TGoaW-69

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==Chapter 69 - The Glow of a Worm inside a Child's Eye==
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"I want to enlist..."
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...in the Coast Guard, in the role of Marine." Nathan Roshak stood at parade rest in his cell, "Your Grace."
Patrick frowned, "Is that what this is about?"
"Your agency accepts convict enlistments. Your sister was clear about that." Nathan said. The two men were very close in age.
"I know. YOU should know that I had objections when she started it, and still do." Patrick stated, "you're not a civilian criminal, Roshak. You're technically a prisoner of war, and there are laws against forcing captured POWs to serve in military formations."
"I am...not being forced?"
"Tthe other six hundred of your colleagues on Mandoaaru made the same argument, so did Galaxy Commander Clees, and Star Captain Pryde."
"And? I have consulted with the lawyer your sister hired. What I am requesting, while unusual, is not expressly forbidden under your laws." Nathan suggested. "The Warriors captured from Delta Galaxy, like myself, have only one useful set of skills. Forcible transition to civilian life is unlikely to be successful."
"I'm aware...YOU need to be aware that the institutional culture of the Guard will require adjustments to your expectations, and many of your skills will have to be un-learned."
"Sounds challenging."
Patrick swore under his breath. "Her majesty's intelligence services may have objections...but provisionally, I will advance your request to the Archon and High Command...it's not a guarantee, Roshak, but provisionally I'll make the effort in exchange for cooperation."
"Bargained well and done."
"You might regret this. Just so you know.", Patrick told the Clansman
"It gets me out of a cell and back in a position to gain honor." Patrick stated.
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"Not the Naval Reserve.", said Archon Melissa Steiner-Davion
Her Majesty stated, "At least, not all of them. It's too much of a risk that they might defect after a token battle, my other advisors strongly urged me to refuse your idea outright, but..." she leaned forward in the throne, "I seem to recall that Kowloon once had a formation of its own of ground forces, and your people still hold memorials for them, though it WILL require rescinding the Militia limitations."
"Highness?" Patrick didn't like this direction.
"The One Hundred Seventy First Volunteers." she stated. "I'll let you form it, I'll approve 'mech assets to equip it, these Clan volunteers contain a number of their MechWarriors, and integration should give us a better picture of their tactics and capabilities in a controlled environment, as well as a clearer picture of whether or not they can be integrated into our forces once the war is over, and in the interim, the one-seventy-first's primary job will be to serve as OpFor for AFFC units on rotation to the Clan front."
He was dumbfounded, "That handles the MechWarriors and most of those suited infantry, but what about aviators?"
"Those can go to the Coast Guard, but I want them in a single formation under loyal commanders, see to it." she commanded.
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