(D3, LM, Hangar) The first sortie returns (Open)

[Mary Macharu]

They Second Chancers returned to the base, significantly more scuffed up than when they departed. It was the cost of doing battle, marks that would need to be fixed up and wounds that would need to be treated. For most of the lance, the damage wasn't too bad...the Chamelon, and it's pilot took the lion's share of both glory and damage. Mary was determined that he get looked at just as soon as they could safely power down.

[Mei-Ling Zhou]

Mei was already there pacing nervously, waiting for the return of her fellow scouts. When she saw the damage to the Chameleon she had to fight the urge to rush to and check on it's pilot. She stood back, letting the professionals do their job and wanted for Mary on the sidelines.

[Mary Macharu]

Mei was already there pacing nervously, waiting for the return of her fellow scouts. When she saw the damage to the Chameleon she had to fight the urge to rush to and check on it's pilot. She stood back, letting the professionals do their job and wanted for Mary on the sidelines.

Most of the mechs powered down fairly smoothly, though one got the sense that the Chameleon was about ready to give out one way or the other. Mei-Ling would've come in second racing to the the Chamelon though.

It's pilot, Right was missing an arm. Then again, he was missing that when he went out for the day. He was banged up, and there was a new dent on the control panel where he banged his head. Still, he seemed in pretty high spirits.

"Woo! That's two for Scottie! Who's the man? Scottie's da man!" he said, only slightly woozy from the blood loss.

"ladies, please escort 'da man' to 'da medics' so we don't lose him to 'da blood loss' Mary ordered for the rest of her lance who saw him off while he continued to exult about two for Scottie, one for the lady on his left, and one for the lady on his right.

Having seen to man and mech, Mary noticed the lurking Mei.

"we're back. you heading out soon? she asked.

[Mei-Ling Zhou]

Most of the mechs powered down fairly smoothly, though one got the sense that the Chameleon was about ready to give out one way or the other. Mei-Ling would've come in second racing to the the Chamelon though.

It's pilot, Right was missing an arm. Then again, he was missing that when he went out for the day. He was banged up, and there was a new dent on the control panel where he banged his head. Still, he seemed in pretty high spirits.

"Woo! That's two for Scottie! Who's the man? Scottie's da man!" he said, only slightly woozy from the blood loss.

"ladies, please escort 'da man' to 'da medics' so we don't lose him to 'da blood loss' Mary ordered for the rest of her lance who saw him off while he continued to exult about two for Scottie, one for the lady on his left, and one for the lady on his right.

Having seen to man and mech, Mary noticed the lurking Mei.

"we're back. you heading out soon? she asked.

Once addressed Mei ran over. "Is he alright, is everyone all right? I figured you would be back soon, what did you run into out there?"

Mei pulled a bottle of water out from behind her back and offered it to Mary.

[Mary Macharu]

Once addressed Mei ran over. "Is he alright, is everyone all right? I figured you would be back soon, what did you run into out there?"

Mei pulled a bottle of water out from behind her back and offered it to Mary.

Ah, thirst. Mary had been so preoccupied with the battle and the chameleon she hadn't even thought about the dryness in her mouth. She accepted the water gratefully though she drank slowly.

"two hover tanks, one light tank and one support tank. hunter striker condor pegasus. they tried to flank around us, scottie kept the hover tanks pinned while we focused on keeping the other two from just driving away from us at top speed. all four of the vehicles neutralized, three of the crews captured. she recounted.

[Mei-Ling Zhou]

"Are all of you alright? You guys look alright but that Chameleon took a pounding." She asked again, beginning to wonder if Mary was in shock or something.

"As opening moves go you really set the tone, maximum destruction minimal death, not a bad days work."

[Mary Macharu]

"Are all of you alright? You guys look alright but that Chameleon took a pounding." She asked again, beginning to wonder if Mary was in shock or something.

"As opening moves go you really set the tone, maximum destruction minimal death, not a bad days work."

She didn't seem too much in shock in her real eye at least. The cybernetic one didn't reveal much.

She shook her head.

"i'm worried it's not good enough. with all the talk about how we were picking easy targets and not doing enough for the mission, i'm concerned that they'll look at the damage we took and the shots that we missed and it'll just reinforce the the idea that we're...weak. she admitted.

She looked back over at the mechs, her bionic eye quietly whirring as it refocused.

"....but i think some people would have rated this a failure no matter what. if we'd taken no damage, they would complained about the number of missiles we used, or the time that we took. even if we'd dropped all four immediately without taking so much as a scratch or expending a shot, they'd simply say that we should've picked a better target. "

It wasn't the battle that was getting to Mary....it was all the gossip that had surrounded the vote for the target and some of the blatant misogyny. That was getting to her worse than actually being shot at.

[Mei-Ling Zhou]

She's just been shot at and she's worried about internal politics. Guess she's fine.

"People can be upset all they want, the die has been cast, and unless The Brass has a complaint anyone who wants to criticize your performance can shut the fuck up because they weren't there. They were here being warm and comfortable while YOU kickstarted our whole mission. Successfully."

She sounded angered that anyone could possibly look down on a job well done.

"You went out, you completed the mission, you suffered no casualties and returned with prisoners. The only thing you didn't do was bring back lunch."

[Mary Macharu]

She's just been shot at and she's worried about internal politics. Guess she's fine.

"People can be upset all they want, the die has been cast, and unless The Brass has a complaint anyone who wants to criticize your performance can shut the fuck up because they weren't there. They were here being warm and comfortable while YOU kickstarted our whole mission. Successfully."

She sounded angered that anyone could possibly look down on a job well done.

"You went out, you completed the mission, you suffered no casualties and returned with prisoners. The only thing you didn't do was bring back lunch."

Mary looked down.

"ah, i didn't bring back lunch. i should have interrogated the prisoners to find out the best place to pick it up from. " she said. While she sounded serious, there was just the faintest twitch of a smile from the unburned side of her face.

She shook her head.

"ah no, credit where credit is due. my lancemates were the heroes of the mission. i just managed to not get in their way too much while they worked. "

She was proud of her lance, and disappoint4d in her own performance.

[Mei-Ling Zhou]

"Sounds like effective command of your lance to me, there's always going to be one person who "underperforms" in a skirmish." She made big exaggerated quotations with her fingers.

"It's not like anyone is keeping score...except Pickle, he keeps score but just among our lance. he likes to talk big about how he's gonna get promoted above all of us and how things are going to change when he commands the lance but he's all talk. As soon as he gets into a cockpit he goes silent, he can't really give commands and he knows it. He follows orders great and makes good decisions but he doesn't communicate well. Surprisingly this makes commanding him easy because you know that if you DO hear something from him it's really important or he is injured."

[Mary Macharu]

"Sounds like effective command of your lance to me, there's always going to be one person who "underperforms" in a skirmish." She made big exaggerated quotations with her fingers.

"It's not like anyone is keeping score...except Pickle, he keeps score but just among our lance. he likes to talk big about how he's gonna get promoted above all of us and how things are going to change when he commands the lance but he's all talk. As soon as he gets into a cockpit he goes silent, he can't really give commands and he knows it. He follows orders great and makes good decisions but he doesn't communicate well. Surprisingly this makes commanding him easy because you know that if you DO hear something from him it's really important or he is injured."

" i don't think pickle is the only one keeping score. i can spend all day wondering if i could have commanded them better...but the battle is over, you can't fight it again, you can only prepare for the nect."

She looked up, her bionic eye focusing on Mei-Ling just slightly faster than her natural eye.

"i don't think you answered my question. when are you heading out today?" she asked, genuinely curious.

[Mei-Ling Zhou]

" i don't think pickle is the only one keeping score. i can spend all day wondering if i could have commanded them better...but the battle is over, you can't fight it again, you can only prepare for the nect."

She looked up, her bionic eye focusing on Mei-Ling just slightly faster than her natural eye.

"i don't think you answered my question. when are you heading out today?" she asked, genuinely curious.

Mei's shoulders sagged.

"I don't know, not sure we even will and part of me hopes for that. Command hasn't said anything to me yet but I'm worried that my lance wants to get in a fight too badly. I feel it too, a bloodlust, like killing people here will somehow avenge our friends back on Kelenfold. We're all rusty too and rage and rust make for a bad day."

[Mary Macharu]

" i don't think pickle is the only one keeping score. i can spend all day wondering if i could have commanded them better...but the battle is over, you can't fight it again, you can only prepare for the nect."

She looked up, her bionic eye focusing on Mei-Ling just slightly faster than her natural eye.

"i don't think you answered my question. when are you heading out today?" she asked, genuinely curious.

Mei's shoulders sagged.

"I don't know, not sure we even will and part of me hopes for that. Command hasn't said anything to me yet but I'm worried that my lance wants to get in a fight too badly. I feel it too, a bloodlust, like killing people here will somehow avenge our friends back on Kelenfold. We're all rusty too and rage and rust make for a bad day."

Mary's grip on the water bottle tightened a bit.

"there's a reason jonassen's hair is brown and given his bulk he's full of a lot of shit." Mary said, her voice still quiet but there was definitely a spark there.

She was definitely still angry about Brownbeard's floating of the idea that the Angel's were rusty at the staff meeting.

"we cab't let ourselves be weighed down by the past. kelenfold and the people who never left it are beyond our reach. if you go into battle thinking that you're unready, you are and it will get more people killed."

Mary could pity herself all day long, but disrespecting the Angels was another matter for her entirely.

[Mei-Ling Zhou]

She looked up, her bionic eye focusing on Mei-Ling just slightly faster than her natural eye.

"i don't think you answered my question. when are you heading out today?" she asked, genuinely curious.

Mei's shoulders sagged.

"I don't know, not sure we even will and part of me hopes for that. Command hasn't said anything to me yet but I'm worried that my lance wants to get in a fight too badly. I feel it too, a bloodlust, like killing people here will somehow avenge our friends back on Kelenfold. We're all rusty too and rage and rust make for a bad day."
[/quote]

Mary's grip on the water bottle tightened a bit.

"there's a reason jonassen's hair is brown and given his bulk he's full of a lot of shit." Mary said, her voice still quiet but there was definitely a spark there.

She was definitely still angry about Brownbeard's floating of the idea that the Angel's were rusty at the staff meeting.

"we cab't let ourselves be weighed down by the past. kelenfold and the people who never left it are beyond our reach. if you go into battle thinking that you're unready, you are and it will get more people killed."

Mary could pity herself all day long, but disrespecting the Angels was another matter for her entirely.
[/quote]

Mary's anger was apparent but Mei wasn't sure if it was directed at her, having missed most of the heated debate.

"It's been a while since we fought but rest assured if the Owls are called upon we will do our jobs. We aren't green...we just took a bad blow in the last round is all. Once we get out there, once it's real again we will shake it off. But as it stands right now I haven't heard anything about deployment. I guess it makes sense to hold my lance back though, we are the fast lance so if something happens we can get where we need to be the quickest but it means we're all just waiting for something to happen."

[Mary Macharu]

"It's been a while since we fought but rest assured if the Owls are called upon we will do our jobs. We aren't green...we just took a bad blow in the last round is all. Once we get out there, once it's real again we will shake it off. But as it stands right now I haven't heard anything about deployment. I guess it makes sense to hold my lance back though, we are the fast lance so if something happens we can get where we need to be the quickest but it means we're all just waiting for something to happen."

Mary nodded satisfied at that.

"good. we can't do it without everyone doing their best. if you're sent out, i'm sure you'll be back showing that you're not rusty, you're razor-sharp." she offered.

[Mei-Ling Zhou]

"Well you more than did your part and Richard is doing his, this could be a really good day for Scout Company."

Mei shifted awkwardly, not sure about what she was going to say next.

"Sorry about the suddenness of my comments the other day. I DO think your hair is lovely but that probably wasn't the time or place to ask for your beauty secrets."

[Mary Macharu]

"Well you more than did your part and Richard is doing his, this could be a really good day for Scout Company."

Mei shifted awkwardly, not sure about what she was going to say next.

"Sorry about the suddenness of my comments the other day. I DO think your hair is lovely but that probably wasn't the time or place to ask for your beauty secrets."

There was a tinge of a half-blush.

"ah....um. it...did catch me off guard. i haven't talked about things like that since..well, before..." she said with a shrug indicated her burns.

"...at first, i thought you might be making fun of me. trying to embarrass me in front of the group. i've known people like that. i can picture you in an elegant dress, hosting a fancy parfty and running down those who didn't meet your standards.....but i really don't think there was any malice in what you said, intended or not. " she concludes.

[Mei-Ling Zhou]

There was a tinge of a half-blush.

"ah....um. it...did catch me off guard. i haven't talked about things like that since..well, before..." she said with a shrug indicated her burns.

"...at first, i thought you might be making fun of me. trying to embarrass me in front of the group. i've known people like that. i can picture you in an elegant dress, hosting a fancy parfty and running down those who didn't meet your standards.....but i really don't think there was any malice in what you said, intended or not. " she concludes.

Mei looked surprised and then disappointed. She sat down on a nearby crate and spoke seriously.

"Nothing I said was a joke, you have beautiful hair that I am really jealous of. I'm sorry people can be such asses but it's pretty obvious to me that you are pretty, STILL pretty. I know it can be tough." She knocked on her left knee and it made a hollow plastic sound. "I have struggled to adjust so I can imagine it has been even harder for you. You probably think that all anyone see's is your "flaw" but we don't, I never have. We are more than our imperfections and you are OK with them what other people think doesn't mean shit. In this life it's so common that anyone who makes a big deal out of it is a fuckwad and they were going to be no matter what. And even if it I a big deal to you right now it doesn't have to stay that way."

She pulled up her left pant leg and looked at the bland and generic prosthetic.

"We stand to make a lot of money with this contract. Then I imagine we will make for a friendly port for some RnR. Even though I am getting used to this thing my first priority when we do get somewhere is a Myomer replacement. They cost around 5k C-Bills for a limb but they look and feel so real that only a doctor would be able to tell the difference."

She let her pant leg fall and looked back up at Mary.

"An eye might be more costly or more tricky but it is an option and a realistically close one. Something to think about."