After a hardy meal with a bit of entertainment as Las'Tai and Trasti each attacked their meatloaf like they had not seen food in days, much to Old Pan's delight, Eirik had David confirm the time of arrival to be within a few hours. Much to the annoyance of the assault squads, he called them down to the armory to brief them on this slightly different method of attack. As the last person milled into the room, Eirik started speaking.

"Alright everyone, shut up and focus. This attack is going to be different from our usual approach. The target is a Kloxna military vessel. On account of the war, this means we will be facing more opposition than we can beat in a fair fight. So we are going to do what Terrans do best. We are going to fight dirty. Jesper will pose as the Captain once we enter communication range, claiming to haul the very same goods we robbed from the smuggler a few days ago. He will inform the Kloxna ship that they are meant for high caste member, Tai'Tanu, which will ensure no questions are asked.

Furthermore, he will claim to have suffered reactor damage due to an ambush by the Terran government-" This earned a collective chuckle from the group, cutting Eirik off.

"STILHED!!

*SILENCE*

The gathered soldiers snapped their mouths shut so fast it was almost audible and Eirik glared at each one of them, silently daring them to challenge his authority during this moment. They all lowered their gaze, except Jimmie who stared defiantly back but still didn't speak.

Eirik remembered him. His gut had told him something was off about the kid the first time he met him after he joined up and his gut had never been wrong before. He continued speaking,

"As I was saying, Jesper will claim to have suffered reactor damage and request to send a large shuttle with the crew over, to protect them while repairs are underway. Trasti will function as a call operator as it will make us seem more genuine as smugglers. The Kloxna have almost unconditional faith in each other and they will not question Trasti's explanation. If they do, Jesper will step in and take control of the conversation. I trust you can handle it?"

Eirik's last words were directed to Jesper who simply nodded once.

"The shuttles will contain only us. I will be wearing full siege armor with an added helmet. So will Jesper and 2 others, though Jesper will remove the helmet once we arrive. The 4 of us will go to the bridge to let the 2 ship Captains exchange greetings, at which point we will take control of the bridge. Any questions?"

"Won't the Kloxna ask us to surrender any weapons we might be carrying, and if so, how do we take control of the bridge?" Jesper immediately asked.

"Yes they will, and we will comply. The siege armors have been modified with internal firing mechanisms loaded with 20 gauge high explosive rounds, 30 shots before reload." Eirik answered just as quickly. Of course, Jesper knew all of this as he had been working on the project with Signe, but this was their way of informing the entirety of their offensive team of the new modifications, in an official setting.

"What about the rest of the packs?" Jesper fired off the next question.

"They will remain in the shuttles, keep their weapons as is their right, and prepare to dig in while we take the bridge. Likely, it will be a high caste member in charge of the ship, and such a hostage is worth more than the ship to them. Once she is secure, the entire ship will be ours and we can disarm the soldiers and contain them in a storage bay under the threat of spacing them. Finally, we will contact the smuggling station and request an experienced and trustworthy ship crew be transported out to us, so we can bring the ship back with us. Such a prize is sure to mark a significant payday for all of us."

Eirik knew that many of the new men had been lured in by the promise of high pay for dangerous work. It was time to live up to his part of the contract. A score like this could set them up for years, possibly life, if they invested correctly. Of course, this would only be the first of many payouts from the Terran Government.

Sure, they were in the war as well, but this was Eirik's war. He had been the catalyst, the spark that made the whole thing burst into flame. If he was going to benefit anyone in this, it was going to be himself and his reputation. He had plans, big plans, and to see them carried out, he needed a vast amount of money. More money than any sane person would hoard.

The smiles on his men's faces radiated danger and eagerness. They had been teased with the reward and were more than ready to go earn it.

"Why will Jesper pose as the Captain?" The question came from Jimmie who looked like he was in deep thought.

"Because I say so!" Eirik sneered at the young man. "Now load up people. We got a bonus paycheck to collect!"

They all started equipping their black kevlar suits and preparing a mix of combat shotguns, handguns, shields, and a few rifles, for medium-range engagements. Eirik, Jesper, and the 2 oldest veterans started equipping the siege armor instead, and Jesper went over the use of the firing mechanism and the reloading, which still required a partner.

"Remember, we are using high explosive rounds, so make sure you shoot at a downwards angle, I don't want to blow holes in the windows. A couple of shots from each of us should be enough to clear any soldiers from the bridge. The Captain MUST live, otherwise, the plan will not work." Eirik went over the finer details with the 2 veterans he had picked out to accompany him and Jesper. He wanted people he could trust with his life on this.

Finally, they were all ready and Jesper sent them to the hangar to wait in the shuttles. Then he headed to the bridge where he summoned Trasti through the intercom. Trasti feared him and Jesper was well aware of that. Being in the siege armor would not improve that notion and he was quite happy with that. He enjoyed being feared. When Trasti arrived, Jesper instructed him on his role in the coming attack before he finally leaned back in the Captain's chair and waited.

He could get used to this chair, but he hated responsibility.