"I would have signed up on the spot, but I got stuck with maintenance duty over at the 'Mech bay, and had to spend the entire day with my head in the elbow of a Phoenix Hawk. I didn't even know about the meeting or your arrivaluntil the entire business was already over."
Rose rapped the table in frustration. Had he not come to the house today, he would have left Northwind convinced that his entire family hated him, instead of just his father.
"It really hurt him when I left, didn't it?" Rose knew the answer by the solemn expression his sister took.
"I don't think you have any idea. Mama had only been gone six months and you were so outspoken against Hanse Davion and the Federated Commonwealth. With the pressure of the war and his increased duties, Papa was on the edge. When you joined ComStar, he just snapped." Rose winced at the thought. He'd never really gotten along with his father, but neither had he wished him any harm.
"The outward anger went away pretty fast, but the rest he's held inside all these years." Rianna let the silence hang. "You can see the results."
"Yes, I can," Rose said softly. "So, where does that leave me, the family, you?" He looked up at his sister, who was biting her lip in concentration.
"Well, you're probably still out of luck when it comes to the family. At least as far as putting together a mercenary unit. There are only two warriors with 'Mechs who would even consider joining you." Rose nodded and gestured for her to continue.
"Angus Lochart is the first. He pilots his father's Valkyrie."
"Lonny Lochart's son?"
"Yeah, he's only a half-cousin, if that makes any sense, but he's a member of the family and a good warrior. He's just returned from his first contract along the Periphery and has some experience, although I'm not sure what good it will be against the Clans."
"Experience of any kind is good. What about the second pilot?"
"The second pilot is Rianna Rose." Jeremiah's eyes widened as he looked at his sister with open shock. "You? I can't ..."
"Don't even say it."
Rose shut his mouth and studied his sister. The athletic build certainly fit the image, and she had the air of confidence absolutely required of any MechWarrior. But it was hard for him not to view her as the little four-year-old in pigtails, plastered with mud and dirt.
"I'm sorry, it's just that I never dreamed you'd be interested in becoming a Mech Warrior."
"Watch out," Rianna chided. "Your chauvinism's showing." Rose could tell she was getting angry, and he wondered if her temper was as bad as their father's. He decided not to risk it.
"Not at all. Some of the best 'Mech jockeys I've ever known were women. I just didn't imagine it would interest you, that's all." Rianna was obviously not convinced. She threw her head back and gazed at Rose intently.
"For your information I graduated at the top of my cadet class here on Northwind. Not only am I a certified pilot, but I'm also a certified assistant tech. I've qualified on thirteen different 'Mechs, and my I.Q. is seventeen points higher than yours." Impressed, Rose nodded appreciatively.
"And to top it all offand nobody knows that I know thisI'm considered a logistical genius." She smiled as Rose raised his eyebrows. "Something to do with the way I organize my thoughts. It makes supply and distribution a breeze for me." She snapped her fingers and looped an elbow over the back of her chair. "So there."
"All right, you're an ace student, but what about actual combat time? Academy training is great, but have you ever been shot at by a full-strength laser? Have you ever been on the receiving end of an LRM flight? I didn't think so."
Rose paused for breath, somewhat surprised by the strength of his emotions. He tried to calm himself before speaking again.
"How long have you been out of the academy?"
"Six months." Rianna looked crestfallen, but tried to hide it.
"And no contract? From what I remember, most of the top pilots had a slot straight out of school."
"I had a couple of offers, but I passed them up."
"Why?"
"My business, not yours." Rianna set her jaw and glared at her older brother.
"It's my business if you want to sign on with me. So what's the story?"
Rianna hesitated before giving in. She leaned forward to match her brother's posture in the chair.
"The only contracts I could get were the standard five-year 'newbie' ones. Mostly dull garrison duty or training-cadre stuff away from the front lines. I wanted to be closer to the front."
"Where the action is. Just like a newbie."
Rianna's eyes flared and she stood up suddenly. Rose had no doubt in that instant that she'd inherited her father's temper.
"No. Not like a newbie. Like a sister who hasn't seen her brother in fifteen years. That's why I wanted to be near the front lines. I wanted to be closer to Terra and the Com Guards, because I knew I'd have a better chance of finding you." Without waiting for a response she stormed into the kitchen. Rose waited a moment, but when she did not return, he got up and followed.