Although some of the greener pilots had strained under the sudden, fast-paced nature of the engagement, the Panthers as a whole had performed well. Nine of the twelve Dreqs were either scrapped or out of action, and the remaining three now found themselves trapped with Cecilia, Elaine and Maia at their front, and the rest of the Panthers emerging from the trees to their rear. They hesitated, both stunned at the quick destruction of their unit and their inability to keep their shipment safe. Cecilia switched on her FRAME's loudspeaker function, hailing the trio of OSU pilots.
"Shut off your FRAMEs and step out of the cockpits," her voice blared. "You're surrounded and outnumbered three-to-one." Cecilia kept her autocannon trained on the Dreqs, ready to fill them with tungsten if the pilots made a last display of defiance.
Slowly, the hatches on the Dreqs hissed open and the OSU pilots emerged, defeated and downtrodden. Cecilia pointed to the treeline, corralling them to the side of the road. She did the same to the drivers of the trucks, who reluctantly parted with their cargo at the end of the 25 mm barrel.
"Good work," Cecilia radioed to the Panthers. While it didn't sound like a genuine praise, it wasn't mocking, either. "Secure the area. We'll get this cargo loaded on the
Samigina and see what we can do with these Dreqs. Don't relax too much, in case the OSU are on the scene."
-----
In less than an hour's time, the trucks had been hauled into the
Samigina's vehicle bay, along with the Dreqs that were complete enough to warrant taking. As for the OSU personnel, they were left tied up on the side of the road. It wasn't any concern of the Panthers what became of them now. They didn't take hostages or kill prisoners; they weren't terrorists. Those that had died today did so because they were immediate threats. Somebody would find the survivors, and the OSU would clean up the mess, for better or worse.
The Panthers were gathered in the hangar. No sooner did they emerge from their FRAMEs than they were met by Richard Bentz, wearing the same PR-friendly smile that he sent them off with.
"Splendid work out there, Panthers," he chimed. "I've notified Cradle of your success. We'll be meeting a representative in Hamarr to pick up the cargo you recovered during the operation. As for the evaluatees-"
"Director," Cecilia interrupted. "I'll have a report of their performance for you within the day. While they show capability, I-"
Richard waved his hand and cast his head to the side with a dramatic flair. "Ugh! I think we can dispense with the formality this time, Cecilia," he said. "I've already decided to bring them in. As of now, you're officially Panthers."
"But
Richard!" Cecilia whined.
"I was watching the operation from my office," he explained with a glint in his eye. "While there are a few edges to be ironed out, I think you're quite capable of keeping them in good form, Cecilia. And I'm impressed with how you handled those OSU pilots." Bentz turned to address the whole crowd again and explained, "Cradle sent us payment in advance of our arrival. I've transferred your shares to your accounts. Welcome to the fold."
-----
City of Hamarr, SL
The
Samigina rumbled as its powerful grav-engines guided it to the ground. The Panthers had just arrived at the city of Hamarr. It was a true urban jungle, sprawling concrete towers stabbed the clouds, bedecked with panels of glass and neon. The landcruiser was nestled into a docking bay, crawling with engineers and maintenance personnel. Not far from here was the headquarters of Cradle Dynamics, where the Panthers would deliver the stolen OSU goods, and likely pick up another job.
Richard's people would handle the delivery. He'd given the pilots a day of leave to kick back and spend their earnings. Hamarr had a bit of everything; truly a cosmopolitan city, both culturally and recreationally. There was also no shortage of places to buy parts from. Cradle's HQ brought in a healthy stream of business, and many eagerly sought to take advantage of incoming traffic and guide it to their wares.
Cecilia stood on the dock outside the landcruiser. Everyone who wanted to go into Hamarr was told to meet her in fifteen. Although she normally held the whip, she had little intention of becoming a chaperone. She was out to enjoy the city as much as anyone else. Her combat fatigues had been replaced with a simple, yet trendy ensemble of a cloudy dress with long sleeves that ended a respectable distance above the knee. Over this, she wore a leather jacket with the unit emblem painted on the back; a
panther stalking across a field of stars.
Member
AP Ottovan
