In a slight Scottish accent Keith replies: "Ey, wait a second...I am original! The fact that you've got the good ideas, before I have them, doesn't mean, I'm not original! But anyhow, where can WE enlist?"
Whilst saying the WE, Keith gives Jason a tiny push.
Cromwell glared, narrow eyed, over the responses written on the form, searching for a reason to deny the man's application. To the eyes of a cautious and conservative man like Cromwell, this young recruit looked overly bold and verging on the positively reckless, with a dangerous sense of initiative. Unfortunately for Cromwell, those were the very qualities that the Fleet Admiral had ordered him to be extra sure to look on in a favourable light and, dislike the recruit though he did, Cromwell at least was a stickler for the rules and would sooner eat raw sushi for a year than disobey a direct instruction from the Admiralty.
With a passive face and more than a little reluctance, Cromwell stamped "APPROVED" on the man's application and handed it back to him without a word. He then turned his attention back to the paperwork on his desk and continued to completely ignore the new Ensign standing in front of him until the young man finally left his office.
He then turned his attention to the next two people jostling one another in the corridor outside his office and presented them each with identical forms to fill in.
Application Form Wrote:Name:
Date of birth:
Place of birth:
Nationality:
Family Background:
Health:
Height:
Vision:
Allergies and ailments:
Previous occupation(s):
Combat experience:
Notable Life Achievements:
Please describe, in 100 words or fewer, your suitability for service in the Bretonian Armed Forces:
Aptitude Test:
Knowlege
1. Who is the current Fleet Admiral of the Bretonian Armed Forces?
2. Who is the current Prime Minister of Bretonia?
Intelligence
3. Identify Kusari's main weakness in the current state of the Tau War.
4. Would you rather face an enemy bomber in a gunboat or heavy fighter? Explain your answer.
Character
5. Is MOX bombing of enemy civilian Planets an acceptable strategy for hastening the end of a war?
6. If there was a popular rebellion of a significant part of the Bretonian population against the Queen and Government, who would you support?
Commander Cromwell blinks and stares at the form handed to him, observing that he cannot read the applicant's responses. Perhaps the poor man's pen had run out. The Commander hands him a pencil of his own, frowning slightly, and waits for the man to answer the questions. He also glances across at the second applicant, still scribbling furiously away at his own form and waits, drumming his fingers on the desk.
Later on Keith McIntyre stands up at about the same time with a filled in form. He delivers the form to Commander Cromwell:
Quote:Name: Keith McIntyre
Date of birth: July 17th 789
Place of birth: Planet Leeds
Nationality:
Family Background: Our family was one of the working families on and around the Glasgow station in the Edinburgh system since it was built, but moved to Planet Leeds looking for a better future.
Health: Good
Height: 5'7"
Vision: Perfect
Allergies and ailments: Certain kinds of pollen
Combat experience: Defending convoys & the research I did for making the simulators as realistic they are nowadays.
Notable Life Achievements: Work for NavTech, the NT 5600 FightSim, which is still in use in most of your training facilities. (Why didn't you upgrade to the NT 6450? The realism is great and really worth the price)
Please describe, in 100 words or fewer, your suitability for service in the Bretonian Armed Forces:
To be in serious acting in space. I've seen about everything that happens on the ground and have done enough pre-set fights in space to create the combat simulators, you've bought from NavTech. I want to make myself really useful and the way I do my work now does not give me any kind of satisfaction any more.
Aptitude Test:
Knowlege
1. Who is the current Fleet Admiral of the Bretonian Armed Forces?
Sir Stanley Nelson
2. Who is the current Prime Minister of Bretonia?
George Mountbatten
Intelligence
3. Identify Kusari's main weakness in the current state of the Tau War.
They're looking for much recruits and with the state of taking on new members it's easy for MI6 to infiltrate their forces.
4. Would you rather face an enemy bomber in a gunboat or heavy fighter? Explain your answer.
A heavy fighter. In programming, I was told that most clans allow heavy fighters to any new recruit and only give gunboats to much more experienced fighters. I programmed the gunboat on a higher level than most heavy fighters in the 5600, though nowadays, in the 6450, you have to be carefull of anything, because any ship can be lethal in the right hands.
Character
5. Is MOX bombing of enemy civilian Planets an acceptable strategy for hastening the end of a war?
No, it's not. Killing innocent people is never an option. Killing guilty people is inhumane if you ask me. People have to be given time to think about what they did wrong.
6. If there was a popular rebellion of a significant part of the Bretonian population against the Queen and Government, who would you support?
I support the side in which I have my faith. Nowadays I still have my faith in Queen and Government. This means if this rebellion would be now, I will support Queen and Government.
Cromwell reads through the responses and notices that the second man has also finished re-writing his form in bolder ink, which is now legible.
After a glance through both forms, he consideres them to his satisfaction and assigns both men to the same fighter wing in the Essex Great Fleet. A little hasty, perhaps, but after the previous applicant they appeared positively modest, a virtue which Cromwell regarded highly, even if it was not on his list of target qualities.
A nervous looking young man knocks on the door of the recruiting centre. Hesitantly, he enters, not looking entirely comfortable with his surroundings. Edging towards the desk, he asks the uniformed staff whether this is the correct place to apply for service with the Armed Forces. Receiving an answer in the affirmative, the man enquires as to whether he can be presented with a form to fill in so that he may continue with his application.
A tall man with a neatly trimmed goatee, medium length blonde hair enters the room his face baring minor tell tail scars his nose slightly askew evidence of breakage an poor healing his overall appearance of a man who hasn't eaten well in months. A briefcase in his hand as he marched towards the reception desk he noticed that this time the receptionist whom he had seen many months ago was looking much more proffessional as she raised her head from her work with surprise in her eyes at the man before her. Her distasteful habit of reading a magazine had obviously become a thing of the past as the large pile of paper work sitting upon her desk must have been the cure for such an inapropriate use of time an resources.
"Lord Tarrant" her words faltering in shock "Mon.. Months... You... you were shot down, presumed captured and killed in action."
Tarrant locked gaze with the receptionist his amusement at her an the pain of memories of recent months carefully masked behind as he replied in his crisp posh accent, "Dead an back again my lady Dead an back again as you can see I'm very much alive." he gestured to himself with one hand as he brought his briefcase up onto the reception desk were he withdrew a sealed letter his crest neatly implanted in red seal wax.
"If you will promptly make sure Admiral Cromwell receives this letter with all due haste I will be most pleased with your efforts. An I advise against your sneaking a peak into the contents of the letter it would be in the best interest of your safety an any other person but the admiral one can't be to careful with security it would seem these days or safety of the nobility I would hate to know what might come of our people without our guidance if the Kusari dogs manage to kidnap an torture anymore of us." The receptionist seemed taken aback by Tarrants blunt manner he had been extremely polite an reserved on his last minute while Tarrant himself seemed to shake his head as if to remove distateful an pained memories.
The receptionist replied curtly but with respect, "Yes my Lord I will see to this letter at once."
Tarrant closed his briefcase his face returning to its polite an warmer resemblance of years gone by, "I think that will be all for today thanks for your assistance. You know how to deal with this matter?"
"You were not here I didn't see you you an the letter do not exist."
Tarrant grinned, "You are indeed an asset to the ground staff they have obviously started training everyone thoroughly in the offices oh capital. I will be off now stay safe this is a time of war."
The hiss of the doors to the building opened an five people in civilian attire entered the receptionist winked, "Good Day to you citizen, I'm very sorry but we don't accept beggars at our establishment you will have to clean yourself up before I will speak to you in an official capacity."
Tarrants face went impassive as he nodded turning an impressed upon his appearance of being gaunt an left the building amused as he thought to himself that would probably be the only time the receptionist would ever get a chance to mock nobility in public an get away with it so smoothly well good for her the lights are on an someone is home.
.............................................. Letter....................................
To Admiral Cromwell
I wish to return to my role active duty which I had initiated three months ago
My sincere apologies for my dissapearance I have been in the lovely clutches of a kusari brig their hospitality leaves something to be desired with the ceremonial torture an starvation. I must admit I was not the only member of the aristocracy to be present it would seem the Kusari dogs have aquired a taste for the nobility. Which leaves me to other important matters it would appear we have a spy issue yet they might have been bounty hunters on planet Leads while I was stationed their I was confronted by two assailants one of which came from behind an promptly drugged me. While in there little hell hole I have not broken under torture an was saved from the clutches of death which the Dogs presumed they could put me to by well we will just say that as being part of the nobility one knows certain people of a covert nature who brought me to a secret location were I have been partially restored to health and made important arrangements in regard to my family especially my daughter being surreticiously removed from Cambridge as a civilian on a trade ship she is safely bound for liberty with refugees under a false name of Lafiel Araluen. I have also put more personal resources in the catering for an transport of refugees from the front out of the Leeds system. Do you think it neccessary at this point in time for a planet wide evacuation of Leeds as civilians have a nasty habit of getting massacred on front line an those kusari dogs seem to like the blood of innocents.
If I may I would request that I am sent to the front, reshipped an rearmed potentially if it would suit my safety better under a false name.
Regards
Lord Sebastian Araluen Tarrant
//(would apreciate a direct Pm as well on a course of action an you guys decision) Ok officially what has occured my net got knocked out for a few months and I have only just managed to restore it. in this time i've been unable to contact you an the obvious after a month ones account is terminated. Request to be refitted resetup know Im a lil rusty but i will pick the ball up again. Oh an good news I managed to drag my sister into play with the lure of good role play game she might join the baf at a later date with your permissions of course she is currently playing the role of my daughter Lafiel. Thanks for your time an help
A savagely looking man enters the recruiment centre. The recruiter asks him curiously: "What do you want here homo erectus?" Man answered "Kill all humans". Few seconds of silence. "Interesting" replied the recruiter "start working in Mc Donalds then". "No sir, I want to kill all humans in the name of Her Majesty" Another pause. "Well than, you can...
And the continuing is on Admirality..
Freelancer Buff Howards ready to serve, both in gunboat or templar.
Elnire walks up to the desk, his short cropped hair and blue jacket nice and tidy. "hello sir, I saw the enlisting sign. Ive had experiance with my father workin in small transport units. But to be honest i dont think its helping serve her majesty, If ya know what i mean. I want to be able to command fleets sir, and help win battles in name of our great country. Im a born and bread Londoner sir, comming from the new london planet herself from the Kent side of the world. Piloting skills are good, but the larger the ship the more tactical i become. But dont get me wrong sir, Im eager to work my way up from the very bottom cleaning out ship pipes, but i tell ye sir, I'll climb them apples and pears to the top, and I'll do our corwn proud."
All said in one long short rant Elnire stood as close as to what he knew atention was and waited patiently for the rather bemused man infront of him to reply.