[color=598527]"Necessary actions due to the universe we deal with. But for the sake of present company, yourself excluded, I won't continue. And as I said, Morgenstern, I will follow your orders regardless of personal beliefs in regards to your companion."[/color] Stukov did not like entertaining the idea of allowing a xeno into the group, let alone actually going through with it. That being said, he had explicit orders to behave and tolerate the xeno, so he would begrudgingly do so. Cogs outbursts and general demeanor were, well, jarring as usual and her suggestion towards alcohol, while sorely tempting, would have to be turned down. [color=598527]"Cogs, as tempting as it is, I don't drink on duty. Not a gamble I'm willing to take for when things go sideways to be drunk. And the odds of that happening, Smiles, are slim to none given current circumstances."[/color]

	Frankly, Stukov wasn't a heavy drinker to begin with, given he'd seen what that particular coping mechanism did to some people. So he stuck to his less damaging vices, like a certain bitter stoicism distilled into a drink, and went about his business being the only sane person around in this retinue apparently. Cogs taking this all in stride was, well, not surprising in and of itself given she had to be missing a few gears up in that brainpan of hers. Smiles...had been off for awhile now, he wanted to blame the strange warp occurances going on for that, but those Throne forsaken eyes during the little trip through the warp lingered in his memories, though he kept those thoughts securely buried under quite a number of layers of nonsense and mental static. No need to make that read easy. Morgenstern had clearly lost it, buddying up to an Eldar Farseer of all things, but there really was little to be done for it right now, even as food was brought to the others, he ignored the meals. The mention of needing uplifted spirits got a snort from the man.

	[color=598527]"Look Cogs, given current circumstances you'll be lucky to get civil out of me. And that was because I was ordered to be."[/color] Regardless it seemed they were determined to try and make fast friends with the xeno, and Stukov made no movement towards the food. Even if he was hungry, which he wasn't, there wasn't a chance that he would have the palette to even begin attempting to appreciate it, let alone completely do so. If he needed to, he could always wolf down a ration later, and he focused his attention on the plan for the rest of the evening. Wander the streets, indulge in the celebrations, head to this shop, and return to base. Great, he thought sarcastically, more nonsense while trouble remained on the ship. Still, he was not in much of a position to do anything about it so he would have to grit his teeth and make do.

	[color=598527]"Wander like needlessly well armed tourists, visit some shop that, if we're lucky, is a front operation, and finally complete our objective. Sooner we get started, sooner we can be done with it."[/color] Stukov knew damn well he was stuck no matter what he did, short of painting the surrounding area with his blood and grey matter with a well placed shotgun shell, but he wasn't about to give the xeno the satisfaction of that particular outcome either. So he was stuck waiting for this night to be over with, even if something came up to interrupt things from going according to plan. He would be as ready as he could be, even with a broken pistol and limited remaining supply of blessed buckshot and regular shot as well for that matter. He still had a chainsword and knife beyond that, at least, so he wasn't completely out of tricks yet.