Ladies' night - an Operation Hungry Walrus narrative

 “Looks like you have a serious problem with megalobsters there”. The woman handed the pad back to the other lady.

“That’s why I’m here”, the lady replied, dry.

“So, let me sum it all up. A lady without a name, you, in the name of a very wealthy diplomat, who happens to not have a name too, wishes to hire my service as a huntress…”

“... beasthunter…” the lady interrupted.

“Beasthunter, as you wish, I don’t care, well, you want to hire me and other hunters, pardon, ‘beasthunters’, to join a task force of the White Banner Army,  in a place called New Hypatia, where you have a problem of megalobster and other issues. All of this under the High Command of yujingese forces in the form of a Hsien of the Durian Inspection Unit.”

“Yes, pretty much that’s all…”. The lady sipped from the mug.

The woman laughed vigorously. She was clad in a heavy weather suit, mandatory for the outsides of Huangdi, and wore a mustard-colored kimono on top of that. She had fine lineaments and a cute smile which partially hid her strong build. Seated in the corner of the room, at a round table of this night bar, one cannot suspect she was in fact one of the most prolific hunters of the region.

The lady sitting in front of her opted for a more casual look, trouser and sweater, a beanie hat. A much expert eye would have noticed that behind a well-mannered composure hid scarred forearms, a cleft eyebrows and the paranoid rapid-eye movement of a predator.

“You know that the Free Guild has already been contacted by New Hypatia? They are buying the services all the mercenaries they could find, I don’t know why, and I couldn’t care less, but this is unusual, isn’t it?” She gulped down all the booze in the small glass and proceeded to fill it again.

“Yes, we are aware of that. I am here because we hired you in the past with excellent results for both parts. I hope the trust we have reciprocally built will make you consider the idea of helping us again.”

“I don’t remember you, I must say. I’ve met the sad Daofei, the twins, the defective Long Ya,” laughed slightly “a couple of koreans…”

“I’m not sociable, I might have missed the meet and greet event…”, sipped slightly.

“Ok. How much?”

The lady handed the pad to the woman, the screen showed three amounts. “The first is what each beasthunter gets on hire, the second is what they get at the end of the mission”.

“I see three numbers” the woman drank again the toxic booze.

“I assure you it is not due to intoxication. That’s what you get for each one beasthunter, or other gun-for-hire, you bring in with you. Travel, room and board on us.”

“You must be desperate”

“You cannot imagine how much…”

“Ok, I’m in. When’s departure?”

“The day after tomorrow, seven in the morning, Huangdi commercial spaceport. Ask for the Lobster Chef, they will lead you all to the shuttle.” She quickly got up and got dressed.

“You must be joking”. The voice and the movement started to seem impaired by the alcohol consumption. 

The lady stood silent for a second.

“You didn’t even tell me your name…” said the huntress, low on her voice.

“I give you enough respect to not give you a made-up name, for you wouldn’t believe it if I told you the real one.” without waiting for a reply, she nodded lightly and quickly headed outside, disappearing in the snowfall.

“What a mad lad!” the huntress laughed loudly and grabbed the bottle of booze again.

It took her all night to send all the reports and pack up for the trip to New Hypatia. Luckly she used to stay awake at night. Diplomat Xi: reported. Gear: packed. Beasthunters: hired. Tundra Wolves: departed. Tea: brewed. She grabbed her favorite cup and poured the golden hot liquid. A beautiful cup, indeed, a present from a dear friend. She held it tight, close to the heart. She sat in front of the window, sipping the comforting brew. The sun was timidly dawning. She started recording, on the comlog: “my land, Huangdi, is so beautiful when the sun is low. Rolling over the snow, you can see the very cold in the air…"