You know, I think you got lucky. We might just have a space left in the fighter wing, since one of my original pilots couldn't make it. First though, there's a few things I'd like to go over, if you've got time.
Number one. You'll be paid. Everyone who works in my Company gets their share, whether they want it or not. Fight for what you believe in, absolutely! I don't have a problem with that, but I'll pay you all the same. Simple reason, really. In this sort of business it isn't a good idea to start owing debts to too many people. I've owed more than enough of those in my life without adding one to you as well, thank you very much.
Number two. Your military experience. Firstly, great. Having someone who knows how to run a squadron around would be tremendously helpful for our little group, and if you're still up for the job once I tell you what it is, I'd like you to lead our fighter wing. More on that later though. However; I run a Free Company Gerald, not a Squad, not even a Security Team. I hire people for one job, solely based on their ability to do that job, not their past, affiliations, or anything silly like that. We do the job, and then go our separate ways until we need one another again. So, I suppose what I'm getting at, is that the people you'll be working with might be a little... Er... Different, to the sorts you flew with in the military. It's a matter of being able to do the job at hand here, and do it well.
Alright, so if you're still listening after my little rant, then I suppose that's a good sign. That means I can finally tell you what it is we're doing.
Long story slightly less long, we'll be giving the Gauls some cargo they don't want, in a place they don't want it, and causing a little bit of chaos while we're at it. Exactly where, I can't say yet, but it will be policed heavily enough to make things interesting on the way out. Contents be coming in incognito, as just another trade ship, so that isn't likely to be a huge problem until the Gauls twig to what's going on. As head of our fighter wing, I'll need you to disrupt any movements by the Gauls to intercept our wings on the way out, and tag any interceptors they throw at us. How exactly you want to do that, I'll leave up to you. You're the military man, after all.
There's one more job that I'll ask of you. The rest of the fighter wing will be composed of a pair of ships from the Sirian Vanguard. I'm not sure if you've heard of them, but they give me the chills, to be honest. Call themselves the Terror Squad. Frankly, I'm a little worried about them and what they might do. You see, I'm interested in causing chaos. Mayhem, confusion, everything we can to throw the Gauls off-balance.
I'm not in the least bit interested in actually killing anyone, least of all Gallic civilians that just happen to be passing through. As I said earlier, I hire people to do a job, but while they're in my Company we do have some standards. Not many, sure, but I draw the line at murder. I'd like you to keep those ships on a tight leash. Scare transports and pilots if the chance comes up, sure, but don't go shooting ships without escape pods. We might be criminals occasionally, but we're not monsters. I figured that, with your history, you'd probably have the straightest moral compass of our little team, so you'd be best suited to that task.
For all of that, your payment'll come to a million and a half credits, subject to post-performance bonuses and all that fun stuff.
Let me know if you're still in. I'm sure we could use you.
At this point in time, I do have to say that I'm a bit unnerved that you're willing to pay someone who offered his service for absolutely no fee, and couldn't care less about debts to be repaid. However, I suppose I can deal with it. The credits will need to be transferred to an off-shore account for specific reasons I don't wish to discuss. I'm sure you understand.
As for my military experience, I feel you should know that I was the commanding officer of a Bretonian class destroyer that was practically undefeated under my command, and have led plenty of flights during the first Tau War with Kusari, and well into the Gallic Invasion. I'll get the job done, it's the least I can do.
Now for the operation at hand. It's about time someone gathers a group of miscreants and heads off towards Gallia to do something utterly suicidal. I'm starting to like the way you think, lass. Disrupting military movements won't be a problem within Gallia, just so happens I still have some information regarding routes, jumpholes, and heavily defended portions of space charted from a previous incursion with an Armed Forces Black Ops group. Besides... a heavily armed Templar would draw eyes towards it long enough to ensure the transport can get to it's destination without hassle.
As for your last request...
Well, it doesn't, and won't come easy. The Gauls are too head strong in their march for victory against Bretonia and the rest of Sirius. Those loyal to the king will attempt to fight, even if we try to scare them, and as you said... the mission comes first. I will not put the lives of these men, no matter what they call themselves, in jeopardy and dismiss a potential civilian ship attempting to shoot us in the name of the King.
In other words... I may have a strong sense of moral. But I won't hesitate to dispatch of an annoying fly. Though, I can respect your wishes and see to it that we disengage before the ship is destroyed.
I will monitor this channel for any further updates, and will be interested in meeting the team whenever we're ready to deploy.
Glad to hear that you're in. Pretty much, as I said earlier, how you run the wing is up to you. That said, I'd like to avoid the rampages I think our friends might be inclined towards. Anyway, I'm sure you can take care of it.
Welcome aboard the Contents, Gerald.
I'll be in touch with more information as soon as I have it.
Hey, sorry it's taken me this long to get back to you. I haven't heard anything more from the man who's hiring us yet, and I've been calling his line every ten minutes.
Well, not quite ten minutes, but I'm sure you get the point.
I don't have any more information to offer you at this point, really, besides who you're flying with. Now that you mention it, they could likely do with that information as well. I'll put together a wide-frequency relay where you guys can get to know each other. If nothing else, it'll be useful for sending information later.
Watch your inbox, I'll get that rigged up in a few minutes.