"We should put all this on paper, so it is official. I am told that the Reavers take paper very seriously." Rill requested once the furor over the new toys had died down a little.
"We take agreements very seriously. The putting it on paper is so that nobody can argue over what the exact agreement was at a later date." Max explained.
Nico took out the data tablet with the standard agreement and began editing it for their current clients. Sending reinforcements was unrealistic, so that part of their obligations was removed and replaced with the portion about allowing Mercenaries who wished to leave the planet to go, along with terms of employment for anyone hired from among the Canis population.
They would have to have their gear maintained to at least the current Reaver standard, be paid a minimum of the average share, and be provided with daily meat and a balanced diet sufficient for heavy exertion. That would likely be enough to keep the locals happy, and it would discourage the lowballers since they always wanted to pay far less than the average share to new hires in their fleet.
The rest of the agreement was pretty standard. They could request shipments and have Reaver Trade Group Members deliver them at a standard distance rate, sell at Reaver rates, and an additional note about the prices for game tags to be sold by the animal at the time of arrival, subject to population management plans and pricing variations. Finally, the notes about the included signing bonus items were added, and it was ready to be signed.
Nico turned it over for their team to read, and they shared it among the group, poring over it with intense concentration and even finding a grammatical error that Nico had made. That was quickly fixed, and the hard copies were made.
They moved to a table, and Max had the staff bring out another brisket, then set it to the side for after the agreement was signed. Ramba didn't miss this maneuver, and Rill smirked at Max.
"I thought you weren't going to make things hard on us? But here you are, placing the food to the side until the deal is done." She joked.
"Brisket is greasy, and paper soaks it right up." Max clarified, putting his signature on the sheet, followed closely by Rill and Ramba, then witnessed by Nico.
"Now that we're finished let's eat." Max agreed, handing the documents to the administration team to copy and electronically file with the Trade Group.
It was relaxing to eat with the Canis nobles. They didn't believe in table manners or cutlery, so there was no pressure to maintain an image, only to get enough food in you before it was all gone.
"I think I have the perfect hunting spot for our first trip together. There is a species of Tree Viper in the jungle whose blood tastes almost like the seasoning that is put on this meat. If we mix it into a sauce, I think we can replicate the taste with regular roast meat." Rill declared, licking the last of the juices from her fingers as the meal finished.
"So, we head to the jungle to hunt snakes? That sounds like a lot of fun. How big of a team should I bring?" Max asked.
"You bring five, and I will bring five. Too many will either scare the game away or bring the big things. Both are bad options because that part of the jungle is too thick for your Mecha or the Hunters Suits." Rill suggested.
"I will put drones in the air in case we get in trouble. Don't worry, Commander. I can ensure relative safety without compromising the hunt." Nico assured Max with a smile.
"Good enough for me. Grab three from the Infantry Special Forces who you think would enjoy the trip." Max ordered her.
Nico's eyes went blank for a second, and she nodded. "They're on their way. Now, what should we bring to hunt the Tree Vipers? Precision rifles and blades? Or are they big enough that we will need Plasma Cannons and demolition charges to bring them down?"
"I like your attitude. The Vipers are only ten meters long, but the Goliaths that also live in the area are on par with a regular Hunter Suit. We only hunt them with our heaviest weapons."
Nico nodded and sent a message to a technician, who came back with five watches in her hand.
"These are not for general distribution yet, but they can be considered a personal gift from me to you. Put them on over your armor and tap them with your forefinger, or tell the armor to open the flat space."
The devices activated, showing a supply of food, water, bioelectric energy packs, a handheld Plasma Cannon, a small selection of explosives, and a spare Laser Rifle in the all-organic pattern.
"That should be enough to get us through a hunt with what we are already carrying," Nico told them.
"Am I getting married?" One of the guards asked dreamily.
"No, that one is mine." Max insisted, making Ramba laugh.
"Gifting expensive weapons is a wedding tradition here to show your sincerity." He explained.
"A friend of ours gifted his bride a Cruiser Class warship as a wedding gift, and she assassinated the last of his enemies for him," Nico informed them with a smile.
"Perhaps the Reavers are not so different after all, even after all this time." The Canis man laughed, getting to his feet.
"So, shall we take that marvelous ship of yours back to the surface?" He asked, looking back toward the bay where they landed.
"No need. There are only ten of us going with no Mecha, so we can take a shuttle. It can land in a much smaller space, and it won't disturb wildlife as much." Max disagreed, pointing in the other direction.
The last three members of their team arrived in full armor, with Ion Rifles slung over their shoulders, so Nico got up and tapped their watches to check their kit and make sure that they had everything needed. She gave Max the thumbs up, and he led the group a few bays down to the nearest available shuttle, the weaponized ones Nico made, suitable for an entourage of twenty in Mobile Suits, which were almost as bulky as the Canis natives.
"Here is our ride for the day. Nico will have a few gun drones in orbit as well, in case we need to be rescued. Just a precaution since we don't want to cause any international issues." Max explained.
"That works for us. Who will fly the tiny ship, though?" Rill asked.
"Usually Nico, but we will have a Technician fly today so that she can focus entirely on the hunt," Max explained, pointing to a happily waving young woman in a flight suit. It was the first time that she had been included in the negotiation team instead of sitting in a dark room in the Drone Team quarters waiting for something to happen, and Max could tell that she was really excited to be here.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺