Chapter Ninety-Seven: Pocketful of Bad Ideas

Chapter Ninety-Seven: Pocketful of Bad Ideas

New Avalon, Federated Suns, August 15th, 3019

"Hanse, Ian." I greeted the two Davions with Natasha by my side. "A pleasure to see you two troublemakers again."

"Mark, stop being dramatic." Hanse told me flat out with an unamused look. "We literally invited you here to celebrate David's birthday."

"Alright," I chuckled as my dark and mysterious moment was ruined. "Why do you always have to ruin my fun?"

"Because you keep making me have to do more work." Grumbled Ian. "Every time I think I'm free, you pop up again with more insanity."

"Speaking of which," I butted in. "Ian, how do you feel about tweaking the Dragon's nose a bit?"

"Is it just the Dracs this time?" He asked me. "Because I had to ask a very angry ambassador from the Free State of Stewart to leave the other day when he started ranting about stolen Jumpships. " He raised an eyebrow at me. "But you wouldn't know anything about that would you?"

"Actually, yes" I smiled cheerfully. "Would you like to hear about them threatening my forces and instead of us killing their whole regiment before it entered the atmosphere we let them live?" I asked with a small smile on my face. "We had the assets to kill them all, but instead we simply stole their Jumpships, they should be grateful that we let them live."

"Whoa, hold on a minute." Ian said as he realized he'd set me off a bit. "I kicked the Stewart Ambassador out of the palace, you're good."

"Sorry about that." I said after a minute. "I hate it when my people get threatened."

"We Davions are the same way." Hanse said with a small smile. "Now, what's this about a plan to tweak the Dragon's nose?"

"Sandoval has been pushing for an offensive against the Dracs yes?" I asked the two of them. "Well, I have a plan to push and kill a couple of birds with one stone, while messing with Sandoval a bit as well."

"I'm interested." Ian said as he stroked his chin. "I assume that you have a plan for Stewart as well?"

"Yes actually" I smiled wickedly. "Have you heard of the Gladiator?"

"I vaguely remember something about it being a failed Combine Mech project." Hanse replied. "Why?"

"Because the only lines left that produced it are on Alula Australis" I grabbed a slate off of the table and brought up the most recent political maps of the Inner Sphere. "Which is currently in the territory that Stewart is claiming."

"I am very glad that you are on our side." Hanse said. "What's the rest of your plan?"

"I'm sending Stone and the 2nd Marksman on the Stewart run." I told them, "While I have Paterson and the 1st Marksman hit Sverdlosk to steal the decommissioned Von Rohrs lines that are located there."

"I'm almost scared to ask what you and the Kentares Guard will be doing." Ian asked. "I'm assuming something ballsy."

I'm taking the Ducal Guard and the 1st Kentares RCT to hit Galedon." I smirked. "I think that will be plenty enough to satisfy Sandoval."

"You're insane." Ian said with a laugh." What are you doing to get Sandoval? It can't be anything militarily damaging."

"No, I already set in motion my revenge against him." I laughed. "I bought the old Swordsman factory and am having engineers go over it now to update the machine."

"I'm not sure I like that." Hanse frowned. "That 'mech has a bad reputation here."

"I'm aware of that." I said while waving their concern away. "Sharpshooter can tank the hit to it's coffers for a bit, and the updated 'mech being produced on Robinson is bad PR for him."

"But you're basically handing him factory fresh medium 'mechs." Ian pointed out. "How does that work against him?"

"It works against him when I sell them at a discount and his forces are now fielding a 'mech that was used against the Davions in the civil war…" I trailed off.

"Why haven't we put you in intelligence yet?" Hanse asked me. "MIIO would love to have you." He led me away to talk.

"Natasha," Ian greeted the woman who had been silent the entire time. "I didn't expect Mark to seek out revenge in this matter after you made Sandoval run with his tail tucked between his legs."

"I was angry at that moment, but it soon passed." Natasha shrugged. "Mark was negotiated into pushing for an advance into Draconis Combine space." She sighed. "He was content to remain in a rebuilding phase, but instead, now we are going to war."

"And you can't bring David with you." It clicked in Ian's head. "You're not letting Mark do this alone are you?"

"No, I am not." Natasha said. "We will either both fall together on the battlefield or in old age, but not separated."

"I see." Ian said. "I'll go ahead and give me authorization on the offensive that Mark is pushing for." He sighed. "But I want you to make sure that he doesn't get carried away."

"You should be more worried that we seize the planet and the surrounding worlds." Natasha laughed. "We have only increased in strength since the last time we were deployed."

"I saw the reports on the Summer issue." Ian said. "They didn't even have to fight, the militia just rolled over for them."

"A good reputation is just as important as being lethal." Natasha told him with a smirk. "And we have the best reputation in the Periphery and the successor states."

"I don't think you have a good rep with the Capcon." Ian pointed out. "Or the combine for that matter."

"No, but they know our reputation for being elite soldiers, and that we routinely pull things off that would not be considered by lesser units."

"Fair point." Ian agreed. "A fair point indeed."

August 23rd, 3019

"Duke Hull," A younger woman saluted me in her Northwind Militia uniform. "I would like to speak to you, I have a request."

"That's fine, do you mind if I inform my wife though?" I asked.

"That would be fine." She agreed. "I am not currently on duty and merely have a request to make."

I sent Natasha a quick text on my slate, letting her know I would be a bit delayed.

"Duke, I heard some rumors that you were getting ready to launch an offensive against the Draconis Combine," She straightened up. "And me and my Infantry company want in."

"Do you have authorization from your unit commander?" I asked the young woman.

"Right here sir." She held up a sealed letter with a seal on it that had the Northwind Militia insignia. "He just asked us to make sure we were covered by the best unit we could find."

"Well, welcome to the Kentares Guard." I shook her hand and winked, "Temporarily that is."

August 30th, 3019

"We're sorry Duke, but we're not going to allow you to purchase a license for the Sarissa at this time." The Corean representative told me. "We would actually like to purchase any of the Sarissa 'mechs that you currently possess for well over the standard rates. And we would like to purchase the updated design from you as well."

"Fine," I looked at the representative. "I'll accept turning over the modernized Sarissa design for no less than a 150% markup of what it cost to pay my engineers. but I'm not handing over the Sarissa's we salvaged and refit to our standards, and I want rights of first refusal for the Kentares Militia."

"Let me make a call." The representative stepped out of the room, and was gone for five minutes. Five minutes in which I had time to enjoy a pleasant cup of coffee.

"I'm authorized to accept." The representative said as he stepped back in. "I'll have our lawyers contact Sharpshooter Inc within the hour."

"Pleasure doing business with you." I said as I shook his hand."