[indent]The Yggdrasil rumbled as it left the atmosphere of the planet, Trapp was bringing up the rear of the squadron as after what seemed a lifetime they finally left Jehan behind them. As the earth-like planet found its way somewhere behind them, they began to drift through the remnants of the battle as pieces of debris and carnage floated about them in an oddly peacefully manner betraying the scenes of violence which must have created them. The worst of course would always be the bodies, you never knew where they come from or how they got to the position they were in distorted forms floating through an empty void bumping against the side of the MAS like sacks of potatoes. Pushing through the debris field and the wreckage of the Coalition cruiser that had despite all odds done something thought to impossible and dragged the Lincoln out of FTL travel of all things with what equivocated to a giant harpoon going past the speed of light. A small part of him felt a shred of sympathy for the cruiser which had now tilted on its side words still barely readable around the torn and bent metal. The Indivisible. Depressurization was not at all a kind death to face. Yet he was gladder still at the sight approaching them, The Lincoln limping like a stuck pig but still in relative one piece despite the odds once again.

Mcknight lead them back into the hanger and scant a word was said. Trapp could practically feel all the eyes on the Yggdrasil even as those in the hanger cheered as their lost pilots were returned home. He couldn't blame them really, the MAS stood out like a sore thumb among the UEE machines with its fresh coat of paint and C-MAD logo still painted on the shoulder of the vehicle. It almost felt like a betrayal when he docked the machine into the spot where his Sentry would usually stood, like he was sleeping with another girl. He had to admit though in the short time that he had piloted the Coalition machine it had felt surprisingly good, the machine moving with a surprisingly level of fluidity befitting of its size. He sat in silence for a moment in the cockpit of the machine eyes focused intently on the display ahead of him. Seemingly satisfied his hands flickered through a series of commands shutting the MAS down. As the reactor powered down, the neurolink retracted severing his connection the machine, the sensation a strange wrenching pain as if he had just lost a very important limb that he never knew even existed. He figured he'd need to talk to the ship's doctor about that make sure that Coalition interface didn't fiddle around with his brain too much.

He popped the cockpit open with the pull of a lever pouring harsh artificial light into the now dark cockpit. Squinting he rose up from the MAS and pulled himself out onto the catwalk. The scene below him could only be describe as organized chaos as the hangar moved about cleaning up the remnants of what appeared to be a engagement of some sort. Blood and the occasional viscera being cleaned away as the medical staff moved about frantically trying to tend to those wounded still lying on the floor, while others still packed a small pile of corpses away in soulless black bags. An old soldier once told him that the worst part of a battle was an aftermath, because during the adrenaline made you feel nothing but after it died down all you were left with was the dead and the dying. The older Trapp got, the more he found himself agreeing with that soldier. Knowing that he couldn't just stay up on the catwalk forever, he climbed down the ladder to the hanger floor and into the scene below. As he observed the scene he did not notice the figure come out to his rear and call out to him. 

[color=bc8dbf]"Commander Trapp?"[/color]

He snapped out of his own thoughts he turned back to see a younger woman maybe about the rookies age, caramel colored skin, dark black hair pulled into a ponytail and bright green eyes looking up at him expectantly, though her haggered expression told him otherwise. It took the commander's brain a second to comprehend but soon the synapses fired and he put a name to the face. Samantha Waits, she was Jacobs- his crew chief's second in command. Bright girl. [color=lightgreen]"Sorry Waits. Wheres Jacobs? I haven't seen the old coot around here just yet."[/color]

The young engineer look down at the ground with a sad look on her face. From the expression the commander knew what the girl was going to say but never the less it hit him like a solid punch to the gut. [color=bc8dbf]"We tried to stop him sir.... but you know how he gets,  he insisted on staying in the Hangar. Told us that those Coalition Bastards wouldn't move him one inch. They found him at his post, bullet caught him on the side of the head. Medic said he probably didn't even feel it."[/color]

Trapp sighed as he watched the young woman shake as she explained the death of her mentor to him, fighting back the tears in her eyes. He turned away unsure of what he should say or do as he didn't figure he was all that close with the girl having only really spoken to her once or twice when Jacobs was too busy working on the Sentry. [color=lightgreen]"So.... guess that means your in charge around her now aren't you?"[/color]

The attempt at diverting the conversation seemed to work as she straightened her back and looked up at the man nodding her head. [color=bc8dbf]"Yeah... though I don't know what you want us to do about.... well that."[/color]

Trapp almost smirked as he followed her outstretched hand as she pointed up at the Yggdrasil towering above them. [color=lightgreen]"That's kind of the question isn't it? Well first you guys should probably finish straightening things out around here. Once things get back into working order I'm sure the R&D are going to want to have a field day with this thing. I want you and your crew to shadow them, learn everything you can about this thing."[/color]

[color=bc8dbf]"Understood. Does this mean this thing is going to replace your Sentry sir?" She asked with a raised brow.[/color]

[color=lightgreen]"I guess it is."[/color] Trapp responded with a hint of uncertainty in his own voice, giving the engineer a small nod of conformation before he walked away from his own station and towards the center of the hanger. 

He pushed his way towards the center of the hangar when his attention was grabbed by a dark chuckle. He turned his head to find Astelion followed closely behind by Sokolov and with Lin almost vanishing in and out of space within the large Russian's shadow. From outward glances they all seemed to be okay in there current state having survived the space battle above. Astelion seemed well enough to be laughing at anther's expense though his two companions did not join in with him, their eyes shifting to degrees of uncaring apathy to mild shame. Trapp had to talk to them anyway, so he moved over towards them rising his hand in a wave as he approached. 

[color=lightgreen]"What's so funny Astelion?"[/color] Trapp called out as he approached and the other man turned around not even hiding the grin on his face. Rather than responding to Trapp with words he pointed with his arms towards the far wall where the rookie was sitting in what closest resembled the fetal position surrounded by other members of the 7th. Trapp recognized the look in her eyes well enough and he could only sigh.

[color=orangered]"The beloved new girl can't seem to deal with a little violence. Lost her lunch in a violent manner."[/color] Astelion explained in between his own small spurts of laughter. Trapp tried his best to not judge Astelion too harshly. He was a good pilot and he followed his orders without having to be told twice, which was better than some of the people the commander had to deal with, but his personality always made it difficult. 

[color=lightgreen]"Go easy on the kid. First time dealing with this shit ain't easy. I'm sure the first time you saw something like this you weren't all peaches and smiles."[/color] Trapp pointed out trying his best to remain civil.

[color=orangered]"That's not the point [i]commander[/i]. The point is we can't have some weak willed bitch fighting with us. Its life or death out here, we can't have time for moral quandaries."[/color] He explained almost spitting the words out.

[color=lightgreen]"I suggest you check your tone Astelion."[/color] Trapp responded sternly hands bunched up at his sides.

[color=orangered]"Fuck that. That bitch is no replacement of my sister, no matter what all of them think. She's a spineless waste of space."[/color] Astelion responded getting more heated by the second. Blinded by his anger he never saw the fist smash into the side of his face sending him stumbling backwards into Sokolov's large frame. The chaos around them made it so that nobody seemed to notice the action take place just the four of them trapped in there own separate sphere of reality that threatened to collapse at any second  There was a sort of stunned silence as Trapp lowered his hand and stared directly at Astelion who pressed a hand against the side of his nose drawing back slick with the fresh flow of blood. His eyes burned with a new kind of amusement, even as Sokolov held him back with a strong arm. 

[color=orangered]"Yeah you must of liked that big man."[/color]

[color=lightgreen]"Just go cool down Astelion."[/color] Trapp told him as he walked away wiping the blood on his knuckles off with the sleeve of his jumpsuit meeting eyes with the large Russian holding Astelion back from doings something more stupid and giving a curt nod of thanks before he moved on. He moved slowly towards where the rest of the squad was clustered around the rookie. They all seemed to be attempting in their own ways to comfort the girl. He approached them producing a shrill whistling sound from his lips to gain their attention as he closed in.

[color=lightgreen]"Yo! I appreciate that y'all actually care about your teammates but give Williams some space. You all went through the same thing once and I don't know about you but I wouldn't want my entire team fretting over me. Make me feel more useless inside than I already felt, having to be babysit and all."[/color] He explained and while the words were characteristically blunt it was Trapp's own way of showing that he cared just a little bit. He made a shooing motion with his hands towards them getting them to at least allow for the Rookie to establish a personal space bubble of her own. He then began to address the group as a whole.

[color=lightgreen]"Alright now I'm going to make this real quick. We aren't going to have any formal after action report, the Captain and Admiral are going to want to here our report anyway and it'll be a waste of time to say the same damn things twice. Besides I'm too tired to actually think of anything to really say. For now we gotta focus on licking our wounds here. We lost a lot of good men and women today, but we do what we gotta do. We keep on fighting because that is our job. And we proved something today to the Coalition, to the Admiral and to everybody else. Everyone on this ship is the closest to a real family most of us are going to get anymore. And we look after our own, no matter the circumstances. Sure sometimes things happen that stress those bonds but if they break especially now that where deep in the enemy territory where they can do things like drag us out of hyperspace with a harpoon gun, we die. You all did good today, don't let anyone else  tell you different. Anyway dismissed."[/color] Trapp explained in his little speech the message partly to himself over his small squabble with Astelion, partly to Maki hoping she gets the message that she has to try and patch things up with Alice, and partly to everybody else. And with that he pulled a small metal flask out of his jacket and after taking a swig from it tossed it back at Gerard with a nod before he walked away.[/indent]