[i]Shortly before the debriefing proper…[/i]

[sub]Collaboration with [@Pilatus] and [@Th3King0fChaos][/sub]

"Never been better," Ziska said, sliding closer to Reya, and making a poor attempt at whispering, "Don’t listen to Doctor Yuri, she’s just looking for an excuse to confine me to my quarters, elegant as they are."

"How is it that you are still sober? You survived your first sortie! That deserves a drink. Here! Drink!" Ziska exclaimed, putting an arm around Reya's shoulder and pushing the bottle of Tikinov vodka into her hand. "Drink!"

A drink to celebrate her first sortie did sound like a good idea, but before she could take the thought any further, Ziska was forcing the bottle at her yet again. "[color=magenta]Ziska! Oh my God![/color]" She pushed the bottle away as fervently as it was offered. She knew how uppity she suddenly sounded and that the Mechwarrior had a certain talent in bringing out her more pretentious tones. She began to brush against Tarak as she fought with Ziska over the bottle like two children. The smell of whatever Dr. Yuri had applied to her wounds, the bandages and hard alcohol were revolting. "[color=magenta]Get that away from me![/color]" She protested. "[color=magenta]The meeting is about to start, you’re gonna piss off the Colonel![/color]" 

"Lady Wyatt! You can’t refuse the celebratory drink offered by your most esteemed and wonderful colleague. If you don’t drink, then I will have to insist, and not even the Colonel will silence my protests," Ziska said, her voice sounding suddenly all Davion aristocrat instead of the rough, sharp Periphery dialect of a professional guttersnipe.

Tarak watched and laughed as Ziska almost played with Reya, offering a drink right before briefing was unprofessional, however the Colonel would never know if you didn’t yell too loud. Tarak lightly rocked Reya as she was near him as he said, [color=gold]"Come on, you lived through a tough one. Taking one sip won’t hurt’cha"[/color]. Tarak looked to Reya with a big smile as he said it.

Seeing Tarak’s goofy smile again reminded her of his equally goofy mix-tape approach and quickly gave her another idea. She accepted the bottle from the Canopian guttersnipe, but instead of drinking it, put it in Tarak’s hand. "[color=magenta]Then [i]you[/i] drink it.[/color]" She said with a sly smirk, arching one eyebrow back at him, like she had just handed him a live grenade.  

[color=gold]"Oh ho~"[/color] left Tarak’s lips as Reya tried to get him to take a drink. Tarak stayed smiling as he said, [color=gold]"You learned something? That’s a surprise"[/color]. Tarak said with just a bit of a chuckle as he ever so lightly kept it between his hand and Reya’s.

Ziska rolled her eyes, "I hear much talking, but observe a distinct lack of drinking. Need I remind you two that we are on a tight schedule here. The Colonel will no doubt soon deliver a wonderfully cheerful briefing and you risk leaving me alone in my celebrations. Let us barter. If you drink, I may perhaps be inclined to tell you where I hid Reya’s good table linens. Perhaps it slipped my mind in the haste of the moment, but I was able to secure them during our storied flight into these mountains."

"[color=magenta]Lies, you can scantily find your way to your mech without me showing you.[/color]" Reya said, holding her nose just slightly higher as she relaxed into her seat and let the bottle go, leaving it in Tarak’s hand. She had already accomplished what she wanted in disarming Ziska of her booze. "[color=magenta]I was in the cockpit without you even knowing.[/color]" She crossed her legs and took a sip of the tea that Ziska’s very own astech had given her. It was poorly made. Too hot, steeped too long and with too little water- a total crime, but in the cold air of the cave was just good enough. "[color=magenta]Maybe Davids will figure out what else I did to it?[/color]" She said nonchalantly with a shrug. "[color=magenta]Maybe not?[/color]" 

She glanced back at Tarak examining his boots, pants and the rest of his ensemble briefly before speaking: "[color=magenta]I’ve got to do some work on Black Phoenix first, but I’ll make my way back over by the time your techs are ready.[/color]" 

Tarak sighed as he took the bottle in his hand and set it on the table as Reya spoke what seemed to be about work. [color=gold]"Work already? Dang, can’t catch a break can ya?"[/color] Tarak said with a chuckle as leaned back into the seat and adjusted himself.[done]

"Argh, what bores the two of you are!" Ziska said, managing an ungainly stumble as she rose to her feet, grabbing her still heavy bottle of Tikinov vodka. Twirling and offing a mock bow, she tilted her head backwards, taking several long pulls of the burning liquid. Sitting down on top of the nearby table with her bottle still in hand, facing her two colleagues Ziska shot a mischievous smirk at Reya. "You know, I’m beginning to think that you are really the [i]troublemaker[/i] in this esteemed company. Hiding advanced technology in innocent MechWarriors BattleMechs? Why Miss Wyatt, what will you do next?"

"[color=magenta]Do you think I’m a troublemaker, Tarak?[/color]"

Tarak heard the almost key phrase that will put him on thin ice, a question that seems innocuous enough, however it felt as if the air cooled when the question was asked. However, like any good Mechwarrior, he kept his cool as he said with a quick rational thought, [color=gold]"You a troublemaker? Naw. Does trouble seem to find you? Maybe"[/color]. Tarak chuckled as he said with a calm wave of the hands, [color=gold]"But that’s all of us, if trouble didn’t follow we wouldn’t have jobs nor would we be where we are. But causing trouble that ain’t nobody but Ziska and some of the crew"[/color]. Tarak said as he lightly reached out to the bottle in Ziska’s hand.


Handing Tarak the bottle with a nod, Ziska smiled, "And here I thought we were friends, Tarak. I can’t believe that you would imply that I cause even the smallest amount of trouble. I am nothing more than the unfortunate victim of circumstance and the unfortunately common prejudice leveled at ComStar acolytes and citizens of the Periphery in equal measure."

Tarak laughed as he took the bottle and said, [color=gold]"We are friends, however you have caused enough mischief and headaches for our dear leader that I think our contracts have a few new clauses and I thought I heard the Colonel refer to you as ‘Trouble’ when we first took this job"[/color]. Tarak took a swig from the bottle and handed it back to Ziska as a [i][color=gold]"Phew"[/color][/i] left his mouth.

"[color=magenta]I always enjoy when she calls me ‘Miss Wyatt’.[/color]" Reya said with some satisfaction. Tired as she was, for a few moments she had felt like her old self, particularly as Tarak carefully tiptoed around the response to her question- An observation she enjoyed immensely. However, as the debrief got underway, she was quickly reminded of her [i]other self[/i]; the one that had walked off the APC. The one that had just survived a combat mission and the one who was presently the caretaker of a small child. Her smile faded as the Colonel continued.

[hr]
[center][h3]Ziska[/h3][/center]

Listening lazily to the debriefing, Ziska found her chair strangely uncomfortable, and her displeasure at having to sit still for more than five minutes was only mollified by the Colonel's interrupted description of her performance. Right idea was good enough and she filed the comment away under the header [i]another job done right[/i]. She almost hoped the Crimson Fist pilot had survived. She needed someone to gloat at. Doubtlessly it had not been a pleasant ejection. Straight into the heart of the storm.

The arrival of the fresh stranger and his empty mason jar of moonshine perked Ziska up, and she smiled listening to banter that followed.

"A tragedy indeed, to fight a war without further spirits," Ziska said, offering a toast with her bottle towards the stranger. "But you might find our price too high for your liking."