[i]"Not bad for a rookie team, I would think.”[/i] Cecilia heard Harold comment. She turned to him as he came down the ramp, a spring in his step and that all-too friendly smile emblazoned on his face. Unlike her jacket, which was worn around the shoulders and full of creases, his was unmarred, like it had come right out of the packaging. Everyone in the unit could practically tell who had seniority by how faded their leather was.

"Depends what scale you use," Cecilia answered. "Had it just been us older guys, I'd have rated it as 'awful,' but now that we're half and half, I'll spare you some leeway." The edges of her lips curled into a hint of a smile - blink and you'd miss it. When Harold had asked about his performance in particular, she let out a puff of air from her nose that must have been akin to a laugh and replied,

"We've got plenty of adjustments to make, but I'm not in the mood for critique; not when we're off-duty. Sorry if you're a masochist that way." Edward, followed by Richard and a couple more Panthers appeared from the landcruiser. 

"Wish I could tag along," Richard sighed. "I've got to meet with Cradle about the op. Formalities and such. Still haven't said anything about what we're carrying, though..."

As Richard was wrapping up his sentence, he narrowed his eyes to get a better look at the girl running right for him. When he finally recognized her, his face stretched into a pearly grin before being smothered in her grip. 

"Srhr!" he muffled into her chest. Sarah had evidently returned from a period of personal leave, and with little notice save for a bear hug to mark her arrival.   

"I had no idea when you were coming back," Richard continued, pulling himself free. "As you can see, we've got a few new faces. I'll let you get acquainted; Cradle expects me very soon." The cargo trucks rolled down the [i]Samigina's[/i] ramp and Richard hopped into the passenger seat of the lead vehicle. 

"You need me, send a blip to my padd. Have fun, now!" he shouted out the window, giving a 'bottoms up' gesture as the trucks rolled away.

"Sarah, it's been a while," Cecilia remarked. "Did you need a break from my voice that badly?" She'd been spared the fate of a crushing hug that had befallen the other Panthers, although she knew how hard Sarah was trying to hold back. 

-----

Inside the [i]Samigina[/i], a smooth-faced tech crewman bumped into Bernard as he turned a narrow corner. It was entirely the crewman's fault; he'd had his eyes glued to the screen in his hands and hadn't noticed the aging pilot in front of him. 

"Shit! Apologies, man," he stammered, picking himself up. "Uh, if you're looking for Bentz or the others, I think everyone left. Your buddies are going out for a night on the town and Rich had to take the cargo you brought back to Cradle. Man, I wish I knew what was in there. Don't you? Some kinda super-weapon or something? I don't think even Bentz knows!"