Exile of the Faithful - Chapter Seven
Black Hills
Solaris City
Solaris VII
Lyran Commonwealth
10 September, 3052
Faith sipped on the scotch while Vance Grigsby returned to his seat. "That first win was just what we needed. It's created plenty of buzz, and no small amount of trash talk coming out of the Capellan sector. All of that translates into money, which I'm sure you know."
She smiled as she replied, "Hey, I've got a limited window here, making a fortune isn't an easy thing to do. And I've already gotten feelers from the Liao side trying to mend fences."
Vance frowned and raised an eyebrow. "I hope you rebuffed them."
"Relax, I know what I'm doing. I rebuffed them without hurting any more feelings. This isn't politics to me, it's business. They understand that as well as you do. I want money, I want it fast, and I want insulation so they can't touch me. I'm going home one day, and I want to be bulletproof when I do it."
Grigsby leaned back in his chair. "Which brings me to my next point. We have to build things fast at this stage. That means adding bodies. There's obviously no shortage of people looking to sign on with that first win. But we have to be discerning. I'm not going to pretend that I'm a judge of mechwarrior talent."
She made an exaggerated gesture. "I'm hurt, Vance, truly."
"I didn't judge you on talent, I judged you on star power. The two are different. I'm not looking for stars here, I'm just looking for winners and moneymakers. I've got the files all ready to go, just need you to screen them."
"Give me an office and I'll take care of it. How hard can it be?"
"Give me an office and I'll take care of it. How hard can it be?"
(Three hours later)
"This is pointless," she said to herself as she stared at the mess of files spread all over the desk. The files themselves were relatively complete, with information, history, win-loss statistics and more, but she was starting to realize that picking a group of mechwarriors to put your stamp on was easier said than done. She had never worked in any administrative capacities in any of her previous assignments, and it was becoming clear that picking talented mechwarriors from their dossiers was no easy task.
"Anything I can do to help, ma'am?" Vance had made sure that she had a staffer to help her with anything she had needed, which so far had been copious amounts of coffee. The woman had thus far done an exceptional job of making sure Faith was taken care of, and other than that, had stayed out of the way.
Faith leaned back in the chair and took a drink of coffee. "Get me a lance or two of experienced mechwarriors that I can hang my hat on?" she quipped as she ran her hand through her hair.
"I don't think it's that easy ma'am, or everyone would be doing it." The woman was right of course. Faith took a moment to size the other woman up. She was blonde, and older than Faith by a few years, she judged. There was a nervousness or anxiousness in her stance, as if she were holding something in.
"That's the truth. And you don't have to call me ma'am. Faith is fine. I didn't catch your name."
The woman hesitated for a second, obviously not used to being asked for her name. "It's Shannon. Shannon Metz." She looked away for a moment before continuing. "Ma'am....Faith, I know it's not much to go on, but some of those guys have fight vids. It might tell you something about their piloting. I mean, it's better than a file, you can't glean much from a piece of paper."
Faith nodded. "Yeah. Maybe I'm looking too deep here. I'm trying to form a core group, and I'm looking for more than just piloting and gunnery, but it's hard to catch that from a stat sheet."
The woman took a step forward, seemingly trying to bolster her confidence for a big push. "I know maybe I'm out of line here, but I'm a mechwarrior, and I see what you're trying to build. If you could give me a shot..."
Faith held up a hand, and leaned back in her seat. "So wait, you're a mechwarrior, but you're here being one of Vance's floozies? No, this is Solaris, it's not that far fetched." This talent search was going nowhere, and her patience was wearing thin. Faith stood abruptly. "You can tell me your story, but we're gonna do it out on the town."
The woman appeared flustered. "Ma'am, I don't know if Mister Grigsby would-" Faith cut her off with a wave of her hand.
"Don't worry about Vance. He sent you to help me fill a roster. That's what we're going to do. I'll meet you back here in an hour. You want to be a mechwarrior, make your pitch on the fly, girl."
"I don't think it's that easy ma'am, or everyone would be doing it." The woman was right of course. Faith took a moment to size the other woman up. She was blonde, and older than Faith by a few years, she judged. There was a nervousness or anxiousness in her stance, as if she were holding something in.
"That's the truth. And you don't have to call me ma'am. Faith is fine. I didn't catch your name."
The woman hesitated for a second, obviously not used to being asked for her name. "It's Shannon. Shannon Metz." She looked away for a moment before continuing. "Ma'am....Faith, I know it's not much to go on, but some of those guys have fight vids. It might tell you something about their piloting. I mean, it's better than a file, you can't glean much from a piece of paper."
Faith nodded. "Yeah. Maybe I'm looking too deep here. I'm trying to form a core group, and I'm looking for more than just piloting and gunnery, but it's hard to catch that from a stat sheet."
The woman took a step forward, seemingly trying to bolster her confidence for a big push. "I know maybe I'm out of line here, but I'm a mechwarrior, and I see what you're trying to build. If you could give me a shot..."
Faith held up a hand, and leaned back in her seat. "So wait, you're a mechwarrior, but you're here being one of Vance's floozies? No, this is Solaris, it's not that far fetched." This talent search was going nowhere, and her patience was wearing thin. Faith stood abruptly. "You can tell me your story, but we're gonna do it out on the town."
The woman appeared flustered. "Ma'am, I don't know if Mister Grigsby would-" Faith cut her off with a wave of her hand.
"Don't worry about Vance. He sent you to help me fill a roster. That's what we're going to do. I'll meet you back here in an hour. You want to be a mechwarrior, make your pitch on the fly, girl."
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