"Jenkins! Where has all the red paint gone?"
"Sorry, sir, the Atlas Hunters came by, said they needed to requisition it all. An emergency, they said."
"Blast! And here I am, meant to be doing repaints for Colonel Havok! How am I meant to do a Death's Hand Brigade BattleMech without any red paint?"
"Well, sir. I've been thinking. Maybe...we don't have to do a DHB 'Mech. Leave that to Killhunger, and focus on appeasing the Colonel with paint schemes that don't involve red. Or, at least, not much red; we've still got a little bit left."
"I like your thinking, corporal. What did you have in mind?"
"Well, sir, how about the 4th Oriente Hussars? Despite being from the Free Worlds League, they're mostly green, rather than pink, red and blue."
"Hmm, it's a start. Don't let the Leaguers hear you say that, though. Last time I heard someone call 'purple' 'pink' he was sentenced to peacekeeping duty on Andurien. What's next?"
"How about House Hiritsu? One of the Capellan warrior houses?"
"Are all these going to be green, Jenkins?"
"Well, technically, House Hiritsu is silvery-green, sir."
"That's still green."
"Yes sir. But we're trying to avoid red, sir, and that doesn't leave us many options. Moving away from the Successor States, we could try a pirate group, like the New Belt Pirates."
"Alright, I guess that'll do. And so far, we haven't used any red paint except for the insignia for the Oriente Hussars."
"There was a bit of red in the House Hiritsu and New Belt Pirates insignia too, sir."
"Noted, corporal. What about Victors? The Colonel said he was interested in Victors, too, and so far, all you've shown me are Quickdraws."
"Ah, I think the 1st Ceti Hussars could help here."
"Jenkins! Are you mad? That cost us almost all of our remaining red supplies!"
"Sorry, sir, but I think it was worth it."
"We'll see. You'd better have something good in mind for another Victor."
"Yes sir. The 1st Coventry Jaegers."
"...Jenkins?"
"Yes sir?"
"Report for mine disposal duty. And don't ever set foot in my paint shop again."