CH5: Out with the New, in with the Old (Cain + Meta)
Dec 6, 2018 17:22:38 GMT -6
Post by fen on Dec 6, 2018 17:22:38 GMT -6
There wasn’t a whole lot for him to do during their ‘break’. Camp Delta was there, but so was Enceladus. It was obvious which was the more interesting of the two.
The new ESU AAs were being rolled out in the somewhat recovered underground factory. Though they had access to it, the more complete machines were found above-ground. Either in the factory, or performing test runs in the various courses that were set up. At this point, it was obvious that the MR would be able to figure out exactly what these machines were. The test runs were being performed out in the open, but given what he had heard, it seemed that they had been just about completed. Everything they were witnessing was nothing more than a formality.
The inside factory hangar, the one not underground was spacious. It was more of a proper hangar than a factory, but there were some machinery lying around that could put together an AA if need be. The pilot had spent much of the afternoon walking between the various catwalks and test beds for the new AA, talking to mechanics and engineers alike.
The sun was setting, and by the looks of it some groups were already beginning to pack up, their work for the day done. There were still whole crews being shifted in to overlook overnight maintenance, so he’d have more to talk with soon enough.
Cain stopped in front of a completed Gnome, not the first he had seen today, but one of the few that seemed ready to go out into war at a moment’s notice.
He didn’t quite notice the person approaching him.
"Hello there, Cain wasn't it?"
The figure spoke up, sure that the brooding pilot was more than lost in his own thoughts in regards to the machinery almost begging to be explored in front of him. Cain Augustus Bernard, prestigious second son of the Bernard family, previous problem child and party boy turned elite soldier with a maverick streak. Difficult, hard to read, and elusive to conversation by the looks of their brief previous interaction. Honestly, just the type of challenge Evangeline couldn't help but want to crack wide open. Still, the opportunity had been rather difficult to find, from the last bit of preparations for her official transfer, the testing of the recovered equipment, and the sheer awkwardness brimming within each of the conversations she had attempted her own personal morale had needed time to brew. Honestly, it was almost as if the ship was a cesspool of either antisocial or combative behaviors when it came to a new face, personal awkwardness aside. Still, there we some personal victories, such as the case was with Sean.
Time to make the next move, as it was.
"Listen, it's been a bit since we've started this...joint downtime together. I know that it seems like I'm coming out of left field, but I'm going to be a part of this group from now on. It may not be my old dynamics, but I want to try and make something of what I have here. And the first part of that means trying to talk to you." She gave a reassuring smile, relaxing her posture as she tried to make her intentions clear. "And at the very least establishing I'm capable enough to not 'slow us down' as it were."
The pilot didn’t immediately turn- he recognized the voice twice over already, once prior from their mission, and then when she had met the rest of the group formally. Evangeline Connors was someone new, but it wasn’t as if her credentials were not there. As a pilot of the Nias, she was as good a pilot as any of them, perhaps even better.
Cain turned around, giving her a once-over as he listened to her speak. Wanting to even things out with the crew- to find and acknowledge her place was fine. It was reasonable, even. Still, the pilot’s gaze was particularly scrutinous, as if there was a piece of him that wasn’t satisfied just yet.
He stuck his hand out, his face unmoving.
“Pleasure to meet you, Connors. I’m Cain Bernard, pilot specialist like the rest. Sniper, in particular.”
Whether she took his hand or not, he continued.
“I don’t have any reason to doubt your skills. I was satisfied with your performance during our last operation.”
"You know, you have this funny habit of your words approaching one conclusion but your face reading something else entirely."
Evangeline gave a happy chuckle, taking the extended hand before giving it a nice and firm handshake to meet him upfront. "But yes, I know all about you Hawkeye. You get forwarded to a new squad, you tend to want to look ahead in advance. And trust me, yours is a profile that kinda sticks out like a sore thumb." She was pressing forward, hand open in an attempt to gain some advantage in the situation. "Standoffish sniper, it's a pretty nice aesthetic." Evangeline gestured a rifle in her hand, lining up the imaginary shot before taking it without much hesitation. "But this isn't some cinematic retelling. You still need a talented cell behind you and that means playing nice from time to time."
"And that's exactly what I'm here for."
He could do little but pique a brow at the sight of Evangeline’s theatrics. Was this… Her being friendly? For a soldier of her background it seemed almost a little odd, but then again, compared to the rest of the group this was still a lot more normal. He quickly filed a note in his head that the legendary Connors Jr. was friendly.
And weird.
“Can’t say I’ve met many people that give others type casts."
He gave her a look.
“I just do what I can.”
The pilot crossed his arms, and while he did seem a little awkward, he wasn’t outright denying the conversation. Chances were that if that was the case, he’d just walk away. The fact he was still giving her what little daylight remained must have been pretty good.
“That aside, you pilot well. I’ve seen some of the footage from your crew, you’re all aces in the making. I guess that happens when you’re the daughter of the Blue Knight.”
"I'll always be a theater brat at heart, you see. It helps in my line of work, call it good bedside manner if you want."
Evangeline was all too happy to fire back against his mention of her type casting, yet she froze in place as he fired back the shot he had been holding back this entire time. Honestly, if he had that sort of intel in his sleeve what in the world was with his comment from earlier? Was he threatened in some way? Was he already suspicious of her presence? Still, she had to hand it to him, the Bernards were certainly living up to their name.
"I'm sorry, you seem to be mistaken. Neither of my two mothers ever went by that moniker. The person you're referring to is a complete stranger to me." Evangeline stretched herself out as she answered, her tone more matter of fact than annoyed, having gone through this drill before. Medical records stayed with you, despite the family that you choose. That seemed to have been all her military life had been, trying to run away from some legacy she was heir to despite never knowing the woman. Funny for it to come from someone like him of all people. "As for my piloting, it's all apart of the squadron you build around yourself. I'm only here because of the hours Jenna, Yuki, Sam, Ken, and even Rusty have pushed me through. My talent, my skill set, and my attitude is all my own, inheritance was never a factor."
“Did I hit a nerve?”
It was an innocent mention. It wasn’t as if it required much access to find out the “truth” about their latest member. Neither was such history something that Cain ignored; the stories surrounding the Blue Knight were famous among soldiers of the 6MW and fledgling pilots alike. Tales of a cerulean, armor-clad knight, with a sword and shield carving up colonial AAs were frequently exchanged in pilot and technician mixers.
Granted, the fact that said pilot had a daughter was something that usually got swept under the rug.
“I didn’t mean to offend, but I did my research. It’s hard to avoid it when you hear a pilot from our sistership is being transferred. Not a single one of us was picked just because.”
That was part of it. The other part was that the ‘Bernard heir’ wanted her to know that she wasn’t alone, in a somewhat well-meaning but primarily pointed way.
“Your crew seems well-put together, and your teamwork is on-point. I can’t say it’s the same here. We have some talent, but we have a lot of stragglers too.”
“I told you, Bernard. We're like that because of the work we've put in to come together as a unit.” Evangeline braced herself against the nearby railing, folding her arms as she relaxed herself. She had to admit the comment had gotten underneath her skin, but in all fairness it was a bit of a low blow all good intentions aside.
“And well, you certainly did your research. But I doubt I need to tell you my story. For everything I've done on my own, I'm not a pilot first, I'm not even pararescue. I'm the “daughter of the Blue Knight” first and foremost. All the explanations of someone I've never even met, and for what?” Evangeline chuckled, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “My squad's call signs aren't chosen, they're given. A sort of reminder that this is a unit, not a couple of numbskulls trying to show off.”
“First time I ever flew...The take off was magnificent, like it was something that I felt like I was born to do. And then I thought about how they felt from the outside, thought about how it was just expected from me, how it was pretty much thought to be given all things considered. I thought, and thought, then thought some more...And what do you know, I end up crashing majestically, right in front of my new squad on my first day.”
Her eyes lit up as she got into her story, reflecting the inviting atmosphere she was cultivating as the two just talked among themselves. “Magpie, that's what they called me after that debacle. And you know what? It made me the happiest I had been in a long while. Being able to fail like that, just being able to be part of the group for being me.” She caught herself, realizing where she had drifted off to.
“The point is...You don't get there automatically. So, this is my first step. I think our group here has potential. And I'd like to start that with you.”
The sniper stared her down as he had been before, not a twitch in his expression as she went on. Though there was a hint of discomfort in his stance, it was more to do with having to stand there for a hot minute than anything she could have said.
“That’s… How most call signs get made. The difference between your group and ours, is that you got yours together. We all come from different squads, and we have different names. ‘Magpie’ means nothing to me the way it might mean something to Corporal Geneve.”
There was just a hint of annoyance in his voice, but nothing major. The way he scrutinized her did seem to increase with every additional pinch of his eyelids.
He had been friendly at first, but the longer he spent with this squad, the longer his patience was being driven thin. Connors may have been skilled, but her attempt at buddying up with him didn’t seem to interest him at all. He’d appreciate her skill with a gun and keep it at that.
“My callsign is Merlin. The rest of my squad? Atlantes, Gandalf. You can see the pattern. Ran flight tests for some ZGAs the ESU wanted to roll out. They called us wizards because we were good at it. Name stuck, the rest came about.”
The arms he had crossed tightened ever so slightly. He had left out that they were there when the Martians first entered ESU space. That his leaving had less to do with him being desperately wanted for the Menaulion, and more to do with him being one of the only members left of his squad.
“If you want to try bonding, why not start with Roland or Qureshi? They’re friendly enough. One of them is even smart.”
There was a bit of a prickle in that last statement.
“It's not really about that. The reason why I wanted to talk to you first is the same reason why you're staring a hole into my head. There's this restless energy about you. You're basically humoring me at this point, yet you haven't walked away despite your annoyance.” Evangeline sighed, rubbing the back of her neck as she gave it a brief pause. “I'm not going to just be welcomed with open arms here. I've read the files, the group that's gathered here is something else. All characters in their own rights, and the truth of it is that I'm an outsider coming into a group that's already been slapped together.”
She returned his gaze for a moment, not flinching in the face of his walls coming up before giving a smile in return. “You don't have to like me, you barely have to tolerate me. At the end of the day, you're the entry point that interests me most. Because, soft spot and all, I see common ground between us, and I wouldn't be much of a squad mate if I didn't at least try.” She held out her hand as if to brake things, practically anticipating the scathing remark at the back of his throat. “But like I said, it's a first step. I know when to slow it down.”
“Right.”
He kept where he was, breaking his gaze to glance up at the machine they were standing in front of. It was only now, with their conversation about squads and how long they had been stationed, that he had begun to think of how long he had been with the Menaulion. It was only a few months, but already it had felt much longer. An annoyed feeling crept up once more, but this time Evangeline had nothing to do with it.
“I don’t know where you see this common ground, because we are nothing alike.” He was awfully blunt for a first encounter, but once more there didn’t quite seem to be any sign of hostility or aggression- just him not caring about decorating his words, for better or worse. “You may certainly try to convince me otherwise, but if there’s anything you can trust from me, it’s this: we are very different people.”
Cain took a step forward, a half step to the side, and gently rested his hand on Evangeline’s shoulder as he moved past her.
“Nothing against you, newbie, but you should try getting to know the others instead. It’ll do you better.”
“Personality-wise, we're night and day. No salesperson alive could make that sale. I'm talking a different approach here. Still, I know when to call it quits for now. Besides, I can try more than one angle at a time, you know.” Evangeline just gave a resigned tired smile at his words, knowing where the push back was coming from. “Besides, I've read the files. I know where my attention needs to be.” Still, she tucked her arms behind her as she began to depart from him. “But, these things don't just come in a day. We'll talk again, Bernard.”
The new ESU AAs were being rolled out in the somewhat recovered underground factory. Though they had access to it, the more complete machines were found above-ground. Either in the factory, or performing test runs in the various courses that were set up. At this point, it was obvious that the MR would be able to figure out exactly what these machines were. The test runs were being performed out in the open, but given what he had heard, it seemed that they had been just about completed. Everything they were witnessing was nothing more than a formality.
The inside factory hangar, the one not underground was spacious. It was more of a proper hangar than a factory, but there were some machinery lying around that could put together an AA if need be. The pilot had spent much of the afternoon walking between the various catwalks and test beds for the new AA, talking to mechanics and engineers alike.
The sun was setting, and by the looks of it some groups were already beginning to pack up, their work for the day done. There were still whole crews being shifted in to overlook overnight maintenance, so he’d have more to talk with soon enough.
Cain stopped in front of a completed Gnome, not the first he had seen today, but one of the few that seemed ready to go out into war at a moment’s notice.
He didn’t quite notice the person approaching him.
"Hello there, Cain wasn't it?"
The figure spoke up, sure that the brooding pilot was more than lost in his own thoughts in regards to the machinery almost begging to be explored in front of him. Cain Augustus Bernard, prestigious second son of the Bernard family, previous problem child and party boy turned elite soldier with a maverick streak. Difficult, hard to read, and elusive to conversation by the looks of their brief previous interaction. Honestly, just the type of challenge Evangeline couldn't help but want to crack wide open. Still, the opportunity had been rather difficult to find, from the last bit of preparations for her official transfer, the testing of the recovered equipment, and the sheer awkwardness brimming within each of the conversations she had attempted her own personal morale had needed time to brew. Honestly, it was almost as if the ship was a cesspool of either antisocial or combative behaviors when it came to a new face, personal awkwardness aside. Still, there we some personal victories, such as the case was with Sean.
Time to make the next move, as it was.
"Listen, it's been a bit since we've started this...joint downtime together. I know that it seems like I'm coming out of left field, but I'm going to be a part of this group from now on. It may not be my old dynamics, but I want to try and make something of what I have here. And the first part of that means trying to talk to you." She gave a reassuring smile, relaxing her posture as she tried to make her intentions clear. "And at the very least establishing I'm capable enough to not 'slow us down' as it were."
The pilot didn’t immediately turn- he recognized the voice twice over already, once prior from their mission, and then when she had met the rest of the group formally. Evangeline Connors was someone new, but it wasn’t as if her credentials were not there. As a pilot of the Nias, she was as good a pilot as any of them, perhaps even better.
Cain turned around, giving her a once-over as he listened to her speak. Wanting to even things out with the crew- to find and acknowledge her place was fine. It was reasonable, even. Still, the pilot’s gaze was particularly scrutinous, as if there was a piece of him that wasn’t satisfied just yet.
He stuck his hand out, his face unmoving.
“Pleasure to meet you, Connors. I’m Cain Bernard, pilot specialist like the rest. Sniper, in particular.”
Whether she took his hand or not, he continued.
“I don’t have any reason to doubt your skills. I was satisfied with your performance during our last operation.”
"You know, you have this funny habit of your words approaching one conclusion but your face reading something else entirely."
Evangeline gave a happy chuckle, taking the extended hand before giving it a nice and firm handshake to meet him upfront. "But yes, I know all about you Hawkeye. You get forwarded to a new squad, you tend to want to look ahead in advance. And trust me, yours is a profile that kinda sticks out like a sore thumb." She was pressing forward, hand open in an attempt to gain some advantage in the situation. "Standoffish sniper, it's a pretty nice aesthetic." Evangeline gestured a rifle in her hand, lining up the imaginary shot before taking it without much hesitation. "But this isn't some cinematic retelling. You still need a talented cell behind you and that means playing nice from time to time."
"And that's exactly what I'm here for."
He could do little but pique a brow at the sight of Evangeline’s theatrics. Was this… Her being friendly? For a soldier of her background it seemed almost a little odd, but then again, compared to the rest of the group this was still a lot more normal. He quickly filed a note in his head that the legendary Connors Jr. was friendly.
And weird.
“Can’t say I’ve met many people that give others type casts."
He gave her a look.
“I just do what I can.”
The pilot crossed his arms, and while he did seem a little awkward, he wasn’t outright denying the conversation. Chances were that if that was the case, he’d just walk away. The fact he was still giving her what little daylight remained must have been pretty good.
“That aside, you pilot well. I’ve seen some of the footage from your crew, you’re all aces in the making. I guess that happens when you’re the daughter of the Blue Knight.”
"I'll always be a theater brat at heart, you see. It helps in my line of work, call it good bedside manner if you want."
Evangeline was all too happy to fire back against his mention of her type casting, yet she froze in place as he fired back the shot he had been holding back this entire time. Honestly, if he had that sort of intel in his sleeve what in the world was with his comment from earlier? Was he threatened in some way? Was he already suspicious of her presence? Still, she had to hand it to him, the Bernards were certainly living up to their name.
"I'm sorry, you seem to be mistaken. Neither of my two mothers ever went by that moniker. The person you're referring to is a complete stranger to me." Evangeline stretched herself out as she answered, her tone more matter of fact than annoyed, having gone through this drill before. Medical records stayed with you, despite the family that you choose. That seemed to have been all her military life had been, trying to run away from some legacy she was heir to despite never knowing the woman. Funny for it to come from someone like him of all people. "As for my piloting, it's all apart of the squadron you build around yourself. I'm only here because of the hours Jenna, Yuki, Sam, Ken, and even Rusty have pushed me through. My talent, my skill set, and my attitude is all my own, inheritance was never a factor."
“Did I hit a nerve?”
It was an innocent mention. It wasn’t as if it required much access to find out the “truth” about their latest member. Neither was such history something that Cain ignored; the stories surrounding the Blue Knight were famous among soldiers of the 6MW and fledgling pilots alike. Tales of a cerulean, armor-clad knight, with a sword and shield carving up colonial AAs were frequently exchanged in pilot and technician mixers.
Granted, the fact that said pilot had a daughter was something that usually got swept under the rug.
“I didn’t mean to offend, but I did my research. It’s hard to avoid it when you hear a pilot from our sistership is being transferred. Not a single one of us was picked just because.”
That was part of it. The other part was that the ‘Bernard heir’ wanted her to know that she wasn’t alone, in a somewhat well-meaning but primarily pointed way.
“Your crew seems well-put together, and your teamwork is on-point. I can’t say it’s the same here. We have some talent, but we have a lot of stragglers too.”
“I told you, Bernard. We're like that because of the work we've put in to come together as a unit.” Evangeline braced herself against the nearby railing, folding her arms as she relaxed herself. She had to admit the comment had gotten underneath her skin, but in all fairness it was a bit of a low blow all good intentions aside.
“And well, you certainly did your research. But I doubt I need to tell you my story. For everything I've done on my own, I'm not a pilot first, I'm not even pararescue. I'm the “daughter of the Blue Knight” first and foremost. All the explanations of someone I've never even met, and for what?” Evangeline chuckled, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “My squad's call signs aren't chosen, they're given. A sort of reminder that this is a unit, not a couple of numbskulls trying to show off.”
“First time I ever flew...The take off was magnificent, like it was something that I felt like I was born to do. And then I thought about how they felt from the outside, thought about how it was just expected from me, how it was pretty much thought to be given all things considered. I thought, and thought, then thought some more...And what do you know, I end up crashing majestically, right in front of my new squad on my first day.”
Her eyes lit up as she got into her story, reflecting the inviting atmosphere she was cultivating as the two just talked among themselves. “Magpie, that's what they called me after that debacle. And you know what? It made me the happiest I had been in a long while. Being able to fail like that, just being able to be part of the group for being me.” She caught herself, realizing where she had drifted off to.
“The point is...You don't get there automatically. So, this is my first step. I think our group here has potential. And I'd like to start that with you.”
The sniper stared her down as he had been before, not a twitch in his expression as she went on. Though there was a hint of discomfort in his stance, it was more to do with having to stand there for a hot minute than anything she could have said.
“That’s… How most call signs get made. The difference between your group and ours, is that you got yours together. We all come from different squads, and we have different names. ‘Magpie’ means nothing to me the way it might mean something to Corporal Geneve.”
There was just a hint of annoyance in his voice, but nothing major. The way he scrutinized her did seem to increase with every additional pinch of his eyelids.
He had been friendly at first, but the longer he spent with this squad, the longer his patience was being driven thin. Connors may have been skilled, but her attempt at buddying up with him didn’t seem to interest him at all. He’d appreciate her skill with a gun and keep it at that.
“My callsign is Merlin. The rest of my squad? Atlantes, Gandalf. You can see the pattern. Ran flight tests for some ZGAs the ESU wanted to roll out. They called us wizards because we were good at it. Name stuck, the rest came about.”
The arms he had crossed tightened ever so slightly. He had left out that they were there when the Martians first entered ESU space. That his leaving had less to do with him being desperately wanted for the Menaulion, and more to do with him being one of the only members left of his squad.
“If you want to try bonding, why not start with Roland or Qureshi? They’re friendly enough. One of them is even smart.”
There was a bit of a prickle in that last statement.
“It's not really about that. The reason why I wanted to talk to you first is the same reason why you're staring a hole into my head. There's this restless energy about you. You're basically humoring me at this point, yet you haven't walked away despite your annoyance.” Evangeline sighed, rubbing the back of her neck as she gave it a brief pause. “I'm not going to just be welcomed with open arms here. I've read the files, the group that's gathered here is something else. All characters in their own rights, and the truth of it is that I'm an outsider coming into a group that's already been slapped together.”
She returned his gaze for a moment, not flinching in the face of his walls coming up before giving a smile in return. “You don't have to like me, you barely have to tolerate me. At the end of the day, you're the entry point that interests me most. Because, soft spot and all, I see common ground between us, and I wouldn't be much of a squad mate if I didn't at least try.” She held out her hand as if to brake things, practically anticipating the scathing remark at the back of his throat. “But like I said, it's a first step. I know when to slow it down.”
“Right.”
He kept where he was, breaking his gaze to glance up at the machine they were standing in front of. It was only now, with their conversation about squads and how long they had been stationed, that he had begun to think of how long he had been with the Menaulion. It was only a few months, but already it had felt much longer. An annoyed feeling crept up once more, but this time Evangeline had nothing to do with it.
“I don’t know where you see this common ground, because we are nothing alike.” He was awfully blunt for a first encounter, but once more there didn’t quite seem to be any sign of hostility or aggression- just him not caring about decorating his words, for better or worse. “You may certainly try to convince me otherwise, but if there’s anything you can trust from me, it’s this: we are very different people.”
Cain took a step forward, a half step to the side, and gently rested his hand on Evangeline’s shoulder as he moved past her.
“Nothing against you, newbie, but you should try getting to know the others instead. It’ll do you better.”
“Personality-wise, we're night and day. No salesperson alive could make that sale. I'm talking a different approach here. Still, I know when to call it quits for now. Besides, I can try more than one angle at a time, you know.” Evangeline just gave a resigned tired smile at his words, knowing where the push back was coming from. “Besides, I've read the files. I know where my attention needs to be.” Still, she tucked her arms behind her as she began to depart from him. “But, these things don't just come in a day. We'll talk again, Bernard.”