[b][I]Raven Rivers[/i][/b]

"Yes," Raven answered Ingrid, "We lost very little in the battle against the Heavenly Sword, although we did gain a lot; the Colonel has already been informed. The Infantry are the heroes of the hour, though - Let's say they did some of the most daring feats I've seen outside of a BattleMech. Either way, there will be more good news come debriefing time."

He was smiling more now, having recovered some of the poise and self-confidence that had made him a good soldier back then, when things were more straightforward.

------

Good news and bad news came in equal amounts, with Raven asking a question once the Colonel had finished, "I noticed you haven't mentioned the Neodyeonum Mines in the briefing - A strike at them won't be viable without FPA support, it seems?" 

He then followed up with, "If so, I've made my choice. While I'm a supporter of allying with the FPA, I know full well that previous... incidents have made me an awkward fit for a delegation to them [i]until[/i] the dam mission gave us a chance to establish our credibility as not innately hostile to the people of Espia. And by that, I'm volunteering for the mission to the FPA and hoping that the enemy doesn't have any more curveballs prepared for us and that if they do, we can give as good as we've given them."

He then mused, "We know that the Crimson Fists and the Heavenly Sword are funded by an outside faction, but can we be sure that our side avoided being used as pawns as well? And I don't mean by our new employer, Miss Jeong, but by the outside forces that she, as someone who claims to be a patriot of Espia, is indirectly or directly opposing. As mercs, we pride ourselves on our independence, but there are people who are happy to walk all over that, so I suggest that we keep an eye out; while we can't play politics ourselves, we can at least make sure that whoever uses us pays for it or [i]pay us[/i] for it. So here's the second question - Are we allowed to keep our eyes open and keep copies of whatever info we get about the behind-the-scenes intrigue going on so we can get an advantage in the future?"

Looking at the Colonel, his friend, Raven continued, "We are acting on the assumption that we are both the most independent actor here and thus a wild card; that will keep our families alive - While I from just last week would have bridled at the idea of holding ourselves back from an attack at Fort Tie Shan, I now agree with you that a strike now, especially with a nuke that can kill our families while we rescue them, would be foolishness. Nevertheless, if Ms. Jeong can pull strings in the prison, as she boasted about earlier, perhaps it's time to call that in as we've saved the dam and we're still her best bet for an Espia relatively independent from outside manipulations - Either way, I'm still going to the mission to meet up with the FPA and hope that things don't go [i]too[/i] FUBAR... unless that's not allowed?"