Chapter 48: Post-War Matters

Not only would Samuel Young feel heartache over the loss of any ARS soldier, especially the Hunter Company led by Arthur Morgan, but he also felt the same for any unit under his command. These were his direct troops, the foundation of his and the company's deterrence against any internal or external opposition. The six hundred RDA mercenaries would fit perfectly alongside the ARS infantry company to execute high-intensity frontal combat missions.

The more enemies they defeated, the higher their pay. Essentially, they would be contract personnel, so the contract details would differ from those of official employees.

With this in mind, Samuel raised his hand, summoning a holographic keyboard before him. He created a new document and began drafting the initial contract for the RDA mercenaries.

Soon, he typed "Atlas Emergency Countermeasure Service (AECS) Contract Details" at the beginning of the document.

"AECS" would be the official acronym for this auxiliary force, with the commander yet to be determined.

Samuel appreciated Colonel Miles Quaritch from the RDA and even considered recruiting him to work for him and Atlas. However, he couldn't directly appoint Quaritch as the AECS commander, even though he was the most suitable candidate.

The six hundred RDA mercenaries only obeyed Quaritch. Appointing him as their commander immediately would only create more problems.

So Samuel planned to reorganize and mix these six hundred RDA mercenaries, integrating them with one hundred elite ARS soldiers who would serve as squad leaders, combat platoon leaders, and company commanders and adjutants in AECS.

As for Miles Quaritch, Samuel intended to provide him with a list and relevant files of the Hunter Company, allowing him to select fifteen elite soldiers from both the RDA mercenaries and the Hunter Company to form a combat platoon for special missions.

Samuel believed Quaritch would naturally understand the underlying intentions behind these maneuvers and make the right decisions.

This approach would not only separate the most loyal RDA mercenaries from the main group but also allow Quaritch to demonstrate his value. Once he became accustomed to and embraced the company's system and genuinely recognized Atlas, Quaritch could potentially be reinstated as the AECS commander.

As a soldier with firm will and stance, Samuel trusted that Quaritch would also dedicate himself to Atlas.

Moreover, Samuel could perceive the thoughts of ordinary people without psychic abilities. Within his psychic perception range, emotions like deceit and fraud were impossible to hide.

It didn't take long for him to complete the initial draft of the contract.

The salary and benefits provided by Atlas would be enough to attract the six hundred mercenaries, with their consumption areas tentatively set in Europe on Earth Zero-One.

Furthermore, AECS wouldn't always be an auxiliary force. The contract clearly outlined promotion regulations, allowing soldiers to rise in rank through regular assessments and tests, and even providing opportunities to join ARS units.

This was essentially Atlas's "assimilation" process, but more straightforward.

After handling matters with Miles Quaritch and the six hundred RDA mercenaries, Samuel began addressing the situation with Jake Sully and the Na'vi captives.

Though Jake Sully's betrayal was confirmed in the recent battle, Atlas wouldn't mistreat the captives. Once the technical staff collected data to analyze the impact of Eywa on human brains and minds, they would be given a swift end, and the same fate awaited the Na'vi involved in the battle.

Atlas had obtained all the data from the Gate of Hell, including the Avatar and consciousness transfer technology. By interrogating the defecting scientists, it wouldn't take long for the bioengineering department to master these technologies and explore other possibilities.

Finally, all usable equipment and vehicles, such as Dragon assault ships, Valkyrie transports, Scorpion and Samson helicopters, and even RDA mining equipment, would be recovered. Atlas staff only needed to familiarize themselves with the equipment to continue mining room-temperature superconducting minerals.

Room-temperature superconductors could drastically reduce energy loss during power transmission, enhance power transmission efficiency, and improve medical imaging technology, making MRI more efficient and accurate.

It could even transform magnetic propulsion systems from concept to experimentation and practice. Combined with the antimatter and nuclear fusion engines, as well as photon sail technology provided by the Adventurer, Atlas's aerospace capabilities and other fields would rapidly advance.

However, fully mastering these technologies would take more than a year or two. Manufacturing products was one thing, but ensuring their performance met and exceeded standards required extensive testing.

Fortunately, besides money, Samuel and Atlas had ample time. He could focus on expanding the company's business and teaching Saint Gilles and Robert.

After assigning personnel to inspect and recover RDA equipment, Samuel finally completed the most pressing tasks and turned his attention to his two sons standing by the central console.

"So, how did your first battle feel?"

"Father!" Saint Gilles, who had been waiting for this moment, couldn't hide his excitement. "The spear was amazing! I helped Uncle Morgan capture Jake Sully's mount and took down twenty-six Banshees."

Saint Gilles' demeanor was like that of a child who had achieved good results, hoping for parental encouragement and approval.

Samuel could see this clearly and smiled softly, affirming, "Well done. I think Dr. Ashford will find the Phantom Beast excellent experimental material."

"I knew it would be useful," Saint Gilles said, satisfied. "If it weren't for Uncle Morgan's strict orders to only deal with the wild animals, I could have taken out more Na'vi."

Samuel didn't comment on this but understood it was Arthur's way of protecting the Primarch.

Next, he looked at Robert, who had been somewhat silent since returning.

Sensing Robert's inner turmoil, Samuel remained patient, smiling as he asked, "And you, my child?"

"I learned a lot," Robert began to share. "Detailed intelligence and data are crucial for modern warfare. Our pre-deployed artillery positions directly destroyed the enemy's vital forces and resistance intentions.

And our timely involvement in the battle minimized RDA mercenary losses while gaining their recognition and goodwill, facilitating subsequent operations.

But…" Robert voiced his inner conflict, "Father, did you already know all of RDA, the Na'vi, and Eywa's actions beforehand, enabling you to make such precise judgments?"

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