I've really been enjoying the recent series of works detailing the post-Tukayyid period of adjustment in the Inner Sphere. "A Cold Collaboration" was no exception, and provided excellent character work and world-building.
A question, though - on P. 13, it makes reference to a Mauler purchased from the Lyran Alliance having problems with its auto-eject system. Shouldn't that be a Daboku purchased from the Draconis Combine, since the Daboku was the one with the auto-eject problem, later corrected in the Mauler? (Not to mention the Lyran Alliance wouldn't exist as a political entity for another five years, and not manufacturing Maulers in any event)
Well, CRAP, I looked at this story a MILLION times and missed that. -sigh- :-[
Anywhoo, I can't remember the references, but I saw the LCAF (they weren't really the AFFC then, yet) got a bunch during the war of 3039 and they weren't particularly well liked, and I -swear- I saw something about Maulers on the Merc market, so I pieced that together. As the 12th SG was in the AFFC employ, I figured they'd used that name for it. I did go back and forth, though, my first draft had it as Dabuku, can't remember the exact source that made me change it.
I made the nod to the thing about the "ejection" and such by having Bouncer remove the capability, which also gave me a convenient way to kill him. ;)
I'm glad you liked the world building- it put me WAAAY over on words, but I felt it was an important part of the story.