So it turns out that what we hit on Keystone was
deliberately targeted. The branches of the Earthworks factory we hit, as well
as the people and stuff they took, were specifically concerned with the
production of the Tomahawk II. I can
understand why; Earthworks can use it as a way of getting around legal boundaries
and boost their capacity to make Clantech. And anything that means there’s less
of those monsters stomping around is fine by me.
On the other hand, I have mixed feelings about the newest
contract. A part of me doesn’t like it, especially the thought of getting
involved in a planetary civil war. They’re really pretty, but at least unlike
with Hamilton, the dividing lines are pretty well defined and we have a clear
objective. This isn’t an insurgency with potential enemies everywhere, but
rather a battle where we’re going to be facing stand-up fights with discernable
enemy forces. Really, it’s a planetary assault, just a blue-on-blue one.
I can understand why the Lyrans want the Kamenez
Archonette nipped in the bud. They have enough problem as it is without a
renegade breakaway state forming right on the border with two hostile states. And
while the Lyrans reputation has taken some severe blows recently (Okay, that’s
an understatement. They left the Eridani Light Horse to die. There’s very
little you can say to defend that) I’d sooner them then the Wolves. Also, the
terms they gave us were generous.
By way of some assurance, Nikola looked into our liaison
officer, Kommandant Angus Gillies. Amazingly enough, he’s actually a
professional mercenary liaison, and earned his rank through experience. So at
the very least, we’re not going to be taking orders from some noble fop who has
no idea of how things work.
Unfortunately, there is one thing that I can’t do
anything about, and that’s our operational partners. I don’t like the Liberty
City Royals, and that’s all there is to it. I understand that the Lyrans are
desperate and that they need this situation solved quickly, and that they’re
not in a position to be too choosy about who they hire. It also doesn’t mean
that they have to like it.
The Royals are thugs, plain and simple. They’re the sort
of just-this-side-of-pirate scum that embody the worst of the Mercenary trade,
and sadly have been far too common since the Blackout. With the MRBC virtually
powerless and everyone in desperate need of warm bodies, it’s easy for shonky
Mercs to find jobs and not only survive but also thrive in this new market. One
has only to look at the ‘Outreach Revival’ movement and the sort of bottom-feeder
units it attracted to see poof of this.
(I admit now, I’m glad that Outreach is behind the Wall,
and we’ll never see some of the units that were based there again)
Yes, I might be letting my opinion be coloured by
professional pride. I admit that much. However, at the same time, I don’t like
the idea of working alongside a unit made up of criminals, thugs and
desperados. You can look at groups like Bannson’s Raiders or the sort of trash
that wound up working for the Word to get a good idea why.
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