Date: May 3025<br/>Location: Siege Perilous: Aboard the Cobblestone Road<br/>Tagging: Kurumi Tatsu Kurita<br/>Content: The Scenic Route<br/><br/>Cavanaugh shrugged.  "The Vale covers literally thousands of square kilometers and has a reputation for killing explorers.  I've never ventured in.  Is there actually a mech down there?  Probably several.  An assault mech?  Unlikely.  Still, the risk is worth the reward, at least to someone who can benefit from the ownership of a battlemech.  To me, it might be worth a promotion or a transfer and a serious pile of cash.  To someone like you, who could actually make use of it?  It would allow you to pretty much assure that your destiny goes where you want it to.  If you're looking for a search partner, I might be talked into it, if there was proper incentive."<br/><br/>"Donna Ramirez is the one you're interested in.  She runs the black market.  I can arrange a meeting between your representative and her.  I'm assuming you don't want to meet her yourself."<br/><br/>He paused, pursing his lips.  "You already know about Hoffmann and Higgins.  That's one reason you might want to consider not dancing.  The fact that I might be horribly jealous would be another.  Most of the other rivalries are because of competition regarding who can pilot whichever model mech the best.   Liao's Raven versus Marik's Hermes II.  One notable rivalry is Irene Chapel and Simon Newkirk.  According to rumour, he drugged and raped her.  There was no real proof, so it  didn't go anywhere.  As expected, Chapel wouldn't let it lie and made the situation very public.  As you would expect, the results were quite interesting.  She might as well have castrated him and he of course had already crossed the line once.  It's quite tense when they are near each other."<br/><br/>"Personally, I think the current Combine commander is intelligent, discerning, beautiful, cautious, ambitious, determined and ruthless."  He turned to face her.   "That is my personal opinion, of course."<br/><br/><br/>