Part 780: Let's Read: Main Event - Part 22

Let’s Read: Main Event (part 22)



Chapter 22
Houston, Borghese
14 December 3054

Days elapsed since book start: 226
Mercenaries recruited since book start: 6
Mercenaries recruited off-screen: 1
Things accomplished since book start: 1 (Rose took a nap, Rose got a Charger)
Protagonists introduced since book start: 7
Protagonists mentioned but not yet introduced: 1
Antagonists introduced since book start: 3
Antagonists defeated since book start: 0
Chapters spent on Northwind: 5
Chapters spent on Solaris: 10
Chapters spent on Outreach: 4
Chapters spent on Borghese: 13




So yeah, this chapter’s going to be even more pointless setup mindless exposition amazing character-building. Y’know, even in the 99% politics books, we at least have an antagonist and a goal. This book is politics free and still manages to not actually have enough combat to be interesting. If anyone is picturing the last four chapters being pure combat with a dénouement like a sledgehammer to the face? Well, you’d be pretty close actually.

But we still have something like 11 chapters to go, which means more tedious crap. Yay!

Anyway, the facility is only half-constructed but Rose doesn’t give a shit. Also, they’re being picketed by civilians on a regular basis, but unlike Cassie Suthorn and the 17th Recon Regiment, it’s nothing that causes Rose any concern (probably because, unlike the 17th Recon, Jeremiah Rose would have no qualms about laying his Charger down and rolling around on a bunch of Civilians like a dog in mud).

Rose then calls his Chairman Cooke, who comes and picks him up same day since he’s actually a pretty good guy. Rose immediately comments mentally how unexpected it is to find a politician who isn’t a total asshole. Cooke asks if Rose has eaten lunch, and we learn that Rose’s megalomania has prevented him from realizing he hasn’t eaten for nearly 20 hours. Just like it prevented him from sleeping for weeks back in book 1. Rose then compliments his half-finished barracks and says he’d have picked that location if he’d been the one making decisions. A high compliment indeed, and Cooke says as much. I like to imagine he does so sarcastically.

We then learn that Chairman Cooke wants Jeremiah to start ‘producing’ ASAP.

… Producing what? Bodies? Proof that they’re actively keeping the Clans from invading? Cooke then suggests a staged Clan raid.

… No, really, he does. And Jeremiah thinks nothing of it. He reacts like it’s the most natural thing in the world to announce. “Oh, Jeremiah, we need you to stage a Clan invasion and while you’re at it could you walk the rest of your Black Thorns into a trap for dramatic tension? We’d appreciate it, thanks.”

We then get another goddamned info-dump about Borghese, but it boils down to “Clans could attack us then be sneaky and attack sideways along the truce line and by the way bad people may try to vote me (the only person on the planet who wants you here) out of office.”

Cooke then asks the brilliant Jeremiah Rose to train the local militia or something. I dunno, I kinda zoned out. The militia, incidentally, consists of a couple of helicopters, a few `Mechbuster fighters (read: fragile flying AC/20 with no armor), and Hauptmann Morgain and his four old war buddies who also happen to have BattleMechs. They are all assaults or bare-minimum heavies, incidentally. I’m sure they’ll be a huge help when the Clans invade and Morgain’s status as ‘antagonist’ won’t in any way lead to trouble.

Oh, and incidentally, Crenshaw is part of a camp that wants to actively surrender Borghese to the Clans. Not even necessarily if they show up, just calling up the Jade Falcons and asking the Clans to actively come fuck them up the asses. I’m pretty sure that’s technically high treason, and would be grounds to have them all shot (even in the Lyran Commonwealth). Then again, I’m not a lawyer.

We then learn that Hauptman Morgain is a political power because his daddy was important or some shit. He’s not nobility, and Cooke then badmouths him and says he’s pretty useless, and that asking Morgain for any kind of real help is a waste of time.


Ok. Not sure that applies, buddy. Rose then demands access to a militia VTOL so he can scout the planet and won’t have to rely on maps. He’s just that awesome, you see. Cooke relents, and they go get lunch after having driven in circles for about ten pages while they discuss the utterly meaningless local politics.

… Seriously, who voluntarily turns over a planet to the Clans? Wait, not: wrong question.

WHO VOLUNTARILY TURNS A PLANET OVER TO THE JADE FALCONS?!