BattleTech / MechWarrior Fan Fiction ❯ Carlson's Cavaliers ❯ To all things comes an end... ( Chapter 3 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Carlson's Cavaliers
Book 3
"And the war raged on..."

Act-1: "Refit this, refit that..."
Cavalier HQ
Clovis Point Warehouse District
12-May-2907

3 long years has passed since the last aggressive dropship landed on Lyons, but reports from the rest of Lyran space, along with the scattered reports from the Free Worlds League and Federated Suns say the war rages on still.
After a message of warning recorded by Amira and a few of her pilots was sent back to Ko, the 4 of them in rags and chains, make-up to make it look like they were being tortured and abused, Alex thought for sure the Combine would have launched another assault to attempt to liberate her. But, 3 years later, and other than Lyran ships bringing in off-world goods or unit supplies, nothing.

The quiet made Val's life blissfully simple, having used unit funds to hire on 55 more techs and tech assistants, rationalizing to Alex that the more hands she has helping get this and that done, it keeps the unit in top fighting trim. He checked the funds that remained in the unit trust, sighing that if no one else attacked between now and 2910 when their contract expired, they'd be nearly broke.

On a personal note, his life is simpler now even with a growing unit. He has fine department heads and excellent instructors, even he benefitting from their training.
So, when Tara, Val and Amy drop the bombs on him, he simply smiles, welcoming three new little ones into his ever-growing, extended family. Expanding the owner/aboard quarters on the Overlord, it now gives each of his ladies rooms of their own, a children's play room, a nursery for the little ones, as well as a more formal living and dining area, with almost 20,000 C-Bills spent on ultra modern cooking equipment for Tara's kitchen. Her Thanksgiving dinners are shared with all the officers, and a nice turkey based goulash for the rank and file makes everyone appreciate her skills.

Alpha and Bravo, along with the newly formed Charlie company, have some of the best pilots in the quadrant, with several former mechwarriors advancing to higher ranks. Hammie, Brenda, Brock, Thomas, and Jeremy all show remarkable promise, and Alex rewards all of them accordingly.

But even they agree, if something doesn't happen soon, in '10, it could be a long, cold year, and no one wants that.

As a wise man once warned, be careful what you wish for...

Starship 'Cavalier's Warhorse'
Star Lord class Jumpship
Zenith Jump Point
25-May-2907

Captain Malema Malawoo watched as 3 jumpships appeared out of H-space 125,000Km from his ship's position. All three were Invaders, like his, and all squaked IFF as DCMS, the 2nd Sword of Light. Having already stowed his jump sail, he set red alert throughout the ship.
"Prepare to jump to the Nadir, on my mark!"
"Aye Captain! Jump drive spooling up, we can jump in 30 seconds."
"Send word to Tara, the 2nd has come."
"They're jamming our COMs, I can't get a signal through!"
"Nav, plot us a course to Summer. We'll send an HPG message upon arrival."
"Feeding co-ordinates to the Nav computer now."
"They're launching fighters, heading our way!"
"Time to jump?"
"10 seconds, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, JUMP!"

And in a moment all were used to, they folded to Summer, LC, arriving at the Nadir.
"Ops, as soon as COM's come up, send word to the HPG station!"
"Aye Captain!"
"Alex needs to be warned. Did anyone get a dropship count?"
"Aye Captain, including it in the message. He's not gonna like what they're sending."
"That bad?"
"Aye. 6 Overlords, 3 Leopard CV's."
"Damn! 2 Regiments?! We may not have a unit to go back to." Malema sighed.
"I never count out the Colonel. Deploying jump sail."
"ComStar acknowledges receipt of message, transmitting it to Lyons now."
"Now what?" Nav asked.
"We wait. Engineers, deploy jump sail and begin recharge procedures, also, begin PM walk-through. Tighten up everything. Stabilize our orbit. I'll be in my quarters."
"Aye."

Cavalier Command & Control Center
Overlord Dropship
Clovis City Space Port
Lyons
Same time

"Holy!" Tara gasped, watching track of 9 dropships inbound, 3 and a half days away from planetfall. Reaching over to the COM button, she called down to the mech bay.
"Val? Where's Alex?" There was a moment of silence before the small tech answered.
"Umm, he took Amy out to lunch. Try his hand-COM. Why, what's going on?"
She had her answer a second later, as raid sirens could be heard throughout Clovis Point.
"The Second is here, if I'm reading this right."
"Really? About damn time. Get to see if the goodies I stashed in orbit still work."
"Goodies?"
"Imagine something the size of a Cheetah, with a mag-pulse engine, magnetic detection and three and a half tons of actuator bearings, carrying a 1 kilo-ton warhead."
Processing this quickly, she slapping the GQ alarm.
"Damn Val! Space mines?!"
"Yep, and I was able to deploy about 6 of them. Of course, to get the material for the warheads, I had to promise to only use them on orbital forces, and since they can't be detected until you're right on top of them..."
"What if they send fighters ahead of the dropships?"
"Remember, fighters can barely see each other. These little beauties are flat black, don't emit any emissions until they detect a target, and it has to be over 1500 tons, or it registers as space junk." She replied proudly.
"Damn. Oh! Here's Alex." Tara said happily, cutting the COM to Val, and picking up her hand-COM.
"Hey babe, what's up?"
"The Second is here. 2 Regiments with fighter cover. 3 days out."
Alex looked at Amy with a surprised look on his face.
"What?" She asked.
"The 2nd is here."
"Lovely."
Turning his attention back to his COM, smiling all the while.
"Any word from Malema?"
"Neg, he jumped to somewhere. My guess is they were jamming his COMs. He'd have called us otherwise."
"Ok, have Val do what she does best. Put the unit on alert and notify Colonel Watkins, have him re-deploy his AA mechs to their previously placed positions. I'll see you tonight." And he cut the COM.
"Viv, get me Colonel Watson."
"Aye."

Tara sighed, knowing full well with the sheer volume of mechs inbound, they'd be in it up to their eyeballs...

Looking across the table as Amy chewed quietly on her salad, her C cups all he could focus on at the moment, despite everything he heard on the COM, when she looked up at him, he grinned.
"What?"
"Just thinking about a nice cuddle later."
"A cuddle and then some you mean."
"Well, if you're up for that. Just making sure you're good for it."
"Alex, I'm always ready for you." She grinned.
"Yep, I'm forming a harem... or a Cult."
"The Carlson Cult sounds sinister. I prefer being a Cavalier to a cultist."
"Harem it is."
"You don't seem too concerned, about the 2nd I mean."
"Oh, I'm concerned, but I have a few ideas. Amira did well these last few years training and drilling those new pilots, and Val as always continues to amaze me with regards to her abilities to track down things we need."
"Well, if she could track down another regiment to help us out, I'd be uber impressed."
His COM beeped, he taking it from the table, looking at the screen.

'Unit on alert. Surprises on stand by. In 60 hours, notify Mayor Greene to issue electronic shutdown orders. Love me later? Val'

Nodding, he set down the phone, taking a sip of his tea, lemon-honey and still warm.
"Well, there's gonna be a light show in orbit in a couple days, so I'd say she worked another miracle."
"Seriously though Alex, I'm alittle bit concerned about the use of those mines. Didn't the Ares Convention specifically state they weren't to be used?"
"Yep, but only on planets, and only against civilian populations. Besides, we're not actually attacking those dropships with mines, only detonating them NEARBY.""Ahhh! To let the EMP do all of our work for us?"
"Correct." He said with a smile as she slipped onto his lap, kissing him softly. This raised more than a few eyebrows at this sidewalk cafe, but, rising from his lap before he got too worked up to walk straight, she led him away, amidst a few wolf whistles from a couple of the more amorous diners...

Day 1

Val looked high and low for the tools she needed to finish the refit of the LRM/SRM carriers.
"Tommy, where did I put my toolbox? The small one I use for reactor installs?" She asked of her lead assistant, a boy not much older than she when she first started out.
"It's under Anton's tank, where you left it before going to lunch with the Colonel."
"Ah, right. Thanks Tommy." She said with a grin, and that's when she noticed his mood. Not jovial like most times, but pensive, and just a bit frightened.
"Hey, don't sweat it kid! Alex and I have this covered."
'I hope.' She thought to herself.
"Oh, I don't doubt that Val. It's just a regiment is one thing, but two, that's something else entirely."
"And with any luck, we'll only face a third that many. Oh, I'd be happy if they all landed and we crushed them, we could use the salvage money, but I don't want to see anyone die either."
"Well, except for the Dracs at least." He added.
"No, I'm not into killing, but if they'd just land a few dropships and quietly disappear, I wouldn't complain."
"Well, let me get this shoulder fixed. How are the tank upgrades coming?"
"Soon, just waiting on the last shipment of reactors to clear customs. Today, maybe tomorrow."

"So, what did you learn in school today Nate?" Alex asked his son.
"Well, since learning is segmented into 4 fundamental groupings of knowledge, based on some old established limerick, we studied language, history, chemistry and biology, and mathematics."
Alex arced an eyebrow at his now 5 year old. Tara was equally stunned. Trying to not miss a beat, he pressed.
"Any new friends?"
"A few. Most of the kids are into coloring books and collecting things, like marbles and foreign coins. But Eugene, Penelope and I find solace in our studies. Penelope says when we leave Lyons, she'll be happier."
"Penelope?" She asked.
"Anton's youngest." Alex added.
"Yes, and Eugene is Brock and Susan's son. Him I know, and I wish they would just tie the knot already." She sighed.
"Eugene says they will after this contract is over."
"Oh! Good for them." She added, turning her attention back to the kitchen.
"Dad?"
"Yes?"
"Two regiments is an awful lot of mechs for a world with only one industry even remotely mech-related. Wouldn't you call that textbook overkill?"
"Possibly, but don't count us out yet." He grinned. Nate smiled back, turning back to his books.

"So, of all of us, who hasn't he slept with?" Brenda asked of Amy, Val, Maria and Vanessa, as they all shared time in the steam room. Val chuckled.
"That would be you and Vanessa. And I'm to understand a certain mech-jockey has his eyes all over you, Ms. Gomez." Val quipped with a grin. Maria sat back aghast!
"He's my wing man, and NO, I haven't succumbed to his charms!" She stammered as all eyes turned toward her. Amy burst out laughing.
"Maria, you were the first person, besides Val, who I expected to lie down with him, considering all your curves." She said with a big grin. Maria only blushed more.

It wasn't that Alex never noticed the statuesque Ms. Gomez, but more of him having his hands full with Tara and Val. And since she never pushed herself onto him, he never asked her out.

"I wasn't raised that way. My mother nearly died when I told her I was becoming a mechwarrior. She was planning to marry me off to the son of a local diplomat if I hadn't joined up with Hamilton's militia. Even though I never left world until Alex formed the Cavaliers, a diplomat's son married to a mech jockey just wouldn't do."
"And here you are. Isn't there anyone in the unit that's caught your eye?" Vanessa asked. Maria's face broke into a quirky little smile.
"Well, truth be told, there is one I fancy more than anyone else."
"Do tell!" Val pushed.
"He's not a mechwarrior though."
"A tanker or a tech?" Amy asked, leaning forward.
"No, and as soon as he gets back, I was going to ask him on a date."
"Get's back?" Vanessa questioned, not getting her reference.
"Our jumpship captain, Malema."
The rest of the girls sat back stunned, and then burst out laughing. Confused by their sudden display of giddyness, she asked what was wrong.
"Honey, you need to look elsewhere." Val said inbetween chortles.
"Why? What's wrong with him? I didn't see a ring on his finger."
"He prefers men." She finished, stiffling the rest of her chuckles. Maria was floored!
"Really? That would explain his impressive physical stature and the fact that out of uniform he is always impeccably dressed." Amy said with a smile.
"Yep, gay men, always the best dressed at the ball." Val added. Maria sat back, totally deflated. Amy hugged her all the same.
"Tons of cute guys in the unit, Maria. I even know a couple that have been looking your way."
"Oh?"
"Yep. You may not land the Belle of the Ball ::giggles::, but I understand Waylan is interested."
"He flies a Cheetah right?"
"Yep, funny as hell, a surfer blonde, and really cute too! If I wasn't so into Alex, he would have been my next choice."
"So, who's preggers? Come on, out with it, I know one of us has a bun in the oven." Val said, wiping the sweat from her chest, the coarse fibers of the towel crossing a nipple and making her jump.
"Not me. Not until after we're wheels up and off this rock. I'm on the pill until then, and I even told Alex that." Amy said sternly.
"Well, I've been so busy with the mechs, even though we get lots of time together, we keep missing it." Val added. Maria and Vanessa just shook their heads.
"I'm still looking. I see a couple guys I might be interested in, but none of them really stand out as 'the one'." Vanessa added.
"Hammie asked me out a year ago, and we see each other off and on. I'm allergic to all the various birth control out there and so I'm a staunch believer in the Rythym Method, so..." Brenda said, letting the obvious trail off. Only Amy seemed amused.
"Now that one I DID see coming."
Everyone chuckled and continued to enjoy the steam...

"Colonel, this could be our chance to escape!" Neisha said to Amira, upon learning the the 2nd had arrived. Amira looked her subordinate squarely in the eyes however.
"I gave Colonel Carlson my word, that I would not betray him, and neither would any of you, under penalty of death! He could have just as easily turned us over to those filthy Lyrans, to endure who knows what horrors as PoWs. Here, we have been treated fairly, allowed to retain our honor and our jobs, even given us new airframes to do the only jobs we know how. This matter is not open to discussion, now get out of my face!"
Neisha shrunk away from her, turning and running from the office. Sitting down, she looked at the monitor on her desk, watching the track of 9 dropships burning steadily for this world.
"Why do you come now, Takahari. Why do you come now?"

Day 2

"Takahari-san! Our patrol reports no orbital defenses, only a scattering of COM Sats, most squaking affiliations to ComStar!" His second said as he ran onto the bridge, happy that they were under thrust and as such, had some semblence of gravity. His CO turned from the track board and nodded.
"If I didn't want them to interdict our great House, I would order them destroyed, to further cut off this world of savages."
"Do you think they still live? Colonel Takahashi I mean?"
"Honestly, I do not know. I would hope she does, but considering how badly she looked on that last COM we received, one could only guess." He replied, turning back to the plot. All 9 ships were still tracking to enter the atmosphere in 36 hours.

"Amy?" Alex asked, poking his head into her quarters.
"Shower!" She yelled from her bathroom.
Taking a seat after entering and closing the door, he set down the bottle of wine he actually had to have Brock buy for him, since the legal drinking age on Lyons is 25, down on the table between the sofa and the only other piece of furniture in her living area: a soft, over-stuffed recliner.
After a time, the water stopped, the rustling of a curtain followed by a slight grunting and Amy appeared, wrapped in a towel from above her bossom to just below her waist. Smiling, she wasted no time, straddling his waist and kissing him softly. Pulling back after a moment of oral examination, she noticed the bottle of wine.
"Sutter's Mill? What's the occasion? You know you don't have to ply me with alcohol to get what you want." She smiled, dropping the towel on the floor. Being at eye level with her assets at the moment, it took him a few seconds to explain.
"It's our anniversary."
"Huh?"
"Since I lured you into my bed."
"Wow, 6 years already? Damn, where does the time go?"
"Living. That usually does consume everyone's time."
"Have you checked in on the kids?"
"Before I came here actually. They're fine. They were playing when I dropped in, and after some hugs and a few new toys added to the mix, they ignored me for the toys."
"Awww, see? Like I said, kids are like kittens and puppies, always more interested in the shiny thing than parents or food."
"Or bathing or sleeping."
She giggled, leaning down and kissing him lovingly, as he let his manhood out to play, she wasting no time...

"Ok, try it now Anton!" Val said, sticking her head into the tank's engine compartment, re-checking the connections between the controller and the reactor. It hummed happily at idle, yet the tank neither moved nor could they get any systems to come online.
Anton pressed the power on button once more, he rewarded with a suddenly lit up dash and systems whining to life.
"Awesome! Let me check the loaders and magazine systems!" Adele said from her station. Chester simply smiled.
"How much armor are we carrying now?" He asked.
"8 tons." Anton said with a smile. Chester whistled.
"Ok, you guys are good. Everything's tight. Let me go see if I missed this problem on the other tanks." Val quipped, sticking her head down into the tank.
"Thanks Val." Anton said with a smile.

Day 3

"Launch all fighters! Have them sweep ahead, but don't engage those Sats!" Warlord Takahari ordered, their ship shuddering only slightly as their fighters roared from the flight deck. Each of the Overlords launched their entire wings, while the Leopard CV's launched their dozen odd birds.
After grouping up, they angled for an approach to the world and would arrive in orbit just as the FedKirk continent slipped into night-side.
Major Brent Carlyle checked his radar feed for the 6th time if it was his first.
"Roger that Warlord! All space borne contacts are tracked and identified. 4 COM Sats, 3 weather sats, and a half dozen repeater sats, all squaking ComStar IFF."
"Ignore them. The last thing we need is to bring an interdiction onto the Coordinator. 1st Sword, make your approach, and silence any AA batteries you may find."
"Aye Warlord!"

"Alex to C.I.C., I repeat Alex to C.I.C.!" Came Vanessa's voice across the 1mc. Alex, finishing the 5th diagnostic on his mech, climbed out, making his way down the gantry and toward the Combat Information Center. Walking in a few moments later, he got an eyeful.
Looking up from the track board, the 9 dropships of the Kurita force now within 4 hours of making atmosphere, what had everyone concerned were the 90-odd Aerospace fighters just passing satellite orbit. Val looked over to him from where she stood, looking over Amy's shoulder. Tara looked shocked, a first considering her normally stoic nature while in C.I.C.
"Colonel Watson reports all Riflemen manned and concealed, waiting." Amy said softly, obviously not fazed by all the fighters bearing down on Clovis Point.
"Aye. Alert Falcon Command to launch and take up station at Zulu Echo Charlie, Angel's 40." Alex ordered, moving to stand behind Tara, placing his hands on her shoulders, softly rubbing away the tension. She relaxed immediately.
"That will put them at close to their maximum ceiling." Vanessa said, Alex nodding to her. Turning back to her screen, she made the call.
"Why do you want the Falcons so high up?" Tara asked.
"To satisfy a bet. Wing Commander Taylor complained that the last time someone invaded, his force was relegated to mop up. He asked for first crack at the next invader, so he gets it, at least until the dropships make it to satellite orbit."
"Ahh, good. For a minute there I thought we were about to sacrifice another 30m C-bills." Val quipped, mentioning the cost to the unit for almost 150 new Fighting Falcon turbine fighters.

Modeled on the old Meteor design, Val simply ordered them with no engines or weapons, then, using suppliers she already had relations with, fitted them out with less powerful, though heavier, turbine engines, and fitting them with Defiance Mech Hunter AC/20's, with 4 tons of ammo.

After paying Atreus a simple reparations fee of 125m C-bills back in 2905, payment for essentially stealing the unit, this further depleting the unit's cash reserve, it in turn opened the doors back in Marik space and allowed her to work with a second cousin, from Imperator Automatic Weaponry. He provided (for a small consultation fee) Imperator Zeta-A AC/20s to finish fitting out the new additions to Clovis Point's air guard.

Dubbing this new design the Fighting Falcon, they have gone on to prove you don't need to leave the atmosphere to be a threat. And with almost 200 of them, their biggest challenge was finding and training pilots for them.

"Falcons report they'll be on station and ready in 30 minutes." Vanessa said, looking up from her smaller plot board.
"Time until the Kurita fighter force hits atmosphere?" Alex asked.
"35 minutes, at their current rate of burn. They don't appear to be angling toward our satellites however." Vanessa said, looking over to a grinning Val.
"That's because they don't want to piss off ComStar. Remember all of those mechs we got? Well, when I deployed our little thermonuclear surprise up there, I fitted all of them with the transponders from those captured Comguard mechs. I removed the ID tag sure, wouldn't want a COM sat squaking that it's a Highlander and such, now would we?"
"Nice work Val, as usual. Tara, bring up the Falcon's COM, let's listen in."
"Aye Colonel."

After a time, the mindless chatter that Reese always complained about from Waylan ceased as Aerospace fighters entered the atmosphere and made for Clovis Point, encountering WC Taylor just as soon as they broke through the high cloud cover. Over 150 Falcons descended onto the unsuspecting Kuritans, their AC/20s ripping into and through much of their smaller airframes, and causing no end of grief for Major Carlyle...

"They're mounting WHAT?!" He yelled into his COM, his wingman's Cheetah exploding violently as a pair of Falcons bracketed the plane with their ACs, shredding the light fighter in a single paired blast of 30mm shells.
"Jesus! Regroup here, at Epsilon Mike Foxtrot, plus 30k, Mark!" He called across the COM as a Stuka that was winging its way to assist him had it's entire left wing removed from a burst off to his left, the Falcon in question roaring past, over the top of his plane, the shrill shreak of it's paired jet turbines all he heard.
"Major Carlyle! Status report!" The Warlord said in his ears.
"We're getting our asses handed to us down here! We're out numbered almost two to one, and they're just turbine planes, but they're packin' 30mm cannons! It's like fighting a Hunchback with wings!" He yelled back, banking his Corsair hard to the right, trying to roll in behind a pair of Falcons that were pursuing a Stingray. The next voice he heard in his ears however, sent a cold chill down his spine.

"Major Carlyle, this is Colonel Amira Takahashi, and I would request that you turn tail and leave this world's airspace, or face certain annihilation."
"You're alive!"
"And have been treated very well by my new Commander, Colonel Carlson. Order your planes out of here Major, and inform Takahari he is in error for bringing the Sword here. He will only meet with his destruction."
"Yeah, traitor, we'll see about that!" He grunted, standing his plane on it's tail, forcing it into a power on, Immelman turn. He did not, in fact, know where she was, and as round after round from her own Imperator Zeta-A ripped into the aft fuselage of his plane, destroying the fusion turbine that resided there, his only option as his plane came apart around him, was simply to eject.

"Ouch." Vanessa said, turning with a grin toward Alex. He simply nodded.

"Falcon flight, does Taylor still live?" She asked, banking her modified Stingray around, falling in behind a pair of Corsairs, as they chased a pair of Falcons.
"Affirmative Colonel, I'm still here. In Overwatch at the moment. Is that you in the Stingray?"
"Aye!" She grunted, spraying a stream of cannon shells at the rear-most Corsair, it suddenly trailing smoke and flames from it's engine compartment, the pilot ejecting a few seconds later.
"Roger that. With this fight winding down up here, I think Colonel Watson is gonna be just a little annoyed at being left out of this fracus."
"There are at least two dozen fighters making attacks on the port facilities and the implaced AA positions." She responded, grunting a little as she banked her plane hard to port, chasing a diving Thrush, it heading for the port.
"Don't worry about us Wing Commander, we're giving far better than we're getting down here. Pass word along to Colonel Carlson, these Dragons were as predictable as you were Colonel Takahashi, no offense intended or implied, mind you." Came Colonel Watson on the air guard frequency.

Alex chuckled.

"None...none taken, Colonel." She again responded while pulling G's, chasing that Thrush, the pilot continuing many sliding lazy S turns, trying to shake his persistent tail. Squeezing the trigger once more, the Zeta A roared behind her seat, the heavy Gatling gun under her shaking the modified airframe slightly, Val's re-engineered bracing to withstand the firing forces of an AC/20 evident to the seasoned pilot. Losing it's left wing, the Thrush spun in, splashing down into the sea a few miles south-south west of the port, the pilot's parachute landing in the sea as well, a few klicks south of his plane...

And so it went, over those fleeting 36 minutes, the Second Sword again lost all of it's air cover, those few surviving aircraft being forced to land at the space port's strip. In all, Falcon Flight lost 35 planes, and half as many pilots...

"We have a number of prisoners here Colonel. Lock them up until this is all over, or turn them over to the Lyrans?" Colonel Watson said over the COM, as Tara looked to Alex. He nodded, listening to another conversation on his hand-COM.
"I understand, Mister Mayor. Let me know what got hit, and if we live through this, we'll file a claim on your behalf with the Commonwealth. Aye sir, a good day to you too."
"Alex? Prisoners?" Tara asked as he hung up.
"Colonel Watson? Turn the prisoners over to the Lyran rep on site. This is a war matter, they're his or her responsibility."
"Aye Colonel. Watson out."
"Vanessa, what's the track on their dropships?"
"They're in range to be crippled by the blasts. If we wait another 30 minutes, we might take out 4 to 6 of them, assuming the CV's stay. Otherwise, they'll lose about 3 Overlords, with the rest in no condition to land."
"Detonate the mines in 15 minutes. Let me make a call to Warlord Takahari."
"Aye sir."
"COM open Alex." Tara said curtly.
"Warlord Takahari, this is Colonel Alex Carlson, Carlson's Cavaliers, and I'm ordering you to turn your flight of dropships around or face certain destruction. We already bested your air support which means you'll have none for your mechs upon touching down, and we still have a considerable force of arms to defeat you with."
"Colonel Carlson, my warriors are the best of the best within the Combine. Your rag-tag unit, while barely a battalion, is no match for us. Even with your surviving air cover, we'll simply sweep them from the skies and you and your mechs from the field. Surrender to us now, and spare the civilians of your world undo bloodshed."
"Cocky, isn't he?" Val quipped.
"He's Japanese. Pride rules all emotions with them." Amy added, as Alex weighed his next response carefully.
"Warlord, if you survive planetary re-entry, I look forward to dealing with you on the ground. What unit is yours, so I know who and what I'll be dueling?"
"My unit is a Warhammer, Kurita refit. Yours?"
"Black Knight, as built by ComStar for the 7th ComGuards. I'll see you soon." And with that he cut the COM.
"I'll bet 20 Bills he just pissed himself." Val giggled to Amy, she reaching into her pocket and setting a 20 C-bill note on the table beside Val.
"I'm not even taking that bet."

Warlord Takahari sat back as two of his junior officers regarded him and what it was they just heard.
"Is it true? They have mechs provided by ComStar?!"
"What is it this world produces for the Commonwealth that has evaded our detection all these years?" His other Lieutenant asked, rising from his seat.
"Warlord, they have ComStar satellites in orbit, our entire air wing was crushed in under an hour, surely we're venturing into an area our intelligence service was wrong about!"
"SILENCE!" Takahari yelled, silencing both of his aides.
"SIR!" They both said, snapping to attention. Takahari pulled open the file containing the info his intel services had provided before they left Ko. Reading and re-reading the file, he saw no mention of anything out of the ordinary, no mech factories or weapons plants, only a myomer plant of insignificance and a local beer that was popular with Jumpship crews for 60Ly.
"Order the carriers to return to the Jumpships. We press forward. I trust our intelligence. This world has nothing of strategic value. Gunnery!"
"Gunnery Aye!" Came the call back across the 1mc.
"Target those satellites and remove them from my sky!"
"Aye Warlord. We'll be in weapons range of the closest group in 12 minutes."
"Prepare my mech, I want to face this boy personally."
"Aye Warlord!" And the one aide rushed off, leaving his counterpart behind.
"I don't mean to question you, my lord, but what of his claim? A Black Knight, fitted to ComStar specifications, would have technologies not seen since Kerensky's Exodus."
"And you believe everything a mercenary says, Elias?"
"I believe what my eyes see. Our air support is indeed crushed, and those satellites are squaking ComStar IFFs. Maybe ComStar has a training base here, maybe this mercenary unit is under their employ to guard an old Castle Brian..."
"NONSENSE! If a Castle Brian existed on this miserable rock, we surely would have heard rumor of it from our spies on Tharkad."
"Aye Warlord, I only think of the unit. It would be foolhardy to challenge a unit protecting a ComStar facility, regardless. Remember, if the Combine gets interdicted because of our actions, well, I surely hope to die on the field. At least there I'll die with honor."
"And if it's just a clever ruse?"
"Either way, I don't see us winning this fight, Warlord."
"My, how old age has softened your outlook, Elias. We have 2 regiments of the finest mechwarriors ever to wear a DCMS uniform. I believe it is us who will carry the day."
"I support your decision, you..." Was all he said when the first satellite detonated over a mile from their position.

The blast of the 10 ton cylindrical device sent hyper-velocity shrapnel in every conceivable direction, perforating all 6 Overlords with dime-sized holes, hundreds of them. The shockwave, while smaller than it would have been had the blast occurred in an atmosphere, still bombarded all the ships with a lethal dosing of gamma radiation, fouled their sensors and scrambled all of their onboard systems from the effects of EMP. Crewmen and mechwarriors alike died swiftly and suddenly from the gamma exposure, while those in more shielded areas died the slow, agonizing death from exposure to zero atmosphere, as none of the 6 ships exposed to the blast could present a facing that wouldn't have vacced the entire ship from those hundreds of punctures. The blast also had the unfortunate effect of shoving the Warlord's vessel into the ship beside her, even though that vessel was an eighth of a mile away. The resulting collision destroyed both craft in a fusion fireball which managed to cause a cascading effect of even more shrapnel which in turn further perforated the remainder of the Second's task force.

Debris would rain down on Volcano Alley for three solid days...

"Alex! One of the sats detonated prematurely!" Val yelled over alarms blaring throughout C.I.C.
"Damage to the 2nd?"
Scanning the radars proved useless, as the systems were momentarily blinded by the EMP.
"I'll need to do a complete sensor re-boot, everything is down from the EMP." She said with a sigh, sitting back in her chair. He nodded.
"Tara? How close were they? Best guess."
"They were about 3 minutes out from when you wanted to actually detonate the sats."
"Ouch."
"Yeah, really. The shrapnel storm alone from that close of a proximity to the blast would turn all the ships into Swiss cheese!" Amy said from her station.
"Hmm, check with Wing Commander Taylor. Were his birds settled?"
"Aye, the last one landed 5 minutes ago." Tara said with a sigh of her own. Alex's hand COM beeped a second later. Answering it, he got an earful.
"Aye? Oh, yes, hello Mayor Greene. No, we didn't need to send the alarm. Yes, it appears the Dracs managed to detonate one of the mines closer to them than us, and, you see debris heading for the world you say? Well, our systems are re-booting as we speak and. Yes, I'll notify the city planning commission should any debris head for the city proper. No, yes, of course Mayor. Good day to you too."
"Ok, ladar and radar back online, I have a track on a very big debris field, plotting it's track now." Val said, Vanessa looking over her shoulder.
"Whew!" She said a moment later.
"And?"
"And, it looks like it's all going to fall into Volcano Alley. What survives re-entry at least."
"Ok, get a team out there first thing Saturday morning. See if we can salvage anything from them. Send word back to Summer, have Malema make his way back here, and scramble our wing. I want their jumpships and those carriers captured before they can recharge their drives and flee."
"AYE!" Came the responses from the girls as they lept into action. Rising from her chair, Val turned it over to Vanessa, she sitting and working quickly. Moving toward the door, she motioned for Alex to join her outside. He followed her out.
"You have the Con, Major."
"Aye Colonel."

Out in the corridor, Val turned to look at him. She looked distraught, as though the weight of what just happened fell onto her and her alone.
"I'm a monster, aren't I?" She said, falling into his arms. He held her tightly as tears ran down her cheeks.
"Do you love us Val? I mean, not just me and Tara and such, but the unit as a whole?" She nodded.
"Then, what you did saved all of our lives. I have no love lost for the Kuritans. They came here with conquest on their minds and in their hearts. They would have killed and captured anyone standing in their way. So no, you're not a monster and you shouldn't think of yourself as one." He replied hugging her tightly then pushing back away from her.
"Put a team together, be sure to outfit yourselves for radiation protection, and take what you need. Once the debris stops falling hopefully by Friday night, we can see what survived. How many fighters did we capture?"
Wiping the tears from her eyes and cheeks, she leaned against the wall, letting out her breath in a long sigh.
"About 12. If you count the ones that crashed in the sea, maybe 23. I already have two salvage ships working the wreck sites. I'll know more by Tuesday, Wednesday at the latest."
"Good, now, get back to work, Master Tech!" He all but shouted at her, she leaping and running for the mech bay. Chuckling, he strode to his quarters and spent the rest of the evening being Dad...

Act-2: "Everyone loves a hero... Well, almost everyone."
Clovis Point City Hall
Clovis Point, Lyons, LC
1-June-2907

Mayor Greene pinned the medal onto Alex's chest, Colonel Watson and Wing Commander Taylor having already received theirs, much to the fanfare of the city proper.
"With this medal for exceptional valor, I hereby decorate you as a Hero of the People of Lyons, Colonel." He said grandly, the assembled crowd cheering wildly. Afterward, he, the mayor and both the planetary commanders were shuttled to a banquet in their honor, Alex being joined by his three ladies, each dressed stunningly in current styles and local fashions.
"It's not everyday we get to toast our hired help." Mayor Greene said to Alex, he nodding to the man. Val moved closer to them, he pulling her into a hug.
"I have something to tell you Alex." She said in a near whisper.
"Anything, you know that." He said, turning away from the mayor, he moving off to speak to another guest.
"We lost both Amira and her two top lieutenants, the carriers put up a helluva fight, and one was destroyed, unfortunately. The rest surrendered, and while pretty beat up, they'll still fetch a good price on the dropship market. Also, Reese and Waylan captured their jumpships. With their sails still deployed, it wasn't like they were going anywhere. I have a friend on Luthien setting up a ransom payment to get them back."
"What is the usual for that, 10-20%?"
"Normally, 10%, but because it was captured during an invasion, I'm gonna squeeze them for 25%. If they balk, I keep the ships." She said with a grin.
"Do you think they'll pay it?"
"Well, if they don't, I know where to hide the charges. No, they'll pay. They might invoke a ComStar reg about them acting as a mediator, but believe me, they'll pay."
"Good. Anything else? You preggers again?"
"No, still nothing. You want me to have another one?"
"Well, I do want a big family, and Tara's not up for having a dozen kids, so if I spread that around a bit, everyone gets to breath a little easier."
"Ok, well, Amy is still teaching me how to track my cycle, so when I'm ready, I'll let you know."
"Ok."

Four days later, Val had her answer. Not to her monthly cycle, that was coming, but from her friend back on Luthien. The Combine agreed to her terms, though not entirely to her price, offering a flat fee of 400 MC-bills to get their 3 jumpships and the two surviving Leopard CVs back. After discussing this with Alex, she agreed and the unit got paid, all transactions going through ComStar of course, they taking their cut, 15%.
After paying out 25M C-bills for reparations to the City, taking care of salary and benefits for the next 4 years, to give themselves some breathing room after the contract expired in 2910, and allocating another 100M C-bills to the unit for repair and maintenance of not just the mechs and tanks, but for the dropships and Jumpship as well, they were still nearly broke.

Looking over Val and Tara's shoulders as they crunched the numbers, Alex frowned when they both came up with the grand total, less all deductions.
"So, a hundred and twelve and a half million. Let's hope it lasts. Did you account for feeding everyone?"
"Yes Alex. No one will go hungry, and..." But the buzzer on their door stopped Tara from finishing.
"I'll get it!" Nathan said, opening the door to their shared quarters to reveal two men in Lyran Commonwealth Intelligence uniforms, a Captain and his Ensign aide, and a rep from ComStar, the robes she wore a dead give away.
"Oh! Umm, you guys looking for my folks? They're right through there." Nathan said pointing down the hall to the last doorway on the left, Tara's business office. Alex poked his head around the corner.
The three of them entered and dutifully marched down to where Alex stood, Nathan peeking around the corner.
"Are you Colonel Carlson, CO of the Cavaliers?" The Captain asked. Alex, having moved back to stand between them and the girls, nodded once, eyeing all of them coolly.
"Colonel, my name Haupt-Captain Williams, this is my aide-de-camp, Ensign Bellweather, and our local ComStar rep, Acolyte Anna Colson."
"Ok, so what's this about?" He asked, as they pulled the intel insignias off of their uniforms, revealing their true identities: Commonwealth JAG Lawyers!
"It is our understanding that you deployed nuclear weapons as a space borne deterrent to invasion." Anna asked. Val started to object but Alex pushed her back down into her chair.
"That's correct. On my orders, I had satellites deployed, each containing the equivalent explosive force of a 1-kiloton thermonuclear device. Why?"
"By declarations under the Ares Conventions, ..." The Ensign began, before Alex cut him off.
"No one, not any house or even ComStar, adheres to those accords. As a matter of known fact, House Liao used nukes on one of their own worlds to repulse a Davion invasion just 2 short years ago."
"The Commonwealth is aware of what happens elsewhere, Colonel, but what concerns us, is what happens within OUR borders, and frankly, the use of WMD's, especially by a mercenary unit, is a violation of articles 4 and 9 of our signing of the Convention."
"Fine. Kurita lost the Second Sword of Light. So what? You here to arrest us?"
"No. But your services protecting Lyons are hereby terminated, effective 1-August-2907. You have until such time to pack up your unit and make haste with your exodus from this world. If you are still here AFTER 1-August, you, your entire senior staff and all parties who knew of your nuclear intentions and subsequent use thereof, will be rounded up, courts-martialed and summarily executed for crimes against humanity. Do we make ourselves perfectly clear, COLONEL?"
"Absolutely, Haupt-Captain."
Turning, the Captain led his small entourage back the way they had come, and as his Ensign and the Acolyte departed, he stopped at the door. Alex cast a perplexed look at the man.
"From the people of Lyons and the Commonwealth herself, you have our deepest thanks. Had it not been for the data you passed along to us concerning the 'Diablo Project', this meeting would have gone a much darker direction. Good day Colonel."
Alex nodded, and the man departed, following his fellows.
"What was THAT last bit all about Alex?" Tara asked quietly, shooing Nathan back to his studies.
"Diablo gave us our one free get out jail quick card, as it were. Val! Get shit packed, I want to be off of this rock and on the 'Warhorse' by mid-July!"
"On it!" And she raced from their quarters.
"So much for stability." Tara sighed.
"We'll be fine. I hope." He said, walking back to her office, she right behind.
"Where do we go from here?"
"Galatea. Find a gig in Terran space or maybe to Davion space, work our way across the Federated Suns and try to find our way to the Banori system, and some answers."
"Ok, well, let me handle this new logistical nightmare, you go help Val."
"On it." He said, kissing her forehead and leaving the room, almost at a run.

Act-3: "Galatea...again."
MRB Offices, Galatea
12-Aug-2907

"So, what you're telling me is, because of what happened back on Lyons, you've downgraded my unit to 'D' status, until YOU can make a full inquiry? That's a load of bullshit, Acolyte!" Alex berated the woman sitting behind the desk. She simply pushed a lock of chestnut hair from her left eye and looked up at him.
"Precisely Colonel. You used a nuclear device. You, a mercenary. It's a matter of trust now. How can we, ComStar, trust you won't use another one, and this time, on the very world you've been hired to protect?"
"Considering that was a one-off, the material for those devices given to us freely by the ruling body ON Lyons? I would say the chances of us doing it again would be slim to none. But fine, I'll find a contract without you."
"Good luck with that, Colonel, for without ComStar, you'll have no guarantees of payment. And a unit with a MRB score of D or less, well, you'll surely draw all the shittiest contracts. I'd say by this time next year, you'll be an infantryman in some backwater's army. Good day, COLONEL Carlson. Enjoy that title while you can." She said, very condescndingly.
Nearly ready to throttle her, Alex turned about and stormed out, Tara and Val close behind. Once outside, he vented his frustration.
"AHHHHH, bloody assholes!" He shouted once outside. Tara hugged him all the same.
"What now?" She asked as Val looked on.
"Val? Got any contacts that can find us work?" He asked, but she just shook her head.
"My contacts are mostly of the 'buy this, sell that' variety. But, I'll put out feelers."
"Ok, head back to the ship. If I can't find something in the next 24 hours, we'll head for Terra."
"Ok, see ya there!" And she dashed off. Turning to Tara, he smiled.
"Go check on the kids. I need to make a call." Nodding, she jogged off after Val. Turning, he headed for the HPG offices, all the while being watched and followed.

"His XO and master tech have left him, ostensibly to return to the space port. I'm continuing to follow him." His shadow said into his lapel.
"Aye 7, will advise." Was the response he got in his ear.

No sooner had Alex crossed the street not a block away from the MRB offices, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Not risking losing this tail or eyes he felt, he simply kept walking, figuring if someone was eithering watching him or worse, following him, he'd be better suited to a confrontation on his terms.
Spotting a coffee shop a few store fronts ahead, he quickened his stride, covering the distance between himself and the eatery in short order. Walking in, he went to the counter, ordered a cup of coffee, then took a seat and waited. Half a cup later, a man in a suit not fitting either the climate or the cultural norms of Galatea, entered, spotted Alex staring at him, and, with slumped shoulders, walked to his table.
"Was I that obvious?" He asked. Alex indicated a chair, the older man taking it and sitting. He wasn't that much older, only a slight amount of graying at the temples. He still had a full head of hair. His blue eyes seemed to have a gleam to them that Alex spotted right away.
"So, you were part of Diablo too I see." Alex said in hushed tones. The man's eyebrows shot up at that statement, though only for a moment.
"No, my parents are my parents. Sorry for your loss however."
"Water under the bridge. Who are you and why are you following me?"
"MIIO." He said, producing ID and showing it to Alex discreetly.
"Follow me." Alex said, moving to a booth at the rear of the coffee shop that had just become vacant. Taking the seat facing the kitchen, he gave his new contact the seat facing the door, allowing the man to practice his trade craft without having to keep looking over his shoulder.
"I'm surprised. I figured you'd want to see the door, to know if I was trying to have you abducted or killed."
"Look, if you wanted me dead, I'd be bleeding out on the ground a block from here, a small bullet hole in my skull. Let's skip the woulda and coulda's and get to it. What does House Davion want with me?"
"Rumor has it you took out half of the 2nd Sword of Light with a nuclear weapon."
"In lunar orbit of the Lyran world of Lyons, yes." This made the man's eyebrows again shoot up.
"Oh. We were told it was on the world." But Alex just shook his head.
"I have footage, if you'd like to see it. The satellites my tech designed to do this task were packed full of half inch carbon steel ball bearings, the kind you find in hip and shoulder actuators."
"Holy! Nuke powered frag grenades." Alex nodded.
"Any survivors?" But Alex shook his head.
"Losses?"
"Six Overlords, two whole regiments, and if your next question is do I sleep at night, the answer is like a baby. I've no love lost for House Kurita. They were warned bad stuff would happen if they tried to invade, and it cost them not only the ground forces, but over 400 million C-bills in ransom to get their Invaders back."
"Damn man. But, ComStar still has your unit flagged as don't hire until when?"
"Until Hell freezes over apparently. They have all of our documentation, but I think this goes a little further up the food chain than simply a perceived violation of the Ares Conventions."
"You think it's because what you know about Diablo?"
"Oh, I KNOW it's because of Diablo. What we sent to each of the great houses was merely a tenth of the info we really do know, and if I can, I'll take my unit all the way to the Periphery world of Banori, and finish my search for answers there."
"Do you even have the resources for kind of undertaking?"
"Of course. When the Commonwealth cut short our contract, we had already budgeted for the next four years, including maintenance, salaries and living supplies up through the middle of 2912. After June of that year, we'd be broke."
"Well, we at MIIO were going to hire you to do just that, but if you've got the resources to spare, then, by all means, go. But, in as far as that goes, you will turn over all relevant data you find to MIIO in exchange for safe passage through Davion Space."
"We're not wanted in the Federated Suns, so why would we need your guarantee of safe passage?"
"You used a nuclear weapon. Your unit is rapidly becoming personas non gratis throughout the Inner Sphere. Within 6 months, you won't be able to find work as a local dog catcher. See my point?"
"Then we'll go around. Four years, remember?"
"I don't think you'll be transitting through Kurita space, and only a fool goes to worlds in Liao space unless you have a contract there."
"I suppose. Fine. All data. On one condition."
"As if? You're hardly in a position to bargain.""Humor me."
"Let's hear it."
"If and when we find this information, you let me and mine handle any retaliatory actions against this fringe group of ComStar."
"Now, why would we let you do that?"
"Ever have your house interdicted? I thought not. So, if the Cavaliers come after the faction responsible, all backlash is dealt to us. Not any one house."
"Ahh, I see your point. But what if every house went after this faction?"
"What, you want to see the end of ComStar, because if every house began attacking a faction of ComStar, there's nothing stopping them from 'circling the wagons' and next thing you know, you're not just fighting that faction, but all of ComStar too."

In his ear he heard, "Give the boy his due, and the transponders. RTB after."

"I see your point. So, this is what we'll provide. Flight transponders for all of your dropships and your jumpship, identifying you as Federated Suns contracted mercenaries. As far as anyone is concerned, your unit is now the 13th Davion Regulars out of Sullivan, making a return journey from assignment in the Capellan March. Understood?"
"Works for me. Drop the transponders off with my tech, and she'll do the rest."
Extending his hand, the agent shook it, if not a bit reluctantly.
"I never did catch your name." Alex asked. The agent stopped, half turned back around, and with a hint of a smile, said one word.
"Lynch."

A few days later, back at the jumpship...

"Ok, I got those transponders installed. Are we still going through Terra on our way to Davion space?" Val asked, looking up from the engine bay on an SRMC she was working on.
"Yeah. Need to see my folks. They've never seen their grand-kids, so it'll be a nice break. Liberty for the crew and a catch up with family."
"Hmm, family." She said softly, thinking back to her lack of same, the sudden grief and longing playing across her face. He sensed it immediately, pulling her into a long hug and cuddle, she managing to keep it together. Returning his hug, she slipped out of his arms and went back to work.
"Hey! Skipper!" They both heard yelled across the mech bay. Turning, he saw Hammie leading a very pregnant Brenda along behind him. She blushed when Val smiled to her, Alex extending his hand and Hammie taking it.
"What's up LT?"
"Hey Skipper, oh, Hi Val! Hey look, can we go somewhere and talk?"
"Sure, we can use Val's office. Come on." And with that, he turned, gave a wink to Val who smiled and went back to work, and led Hammie and Brenda to her office.
Once inside, he bade them to sit, and took a seat in her chair, seated behind a pile of technical reports nearly a meter high on her desk.
"Ok, out with it." He ordered, and Hammie wasted no time.
"Skipper, how much do I still owe on my mech?"
"Why? You thinking of leaving?"
"NO! Nothing like that, but as you can see, I'm about to be a Dad, and a very poor one at that. With Brenda out of her mech on maternity leave, it's put us in quite the spot, money wise."
"You do know she's on half pay right?"
"Well, yeah. But I'm on quarter pay, because I'm still paying off my mech. And while it was a struggle to live outside of the cockpit on that reduced salary, it's gonna be next to impossible to raise a family."
"I'll have Val check the books, it's not something I deal with, but you did just get a promotion, right? I know that came with a pay raise. Officers make almost double what a mech warrior basic earns."
"Yes sir, that's correct. But on half pay from maternity leave, well, half of next to nothing might as well be nothing." Brenda added, trying to find a comfortable position in the awkward office chair.
"I was under the impression that we paid all of our people fairly."
"Well..." Hammie began.
Rising, he looked for Val and called her in. Setting the wrench in her hand on a pile of manuals, wiping it first, she looked at everyone.
"Yeah, what?"
"What do we pay everyone? Is it a sliding scale based on rank or what?"
"And you're asking ME this Alex? I have no idea, though I was going to ask you and Tara for a raise. Not for me! But for my techs. There's been some grumbling about shares lately."
"Hey, as far as the tech's shares go, that's on you, Missy. You were the one who wanted to have almost 80 techs in a unit barely a battalion."
"True. Ok, cut my shares in half, and divide up the other half for my techs. I have some good people and I don't want to lose them."
"Why don't you let Tara give you that raise that you earned, what, two years ago, and we'll just give your shares to the techs? It'd be easier."
"Ok, let's go see Tara."
Pulling his hand-COM, he called Tara to come join them, but instead had all come to see her in their business office. A few minutes later, and all were floating or simply anchored to a chair. Brenda chose to float, considering how far along her pregnancy was. Smiling to her, Tara gave her a sisterly hug.
"It suits you!" She said, Brenda blushing.
"Thanks. The docs say September 3rd. Think we'll be near or on Earth by then?" She asked hopefully, but frowned when Alex shook his head.
"According to Malema, with the time spent recharging the drives, we'll be at Sol by late September."
"Ok." She sighed.
"So, you guys made mention of unit pay, correct?" Tara asked, changing the subject.
"Yeah Hun, I'm curious too."
"Ok, base pay for all missions is set at 400 c-bills per mech warrior per two-weeks. That's for a MW basic. MW Leads get 600. We pay Sergeants 750, Lance Leaders, or Lieutenants, 1,200. And every rank above LT adds 250 to each paycheck."
"What about the techs?" Val asked.
"This was my doing, so don't hold it against Tara, Val." He said, as Brenda and Hammie looked on.
"Right, apprentice techs, like MW-trainees, start at 250/pay cycle, assistants get 400, and techs get 600. Senior techs, which we have about a dozen now, draw 800 while you draw 1,200. Mind you, these are your flat salaries, and don't cover booty shares. Most shares start at .05% for a MW-trainee and apprentice tech, and go up by .025% from there."
"Was it lower than this before?" Val asked. Tara nodded.
"Most houses really treat their tech pools like crap, apparently forgetting that mechs stop working if there's no one around to grease the joints, etc." Alex added. Val nodded with a soft smile.
"That tracks with what we figured. We're pulling in like 1,200 a month, between the two of us." Hammie said.
"Well, NOW we are. We'd have been better if I could still drive." Brenda added.
"Hey, food and lodging are provided by the unit, and now that Ham here is an officer, he qualifies for a berth both on the 'Warhorse' and on the 'Lord', right T?" Alex asked, and again, Tara nodded.
"What about the dropship crews?" Val asked, just curious.
"Each drop gets 12,000 per month, their individual Captains pay their crew from that, while Malema gets 25,000/month to pay his crew." Tara said as Val whistled.
"That's an awful lot of money, at least over a yearly cycle."
"And now you see why we bank payroll every chance we get. Pay first, followed by mess hall budgeting. As long as people are paid fairly and have decent food to eat, they're unlikely to want to leave." Alex finished. Tara nodded and Val grinned.
"We keep a little over a million c-bills in a vault in our bedroom JUST to pay the yearly salaries with. The rest of the unit funds we store in a main vault on the 'Warhorse'." Tara said with a smile.
"Does Malema know?" Val asked, and Alex nodded.
"He knows, and he knows where the charges are hidden, not just around the vault, but on the KF core too boot." He finished as Val cackled.
"Since we're all here, I can go over with you the sales of those captured fighters." Val began.
"I have the money right here Val. That WAS what I was working on before you guys all came up to talk about pay."
"Get us a good deal, Val?" Alex asked, but she frowned.
"No, apparently that whole nuke thing is poisoning the well. Only got 86 mill for all of the planes. I should've just kept them."
"Add it to the kitty, divide up the shares, and see if Ham here has finally paid off his mech."
"Already done. At least with this bit of down time, I can start the retrofit on it. You have a booty share again Hammie!" Val said with a grin, he hugging Brenda tightly.
"Yep, according to these numbers, you made your last 125,000 payment today. Which leaves you a pay bonus this next pay cycle of 47,000 c-bills." Tara said as Brenda shed tears.
"Not as poor as you thought you were, now are ya?" Alex chimed in, as the happy couple hugged.
"Anyway, shoo, all of you, I have a ton of paperwork to do." Tara said, pulling Alex closer and hugging him, getting his trademark forehead kiss in return...

Act-4: "You can go home again..."
Sol System, Zenith Jump Point
Starship 'Warhorse', docked to Recharge Station
'Epsilon'
12-Oct-2907

Alex looked over as Captain Greaves maneuvered the Buccaneer away from their Jumpship, while Malema's team got to work refitting the K-F core. The tech team from Epsilon Station would supply all the critical spare parts the refit would require, along with a team of skilled jump-engineers to properly install them.
"Damn, stuck here for two months. Wasn't planning on that." He said to Greaves, the man nodding.
"You wanna drive?"
"Nah, dropships are the wrong type of geek for me. Mechs are my thing, I leave the heavy lifting to the professionals." Greaves laughed.
"How long's it been since you were home? I mean, you are from here, right?"
"2900. I'm sure nothing's changed, but you never can tell."

The rest of the flight, and landing, while taking the better part of three days, was patently uneventful. They did receive an escort from the local militia, and a thorough customs inspection, ostensibly to check to make sure they weren't smuggling in any nukes, but more so just a precautionary check. Once cleared, they landed at the space port on the outskirts of Sydney.

Once down, and the ship towed to where it wouldbe parked for the next two-plus months, Alex and his extended family (Amy, Tara, Val and all the kids) were greated by a rather large limosine, and taken to his family's estate, high in the rolling foothills to the north-west of the city proper. Once there, Alex was finally reunited with his parents. The rest of the unit, mainly the mech-jockeys, tankers, aero-pilots and the lion's share of Val's techs, with two months of liberty to look forward to, dispersed once the ship settled to a stop. Hammie and Brenda wasted no time, she getting a free ambulance ride to nearest ER, and giving birth to a healthy baby boy...

"ALEX!" His mother shouted, racing from the front door, his father standing in said doorway, a broad grin on his face, a brandy snifter in one hand, and a hand-COM in the other. Embracing her son, she quickly got hugs from all the girls and wrapped nearly all of her grand-kids in a firm, yet loving hug as well.
"Come now Grace, let's bring them inside. No sense standing outdoors for the meet and greet." His father, James, said as he herded all of them into the huge house and closed the door, the limo driving around the house, to back side, where the carriage house sat.
After introductions, his mother showing the girls to their guest rooms, the kids to the play room, with exception to Nathan, he getting the den and a computer terminal all his own, Grace practically drug him to their sitting room, where mother and father welcomed home their long thought lost son.

"So, you know." James asked, after hugging his son again. Alex stepped back, taking a seat beside his mother. James poured himself another glass, offered one to Alex, though he refused it, asking instead for an ale, and getting hugged by his mother all the same.
"Gods, just look at you! 24 now?" She asked, he nodding.
"Yeah Pop, I know all about Diablo. I'm taking the unit out to Banori. Val and I want to see if there's anything left. Trying to piece together the how's and why's of it all."
"I can tell you what I know, well, what I was able to learn, but you probably know this much already."
"Look, as far as I'm concerned, the two of you are my parents. Genetics notwithstanding. That part of it doesn't bother me, well, not anymore. You raised me right, took good care of me, so I hold nothing but love for both of you. Now that I know a rogue ComGuard named Jamison was more or less responsible for my kidnapping, I mean to find out who else was involved."
"Jamison wasn't the brains, son."
"Oh? Just the hired gun?"
"No. Gun, yes. Hired, no. The 3rd Crucible is one of the biggest, though ComStar tries to keep them a secret, at least to how large they really are, units the Guards have. Every unit of the Guards has one battalion ear-marked for the 3rd. Which, if you do the hard math, equals roughly 7 regiments. How many did you face back on Lyons?"
"1 regiment. 3 Overlords."
"Hmm, not surprised they downgraded your unit then. Yes, the whole of the Inner Sphere probably knows about your nuking of the 2nd, and to be honest, only ComStar seems concerned by it. Truth be told, but up in North America, the Yanks were practically dancing in the streets when the news hit the wires. Word out of the Suns is you guys are heroes, at least that's the political, back alley opinion. The rank and file, especially those along the Kurita border, practically idolize your unit."
"Well, if not for Jen Dirkson, we'd probably never made it this far. Her Light Horse took some serious hits for us when Jamison's follow up came calling. She got paid, mind you, but it was still a close shave."
"Well, the real shot-caller for all of that project is a woman named Wanda Waterly. According to my sources, she's a geno-biologist, educated at Oxford, with two PhDs, one in bio-chemistry and the other in genetics. She's been with ComStar for the better part of 3 decades. She's the real brains behind 'Diablo'."
"Ok, but why? Why now, 2 centuries AFTER the fall of the Star League, is ANYONE interested in a Eugenics program? Super soldiers, in an era of Battle Mechs?"
"Because son, while a mech can win a battle, all it takes is a voice everyone listens to, to end a war. Lord knows, your mother and I saw that ability in you as you grew into a young man, and to be honest, we hoped we raised you right. If you were being groomed to be the next First Lord of a reformed Star League, we hoped you'd not let that ability go to your head." His father said, while he just sat back and laughed.

Not at the notion of being the next First Lord, but at the sheer absurdity of it all.

"Pop, mom. That's not my future in any way, shape or form. I have zero interest in politics."
"Are you sure about that? You started with nothing but broken down mechs on a captured Liao Union, and now look at you, not a decade later. That IS your Star Lord orbiting our star, right?" He said, as Alex simply shrugged.
"I have great people." He said, rather reluctantly.
"Truth be told, Ian Cameron wasn't a politician either, not in the beginning. He was a military man, who was forced to take command, take command of Humanity, before we wiped ourselves out from one petty fued to the next."
"I know this Pop, I had all of these lessons drummed into my head as a child. But I still don't see myself as the next First Lord. Look, in all honesty, I have myhands rather full at the moment, with the unit, the girls, the kids, and tracking down anything I can on 'Diablo'."
"So, how long will you be staying?" His mother asked, trying to change the subject.
"If you'll have us, almost 3 months. We're having the K-F core overhauled because of a manufacturer's defect. Once that's done, we make our way across Davion space to Banori."
"What of the children?"
"They go where we go. I'm not leaving any of them behind. This is their legacy as much as it is mine. Besides, I already offered this to Tara and Val. Both were staunchly against it. I never bothered to ask Amy, considering."
"Wait, all those little ones we saw are yours?" His father asked, setting down his drink.
"Nathan and Cammie are from Tara, Jacob and Anna our mine and Val's, and Kenny is Amy's son, and yes, mine also." He said honestly. His mother sat back floored, but his father simply beamed. Nearly laughing, he did ask his son one pointed question.
"Rumor among the house staff says..." But Alex held up his hand.
"Yes, I was able to lure Jen to my bed back then. Rumor confirmed." He said, which threw his mother for loops but his father just howled with laughter.
"ALEX! How could you!?" She said accusingly.
"Mom, that was almost 10 years ago. I was still getting a handle on this ability of mine, and luring house-keepers and such to my bed seemed too easy, so I gave it a try on the leader of well known merc unit. It worked, but now we're just friends."

At this point, a server came in, telling all dinner was ready. Not realizing just how hungry he was, Alex beat everyone to the table...

Act-5: "Working for the Davions... Where'd I hide the sunblock?"
'Cavalier starship 'Warhorse'
Northwind Zenith
Northwind, Federated Suns
22-Jan-2908

Alex followed the inspection detail as they examined this locker and that storage bay, all along the main hull of their Jumpship. Val and Reese followed close behind, Val curious to see if they'd find anything out of spec, and Reese hoping they gave him a reason to shoot them. Re-adjusting the sling on his assault rifle for the third time, he slid next to Val, whispering into her ear.
'If this goes on much longer, I'm just gonna shoot them.'
She stifled a giggle as Alex explained what a gun locker was doing so close to the engineering spaces of a Jumpship. After their exceptionally long inspection, which even had Malema on pins and needles, satisfied that they had nothing close to being a WMD, they boarded their shuttle and left.
"Hey Alex, we got a call, well, I got a call from my contact back on Coventry. Seems as though the Lyrans want to know where 40-odd Riflemen wandered off to. I told him that he was supposed to pay for them using the money ComStar sent, only, the promissory note he got from ComStar was bogus. So, I pointed out that Lyons has the mechs, and if Coventry wants them back, to talk that over with Mayor Greene and Colonel Watson."
"Ok, I've no problem with that. It's not like WE kept the mechs."
"Good. And, I'm glad while we were on Terra that you let me wander around with the unit credit card too. Those two new, well new to us, dropships sitting over there will be a boon, considering all the spare actuators and myomer bundles I was able to score off of Uncle Charlie." She grinned, as Alex looked out the porthole at the two new additions to the unit; A pair of nearly new 'Seekers', the first fitted out as the design as laid down: able to carry 48 vehicles plus some infantry, while the other had it's cargo bay removed entirely, and refitted to carry almost 200 passengers in comfortable double occupancy cabins. The life support system was upgraded to handle the strain, and the galley and entertainment systems were likewise upgraded.
These two new additions, along with crews to serve aboard them, would have set the unit back almost 400 mc-bills, but Alex's father came through and secured both ships in exchange for future parts discounts from his company: Carlson Dynamix. Spending nearly half of the unit's reserve funds on spare parts and mods to one of the ships, at least now the dependents of the unit's personnel had a home away from home, so to speak.

"Yeah, I already talked it over with Anton. All the tanks are going on Seeker-1, and everyone who has family, well, the families will be housed on 2."
"Well, that was my plan. We recharging here or looking for work?"
"Reharging. I don't want to step on toes with regards to the Highlanders. If they need a hand in the next 5 days while we re-charge the core, I'll offer what we can, otherwise, we jump in 6."
"Ok, let me get back to work then. Any idea when we might deploy units to the field? Just so I can warn people."
"No clue hun. Not a damn clue."
"Ok." She said, leaning up and kissing him softly, Reese clearing his throat after a few seconds. Breaking apart, she whispered into his ear, which made him grin, turned, and headed back to the Overlord and her piles of work.
"So, the Buc goes back to what? Personnel transport and?" He asked. Alex turned back to the porthole, thinking about that.
"No, she'll still carry most of the unit's non-combat supplies, spare parts, food, etc. Along with the Union, we should have enough parts on hand to rebuild a couple dozen machines." He said, still looking out the window.
"If a mermaid swims by, let me know."
"Aye." And with that, Reese turned and left. Watching him go, Alex sighed then grinned as an idea crossed his mind. Turning away from the window, he made his way to C.I.C.

A few minutes later...

"This is Major Stirling. Who is this again?" They all heard over the COM.
"This is Alex Carlson, CO of Carlson's Cavaliers. I just wanted to touch base with you Major, let you know if you need a hand, we're out here at the Zenith, recharging our drive."
"Ahh, the unit that nuked the Second. Nice job with that. The fewer Dracs the better. Sure, if something bubbles up and we need a hand, I'll give you a ring."
"Appreciated. Carlson out." And Amy cut the COM.
"That was quick." Amy pointed out...

Meanwhile, at the command center of the Highlanders...

"I want everything you can get me on Carlson and his unit!"
"Aye Major!" The sergeant on COMs responded curtly.
"What's on your mind Trip?" The Colonel of their regiment asked, turning to face him.
"According to their ships, they're attached to the 13th Davion Regulars, out of Sullivan, but you and I know they're actually a rogue unit from Marik Space."
"I'm to understand that matter was cleared up. So besides their nuking of the Second at Lyons, what else do we know about them?"
"Honestly, I wish I knew, but my sources at MIIO won't say. Some kind of intel gathering mission."
"Intel? Against who? Us?" The Colonel said, his eyes flashing once to fear but the Major missed it.
"I'll make some calls, see what I can find out."
"Very well, dismissed."
"Aye Colonel." And with that, Major Stirling left the room. Only the Sergeant and the Colonel remained.
"Sergeant, open a COM to the HPG station, then leave the room."
"Aye Colonel. COM open." He said, rising and leaving the room.
"This is Acolyte Van Mullen, how may our blessed Order assist you this fine day?"
"Cut the crap, Lydia, it's Benjamin. That kid, Carlson, is here with his unit. MY old unit. Why wasn't I warned about this?!"
"Colonel Davies, in exchange for your testimony, you were given asylum in Davion space to do what you do best, marshal troops. Let our Order deal with this boy general."
"What if he lands? What if he wants to meet the unit CO??" Davies stammered. Lydia simply facepalmed.
"Get hold of yourself. MY spies aboard his ships indicate he's simply here to recharge his K-F, then they're leaving. In 4 and a half days, he won't be your problem any longer."
"Why don't YOUR spies simply plant charges and blow up his ship? That would make things easier for all of us."
"MY spy is too entrenched to try something that risky. My spy's orders are to observe and report, nothing more. If I feel the need to do something more permanent, I'll order it. Now, try to relax. I'm to understand there's an excellent massage parlor not a kilometer from your base, no?"
"Ye...yeah."
"Good, I just set you a mid afternoon appointment, on us. Now go and forget all about this conversation.
"Aye." And he disconnected the call...

Sitting back in her chair, she arced an eyebrow at the person standing beside her.
"He is impetuous, isn't he?"
"Yes, Precentor, he most certainly is."
"What should we do about him? If he does indeed travel to Banori as our spy has revealed, perhaps that would be his last planetfall?" The elder woman beside her asked.
"We pulled all save a small garrison force from Banori. Should I order units sent back?"
"Yes, send a regiment of the 3rd Crucible. Make sure they get it right this time."
"By your command, Precentor Marshall."

Nodding to her subordinate, Precentor Procyon Kari Marshall turned and made her way out of the inner office, to a waiting car and back to her shuttle.

"If he defeats our garrison force on Banori, he could possibly learn everything. Dr. Waverly is still working on the final strain of the geno-virus. She claims to be close to a new breakthrough, but my sources say not for another year, two at worst."
"Primus Hartford, have I ever let you down in the past?"
"No Kari, you have not. I just wish we could re-discover the formula that Kerensky took with him when he left. The Eugenics program data they had is supposedly years ahead of our own research."
"Project Diablo will be protected, at all costs, Primus."
"I leave it in your capable hands, Precentor."

'Damn you, damn you to hell, Kerensky. What use would you have for a eugenics program in your self-imposed exile?' Kari thought to herself...

Act-6: "Re-organizing the Organization..."
Starship 'Warhorse'
Zenith Jump-point
Small World, Federated Suns
3-Feb-2908

"So, what do we do for money while we're spanning Davion space?" Tara asked, as Alex kissed her tummy, working his way down.
"You want to talk about this NOW?"
"When do I have you all to myself?"
"When I'm home, like now?" He grinned, going back to kissing.
"Be serious AAAAlex!" Sitting up, he knew if they were going to enjoy each other, this matter would need to be put to bed first.
"Ok, as to money, if we can land a defense contract between here and Banori, I'm all for it. Brock has some contacts here in the Suns, so I offered him an extra share if he could find us a good one. Well, at least one where we aren't getting shot at 24/7."
"Ok, I can live with that. Back to work Mister!"
Grinning, he went back to giving her lots of attention...

Bouncing his new son on his knee, while Brenda made their dinner, Hammie took a moment to reflec how his life had changed in only a few short years. His son's fussing however brought him back to the here and now.
"Hey hun, put Tommy in his crib and set the table, ok?"
"In a sec, still playing with him."
"Dinner is ready, so unless you want to eat out of the pot, get some bowls and spoons out Mister!"
"Ok, ok!"
Setting their son into his crib, he tickled his belly, spun the airplane mobile one last time, and set about making their dining room table for dinner.

Picking at her veggies, Val looked across the table at Amy. The two of them quickly became close simply out of mutual need. While either could have had an officer's cabin to themselves, they both concluded that it only made sense to bunk together, since they had little ones that were the same age, and they both enjoyed sharing quality time with the same guy, Alex.
"What's wrong Val? You don't like my cooking?"
"No, it's not that! I enjoy just about anyone's meals, with exception to Anton's. I'm just not into Mexican cuisine." She said, this making Amy giggle.
"Yeah, remember, I was his crew. Well, Adele and I, and he would force tacos and tamales and you name it, if it was part of the Spanish diet, we tried it!"
"So, after dinner and tending to the little ones, you wanna, I dunno, cuddle?"
"With you Val, anytime." Amy replied with a big smile.

She and Val had hit it off while Amy was in sickbay recovering from getting their tank shot out from under them, and when Alex came to talk to Anton, Val had come with him, and then kissed Amy as a distraction aattempt on Alex. It distracted him alright, right into bed with the two of them, they both catching nearly that same night. But now, whenever Alex needs to spend time with Tara, and rightly so, she being his wife and all, Amy can usually find pleasant company with everyone's favorite grease-monkey, Val.

"Ok, yeah, be there in a month's time. No problem. What are we babysitting again? OH! Ok, sure. Pay worth a damn? Come on Dietrich, you know me. Besides, we nuked the Second, remember? Hahahaha! No, we don't have anymore, unless you count mech engines. Right, yeah I know how that goes. How much of the unit do they want to hire versus how much do we really need to bring? A Bat? Ok, well, we got one of those lyin' around here someplace. Haha, funny guy with the mech jokes. No, we got a real good tech crew. None of our mechs are patchwork old buddy, whenever Val sees a deal, she jumps on it. Ok, so be there first week of March, defend a factory, standard pay for veteran troops, light action. Ok, I'll see you there? Really? How big's your unit? A lance? Ooook. So, why do they want a full Battalion? They expecting trouble? Oooooh, they make those... Ok. I understand now. Sure thing D, I'l see you in March. Later." Brock said, disconnecting the COM with the HPG station down on Small World. Walking up to the bridge, he filled in Malema on where they'd need to be by the first week of March.

"So, can we get there in time, I know it's like 2 maybe 3 jumps away."
"Not a problem, big guy. This Star Lord has a battery. We'll bounce two jumps at once, then we'll be down for a week for the recharge."
"Awesome, I'll go give Alex the good news." And with that he promptly left the bridge before Malema finished eye-stripping him.

"Start a course plot, XO. First jump, deep space outside of the Towne star-system."
"Aye Skipper. Where to afterward?"
"Second jump to Galatia III."
"Roger that. Think we'll make it to where we need to be in time?"
"I have never doubted you or this ship, Matthew, I'm not about to start now. Jumps after Galatia III will be Elbar, Olancha, then on to Clovis and finally, Doneval II."
"With the dropships running their reactors to quicken the recharge rate, we should arrive in Doneval's star system no later than say, March 5th."
"Excellent Matthew. Let's get this party started, shall we?" He said as he flipped the main jump switch, that sent them to the deep space coordinates just outside of the system of Towne.
"Dumping batteries, course plotted and accepted by the computer to Galatia III, jumping in 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Jump!" Malema said as a very tired Alex drug himself onto the command deck.
"I just spoke to Brock. Will we get their on time, Cap?"
"Have I ever steered you wrong in the past?"
"I'll be in my quarters, most likely dead. Carry on Skipper." And he turned and drug himself back to his quarters.
"Deploy the sail, contact the drop-captains, instruct them to begin the power transfer, one half capacity until the drive core is stable, then increase to full power."
"Instructions sent and acknowledged. Go for full power from the drops in 30 seconds."
"Understood. Time until both the drive and the batteries are ready?"
"At these rates, 40 hours."
"Aye, 40 hours it is. I'll be down in the gym. Good work Matthew."
"Aye, thank you Captain."
"Captain, Galatia Zenith Control wants to know our intentions." His COM tech asked.
"Drive recharge, departing in 44 hours."
"Aye sir, relaying the message." The tech replied but Malema was already halfway to the gym...

The next morning...(4-Feb)

Seated at the table in the Star Lord's officer's lounge, Alex looked out at the sea of faces looking back at him. None questioned his orders, even after the exile from Lyons. The nuke call was his, and it did save everyone from potentially dying at the hands of Kurita's Second Sword of Light, but he still got the feeling there was something simmering, just below the surface.
Amy and Val, Tara too, Anton and Adele, though Chester was absent, Hammie and Brenda, minus their little one, Brock and Tom, and even Reese and Waylan. It was a full house for sure, and pretty much covered what he would call his Senior Staff.
"Brock, since you found this little shin-ding, I'll let you fill us in on the details."
"You got it, Skipper. So, here's the job." He began, rising, and moving to stand at the plot board.
"Doneval II is the new site of a GM medium laser plant. Most of the plant was shipped from it's original location on Robinson, though I am unclear why they selected Doneval II. We've been tasked with providing defense for the new plant while workers get it set up. Standard compensation for up to a Battalion sized unit that can provide their own transport for a period not to exceed 2 years, or until a more permanent garrison force can be assembled and deployed to protect the plant. As a bonus, any mechs so equipped, can have new model mediums installed, free of charge."
"What about salvage an the like?" Val asked.
"Ours, completely, assuming that the attackers don't damage the facility. That's the key here. The plant can't come under fire, so we'll need to either bulk up our air cover or do something space born, though they are against us having or using a nuke." He said with a small hint of a smile, this causing a bit of laughter in the room.
"Aww, I was hoping to." Val whined jokingly.
"Are they expecting any threats? Besides the interest the Combine will likely show?" Alex asked, happy that, for a change, it wasn't him on the hot seat.
"Kurita knows about the plant move, though they haven't shown an interest as of yet. That may all change once our boots hit the ground. So far, a lance of Davion Regulars is playing baby-sitter until we arrive."
"That would be your contact?" Amy asked, beating Alex to the punch.
"Yes. Deitrich's Demolishers, and yes, they're an armor company. 12 tanks, with an entire lance of Demolishers." Brock said with a grin, and looking to Val, saw she was grinning too.
"I've actually heard of them. Faithful Davion devil dogs if ever there was such a unit. Are we backing them up, or did GM just want a unit there with mechs?"
"A little bit of both actually. Most of his units are down, something about the House techs he's stuck with not filling their requests for spares and such, so it's left them understrength. He won't condone their techs' stripping one tank to fix another, so, he's at about a lance and a half at present. Which puts him under the Campany-Minimum for the contract. Which is where we come in."
"Ok, everyone, get to your machines, get with your techs, any problem, regardless how trivial, get it fixed. I want all of our units in tip-top shape, so if we have to, Val can lend a hand to their techs, and try to get them back in the game."
"Aye sir!" He heard from many of the assembled as everyone turned and filed out. Only Tara, Brock and Val stayed with him.

"So, bottom line, how long will Deitrich need us to stay?" Tara asked, silencing Alex yet again.
"Two years, maybe three."
"Puts a crimp in the whole 'find out about Diablo' mission, but we need to eat, and at least prove to the outsiders that we aren't all nuke crazy, like the media is portraying us to be." Val said with a sign, Alex nodding and pulling her into a hug. She all but coo'ed in his arms, returning his hug, kissing his chin, then slipping out of his arms. Turning, she grabbed Brock's arm.
"Let's go, I'll take a look at your machine first, then help everyone else where needed." He nodded, nodded to Alex and got drug off. Turning to Tara, Alex was all smiles.
"Ok, out with it."
"He's a company of tanks. We have a collar onboard that's currently empty. Most armor only units prefer aerodyne dropships, since it put's all the armor on the same cargo deck." He pointed out, running to the door, stepping into the corridor and spotting Brock and Val about to go down a lift, yells to them.
"BROCK!" This causes the man to stop dead and spin around. Val, like the rag doll she is, gets spun about, barely catching herself. She glares angrily at Brock then at Alex.
"What dropship does Deitrich's unit use?"
"Same as us, a Buccaneer. Why?"
"I may offer him a new home." Alex said with a smile. Brock picked up on it immediately.
"Considering Val and her miracle workers, he'll probably say yes." This statement softened Val instantly, she hugging Brock afterward.
"Good, as you were." He finished, closing the door and pulling his wife into a long kiss...

Act-7: "Light Amplification through Stimulated Emissions..."
Starship 'Warhorse'
Doneval II Zenith Jump Point,
Doneval II, Federated Suns
3-March-2908

"Ok, so we take everything. No sense leaving people's families out here to face certain unknowns. Malema? Once we're clear and the drive is charged, you're free to work the lanes. Send us a COM once a month, 1st day. Clear?"
"Crystal Colonel."
"I figure with six docking points open, you should do ok for not just yourselves, but the unit too."
"We will do our best."
"Ok, mount up people, we got a factory to defend!" Alex finished, standing at a podium in the Overlord's mech bay. Val walked up to him after his little pep talk.
"Ok, I got a line on a pair of Achilles about two jumps from here. Owner wants 300 for both, and that'll leave us with just under a hundred afterward. I'll need to space dock one of them, something about control issues, but he swears the other is well maintained."
"Ok, make the call. We'll need something up here to ward of any attacks. Better to stop them in orbit than have to face boots on the ground and possible damage to the factory."
"Ok, I'll send the call after we make planetfall."
"Malema! How many days until you guys can jump?"
"6!" He yelled back from the hatchway leading back to the jumpship.
"Ok, hang out for a few more, we may need you to bounce to..." He stopped, looked at Val with a questioning glance.
"OH! Sorry, the ships are at Robinson."
"Robinson, pick up a couple of Achilles, bring'em back here. We'll send crews up to pick them up when you get back."
"Aye!" And he disappeared through the hatch.
Taking Val by the arm, he got joined by both Amy and Tara, and the foursome headed for 'O' country...

The massive explosion that ripped through the Star Lord's KF core, the detonating force equivalent to a 2 mega-ton device, not only shredded the ship, along with all of it's dropships, but crippled a Merchant that was too close a beam...

Down at the Nadir...

"YES!" Acolyte Van Mullen cheered, as their sensors detected the massive explosion at the Zenith.
"Send a coded message to the Precentor Martial. Our secrets remain secure. The Carlson issue is handled."
"Aye ma'am.
"How long before we can jump?"
"36 hours."
"I'll be in my quarters."
"Aye."