Carl waited in the meeting room in the unions headquarters. This had been rushed beyond belief, but it was necessary. At least, his co-leader thought so. He didn't get it as much.

  They needed more regular infantry in his opinion, not a PR rep or whatever. As he read over the file, he took some solace that this guy wasn't some civvy with no combat experience. Hell, frow what he read, the guy supposedly looked down right imposing.

  Still, a noble? Would a person like that even work well with them? sigh Suppose that's what the interview is for. She said that they needed a guy like him ASAP, and so, a rushed meeting with an unknown. Joy.

  He sat up as a loud metallic knock rang out. Then, the skeleton came in. It was 14 and a bit feet tall, deceptively broad, and looked menacing without even trying. And it felt... wrong, for lack of a more expressive term. He cleared his throat and spoke.

  "Ah, Mister Verotep. Good day to you. I am Carl Cerrov. It is lovely to meet you." He said. Nobles liked those kinds of greetings, ya?

  "Ah, Mister Carl. Good day to you as well. I must admit, this meeting was... rushed. Might I ask, why you require my services? Why, I had just imput my application after all, and now, here I am." The giant stated.

  "Ahhhh. Uh, ya. Ahem. Yes. I apologize for the rapid response. But my co-leader has informed me that we, as in our company, could use someone like you. That is if what you gave the union workers was accurate."

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  "Hmhmhmhm." Verotep chuckled. "Yes yes. All I imput was accurate. I am a being of many talents. Heh. If I may, I am very much over qualified for whatever you plan on trying to recruit me for. I... ahem. Never mind that. If we may, can we return to the previous topic. What do you need of me?"

  Carl stayed silent for a minute. He realized, that while laid back, the skele- no, Verotep, had a VERY large ego. Self aggrandizing, and he thought he saw a hint of a superiority complex. But, if what the report on him was true, then there was a pretty good reason why.

  "...Ahem, yes. We are in need of a negotiator. We are heading to a backwater world soon, and the planet has multiple species on it. We believe there will be tension if we just jump in and start maneuvers without a soft word here and there. We also believe that you fit the job perfectly."

  Verotep nodded slowly. "You are correct in that this is something I could do. However, I did not join the mercenary union to sit back and talk all day. You must understand that. While I could be willing to compromise, I will not do only that."

  "What do you have in mind, then?" Carl asked.

  "You see, I am proficient in multiple combat styles. From close to long, I can kill anything in my path. However, I've a fondness for ranged weapons. Aquire me a gun to kill and foe, and a scouts job, along with a negotiators. I will agree."

  Carl pondered. Verotep wanted a sniper rifle, well, an anti tank rifle. He also wanted to scout and negotiate. This... could work...

  "Promise me something. If I can get you that gun, it will be worth our while?"

  "On my word as a lord of my race."

  "Well... we need to test you first. Make sure your not all talk... But if your as good as your word... We have a deal, I think."

  Carl couldn't tell, but he felt that if Verotep could, he would smile. It wasn't a pleasant feeling...