[i]"Sir...I take responsibility for Aiden's injury...I should've been faster on the trigger. I could have stopped it all..."[/i]

"wha-?" mike started before blade dismissed Aihara's admission. 

[i]How could we have done anything more than we had, the GEAR bay full of wrecks, 2 pilots dead one out of commission.[/i] the roughriders were a skeleton crew since their first deployment. If anything mike felt responsible, If he had helped Aidan instead of bickered, they might have gotten the jump on the southern assholes. If he had been faster, he might have saved Irry's Harlock, or maybe saved Adrian from an unwanted life of pain....IF he lived. 

[i]"I feel like y'all have the right to walk outta that door and make a formal note of no faith in me"
[/i]

"Fuck that" Mike growled, nearly insulted at the very idea. 

[i]"-I can only imagine the hell y'all are feelin' right now," [/i]blade continued as he nodded to the fireteam. 

[i]Shit.... I never even considered the fire team?[/i] he thought, looking at the worn out ground team. he nodded solemnly to the ground team, letting blade finish before he broke off to talk them, as well as Irry and Blade. 

[i]"-But, I can swear to you all, I don't wanna see any more of you laid out without throwin' myself right inta harms way with every furry fiber of my old ass to ensure that if death comes lookin' fer you, it's gonna have to fight through me first."[/i]

[i]And there's why I'm not leaving.[/i] mike thought to himself

"[i]I'll be in there if y'all wanna speak to me about anythin'. As you were," [/i]he commented with a nod, and turned slowly on his heel, moving back into his room.

"Colonel Blade Sir." mike said as Blade turned. "Any officer that says they place their subordinates safety above their own, [b]and then proves it[/b], is an officer worth following." mike ditched the helmet, and stood a little straighter. "The south needs a good ass kicking, I'd like to volunteer my boot, and I wouldn't follow anyone else to do it" he said folding his arms.