Super Robot Wars ∀: Deep Space IC Thread - Part 1: The Culmination

[Shin]

It was finally over, the meeting had been far more than he'd imagined - and he'd learned how little he really knew about the functioning of the ship. Being in charge seemed incredibly stressful, even listening to the command staff squabble had been a lot to take in. Their focus on him had nearly overwhelmed him, but he was free to continue as he was. Things were best left the way they were, any changes would only cause problems, especially with how volatile their leadership seemed to be. They'd been content with his classified information, it meant he didn't have to explain anything. Still, he'd have to do his best to avoid getting into trouble - he was already under a watchful eye. As long as he succeeded and didn't draw any more attention to himself, his life on the Heion Riese would remain relatively straight forward.

Tarquin wasted no time in leaving, he certainly didn't want to stay around for any arguments between the Captain and the XO. It didn't really bother him one way or another who was in charge, although the XO seemed to be the only exception. She seemed to be looking for trouble, both with the Captain and Tarquin himself. Tarquin didn't even want to consider how far she'd persecute people if she did take command. He'd avoid her if he could, she didn't seem particularly good at her job, nor was she pleasant to be around.

As he left the meeting room, he saw both Astin and a collection of people he didn't recognise. He hadn't caught much of the conversation, but one of them appeared to be a mechanic from the colony. Perhaps they were more focused than their current engineering crew? Between Avery's mistake and what he'd seen of the child, any additions to the staff were likely to be beneficial. That was of course assuming that this new person was able to repair more than a vending machine - He hadn't planned to go to the Hangar, but he at least needed to get off the top deck. Passing Lyra and stepping into the elevator, Tarquin placed himself at its side.

Part of him had wanted to go and blame Avery and her faulty "upgrade" for all his trouble, but he was far too exhausted to consider doing so. It would cause too much of a fuss too, he'd have to let it slide and just ensure he checked his own equipment. If the woman was indeed from the colony, Tarquin might have owed her an apology for nearly blowing it up, but that was a whole conversation he'd rather not have.

"I'm glad that the rebels were removed from the colony." Tarquin announced, attempting to strike up conversation. Why was he even talking to this woman? He didn't owe her anything, if anything, he'd helped save her and had no obligation to talk to her.

[scorri]

Colt glanced at the younger teen who had joined them on the elevator. He seemed to be talking to Melissa. Wonder who he is? Maybe he's the kid of one of the crew? He's pretty young to be on this sort of ship regardless. Figuring the easiest way to get an answer was to ask, Colt nodded. "I agree. Better they're gone for sure. The name's Colt by the way. Mechanical engineer with an interest in just normal mechanics as well. Here as part of a group that's offering some help in thanks for what the pilots of this ship did for us. How about you? What're you up to on this ship?"

[Phoenix]

Thorvald was ready, and the antiseptic was now applied. Megumi was losing patience with herself due to the rest of the incoming injured. It was time to get started, and with the few corners she'd cut, she could finish this operation in less than ten minutes. There were more safety precautions she could have taken beforehand: getting some aprons for herself and her unwitting assistant, intubating the patient instead of simply falling back on a normal breathing mask, and of course setting up an IV in case the pilot lost a good deal more blood before she finished. These weren't things she would have done or even have been able to do on the battlefield, and cutting them out only posed a relatively minor risk while saving her up to several minutes per task. Impatience? Laziness? Cockiness? Some combination thereof? Focus.

After turning on and handing the suction tube to Thorvald, Megumi took one of the little blades from the small bundle of equipment she'd fetched for the operation and honed in on her target. The incision was smooth and the bleeding was very scant at first. She'd been careful to not put too much pressure on the site to ensure that. "We're not going to see anything right away," she warned, "not until you clear things up a little. Remember to be gentle."

Carefully, Megumi parted the incision with her fingers, slowly widening the red chasm over the course of a few seconds. While letting Thorvald clear up the initial mess, she reached over and retrieved a small spreader rig to keep the wound open once she was done. She'd need it to retain use of both her hands. Once that was in place, she took a closer look at pilot's innards. With anything recognizable being submerged almost as soon as it came into view, it was becoming bloody apparent that Thorvald's job was going to be nonstop until Megumi located the lacerations responsible and sealed them.

[Juliette]

"Busy busy," Juria noted, her tone dejected at Thorvald's brief comment being the only acknowledgement her question had gotten- and even then. "Nobody have time for Juria... will have to make time, then!" The engineer slowly stood up, leaning Reo on her shoulder, and approaching Christina before poking her on the shoulder. "Excuse me! Hello, greetings. Am seeing lots of new people here... not sure who you are. Name Mizushima Juria, head engineer on leviathan ship."

[Snowy_One]

"Aye. Those rebels are a crazy lot." said Melissa as she looked at the teenwhom had just tried to strike up a conversation with her. "When I woke up today I had no plans in the slightest of dealing with incoming weapons-fire, a crazy woman fighting a police android, or being on a ship like this. Just having some breakfast and getting down to work before finishing, crawling into bed with a small dinner and something to watch, and going back to bed. My name is Melissa, may I know yours?"

Edited December 17, 2016 by Snowy_One

[Shin]

The woman, Melissa, certainly liked talking. Tarquin was fairly certain that most civilians didn't expect to deal with rebel attack when they woke up. Her daily routine sounded rather mundane, perhaps the rebel attack had been the highlight of her career? He wasn't going to spoil her spiel though, it was just easier to let her finish talking naturally. It had been so long since he'd been around ordinary people, the crew were so strange in so many ways, Melissa seemed almost boring in comparison. Even then, it wasn't as if he were particularly interested in them either. He'd never really felt the need to tell anyone about what he'd done, Nikolai was the only person he'd ever divulged much information to willingly. Nobody really asked him either, only the Professor and his associates had needed information from him.

"I see, that sounds busy, Melissa." Tarquin replied, partly glad she hadn't gone into what she'd had for breakfast. Both Colt and Melissa wanted to know his name and designation, it wouldn't be a problem telling them if they were joining the crew. "I am Specialist Tarquin Herrington. I'm one of the pilots stationed on the Heion Riese that were deployed in the previous mission."

From his time on the ship and even his training, Tarquin had found that people carried far more information than any book did. They weren't as easy to read though, the other cadets would have been especially laborious to get to know. Reading at his own leisure was a far less draining experience. As long as these people did their job and he did his, there wouldn't be any problems.

[Snowy_One]

"Well, hello there Mr. Herrington." responded Melissa. She really wasn't quite certain what to do to be honest. Keeping a calm and professional demeanor was certainly what was called for by corporate but she ALSO hadn't been reprimanded for the hundreds of other violations of late and they seemed to be going well. May as well take a risk!

"I wish I could say it was busy. It's mostly simple stuff. No matter how far in the future we come it seems that people will forget basic solutions to problems so much of my day is replacing stuff that wouldn't have even been broken if they had remembered to do stuff like turn it off for the night. These mechs? They're something special. I hope their pilots really understand them and don't just treat them like something to throw away after a battle."

[Dandragon]

She felt her eye twitching slightly. She took a deep breath, and let out an exasperated 'okay' as she released the air she took in. "We'll...go with THAT idea, then." It wasn't entirely her idea, but she was willing to compromise. ...Well, more likely she was willing due to the fact that she wanted to make friends on this ride through space. "I feel like lasers may somehow slip through slats. I'd rather we build something a bit more solid. Either that, or we have the slats close up tight to not let anything through." She crossed her arms. "Of course, this is assuming we have the materials to build the thing in the first place. Maybe we should wait until we get back to base to actually build anything? What d'ya say?"

Edited December 18, 2016 by Dandragon

[MechanicalBull]

"Well, yeah, the slats will be tight on each other.Like... lorica segmentata or something."

It was becoming slightly apparent Talog like history, as long as it was history to do with people bashing each other over the head.

"If we're waiting to get back to base before we start the fun stuff... how about we do something in the meantime? Unless you got something already planned, of course."

[Phoenix]

Brant got Jessica's attention with a small wave and then parted with an approving nod and his signature smile. It was time to see how Kim and Christina were doing. Mostly Christina. Kim was obviously just fine now that she was undergoing treatment.

[Shin]

Tarquin's heart sank, he thought she would have stopped talking after that. His attempts to be polite had backfired, all he was met with were more unnecessary details. Was this really what conversation was about? He wouldn't have been surprised if his unit had to be completely overhauled, the ejection mechanism and most of the minor subsystems had been ruined. The models they were using were mass produced, they were specifically designed to be easily replaceable - Melissa's bizarre romanticism made no sense at all to him. There were so many things wrong with what she'd said, but he still couldn't find the energy to argue - she reminded him of one particularly obsessive recruit he'd been trained alongside. All he wanted right now was one of his books and a glass of milk.

"I see... my unit was fairly badly damaged during the mission. I think the repairs might take a while." Tarquin replied, regretting that none of his books had prepared him for a situation like this. There was one way out, surely Colt was able to take some of the burden of the conversation? "Colt? Which division were you working before?"

Books were still definitely better than people.

[scorri]

"I was part of the engineering and research team. Mechanical engineering to be exact. Unfortunately most of my projects were government projects and I'm not exactly supposed to talk about them. Still, I've always enjoyed the practical side of engineering too, so give me some tools and a project and I'm more than willing to get my hands dirty." He was still confused at the young teen being a pilot but he figured either he was lying which would be clear soon or he was telling the truth. Either scenario gave him no reason to not answer the question so there it was.

[Nanami Touko]

Enjoyment

I can think of a few people that do, Olivia thought off hand, nodding and letting Val make her decision for herself... That's what the issue had been before, right? Too much control? She just didn't want to see the woman falter so much... Not the place to be putting this together, she figured, turning back towards the control panel and going over the list for herself to make sure she could put everything into her head. The lovely sounds of surgery faintly began back over at the table, anything gruesome drowned out by the quiet hum of the drainer. This was all fine, so far. She'd figured things would've been pretty bad, but judging from the lack of bodies, this ANF crew had to have been fairly skilled.

"I suppose we sit around and wait for orders. Big guy's got everything covered with the doctor."

No Worry

Big worry. She didn't want to say anything to bother Kim while she was getting better, as much as a part of her mind was telling her, You're doing just that by getting all upset, you know? She can feel your emotions, you idiot... With a sigh, and a small shake of the head, Christina tried to let go of the woman on the table. The captain and the ship's crew would be able to take care of that.

The only other person who seemed to be less than one hundred percent had just picked themselves up from their bed and wandered over. Mizushima... Not a name I've ever heard. Head engineer though? Sounds important. Did she get herself hurt in the hangar or something during the fight? Christina had no idea why she was here, but people could get hurt in many ways. It didn't seem serious, if she was already walking around the room.

"My name's Christina. I'm... A private. I wasn't ready for field combat." That's one hefty lie... She wasn't quite ready to fess up to everyone on the ship that didn't know, 'hi I was with the rebels, I was forced to fight for them, I got captured when your crew almost shot me down'. It wasn't a pleasant introduction. "I was just checking in to make sure Kim was alright. I'm glad it's nothing more serious."

Face This

With everyone slowly leaving the meeting room, that just left Jess and Roxanna, the captain sitting quietly in her chair with the XO awkwardly next to her. So... I'm gonna do this now, aren't I? Should I even do this? I don't want to let this sit anymore. I can't let this sit anymore... With an abrupt stand, Jess turned to face Roxanna with all the determination she had left, fists clenched.

"What the heck is your deal?"

That was... As best as she could put it. There was no getting around that Roxanna was actively trying to get her tossed out. Jess was young and naive, but she wasn't blissfully ignorant of everything going on around her. She'd tried to get them to at least tolerate each other, and she'd succeeded-- somewhat. Apparently it meant never making any mistake again, lest the snake show her true colors. I... I have to do my best, to stay as head of this ship! I'm not going to let a few slips give you power!

[Balcerzak]

We're not going to see anything right away, she'd said. Well, if that wasn't an understatement, Thorvald wasn't sure what qualified as one. He certainly had his work cut out for him, but fortunately--for both patient, doctor, and unwitting assistant--the suction tube was a tool designed for precisely this sort of job, and it was good at what it did.

Somewhat to his surprise, Thorvald seemed to have decent enough intuitive synergy with Megumi, from almost right off the bat even. There were no unfortunate incidents where he would be moving his tube right to the same area she had also rotated to working on herself, which might have caused any sort of unfortunate incident if they had ended up colliding. Even just avoiding the delays that would have been caused by having to avoid fighting with each other over positioning was surely beneficial, as the less time a patient needed to remained opened up and dug around inside, the better right?

[Phoenix]

Brant quietly made his way past Thorvald and the doctor as he entered the infirmary. From what he could tell, their patient had some serious internal injury. There was more blood than one might expect, but he wasn't sure if that was part of the injury or just a consequence of cutting the pilot's abdomen clean open. Likely the former. It didn't take him long to reach Kim's immersion tank, though by the time he'd arrived, Christina was introducing herself to Juria and sharing the abridged version of her time with the enemy. Wasn't she captured by Apotheosis specifically and not the rebels? Aside from Vera, there didn't seem to be much difference mid-mission.

"Found one," Megumi squinted at an unimpressive laceration at the bottom of Abigail's stomach. However small, it was contributing its fair share to the build up of blood in her abdomen. The doctor glanced over at the infirmary door for a split second, the thought of new patients still fresh in her mind, before grabbing some new tools and a SIEG injector. A very light injection at the site, as well as some sutures, sealed the wound against any further blood loss, and jump started the healing process. "Time to move up to the spleen," she said, realizing the bleeding hadn't completely stopped, yet. While Thorvald could easily clear out the blood and fluids as they appeared, they were still pooling wherever they could, albeit at a significantly reduced rate.

[Xinnidy]

Going Down

Officer Grey had little to say as one of the ANF crew joined the ride, though their appearance was a bit off-putting, was he really a Specialist. Looks like a kid... no, pretty sure he's a kid. Should he ask? Maybe not. He was just there for the ride, and didn't feel like poking on ANF business after losing a good bunch of comrades that day. It seemed like the youngster struck conversation with the volunteers, anyways. Both of them had interesting things to say.

"It's a good thing you guys showed up when you did." He made a passing comment, "The police forces just couldn't handle it. The rebels would have gotten away with more if they could." At least, that's what he expected. Who with the power of successfully infiltrating a colony would leave after just messing around with their research labs?

Her Deal

One by one, every other member of the crew left, and soon there was only Jessica and Roxanna in the meeting crew. The mood didn't become any better. So... what's she going to do now? That was the most unpredictable Jess had been, Roxanna wasn't sure whether she should prepare for a backlash or what. What was Jessica going to pull on her? Could she even have the courage to stand up to her?

"What the heck is your deal?"

Roxanna slowly turned to meet eyes with Jessica, dead pan expression. "You will have to be more specific than that." That was starting to feel like a waste of her time. The girl got away with what she did, and the crew was obviously supportive of her no matter what. What did she want? It's not all going to be hugs and kisses, bleeding heart.

[Nanami Touko]

More Specific?

Jess couldn't help but scoff. She placed her hands on her hips like some insulted teenager (which she was), and gave Roxanna the most incredulous stare. "Be more specific. Okay! Sure!" She stepped closer, a chill running down her spine, the hands on her hips starting to shake. This was not at all easy to do. "Y-You haven't tried to help me since I got here! Since the day I arrived on the base. How stupid do you think I am, Roxanna? That I would j-just, blissfully not look into your searches after the way you've been acting. You-- you, s-snake, you've been trying to find dirt on me since I got to the base!"

Jess was fuming at this point, beet red, shivering and tearing up some. This was more difficult than she'd ever wanted, but she couldn't take it anymore! "A-And, and NOW! Not only have you not done your job as XO and tried to offer the c-captain any assistance at all, you. y-you're trying to get me removed! Instead of trying t-to, to help, m-me learn from my mistake, and not make it again, suh, s-since everything turned out a-alright-- you just want me gone... Y-You... You're horrible..." Jess sniffled, starting to cry some. Not wanting to let Roxanna see her weak, she brought her sleeve up to her eyes quickly, wiping them off, a weak scowl revealing itself as her arm dropped.

"S-So... So I'll ask you again. What's your deal? Because you've been nothing, but awful to me..."

Edited December 22, 2016 by Nanami Touko

[Xinnidy]

Insular Under Pressure

That day just kept on giving. Now Jessica actually mustered a tone that expressed more than her being wet behind the ears. Jessica was starting to express herself... and starting to stand up to Roxanna. The game had only started for her.

"Snake?" The XO scowled back, the word seemed to have an effect on her, even if she kept her judging stare firm during Jessica's backlash. "I don't have time for these petty insults. I got demoted, and I have to deal with a captain so green she stuh-struggles at the very thought of speaking with authority!" She made sure to imitate Jessica's tone, but sounding more immature. Quite unfitting for a lady her age. "It's insulting! Even when I try to make peace and do my job, you just have to panic and leave with a prisoner on the same cockpit! I have to sit there stressing me out and hoping everything doesn't blow up, alright? I don't want to be dragged down with someone so green!" The XO crossed her arms, huffing. It seemed like Jess had a brain after all, bothering to check the searches. "If you had a captain fresh out of academy as well, wouldn't you want to know what's up with that? I had to make sure there wasn't something fishy, that's all. Believe me, I'd be the first to tell central." Roxanna wagged a finger in front of the girl. "I'm not horrible, I just should be the one sitting on that captain's chair, not you. It would spare us both the headache."

Edited December 22, 2016 by Xinnidy

[Nanami Touko]

One Shot at a Time

Bearing with Roxanna's true colors went about as well as Jess had expected. She began to shrink as the XO mocked her stutter, slowly looking down. She didn't have the strength or the courage to stand up to Roxanna anymore. "I'd want to do my job," was the only quip she had in response for Roxanna's question about new captains. She skirted everything else, just turning it back into Jess.

But the last thing she said struck a chord with Jess. One she couosnt ignore. "You... Y-You think you should be in the captain's chair?"

Jess peeked up from her slouched posture, giving Roxanna a harsh stare, before looking back at the floor.

"In December year 246 you started as the navigator for a kraken class ship and were elevated to the position of captain shortly after. You had as much experience as I do. Your grades in pilot school were far worse." the words flowed out of Jess without pause, continuing to focus on the floor.

"You were captain in that ship for three years until year 249 when complaints started to roll in about your competency regarding bossiness and paying attention to crew needs... In an altercation with rebel forces you retreated due to a surprise missile barrage and lost one third of your crew members." Jess began to shrink further focusing on the floor, shaking a bit.

"On November 13th on the same year you failed to make a scheduled rendezvous by choosing a poor route to take to arrive on time. On June 20th year 251 you failed to escort a VIP to colony five because you missed their take off. Y-You," she finally stuttered, shrinking fully, arms hugging herself.

"...You were finally demoted because of mistakes surrounding these issues and constant complaints from the crew. You..." Does she even know this part?

"You... Were not going to be reconsidered for any placements in ANF vessels if the spot of XO wasn't open on the Riese."

Jess finally stopped. She didn't dare look at Roxanna, as much as she had a point to prove. The woman would likely be more upset than she had ever been, at this point.

Edited December 22, 2016 by Nanami Touko

[Xinnidy]

Insular To Many Things, Including Truth

There it was. Jess couldn't bring herself to stare back with confidence after Roxanna told her how it was. Cower, cower as you usually do, Captain. Roxanna had half a smirk, expecting to take this victory to herself. One motion was off, however, the harsh stare that Jessica returned, like a child that had been wronged. "Yes, I should be the one in that chair, I should be the captain!" She reaffirmed, head held high, looking down at the pipsqueak.

It only lasted as long as she started reciting Roxanna's career in the ANF. There was no more boastfulness, Roxanna leveled her gaze, face wrought with indignation. "You whore..." Roxanna spoke under her breath, eyes widening as she came to realize how Jessica was playing it. Jessica searched her as well.

I didn't--I only had two months of service before then, but I was older than you! I knew more of being a leader! She bit her lip, frustration welling up. "You make it sound like I was terrible. I... it wasn't perfect, but I have years over you! It's only natural." She insisted, sticking to her story. "You'd have some mistakes to your name with this time, too!" She huffed, sinking against the chair at Jessica's last comment.

"...What?" She'd never heard that, it all came in place with Jess as the culprit. She'd received suspicions about her crew's continuous poor relations and a possible change in the chain of command, but nothing resolved. Nothing about her. "You... you're lying." Roxanna stated, tone serious. It couldn't have been, she was never told that! They'd have notified her, right? "No, this was because the top brass put too much stock in you, and you needed an experienced member as an XO. It--" She started laughing. This was ridiculous, beyond ridiculous. "How dare you, calling me a failure. You bitch!" That had been enough courteousness for Roxanna, raising her hand and slapping Jessica's left cheek. This girl could spit poison too, but she was meek. Jessica could be put in her place.

[Nanami Touko]

Breakdown

"Y-Your petty, insults don't mean anything-- I... I-I might not b-be up to captaining th-this, this, shhhhip, but you're... You're not... At all worth sitting in that chair." Jess didn't have it in her to remain stoic anymore. Roxanna was getting more and more upset and this confrontation was seeming less worthwhile. But how else was she supposed to do this? How was she supposed to stand up for herself against someone clearly less qualified and prove her point all at once? Roxanna, she just denied everything, even if it was true. "How... H-How, in denial are you...?"

Jess managed to look at her-- it was a mistake, the piercing scowl the XO gave sent her shrinking back down immediately. And then her reaction to the last thing Jess said. She must not've known. I guess it would've crushed her esteem to be told something like that. I'm not sure why they didn't, though, if her attitude has been a constant issue. It would've tempered things.

"I'm not l-lying," she responded, keeping her eyes trained on the floor. "The top... Th-they, haven't put anything, in me, ask your Uncle--" Then it happened. Jess' ear started ringing, the shock of Roxanna's ire striking with her face more than she could handle. She didn't quite process all of what happened next. She was aware that she'd raised her own arm, but didn't feel it when her own open palm collided with Roxanna's smug, angry face. It wasn't until she looked at the XO after and saw the blood dripping from her mouth that reality started again.

Jess shrieked, taking steps back, starting to cry and not knowing what exactly to say. "Iii... I, i-it, that... I didn't, I was... Just, I...!" She's going to kill me. She's going to be so upset. I can't do this. I'm sorry Brant. I can't. Jess ran, finally, bolting out of the meeting room and down the hall. Her running had her collide with the closed elevator, frantically mashing the call button. Just let me get away. I don't want to do this anymore. I can't do this anymore. Her cheek still stung. Her hand stung more.

[Xinnidy]

Break

That pipsqueak was no better than her, looking up Roxanna's record and garnering all that pity from the crew. She'd done just as bad, but deluded herself with good intentions, Roxanna wasn't going to take anymore of that, she had much to say. "You--"

That said, the XO couldn't even the second word by the time she'd received a response to her own slap, far more physical than she'd ever expect from Jess. Roxanna was caught off guard.

Her world spun, the XO losing her sense of balance from the pain--was that even a slap? No way, it felt more like a punch, a full-fledged right hook to the side of her jaw, did Jessica do boxing before? It didn't matter at that point, all that did was that Roxanna could catch herself before she slipped from her chair, barely. "Ah--ahhh...." She held the side of her face, spitting blood to the floor, her whole left side felt numb at the skin, and excruciatingly painful in the mouth.

Where was she? Her ear was ringing, fireflies were getting in her sight... these were not fireflies. No, that was the meeting room, empty. Wait, where did Jess go? "Urk, aaaaahhh!!" Roxanna yelled, an attempt to clench her teeth went very poorly, like she was going to rip her lower jaw apart. She spat some more, pieces of teeth. Great, she broke some teeth, who knows how many. Why did this happen? Right, she was arguing with Jess, and... D-did she hit me? That... that was crazy, insane. More than ANF CQC. The pain was starting to take over her face, invasive, she started to cry. Roxanna didn't want anything to do with that anymore. Tears. Fear?

"Ahh..." No matter how much she yelped in pain, she was alone in the room now. Her makeup was done for, running down with her tears, her face probably beet red where Jessica hit her, she was a mess. Could she pick herself up? She did, her hand was shaking. Where to go now? The doctor? She was utterly embarrassed, humiliated, wanting to do nothing but hide in her room. That day couldn't be over soon enough.

The door, she needed to get to the door. Her feet were wobbly-- horrible time to be wearing high heels. She didn't slip, but the door out of the meeting room felt ever further...

[Snowy_One]

"Someone who thought that they were the best thing in the world only to end up losing to a police android after sending in other rebel forces to their deaths to soften them up, got thwarted by a bunch of unarmed mechanics and scientists due to her own ego, and then some more. If I were her boss I'd fire her for not killing or actively subduing us on the spot. I hope she makes the same mistake next time. I hope I'm not there next time. Regardless, considering how bad things could have gone, I'd say that the police force did... I didn't see enough of the fight to really pass a universal judgement but we're alive. So, yay police force? Double yay on you guys!"

She then took a deep sigh. "Sorry. That was out of line."

"Eep! I got too casual! Keep it calm! Keep it professional. Then maybe the foot in your mouth will only stay in your mouth and not move to the back of your throat. Or, given how I acted earlier, the foot in my throat moving down into my tush."

[scorri]

Colt didn't quite know what to make of the things Melissa was saying. Who was she even talking about? Regardless, he nodded at Officer Grey. "The police force helped keep us safe. While I know they were not the reason the rebels were defeated, they were the reason that many of us are still alive. So as far as I'm concerned, they did their best. And I know I will never forget the sacrifices made."

Val couldn't help sneaking glances at the procedure going on behind them. Even though she was supposed to be studying the inventory, watching the doctor work was more important. She clearly knew what she was doing and the calm demeanor she had was impressive. She wondered if she would ever be able to be that calm. Glancing over at the woman next to her, Val sighed. Certainly not with Olivia around she wouldn't.

Astin entered into the hangar and glanced around. Spotting Avery, they wandered over that way, giving Tal and Elaine a casual wave as they did. Approaching the mechanic, they called out, "Avery! Hi. I uh... I came down here for something... Uh, give me a second, I promise I'll remember."

[Juliette]

"Aha! Training for readiness, makes sense," Juria agreed. Head hurt or not, her manic speech patterns and speed were the same as ever. "Might need training for me too. Was helping Astin friend by being co-pilot, but hit head! Not very fun. Am feeling okay from medicine mostly, though. Still, did best to help with robot, but am not full trained in them, so wasn't perfectly successful." Reo mewled from her shoulder, and after patting the robot cat, she gasped. "Sorry, very rude! Did not introduce everyone fully. Reo kitten is good cat robot, very kind to nice friends, and has realistic cat AI! His mewling is a good sign, surely. We can be good friends, Christy."