IDGL-13

=Ian Davion, Golden Lion=
==Chapter 13 – Sunburn==
05/07/3041 - Location – Kessel, Draconis Combine
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The Fort Spica on Kessel was buzzing with activity as DCMS dropships and shuttles took off and landed in orderly patterns outside the soundproofed windows of the Fortress.  Within this utilitarian room were twenty men. All of whom were Yakuza that brazenly showed off their colorful Irezumi tattoos and scarred bodies over ivory vests and gray pants, the unofficial uniform of the Dai Shi Gosuto (4th Ghost) regiment.
A DCMS Officer wearing the gray work uniform stepped out of the office.  He was a stern dark-skinned man with tight cornrow braids tied into a top-knot.  “Yodama Shin.  Step Forward.”
A young man with colorful tattoos of a dragon along both arms stood up and stepped forward to the Procurement Officer bowing slightly but not politely.  The Officer was uncomfortable in the presence of so many Yakuza but did his best to not show it from afar.  “Hai.  I am he.”
“Kashira Yodama.  The Procurement department has approved your upgrade request. Your Panther will be reprocessed and continue to serve the Dragon elsewhere.  You have won the honor of piloting one of the new Zonbi (Known as the Wight in English).  It is similar to your Panther 9A LAG so the learning curve shouldn't be too steep considering your extensive experience.”  
He handed the younger man a scroll wrapped in ribbon.  Shin bowed and took the scroll with him.  “You may pick it up within two hours.  Until then secure your personal effects before the depot crew arrives to take away your Mech.”
Shin bowed slightly, “Arigatogozaimasu”
“Sayonara, Yodama-san.”
“Sayonara, Tai-I Shikugo.”
Shin Yodama bowed once more to the man who returned it.  No sooner did he turn his back and walk away then the Tai-I called out another name.  He departed the Fortress which was currently housing the 4th Ghost ICRe (Integrated Combat Regiment) and 6th Amphigean Light Assault Group.  Numbers were vague but the Draconis Combine had undergone a massive industrialization and rearmament project in the wake of the increasing capabilities of its long time rivals, the Lyran Commonwealth and the much hated Federated Suns.  
Shin walked across the catwalk that bridged the infantry barracks to see a battalion of Ashigaru Infantry engaged in group exercise drilling themselves in Karate Katas.  The DCMS's numbers had exploded and new military training capability was coming online monthly.  The dozen Ghost Integrated Combat Regiments were just part of Gunrei-no-Kanrei Theodore Kurita's modernization drive which included expanding the Light Assault Groups, Arkab Legions, and Ryuken.  
The Teeth of the Dragon had never been sharper and a good portion of it was homegrown.  Giving top of the line Battlemechs and equipment to the newcomers was unprecedented and had stoked resentment in the senior brigades that were used to receiving the best equipment.  They were however outfitted with large numbers of tried and true designs that fit with their tried and true tactics. 
Within twenty minutes he had walked across the length of the fortress to the Mech Bay where his Companies Battlemechs were housed.  Eight of them were ancient Panthers of different configurations.  The light trooper was the workhorse unit of the DCMS and one of its best export commodities; the other four were SHD-2K Shadow Hawks.  
Shin climbed the ladder to reach the cockpit and removed the DI chip and his well worn bone white neurohelmet from the chair.  He detached a tanto dagger's sheath from the chair.  Its richly decorated handle had been crafted by his own hands even if the steel was standard this dagger was unique. “Tatakai o tsudzukeru Tomukayatto.”
A pair of technicians walked toward him and bowed before handing him a note.  “Its all yours.”
“Hai, Kashira Yodama.  It will serve the Sixth well.  We will assign it to someone who will respect it.”
“It is just a tool without the warrior to wield it.  I have what I require.  Time for me a wield a sharper blade against the Combine's rivals.”
The techs walked up to the machine and did a quick diagnostic before one of them put on a neural band and activated the unit in its low power mode.  With only a blank Panther ROM chip it moved awkwardly at first before finding the proper balance and heading out the mech bay door.''
Two hours later Shin Yodama had just arrived at the secure storage hanger.  A squad of Ashigaru troops wearing respirators stood guard and demanded his identification and the scroll of transfer he had received earlier.  After checking it twice they waved him through.  The storage hanger was filled with skeletal Zonbis and Rattlesnakes (Garangahebi) rushed to Kessel without their armored skin, two massive mechs that Shin had never seen before stood side by side.  
One had a wickedly crafted demon's skull for a head it would be intimidating on the field and by its armament would be an equal to the Lyran Banshee and Atlas assault battlemechs that were frequently without peer on the battlefield.  The other looked like an odd Warhammer, it was significantly heavier with symmetrical gun arms mounted over under.  By the looks of it some kind of autocannon and a laser along with the missile pods in the chest.  Shin stopped one of the Kessel Depot techs, “What are those?”
“New models from New Samarkand. The Akuma and Daboku.  Heavy as a Highlander while outgunning an Atlas.  Very impressive stats if the test results are to be believed, and to think the Daboku was designed by the Capellans first!  It will kill many FedRats and Elsies.” Tech told him
Shin nodded, “I am here to pick up this one.”
The Tech pointed to one of the skeletal Zonbi (Wight), Shin looked at it curiously, “Why is it bare?”
“They got rushed here from Dover.  We've got armor enough here.  That mech just uses standard plate over the 'Endo-Steel' skeleton, whatever that is.  Sounds like a pain to fix.
Anyhow.  You know how to put it on Kashira.  I will be sure to send a stack of plates to the mech bay when we complete the deliveries.”
“I refuse to take deliver of the item before it is armored.” Shin told him
“You can take it up with Procurement then.  We have another two weeks of upgrades and transfers.  All of this new tech is a pain.  Us techs have to sit through seminars from Wakazashi and LAW on how to even service these damn things.  New tech, unreliable tech.  You should see the manual for the Daboku, its immense.
I apologize for my rant, Kashira Yodama.  Today has been very stressful.  Enjoy your Zonbi.”
Shin walked up the mobile staircase to the waiting cockpit, the tech was not wrong things were still out of order.  Someone at Wakazashi quality control was going to have a very bad day when he got this thing back online.  Kagishira Yodama pulled away the plastic protector to the DI programming chip that contained a collection of his brainwaves that would speed up alignment with this new unit.  He put the Neurohelmet on the flat stair mount of the Zonbi and found the manual that would tell him how to put the cockpit back together.
The new diagrams were confusing and poorly labeled.  He touched the wrong wire and was zapped.  He reflexively closed his hand and threw a wrench out of the cockpit in frustration.  “Damu!  Rokudenashi!  Baka-Ki!”
One of the techs overheard him from below and shouted up at him, “Do you need help, Yodama-san?”
“No!  I will figure this infernal machine out if it kills me.” Shin shouted
“Very well, continue on.” answered distracted Tech
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