Battletech 3047 IC

[Mando Knight]

Harlech, Outreach

Sarna March, Federated Commonwealth

15 March 3047

The Hiring Hall of Outreach is a massive complex, designed to provide all of the business needs of both the soldiers of fortune and their prospective clients that enter it. The officers and veteran MechWarriors (at least, relatively speaking) of Odin's Chosen have gathered in a rented conference room within it, to discuss potential employers for the fledgling mercenary unit. Besides the members of the command lance, also present are the leaders of the fire and recon lances. Last to arrive to the meeting is a man carrying a noteputer and a folder: James Harris, the company's chief administrative assistant.

"Good morning. As our first order of business, I have followed through on a number of leads for our first contract. As the company as a whole lacks a combat record, the majority of available contracts are for counter-piracy operations around the Periphery. There are also a few other requests that we should be able to fill: a security contract for a member of the Lyran Free Traders Association, and an assault contract for a minor noble in the Free Worlds League who is looking to settle a... dispute with his brother. I have summarized additional details in these printouts."

Opening his folder, James lays out several papers on the table, each with the projected pay (before combat loss), duration, and some of the risk factors of each potential contract.
Although there are several different destinations available, all of them have similar basic details. The expected transit time is much longer for these Periphery assignments especially compared to their expected durations. While command and salvage rights are generally more open to negotiation, pirates typically have little to salvage from themselves as they typically field light or medium machines, often in disrepair. The general contract duration is two to six months, depending on the unit's ability to corner the pirates.

Dalcour: A planet in FWL space, along the border with the Circinus Federation. Trade within the League should allow for adequate resupply, though direct support from regular military is unlikely. Approximate transit time: 4 months, estimated net payout: 7-13M C-Bills

Derf: Located on the coreward edge of Lyran space, pirate-hunting near Derf is more likely to be a relatively rear-guard action, with the AFFC's Wotan Command covering the worlds closer to the bandit-kingdoms of the Greater Valkyrate and the Oberon Confederation. Approximate transit time: 5 months, estimated net payout: 8-15M C-Bills

Flaum: The Taurian Concordat has pulled nearly all of its regular military toward its borders with the Federated Commonwealth, as Protector Calderon believes that Hanse Davion will invade his realm at any moment. This has left the rest of the Concordat's military needs unmet, which is primarily pirate-hunting. Access to military supplies in the region is also relatively limited due to this, however. Approximate transit time: 4.5 months, estimated net payout: 8-15M C-Bills
A member company of the Lyran Free Trade Association has run into some recurring 'Mech raids on Carstairs, a planet within the Skye March of the Federated Commonwealth, and is looking to enlist some additional muscle. The known opposition appears to be better-funded and organized than typical pirates, but its true origins and affiliations are unknown. While nominally security duty, the liaison has indicated that negotiations to expand the contract to include counter-raiding is possible. The approximate transit time is 2 months, the default contract duration is 6 months, and the estimated net pay is 17M C-Bills.
The riskiest and most potentially lucrative assignment, two brothers are on the brink of open warfare over the title of Earl of Vikindu, and none of the major political factions within the League have yet moved to tip the scales. Although the native militia forces split between them consist primarily of infantry and combat vehicles, both brothers believe just a company of mercenary 'Mechs would give one a decisive advantage over the other and bring the conflict to a rapid close. Transit time is approximately 3 months, the base net pay for a 9-month contract is about 28.5M C-Bills, and terms for support and transport compensation are likely negotiable.

James is the type of person who can blend in perfectly to a white-collar office space. Clean-shaven and average in height and stature, James's typical business attire is natural camouflage among pencil-pushers and bean counters. His experience is not wholly sedentary; however, as most of his previous business was book-keeping for a semi-independent trading company.

As chief administrative assistant, his primary duties are organizing and advising Jack McKenzie on the business side of the unit's operation, including contracts, hiring, and general book-keeping.
Robin Flynn is one of the junior lieutenants for the unit. Although young, she tries to project a mature and professional persona, and as such she is meticulous about the state of her uniform. From her perspective, a lack of professionalism was the reason her previous unit, Fenton's Fusiliers, had fallen into financial ruin after only one contract.

Robin's 'Mech is a relatively new ARC-2R Archer, which was purchased from the remains of the Fusiliers at the same time that she was hired on to Odin's Chosen.
In contrast to Lt. Flynn, "Pixie" Howe clearly identifies with her nickname. She's short (or as she prefers, "fun size"), her short blonde hair sports pink accents, and she embraces a more casual approach to attire.

Pixie pilots a PXH-1 Phoenix Hawk that dates back to the Star League, and is in remarkably good condition for such an ancient heirloom. The rest of the recon lance joined with her. They are all that remain of her previous unit, Addison's Amazons, after a failed raid on a pirate base that had a secret stash of advanced Star League 'Mechs.

[Hemnon]

Nikita 'fury' Lowel

Nikita had arrived in the company of her Lancemates, at least some of them if possible. attire-wise, she was dressed like always - full military-cut uniform (the combat-friendly variety, not the dress uniform). Every patch of service visible of course, from her graduation-with-honours patch of the Sandhurst Royal Military College, to her just-recent issued service patch for the mercenary Company she was right now serving with - Odin's Chosen.
One small thing was off about her. She had those noticable black shadows under her eyes, and anyone with a tendency to walk past her room during her sleep hours would know she'd had an episode of her night-terrors the night before. But besides that, she was the screaming icon of a military-woman, a ComStar trained one, specifically, for anyone that's met a ComGuard before, etc.
Mulling over the contracts, just in case the Lance Leader wanted Nikita's 2 c-bills with regards to her thoughts of it, She'd instantly feel attracted towards the Security contract job, since most of the others appeared to require around half a year of travel-time just to reach the contractor. With a security job, usually from her knowledge of such - the contractor paid for the regular expenses while the job was ongoing and then paid for the job-well-done afterwards as well. of course she didn't have the chance yet to indepth read the specific details, and she didn't really wish to unless needed since she wasn't the Lance Leader, nor the contract-negotiator.

[samduke]

Jynx Lasin
A Fiery red head, Hired as the companies 2nd went around the room to the others introducing herself so everyone could meet her.

She spent time looking over the contracts. while the decisions would lie with the Captain, She thought the Security contract looked achievable. The risk vs. reward felt good enough to take the contract.

[McStabbington]

Jack McKenzie

Jack leaned against a wall, his arms crossed in front of him in an attempt to simulate a relaxed attitude he did not feel. His sky-blue eyes surveyed his men and women, as well as his fellow lieutenants. Good men, he thought to himself. The unit had not been together long, but Jack had worried that only dregs and malcontents would be willing to sign on to the unit. As it turned out, he'd been able to pick up some solid combat veterans, many with far more experience than he had. I hope I live up to their expectations.

He rocked forward, his somewhat pudgy frame moving more awkwardly than he'd always wished, and sat down at the table to look over the contracts once again. "Well, obviously the Captain makes the final call, but he's looking at us to give him recommendations. Which means in turn I'm interested in hearing what you have to say. Given the choice, I'd say either the security or assault contract would be best. Nothing against hunting pirates in the Periphery, but if I can choose between two months with the smell of a gym locker in my nose or six, I'm inclined to take two. And a solid combat contract would be the best way to get our name out there, and build our unit up at the same time."

[Hemnon]

Nikita 'Fury' Lowel

Nikita's eyes, those icey-blue cold eyes of hers, turned towards Jack as he joined them at the table. So far she hadn't made much of a noteworthy opinion of the Lance Commander, rather his appearance made her think of the pompous nobility from her... well, just nobility in general. That softspoken physique, and the fact he seemed rather green for a leadership position although she had no idea how old he specifically was. She knew not to ask questions about people's pasts unless they actively wanted to share. But, she knew welt the fallacy of making a non-fact based assumption. So such thoughts and opinions were kept to herself. It wasn't her place to critique a superior officer for something so baseless as mere speculation.
"Sir, I'd like to state that the Security Contract seems the better idea. It is a good way to get this newly-made lance up and running smoothly. We have the travel time plus the base-location setup for it. Do we have simulator pods on board the dropship? if so, I would like to set up a detailed training scenario sequence for all of us to go through - with your permission of course." She said to Jack and gave a light side-ways nod at his direction. She was neither the leader nor the Sec-Com, but she still felt right at home in her ComStar ways of having been the quote-unquote 'Staff Sergeant' of the lance. Keeping everyone crisp and at their toes, ready to answer the active commanding officer with a smooth, natural response. She wasn't an officer, but she had the excellent skills as a Non-Com.

[RandomLunatic]

Xiaofan sat quietly, looking as always every bit a Cappellan. She had to admit the company issue jumpsuit she was wearing felt nice, but the low-profile flak suit underneath simply felt inadequate. Her green eyes went from reading the contracts to fiddling with her noteputer to looking nervously around the room before going back to the contracts.

"As much as I hate to start taking orders from the FedRats, I agree. The assault contract's too messy. It's civil war, so the loyalty of the local forces we have to work with will never not be an issue. The employer's going to ride us hard for incidentals. And if we succeed, then we'll have to pacify the place. Hard pass."

[Hemnon]

Nikita 'Fury' Lowel

Nikita lowkey chuckled at Xiaofan's words and couldn't stop herself from commenting.
"At least we don't have any 'honorburu' Combine fanatics begging for a helping hand.... *mumble-mumble fugging-combine-bastards mumble*." She couldn't stop her hate for the Draconis Combine to seep out into her comment.

[RandomLunatic]

Smirking, Xiaofan pulled up a map on her noteputer and turned it towards Nikita. "I wouldn't get my hopes up yet. It's only three jumps to the Combine border."

[samduke]

walking over to Captain Jack McKenzie, Sir Lt Lasin reporting for duty. I have spoken with several of the others and the opinion seems they would like to take this security contract as a way to mesh this unit into a cohesive fighting group

[McStabbington]

"None of that now," McKenzie said mildly to Nikita and Xiaofan. He might have retorted more strongly, but for the time being, he wanted to keep things relaxed and casual, especially with Nikita. Given that she's going to be doing some of the negotiating, I'd like to keep her on my side. "As mercenaries, the only people we get to hate are clients whose checks don't clear. And unfortunately, on Outreach, that means we don't get to hate pretty much anyone. MRBC sees to that."

He idly scratched one cheek, and then raised his hand to rake his short, black hair. He looked again at the assault contract, and decided to press a little. "I'm not quite as sure as you are, Nikita. Don't get me wrong; I know Lyran high society pretty well, it'd make for a nice homecoming of sorts. But if we fight on behalf of the new Count of Vikindu and win, we've got friends in high places in the Free Worlds League going forward. That's not a bad thing. And while I take Xiaofan's point about the trustworthiness of the planetary militia, again, the MRBC exists, and it will back us up if we refuse to fire on civvies and pull back. Plus, if it came to a street fight, I think we'd win the war right there by not firing; I can't think of a better way to lose the population completely than to use the civilians as shields.

He crossed his legs as he picked up the contract and looked it again, before he turned and looked up at the two junior lieutenants. Lieutenant Flynn, Lieutenant Howe, what do you think? Do I make a good point, or do my subordinates know something I don't? You have permission to speak freely here; I'd like the best advice possible before I take my recommendations before the Old Man."



It occurred to me that I'd never provided anyone a physical description of Jack.

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNjkyMzUyNDYyN15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwODc3Nzk1._V1_. jpg

Jack McKenzie is six feet tall, a gentleman's "180 lbs", and has black hair (cut short enough that it rarely needs to be combed) and sky-blue eyes. In his early 20's, McKenzie's face and demeanor is friendly and affable, though as someone who is soft-spoken and laconic when he doesn't have something very specific to say, he is at best a site-specific extrovert.

[RandomLunatic]

"Huh. I didn't think of it that way. It certainly changes the calculus," Xiaofan said, stroking her chin in thought. "And maybe pick up some of the advanced hardware coming out of the FWL factories. OK, I'm sold."

[Hemnon]

Nikita 'Fury' Lowel

Nikita sighed out with a restrained expression. She'd quenched the sudden urge to pull out her laser pistol and blow that noteputer to bits. She did not want to see or be reminded that they were relatively close to the Combine Border.
At Jack's words, she turned her exhausted-looking gaze towards him and bit back a spiteful comment about exterminating his family in 'scorched earth' style with him right in the middle of it all. And do it while he was only 5 years old. Then he was qualified to say if it was reasonable to hate a potential employer or not.
Instead Nikita grasped at the direction of the Assault Contract that Jack had mentioned and took an extra second to calm down in full before speaking again. "I have no real, active experience with the Free World's League... BUT! I do know how the... *deep breath* Combine does things and sure they may be oh so honorable about it all... but not when things doesn't go THEIR way. But in any case, with regards to the two brothers... which of then got the legitimate claim? From my semi-shallow understanding of nobility and titles, it's the oldest that get to inherit, yes? If so.... why's the other brother even a choice, seeing as we'd more or less be playing Kingmaker in such a case." Nikita voiced out, back to a full calmed mind.

"Who is backing the non-legit heir of the two brothers? Meddling in the micro-wars of even minor nobility can easily leave a black mark on us if someone powerful, relatively speaking, is behind one or the other of those count-claimants. That's why I am recommending taking the Security Contract since it'd give the company as a whole a strong introduction in protecting others - for a price of course, but never-the-less, we will set ourselves up with an instant reputation of being non-friendly with pirates and even put a spin on it that we'd rather take a contract that helps protect people from such brutish raiders, than a more lucrative contract merely by dropping a comment or two that we saw the contract more appealing due to the fact that piracy is a bane of EVERYONE here in the Inner Sphere and dealing with them is more important than a 10-million increase in payment by aiding in some succession elsewhere." Nikita continued. It was clear she had thought much deeper about this than merely wave her 'Lyran Support, ho!' flag.
"Oh, by the way, sir, with regards to potential simulators on board our ship?" Nikita asked again, wanting to know what sort of chances they all had to get into a stronger 1-unit mindset, rather than 'this is my mech and those are the rest of the group's mechs'. It was to instill a base-level of 'brothers in arms' feeling towards eachother. She wasn't expecting ComGuard level tech-reverence, blessings from the higher ups and regimented mindsets - She just wanted to do what she could to make the whole lance a more cohesive unit since they were all rather newcoming to the crew.

[RandomLunatic]

"Considering they're ready to go to war over it, I'd say neither has a strong claim on the title. Besides, you know what they say-'No guts, no galaxy!'"

[Mando Knight]

Pixie Howe takes only a brief look at the printouts before speaking up. "I like the security contract. A simple defense mission is probably better for a new unit than risking everything on joining someone else's civil war, and working for Lyran traders means getting supplies will be easier."

Lt. Flynn, on the other hand, reviews the contract options for a couple of minutes before adding her reply. "I'm inclined to agree with your impression, Captain. Vikindu may only be a minor world within the League, but victory in a campaign like this would still be more prestigious than a defense contract, let alone pirate hunting."

James Harris turns toward Nikita while looking through his noteputer. "Successions are unfortunately not always so simple, Miss Lowel. In this case, the previous Earl was their uncle, and the title is hereditary by rule of tradition rather than law. The political differences between the two appear to mostly revolve around local policies rather than anything interstellar. Among other things, the younger brother Hektor also claims that the elder, Albrecht, had their uncle assassinated, while Albrecht denies the charge and accuses Hektor of betraying their uncle's political legacy."

[samduke]

Jynx walking over to where Jack is handing him a pad with the units personell information. Well Captain it is your call where do we go?

[Hemnon]

Nikita 'Fury' Lowel
Nikita pondered something for a moment before voicing out her thoughts and well-thought out as she thought was possible. "I do hold a rank mister Harris, I'd prefer that you used it when we are all dealing with official Company Business. I know, I know, we are a mercenary company, but I did hold a rank of Lance-Corporal during my ComGuard Service days." She said and made it sound very much like she was informing James, rather than chiding him or reproaching him for his misnomer.

"And as for the Contacts, if they don't even have a clear line of succession, sheesh they should just both duel it out with swords until one of them is dead, then we'll only be playing kingmaker even more so and we'll earn the ire of whomever we do not support.... and should we support the wrong person? I've met a few self-centered nobles before and from my experiences some of them tends to be very... lacking in common sense or an understanding that others are not just mere pawns in their oversized game of chess. We have yet to develop a report with anyone else and immediately going for the Great Glory contract without any sort of support or backing from prior work on the resume makes me hesitate on accepting such a contract. Especially when we are talking the succession between two relatively powerful people... and the fact they fail on any level of diplomatic and non-violence means to solve this, well it makes me very much think that neither of them should be supported from the outside, what so ever." She said.
"However, this is just my own thoughts on this. We just do not have the reputation or goodwill attached to our Company's name that'd help put some weight behind us. A nice, cleancut job to cement our name as a staple, useful Mercenary Company through a nice security-job would be ideal for it. Going full Civil War support to one side or the other in an albeit relatively minor conflict can easily cause a nasty level of resentment or disdain from whomever is supporting the side we do not support." She knew very well she was repeating herself a little, she just wanted to make it VERY clear what her thoughts were on this.

[McStabbington]

Jack McKenzie

Jack did his best to keep his face impassive, and just allow the silence to hang in the air for a good five seconds. When he did speak, his tone was still soft-spoken, but his words became slightly more precise and clipped. "Sergeant Lowel, I'd respectfully remind you that a self-centered noble playing at chess is signing your paycheck. Also, while James Harris does not carry a rank within this unit, he is the man I've hired to help me with logistics and negotiation. He's who makes the difference between us eating and keeping our mechs supplied, so I'd ask you to treat him with the same respect that you would, ideally, treat me.

Jack set the sheet for the assault contract down. "That being said, I happen to agree that we should take the Security Contract." He sighed and looked around the table. "Not for the reasons Sergeant Lowel just articulated, but for the reason that, thankfully, you all decided not to bring up: I'm not yet the commander we'd need for the assault contract."

Jack leaned over and idly flipped the paper for the security contract around to face him with two fingers. "The simple fact is that, Sergeant Lowel wasn't entirely wrong when she talked about nobles playing at war. I graduated second in my class at Nagelring, and it is customary for the top 5% of the class to graduate at the rank of Hauptmann. Maybe even Kommandant for high nobles. But everyone also knows that those kids are then surrounded with the most experienced junior officers and non-coms that the regiment has because . . ." Jack shrugged. "They're still just kids. And CO or not, until I've seen combat, so am I. I'm a demon in the simulators, but I've never been in the field under live fire. And I'm not arrogant or foolish enough to think that the guy who gets shot at in the city, and then gets rattled, and starts shooting back wildly and kills some civilians? Might be me."

McKenzie sighed, rose to his feet, and picked up the paper for the security contract. "An officer is responsible for the conduct of the men under his command. And an officer should never ask a man to perform any task which he is not willing to perform himself," he said rotely, citing rules of professional conduct for officers. "If I can't guarantee that I wouldn't shoot when being fired upon, I can't ask it of my men. The security contract will give us a chance to test ourselves in a more controlled setting where innocents will not be on the line.

He turned to James Harris. "Mr. Harris, I'd like you to draft responses to everyone who offered us a contract, thanking them for the offer, but letting them know we have decided to take a different contract. The Periphery planets can be more perfunctory; I expect they're aware they might not be top priority. But the assault contractor, I'd request a more involved communique, explaining that both the commander and men expressed reservations about their ability to complete the contract without having had time to coalesce as a unit. Please let them know that if the matter hasn't been resolved in eight months, the expected duration of our contract, that we would feel confident of our ability to assist. We will send them out after we've negotiated the security contract, but I'd like drafts on my desk for review before that. I should sign them as unit CO."

He turned to his officers, and offered a smile. "Lieutenants Flynn and Howe? I appreciate both your candor and your forbearance. I chose well when I hired you on. Lieutenant Lasin, I'd like you to make sure everything is packed up for dustoff as soon as the negotiation is complete. To be honest, pirate activity that deep in Skye province is fishy as all get-out. It smells a lot more like industrial sabotage than piracy to me, which in turn means someone might have hired a less reputable mercenary company, one who would hide unit colors in order to cover their employer's actions. Which means the sooner on-site, the better. I'd also like you to review what Sergeant Lowel comes up with for simulations and drills. Sergeant Lowel, Mr. Harris, would you please remain? Everyone else, I thank you for your advice, and you are dismissed."

[samduke]

After the capatin is done speaking, then responding to jacks order. Yes Sir, turning to Flynn and Howe, I would like to have the recon lance load in first load in their mechs and equipment first,then the fire lance load in, then we will load in.
meanwhile I will need a full sit-rep from the contractor along with full detailed maps of the area that we are to be assigned so that we can deploy effectively. As for simulation drills Lowel get those underway immediately.

After issuing orders, turning back to Jack, Captain if there is nothing further.. Jynx turns and leaves

[Hemnon]

Nikita 'Fury' Lowel

Nikita went a bit wide-eyed at Jack's reproach, but also the fact he'd labeled her Sergeant.... well, she was rather sure than a Lance-Corporal wasn't really a functional rank in the Average Merc Company. So, Sergeant Lowel it was then!
She was however a little unsure as to how she'd been disrespectful towards Mister Harris. She'd merely corrected him in a informative manner. she hadn't scoffed at him, scolded him or, Blake Forbid it, yelled at him or any such way. she knew he wasn't a military man and as such she merely wished to point out that she had rank and should be referred to it at least when on active duty. It had been drilled into her since she first chose to sign up to a Military School after a few years of psychological support and Councelling post-destruction of her home-city.
But, she gave a small nod towards Jack to show she'd heard his words and said "Sir, I am sure I did not say anything disrespectful. However, if it was seen as such, then my apologies to both you, and to you as well Mister Harris." She said and gave a small nod of her head towards James Harris as well. "As for nobility playing chess... I'm talking the kind that just sends others to the meatgrinder... like the kind that uses child soldiers, uses hired pirates to raid their own subjects with a cut of the ill-gotten goods, etc. I see no such person here." She added in with a passive expression.
After hearing the Lt. deciding to not go for the Assault Contract right away had her lightly nodding in agreement to the choice. She had no issue going with such a job later. But the Lance itself was completely new, she knew none of her Lance-mates yet and the expectation that anyone was willing and able to trust eachother without a second thought was downright insane to expect. Still, she was rather sure Jack hadn't fully taken her words to heart about the need to take contracts to start with that'll allow a stable reputation buildup with jobs that are relatively simple to do but also shows outwardly what the Company stands for - Even if what the civvies see and think might be rather... wrong. They WERE Mercenaries, so it all came down to being paid, first and foremost.

[RandomLunatic]

Xiaofan as Jack did a complete 180. "Ookay," she said in response to her disamissal, getting up and heading for the door.

Once outside, she said in hushed tones to the other MechWarriors with her, "We can't let the troops hear about that whole speech captain just made. If doesn't have confidence, they sure won't."

[Mando Knight]

Mr. Harris first replies to Nikita. "No offense taken. I imagine your time in the ComGuard was filled with 'Initiate this' and 'Acolyte that', but even the most rigidly formal mercenary units aren't as strict with rank and title usage as that. As to simulators, we will have sufficient resources on board for basic practice, but nothing approaching what Sandhurst or the Nagelring use." Turning back towards Jack, he changes topics back to the contracts. "I will have the drafts for the reply letters ready for you shortly, sir. As for the security contract, are there any specific terms you wish to negotiate more aggressively for?"

Flynn and Pixie acknowledge their orders, and join Xiaofan and Jynx after the dismissal. Outside the meeting room, they both express their agreement with Xiaofan. "Of course. Knowing your own weaknesses is essential to leadership, but relaying every sentiment down the ranks will only undermine efforts to build cohesion." "I think the important parts will come through on their own, putting the Captain's doubts in front won't help anyone."

[McStabbington]

Turns out that samduke had already claimed purple as a speech color. I will therefore switch to Cyan for my color. Which, until this moment, I'd thought was a pigment, but okay.


"Maintaining the independence of our command is the most important thing. I don't mind having a liaison to consult with about the mission, but the one thing I do not want is to have is a CO that is unconcerned with the safety and survival of my men once the mission is up." McKenzie considered for a moment, scratching the underside of his lower lip with a thumb as he thought about it. "Beyond that, if you can maximize our salvage, that's the next most-important matter, because that's where the real money is. I don't know how much we'll be carrying off Carstairs with only a Union, but I'd like to be able to pick and choose the best mechs, and sell the surplus at fair market value. If worst comes to worst, the regional militia regimental combat team should be willing to buy up what we can't cart off-planet. But first we have to win rights to it, then beat these pirates."

He looked at Nikita, then back at Harris. "I have two further requests of the two of you. First, I'd like Nikita to assist you in the negotiations. Harris, you are the primary negotiator, and you have my full confidence. For all intents and purposes, you speak with my voice in this negotiation. But Sergeant Lowel's file states that she used to negotiate for herself on the Solaris circuit, which suggests she has some talent at it. I would like her to sit in, and I would like you two to collaborate on the negotiation planning." He continued. "On the way to Carstairs, I'd also like at least one of you to tutor me in this art of negotiation. In case either of you had noticed, I'm hardly the best negotiator. Years of nobility have given me a good sense of how to tell the valet what to do, but hiring the valet or hammering out the finer points of his contract was usually done by someone who wasn't me. I need help on that point. James, I didn't want to impose; I know your wife is the skipper of our ship, but by the same token, I can't guarantee the safety of a civvie that ships out with us. I didn't want to assume that you'd come with us rather than maintaining the office here on Outreach."

[Hemnon]

Nikita 'Fury' Lowel

To Mister Harris' notation on her time in the ComGuard, Nikita merely pursed her lips in a rueful, but lighthearted manner. "Heh, well I am not allowed to inform outsiders about the inner workings of ComStar and the ComGuard. But I can say that, as everyone knows, there's a lot of regimented mentality present. And I merely meant that acknowledging the rank of a person is to show respect to the rank, not the person. It's the same with Doctors on many worlds having an actual title and to not accept and recognize their title can easily be seen as improper or downright disrespectful. Same with when you speak with one of noble rank and title, you also say 'baron this' or 'your highness that'. I'm merely used to the military mindset of the ComGuard and still feel that the Rank I have is something I strived towards and earned, and thus the rank itself still holds importance. It's why we salute our superiors in the military - Honor and respect for the higher rank of the other person." She said and shook her head a little bit, having clearly gone on a rant.

Nikita had a light smirk at that mention of helping Mister Harris. She did not mind at all. She wasn't overtly sociable, although she'd always had a natural knack for negotiating, especially with men...
"Yes Sir, I do not know how skilled Mister Harris is in terms of negotiation, and I am fairly cetain he'd be better at it than me. I'm a Military Girl, not a Diplomat after all, So I'll defer to You, Mister Harris in this and you have my full support." Nikita said and nodded lightly towards Mister Harris after giving John a nod in agreement first.

[RandomLunatic]

Xiaofan nodded, glad the others were on the same wavelength.

"I don't know about you, but I'm going to go have the last drink I can have from a glass in a good long while before the ink dries on the contract."

[McStabbington]

"Jack" McKenzie

McKenzie smiled amiably. "Ordinarily, 'Yes, sir' will be sufficient, Sergeant Lowel. There's no harm here, as I did ask for you to speak freely, and I don't wish to dampen your enthusiasm. But I do feel obliged to point out that in a combat situation, cross-chatter will make it harder to issue orders. "

He pushed himself to his feet. "Nevertheless, I thank you both for your candor. You are dismissed, and may plan amongst yourselves at your own discretion. Mr. Harris, please provide me with a copy of all information that the client has provided about Carstairs, the mission, and the opposing force. I will organize a briefing of the men at 0800 tomorrow. You are both excused if this conflicts with your negotiating schedule, but before you turn in tonight, I need a schedule of your negotiation."

[Mando Knight]

Mr. Harris nods. "Understood, sir. I will collate the details for you as soon as I can arrange for a meeting with the LFTA representative. Sergeant, do you wish to accompany me, or should I just fill you in later?"

---------

Pixie pipes up again, "Had any places in mind? There were a couple of clubs in Inland North that I was thinking of... wait, it's Monday, isn't it? That means it's Trial Night at The Garage, no cover charge!"

Lt. Flynn shoots Pixie a look. "There should be plenty of time for fun and games after we get the 'Mechs prepared for launch, Lieutenant Howe."

[samduke]

Jynx finishes all the needed programming for a simulator training run for the various members, who in turn take a training run. after which she gathers the analyses of the results, compiling the data into a usable report for the captain. While the loading of the units cargo and mechs for dust off takes place she walks the report over to the Captain.

Sir all units have completed the sim runs and the reports are above average, there are a few things that can only be resolved when in actual combat. The dropship should be loaded and ready for dustoff by morning. - waiting for comments from the captain - With permission I will turn in and see you at the dropship prior to dustoff

[Hemnon]

Nikita 'Fury' Lowel

Nikita got to her feet the moment Mr. Harris asked if she wished to just be filled in later or follow along. "I'll come along, Mr. Harris. No reason to stay out of the loop, so please, lead the way." Nikita said and waited for Mr. Harris to, well, lead the way.

[RandomLunatic]

Xiaofan snorted. "I'm always ready for a quick getaway." Which normally meant cold standby, minimum, but in Harlech, the Dragoons would put an end to any 'Mech-sized problems before she could get to the starport. So instead she kept her P-Hawk racked up for transport whenever she wasn't out playing toy soldier for potential clients.

"What's Trial Night? Sounds interesting."

[McStabbington]

McKenzie stepped onto the tarmac. The night air felt cool to his skin, and he had almost done without the cooling vest. Just need to rack my mech for dustoff. Still, it set a bad example for him to skip steps or ignore procedure, even for a quick start-up and shutdown like this. So as much as he wanted to turn in for the night, he did what he was trained to do, and suited up.

He met Lasin on the tarmac, and took her report. "Excellent work, Lieutenant. Please take the report notes up to my quarters, and set it on my desk. I'll review it tonight before I turn in." He started towards his machine, and then stopped, and turned back around. "Lieutenant, one last thing before you turn in for the night. I want to give the unit a preliminary briefing tomorrow at 0800 about the Carstairs mission. Please let everyone know. Let's have it on the hangar deck; that's probably the best place to assemble the entire unit, so that everyone knows what's going on. Once you do that, you're officially off the clock."


Unless there's something necessary about describing racking his mech and turning in, I will leave that part out. As far as housekeeping goes, McKenzie reviews the reports when he gets them from Harris, as well as Lasin's reports, before turning in at about 2300 or 0000. Wakeup is at 0600.

[Mando Knight]

"Very well, then." Mr. Harris leads Nikita across the massive Hiring Hall complex to an area dominated by offices for companies maintaining a more-or-less permanent presence on Outreach, including the LFTA. Once inside, he greets the receptionist. "Good afternoon, I'm James Harris and this is Sergeant Lowel of Odin's Chosen, we would like to schedule an appointment with Mr. Schmidt to discuss the Carstairs contract."

"One moment, please." The receptionist searches her computer for a minute, then continues. "Ah, I see he had a pre-approved offer for you, and he currently has openings at 1600 this evening and 0900 tomorrow morning."

"The 1600 slot will work fine, I believe. Is there a more complete tactical report for us to look over before we meet?"

"Let me see..." the receptionist searches her computer some more, then flips through a file cabinet and pulls out a file folder. "Here's what he has cleared for release so far."

"Thank you." After leafing through the documents, Mr. Harris hands them over to Nikita. "What do you think, Sergeant?"

The report from the Carstairs facility's security chief (one Kommandant Rudolph Hatfeld, LCAF, Ret) is obviously abbreviated for release, but most of the relevant details remain.

The existing security's warbooks have identified that the raiders operate at least two lances of BattleMechs: a Locust, Wasp, Firestarter, and Spider in one, and a Griffin, Phoenix Hawk, Shadow Hawk, and Wolverine in the other. The machines have been modified to reduce ammo dependencies, favoring lasers and flamers over autocannons and machine guns.

The raiders use camo patterns, and their allegiance has not yet been identified (though both Free Skye and Combine affiliations are raised as possibilities).
Carstairs is a generally prosperous world within the region currently organized as the Federated Commonwealth's Skye March, with modestly abundant resources, industrial capacity, and agriculture supporting a population of just over a billion. With only 45% surface water coverage and a Tharkad-like average equatorial temperature of 292 K, the planet's habitable area is dominated by semi-arid and continental climate zones. Some factories dating back to the Star League still remain, and the LFTA is in the process of rebuilding others. Old records refer to a Star League military base, but its supposed location has been lost.
Payment: 4489000 C-bills per standard month of operation, plus 3741000 C-bills per month during transit. Payout is twice monthly, with the first month of transit pay in advance and the remainder on arrival. (Current peacetime operating cost: 394150 C-bills per month)

Command Rights: House (unit is to be placed under the authority of Kommandant Hatfeld for the duration of the assignment)

Overhead Compensation: Full remuneration (covers out-of-pocket expenses such as food, lodging, local taxes, etc.)

Salvage Rights: 20%

Support Payment: 40% Battle-Loss Compensation

Transport: 100%, paid on arrival (estimated value: 800000 C-bills)

Current total payout: 35216000 C-bills, 3741000 in advance

------

"It's a weekly thing the Garage does. They open up the band stage so just about anyone can play. Some of the townies swear that's when the best bands in town play, but for me it's been about fifty-fifty. But like I said, they drop the cover charge for the night."

[samduke]

before heading to her quarters for the night jynx pays a visit to each of the units personnel barracks posting the order for the Captains unit briefing tomorrow at 0800 location hangar deck.

[RandomLunatic]

Xiaofan shrugged. "The price is right, at least. Let's go."

[Hemnon]

Nikita 'Fury' Lowel

Nikita gave the contract and related documents a thorough read, silent beyond the odd 'hmmm' and 'huh' sound from time to time. She then looked up at Mr. Harris and pursed her lips in thought for a moment.
"Well... I'd like to see a small change, at least, potentially a more on-hand discussion on final payout as well, but that'd all require a more direct face-to-face re-negotiation of the specifics." Nikita said and rubbing a finger over her lips in a thoughtful manner. (basically it'd be better to do a Negotiation roll when face-to-face with the employer or do so with an instant-contact hyperpulse communication.)

[Mando Knight]

LFTA Office

"Of course, that's the purpose of the appointment with Mr. Schmidt. Rather, I was wondering if you had anything else you think we might need while we wait?"

Elsewhere in the Hiring Hall

Pixie gives a short shrug. "Well, the show doesn't really get going until later, and I do have some stuff I need to get done first. I'll be there at 1900, it's at 37th Street North and the Lakefront Drive off-ramp."

DropPort

Sleipnir's pad bustles with activity all day in anticipation of the coming launch, with technical teams working to ensure the 'Mechs are secured for transport while the ship crew prepares the vessel itself and double-checks the rest of the cargo. As day turns to night, however, the crowd thins a fair bit as many return to rented lodging on-world for one last night's sleep before shipping off for months of transit.

[Hemnon]

Nikita 'Fury' Lowel

Nikita rubbed the bridge of her nose, feeling her exhaustion creep up on her, since she'd misunderstood Mister Harris' word to such a point. "Oh, yes.... Right. If you mean something like a cup of tea or some such, then yes that would very much be something I'd need. Other than that, I cannot think of anything we'd need, negotiation-wise. We'd really only be in need of listing off merits on our own end, small highlights on service to show that it's of value to our client to accept handing off more generous terms to us since they'd still gain a net gain in the end. Anything we can use to make it seem that we are asking for less than expected and make them feel they still get a one-up on us in terms of feeling they made a good deal." Nikita voiced out in a low tone, leafing through the documents a final time before handing them back to Mister Harris.

Btw how much total bonus does Mister Harris have for Negotiation rolls? just curious, cuz I think Nikita got like +4 or +5 in total, as long as Mr. Schmidt is attracted to the female gender.

[McStabbington]

Jack McKenzie

Jack trudged into his shipboard room and closed the door. As senior mechwarrior, he and the captain were the only ones with private rooms, but still, the room was cramped, with the bed elevated above the office nook. He set his helmet on the desk in the nook, sighed and changed his clothes. His mechwarrior togs he folded and put back in the storage locker for his uniforms.

Upon changing clothes into his skivvies, he broke out one of his wife's gifts: a hardcover copy of some book from ancient earth called The Brothers Karamazov. Clambering up on his bed, he set his overhead alarm for 0600, and began to read.

[samduke]

After securing her personal things in the cargo bay, jynx found her shared quarters and settled in for the duration.

[RandomLunatic]

Xiaofan started moving some of her personal effects from her hotel room to the DropShip and checking to make sure her 'Mech was secure for travel.

But there'd be time for relaxing later. After dinner, she dressed herself up and headed out to the address she'd been given.

[Mando Knight]

Hiring Hall, LFTA Office

"To the food court, then. It's a more comfortable area to discuss specific strategies than here, anyway." Mr. Harris gestures to follow Nikita back out into the hallway, and to the Hall's Food Court, a sprawling floor of food service with more variety than any other venue in the city.

...

Upon returning to the office for the appointment, the receptionist recognizes Nikita and Mr. Harris, and rises from her seat. "Just in time, Mr. Schmidt is right this way." She leads the pair through the LFTA's offices to Mr. Schmidt's open door, and introduces them to the man inside. "Your 1600 appointment is here, Mr. Schmidt. This is James Harris and Sergeant Lowel, of Odin's Chosen."

Mr. Schmidt, a man in his 50s with a clear military background in his bearing, stands in acknowledgment. "Thank you, Lisa, that will be all." As the receptionist leaves, he continues as he waves toward a pair of chairs facing his desk. "Come in, have a seat. I understand you have some questions about the Carstairs contract?"

Captain McKenzie's Quarters

Although the novel itself is ancient, this edition is a more recent one, clearly meant to be a part of a well-read noble's library rather than the cheaply-bound copies used as university texts. It also bears a lengthy preface about the history of the novel's impact and the inadequacy of various previous translations (in the preface author's opinion, at least).

Before Jack can fully settle in, however, there's a knock at the door.

The Garage

When Xiaofan arrives at The Garage, she's greeted outside by Pixie and the rest of her lance, all dressed for a night on the town. "Hey, you made it! Let's go, the show's about to start!"

Inside, there's a clear mix of both mercenary and civilian patrons, and the first band of the night appears to be made up of members of another mercenary unit.

[Hemnon]

Nikita 'Fury' Lowel

Nikita gave a light nod in greeting to Mr. Schmidt and took the offered seat, squeezing her eyes together a little before opening them wide again, a quick mental preparation for a lot of detail-stuff.

"Yes indeed Mr. Schmidt, However I'll lead our capable Frontline Negotiator do most of the talking *cute giggle, very much made with full intent to be charming*. I'm merely here to represent the Company as a Ranked Battlemech Pilot." Nikita said and just quietly leaned back in her seat and let Mr. Harris take over.

[RandomLunatic]

"You didn't say you were bringing the whole troop!" Xiaofan said excitedly.

Once inside, she went up to the bar and ordered the house tap, in hopes of getting served quickly and snagging a good vantage point. Of course, to Xiaofan, good vantage point had less to do with proximity to the stage and more to do with proximity to the exits.

[McStabbington]

Jack McKenzie

Jack sighed, put the book aside, and climbed down from the bed. "Enter."

[Mando Knight]

LFTA Office

Mr. Schmidt eases into a well-practiced salesman's smile. "Please, call me Hank."

Mr. Harris flips through the contract dossier for a couple of seconds, then pulls out a page of interest. "Now, about the contract terms..."

The next couple of hours are spent discussing details ranging from the chain of command to support services and salvage terms to room and board accommodations:

"The Captain was hoping for more independence in command than—"

"No, Kommandant Hatfeld was quite explicit on that when he reviewed your unit profile."

"His marks at the Nagelring were exemplary, and independence would give him better latitude to resolve the threat."

"The Nagelring is why Hatfeld was insistent on house command. Your captain might be an excellent academic, but he's untested in the field."

...

"Our cut of the salvage seems rather low for a contract offering BLC."

"It seems generous to me, the known OpFor doesn't have as valuable of assets as your company."

"The Loss compensation might be, but without us you won't have the forces to take that salvage in the first place. Give us fifty percent salvage rights, and we'll accept reducing the support payment to thirty-five percent BLC."

"Thirty percent, and you have a deal."

...

"Tell me about these boarding arrangements."

"Peter Walther, the CEO of our local affiliate, has arranged for your unit to be housed at one of his properties, a dormitory he had purchased from a struggling private school some years ago and had updated into studio apartments."

"Sounds a little cozy for a company of mercenaries, what's the catch?"

"Other than your employer being your landlord? No catch. It might be a bit middle-class for your blueblood commander, but it'll beat your DropShip any day."

The Garage

"If it's our last night before launch, I can't leave my girls hanging!"

With a full lance in tow, it's fairly easy to claim a booth to yourselves. It's early enough in the night that you're the first to take the best one in the house: close enough to the exit if you need to make a quick getaway, and with enough view of the room to spot anyone approaching.

The first band of the night performs well for being what amounts to a garage band, and the second band is somewhat more skilled and lures Pixie's lance out to the dance floor. The third band plays with still more technical skill, but their actual performance feels more rote than the second.

With the extra backup, engaging in or avoiding social interaction with the rest of the bar is easy enough: Pixie and her lancemates make for well-practiced wing-women who pick up on and adapt to Xiaofan's preferences. Pixie herself is the social butterfly of the group while Miriam is reserved and spends more time nursing her drink than anything else. Kylie and Gwendolyn fall somewhere between the two, with Kylie proving to be more of a conversationalist and Gwen preferring the dance floor.

Captain McKenzie's Quarters

The door opens, and a Canopian woman in her late thirties steps in: Olivia Harris, skipper of the Sleipnir. "Sorry for the late intrusion, Jim just finished his report on today's negotiations. He also has an appointment to finalize the contract tomorrow at 1000, if you could join him."

She places a folder on the room's desk, with a summary memo clipped to the front.

[McStabbington]

Jack McKenzie

"I appreciate you bringing that, Olivia. Be sure to tell Jim that I'll review these first thing in the morning along with the briefing reports, and that I'll be along after the briefing to sign the documents." Jack signed and rubbed his eyes; he knew that he needed to start running again and lose some of the extra weight he'd been putting on, but he also knew that he couldn't work on anything less than six hours worth of sleep.

He looked back at his ship's captain. A born spacer, she'd been one of the experts loaned to his command by his family, for which he was duly grateful. Though it helped that she'd worked her way up through the ranks, but this was her first command, well deserved and overdue though it may have been. "In the meantime, is there anything left to do before dustoff? Especially anything you need of either myself or my men?"

[RandomLunatic]

Despite herself, after a few drinks Pixie's energy was just infection. Xiaofan reluctantly allowed herself to be dragged onto the dance floor for the second band, and was quite enjoying herself by the time the third band came up.

[Hemnon]

Nikita 'Fury' Lowel

Nikita would nod along or add in a small compromise comment now and again, but was more or less leaving the majority of the talking for Mr. Harris, not wishing to show any sort of accidental undermining of negotiation-authority from him - Doing so would only harm Their outlook as a unified negotiation team, and instead give Mr. Schmidt, Hank as he said his first name was, more leverage to use to gain an upper hand.

[Mando Knight]

LFTA Office

The negotiations eventually come to a conclusion, with Nikita offering just enough leverage that Mr. Harris is able to gain more ground than he concedes. Hank Schmidt fusses with a document on his desk computer for a minute, then hands Mr. Harris a data card. "Here's a copy of the contract with the adjusted terms marked in. I still have an opening tomorrow morning at 1000, if you bring your CO in then we can sign and file the finalized copy with the MRB."

"Sounds like a plan, pleasure doing business with you."

The Garage

By the time the third band closes their set, the crowd starts to thin, and Pixie and her lance start to get up to go. "Xiaofan, I think we'll get along just fine, 'n yer welcome to hang with us any time. Well, we'll see ya in th' mornin'." Although Pixie herself is obviously more than a little sloshed, Miriam appears to still be sober enough to keep the gang together as they leave.

Captain McKenzie's Quarters

"No sir, the ship is ready to go when you are, besides the half-hour warm-up and Preflight check. By your leave, I'll let you have your sleep." Unless interrupted, Olivia nods her head and steps back into the hallway, closing the cabin door behind her.

Hangar Deck, the next morning

At 0900 sharp, the entire company has assembled on Sleipnir's main hangar deck for Captain McKenzie's address. Pixie clearly has a bit of a "hungover but dealing with it" cast to her face this morning, but Lt. Flynn and her lance are as sharp and alert as anyone could ask of a MechWarrior unit, even if they're getting ready to spend the next two months cooped up in a DropShip. Technical teams and the DropShip crew are also about, focused on double-checking cargo manifests and any last-minute transport preparations for the company's 'Mechs.

Later, in the LFTA Office

After the briefing, Mr. Harris accompanies Captain McKenzie back to the Hiring Hall. Hank Schmidt greets them and ushers them into the office himself, where a ComStar adept is already waiting as a representative of the MRB. "Any last questions before we sign, Captain?"
Current Scope of Operations: Provide BattleMech (and, when needed, Aerospace) security and defense to LFTA-affiliated facilities and operations on Carstairs (currently focused on refurbishment efforts of Star League-era factories, but subject to change due to transit time). Counter-raid and seek-and-destroy operations are not included in this contract.

Payment: 4489000 C-bills per standard month of operation, plus 3741000 C-bills per month during transit. Payout is twice monthly, with the first month of transit pay in advance and the remainder on arrival. (Current peacetime operating cost: 394150 C-bills per month)

Command Rights: House (unit is to be placed under the authority of Kommandant Hatfeld for the duration of the assignment)

Overhead Compensation: Full remuneration (covers out-of-pocket expenses such as food, lodging, local taxes, etc.)

Salvage Rights: 50%

Support Payment: 30% Battle-Loss Compensation

Transport: 100%, paid on arrival (estimated value: 800000 C-bills)

Current total payout: 35216000 C-bills, 3741000 in advance

[McStabbington]

"Jack" McKenzie

Quarters, Midnight

"Only to ask whether or not Jim is coming with on the trip, or if he's going to remain here on Outreach."

[Mando Knight]

Captain McKenzie's Quarters

Olivia raises an eyebrow at the question. "Of course he's coming, sir. The groundwork he's laid in here on Outreach is important, but his administrative skills will be more useful if he's with us, not a couple hundred lightyears away."

After a brief pause, she adds "And... if I might be so blunt to state the obvious, he's more useful to me if he comes along."

[McStabbington]

"Jack" McKenzie

Jack offered Olivia a modest smile. "Even among Canopians, there's such a thing as discretion. For what it's worth though, Olivia, I'm glad he'll be along, and not just because Jim can help me with payroll and quartermaster work. I'd have felt bad if the job kept you both apart." He tapped the file gently. "If there's nothing more, I'll see you tomorrow Captain. I need to get some shuteye."

[Mando Knight]

"I have nothing else at the moment. Good night, sir." Olivia steps back into the hallway, closing the cabin door behind her.



Hangar Deck, the next morning

At 0900 sharp, the entire company has assembled on Sleipnir's main hangar deck for Captain McKenzie's address. Pixie clearly has a bit of a "hungover but dealing with it" cast to her face this morning, but Lt. Flynn and her lance are as sharp and alert as anyone could ask of a MechWarrior unit, even if they're getting ready to spend the next two months cooped up in a DropShip. Technical teams and the DropShip crew are also about, focused on double-checking cargo manifests and any last-minute transport preparations for the company's 'Mechs.

Later, in the LFTA Office

After the briefing, Mr. Harris accompanies Captain McKenzie back to the Hiring Hall. Hank Schmidt greets them and ushers them into the office himself, where a ComStar adept is already waiting as a representative of the MRB. "Any last questions before we sign, Captain?"
Current Scope of Operations: Provide BattleMech (and, when needed, Aerospace) security and defense to LFTA-affiliated facilities and operations on Carstairs (currently focused on refurbishment efforts of Star League-era factories, but subject to change due to transit time). Counter-raid and seek-and-destroy operations are not included in this contract.

Payment: 4489000 C-bills per standard month of operation, plus 3741000 C-bills per month during transit. Payout is twice monthly, with the first month of transit pay in advance and the remainder on arrival. (Current peacetime operating cost: 394150 C-bills per month)

Command Rights: House (unit is to be placed under the authority of Kommandant Hatfeld for the duration of the assignment)

Overhead Compensation: Full remuneration (covers out-of-pocket expenses such as food, lodging, local taxes, etc.)

Salvage Rights: 50%

Support Payment: 30% Battle-Loss Compensation

Transport: 100%, paid on arrival (estimated value: 800000 C-bills)

Current total payout: 35216000 C-bills, 3741000 in advance

[Hemnon]

Nikita 'Fury' Lowel

Nikita had managed to sleep quite well and seemed much less grumpy and bleary-eyed that following morning.
Unless requested for something, either in Official Capacity, or some other function for the Merc Company itself, Nikita would be busying herself with listening to an audiotrack on her Noteputer for Immortal Warrior Classified Operations II.