Sophia, "The Captain", waited for Elizabeth to finish and to make sure no one was listening in. Convinced no one was eavesdropping, she began. [color=8882be]"Elizabeth Jackspar... I know you've been trained to be brutally efficient, and you are very good at your job for someone so young and 'green', but what you said out there was concerning."[/color]. She got up and walked around the room a little, her blue eyes inquistively looking towards Elizabeth.

Under other circumstances Eli might have been proud to hear the Captain's words. Then again, she wasn't here to be praised, and the Captain's focus had clearly been on the last bits. Still, for a moment she wondered what sort of informtation her superior had access to. 'Trained to be brutally efficient'? Had that been in her dossier? Her mother must have said something, which was disconcerting in of itself. She never liked it when the woman showed her off in paperwork.

[color=00aeef]"Ma'a--"[/color] she started, stuttering as though some file had been misplaced before picking up again. [color=00aeef][i]"Captain?[/i] What did you find concerning?"[/color]

[color=8882be]"I'm concerned you don't realize that I would much rather have a botched operation and our growing reputation ruined, then one of you Pluggers being killed on my watch. While I can... understand your purely logical reasoning, we aren't a Ruling Company; we can't just replace our losses like that.[/color]

[color=8882be]I'm not going to punish you in any meaningful way for this, but I just wanted to set the record straight. From now on, your fellow pilots come first, and the mission comes second."[/color] Sophia waited for a moment, losing her 'purely logical and tough' disposition for the first time to Elizabeth (if only for a second); [color=8882be]"There really is no punishment involved...  It's just that you and your fellows aren't tools, after all."[/color]

[color=8882be]"That's all. Do you have any questions yourself?"[/color]

Eli looked at the Captain as if she hadn't finished her sentence. That wasn't it, that couldn't be [i]that[/i]. Pilots before the mission? She didn't merely fail to understand, she found the mindset almost counterintuitive. Not of course that she would ever voice a thing like that to someone like the Captain.

 [color=00aeef]"Understood,"[/color] she said nonetheless. It was an order she could follow. Still at attention, she recollected one point of interest, and though at first she was hesitant to ask, there was an edge of something nearing the point of spite that drove her onward. 
 
 [color=00aeef]"What were you, before this? How does an enemy know you?"[/color]

The Captain instantly snapped back to 'Tough and focused' at her question. [color=8882be]"A past life I wish to forget. I worked very hard to detach myself from that, and it's simply irritating when you see someone slipped away."[/color]. She thought to herself, 'Oh, like she's going to be satisfied with [i]that.[/i]'

Eli's brow lowered, was that a riddle? A hazy answer didn't do much to assuage what slight doubt that begun to bubble in her core. She decided to prod further, under the --more true than not, really-- guise of confusion.

[color=00aeef]"I'm afraid I don't understand, Captain."[/color]

Sophia actually scoffed- [color=8882be]"Of course you don't. You were always on the path you're on, weren't you? As long as you can remember?"[/color], she then sighed, mainly at herself, and actually gave an answer. [color=8882be]"It's obvious you were specifically trained to pilot NC's from birth, or close to it. Well, what I did, I wasn't, and it hurt me a lot in the long run, and the few people I loved. Does that satisfy you?"[/color]

It was certainly a clearer answer, even if it left a sizable gray area. Eli offered a nod, dropping her arms to her side. [color=00aeef]"Yes Captain.[/color]

With that, she started for the exit. However it was only as she reached the door did another thought blossom. What felt like a good few minutes was strained from the seconds that followed as she tried to work out a way to phrase her question. [color=00aeef]Can? No. Why? No. If? No.[/color]

At length she turned, offering one last respectful nod. Then: [color=00aeef]"Should we trust you?"[/color]. Sophie choked and couldn't answer for a while, snapping. [color=8882be]"Don't ask questions I can't answer."[/color]

Eli stiffened, but her rigid posture hid it well. Her eyes, while passive and her expression, while blank, contained behind them now a new layer of wariness. She looked at the Captain, and scanned her for Sophie, then, realizing there was nothing she could see, turned again to leave. 

[color=00aeef]"Thank you for the clarification, Captain."[/color]

Sophia didn't respond, and allowed Eli to leave in silence. For the rest of the day, as far as anyone knew it seemed like she stayed in there.