Matthias thought as he entered the bar, only to be greeted by Freya shouting
"It's not every day that you see an ape serving drinks." He said, letting a slight chuckle out.
"Eistochter, leave them alone. Let the men have their drinks. The situation is always dire and we need some forms of relaxing. Look at them, you know it."
He walked along, greeting Iain and Erich, when he came upon an unfamiliar face.
"A man never drinks alone unless something heavy is on his chest, and you, mein Freund, have a familiar look." He said as he was taking a seat.
"We all have stories to tell, go on, what is yours?"
The man half-smiled then returned to his somber look as he finished his fourth shot of whiskey. He turned to the man asking him the question.
"Do you know what it's like to fire upon children, my friend? Butcher every last one of them? For what... all because they were on a Libertonian-identified transport. Too many times have I been the good soldier. The one that always followed orders. Those orders haunt me even now that I know I will never follow them again. I see them in my nightmares. The people I have killed. The men, women, children that I have slaughtered outright for dare speaking against the Kanzler."
He drew in a slow breath and held it for a moment before letting it out.
"My nightmares will always torment me, but salvation is in the fact that I can change who I once was. I can bring down those who would dare use its people as cattle and sheep."
Dutch grinned almost maniacally "Out the airlock huh? Well I'd sure like to see that." The Ambassador trundled down the bar, a glass of rum in one hand and a brandy in the other.
"Thanks 'Bas" Dutch took a sip of brandy, relishing the taste for a moment before turning back to the woman.
"Now see here Miss, these men and women are deserving a place to relax. Up until you started barking everyone was having a good time. Now why don't you have a drink, nod to the Ambassador and let your hair down."
He moved closer, almost nose to nose with the woman still grinning "Do make sure you nod, the Ambassador isn't the understanding type."
"I know the feeling. I escorted a "prisoner" convoy to Omega 11. The prisoners were political prisoners, innocent men and women, whole families, about to be used as slaves or for "other" purposes". He let out a deep sigh and he nodded.
"I can still remember the slaver's laugh. It makes me sick."
"I left the Military shortly after that, when I met Michael Wolf, who showed me all of this." He said after making a brief pause.
"Here I am, one of the commanders of the VWA, gathering the Bundschuh to fight for a better Rheinland, a better future."
"Heavy words." He thought.
He motioned to the bartender to pour him the usual, he has always loved drinking wine.
He drank a bit before he continiued.
"We cannot change the past, but we can change ourselves."
Erich blinks at Freya's rather blunt words, before touching a hand to his neck gently and attempting to calm himself somewhat. "I'm shy, introverted, whatever you'd like to call it. It took me three hours to even work up the courage to come into this establishment."
He is silent for a moment, before nodding twice. "I don't think there's anything 'wrong' with me, Kommandant".