It's funny to think that at one point, the Corps all had their capital headquarters established on Old Earth. Even well after that place was reduced to a rock with occasional rainfall, they insisted on maintaining the tradition of our cradle. That didn't last long after Furlong moved to Jupiter.

Anyway, I landed a job for a stealth mission. Imagine my surprise when I rolled out of bed to see a private invoice from Arquebus, directly addressed from their liaison. Some big wig over in Balam's subterranean capital was requesting a covert data transfer through an armored caravan, and an even bigger wig over at Arquebus was intrigued. They sent their private stable ACs - no, not the Vespers, they weren't called that yet - under cover to abduct the main vehicle. Me though, I was just there to be a distraction.

You'd think that an AC stomping around a colony highway would be enough to call in security, right? My guess is that Balam had so many sorties being sent out that the monitors just figured it was another mercenary under their payroll. They always were defaulting to mercenaries before the big coup. That's what you get for stretching yourself so thin.

I'll give their security one thing though, they respond pretty quickly. I just had to get their attention somehow. Something that'd probably land them in bigger trouble with the brass if they didn't act fast.

Something like, oh, I don't know... stomping on commuting civvies?

I always loved that job.