"Nobody send me.
About my leaving, you're free to ask Bishop. I've jsut "disappered" one day.
I want to join SCRA to fight those who made me mercenary long ago! Who made me person fighting for money!!
Ahh..."
Petr nervously sighed and calmed down..
She looked unimpressed. "Go sit outside, and don't try anything. I will check that Commander Mao approves of you. If I find you've lied..." She let the threat hang.
There were no chairs in the office beyond a small utilitarian one tucked into an L-shaped work desk in the corner. Instead the room was dominated by a large glass work table piled over with stacks of field manuals, research reports, charts and recon photos.
Commissar-Captain Katz stood behind this table, his sleeves rolled up, and the black waist coat he favoured pinned with his uniform insignia. He didnt look much like an officer, but then he didnt resemble much of a civilian either. Too much had gone by for him to be considered either.
The office was kept dark, back lit display cases and shelves lining two walls loaded with books. All uniform, all with matching covers. Each important for political theory, or military theory, or scientific theory, there was no questioning Katzs academic past.
He kept a pair of large bored revolvers tucked into holsters under his arms, the peaked cap slightly askew as he smoked a cigarette, the tendrils of smoke coiling up towards the overhead lights.
I am glad to see you here, old friend, Katz said quietly. An edge in his tone that said everything that transpired was deadly serious. But there are no special favours granted to old friends here. You have to answer my questions, and answer them as honestly as you can. If you lie Pasha over there
He nodded behind Ben, to where Chief Petty Officer Byk was standing, a double barreled shotgun nestled into the crook of his arm, ready at any moment to do his Commissars bidding.
Katz cleared his throat, rolling the cigarette to the other side of his mouth. So of the Hispania trash, which do you reckon is worst, Casts or Sairs, and why?
As Ben was led into the Office he was met with the sight of his old friend Alvin Katz, whome he worked with during his days with the LRF, when Liberty still had a soul left which they had tried to save.
Ben eyed Pasha when Katz hinted of what would happen before he turned his full attention to Alvin as he asked his question, his response was almost immediate and full of conviction.
"You know as well as i that the Outcasts are worse, they spread their garbage throughout the Sirius Sector, not caring that it is the innocent, the ones without hope who suffer under it's effects...While the Corsairs are a threat with their Artifacts which may or may not be active, their danger isn't as direct a threat to the people of Sirius as the Cardamine Trade is." he spoke with determination and slight anger directed towards the Outcasts as he thought of the damage they have caused Liberty with their poison.
His fists clenching tightly until they were almost white before he forced himself to calm down so he could think rationally.
Katz gauged the reaction, the cherry of the cigarette glowing red as he took a long drag upon it, reaching up to sweep it away and ash it out in a flourish. Nodding in satisfaction at the answer.
You have a Cross of the Patriot awarded to you for the Ontario operation tell me, what did you do wrong there why did the Revolution stumble? His eyes came up. Why did you fail there?
He nodded as he sighed, being reminded of the Revolution's greatest failure...His underestimation of the Navy...Which he learned from and made him stronger.
"There were several reasons for failure there, but my personal failure in that operation was that i underestimated how desperate the Navy was to keep their grip upon the people, to resist change...I failed...Because i was blind...But my failure has taught me never to underestimate the enemies of the Revolution ever again..." he whispered, just loud enough for Katz to hear, yet there was no weakness in his voice, but infact there was strength from knowledge that although he made a mistake, he got stronger because of it.
Katz raised an eyebrow, nodding to Pahsa, who had the shotgun up… keeping a respectable distance from Ben to ensure that there was no chance for him to be disarmed as he kept the shotgun trained on Ben’s head.
“The failure wasn’t that,” Katz said evenly. “The failure lay in the inability to win hearts and minds… it is a failure that was shared by the LRF. Instead of heroes of the revolution, the LRF are viewed as bringers of terror.”
Katz lifted up a file, “I have a list here of civilian transports the LRF have pulled down. Chief Byk, do the SCRA target civilian vessels?”
“Nyet Comrade,” Pasha said, his voice a quiet growl. “We protect workers, they are our body and our soul.”
Katz’s grey eyes flashed as he nodded in agreement. His tone still quiet, but edged in steel.
“So Ben, how can I rely on you in the field to hold your… bloodlust in check?” He chewed the words in distaste. “Because our shepards aren’t afraid to put down rabid sheep dogs if it means protecting our flock.”
![[Image: elven12.gif]](http://sig.grumpybumpers.com/host/elven12.gif)
![[Image: 4662_s.gif]](http://signavatar.com/4662_s.gif)
![[Image: 5438_s.png]](http://signavatar.com/5438_s.png)
