BoTH Chpt 24

==Blood on the Horizon - Chapter 24 -==
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===Not in it for just the Money===
Sorry that I had to conduct the interview over the phone," I greeted Felicia Paige with a firm handshake. "I'd have preferred to conduct most of it in person, but was in the middle of BFE."
 
"BFE?" the dark-skinned woman raised an eyebrow. 
 
"Bum-fuck-Egypt," I shrugged. "It's an old turn of phrase from the 21st century."
 
"Well, I had some questions before I accepted the job offer," Paige reached into her duffle bag and pulled a file folder out. "I saw the pay, but I'm less interested in that than I am about my specific job details."
 
"You're a trained marine, right?" I asked. 
 
"Certified in zero g and shipboard boarding tactics," she nodded. "You won't find another marine on this side of the Taurian/Fedsuns border," she then sighed. "At least you won't find one that's not working for a high tier unit anyway."
 
"I'm hiring some people with no prior experience," I stopped and looked her in the eye. "You want to be a marine, I want you to be one. So, I'm giving you a platoon to train how you want. And when the opportunity comes, I want them to be able to seize Dropships or JumpShips and fly them until we get crews for them."
 
"What kind of equipment are we getting?" Paige's mouth spread into a wide grin. "And how limited in training am I?"
 
"Well," I opened the door to a cafe and gestured for her to enter. "That depends entirely on whether you accept the contract or not. I've got some old SLDF kits, or we can go with something else if you prefer."
 
"What kind of SLDF kit?" Her grin turned bloodthirsty. 
 
"That, you'll have to wait to see until I've got a signed contract." I sat down and ordered some breakfast, smiling at the waitress as a cup of coffee was set before me. 
 
"Well, give me the contract and I'm in," she sat down across from me. "Look, Hull. I've wanted to be a marine since I was a little kid. The AFFS's focus and funding for the Marines has shifted to the ASF wings and ground troops. There isn't all that many of us anymore," she leaned forward. "You give me the opportunity and I'll ensure that you've got the best damned marines in the Inner Sphere."
 
"It might be a little while before we see any action." I pointed out as I sipped my coffee.
 
"Train hard now so you don't bleed later," Paige shrugged. "We will need access to your dropships once I've got them trained on the ground though. Zero g certification is nothing to scoff at."
 
"Well, Felicia," I stood up and shook her hand before handing her a contract. "Welcome to the Marksman."
 
"Well that's original," she rolled her eyes.
 
"Every man and woman a rifleman," I smirked. "The only mafia allowed to exist is the E-4 Mafia," I leaned forward. "Ms. Paige, I don't want this to just be another random group of marines. I want this to be like the USMC of ancient Terra."
 
"So, you want a cult then," she smiled appreciatively. "I've got my work cut out for me."
 
"Just make sure that they're adaptable to some change," I accepted my breakfast. "I've got some ideas on how to improve survivability. But they'll be a few years before fruition."
 
"So, who else do you have for this madhouse?" She sipped from her own cup. 
 
"Well, for starters, he's got me and a few others," Sheppard limped into his seat. "He's putting together a fairly solid team. Some vets, mostly regulars, but it'll be a good start by all counts."
 
"Jack," Paige shook her head. "You're still halfway crippled. How're you supposed to do anything?"
 
"Hull," Sheppard ignored her for a minute. "I've got another mechwarrior to fill out a billet, but she's in the same boat I'm in."
 
"Needs a ride and some medical assistance?" I stroked my beard for a minute before finding a tangle and focusing on it as I got lost in thought. "Well, once I've got the minimum crew for the King Henry V I'm heading over to New Syrtis, hopefully they've got what I need to get you back on your feet."
 
"New Syrtis has the best medical facilities in the Capellan March," Paige glanced at Sheppard before focusing her attention back to me. "But it'll take time for him and his buddy to recover."
 
"I've already planned for us to start out hunting pirates in the Concordat first," I shrugged. "That should give us time to train and at least be Opfor against some of the Taurians until all of the wounded vets I'm bringing on are recovered."
 
"Just how many wounded are you taking on?" Paige asked. 
 
"Here's the list," I opened up a folder and slid a copy of a spreadsheet over. "Ones marked with an asterisk are minor wounds that should be treatable by access to good medical care. Ones marked with a highlighter are those that are going to have to act in support roles until they're healed. 
 
"And you're paying for this?" She tapped nervously on the sheet. 
 
"Yes," I leaned back. "They're good soldiers dealt a bad hand in life. I've met with most of them, and all they need is a chance to get back onto their feet and they'll be all in."
 
"It's your money," Felicia sighed. "I just hope that it's not perceived badly."
 
"What do you mean?" I asked. 
 
"Well, if you're only fixing them up to get them to work for you, it could be seen as you forcing them to work off a debt that they owe you."
 
"Oh," I paused, considering that closely in my mind. "I hadn't considered that." 
 
"No, but whoever helped you draw up the paperwork understood your intent," Sheppard smirked. "I looked over my contract very thoroughly before I signed it."
 
"And?" Paige shifted her focus to the new XO. 
 
"It's set up to cover the big medical expenses regardless of whether they stay on or not. Now, it does have a preferred service of at least one year if the medical needs are covered, but no requirement to pay it back."
 
"I must have missed that," I rubbed some tiredness away from my eyes. "Hopefully that doesn't come back to bite me in the ass."
 
"It shouldn't," Sheppard replied. "Most folks will want to pay you back for it even if they don't owe you for it. It's the obligation of it. The ones that don't," he shrugged. "They weren't the kind of people who we'd have wanted in the unit anyway."
 
"So, I'm still green as grass," I looked at the two of them. "Before we get to training, do you have any advice for me so I don't look like an absolute fool out there?"
 
"I hope you've got time," Paige and Sheppard exchanged a glance before signaling for more coffee. "Because we've got a lot to unpack if you really want the tips and tricks that we learned."
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Chapter 24