Partnership Collective
Description
A company of attorneys that share a mental collective or hive mind.
History
This communal being has evolved over a thousand years. Originally a humble partnership of attorneys, it incorporated, differentiated, mutated, and assimilated. Today its attorney drones are found in the highest level of government, and in the lowest levels of criminal defense. Picture an organism with the biomass of 21st century China: billions of brains but only one mind [2000-07-09].
Bounty for Attorney Drones
After the collective destroyed the Toughs' ship the Kitesfear [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2001-02-18%7C2001-02-18]]], Massey Reynstein came up with the plan to sue the Partnership Collective. And won! Though unable to collect the settlement, Tagon's Toughs were named as agents of the UNS Superior Court, and may destroy up to two billion kilocreds of the Collective's assets (approximately one million attorney drones): They get a bounty on every attorney drone they kill [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2001-05-06%7C2001-05-06]]]. Captain Tagon first takes advantage of this turn of events on [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2001-06-08%7C2001-06-08]]], killing the lawyer drone that Torpth'g'd'p'tawn brings to the negotiations for the NejjatTerrorists.
Though we see the first killing of attorney drones on [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2000-07-03%7C2000-07-03]]], I guess Schlock was just doing that Pro Bono.
Unfortunately for members of the Toughs, the balance of this penalty collection contract was transferred to Sanctum Adroit when they accepted a contract to provide law enforcement services in the city of Jumpstar Prime in Eina-Afa [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2015-08-20%7C2015-08-20]]], [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2015-08-21%7C2015-08-21]]]. Too bad for anyone that didn't get to shoot an attorney drone! [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2015-08-21%7C2015-08-21]]], [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2015-08-22%7C2015-08-22]]]
Notable Members
All Partnership Collective Attorneys seen to date are snake clones sharing the hive mind of the collective.
Affiliations & Relationships
The collective attempted to assimilate Massey Reynstein. After an unsuccessful attempt at straight bribery, [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2001-01-02%7C2001-01-02]]] they abducted him and implanted a hypernode which gave him access to the collective's mind [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2001-01-12%7C2001-01-12]]] which persisted even past their separation. [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2001-01-28%7C2001-01-28]]]. K.F.D.A.
Appearances
First appearance
First appeared, via an attorney drone, when Breya bought Tagon's Toughs.[[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2000-06-16%7C2000-06-16]]] Was first mentioned by name when Breya was explaining to Schlock that attorney drones were expensive. [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2000-06-19%7C2000-06-19]]]
Other notable appearances
Here is an example of how the drones from the Partnership Collective are treated. [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2005-11-06%7C2005-11-06]]]
Author's Note
[This space is reserved exclusively for Howard!]
Speculation
Maybe there is some kind of Queen or something other than the drones that has been shown so far in the Mother-Cluster? [[[@http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2000-07-09%7C2000-07-09]]]