Asteroid Blues - On Route to the Nero Drusus

Captain Foster-Johnson smiled as he signed off the transmission with his sogros.  Sabine and Esme were settled with the avôs, Coelhina was in Cidade Bomjesus occupied with several audits (agribusiness is always good business) and he was clear to rendezvous with the Nero Drusus and travel to a new set of “negotiations”.

Since yesterday’s communique from the Circus, he had been quietly making preparations for an extended trip, and the recent commercial disputes in the Human Edge were the perfect cover for an accomplished “negotiator” and “attaché” to travel there.  Now, of course, he’d need further cover before joining up with the 60th and the Nero Drusus, cover he prayed he wouldn’t need.  However, instincts honed over nearly two decades of service with the Circus, a particularly pleasant office within the Big Nothing gave him the strong suspicion that those prayers would go unheeded…

A few hours later he was already in-system in Human Edge, on a fast courier ship headed for the Nero Drusus currently on station hiding near Socrates, where o almirante had positioned her.  He dropped into Maya, connecting with his XO, Major Luiz.  They were fortunate, the Nero Drusus had just gone through a refit, and was even better equipped to handle the specific needs of a composite group brought together from all parts of the PMC.  Dour Knights, be they of Santiago or from the Deutscher Ordenstaat, sharing space with operators of various stripes and dubious ethics like the Locusts and Zulu Cobras, to the heart and soul of the PMC, the ORCs and Fusis.  He was especially proud that he’d managed to keep hold of his team from the Shock Army after the Third Offensive.  He couldn’t wait to be on his second home, and smiled as he realized he thought of a Legate-class Assault Cruiser as “home”.

Over the course of the conversation, Capt. Foster-Johnson and Major Luiz determined the best thing for their happy-go-lucky lads was to stay on station at Socrates, ready to move when needed.  Considering things could go sideways doubleplusquickquick, Foster-Johnson ordered Luiz to have the Snake Eaters on standby awaiting his arrival.  That done, he spooled up some classical music, and picked one of Esme’s faves, “Sympathy for the Devil”.  He smiled and waited for the Maya conference with the commanders in-system to start…