Chapter 22
"Well, we can accomodate you with one of the fresh Mackies that's due to come off the line at the end of the month," I said to Lieutenant Castle. "However, by your own admission, you don't possess the funding to purchase a second one. So, while I do sympathize with how you and Hammer are operating, I do still have to turn a profit."
"We're not looking to get out of paying for a second 'mech," the harsh woman stated. "We don't want to short you or have one of our only relationships with a manufacturer go sour. However, we do want to have two assault 'mechs to add to our force."
I looked at her and just waited for her to continue.
"As a representative of Hammer's Superior Hogs," She grimaced at the full name of the mercenary company. "I've been authorized to negotiate our services in return for payment in one of the 'mechs. The first, we'll be purchasing outright. The second, we were hoping that you would be willing to work out a deal."
"From what I understand," I looked through the documents that Susannah had printed out and given me regarding the mercenary unit. "Your unit is under contract with the local government on Shiloh, and won't be free until the end of this year."
"We are," Castle admitted. "However, we would be willing to delay the reception of the 'mech as well as our services until we have completed our current contract."
"And if they use one of the extension clauses to force you to remain?" I asked, leaning back and interlacing my fingers. I really did want to work out a deal with the unit. I liked working with people I'd already met before. But, I still needed to find a solution that benefitted us both instead of building resentment from one party or the other.
"If they attempt to use one of the extension clauses, then we'll renegotiate with you at that point in time," Castle stated. "Currently, we're offering to combine with and work with your security forces under a lessened payment contract in exchange for assistance logistically with regards to both the Mackies and the maintenance of our forces in the event that we have to utilize them to assist in the defense of Siler's Salvage and Assembly or that of the surrounding populace."
That was more what I had been looking for. Now that I knew exactly what they wanted and were offering besides 'mechs, I could work from there.
"This is the standard contract our current forces are operating under," I reached down into a drawer and pulled out the copy that had been freshly printed this morning before setting it down and sliding it over to her. "Now, there are certain expectations that have been laid out by not only myself and the other leadership here, but also the rules and behaviors that are dictated by the Free Worlds League themselves. They are also listed in the documents I just gave you."
Lieutenant Rachel accepted the information and began to look through everything, and I began working on some of the paperwork I'd mostly finished. After all, I'd technically just stretched the truth. The Federal arm of the Free Worlds league had not put down any specific security restrictions regarding armed security beyond that which local lords and governmental bodies set down. That said, SAFE had an intensivelevel of security and information requirements that they inspected for and tried to test us in bypassing randomly every month or so.
Thankfully, due to the electronics and computer systems we'd built, we didn't keep very many paper copies of things in the offices that wasn't needed for 'right now'. So, we were more successful at that part than the others. Our armed security and personnel were decent, but they weren't great by any stretch of the imagination. This is where I was hoping to use Hammer and his strangely named mercenary company to fill in gaps regarding training, as well as any gaps in our actual defenses.
While I still hadn't seen the evident corporate espionage that Billy, Eddy, and Sylvie talked about, I wasn't brushing them or their concerns off, and was doing my best to take them as seriously as possible.
So, I'd hopefully finish this out with an ehnanced ability to secure our factory as well as the ability to pick the brains of people who would be using our gear in the field.
"This would require us to begin expanding while working for you," Castle said, glancing up and eyeing me with an odd glint. "I can understand why, but there's a lot of work that goes into recruiting, hiring, and training for that sort of thing."
"I think if you keep going through, you'll see a few clauses that should help with that," I stated, there was no way that she'd actually gotten through to the clauses I'd just mentioned or she would have said something.
After all, my secretary Susannah was really good at her job, and was attractive to boot. She'd managed to sweet talk the poor, young, and innocent MRB representative into giving her copies of the current contracts and payments that Hammer had taken.
They were in a slump, and had taken a lot of lower end contracts to rebuild their reputation after purchasing vehicles and a 'mech from us when we were just a salvage yard. What we had to offer was a step up in both pay and the ability to repair forces without it having to come fully out of their own pockets. That, and we were going to cover training expenses. A security force that wasn't willing to train because they didn't want to spend money on ammunition was one that would be useless in reality. Or at least that's what I'd been told back on Earth.
"I'll have to review a few of the clauses with our Mercenary Review Board representative," Castle said, closing the folder. "But I believe I can tentatively say that Hammer's Superior Hogs agrees to this contract in principle."
"You have two days," I stood up and extended my hand. "After that, we're going to start shopping around for other units to fill this role."
"I'll be sure to have an answer within twenty-four hours," Castle firmly shook my hand.
"Susannah can show you back to the exit," I smiled. "I'll be seeing you, Lieutenant."
Now, I had to finish the paperwork before filing it away and moving it further underground to the sealed records.
Date: August 25, 3028
"Alright, I think that's everyone," I nodded as Eddy entered the conference room. "I'll go ahead and start. With a secured contract set to start in January to expand our security forces, we've now accomplished the next stage of our expansion plans. Having that in mind, I want to discuss what our strategic plans are for the next five years as well as what work they'll entail for all of us. Before I continue, does anyone have anything critical to share with any of us."
Everyone shook their heads, and I laughed internally. No one reallywanted to be here. But considering we had a meeting with Skobel Mechworks next month regarding a partnership they wanted with us, we really needed to lay out some possible futures as well as what they meant for everyone.
"So, our current long term strategic plan is to essentially continue as we are for the next three years," I repeated the thing that they should all know by now. "After that, the plan is to shift from manufacturing the militia variants of the Mackieinto the full-scale battlemech. If a bit modified to work with the resources we have available. However, several of you have raised a very good option to look into. While manufacturing Assault Battlemechs will enable us to grow, we also are among the first to break into 'hybrid' and militiamechs on this scale. Which means that others will soon follow suite and try to beat us. But, we have three years to become the name in that area. So, we're going to be altering the three year plan for a bit. While it'll take a bit longer and will cost more, we're going to be expanding our militiamech line to include other designs if we can arrange a licensing deal with Skobel while also working on full battlemechs."
"Won't that mean that we're going to have to open up the company to outside investments?" one of the factory managers asked.
"No," I shook my head. "The grants we received from the Free Worlds League beforehand are still open to us if we apply again. We'll also be an established manufacturer with a contract with militia units in and around the surrounding worlds. Which opens us up to other governmental opportunities."
"With the plan to expand into more military hardware, do we also have plans to use our current infrastructure to market to the civilian industries on the planet as well?" One of the newest employees asked.
"That is on the ten-year docket," I replied. "Given we have experience with industrialmech factories," I getsured out the armored 'window' towards what had been such a factory. "We're going to take the time to figure out what niche we can fulfil there once we've had the time to do the proper research. Now, with regards to Skobel, Sylvie had a list of things that she wanted us to discuss with them, and we may be changing our plans depending on how that meeting goes."
Taking a seat, I nodded as Sylvie took over the meeting with a bit of nervousness.
"So, given I've taken over the salvage portion of things, my team and I have been analyzing the handful of older designs that have faded into obscurity that we still possess and have been working on for sale to mercenary units," Sylvie began. "With that in mind, we currently have three options for expansion in the future. The Helepolis, the Phoenix, or the Firebee. Of these designs, we believe the Helepolis or the Phoenixwill pose the least amount of problems regarding potential lawsuits."
"Yeah," Billy sighed. "Because no one's going to buy the 'mech that Amaris used the fuck the Star League over with."
"They might," I offered. "If we alter the exterior design a bit and give it a different name."
"Medium 'mechs are always something people are looking to purchase," Eddie agreed. "And I dunno about the rest of y'all, but I'd rather not have to do the math on trying to get an artillery piece to work on an industrialmech chassis."
"We'll have to experiment a touch, and we'll have to workshop the name, but I think we can have a medium design that will have a working prototype within two years," Sylvie said. "Now, because we're taking a chance on this, we're going to have to make it as rugged and as easy to work with as possible just like we did with the Mackie."
"I'd like permission to at least see if I can work with the Helepolis idea," Billy continued. "I know when I'm outvoted, but I'd at least like to see if it's possible to make the concept work with our hybrids."
"If you can squeeze into the existing work that we're doing, I don't see why not," I agreed. "Now, let's go over what we think Skobel might be trying to do. They've been mostly keeping quiet about the meeting's details so far. But what they haven't been able to hide was their expansion into something interesting."
With that, I grabbed a bag I'd hidden by the end of the table and tossed it to Sylvie.
"It's a plushie," Sylvie laughed, pulling one out before passing the bag down. "A Mackie plushie."
"They're being sold everywhere," I said once everyone had one in hand. "And we're currently the only company making the 'mech."
"They're making a ton of money with these then," Billy sighed. "And providing us free advertising while taking none of the risks associated with a 'mech factory."
"I expect the meeting aims to change some of that," I admitted. "But, until we actually sit down with them, there's no telling what their intentions are. If they were going to sue us over the design, they've had every opportunity. So, it's clearly not that, and their capitalization on our success to make their own money means that there's something else going on here. I just don't know what it is yet. Regardless, I'm done with my discussions, so if anyone has any questions, I'll do my best to answer them and the reasoning behind most of my decisions…"