Vol. 1 Chapter 10 - Walter’s Whalers

/Walter's-Whalers, as the local 'bullies of 'Cloudy-Curtain, they take a modest-cut out of every company's earnings. They are rather mild as far as gangs went. 'Cloudy-Curtain is just too small for them to squeeze with any force. If they act too heavy-handedly, then no business will be willing to operate in their territory. Uhtred stepped inside and walked straight towards the barracks up ahead. Much like the rest of the base, the structure looked as if it had seen better days. He thought it is likely that the base used to be occupied by the Mech-Corps. The lack of any value extracted from the local star-system prompted the 'Bright-Republic to scale down its local presence and allocate their resources to richer planets.

After Walter's-Whalers took over planetary security, they clearly don't value proper maintenance as much as the Republic's armed-forces. Uhtred even saw a pile of wrecks stuffed in a corner. He lamented the enormous waste. If they hadn't been so exposed to the elements, a designer like his brother, Ves Larkinson, could salvage much of the parts and cobble up a couple of cheap but functional mechs.

After a short trip that went through the abandoned mech-corps' base, where a handful of rough-looking potentates wearing pilot suits congregated together on the cracked streets. As for the norms or non-pilots, they all 'toted some form of gun or rifle on their bodies. Uhtred was marginally reassured they kept the weapons securely holstered./

/Location: City of Freslin, Whaler's Headquarters/

/povMC/

"Welcome to the Whalers', stranger, we own the entire neighborhood here. You can get almost anything you want, for the right price. Whether it's chems, girls or games, we've got you covered!" One of the younger men asked me, as I approached whilst walking beside Sleipnir, who was carrying my weapons on his sides.

"Hello friend, I am Uhtred of the 'House' Larkinson, I am currently looking for work. From the town-folk I hear, this is a good place to look for a job at." I informed the young-potentate, who seemed around the same age as Ves and I, maybe a year or two older than us.

"That is great! I am Dietrich, second son of Walter, I am the 'young-master so to say, of this 'mech-gang. I'm sure my father would love to meet you, he has told me stories about your clan, growing up as a boy." Dietrich told me, bringing a smile to my face, hearing about my warrior-ancestors, being used as stories for children, It almost tastes and feels like pure 'glory.

"That sounds good, my twin-brother, Ves is a mech-designer, I would like to purchase some of these scrap-mech parts, would that be possible?" I asked Dietrich, after informing him of my designer brother, and my wish to purchase his scrap-parts.

"You will have to speak with my father, but I'm sure he might just give them to you, if you truly plan to work with his 'Whalers." Dietrich said, as he led me into a 'mech-hangar, that was rusted and not maintained at all, by the sight of it.

"Son! Your 'Harrier needs repaired, I told you not to push it till we can get it maintenanced again." A tall and large, grizzled and scarred, older man said, as Dietrich and I entered the mech-hangar.

"Father! This is Uhtred Larkinson, he is looking for a job." Dietrich said, introducing me, to his father.

"A Larkinson? Hm… you do have the darker-hair and looks of a Larkinson, I am Walter, it is always good to meet a Larkinson. True warriors, your family are, males and females both and all, the way a true 'martial-clan should be." Walter said whilst looking me over once, then he offered me his arm to clasp, in a warrior's greeting.

"It is a honor, to meet you Walter, I am currently mech-less. I hope to change that soon, I plan to win the mech-pilot competition on planet Bentheim, the 'Young-Tiger's-Exhibition, my brother will compete in the designer-competition, whilst I take-on the pilot-competition." I said to the two of them, drawing looks of suprise and slight admiration, from the two.

"I'm sure we can find some work for you, that is a fine warhorse, the finest I've ever laid eyes on for sure." Walter told me.

"Thanks Boss, it is a pleasure working with you." I told the two, as they started giving me the 'tour of their barracks, and informing me off how their organization is set-up and ran.

/A week and a half after joining the mech-gang, it was time for the Larkinson brother's day of departure, to travel across space to planet 'Bentheim, to attend their respective competitions./

/After an entire day's travel by shuttle to reach Bentheim's star-sector, from 'Cloudy-Curtains. Followed by another half a day's travel, to reach the 'space-port on planet Bentheim, at a city on the planet, the city of Dorum./

/Location: planet Bentheim, city of Dorum/

/povMC/

"Gods, I'm glad to be off that fucking space-shuttle. I have to start stretching in the mornings more often, that was brutal on my joints and lower back." I told Ves, as we were exiting the 'port, that we docked and exited the shuttle at.

"Well they said be at the venue by six, local-time, let's find a hotel first." Ves said, whilst 'hailing a hover-cab, to carry us through the, highly-populated, city.

"As long as we show up to the competition, the grand-prizes are as good as ours, especially with our systems, our competitors do not stand a chance against us." I said to my brother, reminding him, this is only a 'third-tier state's competition, anything less than first-place is unacceptable.

"You're right, I still want to get a good night's rest though, I want to be at my absolute best." Ves replied to my statements, drawing a nod from me as we entered the cab, to head to a hotel to book our rooms.

"Even if we have to wait till after the competition, we can get started learning about the mech-brokers around the city, that should be one of our highest priorities, after the competition." I told Ves, as I looked outside the windows of the hover-car, watching the flying and floating vehicles, shuttling through the giant-tall buildings of the city.