Pax's Battletech Junkyard

Pirate Wars Interlude
Dara looked at, a portion of, the two regiments constituted from the community, and appreciated the boundless mercy and benevolence of god. They were alive, and prosperous... more than he would have dared ask. With such a large gathering of members of hispeople he was largely thought of only as another elder. Even within the community he was grateful for the lesser anonymity he enjoyed it had made his calling that much easier. Folding his hands to run his fingers over the backs of his knuckles he bowed his head slightly as the machines moved past. The Azami contingent that would remain here when he departed to Alamut to join their kinsmen there was greatly enhanced by the castle outpost that had waited for a son of Terra to return and open its stores to wield against the Usurper and his rebels. God was merciful, and generous.


Pasha sat down and regarded him with some degree of perhaps not mistrust but consideration of a concerned nature. The aged DropShip captain waited until the tea was served by a junior lieutenant before speaking. "Black Jack's actions, what is it you make of them?" He asked the old spy master.


What could he say to that? That the man was a rabid dog? An outlaw. Surely those things were true. That he must have well and truly taken leave ofany semblance of morals to conspire with a descendant of the satan Amaris... all of these things flashed through his mind as the two old men surveyed the moving battlemechs. "Black Jack was once upon a time just a pirate. A nuisance, a fly buzzing around the border of the Dragon's realm and that of the Lyran commonwealth... and then all of a sudden he was a terror. It did not make sense, and yes I agree with the conclusion reached. Someone gave him weapons of the Star League." He hissed, anger leaking into his previously tightly controlled tone.


… the Battle Rom footage though complicated that even further. Green troops wielding the weapons of not just Star League Defense Forces, but Terran soldiers... swords of old earth unsheathed by amateurs... men who were not blooded warriors. It made no sense, not in those numbers, not so far from anywhere of importance... not with such green troops being on that attack.


He could not be sure though what it meant...who would gain from such a thing, and who could gamble so recklessly with precious machines. What he did know he did not like. "There are still back channels to the ISF still open, and to Lady Florimel." Dara stated spreading his hands. The truth was that the Azami had sworn oaths long ago, and that they knew better than most the internal divisions within House Kurita. They understood men were fallible. Pasha's expression suggested he did not like this turn in the conversation. "You do not understand," The Jump Ship captain began to protest and his point the betrayal of the units who had recovered the footage was a valid one, but that had not come from the coordinator... it had not even come from the bespectacled head of the ISF that had been a lesser functionary who Dara understood to have been dealt with... not that he could reassure Pasha of that. The man needed no reminders of the cut throat internal nature of the Dragon's court.


Kira-sama had opened her own throat when it had become clear her brother would not consider reason or contemplate the stain he invited upon the house's honor. That had been two hundred years ago. The current reigning coordinator had had to exercise damage control for his own father's failings. Pasha's expression was still opposed to this, but slowly the other elder stopped to consider the arguments. "You depart for Alamut too soon to hope to receive a response."


"Yes... and I have no assurance that Lady Florimel will even consider my letter," And course Dara understood that most likely the keeper of house honor had had no choice but to order his death.. but that was part of the reason he was leaving for Alamut, far beyond the Dragon's reach. Besides, Pasha was already marked for death by the ISF certainly if not for ferrying his brother's sons to the periphery with their battlemechs than for coming to relieve Elidere with House Davion's troops, or for his role in the liberation of Dieron which had bled white a Sword of Light Regiment. Dara reckoned that there was no more danger that Pasha could be placed in by the actions of the community at large.. to that end he was comfortable telling the captain of ships what things had been undertaken. The man had accepted position for the community where the ultimate likely fate was to be a martyr.


The two men sat as Azami BattleMechs continued in motion. "You believe a conspiracy to be at work, but for what purpose?"


"I would suspect that Black Jack served initially as a patsy for agents of Amaris... but those details seem flat against what we know." The problem was was that the details had were incomplete, and contradictory at times, "The machines which were brought against Black Jack and his own machines were all of the Star League the Machines that this devil Kelly wields the same. I do not know what to make of it since from the salvaged machines we have taken from them they all came from storage."


"Stored away by the SLDF at the end of the star league you mean." Pasha half whispered. His face was pale at the confirmation of his own worst fears.


"Yes." Dara replied equally reserved in his response. He could not fathom what treachery had involved, what betrayal of mankind could indulge in this idea to restore the devil's kingdom... but Dara with his eyes fixed on the arid camoflage applique of the machines outside did understand the motivations of the young men and not so young men who wished to remain to fight. "You said the elders on Alamut," Or rather the ones who were now safely on Alamut, "made the decision to inform Shepherd of the Dragon's betrayal?" It was not really a question, and Pasha squinted at the rhetorical inquiry.


"We hoped to explain to plead our case forwhy the Dragon's servants pursued so," Pasha replied.


"You did not realize the sword unsheathed against the Dragon." The aged intelligence officer remarked. "Shepherd is a gunslinger, a graduate of a program developed to fight the Ronin of the ancient days on equal footing. More importantly, and in contrast to the Ronin the Hegemony wanted the lessons learned to be passed on. A gunslinger officer or senior enlisted was expected to advise SLDF regulars in advanced mechwarrior training, and in its application against enemies of Earth."


Pasha nodded, some color returning, "And that is why you were insistent that Colonel Bey remain here."


"It is not the only reason," Dara replied, "But yes we would risk an open revolt if we did not contribute some men to a battle against the spawn of Amaris," but there were too many families with them to stay here. IN part that had informed his decision to stay, to give the civilians time to enjoy a gravity well of somewhere where they would be safe enough under the full weight of the force assembled on the ground before they made the journey into the deep periphery.

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Notes: EDIT: Apparently when I posted XF2 stripped out some formatting (which is normal if annoying) but also just deleted some words for who the fuck knows why, i'm going to try and review this tomorrow if I have time and fix that

Pirate Wars Luxen
Interlude


Friar Tuck wished Kelly a painful death as the man's image flashed on the screen on his desk. Vesar had always been an asshole and his downfall and penal confinement had been a small point of light for all the people Kristofur had tormented or otherwise vexed. Vesar had worked his way rimward and now was a nightmare to every comstar adept, and precentor across the periphery... and probably a great many in the Inner Sphere given the recent attack on Kalidasa.


He swallowed down another mouthful of beer and looked over the gray hardwood of the floor as the doors swung open. The MRB on Luxen had never really been a busy posting for ComStar... in many respects his position here was part punishment, and part sinecure. To that end his situation was in many ways farcical to those back in civilization. Tuck didn't mind, there were certainly worse assignments in the periphery.


March of 3016 had been several years gone now Friar Tuck had been there for that for the contract with the provincial authorities and the canopian elite but in body language the MechWarrior even accounting the several inches he'd grown since then hadn't changed. The Highlanders with their slung laser rifles were cocksure in their strut, but their commander the 'Shooting Star of Luxen' was nearly silent as he padded forward. No surprise there, if you could make a 75 ton machine stalk the battlefield like a ghost you didn't sound like a tiger rushing through the bush. That Shepherd was not loud, was not some over sex braggadocio was a refreshing change from most mech warrior aces... that and Tuck was quite glad that there was protection to keep his plump rear end safe from being burned at the stake by Vesar and Jack's crazed cut throats.


"Ah, my boy," He declared pushing the one shy carton of beer to his nominal client, as the Shepherd's Company liaison to the MRB for Luxen, he took special pride in being responsible for that contract... it was something to tease good naturedly the other MRB representatives in the periphery... not the least of which was it put money in his pocket and also helped keep him safe while Shepherd's Company was here. "We're," Precentor Labera and and the whole Luxen HPG and MRB station house "glad to have you back," As was Miranda Raventhir, the duchess was glad he was sure even more so that Shepherd had the ability to resupply his Azami friends akin to the dragoons... akin not identical since he was relatively sure that Shepherd had actually gotten the new mechs from an SLDF cache... assuming that the precentor new avalon hadn't actually slipped him the data. Whatever the case Friar Tuck understood that that miracle would likely draw Vesar here... and he would have liked to tell the mercenary guild star that he really would have liked to do that, "I vetted all of the volunteers I told you about thoroughly, I've had them on retainer stringent moral standards." He remarked... the worst that there had been were a few unfortunate indiscretions in the bars and it was a luxen fight clubs were legal here so really what was a few punches among rowdy bravos. "These are men with scruples," And grudges against the predations of pirates, not necessarily limited to black jack, which he didn't have a quite so nice way of putting that, at least at the moment... he might have found the words with a little more beer, but it was early in the afternoon for this meeting, "I will admit, I had expected you to come back with fewer people ,and that you'd probably be signing on with the duchess if not her then Majesty Metals but these people can go wherever you need them." Even to Detroit if that was where Shepherd needed them to go... that would mean having to work with the Detroit office, but he certainly live with that... especially given the Combine's antics there.


The list of Mercenaries was one part doing as the young mercenary commander had asked before he'd left to settle business at the MRB court of review on Detroit in light of theCombine's complaint. Admittedly that was something of a wish list anideal and would have been hard to find the people for in more normal times, so the Friar knew he hadn't been able to deliver entirely...but he had had the advantage of trading on 'I know the shooting star of luxen personally'.


None of his list had any ties to ComStar... something that he'd be criticized for years in the future after Black Jack was dead, but Friar Tuck didn't know that, and even if it had been an idea to cross his mind there was just no candidates to have for sucha position... this was the periphery not the Inner Sphere. For much the same reason of locality he'd had few options for men with real experience in House Armies not when most of those were in short supply and high demand.


The truth was he'd been a little cautious about reaching out to the two MechWarriors who had stayed back in the periphery to babysit mining operations for Majesty Metals... he didn't want them deciding to run off with their own scratch company and leave him high and dry. As the atrocities had mounted the prospect had haunted his dreams... but Shepherd's return had come with many many more troops than he had expected and that meant safety.


"Black Sheep?"


Friar Tuck let out a nervous chuckle at the pun on Shepherd's last name, "Boyington's idea, my boy... a little on the nose but you wanted air support." Previous to this he hadn't considered that the quintessential mercenary name might be a potential issue. The young man had struck him stoic, perhaps even to the point where he might have described the 'mech warrior as gruff. Truthfully he been to caught up in events to counsel Shepherd on his original choice in name Shepherd's Company was plain... it would fail to stand out for a small company. Even a battalion strength company would have done well to have a better more name, more catchy name. "I assure you they can fly." and given the shortage of air assets available for mercenaries the small wing and supporting ground units was a gem in the rough, partnered with a command like Shepherds the chance to shine was there.

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Notes: This would have been up earlier but there were computer problems this morning and then other commitments this evening. This is technically, currently non canon and is part one of two since it was split in half it will be picked up later.

Volkov looked at the painting, and then noted how Hide was trying to look anywhere but at the painting. She was a pretty woman, and given its age... which she supposed was absurd... Heron had been asleep for centuries after all... this must have been Anjin's mother as a young woman. … that was her realization from the brilliant blue of her eyes. That was why Hide was so nervous. This was a Kurita... one of Hide's distant relations now. It was impossible to call her most stalwart mechwarrior a poor relation... his father was a duke the same rank that Raventhir held … Hide had grown to manhood in a culture of warrior masculinity.

Of honor and duty.

"She's beautiful." Volkov acknowledged.

"Kerra was very talented." The Demon King remarked a wisp of a smile on paternal aristocratic features. "I respected her tactical and strategic acumen immensely. I drove her Marauder into a lake in order to beat her. She wasn't expecting for me to charge her 2R head on to take her off the field."

Volkov who's experience watching Terran gunslingers in action had always been like Shepherd's defense of Luxen a fusillade of man made lightning, of carefully aimed shots. The idea … what he was telling her was incongruous to that. She wasn't going to call him a liar but it seemed ridiculous on its face that the mechwarrior the living legend the devil that kept the combine up at night had turned to mech scale fisticuffs to win.

Not for the first time Volkov felt inadequacy in education. Hide, and Nevan had attended the same academy in the combine though they had been ac ouple years apart and had naturally run in distant circles. Hide had always made a point of never talking of his school years... and Volkov had never asked.

It hadn't been any of her business at the time. Hide was a friend if admittedly a bit of a stick in the mud about protocol at times but one of her best pilots. They sat down for tea, it was mid afternoon and a highland lieutenant named Harborough who was all together forgettable poured them and then stood away. She could have easily lost him in a crowd.

"You have a small battalion of your own." Heron remarked from his place at the table. His voice a low authoritative tone, a bass like quality to it that rumbled the room. It wasn't that she didn't think of Shepherd's voice as not masculine... but Shepherd was much closer to her age... the footage from Luxen always made him look boyish, his features were nearly vulpine. Even now, with him taller than her own five eight it was hard not to make comparisons on initial impressions despite having seen newer footage, seen his current file card it wasn't the same. "What will you do with it?"

Her wolf company had had good mechs. She had had a handful of infantry who were confident that she would try and preserve them. Some light vehicles... and then all of a sudden she was royalty and had a rich aunt to help her expand. That Lady Raventhir had been her employer before hand probably helped the duchess know what she needed more of… which was to say everything. "Lady Raventhir ordered me to assist Shepherd's Company."

"That is not what I asked." The Terran replied. "You do enjoy the support of your relations, which given the state of affairs is certainly to your benefit. You did well on Pioche against Black Jack's incursion," He paused his eyes lingering in her direction, then invited her to drink from her tea. It was good, she'd admit that... it was higher in caffeine than she was used to.

"A highlandtea, ma'am," The lieutenant remarked, she had almost forgotten Harborough was there as Heron had spoke, even Hide seemed to have slipped thought unusual given the officer was armed "The best is in the rainy season. The stocks are from the Hegemony but freshly grown on Katinka."

Katinka was Arscacid's capital world. It was where somewhere on that world, he slept the centuries away. Arscacid started again, "If you are successful you have great value to the Magistracy."

She snorted in disbelief, "Only because Shepherd's leaving again." Her reply was as calculated as she could make it, because she knew that with as massive as a force reported the rumor was Arscacid had hoped the other Terran Colonel would remain. Much as she disliked politics wanted nothing to it she knew what he was getting at, if she succeeded the Magistracy would ennoble her in her own right, parade her around.

The man smiled... she was amusing him instead of pissing him off. "It would I admit be more ideal to have Shepherd remain... and yet it also is of use for him to keep the Coordinator off guard. His actions on Dieron for example, I cannot go... I fought to preserve Davion independence from the coordinator's ambitions, the reaction would likely be extreme" Hide's lips set into a thin which was the only tell that that wasn't necessarily the only reason the coordinator might react in the 'extreme', "if I contributed to House Davion's defense with Terran troops in the present." He paused, "Similarly with Zarantha Calderon's passing the warming of relations with the concordat may be at an end. House Davion is likely to do many things, but intentionally aim to worsen tensions with the Taurians is not one of them. It is in Canopian interest to stabilize and expand trade in the rim ward periphery. The friendship between Coromodir and Canopus can only be a boon to that trade since the Aurigans value commerce so highly," Which Volkov supposed might have been a veiled criticism of the Magistracy's trade policies, and taking the opportunity to geta word in again referenced her aunt, and employer. "Yes, the Magistracy officially restricts trade with foreigners to their nobles, which given the shortages of JumpShips means that generally speaking it is the foreigner who visit to sell their wares."

JumpShips were impossibly expensive... and it didn't take a genius to know that Arsacid had his own JumpShip yards, or that there were new yards in the Federated Suns to whom the Demon King had admitted in around about way he was favorably disposed towards. "What, if anything does this have to do with me?"

"I can think you may reasonably expect an invitation to Canopus, Anastasia," She felt her toes curl in her boots at the use of her given name, "In fact if I wouldn't be surprised if the Magestrix does not inevitably invite Shepherd to visit as well, she'll argue rather smartly that Luxen is well protected by Highlanders and if the truth about the exodus is accurate about the Azami who will be stopping over... but the idea of an Azami state deep in the periphery is another trade partner that her realm could benefit from, much as I suspect that she will entreat Shepherd to report favorably back to Ian Davion of her openness to trade with the Federated Suns, and perhaps to your grandfather that she would also be interested in wider dealing with the Lyran Commonwealth."

Volkov wondered if she were to be something of a hostage, certainly all this talk sounded as if she were a pawn being shuffled around a board, "And my command?"

"I have some obligation to see your forces are equipped, Shepherd certainly seems to have looked after himself in that he has asked me for little other than ports to dock. When he arrives in force I expect a large public turn out. The public is probably aware that Shepherd will return to House Davion but for the year and so he will be in the Magistracy well, Captain Short has done a splendid little job of lionizing a Terran Colonel," He sounded both quite pleased, and decidedly amused, "With her book, books really."


Nevan Hathaway had to avoid choking a laugh into the caffeinated tea as he glanced sideways towards them. She resisted her urge to scowl at her best friend since even though Short's books weren't exactly lurid fare it had sparked an entire genre that she might have occasionally dabbled in.
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Note that this occurs in 3020 prior to Shepherd's Company landing on Luxen