The hangar was filled with celebratory energy, the aftermath of the successful raid evident in the upbeat crew and the array of new equipment. Despite the sun going down, adrenaline pumped through the mercenaries as they threw on floodlights to help bring in their spoils. Mechanics worked tirelessly on the salvaged vehicles, the air filled with the sounds of tools and machinery. The smell of oil and metal was pervasive, but there was an undercurrent of excitement and accomplishment in the air.

Graham O'Connor stood in the center of the hangar, watching as his team went about their tasks. The mission had been a resounding success. They had salvaged all the combat vehicles and scrapped what they could, resulting in a total of 3,301,383 C-bills after repairs. The Vedette had been upgraded with a RAC5, and they had fully salvaged a Demolisher Heavy Tank equipped with two Gauss rifles.

Sarah Greene approached, a satisfied smile on her face. "We did good, Graham. The team is pumped, and the upgrades are looking solid."

Graham nodded, his expression thoughtful. "Yeah, we did. But we need to stay sharp. There’s always another job on the horizon."

Sarah looked at him, her smile fading slightly. "Graham, the crew's feeling the strain. We've been taking on a lot of contracts."

Graham sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know, Sarah. But there's a reason for it. We need the money to keep upgrading and maintaining our equipment. Financial stability is crucial, especially if we hit a dry spell. Plus, we're not the small band of salvagers we once were. We've grown into a full-fledged mercenary company, and that means more responsibilities and higher operational costs."

Sarah nodded, understanding but still concerned. "I get it. But we also need to think about the crew's morale. We can't push them too hard."

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Graham looked around the hangar, watching his team. "You're right. After this, we'll take a short break. Let everyone recharge. But we need to keep pushing, for now. The more successful missions we complete, the better our reputation. That leads to more lucrative contracts."

Sarah just sighed, tired of talking business during celebrations.

Marcus Black joined them, wiping grease off his hands. "What's the plan now, Graham? Another job lined up already?"

Graham nodded, opened his mouth to respond, then glanced at Sarah. He sighed. "Yes, but we'll have a brief downtime first. Let everyone rest and enjoy the spoils of this raid. Then we’ll be ready for the next challenge."

Nearby, two techs, Emily and Nina, exchanged some intricate handshake. It was a flurry of fist bumps, finger snaps, and an elbow tap to finish. They laughed as they completed it, drawing the attention of Marcus, who raised an eyebrow and wandered over. They began trying to teach him the shake. Emphasis on the trying part. They laughed harder on his third failed attempt. Nearby, the vehicle crews broke out bottles of celebratory beer and passed them out, breaking one on the side of the demolisher to christen it. Avery gave them a scolding look as he crawled beneath the tank with his headlamp on. A ways off, sat upon crates and stools, some of the younger techs were gathered around Ethan Miller, listening intently as he regaled them with tales from the salvage operation that were barely factual and hardly true. Something about a wrench and a half-charged laser pistol and a glorious run across the open compound tonmake it to an abandoned tabk for cover. The techs laughed and played along.

Sarah placed a hand on Graham's shoulder as they watched the team. Graham absently patted her hand.

"They aren't going to be done for a while, commander. What say you and I go continue that show?"

Graham nodded, and the pair left the team to their merriment. Come morning, there would be many a hangover and terrible cleanup. Graham and Sarah projected their old wartime propaganda onto the cafeteria wall and ate popcorn. The sounds of the film were interspersed with derisive laughter from Sarah as she mocked the depictions of the Clan mechwarriors on the screen.