, but it seemed to Hap every settlement or unit had at least one tech that could do something like this, or would at least be willing to try. In Hap’s experience it was easier to drill holes to mount an odd weapon system and modify the power connectors, but that wasn’t always possible, and sometimes the weapon wouldn’t work, or would have trouble interfacing with ‘mech’s targeting or firing systems. Hap also knew that Anastasia was probably enjoying solving the complex problem of rebuilding a laser with spare parts.
What Anastasia probably wasn’t enjoying was the crowd around her. Several of the St. Ives Compact techs were watching her every move trying to learn exactly how she could take a capacitor or focus assembly out of one weapon system and put it in another. Chyou was also there translating what Anastasia was doing into Chinese for the techs, and translating the techs' questions for Anastasia. Hap was certain his introverted wife would eventually find this situation exhausting.
Tasja and Maja carried a large bundle of myomer on their shoulders. “Hap, is the arm ready for the myomer?” Taja asked as they dumped the bundle next to the arm.
Hap looked over his work again. He stood up and gave the ‘mech skeleton a few good kicks. “I think the welds will hold.” He glanced down around him, aside from the myomer were the actuators, struts, and other components they had either salvaged from the ruined arm or were taken from the Wasp. It was probably a couple more hours of work before the arm would be ready for mounting armor.
A large cargo truck rumbled to a stop between the Valkyrie and Vindicator. Fiona, Mike, and Doctor Jackson Morgan climbed out of the vehicle. Fiona called up to Hap and he got down and walked over to them. Dr. Jackson watched him as he approached. The doctor motioned to him.
“Hap, you okay from that fall you had?” Doctor Morgan pulled out a pen light.
“Yeah, it wasn’t like last time.” Hap said as the doctor shone the light in his eyes. “It was less like falling and more like my ‘mech slid down the building until me and the building came to a rest on the street.”
Doctor Morgan nodded, “Sure. Look up. Now follow my finger.” The Doctor moved his finger left to right, up and down and then touched his nose and pulled it back. “You look fine. Sorry I couldn’t check you out before you left the cockpit and make sure you didn’t suffer anything serious. When we landed the Compact forces asked for any additional medical support we could give them, and you reported you were fine.”
“I think I am.” Hap answered
“I do too, but rules are rules, you’re on observation for the next couple days and you can’t take your ‘mech back into combat till I clear you. I’d say you should be on light duty, but that doesn’t look possible, so try to help out where you can, at least until we get the drop ship loaded.”
“How was your meeting with the Compact high command?” Hap asked Fiona.
“Good, we had a pretty lengthy discussion.” Fiona said
“More like a three hour-long dickering session over salvage.” Mike grumbled.
Hap noted that Fiona looked tired, “Most of it was over the salvage.” Fioana looked around, “I see the wasp's arm, which is fine, we had discussed that before I went to finalize our salvage claims. What are we doing with the UrbanMech’s small laser?”
“Anastasia is using it to fix the small laser on Chyou’s Vindicator.” Hap said.
“Anastasia can fix things?” Fiona gave Mike a questioning glance.
Mike shrugged and grumbled to himself and everyone followed him. They rounded the Vindicator’s arm to find Anastasia giving a class on the small laser. She had removed what was left of the laser's outer housing and the broken armor that had protected the laser’s internal electronics. She had several pieces of testing equipment still attached to certain components as well as a noteputer plugged into the laser's diagnostic jack. Hap could sense Anastasia was frustrated as they approached.
One of the Compact tech’s held up a large black cylinder and spoke to Chyou in Russian.
“Technician Solkovski says you still need to incorporate this part and several others like it.” Chyou said.
“That is one of several capacitors required because the UrbanMech is so woefully underpowered.” Anastasia answered as she picked up the noteputer, pressed a few buttons and the laser emitted a very slender ruby beam. The laser ended at a pile of discarded 'mech armor pieces nearly 100 meters away. The remains of the laser’s casing were also in the pile. As she worked, Chyou translated into Chinese.
Anastasia picked up a copy of the UrbanMech Technical Manual. It was in Chinese but the technical data for the laser had enough mathematical and engineering symbols and numbers that it was almost universal. “According to the manual this much energy is required to the emitter before it goes through the undulation. As you can see” Anastasia held up the multimeter next to the tech manual “we have the prerequisite energy required for the emitter in diagnostic mode.”
Chyou looked at the manual and the testing equipment as she nodded and then spoke again in Chinese. The tech dropped the capacitor, took the manual, and glanced at the multimeter as he compared it to the manual. He pointed lower on the page and handed it back to Anastasia as he spoke again in Russian.
“Technician Solkovski states the manual indicates you only have 10% of the necessary power.”
“Yes.” Anastasia said, “This is diagnostic mode. You’re referencing the power level required for regular operation of the laser.” She took the tech manual back and pointed back to the original section before she tossed it on the Vindicator’s wrist.
Chyou translated as Anastasia picked up the noteputer. Mike pulled out a cigar from his coverall’s breast pocket, and held it in front of the underpowered beam. He examined the cigar as it smoldered. “Wait.” He said as he put it in his mouth and sucked on it trying to make it catch, “How much armor do you have over there.” Mike motioned toward the pile of armor the laser was aimed at.
Anastasia looked up, “Approximately, a quarter ton.”
Mike studied the trees behind the armor and seemed satisfied there was nothing important there. “Put it at full power.” Mike said as he stepped back and motioned to Hap to give him his welding mask.
Anastasia nodded as she pulled off her test equipment and then pressed a few buttons on the noteputer. The laser beam thickened and the heat caused everyone to step back. Mike looked at the lasers internals. After ten seconds the laser shut off. The pile of discarded armor had a clean hole burned into it, and the tech manual, that had been on the ‘mech’s arm was on fire.
Mike flipped up the welding mask and grabbed the burning tech manual, “That checks out.” He said as he rolled up manual and used the flames to light his cigar, “I’d take that weapon into combat.”
Chyou explained that Mike was the mercenary’s master technician and translated his statement. Solkovski still looked puzzled but the other two technicians nodded and clapped. 
Mike exhaled a large cloud of cigar smoke, “But I still wouldn’t trust her to hang armor.” He said to Fiona, as he dropped the burning tech manual and stamped it out, “And Hap you need to talk to your girl about work site safety.”
“I’m his wife.” Anastasia corrected.
“Oh yeah, congratulations.” Mike said as he took another long draw on his cigar.
“Uh, thanks.” Hap said.
“Not you, her.” Mike answered
“What?” Anastasia said.
Chyou walked between Anastasia and Mike, to approach Doc Morgan, “Pardon me, Doctor. Were you able to say you assist our medical staff?”
“Yeah.” Doc Morgan said, “That MechWarrior your team brought is going to be fine. He got scuffed up a little when his ‘mech got destroyed, but he’ll pull through.”
“That is good, the Compact needs every warrior.” Chyou said unconvincingly, “However, I was more interested in the condition of Captain Liu.”
Doc Morgan nodded, “Your commander? I actually assisted with part of her surgery. Your docs think she’ll keep her hand. I was impressed by those guys. What they lack in, well damn near everything, they make up for in sheer determination.”
“Increasingly that has become our way.” Chyou answered. “Thank you, Doctor, this is good news.”
Crow walked up to the group. “I think I got the LSA done.
Fiona’s eyes flashed “The what?”
“Life Support Area. You know setting up sleeping tents, designating one place to eat and another to shit.”
“I know what an LSA is. Why are you making an LSA? We should be leaving here.”
Doctor Jackson pulled Fiona slightly away from the group, “Your primary flight crew came to the end of their duty day waiting for you to finish with the Compact leadership, and we didn’t have enough qualified secondary crew members to operate the ship. They need an eight hour mandatory rest. Before you start bitching at me, that’s not my or your uncle’s rules, it’s the MRB and our insurers rules.”
Fiona looked like she was about to strangle the doctor. She took in a deep breath, let it out and said, “Very good. Anastasia, make a guard roster, put Crow and me at the bottom. I’m going to take all the anger I’m feeling right now and hold onto it for a few hours.” Fiona looked across the area where the pilots were setting up a sleep shelter and her eyes narrowed. “I’m going to use it to motivate all of you to get off-world in record time.”
One of the shuttle crew approached Fiona, “Ma’am, Loadmaster Seyton “happened” to find a crate of Range-Bull ribs in our food stuff. It’s hard to cook properly in the galley, so we were wondering if we could setup a smoke pit-“
“No.” Fiona said flatly, “We’re still in the middle of the Compact’s…” Fiona glanced over at Chyou, “fight for freedom.” Fiona glanced around her and raised her voice, “Listen everyone, the Compact’s intel is saying the Capellan forces are “sufficiently marginalized” and they’re going to relocate in the morning.”
“This is also good news.” Chyou said smiled faintly.
“If you heard that, it’s not a rumor, but at the same time the Compact has been fighting a guerilla force. Small units that like to sneak up and slit throats and steal from soldiers while they sleep. Drunk mercenaries sitting around bonfires eating luxury foods is going to be a tempting target to them, especially since we have the only operational ‘mech’s in the area. The Professor is going to put out a guard roster. I need everyone to stay sharp and generally sober. We’re packing out at first light.”
Chyou gave Fiona a questioning look, “You are skeptical of our intel’s assessment?”
Fiona put her hand on Chyou’s shoulder, “I’m naturally skeptical of anyone that “bets my life” on whatever models, simulators, guesses, ‘gut feelings’, and the tea leaves and chicken bones that a good intel analyst uses. I’m super skeptical when they use squishy language like ‘sufficiently marginalized’, and I haven’t been exactly impressed by what I’ve heard from your intel. If I were you, I’d only trust the weapons in your hands and the men or women on your left and right.”
Chyou nodded, “Thank you.”
“Unless the guy on your left is Zhang.” Crow said. ”That guy’s a real ass clown.”
Fiona gave Crow a reproachful but he said, “His ass clowning nearly got Hap killed.”
Fiona turned back to Chyou and squeezed her shoulder, “That said, if this revolution doesn’t work out for you, come find us. We’re always looking for good warriors.”
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