Samigina - Command Deck Cecilia stood erect to Richard's left, straining to resist the temptation of leaning on the diagnostics panel just next to her. Richard had sent their client a notification of the Panthers' success moments after the last civvie FRAME hit the ground, and to his relief, the client was not late with their payment. The other pilots were gathered about the holo-table at the center of the command deck, FRAMEs docked in the hangar. Some returned in better condition than others. Not every seat in the room was filled. With the loss in personnel, there were stations in the room that now demanded the attention of multiple crewmen.
The one person in the room who Cecilia didn't recognize was the tall, oriental man on the other side of the Director. He was solid, clad in an XCD dress uniform bedecked with rows of candy-colored bars and medals. The man's otherwise handsome face was marred by a single, crooked scar that careened down his left ear to his chin. He held a leather-bound datapad case in the crook of his arm and met the Panthers with a nod as they entered. His eyes lingered on Cecilia for a moment longer; a fellow countryman.
Richard broke the silence with, "Another drop in the bucket. Good work, Panthers." He turned a hand over to bring the attention to the officer beside him.
"Let me introduce Colonel Leung Guoliang, of the XCD Army. Colonel Leung has come here as a representative of XCD Army Special Operations Command. He and I have been discussing a very critical development for the Panthers; this opportunity comes from the brass of the XCD. I'll turn the floor over to him."
The Xiang officer stepped forward, activating the holo-display of the table at the room's center. An image of the
Samigina, as well as the Panthers' FRAMEs danced above the surface.
"The XCD ASOC has been monitoring the Preying Panthers since the incident at Cradle Headquarters." He paused, treading carefully around the scars of the unit's memory. "It is our understanding that the unit has... fallen on hard times. However, review of your combat data pre-Cradle reveals highly-acclaimed performance. Your unit has proven itself on many occasions to be effective and decisive, despite a moderate turnover rate. As a gesture of goodwill, the XCD wishes to extend its hand to the Panthers and rekindle the performance your unit has been known for."
The images of the holo-table gave way to a logo of the XCD ASOC, and what appeared to be a table of organization. Colonel Leung indicated the display with his hand, explaining, "As part of this contract, the Panthers will be assigned to a division of ASOC. The XCD will refurbish the depletion in the unit's manpower and supplies, offer logistical and mechanical support and conduct joint-training exercises with the Panthers."
Bentz was right; this did sound too good to be true. Material support from the XCD and training with the elite of the Army? That was a big step up from their current state. Cecilia had to wonder why the XCD was willing to invest so much in the Panthers. They were, after all, a huge risk, given their record over the past year. Richard must have seen the disbelief in her face, as he spoke up next,
"With the XCD's support, I have full confidence that we will regain our footing as a solid fighting force. I'm sure that this news comes as a shock to you, but I am assured by Colonel Leung and his colleagues in the ASOC that opportunity is nothing but genuine. With that, the floor is open to questions."
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