It’s a Peaceful Life (Battletech AU/SI)

[Sogen]

Huh, yet another way this version of Mark is a bit different from the others.

 

[Inbredmartian]

Time to leverage your connection to the great Fox to get that eye fixed and follow your broken Wifu into the militsrybold boy. And the Davion's just so happen to have a unit with a history of putting husband and wife together….i really hope this happens now, that'd be so cute. And I laugh at the image of their kids running around in urbies because they need a mech that they can catch them in but is tough enough to help out around the farm as well

 

[Baldrick the Wise]

He already has a farm, no need to buy another one against the Clans.

 

[MarkWarrior]

"Hey, Luke," I pulled the older man in for a hug, noting that he seemed to have aged another few years in the last six months. "You doing alright?"

"I'm tired," he grunted. "I didn't think that I'd ever get reactivated, and I had forgotten how much it wears on you."

He gestured for me to take a seat at a table, a sigh escaping his lips as he reached into his shirt pocket for a cigarette that wasn't there.

"I'm probably going to close up shop and retire in the next six months," he confided in me. "I'm old, I'm tired, and I want to spend a lot more time with my kids. Cheryl agrees with me. We're planning on looking around your area for any good deals on property."

For a moment, Luke's attention wasn't in the present, it was somewhere in the distant past before he shook his head and focused back on our conversation.

"A lot of things I thought I'd dealt with are starting to eat at me again," Luke's brown eyes were filled with an emotion I couldn't describe, but I identified with. "I don't want to leave you hanging though. I've got enough money. So, if you want the bakery, it's yours. Just let me know and I'll have the documents drawn up."

I mulled over the thought in my mind, testing and seeing if I liked the idea before speaking out loud.

"How about this," I replied. "Leave it in your name. This is a family business, it should go to your kids and grandkids. We both know that Alvin and Alyssa love the bakery. They should get the chance to decide its future. I'll run it if you want, or you can leave it close up. But I'm not going to take something away from you or your family. Not after everything y'all've done for me."

"I appreciate the sentiment," Luke leaned back in his chair. "But Mason's jump infantry, and Alice isn't interested in any businesses. Not with having four kids with one more on the way."

"Just take some time to think about it," I drawled, a bit of emotion rapidly forcing its way up my throat. "You've always done right by me. Let me do the same for you and yours."

"Alright," Luke nodded after a moment, swallowing. "I'll discuss it with Cheryl and Alice. Mason got deployed with the rest of the units rotating up north. So, he's not going to be able to weigh in on this. But for now, we should probably get started on getting everything back up and running."

We weren't opening today, instead we were inspecting machines, checking the gas levels, and doing general maintenance before ordering the supplies that would be needed to bring the bakery back to life.

---

It was almost funny, Kat realized as she crawled through the mud before clambering over an obstacle in the abbreviated boot camp that was the introduction to NAMA. Just how much easier this was than being kept in that cold room.

The lack of privacy might be the same, but there was something great about the structure and order that was present in everything that the Drill Instructors worked them through. Everything they told them to do had a purpose and was carefully sculpted. The DIs knew exactly how far to push someone and test them without breaking them down.

Sure, this wasn't the full experience that she'd have gotten upon enlisting. But according to her father, this was more to gauge where the cadets were physically and mentally. Not to break them, but to see what they understood and where they could be best used. Young officers were supposed to be a bit wild, to see fresh new tactics and look at things differently. Their reckless nature balanced out with the seasoned and measured calm of senior noncommissioned officers.

Kat might be covered in mud, and feeling cold as a bit of wind chilled her, but this was nothing compared to the constant cold and bright white of the room she'd been kept in.

"Good work, Cadet Davion! That was your best time today!" A drill instructor nodded. "Drink water and go stand with your squad."

"Yes ma'am!" Kat yelled and then jogged over to where the overachiever was waiting.

"Here," the Squad Leader passed her a canteen. "Drink up. We've got a long day ahead of us."

Kat gratefully accepted and sipped at the lukewarm water, the liquid soothing her warm throat.

There was no conversation beyond that, the FedCom was moving into a wartime footing as the few transmissions and leaked Battleroms of the invaders made their way onto various media outlets. Which meant that everything got streamlined. Officer training went from two to four years, to a stripped down year, year and a half. Enlistedmen and women still went through standard boot camps, but their job specific training was also streamlined. Anything you didn't pick up at your school, you were going to be learning en-route to, or in the field.

Kat slowly drank more water and waited for the rest of her squad to finish the obstacle before a drill instructor strode over and led them through some stretches before taking them on a run.

Here, it didn't matter that Kat was a Davion. In fact, being a Davion in a Federated Suns military academy meant that you were expected to perform above whatever expectations that were set.

So, despite what seemed like Chaos going on around her, Kat felt more at peace here than she did in the Mountain. Here in the mud, getting her own hands dirty was more satisfying than all of the economics and sociopolitical courses she'd taken over the last few years.

---

"Why are you here?" Katherine asked Melissa, the doppelganger set the book down on the bedside. "What's the point of spending time with me at all? I'm a security threat."
"You are," Melissa agreed, a warm smile never leaving her face. "But you have the potential to be more than that."

"In what way?" Katherine scoffed. "I'm fucking compromised. None of my memories are real, nothing I remember doing even mattered at all. And God knows what else is fucked up with me."

"None of that was your fault," Melissa chided gently. "Do you think that we executed Hanse's doppelganger when he returned? No, it took years of dedicated therapy and deprogramming, but he now has a life again. We may never restore everything that he once was, but he built himself back into something again."

Melissa sat down next to Katherine, ignoring the pointed look the security guard gave her and pulled the younger blond in for a hug.

"We have the resources to try and help you. But it's up to you to take the first step. I, for one, am glad to have another member of the family. Even if how we got you was a little odd."

Melissa kissed the doppelganger on the head and stood up.

"Just think about it," She said as she exited. "It won't be an overnight change, but given time. I think that we can help you find a place to fit in around our craziness."

The door slid shut behind the Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth, leaving the clone of Katherine Steiner-Davion to her own thoughts.

 

[jokarun]

Its actually such a nice gesture of comstar to give Melissa another daughter to dote on.

 

[Sogen]

Its actually such a nice gesture of comstar to give Melissa another daughter to dote on.

Click to shrink...

Especially since most of the kids are on New Avalon with their father, gives her some company while she's on Tharkad.

 

[Baldrick the Wise]

It shows what Katherine went through when basic is a therapeutic experience.

 

[MarkWarrior]

A few days later, Luke came to a decision about what to do with the bakery.

"So, I'm going to be honest," Luke confided in me as we set things up one morning. "Cheryl and I aren't really all that attached to the bakery. It's something for me to do that keeps me busy, but we're just as comfortable doing anything else. In fact, Cheryl would rather us find something we can do together as we get older. With that in mind, we're going to go forward with finding a buyer for the bakery. But until we have everything sorted out, we're going to keep it open."

There was a part of me that was disappointed. I had hoped that Luke, Cheryl, and their family would be willing to keep the bakery. But at the same time, I also understood why they were deciding to sell it.

"You getting reactivated changed things, didn't it?" I asked, putting a handful of pieces together.

"Aye," Luke nodded, swallowing down the last bite of a donut with some coffee. "Cheryl and I thought we were done dealing with the long distance shit. But if there's a chance that I'm going to have to go back behind enemy lines with this new war then we want to spend as much time together as possible."

We slowly cleaned up and started opening the shop after that. A comfortable silence filled the atmosphere as we moved through all of the routines.

"How long do you think it'll take to find a buyer?" I finally asked.

"Depends on the market, really," Luke shrugged. "I could find someone next week, or it could be six months from now. Either way, we're open until someone makes an offer."

"Fair enough," I replied. "Just give me a fair warning if you get the chance. I'm close to being self-sufficient with regard to the farm. Just need to find a buyer for the meat and eggs we produce."

"I can't help you with that one," the veteran chuckled. "I'm barely competent here in the bakery. Animals and farms aren't exactly my thing," he paused. "Unless you count killing and eating them in the field."

"I mean, most of the processing is similar," I replied. "But it's not the sort of shop-talk to get into when we're about to open."

---

The transition from the small boot-camp experience into a classroom environment was somewhat jarring to Katherine. All of the time she'd spent locked into a room had changed and twisted a part of her.

Gone were the days when she was perfectly fine with spending the entirety of her day in a classroom diving into information and absorbing it. No, something inside drove her outside, she needed to be able to see the sun, to feel the wind on her skin, and experience life.

Thankfully, their curriculum split up the classrooms and field exercises. With the goal of training high quality officers, they spent almost as much time in the field as they did in the classroom. With every session of classroom and book learning supplemented by applying those lessons in the field.

The other thing that separated Boot Camp from the rest of the Officer training was Liberty. Every two weeks the cadets were allowed three days off. With the requirement being that any time spent off-site had to be approved by their CO.

Kat had plans for her three days off. While everyone else seemed hyper-focused on going to local bars, or spending them asleep in the barracks, she wanted to do something that meant more.

The first day, she'd spend with Yvonne and her father in the Mountain. Hopefully Victor had finally sent a letter back or something more to indicate that he was alive since the world he was stationed on was attacked.

The second day, she was going to spend with Mark. It was kinda funny, she'd expected more butterflies or things out of the romance novels she and her friends had read growing up. While those things weren't lacking. They weren't the constant that had been depicted. Instead, there was a constant comfort. The knowledge firm that no matter what, that he would be there waiting. If she needed anything, or if anything were wrong, that he would be there to fix it. To offer an ear or a hand as needed.

Kat shook her head, finishing her woolgathering, and tossing the last of her clothes into her ruck.

"Where are you headed, Davion?" Adam Durand asked.

"Out on leave, Squad leader," Kat replied. "I've got the approval here." She handed him the slip of paper showing that everything had been stamped and filed appropriately.

"Everything looks like it's in order, enjoy," the minor noble replied. "I'll be available through today if you or any of the squad needs anything. I'll be unavailable tomorrow or the day after."

"I'll keep that in mind," Kat smiled. "See you in three days."

She slung the ruck over her shoulder and headed for the door. Every minute mattered, after all.

---

LIC Report: 17655059KH

Subject: Evacuation of VIPs and the 2nd Kell Hounds
Date: August 11, 3050

Reporting Agent: REDACTED

Due to the circumstances involving this letter and the due to the subjects involved including letters to be transmitted, I have decided to be direct in my naming conventions at this time.

The Battle of Tell I has dragged on for months, and most of the 12th Donegal Guards have been crippled or destroyed in the ensuing conflict with the X-Rays, (Now identified as Clan Jade Falcon). The Kell Hounds are better off, but only slightly so, and as such were instructed to evacuate Trell with the wounded and the VIPs in the form of Victor Steiner-Davion and Phelan Kell.

The VIPS did require some heavy convincing, but were able to be persuaded to depart, though somewhat unwillingly.

I will be remaining behind with the 12th Donegal Guards in order to maintain potential communications with their forces left as well as the Federated Commonwealth Armed Forces.

The rest of my reports have been attached to this document as well as letters from both of the VIPs.

Any further reports are unlikely due to enemy aggression.

Agent Redacted.

 

[okurasha]

Did phelan kell not get caught by clan wolf this time? If so that might have a huge impact on how far they can pull ahead of the other clans.

 

[Baldrick the Wise]

He got dragged out of the wreckage by embedded undercover agent, which is indeed a big loss to Wolves.

 

[silentorphan]

Tell I

Click to shrink...

Trell I?

 

[MarkWarrior]

It was shocking how quickly Luke had an offer for the Bakery. A week after he'd listed it on the open real estate market, I arrived to see Luke showing a couple around the bakery.

"Miss Margaret, Mister Thomas, this is my employee, Mark Smith," Luke introduced me with a smile.

"A pleasure," I shook their hands. "I take it y'all are interested in purchasing the place?"

"Aye," the man agreed.

"We want to change things up a bit, though," Margaret offered, her brown curls bouncing as she grinned. "This place is in the perfect location for serving tea and coffee. Not that your original business idea was bad. But there's so much potential for a return on investment here."

Thomas was obviously excited as well but was more tempered in his approach.

"We've already made our business plan, and we don't have to purchase a ton of extra equipment with what is already here at the location," He glanced at the ovens, mixers, and such. "So we can continue making pastries in-house and selling them with the other refreshments."

I glanced at Luke, and he shrugged. His body language screamed for me to continue listening.

I mentally sighed and then reached into my mind for scattered conversations and business plans my parents had made when I was a teenager.

"So, obviously, coffee and tea will sell well in the mornings," I agreed. "Have you considered what you might want to do in the afternoons or around lunchtime? Do you intend to work only in the mornings? What's the plan here?"

"Well, we have a few ideas," the couple exchanged glances. "But we'd prefer to keep them close to our chest."

"Fine by me," I nodded at Luke. "Boss, do you want me here for the rest of this? Or…" I trailed off.

"I'll contact you later this week," Luke replied.

"See you around," I grabbed my helmet and walked out through the door, shoving any emotion down for the moment as I swung my leg over the bike.

Engaging the kickstart, I put on my helmet and pulled out of the parking lot. I navigated the streets of the early morning until I reached a highway with no speed limit and a stretch that went on for miles.

Opening the throttle, I allowed the sadness, the shock, and any feelings of rage to just be, processing and allowing the emotions to run their course. The wind swirled around me as my wheels ate up the miles. The roar of the engine drowned out everything else.

First, ten minutes passed, then twenty, and before I knew it, I lost track of time. By the time I reached the end of that stretch of the road, I had finally made peace with the fact that part of my life would be changing. Sure, it hadn't been unexpected, but emotions don't tend to follow logic.

Pulling off to the side, I removed my helmet and reached into a saddlebag for the canteen of water I kept there. I swished the spit and taste of sweat, clearing it out with water before spitting it out. Then, I took a long gulp of the refreshing liquid before sealing the canteen again and placing it back into the bag.

Looking around, I chuckled as I realized I'd gone the opposite way from home and ended up on the other side of the city.

So, I threw my helmet back on and cranked the engine again. I was definitely in a better place to enjoy the ride. The only thing that would make it better right now was if I had some company along for it.

---

Kat paused at the bakery's entrance, a frown shaping her face as she looked at the "closed" sign hanging on the door. She glanced at her watch first and then cupped her hands to the glass before trying to peer inside.

They might just be opening late. But the lack of lights on the inside told a different story. Pixie's Pastries was closed. The cartoonish Phoenix Hawk that usually lit up and displayed the "Open" sign was off, and there wasn't any indication the bakery would open at all.

Sighing, Kat turned around and went to leave when the door opened.

"Get on in here," the familiar voice filled her ears.

"Hey, Luke," she grinned, stepping inside behind the old man. "Everything alright? I thought you would be deep in the opening procedures by now."

"I'll be blunt," Luke replied, opening the door to the small office. "I'm selling the bakery. I'm old. It's time for me to finally retire and spend more time with my grandkids."

Kat was stunned. Her hands reached for the seat across from the old MIIO agent, found the back of the chair, and then sat down.

"Is it because you rescued me?" Katherine asked, meeting Luke's eyes.

"In part, yes," Luke shrugged. "But it goes beyond that, Princess."

He sighed and reached for a pack of cigarettes that wasn't in his pocket anymore before standing up and pulling a drawer out, an old, worn-out red label showing the brand of smokes before he stood and gestured for the Steiner-Davion to follow him.

As soon as they stepped out, a lighter found its way into his hands, a well-practiced gesture that opened the brass device and lit the cancer stick in one fluid motion. "I've faced my own mortality many times throughout my life," Luke exhaled a small cloud of smoke. "But as you get older, the more you stare at death, the more it stares back at you. Any op that I went on this late in life would have had the same results. It wasn't rescuing you that brought this on. It was Cheryl and I reflecting on life after I came back."

Luke allowed it to grow quiet as he finished that cigarette and fished out another, offering one to Kat, but she waved him off.

"I don't know how many years I've got left to spend with my kids," he continued. "With my grandkids. My son is jump infantry, and he's been deployed along with that whole task force to deal with the invasion. If the worst happens and we get a letter, I don't want to regret spending more time here working instead of spending as much time as I have with them. Mark will be fine without the bakery. He's got enough going on without having to keep the lights on in this place. Hell," Luke laughed and then coughed a bit. "He was the only reason we could stay in business in the first place. Custom Cakes are serious business. The donuts and other shit kept the lights on, but the cakes were where the profit was."

The old man shook his head and tossed the half-full box of cigarettes into the trash, smushing out the last butte with his foot.

"Even without the op to rescue you, we probably still would've sold the bakery in the next year or so," Luke locked eyes with the young woman. "It took me a few years after getting out. But I think I'm finally back home…"

The old man started heading to his vehicle.

"Mark took off down towards the west," Luke waved in the general direction. "If I was a betting man, I'd say that he went for a ride. Day like this, he's probably going to want to grab something for the evening, some steaks, a cigar, maybe some whiskey. You'll find him at the cigar shop at Westmere Ave and 28th Street intersection in an hour or so, depending on how far he went. I'll see you around."

Luke waved goodbye as he left the small parking lot, smiling as he pulled into the traffic flow.

Meanwhile, Kat mulled over the conversation as she headed back to the front of Pixie's Pastries, where the bodyguard she'd been assigned was still waiting by the car.

"Looks like we're headed to Westmere and 28th," Katherine informed the man.

"Understood, ma'am," The bodyguard nodded, his eyes meeting hers in the rearview mirror. "Scenic route or fast?"

"Scenic," Katherine shrugged. "There's plenty of parts of Avalon City I haven't seen yet. Might as well take in the view."

 

[Baldrick the Wise]

They are going to run the place into ground, aren't they?

 

[caffeinepilot]

They are going to run the place into ground, aren't they?

Click to shrink...

More than that, should he bring to market his own custom cakes.

 

[MarkWarrior]

I wheeled to a stop in the parking lot of the cigar shop I visited once every coupled of months. I wasn't quite a regular, but I was there often enough that the owner waved me over with a smile when he saw me.

"Mark," the guy waved me over. "I haven't seen you in a while. You been keeping busy?"

"Pretty much," I shrugged. "I finally finished work on the house, now I'm working on restoring the rest of the farm. I've got a pile of brush and debris to burn tonight, so I figured I'd pick up a cigar or two. Enjoy them next to the fire."

"You're in luck, then," Adams grinned. "I just got a fresh shipment of acids in. I know you're a fan of some of those blends. I've got some vanilla and cinnamon that I think you'll appreciate."

"I'll take your word for it," I shrugged. "Go ahead and ring up a mixed box. I have a feeling I won't be back in town for a while. So, might as well get a decent stock now. I'll head next door after this and grab a bottle of whiskey to go with."

"The match made in heaven," Adams nodded. "Nothing pairs quite as well as cigars and whiskey. That'll be seventy pounds and fifty pence."

I forked over the bills and accepted the wooden box.

"Thanks, Adams," I waved over my shoulder, receipt tucked into my wallet. "See you around."

"I'll be at church on Sunday," he agreed. "I'll see you there."

I placed the wooden box in my saddlebages and headed to the liquor store next. I never really bought a ton of alcohol, but given some of the best cooking was done with wine or bourbon, I had a small stash outside of the few brands I favored for the nightcap on occasion.

Which meant I wasn't familiar to anyone at the liquor store. This was the future of the eighties, people still favored cigarettes to a cigar or pipe tobacco; those were more luxury items than everyday fare. And with this being New Avalon, I didn't know a single person that dipped or chewed tobacco. Which was kinda odd to someone who came from the American South growing up.

So I grabbed a bottle of bourbon to replace the one I'd use the last of marinating my steaks in and checked out. After all, I still had plenty of whiskey for the cigars and fire tonight.

Walking outside, I was met by sunlight and a smoking hot blond standing outsde by my motorcycle. Kat was wearing what was essentially a set of fatigues, but honestly, she made them look really good.

"Hey, Kat!" I grinned, feeling my spirits rise. "I didn't expect to see you so soon. I thought you were going to be at the Academy for another month before they let you out."

"Wartime means the curriculum's accelerated," She shrugged. "Luke told me you'd probably be around here."

"Yeah," I tucked the bottle of bourbon into the saddlebag with my spare clothes. I didn't want that to shatter. "I needed to pick some supplies up."

"Luke told me he's selling the bakery," she pulled me in for a hug. "I could out bid whoever wants to buy it. Then you could just manage my bakery for me."

"Nah," I shook my head. "That might feel good for a minute. But sometimes you've just got to move on. I can always sell custom cakes out of the farmhouse if I really want to. Honestly though, I'm probably just going to knuckled down and properly finish getting the farm in order. A month or two and I'll be able to be self-sufficient."

"I guess," Kat shrugged. "It just feels like another part of what was stable is gone." She sighed and then changed the subject.

"What's your plan for today?" She asked.

"Well," I grinned. "I've got to grab some more seasonings, but I've got some more steaks at the house, a pile of trash to burn, and now, a beautiful woman to share it with."

"Sounds good," She stepped away a bit, giving us space. "What time do you want us there?"

"You can ride with me now," I raised an eyebrow. "Or if it's a security concern, you can come over with your detail in an hour or so. Either is fine with me."

Kat glanced over at the handful of agents leaning against or sitting in the nearby sedan.

"Sooner we're out of the city, the easier it'll be to keep you secure, ma'am," the lone female shrugged. "We'd prefer you ride in the car. But we'll understand if you'd rather take the bike."

I shrugged.

"Choice is yours, Kat. But if we want the steaks properly marinated, then we'll need to leave soon," I glanced at my watch.

"I'll take the car," the tall blond finally sighed. "But only because I don't have a helmet with me."

With that said, she gave me a peck on the lips and headed for the black sedan while I slung my leg over the motorcycle and kickstarted it up, a song going through my head as I did so.

Thankfully, I'd discovered that Motley Crue's music still existed this far into the future, and I knew exactly what would be playing when I got home.

Pulling my helmet on and revving the throttle, I popped my foot, shifting into first gear with a spring forward, my front tire lifting off the ground a bit before settling down and shooting me forward and naturally into second gear.

Traffic faded in the background as my mind filled in the background of the drums, guitar and everything that went with "Kickstart My Heart". My heart began to race in time with the music that only I could hear, the roar of the engine disappearing in the wind as the city gradually gave way to the countryside. The minutes and miles passing by as I headed home for the farm.

Eventually though, the internal music faded, leaving me to simply enjoy the beautiful day and wind as it rushed by. As my heart slowed down, so did the throttle. The sun was high in the horizon, the air was clean and fresh, and I wasn't going to rush home.

Unfortunately, even good rides and times have to draw to an end, and I came to the gate that led onto my property.

Shifting into neutral, I slowed down and parked in front of it, setting out the kickstand and pulling the keys off my carabiner for the padlock holding the simple chain in place. Swinging the gate open, I then hooked it to the fence, leaving it open for Kat and the agents with her to close behind them, and headed on inside.

---

Evening…

"You'll have to explain to me why you enjoy these things," Kat tapped the box of cigars Mark had set near the bonfire. Not quire sure how she felt about this habit of her boyfriend's "I just don't understand it."

"Well," Mark looked up from where he was crouched over a small bit of kindling was starting to spark and smolder, dull streaks of smoke rising from his attempts with flint and steel.. "Cigarettes stink to high heaven in my opinion. But there's something about a cigar that's more social. If I were in combat, I'd probably prefer chewing tobacco or a cigarette, but there's something about having a group of friends or family around a fire smoking cigars and just talking about life that just feels right."

He laughed as the fire finally started up, the gentle flickers of the kindling slowly starting to work on the larger logs and other parts of the fire.

"If given the okay, I'm willing to share a cigar or two with you," Mark took a seat next to Kat, drawing his legs up ino a cross-legged position next to her chair. Then, he pulled a cigar out of the box, a smile on his face as he pulled a small tool from his belt and clipped a bit off of the end.

"I assume there's a reason to cut that end of things," Kat gestured towards the hand that was putting the tool away.

"Got to have a place for the smoke and the tobacco to pass through," he replied with a shrug. "That's the thing about cigars, you're not supposed to inhale them. In fact, if you inhale a cigar, it'll make you sick. Just puff a bit, and then blow out the smoke."

Lighting a match, Mark demonstrated just that, puffing on the cigar until the end glowed bright red before blowing out a series of smoke rings and winking at her, sending a few butterflies through her stomach.

"Why cigars though?" Kat asked, grabbing one of the wrapped cigars and bringing it to her nose, it smelled like molasses and there were hints of dark earthy undertones that combined.

"I suck with keeping pipes lit," Mark laughed. "I blame Tolkien and Spurgeon for my tendencies here. But honestly, it's good for relaxation, and I make sure that I smoke in moderation. I've seen what addiction does to folks," He shuddered. "I'm not interested in that."

"Here," Mark held out the cigar. "If you want to try it, you can be my guest. Just don't inhale."

She grabbed it and considered the slightly smoking rolled tobacco in her hands as Mark tended to the fire. Eventually, curiosity overtook her and she puffed on it, immediately bursrting into a coughing fit as she accidentally inhaled some of the smoke.

"I told you not to inhale!" Mark called out from the other end of the fire. "Drink a bit of water, you'll be fine."

Grabbing the glass of water, Kat swished and spat it out before trying the cigar again, this time simply puffing and allowing the smoke to leave. There wasn't a large effect, not like she'd expected. The smoke tasted faintly of the molasses that she'd smelled before, and a calm, warm feeling wrapped itself around her mind.

"Huh," She considered the cigar, taking another puff and trying to blow out a smoke ring and failing. "How'd you do that?" She asked as Mark sat back down.

"What, the smoke rings?" Mark raised an eyebrow. "Lot's of practice. My brother in law could blow smoke out of his nose like he was a dragon. I can do smoke rings, that's about it."

"I think I get it now," Kat leaned her head on Mark's shoulder as the fire crackled away. "It's not about the cigar, is it?"

"Kinda," Mark fluttered his hand. "It's one of the few things that carried over between worlds. It lets me feel like I still have a connection back home. It's why I mostly smoke one on July 4th, New Year's Eve, and holidays like that. It's what we did after the kids went to bed on those days. We'd sit around a fire like this, talk about whatever came to mind while sipping at a whiskey glass and enjoying a cigar." Mark's arm pulled her close and he looked down. "But it's also about the company."

Katherine reached out a hand and accepted the cigar, puffing on it before passing it back to Mark, the two of them simply resting and enjoying the silence of the night and the fire crackling in the background. As the night wore on and the fire slowly dimmed; Sage, Thyme, and a handful of puppies joined them in their vigil. Eventually, Mark reached the end of the cigar and tossed it into the fire. Kat smiled as she leaned into his shoulder.

Yeah, this was comfortable. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

 

[Baldrick the Wise]

Now that you mentioned this song, it came to me that being the future of the 80s, apart from Solaris mech games, IS should also have great motor racing scene.


View: https://youtu.be/mZ4QOeYZ97U?si=98l_BO-DHb5nzgn6

 

[MarkWarrior]

The next few months sped by. It took time, but I'd finally cleared out all of the junk left behind by the previous owners. After turning in the scraps to various recycling centers, I took the cash given to me and turned it into the beginnings of my first cash crops. I had already reached out to a couple of local supermarkets to sell lamb and beef to, and would be turning a bit of a profit from that soon enough.

Of course, I wasn't just busy with the farm itself. The puppies were growing up, and I was training different dogs to do different jobs. With six puppies, I had a lot of different bases that I could cover. I'd probably end up using half of them as livestock guardian dogs. Sure, New Avalon was a 'safe' world, but even safe worlds had predators that liked the taste of chicken, beef, or lamb from time to time. Two of the dogs I started working with and teaching how to herd the dumb sheep and goats. The two followed the Twins and did whatever they did.

The last dog was going to be a gift for Kat. So, I worked with this dog and burned a favor from one of the retired mercs that went to church with me. I could train dogs for farm work, but I didn't know enough and wasn't skilled enough to bridge the gaps in my knowledge to train a dog for anything that might happen in a warzone.

"I already know that I'm going to regret this," Brian sighed. "But the wife wants chickens, and you're the one she wanted to buy them from."

"I just need Gladys here trained," I knelt and stroked the dog's coat, her tail waving rapidly in the air. "You do that, and I'll get you all the chickens your wife could ever want."

"It'd be easier if I had the person they're being trained for here," Brian leaned against the leg of his Blackjack. "But unfortunately, it seems she isn't here."

"She doesn't have leave again until she graduates from NAMA," I shrugged. "This is my gift to her for that."

"Well, it's certainly not the worst gift I've heard of someone receiving for graduation," the retired merc grunted. "It's infinitely better than what my buddies gave me when we graduated."

"Do I want to know?" I asked. "Or is it another story like what I used to hear back home that usually involves strippers and cars that cost way too much?"

"Let's just say that I've got a better poker face than most stupid young nobles," Brian smiled a bit, his weathered face and crows feet deepening around his eyes. "And leave it at that."

---

"I don't know if I can interact with or be around the original," Katherine confessed, leaning back into Melissa as the older woman brushed her hair. "I'm a collection of lies, stolen thoughts, and implanted memories. Nothing that I experienced or remember was real."

Melissa simply ran the brush through the brilliant gold of Katherine's hair, a soft and warm smile on her face.

"Well, I wouldn't say that everything you've experienced was fake," the older Steiner said. "This moment is real. This memory, once we're done, it'll still be real when I'm old, gray, and have passed on from this life. We're willing to take a chance with you, to do more than just lock you up and throw away the key. The decision to reach out and accept it is up to you. There's going to have to be some changes, some things that are different. But Hanse and I are firm in this."

Melissa spun the chair around and pulled her cloned daughter in for a hug. Then planted a gentle kiss on the younger blonde's head.

"You are not responsible for the actions of others. Now, anything you do from here on out is your choice. Whether it's to take yourself into self-imposed exile like your Uncle Morgan, or something else, your life is your own," Melissa then frowned. "Admittedly, there's going to be a lot of steps before we can get to the point where you're allowed to make those decisions. But the option is there."

---

"It was a lot easier to run a long-distance war when my children weren't involved in the damned thing," Hanse muttered as he looked over the latest reports that had been forwarded to him by the LIC and MIIO. "The latest reports on the Kell Hounds and Victor don't say much more about things other than moving him off-world."

"I have faith that Kai will return home," Justin said from where he sat across from Hanse Davion., "But I've been less concerned with the invasion and more with what Comstar is up to. We can raise and meet anyone in force of arms if necessary, but fighting against the people who control everything about our long-range communications, it's an entirely different war."

Justin slid a document across the desk to the First Prince.

"With help from the Doctors at the Triad and some digging by the LIC, we finally managed to put together a rough timeline. Whatever Comstar was up to, they were playing the long game here."

Hanse read the file, his eyes darting back and forth rapidly before his face shifted from a pale horror to a red rage.

Then he inhaled and exhaled, the anger leaving him and making him seem like the age he actually was.

"We can't act right now," Hanse sighed. "What I want to do is take the Davion Heavy Guards, and every regiment and RCT between here and Terra and eliminate the ones who orchestrated this, and damn the consequences. But what I want won't be what's right for the realm. Barbarians are at the gates of Rome, and it's our job to see them off before we deal with the unruly neighbors trying to pull at our strings."

"I have tasked more assets to infiltrate Comstar. If nothing else, we'll have the ability to seize the HPG compounds if it comes down to it," Justin added.

"But for now, we wait and prepare," Hanse said, standing up. "I need to do something before I go crazy in here," He grinned. "And I know just what I'm going to do."

---

"Y'Know," I made my feelings plain as I opened the front door for the man who was indirectly responsible for my existence in this universe. "I'm never sure whether I dread meeting you or if I'm happy to see you when you decide to make an appearance at my house."

"I can certainly see how your perception has shaped our relationship," The Fox grinned at me. "Now, do you mind if I come in?"

"Would it make a difference if I said no?"

He shook his head.

"That's what I figured," I sighed and swung the door completely open. "So, is this something I did? Or is this a social visit?"

"I wanted to shoot some of the antiques you have," Hanse replied. "And figured I could have a conversation with you regarding Katherine at the same time."

"Let's have the conversation first," I gestured for him to have a seat at my dining table. My old Southern instincts flaring up from back when I'd attempted to date back in high school. "If that's alright with you."

"I think it's something we need to discuss," Hanse shrugged, his face shifting from the jovial smile to something a bit more somber. "Just like I see my brother Ian reborn in my son, Victor. I see a lot of myself in Katherine. And like any good parent, I want to spare her some of the most agonizing pain that someone can go through."

I opened my mouth to speak, but Hanse shook his head.

"You are good for my daughter," he continued. "But you are also at risk, far more than Dana was on the battlefield. For now, you have security through obscurity. But that can only last for so long before it vanishes into smoke. So, you have a choice," the older man sighed, clearly not hating what he was about to say. "It's not even an ultimatum of my choosing, it is simply the reality that you and I must face. If you and Katherine continue to pursue this relationship, then you will lose any chance of living this life on the farm. No matter what you desire, you will become a part of the games that nobles play. A piece on the board that is now in play."

I felt very small in this moment. Sure, I knew that Kat was the 2nd in line to the throne of the Federated Commonwealth. I knew that Hanse was the ruler of a nation. But even now, years later, I hadn't internalized it. But right now? Yeah, I felt my entire worldview shift.

"That's the choice you have to make," I saw the pity in Hanse's eyes. "If you choose to withdraw and never speak with Katherine again, I would respect that decision. I would weep for my daughter's broken heart, but I would understand. But if you choose to continue the path that you are on now. Then it will no longer be a peaceful life for you anymore."

I sat there for a time, thinking, processing. I didn't know if minutes passed by, if it was only a few seconds, or if it had been hours, but eventually, I settled on the answer.

"When a man finds peace, he should seize it with both hands and refuse to let it go." I matched the First Prince's gaze, but instead of finding a ruler found a simple man and father. "But peace isn't just a part of this farm. It's here," I tapped my chest. "If my grandfather and dad taught me one thing. It's that a good man treasures peace while he has it. But he is also willing to shatter that peace if it is worth it. No matter where I go or what I do, I will make it a peaceful life."

Author's note: We're rapidly approaching the end here. I'm estimating 2-3 chapters and an epilogue. I've really enjoyed writing this story, and I think it's made me grow as an Author. I hope y'all have enjoyed this journey as much as I have.

 

[Inbredmartian]

love this story sad that it's coming to an end

 

[GrimmKenway8646]

"When a man finds peace, he should seize it with both hands and refuse to let it go." I matched the First Prince's gaze, but instead of finding a ruler found a simple man and father. "But peace isn't just a part of this farm. It's here," I tapped my chest. "If my grandfather and dad taught me one thing. It's that a good man treasures peace while he has it. But he is also willing to shatter that peace if it is worth it. No matter where I go or what I do, I will make it a peaceful life."

Click to shrink...

I'm a bit sad that the story is ending but fuck it, let's fight for our happy ending and peaceful life.

 

[Baldrick the Wise]

Don't be sad because it's ending, rejoice for it being written.

For both BT fics and SI fics this story is of rather rare kind, with protagonist living (or trying to live) a normal life and big events happening in the background. It's the opposite of what I look for in fics, but contrary to my expectations, I liked the change of pace.