Wild at Heart

White Talon Chronicles: Kickoff

Images floated across his HUD as Matthew Geary floated peacefully in the artificial amniotic fluid.  The number being displayed kept climbing, out of the single millions and spiraling further upward quickly.  That is a lot of tritanium... Geary thought to himself.

A communication channel acknowledgment began blinking, and Geary willed it open.

"Are you seeing the same thing I'm seeing?" Schwigg asked incredulously, the excitement audible in the computer-simulated voice.

"Yeah.  These guys really know their stuff." Geary replied.  That Schwigg was showing this much excitement about the results of their Opening Bell kickoff spoke volumes.  In the four years that they'd worked together, Geary could only recall two other instances that had warranted such an emotional response.

"If you don't mind, Cap, I'd love to discuss the specifics about getting these guys into some more capable vessels.  Look at what they did with a bunch of Ospreys and Retrievers.  Imagine what they'd be able to accomplish with Covetors or Hulks."

Despite himself, Geary smiled in his capsule.  He never is satisfied, is he? The thought, though, it was quickly answered with another.  That's why he's in charge of our Logistics operations.

"You're the money man, Schwigg.  When you have had the chance to fully quantify the results from the kickoff operations, let me know and we can talk about upgrades to their vessels."

That the reminder of his duties quenched some of the the excitement was evident when Schwigg belatedly replied, "...yes Sir..."

"Oh, and Schwigg..." Geary said, shortly before closing the comm channel, "Let the guys know just how much we appreciate all of their hard work."

With the communication channel closed, Geary focused once more on the exterior of his ship, manipulating the camera drones to take stock of the situation.  Traffic was incredibly heavy this close to Jita, though it'd grow even heavier as he progressed the last few jumps to the largest market hub in New Eden.  He couldn't stand Jita, it was far too crowded for his liking, but the fact remained that it was the "it" spot in the galaxy.  Anything you could possibly want to buy, whether it be ship, equipment, ammunition, or crew you could be found at the lowest prices the galaxy could possibly offer.

Its popularity also made it a great place to procure information of a more sensitive nature.  Schwigg had done an extensive amount of digging at Geary's request after the startling revelation that the CPD has vetted the corporate application through the normal Concord approval cycle.  Every avenue that his Minmatar partner had pursued, however, had let to a dead end.  Every lead but one.

[i]To willingly walk into the lion's den, armed with nothing buy guile and grace...[/i] Geary thought, bemused.   The lead was a former Caldari Navy agent who had accepted a new role within the CPD, working as a liason between the two organizations.  Schwigg had worked with the fellow sometime in the past, and while he vouched for the authenticity of his contact's information, it came with a disclaimer.

"Orlen Tamoiro will tell you the truth, but he almost certainly has his own agenda as well."  Schwigg had said.  "He also wasn't surprised to hear from us, and that scares the hell out of me."

Geary's ship shuddered a final time before the soothing priority override on his communications system broadcasted, "Docking request accepted."  For better or for worse, his Moa-class cruiser was now docked inside of the Caldari Navy Assembly Station orbitting around Jita 4-4, and he had a meeting with someone that might very well end with a trip to the Detention Block.

OOC - A very special thanks to the following WTE members that showed up and mined/hauled their butts off:

cavalier7
Conan Samson
Czuuk
FifDSeven
gudea
Ieharu
Mctavoish
PhilAlex3
Sorin Markov
Silvie Girard
Schwigg
Zaratustra