Forces of Warmachine: Mercenaries
Forces of Warmachine: Mercenaries | ||
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Release Date | 2010 | |
Pages | 176 | |
Preceded by | Forces of Warmachine: Cryx | |
Followed by | Warmachine: Wrath |
Story
South of the Dragon's Tongue, Drake MacBain and his Steelhead crew, working for Cygnar, drives back a Khadoran scouting force, then meets with Allister Caine and return to the half-built Fort Benewic, between Bainsmarket and Stonebridge Castle. As the Steelheads and Cygnarans are drinking, MacBain reminds Caine that his contract will expire that day. Caine wants to extend the contract, but the paymasters were certain that reinforcements would arrive earlier in the week and saw no need to keep MacBain and his crew. Caine asks MacBain to stay and in return he'll receive a bonus for helping the Cygnarans cover during the lapse, but MacBain refuses to work for free - even for friends - and leaves the keep with his Steelheads, after reminding the Cygnarans that their contract doesn't have a cooling-off period like normal.
A week and a half later, MacBain is already negotiating with the Khadoran warcaster Sorscha Kratikoff on the northern side of the Dragon's Tongue. MacBain refuses to let her know anything he learnt under previous contracts on principle, while Sorscha tasks him with leading the attack on Fort Benewic: he will cross the river and seize the outer gun battery tomorrow, from there he can dig in and wait, and the next day Winter Guard will be sent to assist him. His objective is to collapse Fort Benewic after two days. After the contract is signed, MacBain reveals to Sorscha that they have fought together once before, around 10 years ago when Kommander Torisevich, Sorscha's superior at that time, hired him.
The next day, MacBain hires a band of kayazy assassins to silence Cygnaran watchtowers and aid him to seize the outer gun battery. Once the battle is over MacBain recognises among the dead the faces of several men he drunk ale with only a few weeks earlier, while Allister Caine is still nowhere to be seen. The next day, MacBain assumes command over a Winter Guard squad, and he's angry at himself for not having specified the amount of Khadoran support that he would receive in the contract.
Just as MacBain begins his attack on Fort Benewic, a sergeant reports a band of dwarves from Hammerfall coming behind them. He gets into a duel against Allister Caine, which ends with Caine being forced to scramble away and MacBain successfully ordering his Mule to destroy the fort. His job is done, but MacBain is in no condition to receive his bonus pay as Allister Caine destroys his warjacks, his men are barely clinging to life and the Winter Guard are marched at gunpoint by the dwarves.
MacBain protects himself by disabling Caine's pistols and explains to Caine that he has no reason to kill Caine since his contract with the Khadorans doesn't say anything about killing enemy warcasters, and offers himself for hire; while he has a cooling-off period with the Khadorans, he could find work against the Protectorate of Menoth down south. Caine accepts after MacBain offers him a one-time discount.