[b][center][h2][color=magenta]Reya Wyatt[/color][/h2][/center][/b]
“[color=ed145b]What in the fuck…[/color]” Cassandra proclaimed, looking out the window as the helicopter banked over Uncle Mack’s.

Reya glanced up. Being completely mentally exhausted, she was right on the edge of sleep, but couldn’t see from the opposing side of the cabin. In their short time together, she’d never heard Cassandra once utter anything remotely profane. The older woman seemed far too aristocratic for such language. The words seeped out as if her travel partner was both disgusted and somehow, not surprised. She didn’t say anything, having not uttered a word the whole trip from the Hyperpulse generator. Neither had Cassandra. Whatever it was hadn’t disturbed the flight path and the glow of the scrapyard floodlights grew around the windows as the pilot smoothly descended. Cassandra grumbled something else and rapidly hammered something on her datapad just as nose flared. Reya still couldn’t exactly see what was happening and was not in the spirits to take another verbal quip so she remained quiet until the pilot opened the door.

Cassandra immediately bounded after the Colonel and another person she remembered as Ollie Maxwell along with his scraggly work crew, but stopped as her harsh direction caught a glance of her mercenary smoking a cigarette at the food of his [i]Marauder[/i] and her step seemed to lighten a bit. Reya glanced up at the pilot who merely shrugged as she stepped out. The commotion, whatever it had been, was still rampant in the air amidst shouted threats and pointed fingers, but she overlooked it and counted out the mechs: [i]Phoenix Hawk, Archer, Raven, Ostroc, Shadow Hawk[/i] and then the imposing main gun of the [i]Von Luckner[/i] was visible, angled up towards the night sky. She breathed an exhausted sigh of relief. They had at least all made it back, though a couple of them were badly mangled and her worry returned for Ingrid especially, but somehow she just knew Ziska would be too stubborn to die. It gave her a light smile in spite of everything. What in the world had been going on when they circled to land?

“[color=00aeef]Reeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyaaaaaa![/color]” Sunny’s voice erupted. The girl seemingly emerged from a tunnel of household junk and tripped slightly as she bounded forward. Pops followed not far behind. Even though it was night, he still wore his sunglasses. Sunny jumped for Reya’s arms unexpectedly, nearly knocking her over, but she caught her and held her tightly as a moment of pure selenity washed over her at the child’s innocent embrace. Taking a deep breath, she held her tighter still only trying to savor the feeling for just a few more seconds. She had to wipe her eyes as Sunny leaned back, still in the crook of her arm. “[color=00aeef]No crying![/color]” Sunny protested and patted Reya’s shoulders for emphasis. “[color=00aeef]Look! We got a Catapult![/color]”

“[color=magenta]I see that,[/color]” Reya replied, putting her other arm under Sunny to hold the girl’s weight. She was tired, but didn’t care. “[color=magenta]Is everyone okay?[/color]"

“[color=00aeef]Ya, they just had a huge fight, though, Colonel says now they get lashes. I think I saw a tooth on the ground.[/color]”

“[color=magenta][i]A fight?[/i] What?[/color]” Reya glanced at Pops.

“[color=peru]Boys will be boys, I s’pose.[/color]” Pops said, almost with a fatherly sense of amusement, looking over at the still unruly precession. Sergeant Dalton was busy separating what was left of the apparent sides. His massive arm pointed at someone like the barrel of an AC20 and silence followed. “[color=peru]Tarak did something to upset the tankers on the mountain and coming back alive just wasn’t enough. All full of piss and vinegar when they got here.[/color]”

Reya’s shoulders sank a bit at the mention of Tarak being the center of attention. “[color=magenta]Oh no…[/color]” It was too dark and still far too many people were moving about for her to see him.

“[color=00aeef]Who gave you a flower?[/color]” Sunny said, looking down quizzically.

Reya’s eyes shifted down to the crisp white and red flower pinned to her [url=https://i.ibb.co/8MhmXWJ/f815ace24e6c48e45f5b6207a38bc634.jpg]dress[/url]. “[color=magenta]Oh, the nice Precentor did, I think he’s gonna help us.[/color]” Even as soon as she said the words, she could sense the uneasiness in Pops’ glance at the Precentor’s mark. He didn’t say anything. 

“[color=00aeef]Were they chanting at the microwave?[/color]”

Reya chuckled a little nervously. “[color=magenta]Not exactly.[/color]”

Seeing the Colonel still preoccupied with Ollie for the moment, Reya very timidly approached Cassandra and stood to the side not wanting to face the Colonel on her own. She was talking to the [i]Marauder[/i] pilot, Jon. Just like before in the cave, he seemed like this uncaring image of war and she didn’t trust him. Like many had said, if Cassandra told him to shoot the Knights in the back, he would do it without hesitation. She kept her glance away and crossed her arms. They were both going to need to see the Colonel together anyway and she waited for Cassandra to finish with him.
   
“[color=f26522]...I always record the open freq, you never know when somebody might say somethin’ stupid. I heard some names when I was listening back through it on the way here.[/color]” Jon took a long pull at his cigarette and blew the smoke away from Cassandra. His mind played back through the recording and he wiped a hand over his face. “[color=f26522][i]Stroheim[/i]... I think was one of’em. It’s on my ROMs.[/color]” He nodded towards the salvaged [i]Catapult[/i] and the eager junkers giddily unrolling a firehose. “[color=f26522]’Probly wanna get somebody to pull the radios before they hose that bastard out.[/color]” 

Cassandra smiled approvingly, her red lipstick forming a sly grimace and she patted his cheek like she was petting the family dog. Her eyes cut back at Reya like a tag-a-long child. “[color=ed145b]Let’s go honey, you certainly have some explaining to do.[/color]”