Chapter Forty-One: Getting (Back) to work.
Kentares IV Draconis March, Federated Suns December 24th, 3009
"Yall did a really good job." I looked at the massive fortress before me.
The combat engineers had gone all out and made a fortress complex that could contain an entire three regiments of forces. There were layers of walls, tunnels, and underground areas for both repairs and future factory expansion. The TTI people had the engineers prep an entire area for them and had gotten to work on building the factory that was planned to go here.
Meanwhile, Mithril production had gone up, and we were sitting on a very large surplus of M10A-Mithril armor. We had taken some things into consideration over the last year, and had been producing M11A-Mithril for the last six months. Enough to entirely refit our forces with the improved armor.
The M11A had quite a few benefits over the M10A. Among them was the ability to use MPPC's and had better communications and a slightly longer battery life. It was able to maintain a speed of 17 km/h instad of the previous 15 and still was able to take limited mech fire.
We had also trained up an entire regiment in our way of doing things, and if what Hanse had told me before heading back to New Avalon to redistribute the new gear was correct. We would be doing some raids into Combine space soon.
Either way, it was good to be back.
January 1st, 3010
I had decided to welcome the new year by having another simulation contest. This time, we were going to be having it televised, recorded and broadcast. This was going to be one of the ways we generated interest in moving to Kentares IV again.
This time I didn't last as long. I was in the running for two hours before being killed by a simulated Alacorn (One again led by Kerensky…) nailing my Warhammer with a headshot before I could get away in time.
It had actually surprised me that Natasha Kerensky had decided to stay here with us. She had not only stayed with us, but she had (After resistance in the beginning) thrown herself into the cross training like a woman possessed. She was learning everything she could, and I was worried that she would take it back to the clans if we pushed her way.
1 week later…
"Lance Sergeant Kerensky!" I stood up and greeted her as she came into my office. "I see that you've settled in quite well."
"Yes actually." She smiled openly. "I wasn't quite sure about how the Marksman did things at first, but now I am completely sold on the idea."
"That's really great to hear." I said honestly. "We love it when people become part of the family."
"Is there something specific you wanted to talk about Colonel?" She asked, "Because I have a tank platoon to get trained up."
"Yes actually." I said. "The Wolf's Dragoons left for some sort of supply run about a year ago and I was wondering why you didn't go with them? You could have requested leave at any time."
"Honestly." She said with a sad smile. "I feel like I belong here more than with them. I may have spent my whole life with them, but this is where I truly feel like I belong. There's something about the Marksman that is just different from every other unit I have ever interacted with or been a part of." She then paused to take a breath. "Whatever that difference is, it makes me feel like I am just Natasha, not a name attached to Aleksander Kerensky."
"Well," I gave a soft smile. You know what that is called?" She shook her head. "It's called being a part of the family."
"You, Natasha Kerensky are important and have value because you are you." I stated outright how I felt about each of the Marksman in my employ. "Every single person in this unit is valuable not just because they fill a role here. But because they have intrinsic value because of who they are."
Natasha just soaked in my words like a sponge. A strange look in her eyes. "Colonel." She said as she stood up. "I want a match, mech on mech."
"Sure," I chuckled. "I'll pencil you in for next Saturday." I showed her the calendar on my desk and how it now said "Duel with Kerensky" for the next weekend. "Go take care of your tankers Kerensky. We'll be deployed sooner rather than later."
With that, she turned around and left my office. And left me shaking my head. That was odd, and the last thing that I expected out of the ice cold woman I had met almost two years ago.
"Oh well," I shrugged to myself. Something for future Mark to worry about. And I got back to my paperwork.
Davion Palace New Avalon, Federated Suns December 24th, 3009
"You found how many regiments in the cache he was talking about?!" Ian asked incredulously, pointing at the sheet of paper detailing the exact numbers of their raid.
"Two whole Brigades worth Ian, along with a data core containing pretty much everything lost in the Succession wars." Hanse stated.
"We need to give him more than he has asked for Ian" Hanse said. "This alone will mean that we can push back both the Capellans and the Combine. Not to even mention the core."
"I know Hanse." Ian shoved his chair back violently. "Give me some space to think."
"We're going to need to create a new March position soon." Ian decided. "We need to get this equipment distributed, and hit the Capellans now while they're reeling from the losses of New Aragone. "Hanse, I'm promoting you to Field Marshal of the Third Davion Guards effective immediately." he then pointed at Tikonov on the map of the Inner Sphere on his wall before sinking into his chair and thinking deeply.
"Hanse, what would you need to take Tikonov?" He asked, extremely serious. "Because I need to buy time to get the six regiments of gear in the right place."
Hanse thought about it for a good five minute before replying. "Give me the Third and enough of the cache to bring us back up to full strength, I want the Heavy guards, the 6th Syrtis Fusiliers, and the Marksman along with two regiments of the Eridani Light Horse. Give me that, and operational command, and I'm confident that we can take the planet. I want the infantry outfitted with Mithril though." Hanse smiled darkly. "I have ideas for what to do there."
"Done, I'll have the contract on its way to Hull by the end of the day." Ian got an extremely serious look in his eye. "I'm gonna need to talk to Calderon sooner, if I can organize a hit on the capellans from them at the same time as you hit Tikonov, we can stymie reinforcements until the planet is ours." Ian got up and began to pace again. "Hanse, I'm going to make him a bloody Duke. But are you sure you can pull off Tikonov?"
There was silence as Hanse went over his plans again. "Yes Ian, I'm certain that we can pull this off.
"Hanse, you have six months. Six months to get everything together and move on Tikonov. Ian said.
"I'll get right on that." Hanse replied, and walked quickly to the exit of the office. He had work to do.
Authors note: So, after addressing something made in the comments earlier, I'm going to explain it here for the people that just navigate through threadmarks instead of combing through the actual thread for the golden nuggets of truth. The Factory complex that I bought that was mentioned in the previous chapter is literally 500KM squared of dropship constructing and testing facilities. And only one line is working right now. This purchase will allow me to begin production of not only Vengeanceaerospace carriers, but also build and produce the new Sting class of dropship that started out life as a DroST and ended up as a Powered armor deployment and support dropship. The Sting class is literally designed to deploy power armor while hovering and then blanket the immediate area (Ground or Sky) with fire and to be able to provide close Air patrol and support to said power armor as necessary. I didn't get short changed or anything on the cache. I have four copies of the memory core, and I have access and the rights to produce/use anything I want from said core. The Taurians did end up giving me a title and so I temporarily moved a company of mechs and tanks over to the factories there to guard my "small" landhold. (Apparently saying no didn't really matter to Zarantha because when Dunham showed up to talk to TTI about the Mithril line we wanted them to produce she threw it at him and told him to deliver it to me.) Zarantha has also begun negotiating with the Fedsuns in order to be good neighbors. Better a friend and trade partner on the border than an insane potential enemy. I also managed to get a Snowden promised to be sent to help with processing materials for the new factory that TTI is building on Kentares IV. By the time I'm done, the Texas expy and the British/French (What are the fedsuns really?) in space will be best friends ready to take on the Inner Sphere and the Clans… That is all.