Skirm Thirsty Merc #1 - Subject: Motivations

We managed to bribe a supply contractor to let us onboard with them on an inbound flight to one of V-Corps mustering areas where there were a group of new V-Corp Combat Assets waiting to be taken to their respective depots.

The inbound flight was on something known as a Moose, a craft designed to carry a 40ft equivalent container pretty much anywhere it could land. Its basically a frame with engines. The companies operating here often use these cargo vessels for combat operations and even fill containers to the brim with combat units, sometimes with dire consequences.

I'm nervous getting onboard this thing, we ride in the modified container which is carrying pallets of boxes and equipment. The load master reassures me by showing me the container is permanently coupled to the craft. I believe her, but that's not what's worrying me, the craft looks like its best days were well into the past.

It fires up and lumbers off the ground and we get some height, but not too much. Air to air battles are rare now, the supply of these craft is limited and they are expensive. Zuvic is the only manufacturer of them and their output is very low.

Supply chains to support what is happening on Mallera-9 are strained. The volume of equipment that gets destroyed by the environment is staggering. There is a pallet of comms equipment and micro radios. Millions of credits of inventory on this flight just on tech and the load master had this to say "they need to order these at least 18 months in advance and they last a whole 4-6 weeks here".

The radiation punishes everything, except the women.

We come into land and the area below is hive of activity. After touch down the crew runs off to grab a stacker to get the pallets off and I look for someone to interview.

There's hundreds of women here all dressed in the notorious grey that is Vanessa's V-Corp. The training centre is nearby so pretty much all of them are new to the company. There doesn't appear to be anyone in charge but its very orderly. Through the entrance into the structure you can see bunks, uniform detail, weapons stowed, fitness activities, a mess area all in order.

CPD and Zuvic operated transports started to roll in to take the V-Corp units to their operational bases. It seems V-Corp hasn't managed to procure their own transports just yet. No wonder Black Faction has been trying to break this alliance up so badly.

Grey clad women begin moving towards the transports and I try to find one suitable for questions.

Light rain just started drizzling down on the pad and we were told the transports would stay grounded until it cleared up. The transports are ageing and water is not their friends, especially on the move with wind pushing into ever increasing gaps and through worn out seals onto critical electronics.

Perfect it gives me some more time.

Many of them seem wide eyed but a few seem quite unphased by what's happening around them, I seek one of them out. I spot one who is in great shape and looks quite serious and manage to coerce her into a corner for a quick interview.

Merc #1 age 23 had already served 4 years with Black Faction Corps as a Standard Combat Unit, joining shortly after the Zuvic Incursion.

"Basically when I arrived to BFC Training the Zuvic platform was sinking into the ground, everyone thought the big operations were over"

I press her for how that felt but she reminded me

"you're on ORC when you're with Black Faction so you don't really care"

She goes on

"It heated right up with Mallera-Deep but I was on a support mission with my sector elsewhere we didnt really get into skirms for that"

Mallera Deep is a badge of honour for Black Faction and CPD units who fought there, possibly the toughest fight to date.

"the rest of my contract after that was like any other SCUs of my era, the big skirms happened with shadow sector and the rest was BAU"

when I asked why she joined V-Corp I got an answer I didn't expect.

"I left BFC and came back as a Temp. Basically meat for a grinder the way things were going"

"Four jobs in I dont think I would have survived the 5th, the company is fucked up they need to be destroyed"

To be continued.......