Even if Tom had an interest in chatting up the rookie, it took him until the inspection was called just to get his stupid machine in fighting order. It didn't matter how many times he saved the profile in the optimization suite or explained to them what he was doing, they [i]still[/i] would insist on cocking it all up and he'd [i]still[/i] have to redo it. As he settled into line and hopped out of his kneeling MAS to the floor for his inspection, he snapped into a perfect salute when the Captain neared his unit.

They were old hands at this now, he and Alexis. She'd walk up and go through his machine, he'd stand there and wait for her to come back and call him boring, he'd smile and admit that he was and she'd walk on. A bit of banter now and then, but compared to the rest of the squad he was easy. He ate like a bird at the best of times and not in his MAS except during prolonged operations, he didn't keep contraband in the unit--not like there was [i]room[/i]--he didn't worry about pictures of naked women...

"Sometimes I think you're more of a machine than Alice, Lieutenant."

Heading down from the cabin with surprising agility, the Captain eyed him up the same way she always did and he smiled the same way he always did, easing from attention at a dismissive wave--they were almost passed formalities at this point. He was surprised she bothered to check.

"You know me, Captain. Bigger fish to fry."

"Someday I'm going to find something deeply disturbing in there." She chuckled, eyeing him in faux-appraisal. "A secret stash of kinky holo-vids, a dead hooker... I should start a betting pool. 'What does Mr. Wizard stash in his MAS when no one's looking'."

"You sure you want to know?" He couldn't help the slight edge of [i]sly[/i] that crept into his smile. She had a way with people, he had to give her that--it was a rare person that could illicit any real reaction from the pilot that wasn't intended. A good leader, then--Tori Astelion had been the same way. In all the time she'd been Captain of the kind of ship children dreamed of commanding, he'd never doubted her at the helm.

"Absolutely not." A genuine laugh out of her, even.

"Thank you, ma'am." Snapping to attention, heels clicked together, he chuckled slightly as she shook her head again and stalked off to her next victim.

"And tally those kills, Lieutenant! Show some pride!"

It was her usual admonishment, barked over her shoulder without looking--one of the few orders he didn't follow and never would, but it made him smile to hear it.

-----

As soon as she was gone and they were dismissed he was snapping out a cigarette, the casual motion almost automatic. Everyone knew he smoked like a chimney, the running joke being that he breathed more tar than air. [i]Nobody lives forever[/i], he'd say with a quirked smile as someone shook their head, [i]but just in case[/i]. Astelion was getting chewed out, but what was surprising about that? The Captain was a bear when it came to her charges, even among themselves. Making his way to his comrades, a grey sheet sliding past his lips up his face, he settled in almost as silently as Alice while Wes reminisced about the joys of infantry coffee.

"Never did get used to the stuff." He piped up idly, breathing over his shoulder as he ashed. "Figured by the time I'm drinking more cream and sugar than coffee I might as well stop pretending I like it. But knock it back, cowboy, money's on a long day."