When the next morning came, I got a report stating how we took control of the city. Once the barriers fell, the battle was effectively won. Whatever was left of the gjallahorn troops scattered and retreated, leaving the city to us.
I kinda felt stupid for worrying with how well it all went.
What I found to be the best part of this all was the loot. Dozens of mechs and their parts, fuel, mobile workers, body armour, guns and much more.
I immediately ordered that all the loot we couldn't use needed to be brought deeper into the city into a storage facility Makanai offered for our use. We then began rebuilding the blockade in case Gjallarhorn tried to retake the city, but it really wouldn't be necessary.
With Makanai in parliament, there was no need to delay the elections any further. With the big man there, they held the election earlier than first stated.
Safe to say, Makanai won.
Oh yeah, Kudelia even got to do her whole speech, which was cool.
After that whole debacle, Makanai invited Orga and I tohis private office for a long-awaited discussion. Orga and I were quiet the entire way there, both in our own thoughts.
Season one was over.
The most important part of Tekkaden's growth. With that over, season two is likely in the shitter. Now however, it's time to get my shit straight and fuck cannon. I had done alot for Tekkaden but now it's time to focus on myself.
I shall of course still be doing my job as a leader of Tekkaden but I have a lot of investments and favours to begin looking after and paying back.
Arriving at a manor just outside the city, we were guided, walking past a lot of glitz and glam that I didn't really care to steal anymore. How one grows. We were taken to an office, the butler opening the door and gesturing that we enter.
Doing so, we found the prime minister sitting in a large, high-backed chair in the middle of the room. We both walked deeper into the room, taking a seat at the opposite two chairs. The mahogany table between us was polished to a deep, rich sheen, the kind only found in government halls. The sun streamed through the wide windows, catching the dust motes in golden slants.
Damn, it's better than mine.
The old man folded his hands, leaning slightly forward. "Gentlemen," he began, his voice smooth but carrying the weight of his reclaimed position, "I must commend you. Your actions these past days have been exceptional. It's no small feat to breach a Gjallarhorn blockade and bring me safely here."
You could say that again.
His gaze flicked between us. "You've delivered on your promise, something many seasoned politicians and soldiers have failed to do. And now, as the newly-elected Prime Minister of Arbrau, I am in a position to repay that debt, and to honour our arrangement."
Oh yeah, the fruits of my labour have arrived.
"You both understand, I presume, that with my ascension comes not just influence, but also responsibilities that stretch across this region and beyond. Arbrau's defence is paramount and I believe your organisation, your…" he gave a small, wry smile, "...paramilitary experience will be essential in shaping the future of our security forces."
I had to hold back an eye roll and smirk at the dramatics. Just put the contract on the table, old man.
"So here is my offer. I am prepared to name Tekkaden as the official military advisor to Arbrau. You will have significant say in the development and deployment of our forces, and in exchange, you will receive steady funding, contracts for your men and equipment, and, of course, political protection."
I felt myself salivating at the thought. We were, for all intensive purposes, Generals of an entire nation. Not only that, but we still have our autonomy, so it's even better.
His gaze sharpened slightly. "However, I will not be a puppet. Arbrau will not be ruled by mercenaries. I will expect loyalty, discretion, and, above all, results. The world grows more dangerous by the day. Gjallarhorn's grip tightens even as cracks appear in their armour. We must be ready."
Bla bla bla. We know, old man. The contract.
Despite being in a rush, I held my polite smile and agreed to it all, Orga agreeing as well. That was when we finally got to see the contract. The old man left us in the room to go over the entire thing, which I did, examining every excruciating detail.
As one might expect, this contract was long as all hell and held a lot of jargon that I was luckily familiar enough with thanks to my extensive work with contracts. It basically said, Tekkaden was in charge of protecting Arbrau's borders and trade routes, deterring acts of piracy, sabotage, and Mobile Suit incursions and supplementing Arbrau's internal security forces.
It also stated the chain of command, i.e, we would be working under the Department of Defence but would retain command of our forces and equipment, rules of engagement, duration of contract, rules of termination, confidentiality and holy hell, the old man was generous.
I had, of course, done my research on how much companies would get paid for such work, which, surprise surprise, wasn't all that easy but I could fill in the gaps from what I have read and this was blowing any numbers I was thinking of.
Any hesitation in my body was nowhere to be seen as I signed the contract after making sure there wasn't some clause that would fuck us over in it.
After we finally signed the agreement, the old man came back and told us that he planned to announce it later that evening as they were having something of a dinner party, allies only of course, but with over half the parliament there, might as well be an official event.
That didn't take away from what it actually was. Basically a T-bagging party.
He even offered to get us some proper attire, which I of course took. Who cares if I have twenty suits already? More is better after all.
With that done, as we exited, I glanced at Orga who held an unreadable expression. I clapped the boy's back a few times, a genuine smile forming on my face. " We finally did it. Stop looking like you're made of stone."
The boy stumbled forward slightly, clearly caught off guard by the act. Despite that, a smirk formed on his face. " Yeah, we really have."
" Hey I know these snake den parties aren't your style so why don't you go do something I was planning and take everyone out for a celebratory party. You guys all deserve it after all."
The lavender-haired boy let out a tired but genuine laugh. "Yeah, maybe you're right," he said, rolling his shoulders as if shedding the tension of the last few days. "You sure you don't mind taking the fancy party on your own."
"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Just make sure the crew knows how much we appreciate them. They deserve it and so do you."
Orga's smirk softened a little. "You know, you ain't bad at this leadership thing," he said, the words sounding more like a confession than a compliment.
He reached out and grabbed my forearm in that solid, brotherly grip. "Alright then. I'll make sure the guys have a good time. You go impress the old snakes with your fancy talk."
"Deal."
Watching my co-leader walk away, I couldn't help but let out a sigh. I'm too kind sometimes. Well, I guess I should find a way to benefit from this then. It is owed to me afterall.
***********
Once again, I am made for suits I tell you.
" So why is it that you are the one going to dine with some old farts while Orga and the others are going to party?" Harley grumbled, clearly annoyed as she sat on the couch to the side.
" I'm sorry that I have a job. I'm sure you and Cassady can party for me too." I suggested, looking in the mirror after trying on a new suit. " I promise I'll take you guys out tomorrow. I'm sure Naze will still be here by then, so there's no need to worry."
I watched from the corner of my eye as the multi-coloured-haired girl tilted her head on the back of the couch and stared up at the ceiling, letting out a loud, exaggerated sigh like it weighed as much as a mobile suit.
Gosh, can a man not just live his dream of looking like a million bucks without any issues. I internally sighed as I adjusted the lapels of the sharp suit. Another glance told me that she wanted me to say something but, I unfortunately couldn't read her mind and thus did not know what she wanted me to say to relax her mind.
Still slouched, she looked at me sideways and muttered, "You're not even gonna ask what I'm at least planning doing after this, huh?"
" I didn't know that was something I needed to ask. Plus, I'm sure I would hear about it tomorrow if it were that good." I say in between trying on the cream coloured blazer that went along with this sweet suit.
God I love suits.
She sat up, finally, resting her elbows on her knees and narrowing her eyes at me.
"Well, if you're so sure I'll still be around tomorrow, I guess you won't be surprised when I say I'm joining Tekkaden."
So she accepted. That's cool. " I'd hug you in joy if I wasn't wearing something that costs half my bank balance."
I took off the blazer and went to put on another with some intricate flower patterns. " Look, I cannot ditch something this important, but I promise, I'll give you all my time tomorrow...if nothing just as important comes up." I said, mumbling the last part.
"Wow," she said flatly, standing up slowly, arms crossed. " Fancy smanshy suits you're clearly in love with, politician dinner, 'if nothing more important comes up'. I feel so special."
Her tone was biting, sarcastic, but there was a hint of something beneath I could guess was hurt. She paced a step, then stopped herself, locking eyes with my reflection in the mirror.
"You know, I just made the biggest damn decision of my life. I said goodbye to everything I've ever known for this…" Her voice didn't rise, but it got tighter, sharper. "I thought maybe, just maybe you'd give me more than that."
Oh god
She turned on her heel, heading for the door but stopping just before grabbing the handle. Without turning around, she added quietly, "Just try not to be so focused on tomorrow that you forget who chose to stay today."
Crossing half the room in a matter of seconds, I grabbed the girl clearly waiting for this to happen's wrist and pulled her into a hug. " Look, I'm sorry if I came across like more of an asshole than I normally am. "
I kissed the top of her head in a long meaningful way.
" I have a hundred and one things going on so I can't give as much attention to the things I want to. I need you to understand that my life isn't just mine anymore. My actions can and will affect the lives of many and as such, I need to give it my all to ensure it affects them for the better."
I pulled back to look into her eyes, a well-used and crafted soft smile on." It's not gonna change but with you on the team, I can promise you that we'll have a grand old time if we don't die. I also promise that I'll do my damndest to ignore everything that isn't world-ending tomorrow."
"God, you're such a dumbass," she muttered looking down , her hands bunching in the fabric of my suit and making my heart ache at the act. " But you're one hell of a smooth talking dumbass cause I can't refuse that."
Then, with a smirk tugging at her lips, she finally added, "You better not ditch me tomorrow. World-ending or not, I'll raise hell."
The girl turned on her heel, opening the door with a happy smirk. " I at least have something more fun to do with Cassady. Who knows where the coming night may take us and with who."
With that, she left.
Jealousy baiting, I see.
Sighing, I walked back to the stand and held my gaze in the mirror, fixing the creased suit. "Well that happened, I guess."
Hearing someone clear their voice next to me, I turned to see the old man helping me with my suit, the man sending me a sympathetic look. "Women, they add more troubl
e than they are worth, but we love them anyway.
I just nodded as he came over to look me over.
" Preach."