The next day we headed to the hangar after eating breakfast. (American style breakfast, á la Alicia. Turns out she knows how to cook, I asked about it. It seems she often had to make her own breakfast in the past because her parents were busy.)
We found Lee in the Drone hangar, fitting a brand new long barreled R525 onto its primary hand.
“Lee.” I called out.
“Ah! Rasmus, good timing! I just got the new pea-shooter installed, The hydraulics were a tad challenging, but compensating with motorics did he- ” he began his monologue.
“...Can you get it configured before noon?”I interrupted him, easier to stop him early than kick him later.
“...I think so yeah? Ya planning to take a Skirmish later?” He responded, good.
“Yeah. I need the credits.”
“Ok. I’ll get it done.” He promised. I bid him farewell and headed back up the elevator, and went to the Hub terminal.
It took me a moment, but I soon had the option thinned down to a few candidates
”Survey border territory X-11-420 Y-164-30”
Estimated foe: No estimate, Medium conflict chance.
Merit: 2 Profit: 70 Credits
”Survey border territory X-18-469 Y-172-29”
Estimated foe: No estimate, Medium conflict chance.
Merit: 2 Profit: 70 Credits
”Eliminate enemy force on X-014-275 Y-136-120”
Estimated foe: 10-15 Medium, 0-2 Heavies, 0-200 Lesser.
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Merit: 9 Profit: 170 Credits
”Eliminate enemy force on X-20-260 Y-140-125”
Estimated foe: 10-25 Medium, 0-1 Heavies, 0-250 Lesser
Merit: 9 Profit: 160 Credits
”Eliminate enemy force on X-09-265 Y-138-120”
Estimated foe: 10-55 Medium, 0-2 Heavies, 0-280 Lesser
Merit: 9 Profit: 185 Credits
All the skirmishes seem pretty good in some way, so I let Alicia decide. She did not want to choose at first but eventually she picked one with a “...Umm… ...This?” whilst poking at the screen.
”Eliminate enemy force on X-09-265 Y-138-120”
Estimated foe: 10-55 Medium, 0-2 Heavies, 0-280 Lesser
Merit: 9 Profit: 185 Credits
That is the one she picked, the one with the most Hostiles… Well, I let her choose. So. Lets do it I suppose.
After signing up for the Skirmish I treated Alicia for a meal in a local restaurant. Meat and smashed potatoes. then we headed to the Meeting-hall
Meeting halls are a practice set already a decade after the revolution by the Revolutionaries, people who are not originally in the same squad that end up being stuck together in a skirmish meet each other in an empty hall provided by the Assignment Hub.
(fun fact, Assignment Hub Originates as the mission-control of the Revolution. They were the people who organized the weaponized revolt across the land. Later on they became the Commissions Group.
...And yes, both Assignment Hub and Commission Hub are grammatically correct names for it these days.)
As we entered through the large open double doors of the hall we saw that the well-maintained room was already starting to fill up with various pilots. Some were already showing their machines on the holo-projector in the middle of the room, whilst others watched, sitting on their chairs or tables.
The group of pilots in my group are a ragtag bunch,
a young looking bloke with blonde hair,
an old-timer who has visible metal augments both on top of his skin and clearly under it
and a pair of brothers with raven black hair and a cheerful disposition.
After greeting everyone, I began introducing the people to Alicia.
the blonde guy is called Aaron and he is a scout-type Weapon. Instead of a walker, he uses small toy-plane sized flying machines.
(fun fact, Drone is a word that was curiously lost from the vocab since the revolution, I am not sure why, they tend to be just called Machines, whereas manned machines are called Walkers)
The old dude is called Charlie, and he is a Walker-type. He drives a heavily upgraded ‘Ex-Zamia Et Deus’ (Ezed for short) equipped 2 long barrel-modified C-3 TY-6s (The little brother of my gun).
The twins are called Thomas and and Timothy. They are our ‘Heavies’. They both pilot their own ‘Excemptia-5’ Series Walker equipped with a P77 Rail-Action. (P66s Big bro.) and pair of shoulder-mounted Mortars.
Yes, I have worked with them before.
After some talking we settled the roles. Aaron will be our eyes and ears, the twins will take the heavies and me and the old guy will be the foot soldiers, whilst Alicia will provide overwatch.
After settling the roles we all left the Meeting-Hall and then the Arcology, and went to do our job.
‘Back into hell the six men marched, a land that to them, is so ever familiar.’
...heh… why am I feeling poetic all of a sudden?