Chapter Eighty-Two: Reputation

Chapter Eighty-Two: Reputation

Kentares System, November 9th, 3017

"Alright people, looks like it's time to unveil our fleet." I told the assembled personnel with me. "Peterson, your First Marksman RCT is going to be heading this up."

"We've been itching for some action." He responded with a smile. "I assume that some of our less mobile assets will be coming on the Age of Discovery sir?"

"You assume right." I told him. "We've got LF batteries on the Manassas and Defender, but we only have the capacity for Six dropships on the first two, so you'll be about a month behind us."

"We're going to be cutting it kinda close on this one boss." Sheppard told me after looking at the star charts. "While you've got the timing down fairly well, you may have to hot charge the K-F Drives in order to get there in the time frame you want to."

"I know that, but if we want to get there in three weeks, it's going to have to be done." I told the assembled officers. "We're only taking volunteers on the Manassas and Defender." I said, and we'll have our fingers crossed the entire trip."

New Rhodes III, November 15th, 3017

"Why are you coming with us?" I asked Zarantha Calderon. "I figured you'd be enjoying the fine beaches on Kentares."

"I can't let you have all of the fun now can I?" she asked me with a slight smile on her face before getting a bit serious. "I'm here to represent the Calderon Family, and the Taurian Concordat as a whole. What kind of image does it present if I'm not willing to provide aid to this budding "alliance" of ours?"

"It doesn't present a good image." I agreed. "But that doesn't mean that you have to expose yourself to risk in this manner."

"I'll be enclosed in an eighty ton Assault 'Mech, that, I might add, you had upteched and armored." She responded. "I mean, I could say the same about you, you drive the lightest Mech of any of your officers."

"That's because I try to stay out of my 'Mech until I absolutely have to get in it." I responded. "My place is in the Mobile HQ, directing strategy, and logistics."

"But it doesn't seem to last very long." She responded. "I've seen some of your battleroms and after action reviews." She smirked, "You're perfectly fine in the mobile HQ until someone tries to kill some of your men and then you're right out into the field."

I opened my mouth to respond, and then closed it again, humming in thought as I considered that statement, trying to figure out if there were any flaws in her logic.

"You may be right about that." I told her. "I never intend on leaving the HQ, but I always end up moving closer to the front than is strictly necessary."

November 25th, 3017

"We've got about a week until we're in the Summer System." I told the people with me. "I need operational plans by tomorrow."

"Colonel Paterson," I addressed the officers. "You have overall tactical command, the Marksman are yours after all."

"What will you be doing sir?" He asked me. "I know you typically like to be in command."

"Peterson," I scoffed. "I could care less about being in command, as long as whoever's in charge isn't an idiot. And to answer your question, I'll be taking the Ducal Guard in as an independent company, I'm going to be the Hammer, and you get to play anvil."

"Poor bastards." Mathers said with a chuckle. "They won't know what hit them."

"What about the 17th Skye Rangers?" Peterson piped up, "Won't they be a problem?"

"The Archon committed them in a raid against the Combine a couple of months ago." I told them. "Lestrade couldn't refuse at that point because there wasn't any public evidence of him colluding with the Draconis Combine and the ISF. They're firmly against the Combine, so we'll be left with whatever house troops and militia that he managed to scrounge up."

"Are you sure we'll need the rest of the RCT on the Age of Discovery?" Peterson asked. "I don't think whatever he has will be enough to fight off what we have with us, much less the full strength of the Marksman."

"Overconfidence gets people killed." I cautioned. "And we don't quite know if the Drac's are committing more forces then they already have to this fight."

"So go in heavy, and hope that we don't have to use all of it." Peterson nodded, "We'll have to remember to avoid civilian casualties much more here, we don't know how much Lestrade has told them, or if he's going to try and turn them all into insurgents if this bid for succession doesn't work."

November 25th, 3017

"Sorry Katrina." Simon Johnson said as he burst into her office. "I just received word that an assassination attempt on Duke Grethar Lestrade almost succeeded, he and his wife managed to escape with minor injuries, but their daughter Margaeret is in critical condition."

"I want confirmation as soon as Duke Hull's forces arrive in the Summer system." Katrina ordered after processing what Simon Johnson had said. "If we can establish contact, I want to try and get him to bring the Argo to Skye, so that we can have the Duchy of Skye owe us a favor for getting their daughter the proper medical attention."

"Yes Ma'am." Johnson replied. "I still haven't gotten any information from the LIC and LOKI cells on Summer, I don't know if they're holding out for us to move forces, or if Lestrade and the ISF cells he was working with managed to subvert some of them."

"Doesn't really matter at the moment," Katrina replied. "We're in the midst of the waiting game now, and this is always the hardest part."

December 1st, 3017

"Here we go, people." I said as the Dropships detached from the Manassas. "We're being escorted by the Defenderand a couple of Stings, so we should be clear of any Aerospace assets. But just in case, we've got Wardog Squadron along with twelve more fighters flying escorts. It'll take us two days to get to the planet, from there, it's our job to curbstomp some traitors."

"You heard the man!" Mendoza echoed. "While our illustrious Duke over here is thinking grand strategy and punching assholes in the dick, it's our job to make sure that he stays alive long enough to do that."

The reinforced company of the Ducal Guard just chuckled in response.

"This means, that if the Duke tries to talk you into letting him do some thing stupid, that you let Lieutenant Mathis know immediately." Mendoza said seriously. "Our Duke has a problem, and Mathis is the solution, he will tie or tape the Duke down if necessary to prevent him from trying to fight yet another Atlas with his Warhammer."

"But Sir," One of the Ducal Guard spoke up. "What if what he's telling us to do involves rescuing the Steiners and Kell Brothers?"

"Special Circumstances will apply in some scenarios, but for the most part, you let Mathis know and handle anything stupidly heroic." Mendoza said. "Am I understood?"

"Yes Sir!" came the response.

"That's good to hear, make sure you get some ruck time, we've got a two day burn before we see action."

Author's note: Me and georgiaboy did a Lot of number crunching to come up with a three week travel time. he put in a lot of work and it's greatly appreciated. So, I don't want to hear, "But that's impossible." Because we did a fair bit of consulting and mapping and it worked out.