January 12th, 3040
Hiring Hall
Galatea City, Galatea
It had been nearly a week since the meeting with the representative from Arklos, and Thomas was having second thoughts. On the one hand, the lawyer’s fears about the nature of the contract seemed valid. On the other hand, Thomas Schaller’s new mercenary band was rapidly spending money and currently had no way to make it back.
This would be the third prospective employer that Schaller met with since his meeting with Arklos, and neither of the other two had been remotely suitable. The first was with a Combine trading company that would have placed his company into the path of any potential incursion from Lyran space, which would have pit Thomas against his own people. The second was with a Lyran manufacturer who expected to gain his services at a steep discount due to patriotism.
This meeting would be with a party outside of the Inner Sphere altogether. Thomas wasn’t thrilled at the prospect of taking a contract on the Periphery, but between the 4th Succession War, the War of Andurien Succession, what was now being called the War of 3039l, and numerous other conflicts over the last fifteen years, every employer in the Inner Sphere seemed desperate for mercenaries with battlemechs, not conventional armor.
This client was a bit of an odd one. A university somewhere in the Magistracy of Canopus had gotten it into its head that it needed some protection. Thomas had heard of learning institutions that needed a security force, but those were places like the New Avalon Institute of Science, or the Sun Zhang military academy. Such a place on the Periphery couldn’t be that important, could it?
Worse, the client was late. Thomas sat in the conference room in the ComStar Review Board building that he had leased for the negotiations. He tried not to fidget. Beside him, Jakob also sat. He had taken the opportunity to remove some documents from his briefcase and review them in the absence of the other party to the upcoming negotiations.
Jakob seemed to sense Thomas’ unease, and he looked up from his documents to soothe the man.
“Relax,” The lawyer said, “They’ll be here. They traveled hundreds of light-years to hire you. They’re just a bit held up, is all.”
Thomas nodded. The pep talk would have been comforting a few days ago, but doubt ate at him now.
A while later, almost a quarter hour past the time when negotiations were set to begin, a knock came from the door to the conference room. It immediately opened to reveal a robed ComStar acolyte followed by a short, chestnut-skinned woman in a cream-colored and very dirty suit. With her came a lawyer, impeccably dressed in a manner similar to that of Jakob. She was immaculately clean, and bore a lapel pin that marked her as an associate of the rival law firm to the one that Thomas had hired.
Behind them through the doorway Thomas could see another figure. A tall, heavily-muscled woman was holding a quiet but firm argument with building security. As the acolyte closed the door behind the lawyer, Thomas thought he caught the unmistakable scent of scorched human flesh.
The chestnut-skinned woman took a seat on the other side of the table without speaking. Her lawyer settled beside her and opened her briefcase, removing a paper contract from it. The woman in the soiled suit took a deep breath, apparently to center herself, and then extended a hand across the table.
“Colonel Schaller,” she said. “I am Doctor Priya D’Angonta. I apologize for our delay. We were unavoidably detained.”
Beside her the lawyer had gone stone-faced. Thomas didn’t doubt that whatever had dirtied the doctor’s suit and wounded her bodyguard had indeed detained them, but he was polite enough no to ask what had happened.
Jakob, on the other hand, apparently did not feel the need to be so mannered.
“Delayed by what?” he asked. “You appear to be in some sort of distress. We can reschedule if that’s necessary.”
Doctor D’Angonta shook her head.
“That won’t be necessary. I am quite unharmed, and ComStar was kind enough to provide the proper aid to my bodyguard.”
She did not, Thomas noted, indicate what had happened. Jakob appeared for a moment to begin to press further. After a moment however he stood and held his own hand out to Doctor D’Angonta and the other lawyer..
“Jakob Forsbacka-Bismarck,” he said in greeting. “I’ll be representing Colonel Schaller for this negotiation.”
“Ingrid Snorrisdottr,” said the other lawyer, taking Jakobs’ hand, and then holding her own out to Thomas. He shook it, and they all took their seats again.
“Let’s begin, shall we?” said the doctor. ”The University of Luxen wishes to offer a garrison contract to your organization. The contract will be for a term of no less than 18-months, to begin once your unit makes planetfall.”
“Why such a short period?” asked Thomas. “A year and a half isn’t a long contract for a unit that has to travel halfway across the Inner Sphere to take it.”
Doctor D’Angonta nodded, clearly expecting the question.
“The Magistracy is in a state of political turmoil at the moment. The University does not feel that it can reliably expect to be a priority of the MAF until things have settled. We wish to provide for a minimum period for the political situation to stabilize, with an option to extend beyond the initial period in six month intervals.”
Beside Thomas,Jakob was poring over the paper contract. At the mention of the option his head rose from the page.
“That doesn’t give a lot of job security to my client’s unit. I see here the option is at the discretion of the employer, with one third of the agreed upon compensation automatically applying to the extension.”
For a moment, a flicker of uncertainty appeared across Doctor D’Angonta’s face. She turned to her own lawyer, she shrugged and nodded. A scowl briefly appeared at the corner of the doctor’s mouth, and she shrugged.
“That language is negotiable,” she said.
“I see,” said Jakob. He sat back in his chair for a moment, absently chewing his lower lip. He turned to Thomas.
“Are you opposed to a renewal clause?” he asked
“In theory, no,” said Thomas. “If the contract works out well between us, it would be nice to have a framework in place for longer term employment. Six month periods seem a little short, and auto-renewing the compensation is a non-starter.”
“I see,” said Jakob. He drummed his fingers on the table before turning back to the table.
“Let’s table that for now,” he said. “Let’s talk maintenance clause options.”
Snorrisdottr shook her head.
“There aren’t any,” she said. “The unit is responsible for its own repairs. Standard ‘Wear, tear, and ammo’ clause,”
Thomas replied with a head shake of his own.
“That won’t work for us. We’re a new unit and we’re going to be low on support personnel. Tankers can do a lot of their own repair work, but there are some things you need a repair bay for.”
Snorrisdottr opened her mouth to reply.. Next to Thomas, Jakob was inhaling to interject his own comment. Both were forestalled by a raised hand from Doctor D’Angonta.
“The University simply does not have the resources to maintain an armor unit,” she said, slightly smiling. “While conflict for tenure is not uncommon, it rarely lapses into open warfare. However, I may have another solution.”
She paused for a moment, then stood and walked to the door. She opened it, and motioned the tall woman that Thomas had seen in the hallway inside. She wore a heavy, probably armored, jacket. A hole had been burned through the upper left breast of the garment, and Thomas could see the stippled white pattern of a medipatch showing through the hole.
“This is Major Tabitha White,” said the doctor. “She is the head of security for the University of Luxen, as well as a high ranking reservist in the Luxen planetary militia.”
Thomas and Jakob stood to meet the newcomer. Like most tankers, Thomas was not an exceptionally tall man, though he did not consider himself particularly short. Tabitha White towered over him. They shook hands, and Thomas noted that her grip was quite firm. So firm he was certain that if she had wanted to the Major could crush every bone in his hand.
The lawyers, the doctor, and Thomas all took their seats again. Major White eyed a remaining chair, then remained standing at Doctor D’Angonta’s side.
“Major White, would it be possible for Colonel Schaller’s forces to contract with the local militia to use their repair facilities?”
The Major shrugged.
“I don’t see why not. The base near the University is old, but it was built by League occupation forces. It’s overbuilt for the unit stationed there. You could probably base yourselves out of there if you wanted to.”
“Would you be willing to provide an endorsement for the Colonel to the commander of the planetary militia?” asked the doctor.
She nodded.
“Sure,” she said.
“How much weight will that endorsement carry?” asked Jakob, beating Thomas to the question by about a second.
Major White snorted. “Lots of weight. The local commander is my uncle.”
“I see,” said Jakob. He went back to scanning the contract.
“What about the compensation terms?” asked Snorrisdottr.
“Those are largely acceptable to us,” said Thomas. “Excepting of course the extension clause. I will ask for a budget for medical treatment.”
“I can do better than that,” said the doctor. “The University of Luxen is a teaching hospital. We’ll be happy to handle the medical care of your unit ourselves.”
Thomas took a doubtful glance at Jakob, who shrugged.
“We can certainly work on that language,” he said. “It sounds like a good deal in both directions, but Ingrid and I here can hammer out the details between us. Why don’t the rest of you take a break?”
After a few words of general agreement Thomas, Doctor D’Angonta, and Major White stood and exited into the hall, where they were met by an Acolyte who led them to a nearby lounge. As they walked, Thomas turned to the Major.
“You said the League built the local base,” he said, “But I didn’t think that the Free Worlds League had ever invaded that far into the Magistracy?” he said.
Major White chuckled. “They haven’t,” she said. “You’re thinking of the wrong League. Fort Collins was built by the Star League.”
Thomas wasn’t sure what to say, so he said nothing.
After a few minutes of pleasant conversation with the two women where Thomas carefully did not talk about the contract, the acolyte appeared again. She led the trio back to the conference room, where both lawyers waited.
“We think we’ve got a contract worked out,” said Snorrisdottr. “Aside from the language of the extension clause."
“I do have a suggestion there,” said Jakob. “Extension periods should be a full year, A renewal decision should be made and included in the University budget at least a calendar year before the extension is due.”
“A full year?” asked the Doctor. “Why so long?”
“If universities in the Magistracy are anything like they are in Lyran space, budgets are almost never approved on time,” said Jakob. “A year gives my client enough time to find another employer if the University decides to dispense with his services.”
Doctor D’Angonta thought for a moment, and then nodded. “That is acceptable,” she said.
“Wonderful!” said her lawyer. “With that squared away, we simply need to know the name of the unit that you’re contracting with. What is the name of your unit?”
All eyes turned to Thomas.
“Schaller’s Shellbacks,” he said. He tried his best not to look embarrassed when he said it.
