Cat listened patiently and with interest, taking in what Anna had to say with personal interest. She could tell this was a rare moment for the jaguar to open up, and treated it as such without interrupting. She gave a smile as the smaller, slimmer woman touched on her friendship with Max, much as she had done with her own with Silver, and nodded in understanding. As she answered her remark, she chuckled and turned back to her own pebble as Anna did the same. 


****

It was hours later when the transport prepared for landing, the announcement coming from the loadmaster. Once again, they strapped in as the pitch of the engines changed and the aircraft rumbled as its' landing gear extended. Noises issued from all around as the aircraft dropped through the air in a graceful, controlled descent into thicker air and toward the ground, and as the big, sleek stealth transport kissed the runway, the noise was too intense for conversation. It died down soon after as the plane turned off the runway and moved to a parking position, the noise dying down to a shrill scream of idling powerplants, and the loadmaster checked them off to disembark, the ramp cracking open and lowering with a grinding whine of hydralics and opening to a fresh breeze tinged with the scents of hot metal and burnt fuel from the airbase outside. 
"Welcome to Faeranel, boys and girls," Silverwind said as he stood and shrugged his pack onto his shoulders. "The tech support team will take care of off-loading out GEARs and fitting them out for the mission. We have about-" he checked his pebble, which had automatically synced up to local time "-Four hours before nightfall, and another two before we launch. Enough time for us all to get adjusted. Yer all free to go take in the local sights, whatever they may be, as long as we're back here in time fer final briefin' and last checks one hour before take off. No drinkin' this time, I'm afraid; save that fer afterwards. But get some chow somewhere that ain't a mess hall, but yerselves some souveneirs, and stretch yer legs after bein' cooped up in this tin can for the last while". 
He nodded to them all and headed down the ramp into the brightness of the early afternoon sunshine.