FOX TWO- A quest of high speed Aerial Combat
- Thread starter Ato
- Start date
- Modern Original
-
- Tags
- aircraft mercenaries
Introduction 1.13
[X] Attempt to locate Miranda's landing site but prioritize our own safety and getting back to base; spend at most 6 fuel and bug out the moment Khal team moves to engage.
-Introduction- 1.13
You looked towards Miranda's slowly descending 'chute and made your decision. The boss was gone. Losing Miranda too would cripple the company.
"Alright. You check on her. I've got your back." You said.
You guided your fighter towards where you judged she would eventually land, keeping a careful eye on Khal team's aircraft. Which now seemed to be circling a distance away, like sharks after a kill.
By the time you arrived, Miranda had already touched down on the white sands of the beach. Erin dropped low, whilst you maintained altitude, if the Khals dropped down to engage you would be in a position to fend them off, even if would likely use up what little fuel you had left. Your wingman used her aircraft's low speed performance to make a slow pass, almost at treetop height.
"I see her!" Reported Rook 4. "Looks like she's okay. I can see her moving to the treeline."
Erin waggled her wings in signal to your downed teammate.
"She saw me." She continued. "I saw her wave."
"Okay." You replied "Log the position and let's get back to base."
Erin formed up on your wing, and you both turned your fighters east towards home. Khal did not follow.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After twenty minutes of flying the most economically you had in your life, you had managed to nurse your thirsty jet back over the coast, and swathes of jungle outback to see the dirty smudge of the unit's home base grow into view before you.
Kuang Rat.
Known as the 'Rat' by the contractors who worked there, a nickname that seemed equal parts derisive and affectionate, knowing which was hard to tell. It was the capital of the Myrian Coast province, from which the Republic of Yastar exercised control of the region's rich resources, and where several multinational corporations maintained their local offices. Not least of which was your current employer, Cascade Mineral Extraction.
The 'Rat' sat on the banks of the mud coloured Kelawi river, that slowly oozed it's way across the paddy fields and plantations to the nearby coast. The more prosperous central parts of the town, mostly constructed from brick and stone during the old colonial era, were surrounded by a series of increasingly ramshackle shanties, where they buildings were often wrought of no more than corrugated iron and plyboard.
To the north was the imposing bulk of the Bantoi Resources smelting works, that crouched over the nearby worker's shacks like some titanic metal spider. It belched a stream of blackened smoke into the sky, that was fed by daily barge shipments from the interior mines further upriver.
Across a grand but decaying stone bridge of several arches was the airfield. This served double duty as the 'Rat's' primary airport, receiving a flight or two a day from the Capital in the South, and as the home base of the local Yastari Air Force unit.
Generously, though perhaps somewhat helped by financial contributions from the corporations, the Air Force rented out several of the hangars and buildings that they weren't currently using. This policy had helped the 'Rat become of a hub for mercenary units in the Tienna Sea region, albeit a minor one.
It was in one of these leased compounds, Hanger 9, that Rooks Aerial Lancer's were currently based.
You aligned your aircraft with the approach vector and keyed the radio to the tower's frequency.
"KR Tower this Rook flight, two aircraft inbound vector 279, requesting landing clearance." For a few seconds there was no reply and your anxiety, still spiked from the tail end of life or death adrenaline during the dogfight, rose a notch.
"Copy that Rook Flight, we have you on screen. Cleared to land runway 18." There was a pause. "Two aircraft Rook flight? Did some of you get lost?"
Behind the visor of your flight helmet, your eye twitched.
"Negative KR tower, 2 aircraft only. Rook flight on approach." You replied, trying to keep your voice level.
The tower didn't comment any further. You put your Firefly into the glide slope, and triggered the hydraulics to lower your landing gear. You skimmed the tops of the runway end marker lights and a flared to bleed your excess airspeed just as the wheels touched tarmac. You brought the fighter down onto the paved strip and cut the throttle to idle.
After you had slowed sufficiently you retracted the dorsal airbrake, and turned off onto the taxi-way towards the unit hanger. Behind you Erin landed her Kestrel neatly, and followed your path.
As you rolled to a stop, the whole ground crew was waiting outside the empty hanger. They ran forward to secure the aircraft with chocks, and to begin the work of post flight maintenance and checks. You shut the engine down, hearing the turbines spool to a stop, and checked your gauges. The fuel needle sat just below the zero mark.
You popped the canopy, gulping down the fresh air that rushed in. Taking a moment to let the sweet breeze wash over you, and pulled the helmet off your head, feeling your hands shake slightly as you did so. You sat in your cooling fighter and stared ahead, not really seeing. Instead feeling the enormity of surviving your first combat mission suddenly push down upon you.
Someone spoke. You didn't really hear, but noticed that a ladder had been pulled up to allow you dismount. With effort you hauled yourself out of the cockpit and practically flowed down the ladder, feeling the solid earth beneath your feet as if for the first time.
A murmur of conversation filled the air around you, people asked questions, but you didn't answer. Instead you handed your helmet away, and shrugged off the parachute harness, before walking steadily towards the main building.
Inside you passed the lockers without pause and made it into the washroom, where almost failing in your strength grabbed a sink for support. Cold water ran from the tap, and you splashed it over your face. You stood there for a moment, letting yourself settle before you looked up into the mirror.
Who are you?
You are:
[] A man
[] A woman
Your background is that of:
[] A Mercenary Scion. Your mother was a famed mercenary fighter pilot who served in the mid-century brush wars. You had a spartan childhood travelling with her from one campaign to the another. You remember tense days waiting for her to come home from missions, and never really knowing where you would end up next.
She taught you to fly herself, and upon her tragic death in Borealia, she left her trusted plane to you. Now you follow in her footsteps, determined to make name for yourself.
[] An Aerial Dilettante. You had a pampered upbringing as a member of a fabulously wealthy Seraphoran banking house. However the life of board meetings and corporate power plays did not hold your interest. When you came of age you raided your trust fund to pay for flying lessons, and when you thought yourself ready, bought a combat capable fighter.
From there it was simply a matter of signing on with the first outfit that would take you.
[] A Military Deserter. A child of lawyers working in the ill-fated Kingdom Arania's capital, you excelled at study and graduated as a pilot from the Royal Air Force academy. When the revolutionary coup plunged the country into civil war you decided that you really didn't want to die for some self important aristocrats. As soon as the opportunity presented itself you absconded with your fighter and never looked back. With few other prospects, you have since signed on with a group of mercenaries.
[] A Dashing Scoundrel. You grew up on a sleepy backwater farm in rural Osira. At an early age you promised yourself that you would not be trapped by the same life of hard graft and rustic parochialism that your family embraced. You yearned for adventure and took it wherever you could, building up a reputation as a rogue and a rebel. You learned to fly on your uncle's cropduster, and soon after ditched your family to swindle and grift your way across the continent.
Falling in with a merc squadron is just the latest escapade in your short but eventful career.
A/N: This ends the introduction. After you have chosen your character you will run through the post-mission routine and get to grips with operating a mercenary company.
-Introduction- 1.13
You looked towards Miranda's slowly descending 'chute and made your decision. The boss was gone. Losing Miranda too would cripple the company.
"Alright. You check on her. I've got your back." You said.
You guided your fighter towards where you judged she would eventually land, keeping a careful eye on Khal team's aircraft. Which now seemed to be circling a distance away, like sharks after a kill.
By the time you arrived, Miranda had already touched down on the white sands of the beach. Erin dropped low, whilst you maintained altitude, if the Khals dropped down to engage you would be in a position to fend them off, even if would likely use up what little fuel you had left. Your wingman used her aircraft's low speed performance to make a slow pass, almost at treetop height.
"I see her!" Reported Rook 4. "Looks like she's okay. I can see her moving to the treeline."
Erin waggled her wings in signal to your downed teammate.
"She saw me." She continued. "I saw her wave."
"Okay." You replied "Log the position and let's get back to base."
Erin formed up on your wing, and you both turned your fighters east towards home. Khal did not follow.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After twenty minutes of flying the most economically you had in your life, you had managed to nurse your thirsty jet back over the coast, and swathes of jungle outback to see the dirty smudge of the unit's home base grow into view before you.
Kuang Rat.
Known as the 'Rat' by the contractors who worked there, a nickname that seemed equal parts derisive and affectionate, knowing which was hard to tell. It was the capital of the Myrian Coast province, from which the Republic of Yastar exercised control of the region's rich resources, and where several multinational corporations maintained their local offices. Not least of which was your current employer, Cascade Mineral Extraction.
The 'Rat' sat on the banks of the mud coloured Kelawi river, that slowly oozed it's way across the paddy fields and plantations to the nearby coast. The more prosperous central parts of the town, mostly constructed from brick and stone during the old colonial era, were surrounded by a series of increasingly ramshackle shanties, where they buildings were often wrought of no more than corrugated iron and plyboard.
To the north was the imposing bulk of the Bantoi Resources smelting works, that crouched over the nearby worker's shacks like some titanic metal spider. It belched a stream of blackened smoke into the sky, that was fed by daily barge shipments from the interior mines further upriver.
Across a grand but decaying stone bridge of several arches was the airfield. This served double duty as the 'Rat's' primary airport, receiving a flight or two a day from the Capital in the South, and as the home base of the local Yastari Air Force unit.
Generously, though perhaps somewhat helped by financial contributions from the corporations, the Air Force rented out several of the hangars and buildings that they weren't currently using. This policy had helped the 'Rat become of a hub for mercenary units in the Tienna Sea region, albeit a minor one.
It was in one of these leased compounds, Hanger 9, that Rooks Aerial Lancer's were currently based.
You aligned your aircraft with the approach vector and keyed the radio to the tower's frequency.
"KR Tower this Rook flight, two aircraft inbound vector 279, requesting landing clearance." For a few seconds there was no reply and your anxiety, still spiked from the tail end of life or death adrenaline during the dogfight, rose a notch.
"Copy that Rook Flight, we have you on screen. Cleared to land runway 18." There was a pause. "Two aircraft Rook flight? Did some of you get lost?"
Behind the visor of your flight helmet, your eye twitched.
"Negative KR tower, 2 aircraft only. Rook flight on approach." You replied, trying to keep your voice level.
The tower didn't comment any further. You put your Firefly into the glide slope, and triggered the hydraulics to lower your landing gear. You skimmed the tops of the runway end marker lights and a flared to bleed your excess airspeed just as the wheels touched tarmac. You brought the fighter down onto the paved strip and cut the throttle to idle.
After you had slowed sufficiently you retracted the dorsal airbrake, and turned off onto the taxi-way towards the unit hanger. Behind you Erin landed her Kestrel neatly, and followed your path.
As you rolled to a stop, the whole ground crew was waiting outside the empty hanger. They ran forward to secure the aircraft with chocks, and to begin the work of post flight maintenance and checks. You shut the engine down, hearing the turbines spool to a stop, and checked your gauges. The fuel needle sat just below the zero mark.
You popped the canopy, gulping down the fresh air that rushed in. Taking a moment to let the sweet breeze wash over you, and pulled the helmet off your head, feeling your hands shake slightly as you did so. You sat in your cooling fighter and stared ahead, not really seeing. Instead feeling the enormity of surviving your first combat mission suddenly push down upon you.
Someone spoke. You didn't really hear, but noticed that a ladder had been pulled up to allow you dismount. With effort you hauled yourself out of the cockpit and practically flowed down the ladder, feeling the solid earth beneath your feet as if for the first time.
A murmur of conversation filled the air around you, people asked questions, but you didn't answer. Instead you handed your helmet away, and shrugged off the parachute harness, before walking steadily towards the main building.
Inside you passed the lockers without pause and made it into the washroom, where almost failing in your strength grabbed a sink for support. Cold water ran from the tap, and you splashed it over your face. You stood there for a moment, letting yourself settle before you looked up into the mirror.
Who are you?
You are:
[] A man
[] A woman
Your background is that of:
[] A Mercenary Scion. Your mother was a famed mercenary fighter pilot who served in the mid-century brush wars. You had a spartan childhood travelling with her from one campaign to the another. You remember tense days waiting for her to come home from missions, and never really knowing where you would end up next.
She taught you to fly herself, and upon her tragic death in Borealia, she left her trusted plane to you. Now you follow in her footsteps, determined to make name for yourself.
[] An Aerial Dilettante. You had a pampered upbringing as a member of a fabulously wealthy Seraphoran banking house. However the life of board meetings and corporate power plays did not hold your interest. When you came of age you raided your trust fund to pay for flying lessons, and when you thought yourself ready, bought a combat capable fighter.
From there it was simply a matter of signing on with the first outfit that would take you.
[] A Military Deserter. A child of lawyers working in the ill-fated Kingdom Arania's capital, you excelled at study and graduated as a pilot from the Royal Air Force academy. When the revolutionary coup plunged the country into civil war you decided that you really didn't want to die for some self important aristocrats. As soon as the opportunity presented itself you absconded with your fighter and never looked back. With few other prospects, you have since signed on with a group of mercenaries.
[] A Dashing Scoundrel. You grew up on a sleepy backwater farm in rural Osira. At an early age you promised yourself that you would not be trapped by the same life of hard graft and rustic parochialism that your family embraced. You yearned for adventure and took it wherever you could, building up a reputation as a rogue and a rebel. You learned to fly on your uncle's cropduster, and soon after ditched your family to swindle and grift your way across the continent.
Falling in with a merc squadron is just the latest escapade in your short but eventful career.
A/N: This ends the introduction. After you have chosen your character you will run through the post-mission routine and get to grips with operating a mercenary company.
Last edited:
Zeroth Jupi
Sporadic Writer and Haver of Ideas
- Location
- Somewhere
- Pronouns
- He/She/They
[X] A man
[X] A Mercenary Scion
[X] A Mercenary Scion
- Location
- U S of A
[X] A Dashing Scoundrel. You grew up on a sleepy backwater farm in rural Osira. At an early age you promised yourself that you would not be trapped by the same life of hard graft and rustic parochialism that your family embraced. You yearned for adventure and took it wherever you could, building up a reputation as a rogue and a rebel. You learned to fly on your uncle's cropduster, and soon after ditched your family to swindle and grift your way across the continent.
Falling in with a merc squadron is just the latest escapade in your short but eventful career.
Falling in with a merc squadron is just the latest escapade in your short but eventful career.
tankdrop24
Tread First into Hell
- Location
- The Center of the Universe: Toronto, Canada
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] A man
[X] A Mercenary Scion
[X] A Mercenary Scion
- Location
- Kansas
[X] A woman
[X] A Military Deserter.
[X] A Military Deserter.
- Location
- california
[X] A woman
[X] A Mercenary Scion
[X] A Mercenary Scion
- Location
- Wollongong, Australia
[X] A man
[X] A Mercenary Scion
[X] A Mercenary Scion
Regional Map
Cmd. Frost
The last one standing.
- Location
- The Summer Stretch
[x] A woman.
[x] A Mercenary Scion
[x] A Mercenary Scion
Kuang Rat 2.1
[x] A woman.
[x] A Mercenary Scion.
-Kuang Rat- 2.1
You stared at your own reflection, studying the sharp features that looked back at you. The pale skin, light green eyes, and short bob of black hair were the same as ever, even down to the teardrop shaped scar on your cheek. It was your face, but you couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed. That you were different since this morning, more than that, like you were now looking at a stranger
Your mother had tried to explain how being in combat, taking lives, seeing your comrades die, it changed a person. That no one truly knew who they were until they had been through it. You hadn't understood then.
Fuck.
You didn't understand now.
You closed your eyes and exhaled, counting to three. You could do this.
You had trained for it, perhaps all your life. From the time you were old enough to understand what your mother did, following in her footsteps had been your deepest desire. She had trained you herself, pushed you hard. Harder than others.
You had thought then that she had been trying to make you give up on the path you had chosen for yourself, you had resented her a little for that. Perhaps that hadn't been her goal at all. Maybe she had pushed you so hard all that time to prepare you… for this.
You opened your eyes again
You knew who you were.
You are Heike Remora, daughter of mercenary fighter ace Anke Remora, the renowned Eagle of Karletta. And one day your name would eclipse all others.
You pushed yourself away from the sink and left the washroom, the sound of a heated conversation from elsewhere in the building caught your ears. It was coming from further down the central corridor that ran the length of the Unit's building. You went towards the noise.
"What do you mean he never came back?" The question hung like lead in the air. None of the people gathered in the small office, which the unit used as a briefing room, seemed able to answer.
No one met your gaze as you entered.
"We saw him disengage." Erin continued, her voice pained. "Yang cleared the combat zone well before Khal arrived…" She trailed off.
"I don't know what to say." The new speaker was a woman in the uniform of the Yastari Air Force, wearing a major's rank insignia. You vaguely recognized her as the CO of the local garrison squadron. "Our radar did not pick up Pilot Yang's plane in range of this base. You said he was damaged yes? Well then i'm afraid it is very likely that he was forced to ditch en route."
A groan rose from around the room. It seemed like the whole unit was gathered there. What was left of it.
Erin stood at the centre with the Major. The Hanger Chief 'Manny' Aiana was slumped in a chair to one side, rubbing his forehead, whilst his daughter, and assistant Vivianne stood with a hand on his shoulder. Nina Reyes the unit's Armourer stood near the door, arms akimbo and a grimace on her features. Katsura Toshi, the communications tech sat at the main desk, fidgeting with a pen, and looking distinctly uncomfortable.
The major held her hands up in a placating gesture. "It's possible he was forced to divert, and made it to one of the bush strips. If so, the local villagers will report it to su eventually, iin the meantime I'll ask the patrols to keep an eye out."
"They were jumped by Tessari fighter over Yastar territory." Nina spoke out. "That has to be an act of war. What are you going to do about it?"
A slightly grimace flickered across the Major's face. "No doubt that's true. But our relations with the Tessari Union are... tense, especially in this region. I will send a report back to headquarters, but given the territorial dispute, and that you are a non-national unit, the most I can see happening is an official complaint from my government."
"So what because we are mercs, we don't fucking matter?" Erin retorted, her voice raising a notch.
The Major shrugged apologetically. "I'm sorry, The Tessari will just claim that you were in their airspace, at least the part we recognize as theirs, and that you fired first. My government can't, it won't got to war over this."
"We were protecting your territory. We stopped them hitting the oil rigs! Rook 1 died perhaps Miranda and Yang too! There has to be more to it than that." Erin pressed on.
"And I'm sure your employer will be grateful to you." The Yastari officer sighed. "If I had my way we would be hitting the bastards back. They have been pushing us for months, but my hands are tied."
This didn't seem to make any of the others feel better.
"Now if you will excuse me, I have some arrangements to make. Thanks to the coordinates supplied by your pilots, the search and rescue team should be going out for your downed comrade shortly."
With that she left.giving you a nod as she passed out of the door. With her departure a thick and awkward silence descended over the group.Toshi looked like he was going to say something, but then thought better of it.
Eventually Manny stood and announced that he needed to go and start working on the plane, before the local workers started getting ideas.Vivianne followed him out, giving you and Erin sympathetic glances. No sooner had they left the room, then a new arrival strode in.
"Hello? This is Rook's Aerial Lancers is it not?" He asked in a sharp tone.
Clothed in a light summer suit, and holding a briefcase which he deposited on the desk as he walked to the centre of the room. He turned to face you, surveying the room with a haughty demeanor.
"I am Leon Fisher, Cascade Minerals Deputy Regional Director for Contractor Relations. Which one of you would be Harold Rook?" He asked, throwing each of you a questioning look.
"He's dead." Replied Erin, her tone flat.
"I see." He said.You thought that perhaps he did not. "Miranda Rook perhaps? I see she is listed as a cosignatory on the contract."
"Missing." You ground out from between your teeth.
"Ah" He said. "How unfortunate. In any case I am here to issue a formal complaint of conduct on behalf of Cascade Minerals for the service your Unit was contracted to provide. Persuant to clause-"
"WHAT!" Erin exploded, and took a step towards the man, hands balling into fists. Nina stepped up to put a hand on her shoulder, halting the pilot from going further, but gave the Corporate flunky an equally hard stare.
"Explain." She said.
The man paled and swallowed audibly. Perhaps suddenly aware of the three women giving him death glares. Even Toshi ahd stood up and looked, pretty angry. Nina's eye patch probably added to the effect as well.
"Well, as I was… ah, saying. The company has found fault with the aforementioned contracted service, namely protecting our oil extraction infrastructure from threats. I am here to serve formal notice, and to inform you that further failure will be considered breach of said contract."
Erin shrugged off Nina's grasp and got right up in the Suit's face. "We protected your damn rigs, half of us were shot down doing it!"
"Well yes." The man replied,backpedaling. "Whilst there was no physical damage to the infrastructure, you retreated whilst hostile aircraft were still in the area. Our workforce abandoned their posts. We had to stop production, and..." Erin made to advance on him, and the suit trailed off again. "...However it seems there might have been mitigating circumstances. Perhaps if you were to fill me in on the details, I might be able to clear up the miscommunication. Who is the most senior operative remaining from the mission?"
Erin stopped and glanced back at you.
What do you do?
[] Tell the unvarnished truth.
[] Embellish the facts.
[] Blame the dead.
[] Beat the shit out of him.
[] Write in
[x] A Mercenary Scion.
-Kuang Rat- 2.1
You stared at your own reflection, studying the sharp features that looked back at you. The pale skin, light green eyes, and short bob of black hair were the same as ever, even down to the teardrop shaped scar on your cheek. It was your face, but you couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed. That you were different since this morning, more than that, like you were now looking at a stranger
Your mother had tried to explain how being in combat, taking lives, seeing your comrades die, it changed a person. That no one truly knew who they were until they had been through it. You hadn't understood then.
Fuck.
You didn't understand now.
You closed your eyes and exhaled, counting to three. You could do this.
You had trained for it, perhaps all your life. From the time you were old enough to understand what your mother did, following in her footsteps had been your deepest desire. She had trained you herself, pushed you hard. Harder than others.
You had thought then that she had been trying to make you give up on the path you had chosen for yourself, you had resented her a little for that. Perhaps that hadn't been her goal at all. Maybe she had pushed you so hard all that time to prepare you… for this.
You opened your eyes again
You knew who you were.
You are Heike Remora, daughter of mercenary fighter ace Anke Remora, the renowned Eagle of Karletta. And one day your name would eclipse all others.
You pushed yourself away from the sink and left the washroom, the sound of a heated conversation from elsewhere in the building caught your ears. It was coming from further down the central corridor that ran the length of the Unit's building. You went towards the noise.
"What do you mean he never came back?" The question hung like lead in the air. None of the people gathered in the small office, which the unit used as a briefing room, seemed able to answer.
No one met your gaze as you entered.
"We saw him disengage." Erin continued, her voice pained. "Yang cleared the combat zone well before Khal arrived…" She trailed off.
"I don't know what to say." The new speaker was a woman in the uniform of the Yastari Air Force, wearing a major's rank insignia. You vaguely recognized her as the CO of the local garrison squadron. "Our radar did not pick up Pilot Yang's plane in range of this base. You said he was damaged yes? Well then i'm afraid it is very likely that he was forced to ditch en route."
A groan rose from around the room. It seemed like the whole unit was gathered there. What was left of it.
Erin stood at the centre with the Major. The Hanger Chief 'Manny' Aiana was slumped in a chair to one side, rubbing his forehead, whilst his daughter, and assistant Vivianne stood with a hand on his shoulder. Nina Reyes the unit's Armourer stood near the door, arms akimbo and a grimace on her features. Katsura Toshi, the communications tech sat at the main desk, fidgeting with a pen, and looking distinctly uncomfortable.
The major held her hands up in a placating gesture. "It's possible he was forced to divert, and made it to one of the bush strips. If so, the local villagers will report it to su eventually, iin the meantime I'll ask the patrols to keep an eye out."
"They were jumped by Tessari fighter over Yastar territory." Nina spoke out. "That has to be an act of war. What are you going to do about it?"
A slightly grimace flickered across the Major's face. "No doubt that's true. But our relations with the Tessari Union are... tense, especially in this region. I will send a report back to headquarters, but given the territorial dispute, and that you are a non-national unit, the most I can see happening is an official complaint from my government."
"So what because we are mercs, we don't fucking matter?" Erin retorted, her voice raising a notch.
The Major shrugged apologetically. "I'm sorry, The Tessari will just claim that you were in their airspace, at least the part we recognize as theirs, and that you fired first. My government can't, it won't got to war over this."
"We were protecting your territory. We stopped them hitting the oil rigs! Rook 1 died perhaps Miranda and Yang too! There has to be more to it than that." Erin pressed on.
"And I'm sure your employer will be grateful to you." The Yastari officer sighed. "If I had my way we would be hitting the bastards back. They have been pushing us for months, but my hands are tied."
This didn't seem to make any of the others feel better.
"Now if you will excuse me, I have some arrangements to make. Thanks to the coordinates supplied by your pilots, the search and rescue team should be going out for your downed comrade shortly."
With that she left.giving you a nod as she passed out of the door. With her departure a thick and awkward silence descended over the group.Toshi looked like he was going to say something, but then thought better of it.
Eventually Manny stood and announced that he needed to go and start working on the plane, before the local workers started getting ideas.Vivianne followed him out, giving you and Erin sympathetic glances. No sooner had they left the room, then a new arrival strode in.
"Hello? This is Rook's Aerial Lancers is it not?" He asked in a sharp tone.
Clothed in a light summer suit, and holding a briefcase which he deposited on the desk as he walked to the centre of the room. He turned to face you, surveying the room with a haughty demeanor.
"I am Leon Fisher, Cascade Minerals Deputy Regional Director for Contractor Relations. Which one of you would be Harold Rook?" He asked, throwing each of you a questioning look.
"He's dead." Replied Erin, her tone flat.
"I see." He said.You thought that perhaps he did not. "Miranda Rook perhaps? I see she is listed as a cosignatory on the contract."
"Missing." You ground out from between your teeth.
"Ah" He said. "How unfortunate. In any case I am here to issue a formal complaint of conduct on behalf of Cascade Minerals for the service your Unit was contracted to provide. Persuant to clause-"
"WHAT!" Erin exploded, and took a step towards the man, hands balling into fists. Nina stepped up to put a hand on her shoulder, halting the pilot from going further, but gave the Corporate flunky an equally hard stare.
"Explain." She said.
The man paled and swallowed audibly. Perhaps suddenly aware of the three women giving him death glares. Even Toshi ahd stood up and looked, pretty angry. Nina's eye patch probably added to the effect as well.
"Well, as I was… ah, saying. The company has found fault with the aforementioned contracted service, namely protecting our oil extraction infrastructure from threats. I am here to serve formal notice, and to inform you that further failure will be considered breach of said contract."
Erin shrugged off Nina's grasp and got right up in the Suit's face. "We protected your damn rigs, half of us were shot down doing it!"
"Well yes." The man replied,backpedaling. "Whilst there was no physical damage to the infrastructure, you retreated whilst hostile aircraft were still in the area. Our workforce abandoned their posts. We had to stop production, and..." Erin made to advance on him, and the suit trailed off again. "...However it seems there might have been mitigating circumstances. Perhaps if you were to fill me in on the details, I might be able to clear up the miscommunication. Who is the most senior operative remaining from the mission?"
Erin stopped and glanced back at you.
What do you do?
[] Tell the unvarnished truth.
[] Embellish the facts.
[] Blame the dead.
[] Beat the shit out of him.
[] Write in
As the man said:
It is also mentioned explicitly on the company stat sheet in the information post.
The unit fully upheld its contractual obligations, by defending the oil rigs from attack. The company is just being assholes about it. Sorry if I hadn't made that clear.
Here your employer is essentially asking for a report on the mission, and you can choose how to present it.
You can tell the truth and hope that sways their cold corporate hearts, exaggerate the threat you faced and the number of planes shot down to try and impress them, blame Harold Rook for running a sloppy patrol that the Tessari bounced, blame the company for not giving you the information that the Tessari might hop the border to take a run at them for some reason, or take exception to this guy's attitude and kick his ass.
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Dirtnap
Kanmusu Affecionado
they're being shitty corporate assholes and trying to stiff us by blaming the 'down time' on their rigs as our fault, despite the fact that no damage was done.
[x] Tell the unvarnished truth
Edit: After taking a look at the front sheet...we also have more outflow than inflow at the moment. Especially if they stiff us on this contract. Also a pretty hefty loan sitting with a bank.
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