Chapter 2.2
Seras
Well-known member
Chapter 2.2 Raise your Flag
3020
Zaniah III
Starboro City
Red Base
----
The first week passed in relative peace. But I figured it was time to start passing out some rewards. I took my Locust out once everyone was in bed, and entered one of the side passages I had started to build out most nights. Slowly I was creating a spiderweb of tunnels surrounding the base. The hope would be we could pop out of the ground from any direction to surprise invaders. Plus it gave me plenty of space to build things out of sight. Tonight. I created the first big step for the actual military side.
It took me all night, and a huge chunk of the metal reservoir. An issue that I realized I would have to work on fixing. Plans for the next night to place more metal extractors. But that was for the next night. Because in the morning the company is going to party.
As soon as the morning wake up alarm went off and everyone swayed sleepily into the cafeteria for chow. I was ready. Once everyone was sitting I stood. “Company meeting in the Main Mechbay after chow. Everyone needs to be there. Enjoy your breakfast.” I called out before retaking my seat and finishing my own food in a rush. Benny Gauge, and Alfred, my current command staff of sorts all looked at me in confusion but I waved them away. This was a surprise after all.
I ate quickly and headed over to the underground bay. We kept the mechs during the night, although I made sure to keep the mechs mostly above ground during the day. I didn’t want a surprise inspection to come through only to not see the mechs in the Hangar.
Standing on the foot of my Locust I waited for everyone to file into the room, the hundreds of voices filling the room with noise as they whispered and talked about what was happening. Once everyone was inside I raised my hand.
“Attention!” I barked out, and despite a bit of sloppiness here and there, my soldiers stood quickly to listen to what I had to say.
“This company is more than just some merc unit. We aren’t just soldiers looking for a paycheck. We have all lived the same life, we all suffered the same injustice,and we are the only family we have left.” I looked over the rows of young soldiers and felt a good burst of pride. I had done this. Brought them this far.
“It is with that in mind that I remind you that family, look after each other. Help each other, and at times when someone in the family does something deserving. Reward each other. Lieutenant Benny. Step forward!” I shouted, and the young man did so jerking forward in surprise as he came out of the horde of soldiers.
“Today. I am going to show all of you what your future holds if you go above and beyond in this company, and in this family.” I pushed a button on a small remote I had hidden in my pocket. And one of the blast doors that had been locked shut until now opened, slowly. The lights didn’t come on, revealing a shadowy corridor and nothing else, I could see everyone squinting and trying to see what was in the darkness. Only once the doors were fully opened did I hit the second button to activate the lights.
It took everyone a minute to figure out what they were seeing. After all, a few did double takes looking towards Gauges Centurion that was still in the gantry besides my Locust. Then to see the second and third Centurion that was standing freely in the large hall. Both were pristine, and in the colors of the Iron Blooded. A rusty red and a grayish white.
“Lieutenant Benny. For the effort you have put in, I acknowledge this company could not have begun without your support. No, I suppose, it’s no longer Lieutenant. MechWarrior! I award you the third mech in our company!”
The look of shock on his face hit me. I suppose the few weeks we had spent settling in made him think I wasn’t going to give him a mech?
Silly kid. He was way too busy getting everything sorted out to take on Mechwarrior training as well! But things had become routine now, and well.
I needed a jump in fighting strength. A full lance? Yeah that would be a much better deterrent for nonsense than a demi-Lance.
I strode down and pulled him into a hug for a moment “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone you are crying.” I whisper into his ear before I pull him out of the roaring crowd towards his new mech.
“Vicky. I…”
“Don’t mention it. Besides, it comes with a cost. You get to figure out who gets the second one. So have fun with that. You are going to have every soldier in the company coming to you to beg to be the pilot. Enjoy.”
Despite that curse I put on him, I was pretty sure he didn’t care. At that moment Benny would have taken the pleading of the entire planet as long as he got to keep his new mech.
“But that isn’t all!” I called out over the noise and had every eye in the room focus back on me. “There has been an issue I have been considering for some time. Benny. Gauge. Step forward.” I waited for the two other Mechwarriors to move before I pointed.
“We orphans have some traditions. Most of them aren’t something we chose, but were forced on us. We aren’t the same as we were on Solaris. Gauge, Benny. Mechwarriors! How can you stand before us having reached such heights.” I paused letting the tension build for a few moments.
“Not having chosen a family name.” I let my words drift through the room. “We aren’t ruled by the matrons who took our name to make us fit into their world anymore. Pick a name. A name that will be synonymous with the mechs standing beside you. These machines are yours now. And some day, they will be your childrens.”
Both boys looked quite shocked at the request. Sure, they were both getting to the age they would have been given their original family names, or just choose one of their own. But this wasn’t about aging out. It was about becoming more than just the orphans we all were.
While Gauge hesitated, obviously unsure Benny didn’t. “Commander! My name it’s Benjamin Rommel! From now until I die.”
I smirked. “Big name. Are you up for that challenge?”
“I am!”
“Well then Lieutenant Rommel! Know that it won’t be until you die. It will be your name for far longer than that!”
The whispers and comments were flying through the room as I turned to Gauge, “Do you have your pick yet?”
“I do. Gauge Blake.” That was a name alright. I felt my eyebrows quirk up but only for a moment before I smiled and nodded. If that is what my best friend wanted, then that is what he got.
“Well. You also have a big name to live up to then!” I congratulated him. “Everyone, let's hear it for Benny Rommel, and Gauge Blake!” I called out to the group getting a cheer from the crowd of teenagers, Gauge and Benny both being swamped by the crowd.
I put out one final word before the crowd was dispersed to enjoy a small party I had set up. Everyone should start thinking about their own family names. It put an odd air on the party after, but at least it started the process.
----
In the end Benny decided to hold the fourth Centurion as a reward for the ones who did best in our little ‘boot’ camp. And let me tell you. The increase in discipline in my soldiers was astounding. Everyone was suddenly deadly serious about being the best soldier they could be.
Good job Benny.
But while everyone else was running around in bootcamp. Gauge, Benny and I were training. “C’mon Benny! Get up! How are you going to survive a battle when you fall on your ass, and it takes you a week to get up!” I yell at him over the radio as he staggers trying to crab walk back to his feet.
Benny had hit a sand dune, and it had slipped out from under him. This was not the first, nor the last time he had ended up flat, Gauge was getting better as well, but he still ate shit whenever he wasn’t focused.
I was still rubbing the bruise on my shoulder from where I had tilted sideways as a chunk of dirt had given way under my feet sending me tumbling into an old wash. The faint humm of a Large laser firing in the background hinted that Gauge was still working on his aim. Benny would be there soon once we got him secure enough on his feet.
“This… Is harder than it looks!” Benny grunted out as he seemed to finally get the position right, and with his gyro screaming he slowly righted himself regaining his feet. “Okay okay I got it, I got it.” He muttered over the open line as he slowly began taking a few more much more hesitant steps. I followed my own footing more confident, although I was keeping a close eye on the ground as I moved along with him.
Falling over in a Battlemech wasn’t a joke. Even if it was hilarious.
“It takes practice, honestly I’m not sure if it’s a good, or a bad thing, the ground out here is so bad. If it was better, this would be easier, but we wouldn’t be getting so much practice!”
The huff of irritation that came over my radio as my only response as Benny continued moving around in large circle, around the base. The path Gauge and I had started was becoming our unofficial Mechwarrior training course at this point. As we moved we eventually caught up to Gauge near the range I had set up.
“Gauge! No standing still. If you are shooting you need to be moving!” I yell at him as soon as we get close enough to see what he is doing and I could see the shoulders of his mech hunch in irritation as I see him start walking around as he is taking shots at the targets. His large laser was thankfully set to training mode, so he wasn’t burning through them with each shot letting him refine his aim over the hours we had been out here.
“Don’t complain. You wanted to be a Mechwarrior Mr. Blake? Then practice practice practice!”
The streaks of the Luxor 3 LRM 10 shooting off a moment later had me chuckle, as all the missiles ended up missing the targets. “Try again! We have plenty of ammo, and it’s good practice, for the techs to learn to reload our mechs.” I tell him watching him start shooting off the last few reloads for him LRM.
His jog back to the hangars where the mech techs were on duty to resupply our mechs ammo when needed was slowed when he nearly fell, but after a few moments he managed to get his gyro working for him, and he stepped over the shifting sands to keep moving.
We were all getting better. Slowly but surely.
-----
“Say that again?” I couldn’t help but ask, looking up from an update that Sergeant Kurtz had given about the training he was supervising.
Benny nodded. “Freddy came back with half the supplies he was sent out for. I was going to have a stern word with him but… He found the orphanage.”
“From how you are acting, and for Freidrich to hand away our supplies, it must have been bad.”
“It was. Freddy says the kids were basically starving. Apparently the water shortage has been… Rough for the orphanages. He dropped off enough supplies to help, but well. It’s getting around. Everyone is talking about it.”
I eased back away from my papers to think. Of course there were orphanages on Zaniah III. This was an age of war. Orphans were everywhere.
And of course my orphans would want to peek in on their cousins.
“Tell Freidrich he made the right choice. But next time he wants to hand over supplies he calls it in first. We have radios for a reason.” I grumble as I stand. “C’mon let’s go see what we are dealing with.” I grab my jacket and hat as I leave the comfortably cool room downstairs, to slowly rise up the ramp into the hell that is the Zaniah III surface.
Freidrich was waiting up top near his supply truck the fact he was wringing his hat in his hands at least told me he realized he had messed up.
Good thing for him, this was not just a military company but also a family. “You screwed up.” I told him as I walked up. Stopping close enough to jab a finger into his chest. “Tell me how you screwed up.”
I gave him a moment to process the question watching as the older boy hesitated before nodding. “I gave away supplies. Supplies that were meant to feed our soldiers, an-”
“Nope.” I cut him off instantly. “Wrong wrong wrong. You didn’t screw up by wanting to help the Zaniah orphans, Freidrich. We all know what it’s like, you screwed up because you didn’t use your radio to let us know what you were doing!” I poke him again just to get the point across. “If you had messaged us, we could already have another water truck filled and headed out. You are part of a group. Communication can not be something you leave until too late.”
With that I turned. Hopping back into the truck that he had driven back in. “Well, let’s go, I want to see this orphanage with my own eyes.” I ordered out. I amused myself counting down until Freidrich realized I had just given him an order as he hurriedly hopped into the truck to drive us off the base.
I wasn’t sure I was prepared for what I would find at this orphanage.
----
Pulling up to the ancient building that looked like it hadn’t had a coat of coat in a century didn’t leave me with great feelings. The old building looked run down, and doubly so when I noticed just how many kids were wandering around.
The fact every window was open told me they probably didn’t have a working AC. The moment I stepped out of the truck I could feel the heat slam into me and I began sweating. It was a hot day today. Even for Zaniah.
The many heads of young orphans, some younger and some older than me were peering out windows and up from where they were resting in whatever shade they could find. Freidrich stepped out beside me as I looked it over.
“It’s a shithole.”
“Yeah.” He stepped forward heading up the broken wooden steps that lead to the front entrance. Where a woman was just stepping out from deeper inside. “Ma’am. We brought some more water.” He offered. To the older woman who looked just as sweat soaked and tired as the orphans watching what was happening.
The look of relief I was expecting didn’t appear. Instead she hesitated before nodding. “Thank you, that will help.” She offered distantly.
Interesting.
“Freidrich, this the Matron here?”
“I am not.” She offered. The girl was probably mid twenties, early thirties with a harsh glare, and her dark hair tied up in a ponytail to keep the heat off her neck. “There hasn’t been an official matron to take care of the orphanage in a decade. I’m… The oldest. So I stayed. Sasha Frumpt.”
“Victoria Eisen-Blume. While Friedrich didn’t have permission, I have no problems with him delivering some supplies. If you let us know what you need we will make sure it appears.”
She seemed taken aback by the offer as her eyes narrow. “I don’t know you. What do you want? Normally, I would assume you’re here to buy slaves, but you are way too young for that.” She offered, and the fact she even had that thought in her head meant someone probably had come by at least once wanting to do just that.
I felt my fists clench.
“I’m an orphan. So is Freidrich if he didn’t tell you. So is everyone in my company.” I let that fill the air for a moment. “I’m Victoria Eisen-Blume, Commander of the Iron Blooded Company. But I suppose it would be more accurate to call us the Iron Blooded Orphans.” I say feeling a smirk stretch my lips despite myself.
I was never going to get tired saying that to peoples faces and being the only one to get the joke.
“Freidrich is my supply officer, he was checking on the orphanages in the area, call it checking in on distant cousins. He was not supposed to deliver the supplies here, but considering your situation. It’s obvious he did not deliver enough.” I stepped back and pointed to the truck. “It’s full of clean water. Where do you want it?”
Her hesitation appeared again before she swallowed it. “Around the back. That is where the water tank is located, we can fill it up there.”
“You heard the woman Freidrich.” he nods seriously before running back to the truck. “So, I’m curious what happened to the matrons that are supposed to be here. Katrina Steiner is pretty good about making sure us orphans are looked after if nothing else.”
“Pay. This isn’t the first year of drought. It’s been bad for a while. The money that gets paid to the Matrons of the orphanages, or at least this one hasn’t been available for years.” Sasha shrugged. “The last Matron, old lady Maria, died years ago. All the rest left when the pay stopped coming in. We still get some money for supplies, but well. That’s it. And it’s not enough. No with water being so expensive.”
“And the Governess hasn’t stepped in, or anyone in the Zaniah government?”
“Who would? I doubt they even know, that would involve them actually coming down here, to see how the orphanage is going… They only do that when they want one of us. Usually not even to adopt.”
“Well. We are here now.”
She looked me up and down. Being something like half her age, I doubt my assurance meant anything.
She would see. I would make sure of it.
----
The news took a while to reach us. Not least because we were so far outside of the city, but also because most kids, especially kids that are busy training in bootcamp, or working to keep everyone fed don’t really care much about the news.
That we did hear about it, says a lot about how much of an impact it was having on the sphere.
‘Katrina Steiner, Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth offers to all the great houses peace. An end to the Third succession war!?’
The paper was dropped onto my desk by Freidrich after another one of his much more common supply runs. The boy had to head out more often now that we were supplying the orphanage.
Although I had a feeling that wasn’t going to last long. I had already started to see some new orphans among my troops. Starting fresh in our little bootcamp.
My family was getting bigger.
But the headline was what everyone was talking about. Too bad for Bennys face that had been so interested in my reaction. I already knew this would happen.
“Too bad only the Fed Suns will actually agree.” I told my command staff after they dropped the paper off on my little desk.
“Aww c’mon Vicky! This might really be the end of the wars!” Gauge was eager, happy. As if this would finally stop the decline of the sphere and bring back the peace. Of course if you asked him, it was always ComStar that would eventually put an end to the wars.
“It won’t. The snakes will never accept this. They will treat it as a show of weakness. The League won’t either. They will think the same. Liao are too crazy to think that they are losing, so they will never accept peace. Davion will accept. It makes no sense for him to refuse, but that won’t be the end of the problems there.”
“You're no fun Vicky.” Gauge grumbled, while Benny chuckled. “I don’t entirely agree. I bet the League will accept. It would cover their most difficult border. Marik could finally take care of their internal issues. And probably take Canopus.”
“They won’t.” I argue with the benefit of hindsight. “That would require them to have more control than they have. Too many factions in the League want the fighting to continue.”
“Pff. We’ll see Commander.” Benny teased before turning serious. “Do have to worry about this. If the war ends, we might have trouble finding work in the future.”
Considering just how wrong that thought was, I almost burst into laughter, but I managed to keep my face straight. “There will always be fighting. Don’t worry. The Iron Blooded Company isn't going to run out of wars to fight anytime soon.”
“If you say so Commander.”
“Well this doesn’t change much, but it is interesting. I guess if nothing else we have a good Archon in charge right now. One that is shooting for peace.” I offer aloud.
----
I should have expected something like this, but when I got a radio message about a month after starting to supply the orphanage, that Sasha was hitching a ride to the base, and wanted to speak with me, it shouldn’t have come as such a surprise.
But I really hadn’t been expecting a woman to hijack a military supply truck and basically demand to be taken to our base. Friedrich did learn from before so he called it in, and I gave the go ahead, but I could hear the strain in his voice while he requested permission for her to be brought in, and well.
I doubt this was his idea.
So there I was waiting outside in the heat, my Locust parked as we had been training when I got the call, when the water truck came to our base. Was stopped at our checkpoint and then was driven up the no longer dirt road to where I was standing.
The road was actually a massive pain in the ass. I had wanted something more secure, but couldn’t just ‘create’ a road out of nothing without letting everyone know something was off.
So I cheated.
I created a bunch of road chunks that could be connected together to make a pretty smooth concrete road, so that between Gauge and Benny working together they could fit together with their Centurions. Giving them something to do while getting used to their mech, and fixing our crappy dirt road from checkpoint to hangar.
Thinking I was ready I waited for the truck to pull up and out stepped Sasha Frumpt. Who I would soon learn no one was ever truly ready to deal with.
No, the moment she stepped out of the truck she stomped over towards me, and actually picked me up right off my feet with a fist in my tank top. I realized she was in a mood.
“Where are my little brothers!” She growled the woman, easily picking me up to stand on my tip toes as I startled at her sudden attack.
“W-what?” I stuttered as I felt my boots scrabble on the ground to get traction before she suddenly let me go and I was flailing to keep upright.
“Don’t mess with me. I don’t care if you are a mercenary commander. My little brothers are coming home. Now.”
I blinked for a moment before realizing what she was getting at. “Ah, gotcha. Well that’s up to them. We aren’t kidnapping them, or keeping them hostage. I haven’t accepted any official new soldiers into the company since we landed, so if they are here, they are here because they want to be.”
“You are going to get them killed! They aren’t soldiers!”
“No, they are worse. They are ‘non-combatants’ you know the ones that when the battle breaks out, they don’t even have a gun to defend themselves with.” I snarked back but at least it quieted the argument for a moment. “I’m not exactly happy about having a bunch of kids as an army either. But frankly. I would rather do it my way than join some military unit at 16 and end up dying on a distant battlefield just because it was convenient. Look around. Every one of the kids you see around you are my family. Brothers sisters. And dammit. They are soldiers. Or they will be. At least I can make sure they get training and equipment to keep them as safe as possible.”
She grit her teeth. “They all left.” She finally said gritting her teeth. “I woke up this morning. And there wasn’t a single one of my brothers left. They are all here.”
I winced. There had only been like 20 orphans at her orphanage, but to hear they all had left leaving their eldest behind? Ouch.
She breathed deep and sighed. “I won’t be able to convince them to come back. Why would they? The orphanage was dying. Even if they came back, what would they get? A few years of peace before they have to leave? Fine. I’m staying too.” She poked me in the chest hard, and I winced.
That hurt.
“Don’t think I accept this. I’ll be here to watch over my brothers. If you screw up. I’ll drag them out of here. Regardless of what you say.” She hissed, before turning around and heading towards the PT course. I could see some of the newer trainees running around our course perk up as she approached.
Well that happened.
3020
Zaniah III
Starboro City
Red Base
----
The first week passed in relative peace. But I figured it was time to start passing out some rewards. I took my Locust out once everyone was in bed, and entered one of the side passages I had started to build out most nights. Slowly I was creating a spiderweb of tunnels surrounding the base. The hope would be we could pop out of the ground from any direction to surprise invaders. Plus it gave me plenty of space to build things out of sight. Tonight. I created the first big step for the actual military side.
It took me all night, and a huge chunk of the metal reservoir. An issue that I realized I would have to work on fixing. Plans for the next night to place more metal extractors. But that was for the next night. Because in the morning the company is going to party.
As soon as the morning wake up alarm went off and everyone swayed sleepily into the cafeteria for chow. I was ready. Once everyone was sitting I stood. “Company meeting in the Main Mechbay after chow. Everyone needs to be there. Enjoy your breakfast.” I called out before retaking my seat and finishing my own food in a rush. Benny Gauge, and Alfred, my current command staff of sorts all looked at me in confusion but I waved them away. This was a surprise after all.
I ate quickly and headed over to the underground bay. We kept the mechs during the night, although I made sure to keep the mechs mostly above ground during the day. I didn’t want a surprise inspection to come through only to not see the mechs in the Hangar.
Standing on the foot of my Locust I waited for everyone to file into the room, the hundreds of voices filling the room with noise as they whispered and talked about what was happening. Once everyone was inside I raised my hand.
“Attention!” I barked out, and despite a bit of sloppiness here and there, my soldiers stood quickly to listen to what I had to say.
“This company is more than just some merc unit. We aren’t just soldiers looking for a paycheck. We have all lived the same life, we all suffered the same injustice,and we are the only family we have left.” I looked over the rows of young soldiers and felt a good burst of pride. I had done this. Brought them this far.
“It is with that in mind that I remind you that family, look after each other. Help each other, and at times when someone in the family does something deserving. Reward each other. Lieutenant Benny. Step forward!” I shouted, and the young man did so jerking forward in surprise as he came out of the horde of soldiers.
“Today. I am going to show all of you what your future holds if you go above and beyond in this company, and in this family.” I pushed a button on a small remote I had hidden in my pocket. And one of the blast doors that had been locked shut until now opened, slowly. The lights didn’t come on, revealing a shadowy corridor and nothing else, I could see everyone squinting and trying to see what was in the darkness. Only once the doors were fully opened did I hit the second button to activate the lights.
It took everyone a minute to figure out what they were seeing. After all, a few did double takes looking towards Gauges Centurion that was still in the gantry besides my Locust. Then to see the second and third Centurion that was standing freely in the large hall. Both were pristine, and in the colors of the Iron Blooded. A rusty red and a grayish white.
“Lieutenant Benny. For the effort you have put in, I acknowledge this company could not have begun without your support. No, I suppose, it’s no longer Lieutenant. MechWarrior! I award you the third mech in our company!”
The look of shock on his face hit me. I suppose the few weeks we had spent settling in made him think I wasn’t going to give him a mech?
Silly kid. He was way too busy getting everything sorted out to take on Mechwarrior training as well! But things had become routine now, and well.
I needed a jump in fighting strength. A full lance? Yeah that would be a much better deterrent for nonsense than a demi-Lance.
I strode down and pulled him into a hug for a moment “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone you are crying.” I whisper into his ear before I pull him out of the roaring crowd towards his new mech.
“Vicky. I…”
“Don’t mention it. Besides, it comes with a cost. You get to figure out who gets the second one. So have fun with that. You are going to have every soldier in the company coming to you to beg to be the pilot. Enjoy.”
Despite that curse I put on him, I was pretty sure he didn’t care. At that moment Benny would have taken the pleading of the entire planet as long as he got to keep his new mech.
“But that isn’t all!” I called out over the noise and had every eye in the room focus back on me. “There has been an issue I have been considering for some time. Benny. Gauge. Step forward.” I waited for the two other Mechwarriors to move before I pointed.
“We orphans have some traditions. Most of them aren’t something we chose, but were forced on us. We aren’t the same as we were on Solaris. Gauge, Benny. Mechwarriors! How can you stand before us having reached such heights.” I paused letting the tension build for a few moments.
“Not having chosen a family name.” I let my words drift through the room. “We aren’t ruled by the matrons who took our name to make us fit into their world anymore. Pick a name. A name that will be synonymous with the mechs standing beside you. These machines are yours now. And some day, they will be your childrens.”
Both boys looked quite shocked at the request. Sure, they were both getting to the age they would have been given their original family names, or just choose one of their own. But this wasn’t about aging out. It was about becoming more than just the orphans we all were.
While Gauge hesitated, obviously unsure Benny didn’t. “Commander! My name it’s Benjamin Rommel! From now until I die.”
I smirked. “Big name. Are you up for that challenge?”
“I am!”
“Well then Lieutenant Rommel! Know that it won’t be until you die. It will be your name for far longer than that!”
The whispers and comments were flying through the room as I turned to Gauge, “Do you have your pick yet?”
“I do. Gauge Blake.” That was a name alright. I felt my eyebrows quirk up but only for a moment before I smiled and nodded. If that is what my best friend wanted, then that is what he got.
“Well. You also have a big name to live up to then!” I congratulated him. “Everyone, let's hear it for Benny Rommel, and Gauge Blake!” I called out to the group getting a cheer from the crowd of teenagers, Gauge and Benny both being swamped by the crowd.
I put out one final word before the crowd was dispersed to enjoy a small party I had set up. Everyone should start thinking about their own family names. It put an odd air on the party after, but at least it started the process.
----
In the end Benny decided to hold the fourth Centurion as a reward for the ones who did best in our little ‘boot’ camp. And let me tell you. The increase in discipline in my soldiers was astounding. Everyone was suddenly deadly serious about being the best soldier they could be.
Good job Benny.
But while everyone else was running around in bootcamp. Gauge, Benny and I were training. “C’mon Benny! Get up! How are you going to survive a battle when you fall on your ass, and it takes you a week to get up!” I yell at him over the radio as he staggers trying to crab walk back to his feet.
Benny had hit a sand dune, and it had slipped out from under him. This was not the first, nor the last time he had ended up flat, Gauge was getting better as well, but he still ate shit whenever he wasn’t focused.
I was still rubbing the bruise on my shoulder from where I had tilted sideways as a chunk of dirt had given way under my feet sending me tumbling into an old wash. The faint humm of a Large laser firing in the background hinted that Gauge was still working on his aim. Benny would be there soon once we got him secure enough on his feet.
“This… Is harder than it looks!” Benny grunted out as he seemed to finally get the position right, and with his gyro screaming he slowly righted himself regaining his feet. “Okay okay I got it, I got it.” He muttered over the open line as he slowly began taking a few more much more hesitant steps. I followed my own footing more confident, although I was keeping a close eye on the ground as I moved along with him.
Falling over in a Battlemech wasn’t a joke. Even if it was hilarious.
“It takes practice, honestly I’m not sure if it’s a good, or a bad thing, the ground out here is so bad. If it was better, this would be easier, but we wouldn’t be getting so much practice!”
The huff of irritation that came over my radio as my only response as Benny continued moving around in large circle, around the base. The path Gauge and I had started was becoming our unofficial Mechwarrior training course at this point. As we moved we eventually caught up to Gauge near the range I had set up.
“Gauge! No standing still. If you are shooting you need to be moving!” I yell at him as soon as we get close enough to see what he is doing and I could see the shoulders of his mech hunch in irritation as I see him start walking around as he is taking shots at the targets. His large laser was thankfully set to training mode, so he wasn’t burning through them with each shot letting him refine his aim over the hours we had been out here.
“Don’t complain. You wanted to be a Mechwarrior Mr. Blake? Then practice practice practice!”
The streaks of the Luxor 3 LRM 10 shooting off a moment later had me chuckle, as all the missiles ended up missing the targets. “Try again! We have plenty of ammo, and it’s good practice, for the techs to learn to reload our mechs.” I tell him watching him start shooting off the last few reloads for him LRM.
His jog back to the hangars where the mech techs were on duty to resupply our mechs ammo when needed was slowed when he nearly fell, but after a few moments he managed to get his gyro working for him, and he stepped over the shifting sands to keep moving.
We were all getting better. Slowly but surely.
-----
“Say that again?” I couldn’t help but ask, looking up from an update that Sergeant Kurtz had given about the training he was supervising.
Benny nodded. “Freddy came back with half the supplies he was sent out for. I was going to have a stern word with him but… He found the orphanage.”
“From how you are acting, and for Freidrich to hand away our supplies, it must have been bad.”
“It was. Freddy says the kids were basically starving. Apparently the water shortage has been… Rough for the orphanages. He dropped off enough supplies to help, but well. It’s getting around. Everyone is talking about it.”
I eased back away from my papers to think. Of course there were orphanages on Zaniah III. This was an age of war. Orphans were everywhere.
And of course my orphans would want to peek in on their cousins.
“Tell Freidrich he made the right choice. But next time he wants to hand over supplies he calls it in first. We have radios for a reason.” I grumble as I stand. “C’mon let’s go see what we are dealing with.” I grab my jacket and hat as I leave the comfortably cool room downstairs, to slowly rise up the ramp into the hell that is the Zaniah III surface.
Freidrich was waiting up top near his supply truck the fact he was wringing his hat in his hands at least told me he realized he had messed up.
Good thing for him, this was not just a military company but also a family. “You screwed up.” I told him as I walked up. Stopping close enough to jab a finger into his chest. “Tell me how you screwed up.”
I gave him a moment to process the question watching as the older boy hesitated before nodding. “I gave away supplies. Supplies that were meant to feed our soldiers, an-”
“Nope.” I cut him off instantly. “Wrong wrong wrong. You didn’t screw up by wanting to help the Zaniah orphans, Freidrich. We all know what it’s like, you screwed up because you didn’t use your radio to let us know what you were doing!” I poke him again just to get the point across. “If you had messaged us, we could already have another water truck filled and headed out. You are part of a group. Communication can not be something you leave until too late.”
With that I turned. Hopping back into the truck that he had driven back in. “Well, let’s go, I want to see this orphanage with my own eyes.” I ordered out. I amused myself counting down until Freidrich realized I had just given him an order as he hurriedly hopped into the truck to drive us off the base.
I wasn’t sure I was prepared for what I would find at this orphanage.
----
Pulling up to the ancient building that looked like it hadn’t had a coat of coat in a century didn’t leave me with great feelings. The old building looked run down, and doubly so when I noticed just how many kids were wandering around.
The fact every window was open told me they probably didn’t have a working AC. The moment I stepped out of the truck I could feel the heat slam into me and I began sweating. It was a hot day today. Even for Zaniah.
The many heads of young orphans, some younger and some older than me were peering out windows and up from where they were resting in whatever shade they could find. Freidrich stepped out beside me as I looked it over.
“It’s a shithole.”
“Yeah.” He stepped forward heading up the broken wooden steps that lead to the front entrance. Where a woman was just stepping out from deeper inside. “Ma’am. We brought some more water.” He offered. To the older woman who looked just as sweat soaked and tired as the orphans watching what was happening.
The look of relief I was expecting didn’t appear. Instead she hesitated before nodding. “Thank you, that will help.” She offered distantly.
Interesting.
“Freidrich, this the Matron here?”
“I am not.” She offered. The girl was probably mid twenties, early thirties with a harsh glare, and her dark hair tied up in a ponytail to keep the heat off her neck. “There hasn’t been an official matron to take care of the orphanage in a decade. I’m… The oldest. So I stayed. Sasha Frumpt.”
“Victoria Eisen-Blume. While Friedrich didn’t have permission, I have no problems with him delivering some supplies. If you let us know what you need we will make sure it appears.”
She seemed taken aback by the offer as her eyes narrow. “I don’t know you. What do you want? Normally, I would assume you’re here to buy slaves, but you are way too young for that.” She offered, and the fact she even had that thought in her head meant someone probably had come by at least once wanting to do just that.
I felt my fists clench.
“I’m an orphan. So is Freidrich if he didn’t tell you. So is everyone in my company.” I let that fill the air for a moment. “I’m Victoria Eisen-Blume, Commander of the Iron Blooded Company. But I suppose it would be more accurate to call us the Iron Blooded Orphans.” I say feeling a smirk stretch my lips despite myself.
I was never going to get tired saying that to peoples faces and being the only one to get the joke.
“Freidrich is my supply officer, he was checking on the orphanages in the area, call it checking in on distant cousins. He was not supposed to deliver the supplies here, but considering your situation. It’s obvious he did not deliver enough.” I stepped back and pointed to the truck. “It’s full of clean water. Where do you want it?”
Her hesitation appeared again before she swallowed it. “Around the back. That is where the water tank is located, we can fill it up there.”
“You heard the woman Freidrich.” he nods seriously before running back to the truck. “So, I’m curious what happened to the matrons that are supposed to be here. Katrina Steiner is pretty good about making sure us orphans are looked after if nothing else.”
“Pay. This isn’t the first year of drought. It’s been bad for a while. The money that gets paid to the Matrons of the orphanages, or at least this one hasn’t been available for years.” Sasha shrugged. “The last Matron, old lady Maria, died years ago. All the rest left when the pay stopped coming in. We still get some money for supplies, but well. That’s it. And it’s not enough. No with water being so expensive.”
“And the Governess hasn’t stepped in, or anyone in the Zaniah government?”
“Who would? I doubt they even know, that would involve them actually coming down here, to see how the orphanage is going… They only do that when they want one of us. Usually not even to adopt.”
“Well. We are here now.”
She looked me up and down. Being something like half her age, I doubt my assurance meant anything.
She would see. I would make sure of it.
----
The news took a while to reach us. Not least because we were so far outside of the city, but also because most kids, especially kids that are busy training in bootcamp, or working to keep everyone fed don’t really care much about the news.
That we did hear about it, says a lot about how much of an impact it was having on the sphere.
‘Katrina Steiner, Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth offers to all the great houses peace. An end to the Third succession war!?’
The paper was dropped onto my desk by Freidrich after another one of his much more common supply runs. The boy had to head out more often now that we were supplying the orphanage.
Although I had a feeling that wasn’t going to last long. I had already started to see some new orphans among my troops. Starting fresh in our little bootcamp.
My family was getting bigger.
But the headline was what everyone was talking about. Too bad for Bennys face that had been so interested in my reaction. I already knew this would happen.
“Too bad only the Fed Suns will actually agree.” I told my command staff after they dropped the paper off on my little desk.
“Aww c’mon Vicky! This might really be the end of the wars!” Gauge was eager, happy. As if this would finally stop the decline of the sphere and bring back the peace. Of course if you asked him, it was always ComStar that would eventually put an end to the wars.
“It won’t. The snakes will never accept this. They will treat it as a show of weakness. The League won’t either. They will think the same. Liao are too crazy to think that they are losing, so they will never accept peace. Davion will accept. It makes no sense for him to refuse, but that won’t be the end of the problems there.”
“You're no fun Vicky.” Gauge grumbled, while Benny chuckled. “I don’t entirely agree. I bet the League will accept. It would cover their most difficult border. Marik could finally take care of their internal issues. And probably take Canopus.”
“They won’t.” I argue with the benefit of hindsight. “That would require them to have more control than they have. Too many factions in the League want the fighting to continue.”
“Pff. We’ll see Commander.” Benny teased before turning serious. “Do have to worry about this. If the war ends, we might have trouble finding work in the future.”
Considering just how wrong that thought was, I almost burst into laughter, but I managed to keep my face straight. “There will always be fighting. Don’t worry. The Iron Blooded Company isn't going to run out of wars to fight anytime soon.”
“If you say so Commander.”
“Well this doesn’t change much, but it is interesting. I guess if nothing else we have a good Archon in charge right now. One that is shooting for peace.” I offer aloud.
----
I should have expected something like this, but when I got a radio message about a month after starting to supply the orphanage, that Sasha was hitching a ride to the base, and wanted to speak with me, it shouldn’t have come as such a surprise.
But I really hadn’t been expecting a woman to hijack a military supply truck and basically demand to be taken to our base. Friedrich did learn from before so he called it in, and I gave the go ahead, but I could hear the strain in his voice while he requested permission for her to be brought in, and well.
I doubt this was his idea.
So there I was waiting outside in the heat, my Locust parked as we had been training when I got the call, when the water truck came to our base. Was stopped at our checkpoint and then was driven up the no longer dirt road to where I was standing.
The road was actually a massive pain in the ass. I had wanted something more secure, but couldn’t just ‘create’ a road out of nothing without letting everyone know something was off.
So I cheated.
I created a bunch of road chunks that could be connected together to make a pretty smooth concrete road, so that between Gauge and Benny working together they could fit together with their Centurions. Giving them something to do while getting used to their mech, and fixing our crappy dirt road from checkpoint to hangar.
Thinking I was ready I waited for the truck to pull up and out stepped Sasha Frumpt. Who I would soon learn no one was ever truly ready to deal with.
No, the moment she stepped out of the truck she stomped over towards me, and actually picked me up right off my feet with a fist in my tank top. I realized she was in a mood.
“Where are my little brothers!” She growled the woman, easily picking me up to stand on my tip toes as I startled at her sudden attack.
“W-what?” I stuttered as I felt my boots scrabble on the ground to get traction before she suddenly let me go and I was flailing to keep upright.
“Don’t mess with me. I don’t care if you are a mercenary commander. My little brothers are coming home. Now.”
I blinked for a moment before realizing what she was getting at. “Ah, gotcha. Well that’s up to them. We aren’t kidnapping them, or keeping them hostage. I haven’t accepted any official new soldiers into the company since we landed, so if they are here, they are here because they want to be.”
“You are going to get them killed! They aren’t soldiers!”
“No, they are worse. They are ‘non-combatants’ you know the ones that when the battle breaks out, they don’t even have a gun to defend themselves with.” I snarked back but at least it quieted the argument for a moment. “I’m not exactly happy about having a bunch of kids as an army either. But frankly. I would rather do it my way than join some military unit at 16 and end up dying on a distant battlefield just because it was convenient. Look around. Every one of the kids you see around you are my family. Brothers sisters. And dammit. They are soldiers. Or they will be. At least I can make sure they get training and equipment to keep them as safe as possible.”
She grit her teeth. “They all left.” She finally said gritting her teeth. “I woke up this morning. And there wasn’t a single one of my brothers left. They are all here.”
I winced. There had only been like 20 orphans at her orphanage, but to hear they all had left leaving their eldest behind? Ouch.
She breathed deep and sighed. “I won’t be able to convince them to come back. Why would they? The orphanage was dying. Even if they came back, what would they get? A few years of peace before they have to leave? Fine. I’m staying too.” She poked me in the chest hard, and I winced.
That hurt.
“Don’t think I accept this. I’ll be here to watch over my brothers. If you screw up. I’ll drag them out of here. Regardless of what you say.” She hissed, before turning around and heading towards the PT course. I could see some of the newer trainees running around our course perk up as she approached.
Well that happened.
REALLY made them think hard of how to counter it.