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Description
The four mercenaries stood in the opulent office of the warlord known as New Khan.
He sat at his gilded desk, appraising the squad. He looked like a typical warlord; fattening, balding, with a perpetual squint of distaste for everything his beady eyes fell upon. His smile, which he rarely did, was filled with a sadist's glee.
As he spoke to them now, he smiled, making his plump head look like a rotting pumpkin. With a bad mustache.
"Gentlemen," he drew out the word like a hot knife. "I am happy we have come to this conclusion. You and your men working for me in this... acquisition I am going through. I trust you know that you will be responsible for clearing out all the little places?"
Snakebite looked at his commander; Lt. Colonel Thadeus, a pure-bred human; who had taken a step forward, indicating he was the face of their group.
"Yes, sir." Thadeus' voice was crisp and clear, the silver fixings on the fat man's cane. He looked back at the others. "That is, as long as we all agree."
The other two; a human, Lt. Bens, and a cyborg, Major Tefson; both nodded consent. It was a good deal, after all.
New weapons, fresh munitions, good vehicles. And an employer who knew how to fight, and win, battles. The officers were very much impressed with the New Kahn and his dog-and-pony show.
Snakebite, however, shook his head in the negative. Smiling unbelievably, he looked at the shocked looks of the two brass tacks next to him. A look at the Lt. Colonel and the canid knew why the man had brought him.
He had eyes, ears, and a snout that worked. Hell, that's how he had gotten to where he was: thinking.
He looked around the room again, taking in the ambient light from the gilded trimmings. Nodding his disapproval like a religious purist surveying the sins of a saloon.
Looking straight at the New Kahn, he grinned, showing his teeth. The well-armed bodyguards stood a little straighter, their fingers a little closer to their triggers.
"You have a vast amount of wealth here, Kahn." Snakebite growled in a low tone.
The fat man merely nodded, his face wearing the ill-fitting mask of amusement.
"Wealth from an empire." Snakebite turned and pushed a gold-framed chair over with a loud thud.
The guards stepped forward, raising their rifles. The New Kahn held up a pudgy hand, halting them. They settled for watching Snakebite like hawks.
The dog-man was grinning like a jack-o-lantern now. "An empire of money. Blood money." looking back at the New Kahn, his smile disappeared.
"With all that money, you think that we would talk about pay." He snarled the last word at the officers. Tefson and Bens flinched back, but Thadeus just stood there, a faint glimmer of pride in his eyes.
The New Kahn stood up slowly, his throne creaking with relief as his immense weight left it. he looked at the First-Sergeant.
"What are you?" he asked, the air of someone used to getting what he wanted by force in his voice.
Snakebite was taken aback by this. It had been a long time since he had been asked that, left around his unit who was comprised mostly of genetic experiments and mutants, where no one really cared.
He straightened up. "I really don't know, sir."
The Kahn seemed to ponder this, his head bent, nodding slightly, as if talking to himself. When he looked back up, he said, "One-thousand an hour."
Bens and Tefson gasped. Even the stone-faced Lt. Colonel's eyes widened at that.
Snakebite laughed. "What?" he scoffed. "You're kidding, right?"
The fat man shook his head. "No. What I am hiring you and your men to do is extremely dangerous. They will realize that as soon as you tell them the mission. This is suicide, I am sure you know."
Snakebite grinned horribly. "You don't know my men."
"I hope I don't ever have to. That is why I employ you, not vice-versa." The New Kahn looked at the squad. "Anything else?"
Snakebite walked over to the others. "I guess we're getting paid by the hour."

Description
The four mercenaries stood in the opulent office of the warlord known as New Khan.
He sat at his gilded desk, appraising the squad. He looked like a typical warlord; fattening, balding, with a perpetual squint of distaste for everything his beady eyes fell upon. His smile, which he rarely did, was filled with a sadist's glee.
As he spoke to them now, he smiled, making his plump head look like a rotting pumpkin. With a bad mustache.
"Gentlemen," he drew out the word like a hot knife. "I am happy we have come to this conclusion. You and your men working for me in this... acquisition I am going through. I trust you know that you will be responsible for clearing out all the little places?"
Snakebite looked at his commander; Lt. Colonel Thadeus, a pure-bred human; who had taken a step forward, indicating he was the face of their group.
"Yes, sir." Thadeus' voice was crisp and clear, the silver fixings on the fat man's cane. He looked back at the others. "That is, as long as we all agree."
The other two; a human, Lt. Bens, and a cyborg, Major Tefson; both nodded consent. It was a good deal, after all.
New weapons, fresh munitions, good vehicles. And an employer who knew how to fight, and win, battles. The officers were very much impressed with the New Kahn and his dog-and-pony show.
Snakebite, however, shook his head in the negative. Smiling unbelievably, he looked at the shocked looks of the two brass tacks next to him. A look at the Lt. Colonel and the canid knew why the man had brought him.
He had eyes, ears, and a snout that worked. Hell, that's how he had gotten to where he was: thinking.
He looked around the room again, taking in the ambient light from the gilded trimmings. Nodding his disapproval like a religious purist surveying the sins of a saloon.
Looking straight at the New Kahn, he grinned, showing his teeth. The well-armed bodyguards stood a little straighter, their fingers a little closer to their triggers.
"You have a vast amount of wealth here, Kahn." Snakebite growled in a low tone.
The fat man merely nodded, his face wearing the ill-fitting mask of amusement.
"Wealth from an empire." Snakebite turned and pushed a gold-framed chair over with a loud thud.
The guards stepped forward, raising their rifles. The New Kahn held up a pudgy hand, halting them. They settled for watching Snakebite like hawks.
The dog-man was grinning like a jack-o-lantern now. "An empire of money. Blood money." looking back at the New Kahn, his smile disappeared.
"With all that money, you think that we would talk about pay." He snarled the last word at the officers. Tefson and Bens flinched back, but Thadeus just stood there, a faint glimmer of pride in his eyes.
The New Kahn stood up slowly, his throne creaking with relief as his immense weight left it. he looked at the First-Sergeant.
"What are you?" he asked, the air of someone used to getting what he wanted by force in his voice.
Snakebite was taken aback by this. It had been a long time since he had been asked that, left around his unit who was comprised mostly of genetic experiments and mutants, where no one really cared.
He straightened up. "I really don't know, sir."
The Kahn seemed to ponder this, his head bent, nodding slightly, as if talking to himself. When he looked back up, he said, "One-thousand an hour."
Bens and Tefson gasped. Even the stone-faced Lt. Colonel's eyes widened at that.
Snakebite laughed. "What?" he scoffed. "You're kidding, right?"
The fat man shook his head. "No. What I am hiring you and your men to do is extremely dangerous. They will realize that as soon as you tell them the mission. This is suicide, I am sure you know."
Snakebite grinned horribly. "You don't know my men."
"I hope I don't ever have to. That is why I employ you, not vice-versa." The New Kahn looked at the squad. "Anything else?"
Snakebite walked over to the others. "I guess we're getting paid by the hour."