_ _ _Princess

It took half a month of guerrilla action to get here, but things were finally starting to come back together. It wasn't the outfit's first time picking up the pieces of a broken force and Princess doubted it would be the last time either. Though if things went right, their next clusterfuck should be at least a few years away instead of a few hours. They just needed to keep Celio above ground until he came into power or until he didn't. As usual, Celio wasn't being very cooperative in their plans to keep him alive long enough to pay them. The stupid bastard wanted to go campaigning through the city streets and in public forums while he was still public enemies one through nine.

This latest command meeting was taking place in a recently disused seaside slaughterhouse that still reeked of blood and fish, one of several industrial sites Celio tangentially owned. Celio, Carmen and his latest simpering little puke of a lieutenant were standing opposite from the mercs over a mess of bones, coals and bullets. Even with her knowledge and discerning abhuman eyes, it was hard to tell that the sprawl on the ground was supposed to be a briefing diagram.

On the sane side of Leeroy's macabre diorama stood Princess, Alice, a very disinterested Bim, plus the respective leads from the backup they'd received. Uzux, a tall beast of a man that looked even less human than she did with his ashy-blueish skin and oil-black eyes, was commanding a quick response lance of powertechs off the Heart of Darkness. Hush, a lean leathery raven-like woman, headed a platoon of combat medics and line troopers bunking from the Blissful Shade.

Then there was the runt even shorter than Hero who called himself Sturgeon. The little prick didn't carry a gun, instead he had a radio linked to some fancy goggles. He was a flyboy and a hothead— Princess liked him less and less every time he opened his mouth. His version of combat was calling in an air strike or an artillery bombardment while someone else did all the fighting. Sturgeon wasn't one of their's, Celio had hired him on at the last minute thinking it would solve more problems then it caused. It was a common mistake made by people with more money than brains— not like that was a very high bar in Celio's case.

"How much time do you think he spent making this?" Alice whispered over to Princess.

"Not much, but Malik did most of the work. He used to be big into wargaming bac-"

"Listen up!" Leeroy barked once, waving a bone the size of a man's leg over the diorama. "This, is Bolintia memorial plaza which lies roughly, fourteen klicks from where we stand now. Bolintia plaza has historic significance and has been used as a public forum due to the rocky lay of the land paired with minor plateaus acting as natural stages. Roughly three klicks by two, Bolintia plaza is open ground surrounded on three sides by built up urban and on the forth side by sheer cliff face connected to an artisan quarter down below. Prominent buildings for strongpoints located here, here, here and here. Strongpoints designated Alpha through Delta respectively."

"You cannot desecrate that holy place!" Celio zealously interrupted. "That is the church of Saint Patrick the ninth, who delivered miracles upon the first peoples to walk these lands. That church was one of the first buildings erected and for two-hundred years no new construction could be made any taller that its bell tower-"

"I don't care who it's named after or about its cultural importance unless that means the enemy won't level the place with us inside. It's a massively reinforced stone and steel building with windows and doors offering advantageous firing points, multiple escape routes and a commanding view of the plaza. As are the other strongpoints I've noted, all of which I plan on having troops stationed in day of. Moving on. Against all advice, our client is insistent that he make a highly exposed public appearance and statement here in four day's time. The client's intent is glad-handing among the local populous along with the dispossessed refugees presently flooding this area-"

"Refugees from what?" Uzux asked, his melodic accent somewhere near Camea'Sudanic.

"From us." Bim mumbled under her breath. No one else seemed to notice.

"Fires, landslides and city war… mostly." Leeroy said with a blasé indifference. "The why and how don't matter. What's relevant is that this area will be dense with non-combatants in need of medical attention, relief supplies and civil leadership. We are in a unique position to offer all of that and due to the massed civilian presence it is unlikely the enemy will confront us openly with military action while we do so. If they do, it's a major PR win."

"You want to use the crowd as human shields." Hush stated. "It seems… effective, if nothing else." Everyone in the room could tell that 'effective' hadn't been the word she'd wanted to use.

"I'll admit-" Leeroy started but stopped short. "I know, but it is effective. I'm not crazy about it, but it usually works. From the intel we've gathered these past few weeks, the crowd should deter indiscriminate violence. They should be safe. We all should be too, but I'm planning for the worst and hoping for the best."

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Princess wasn't the most moralistic abhuman in the galaxy. She was a woman who preferred living with regrets over dieing for her principles. Most mercenaries had that kind of pragmatic thinking. Then there was Celio with his ego and his legacy, not a pragmatic bone in his body. If anyone was going to object, she'd been expecting it to be him.

Celio didn't say a damned word. The self-proclaimed 'Savior' didn't protest to using his flock to cover his own ass before he stuck it in the fire.

"That being said," Leeroy continued. "We're not just expecting the enemy to let us act unmolested. An assassination attempt seems like the minimum we should expect, possibly an abduction, though that seems less likely. There's also the chance that agitators will infiltrate the crowd to try and turn them on us, security details should be conscious of those facts. Under no circumstances will we be firing the first shot, enemy action or otherwise. This is a mercy mission for everyone except Celio's close-in escorts. Hush, your people will be taking point on that aspect of this op. We're going to set up aid stations parallel to the plaza's west facing, backed against strongpoint Alpha. Security elements from the Shadow will have overwatch on you and yours. The rest of my teams will be scattered across our planned strongpoints or in Celio's escort. Uzux, I'll need four volunteers from your combat lance to bulk out Celio's escort; the remaining sixteen are going to be sitting tight nearby as a quick response force. You each have command over your own, under me."

"Think my boys an' I'll be joining your lil' detail, Gov." Sturgeon offered cordially.

"And where are these 'boys of yours'?" Princess asked in her usual cutting tone.

"Don't you worry that white lil' head of your's, Lov."

Leeroy interjected before she could cut the cockney runt to size.

"I think the best place for you to observe-" Leeroy started

"Oi, Scab. You're not the one paying. He is, so I'm sticking with him. So shove off 'else your close air is gonna be a lot closer than you'd like once it kicks off."

Leeroy cast a sidelong glance at Celio who remained indifferent.

"Fine," Leeroy said stoically. "I'll factor your preferences into our plans."

"'Preciated, Bruv."

"As I was saying, our TacNet will be run by one of mine, alias Ghost. All intel should be pooled and available as needed, but expect possible spotty coverage. The city doesn't have much infrastructure for us to piggyback from. Further, a sniper team will be serving as counter-snipers overlooking the plaza from strongpoint Castle. Otherwise support will be limited in the event of enemy action."

"Seems like a bit of a waste to set this all up if nothing happens." Alice mumbled. "It's almost better for us if they do try and dust him."

"That's the nature of the job. If nothing happens, then we all keep breathing at the end of the day. I'd call that a win." Leeroy answered.

"Still… A botched assassination would win the sympathy vote and it would give you an excuse to shepherd the client out early as needed." Hush added thoughtfully.

Celio failed to react and give Leeroy an easy out.

"It's worth considering." Leeroy admitted begrudgingly after a moment.

"What's there to consider?" Princess asked, more so thinking aloud than asking. "If the police won't supply us with a fuck-up of their own, then we'll do it ourselves. Rock and Lacy could assassinate Celio in their sleep, and we both know they could fake it even easier. Just in case the pigs are all bark and no bite. Seems like a win-win to me."

"Well Celio, what do you think?" Leeroy asked.

"My victory is the only thing that matters." Celio answered distantly. "So long as I ascend to the throne of Cruz, I shall endure… no sacrifice, whatever I must. I cannot fail in this, it is my destiny."

"Alright then, I'll make the arrangements." Leeroy answered dutifully. "That should conclude this bierfing, unless Celio has any more wild ideas on how to get himself killed? No, good. This should be the last major undertaking on our part. After that it's all escort details and gravy until the end of our contract, one way or the other. Celio, anything to add?"

Celio looked up from the diorama and everyone in the room would have thought he looked brittle. Everyone except Princess and her abhuman, mutant eyes that saw so much more. Celio stood in the eye of a swirling, maddening storm beyond human perception. It was like watching millions of hopes and dreams and prayers on the cusp of being realized or stillborn. His fear was writ on every glimpse Princess caught of those otherworldly things. He'd spent his entire life charging towards this cliff and now that he was about to hurtle over it, his past momentum robbed him of all other options. His fate was written, now all that was left was to play it out.

"In the beginning, this venture of mine was merely business. As in diplomacy, oftentimes violence is a humble extension of business. That was what I once thought. Now I find myself thinking in terms beyond what I stand to gain or lose financially. Now, I can see that all my forefathers have accomplished in generations is finally coming to bear and I see that such a burden is heavy indeed. But there is no time for weakness now. A ship underway must either keep sailing or it sinks, there are no alternatives. I must see this voyage to its end, and you mercenaries shall deliver me unto that end… whatever it entails. My life is in your hands, Mercenaries, do try to be careful with it." Celio said, trying to be coy and brave and heroic. Trying to be anything but afraid of what would come.

"For the amount you're paying? Your safety is all but guaranteed." Leeroy answered with a knowing grin.