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[color=Olive]"Your concerns are valid, Daschke,"[/color] Colonel Wayne said after Ingrid's protest. At the very least, he appreciated her taking this escalation in firepower seriously, compared to Ziska and Marit. [color=Olive]"I've always run this command according to the MRB's regulations, the Ares Conventions, and the informal Honors of War, and I've got no intention of changing that. [i]If[/i] we do deploy the Davy Crockett-- and that's a [i]very[/i] big 'if'-- it'll be far away from any civilian population centers, critical points of civilian infrastructure, or places where it could do permanent ecological damage. Military targets only, and only with my explicit orders."[/color]

The Colonel scanned the looks of the people around him. Some were relieved, others disappointed.

[color=Olive]"Make no mistake,"[/color] he continued, [color=Olive]"I plan on doing anything necessary to get our people back and get off this planet alive. But I [i]also[/i] plan on making sure the Green Knights have a future after that. Getting branded by ComStar as war criminals is an easy way to make sure we never find work again, or worse, have bounties placed on us by the House Lords looking for more 'bad guys' to kill now that the bigger war's over. I don't want the Knights to have to fight through the Espian Guard and the Crimson Fists, only for the Mariks or Liaos to label us as a 'rogue outlaw unit' and have their regulars use us for target practice."[/color]

Despite the stereotype of mercenaries being rowdy gangs of callous killers with a devil-may-care attitude about the damage they do, mercenary commanders had to take their reputations very seriously. From a political standpoint, every one of the Great Houses wanted to project the image of themselves as the good and rightful inheritors of the Star League, regardless of the actual truth, so hiring a band of ruthless cut-throats was usually poor optics. From a tactical standpoint, escalation on that scale invited the enemy to respond in kind, and total unrestricted warfare wasn't something a small 'Mech outfit could sustain for very long.

And, of course, from an ethical standpoint, the decision to deploy a weapon of mass destruction-- even a small one against a purely hostile target-- wasn't something Gaius would put on anyone's conscience. If that decision had to be made, it would have to fall on him.

[color=Olive]"We're keeping the Davy Crockett deactivated and disarmed,"[/color] the Colonel stated. [color=Olive]"Only myself, Sgt. Dalton, and two members of his platoon who shall remain anonymous know its location. It will remain off the table until I specifically say otherwise. That is final."[/color]

Putting that matter to rest, the Colonel then changed the subject of the conversation.

[color=Olive]"As for recovering Wrathchild,"[/color] he said, [color=Olive]"I plan on having a team head back into South Nui Awa in 24 hours. Volunteers only, no more than four. Wyatt, I want you to relay what you know about Von Kemp's means of communication to the team so they know what to look for. Start with where you found her message, and work your way out from there."[/color]

As much as the Colonel wanted to get one of his Mechwarriors back, he also knew not to fill the team with false hope. He decided it would be best to manage expectations.

[color=Olive]"South Nui Awa is a big city, so the chances of finding her on one expedition are slim. Portions of it are also held by the Espian Guard, meaning you'll likely be operating in enemy territory. Keep a low profile, don't draw attention to yourselves. If you don't make contact, leave messages in the same code Von Kemp uses so she'll know where to find us."[/color]

With that, Gaius turned back towards the Mobile HQ, which was now being surrounded with additional equipment and a small tent to become a more "proper" headquarters.

[color=Olive]"I'm going to consult our maps, have the MHQ team scan the airwaves for enemy communications, and confer with our current employer, and from there I'll plan the Knights' next combat mission,"[/color] he said. [color=Olive]"Until then, enjoy the night off."[/color]