June 23rd
Morgan ran his fingers through his hair as he got ready for this meeting. It had come virtually out of nowhere and Morgan didn’t quite know what to expect. Ivan Kirov was waiting for him and wanted a favor. They’d met years before when the Kell Hounds and the Dragoons were both working for the separate halves of the Federated Commonwealth. Ivan was...different from most of the Mechwarriors that rolled with the Dragoons, and he had struck him as a dry wit.
“Better get this over with.” He let out a slow sigh and stepped into the outer office.
“Morgan Kell.” Ivan stood, and extended his good hand. Morgan had never asked him how he lost his arm.
“Ivan Kirov.” He returned the gesture, and the two men embraced warmly.
“I had not heard much of you in the last few years, Ivan, how have you been?” Morgan asked him quietly as he showed him into his office.
“I have been well, i am married, my wife just had a baby.”
“Congratulations, my friend.”
“Morgan, I have come to ask you a favor.”
“Very well, old friend, what can i do for you?” Morgan nodded at him. Ivan was never one for subtlety. His directness had always been a refreshing change of pace.
“Several years ago, i was entrusted with the children of a dear friend, and was appointed their guardian. I had the privilege of watching them grow into very capable young adults who followed their parents into the mercenary trade. They were both taken by the Jade Falcons earlier this year.”
“Ivan…”
“I did not come to ask your help for a rescue mission, I have assets and allies for that.”
“Then why did you come here?”
"I have other children that i have been given custody of, and they are teenagers now. I can not leave them on Tharkad, and i can not take them with me where i have to go. Would you and Salome be willing to watch over them while we are gone?”
“You would like us to babysit them?”
“If you would be willing to do so, I would consider it a debt of honor and one that i would spend the rest of my life trying to repay.”
“You are going after the Falcons?”
“I will go wherever i have to in order to find my charges.”
“I will watch over these children on one condition, Ivan.”
“Name it.”
“Find Phelan, if he’s out there.”
“I was going to look for him anyway, old friend. If i find him, i will try to bring him home.”
“Then the Kell Hounds happily accept stewardship over these children until such time as you return or they come into their majority.”
“Thank you, Morgan. Now i can concentrate on the task at hand.”
“Raiding the Falcons?”
“They have some things that do not belong to them. I think it is far past time for them to give them up.”
“I hope you can reunite your family.”
“I do too. We will be picking up some supplies before we leave in the next few days. I will bring my wife and the children to visit you tonight.”
“That sounds good, Ivan. Salome will enjoy having some young bloods around the house.”
“Tell her i look forward to seeing her again.”
The two men shook hands again, and Ivan left his office.
“Oh Lord...Ivan’s lost his mind.”
Later,
Amelia was sitting in the cafe across the street from the Kell Hounds HQ and was waiting for her husband to finish his meeting.
“Ma’am.” The voice called out across the room to her.
“Harlan, what are you doing here?”
“I hope you can reunite your family.”
“I do too. We will be picking up some supplies before we leave in the next few days. I will bring my wife and the children to visit you tonight.”
“That sounds good, Ivan. Salome will enjoy having some young bloods around the house.”
“Tell her i look forward to seeing her again.”
The two men shook hands again, and Ivan left his office.
“Oh Lord...Ivan’s lost his mind.”
Later,
Amelia was sitting in the cafe across the street from the Kell Hounds HQ and was waiting for her husband to finish his meeting.
“Ma’am.” The voice called out across the room to her.
“Harlan, what are you doing here?”
“Oh, i expect the same thing you are doing. Ivan wanted me to meet him here. I tried to intercept the Dead Man’s Hand, but they seem to have fallen off the radar and were last seen heading the opposite direction. I figured Ivan would pop up here.”
“How’s your dog?”
“She’s good. Still the worst guard dog in the Inner Sphere.”
“How are you feeling about all of this?”
“Honestly, i have not had the opportunity to pluck the feathers off of any green birds in about twenty years. I suspect it is just as fun as it was when i was kid.”
“So you are completely ready for a fight with the Clans?”
“They are not my clan, not by a longshot.” Harlan flashed that same predatory smile that rattled her. Harlan was the closest thing to a cold blooded killer that Ivan kept in his inner circle, and if push came to shove, Harlan would not hesitate to put down anyone that got between him and the mission objectives.
“How’s your dog?”
“She’s good. Still the worst guard dog in the Inner Sphere.”
“How are you feeling about all of this?”
“Honestly, i have not had the opportunity to pluck the feathers off of any green birds in about twenty years. I suspect it is just as fun as it was when i was kid.”
“So you are completely ready for a fight with the Clans?”
“They are not my clan, not by a longshot.” Harlan flashed that same predatory smile that rattled her. Harlan was the closest thing to a cold blooded killer that Ivan kept in his inner circle, and if push came to shove, Harlan would not hesitate to put down anyone that got between him and the mission objectives.
“Well that’s a relief.”
“I am not worried about the Falcons. They’ll either comply with their orders or they won’t. If they do, great. If not, then it’s time to put holes in people until they change their minds.”
“It’s really that simple with y’all?”
“Oh, there’s some pretty, flowery language and concepts of honor and glory that go with it, but when you reduce it down to its most basic, any situation we can’t resolve with words can certainly be resolved with lasers, missiles and ballistic weapons.”
“That’s the part that worries me.”
“Nothing to do for it but see how the day comes, and shoot the people you have to.”
“You are a seeker, right?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“What’s your area of expertise again?”
“The Advanced Combat and Maneuvering School.”
“The What?”
“The Gunslingers.” Ivan’s voice answered her.
“Why does that not surprise me.” Amelia let out a long sigh.
“I am not worried about the Falcons. They’ll either comply with their orders or they won’t. If they do, great. If not, then it’s time to put holes in people until they change their minds.”
“It’s really that simple with y’all?”
“Oh, there’s some pretty, flowery language and concepts of honor and glory that go with it, but when you reduce it down to its most basic, any situation we can’t resolve with words can certainly be resolved with lasers, missiles and ballistic weapons.”
“That’s the part that worries me.”
“Nothing to do for it but see how the day comes, and shoot the people you have to.”
“You are a seeker, right?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“What’s your area of expertise again?”
“The Advanced Combat and Maneuvering School.”
“The What?”
“The Gunslingers.” Ivan’s voice answered her.
“Why does that not surprise me.” Amelia let out a long sigh.
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