Exile of the Faithful - Chapter Three

Exile of the Faithful - Chapter Three

Black Hills

Solaris City

Solaris VII

Lyran Commonwealth

19 August, 3052

     Everything about Vance Grigsby's office complex fit in perfectly with his persona. Everything was new, and expensive enough that it screamed money. Not old money, the kind of money and power that came with nobility, but new money, the kind that came from a man who had made it himself and wanted to make sure that the world knew about it.

     Even the staffer that ushered Faith in fit the Grigsby mold, her hair was just the right blonde, her skirt just a little too tight and a little too short. The assistant took her place beside Vance's desk, as he reacted with a smile.

     "Faith McCarron. Now there is a face I never thought I would see on Solaris again. I thought you left to go play with the big boys now that those clanners have come to gobble up everything in existence?"

     He motioned to a chair opposite his desk, which Faith took. She leaned back, trying to exhude as much comfort with the situation as she could. "Yeah, well times change. Robbing Arby's can be more dangerous than I thought."

     Vance chuckled. "I've heard many a rumor about you. That you were doped up on stims, killed a few House Liao lackeys, and they're chasing your ass throughout the Inner Sphere. Now the stims part I believe, we all know you've got a weakness for the dust, but I thought you bled Liao green and soy sauce."

     "Let's just say that tales of my disloyalty are greatly exaggerated. But that doesn't really matter once the seed is planted, does it?"

     Vance motioned to his assistant, who poured him a scotch, and offered one to Faith, which she accepted. "Now, what I hadn't heard is that you were back here. And the fact that you're coming to see me first means you don't trust your old contacts down in Cathay. Probably a good idea, the Mask is thick down there. So what are you here for, a job? Not that you don't have the looks for it sweetie, but I wouldn't have thought you the humble type."

     "I'm not looking to push dust or turn tricks for your little...enterprise, Vance. I still have my dignity intact."

     Vance made an exaggerated gesture. "You wound me, my dear lady. I'm as respectable a businessman as it gets. I have clients throughout the city, and my goods are the best they come. You know that first hand, sweetie."

     Faith smiled ever so slightly. "Vance, we both know how deep your reach is. But I also know how much you like to paint yourself as the respectable one. That's the part that brings me here. I'm on shaky ground, things aren't what they were, and the House of Lords is more of a memory than anything else. What I need is money, a mech, and a stable. What I've got is what you need if you want to crack into the games business, talent."

     Vance paused for a moment, sipping his drink. "You're good, no doubt about that. And you've got the persona to headline. But why me? You know that I'm as Davion as a roast beef sandwich. If you're looking to stick it to Liao, I'm not interested. And I don't want a partner thats got her head so far up her ass about revenge that she let's business slide. As I said, sweetie, I'm a businessman. Money before loyalty, you know?"

     Faith took a drink of the scotch, a fairly good one from the taste of it. She let the burn slowly subside before answering. "That's exactly why I came here. You may be shady as hell, but your motives are clear as crystal. I don't need politics. I need business. You may be dirty, but you are down to business. You want to make money on the games to legitimize your other "holdings", I need to make money and I've got the skills to tear the circuit up. So what do you say?"