Astara Benson - Athos - State Dining Room

The melancholy in Xane's voice surpirsed Tara. He was a formidable fighter, he had the Arch-Lord's ear and yet, yet he yearned for companionship. She almost felt sorry for him. Who knows what he went through. It also had not escaped her attentive observation, that he seemed to lock up, when ever Hadron was near.

Instinctively, without thought, she placed a hand on Xane's arm, as if to comfort him.

"I'm sure the right person is out there for you," she said with a soft smile. "I for one, like to come home to an empty apartment. It makes things easier, nobody to cook for, nobody to clean up after," she added with a grin, to lighten the mood.

They were interrupted by a new ANGEL pilot. Tara looked at the man with a frown. To show up late and then to admit he had gotten lost didn't bode well. Hopefully, his inability to find a dining room didn't speak for his skill as a pilot.

"Good evening. One usually introduces oneself, when joining a new group of people," she slightly reprimanted him. "I am Astara Benson, one of the best damn pilots the ANGELS got," she said with a smirk.

Xane Straza

Xane was busy enveloped in the though of his own loneliness when Tara did something very unexpected.

She put her hand on Xane's arm, trying to comfort him. Xane looked at her quizzically. Had he given off the impression that he was weak, tat he needed someone in his life to go on? He certainly hoped not. Something like that couldn't be thought of the commanding officer. He was named the best by the Arch-Lord for Steel's sake! He was a strong fighter, extremely proud of where he came from. Sometimes though.... he wished he had someone to share all that pride with.

"I'm sure the right person is out there for you," she said with a soft smile. "I for one, like to come home to an empty apartment. It makes things easier, nobody to cook for, nobody to clean up after," she added with a grin, to lighten the mood.

Xane smiled warmly at her words. Even he had to admit, they had a ring of truth to them. Being single wasn't all bad.

"You may have a point there Tara. Besides, I'm sure I'll find a wife out there someday. The Brotherhood's a big place. Actually Alistair, I had a question. How is the married life? From what I've seen, it's pretty grand. Well, Lord Alan and Lady Illyana make it seem that way at any rate!" Xane said cheerfully, thoughts of his lonely heart slowly drifting away. He took a big gulp of his water and turned back to Bailey.

"So... Bailey right? What's your story hear? Good with an ANGEL I hope!" Xane said in a warm and friendly manner, trying to strike up a conversation with the young pilot.

Alistair Wright - Dining Hall - Athos

The smile Tara shot at Alistair made him become very wary. There was a plot in that head of hers. But it only turned out to be acknowledgement, then it struck his heart strings truly. It was indeed hard. Harder than expected, harder than ever before. Just as he opened his mouth to respond, Traven strode in. Alistair hid the distaste he felt for the theatrics deep down, though they had annoyed him greatly. Conversation resumed. Xane adding himself to the mix with his response.

Tara tried to explain herself and to the ace's amusemant, she tripped along her words in a comedy of missteps. He waved her down, " It's alright Tara. 'Tis of no matter. Being without her is indeed a trial but my mind is focused solely on this mission. I admit regretfully that my mind wanders to thoughts of my child and my wife but have no fear, this task comes first. I would also like to let you both know, you're safe from harm while I am with you. " The feelings that hit the pilot were odd, foreign. To open up to someone other than Clara, it was just so uncomfortable. But this was his team now and if the malevolent mist in the air had anything to say, they could be the people he died with.

A haggard-looking man burst in, providing a reprieve from any awkward mushiness. Alistair thanked the man in his head at the same time he cursed him for his tardiness. The others introduced themselves to him, the ace himself kept quiet. This man wasn't impressive. But he had allowed Alistair to snap back to his regular, calm self. He stared at the new pilot from his extraordinary white suit. More talking from Tara, boasting. More talking from Xane, friendliness. Then a question, about marriage? From Xane?

" Actually Alistair, I had a question. How is the married life? From what I've seen, it's pretty grand. Well, Lord Alan and Lady Illyana make it seem that way at any rate!" Xane said cheerfully.

The ace's mind drifted a little, he became reminiscent. " Xane, being married isn't as wondrous as the Lord and Lady make it seem. It is something that needs tempering. Some nights it'll be painful, others it is blissful. That period lasts for a long while. But once one passes that phase, it's peaceful. One has that love and companionship, on the lowest days when all one feels is dread, the other picks them up and makes everything well again. The love, all the goodness, only comes with the right person though. Otherwise it can just be turmoil. "

Alistair took a deep breath and looked the younger pilot in the eyes with a warm smile. " Do not rush these things Xane. Take your time, enjoy life. Find the woman you want to come home to everyday and talk about the same things with. If you truly do find her, she will make those same things different every time, she'll make them wonderful. " He turned serious for a moment. " Be warned though, if you still plan to be a soldier you will face heartache. Every time you leave her alone, she will worry over your health. You will yearn for her company. It will be painful. It takes great will to be both a soldier and someone's husband. At all times you must juggle duty and happiness. And when you are out there in the trench, worried sick for the well-being of the one you could not live without, know that you will have to live with that fact it was your choice. "

Suddenly the ace covered his face in shame. " I'm sorry Xane, I... carried myself away. Forgive my brash words. Only know that it is arduous, but can be the single best thing in your life. "

With a glance over, he saw Tara's shock. He apologized with his eyes and looked to the newcomer. " Greetings new blood. I hope you are worthy of the position you now hold. If you are only a fool like the last cretin, leaving would be wise. Lest you fancy a painful death. " Snapping words slithered out with a sharp, harsh British twist. Alistair had crawled back into the shell of arrogance and condescension to hide from his shame and his true feelings.

Xane Straza

Xane smiled at Alistair's reaction and the words he spoke. He didn't expect such a response from the man, who was usually one of so little words, but they were welcome words all the same. There was wisdom in the advice, a thing Xane appreciated. In truth, Xane wasn't really sure any sort of relationship was for him. He didn't much like the fact that it would take the time away that should be spent furthering the Brotherhood's goals and protecting Lord Alan and his ever growing family.

But yet... there was still that part of him that yearned deeply for a companion to help him through life's twisted ways. Xane took a deep breathe, processing all these thoughts.

"I see. Thank you Alistair, I'll be sure to take that sage advice to heart indeed. Lord Alan's marriage must be a rare occurrence then I assume. I suppose time will tell whether or not I am to have such a boon. Whatever my fate is to be though, I will take it one day at a time, at any rate." Xane said with a soft laugh, trying to ease the mood a little.

He looked around the room for a second, eyes still not quite adjusted to the brightness and splendor of the decor. It was pretty amazing the things humans were capable of accomplishing when they set their minds to it. He briefly thought of the ANGELs, and how people from the Pre-War days would have reacted to them. No doubt they would have seemed like something out of a science fiction movie. Yet, not far from the very room Xane sat it, was a hanger full of them. In space no less!

Xane smiled at the thought and sat still for a moment, drinking in all of his surroundings, enjoying them while he could. Inside however, his heart yearned for battle. It had been too long. To long since he had spilled blood.

The thoughts physically surprised him. He wasn't quite sure why he thought of that all the sudden, especially when he was in an environment such as this. He wrote it off as just anxiety for the mission. He turned to his compatriots, smile still showing in his face, though much smaller now.

"Well my friends, I do not know about you both, but I am growing restless. I hope we can get back the mission soon. While I enjoy such affairs, I am a man of war. I fear my place is on the battlefield, not at a lord's table."

Too long indeed.

Shaun Elijah "Eli", Athos Space Station
Hours had passed in seconds, he was obviously ill from space travel, he stumbled in to dinner after being treated, he'd missed a lot
The halls seemed to morph around him as he walked in, side effects of medicine maybe, memories seemed to appear in front of him

One event vividly manifested itself near him, he was back in the battlefield, Saren Hill to be specific, he was the last of his squad, the rest had been killed by Michigan
A hail of bullets came above him, a missile struck the top of it, the force was unexpected, rage had kicked in
"This IS FOR Salem!"
He fired a plasma round into one of their skulls, they retaliated with a shower of gun fire, his ANGEL was on the other side of the hill, to reach it he'd have to run
"Dear God, please give me the strength for what is to come."
The memory faded, he was in dinner

"Still getting used to space, sorry for the inconvenience."

Damon, Hadron's assistant

Damon ran through the winding halls of ATHOS, eager to get to the dinner area where the pilots were all stationed. He knew it was wrong interrupting the affair, and so did Hadron. He told him so himself. But that didn't stop the maniacal scientist from interrupting anyway.

And who better to interrupt than the loyal assistant, Damon?! If Hadron wasn't a complete and utter genius who is capable of creating weapons of mass destruction, I bet he'd have been killed by the Inquisition by now...

After a brisk run, he arrived at the officer's dining quarters. Sweat pasted his long brown hair to his forehead. He wiped it off with his lab coat's sleeve as best he could and tried to straighten his attire out before he entered. Traven's guards looked at him through their helmets, obviously wondering what a scientist was doing running to the room where the Patriarch himself and the Brotherhood's finest was doing, interrupting such a stately affair.

"Uh, yes, excuse me my good men, I need to speak to the pilots in there. Head Scientist Hadron assures me it is of utmost importance for their upcoming mission. If you don't mind..."

The Guards didn't wait for another word. One opened the doors to the dining quarters and stamped his halberd on the ground so as to garner the attention of the room.

"Presenting Scribe Damon, assistant to Head Scientist Hadron!" The guard boomed.

Damon entered the room, a little embarrassed. He gave a short bow to Traven and addressed the room.

"Terribly sorry my lord Patriarch, but I am afraid Hadron requests the immediate presence of the ANGEL pilots. I believe it has to do with the procedure for the orbital drop. By your leave Patriarch. Please, everyone follow me. We must make haste to the private hanger where your ANGELs are being held. Hadron does not like to wait." Damon said, calming down a bit.

Xane was the first to arise, and walked over to the still slightly nervous scribe. In truth, he just wanted to get this next part over with. The sooner they went over the drop, the sooner he could go back to his room and sleep. The sooner he did that, the sooner they could get the mission underway. And that was what the pilot really wanted. To get far, far away. As far from Hadron as possible.

"Alright. I am ready. Lord Patriarch, by your leave." Xane said with a bow.

Astara Benson

When the doors opened and the guard announced Hadron's assistant, Tara's heart almost skipped a beat. She threw her napkin onto the table and got up so fast, her chair almost toppled over. Color rose in her cheek, as she remembered where she was and more importantly, who she was dining with. She caught her chair just in time and turned to the Patriarch.

"Thank you for the beautiful dress, a wonderful dinner and a very memorable evening, your Holiness," she said with a smile and bowed her head.

Then she joined Xane and Damon at the door. She hoped that the briefing would be just that and didn't include any fittings. Tara looked down at her beautiful dress, but now wished she wore a more simple attire.

"Well, this was nice, but I'm eager to get started. Long periods of rest just turn me soft," she told Xane with a grin and sparkling eyes.

Alistair Wright - Dining Room - Athos

The pilot nodded as Xane spoke, watching him intently. Something he'd said helped someone, a friend no less, an unexpected occurrence. " You're welcome. If you do find the right woman Xane, I urge you to take that chance. I can speak from my own experience, it can be a wonderful gamble. "

A young man, an ANGEL pilot, rushed into the hall. He appeared as though he was faraway, experiencing something entirely different than the dinner he was supposed to attend. He apologized, moments later a meager Scribe-looking fellow barged in, presented by the guards at the door. An urgent matter had arisen, the group was needed in the bay holding their ANGEL's. Alistair almost laughed at the notion the assistant Damon had. Nothing would happen should the team of skilled warriors defy Hadron, he could not touch them.

Nitpicking aside, the ace rose, his lavish white suit almost shining. Tara moved along after Xane, Alistair himself bringing up the rear. He followed his compatriots. Once they took place beside Damon, the pilot could see how Tara looked at Xane and could swear to seeing hat certain twinkle. He knew the signs, Clara had exhibited them before their courtship. They were almost too obvious, but Alistair wasn't entirely sure it was that feeling in her yet. Time would tell. He'd keep an eye on the two.

" I suggest haste lady and gentlemen. If this matter is so pressing as to interrupt a dinner such as this, we must attend to it. We should be further motivated by the fact that this involves our mission. The sooner we move onto it, the sooner we end the threat. "

Xane Straza

Damon nodded enthusiastically with Alistair's words, a nervous smile appearing on his face.

"Oh yes yes! Hadron has a lot to discuss with you all! Oh and before I forget again, I must inform you that do to recent "cuts" from the team, a new member, a "Paladin Bri" has been added to your roster. Do not worry, she is of excellent rapport! We will meet with her shortly. Now, if you all would kindly follow me to Hanger Alpha-6, we can begin!"

Xane nodded solemnly, in his heart dreading what was next. These next few hours would be trying to say the least.

Damon, with a spring in his step, turned right around and walked out the door, group in tow. Silently he led them for a few minutes until they reached an elevator, which took them up. Silence getting to him, Damon began to speak to the group.

"Almost there! Now, inside the hanger are three things of note: A large white metal container housing each of your new suits as well as your "disguises", your actual ANGEL units, which we had shipped here while you all were on the shuttle, and finally your means of getting down to the surface, the jump "pods". Please do not attempt to operate your ANGEL units at this time as Hadron is currently making some last minute modifications to them, all which will benefit the mission greatly! Without further adieu, here we are!" Damon said happily.

As if on Que, the doors to the elevator gracefully slid open, revealing a cat walk and a open hanger area. The entire hanger was empty except for a large white box-looking container at the far end of the catwalk, a lone robed figure next to the box, the elite pilot's ANGELs, and finally a number of large, shining silver capsules that resembled pods. The entry way into each pod was open.

Damon led the group down the cat walk and up to the lone figure, who Xane immediately recognized. Hadron.

"Ah! You all have finally arrived! Good for you! Welcome to Hanger Alpha-6, your very own personal hanger! Well, to be technical, it's mine, however I have chosen to use it to house you ANGELs in. Are you all ready to begin?" Hadron asked quizzically. He turned and looked at Xane right in the eye, smirking a little.

Xane could feel his blood chill.

Paladin Bri Muir – ATHOS

Bri walked in a fastened pace along the sterile walls, trying to dodge the civilians walking in the opposite direction. She had known the station like the back of her hand and made her way effortlessly, although with some tardiness, towards Alpha-6. The Paladin was used to the familiar surroundings, even growing accustomed to the artificial gravity on the space station. Her qualms about the mission were petty, as her only concern was returning back to Earth. It seemed foreign to her, but she was ready to return regaurdless as she had been reassigned last minute to fill in for an ‘absent’ member of an elite group of ANGEL pilots.

She had braced herself for an orbital drop, in case there were to be one. It left an unsettling feeling in her stomach, but she was ready nonetheless, even ready in the worst case to lay her life down for the joint Brotherhood. That won’t be necessary. Bri thought smugly to herself, self-assured in her abilities. Her quick step had led her to the hangar’s elevator and she waited for it to arrive. She tapped her foot impatiently and looked at the indicator to see if the elevator had finally returned to the level. It shot open not a moment later, and in mere seconds Bri found herself in the designated hangar. A feeling of pride swept over her as the Brotherhood was advanced for it’s time, and such luxuries, such as a space station, were tactically efficient. It showed the Brotherhood rightly held the title of the most powerful nation on Earth.

The Paladin scanned the hangar and immediately recognized the head scientist of the ANGEL development surrounded by a group of battle-hardened pilots. Some were dressed rather nicely and immediately she felt slightly self-conscious to have arrived under-dressed. She wasn’t going to return to her quarters, so she decided to stick it out nonetheless and continued, making a beeline towards the group, as Hadron acknowledged everyone’s arrival.

"Ah! You all have finally arrived! Good for you! Welcome to Hanger Alpha-6, your very own personal hanger! Well, to be technical, it's mine, however I have chosen to use it to house you ANGELs in. Are you all ready to begin?"

As she approached the rendezvous point, Bri couldn’t help but recognize a Midwestern Paladin-Commander present, and she felt the need to make somewhat of a formal introduction to the group. “I apologize for my late arrival, as I was reassigned last minute,” she turned towards Xane with a smile, recognizing him almost immediately, “It’s an honor to be serving under you Commander Straza, I’ve heard great things about you in all ends of the Brotherhood,” she then turned to the Midwestern Paladin-Commander and extended the same pleasant greeting, “and with you as well, Paladin-Commander.”

She exchanged casual greetings to the rest of the group out of necessity and ended her quick introduction by nodding with a grin at the scientist to affirm her readiness to start. It had been a while since she had seen action and she was ready, even eager for it.

Xane Straza

While waiting on Hadron to begin, a woman, presumably this "Bri" that was supposed to act as a replacement, showed up. She walked up to Xane and gave him a warm greeting, something that gave the young pilot a bit of reprieve from his anxiety of facing Hadron.

'Why thank you. I'm glad to know my reputation proceeds me. I presume your are Paladin Bri yes? Nice to meet you Paladin. I look forward to working with you in our future endeavor." Xane said warmly and with a slight bow.

Hadron however, was not so amused. He stood completely silent as the pilot walked up, and after the woman was done speaking, Hadron let out an audible yawn.

"Yes yes, welcome Paladin. Glad you could make it. I presume you are prepared for what lies ahead? I should hope so. All this switching of units to send into the field... perplexing. Before we begin, all of you know this. An orbital drop has never been done before, even more so with the ANGELs. As such,I cannot guarantee that any of you will survive. However, I am quite confident that in my own handiwork. No one better!" Hadron said with a sly smile that sent chills running down Xane's spine.

Astara Benson

Impatiently, Tara stepped from one foot to the other, back and forth. Her body swayed with the motion and she willed herself to stand still, lest she garnered the unwanted attention from Hadron. Ever since she had observed Xane's dark expression, when ever he came near Hadron, Tara felt a deep aversion towards the head researcher. He might be a brilliant scientist, but he certainly wasn't a good human being.

As Tara eagerly awaited the demonstration of the new ANGEL suits, the door to the hanger opened and a female pilot joined the small group. She spoke with Straza and Wright, but completely ignored her. Tara huffed inwardly and rolled her eyes. Their group consisted of only four people, Straza, Wright, herself and now that new pilot, so it certainly wasn't too crowded in the hanger to miss her.

Then Tara realized that she still wore that silly ball gown. Maybe, what's her name, oh yes, Bri, didn't realize that Tara was actually a pilot.

With a shrug and a grin, Tara turned to the new comer and extended her hand. "Tara Benson, nice to meet you Bri. You ever done an orbital drop?" She inquired, but soon garnered dark glances from Hadron. "Better shut up and pay attention, i guess," she whispered to Bri and turned back towards the head researcher, who was currently trying to diminish their confidence, by spouting nonsense about the survival rate of the drop.

"I'm confident that we'll make it all down in one piece," Tara piped up, wishing she could wipe that sly smile off his face.

OOC: Sorry for such a long gap before this post, I've been busy. haha. But here it is!

Paladin Bri Muir - ATHOS platform

Bri beamed as Xane, himself, had returned the formal greeting in a manner to which made her feel even more honored to be chosen for the assignment. Xane had been a well-talked about subject wherever she found herself at, but few had ever had the privilege to meet him personally. This was definitely not something to be taken for granted, for one day she hoped to finally attain the rank of a Midwestern Paladin-Commander. The Paladin knew she had to prove herself well and she was all the more ready for it. She smiled and nodded to affirm she was 'Paladin Bri', and responded with sincerity, "As am I."

As the greeting ended she was surprised to be approached by a woman in a beautiful gown. Guess I was late for the ball? She was a little ashamed she had overlooked the woman, as she had disregarded her as a pilot first glance. When she spoke she spoke with confidence, and definitely was well-informed on the assignment so it didn't take a genius to figure out that she was apart of the group. "Tara Benson, nice to meet you Bri. You ever done an orbital drop?"

She returned the hand shake and replied kindly, "Bri Muir, it's also a pleasure. I-"

Hadron had been apparently annoyed with the introductions as he glared their way. "Better shut up and pay attention, i guess," Tara mumbled to her, and she immediately nodded in agreement, as they both turned their attention towards the speaking scientist.

He made his interest, or lack of, apparent as yawned. "Yes yes, welcome Paladin. Glad you could make it. I presume you are prepared for what lies ahead? I should hope so. All this switching of units to send into the field... perplexing. Before we begin, all of you know this. An orbital drop has never been done before, even more so with the ANGELs. As such,I cannot guarantee that any of you will survive. However, I am quite confident that in my own handiwork. No one better!"

Tara was the first to speak for the group as she confidently stated they would all make the drop. Bri hinted her tone and smiled inwardly as Tara countered Hadron. The Paladin re-affirmed her statement, "Seconded. Now that we're all completely a unit, I think it's fair to say we're all ready for this."

Shaun Elijah "Eli", Athos Space Station

Shaun's brain had been fried during the walk, was he dehydrated? It was a possibility, and one he'd need to address "My apologies, Xane umm... is there water nearby? I believe I may be dehydrated, that or some form of sickness from the atmosphere change."


OOC: I think I may be able to do this RP after all, getting back in the swing of things, even though this post is awful, but I'm afraid it must do for now.

Xane Straza

Hadron watched silently as the two women of the group voiced their "opinions" of the success rate of the drop, slowly getting annoyed. Finally, he spoke.

"Yes yes, I'm sure you'll all be fine and nothing bad will happen at all. Pride goeth before the fall however, so keep that in mind. Arrogance will lead to death in such situations." Hadron chided.

Xane however, didn't share the sentiment. His own patience was wearing thin, and he couldn't help but feel the mad scientist was just stalling, trying to frighten them a bit. Against that little voice inside his head that told him to stay silent lest Hadron punish him in some fashion, Xane spoke as well.

"We're the best the Brotherhood has Hadron. Your wasting time anyway, get on with it." Xane said coldly, welling up with malice and giving Hadron the death-glare.

Hadron was surprised by that one, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. The look didn't last long however, as Hadron soon burst into maniacal laughter, mocking the boy's false bravado.

"Why of course, Captain. Just looking out for you after all. Well then, why don't you all follow me over to that large metal container hmm?" Hadron chuckled as he walked to the far side of the hanger's catwalk.

Xane stoically complied, though not happy about the mocking. There wasn't much he could do about it though. If he made a scene, there was no telling what that mad man would do, possibly even kill him. Sure, the idea may be a bit drastic, but Xane knew Hadron enough to know that that was something Hadron would do. The man was extremely cruel after all, a thing which Xane knew Tucker would soon find out. Xane felt a small pang of empathy for the fool, but it was fleeting as the young ace remembered the disrespect he had shown to the Lord Alan and Lady Illyana. Such thoughts made him almost think Tucker deserved what Hadron would do to him. Almost.

As the small group walked toward Hadron and the container the former mentioned for them to go to, Elijah appeared once again, telling Xane how he may have been dehydrated. Xane nodded in understanding.

"Understood, glad to have you still with us though. If you'll just wait until Hadron finishes his briefing, I'll walk ya to the nearest medic and we'll get ya checked out, make sure everything's in order. Get some water to, if necessary." Xane said with a smile. A quick glance over in Hadron's direction showed that he to noticed Elijah's arrival,dramatically throwing his hands up into the air and saying something to his assistant in anger, though out of earshot.

OOC: Ok, I believe I've put getting this thing back up off for far too long, if you guys will forgive me for that and still want to continue, I promise I'll do better myself.

Astara Benson

Tara looked from Bri to Xane with a satisfied smile. It seemed that Hadron, albeit unwillingly, actually helped the ANGEL pilots become a more cohesive group. However, that smile disappeared when Hadron turned to Xane. Various emotions collided within Tara and shook her to the core. She felt ashamed to have to listen Hadron mock their commander, however that feeling soon turned to anger and then she felt immense sympathy for Xane, all at once. However, she also knew her place well enough, not to speak out, as much as she wanted to.

Once Hadron was out of earshot, she turned to Xane, who was talking to Elijah, another newcomer. She touched Xane's arm, indicating that she wanted a word with him, alone. Once they stood a few paces apart from the small group, Tara turned to him.

"Commander, I couldn't help but sense that there is a deep rift between you and Hadron," she began and blushed under his questioning gaze. "I'm sorry, I really don't mean to pry, I just wanted to let you know that I got your back, 100%. We are a team, we are ANGEL's, nothing and nobody will interfere with our mission or with my team mates." The words came pouring out of her, came straight from her heart. There was something about Xane that seemed to strike a new chord within her soul. She would fight for him, like a lioness fights for her pride... her man?

Tara looked up at Xane with a crocked smile and blushing cheeks. She felt the heat and hastily turned away. Did she just make a fool out of herself, in front of her commander? Tara didn't dare turn back around to face him. She hoped the briefing would be over soon, so she could run and hide in her small room. Hopefully, Xane would not think less of her now.

Xane Straza

As the group slowly walked over to the metal container, to Xane's surprise, Tara pulled him aside to say a few words. She told him of how she wouldn't let anyone come between the team, and that she sensed a rift between himself and Hadron. The thing was, she was blushing when she said it, and before Xane had the chance to thank her for her sympathies, she walked away. Xane could have sworn she was embarrassed. He smiled slightly, thinking this was what Lord Alan had referred to as a "heart to heart" moment. He couldn't help but be a little happy about the exchange in any case. It was nice to have someone be so defensive of him for a change. There might have been another feeling there as well, but Xane couldn't quite make it out. He did however note his own face was a bit flush, as to why remained a mystery.

After shaking his head and rubbing his eyes for a split second, he began to walk again, trying in vain to clear his head. No matter how much he willed this day to end, it just kept dragging on and on. And now this? A thought ran through his mind, that maybe he wasn't as cut out for this type of mission as he had believed he was.

Now use in thinking like that though. I'm a soldier, that kind of thinking will get me, and more importantly my squad, killed.

With the feeling suppressed and a new resolve in his heart, he continued forward toward the group, who were now nearing Hadron. Quickly, he caught up to Tara and placed a hand on her shoulder to get her attention.

"Hey, thanks for that. I won't let you down, I promise. I won't let anyone down." Xane said quietly, but filled with gratitude.

He let that sink in for a moment, more into his own mind than Tara's, and took his hand off of her shoulder. And with that, he turned his eyes back to the cruel man ahead of him and whatever than metal box held.

Astara Benson

As Tara got closer to where Hadron stood, she furrowed her brow and wondered what was so important about the contents of this metal container. As she pondered the options, she felt a hand on her shoulder/

"Hey, thanks for that. I won't let you down, I promise. I won't let anyone down." Xane said quietly, but filled with gratitude.

Tara turned her head slightly and looked at Xane out of the corner of her eyes. A soft smile played around her lips and she just nodded to acknowledge his words. His gratitude washed over her soul, like the rays of the sun, warming her heart. Now, she was glad that she had found the courage to tell him that he was not alone. Nobody should be facing a man like Hadron alone. An imperceptible shudder ran down her spine, when she remembered Hadron's mocking tone of voice. A vile man, truly. However, the man wasn't important enough to poison her thoughts. She rather basked in the attention and the gratitude of her commanding officer.

It seemed that the briefing would soon continue and Tara took her place in the group, next to Xane. She could feel the warmth coming off his arm through the thin fabric of her dress. He stood like a rock, while her emotions were in turmoil, like a stormy sea.

Why now? Why did she have to fall head over heals for a guy before such an important mission. And not just any guy, no... her COMMANDING officer? No, it would not do, not now. Nothing should distract her from the mission. If she were to survive the orbital drop, she would be in need of all her senses. Thoughts raced through Tara's mind, a mile a minute. She willed herself to focus on the briefing and pushed all these disturbing and frightening thoughts out of her mind. For good measures, she also moved a few steps aside, creating some distance between her and Xane.

Xane Straza

Tara acknowledged his thanks with a smile and a nod, that was a good thing. She did however take a few steps away which couldn't help but feel he may have done something wrong. Probably just paranoia setting in. Bit of nervousness before the big mission. He shoved the feelings from his head, focusing solely on the mission now.

The group arrived at the end of the hanger at that time, and it was finally time to begin. Hadron sighed as they finally approached.

"Well now, now that you all seem ready enough, let's get this over with. What I have in this container are two things: First, brand new pilot suits for each of you, colors based on the color of your ANGEL for identification purposes. These suits are one of a kind, specially designed to resist heat, which will be needed for the drop. They're strong, comfortable, and should provide a degree of comfort in the harsh climate to come. Second, are civilian clothes. Specifically northerner clothes. These will serve as your disguise for when sleeping in the ANGELs isn't possible, or your want to go a town or something. You know, without blowing it up." Hadrons laughed.

He looked at the group inquisitively. "Well don't be shy! Come on then, I don't have all day. And neither do you come to think of it..." Hadron said with a cackle that sent even more chills down Xane's spine.

Being the squad leader of the group, Xane felt it imperative he go first, despite not wanting to move so close to the scientist. He forced himself forward, slwoly walking toward the metal container.

After what seemed like an eternity, he had done it. He was finally at the container, right in front of what he assumed was his suit and disguised. The suit itself was mostly black, with silver accents here and there, much like the Emperion. Next to it was the civilian clothing, which was made up of what looked like jeans, a long sleeve shirt, and a fur jacket. Looked warm enough. Xane took the two sets of clothes and walked back, not daring to look at Hadron as he made his way back.