Snippet #2697526

As the newcomers filed into the room, Alwyn's blazing eyes flicked over each of them in turn. First, one of the 'Grey Bastards', a Chief Engineer from that unit. He was favored with a brief smile, but no words. She watched him for a few moments while he industriously groomed himself as if this were a matter of some fascination.

Then the hard Captain Rook marching in with little decorum. Sharp eyes took him in as he settled himself into place, perhaps getting a measure of his capabilities and mannerisms.

Next was Lieutenant Briggs and his attache, settling in and looking as efficiently prepared as the best of them. For all intensive purposes, not a one had paid much mind to Alwyn, but that didn't seem to phase her if anyone noticed.

Lastly was the Commander of the Grey Bastards, Vladimir Mamuka. He was unrushed, quiet, attentive. With nods of acknowledgement to the eyes of those already in the room who might have noticed him, he pulls up a chair next to Fintan.

Then there was silence for a moment as Alwyn's eyes once more scanned over the room and its new occupants, a lightly pleased smile on her face.

"Hello gentlemen," she began at last, her voice smooth and with a slight twinge of some Terran accentuation. "I am pleased to see you all here, and efficiently so." She directed her smile individually towards each of them, and then touched a button on the table. "Captain-Commander, the officers are present." Another moment of silence passed before a door behind the Liason opened, admitting the aforementioned Captain-Commander.

She was startlingly similar in appearance to Alwyn; dark skin, just a little more gaunt from years of war rather than deskwork, curious red, cat-like eyes, and grey hair atop a face that looked much too young for it. Unlike the Liason, Captain-Commander Oischot did not have much of a smile on her face.

She gave each of those present a nod of acknowledgement before moving to the chair next to Alwyn's and sat down, tapping whatever keyboard happened to be attached to the table, and prompting several articles to appear holographically in front of each of the participants.

"I'll make this brief, as I know all of your units are eager to get off my ship. Three months ago the Templar Vanguard was assigned to assist the Kaalikot Arms & Armor Corporation with the capture of a rebelling world, and defense against another corporation." The hologram depicting the planetary surface, its multiple major townships, and the disposition of last-known troops, splashed across their table tops.

"It was going fine until Kaalikot got cold feet and decided to ally with the new invaders rather than push them off. This also would have been fine if they had not immediately betrayed both the new invaders' alliance with them, and our troops, in favor of trying to get on the Rebels' good side. Needless to say, they've made a lot of enemies now." She tapped a few buttons which brought up another display of several units listed M.I.A- a whole Regiments worth.

"Our Templars on the ground were cut off from supplies, and any of us that were left on the Kaalikot ship were either killed or imprisoned. So our mission here is one of revenge, predominantly." The holograms flickered again towards an orbital image of a communications array.

"Your first mission will be the destruction of this communications array. The Corporations don't usually like it when technology is destroyed, and we don't like it when they can see our movements- so it is a win-win. You'll be dropped off in the fields two days north of the base to minimize the chances of our dropship being spotted. Once the communications base is offline, we will be able to bring our warship closer, and thus be able to resupply you."

The Captain-Commander turned her eyes up from the screen she was using to display all of the information, to look over all those present. "Any questions?"