[center][h1][color=teal]Agatha Smith[/color][/h1][b]Mess Hall, New Anchorage[/b][/center]
[center]WITH [color=0076a3]STEIN[/color][/center]
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A maternal concern dawned on Agatha in the wake of Ingram's departure and the peculiarity of his daughter's reaction. Her keen eye picking up on Stein outright ceasing to breathe as a hand rested on her shoulder much the same way Agatha had done with her own children. She had always glowed with pride when she did the same with her own daughters, barring Ruth who the temerity to grow several inches higher than her. 

Yet Stein wasn't acting like a child under the glow of a seemingly caring parent's attention. A tremor had run through hands as she reached for her glass, a sign of something she couldn't pin down. There hadn't been any physical or neurological issues in the dossier she read on Stein, though it could be just as likely they would not give out a pilot's full medical history. [color=teal][i]Or it could be something else...[/i][/color]

Finally her gaze settled on the untouched food. Agatha was certain she was the lesser actor if compared against Stein as she couldn't mask her disquiet. After running for the past five or so hours the Ace should have been ready to tear into a horse, not leave a full tray unmolested.

Tahlia looked up at Agatha with a slightly beweildered look. [color=f9ad81][b]"Was it something I said?"[/b][/color] she spoke as she munched on the food in her mouth

[color=teal] "No, I don't reckon it was." [/color] Agatha rose from her seat, giving a sorrowful look towards her own largely untouched tray as well. [color=teal][i]God, i didn't come here to be anyone's mother, but damn it all...[/i] 

"Excuse me, I need to be the duttering old woman once again." [/color]

Apparently one could quit being a pilot, but being a mom was a lifetime obligation. Heavy was the head that wore such a mantle.

With a gentle shrug and a deep exhale, Tahlia gave a slight backhanded wave with her hand, indicating that it was probably best for the Agatha to head off and find out what was bothering Stein. Tahlia wasn't feeling in the best condition for comforting any other pilots at this point in time and was more concerned about preventing a bad hangover.

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The memory of Stein's tour still fresh in her mind, it was easy enough to arrive at the NC hangars. She emerged into that massive hangar that housed New Anchorage's most valuable weaponry, the Neural Combatants, and flicked the datatool that was mounted to her wrist. [color=teal]"Hmm, if I'm reading this right, then Stein's NC should be right about...here."[/color]

The Little Dragon, rather an appropriate name for the unassuming beast such as it... and the pilot if Agatha thought on it. It didn't appear to be the stuff of legends, or have some bizarre frame like that spider wreck two bays down, but it seemed like it could hold it's own. Considering Stein was still among the living it probably did so frequently. Now since she had followed Stein to the hangers, and couldn't see her on the ground floor of either row of docked NCs, she felt safe in assuming Stein had entered her NC.

[color=teal] [i]Though how am I going to approach her? Can't ask her to come down, and it would be weird to have her looking down at me from up there—" [/i] [/color] Struck with a sudden jolt of genius she scanned the rows of NCs once more before settling upon the familiar frame of her own NC. A short hop, skip, and jump up the lift brought her to the cockpit of her beloved war machine where she slipped comfortably into the awaiting pilot's seat. Restrained in their docks as they were, she could still open communications with the NC three docks down from here. 

[color=teal]"So, I'm not the only one who finds it comfy to be sitting behind the wheel, eh Stein?"[/color]

[[color=0076a3]“What are you doing here.”[/color]] The phrase implied a question, but the way the voice on the other end of the line framed it as a [i]statement[/i] rather than any sort of inquiry. The tone was as monotonous as it had been throughout the bulk of the day, but there was a certain irritated implication behind it. The response coming through clear and succinct, it's own sharpness cutting through the joviality Agatha tried to project.

[color=teal]"I didn't get a chance to get a good look at the NCs earlier. Had to make sure some novice tech didn't leave a spanner somewhere important."[/color] She chuckled at her lame attempt at humor. [color=teal]"You got an interesting NC there, hate to wind up on the business end of it."[/color]

[[color=0076a3]“The Little Dragon is nothing extravagant, it lacks the indulgences of many of the NC's in this hangar.”[/color]]

[color=teal]"But I'm willing to bet my first first months pay you don't need any of these—" [/color] Agatha's head unconsciously tillted back, as though she could see the giant thrusters mounted on Charon's back. [color=teal]"—[i]Indulgencies [/i] to be effective."[/color]

[[color=0076a3]“The Little Dragon [i]had[/i] external armaments, but no— weapons such as the ones you infer put more stress on your thermal pressure and soak up too much power. They are more of a gamble than such a wager you suggest.”[/color]]

[color=teal]"So you favor simplicity and efficiency? That certainly has it's charms."[/color] She let a silence build between them for a minute. [color=teal]"So do you come here often, to just sit here in an NC, I mean?"[/color]

[[color=0076a3]“No, I come here for other reasons. But if you wish to simplify it, yes.”[/color]]

[color=teal]"I think I will be coming here myself. It's nice being in familiar territory...hey, Stein. Can I talk to you?"[/color]

[[color=0076a3]“You already are.”[/color]]

The aged woman barked a racous laugh, gladdened to have walked into that one.[color=teal]"I suppose I am. I wanted to apologize for blowing up at Moore earlier. That wasn't how someone should act with their fellow pilots."[/color] Agatha didn't want to apologize about Moore, but Stein wasn't her daughter so she couldn't just insert herself into her issues. 

[[color=0076a3]“It was a waste of time, but I do not care— I am not your commanding officer, you do not need to apologize to me.”[/color]]

[color=teal]"He's just got me worried about sortying with him, and that kid of his. If he doesn't shape up he's liable to get more than just himself killed."[/color] Her own attempted discussion on trust ringing in her head. [color=teal]"Not sure you've read my dossier, but i've, well, been retired for the past few decades. Haven't been paid to pilot since I last saw the commander, actually. Had to get out of this 'cause I had kids on the way and didn't want to leave them orphans like a lot of those independents wind up doing."[/color] 

[[color=0076a3]“I’ve had my words with Moore about his cowardice and the risk of compromising the squad. It is out of my hands and concerns, it is up to him to act or die.”[/color]] 

[color=teal]"And if he gets you killed?"[/color]

[[color=0076a3]“It won’t. He will not pass Graham's tests as he is; if he does, he will not be the same person.”[/color]] 

[color=teal]"Huh. Hadn't thought of it like that."[/color] Agatha scratched under her chin, considering Stein's response. Would being able to pass the tests strengthen his character? Perhaps, considering him showing [i]any[/i] initiative would be an improvement. Being able to climb the NC would take a measure of courage for someone like Percy, as opposed to the experience of Stein or Agatha who could perform it as easy as breathing. [color=teal]"Anyone ever tell you that you're a good judge of character?"[/color]

[[color=0076a3]“No. Has your interrogation been sufficient to sate your curiosity? or do you have more questions?[/color]] 

Agatha cringed, realizing she had been caught. [color=teal]"I thought it was more an exchange than an interrogation. Unless you wanna talk about [i]boys[/i] or whatever catches your fancy."[/color] She tacked on mirthfully.

[[color=0076a3]“I would prefer not to talk at all.”[/color]] 

Even if there was no way Stein could see her, Agatha made a show of zipping her mouth closed and throwing away the key. The link was left open, but if Stein had her fill of conversation she wouldn't push her further. The aged pilot thought she did a good job of getting her mind off whatever had ailed her.