Zim had been spending more time in the Hanger with Black Star now that he knew his partner was 'alive'. Checking for various systematic applications, running diagnostics, calibrating sensors, helping out the repair crew as best as he could as they went through the process of replacing or repairing any damaged parts from the previous combat. The entire right leg had to be replaced, too much structural damage from forcing it to work under such extremes and the fall after making it back to the hanger. There were several armor plates and servo motors that had to be replaced as well from the stress placed on them from combat. The removal of the Assault Pack made Black Star seem so much smaller again, but Zim seemed to think that the Werk was happier without the extra load. There was no real evidence of it, he just felt that way.

He stopped reading through a configuration readout to take a drink of water when he heard the commotion over at the entrance of the Hanger when Ariin bumped into someone Zim hadn't seen before. There were a lot of new faces around the base of late, it wasn't unusual to not recognize someone. However, Zim watched as Ariin and the girl exchanged words and he leads her over towards Paladin. Outside of mandatory meetings and briefings, the last time Zim saw Ariin was when he was waiting to be able to offload from Black Star when they first made it back to the ship. Zim couldn't be sure if it was just him avoiding the other pilot, or it their schedules and paths just didn't cross in the days following their return. But the bad taste in his mouth was only getting worse, and he wanted to get an answer and clear the air before it ruined something.

Zim grabbed his communicator and sent a message over to Ariin, "When you get a chance, can we talk about something? I'd like to ask you a question. I'm over working on Black Star if you have a moment now. - Zero"

Ariin had just arrived at Paladin checking over the installation he paused catching sight of a message. He decided to answer. "Sure I can come right over been busy with simulations and a new part that arrived for Paladin. -Ariin"

While the message sent he hopped down and then carefully made his way around and across to Zim, stopping short of Black Star admiring it for a moment. Ariin had been avoiding the others mostly out of how some people thought he was crazy and others he just didn't know. 

Left to his own devices he and Paladin had several deeper conversations also many talks of the future, though both agreeing they were sure Ariin would have with his status as a prisoner. "What did you need Zim?" Asked Ariin as he looked for the pilot emerging from the werk.

Zim climbed down from the cockpit as Ariin called out to him, he would have moved when he saw the response and saved time, but he wasn't entirely convinced he wanted to give up the higher ground. Deciding to see the conversation through face to face (to face? Zim still wasn't completely sold about Paladin, but he believed it more every day). Once on the ground, he let out a low sigh. "Thanks for coming over. Not really sure how to ask it other than to just, well, ask it. So, sorry if this is coming from nowhere..." Zim looked at the hair band around his wrist that belonged to Katya, he sighed again slightly, "What is your relationship with Katya?"

"She's my friend." Paladin flashed an X across Ariin's eye. "I trust her... She's my commander and one of the only people who didn't treat me like a freak now that I have an AI in my head." Paladin flashed a heart now on the screen. "Why do you ask?" Now Paladin and Ariin had given rather contradicting answers...

"I see," Zim said as his focus shifted between the two eyes. Zim wondered what the truth was, which of the two answers he had received was the reality of the situation. Of course, giving credence to the idea that Paladin was actually controlling the cybernetic implant, it could be that both were true. That Ariin had his feelings, and Paladin had its own. "It seems as though you have been close with her now for a little while and I..."

Zim hesitated for a moment. This was stupid. [i]'You are a grown man, stop acting like such a child, especially in front of someone so much younger than yourself,'[/i] Zim berated himself.

Zim's face contorted into a sneer of self-loathing as he finally forced himself to say what was on his mind. "And I have feelings for the commander. But I didn't want to pursue if there was something going on between you two. I mean, you two are closer in age, and seem so close." [i]'And you don't look like a freak'[/i] Zim left off of his reasoning. "Let alone the military regulations that I would be bending in my efforts, assuming that my affections are returned."

"Look even if I did have feelings for her and I do think a lot of her... I couldn't. I'm not a soldier or a volunteer Zim. I'm a prisoner, my sentence? This until I die or until the war is won. I killed two MP's that's life on Mars." He explained Paladin made a frowny face. "I'll admit I've thought about her like that a couple times... Paladin brings her up a lot as part my 'moral compass' whatever that is about. But I'm not gonna be able to do anything my life isn't my own I belonged to Mars and now Lorenzo's project. The only way I get out is if I'm given a pardon."

He stopped a moment and sighed looking Zim in the eyes. "Do what you feel is right... You still have control of your life. I've lost my family, my freedom, and now? I've lost the right to my own private thoughts." He added turning away. "I just have one thing left to do... Die for the cause then I get to be free in whatever comes after that."

Zim's self-loathing passed into confusion and rapidly turned into anger. "I'm sorry, I didn't know. This squad is so messed up, that damned Lorenzo... But even worse then him is your attitude. I will continue my efforts, then. But so should you, if that is what you want to do. You cannot allow your past to rule the rest of your life. Lorenzo may have conscripted you into the Squad, but that means that he has given you an opportunity to earn your freedom. You said it yourself that a Pardon can set you free, then I would do everything in my power to figure out what I could do to earn that freedom. But then again, that's just me, that's the kind of person I am. As such, if you say its fine, then its fine. Thank you for clarifying that for me. However, if it is going to cause you pain in your already terribly miserable existence, then I wont."

"And I certainly don't want you to pass up an opportunity to continue being friends with her on my behalf in either situation, I could never ask that of you, even before you told me of your situation. Understand?"

"Hey whoever said I was unhappy... I get to kill the things that wiped out my parents and I don't have to scrounge and work my ass just to feed myself." He spoke trying to hide his pain. "You think Lorenzo will release me? Zim, I'm a walking science project, he didn't care when Paladin started controlling my body. He would have left me and let Paladin just control my body." Another frowny face from the eye. 

"It's not like on Mars. I had an officer who looked out for me, I had a path to maybe getting out. His project got scrapped Paladin and I went to Lorenzo, who I personally think is a madman." He grumbled. "The one good thing about being where I am, you can speak your mind and they have nothing left to do to you." He spoke turning to look at Zim. "I don't think I will be pardoned. I'm not going to stop having friends... But I'm also out here to protect others usually the guy putting himself up in front of danger dies first." He pulling his hood up and stuffing his hands into the pockets of his civilian clothes. 

"I'm not letting anyone else get hurt. My purpose is to get make sure you all get futures." He added with the conviction of an older more veteran soldier. Zim might have forgotten that he Ariin stated piloting years ago, he had time to understand his position and make peace with it.

"Well," Zim said after a moment, "The war has to end at some point, one way or the other. There is being brave and there is being Stupid, just make sure it isn't the later. I'm not giving up on you. On any of us."

Zim held out a hand. "Thank you."

Ariin chuckled and took the hand shaking it. "Yeah, no problem... I'm the shield. Gotta be here for everyone." He let go and walked away, heading back towards Paladin wanting to turn on the shield generator at least once.