Jane uttered her thanks, accepting the drink, purely out of courtesy. She hadn't drunk wine in what felt like an eternity, certainly not since her departure from a particular organisation. She was so caught up in the beverage, that she missed the man's security. The dark-haired woman swore quietly, she hadn't thought to bring any of her own.
"If this is 'keeping it quiet,' I'd hate to see your normal. I've seen antimatter warheads with more subtlety." She quipped dryly. It wasn't so much the guard team that annoyed her, but the fact that she no longer had control. A dangerous situation to be in without allies, not that she expected any. The man opposite her might have been a friend, but she had little doubt that he'd turn her in given the opportunity. He'd have been naive not to.
"Yes, I was on the Douglas. A long way back now, when she was good an' shiny. I would've been..." She paused for a moment, remembering. "Just a Recruit back then. There were about six of us, I reckon. Fresh out of basic. I was tacked right on to the security detail. Figure they didn't want to be sending FNG's out in the boarding teams. Though I don't recall you ever ordering them.." She shrugged.
"Could be wrong. Anyway, they shipped most of us off at the end of our training period. Personal choice in postings and the like. Samson excluded of course." The Xeno chuckled at the memory, her chair turning slightly as she laughed. "Damn fool went and stuck his overheated rifle back in the rack. Just about melted it's way out too. I wouldn't be surprised if you weren't bothered about it. I reckon logistics took care of it. Nearly took care of Samson too. "
She turned her attention back to the conspicuously-inconspicuous figure opposite her. "That's just my ranting though. Is there anything in particular you wanted to know, or just listen to my nonsense?"
"No problem. And ah- A great story.. One that I completely forgotten.", he carefully reaches out for his datapad. "I see.... Ahuh...", shuffling through some files in his datapad,
"Ahah! So there -were- six of you. Curiosity speaks a lot, Miss. I don't ever recall meeting one of the rookies. My subordinate must have handled you people. During that time, when the Douglas was still new. I usually don't engage in boarding parties. The other experienced Marines do that. Only when out of necessity do I order my team to board the enemy ship.", he was beginning to wonder whether she would use the firearm, given the fact that he was equally armed himself.
The freelancer made sure his sidearm was at his side. He carefully took off his leather jacket., not wanting the Xeno to notice his weapon.
"The wine makes it more hot in here, doesn't it?"
He grins. "Seeing as you already read my file and possibly my personal biography. You have no questions to fire back at me? Eh?"
Hartman smiled coolly, crinkling the scar tissue on her nose, completely ignoring the wine comment. She wasn't overly concerned about her safety. She didn't have the slightest doubt that she could outshoot some desk-flying officer, if it came to that. Asking her for questions; however, was equivalent to handing a loaded firearm to a convicted criminal. And then leaving them to watch the children. Whatever happened, it would likely be messy.
It was time for some ego-busting.
"Don't flatter yourself, Commander. I've read almost everyone's file. Had to do something to fill in the time, didn't I? I did come across something interesting though..." She stopped again, evidently searching for a memory.
"Captain Sius shows some hesitation in combat scenarios. He appears reluctant to authorise the use of force." She quoted intimating the tone of a self-righteous administration officer. "Seems mighty odd to me. You actually sound like a decent human being. By all rights, they should have changed you or driven you out. So, my question to you. Why are you still in the Navy?"
She jogged to the exit, not being able to wait to see Jake again.
"Thanks anyway, Gareth"
A short motion she made, as she exited the bar.
As she walked out she thought about how lucky she actually was.
Not just the being alive but also having Jake as her future husband
Gareth gave Anna one last nod as she disappeared towards the exit. He turned and acknowledged the bartender who dropped off the second rye. After a muttered thanks, the privateer drained the glass in one swallow then cleared his tab.
This had been a thoroughly depressing, if sort, trip to the bar. Too many old memories and too many new pressures. Gareth got up to leave, it was time to find a room for the night. Somewhere he could lose himself to his exercises and then to sleep before the morning came and it was back to the war.
Remus was expecting that type of question. Although this time, he found it hard to make sentences out of his mouth. For some reason, something wasn't feeling right. He tried his best to conceal his insecurity, even though he had some sort of backup in case things get out of hand.
"Ah well, that's a very easy question. I stayed in the Navy for the very same reason I joined it. Yes, they try to change me but they've never driven me out. A certain superior of mine found something in me that was unique above all conditions. And between you and me, I presume I'm the worst pilot at aiming. ", he pauses momentarily to sip the wine.
He had been in this situation many times, and out of those situations, he managed to completely avoid the use of force. The feeling of confidence that once was inside the man was now dangling loosely on a fine tread; however, he reassured himself.
*burps* "Oh do excuse me, this wine... I haven't tasted one so "exotic". Well, where were we? Oh yes, um.... my main reasons for staying is to provide Freedom and Justice to everyone, even people such as you."
As with the other people who asked the very same question, his confidence revived to its normal state. Looking Hartman directly in the eyes he said,
"Look. We've only known each other for what- 2 hours? And I assume you are worrying about your own security as I am. Rest assured, I don't cheat on anybody's back. Neither do I back stab my friends and acquaintances.", he reaches for his leather jacket and pulls out what seems to be a pistol.
He lays it down carefully infront of Hartman on table, "My personal weapon... only used for the gravest of situations." He grins as though expecting Jane to do something.
"And that." Hartman added, hand dropping to her own side. "Is why it's a darn miracle you're still alive."
She surfaced again, grey weapon in hand. A short, stubby thing, the CC/B7 Pistol was not designed for looks. Shorter than most conventional laser pistols, the barrel was little more than a wide hole in the centre of the metal block. The Pistol was a boarding weapon, firing a series of tightly packed pellets at high speed. Harmless to the armoured interior of a star ship and terribly short-ranged, but utterly deadly for any unarmoured infantry unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end. It was the favoured side arm of the Liberty Marine's 'Hostile Environment Teams' for a good reason, and it was pointing directly at Sius' skull.
"Honour's all well and good, hun. But foolishness'll just get you killed. I could have been anyone. Any number of folk out there who'd try and pull you into somethin' like this. And you just palmed off your weapon."
"You've got guts." The so-called terrorist lowered her weapon, placing it on the table next to his. "And you're lucky."
For the first time that night, she seemed to relax. The Xeno took a sip of the wine, eying the beverage as though it were a venomous snake. Her eyes widened in shock, cheeks protruding like a small child with a note. She made a few frantic gestures and near ran from the table, bowling over a surprised patron in her haste. She'd disappeared into a room marked 'Ladies' before the astounded man had time to react. A few moments later, she returned, looking substantially less frazzled.
"Exotic you reckon?" Jane's face displayed her opinion of the wine perfectly clearly. Gingerly, she returned the glass to its coaster. Returning to business for a moment, she faced Remus seriously, the smile (almost) wiped from her lips.
"And the Navy lets you administer your 'Freedom and Justice,' freely and without compromise?" She queried, the hint of amusement still lingering on her features.
Just as he expected, Remus didn't flinch at the Jane's weapon being pointed at him. He merely focused his eyes in the middle of the pistol. When Jane put her weapon down, Remus immediately raises his left hand showing a different pistol of calibre.
"Impressive... I was almost quick to pull the trigger on this one. It was pointed at your legs. Emitting a beam of focused light, it can very well tear your legs into pieces in a flash. They don't call me a duelist for nothing.", he grins as he holsters the weapon back into its place.
Ever since being kidnapped by a supposed terrorist, Remus has been quick to outsmart 'seemingly' suspicious persons. His bodyguard was there only for show but in a place Remus knows to be considered 'dangerous', he was very cautious of this. A handkerchief appeared out his right sleeve and he used it to wipe a 'drop' of sweat running down from the side of his cheek.
"I've learned a few tricks from the past situations like this.", he says as he returns the cloth from its original hiding position. At once, his cheerful face turned into an almost serious face. Watching very carefully the people around the bar through the corner of his eye. He spoke in an almost whisper.
"The higher-ups don't see me dishing out my own personal style of dealing with pirates and the like. Although if I'm in the presence of my colleagues, I follow the rule book. I consider those breaking the law as merely individuals who found working the legal way to be boring and dull; thus, they choose to pick the 'illegal but fun' way. ", he pauses as to let Jane absorb what he said,
"Even though they are on the other side of the fence, they are still people under Liberty. They consider themselves as Libertonians and that for me is enough to provide them with equal treatment as anybody else.", he stops again, this time drink a sip of the wine. Feeling a little weezy, he walks in a calm manner towards a room marked "Men's". Almost at once after entering, he comes out looking relieved, sits down, and begins talking again, "That's why I'm here now talking to you. I know the dangers of which you talk about but I still disregard it. Foolish of me, don't you think?"
Sighed heavilly as the line he had was refilled, nodding a small thank you to the tender, he had slumped alittle onto a paw, picking up the first glass, ready to down it, he doesnt get the chance, as his ears perk to the sound of sudden rushing footsteps, Not able to look in time as someone ends up being sent tumbing into his stool, knocking and pushing the fox foward against the bar enough to tilt his line of shots, spraying himself with the drinks he had ordered and thump his chest in the process.
After the shock of the initial impact the fox snarls and looks at the now fallen Man.
Maria remained silent while various people were conversing. Their words
though perfectly formulated were somehow distorted to her, lacking a certain flavour...She was locked in
her timelessness a minute a year a century a millennia even. The thousand voices in her head giving her
more than enough ideas what to do with the current occupants and yet none 'reasonable' enough to force
her body to move. Instead yet another glass of vodka poured down in her body yet another 200ml of
alcohol having no effect oh her. Observing and watching listening, random words would stick in her mind
"Damned Outcasts...were it not for them...." words, phrases, sentences which have impact lost in the
background noise of her head. She would occasionally stare at Anna tilting her head at almost 90 degree
angle looking at her, a bit creepily but nothing to provoke a response.
Maria hated places like these yet she regularly visited them, she hated to be alone yet she preferred to
have no one around her. Then suddenly she go up went to the bar with her usual walk, as she was a
marionette suspended on wires, to everyone that didn't know her appearing as she was drunk...too drunk.
She went to the bartender and started speaking.
"Adjust your auditory sensors to receive [font=Comic Sans Ms]
my songs birdie, pour those wonderful spawnlings crawling i
in yourcrawlspace poisons of their linking
on my tab. Let them gluttonize t
heir vanity for me"
She promptly handed the bartender a credit chip worth 5 000 credits about 5 times more than what all of
the drinks in the pub were worth. Then she took her bottle and sat down back at her table lost in observing
the rest of the people and having sophisticated conversations with herself in her mind
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