Acquire Some Hired Muscle

“We need assistance if we wish to exploit these opportunities to their fullest, I think the most appropriate course of action is to see about hiring a few guns, yes?”

“I guess that makes sense, I think I know where we can find some extra hands… have you heard of The Cage?” Asks Damir.

“Yes, in fact the food shipment was bound for that establishment, if you think that’s where we can find some helpers then that is where we must go.” Replies Natalya with a nod of her head.

The trip to market square was a calm one relatively speaking as Natalya and Damir weave their way through the crowd, rushing like the natural flow of a river.

Finally they pass through the large iron gates of market square, stepping past carts and stands displaying all manner of items from homemade jewelry to salvaged machine parts to jury rigged guns.

Finally they arrive outside The Cage, much the same as last time, the establishment is packed, nearly every table is at full capacity and even more stand along the open space in between them.

The Cage is host to all types, nobodies who just got off of work, travelers just passing through the city in the sky, and even more looking to conduct business. The kind of people Natalya is looking for and a few are familiar to her.

Baba Yaga has done business here before, even if she hasn’t personally hired the individuals she knows them by reputation.

Arrayed along the southwest corner of the establishment is a group of men and women, all muscle bound and clad in old Red Army uniforms though many of them are too know the significance of their attire.

Part gang and part mercenary outfit, The Red Tide is one of the only groups that still buy into the old communist propaganda, they seek to restore The Union to its former glory however unfortunately for them that takes money to do and so they offer their services as body guards and private soldiers.

In Natalya’s experience their greatest strength is their numbers; despite their ridiculous doctrine, they’re far and away the largest faction in the region even if their weapons and equipment are often lacking.

Along the eastern wall of the establishment rests a group of women, wearing clothes so dark that if not for the lanterns arrayed across the room, they’d not be visible at all. As for the weapons they carry are invariably snipers, many of them modified to the point where they can hardly be identified.

These are The Mora; A frightful group of killers for hire, they specialize in assassination and information gathering their namesake coming from their love of killing targets while they sleep, likening them to the Mora of myth.

They are a shifty bunch no doubt, but at least they’re trustworthy, as many ghost stories as Natalya has heard about the group, none of them involved double crossing a paying client.

Finally gathered around the bar at the far side of the room rests a group of men that one would think are merely workman, clad in overalls and wearing heavy boots that have seen it all, the only yell of what they really are is the myriad of components and old world gadgets that fill their pockets and utility belts.

These are the Architects, a group that specializes in salvaging old world technology, repairing broken technology and building entirely new technology.

While they wear their gimmick on their sleeve, there are very few groups in Novosibirsk that can challenge their position as the best engineers around.

“So um… who do you think we should approach?” Asks Damir as he glances between the three groups, hands on his hips as he looks to Natalya for guidance.