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Aurigan Sentinels (Battle CYOA)

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Oshha said:
I give out the 'Mechs to canon Marauders in order of which ones I remembered first. Also I'm not using baseless memes for the story such as Glitch especially good at getting headshots or Dekker always dying. If they have a basis in canon, then I might included them, but they only come from players making certain choices like using Glitch for headshots or being bad enough to get Dekker killed in the first mission rather than anything to do with the characters themselves.
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...Fair enough. Dekker lasted my entire campaign, anyway, cos I didn't keep him in underarmoured things - shifted him over to Behemoth's starter Shadow Hawk that I refitted to be a cavalry striker asap. I guess the reason Glitch became such a headshot meme machine was because her voice lines for it were so good that it kinda encouraged you to use her for them. Sorry for my faux-outrage!
 
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First Mission 4.1
  • Threadmarks
    • Cordia City, Coromodir
    Aurigan Reach, Aurigan Coalition
    31st December 3020

    "Are you sure that you don't want to go?" asks Kamea and I grimace at the thought of attending the politically-charged New Year celebration that High Lord Arano is throwing.

    "I'm definitely sure," I reply, "Politics isn't my forte and that party will be completely full of that. I would rather get something productive done like looking at the preliminary contract your father has sent us."

    "Haven't you already looked at that?" points out Kamea.

    "It doesn't have to be that specifically," I grumble, "Given that I want to set out by the end of the week, there is a lot to be done and doing preparations is a better use of my time than making a fool of myself at a fancy party."

    "Please, you aren't nearly as bad as you seem to think you are," says Kamea, "Besides, plenty of people want to meet you. You've been pretty reclusive."

    "I haven't been any less outgoing than I have been before," I point out.

    "You weren't high profile back then," counters the Arano heiress, "You were, what, just a university student before. Now you are a countess who owns a WarShip on top of being one of the richest people in the Reach and having a military force comparable to a House Guard. You avoiding people now makes you reclusive and it will get noticed."

    "You know what, I'm perfectly fine with that," I say, "Less people wanting to bother me is just peachy."

    "We'll work on it in the future," says Kamea as she gives me a look, "It isn't going to be a sustainable state of affairs in the long run and who knows how long until important people begin to take your lack of socialisation as a snub."

    "I'll cross that bridge when I get to it," I reply, "I want to at least win a battle or two so I have some credibility to my claim of being a military leader. I don't want people thinking that I am all bark and no bite because I haven't done anything, but get lucky on a LosTech expedition."

    "This mission should fit the bill," says Kamea, "We'll go smash some pirates and bring the Argo back for my father. That will give you the clout you want and once we are back home, we can arrange what will effectively be your debut. Even if there aren't any convenient holidays, we'll be able to arrange something suitable for the occasion."

    "And when I make a dozen or so accidental faux passes?" I ask dryly.

    "Victoria and I will teach you enough that you won't," replies Kamea, waving off my concerns, "Even if you won't admit to yourself, you have a solid grasp on the basics so we will only need to worry about the finer points. Once we get you up to a passable level of competence, nobody will care about the little slip up here or there."

    "You have greater faith in humanity than I do then," I mutter and the Arano heiress rolls her eyes at me.

    "Fine, some fools will complain, but I can assure you that nobody with enough power or influence to harm you will," says Kamea.

    "Fine, fine," I grumble, "Is that all?"

    "I was hoping to ask about the upcoming mission?" inquires Kamea, "Not that I think that Father would give us a bad deal, but I would be lying if I tried to deny that the last few months have seen me become invested in the Aurigan Sentinels."

    "That's not unexpected, it is your first unit after all," I say.

    You see, while it might seem obvious that Kamea would have served in the ACM as the heir presumptive, the truth is more complex. The ACM is a very feudal military and while it is capable of providing infantry equipment and ICE-power vehicles without difficulty, any 'Mechs or fusion tanks are largely owned by the nobility. The nobles provide those machines with crew in service to the ACM as part of their feudal obligations, while the scarcity of 'Mechs means a noble family will only provide a single BattleMech and MechWarrior at a time.

    Even the main branch of House Arano only has their ancestral 'Mech, the Kintaro that they have kept since their ancestors in the 159th Hussar Regiment defected to the Taurian Concordat, forming the Red Chasseurs. She might have had it during the events of the Espinosa Coup and the Arano Restoration, but that was only due to the death of her father. These days, High Lord Arano is still making use of the family 'Mech, leaving Kamea unable to serve in the ACM as a MechWarrior.

    Now, she could have joined the ACM as a tanker or an infantrywoman, but the Arano heiress had chosen to remain a MechWarrior even if she was dispossessed until she inherited the family 'Mech. And honestly, that isn't just MechWarrior pride talking. Cross training would have taken up plenty of Kamea's already busy schedule and then there are the social consequences.

    The heir presumptive choosing to be a lowly tanker or infantrywoman rather than a noble MechWarrior doesn't have anything inherently wrong with it, but try telling that to some of the nobility. Unfortunately, the Reach has enough Mechjocks amongst the local aristocracy that Kamea choosing not to be a MechWarrior could have notably hurt her social standing. As far as too many people in a position of power are concerned, better to have a MechWarrior who has never served than someone who has served in a lesser position.

    "I just want to make things work," says Kamea, "Now, what is the contract?"

    "It's a good one," I tell her, "It's a retrieval mission to Alloway and we'll just be taking the Myrmidon plus a couple of Leopards. One of those will be Markham's old one to get our 'Mechs to and from the surface while the other is a loaner from House-from your house to carry the infantry and engineers. We'll only be getting paid to take just a single company of 'Mechs and a squadron of ASFs along with an infantry contingent.

    "Beyond that, good combat pay along with fully-covered transportation costs including combat drops for both Leopards. We'll be expected to catch a ride on passing JumpShips, but the costs of hiring them are being covered and it will save us time. Supply is only partially covered, but honestly, it isn't that much compared to the transportation fees. Salvage rights could be better with us receiving thirty percent with ten percent priority picks, but given that the rest of the salvage will be going to your father, I can accept that more than if it was another employer."

    "We'll be going, right?" asks Kamea.

    "I'll be going, but I'm not sure about who else," I reply before relenting under the glare that the Arano heiress gives me, "Alright, I'll make sure you, Victoria and Mo join us, but I'm not going to bring the Myrmidon's standard complement. It's all too green for that given you and Mo are the most experienced members."

    "That's a fair point," concedes Kamea, "I presume that you have something in mind?"

    "I'll swap out Daybreak Squadron for Storm Squadron," I say, "An elite squadron of Royal Stukas should handle any aerospace resistance that we run into. And I'm thinking of bringing the Vixens along as while they might be overkill for a bunch of pirates, they will certainly get the job done."

    "I'm not going to argue against overkill," says Kamea after a moment of silence, "A successful first mission will be important to our reputation and I won't deny that I am biassed about this. Retrieving the Argo and uncovering her secrets has been my father's dream longer than I've been alive. The chance for him to finally fulfil it…I just don't want to mess this up."

    "I can understand that," I reply slowly, "It was more of a hobby than a dream in Dad's case, but he spent the last couple of years researching his, well, my find. He got more invested and excited as the time went by and I just remember how happy he was to make his big breakthrough. Then a goddamn hover truck kills him a month before the expedition he put together was supposed to leave.

    "I had to pick up the pieces and while I am grateful for the opportunity, it sucks that he put all of that hard work into finding what would be the LosTech find of the century only to be killed before he can find it himself. Sometimes, part of me feels guilty that I was the one to go on the expedition to claim the rewards of his hard earned efforts. Because Dad shouldn't have died and I shouldn't have had to take his place in the expedition."

    "That's-" starts Kamea before hesitating as she gives me a look of pity, "I'm not going to lie and say that I can understand all of that, but I do get where you are coming from. I would hate for us to get the Argo just to come back and find something had happened to Father. Hey, Elizabeth, do you mind if I ask a personal question? One about you and your stepfather?"

    "Go ahead," I say after considering it for a moment, "I trust you won't be rude or disrespectful about it."

    "I'll try not to be," says Kamea before taking a deep breath and continuing, "What exactly was the relation between you and your stepfather? Or you and the rest of your family? I've been trying to figure it out since we first met and all I can come up with is that it isn't like what I assumed it would be like."

    "Huh," I say to buy myself some time to think, "Just what were you expecting then?"

    "Something more typical," admits Kamea as the Arano heiress avoids meeting my eyes, "Perhaps even stereotypical. I assumed that you wouldn't get along with Moana because she was the heir, but you were the older one. That your stepfather would sideline you in favour of his actual daughters and you would resent him for that. Not whatever it is that you've got going on in House Kalani."

    "It's complicated," I say as I flounder on how to respond to all of that, "He was my Dad, but I always knew that I wasn't one of his daughters by blood. That I was a Nora and not Kalani. I knew that it would be one of my half-sisters who inherited and not me. Never me and I wouldn't be involved in the noble side of the family. Dad and Mum made sure that I knew that growing up. They loved me, but I just didn't have the right blood."

    "So he just side-lined you to keep you out of the way?" asks Kamea, "And you were just okay with that?"

    "It was just a fact of life," I reply with a dismissive shrug, "I was the stepdaughter who wasn't in the line of succession. I never particularly wanted to attend those events and I wasn't left out of other family stuff, just the things relating to the baronetcy. I even got some basic training in the family Locust. For all I know, Dad just recognised how bad I am at noble etiquette and decided to keep me away for that reason."

    "If he had noticed that, he could have taught you to be better rather than keeping you away," points out Kamea softly.

    "I never asked so I suppose we'll never know," I tell her and my mood drops at the reminder of his death and the conversation that we will never have the chance to have, "Because he is dead."

    Thanks to that damn truck driver. Accident, my arse. Someone had to be at fault. There has to be someone I can blame for Dad's death.

    "Are you okay?" asks Kamea.

    "I'm fine, just remembering that Dad is dead and I won't be able to speak with him ever again," I reply, "Can we change the topic?"

    "Of course," says the Arano heiress hastily, "How is your training with Mastiff going?"

    ***​

    Start of a new arc once again. This chapter is mainly because I wanted to establish what was going on with the mission before it is shown on-screen. So I put the discussion of the contract in the middle of showing Elizabeth's avoidance of politics and some insight to her family dynamics.

    Anyway, the next chapter is going to be an interlude as I want to show the perspective of one of the pirates as they face down against the Aurigan Sentinels with all of their heavy metal and LosTech.

    Please point out any spelling or grammar mistakes that you spot. Please quote them in the thread and explain what you think is wrong so I know what you are referring to.
     
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    • Oshha said:
    Actually, they aren't. Their factory was destroyed in the Second Succession War, which caused production to cease.
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    RecklessPrudence said:
    Well, now I really feel a fool. Teach me to go off my (faulty) memory, instead of double-checking before I say something...
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    It is accurate that there is no more production of the Grasshopper, but after reading through the Sarna Wiki, as well as the connected Articles about the Namer of the Mech etc, there apparantly is a second Factory somewhere.

    So might be findable via a Lostech hunt at least.

    On another note, have you thought about looking into Extinct Mechs?

    As some of those no longer have Companies that own the IP, or are defunct so can be bought up for a pittance.

    Lastly, the RWR Mechs may be another option as the Production of such Mechs was often in hidden facilities in the Periphery.
     
    TheOmnimercurial said:
    It is accurate that there is no more production of the Grasshopper, but after reading through the Sarna Wiki, as well as the connected Articles about the Namer of the Mech etc, there apparantly is a second Factory somewhere.

    So might be findable via a Lostech hunt at least.
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    I don't trust Sarna to be reliable. As far as I am aware, the original Grasshopper factory was destroyed and all factories for it came post-Helm. If you have a primary source stating otherwise, I would be happy to see it, but I'm afraid I don't take what Sarna says for granted.
    TheOmnimercurial said:
    On another note, have you thought about looking into Extinct Mechs?

    As some of those no longer have Companies that own the IP, or are defunct so can be bought up for a pittance.
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    The problem is that pretty much all of the extinct 'Mechs are either LosTech or RetroTech, things that Elizabeth doesn't exactly have access to.
     
    By the way, I forgot to mention that this is the last of my current buffer. Because of that, this is will be the end of the daily updates as I don't have anymore pre-written chapters.
     
    It is interesting that the original Elemental was an Pressurized Diving suit:Water Elemental Mining Suit

    So there are possibilities in making Power Armor from similar bases...

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    Thing is that some of those retrotech or unused designs can be used as basis for new-ish mechs, like how the Draconis Combine created the Katana out of the Crockett...
     
    Well assuming some Marines and some small craft to move are brought along and they're willing to be patient they could snag or at least eliminate any pirate dropships or jumpships not in system when they arrive
     
    First Mission 4.2
  • Threadmarks
    • Cordia City, Coromodir
    Aurigan Reach, Aurigan Coalition
    1st January 3021

    A lot can change in a couple of years. Dad should have been at my twenty-first birthday, but instead I have the heirs to the two most powerful and influential Founding Houses attending. Kamea Arano and Victoria Espinosa are both here at the Kalani mansion, just for my birthday. For the vast majority of my life, that would have been unthinkable and yet here we are.

    I probably have more guests at this birthday party than any others in my life. Except for maybe some of those that the twenty-first century me had, but I'm not sure if those count. They weren't for Elizabeth Nora after all. Beyond both heiress and all three of my half-sisters, I have the Zola siblings plus one Jenelle Donovan, a plucky young MechWarrior who helps Moana run my command company.

    Speaking of Jenelle, I'm ninety percent certain that she is the protagonist of that…the one who led Mackham's Marauders in the Arano Restoration. She is a protege of Raju Montgomery who has an ancestral Blackjack that she stole from her family after being exiled. And she has enough potential to be that person, to the point that I have her on my shortlist for company command due to how well she is handling herself as Mo's XO.

    "Enjoying yourself, Liz," says Mum, startling me out of my thoughts.

    "Hmm, oh, yes," I reply, "Just surprised at how many people I have here. I'm not used to having this many friends."

    "Just make sure any future friends are actually your friends," warns Mum, "I hate to be gloomy on your birthday and everyone you invited seems genuine, but with your new status, you can expect lots of false friends to flock to you."

    "I know," I say, "I have Kamea handling that for now, but sooner or later, I'll have to take the plunge into politics."

    "Like you haven't already," says Mum with some amusement.

    "I haven't fully plunged into it," I correct my previous statement, "I've sided with House Arano and I've been earning goodwill not to mention upsetting the status quo of the entire Inner Sphere and Periphery, but I'm not actively playing political games."

    "In hindsight, I wished we had raised you for this sort of life instead of trying to keep it away from you," says Mum.

    "Hindsight is hindsight," I reply, "You did your best with what you knew at the time. It isn't like anyone could have expected me to find a working WarShip and everything else."

    "I don't think anyone could have," muses Mum, "Even-."

    Mum cuts herself off mid-sentence and I know exactly why. Just like for me, Dad's death is still too soon to just bring up.

    "Yeah, I know," I say as I grope around for a change of subject, "How are you and the others handling being in the shadow of my newfound fame?"

    "I've been dealing with a lot of false friends who suddenly want something to do with us," admits Mum with a sigh, "Melika is excited for the chance to be a MechWarrior now that we have a second family 'Mech. Malia is happy to take advantage of the name recognition and publicity for increased exposure and sales for the family business. Even if she is delegating most of the work, Kalani Meats & Meals is growing rapidly and Malia wants to get big before the fame fades. Something about getting big enough that the fame is self-sustaining and the brand will sell itself."

    "That sounds like Malia," I say with a small smile on my face, "Is she the CEO yet?"

    "Sort of?" replies Mum as she waggles her hand, "There is an understanding that she will be the CEO, but she is waiting until she finishes her studies before properly claiming the position for herself."

    "What about Mo?" I ask, deciding to broach the subject despite the potential to be upsetting, "How is she handling it?"

    "She is doing her best," says Mum, "I believe it helps that she is somewhat prepared for this. While she has more attention drawn to her than she expected, the only thing that was unforeseen is the scale of things. Moana has gone from being the heir to the baronetcy to being a baronetess and heir to a county. She has also gone from being a mere MechWarrior in a Bug 'Mech to commanding a company in an assault 'Mech though that last change of circumstances is hardly unwelcome."

    While I ultimately did it, granting Moana ownership of the Highlander she is piloting in the Aurigan Sentinels was not an easy choice. Considering that she was the only person I was even considering doing it for and only because she is my sister, it is a very clear cut case of nepotism. Yet at the same time, it is very much an accepted case of nepotism, especially in a place where neo-feudalism is especially rife. But no matter how much I could justify it, my twenty-first century self rebelled against the idea.

    In the end, it came down to the fact that Dad should have been the one to make the find, not me. I did the deed, but Dad did all of the hard work and Moana is his heir. She deserves the fruits of the labour more than anyone else, perhaps even arguably me. Though I will never give up my newfound position, the power and influence it brings is just too vital for my goals for me to give away.

    "Liz!" calls Kamea from across the room, "Ready to discuss your presents?"

    "Sorry, Mum, I've got to go," I say to Mum before turning my attention to the Arano heiress where she has gathered with the rest of the young ladies and Vance, "Don't you mean open my presents?"

    "You can open some of them, but mine is too large to bring with me," replies Kamea as I make my way over, "So is Victoria's."

    "So is mine," adds Malia.

    "Mine isn't," says Jennelle, sounding a little sheepish.

    "It isn't the size of the gift that matters, it is the thought behind it," I declare before looking at the heiresses and going, "No offence."

    "None taken," replies Victoria as I take a seat with the group.

    "Besides, you have plenty of gifts from strangers who want to get in your good books," says Kamea before sighing, "I'm going to spend the next few days sorting them out."

    "You're allowed to get help with that," I tell her.

    "I'll need to find some trustworthy people first," replies Kamea, "No matter, Victoria and I can handle it."

    "Did you just volunteer me?" asks Victoria.

    "Like you would just abandon me to suffer on my own," retorts the Arano heiress and the Espinosa heiress shrugs.

    "Try running a battalion of green troops," says Vance drily.

    "No thanks, I'll stick to just a company for now," replies Moana, "So, shall we get to dealing with the presents?"

    "Of course," says Kamea before turning her attention to me, "I got you a new wardrobe, Liz, one befitting your new status as a noble since you didn't have one and you weren't going to get one for yourself any time soon. Don't worry, I made sure I had accurate measurements and I have been tasteful when it comes to colours and designs."

    "I bought a pair of high end medium lasers for your 'Mech," says Victoria, "Both of them are Intek models."

    Intek, huh. That should help with accuracy, something which I still need improvement with. Time and practice will fix that naturally, but some especially good medium lasers won't hurt.

    "I got you hardback copies of The Exodus Trail," says Moana, "I know you enjoy the series and since they released the final book last year, I figured you would appreciate having a full set. Especially since you now have the space for it."

    Ah, that is a little awkward. Reading fiction based on Kerensky's Exodus growing up was one thing, but now that I know how things actually turned out…well, it is a lot less idealistic and nice than many people like to think. Damn Clanners, running my childhood memories.

    "Thank you," I say politely, not letting any of the minor inner turmoil show, "Though I don't have as much space as you might think."

    "You have an entire villa that you have yet to visit," points out Kamea with a roll of her eyes, "If you need somewhere to store them, I'll arrange for them to be sent there."

    "Has she seriously not visited yet?" asks Moana.

    "I've been busy," I tell her with a glower that I don't really feel.

    "My gift isn't so fancy," says Melika, "Being a high school student and all that. So I just got you some sweets. Catch!"

    And just like that, the youngest of my siblings tosses a bag of sweets at me. I easily snatch it out of the air and a quick glance reveals that it is just a common brand if one I am known to particularly like. I bet that Melika bought it one day at a local shop on the way home from school and given that she is only sixteen, I can't blame her. No, wait, she is seventeen now and she has now started attending university as a law student. Education is weird in the thirty-first century compared to the twenty-first.

    "Thank you, Melika," I say politely, giving her a smile.

    "My gift is also food," says Malia, "Though it is in the form of several top quality cuts of meat from the family business. They should make for a few delicious meals or one excellent feast."

    "Steaks?" I inquire.

    "That plus ribs, lamb and a whole assortment of meats," answers Malia, "You won't be lacking for variety."

    "I'm sure that I'll enjoy your gift," I tell my sister.

    "My gift is also food and somewhere between the two," says Vance as the only man here and leans forward, "I got you some packets of high quality MREs. Not as good as an equivalent proper meal, but they make for excellent fare on a DropShip. Given how much we can expect to be travelling in the future, I figured that they would make for a nice private stash. Something to treat yourself with on long interstellar journeys."

    "Vance and I both have our own stashes," adds Vanessa, "Quirk of growing up merc. And onto my gift. I'm going to buck the trend by not having a food-related gift as I got you some comfy pillows. Perfect for a bed in a DropShip and getting a good night's sleep whilst travelling the stars."

    "Let me guess, something else you picked up from your childhood?" I say.

    "Oh yes," confirms Vanessa.

    "I appreciate it," I say to the Zola siblings, "Both of you."

    "I guess that I am going last and going back to food," says Jenelle as she pulls out what looks like a tub of hot chocolate powder, "I wasn't sure what to get you, General, but I figured that everyone likes hot chocolate so I got you one of the nicer brands."

    "Thank you, Jenelle, I appreciate it," I say as I take the hot chocolate tub from her.

    ***​

    Cordia City, Coromodir
    Aurigan Reach, Aurigan Coalition
    4th January 3021

    "You should probably get some sleep, Elizabeth," says Kamea as she marches up to my desk, where I am pulling a late night.

    "Yeah, I should," I reply, not bothering to look up from my noteputer "But I need to get this turned in before we leave. I'll even push back our departure by a few days, but I need to close this deal before I go out of reliable contactability."

    "Nora Industries or Aurigan Sentinels?" inquires the Arano heiress.

    "Industrial," I answer, "My attempted acquisition of Lantren Corporation."

    "That tells me very little," says Kamea dryly, "Who is Lantren Corporation and why do we want them?"

    "They're the corporation that made the Grasshopper before all of their factories were destroyed," I explain, "I thought they were defunct, but they are still barely clinging to life so I wasn't able to snatch them up like I did with Stormvanger or HartfordCo."

    "And it is important that you have to do this as soon as possible?" inquires Kamea, "We are beginning enough new 'Mech production that we will have to choose what to produce. And with the Centurion and Merlin both locked in, anything else is likely to wait until those are done."

    "It isn't about the production, it is about the rights," I clarify, "Design and production rights to the Grasshopper and that cannot wait. It doesn't matter if we don't make use of them so long as we have them. If we don't get them now, we almost certainly won't be able to get them later."

    "What do you mean?" asks Kamea, "Assume that I don't know why because I don't."

    "A lot of factories and corporations that made 'Mechs got destroyed in the Succession Wars, but on paper, they still hold the rights to said 'Mech production," I tell her, "So with our engineering data and influx of cash, we have an opportunity to buy up the 'Mech rights. Except because we have been selling the memory core, everyone else wants to do the same for themselves. For example, I wanted Diplan Mechyards for the Mongoose, but the Combine is keeping it for the Jenner. And it isn't just them.

    Kong Interstellar has a couple of Ost designs and the Black Knight, but they are more interested in rebuilding their factories than being brought out. Mitchell Vehicles Interstellar would be a godsend for its variety of designs from 'Mechs to ASFs to even DropShips except ComStar of all people are blocking me there even if the Blakists are officially denying that they are. I'm not sure what StarCorps Industries is doing, but they aren't interested while both Ostmann Industries and Cosara Weaponries are like Kong Interstellar, wanting to rebuild their own production rather than be brought out."

    "I get the picture now," says Kamea, "And the situation with Lantren Corporation?"

    "Split between being brought out and rebeginning its own production," I admit, "I got my foot in the door before the latter could win out and I want to seal a deal before the Cappies can get involved. Since Lantren Corporation is based on Bryant, I have no doubt the Confederation would go with the side that gets them Grasshopper production over one that doesn't."

    "And so you want to seal the deal before you leave because there is a ticking clock until House Liao gets involved and we lose our opportunity," concludes the Arano heiress.

    "That about sums it up," I confirm before yawning.

    "We can look at it in the morning," declares Kamea, "I don't know where we officially stand, but you are my friend and I know you need to sleep. You will also work better in the morning with a good night's sleep than pulling a late night whilst tired. Are my father and uncle involved yet?"

    "I've made Lord Espinosa aware and I don't know if he has told your father or not," I answer.

    "Then we can bring them in once it is morning," says Kamea, "At the very least, they can bring experience and wisdom to the table and if I recall the Grasshopper correctly, both of them will want it for the ACM."

    ***​

    This update got away from me a bit hence why it is longer than normal, but I don't think that is a bad thing considering I just wrote two and a half thousand words instead of two thousand.

    Anyway, it is Elizabeth's birthday as she turns twenty-one and while I originally intended for an even split of screen time between the party and the business talk, the birthday party took up more space than I expected.

    Beyond that, Elizabeth is trying to snag up some defunct businesses and their licences, but thanks to her own actions, she is running into problems. Thanks to selling the memory core, she has made her own rivals so how many licences and designs she can snag up will be limited.

    Please point out any spelling or grammar mistakes that you spot. Please quote them in the thread and explain what you think is wrong so I know what you are referring to.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Good chapter, but I was very surprised that Lords Arano and Espinosa didn't have a chat together with Nora to demarcate areas of interest. Even if they just wanted to reduce costs and duplication by not bidding against each other or each buying a license to the same thing. If they had their heiresses should be aware of the agreement.
     
    Orangeduke38 said:
    Good chapter, but I was very surprised that Lords Arano and Espinosa didn't have a chat together with Nora to demarcate areas of interest. Even if they just wanted to reduce costs and duplication by not bidding against each other or each buying a license to the same thing. If they had their heiresses should be aware of the agreement.
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    That is why Elizabeth informed Santiago Espinosa of her plans.
    Techmarine said:
    So you did get HartfordCo Industries
    Good
    Both Cicada and vnl?
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    Yes though it will be years before Elizabeth can put either one into production.
     
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    Interlude - Blackmane
  • Threadmarks
    • Axylus, Alloway System
    Aurigan Frontier, Rimward Periphery
    19th February 3021

    Winton "Blackmane" Preston was not having a good year when things got a whole lot worse. That weirdass DropShip had jumped into the system and he would say that he hasn't seen its design before if the pirate wasn't certain it was the same design as the crashed DropShip he was squatting in.

    Unlike any regular DropShip, it started heading towards his moon as opposed to the planet. Not that he couldn't blame them for that given that Alloway wasn't much of a planet, but they were heading for his moon and that almost certainly meant trouble for him. Too many people had been sniffing about his base of operations.

    That's the life of a pirate for you, a couple of bad missions and then everyone is smelling blood in the water as word gets around. Fair weather friends and amicable acquaintances have turned into rivals as they want to see if Blackmane's Buccaneers are on their last legs.

    And then he got a message from one of Herman's lieutenants. At first he thought it would be an ultimatum from the man, telling him to join or die. Shadow Eclipse is having its own problems just like Blackmane is with the Lyran guy Baumann muscling on Herman's territory.

    If he lives long enough, Blackmane wouldn't be surprised if Herman bent the knee to Baumann. Or maybe Herman will just get himself killed at Baumann's hands given that the former is a Leaguer and the latter is an Elsie. That means they should hate each other thanks to their homes being neighbours in the Succession Wars.

    Whatever happens, it is future Blackmane's problems. Present Blackmane needs to worry about the current top dog, which is still Herman right now. And Herman wants the people on that inbound DropShip dead. Specifically the lady in charge, who is Herman's little old half-sister and who the pirate boss has a major hate on for and the crime boss is willing to pay a hefty reward for her death.

    Personally, Blackmane doesn't get it. He doubts that little miss Elizabeth Nora has actually done anything other than be born to piss off Herman. Herman is an arrogant pissant like that and that is part of why Blackmane is independent of him. That and he likes being the one to call the shots. What's the saying? Better to rule in hell than to serve in heaven.

    The only problem is that Blackmane is certain he has heard the name before even if he can't quite place it.

    "Crap," grunts Blackmane as he remembers just who made the LosTech find of the century last year.

    "Boss?" calls Heidrun, one of his MechWarriors, and Blackmane realises that he just transmitted that over the lance comms.

    "I just realised who is coming for us," says Blackmane before deciding that they don't need to know any more than that.

    "Baumann?" asks Lucius in low-key panic, the greenhorn replacing Matus in the Phoenix Hawk after Blackmane's reliable MechWarrior bit it in their last raid.

    "No, it is the Battleship Bitch," growls Blackmane, "Now shut up and get ready."

    "We are going to have to fight a battleship?" demands Lucius.

    "I would have told you if there was a freaking WarShip coming our way," snaps Blackmane, "Now shut the goddamn hell up and get ready for a fight."

    "Didn't she also find a regiment of 'Mechs?" asks Coranni, one of the down on their luck mercs that Blackmane hired for this fight.

    Those three aren't pirates, just MechWarriors with more skill on the battlefield than they have business sense. A sad tale, but a far from uncommon one. Blackmane wouldn't normally trust a bunch of do-gooders, but he needs experienced pilots to watch his back. If Matus hadn't died, Blackmane would have still hired them, but he would have certainly felt less uneasy about it.

    At least he doesn't have to count on either their greed or honesty with the hostages he has taken. They won't be running off or backstabbing Blackmane with the people he is holding at gunpoint, especially when those people are their DropShip crews and ASF pilots.

    "The Battleship Bitch might have a whole regiment back home, but she only brought two Leopards with her here," retorts Blackmane, "That means two lances and we have two lances. That means we can take her if we play our cards right."

    He'll have to deal with Coranni and her MechWarriors if they survive this. At the very least, he isn't letting them walk with their 'Mechs as even without Coranni's broken Crusader, they still have three fifty-five tonners. It would be an easy choice just to have the meat shot and the metal seized except Blackmane needs experienced MechWarriors right now. He'll try to bait them in, get them to do an unthinkable crime or two and then leak word of it. Once they're committed to the pirate life, they won't be able to walk away and they'll have to look to him for protection.

    And if they try to escape him anyway, he can just fall back on killing them and taking their rides for himself.

    "Umm, Blackmane boss guy?" says one of the mercs hesitantly, "I'm picking up unknown objects coming down from orbit?"

    "What?" demands Blackmane and the merc audibly gulps over the comms.

    "A dozen of them, coming down nearby," continues the merc, "Not too far away from the base."

    "I see them!" calls Heidrun, "Looks like 'Mech drop pods!"

    "I guess they aren't using the Leopards after all," says Coranni and Blackmane glares in the direction of her Shadow Hawk.

    "Or they are and they're bringing even more 'Mechs!" exclaims Lucius as the rookie begins to panic again.

    "Shut up Lucius!" roars Blackmane even as the pirate has some misgivings of his own.

    A dozen drop pods means a whole company to his seven 'Mechs and a trio of Quikcell tanks and if Lucius is right for once, then the Battleship Bitch will be bringing an even score of 'Mechs to crush him. If it goes to that, well, he'll have the press-ganged mercs cover his escape while he makes a run for his DropShip. He won't have any aerospace cover, but folks don't attack any ships in this part of the Periphery and the Battleship Bitch is a local if he recalls correctly.

    Wait, she is Herman's half-sister. Does that make her a Leaguer? She might have different opinions about how things are done around here.

    "Lucius, Steren, go and scout," orders Blackmane.

    "You're sending us-" starts Lucius, but the pirate boss has had enough with the snivelling coward.

    "You are in a scout 'Mech so go and freaking scout!" shouts Blackmane as he aims the weaponry of his Thunderbolt at Lucius' Phoenix Hawk.

    He is too close for the LRMs to reliably hit, but Blackmane is a good enough shot that he could tear apart the exposed rear armour of the medium 'Mech. Not that he would actually do it as he needs every 'Mech he has for this, but Lucius doesn't know that. No, the craven fool just needs to fear Blackmane more than the Battleship Bitch for the duration of this battle. Then Blackmane can have Lucius shot and replaced with someone who has a goddamn spine.

    As Steren dutifully runs off in her Locust, Lucius reluctantly joins her in his-no, in Matus' 'Mech. The pair of recon 'Mechs advance into the barren lifeless hills that surround their base, where the drop pods came down from above.

    "Just get a good look at what we're facing and get back here," says Blackmane, "I don't need you getting yourselves killed for no goddamn reason."

    Steren gives a snappy 'yes, boss' while Lucius mutters some vulgarities about Blackmane under his breath, but Blackmane ignores them. If they survive this, Steren is getting the Phoenix Hawk next. She might lack the talent of Lucius, but at least she isn't a coward and knows how to follow instructions.

    "Boss!" reports Steren as she gets close to the confusing mess of hostile sensor contacts, "I'm seeing Griffins, but my 'Mech-oh god!"

    Whatever Steren was about to say is cut off as one of the largest swarms of LRMs that Blackmane has ever seen comes bearing down on the hapless Locust. There has to be over a hundred and fifty of them, perhaps even as many as two hundred or more. They come raining down on Steren and while the majority of them miss, enough of them are hitting to seriously threaten the Bug 'Mech with its poorly maintained armour.

    Steren tries to eject before it is too late, but one of the stray LRMs strikes her ejection seat before it can get too far away from her Locust. Blackmane curses his luck at this unfortunate turn of events. Not only is he down a 'Mech, but he just lost a promising MechWarrior as an insult to injury.

    At least the amount of LRMs combined with the number of drop pods tells Blackmane something. The Battleship Bitch must have brought several mid-weight 'Mechs loaded with LRMs or she brought heavier 'Mechs with plenty of LRMs as part of their substantial arsenals. The former would be infinitely preferable as a bunch of LRM boats will be easier to take out than a bunch of heavies. Blackmane just needs to get near enough to blast the mercs apart at close range.

    But if they are a bunch of heavy-weights, then Blackmane is screwed. His Thunderbolt is the only machine above sixty tons on his side of the battle.

    "Screw this!" shouts Lucius over the comms.

    "Stay in line, you snivelling coward!" roars Blackmane back at the gutless MechWarrior.

    "Suck a dick, Preston!" snaps back Lucius as he turns his Phoenix Hawk around and begins to flee, "You can't kill me if they kill me. And you certainly can't kill me if they kill you."

    "You'll be lucky if I just kill you when I get my hands on you!" screams Blackmane, but it is too late.

    Two pairs of PPCs leash out at Lucius and while three of them go wide, one of them gets lucky and strikes his torso. Normally this wouldn't be a problem as the torso has the most armour on it except thanks to Lucius being a worthless coward, the rear armour of his Phoenix Hawk is facing the mercenaries. The heavy firepower of the PPC shreds the weak armour plating and mangles the internal structure before igniting the machine gun ammo.

    As Lucius' screams over the radio before being abruptly cut-off, Blackmane curses his bad luck. While Lucius is a good riddance to bad rubbish, the loss of his Phoenix Hawk is going to hurt. Especially since unlike with Steren's Locust, the pirate boss knows that there is no chance of his 'Mech techs salvaging the Phoenix Hawk, not with its fusion engine blown to hell and back.

    "Your scouts are dead," points out Coranni very unhelpfully and Blackmane resists the urge to scream at the dumb whore.

    This is going to be a much tougher fight than he expected or wants.

    ***​

    I'm trying something new here. Rather than cover Elizabeth's perspective, I'm going to show the perspective of her opponents since I feel that will be more interesting. If this experiment works out, I might try it again in the future though it certainly won't be an everytime thing.

    Anyway, Blackmane is meant to be an unlikeable arsehole as befitting of a pirate. At the same time, he is supposed to be competent, but with limited information and way in over his head even if he doesn't realise it until it is too late.

    Please point out any spelling or grammar mistakes that you spot. Please quote them in the thread and explain what you think is wrong so I know what you are referring to.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Nice chapter!

    I like the PoV change, it is intresting to see their reactions to being rolled up by a tide of metalLRMs.
    Baumann? Wasn't that the guy that sold bootleg clantech? (or was that another fanfic I'm thinking about)
     
    I thought the antagonistic sibling was a drawback from last thread's version of the cyoa build, but I'll have to doublecheck. I might have been too focused on the Bloodmark drawback to realize that such was still a thing.

    Either way, I did not predict him being the Dobrev pirate. The Shenanigans will be Glorious!
     
    Tyrell said:
    Wait she has a brother? wtf is going on?
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    He was mentioned early in the story. He represents one of the Enemy Drawbacks.
    Oshha said:
    Either way, my best bet is going for the Argo and her secrets and the best way to do that is via the support of House Arano. Not to mention that going on my own leaves me vulnerable to the predations of Jirus. My disowned half-brother has both been leading a decently sized and successful pirate organisation for the last few years and upholding my stepmother's grudge against me. Thankfully, his reach doesn't extend beyond the Frontier and those Baumann fellows have been giving him plenty of competition in recent years.
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    Oshha said:
    I'm a technician and engineer by trade, but Mum and Dad made sure to give me some combat training thanks to my evil piratical half-brother having it out for me.
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    Red_Knight25 said:
    I thought the antagonistic sibling was a drawback from last thread's version of the cyoa build, but I'll have to doublecheck.
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    I kept him around as one of the Enemy Drawbacks rather than come up with a brand new foe for Elizabeth.
    Red_Knight25 said:
    Either way, I did not predict him being the Dobrev pirate. The Shenanigans will be Glorious!
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    He isn't. He and his organisation are being muscled out by Baumann and his organisation.
     
    Interlude - Coranni
  • Threadmarks
    • Axylus, Alloway System
    Aurigan Frontier, Rimward Periphery
    19th February 3021

    Coranni has not been having a good day, week or even month. No wait, make that a bad year. She thought things would get better after she became a stowaway on that DropShip and got off-world, but things have been a mixed bag since leaving Ur Cruinne.

    Sure, she found Angela, her wonderful lover, and she has no regrets over that delightful turn of events. Neither does Coranni regret meeting the Shira and Tennison siblings. Now that was a fun day. The Shira brothers were fighting a lance of pirates on their own and Coranni had helpfully turned the odds in their favour by stealing a Crusader. They took down the pirate MechWarriors and then with the aid of the Tennison sisters and their Sparrowhawks, they successfully captured the pirate DropShip thanks to the clever use of her captured 'Mech and plenty of bluffing.

    Too bad her Crusader is currently damaged beyond repair. Coranni isn't sure how helpful it would be right now, but it would be nice to be fighting in something a little heavier than her replacement Shadow Hawk. If only it could get them out of this mess that Bao got them into.

    One thing is for certain, this is going to be the last time that Coranni trusts one of Bao's get rich quick schemes. Even if they do need to get rich quickly if they are to make ends meet. It doesn't matter how often Coranni and the Shira brothers win on the battlefield or how much of an excellent business woman Angela is if their clients keep stiffing their payments.

    And now things have fallen to a new low as they are forced to work for a literal pirate at gunpoint. Thanks to the stupidity of Bao who figured that working for pirates wouldn't be that bad, Angela, the Tennison sisters and everyone else are being held hostage by Blackmane in exchange for her and the Shira brothers fighting for the pirate leader.

    Perhaps worst of all, they are outnumbered and outgunned against what is quite probably the biggest and nastiest foe of Coranni's short-lived career. Not that four years as a mercenary is a short career. Statistically speaking, she is doing fairly well. Not quite a veteran yet, but certainly not one of the rookies who die or retire in their first year.

    "Cora," calls Masaru over a private channel, "Do you have a plan to get out of this?"

    "Survive this battle first," says Coranni grimly, "Half of Blackmane's crew hasn't and if we're lucky, neither he or his remaining MechWarrior will either. But we need to avoid getting killed ourselves for that to mean anything."

    "I was hoping for a little more than that, but I can't argue with the logic," replies Masaru, "This whole situation sucks."

    "I'm kicking Bao's arse for this once we get out of this mess," says Coranni.

    "You know, given what sort of trouble he got us into this time, I just might join you," says Masaru, "Even as weird as it would be to help my ex beat up my little bro."

    Coranni winces at the reminder of her past relationship with Masaru, her prior relationship before hooking up with Angela, which ended up being a major mess that Coranni would rather forget about. Not that she has any realistic hope of doing that while she still works with either of the Shira brothers.

    "Damn it!" curses Blackmane across the comms, shaking Coranni out of her thoughts as her display lights up.

    Another LRM swarm is going down on one of the scorpion tanks that the pirates own. Even with less chance of survival than the Locust, the tank is blown apart to the point that Coranni would be surprised if there is anything left to salvage from its remains.

    "Engage!" orders Coranni as she begins to march her Shadow Hawk forward, "If we just sit back, they'll take us apart with LRMs!"

    "You don't give orders to be me, whore," snarls Blackmane over the radio, but his Thunderbolt joins Masaru and Bao as the brothers follow Coranni.

    The first thing that Coranni sees is through the glass canopy of her 'Mech's cockpit, seeing the distant figures of the attacking 'Mechs while her sensors refuse to pick up anything. That doesn't make any sense because Coranni knows that her sensors are working right, that they have been properly maintained and fixed. In fact, the only thing not working for them is their inability to detect the enemy 'Mechs beyond vague sensor contacts.

    She ignites her jump jets despite the poor heat sinking of the local environment, counting on the increased mobility to be worth it. After all, the poor heat sinking works both ways and those two Warhammers are going to have a hard time on Axylus using anything more than one of their PPCs.

    Speaking of the invading Warhammers, both of them open fire on Coranni. Thankfully, all four PPC bolts go wide as the clearly inexperienced pilots of the heavy 'Mechs are unable to keep up with a skilled and mobile MechWarrior like Coranni. Acting on instinct, Coranni fires off a return volley, limiting herself to just her medium autocannon and LRM launcher to conserve her heat buildup. It is only after she pulled the trigger that Coranni realised what had happened when the enemy 'Mechs had opened fire.

    For whatever reason, the act of opening fire made both Warhammers appear on her sensors. Not that it will be enough as Coranni can see Orions, Highlanders and even an Atlas. That amount of heavy metal is too much to stand against.

    But by the spirits, Coranni won't give in without a fight. She may fall today, but she won't go gently into the dark. She just needs to stay mobile and be conservative with her heat. Rely upon her jump jets and keep some distance. Speaking of which, she ignites her jump jets once more even as more hostile firepower is directed her way.

    She spares a moment to check on the others to see how they are faring and things aren't looking pretty. Saying her allies were duelling would be a lie as the situation would be more accurately described as dogpiling as each fighter on her side is being swarmed by multiple opponents.

    Coranni snaps off another volley of her autocannon and LRMs, this time aiming at the closest of the Highlanders. Which may or may not be a good thing as it certainly gets the attention of the other 'Mech and Coranni isn't sure if that is something she wants. Especially since she can tell that the MechWarrior piloting it is clearly more experienced than the majority of their compatriots.

    What in the name of the spirits is that gun? Coranni can see the gun built into the Highlander's right arm, but it isn't a PPC like the HGN-733P. It isn't the HGN-733 or HGN-733C as she doesn't recognise the gun as an autocannon either. She glances at her readouts, where her warbook is pinging it as a HGN-732, which causes Coranni to frown as she hasn't heard of that model before.

    Still, a lower number must be good, right? That makes it an earlier model so it shouldn't be as good as an upgraded model from a later date.

    A score of LRMs come raining down on her as Coranni fires her autocannon into the enemy assault 'Mech and fires up her jump jets once more. Her cockpit is starting to get a little sweaty, but so long as she avoids overheating, things should be fine. Or at least as fine as you can get under these circumstances.

    The unknown gun fires and Coranni barely avoids a glancing hit from it even as both medium lasers of the enemy Highlander fire at her. One outright misses, but the other burns away some of her armour. In turn, Coranni fires her LRMs, hitting with all five missiles yet the damage dealt is largely ineffectual against the ninety-ton warmachine that her opponent is piloting.

    Coranni bites back a curse as she watches Masaru eject as her lancemate abandons his Wolverine before he goes down with the 'Mech. Blackmane's Vedette goes down to one of the Warhammers, completely blown away by its PPCs and Blackmane himself is in trouble as he duels another Highlander alongside two Atlases.

    By the spirits, Coranni will count herself lucky if she takes down this Highlander. Will that earn her the respect of her foes or earn their enmity? She doesn't know and she doesn't care because right now, she needs to survive this fight.

    More LRMs and another shot from that big gun come her way and she fires back with her autocannon as she jumps again. Her heat is becoming a bit unbearable now, but she'll just have to run hot for this fight. Hopefully, none of the attackers have flamers. By the spirits, that would be a total disaster.

    Blackmane goes down as the second Highlander uses its unknown weapon in the right arm to somehow cause an ammo explosion in Blackmane's Thunderbolt despite having yet to breach the armour in that region. The final tank is down, hammered into non-functionality by LRM fire while both Heidrun and Bao are on their last legs.

    And with the majority of her allies down, Coranni no longer needs to worry about just the Highlander as their duel is interrupted as more foes come to aid the enemy assault 'Mech. As more missiles and lasers come her way, Coranni focuses purely on evasion and even that isn't enough to keep the damage from slowly mounting.

    Her 'Mech is on the verge of overheating, causing Coranni to swelter in her cockpit while every area of her Shadow Hawk apart from the cockpit has taken some degree of armour damage. She has plenty of ammo left, but she is struggling to use it without overheating her 'Mech or exposing herself to enemy fire. Everyone else is down and by all rights Coranni should have joined them by now. It is a testament to both her own skill and the inexperience of her opponents that she hasn't.

    "Coranni!" calls Angela over the radio and the sweating Coranni jerks at the unexpected voice of her lover, "I need you to stand down."

    "What?" demands Coranni, exhaustion slipping into her voice.

    "General Nora's commandos have freed me and the others," says Angela, "I explained the situation to her and convinced her to give you a chance to stand down. So Cora, please do that before you get your arse killed doing something stupid."

    Now that Angela mentions it, Coranni has noticed that the enemy 'Mechs have stopped firing at her. They haven't let her go, but they have backed off and given her some space. And just looking at her opponents, Coranni can see that she isn't going to be winning this battle. She is facing down two whole lances of enemy 'Mechs and the lightest of her opponents is equal in weight to her Shadow Hawk.

    She'll have to trust in Angela and hope that her girlfriend knows what she is doing.

    "Alright, Angie," replies Coranni, "I'm going to stand down now."

    ***​

    Here is the perspective of the mercenary leader, which covers the last of the interludes for this arc. The remainder of the arc will be purely from Elizabeth's perspective. Anyway, not too much to say except Coranni will be plot relevant in the future. I don't think it is a spoiler to say that Elizabeth intends to recruit her and her character is too developed in my notes for me to not make use of it. Also the characterisation of her and her group has changed somewhat since the old story.

    Please point out any spelling or grammar mistakes that you spot. Please quote them in the thread and explain what you think is wrong so I know what you are referring to.
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • Also this Bao seems skilled at finding clients that are rich...but have no intention to pay and probably enough guns to make sure they can't collect. Then he decided a Pirate Life would take them to easy street, and instead got them almost dead.

    Really sounds like they need to toss his ass over the side, cause he sounds like the type to make a deal with the Blakists and get himself and others killed... Probably with a bomb he didn't know he was getting somewhere, only finding out after he metaphorically kissed his ass good bye...
     
    Knightowl 4183 said:
    Also this Bao seems skilled at finding clients that are rich...but have no intention to pay and probably enough guns to make sure they can't collect. Then he decided a Pirate Life would take them to easy street, and instead got them almost dead.

    Really sounds like they need to toss his ass over the side, cause he sounds like the type to make a deal with the Blakists and get himself and others killed... Probably with a bomb he didn't know he was getting somewhere, only finding out after he metaphorically kissed his ass good bye...
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    I'm pretty sure he's going to be the most injured person to survive this battle(if he survives), and most of the injuries will be caused by the people held hostage because of his stupidity.
     
    First Mission 4.3
  • Threadmarks
    • Axylus, Alloway System
    Aurigan Frontier, Rimward Periphery
    19th February 3021

    The mission has been successful even if it has come with a complication. Said complication being the small-time mercenary band known as Coranni's Crew. A short lance of MechWarriors, a flight of ASFs and, most intriguing of all, a Leopard-class DropShip. They have solid combat records, but their finances are struggling. Not thanks to any mismanagement on their part, but due to a poor choice of clients. And very recently they went from just being stiffed to having a pirate take some of their own as hostages to ensure compliance from the rest.

    Of course, that brings its own concern because how did Blackmane know that I was coming ahead of time? And I mean that in reference to myself because according to the members of Coranni's Crew, the pirate boss specifically knew that Elizabeth Nora would be coming.

    I'm not overly surprised. Using merchant JumpShips was quicker, but it came at the cost of security and secrecy. High Lord Arano just deemed the trade-off to be acceptable in his eyes and honestly, I didn't care either way as I declined to raise any objections to the plan. Not to mention that I am something of a public figure these days as the person who found a functional WarShip. My name is known across the entire Inner Sphere simply because of the Tomb-Maker.

    Still, that isn't an immediate concern. Not compared to what to do with Coranni's Crew, especially since it will affect how we divide up the salvage. Technically speaking, I could be harsh or lenient with the mercenaries. The fact that they did fight alongside Blackmane's Buccaneers means that I could rightfully treat them as pirates with no real objections. At the same time, the fact that Blackmane coerced them into fighting alongside him with deceit and hostages means I could reasonably release my fellow mercenaries.

    And then there is the loot. We took the Leopards of both Coranni and Blackmane intact alongside the pair of Sparrowhawks used by the mercenaries, but their ground forces were mostly wrecked. Apart from the Locust and one of the Scorpions, all of the pirate 'Mechs and tanks are good for spare parts at best. Meanwhile Coranni's Shadow Hawk is beat up, but still combat capable while the Wolverine, Griffin and Crusader are still repairable. Provided you have the parts, which I do and Coranni doesn't.

    Which leaves me with the big question of what to do with Coranni's Crew as I discuss the matter with Kamea, Victoria and the liaison officer that Lord Arano attached to us, one Miguel Gallo, a baron sworn to House Espinosa.

    "There could be arguments that you are trying to find loopholes in the contract," says a sceptical Baron Gallo once I have finished explaining my idea to him and the heiresses.

    "As long as they aren't coming from House Arano or House Espinosa, I'm not going to be bothered by them," I retort.

    "There won't be," says Kamea firmly.

    "My father won't object to this," ventures Victoria, "He seeks strength and security for the Reach, but he understands subtlety and holds loyalty highly. Being generous and merciful to the captured mercenaries could turn them into grateful and loyal soldiers for the Aurigan Sentinels and therefore the Aurigan Coalition. And given how skilled these people seem to be, that makes them and their loyalty worthwhile."

    "You beat them," points out Baron Gallo.

    "We had superior numbers and heavier tonnage and even then they gave us a good fight," I reply, "They are better than most in the Aurigan Sentinels."

    "And the ACM as a whole," adds Kamea.

    "What if they decline your offer?" asks Baron Gallo, "What is your plan for that?"

    "If they choose to decline our generous offer, then we let them go and take their hardware as salvage," I say even as it leaves something of a foul taste in my mouth, "It would be nice to get the personnel, but I'll settle for just bringing the machines home with us."

    "And both of you think your fathers will approve of this?" inquires Baron Gallo as he directs his attention away from me.

    "Mine would," answers Kamea confidently and without hesitation.

    "As would mine," says Victoria, "I would go as far to say that I think he would appreciate the cleverness of the ploy."

    "Then I'll trust your judgement on the matter," says Baron Gallo before the liaison officer focuses back on me, "I'll sign off on your plan, General Nora. I just hope you know what you are doing."

    So do I, but I don't say that out loud as I need to project confidence. That said, I have gotten pretty good at this mercenary gig. I'm still an amateur by any reasonable measure, but I've been doing it for several months and I've picked up some experience along the way.

    Coranni and her people are being treated not quite like guests, but not like prisoners either. Until we can decide on the matter of what will be happening with them and their hardware, the Vixens have been keeping a close eye on them. Thankfully, the confined and unsafe nature of the Argo combined with the lingering mistrust of working with pirates, no matter how involuntarily, means I can get away with being a little untrusting without any complaints from the other mercenaries.

    Finding Coranni is easy enough as the young woman is napping. Given the fight she put up earlier, I can't blame her for being tired. I know I certainly would be in her position. Actually, no, I would probably be dead if I had to throw down against the odds she faced. Just another reason I want to snap her and her people up for the Aurigan Sentinels.

    It doesn't take long to wake up Coranni and I give her a few minutes to fully wake up before bringing her aboard the Hysteria. I might be able to bamboozle her if I just went straight in, but I want to cultivate a friendly relationship with her so being nice to her is the preferable route. Especially since I am able to contrast it against Blackmane's treatment of her.

    "Miss Coranni with no last name," I greet her, "I'm glad to see that you made it out without any serious injury."

    "I am glad to not be injured," says the brown-skinned woman, "And I am even more glad that none of my people died. Which I have you to thank for and not Blackmane."

    "I strive to be fair and merciful where I can," I say, "Besides, your people were very clearly hostages of the real pirates and you do have a legitimate MRB record."

    "Can we not beat around the bush and get to the main point?" asks Coranni.

    "Sure, why not?" I reply with a shrug, "So here's the situation. I've captured you and your people after you got caught fighting for pirates, but those pirates forced you to do so with hostages so I could get away with either being harsh or merciful without any pushback. So I have three options for you."

    "Do any of them let us keep our stuff?" asks Coranni, sounding nervous yet defiant.

    "Option three," I concede, deciding not to mention how it is a bit more complicated than that, "Okay, first option. I claim your hardware as battlefield salvage and you get uncooperative about it, which results in me throwing the book at you and treating you like pirates. The nastiest of the three choices and one I would rather avoid."

    "I think I would rather avoid that one too," adds Coranni dryly.

    "The second option is the same except instead of treating you like pirates, I drop you off in civilised space and give each of your people a sum of C-Bills that should tide you over until you can get back on your feet," I continue, "It isn't much better if you want to continue the mercenary life, but if you want out of this lifestyle, it is about as good as you are going to get under your current circumstances."

    "How about we get to the third option?" suggests Coranni, "You know, the one where I get to keep my 'Mech?"

    "You would still get to pilot a 'Mech," I say evasively, but apparently not enough as the other woman glares at me, "The third option is that I fold your unit into my own. I'll give you command of a combined arms battalion, but you'll be employed by me and your current hardware will be taken as property of the Aurigan Sentinels rather than operator-owned. You'll get a reliable paycheque and consistent support in exchange for giving up your independence."

    "And my 'Mech," adds Coranni bitterly.

    "You messed up by taking a job with a pirate," I tell her, "This is the consequence of that. At least, you will still be alive and you'll still be a MechWarrior."

    "I'm going to need time to think about this," says Coranni as she scowls, "Will I be able to discuss this with my crew?"

    "You'll have until we reach Coromodir," I inform her, "That's when you'll have to decide whether you are staying or leaving."

    "Great," grumbles Coranni and I take that as my queue to leave.

    I've already pushed her pretty hard and I don't know the breaking point of my fellow mercenary. In any case, I'm fairly confident that she'll sign up with me. Coranni clearly values being a MechWarrior and she doesn't seem to be the sort to be spiteful enough to try and strike out on her own.

    As I walk out of the room, the last thing that I hear from her is something about murdering a Bao.

    ***​

    "We have a situation," calls Kamea suddenly, startling me out of my sleep as I decided to take a nap following my recruitment pitch with Coranni.

    "Is the Argo unsalvageable?" I try to demand, but it comes out far more groggy than I was aiming for

    "Doctor Murad is still optimistic about her chances of success," says the Arano heiress, "This is about a JumpShip that just arrived via pirate point carrying multiple DropShips. DropShips that are now heading straight for us."

    "Do we know who they are?" I ask as I remember that I didn't get changed before taking my nap.

    "Not yet, but they are most likely pirates," replies Kamea, "We're looking at a Merchant-class JumpShip with two Leopards attached. Or they were as both DropShips are heading straight for the Argo."

    "Maybe they are here for Blackmane?" I suggest, "We did only take care of him today so I doubt they would have heard the news yet."

    "That's…that is quite likely," agrees Kamea before giving me a look, "I still wouldn't count on them to be friendly. If they were legitimate, they would be broadcasting their IFFs."

    "Yeah, that's true," I concede as the last of my drowsy is pushed away by the surge of adrenaline as I realise that these guys are probably enemies, "What do we have to fight with?"

    "Two lances are aboard the Myrmidon for repairs and rearmament," says Kamea, "And the third one is still down here, including both of our Atlases. Our Leopard is also up there with-wait, a moment."

    "What now?" I ask as Kamea breaks off mid-sentence to check an alert on her noteputer.

    "Fighters just launched from both incoming Leopards," reports the Arano heiress, "Two mediums and a pair of lights. No identification yet, wait, two Stingrays and two Sabres."

    "What about our fighters?" I inquire.

    "Storm Squadron is still aboard the Myrmidon with orders to protect the DropShip," answers Kamea, "Do you want to send them after the intruders?"

    "I don't know," I admit, "Our Royal Stukas could probably take the incoming craft, but I'm not sure I want to start shooting down ships, especially when they haven't done anything hostile yet. I do want to get all of our 'Mechs to the surface."

    "The Hysteria could get a second lance down before the enemy reaches the surface, but we won't be able to get the third lance down before the enemy has the chance to engage us in battle," says Kamea as she taps away on her noteputer.

    "Do it," I tell her as I try to straighten out my clothes, "I'm not counting on these guys being friendly."

    ***​

    And here is the plot twist of the arc. After stomping the defenders into the ground, Elizabeth finds herself under attack whilst she is caught unprepared for it. Beyond that, Elizabeth is attempting to recruit Coranni as many predicted though she isn't being nice about it, partially because she has the upper hand and partially because social skills aren't Elizabeth's strong point.

    Please point out any spelling or grammar mistakes that you spot. Please quote them in the thread and explain what you think is wrong so I know what you are referring to.
     
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