Part 811: Let's Read: D.R.T. - Part 3
Let’s Read: D.R.T. Part 3: DouchéChapter 4
Harlech, Outreach
Sarna March, Federated Commonwealth
30 October, 3056
More Riannon. Who’s ready for another chapter of plot contrivance to set the Black Thorns up with a job? Me neither. Which means that’s what’s going to happen. Riannon’s still with Yuri Dogdorvich when a guy just kinda… barges into the room. He calls himself Priam and I call myself annoyed. He’s a smug asshole who’s “job it is to know everything about people he may employ.” He’s a dick.
D.R.T. posted:
“You were thinking?” he asked.
“You sound surprised,” [Riannon] responded.
“Touché.” Priam smiled back at her. “I’ll have to be careful of your quick wit.”
Fuck you, Priam. I wanted to like you except I’m not entirely certain whether you’re being a douchebag intentionally or not. Since he’s a representative of House Kurita (because remember, Jeremiah Rose’s anti-omniscience means everyone else knows what he knows and House Kurita wants to
Rather than getting to his actual offer, Priam decides to infodump about the Black Thorns so Riannon won’t seem like a tool for explaining the Black Thorns. In video game terms, we’re still in the tutorial stages and honestly not a single word is said here that’s worth the paper it’s printed on. Stop hiding your plot contrivances with verbiage!
Anyway, Priam offers a double-contract. First is garrison detail for a year, renewable. Second are sundry raid contracts to be negotiated once the Black Thorns reach their destination. He doesn’t tell Riannon what planet they’re going to so I’ll go ahead and spoil things: It’s Wolcott.
Chapter 5
Nadir Jump Point, Fort Loudin
Federated Commonwealth
28 November 3055
NOW we find out they’re going to Wolcott. Not directly of course, since we’re back with Jeremiah and he’s got to waste our time by not talking about what’s going on for two to three pages before he finally tells everyone that yes, they’re going to Wolcott. Now, Wolcott’s a pretty important world to the Draconis Combine, but really I don’t understand the secrecy. It’s not as though anyone else in the Inner Sphere cares about it, and the Clan espionage agency makes Marik’s SAFE look brilliant.
Anyway, before he tells anyone what’s going on, he has to have a moment with Captain Rachel McCloud of the Union-class dropship Bristol. Remember her? Well the book assumes you don’t so hooray for more text dumping! Long story short: Jeremiah is still fucking her, and nobody cares less than I do.
Oh, and Jeremiah Rose is still a sociopathic dick who thrives on tormenting others:
D.R.T. posted:
“[…] I assume ‘tactical update’ is the same as a status report?” she asked.
“It is,” Rose replied.
“Well, then, why don’t you just say so?”
“I just did,” he said, smiling at her muffled cry of frustration. “Meeting starts in less than fifteen. See you then.” He tried to sound cheerful just to twist McCloud’s tail.
“I’ll be there,” she said. Rose reached for the intercom, catching something about “damn soldiers” before the connection went dead. He laughed in spite of himself.
Couple of the year, they’ll go down in history alongside Ethan McManus and the ugly lady with no self esteem, or Dominic Deegan and the ugly lady with no self esteem. So yeah, then he tells everyone they’re going to Wolcott because Jeremiah revels in the suffering of others:
D.R.T. posted:
“Jesus wept,” said Badicus, looking as though he’d just been axed. The rest of the Thorns seemed equally surprised.
“No wonder the advance is so big,” Badicus went on. “We’ll never survive to collect the rest.”
Rose laughed, but he could tell the rest of the Thorns were inclined to agree with Badicus.
Why do people agree to work for him again?