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#MSVJackOfDiamonds – February 17, 2018
Nathan has been sat amongst his gear... well, since he stormed out the kitchen. He had eaten his own snacks, focused on tweaking and fixing his weapons and armour and, occasionally, looked at his omni-tool to review the footage of the Collector ship. He's barely spoken a word to anyone, the smile to Leah being his only real form of communication with anyone.
Jason had returned to the galley after his talk with Oxaris and has remained there since. He eventually makes his way back to the cargo unit, a cold beer in each hand, and glances around at the others. Leah has drifter off, propped up in a half-sitting position against the wall and Jattic is still out. As he spots Nathan, he slowly shuffles over towards him and lifts one of the beers a little higher. He silently pops the cap
off with a cybernetic thumb and tentatively extends it towards Nathan by the neck, unsure where the man stands after their encounter in the galley.
Nathan pauses as he sees Jason approach and he visibly tenses up, eyes on the man. He looks at the bottle suspiciously, acting as if it is some sort of bomb about to go off. However, realising how stupid that sounds, he begrudgingly accepts it with a nod. "Thanks." He tilts it up and swigs it, sighing heavily through his nose. He sets it down and reaches over to turn off his omni-tool. On screen, he's
Jason gives a small nod as his only response, his eyes fixed on the omni-tool until the image flickers away. He remains silent, simply popping the cap off of his own beer and taking a long draw from it. His mouth opens to speak, but he catches himself and passes a glance back towards his sleeping teammates. It's been a rough couple of days and they could all use some rest. With a look back to Nathan, he nods towards the
reactor door. Beer gripped by the neck, he begins leading the way in an attempt at moving somewhere they can speak without waking the others, assuming- or hoping- that Nathan will follow. "For a minute, I thought you might take a swing at me back there." he finally says in a whisper as he navigates his way out of the cargo unit with a glance back over his shoulder.
Zandra seems to have fallen back asleep in her cot, not far from where Leah is, her injuries no doubt having sapped her energy too much to be active very long.
Nathan has certainly quietened down his work when everyone else fell asleep. He's not that inconsiderate. He places a hand on his helmet and turns it to face him, examining the visor before he catches Jason's motion. He lingers for a moment before picking up his own beer and tailing behind, a hand shoved into his pocket. "Yeah?" He responds back in kind. "I'm not that impulsive...". He flicks his gaze to
The lower engineering deck seems quiet. Certainly one of the more secluded areas of the ship. The air is different than the rest of the ship, and the hum of the generator fills it with a steady noise. There's a slight rumble coming from the generator as well, amplified by the ship's struggling. The gloomy space seems empty, aside from an easily missed bundle of blankets hidden away in the dark of Wrench's crawlspace hideout.
Jason steps through the reactor door and glances about to ensure they're not walking in on anyone as he waits for Nathan to join before closing the door behind them. He gives a quick snort at the response. "Maybe not but-..." he shrugs, "Well, no hard feelings either way. You sure as hell wouldn't be the first person to want to punch me in the face." he says through a forced lopsided smirk, hoping to get ahead of any potential
Nathan stops a few feet into the room and glances about, gripping the bottle firmly by the neck. "What do you want, Jase?" He cuts right to the chase, looking at the man evenly as he takes a sip of his drink. He seems to be in a relaxed pose, but the tension is there. How tightly he grips the bottle, his jaw hardset, eyes staring coldly. Most, if not all of his usually jovial nature has been locked down
for the meantime. It's almost a professional, if cold, indifference to his boss. Seems he is still not completely over their... 'talk' in the kitcheb.
Jason's gaze lowers to the ground and he gives a few silent nods when it becomes clear that whatever tension might have resulted from their previous conversation is still present. "Right." he says softly, drawing in a deep breath. He brings his beer up to his lips, hoping to buy himself a few seconds to sort through his thoughts as he takes a drink. "You asked some good questions, Ten." he says as he lifts his gaze to meet
Nathan's. "I just-... uhh-... I just don't have any answers for you." he offers honestly with a small shrug and a humorless, tired snort. "I wish I did but I don't. I don't know how we're supposed to beat something like that. I just-... What do we do, Ten?" he asks, looking as though he's genuinely hoping the man has advice to give. "Do we just-... just pack it all up? Move back to Earth? Just hope that the Alliance
Nathan stares hard at Jason, listening in silence to his words and, finally, his questions. And he continues to maintain that silence after them, gaze turning to the room. He lifts the bottle up, the liquid sloshing inside as he drinks deeply from it, the contents slowly draining away. He lowers it with, clearing his throat before turning back to his boss. "When I was younger," he starts slowly, "I always
dreamt of going up to the stars. Exploring the weird and wonderful, meeting new people... the whole thing. I had this... this golden idea of what life would be like out here and I held onto that, even as events tried to kick it out of me over and over. And I even held onto it as we were bundling out of that airlock to go rescue Li." He stops, shakes his head and idly gestures in a random direction.
"I lost that idea. While I was submerged in that pod. It's cracked. And it'll stay cracked." He looks to Jason, meeting his gaze. "I can't give you any answers and I won't tell you what you desperately want to hear. Just like you can't give me the same. We can't stop them from taking colonies. We can't beat them. We're fighting a war that we. Can't. Win." He tilts back the bottle and glugs it
heavily, finishing it with a grunt. "So we have two options that the losing side has in every war. We either lie down and accept our fate, hoping that at the very least it'll be quick. Or," he says, stepping forward and reaching over to prod Jason in the chest, "We go out kicking ass and trying to take as many of the fuckers with us as we can... And a Tennhausen will always pick the latter." He
slumps his shoulders. "I'm sorry for how I acted in the kitchen. Just... had a talk with reality is all."
Jason leans back against the wall and focuses on an arbitrary point on the floor as he listens to Nathan speak. He gives a few distant nods, but it's not until Nathan pokes him in the chest that he meets his gaze again. It's not what he wanted to hear, that's for sure. That it's hopeless. That it's an unwinnable fight. But he'll take going down fighting over giving up any day of the week. He bites down, a fierce intensity
returning to his face as he gives a single, stern nod to Nathan. A few charged moments of silence pass as thoughts swirl around in his mind. Finally he jerks his beer back up to his lips, a bit sloshing out as he takes a frustrated gulp of his drink. "After the Horizon footage leaked, me and Linda talked." he says, his gaze turning distant again as he speaks, "I mean-... We've been stuck in this nightmare for years, Ten.
Years. I don't close my eyes without seeing the fucking Evening Star. All the faces-..." he shakes his head, silently willing himself not to go down that road. "So yeah-... We talked. Decided it was our chance to check the fuck out. Leave the fight in the hands of the Alliance. We'd just-... just move on with our life. Focus on Redrock. Focus on each other." A small, sad snicker escapes him as he looks to Nathan, his
eyes growing a bit glassy. "I knew I was lying to her the moment the words left my mouth, Ten." Anger. Frustration. Pain. Guilt. It all bubbles to the surface as he speaks. "I-... I've got a wife I love to death, Ten. A child on the way. And I-... I think of all that, you know? Linda getting old and gray, never having to put on a suit of armor or pick that machine gun up ever again. My child growing up, happy and
healthy. And I-... I know I'm not gonna be around to see it." As the words leave his mouth he looks away again. His attention settles on the label of his beer bottle as he attempts to keep his emotions in check. "I don't agree with you, Ten." he spits out, eyes still on his beer. "I don't believe they're unbeatable. Maybe we can't win this war, but we sure as hell can do our part to help those who can win it. Make
damn sure we go out leaving this galaxy a better place for the people we love. For Linda. For my kid." He finally looks back to Nathan, tears threatening to escape, "For Sophia." He gives a couple of small nods, "...We have to try."
Nathan stares hard back at Jason. He's been fighting these things for ten years. Ten fucking years. And yet here he is, standing here and still fighting them. Whether by choice or not, he's still picking up his gun and sallying forth to make sure they pay for every misery they inflict upon this galaxy. And yet, at the same time, he sees Jason in another light. Scared. Overwhelmed. Yet standing firm.
Willing to sacrifice himself just for the faintest hope that it'll do some good for others in the galaxy. Nathan admired that. Maybe he was wrong, maybe Jason was wrong. Damned either way, right? But he agreed with something Jason said. And that's going out making sure the galaxy is a better place for their loved ones. "I don't agree with you," he states firmly, reaching to clasp Jason's shoulder
with a firm grip and a shake. "You're not leaving your kid to grow up on their own." He smiles while nodding slightly, a knot in his throat. "I am not letting that happen, so long as I'm still kicking."
Jason gives a few small, pained nods, having to draw in a deep breath to keep himself from letting his emotions get the best of him. As much as he wants to believe Nathan's assurance, he can't help but shake the feeling that there's only so many 'close calls' a person can survive before their card gets punched. But that's not a concern he has the luxury of entertaining. Crippling fear isn't going to help anyone in this fight.
And doubt won't help his team. A team of people willing to die by his side if that's what it comes to. The solidarity from Nathan causes a second wind to settle into his chest. "...I appreciate that, Ten." he offers softly, bringing his own hand up to return the gesture, briefly patting Nathan on his opposite shoulder. He blinks back the tears attempting to make their escape and gives a small roll of his shoulders.
"So-..." he swallows at the lump in his throat, replacing the emotion with a fierce determination, "Let's give these ugly fuckers a fight they won't forget."
Nathan releases Jason's shoulder and takes a step back. Sure, he still has doubt, fear. And he knows that, given their odds, that he probably won't survive, nor save the others. But there's always a chance, that thin glimmer of hope that will be there calling his name. But he'll keep that to himself and carry on blowing shit up. After all, if the enemy is in pieces, they're not much of a threat. "You got
it, Jase," he says. He'll give them a hell of a fight. "Lock it down, Tennhausen. You got people to protect, you haven't got the luxury of giving up." He smiles inwardly as he remembers her booting him up from the ground and towards that complex. She was right then and is still right now. He takes a step and finishes off the last dregs of his beer as he moves to the door, staring at it for a
moment. "I'm keeping those guns we picked up, FYI. Before you think about wandering off with the one I gave you." He looks at Jason and smirks, rolling his shoulders.
Jason looks down into his beer as Nathan steps away and is just about to slug the remainder back when Nathan speaks up again. It causes a short snicker to escape him and he gives a small shake of his head. "Yeah, yeah..." he mutters none too seriously, "...After walking through hell with me I suppose the least I can do is give you back your gun. You just gotta promise to let me visit her every now and then."
Nathan chuckles faintly as he nods to Jason. "'Spose I can do that...". He stares at the door, part of him wanting to step out and get back to work. Or try and nap like the others. But at the same time, something was bothering him. "Jase... what if they do come after us? To Freedom Falls? I mean, there's the militia and plently of mercs there, but... would that be enough?"
Jason's smirk slowly fades away as Nathan asks his question. This recent encounter with 'The Revelator' made it clear that this was personal now. Nathan's concerns have certainly entered his mind, too. A few turrets at the spaceport. One atop Redrock HQ. The Matriarch undoubtedly has a few tricks up her sleeve in the event of an attack. But they wouldn't even be able to put a dent in a behemoth of a ship like the one they just
escaped from. And Freedom Falls isn't Omega, packed and dense with people who had live fire combat experience. There's plenty of farmers. Vendors. Va'ynna. With a deep sigh, he gives a few shallow nods. "It'll have to be." he says as he studies Nathan. His thoughts return to Freedom Falls. To his home. To friends and family. To the place his child is going to grow up. "It will be." he corrects sternly, "We'll make
Nathan stares hard at Jason, listening to the few words he speaks. He then nods, sharply. "Alright... look, I... I don't know if this will help but... consider giving the footage to Sandbeck. Of our encounter. I may not be one of their number any longer, but I have a friend who's keeping me in the loop and there's been rumblings that something big is about to happen. So, they've been prepping. I dunno,
Jason falls silent, considering Nathan's words for a moment. The idea of putting footage like this out into the ether is a troubling one. The Alliance is one thing, but a PMC? The Alliance brass are clearly trying to keep a lid on things. If it were to go public and lead back to them, it could mean trouble. Still, if Nathan trusts them... "You want your friends to have intel in case they run into Collector troubles." he muses
Nathan sighs and turns to fully face Jason now. "Yeah, I suppose so. They've started operating in Terminus space now and if they know what to expect... well, we may just have an ally in this fight. And if not an ally, then people who'll at least understand." He nods faintly. "I have a couple of friends still. I can make sure it reaches trustworthy hands. Keep it under wraps."
Jason glances towards the ground briefly, chewing on the inside of his cheek for a moment. Maybe it doesn't matter what the Alliance wants. Colonies are going missing so this isn't just the Alliance's fight anymore. It's all of humanity's fight. "Cut the footage like we discussed earlier." he says as he looks back to Nathan, "I'll get a copy to my Alliance contact and then we can discuss where to go from there, Ten. If you
think putting the footage in Sandbeck's hands might help-..." he gives a small shrug of his shoulders, "...then I'm sure we can figure something out. Never hurts to have friends with firepower. But for now? I just want to focus on getting home." It wasn't a commitment to the idea, but it's the best he can offer before bringing Vasquez into the loop first.
Nathan nods faintly, rubbing the back of his neck. That was probably the best answer he was going to get, so he'll take it. "Agreed. Home first, footage distribution later." He smiles faintly at Jason before jabbing a thumb towards the door. "I think I'll head back out. We spend any longer in here, people are going to start getting the wrong idea." He chuckles, trying to lighten the mood slightly.
Jason gives a couple of nods at first before a snort erupts from the second. "Wouldn't want that. After the kind of week I've had the last thing I need is to get my ass kicked by someone who needs a step ladder to hit me in the jaw." he teases, his lopsided smirk making a return. "Yeah, that's right. I saw you two at the wedding." he snickers.
Nathan furrows his brow. "Saw who a- oh. Oooooh. Oh... right. Yeah. Leah. Gotcha. Mhmm. Step ladder to hit me in the jaw. I'm stealing that. Good material." If one looked hard enough, they could almost swear that Nathan was blushing. Or is it being near the reactor? "Ahem, right. So... uh, wanna... wanna leave? Walk out now? I'll go... do a thing with my... armour. Tweak and fix. Yeah."
Jason's snicker turns into a full on laugh as he watches Nathan's reaction. "Uh huh. You do that, Cassanova." he continues to tease as he pushes away from the wall and slugs back the remainder of his beer. Big, dumb smirk still on his face, he moves to join Nathan and gives him a pat on the back to motivate him through the door.
Nathan grumbles under his breath, but he has a smile on his face as he opens the door and steps out. "Good talk, you ass."