The General entered the recruitment office via the rear door and took up a position at one of the small interview rooms. Xu stared down at the Commissar occupying the room and made the universal gesture of "beat it or be stabbed repeatedly in the chest by a butter knife". Once he had arranged the room as per his requirements, he called the next recruit forward.
"Christopher Lutz"
Motioning for the Rheinwehr officer to sit, Xu moved to behind the desk.
"That was quite a show you put on for us and your High Command. It had all the classic signs of a perfect defection. Overawing force, desperate Captain, perhaps a final transmission home... Or is it the more likely alternative? Allow yourself to be captured and work for a place in the Fighter Corps? All the while gaining intelligence and selling us out to your Rheinland puppet masters."
He picked up a cigar and sliced off the end and wafted it at the Officer.
"Cretian. I never really had a taste for these, but then - times are changing. Perhaps the time has come for you to change. You could either be a spy trying to get in our midst or you really are genuinely looking for something more. Something to save Rheinland perhaps. So tell me, you baulked at my offer of surrendering to the Hessians. Why?"
Christopher smiles while responding, "Ah I see you're also one who follows Occam's razor. And I will admit, in your place I would be just as skeptical. I hope I can earn the right to put those fears to rest."
He then frowns but continues, "I have had many reports of piracy und terrorism come across my desk at the hands of the Hessians, supposed 'patriots' of die Vaterland who'd rather kill its fathers und sons than actually achieve something worthwhile. All the while damaging die Rheinwehr against its true enemy, das Libertonians." He snarls, gripping the chair tightly in his hands, as if mentioning their name was like drinking acid, "Greedy chauvinistic pigs, robbing die Vaterland und his citizens of their wealth for their own sick pleasure und lust for money."
Christopher takes a breath and releases the chair from his death-grip continuing more calmly, "I have no true quarrel with das Hessians, or their roots. I didn't sign up for the Rheinwehr to kill Rheinlanders. I'd much rather spend my ammunition against Libertonians. Und in a way the Hessians are right, I've seen the felds Daumann und Kruger force their employees to work in." His face turns stern as he barely contains the emotion in the next sentence, "I've heard rumors... of Daumann 'employing' non-contrac-" Cutting himself off his voice again grows angry, "They were using slaves! The evidence is all there! I even intercepted a slaver who -told me- that was his destination."
Taking another breath and looking up, he finishes softly, "Und to be honest. I don't have a home anymore. At best I'd be imprisoned for life at Vierlande, at worst... I'm sure you deal with traitors in a similar fashion."
"Rights can be earned, much like trust and honour, Christopher Lutz"
He listened to the officer's story and rage over the Libertionians.
"And here I was thinking that you were above all the propaganda. Although, I must say that your Kanzler's machine of untruth works excellently."
He inhaled the saturating, heavy smoke and continued to listen to the officer. The part about not joining the Rheinwehr to kill Rheinlanders intrigued him.
"Oh really? You wouldn't shoot at a man from Dresden because he threatens your life? Or to put down an armed rebellion? That is something that you will have to get used to very quickly, should you be successful. Rheinland Military targets are certainly viable, and might I add, worthy adversaries. If you wish to free your home from the tyranny that "Herr Kanzler" spreads - You will have to shoot Rheinlanders."
He stood and inhaled another breath from the cigar and smirked.
"Why your rage over the Liberty Nation? They have an excellent free market and capitalist system. They hold free and fair elections and I've been reliably told that their production departments are some of the most efficient around! Not to mention their low crime level hmm? What is wrong with this picture?"
Christopher leans forward in his chair speaking, "You misunderstand herr. I said I didn't sign-up to shoot Rheinlanders, not that I wouldn't. I would gladly kill any man who stood against the safety of innocent Rheinlanders. I don't have many options left, die Rheinwehr probably has shoot on sight orders already so I might as well respond in kind."
Leaning back into the chair again Christopher frowns at the praise over Liberty and continues, "I've been to die Libertonian Nation personally, before der war und during it." He laughs, "Of course during der war was for a much different reason. However, Liberty has its own cesspools such as Texas und Pittsburgh. If I didn't know better I would think you were listening to too much Libertonian propaganda. But, the biggest issue with Liberty is their corporations. They run unchecked and amok, its chaos! Holding incredible amounts of wealth while their poor simply get shipped off to one of their border worlds. Not to mention their routine exploitation of the other nations' people. They hoard all of their material wealth und not a single credit gets seen by the starving und poor of -either- nation."
Frowning further, his face growing more rigid in thought as he continues, "Low crime rates? Isn't their polizei corporate owned? I would imagine there would be a great deal of corruption und back dealings there... Plus they have those 'Rogues' I think? Und I've encountered 'xenos' personally... Oh, und some group flying older Libertonian vessel designs 'Hell-Legion', 'Fire-Legion'..? They certainly took a liking to shooting at our battle-fleet. Well. The point is das Libertonians certainly like to pat themselves on der back over all the 'gut work' they've accomplished, when really its just a shroud being pulled over their eyes by their corporations und the stranglehold they hold over all of Sirius."
Looking back up at the General he concludes, "Und even if all of those -were- true. At what cost? There is no such thing as a perfect system, especially not one as poorly regulated as that. The Corporations und Militar get all their wealth... reminds me of Rheinland's mistakes in der 80 years war.
A young man, no older than twenty-five had walked into the lobby silently. He wore an old Bretonian bomber-jacket, under it a rather casual black shirt and a pair of brown cargo pants that sat well around his ankles. A pair of flight boots protected his feet from the drab, cold steel below him as they clinked with each step. His face showed the typical bumps of a man who didn't have the best time with blackheads, though he was in no way a craterface or anything of the sort. His frame was slender, though he did look fit - just not unnaturally strong. His hair was short and brown, clean and cut. After all, he had to look presentable now didn't he? Of course, he was a little unsure of the old BAF jacket - but he had his reasons for wearing it even though he himself was never a part of the Bretonian armed forces.
Placing his hands on the desk in a casual manner, he smiled at the secretary, seeming to ignore the fact that his right arm only just appeared to be supporting that half of his body as the thumb twitched a little. "I'm here for uh, recruitment," he said softly, his accent sounding oddly Libertonian. She only pointed to the chair at the far end of the room with her pen, not even raising her head to look at him. With a shrug, he quickly made his way over, pivoting on his right foot and plonking back into the seat, opening a half-finished bottle of what appeared to be lemonade and taking a sip as he waited, trying to hide his nerves.
"Alicia, is there anyone in the lobby?"
"Yes Commissar, but he failed to fill out the ususl form."
"Send him in."
As Alicia had ushered the man in, Sasha cleaned her handgun.
"Who the hell are you, and why shouldn't I shoot you?" She directed at him, not bothering to look up.
The General took another puff from the cigar, but this time blew it straight into the officers face.
"It seems you misunderstand me. And don't presume that I don't understand you. Ever. Presumptions like that in a place like this means you will quickly discover your small intestines connect exquisitely well to your ear lobes."
He stood and drew another puff.
"Let's try something else, since sarcasm is not your fortay."
He picked up a pistol.
"An Outcast and a Corsair are having a drink at opposite ends of a bar in a Freeport. You walk in. Describe your next actions."
Christopher flinches slightly as the acidic cloud flew directly into his face responding, "Point noted."
Shifting to one side of his chair thinking aloud, "While I wouldn't want to cause trouble for das Zoners, I will admit my opinion of Corsairs aren't very high. If I was still in mein Rheinwehr uniform I'm certain die Corsair would have a few choice words to say to me, or at the very least he would want to 'spill' his drink. Since die Corsair would be following me I'm sure it wouldn't take much to make him do something foolish, such as throw his drink."
Christopher's face breaks into a malicious grin continuing, "Und if I position mein-self correctly und dodge der glass it would be... unfortunate for die Corsair to have hit der Outcast, Ja? I'm certain it would only take something like 'Wow, I wouldn't have thought die Corsair could have nailed him from that far.' to set off der Outcast. Und then, well I'm sure the Outcast would be at die Corsair's throat und das Zoners would evict them both."
He looked as Sasha, his eyes widening at the sight of the pistol as he took a step back and refocused on the woman, "'cause I'm serious about joinin' the Coalition," he said in a confident voice, though his nerve still showed in a twitch in his cheek - though who could blame him with a gun being waved in his direction. "Did I do somethin' wrong?" he questioned as he watched, hoping not for an answer of lead.
"Yes. There was a very short form to fill out that includes name, age, and you're background. So, after you tell me those three things without boring me to death with your entire life's story, then tell me why the Coalition."
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