The King and his merry men

[Jim Raynor]

Jim listened to the words of King Gilgamesh's diplomat, introduced as Victor. He spoke calmly and pleasantly in a measured tone that Jim was used to hearing from seasoned officers of state. Having met Gilgamesh and seen the ruins of his town, he knew this place had not been peaceful in the past, nor was it likely to stay that way. Not that it mattered; the Town With No Name had its fair share of chaos, only attracting it because of their remote location. Still, it concerned the terran commander how many bodies had been piled up in their makeshift mortuary. What had actually transpired here?

Raynor pulled out a chair and slouched onto it. The chilly evening breeze wafted through the windows, raising goosebumps on his exposed forearms. The adjutant stood motionless behind him in the customised marine armour, a giant black golem ready for the next set of orders.

"I appreciate the kind tone, Victor," Jim said. "As you guessed, I'm the deputy sheriff, but I got enough clout to know what's good for the town and what ain't. 'Course, I'll have to get the final say-so from the sheriff, but we can draw up a draft to present to him."

Victor nodded. "Good. So, what do you say to my proposal?"

Jim reached over his shoulder and scratched at the back of his neck. "Ain't one to turn down guard support. Would do me and mine a world of good to have more boots on the ground. The raider's ain't gettin' less, I can tell ya that much. Town ain't all that big so the barracks'd have to go outside, but don't have to be too far out."

"Oh, and I know you ain't in this position right now, but I can see Nippur wasn't exactly some tiny hole. When you're back to full strength, my people would really appreciate it if we could arrange some sorta supply route. Town don't get much in the way of the essentials. Draggin' in food and water is enough to bring out the raiders and the vultures. If you can spare it, my people'd be mighty thankful. 'Course, that's not till you take care of your own first, and you have leftovers you're willin' to spare."

Jim saw Victor opening his mouth to speak, but he cut him off as an errant but important thought rose to the forefront of his mind. "And with your guards? Obviously ultimately under your command, but when they're watchin' the town, they need to listen to my orders, or the sheriff's. Can't have divided leadership when the bandits are knockin' on the front doors. If we can agree on all that, plus our non-aggression pact, I think we might have a deal."