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#Miner'sRespite – July 20, 2017
Afternoon of November 18th just after Leah has taken over for Nathan. The weather isn't too bad today, if a little chilly. At the very least, the wind is down and the sky is clear.
Jason enters through the front door in usual fashion- dark cargo pants, long-sleeved white shirt beneath a brown canvas jacket and a pair of black boots. As he enters, he stomps the snow free from his boots and begins removing his jacket. As always, his Phalanx is attached to his shoulder holster.
Nathan steps out of the door, craning his stiff neck from staring at the monitors for too long. Stood in his armour with Predator at his hip and Argus on his back, he rarely is seen out of it during his shifts. After all, given the Respite's history of attack after attack, he'd rather be prepared than be caught in much more casual attire. There are only so many times one can sling a bottle at an attack. He
places a hand on his helmet, currently attached to his hip, as he spots Jason. "Hey," he greets with a small raise of his hand.
Jason raises a metallic hand in greeting as he approaches the bar and orders a pitcher of beer. "What's up, Ten?" he asks as he leans against the counter. He gives a brief passing glance around the room before focusing back on Nathan. "You working?"
Nathan shakes his head as he steps around to stand by Jason. "Just finished my shift. Leah's taken over now." He props himself against the counter, facing the rest of the bar as he gives a cursory look around. He may no longer be on shift, but he still can't help keeping an eye out for trouble. "Quiet today and that's just how I like it. My tolerance for getting shot at recently is not particularly high."
Jason allows a smirk to cross his face as he gives a nod. "Well, shit. Grab yourself a glass and have a drink with me, then." he says as he clutches the pitcher that's set in front of him by the handle and begins to perform the awkward, uncomfortable 'claw' that one does when trying to grab ahold of a bunch of glasses, a finger in each glass to push them together. Unsurprisingly, it's a much stronger tactic when you have robot
Nathan perks an eyebrow and looks to Jason, grinning as he shrugs. He reaches over and takes a glass for himself, setting it on the counter in front of him. "Don't mind if I do. So, guys from your old unit?" He folds his arms, resting them down as he tries to make himself as comfortable as he can be in full battle armour. "They staying for the wedding?"
Jason cocks an eyebrow at Nathan as he seems prepared to get comfortable at the counter. He nods a head towards a table and begins to lead the way over. "Yeah. We did a few tours out in the Traverse together." he explains as he sets the pitcher and glasses down on a table. "Good group. But, to be honest, I wasn't entirely sure they'd come when I sent out the invitations. I mean, after I left we kept in touch, but-..." he shrugs
Nathan blinks. Table. Yeah. That makes much more sense. Will still be somewhat uncomfortable though. He pushes himself away from the counter and follows, glass in hand as he listens to Jason, sliding into a seat opposite him. "But Aite is all the way out in the ass end of the galaxy?" He smirks. "It's a hell of a way to come and not in the friendliest of places. But hey, they're still coming." He pauses and
Jason reaches across the table for Nathan's glass, meeting it half way to fill it up. "Right." he snickers, deciding Nathan's reasoning for them potentially ignoring his invitation is better than what was bouncing around in his own head. He nods to himself as he begins to fill his own glass and settles back down into his seat. "Yeah, I guess not. Just... a lot has changed since then." He snorts as he looks across the table to
Nathan, "Crazy how much your life can change. If you had asked me back then where I saw myself in ten years? I sure as hell wouldn't have said 'some backwater planet out in the Terminus Systems.' But here we are."
Nathan nods his thanks as Jason fills his glass, looking out the window as he listens to Jason. "Can't argue with that," he admits with a light shrug, turning back to look at Jason. "You just gotta keep putting one foot in front of the other, right? No matter where life takes you, you just got to keep treading along the path." He reaches for his glass, taking a small sip of its contents. "I mean, shit, ten
years ago I was working in a warehouse as a loader-mech pilot. Now I'm in a second PMC and spent years as a freelancer." He chuckles, shaking his head. "Not exactly what the folks envisioned me doing either...".
Jason allows his smirk to linger even as his gaze lowers at the mention of Nathan's parents. He finds himself pondering a question that often enters his mind. What would his father think? As usual, he pushes the thought away and takes a sip of his drink. "One foot in front of the other." he repeats with a nod. "Anyway... These guys are probably the only reason I'm still alive, if I'm being honest." he says with a chuckle, "After
basic training, I spent a little time manning a small garrison, but that didn't last long. I was stationed onboard the SSV Beirut. It was our job to patrol the Traverse. Shitty assignment. Definitely the short straw." he recalls with a snicker. "Lots of conflict out that way. Slavers. Pirates. Raiders. Nobody wants to draw that straw but-..." he sighs and gives a shrug, "...we made it work. And when our tour was over, we
Nathan nods. "And it just kept going, right?" He swirls the glass around, peering over the rim to Jason. "It's as my sister says. 'Once a soldier, always a solider' But why did you keep signing on for tours around the Traverse? Shortly one or two of them was enough to land you a safer posting?" Nathan could probably already guess his answer, but he'd much rather hear it from him and let him tell his story.
This was his boss, after all and he needed to trust him. He'd feel much more comfortable knowing more, seeing him as more of a person rather than just the guy who signs his paycheck and shouts at him on occasion. "I mean, I know you have a habit of looking for trouble..." He flashes Jason a teasing grin.
Jason's smirk widens a bit at the implication and another shrug follows. "I mean, I don't know if you've noticed but I don't exactly make the best decisions." he jokes and, for a moment, seems happy to leave it at that. And, most days, he probably would have. Maybe it's the nostalgia trip of gearing up to see old friends that has him talkative today. "Guess it's just-... You-..." he stammers, trying to figure out how to describe
it. "I don't know, Ten. I mean, it was trial by fire out there, you know? Sink or swim. It was... terrifying at first. But we were helping people. Keeping people safe. And, hell, anything can become 'normal' if you do it enough. By the time our tour was over? All we could think about was that the next group to come and take our spots were going to be right where we were when we first started. Scared and, more
importantly, inexperienced. Just didn't seem right, you know? We knew what we were doing. It should be us out there rather than some kid right out of basic." He glances down into his glass before taking another sip of his drink.
Nathan hums softly, nodding along as Jason speaks. He peers into the glass, looking into the rippling liquid as he continues to idly swirl the glass around. He's not even sure where he picked that little habit up. "You have a point. Although," he says as he looks up. "You keep repeating the same thing over and over and it gets to the point where you think you're the only one who can do it. Don't get me
wrong, it was noble of you guys to carry that torch instead of some kid who might've had a happy trigger finger or who might've been way in over their head. But obviously at some point you had to hand the reigns over to someone else." He gestures to Jason. "Otherwise, you wouldn't be sat here right now."
Jason's gaze darts downward once again. This time a brief flash of guilt crossing his face. "...Didn't exactly have much of a choice." he says softly. Not that he believes it. There's still an obvious bit of lingering guilt from having abandoned his crew. "But they kept going after I left." he explains, sparing Nathan the part about the psych evaluations. The discharge. The drinking binges. "Hell, it was already my squad leader-
Gage's third tour by the time I arrived and he didn't seem to have any interest in stopping. And that's the thing, you know? Even without-... everything else telling you to come back... You serve with somebody- you shed blood, sweat, and tears with them and then hear that they're coming back for more? What else are you gonna do? You want to be there by their side. Making sure they're safe. Gage used to say, 'When one of
Jason's words are cut short by a voice piping in from behind him. "We all bleed." the man finished his sentence, reciting his old mantra. The man is tall, but has a much smaller frame than Jason. He looks to be in his early 40s and has a few days of stubble on his chin. He's dressed in a pair of jeans, ballcap and a thick, grey winter jacket. To his side is a dark skinned woman with light blue eyes. A third person is a few steps behind
them. He's much closer to Jason's stature. Large framed. Clearly in good physical condition. Dark skinned with dark eyes and a big, friendly smile on his face.
Gage, the smaller framed man, is quick to take Jason's hand as he stands to meet him and pull him into a hug. "Good to see you, Jay." he says, patting his old friend on the back. "Your grip is a little stronger than I remember." he adds with a grin.
Jason's grin widens as he steps back from Gage and retakes his seat. Not wanting to leave Nathan out in the cold, he quickly reorients to face him and gestures to the new arrivals. "Uhh, Gage. Shane. Pree." he introduces each one in turn before looking to them, "This is Ten. He's one of mine."
Nathan listens to Jason, the small flashes of guilt not passing him by. That look was one he was all too familiar with, one he had seen for months in his own mirror. A look that he came to accept and loathe in equal measure because everything that the man opposite him was saying was something he had once had. And he lost it all because- His train of thought is interrupted at the arrival of Jason's old
teammates and he quickly smiled, masking the myriad of thoughts passing through his brain. He stood, perhaps a little more rigid that needed, and extended his hand out to Gage, the closest one. "Nathan Tennhausen, Redrock's resident demolitions expert and armourer. Also security for this fine establishment." He cracks his most charming grin. "I guess it was pretty obvious, but we were just talking
Gage takes Nathan's hand, giving it a firm shake. "Is Romeo here feeding you a load of shit about his heroics?" he asks with a glance Jason's way and climbs into a free seat, "Don't listen to him. I was there when he was still in his Alliance diapers. Kid was so scared he shit his pants the first time he was called up for a boarding party." It's clear that the teasing is intended to be light hearted, but it still illicits a middle
Priya rounds the table, taking the seat opposite of Gage in silence, though a smile crosses her features. Her long, dark hair travels to about the middle of her back. She doesn't wait for an invitation before pouring herself a beer.
Shane grabs a chair from the next table over and stuffs it between Nathan and Gage before plopping down in it. "Literally shit his pants." he chimes in.
Jason redirects his middle finger Shane's way. "I did not shit my pants." he says defensively, looking to Nathan to clear his name. "I pissed my pants. Huge difference. And it wasn't because I was scared! I was tagged with a fucking Kishock the moment the doors opened. It just kinda-... You-... Oh fuck off." he grumps.
Priya reaches out to place a hand over Jason's. "I am happy to see you, Jason." she says, deciding not to join in on the teasing.
Nathan 's smile breaks into a small laugh, shaking his head as he retakes his seat. He decides to remove his helmet from his belt and place it on the ground next to him. "Only pissed eh? Well, you did better than a guy I knew. We were raiding a known slaver compound and as we rounded a corner, poor sod was jumped by a varren they were keeping as a pet. Shit and pissed himself. Can't say I really blame him.
Gage reaches out for a glass of his own and fills it as he listens to Nathan. He gives a friendly chuckle at the story. "I take it you were Alliance, too?" he asks.
Nathan shakes his head. "No. My older sisters are, but I was apart of a PMC before Redrock. Sandbeck Enforcement Agency back then, now known as Sandbeck Peacekeeping Services," he explains. "We had ex-military as our trainers, so I managed to sink some Alliance training into my head." He smirks, looking between each of them as he takes another sip.
Gage gives a few nods. "Sandbeck-... Sandbeck..." he repeats, "Right, right. You boys have been doing work among the more.... stubborn colonies, right?" he asks, "I've heard good things. Sounds like a solid organization."
Nathan smiles faintly. Well, good to hear they're still making a decent standing. "Yeah, they're good people. Not really my boys anymore, though," he says with a small chuckle. "Sorry, but, I gotta ask." He leans on the table, now returning to his earlier grin as he gestures to Jason. "What was he like before he became a big shot with his own company? Was he always a smartass?"
Gage cocks an eyebrow and glances Jason's way. "Well I'd say you're half right. But I don't think 'smart' is a word anyone has ever used to describe him."
Shane leans forward to interject as he empties the rest of the pitcher into his glass. "Jackass. That's the word you're looking for." he chimes in, sending a wink Jason's way.
Jason stares blankly at the two, barely blinking as he looks between them. "You seriously traveled half way across the galaxy just to tear me down in front of my employees?" he asks.
Gage bursts into laughter, shoulders rising and falling rhythmically. "Nah, I'm just giving him shit." he continues, addressing Nathan's question. "Jason was-... Yeah. Yeah, he was pretty much always an asshole." he decides on with a nod.
Nathan leans back in his chair with a smirk. "I figured as much," he quips with a nod to Jason. "So, you guys still active duty in... sorry, what unit?"
Shane's attention is pulled up to the counter and then he leans in to grab the pitcher. "Alright, ladies. As much as I'd love to keep shitting in Jay's cereal, it looks like there's far more interesting shit going on here." He looks to the counter where Leah is standing behind the bar and passes a grin around the table. "Think I'll go set us up with another round." he adds with a slight raise of the empty pitcher before preparing to
Gage snorts at Shane and waves him off. It's almost as if Shane was awaiting his permission, because his ass doesn't leave the seat until it's clear that Gage is fine with it. "Uhh-.... No." he answers Nathan's question, and it's immediately followed by a glance Jason's way. Judging by the look on Jason's face, this is news to him as well. "Not anymore. Recent decision. They-... uhh-..." he continues to explain, splitting his attention
between Nathan and Jason as does, "...They were pulling me out. Denied my request to get back out there. Offered me some cushy desk job back on Earth. Nice gig, but it's just not me." He shrugs his shoulders, reaches out and gives Jason's shoulder a shake, "You've been bragging about how well this PMC gig has been going for you so I figured, what the hell? Might as well give it a shot." He gives a smile and a shrug of his
shoulders. Obviously there was more to the decision than that, but he opts to keep the explaining to a minimum for now. "We need to be out there where we're needed. Not cooped up in some office filing paperwork. So... I turned down the position. And, as fate would have it, I just can't seem to get rid of these jokers."
Jason clears his throat. "So... Uhh... So that's it? Just... done? That's-..." he trails off, deciding maybe now isn't the time for this discussion.
Nathan maintains his smile, even as his attention is drawn to Leah and Shane's interest in her. His eyes dart between the two before he looks back to Gage and Jason's expression, eyebrow perking in surprise. "Woah, that's... a hell of a step, Gage." However, by Nathan's look, it's clear he doesn't disapprove of the decision. "Uh, if you'd like I can step away so you guys can... catch up," he says, glancing
Jason falls silent for a moment. "Uhh... No-... no." he finally assures, giving a few shakes of his head, though he passes a glance Gage's way that says 'We'll talk later'.
Gage nods to Nathan's assertion. "No kidding. And, fuck me, I tried getting out of sitting at a desk handling a bunch of paperwork all day but that's pretty much been my life lately. Applying for licenses, certifications-... It's exhausting. We've been cooped up on the Citadel for weeks now trying to get everything in order. You never told me how much red tape was involved with all this shit, Jay. Can't say I can picture you sitting
Jason shrugs his shoulders. "Linda takes care of that side of the business. I just aim and fire." he says. It's clear his mind is still playing catch up after the bomb Gage just casually put out there.
Priya sets her beer down and rolls up her sleeve. "We already have the ink to make it official." she says, showing off a small tattoo on the inside of her forearm. It's a heart with metallic shading. Bolts line the outside of the heart.
Gage gives an embarassed snicker as he looks at the tattoo. "Ironheart Security. Suppose it's too late to decide on a new name now." he adds, reaching across himself to rub at his own forearm through his jacket.
Shane has reached the counter, beer in one hand and empty pitcher in the other, and immediately begins to strike up a conversation with Leah, though they're too far to hear anything.
Nathan gives a small nod Jason's way before his eyes are drawn to Priya's tattoo. He perks an eyebrow and chuckles. "Matching tattoos, eh? Jase, we should probably make that company policy!" He peers at Gage, gesturing lightly with his free hand. "Ironheart Security. Not bad. Is it just you three so far? If it is, then you'll probably be wanting to act as personal security initially until your numbers grow.
Or, and with your training, act as a specialised unit for hire. Ex-Alliance are always popular in Citadel space."
Jason snickers and shakes his head at Nathan. "Yeah, somehow I don't think it would take..." he says, lifting his arm and running the fingertips of his right hand against his left inner forearm where Priya's tattoo was.
Gage gives a shake of his head. "Nah. We've got a couple others. Sam." he adds the name with a glance to Jason and a brief smirk, "...Who is currently back at the place we're renting taking a nap. Figure we can start hiring once we've got all of the red tape cleared out."
Jason returns his attention to Gage before asking tentatively, "...Sally? She wouldn't answer any of my messages... Guess she never really forgave me for taking off..."
Gage shakes his head once more. "She understood, Jay. You had your own shit to deal with. She was just-... hurt. You know? Sally is-.... well, Sally." Glancing to Priya, he gives a nod her way, "When we broke off to do our own thing, Sally stayed behind. Decided to stick it out with the Alliance. Can't really say I blame her. It was a good deal they were offering."
Nathan remains quiet as he listens to the pair talk, judging that this is likely not the time for him to interject. Sally. Judging by Jason's hesitation, they were once close and it's affected him enough. Instead of interrupting, he glances back over to the counter where Shane was talking to Leah, folding his arms across his chest as he watched for a moment. Well, for a moment longer than necessary before
his eyes drifted around the Respite once more. Even off the clock, he couldn't help but keep an eye out. Didn't help that he was somewhat on edge still from their confrontation with the masked man in the alley from before. He swore he kept seeing that freak darting about in the corner of his eyes. He blinked hard, clearing his head of the lingering paranoia that was clutching at his brain as he tuned
in once more to the conversations around him and that of Jason, Gage and Priya. Priya, he noted, seemed the most loyal to Gage, almost reverently so. The man must be a hell of a leader to inspire such confidence.
Jason gives a faint nod. "Yeah... Good for her." he says softly. It's genuine happiness for her, despite whatever transpired.
Gage doesn't seem to be too keen on the idea of dwelling on past issues, and thankfully pushes the conversation forward. "Anyway, we've got a good foundation. Shane already has a few people in mind that he might be able to bring onboard. And Priya here is a genius, so we've already got the tech angle covered." He glances to Nathan as he gestures to the woman across the table from him, "You know she speaks forty-six languages!?"
Priya looks uncomfortable as the conversation shifts to her. Not much a fan of praise. She, instead, opts to slug back a bit of her beer.
Shane has taken on a comfortable posture. His beer is sitting on the counter in front of him as he leans against the bar opposite of Leah with a shit-eating grin on his face. The pitcher has already been collected to be refilled and he's gesturing charismatically as he holds a conversation. Leah nods along to whatever he's saying, ponytail bouncing with each movement of her head.
Nathan exhales softly as he looks to the counter, before he turns to Priya as he blinks hard once more. "Forty-six? Holy hell, that's forty-two more than I can speak!" He leans on the table, looking at Priya in a new light. "And I can barely remember most of the words. How do you know so many?"
Priya gives a grimace in Gage's direction for putting the focus on her. She draws in a deep breath as she looks back to Nathan and her friendly disposition returns. "Yes, it is true that I am a polyglot-... well, I suppose hyperpolyglot is more appropriate." she corrects herself, "But Gage exaggerates about the exact number of languages. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure how many I speak. Especially when taking into account
dialects it can often be difficult to decide what, exactly, constitutes as a 'new language'." Despite her discomfort to initially broach the subject, there's no denying that she's passionate about it. Jason's eyes have already glazed over. "And then, of course, there's languages that I can partially parse, but, due to our inability to speak them, it makes it difficult to really decide what sort of mastery one has over such a
language. Turians, for example. I am able to understand some turian languages, but the inability to speak a turian dialect makes it difficult to really grasp what sort of proficiency one actually has..."
Jason gives an exhausted sigh and shakes his head. "I tuned out when she started on about-.... poly-.... polygamy hyperactive disorder, or whatever."
Priya gives an entertained chuckle at Jason's confusion. "I have missed you, Jason." It gets a genuine smile out of Jason.
Shane's pitcher is finally returned to him and Leah seems to be enthusiastically nodding along in her typical, perky way. The smile never leaves her face as she leans forward on her tiptoes and a loud, throaty sound can be heard even from the group's position. She spits right into Shane's glass and then drops back onto the balls of her feet, widens her smile, and then nods towards the table for him to be on his way. In Shane's defense,
he takes it quite well. Shit-eating grin still plastered across his face as he strikes out. He collects his saliva-infused beer, his pitcher, and starts back towards the table.
Nathan seems... genuinely interested as Priya talks, listening attentively. Although he does phase out for a moment as he racks his brain for what a polyglot was. Something about being able to learn languages quicker than others? "Hell, that's still impressive," he says with a nod. "I think I'll stick to translators, though. Don't think I'll ever attempt speaking Turian, so I'll leave that to you. Or, you
know, your... parsing of it." He looks at Gage and Jason, bearing both of them a grin. That is, until, the sound of a massive gob being sent someones way. He turns just in time to see the ball of spit land into Shane's glass and he covers his mouth with the back of his hand to stifle the snort coming from it. Although it now has him thinking... has she spat in his drink without him looking before? He
Shane's exchange with Leah managed to get the attention of the rest of the table as well. He shamelessly sets the pitcher down on the table as he arrives back with the group without a hint of embarassment despite the snickers and snorts surrounding him.
Gage glances around the table as he takes a cheap shot at Shane. "So... By the look of things I'm guessing we can start planning for this event to be a double wedding?" he asks sarcastically.
Shane, once again, seems entirely unbothered. "Oh yeah. She totally wants me." he says, looking back towards the bar and giving a small wave Leah's way. She cheerfully raises her hand and returns his wave, giving a big, bright smile just to rub it in.
Jason is quite amused. He gives an almost-proud look Leah's way. "Stop harassing my employees, Shane." he teases.
Nathan leans back into his chair, fishing out a cigarette from his armour and placing it between his lips, leaving it unlighted even as he fidgets with the metallic engraved lighter. "Well, at least you got off lightly," he muses, glancing at him from the corner of his eyes. He rolls the lighter over his gauntleted fingers, chuckling. "Short-stuff usually has such a way with words."
Shane reaches up, scratching at his forehead. "Yeah... Yeah, I got that." he says, implying she probably gave him an earful before politely adding to his drink.
Jason gives another snicker before taking a drink of his beer. "She's off-limits, Shane." he warns, though hardly being serious, "All of my people are off-limits! You leave them alone. She's a sweetheart. She doesn't need your shit."
Shane raises his glass a bit, causing the saliva to swirl around the glass. "Yeah. Real sweetheart. I can see that." he says through a grin.
Priya seems to lack interest in interjecting herself in their conversation and, instead, looks to Nathan. "Demolitions expert, you said...?" she asks, hoping to prompt the conversation in another direction.
Nathan laughs gently, still looking to the lighter as he spins it around his fingers. However, as Priya speaks, he catches it between his fingers and looks to her. "Yeah. Been explosives orientated for about... eight years now. Got my training at Sandbeck and worked with both EOD and the demolitions teams. 'Boomers' we were lovingly called." He grins, his gaze turning almost wistful at the memories. "My work
has mostly been focused on rigging up my own explosives or creating a variety of grenades. I even modified an old M-100 to act as a versatile offensive weapon. Shoots your standard high explosives, but can be loaded with flashbangs, incendiary and breaching charges." His free hand shifts to his belt, where a small array of grenades sit. "Obviously I don't carry around the high-explosives or 'Lil'
Lucy' while working my shift here, but I still keep a few flashes and 'shockers' with me. Great for incapacitating any particularly rowdy patrons." He pauses and then jabs a thumb over to Leah. "That or she just kicks the shit out of them."
Gage cocks an eyebrow, an amused smirk on his face. "You need that sort of hardware to run security at a bar?" he asks, suddenly wondering what kind of place he's in. "Thought Freedom Falls was 'pretty safe'?" he asks, giving a glance Jason's way implying it was how Jason had described it to him.
Nathan waves a hand. "Oh, in comparison to the rest of the Terminus, Freedom Falls is a sanctuary," he assures Gage. "It's just that... well, it still is the Terminus. I follow a particular age old philosophy in regards to my gear." He gestures to it all whilst clearing his throat. "I'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it." He smirks.
Shane nods to Nathan and reaches over to pull his jacket open a bit and give view of the Carnifex holstered at his hip. "Real talk." he agrees.
Gage gives an apologetic glance Jason's way. "Not that I don't trust your judgement, Jay. You say the town is safe-..." he nods, "Them I believe it. But we saw an awful lot of four-eyes on our way in down by the spaceport."
Jason doesn't exactly have any reason to discourage the carrying of weapons considering his own Phalanx is attached to his shoulder holster in plain sight. "It is safe." he assures. "But, like Ten said. It's the Terminus. The word 'safe' is relative."
Nathan frowns faintly, deciding to keep quiet that he may have the ire of a few 'four-eyes' himself. After all, he didn't make the greatest first impression when he came to Falls. "You just need to be careful, is all. In my years working out here as freelance... well, yeah. Best to just keep a piece on you at all times." He looks down at the lighter, resuming his fidgeting with it. He spins it over, striking
a flame alight as it flutters and flicks across his fingers. He ends with separating the flame from the lighter itself, keeping it alight on the end of his index for a second before he blows it out. "So... I'm guessing you guys will be mainly operating in Citadel space?"
Gage gives a nod. Solid advice, if a bit obvious. "That's the plan. Space on the Citadel is pretty expensive, so I'm not sure we'll be setting up there, but yeah." he nods, "Figure we'll try and follow in your people's footsteps eventually." he gestures to Nathan with a nod of his head, implying Nathan's 'people' are Sandbeck. It's just his way. Just like him, Jason, and the rest of his team will always be Alliance. "Help out the
Nathan winces faintly, now unable to hide that grimace on his face at being identified as Sandbeck once more. The offer still lingered at the back of his mind, but the more he thought about it, the more it began to gnaw at the guilt that he repressed. He snaps the lighter shut with an audible click, remaining silent as he just stared at the engraving on it.
Shane chimes in after Gage finishes speaking. "Probably gonna be a while before we're able to afford something like that."
Gage nods in agreement. "Figure we'll try and take on a few corporate contracts in the meantime. Maybe shop around and try and get a gig on a freighter. Do what you're good at, right?"
Jason glances Nathan's way, his discomfort not having gone unnoticed. "You good...?" he asks, not particularly catching the reason for Nathan's change in disposition.
Nathan blinks out of his stupor and offers a thin smile to them, nodding. "Start small, work your way up. Build a rep and then the contracts will be coming to you." He reaches for his beer, finishing the last of it before setting the glass down with a small clink. "If you'll excuse me for a sec, I got to make a quick call." He stands, the chair squeaking as his armoured weight is taken from it as he starts
Jason furrows his brow, a slight bit of concern showing through as Nathan takes his leave. "Yeah, sure..." he offers. He continues to watch Nathan for a moment before his attention is pulled back to Gage as he continues to discuss his plants which becomes a distant droning as Nathan gets further away.
Leah is still right where she was. "Hey crapface." she greets lovingly as Nathan approaches. "Met your new friend. Seems nice."
Nathan smirks to her as he steps to the doorway, palming the interface. "Yeah. I can see why him and Jase get on so well." He heads through the doorway as it opens. "Nice loogie by the way. I bet that added some real flavour to his drink," he adds as he turns... and leans against the wall. He pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs now that he was out of sight of the others. "Damnit," he mutters under his
Leah snickers to herself. "Seemed a little too sure of himself. Felt like I should do my part and cut him down a bit." she says through a bright smile. As if it wasn't obvious, her clear lack of respect for any sort of boundaries causes her to follow right behind Nathan and into the hallway. Upon spotting his reaction, she takes a position against the opposite wall. "Sooooo..... What's up. You've got the whole-..." she reaches
out, drawing a circle around his face from the opposite side of the hallway, "...stink-face deal going on. He try getting in your pants, too?"
Nathan blinks as she follows, clearly caught off guard. He squints at her for a moment before sighing. "Uh, nothing. Just... wait, what?" He shakes his head. "No, he wasn't trying to get in there. Even if he was, I don't swing that way. Although that would be sorta flattering I guess," he muses aloud. "Anyway, no, that's not what's bothering me." He scratches the back of his head, looking down at his feet
Leah glances down at her boots, still not in her armor yet. Seems she was too preoccupied with chatting off the ears of one of the regulars. A common occurrance. "Right. Flattering." she mutters. She tilts her boot to the side, balancing on the outside of her shoe as she looks over a strange substance stuck to the outer edge of the sole of her boot. Dammit, it's gum. She scrunches up her nose with a sigh and tucks a loose
strand of hair behind her ear. "Soooo, a lot on your mind, huh? That's a first, isn't it? Usually just a big, hollow echo chamber up there" she says, sending a proud smile Nathan's way as she points to his noggin. Realizing whatever it is is really bothering him, her expression fades away and she clears her throat. "Umm... Sorry... What's wrong?"
Nathan peers up at her, perking an eyebrow up. "You're a real charmer, Short-stuff," he says with a sigh. He pushes himself off the wall, resting his fist on his hip- damnit he left his helmet out there- as he stands there in silence for a moment or two. "Ugh, it's... Gage keeps referring to me as Sandbeck and... what with them offering me my old position within the company again it has...". He closes his
eyes, turning his head off to the side. "Strings were pulled to offer me that position again, but I don't deserve it. I fucked up one too many times and because of it, people died and a lot of property was demolished and being referred to as Sandbeck makes me feel... I don't know, dirty?" He tisks and begins to fidget with the lighter again. "It's just been on my mind since I got the message."
Leah remains silent- for once- allowing Nathan to speak. Few things in their line of work are clear cut. She has certainly had her fair share of mistakes during her time with the Alliance. Things going sideways. Bad judgement calls. It happens, and you live with it. Of course none of that was even a speck on the map for her right now. It all paled in comparison to Damien, which was the face she was immediately hit with. Not
that it takes much for Damien's face to enter her mind these days. "Someone must feel like you deserve it, right...?" she offers, recalling the story he told her about his time with Sandbeck. "You know... what we do isn't easy, Nate. But we're human. We make mistakes." She swallows hard, falling awkwardly silent for a moment as she breaks eye contact with him. "You can't blame yourself for what happened. I know you. And
if there's one thing I can say about you with absolute certainty?" She offers a smile as she glances back up at him, "You're a good person. I have no doubt that you did what you could. You can't beat yourself up about that." These were words she imagined her father saying. Her mother saying. Mentally flaying herself over her own decisions while trying to offer comfort to Nathan. The irony isn't lost on her.
Nathan exhales softly, opening his eyes as he stared numbly at the ground. 'I know you'. Those words spun in his mind like a broken record, mixing with the strings of guilt that tied around him. 'I know you'. No she didn't. She knew a part of him, but not the whole story. The city block was something he had learnt to live with and while it still lingered there it was something he believed he had to do. This
mistake was not something he could easily forgive himself for. "Tell that to her," he mutters as her face reappears once more before him, the look of hope in her eyes that was quickly extinguished as the bullet passed through her and into him. "I appreciate what you're trying to do, Leah. I really do." He finally looks back to her, offering her a weak smile. "But... my mistake had its consequences.
And I'm still paying for it and will keep paying for it for a long time." The reminder was burnt into his skin, the small circular shape above his heart.
Leah opens her mouth, but decides against whatever she was going to say. Instead, she steps across the hall to take a position beside Nathan and leans against the wall. "I get it, Nate..." she says with a sigh as she recalls the story he told which, she assumes, is what's bothering him. "But-... I mean yeah, people died, but they were bad people, right? And I know-... I know that doesn't always make it better, but you
didn't have a choice. And property? Those people can replace what they lost. You saved their lives. You were in a tough position and you made the best call you could with the information you had." She forces a small, comforting smile as she reaches up to pat him on the shoulder. "I take it there's someone back at Sandbeck that feels differently...?" she asks, assuming this 'her' he referred to is a higher up.
Nathan turns his gaze to look at Leah now stood besides him and he swallows. He turns his gaze away, staring at the wall for a long, silent moment. "It's not just the bomb," he finally says. "I...". He places a hand against his forehead, rubbing it to try and work out the headache that had decided to make home within his skull. "Remember when I gave you the condensed version of that incident from before?
When Jason and I ran out of here? Well... I wasn't entirely truthful with either of you about it. The group that was sent on the lead I... I was apart of it." He lowered his hand, slumping against the wall as his gaze slipped to the ground once more.
Leah furrows her brow, seeming somewhat confused as she gives a shake of her head. "The slaver...? Wha-.... Sorry, Nate. I'm not following." she says as she withdraws her hand from his shoulder. She folds her arms across her chest as she turns to her side to face Nathan, planting a shoulder against the wall and leaning up against it. She tilts her head to the side, pressing it against the wall as well as she looks up at Ten,
Nathan exhales softly. "Six years ago, we got word that a Solar Falcon wished to defect. In exchange for protection and to be sent to Citadel space, he'd give us information on the Falcon's operations. Compounds, shipping routes, safehouses and the like." He folds his arms across his chest, fingers gripping against the armour. "We agreed and used his information. It seemed solid enough so... a squad was sent
out to raid one of these safehouses. What I told you was that the information was false and the squad was killed. What I didn't tell you was that I was apart of that team sent to raid the safehouse." He closed his eyes, taking a moment to breath. "I was there to get us through any stubborn doors and, in the event we came across any slaves, to disable the bomb collars the Falcons were so fond of using.
So... we breached the place and started clearing it. It was certainly one of their safehouses, only a guard or two which we subdued. When we reached the basement, we came across one of their slave pens. A family was there, human. A mother, a father and their little girl. I got to work defusing their bomb collars and, to keep the little girl calm, I talked to her. Her name was Jasmine. She wanted to be
Leah listens in silence once again as Nathan speaks. As he repeats the details about Jasmine, a small smile tugs at her lips, but it immediately slips away as she realizes the direction this is going in. It doesn't end well or he wouldn't be back here beating himself up. "...What happened?" she asks softly. Not because she wants to know. But if there's something she's become all too familiar with, it's that nagging feeling your
mistakes leave behind. That feeling that's only satisfied when you say it out loud and take responsibility for whatever it is that happened. Even if it's for something that everyone else assures you wasn't your fault. It's that desire to be judged. It's something she deals with every night when she comes home and looks at her father- a man who thinks she can do no wrong. Her hand slides down to her side, running across the
white winged sword on the Carnifex holstered at her side. If Nathan needs an ear, then that's what she'll be. At least it's something she can't fuck up too badly. So she listens.
Nathan opened his eyes, his fingers trying to break through his armour and bury themselves into the skin beneath. "I defused the collars and we called for extraction. That's when we discovered that it was a trap. A ruse. We got back up to the ground floor when the whole building was lit up. The Falcons had turned it into a fucking kill-box. Ashton took the brunt of the first barrage and Roe was hit by a
grenade that tore apart most of the room we were in. Jasmine's father was also killed in that room. We... had to keep moving. The longer we stayed in that spot, the more opportunity we presented for them to slaughter us. We ran out back, ducking through the alleys as best we could, constantly being shot at by Falcons. Berev waved us on, acting as a buffer with her biotics to buy us some time. I don't
think she lasted more than a minute." He kept talking, the scratching of armour on armour as his fingers continued to dig in. "We ran through a parking lot and we came across resistance there too. It was like the whole damn town was occupied by those fuckers. Jasmine's mum was killed by a stray round and Itatus, our squad leader, was wounded there. That old Turian shoved Jasmine in my arms and told me
to run to the dropship that was coming down in a courtyard on the other side of the district. So I did. I left him there. Jasmine couldn't stop crying." He grimaced. "We got to the courtyard. The dropship had broken through but was under heavy fire. I just kept running towards it and... and Jasmine looked up. Hope in her eyes that we might get out of there." He shuddered. "I was told there was a
sniper on a rooftop. Heavy calibre. Punched through her, my shield and my armour. Medics dragged my body onto the ship and evacuated me to the Inigo...".
Leah remains completely silent as she listens to Nathan's story, merely looking up at him as he speaks. About part way through, her hand moves to his free hand- the hand not clawing at his own skin- and gives it a squeeze. The gauntlet probably absorbs much of the gesture, but an attempt at providing some small amount of comfort is made. When he finishes speaking she shifts against the wall a bit. A brief sniffle is followed by
a rub at her eye with the back of her free hand. "...I'm so sorry, Nate..." she says softly. It's not much, but what else can be said? "You-..." she begins, her immediate reaction being to talk. Talk, talk, talk. As if she might eventually reach something- say the right combination of words- and everything will be alright. It's just her way. She catches herself this time, though, and once again falls silent. "That's...
horrible." she finally manages, "...I can't even imagine what-..." Less is more, Leah, she reminds herself, deciding merely to shake her head instead.
Nathan doesn't even acknowledge her gesture, his gaze hard as steel as he stares into the ground. "We all died that day," he says, his voice lined with venom. "And a little girl died in my arms. Because I wasn't fast enough. Because I wasn't paying attention. Because instead of the damn newbie dying, the veterans stayed behind to cover him." His body starts to shake and he slumps further down the wall, now
in a sitting position a little ways from the floor. "I tried to carry on after that, Leah. For years, I tried to carry on with everyone telling me it wasn't my fault. There was nothing I could do and all that shit. But you have that gnawing away at you for years and all you can do is doubt and... hate what you see in the mirror. Trapped in what you should've or could've done." He shakes his head. "How
can I go back to Sandbeck, put on that uniform and call myself a Peacekeeper when I couldn't even save a child's life? Or when I destroyed hundreds of peoples homes? All I do, Leah, is fuck up. And people suffer." His voice is choked by the end of it, tears pricking at the corner of his eyes as, for the first time in six years, he finally told someone else the demons he carries. And... he didn't know
Leah releases her grip on his hand as he slumps to a seated position against the wall. It's remarkable how familiar it all sounds to her. The doubt. The self loathing. The anger that boils up everytime somebody reassures you that you did nothing wrong. The tears have began visiting her as well by this point, but she doesn't bother wiping them away. She moves just in front of him and lowers down into a crouch, placing both hands
on his knees. "I'm not going to tell you it wasn't your fault." she says, forcing a small, sad smile despite the tears. "Not because I don't think it. I just know-..." she sighs, sucking in a deep breath, "It doesn't fucking matter. None of it matters. Whose fault. How it happened. All that matters is it could have been different and that fucking sucks. I know, Nate, but-..." She glances down at her hands for a
moment as she tries to find the right words. Her father's advice would do. It usually did. "You just... push it all down and keep moving forward. No matter how much it hurts." she says with a small nod. It was advice he had given her many times throughout her life. Sure, it didn't really mean much. But it was something she needed to hear in those moments when there was no 'fixing' a situation. When 'talking about it'
wasn't going to make a difference. "And-... And I guess we try to be better tomorrow for the people who still need us. Right?"
Nathan blinks as the tears fall down his cheeks, his mouth curled back in a grimace as he stops himself from breaking down. And then he looks to as she settles before him, eyes wide for a moment as she mirrors his pain. For a moment, he thinks it is another person's attempt at pity, at trying to relate to him and coax him from the burden set about his shoulders. But there was something there that he
recognised and he knew that she carried something too. He didn't know what, but it was there. "Put one foot in front of the other... and keep on moving," he mutters. "Yeah... yeah." He swallows, gulping down a deep breath as he wiped away the tears at his eyes. "I can't bring her back... no matter what I do. Any of them." He felt like a hypocrite, always telling others to just keep moving forward even
as he was anchored by the past. He supposed this would just have to be something he dragged along in the dirt behind him. He reached for one of her hands to squeeze it, a small token effort of thanking her for just... listening. And, perhaps, a shared moment of knowing that whatever she carries, he understands.
Leah remains in place in silence for a short while, simply holding his hand. Eventually she sucks in a deep breath and brings her hand up to wipe at her tears. Allow yourself these small moments to grieve and then move on, but you can't remain in them she silently tells herself. "Thank you..." she says, "For-... For you know. Trusting me with that. For what it's worth? I think you happen to be pretty damn incredible, Nate."
she adds with a smile. "A bit of an idiot, sure." she teases in hope of lifting his mood a bit, "But incredible nonetheless." Part of her wants to just blurt everything out. Everything she's been through. Everything she's done. But it's just not her way and it wouldn't be fair to just pile her own burdens on top of his. If there's one thing being a biotic has taught her, it's how to be lonely. How to get by even when she
Nathan breathes out a laugh, a small part of him returning to his usual self. "That's... that means a lot," he admits with a faint smile. "You're a pain, Short-stuff. But... you're a hell of a person." He gives the back of her hand a stroke with his thumb, allowing his head to sag for a moment as he chuckles humorlessly. "I... am sorry for just dumping this on you like this but there is... I guess I just
needed it to get it out. And being freelance doesn't give you a lot of time to make friends so... I guess what I'm saying is is that you're a damn good person and... I trust you. A lot." His eyes crinkle with the smile he gives her, his voice growing softer. "You ever need someone there for you, count on me. Alright?"
Leah's smile grows to something more genuine. Her usual big, bright smile as she gives a nod of her head, her ponytail bouncing about behind her. "You're going to regret that offer." she teases with a snicker, "But sure."
Nathan chuckles and releases her hand, pushing himself onto his feet as he quickly makes himself look a little more presentable. "I'll head back out there. Shoot the shit with Jase and his friends. I'll... see you around." He smiles to her and turns to the doorway, palming the interface and stepping out with his usual, dopey smile. "So! Call is done! How about some more drinks?"
Jason is being browbeat into the ground as Nathan returns. "The fuck are you-.... Dinnosaur! What in the hell is wrong with dinnosaur!? How do you say it!?" he calls the others out, seeming quite confident in his position.