[b][center][h2][color=magenta]Reya[/color] & Raven[/h2][/center][/b] Hidden within a small box of treasures that managed to escape with her in the Green Knights retreat from the capital and stored in a place she knew no one would ever find- because some would indeed be looking; bright white, rolled crisply and never folded, handmade with pure linen, was one of the Green Knights’ most unorthodox, but well-known accompaniments, the vaunted, Engineer Reya Wyatt tablecloth. Having just had [i]another[/i] shower, her hands were clean as she unraveled it, but not before breathing in the still clean scent of the fabric and for a moment being a table to just taste a glimmer of home and civility. She looked at it, knowing it would soon lose its fragrance and cleanliness, but rather than letting it lose its luster slowly stored away, she decided it was time. The Knights’ spirits were still high from the success of the raid. There was plenty of food and water to go around and certainly no shortage of alcohol either. Work on the mechs had them nearly ready for another sortie. Over her one small table outside of the small area she and Sunny shared, Reya carefully let the fabric settle. The subtle, hand-stitched gray threads of a Kuritan Dragon curling through clouds fell nicely over the round surface. For a moment she allowed herself to just look at it and let her mind travel light years away to another place. There were two places set. One for Sunny and one for herself. She had one extra chair that would likely belong to Pops if he decided to stop by. He liked to pretend that he was too rough and tumble for a proper sit down, but Reya could tell that some form of proper femininity took his heart back through memories long gone. For Sunny, it was at least a small sliver of what might have been considered “normalcy” and how families set themselves together for a meal. She thought about Lena and the missing chair. Naturally the meal itself wasn’t quite the exposition as the cloth it sat over. Sergeant Dalton assured her, after his many years in the field, that the “Terra Prime Adventure Meals” MREs were shockingly tasty. Reya could see Sunny instantly turning her nose up and was thinking up various creative descriptions she could use to sell the meal to a ten year old. Admittedly however, she was having a hard time convincing herself to experience something called “biscuits and gravy” alongside “chicken fried rice”, beef stroganoff and assorted freeze-dried fruits and granola. One eyebrow arched as she looked at the package. On a positive note, thanks to the Espian Guards, there was evaporated milk for the tea though it was still served in barbaric tin cups. Still overall, it was forming into a surprisingly quaint scene and she couldn’t deny her love for some of the old ways. She looked at her watch as it would soon be time to put the call out for Sunny and set the meals to their quick cook time before she placed the last two items on the table: Diego’s [i]Marauder[/i] action toy, which had simply become something of an unspoken set piece and finally, two volumes of [i]Comstar Scholastic Press Primer - Grade 6[/i]. Lena had done her best to tutor her younger siblings and Reya often tried to help. Hilariously, and to no surprise, neither one of them proved to be the most effective instructor. In the time since the escape and the raid, Reya hadn’t been able to keep Sunny’s schooling up and with the work on the mechs being ahead of schedule, she felt like it was at least time to try. Stealing a few brief moments to herself, Reya picked up one of Sunny’s issues of [i]Never-Ending Hearts Revolution[/i] and started thumbing through the pages. --- Reya could hear footsteps coming closer to her; booted feet from a younger man than Pops. It was Raven Rivers, his face still unsmiling and eyes still turned downwards, while his mouth opened and closed again, before he reached where Reya was and forced a smile for her sake, before asking, “Hey, do you have a spare seat? I know that one is for Pops…” --- Seeing Raven was a surprise. Ever since the retreat from the capital and his family being captured, he was not himself, or at least not as she had known him in her time with the Green Knights. After the raid he effectively had made himself into a sort of pariah among the crews. She looked at him for a moment, sitting at her ornate table display and before anything else, could hear the words of her father instantly talking to her from her childhood: [i]Never kick a man when he is down. Honor must dictate.[/i] It was the Dragon’s way. She couldn’t imagine what Raven had to be going through and the fact that he had found his way to her, meant that he wanted to talk to someone other than another mechwarrior or a soldier. Her hand motioned to the open seat. “[color=magenta]It’s fine, I think he’s busy, sit down if you like. Tea?[/color]” --- “Thank you,” Raven said as he casually sipped it, before saying, “You know, Andrew really liked you. He’s a fine kid; always wondering why the Colonel was always so ‘sharp’ with you. Then again, he was four when we left House Davion’s service…” He chuckled and continued, “Katrina once scolded Andrew when he said he wanted to marry you, both because you were beautiful and because he wanted your noble title. Let’s just say I was glad not] to be at the end of [i]that[/i] death glare.” A half-sob escaped his lips as he said, “They’re going to be killed, I know it. Katrina, Andrew, I’ll never see them again, Reya. I’ll never see them again…” --- Reya was happy to see him accept her offer for tea and very daintily filled his tin cup in the proper way while thinking in the back of her mind how Ziska would make fun of her absolute love affair for proper dining edicate. Having an unexpected guest as soon as she rolled out the fine linen seemed like a sign of good luck. She set Sunny’s book aside and just let him talk. It was clear he had a lot on his mind and with his family gone, essentially had no one left to confide in. She gave a small shrug when he mentioned nobility. Everyone assumed so much that she was some kind of royalty, but within the Combine, hers was just another wealthy family, not even part or related to the lineage of the Coordinator. It was easier to just let them believe it and a small part of her liked the idea of royal titles. It was no surprise that he was about to break down and some part of her knew it was probably for the best for everyone in the squad for him to let it out. She thought of herself, having her own moment in Ziska’s Raven when no one was looking. At the time there was nothing anyone could have said to console her, it just had to pass. She considered her words to at least try and build him up: “[color=magenta]I already lost my best friend and I’m still here…[/color]” She said softly. The words came out more tenderly than she expected, but her thoughts flashed with images of Lena. Again she looked at the empty chair for a moment. “[color=magenta]I even went on the mission… We don’t know what will happen, but I know you’re tougher than me.[/color]” --- Raven chuckled again, before saying, “Don’t sell yourself short. I may be a big tough guy on the outside, but to tell you the truth, I’ve been getting ‘sicker’ since our time on the fringes of the ‘Marian Hegemony’. Remember that time they almost got near our civilian contingent that one time? And that other time they managed to cut off a shipment of vital medicine and Andrew’s best friend during that time died?” He then sighed and said, “I had nightmares about the Marians - Those Pseudo-romans - getting to the civilian contingent and enslaving everyone. Of Katrina being… used while Andrew grows up in bondage, his spirit crushed before it truly grew. Now those nightmares are gone but replaced with something new.” Another sob wracked him, before he continued, “I’m not a bad father. But I am a bad person. I’ve blundered so badly that I might end up breaking from the strain. The enemy lacks mercy, kindness, compassion, and they still regard themselves as the ‘good guys’. And I let myself get egged on by their trash talk, and now they’re going to find some way of using that against me - If they find out who exactly my family [i]are[/i]...” Then Raven shifted subjects, “Andrew also wanted to marry Ingrid, but my behavior as a bad [i]squadmate[/i] probably made that beyond impossible instead of ‘impossible’...” --- Reya winced a bit at the thought of an arranged marriage of [i]anyone[/i] to Ingrid. The subject of arranged marriage was something which she was certainly acquainted. “[color=magenta]I suspect they’re more bitter now after losing one of their mechs to us,[/color]” She glanced over at Ziska’s Raven on the other side of the cave. “[color=magenta]A pretty expensive one too…[/color]” There was some satisfaction in her voice, but it trailed off a bit as she again thought about the matching cannon on the [i]Merry-Go-Round[/i] and the Crimson Fists’ [i]Hunchback[/i] then the haphazard supply depot the Espian Guards had so easily folded on, now ruined. She could see their twisted forms after Sergeant Dalton’s men had erupted on them like a vengeful fire of buckshot and solid slugs. The images stayed with her, though she had quickly forced herself to look away. “[color=magenta]I’m not sure everything going on here is what it seems to be.[/color]” She said, looking back at Raven. “[color=magenta]Maybe I’m crazy, but just call it a woman's intuition.[/color] --- Raven looked her in the eyes, nodded, and said, “I’m not completely blind; I know for sure that there are greater players out there manipulating the scenes. If Andrew were here, he’d confidently say that this coup was probably sponsored by a neighboring stellar power as a ploy to steal a planet from the Cappellans…” --- Reya sipped at her tea cup, watching Raven’s reaction to what she’d said. It seemed like she’d managed to at least get him to start thinking like a leader again while some broken part of her was scoffing at the entire exchange. A few weeks ago, she wouldn’t have been near as gentle with the man, but her whole world was turned upside down and there were pieces of her “old self” lying all over the place within her psyche. The part of her that was deftly accustomed to manipulation to get what she wanted was being eclipsed by another part that had shockingly realized what was actually important in life. Raven’s situation had become swifty relatable to the latter. She refilled his cup. “[color=magenta]You know, you’re my first unexpected dinner guest.[/color]” She said, smoothing a slight wave in the linen cloth. “[color=magenta]I think that’s a sign of good luck.[/color]” --- The response was a smile and a quip, “I don’t think everyone else would regard me as lucky.” --- Reya gave a small shrug and a smirk in return, tipping her cup back at Raven. “[color=magenta]Then you’re welcome.[/color]” --- Raven smiled wider and mimicked Reya’s gesture, tipping his cup back at her before saying, “Anyway, on the subject of whoever is backing the ‘Democratic People’s Republic of Espia’... What are the nearest powers to this planet again? I don’t think we’re so far away from the Marian Hegemony, sad to say…” --- Reya shook her head as mentioned the “nearest powers”. It just sounded so pedestrian, like there was a nice picket fence between them. The expression was the difference between their cultures in a nutshell, she thought to herself. Raven came from the Federated Suns. In the Combine, the “nearest powers” were the [i]enemy[/i], [b]period[/b]. She could think of better terminology for some of the other “Great” Houses, but for the moment she had at least succeeded in getting Raven to go from sobbing to smiling in fairly short order. [i][color=magenta]So smart, Reya. You could have been a therapist too![/color][/i] A passing voice commented in the back of her mind. “[color=magenta]It’s not that simple, I’m sure we’re dealing with something, or maybe [i]someone[/i] else, more subversive.[/color]” She said, leveling a bit of authority back into the conversation. When she got a twinge of intuition her mind moved like a guided missile. “[color=magenta]The only thing valuable on Espia are the Neodymium mines… There’s nothing else here other than jump points and the HPG.[/color]” Her expression narrowed a bit. She had another thought go out on a tangent, but stowed it quickly. Some things she would have only confided in Lena or maybe Pops. “[color=magenta]Everybody involved, at least so far, hates the Capellans, and us specifically by extension… but they won’t show who they really are…[/color]” She looked at him, dead in the eyes, her countenance uncharacteristically dark at the thoughts that came up behind her words: “[color=magenta]These Espian Guards? They’re a joke. I saw what Sergeant Dalton’s men did to them in the raid. They barely put up a fight. Some of them even looked [i]glad[/i] to surrender to us…They were terrified.[/color]” She leaned forward. “[color=magenta]Did you know when the ‘Boys swept the admin office of that depot they found a Captain that had shot himself? [i]A Captain.[/i] Right before we got there.[/color]” She tilted her head slightly to drive the question: “[color=magenta]Does that make any sense to you? What was he so afraid of?[/color]” --- Raven arrived at a conclusion instantly, but without jumping to it, if it made any sense, “The puppetmaster. The ones behind the Crimson Fists and the New Regime. Maybe the Crimson Fists are connected with the puppetmaster or potential mysterious benefactor who wants the Neodymium mines?” --- Reya shrugged and relaxed some back into her chair. “[color=magenta]I’m sure it’s a piece of the puzzle, maybe not even the main piece.[/color]” She took another small sip and replayed the thoughts in her head for a moment. Her memory was nearly perfectly photographic as she recalled the drone zipping up and down the lines of containers taking pictures and video at rapid speed. “[color=magenta]When we were on the mission, I had my drone take a lot of pictures for the intel squad.[/color]” She sighed tiredly as she thought about it. “[color=magenta]We’ve been so busy, I haven’t had time to look at them myself, but I’m going to.[/color]” --- Raven nodded and asked, “Want another pair of eyes to help analyze it? I want to do something more useful than whining and getting angry all the time… Which will happen again once the enemy finds out who exactly my family are and harms them because of my psychotic breakdown or finds some other way of making me look like a frothing berserker, which I was during that time.” His next question was, “Also, we need to know the official propaganda line of the current regime as regards the attack on their supply lines, or do you guys already know that but I’m just left out of the loop?” --- Reya recoiled a bit at Raven’s prognostications. His self-centeredness was revolting. “[color=magenta]Raven, listen to yourself, you can’t be like that. This company, [i]these people[/i] who are still alive here cannot afford it.[/color]” She wanted to drive the nail. There were plenty of others who didn’t have the title [i]Mechwarrior[/i] in front of their names on the roster that had family killed or captured just the same, herself included, but she remembered her father’s words again and stayed the hammer. “[color=magenta]And for God’s sakes, let the Colonel worry about propaganda lines and what not. There is [i]nothing[/i] you can do to influence [i]any[/i] of that.[/color]” She shook her head a bit, trying to remain thoughtful with him though her hands were becoming a little animated. “[color=magenta]You are one of the most experienced people we have with one of our best mechs. Get your head in the cockpit and [i]fight the enemy[/i].[/color]” She said. “[color=magenta]You have all the power and talent you need for that and I know you have more discipline than what these dregs have managed to bring out in you,[/color]” Some part of her became keenly aware that she was sounding a lot like the Colonel and wasn’t quite sure how she felt about that in the middle of a conversation. “[color=magenta]So it’s time to be a leader again, yea?[/color] --- [i]A Leader.[/i] Raven had never thought of himself as one; had let his own skills in that direction atrophy during his time in the Green Knights, but at the same time… He knew Reya was right. He had a streak of self-centeredness which can screw over the Green Knights - who were friends and also family - in the future if it continued to rule him. He smiled again and said, “A leader. Been a long time since anyone relied on me to do any of that.” [i]I could do it if I can get over myself. I can do it if I can get over my emotional myopia; the near-sightedness which makes me see only me, Katrina, and Andrew as the only ones important.[/i] So his next words were, “Everyone has flaws; you just called me out on mine. Very well, if you trust me that much… Time for me to prove you right.” The egotism, perhaps even arrogance, was still there. But it was subliminated into a confidence in his skills, into a desire to prove that he was what Reya thought he was. He wasn’t blind to the mix of flattery and force the engineer had brought to bear, but he wasn’t overly cynical about it either - He knew she was sincere. He got up and said, “Time for me to blow off some steam; the whiny angst I just showed won’t fully go away unless I’ve had a good spar or simulated battle. Want to help me find a sparring partner if, say, Tarak isn’t available?”