Chapter 4
Fine Print
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16th April, 3022
The Union class Dropship sat there and I was actually surprised by the sight of it. It's weapons tracked, but sections of hull had been cratered by the impact of my improvised artillery barrage. Having refit at the Leopard as we secured salvage and returned with a truck provided by our employers carrying our hostages I advanced at the forefront of our oversized Lance and beheld the ship before me.
A semi-spherical craft almost 82 metres across and 78 tall it should have been an imposing structure, especially as it's weapons tracked me. But I was not overly concerned. The Ironstorm Missile Pod now resting on my shoulders, the wounded arm replaced with the Thermal Cannon in case we needed to crack open the skin of the dropship.
Behind us a pair of industrialmechs from our employers moved up. The quadmech designs ill suited for combat. "This is the CNV Shang Tsung, you have violated Capellan Confeder..."
I widened my stance and the warhorns blared in a cacophony of machine-anger.
Markham cut across the line. "Captain Marcus Yang of the Shang Tsung, your commanding officer, Theodore Lee has already issued his surrender to us. The Capellan Confederation has no authority out in the Periphery and our employers have executed a contract for this site. I'm afraid your trespass is unwelcome. You can surrender now, or we can discuss further unpleasantness."
The line was silent for some time. "We demand to speak with Commander Lee."
"Thermal registers in the dropship are rising Boss, I do believe they're trying to light their drives." I said watching the auspex readings rising as I focused its attention on the dropship.
"Captain Yang, I would not continue that course of action were I you. Should your ships drives fire, so will we." Markham said, a note of sadness in his voice.
"If you think a mere five mechs can bring down a Union before we leave your range, all while we rain down hell..." The Captain's transmission was cut off as I stepped forwards, the Warhorns blaring once more. The sound almost ringing the unions hull like a bell.
"I am afraid Captain that it is you who were mistaken, there is no artillery battery whose shots will fall short. The cannons of the Mech angrily yelling at you put those fine holes in your armour. And I can see from here where an ammo explosion has gutted one of your LRM batteries, do you think you've patched it well enough to handle being in a vacuum without leaving the entire section depressurised?" Markham said, "Perhaps your superiors in the Confederation would overlook abandoning hostages, including the Commander."
Markham strode his mech forwards and aimed one PPC at the truck carrying the prisoners. "Captain Yang, i'm afraid I must insist. Shut down your drives, surrender, and you and your entire crew are to disembark. Do so peacefully and i'll see you're returned to the Confederation."
He paused.
"Or don't. And we will blast your ship where it stands, board and execute everyone we see."
There was no trace of any niceties involved now. My march had not stopped, even as weapons nervously tracked me. My Battlecannon tracked the nearest weapon emplacement, a PPC unless I missed my estimate, the Thermal Cannon however was aimed much lower, an attempt to launch would result in a melta blast at close range directly to the engines.
"Thermals are stable." I said checking the auspex.
"You have sixty seconds to decide. At the thirty second mark I will destroy this truck and all our prisoners as a demonstration of our resolve. I do not want to have to do this." Markham said gambling.
"This is Captain Yang... we surrender." The loading ramp lowered as the reactor dropped closer to base running temperatures, the weapons going slack as they were shut down. It took some minutes for the crew of the dropship to begin making their way out, wrapped up in thick clothing to protect against the weather.
"Warden, can you pick up anything else?"
I played the Auspex over the crew and dropship, cycling it through all its possible permutations, searching for anything out of place. But if there was any booby traps, self destruct or other problem the Auspex couldn't detect it.
"Nope, it appears to be all clear according to my sensors boss." I said as I turned my guns on the men descending the ramp. They flinched as my countenance turned to face them. The glowing eyes leering from behind the faceplate judging them.
"Good." His Marauder advanced up towards the Union.
"Boss, how generous are those salvage rights?" I said turning to look at the Union.
"Highly, we're permitted to claim priority salvage on 70% of an OpFor," Markham said as he turned to look at the dropship, "Warden, I have an idea, as you know, we're in debt up to the eyeballs because of our Leopard, but if we were to claim salvage and I just happened to grant you personal title over a slightly used Union, then it's yours and the banks can't repossess it. Allowing the company to lease use of it."
"And in doing so, we could rebuild a bit, hire some more Mechwarriors, secure some more mechs, like the Atlas and Catapults, get some crew for it. Maybe even a couple of Aerospace Pilots." I said the gears having already been turning over in my head.
"Bigger contracts, and no debt on the Union, mean we can get it paid off more easily, bigger company equals bigger jobs." Markham finished.
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"You expect us to agree to you declaring an entire Union Class Dropship as salvage?!" Smithson practically shouted as the properly filled forms for our priority salvage was handed to her. Her eyes wide in surprise.
"We certainly do, per the terms of our contract. Along with the Atlas and both Catapults. We're perfectly willing to forfeit the remainder of our salvage claims, but the Union fired on us during the hostilities making it part of the Opposing forces, thus eligible for salvage claim." Markham said as he studied the report on the Union's status. It was in reasonable condition despite the damage. "In addition, it's the most politically convenient option. You don't have to worry about the Capellan's becoming curious as to how the Federated Suns suddenly have a brand new dropship so soon after they lost one of their own. We scrub it's identity, officially list it as legitimate salvage in periphery action, countersigned by yourself, and though the Capellans can lament their loss, it becomes our problem."
Smithson turned to face me, discomforted by the weapon on my hip. "Are you truly willing to risk angering the Capellans?" She asked, "they make extremely unpleasant enemies."
I nodded, it seems my role as Markham's second, in the field at least, been assumed. Darius was with us but made no comment, trusting in Markham. "The Capellan's are formidable, especially Romano, but I'm confident that ultimately we'll be free of any especial entanglements, like you I doubt they're going to be in a hurry to admit they're out here looking for some Star League era pot of gold."
"Of course, if you simply sign our priority salvage, we might find it in our hearts to consider contracts on offer by you with a more favourable light than others, after all, such generosity should garner a modicum of loyalty." Markham said turning on a winning smile that fell on the ice queen with all the effect of an infantryman trying to box an Atlas.
Her expression was unchanged and if anything she looked upset by it.
"I... I can't dispute your logic. And signing the salvage over to Cain will sidestep some of the banks hounding you,..." She sighed, "The issue is the impact on me. Authorising this... is required by law and the terms of our contract, but having to justify it is a harder sell."
"Is it?" I said leaning against the wall, "We were hired as a security detail, with extremely favourable conditions due to expected issues, we managed to defeat a heavy and light lance as well as a lance of combat vehicles and two aerospace fighters as well as survive the engagement. Your mission here wasn't salvage or mechs. From what I can tell, you will need us for at least another month while you're working here."
"Yes, it is. Because there will be those in the Federated Suns who do have power over me saying I should have forced a negotiation to let us keep the dropship instead," She leaned back, "think about it, you're asking I sign off on a hundred and eighty five million cbills starship."
She cursed under her breath and signed the salvage contract, along with the waiving of further salvage rights for the duration of the mission.
"Thank you Smithson." Markham said plainly.
"Don't thank me, if this goes south and I get shafted over this, the least you can do is give me a berth and a job... assuming they don't just trump up some sort of charges to get me thrown into a hole where they can forget about me." She said, the last almost more to herself.
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The bridge of the Union was relatively cramped, the entire ship was, a hallmark of the type. Markham sat in the XO's chair, leaving the Captain's seat for me. "I can't believe we actually got that to swing." He barked a laugh as Darius studied the computers.
"Neither can I boss, either this job is a lot more dangerous than we thought or you've got friends upstairs," Darius said, "odd, supplies are flush with parts, there's a couple of salvagers in the cargo hold, oh boy..."
"What is it Darius?" Markham said heading over and looking at the display, "Holy shit... the Union was here basically for the same reason we were, security for a science team but it's due a week from now, these guys were supposed to secure the site for their arrival."
I called up the display on the chairs own screen and studied it. "A mule, travelling by leased Invader, the 'Tomtom'. So, what are we doing for crew, and maybe pilots for our mechs?"
Markham nodded. "I'm sending Darius in the Hysteria to the nearest civilised port with a hiring hall, I've got a few friends from my work with Arano that might be interested in the work. Though we need to get your ship into dock at some point."
"Oh?" I said inputting the command codes taken from the Capellan Captain, gaining access to the ships core systems.
"The combat vehicle bays may be a liability, we could take more mechs for the weight and i'm thinking it might be a good investment." Markham said turning to face.
"Why foot the cost of replacing the CV bays when we can just pick up a few tanks when we can spare the cash? A couple of SturmFeur's and Schreks would be a nasty long ranged heavy tank lance. Buy a couple Chippewa's at some point and get some talented pilots and we graduate from a Mercenary Mech unit into a combined arms company." The silence was deafening and I looked up to see Markham looking at me.
Fortunately, I didn't see any derision of contempt. "Lots of thought on the subject eh Warden? Not exactly a cheap plan."
"True, eleven million for the Chippewa's if we can secure a source, eight for a pair of Schreks, four point eight for the SturmFeurs," I said with a shrug, "it'd probably cost that much just to pay a yard to swap out the CV bays, but you're right. It's expensive as hell."
"Nothing wrong with plans Warden, we'll need them in the days to come." Markham said