Ghost puffed out her chest in pride, obviously please that her old comrades still command a level of respect.
Please to hear that we make a hearty impression! I hope they are doing us both proud round about now too!
She chuckled and took in a deep drag, holding the smoke in her lungs and exhaling .
If my dad his way I wouldn’t of left, not to throw my lot in with these bunch of ‘pirates’ anyway. So what made you become a sell sword?
Her dad. Family tradition of military action maybe? Something to ask at a later date.
Freedom.
It was a simple answer. Too simple, Stubbing the end of the cigarello out, she pressed her hands together, thinking.
I wasn't great at the academic life. Left school first chance. Spent a year bare-knuckle boxing, then joined the Foreign Legion. Enjoyed the team, hated the rank and file. Liked deployment.
When y're working on tour, rank's just taking orders, The rest falls away some.
Chak paused, humming a tune under her breath, her hands falling to her sides.
Figured I could live for that much and bugger the rest of the world for a bit, heh. So left after my six years and took any job I could find. On my terms.
Would be a problem, ‘cept i’m only French by passport. Welsh by birth, just got this messed up accent from it all.
A quick adjustment of her glasses, and another puff of smoke.
What about where y’served before?
Ghost smiled wide.
I guess the cliché still stands? I wondered why I couldn’t pin your accent, its very unique.
She began to take out a sheet of roll up and tobacco from her tin, constructing herself a new cigarette as she smoked on her current one. She had a far away look in her eyes.
Just before I got here I was a part of the Dhofar Rebellion serving with the SAS . I have pretty much been apart of the SAS most of my military life, so it was pretty hard to leave them behind.
She lit one last match for her roll-up raising one of her eyebrows towards the woman, letting the smoke escape her mouth as she replied.
French? I guess if we are to serve cliché we shouldn’t get on then.
Hah, well that’s always good motivation. ‘Specially if life around here’s good. And y’seem to be singing its praises.
She grinned, before pulling out a cigarello, and patting her pockets.
A light. Hrm.
…Seems i’ve lost my lighter. Yeah, i’d appreciate the help.
Hah, well its made a hell of a impression on me. Completely unlike what I’m use to be serving under. Where were yo from before coming here if you dont mind me asking?
Ghost nodded and put her hand into her pocket drawing out a tobacco tin and a box of matches. She set a match alight and lit the women’s cigar then returned the spent match to its box.
She then took out a self rolled cigarette and placed it in her mouth
Volunteer, that’s me. Basically what i’ve done all my life. But…picked up. Guessing that some of the…”opportunities” here aren’t voluntary, huh?
I’m happy to wait though. Got to know when to be patient in this kind of work, right? Does help pass the time to have someone to talk to though.
Should be a good chance to learn a few things. Although..
..Quick question. Smoking allowed inside, or?
Well all personnel are always free to leave, but I’ve never actually seen anyone want to so far… The common way to get out of here is to get the sack so you gotta be on your toes!
Heh! Your speaking to a sniper mate! Patience is my game!
Yeah smoking is allowed in here and the rec rooms. Need a light?
Snake. Small request. I'm new to the business of running one of these joints. But not new to the industry. Let me join up to y'outfit for a little bit, learn the ropes, blah blah. I'll do y'good. Promise y'that.
Following in my footsteps? Alright kid I’ll show you the ropes….
Maybe you can start in the Intel unit. Pretty much all the information MSF makes good use of passes through there.
If you’ve got any questions about anything feel free to ask or radio me…I’m usually pretty easy to find, around here anyway”, he said. giving a snide wink.
Snake. Small request. I'm new to the business of running one of these joints. But not new to the industry. Let me join up to y'outfit for a little bit, learn the ropes, blah blah. I'll do y'good. Promise y'that.
Following in my footsteps? Alright kid I’ll show you the ropes….
Maybe you can start in the Intel unit. Pretty much all the information MSF makes good use of passes through there.
Application…? Oh! So your a volunteer here! Sorry, I assumed that Boss picked you up on the latest mission.
…How did she get on the base if it wasn’t Fulton..?
Be prepared to wait a while then, unless Kaz gets to you first! I’ll keep you company for a few hours if you like, my shift doesn’t start till dusk anyhow.
Oh, hey new blood! Hope you enjoy your stay her at MSF, if you ever need a hand getting around this place contact me on my frequency. I know this place is pretty big!
I'll be honest. Me? Still in the uh, application process. I'm not wandering around until I get his permission, so I guess i'm in-waiting or something like that.
Oh, hey new blood! Hope you enjoy your stay her at MSF, if you ever need a hand getting around this place contact me on my frequency. I know this place is pretty big!
Building a military organisation was not something Chak had expected in her life. She wasn't much of a leader. Independent, freelance, those were her motifs. But here she was, looking over the laws and conventions of PMC combat.
Most of which was utter bullshit.
The SOP system was commonplace, most PMCs and state forces had introduced and even enforced the use of it. It was touted as being the perfect way to ensure control on the battlefield, to ensure weapons could not be hijacked, to provide instant suppression pf pain in case of injury. A "perfect" system.
Chak refused to put any of the SOP nanomachines in her, or anyone else's, blood. 24/7 monitoring, restriction of emotions and pain? No. Wasn't going to happen. Fuck that and all it stands for, she thought, all it does it create a soldier that can't stand without help, and years of single-person combat had taught her that would just come crashing down the second things went outside of the expected parameters.
And nine times out of ten it'd do exactly that.
Besides, a little pain now and then taught people the lesson of warfare. Not that she thought the people they'd be after would likely need the lesson.
Leaning back on her chair, Chak chewed the pen she'd been taking notes with. Said notes, of budget and logistics, had taken way too long. She wasn't used to thinking above one, or at most three, heads. So far it was two. Her and Arrow.
Arrow was off resource gathering for now. Hard job, considering who was on their tail. Pissing off the Russian political class hadn't been the main intention of the contract, but the way things went made it damn near impossible not to.
But she'd be safe. Names were changed, deaths faked, so on, so forth. Chak wasn't worried about Arrow's safety, but a part of her wished she'd been around to help out with the paperwork.
Eh. it was enough for now. Grabbing a cigarello, she stood up, headed outside. Enough bureaucratic bollocks. The aim of their group was simple. Take all the people just like them, those not wanting to comply with the SOP system but wanting to be useful.
So why couldn't they just chuck out the message and wait for people to come?
...oh.
right.
Pissed off Russians and the socio-political links between them.
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