AWF Chpt 4

=Chapter 4=
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==A Warrior's Family==
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===Job Offer===
Klathandu IV
Federated Suns
August 3029
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"Did something happened to the RDMM?" Hap asked
"They've gotten themselves into a prolonged fight that is probably going to end in a bit o' guerrilla warfare, if they're lucky. I had a disagreement with yer commander and Lord High-ass Marshall Sandavol, and when they discovered who was actually paying my contract and what it entailed, they kicked me off the planet." McFinnigan explained.
Hap looked shocked, "You're not under the employ of the Draconis Combine?"
McFinnigan laughed for a moment then he wiped his eye, he looked at Hap, "Oh. Ye weren't kiddin'. Sorry. No, no. Takashi Kurita doesn't hire mercenaries, he kills 'em." McFinnigan took in a deep breath to try and stop laughing, "No. We were hired by some nobles who felt their cadets were 'press ganged' into the First FedCom. We were there to help train, assist, and generally shepherd the wee lambs."
"I don't remember seeing any of your 'Mechs, or any mercenaries." Anastasia said
"Well, our employers arranged to have their precious little ones all moved to one company, so we probably weren't watching over your company. Also we figured the best approach to defending the little bastards was going on the offense. If those cadets were on a mission we ambushed any OpFor that took the field. We let something small or wounded through for them though" McFinnigan laughed, "to build their confidence."
"So what was the problem?" Hap asked
"Well it was a couple things. First yer commander was getting ready to close the spaceport. My contract had a stipulation that in the case of a siege or planet-fall we would extract the noble's children. Of course the First FedCom and RDMM leadership didn't like the idea that we would be taking 'Mechs and manpower away from them. This led to a bit of an argument with me, and the General and Marshall."
"So are you not going to get paid?" Hap asked
"Oh no, we'll get paid." McFinnigan again laughed. "We do a job, we get paid. But this leads to the second problem. See, we're not kidnappers and we made sure the contract specified the cadets had to choose to come with us. I explained the situation and the General and the Marshall marched all the cadets into the office and explained to them that if they chose to come with us they would be charged with desertion, branded traitors and cowards, and their families would likely lose their titles and land. So none of the cadets chose to come with me." McFinnigan shrugged.
"Once that was taken care of then General asked us to stay and help them with their plans for an insurgency. I quoted him my price for that, which he refused. So I told him we were leaving, and he told me I had till sundown to get the hell off his world." McFinnigan said.
"You're not taking us back, are you?" Anastasia asked
"Well like I said, I'm no kidnapper, but the spaceport is closed. I have my XO trying to get a line on another job, but given the conversation I had with the Marshall, it probably won't be around here. In a couple weeks I could probably drop you off at a major star port, but I'll have to charge you for passage. It won't be cheap. You may have to pay with yer 'Mechs."
"I'd prefer not to lose my 'mech and be disposed, or be branded a deserter or traitor." Hap replied.
"Would you prefer to be dead?" McFinnigan snapped, "What good is honor if it gets you left on the side of some nameless hill to die?"
There was an uncomfortable silence as McFinnigan pulled a small cloth bag out of his jacket pocket, filled his pipe. He put the bag away and pulled out a match, before he lit the pipe he pointed its stem of at Hap. "We were halfway off world when I watched this young vixen skillfully flee like a fox from hounds, and just when they almost got their teeth on her you guided her to bait an ambush for two mechs that, by all rights, should have destroyed your lance. Then I watched you turn the tables on both of them. All the while doing your damndest to keep everyone alive." McFinnigan's voice almost dropped to a whisper as he added, "I was cheering for you lad, while your commander forgot about you."
He brought his voice back to a normal volume, and his tone was frank, "Know this, Your brother was crushed by that Thunderbolt while your command packed up their papers and coffee cups and proceeded to a new fortified bunker. Your general was getting into his nice staff car to go for a ride to the spaceport while you were choosing the place to make your last stand. Do you know what I'm telling you? You didn't desert anyone, they deserted you." When McFinnigan finished he lit the match, and started to work on lighting the pipe.
Hap glanced at Anastasia she shrugged and with a shake of her head wordlessly communicated, "He's not wrong."
Hap looked back at McFinnigan, "So what choice do we have?"
"Join my company." McFinnigan inhaled deeply then exhaled a thick cloud of smoke. "I had sixteen 'Mechs when I came to Klathandu IV, now I have thirteen. I need you as much as you need me, and what I saw down there tells me you three will fit right in with the family."
"Where do I sign up?" Joker asked, "I've been trying to figure out how to get out of that chicken shit outfit for a while now."
McFinnigan gave Joker a sideways glance, "Well the fool has spoken." He nodded to Anastasia, "what says the little trouble maker?"
"I'm not sure." Anastasia asked.
"Aye. That's fair. Listen, ye keep your 'Mechs, I'll pay you fairly, and I'm planning on giving young master Haphazard there all my new potential discipline problems. So don't worry, ye can stay with yer friends." McFinnigan smiled as he took another pull on his pipe.
"Alright boss, we're keeping the Princess." Joker flashed Anastasia a smile as she gave him a cold stare.
Hap ignored Joker for a moment, and glanced at Anastasia, she was looking to him questioningly. She barely knew him, but she looked so uncertain what to do she was probably going to follow him. The burden of leadership felt uncomfortable for Hap. "You promise to take care of us?"
"Promise? Lad, it's in the name of my company. You'll be one of my sons. I assure you, you fight for me like you did down there and you'll be well compensated. Lead my other children like you did, and you'll be helping me take care of the rest of the family." McFinnigan thrust his hand, "Now take my hand, look me in the eye, and join my family. You won't be sorry."
Hap was reluctant, but he couldn't stop himself from reaching for the man's hand. "I'll join."
"Me too." Anastasia added almost immediately after Hap. McFinnigan gave her a deep smile and let go of Hap and gave her a warm hug. Hap could see her eyes just over McFinnigan's shoulder. He couldn't tell if she looked uncertain, overwhelmed, or terrified.
McFinnigan released Anastasia and stepped back. He looked at them and smiled broadly, "Welcome to the Family. It will take a few days before we'll join up with the rest of the Family on the Tir A Nog, but we can get your contracts signed, I'll have the flight surgeon give you each a look over. By the time we get to the jump point, you'll be a McFinnigan."
McFinnigan led them out of the 'Mechs bays and toward the crew decks. Hap and Joker had been on enough Leopards to know they were going toward the galley, but when they entered they were shocked to find themselves in what looked like an Irish Pub. It even had a bar with a sign declaring "Llewyn's Pub" over the bar.
"Here is an appropriate place to talk some business." McFinnigan smiled, "Pull some pints while I call down my lawyer."
Hap played bar tender while McFinnigan used the ship's intercom to page his lawyer. The four settled into one of the large booths. McFinnigan toasted each of them as they drank.
Anastasia looked at her cup, "This is good."
"This is Timbiqui Dark, best beer in the sphere, Princess." Joker told her.
"Actually. It's not." Hap corrected him. "It's a stout like Timbiqui, but this is deeper, smoother, and richer. Also most Timbiqui Dark I've had is nitro injected, and I had to pump the cask."
McFinnigan clinked glasses with Hap again, "Aye, family recipe, McFinnigan's Archon Imperial Stout. You know a few things about beers."
"My dad used to home brew. He taught me the art, and to know a good beer." Hap said as drank.
McFinnigan smiled, "Oh you'll fit right in indeed." McFinnigan looked at Anastasia, "So it's obvious why this one is called Joker, and I'm content to wait till later to learn more about Haphazard's unorthodoxy, but I'm wondering what's yer handle, darlin?"
"Sir, she's a cadet, she hadn't really-" Hap started to say
"Oh don't let him fool you. She's royalty" Joker said with a laugh.
"That true?" McFinnigan asked with his eyes narrowed.
"Not exactly. My mother is a Countess." Anastasia said quietly.
McFinnigan looked at her carefully, "Well there's only one title that matter in this company. Mine, and it's 'Father', cause you're all now a McFinnigan and I won't have what some lord telling anyone that one of my sons or daughters is worth more than another. Yer all equal." He almost roared, then dropped his voice "Though I do pay some a little more for certain skills or responsibilities."
The door opened and a young blonde woman wearing a gray business suit with the "McFinnigan and Sons" log on the pocket.v
McFinnigan stood, "Well yer all equal, except this one, this is my actual daughter, Roweyna. I won't lie, I like you, but I love her." When she got to the table he introduced his daughter to the new mercenaries. "She's also my legal counsel so she also gets paid a lot more than you." He laughed, "Even draws hazardous duty bonus when she enters a court room."
She smiled good-naturedly and started passing out pens and thick contracts. She had an Irish accent like her father and quickly explained the specifics of the contract. All three Mechwarriors were given the same base salary, but there were other pay options, bonuses, and entitlements that would take effect after their thirty-day probation period, and first combat operation.
Joker quickly signed or initialed wherever Roweyna pointed. Hap scanned the document, and had to admit even with just the base pay he was making more than twice what he got as a Leftenant. What he saw looked good, or at least looked pretty common for a contract. He felt confident signing.
Anastasia had several questions. She also appeared to be able to read the document with a quick glance. Roweyna answered most of Anastasia's questions to her satisfaction. The one item that Anastasia noticed that Hap had ignored was a section on maternity leave and child care.
"Well if ye find yourself in a family way we still take care of you." McFinnigan answered, "Though I'd hope the father would be responsible. Still I'll take you out of active status, put you on a base pay salary and as long as you travel with us you get free room, board, and medical. After you've weened your new child we'll figure out child care and get you back on duty."
"Travel with you?" Anastasia asked as Hap flipped a few pages back and saw the long explanation on child care.
"Aye. The family travels together. I don't think you understand, 'MechWarriors, techs, wives, husbands, children, and all the rest of the family. They're all on the Tir A Nog. Are you pregnant child, or planning to get pregnant?"
Hap glanced over at Anastasia. "No. I was confused." She paused. "My parents hired personal security and their contracts didn't have half these entitlements, contingency packages, or agreements. If they were injured in the line of duty they, or more likely their next of kin, got a onetime pay-out."
McFinnigan snorted, "Family takes care of its own, not one time."
"Speaking of 'child care' reminds me of another portion of the contract I'd like to draw your attention to." Roweyna began to explain, "You'll note on page 17 that while your expected to maintain your physical fitness and martial skills on interplanetary voyages or while in garrison. However, you're also expected to help out with any skills you have, such as cooking, cleaning, vehicle maintenance, teaching-"
"Beer brewing." McFinnigan added.
"Oh! We got another brewer, which is it?" Roweyna actually looked excited.
McFinnigan nodded to Hap, and Roweyna gave him on appraising look and a smile. "Very good." She gave him a wink and then returned to the contract, "So again part of your duties is to use skills like that to help maintain the company's ability to deploy 'Mechs and have ready and able cadre of MechWarriors capable of performing high intensity combat operations as prescribed by our clients."
Roweyna went over a few more sections of the contract, answered a few more questions and then collected the signed and initialed contracts. They refilled their glasses and she drank a pint with them while McFinnigan explained more about the company.
McFinnigan and sons was a reinforced company of sixteen battlemechs divided into four lances. They had a command lance, a pursuit/raid lance, a fire support lance, and a recon lance. Most of the family was currently on the Tir A Nog an Excalibur class drop shuttle. The Leopard, the Phaidin, was used for various things depending on the mission. On some drops it was the command vehicle, on other drops it might be used to insert a team away from the main group, or perform a quick raid.
They didn't own their own jump ship so traveling between systems had to be done by either military transport or a civilian company.
McFinnigan and sons was founded in 3010 after Kelly and Llewyn McFinnigan had served their time in the Donnogal Guards, salvaged two additional mechs for their sons, and managed to gather enough money to buy the Phaidin. They worked hard doing a lot of high risk raids for anyone that would pay them. The McFinnigan's had been employed by every major house and several of the Periphery lords though they preferred to work for Steiner or Davion. Along the way Kelly built them up to the reinforced company but lost his brother and son to combat related deaths.
As McFinnigan explained the unit's lineage and heritage Hap looked around the bar and saw the various mementos and souvenirs of the things McFinnigan was telling them, and pictures of the family members in good times, and bad, and portraits of the ones that didn't come home.
McFinnigan also explained the unit motto was "Gnó Teaghlaigh" Irish for "Family Business". The logo had the celtic knot and harp that represented Ireland on old Terra and the Donegal. The skull was to represent that their business was generally death and destruction, and the three leaf clover in the McFinnigan logo was the stylized club-clover of the Donnagal Guards, where Kelly and Llewyn McFinnigan got their start, and Kelly said they had great respect for the unit.
They finished another round of pints and then McFinnigan excused himself to go and attend to business, and Roweyna gave them tour of the crew decks, showed them where their berths would be, and took them by the armory to secure their weapons. She also took them to the supply locker to get them linens and a few McFinnigan and Sons T-shirts, patches, and another set of coveralls. Finally Roweyna took them to the flight surgeon. The flight surgeon gave them each a clean bill of health, and released them to move freely about the ship.
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