I had a gut feeling that Tenoch escaped the final battle alive, and here he is! I agree, this open ending lets you set the stage for future adventures, a good move. Wolfgang might be pleased by the AW-002 pilots, however: they don't have the flaws that the AW-001 pilots do! There are very few AW-002 pilots but they can be replicated once the technology is studied well enough.

I am interested to see what this 3048 story is going to be! Glad you enjoyed My Father's Friend, and I had great fun reading this story.

A very good ending my friend.

Although some of the loose ends will prove interesting...

;)

I wonder if they have figured in Wolfgang Hansen's reaction when he finds out Major Tenoch is still alive having abandoned his command and when his very existence befoules the reputation of the rough riders.

Given the planets record of revolution and counter revolution it seems a bad idea to sponsor yet another one, especially lead by the hated Major Tenock. Perhaps a political arrangement with the Davions would make more sense or are only loud explosions exciting?

Not only is Shuran a good negotiator, but he stays cool in a firefight and has Samantha providing sniper support. Very crafty ways to deal with shady Capellan Confederation agents! Tuani IV keeps up its reputation as a haven for the good guys.

So, Rocher doesn't like that he and the 8th were being used just to test the capabilities of the Cleaver 'mechs, so he quits! That explains how he became a freelancer who joins the Ridinghood Cavaliers later on. Nice work there.

Just one thing: the major's speech was impressive, but it sounds funny for him to mis-use the word opposition. That word does not become plural with an "s", because it's a mass noun, not a count noun like apples or bananas. Rather, he should have said something like "You were met with hard opposition" and "what your opposition would be." While I'm on the subject, the words ammunition, infantry, aircraft, anger, and equipment do not use an "s" to become plural. The same goes for "gear" when you're talking about a soldier's gear. Saying "gear" as in a piece of machinery, like a clock's gears, is fine with an "s".

Everyone's pretty much been assigned to the jobs they're best at. Being a mob boss's son, I'm sure that Austin was taught how to handle various kinds of business and learned how to negotiate with others, and James has the skills and guts to lead a guard army. Poor Meiko misses Rocher, though!

Near the end, there seem to be a few lines missing. At one moment Meiko accepted the offer to be Jenna's guard, then they talked about a proposal, then about shopping. What connection is there? Unless I'm thinking about this the wrong way :P

Reading this is really making me want to update Steel Wolf...

So far everything's wrapping up in a pretty tidy fashion: Jenna rules at last, and Rocher's mission is complete. Tenoch's still out there, and Nisha is still in danger: I wonder if there's a few more chapters to come? This story hasn't been marked as "complete," after all!

Death From Above? Rocher has style, I can say that much. He and the others fought well for Callone VI's freedom, but you never know, the mechs they fought might have been a decoy group of amateurs and the real Roughriders are coming up to ambush the freedom fighters once they let their guard down! Rocher and the others had better watch their backs.

I like that analogy story that Shuran used, the one about Gauls and Romans. It's the placebo effect! Reminds me of a Futurama episode where Bender used a supposedly miraculous ingredient to win a cooking contest, but the ingredient was really just water. Amazing what the right mindset can do.

That last scene reveals a bit about Tenoch's character: he's stubborn and proud, even if he has to fight a difficult battle without help. In a way that's admirable, especially since accepting that assitance would ruin the point of conquering Callone VI in the first place. Let's see how that will turn out!

I wonder if the Alliance will now approach the rebels? They do not care who is the theoretical ruler as long as the planet joins the Alliance. The rebels might well have an easier time ruling and thus be better partners. The Alliance might well score points by helping with the rebuilding.

Great action, and everyone's fighting just the way they should, particularly Shuran. It was fun to see him take on two heavy 'mechs and defeat them without taking a hit. There was one point where the text stated "Jenna linked his light PPC", but that's a minor problem to fix.

Rocher is thinking about Meiko's "cute little ass cheeks"? Sometimes you surprise me with the kind of words you use! I found that pretty funny, but it is interesting to see Rocher so enamored with a woman. Plus, we get some new action with Rocher taking on an airbase and getting help from an unidentified source. Cliffhanger!

Whoops! Rocher kinda let Meiko slip between his fingers there. Well, asking a girl to leave her beloved home, especially a home in need, is asking an awful lot.

It's beyond me how Rocher does it: he harases women all the time, but then he makes them want him! I dunno if Meiko's either falling into a trap or actually bringing herself into something she'll like... who knows with Rocher?

Can't wait for the next battle! I hope that Jenna herself joins the fight. PM me if you want a reminder about her 'mech's specs (or James's).

Jenna Alcatar, the new ruler of the planet? Well, the people do need a ruler to rally under during these hard times, though Jenna will need a lot of help doing so! She never completed her training to be Duchess, and she never expected to rule anybody once her family was wiped out by the Freedom's Thunderbolt. She does have folks like Reeza and Meiko to help, though!

Looks like everyone's acting in-character here :) good work on that.

Quick note: the AW-001 cyborg pilots are programmed to obey only Rebecca and her tech allies. The Roughriders will need to try and change that programming in order to use the AW-001's and their Cleaver 'mechs.