ABS FIESTA REDUX

[Qwepir]

: Just for food, or conversation.

: Can't really say I'm pinin' for either. Gotta get these four new forgetups acquainted with their new equipment anyway.

"We've given up everything to be here. I woke up this morning- and twelve hours later I've already been in a dogfight with half of Mjolnir trying to kill me. It's hard- nearly impossible to believe it's real,"
Jaakko takes a breath.
"I wonder if there will be anything for myself and my squadron after this,"
He lets his gaze drift off the side of the carrier.
"That's what's got me upset,"

: Of course there will. You just won't be able to go back to the Coalition. There'll be plenty of other opportunities for people with your set of skills though, I'm sure.

Walter continues to eat his ration, the flavour becoming a little more monotone and less pronounced with each drink.

"It's nice that this carrier isn't constantly moving or banking, I keep forgetting we're up in the air. Taking off and landing is a lot more pleasant too, Interesting to see all the little things that are different on the other side."

: I can't say I've ever had the experience of trying to sit down and eat while the entire cafeteria starts tilting. Sounds nauseating.

Tippy approaches Nagato and stands at the other side of the table.
"May I join you?"

She nods.

[Ad Bot]

[Badger]

"The tables were reminiscent of a kids playground, with all the handholds and what not on the end of the seating, kind of funny to think about it. Sleeping wasn't the most fun either during a course change, usually the bed would hold me in but it was too easy to knock your head on the wall."

[Tayasaurus]

Tippy sits at the table and stares at her coffee for a moment. She sighs and proceeds to chug the rest, setting the mug down and looks at Nagato.

"I'm sorry for being in a mood. The transition didn't go exactly like I would have liked. Being fresh from a fight has made me realize that I'm lucky I didn't lose you. Those things I said..."

Tippy thinks about Nagato reaching out in the doorway a while ago.

"I've never stood for anything that I'd personally fight for. I've always just fought other peoples battles without question. Joining you here with the Imperials was difficult but not for reasons of fighting for what I beleive in, but rather a matter of pride. There's no honor in risking other peoples lives to nuclear destruction, and I appreciate the effort you and Musashi put in to preserve our friendship when you didn't even have to. I'm asking if you'd might forgive me for the anger I displayed."

[Mr. Hurricane]

"It's certainly hard to imagine it," Jaakko responds.

[Operator¹]

: Can't really say I'm pinin' for either. Gotta get these four new forgetups acquainted with their new equipment anyway.

: Alright, I won't take up any more of your time, see you later.

Bell heads into the mess hall.

[Qwepir]

"The tables were reminiscent of a kids playground, with all the handholds and what not on the end of the seating, kind of funny to think about it. Sleeping wasn't the most fun either during a course change, usually the bed would hold me in but it was too easy to knock your head on the wall."

: And here I thought living on a boat would be unpleasant, yikes.

Musashi glances over at a TV screen mounted on a support pillars for a moment before coming to a realization.
: You know it just occured to me we haven't had a chance to properly catch up since Svirask. How were things for you after we left?

Tippy sits at the table and stares at her coffee for a moment. She sighs and proceeds to chug the rest, setting the mug down and looks at Nagato.

"I'm sorry for being in a mood. The transition didn't go exactly like I would have liked. Being fresh from a fight has made me realize that I'm lucky I didn't lose you. Those things I said..."

Tippy thinks about Nagato reaching out in the doorway a while ago.

"I've never stood for anything that I'd personally fight for. I've always just fought other peoples battles without question. Joining you here with the Imperials was difficult but not for reasons of fighting for what I beleive in, but rather a matter of pride. There's no honor in risking other peoples lives to nuclear destruction, and I appreciate the effort you and Musashi put in to preserve our friendship when you didn't even have to. I'm asking if you'd might forgive me for the anger I displayed."

It takes several uncomfortable seconds before Nagato can muster a response.
: Yeah, you're forgiven.

"It's certainly hard to imagine it," Jaakko responds.

: Well, you don't have to imagine it. It's what's happening.

Yamashiro takes one last drag from her cigarette and flicks it over the railing.
: You'll bounce back. Eventually.

Alright, I won't take up any more of your time, see you later.

Bell heads into the mess hall.

It's been a long time since you've been inside a Blixtkrig-class's messhall, and one look at the dull, dimly lit interior reminds you of how much you didn't miss it. The Tordenskjold's may not have been as welcoming as a terrestrial cafeteria, but at least that ship had the decency to cover up the ventilation ducts and piping and cabling running along the ceiling; not to mention provide more than a handful of sickly, bare fluorescent lights for illumination. The kitchen at least serves the same kind of food as the larger ship, so there's no step down in that department.

[Tayasaurus]

"Thanks, that means a lot."

Tippy props her elbows on the table and rests her head

"So... whats been going on since we split? Besides the whole imperial thing?"

[Mr. Hurricane]

Jaakko watches the cigarette fall away and disappear, swallowed up by the dark earth below.

"Eventually-" he says quietly.

There is a period of silence.

"How have things fared since you guys went home and we redeployed?"

[Badger]

: And here I thought living on a boat would be unpleasant, yikes.

Musashi glances over at a TV screen mounted on a support pillars for a moment before coming to a realization.
: You know it just occured to me we haven't had a chance to properly catch up since Svirask. How were things for you after we left?

Walter scratches the front of his head

"It's kind of blurry... But If I recall right we we're assigned to the Tordenskjold right after our leave finished from Svirask. We had a few sorties but the most notable was Kronovostok; where we destroyed the carrier that set down there, along with the city block. I think that little event pushed some peoples feelings, especially Arkhip, If you haven't seen him here yet. Gustav got transferred to another squadron right after Kronovostok too, not sure if it was by his own vocation or someone else's choice."

He takes a moment to breath and takes a quick sip

"Sometime near Kronovostok the carrier was attacked so it had to eventually land for repairs, which gave us another hefty leave to relax. After boarding the carrier again and a few sorties we carried out that attack on the coastal defense. Then we ended up meeting your squadron, That's really all I can recall personally, other than-"

Walter thinks about mentioning the Helian Pod, but decides against blabbing about it in the open for now.

"-Oh right, We were provided with more equipment as usual, but I had the pleasure of being the guinea pig for that modified shikra in the hanger now." He lifts on of his legs up on the bench and slides up the leg of his fatigues "I lost both of them in Kronovostok, The weapon overheated and- well- It can be guessed what happened."

[Operator¹]

Bell grabs some food and sits down in the mess. While waiting for the rest of the squadron members to get their food, she reflects on the squadron's first assignment to one of these carriers

: Well, stuff, I guess I'm the only one left.

[Qwepir]

"Thanks, that means a lot."
Tippy props her elbows on the table and rests her head
"So... whats been going on since we split? Besides the whole imperial thing?"

: Didn't Musashi already tell you? We went home, buried our dead, and then bombed terrorists for a while until we got roped back into KZG service.

There is a period of silence.
"How have things fared since you guys went home and we redeployed?"

Yamashiro sighs, whips out another cigarette and uses Xiaomei's arc lighter to light it.
: We went back to Kintharia, laid Matsumoto to rest... after that we had a month to spend with our families. Then we were called back to Air Force service to support counterinsurgency operations in the Empire's former holdings, which was a welcome change of pace. Lots of comfortably one-sided engagements.

The end of the cigarette glows brighter as she pauses to inhale more tobacco.
: Of course, things couldn't stay that way, and we got press-ganged into doing the KZG's dirty work. Now we're here, helping the people we've lost so much fighting, fight the ones we've lost so much helping.

Walter scratches the front of his head

"It's kind of blurry... But If I recall right we we're assigned to the Tordenskjold right after our leave finished from Svirask. We had a few sorties but the most notable was Kronovostok; where we destroyed the carrier that set down there, along with the city block. I think that little event pushed some peoples feelings, especially Arkhip, If you haven't seen him here yet. Gustav got transferred to another squadron right after Kronovostok too, not sure if it was by his own vocation or someone else's choice."

He takes a moment to breath and takes a quick sip

"Sometime near Kronovostok the carrier was attacked so it had to eventually land for repairs, which gave us another hefty leave to relax. After boarding the carrier again and a few sorties we carried out that attack on the coastal defense. Then we ended up meeting your squadron, That's really all I can recall personally, other than-"

Walter thinks about mentioning the Helian Pod, but decides against blabbing about it in the open for now.

"-Oh right, We were provided with more equipment as usual, but I had the pleasure of being the guinea pig for that modified shikra in the hanger now." He lifts on of his legs up on the bench and slides up the leg of his fatigues "I lost both of them in Kronovostok, The weapon overheated and- well- It can be guessed what happened."

: You don't mean to tell me that thing vents heat into the roosterpit, do you? Why would it be designed like that?

[Tayasaurus]

: Didn't Musashi already tell you? We went home, buried our dead, and then bombed terrorists for a while until we got roped back into KZG service.

"I guess I'm in the habit of asking questions more than once. Sometimes you can get multiple perspectives."

[Mr. Hurricane]

Jaakko glances at Yamashiro. He looks curiously at the fresh cigarette.

"I get it," he says.

[Badger]

: You don't mean to tell me that thing vents heat into the roosterpit, do you? Why would it be designed like that?

"I wouldn't quite know, I'd have to guess it was the only place they could retrofit vents, They did just shove an airship grade cannon into the frame. There was some space where the co-pilot controls would be, but It wouldn't have hurt to put in a shield with some kind of seal for the pilot though. Or someone just doesn't like me, that's not too far-fetched either."

[Qwepir]

"I guess I'm in the habit of asking questions more than once. Sometimes you can get multiple perspectives."

: Well, my perspective is that I've just about had it with all this... everything. I used to think this was fun, you know? Well not- I don't mean war is fun, or that killing people is something I enjoy doing, but- everything about actually getting to fly was exciting. It totally outweighed all the paperwork you had to do, time spent away from home, the knowledge that you could die, all of that. And now- now my best friend is dead, and I get told I have to go fly alongside her killers, and that I'm gonna have to shoot down my other flying buddies too. I don't even care about the nukes anymore, I just want to clock out and go home.

Jaakko glances at Yamashiro. He looks curiously at the fresh cigarette.

"I get it," he says.

Yamashiro again waits for you to finish your line of thought.

"I wouldn't quite know, I'd have to guess it was the only place they could retrofit vents, They did just shove an airship grade cannon into the frame. There was some space where the co-pilot controls would be, but It wouldn't have hurt to put in a shield with some kind of seal for the pilot though. Or someone just doesn't like me, that's not too far-fetched either."

: Well when you put it that way, it does make a bit of sense. Rushed design phase and all that. Still, I'm glad you only lost your legs, not your life.

She takes a look at your bionic replacements.
: Could it have hurt them to give you something a little more... tidy, though? That looks awfully exposed compared to what I'm used to.