Mechwarrior - Dark Age 09 - Patriot's Stand by Patriot's Stand

Author:Patriot's Stand
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2011-04-12T23:04:28+00:00

Grace breathed a sigh of relief when Ben came in right after she got back from the port. She started to brief him, but he cut her off. “It was on Net. Nice eye-catcher, that dress. Did the Major add anything during your private talk?”

“What, it wasn’t carried live?”

“The Net had two feeds, one from the Governor’s tie tack, the other from the battalion’s com feed. Battalion cut the feed as you started up to talk to Major Hanson. Did you practice that sashay, or does it just come naturally?”

“Do all guys forget everything else when they look at a girl?” Grace shot back. “I thought you Nova Cats might be different, all controlled-like.”

“We do not take vows of chastity, if that is what you mean,” Ben said, with that hint of a smile that he sometimes allowed himself. “But did he say anything to you personally?”

“Yes. All mercs in my employ should report for off-planet processing immediately.”

“I thought he might do that.”

“I told him there were no mercs. All the folks who came back with me were homesteading. Had their land grants and all.”

Now Ben did throw back his head and laugh, a nearly childlike thing that started in his belly and quickly worked its way up to his eyes. “Is that part of your dream?”

For a moment Grace wanted to take credit for whatever put the look of admiration in his eyes, but she couldn’t lie. “No, it was what I told you: the greatest gift I could give you.”

“I would love to share your dreams, Grace,” Ben said in a way that made Grace warm where she didn’t need to be. Then suddenly all business, he finished. “You truly have given us a great honor.”

She sighed.And as soon as honor is served, you will be gone. “Did you meet Betsy this morning?”

“Her and a few people she trusts. We made plans for what she needs to find out, and how she might go about it.”

“If we told Hanson his client is a cold-blooded murderer, could he cancel his contract then?”

Ben slowly shook his head. “Is it like this with all civilians? Do you cancel your contracts because someone says someone did something not nice?”

“Murder goes a bit beyond ‘not nice.’ But no, we don’t break our contracts unless we have good cause.”

“And we do not break contracts even for what you might think of as good cause. Grace, where a merc goes is death’s land. No one that you would consider sane goes there. Why do you think your people ran so quickly? But that is where I live. That is my land. None of my kind will run from our duty to that land. Not for any reason. So long as we are paid, we do not run. Hanson is being paid. He will not run.”

“Damn! Isn’t there a court you can go to?”

“In the middle of a battle with laser fire all around and mines under your feet?” Ben laughed again. This time there was nothing childlike in it.

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