The small room was packed. The smell was better than in other staff meeting all the present people had attended, but just because they were still planetside and everybody had been able to shower in the past hours. Most people looked at each other calmly, not disclosing anything. However, some of the greener officers looked more nervous. That included Anton and lieutenant Ambrose as well as the crews of the armor lance of the unit. They looked eager and slightly uncomfortable at the same time. Anton looked periodically at lieutenant Cornelia Ryan that noded reassuringly. He clearly tried to look tough, but was quite unsuccessful at it. Most people were drinking water or coffee.
Wearing what seemed to be a military uniform with the letters “AR” sawn over the heart, Kowalski entered leaning on his cane and moved to the head of the long table. He looked at the assembled people in the room. There were 4 mechwarriors, 2 aerospace pilots, the dropship captain, the lieutenants of the 2 infantry platoons, 2 vehicle platoon commanders and Manuel, the senior astech and representative of the non-fighting personnel. 12 people in the room counting himself. He looked at the all. Most faces were eager but serious. That was good.
“Well damsels and gentlemen, welcome to Reach Enterprises. You all have been contacted because we have a contract offer and we need people like you to carry it out. You all have agreed to form this new mercenary venture and now it is time to lay the details of the operation.”
“As you well know Reach Enterprises used to run successful battlemech forces, but some setbacks 5 years ago disrupted that.” He grimaces slightly. “Now it is time to step up into that area again, and we think you all are what could constitute a good unit for the task at hand. If results are satisfactory we will consolidate the operation. Now, the mission”.
He got up and moved to the wall. Kicking the controls with a deft swish of his cane he made the screen light up and display a contract in half of the screen and a planet in the other half.
- Contractor: undisclosed, corporation.
- Objective: Raid on Halimar Industries in Kaus Media. Destroy 3 designated targets (fuel deposit, control tower, research building.
- Intel: Halimar Corporation is a major power in Kaus Media, even if they are not in the broader universe. They control the production facilities around the main city of the planet, and according to the contractor "need to be taught a lesson". Go in, cause as much damage as possible to infrastructure and get out. There are 3 buildings specially marked in the satellite map images as top priority. Defenses are likely to be a few infantry platoons and some light mechs at most.
- Military intel: Halimar industries has foot and armor security on site. A lance of light mechs cannot be ruled out. Kaus Media has only DCMS militia as a garrison.
- Command: Full rights.
- Salvage: 50%.
- Payment: 30 pts + 5 points per destroyed priority building. An additional 5 pts if all 3 are destroyed.
- Jumpship costs paid.
- Distance from Galatea: 4 jumps
- Jump point distance: 5 days. No satellite defences. Medium dropship traffic (a Trojan will not draw attention)
Obviously the temperate planet tag name read “Kaus Media”, a Draconis Combine planet 3 jumps away from Galatea. The image of the planet changed slowly as he talked to that of a medium size industrial complex with a small spaceport and air strip in one of its sides.
“We have been tasked with a raid on Halimar Industries through an intermediary. We do not kknow the name of the contractor, but given the grapevine of corporate rumors, it seems it might actually be Halimar industries’ ex-associate wanting to get some payback. In any case the money is good and safe in ComStar’s for safekeeping. All is legit on that side.” He paused and turned towards you. In the screen, the information kept rotating following his words. This looked like a rehearsed presentation. Clearly Kowalski was serious about this.
“I am fairly sure most of you do not know who Halimar Industries are, and neither did I a few weeks ago. Research shows that they are a producer of consumer goods and civilian craft, but they are trying to get into arms production as well ramping up a new hover tank if rumors are true.”
“Our mission is to hit the industrial complex where said weapons research is being conducted and cause damage to those 3 key buildings. 2 seem to be transportation facilities, whole the third looks like a lab, no doubt the research facility. Any questions?”
At this point Qasim put a bright fucsia envelope at the center of the table. Some people smirked at the unexpected appearenc eof the package, but the veterans did not. Regardless of color, an envelope could be anything. And in this kind of meetings it usually meant work or intel.
“If I may Sayyid, I have another proposal to make. The presented mission looks halal to me, but a contact of mine has put forward another mission if we want it.” With that he sent a holodrive disk sliding through the table. Kowalski took it, ands after evaluating for a few second the face of the ex-Akbar agent he said “very well, let’s see it” and plugged it into the holoscreen.
The image of Kaus Media was replaced for that of a muck bleaker place. Devil’s Rock, a FedCom planet appeared on the screen. All present knew the planet from its reputation. Besides its active usual economy it was a den for black market ops as well. And it had a large prison complex. This last facility was what appeared on the screen. The prison was formerly dedicated to host FWL high prodfile prisoners, and the Lyrans had kept it doing the same for them sicne their acquisition of the planet a few years ago.
The contract read like this:
- Contractor: Free Capella (Tormano Liao)
- Objective: Retrieval of a person of interest (Cara Fallone) from the Devil’s Claw, a FedCom prison.
- Intel: The prison is lightly garrisoned, with a light mech lance or a few vehicles. However, the place has fixed defences.
- Command: Full rights.
- Salvage: Full rights.
- Payment: 45 points.
- Jumpship costs paid.
- distance, 2 jumps from Galatea.
Qasim added a few details on the mission. Miss Fallone seems to belong to La Famiglia. Why Free Capella wants her rescued I have no idea. It looks like a grab and run mission in any case, so should not be very difficult to achieve. Hoewever, there is a note in the dossier that points out that Miss Fallone might not be leaving willingly due to some pressure put on her by third parties.”
Kowalski looked at the proposal. “I do not like that last detail, but it seems good enough. A distraction by the mechs while the drop troops enter the compounds should be able to get her out.”
Well damsels and gentlemen, any comments on this?
NOTE: 30 points is 1.5 months worth of regular maintenance for the unit (we consume 20 points of resources per month in vehicle maintenance and wages), the time to go and return from Galatea to the target planet (6 weeks).