ABS FIESTA REDUX

[carolcat]

Cualli has been trying her best to ignore the conversation going on between Gus and Jaakko, but it's clear she's very uncomfortable with the staring and the tense atmosphere in the room. She moves a bit closer to Elu, looking like she wants to talk to him to distract herself, but can't find anything to say.

She looks towards Jaakko and Gus. "Is there a problem?" she asks, her voice defensive.

[Ad Bot]

[CypherX]

"Deltan terrorists hijacked a civilian airliner. It was shot down. Won't be long before every news station in Aesthia starts broadcasting the headline."

Gus looks around the room. The serious, stern look on his face doesn't leave.

"Much of the crew is still raw after Kronovostok and prior. This..."

He runs his fingers through his hair.

"Be careful. You're Aesthian to most of us-" Gus's eyes flick to Jaakko briefly, "-but others might not think the same. This'll be an excuse for anyone that doesn't like you."

[carolcat]

Cualli pauses, remembering the expressions she caught on Jaakko's face (and the displeased look he currently wears), before giving a slight nod. "...Right," she sighs. "Thanks for the heads-up."

She digs through her memory, trying to remember any of her co-workers who ever expressed anti-Deltan sentiments around her. There's Jaakko, of course-- she makes a mental note of him. She'll have to keep an eye out, Cualli realizes: if her superiors are the kind to turn against her because of her Deltan heritage, she might not find many friends if someone did happen to come after her.

She shifts uncomfortably in her seat, looking at Elu again. She'd have to explain to him later what was going on, she thought.

[CypherX]

Gus looks over at Elu as well. His mechanical gaze betrays nothing.

"Keep Elu around," Gus says slowly. "Even after we land. Being rational is not a strong suit of our people, you know better than most."

He looks over at Jaakko again, whose scowl remains unchanged.

"Let us know if anything out of the ordinary happens."

[carolcat]

Cualli nods slowly, briefly recalling all of her past experiences. "I will. Thank you."

[Mr. Hurricane]

Jaakko moves shifts his gaze to from his fixation on some object in from of him to Cualli, then quickly to Gus, having spaced out for some time.

"I'm not sure how quickly the news will learn that Deltans perpetrated that attack. I know it because they radioed me," he says, looking between the two, "I suppose they could learn today, or it could be a week."

His expression is still displeased but seemingly less contorted with hate. He looks at the the purple and blue bruise forming on the side of his hand from his outburst and runs his thumb across it. There is a very dull pain associated with it.

[carolcat]

"If they get in-flight recordings, they'll find out," Cualli says grimly. "You know they'll probably check. And the media will undoubtedly ask tons of questions."

[CypherX]

"Not from you, perhaps, but there was another pilot. A civilian airliner being shot down, they'll find out."

Gus rubs his palms.

"We can't land soon enough," he says quietly.

[Mr. Hurricane]

"forget me, I identified myself as 'Major Kirves' when I intercepted the flight," Jaakko says abruptly.

Hints of concern show in Jaakko's expression. He shakes his head and the worry disappears.

"Gods damnit-, Gods damn it, I've had enough of this bullstuff for a week,"

[CypherX]

Gus just nods, lost in thought, as he takes a seat next to Jaakko.

Not just Cualli, but Jaakko in the crosshairs, too. Mjolnir has had enough for one week.

He rubs his eyes. Sleep had been alien to him and the rest of the crew this week; few things sound as inviting as falling asleep in a warm bed for a day or so. Later. His thoughts dwell on the lost and the wounded.

[Mr. Hurricane]

"No," Jaakko corrects himself, "No- the notion that anything would happen to me is stupid, except for an Air Force investigation or something."

He still worries about such an air force investigation, but does not believe he's done anything serious. He pushes the notion that the public identifying him to the back of his mind. The worries are drowned by Jaakko's grief, shock, and anger either way. He eyes the exit, before glancing at Cualli, and then the coffee table.

[CypherX]

"You did what you had to do. Any investigation will be open and shut."

Gus catches Jaakko's glance towards the door. He gestures towards it lazily.

"Go on. You deserve some rest."

He flashes a tired smile and leans back further in the chair.

[Mr. Hurricane]

"Don't we all," Jaakko remarks, "I'm tired but I don't think I could sleep right now. Nor do I really want to be left to my own thoughts. I'm probably going to go to the mess- maybe,"

He isn't very hungry, but doing something immediately to occupy his attention is better than sitting in his bunk alone, Jaakko reasons.

"Yeah, I think I'm going to go to the mess," he says, standing up.

[carolcat]

Cualli watches Gus settle back further into his chair. "You probably need some rest, too," she comments.

[CypherX]

He shakes his head.

"Just drained. Seen too many of our squadron end up on a stretcher or in a coffin for one week."

Gus watches Jaakko walk towards the exit. He speaks up a little quieter as he leaves, eyes still on the door for a moment.

"He doesn't mean it, I don't think. He doesn't hate you. He might act like a prick about it, but..." Gus trails off. "The Delta changed him. Tocatlan changed him. I think he's still wrestling with the idea that the people were different from their government."

He works his jaw for a moment, turning to look at Cualli and Elu.

"Not trying to excuse him, but- you can count on him. He'll stick his neck out for you if anything happens."