Convictions

Chapter Two

Chapter Two
Dallas, Terra
Metro Star Port
DropShip Lounge

1 Jan 2785

Matthew just disconnected the ComStar link with his wife in the private booth at the drinking hole when his three best friends in the universe popped in with shots of tequila and beers as chasers.

Hey boss time to drink now that all the kissy mushy is done with your wife Captain Haleigh Pople said. Heck, once we get home I will kiss your wife to and u can only watch she continued.

Ha-ha, I think you had too much to drink already Captain Matthew replied.

She sat down with bottom lip out and mumbled party pooper. Matthew just shook his head and said, Anyway, I have filed all the documents with all the recommended government and non-government agencies. We are now officially a Merc unit with the name that you guys picked out Chappys Howling Siegers. My wife was not happy about it but understood, its in my blood, and luckily she has a family friend with office space right near the Capital on New Earth that he will let us use for recruitment, contracts, and a main office. We also had some inquires and my wife Nichole told them I am here, a rep will be here shortly.

As the drinking settle down so that the other guys in Matthews command group looked sober, and serious he stayed vigilant looking for this unknown representative. Matthew thought that he had to get used to this unknown, something he never had to do in the SLDF. This not knowing where the next paycheck was coming from was already doing a number to his stomach when he spotted the one person that he did not want to see, the one person that he hoped was not the representative, and that was their old commander General Hayes in civilian gear making a bee line right to their table.

Chapman Hayes said as she slides her way into the booth. I must say I am still disappointed in you then she glanced at everyone, all of you, for leaving the 151st.

Well, I was not ready to be COMSTAR, maam Matthew said and she saw that everyone was shaking their heads in agreement.

Chapman, that has not happened yet, I am here under orders by the Terran Hegemony and COMSTAR. There is a very sensitive matter that we need your group to take care of, up until now we had no way of dealing with it, since we could not go officially and we had no merc unit that we could trust. She paused to let that sink in. With the collapse of the SLDF and the eventual demise of the Terran Hegemony we at COMSTAR need to gather as much information and tech as possible without others knowing it, this is where you come in. On the planet Helm there was a SLDF weapons depot under the Castle Brian complex, we need you to get there find the Castle Brain and clean all the weapons and research material then leave. Word is that several factions are gearing up to look for it. As she was saying this a look of shock fell between all the MechWarriors she then slid an old paper topography map over to Matthew. This is the area that we believe the site is, it is still about a 75 kilometer area but at least you wont have to search the whole planet like everyone else will when they get there you have three months you can keep what salvage you want and your payment will be around 800 thousand a month.

Matthew sat back and tried to look cool, this was his first negotiating for a job ever and he felt like his cherry was about to pop. Interesting, but I think we need more, considering we are starting from scratch I have yet got all my support units and personnel bought.

The General looked at Matthew and rapped her fingers on the table over and over. Ok, fine I have two lances at the HPG site they are not running colors nor are they wearing any patches, I will send orders to for them to help you guys out when needed and I will give you an extra month of payment as a bonus, and we will take you there free of charge.

Matthew thought about it for a minute, for a three-month mission, they will earn almost 3 million C-bills plus all the salvage and free travel, but something was not sitting right with him. Matthew thought about it and looked at his people they all nodded yes so he said, Ok, something is bothering me the way you said your pitch, is there a double cross going on here between the hegemony and COMSTAR?