New Avalon System
Federated Suns
May 20th, 3026
We have finally arrived in the New Avalon system and are waiting to be inspected at the Zenith jump point. Seven months is a long time to be stuck on a dropship, having gone non-stop from Tharkad for security reasons.
Lisa and I have only tried to kill each other once Ha Ha. Over all our relationship is going well as we seem to enjoy each other's company. Although there is still the under current of being pushed towards each other for dynastic reasons. She of course has less of an issue with it than I do as she was raised with the expectation this may be required of her. I have learned a great deal from her about the Lyran court and the prevailing politics. She has also helped me better understand my role as a Duke. All things considered she would make a fine companion and wife, but we are not in love at this point. I am becoming more enamored with her as the time passes so the potential is there for love in the future.
I hope I am ready to jump into classes as I have completed my studies of the material provided by the NAIS. It will be interesting to see if Doctor Banzai actually looks like the actor Peter Weller. I will just be happy to be on solid ground and breathing non recycled air for a change. Lets just not think about where our recycled water comes from. Damn too late!
Having passed our inspection, we are now waiting for a squadron of Corsairs to arrive and escort us to the NAIS space port. Even though we are allies it has been requested that we not launch any of our fighters as a security measure to protect the NAIS. I agree and order our fighters to remain on standby in rotating squadrons as a precautionary measure.
The trip down to New Avalon will take seven and a half days, I hope the pilots out there have dropship support and a means to rotate the escort as I would not want to spend all that time in a cockpit.
We will be grounding shortly at the assigned area next to an access point for secure under ground storage. I have been informed there will be no ceremony or official greeting as the goal is to look like a normal cargo delivery. Apparently, the security force has been hidden for the most part. For instance, the 'cadets' on maneuvers nearby are actually Davion Guards MechWarriors.
Once it is safe to disembark, I will join Lisa and the other exchange pilots to meet with our new host's. I have my secure case with a copy of the library core and a data chip with Katrina's plans and information approved by her and Simon which is to be given to Hanse Davion and the Federated Suns, now that relations have improved after the doppelganger incident.
My luggage will be taken to my assigned quarters by some functionary as a Duke does not carry his own luggage etc. Lisa has informed me that a proper staff will be waiting for me upon my return to Loxley, courtesy of Katrina. Apparently, a lot of the work in preparing my Dukedom is being handled by Katrina's trusted personnel. I am sure there will be Steiner loyalists / informants amongst said staff but I expected that to be the case. I just hope no foreign spies make it passed the screening.
Making my way underground with the pilots I am pulled aside by a man in the uniform of the Davion Guards while Lisa and the others continue to follow their escorts. He introduces himself as Colonel Sortek and requests I follow him to a secure room so that they can verify my identity. I of course do so as I have no chance in hell of getting out of here if they don't allow it. I am also a very important guest and thus should be treated with respect and not outright interrogated. At least I tell myself that. About an hour later Colonel Sortek escorts me to meet with Prince Davion and his selected advisors.
Upon entering the conference room, I follow the advice of both Lisa and Colonel Sortek in properly greeting the Prince. With the formal greetings and official hand over of the contents of the secure case on Katrina's behalf out of the way, the atmosphere has relaxed considerably. Doctor Banzai looks exactly like Peter Weller but Prince Davion is only similar in looks to Sean Connery. I still find it strange to be sitting in a room with famous characters from Battletech. In attendance with the Prince are Princes' Champion Yvonne Davion, Doctor Banzai and of course Colonel Sortek not to mention the ever-present guards. The reason there are not more people attending the meeting is that the Prince is not actually here so to speak. A more formal meeting as befits a visiting Duke will take place in the future.
Prince Davion starts off the discussions by informing me that I may call him Hanse in private at the recommendation of Katrina and requests the others also allow the use of their fist names. I thank each of them for agreeing to this courtesy and offer the same in return.
Hanse continues by requesting my recommendations on how to proceed with all that I have brought him as I have had some time to examine the equipment and information available from the future and the library core.
"I would suggest a similar course of action to Katrina's, use the knowledge in the core to reactivate, repair or improve existing production lines.
Examine the core for civilian technology applications that will improve their lives and your economy.
Work towards standardizing your armed forces to improve your logistics situation.
Those would be my general suggestions, the data chip in the case has an outline of Katrina's plans, her requests and information for your eyes-only Hanse."
"As to more specific suggestions, double heat sinks or 'Freezers' as they are sometimes referred to as, would be the biggest force multiplier at this point. I am not sure how far along your program has progressed in regards to double heat sinks or how difficult it would be to upgrade existing fusion plants to make use of them. I can however suggest creating the material needed for double heat sinks in a zero-g environment as that is the process outlined in the library core.
The two weapon systems I think could be adopted in time for the coming war would be the LB10X autocannon and the MML5."
"I am not sure if you are familiar with the LB10X or not but it weighs a ton less and has a longer range when compared to a typical AC10. It can also fire standard autocannon rounds as well as cluster rounds . This would make it a good upgrade for any mech mounting an AC10 such as your Centurions and Enforcers. Also being a Star League designed weapon, the core has information on how to build them."
The MML5 will have to be reverse engineered as it is a design from the future. It does not however use any advanced materials or processes to manufacture as far as I can tell. The MML5 is a missile system capable of using both LRM and SRM ammunition thus acting as a LRM5 and an SRM5 in the same package. It weighs three tons or five tons if you include two tons of ammunition to supply it. I am unsure as to why the other MML models are 3, 7 and 9 tubes as they don't make efficient use of a standard ton of ammunition. Perhaps with Doctor Banzai's help we could come up with a ten-tube version.
I can see the Dervish benefitting from the MML5. I would replace each LRM10 with a pair of MML5's while dropping the SRM2's and making use of the original four tons of ammo. This would maintain the long-range fire power while significantly increasing the short-range firepower at the cost of a third more heat generation when firing all four MML5's verses the LRM10's. The Shadow Hawk or any other mech mounting LRMs' and SRM's could also benefit from this weapon system to increase short-ranged fire power at the cost of additional heat generation. Additionally, when double heatsinks become available the weapon will become less of burden to heat management."
"I have many more Ideas I wish to consult with Doctor Banzai about but they would-be, longer-term projects. May I suggest you review the information on the data chip Katrina provided and arrange a meeting at your convenience if you wish to consult me. I am sure you are as busy as Katrina was and thus clearing your schedule would be equally as difficult."
"I and the Federated Suns thank Katrina and yourself for all that you have provided to us. We owe you a great debt and it will be repaid in some fashion. As you say I am busy with matters of state but I would like to get together again in the near future to hear about the recovery mission on Helm and get to know you better as you will figure prominently in our future. I have to leave you now but I do so knowing that Arden and Doc will see you settled properly."
I stand up and follow protocol while Hanse and Yvonne leave the room. Returning to my seat as Ardan and Doc do the same I wait for them to initiate further discourse.
Buck is the first to speak. "Rick have you completed studying the material I had forwarded to you?
"Yes, Doc I have."
"Good I will arrange an evaluation of your current knowledge before deciding what engineering classes if any you will attend in the fall semester. I have already signed you up for the political administration course and requested any Lyran pertinent course work that may differ from our curriculum."
"I look forward to working with you on all the fancy new toys you brought me to play with. Once all the cargo has been unloaded, inspected and properly stored I will come see you to let you know when you will be evaluated. Until then I leave you in Ardan's hands. Good day Rick"
"Good day to you as well Doc." Looking over to Ardan I say, "well that just leaves the two of us."
"Yes, it does Rick. Now it is my turn to let you know what I have planned for you. I have arranged for you to share a dorm room with Morgan Hasek Davion. He will show you around campus and provide any assistance you will need getting settled in. I have signed you up for the officer training course starting in the fall, until then you will join any training exercises or sit in on Morgan's classes as an observer. That is if you are not working with Doctor Banzai or in any classes he may assign you to take. Do you have any questions?"
"Not at the moment Ardan"
"Very well follow me and I will introduce you to Morgan and get you settled in."
I follow Ardan to my new quarters and meet my roommate. Morgan makes for quite the dashing young man even if he is the same age as me. The dorm room is far better that I expected, I would call it a two-bedroom apartment. I guess being a VIP Duke has its privileges. Ardan leaves me in Morgan's capable hands and we start to get to know each other as he shows me around the campus.
I spend the next few days shadowing Morgan along with writing my engineering evaluation exam.
Friday afternoon after classes I met with Doctor Banzai where he informed me, I would be taking the final year engineering class in the fall. He then asked me what two machines I would recommend he bring into his work shop as the first to be evaluated.
"I would suggest the Centurion CN9-D as it mounts an LB10X and is equipped with an Artemis IV enhanced LRM10. It is also a mech you are most likely very familiar with. The other mech I suggest is the Seraph Prime. It is an Inner sphere omni mech which mounts two MML5's, an Ultra AC10, a Streak SRM6 and a Snub-nose PPC. It also has an Improved C3 Computer and uses triple-strength myomers which are not susceptible to your gas."
"You know what, that is something you could probably put to use fairly quickly if you can figure out the difference between the current TSM and the new TSM. Although if you want to remove the myomer bundles for destructive testing I would recommend we have them removed from the Ti Ts'ang."
"It is a good thing I have spent the last few days going over the information provided with the Equipment or I would not have understood some of what you said. Be that as it may I will arrange for those two mechs to be brought to my shop for evaluation. I will expect you there 09.00 tomorrow morning so don't enjoy yourself to much tonight."
"Yes Sir." Taking his statement as the dismissal it is, I leave his office and head to my dorm room. I hope I am not too late as Morgan invited me to join him and a few of his friends for dinner and drinks. I am looking forward to meeting some new people my age whom are my peers. Being a Duke has left me somewhat isolated. Damn I better remember to let Lisa know I am working tomorrow, or she will have my balls for standing her up.
Spending the evening drinking with a bunch of young noble born MechWarriors was not my best idea. After a couple of drinks, I was planning to call it quits for the night but they wanted to hear about my exploits. I started regaling them with my cover story about my dad finding the derelict ships in the periphery dating from the Star League and how that led me to the Helm cache. They kept plying me with drinks to keep me talking about the recovery mission and becoming a Duke. Now I am hung over and rushing to the Doctor's work shop. I hope I make it in time.
I made it just in time as I arrived while Doctor Banzai was unlocking the door. He gave me a knowing look which I returned as he looked no better than I did. Apparently, he was out on a gig with his band last night.