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Fusiliers Forever: Chapter 2

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2
Solaris City
Solaris VII, Lyran Commonwealth
5 March 3038


Cera checked her pockets one last time to make sure she had everything, then locked the door to her flat and made her way down the stairs to the ground floor of her apartment building and out the front door, pausing to keep it open for Mrs Fujita, her elderly neighbour who thanked her for her kindness.
     Garadun was parked and waiting for her in front of the building, and she quickly got into the car with him. Barely audible, the vehicle's electric motor revved higher as he got them going. His car was a Scarab, a common model produced by Gienah Automotives, who also supplied wheeled armoured fighting vehicles to the Lyran military. The car was affordable and could go for about 1500 kilometres before needing a recharge. Garadun's had its fair share of dings and scratches, with a rear bumper sticker that read MY OTHER CAR IS A BATTLEMECH. Which, ironically, was true.
     The sky was dismally grey and overcast, and rain came down around them as they made their way through the streets of Kobe. This was, unfortunately, normal weather for central Grayland, one of Solaris VII's two continents and where Solaris City was located. The rest of the continent enjoyed comparatively nice weather, but the interior was damp and chill and saw little sunshine throughout the year. Why the original colonists had built Solaris City here and not on the coast where it was pleasant was a mystery. Fortunately for the planetary economy, people didn't come to Solaris City for the weather. But if you lived there, the constant rain and cloudy skies could get depressing.
     Cera settled into her seat and stared out the window at nothing in particular. When in the car with Garadun, there had never been an urge for her to fill the air with pointless chatter if there wasn't anything to say. It was a comfortable silence. He always drove because she had never bothered to get a vehicle of her own. She said she was waiting until she could afford an Avanti aircar, one of those custom sport jobs, but like that was going to happen anytime soon.
     They crossed the Solaris River over Founders Bridge, an ugly span of rusting black metal, and entered Black Hills, the Federated Suns section of the city. While the wealthy had stately mansions, the rest of the citizens lived in bleak neighbourhoods, many of which were squalid, crime-ridden slums. So much for the Federated Suns self-proclaimed image of prosperity, justice, and "We're the Good Guys." Garadun drove south along Cable Street until they reached Frances Avenue, where he made a right and headed west. When they got to Halloran Street he turned south again and they soon crossed into the International Zone. Cera instinctively breathed a sigh of relief. Black Hills could be dangerous enough, but for a resident of Kobe like herself, one of obvious Japanese ancestry, well, she was glad the car hadn't broken down, put it that way.
     They stayed on Halloran Street for a good long while, all the way through the Zone and passing along the eastern edge of the Solaris Spaceport. Garadun finally made a left on Powers Avenue and when they crossed Minnesota Way he started looking for someplace to park. It was futile – there were never any available spots this close to the Guild Hall. He gave up and drove into the underground carpark beneath the Guild Hall itself. It was expensive but it's not like he had much choice.
     "Got your battle holovids with you?" Garadun asked as they made their way to the lift that would take them to the main hall.
     "Right here," Cera replied, giving a nod and patting her pocket.
     "Good."
     Garadun sighed and shook his head when they stepped from the lift into the Guild Hall. The building was huge; a long, warehouse-like structure decorated in a Greco-Roman motif that really didn't suit what went on in the place. It wasn't even good Greco-Roman styling either, and completely clashed with all the huge holovid monitors, computer stations, information desks and throngs of people. Garadun pointed, and Cera gave a nod and made her way to an available booth while he went to one of the kiosks to see if there were any messages waiting for them. There weren't.
     "Any appointments?" Cera inquired hopefully when he rejoined her.
     "None," he said, sitting down and looking around the hall.
     "They have our files?"
     "Yup."
     Cera sighed and put her elbows on the table, cupping her chin in her hands. It looked like it was going to be another long day.

                                                                           *****

By late afternoon all they'd accomplished was Cera getting a single interview with a representative from Lindon's Company, a small but well-regarded mercenary unit. Her application wound up being denied; in part because Cera had stipulated that if the unit wanted her then they had to take Garadun as well. They were a team and there was no way she would let herself be split up from him. He felt exactly the same.
     Garadun had just brought her a coffee and a sweet roll, thinking they might pack it in for the day, or at least go grab a proper dinner in a sit-down restaurant when something caught his eye. Someone to be exact. She was at one of the information counters and she was quite beautiful. Creamy skin, blue-grey eyes, long pale golden hair, a bit above average height and in her early to mid-twenties. She wore a knee-length black leather skirt, matching top and boots, and a sweeping coat of pastel grey, sheared fur with a large upturned collar that framed her lovely face.
     But more important than getting Garadun's blood pumping was the fact that she was talking to the clerk he had bribed – sorry, shouldn't say that, let's call it a finders fee, yeah, that sounds better – to send any potential employers looking for MechWarriors his and Cera's way. The clerk stuck out his arm and pointed directly at Garadun, and the blonde turned to look at him. She nodded to the clerk and started walking over. Excited, he immediately put his hand on Cera's shoulder.
     "Get up, we've got company," he said in a quiet but urgent tone. Cera immediately followed his gaze and her hormones also spiked when she took in the sight of the woman heading in their direction. She hurriedly scooted from the booth and stood up, running a hand over her silky hair and wishing she was better dressed. She was wearing a fitted white tank top with ORION FAN across the chest, close-fitting pale blue jeans pulled over boots, and her Chameleon Stables jacket. Garadun was equally casual in tan fatigues, his comfy combat boots, and a brown t-shirt with the Timbiqui Spirits company logo on the front. His jacket was on the seat.
     "Good afternoon. Are you Garadun Morr?" the woman asked.
     "That's me," he said, offering his hand. "This is my partner, Cera Kuroda."
     "Nice to meet you," said Cera with a bright smile, also offering her hand.
     "Likewise." The woman shook their hands. "I'm Baroness Alexandra Grosvenor. I'm looking for skilled MechWarriors and I've been told you're it."
     "That we are," said Cera. "We're a team."
     "Would you care to sit down, my Lady?" Garadun suggested.
     "Thank you," said Alexandra and slipped off her fur before sliding into the booth. Cera sat down opposite her, quickly getting out her datachip.
     "I love your coat, it's gorgeous," Cera remarked enviously.
     "Thank you. It's one of my favourites."
     "Can I get you something to drink, my Lady?" Garadun offered.
     "I'm fine, thank you," said Alexandra, so he sat beside Cera. "All right, I guess I'll get right to it. I'm looking to start a new mercenary company, which is why I've made Solaris my first stop. Everyone knows some of the best pilots can be found here."
     "True enough," said Garadun agreeably.
     Alexandra sighed. "It took me two months to get here from Pencader," she said and then added for their benefit, "that's at the far end of the Lyran Commonwealth, near the Periphery along the border of the Free Worlds League. Two months travel and I've been on Solaris over a fortnight and so far I haven't found anyone willing to sign on with me. Honestly, I don't understand. I mean to say, I've got my own ships, my own Thunderbolt, yet no-one seems interested in–"
     "Excuse me," said Garadun, laying his hands flat on the table and leaning forward. "But did you say ships? Your own ships? As in plural?"
     "Yes. A Tramp class JumpShip, Distant Memory, and a Union class DropShip, Shearling. They belong to my family. I inherited them."
     Cera let out an impressed whistle. Garadun's mind tried to take in the idea of a single person actually owning two spaceships. His neurons fizzled out.
     "But no-one has been interested in signing on," Alexandra explained. "I've been told I actually have to have a registered unit before I can even… But, really, how can I recruit MechWarriors in the first place if I can't–"
     "Okay, hang on," said Garadun soothingly. "You're new here, my Lady."
     "Please, call me Alexandra."
     "Alexandra, thank you. Beautiful name, by the way."
     Flirt, thought Cera with an inward smile. But lock and load, Gar. She's lovely.
     "The thing of it is, you've unfortunately run into that horrible beast known as Solaris Red Tape. Whoever you've been dealing with has been messing with you, Alexandra. Bureaucrats do that to newcomers, the bastards."
     "Shoot the lot of 'em," Cera muttered in agreement.
     "You don't need to be registered with the Guild Hall to recruit," he explained. "Anybody can talk to anybody. Getting an actual contract with an employer – okay, for that you have to be registered with a Hiring Hall. But that's not a problem. You can register a new unit right here in the Guild Hall. It's an officially sanctioned Hiring Hall. You don't have to go all the way to Galatea in person to do that. If someone told you that, they lied to you."
     Alexandra sat back and seemed to deflate a bit, but looked relieved as well.
     "As for no-one signing on with you," he said and waggled his hand. "It's true a lot of 'Mech jocks only wanna join established merc units. Especially pilots with full military backgrounds. You said you have a 'Mech? A Thunderbolt?"
     "Yes."
     "Where'd you get your training?" Cera asked.
     Alexandra looked uncomfortable, but answered. "Well…I attended the War College of Buena. For a year. They, well…" She sighed, embarrassed. "They dropped me after the first year. Said I didn't have what it takes to be a soldier."
     "What a bunch of jerks," said Cera, supportively.
     "My father sent me to business school after that, yet I never gave up my dream of being a MechWarrior. But after I completed my training at Pencader College, there really wasn't much for me to do. Father ran the family business."
     Alexandra's beautiful face filled with an expression of melancholy. "Then Mother and Father died. An aircar accident, of all things. Stupid universe. After all my family's been through over the centuries and my parents die in something as unfair as–"
     She took a breath and composed herself. "Sorry."
     "Don't worry about it," Garadun told her gently. "My condolences." Cera gave her a compassionate smile and reached across the table, squeezing her hand.
     "Thank you," said Alexandra gratefully. "It was just me and Elizabeth then. She's my little sister. After the funeral I decided I was going to try and reclaim my dream. I hired retired military officers as private tutors and had them teach me tactics, leadership, how to pilot a BattleMech, everything."
     "What you would've learned at the academy," Garadun observed.
     "Exactly," said Alexandra, glad of his and Cera's support. "For the better part of six years I've been studying and training, and working really hard. My instructors put me through the same programme they use at Buena. I'm as good as any cadet."
     "I don't doubt it. But like any other newly-graduated cadet you don't have any field experience, not yet."
     "No, none," said Alexandra, blushing.
     "But you're equal to any new soldier who's done their first bit of boring garrison duty," said Cera, and Alexandra nodded.
     "Well, everyone's gotta start somewhere," said Garadun, getting another smile from Alexandra. "And we can't all be graduates of the Nagelring or whatever. Hey, you think me or Cera have been to some fancy military academy? Not a chance. We got our training right here on Solaris."
     "Chameleon Stables," Cera supplied. "Then four years in the arenas."
     "And we're still alive."
     "That's impressive," said Alexandra.
     "Together we've seen more combat than most House troops see in their careers. Look, Alexandra. You've been honest with us, so we'll be honest with you. We lost our jobs when our stable went bust. One of the owners was an embezzler. Now no other stable will touch us until this mess goes away. We've been trying to find a mercenary unit to join, but none have been interested in hiring us either."
     "Even though we have our own 'Mechs," said Cera proudly. "I have an Orion named Shinigami, and Gar has a Hunchback he calls Igor."
     Alexandra grinned. "I call my Thunderbolt the Iron Giant."
     "And you have your own JumpShip," said Garadun, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Lot of mercenaries hire the same DropShip repeatedly, or the captains sign on as full-fledged permanent members, especially with the big outfits. But only the largest and most successful companies actually have their own JumpShips."
     "There's none other like Distant Memory, I promise you that," said Alexandra with obvious love and pride.
     Garadun shared a look with Cera. She nodded enthusiastically.
     "Well, Lady Alexandra, what do you say? We seem to have the same problem, and the same solution." He offered his hand. "May we sign on with you?"
     "I'd be honoured," she said, warmly shaking each of their hands. "You have no idea what this means to me."
     "Same here," said Cera, elated.
     "And I know some guys who'd also be interested in signing on," he said and took out his mobile phone.
     "Really?"
     "Who?" Cera asked, puzzled.
     "Jimmy Han for a start." Garadun looked at Alexandra. "Top-notch mechanic. Been working on arena 'Mechs for eight years now, not counting his internship. He was at our stable for the last four years. We'll need at least one Tech."
     "I couldn't agree more," said Alexandra.
     "Then there's Ian," he said, bringing up the number. "'Mech jock. Well, wants to be. Has the training, has his own ride, but nobody'll touch him."
     Alexandra frowned. "Why not?"
     "He's been blacklisted. Long story."
     "But Ian's good people," Cera assured her.
     "Hey, Ian, what's up, man?" said Garadun into his visphone (he always kept the visual component switched off). Over a thousand years since the thing had been invented and people still called it a phone. Some names just stick. "Yeah, it's me. Look, me and Cera are over at the Guild Hall, and if you're fed up with getting rejection notices, then get your butt over here. We hit the target. Yes, I'm serious. Our new commander is sitting right across from me."
     Alexandra beamed. Commander. She liked that.
     "No, it's brand-new. As in we're the first members. No, I'm not pulling your chain." He put his hand over the phone. "Do we have a name?" he asked.
     "I was thinking the 'Fighting Fusiliers'."
     "I like it," said Cera brightly. "Nice ring to it."
     "The unit's called the Fighting Fusiliers," Garadun told Ian. "Now get over here." He hung up. "He's on his way."
     "So what does Ian pilot?" Alexandra asked.
     "Dervish. Modified of course, just like mine and Cera's rides." He dialled again. "Now to talk to Jimmy. Chief Tech. Heh. He's always wanted that job."

The advertising firms who design the recruiting posters for the Federated Suns and the Lyran Commonwealth would have been thrilled to get Ian in front of a holocamera. He fit the picture of what they wanted to sell to the public, he really did.
     To begin with he was handsome. Like, holovid star handsome. Not pretty boy good-looking but ruggedly handsome. Blue eyes, dark brown hair in a stylish yet still manly cut, a good build (enough to be appreciated by the ladies, the lean muscles suited to soldiers) and at 178 centimeters he was just the right height. He was likeable, friendly, and had a personal code of honour. As for the pedigree…
     Garadun saw Ian and waved him over, and everyone got out of the booth to greet him. Alexandra, like most women, liked what she saw. He wore a MechWarrior's jacket, yet curiously one without any unit or stable patches. His pants were pulled over heavy boots, and the boots had spurs strapped to them. It was a Federated Suns MechWarrior tradition, harkening back to the antiquated cavalry. But unlike the ones worn these days which were blunt, his actually had sharp spikes on the rowels. That was the Solaris edge, as Garadun put it. Pun intended.
     "Good to see you, man," said Garadun, shaking his hand.
     "Glad to be here," said Ian. "Hi, Cera."
     "Hey, Ian," she said warmly.
     "Right, introductions," said Garadun. "Ian, this is Baroness Alexandra Grosvenor. My Lady, may I present Edward Ian Davion, a good friend of mine."
     Alexandra's eyes widened and she gave a little gasp. Davion. As in the ruling family of the Federated Suns. She was royalty herself with a centuries-old title, but the Davions were among the elite, the rulers of an entire Successor State.
     "My friends just call me Ian," he said, used to the reactions he got.
     "A pleasure to meet you," said Alexandra, and he took her hand and kissed it.
     "The pleasure is mine, my Lady."
     "My friends call me Alexandra," she said, smiling.
     Ian grinned. "Fair enough."
     "And just to get it all in the open," Garadun interjected, "Ian may be a Davion, but he's just folks now. Abdicated his claim to his title, the family holdings, everything."
     "Thanks, Gar."
     "Best to make it understood straight off, man."
     "True enough." He looked at Alexandra and handed her a datachip. "My file is all there, but I'll give you the rundown. I'm from Salem, and like most Davions I went to the New Avalon Military Academy. At the end of my graduating year there was a training accident in a live-fire exercise and a cadet died. In the lance I was commanding."
     Ian looked at his boots, the bad memories hitting home.
     "Ian stepped up, took the blame for it even though it wasn't his fault," said Garadun, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder.
     "It was my lance, my responsibility."
     "Yeah, you did the honourable thing," said Garadun, then scowled and looked at Alexandra. "But the brass didn't. The cadet who died was the son of a Duke, and he raised all kinds of hell. The brass caved in and busted Ian out of NAMA and ruined his career. Accidents happen, but Duke Douchebag wanted blood and got it."
     Ian sighed. "I've tried getting work as a mercenary on Galatea and on Outreach. No-one will hire me. Duke DuVall had me blacklisted. So here I am."
     Alexandra knew what it was to be judged unfairly. "Well it sounds to me like you acted as a real man should, did the right thing, and got punished for it. Ian, I would be honoured to have you in my unit. If you want to join, that is."
     Ian looked first at Garadun and Cera, who gave him supportive smiles. He'd only known them five months but they were the best friends he'd ever had. They didn't give a damn about his name or his record or whatever anybody else thought. To them he was just Ian, just a buddy, not a Davion in disgrace. He gave Alexandra a salute.
     "I would be honoured to join you, my Lady."
     Alexandra happily returned the salute. "Welcome to the Fighting Fusiliers."
     "I'm really glad you're with us, Ian," said Cera and gave him a hug which he returned with pleasure. The people of the Draconis March would have had a screaming fit if they'd seen a Davion embracing someone from the Draconis Combine, but he could care less. To hell with them. Cera Kuroda was his friend.
     "Good on ya, bud," said Garadun, slapping him on the shoulder.
     "Thanks."
     "Garadun tells me you pilot a Dervish," said Alexandra as they sat back down at the booth. "The family 'Mech I presume?"
     "No, actually it's new," Ian replied. "A gift from my parents after my first year at the academy. Straight from the factory. It's even got one of those new extra-light engines they've been making the last few years. Being a Davion does have its perks."
     "Extra-light engine?" she said quizzically.
     "Much bulkier than normal but half the weight," Garadun supplied. "Ever since the Gray Death Memory Core was disseminated, the secrets of Star League lostech are being rediscovered. Extra-light engines are being produced again, but in very small numbers. They usually go to elite units, but like Ian says, being a Davion has its perks."
     "You sound quite knowledgeable."
     "One of the advantages of Solaris is that it makes a great test bed for the weapons and 'Mech manufacturers. The arenas provide the perfect place to see how stuff works in actual combat. Lots of new tech comes through here, and if you've got the money and connections then you can get your hands on some of it."
     "Gar and I have upgraded our rides," Cera added. "We both had CASE installed. That stands for Cellular Ammunition Storage Equipment. In the event of an ammo explosion, it blows the force of the blast out the back of your 'Mech, saving it from blowing up completely."
     "My Dervish has CASE as well," said Ian, nodding.
     "Would it be possible to have CASE installed on my Thunderbolt?" Alexandra asked Garadun. "I have plenty of money to pay for it."
     "No problem. I know a dealer. CASE is one of the easiest of the new technologies to get. It's expensive as hell, but you can get it. Given that it saves a 'Mech jock from getting his ass blown to bits, pardon my French, it's quite popular."
     "And here's the man to do the installation," said Cera, suddenly getting out of the booth. She waved. "Jimmy! Over here!"
     Cera made the introduction.
     "Baroness Alexandra Grosvenor, I'd like you to meet Jimmy Han, mechanical genius. Jimmy, this is Lady Alexandra, our new commander."
     Jimmy gave Alexandra a formal bow. "I'm honoured, my Lady."
     "I'm very pleased to meet you, Mr Han. Cera and Garadun have spoken quite highly of you and your technical expertise."
     "They're very kind," he said, bowing again.
     Jimmy Han was, like Cera, born and raised on Solaris. But whereas she was from Kobe, he was from Cathay, the Capellan Confederation sector of the city. He was in his late twenties and of Chinese ancestry. Like most Capellan citizens he was proud of his roots, but his patriotism didn't go much further than that. Solaris City was extremely cosmopolitan and despite the national rivalries the assorted peoples of the Inner Sphere mixed on Solaris like nowhere else. All he knew of the Capellan Confederation came from his parents, who'd emigrated years before the Fourth Succession War.
     "How'd you like to be the Chief Tech of a brand-new mercenary company, Jimmy?" Garadun asked, motioning him to sit down.
     "Chief Tech?" said Jimmy with a glint in his eye.
     "That's right. You'd be my Chief Tech, in charge of maintenance of all the company's BattleMechs and vehicles, Mr Han," said Alexandra. "Any other Techs or astechs we hire would of course be your staff. Salary commensurate with your position."
     "Come on, Jimmy, say yes," said Cera, wheedling. "I don't want anyone working on Shinigami but you."
     "You'd be completely in charge of maintenance, Mr Han," said Alexandra, nodding. "Whatever tools, equipment or parts you need, I promise I'll do whatever I can to see you get them. Too many units go to seed because those in charge are too cheap and too stupid to realise that proper upkeep is essential. I know better."
     "Chief Technician Jimmy Han," he said, staring into space with a slight smile.
     "He's in," said Garadun, chuckling.
     "Is that true, Mr Han?"
     "Count me in, Lady Alexandra," said Jimmy, looking thrilled. "I've been fixing things since I was a kid. Being Chief Tech has been a lifelong dream of mine."
     "Then welcome to the Fighting Fusiliers, Chief Technician Han," said Alexandra and reached across the table and shook his hand.
     "Thank you, Lady Alexandra," he said, grinning, and did a high-five with Cera.
     "Great to have you aboard, Jimmy," said Ian.
     "Thanks, man."
     "I have to say, this is wonderful," said Alexandra, elated. "Until now I've had no luck at all. But in one afternoon I've managed to put together a lance of MechWarriors and have even managed to hire a Tech."
     "Here's to the Fighting Fusiliers," said Ian, raising a fist.
     "Indeed. This calls for a celebration. I say we have dinner. On me of course, your new company commander."
     "Sounds great!" Cera exclaimed.
     "I'm staying at the Solaris Hilton and the restaurant there, the Amber Garden, is very good. Why don't we meet there at say, eight o'clock? I'll make the reservations."
     "The Solaris Hilton?" said Cera, amazed. "I've never even been in there. That's the best hotel in the entire city!"
     "My suite is comfortable, no argument," Alexandra agreed. "So is eight all right with everyone? Gives us time to get refreshed."
     "We'll see you at eight, Lady Alexandra," said Ian, nodding.
     "Yes, thank you very much," Garadun added, and everyone got up from the booth.
     "It's my pleasure," she said gratefully, and pulled on her fur coat before strolling away, taking out her mobile as she went.
     Cera was beside herself. "The Amber Garden! God, I've got nothing to wear for a place like that! What'll I do?"
     "You've got plenty of nice outfits, sweetie, don't worry," Garadun assured her. "Besides, you're so beautiful you could walk in wearing your cooling vest, shorts and combat boots and you'd still look great."
     Ian chuckled. "She'd turns heads, that's for sure."
     "Yes, for all the wrong reasons," said Cera and grabbed Garadun's arm. "Come on, you gotta drive me home. I gotta get ready."
     "See you later, guys," he said, grinning, and let her drag him away.
Fusiliers Forever is set in the BattleTech universe. Characters appearing use the MechWarrior 3rd Edition game rules for stats. The BattleTech setting is copyright Catalyst Game Labs.


Fusiliers Forever is an original story, and all the characters therein are copyright by me.

You can find all the chapters of the book here [link]

Map of the Lyran Commonwealth [link]
BattleMechs appearing in the novel [link]
Vehicles appearing in the novel [link]
Distant Memory and Shearling [link]
© 2012 - 2024 DrOfDemonology
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S7alker117's avatar
What a bunch of nice people! Great characters!

Now I'm addicted! Damn you! :D