The Recruiting Officer scratched his head. That was the fastest authorisation he had ever received from the Admiralty. Either they were suddenly becoming very much more efficient, or somebody high up was pushing for results. Well - he wasn't going to argue about it! He pressed the Accept button and Ensign Goodman started his military career.
"So Jare Kalo was accepted then?" said Miss Brown, peering at the information on the screen in front of the Recruiting Officer.
"Yes indeed he was" said the Recruiting Officer, his mind reeling with totally unprofessional thoughts about Miss Brown's closeness.
"Then why haven't you pressed the Accept button, sir?" she smiled, sweetly, but archly, implying some failure on his part
"Because I was waiting for you to notice and draw it to my attention, of course..." he spluttered, trying to think quickly
"...And you have done so in remarkably good time. Well done!"
"Hmmm. You're welcome, sir" she said and stalked out of his office, leaving a sweet aroma of 'Moonlight of Omega-3' perfume for him to savour for a few moments more.
He flicks his cigarette into the bushes and opens the front door to the BAF recruitment office. Without hesitation he steps through, knowing this is what he wants to do. There's enough credits saved to move on from his previous position and system of birth, but not enough to stay on a long vacation while he looks for a job. He steps to the front desk, clears his throat nervously and greets the person attending there.
"Good day to you. I am Roland Gilead and I am here to apply for the BAF please."
He takes the electronic touch-screen board given to him with the application for the BAF and takes a seat to fill it out.
Name: Roland Gilead
Age: 24
Place Of Birth: Manhattan, New York
Experience: LSF planet side tactical forces. LSF space bomber squadron.
Reason for joining: Flying is all I know, and I want to put that to good use helping the lawful people of any and all colonies.
Incoming Transmission To: Bretonian Armed Forces Recruitment Centre From: Serg Gonta, "Starflier" PVL-0281. Subject: The Application
I'm Serg Gonta, 25 years old, formered Bretonian military officer, the veteran of Bretonia-Kusari war, asking you to enlist me to the list of the BAF pilots.
I've left Bretonian Royal Fleet due to the next circumstances:
Near a year ago i temporarily left QCRF (Queen's Carina Royal Fleet) due to serious injury. During the period of my medical treatment the QCRF forces had gone through essential revision. As a result i haven't find myself in the list of pilots after my restoration in the ranks of the army, instead i was demobilized and received a small retired pay as a war veteran.
Nowadays, i'm in normal level of health, feel perfect. I lost my ship and my residual money was sufficed only for Starflier.
In QCRF i was a "Challenger" pilot, participated in some number of military operations. I left QCRF in the rank of Ensign. After my retirement i returned home, where received a warning from one of my old friends. He warned me, that my life is under the threat. Local criminals appeared to be perfectly informed about my participating in a few anti-smuggling military operations and it was really undesirable for me to stay there for a long time. Furthermore, i became bored without Cosmos.
Recently i've received an invitation to join from the BAF headquater (it's added to this application) and now i want to use this possibility.
The Fleet Admiral caught wind of two recruitment officers discussing a new prospective as he walked by. He stopped, hearing a familiar name, then turned to them.
"Serge Gonta is over his injury, and wants back in a bomber? That IS excellant news."
"Expedite his application, and get him assigned a Templar and a Challenger. That boy could fly a bomber like no tomorrow."
I am Nero "Sipher" Czan, I say Sipher 'cause my "legal" name is actually Sipher Rockwell. I am a former mercenary, military man, and a devoted fighter. My family originally hails from Stuttgard interestingly enough, but when I was three, my mother ran off for a Bretonian, and I left my two brothers to be raised place to place all over Bretonian controlled space. My father-in law (who changed my name) was a roving freelancer, and an eventual Bounty Hunter. This lead to my eventual years as a Merc., which actually weren't as fun as they said...
After I came of age, i decided to do a little freelancing of my own, and while I was heading on my way back to my childhood home of Cambridge, I was just disgusted by the Corsairs, and have held a long lasting grudge against them. So that is why I am here, I ask of you men to initiate me into the ranks of the majestic BAF, and if so, I will do my best, and ten times more. Sipher, over and out.
--Attachment Received: Resume.vtx
Name: Sipher Rockwell
Profession: Freelancing Mercenary
Age: 26
Home: Originally Stuttgard, but raised across Bretonian Space
Purpose: Vengeance, Honour, and Duty
-----Communication Ceased-----
"The pen is mightier than the sword." -Edward Bulwer-Lytton. "Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword never encountered automatic weapons." -General Douglas MacArthur
Greetings, recruiters.
This is the captain and crew of the Desert Snow. Please understand that we had to transmit this remotely instead of in person. We are still at large in Bretonia for our long-past affiliation with the Gaian movement, and if we were caught by our fellow Corsairs docking with a Bretonian base, let alone Planet New London, we wouldn't last a second. At the bottom of this file there is a summary of our ship's history and how we obtained information regarding a potential imminent invasion of Bretonian space.
Now, I make the following request: that should such an invasion occur, that I could fight for the Queen and redeem my name by fighting the invaders on their home turf as one of Her Majesty's Privateers, thus leaving behind our affiliation with the Corsairs., even killing them if they get in our way. I also request that my crew of nine be allowed to join me, and that we may fly a ship that is of comparable size to our current one (we fly a gunboat). We also ask for a pardon of our crimes against Bretonia, and a Letter of Marque to indicate our status. We ask for no financial compensation whatsoever. I urge you to consider this seriously; should the invasion occur and you accept our help, you will have a new ship with plenty of experience fighting the Kusaris in their home systems.
-The Desert Snow
Name: Desert (A case of trauma-induced amnesia has caused me to forget certain facts about my early life)
Age: Can't... remember...
Background information: Given above
Place of Birth: Leeds, from the tags on the clothing I was wearing when I woke up
Reasons for joining: To assist Bretonia in case of a Kusari invasion
Piloting Skills: We have a decent knowledge of navigation
Combat Skills: We avoid any fights that we might not win; no reason to die by picking a losing battle.
The recruiter looked up at the thin, tall bespectacled man standing in front of him. Nothing about him looked dangerous. In fact, he seemed to be the most peaceful man you'd see.
Then, he noticed more. The man was still. Very still. Not something that came out of laziness, or sloth. The stillness of a patient man.. a hunter.. a sniper, with an absolutely balanced mind, or an absolute sense of purpose.
"Well, mister..Professor, do I read this right? You wish to apply for a place in the BAF?"
"Yes, I do."
"Why?"
"Because there are no more Land Herons in Cambridge."
"What?"
The man sighed. "Do you remember the Molly raid on the Shire peninsula, in Cambridge 4 years ago? Of course not. It barely made headlines. They dropped some mutagens.. the fools didn't know what they were dealing with. The Herons have been wiped out.
They were one of the most beautiful creations of the universe. More to the point, they harboured the Marburg flies, which cross pollinated the Iberian wheat that they grow on Cambridge. Cambridge will face a famine in 2 years. 3 million will die, I estimate."
"And you will personally take them on? What makes you think that you can?" grinned the recruiter."Have you ever flown a fighter?"
"No. Oh, I've read your manuals. It is not rocket science. Coming to think of it, well, it might be. I've also read ' Battle of Britain, the History', 'Basic Aerial manouevering tactics', 'Autobiography of Otto Han- Fighter ace.. you know, if you combine a 3 wingman tactic as was first used in the 3 rd Battle of the Yoda cloud"
"Ok Ok" The recruiter said hastily."I'll see what I can do. Come back tomorrow."