Disclaimer: I do not own Battletech/Mechwarrior or any other things that might have been drawn upon for this story. Thanks again, to my team-mate, Fenris Wulf, for allowing me to repost this story here (it's his work, and I'll forward any reviews to him)

Author's Note: I know, I know...another reposted story...I'm still working on my own original piece and should have the first chapter up next week.

"THE CONTRACT"

BY: Fenris Wulf

Sergeant Major Damon Kane peered out the view-port of his quarters and watched the stars slip slowly by as the Dropship made its way across the system. He stared into the gray-black firmament of the system, broken only by the reds and blues of a nearby nebula. The Armored Cavalry Elite Dropship, the Redemption, had just recently lifted off from planet-side and was making best speed to the next jump point, where the A.C.E. Jumpship, the Freedom, was waiting with fully charged Kearny-Fuschida drives.

Damon loved this ship. He enjoyed space travel even more. He always
thought to himself that once he had enough money, and the lure of the
battlefield abated, he would buy himself a Dropship and "Go Commercial," as many in his profession referred to Mercs gone straight. The effects of weightlessness on his mind and body, the hospital-clean reprocessed air and the atmosphere of total control that came with hurtling through space at faster than light speed...all of this focused Damon to razor sharpness. He sipped at the anti-grav lid of his coffee cup, and had a moment of quiet reflection.

"Incoming Priority Message... Incoming Priority Message... Incoming
Priority Message…" The computer said softly, in its robotic feminine voice

"Here we go." Damon said to himself as he sat at his desk, setting his
coffee aside. He typed in the necessary encryption keys to de-code the
message.

The message decrypted, Damon studied the Vid-Screen. The message was from Armored Cavalry Elite Command, and had both video and file attachments. The heading denoted that this was contract data. He opened the video attachment and saw as Colonel Jacobson, of MERC-NET, appeared on the Vid-Display.

"Good Morning, Sergeant Major Kane. Effective immediately, you are being reassigned to another contract. The Armored Cavalry Elite have accepted a contract on the planet of Addicks."

Interesting. The Redemption had been scheduled to arrive on the planet of Tybalt for an extended "Garrison Duty" contract, which Damon,
coincidentally, hated. "Be advised first and foremost that this mission is OOC."

Out of Cockpit? This was odd. The Armored Cavalry Elite were primarily Mechwarriors. Unlike many of the other Mechwarriors in the Armored Cavalry Elite, Damon had served in an Infantry Unit before becoming a Mechwarrior. Because of this, Damon had always required training for his Mechwarriors in survival and combat OOC, should the need arise. An OOC mission was uncommon in the ranks of the Armored Cavalry Elite.

"Also this is a Black-Op. Subject: Hostage Extraction. The Details of the
mission are attached. Good Luck."

Damon closed the VID display and began downloading the mission brief. His mind swam as he read over the details, and an apprehensive feeling over came him.

The contract was "Intra-Merc," the employer was Wolf's Dragoons, and that meant that time was definitely a factor. Merc Units were fairly secretive when it came to information about contracts or unit personnel. Being a Merc was not just about combat, this was also business. Mercs Hiring Mercs was not unheard of, but it did mean that the Employer was knee deep in "it," and did not wish to extend themselves any further into the situation, if the operation turned sour.

According to the contract, an Addicks Planetary Defense administrator by the name of "Major Fernando Velasquez," had come by a Wolf's Dragoons NOC list, from sources unknown, that gave the names and locations of the Dragoons undercover operatives on Addicks. The Dragoons had been taking part in a dangerous "Ghost Agent" contracts for both sides. Dragoon spies had infiltrated both factions, and provided classified information to the Dragoon Command. They would in-turn sell the information to the other side. It was a highly dangerous contract for all involved; lucrative, but dangerous. A brief history lesson followed as part of the background information.

The world of Addicks has been plagued by planetary conflict, and each
faction paid the Dragoon's handsomely for the information their spies could obtain. This knowledge could result in not only in the death of a dozen, or so Dragoon operatives, but could result in the loss of the contracts from each side. While working out the lengthy negotiations with the Dragoons, Velasquez had been kidnapped by a terrorist organization called: The People for a Free Addicks, or T.P.F.A. Unknown to them, Velasquez carries a sub-dermal microprocessor that the NOC List was downloaded to. So the situation was fairly F.U.B.A.R., and Damon & Crew, would be paid heavily to fix it.

Once the mission brief finished downloading, Damon transferred it to his
digital notebook, and pressed the COM switch for communications with the bridge, after a few seconds the call button was answered by the bridge communications officer.

"Bridge."

"This is Sergeant Major Kane. Inform the Captain that I need to meet with him in the Briefing Room in 15 minutes, advise him of new course, our destination is now the planet Addicks."

"Understood Sergeant Major."

Damon then adjusted the COM to the P.A. setting and thumbed the switch.

"Attention on deck, Attention on deck! This is Sergeant Major Damon Kane; all ACE Mechwarrior personnel proceed to the Mission Briefing Room, all ACE Mechwarrior personnel to the Mission Briefing Room."

Damon released the button, and sat back in his chair... he picked up his
coffee, which was now stone cold. He swallowed it in one gulp. It tasted and had the consistency of black tar, but he knew he would need it. This contract was extremely dangerous, and the likelihood of losses was high. Damon stood, stretched and placed the contract information in his briefcase. Already the cold coffee sat in his stomach like a rock.

"Well, I always did hate Garrison Duty." He smiled and headed for the
briefing room.