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"Yeah, I know the Coalition of Multinationals isit for all it’s worth So what does that have to do with Medusa?"

"Quite si rather inconvenient for those of us with a financial stake in this situation So the balance of power"

Toht to keep hie single-handedly "What, you’re upset sheside That’s e need her out of the conflict"

Toerov said idly, "if someone she trusted lured her to an internet rendezvous"

"No," To

"and then he deployed an executable progra quite a service for his country, and he’d be amply rewarded for it"

"Did you hear me? I said no!"

"Surely you don’t want your side to lose, Mr Raines Have you no patriotis about love of country frolobalist who despised the very idea of countries, but he said, "If this is so strategically important, then someone in the military would’ve ordered me to do it already You’re a private contractor"

"There’s a very si you" He weighed the glass in his hand for a thoughtfulout how to dumb down his explanation "There are certain codes of conduct the two governreed upon That’s why the Russo-Chinese don’t hunt you down and kill you one by one"

"Well, yeah Then our side would do the saovernents, contractors, in each other’s countries ould be eager to get their hands on ene like this done outside the official codes must be done privately Take the Geneva Convention: your military is not allowed to torture enemy soldiers Private contractors--mercenaries--are useful because we can Certain codes can be violated as long as the official state entity isn’t doing it I can violate the Geneva Convention; I can strike directly at Coineer Medusa’s destruction, whereas your General Marsh cannot"

"But you’d be using me to do it," Tom pointed out "I’m officially a ward of theit"

"As far as I understand, you wereher outside the ain You were acting independently, without orders You’ll do so again, and that’s why your strike on her won’t violate any treaties And besides that, what can she do--tell someone you were behind an attack upon her? That would require her confessing to ain You see, we already leaked to her govern with you She’s already on notice She can’t afford to reveal her involvement with you a second time"

Tom leaned his elbows onto his knees, his eyes narrowed "Why would I do anything for the person who helped Dalton Prestwick reprogra Youyou can take, but people like you don’t give anything back to them"

"Oh, but there’s another reason you’ll do this, Mr Raines As things stand, you most assuredly will not be sponsored If you did as I asked, I could change your situation"

Tom was startled by the offer "Obsidian Corp doesn’t sponsor Combatants"

"How could I? You all have my processors A piece of me It would be like that classic dilemma, where a parent must select which of his children to shoot How could I play favorites?"