How is my baby? (Pregame 2 LA Hangars)

[Richard Winter]

"It used to bother me" he admitted "But over time I've gotten used to it, besides it gives the old man joy, so" He shrugged his shoulders. "Call me what you want Cat"

"I see, when I was your age I joined the AFFC and was just doing my entry level training as a MechWarrior, it wasn't until two years later that I went on my first mission. That's why I'm quite impressed that you are already leading a lance. Someone with your talent might not need me to tell you this, but keep your cool out there, will you? I do know how excited I was at the time, my sergeant had called me off more than once for going headlong."

[Catherine Maia Hayes]

"I'm surely not supposed to take that literally." Catherine laughs. "No matter how much fun it would be to call you that. I'll just go with Richard."

She thinks for a moment, before replying to his advice. "My Dúthracht is a Wolverine, so going in headlong is sometimes the thing I have to do. Fortunately I can usually rely on my good mobility and the solid range of a large laser. Still, keeping a cool head is good advice. I can sometimes run a little hot, after all."

[Richard Winter]

He winked at her "You're a bright one"

"Also don't forget that there are three other people depending on you. You have to be a role model and leader for them, they don't have to like you,.... but they should be able to rely on you." Something in his voice sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than give Cat know-it-all advice.

[Lakshmi Kaala]

While the mechtechs are working on Lucky Strike and Cat and Richard are talking together, Laks is in the cockpit and running through the regular diagnostics. However, when it came time to test her communications equipment, she decided to add a little test of her own.

There was a buzz of static in the hangars as she flipped on her speakers. "...bzzz--sting---testing. Testing."

"Here she goes." "She's pleased." "I hope it isn't that song she played last drop." "Yeah, that was too loud." A few of the mechtechs were talking. Another stepped back to give a thumbs up toward the cockpit.

"Hello~ this is DJ Kaala, straight from Wolverine Station. Bringing you the very best tunes since 3034. Up next is an oldie but a goodie." A drumming noise began to sound. "No doubt. It's Hella Good."

Then a song blares more clearly from her speakers as she switched off her mic. There was also no doubt she was vibing inside.

[Catherine Maia Hayes]

Catherine gives him a quick smile in return. "I know. And all of them are older than me too, so it is not always easy, but we are managing. It is a lot of responsibility too. I'll manage somehow." She is confident, but this response contained a large portion of psyching herself up.

The antics of her captain make the young Sergeant laugh. "DJ Kaala's at it again. Wanna go and cheer the music, Richard?"

[Richard Winter]

He smiled and hoped fervently that the young warrior would manage everything, and that he would also manage.

"Sure, let's have some more fun".

[Lakshmi Kaala]

Laks let the song play out. The speakers were then switched off and she had to, shortly afterward, power the mech's reactor down. She climbs out the cockpit and activates the auto-ladder. The rest was up to the mechtechs, but there wasn't much more now.

She climbed down to the hangar floor with a big smile on her face.

[Catherine Maia Hayes]

Giving him a grin, Catherine skips over to DJ Kaala's 'sound stage'.

With only this one song being played, she is a bit too slow to properly get a good cheer going though and opts to simply greet her Captain with a small grin.

"Don't tempt me into getting a custom Urbanmech stuffed full of small lasers and naming it Disco Ball, Laks."

[Richard Winter]

"Sounds like a good idea to me, maybe you could even go on tour with it then?" Richard joined in the joke.

[Catherine Maia Hayes]

"Obsidian Angels Disco Lance! Setting your parties on fire since thirty fifty!" Catherine laughs.

[Lakshmi Kaala]

"I'd never tempt you to do that. That's a terrible idea!" Laks retorts amidst a few chuckles.

She laughs more at Richard's contribution to the joke before flat out giggling at Catherine's finisher.

"Nooo, iie, iie. I'll be having nightmares about Lucky Strike being replaced with an Urbanmech now." She sighed a little, wiping her eyes. "Not to change the subject, but I do feel bad for Sergeant Kovac's lance being stuck with one." Saying this, she moved to grab hold of Catherine. One hand ruffled her hair a lot.

"If you ever do get an Urbanmech I'm booting you to another Company and seeking a new apprentice." Laks announces with mock finality, like some evil proclamation.

[Catherine Maia Hayes]

"Terrible, but hilarious!" Catherine continues to laugh, while her hair is ruffled up into a right mess. The small redhead seems to enjoy that quite a bit.

"If I ever get saddled with an Urbanmech, it won't be my choice and expressly against my wish. A Raider Lance with one of these trashcans? Only a Scout Lance would be insulted worse!"

[Lakshmi Kaala]

"Deshou?!" Laks was grinning. She latched onto Catherine's back as she looked over her shoulder at Richard. "Are you here to help with your Vulcan's diagnostics?"

[Richard Winter]

Smiling, Richard watched the two women until he was caught a little off guard by Laks "um, yeah, pretty much. I wanted to get a feel for the cockpit before I rode him out for the first time."

[Catherine Maia Hayes]

"At least you got the good one with the laser quartet and not the puny pea flinger." Catherine mentions, while she leans back into her Captain.

"Viel Glück, Richard." The small redhead wishes him good luck with a smile.

[Lakshmi Kaala]

"The, ano, 2T? Right?" She was somewhat aware of that one.

Laks inclines her head toward the closest mechtechs moving toward one of the bigger mechs. A Crusader.

"Just ask them to do yours next and they will. Or grab one of the other teams." There were other hangar compartments with similar activity taking place after all.

[Richard Winter]

"Ah, thanks, I'll do that sometime, see um, later" he said and turned on his heel.

He went to the team of mechtechs and discussed with them what to look for in the Vulcan and whether they could bring him in for diagnosis.

He waited for the mechtechs' instructions and for the Vulcan to be ready for testing.

[Catherine Maia Hayes]

Leaning back against her Captain still, Catherine watches Richard depart and babbles softly.

"The Vulcan is a nice mech as such, but it does have to get in somewhat close and is a bit fragile. Although the small profile should help out a little. I hope he does well with it."

[Lakshmi Kaala]

His Vulcan was going to be next, but as he was here... the mech technicians divert and head to Richard's new ride.

Meanwhile Laks continued to hug Cat. She wore a pensive expression. "It's good for his role, but he seemed nervous to me. No. More unsure?" Laks nuzzled her head into Cat's before letting go of the slightly smaller woman.

"Feeling okay?"

[Catherine Maia Hayes]

Catherine relaxes and nuzzles back, while watching Richard's system check from afar.

"Nervous, or wary after my outburst." She murmurs softly, swaying back into a more stable stand after being released. "I hope he does well."

With the swing of one leg, the slender Mechwarrior swivels around on one foot to give her Captain a smile. "I think I'm okay now, Laks. Thanks."