"Operations" (Part 5)

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• Date: August 14, 3029
• Planet: Ryde
• Location: Ryde Spaceport, Hangar C19

Mikell stood with Louis on a walkway overlooking the parts for the Wolfhound as they were being unboxed. Apparently someone had wanted to be cute and rather than deliver it assembled, all the limbs had been removed and the weapons still brand new in their shipping crates. Louis had the four teams present scrambling to prepare to assemble it before the first obvious problem had shown up; there was no technical specifications to use as an assembly guide. Louis had been undaunted, saying if they couldn't tell how to do it then they obviously didn't belong working on machines. Then the second obvious problem had turned up, and Mikell had to see if it was true.

"Sir, I really am not surprised by this." Louis said, arms folded. "It's just the sort of thing I would have done in their position to someone who had pissed me off."

"Thank you, Louis."

"That said, it could be worse."

"Louis, they sent me two left legs. And not even two whole left legs, they sent me the internal structure which is normal, but I have machined armor and external components for two left legs."

"Ayup." Louis said simply. "That's going to set us back a week."

"A week? We need to send off a message for them to send the correct pieces, then hope they don't mysteriously lose the message to the bottom of a pile. It could be a month."

"Nope." The head tech rolled his eyes. "Have some faith. This is going to take a week. None of the other crew are doing anything other than routine tests, but now I have work to put them to." He chuckled. "We're going to do a crash course in fabrication of parts. The good news, the armor is going to be easy; it's all built in a modular fashion so you don't need special parts just to put new armor on. The external shell, that's going to be where the time goes. But my teams are up for it, just don't fret and fume or they'll get nervous and it will take longer when something goes wrong."

"At least Kelly is more curious than upset." Mikell shook his head, and straightened up. "Good luck with this, Louis, I'm going to go walk off this frustration."

"Hey, one other thing. You heard about that DropShip yet?"

"I finally got Corey to get back to me. He said it's on planet and we can check it out tomorrow. Then he laughed, saying it was a museum piece. I don't like it."

Louis shrugged. "Well, it will give you something to do tomorrow. For today, try thinking about something else. Like how much worse it could be. Otto and Kelly could have gotten into a bar fight with some Rangers."

"No, nope, not thinking about that, and if it happens that's on you." Mikell walked away, hearing Louis chuckle behind him. He heard a buzz in his ear and touched the earpiece to pick up the transmission. "Commander Sethan here."

"Boss." Simone was on the line. "Transmission was received from the Dalkeith team. Elly says they've got the mission underway and there doesn't appear to be any problems. They anticipate being able to leave for return late today or tomorrow."

"That's good. What else?"

"Vandal wanted me to let you know we're being watched. This whole week, no matter where we went he'd been making tails on us who seem to just be following us around and watching what we do. I don't know what it's about but-"

"I'll worry about that, you just worry about keeping your heads down. The Rangers are in town on leave this weekend, and I don't want to have an incident."

"Does this mean we have to tell Kelly she can't go to the movies? I don't want to tell her that."

"Then find something you can rent and watch here. Simple answer." Mikell felt a buzz. "I have someone else needing me, I trust your discretion Simone." He touched the earpiece. "Commander Sethan."

"It's Janice. I've got the last three places filled, you want to introduce us to the unit or are you willing to let it wait?"

"Let it wait. Start training them, and congratulations. You get your first command before Simone does."

"Yay." Janice said in a flat tone of voice. "We'll shop for gear this afternoon and make arrangements. What's my budget?"

"A hundred thousand. Please don't use all of it."

"I hear you. Good luck, Commander, with the Wolfhound. I hear it's going to be a real-"

"Louis has it handled, annoying but handled. Focus on your task, and please don't let Kelly know you're starting training." He closed the connection and leaned on the railing to look back over at the Wolfhound. Maybe tomorrow would go better.

---

• Date: August 15, 3029
• Planet: Ryde
• Location: Kilroy's War Museum

Mikell had not been expecting Corey to mean literally about finding something which was a museum piece, and had also expected the meeting location to be something of a joke. Twenty Kroner later for a ticket, he realized he really had underestimated how bad his luck was going to get today. The War Museum was set up to recount events of 'Operation Freedom' led by Archon Eric Steiner, and the events of recapturing Freedom, Ryde, and Dalkeith from the Combine. In graphic detail, showing how the Combine had been overcome and glorious Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces victories had happened. There was even a still-life hologram of the Archon in his Assault-class Battlemech rallying troops for a forward charge on Freedom.

He knew this was pretty slanted propaganda, but he also had spotted the LCAF had donated generously to provide access to those who had been fighting in the operation in the later years. And lots of money, it was almost certain. But that wasn't the point of Mikell's visit as he walked through and stopped near one of the images showing the generalized statistics of the ZEU-6S Zeus purported to be that used by Archon Eric Steiner. Humanoid, with distinctive shoulder joints and arms ending in weapon modules, it was one of the prides of Defiance Industries, heavy weapons manufacturer for the Lyran Commonwealth.

And a few seconds into reading about the Defiance Type J Autocannon, he felt someone walking up beside and behind him. "Good to see you again in the flesh, Mike." Corey stood there, a fairly unassuming man with greying hair and a dark blue jacket. "You still take me seriously enough to show up in person with no backup."

Mikell turned around and grinned, chuckling. "Who said I don't have backup? You fraud." He shook hands, and sighed softly. "How's the acquisitions business? I'm guessing you are still selling the salvage-grade stuff to museums for their displays?"

"To be fair, they pay better than private collectors or mercenaries. The latter don't want to pay up, and the former want an impressive pedigree for what you're selling them."

"Which of course, you have. Signed, and notarized and totally not forged."

"Hush, you." Corey glanced around, probably trying to figure out where the backup was. For a man who supposedly ran a legitimate business, he was always trying to get an edge. "So, that matter we talked about?" He motioned and the pair started walking. "There's a decommissioned DropShip a private collector had and was looking to refurbish with period-appropriate technology and such. Huge project, and sure enough it stalled out and he ran out of money, and I mean really ran out of money. Turns out the fool had been embezzling from his company for a year, thinking he could bank on things turning around!" Mikell leaned his head back and groaned. "Oh, am I boring you?"

"No, I have a low tolerance for idiocy. So low, just hearing about something this stupid makes me cringe." Mikell looked back over. "So, you found me a not-Union but think it would do just fine?"

"Well, truth of the matter is it went into receivership. And the DropShip being one of the biggest potential assets which could be liquidated, was exactly that. My company picked it up for twenty million, and were about to turn it over to the museum until it came into my division. And my good friend." He clapped Mikell on the back. "My best bud Mike is looking for DropShips! So, hey, maybe I can recoup the loss in a way better than a charitable donation to the museum for a pittance which my boss wants to do."

"I am going to need to see the state of it."

"Well, no luck there, it's in the holding area and only authorized personnel can get in. Which doesn't include mercenary outfit leaders, sorry. You'd have to wave a gun or something to get in there." He stopped, had a thoughtful expression, and his hand moved on Mikell's back before he flinched his hand away. "Oh my God you actually came armed."

"It's been a rough month."

"Please don't seriously consider it."

"If I take you hostage, will Lone River make a deal for your release?"

"Stop joking. You're joking, right?"

"Of course I'm joking, there's too many witnesses here who might be able to provide a description. Not to mention the nine security cameras with footage of me wandering around." Mikell shrugged the hand away from him. "So, I'll make you a deal. What's the charitable donation value you're looking to beat?"

Corey's expression brightened again, and he rolled his eyes upwards in thought. His lips moved a bit before he spoke. "Ten million."

"Try again. I think it's closer to eight and a half. I saw you do the math. Good news is, I don't really care." He did his own mental math, and nodded. "I can do ten million in a C-Bill transfer. If." He poked Corey in the stomach lightly with a knuckle. "You let my head technician take a look at it and tell me he can get it working."

"Mike, my friend!" Corey spread his arms, and grinned. "What good is a DropShip if it doesn't drop?"

A dry chuckle. "A museum piece. Funny, that's what we're discussing right now. If he signs off on it, you get ten million in an instant transfer. If he tells me it's lucky to not be scrap value, then you wasted my time and your company gets to hear about you dodging people from Solaris VII."

"You're such a good friend, you wouldn't do that to me!"

"I know! Because you're such an honorable person you'd never try to cheat a friend." Mikell grinned, and put his hands on Corey's shoulders, staring into his eyes. "Would you?"

There was a moment of hesitation, before Corey grinned and laughed. "No, no. Never a friend. I'll see what I can arrange, okay?"

"And Corey?" Mikell leaned in and whispered into his ear. "Don't leave thinking the wrong thing, you're not the reason I came armed. Two ladies over by the Dalkeith section, been following me since I walked in. You should probably go before they think we're more than a couple old friends." Corey paled, and glanced at them as he walked off. Mikell smirked a bit, then wandered over there, reaching into a pocket and holding out a five C-Bill note to one of them. "Thanks, Olivia."

"Hey, no problem, you were buying and I get to see how wrong they are about Warhammers. Did you know they forgot to list the machine guns?"

"That's the 6K isn't it?" He said blandly. "You're looking at the Sixth Sword of Light roster, not the Third Royal Guards." He looked around. "Corey's info is good, but it's going to put a big dent in our liquid assets. Let's hope the folks are doing okay on Dalkeith."

"Eh, if not, we'll get by. What's the worst that could happen?" She shrugged, and stopped, seeing him staring at her. "What?"

He put a finger into her collarbone. "Don't invoke Murphy!" He hissed out.

"Of all the things you choose to be superstitious about, you choose that."

"I've seen the Law in action often enough. Let's get moving, I need to try to make Louis happy about inspecting a literal museum piece dating back to the Mackie being a marvel."

---

• Date: August 16, 3029
• Location: Lone River Acquisitions

"I'm not happy about this. And I'm not going to tell you it's a lost cause. I can make it space-worthy, but it's going to take a while." Louis dusted off his hands as he walked out of the Black Eagle DropShip. "Let's play 'good news, bad news'. Our favorite game." He pulled out a datapad.

Mikell sighed, and raised a hand. "No, I hate this game."

Louis ignored him and started reading. "The thing is ancient and as such most of the electronic interfaces are outdated. Except for the few standardized ones for the 'Mech Bays, naturally. We'll be on the ground for a week while we update things and make sure it won't catch fire when we turn on the environmental controls."

"Okay, bad news." Louis nodded and held up a finger, keeping score. "Next."

"The computer system is intact, but flight control programming was a homebrew which won't work of an extended period. I guess they threw it together to make sure they could get it here, and not worry about it. I would have Jade working on it, something for which I am sure she will promise retribution later. You know how she gets when she has to work this hard."

"It's part of why I pay her, she does get it done. Still, bad news." Louis added a second finger. "Next."

"All the weapons are missing, though the mounting positions are present and in good repair. If you can get the weapons, we can put them back. That is, for the reference, eight Long-Range missile launchers set to twenty missile salvos, nine Large Lasers, and twelve Medium Lasers. A number of these are arranged in bays with four Medium Lasers to a Large Laser, which means it can get good coverage if we can replace the weapons. I'm fairly confident we can get it done, but it will have to wait until the computer system is rebuilt and the electronics updated. Otherwise they'll just sit there and wait for fire control signals they won't get, and maybe fire anyway."

"Mixed news." Mikell sighed as Louis glanced up at him. "Good news." Louis added a third finger. "Next."

"The armor on this thing uses specific mountings which aren't standard. Furthermore, the stuff which is present is enough against small rocks and other debris in space, but weapons fire on the ground? I bet if I took your sidearm and shot it it would make an armor breach. If I get a week just for this, I could get modern armor plating on it, but I'd have no guarantee of integrity."

"Good news, then, just expensive." Louis gave a thumbs-up and lowered the datapad. "So, we get a crew for it, we put the techs to work on it, and then we're good."

"And we can get off the Leopard."

"Whoa there." Mikell held up his hands, and motioned as they started walking. "I'm not giving up a functional DropShip until this one checks out entirely. I am not moving the gear over, only for the life support to fail once we hit orbit. You give it the full makeover, we assure it works for drop duties, and won't explode."

Louis grunted. "Fine, it's our ship now anyway. What are we going to call it?"

"Aquila."

"Heard worse. Okay, I'll get back to the 'base'-" He curled his lips at that, having to use a hangar as an improvised tech base was something he hadn't liked at all. "-and see what we have, what we need, and what I can machine. I'll have a full report for you in two days." He walked off. "And tell Olivia she still owes me that bottle of Davion Royal, with interest this time!"

Mikell nodded, and looked up as a tall, thin, dark-skinned man walked over with a slow stride. A white suit, grey silk undershirt, some sort of gold tattoo around his eye. A quick squint and memory check placed it as some sort of ancient Terran symbol, but Mikell didn't let his mind wander too far. "You are Mikell Sethan?" At a wary nod, the man smiled thinly. "It is good to make your acquaintance in person. I hope you do not mind, but I would like to discuss business matters with you."

"Is this a contract matter? Because we should really go to ComStar first-"

"Yes. And no." The man motioned with his hand. "Please, walk with me?" Mikell shrugged a shoulder and fell into stride beside the man. "Your outfit came to my attention recently, which is both fortunate and unfortunate. Fortunate for you, because there is no one higher than myself who will cause you problems as of yet. Unfortunate for me, because I now have to handle you." He stopped at a door which had a security guard at it, the security guard seeing something Janus flashed to him and hurriedly stepping aside. "I do like it when unnecessary security and bureaucracy is so easily circumvented in the interest of time."

"Unnecessary, hmm?" Mikell glanced around, noticing the usual foot traffic wasn't coming near this side hallway they were standing near. There were some other security guards who seemed to be making an effort not to notice them. "Why would that be?

"They are present to keep tourists or fools from wandering where they are not supposed to be. But any person with dangerous intent would not be dissuaded, and would overcome such obstacles easily enough. Backup of a significant force would not arrive quickly. We even timed it once, just to be certain of how bad it would be."

"And?"

"It was quite concerning to my superiors. For me, however, it was nothing new. Another fact of life here in the world, while they are removed from it" The gentleman in the suit opened the door, which proved to be a featureless waiting room dimly lit overhead. "Please join me." He smiled, but there was something in his eyes which was not nearly as inviting as his calm manner.

"Do I have a choice?"

"You always have a choice in the matter." Something about the tone of voice let Mikell know this was true, he could walk away and nobody would stop him. Not immediately. There would, however, undoubtedly be consequences to blowing off someone like this gentleman. Mikell shrugged and walked into the room, noticing there were two chairs and a desk with a console in it. And no visible video link, either.

Mikell walked to the chair and sat in it, hearing the door shut behind the pair. He chose to speak first, letting his mind begin working on the problem. "So, you're Intelligence Corps. Why are you interested in us, now?"

"Please, Commander Sethan. I know you do not have documents showing you own that BattleMech. We can make those happen, and make a great deal of hassle go away. All I ask is simple in return."

"All you've asked is to join you in this room."

"And that is simplicity itself, is it not?"

"Do you have a name?"

The man chuckled, placing his hand over his heart. "Everyone has a name. Some people are fortunate enough to have several. You may call me Janus Templar, Commander Sethan."

"Is it your real name?"

This got a second chuckle, and an arched eyebrow. "Is your name really Mikell Sethan?"

"It's not polite to answer a question with a question."

"It is not an answer. It is a demonstration of how little we who live on the edges of civilization and wilderness have to really define us aside from our choices, our actions, and the friends we keep. Your choices have been interesting, and your actions puzzling to a few who would call themselves my peers. And your choice of friends does concern them." He pulled out a card and placed it into the terminal. A picture loaded up after he touched controls for a short time. "Kelly Sedda, Olivia Garrido, and the man who goes by 'Vandal'. Three names of people who are of interest to the Lyran authorities.

"The first and last, I am aware of. Why Olivia?"

"It is a recent altercation, something about discharging a firearm in a public space." Mikell made a mental note to ask about it later. "We can sweep these aside, much like the matter of your BattleMech."

Mikell lifted a finger. "The paperwork for the Wolfhound is in order, we're just working on assembly. If you want, I can have it brought here." He touched his earpiece, and frowned.

Janus smiled thinly, and once more it did not reach those eyes. "No, Commander, in this room your comm will not function. And it is not the Wolfhound I am talking about. It would be a BattleMaster." He kept his eyes focused on Mikell, smile fading. "A model BLR-1G, which was acquired from Trellshire Heavy Industries. We do have the serial number in this file if you need me to tell it to you, but I think you know of what I speak. Do you have anything to add?"

"No, I think you have it in hand, sir, what about it?"

"Has anyone told you it is not polite to answer a question with a question, Commander Sethan?" Janus steepled his fingers, looking across at him thoughtfully, silence stretching on for a few more heartbeats. "If you will continue to be adversarial, I will have to adjust my approach. I do not want that, because it is simply not that good for long-term results. I would like to think you capable of delivering those to me."

"No more 'we', Mister Templar?"

Those eyes narrowed, Mikell getting the distinct impression the levity and observation was not appreciated. "I was given a broad discretion on who to bring in. You were chosen because you seem to have an aversion to meaningless combat actions for profit, glory, or fun. I have very little to go on, with your mercenary career being short, but the report on your previous mission did suggest you have a respect for appearances and mercy." He let the words hang in the air and his fingers traced a small circle at Mikell. "Tell me. Am I wrong?"

Mikell paused, leaning back in the cheap metal chair and letting out a long breath as he was seeing conclusions in process, figuring a way out of this which wouldn't end with losing what he had just sunk almost all of his assets into. Ostensibly he could walk away from Priam Company and try to start a new life, a new identity, somewhere else. He'd done it before, he knew it could be done if one were willing to pay the price for it. But he wasn't so sure he wanted to keep paying it, keep running. And, truthfully, this wasn't the same as the last time. He had people who believed in him right now, who were following him and relying on him.

"What is it you want, Mister Templar?"

"A couple recent events have begun to be in motion. I need someone who I can trust to work for me." He leaned back now. "There is a delicate balance to things since the end of the last Succession War, Commander. My organization would prefer it remain stable for a while, at least for now. There is a great deal of high-level political maneuvering going on, and having someone be an embarrassment by starting another war is something we hope to avoid."

"Why talk to me?"

"Because mercenaries thrive off the conflict which can start a war, that is part of their nature. Some forces have chosen to begin to pursue such agendas on their own, or perhaps spurred by other powers. My organization would prefer it remain at a certain level, at a level where the proportional response is much smaller and much less problematic. So we would like certain elements removed, or certain interventions made in our name. Interventions, one could say, with a certain degree of force."

"So much for not wanting war." Mikell muttered, focusing on the other man and trying to figure out where this was coming from or going.

"War is a complicated beast, and disastrous to have running amok. It is not to our benefit to have it happening without cause, without a purpose. Unguided, war would destroy all of our works and leave nothing behind."

"And who does 'our' mean this time?"

"Humanity." Janus turned his head, looking to the door, and by extension the people outside of it. "Some things are more important than political boundaries, Commander Sethan, and require a greater sacrifice to acquire. Or to preserve. For everything there is a price, and the price of freedom is responsibility to the ones who seek to protect that freedom. Our goal is not to stir up wars, prop up meaningless conflicts so the warriors may count glorious victories or line their pockets. Our goal is simple." He stood up slowly, smoothing his suit jacket and buttoning it up.

"What goal, then?"

"You have not earned the right to know it yet. But my goal today is to entertain you with an offer, one you would do well not to refuse." His gaze snapped back to Mikell, focused intently. "I would suggest you consider it carefully."

"What offer is it? And what happens if I do refuse?"

Janus smiled, and for the first time showed teeth with the smile. "Why, Commander, I told you there is always a choice. And consequences which follow from that choice." He held out a hand, a small data module in the palm. "So what shall you choose today?"