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[i]Samigina - War Room - 0600 hours[/i]

Richard Bentz thumbed through the pilot profiles on his datapad, giving each one last look over before the candidates filed into the room. They were a diverse collection, hailing from Sardonia, Sodorya and Emarra, just to name a few. One way or another, they had found the Preying Panthers, or rather, the Preying Panthers found them. They'd soon find out whether they had the chops to be Panther material. 

The former captain gave his adjutant a dry smile, setting the pad down and asking, “What do you think, Cecilia? You're going to have a larger team to manage now. I trust you to be able to handle them all.”

“They haven't passed the evaluation [i]yet[/i],” she scoffed, taking the pad from him and cradling it in her arm. “But don't you think this was a risky idea? Using this job as a test? What happens if they're not up to snuff and botch it?” 

“They'd better not botch it, that's four million creds on the line!” Bentz laughed. “Using an actual op as an evaluation is the best way to measure their usefulness. If they're any good, they'll be able to handle it. Think of it like on-the-job training.”

Cecilia's shoulders slumped a little as she heaved a sigh from her nose. “And if they can't handle their weight, I'll have to whip them into shape for you.”

“Of course; that's what I pay you for!” Bentz looked down at his watch and jabbed a thumb at the door to the meeting room. “I think it's about that time.”

His adjutant turned on her heel and put a hand to the panel on the wall, sliding the door open with a hiss. On the other side, the handful of newcomers, along with some Panther veterans, sat in a small waiting area.
	
“Take a seat,” she said flatly, directing them to the chairs that were lined around the room. 

The pilots entered, and Bentz watched them file in, matching the profiles he'd just read to the faces. He had high hopes for this crew; the Panthers needed the additional manpower after attrition had taken its toll over the years. With a larger and more diverse team, there were more opportunities to find suitable missions. Once they'd all been seated, Cecilia reverted back to her position at Richard's side.
	
“Good morning. I'm Richard Bentz, as many of you already know, and I'm the CO of the Preying Panthers. For those of you who are new to the unit, this is the third year of the Panthers' existence, and we're already ranked very highly on the charts. I expect only the best from each of you, and hope that, if hired, you maintain the unit's good reputation.” 

Bentz flashed a small controller at the wall, bringing up a screen displaying a GPS-like map of major roadways. 
“For those of us who are already Panthers, this will be a mission just like any other. For the new guys, this is your evaluation to see if you have what it takes to join the unit. There's a lot of money riding on this op, if it's any extra incentive. Cradle Dynamics has requested that we intercept a Paloka Industries shipping convoy, passing between New Lundregen to Kent.”

Bentz highlighted the route on the map with a laser and continued, “I don't know what's inside, but it's not a concern of mine, nor is it yours. All we've been told is the cargo is very valuable to Cradle and it is imperative we secure it. Given the importance of the cargo, it's bound to be guarded. You're free to engage the security force, but [i]do not[/i] damage the cargo.”

As Richard wrapped up the briefing, the screen displayed stills of delivery vehicles with Paloka Industries' logo, presumably the target convoy.

“We're heading out in an hour,” Cecilia informed the pilots. “Until then, make any preparations to your FRAMEs and be ready to move. Any questions?”