Dead people usually mean funerals. It's a ritual, [wes points out.] We don't have to leave 'em here, but if the CDC can gank us from their worlds, they can certainly shove anyone back home. And afford a funeral. Why they won't do that is beyond me -
- though I'm not sure that'd work. Dead or not, their contracts aren't finished. [ajna's still standing, isn't it?] Dagger's been here for centuries, same with Gliese I think. [something to ponder about, now that they're gradually moving away from the subject of their deaths. he's not sure about the other instructors, but he knows that most of them have had centuries on them in their service to the CDC.] The skeleton crew are still working, and they're dead. Hell, they're fucking deader than anyone else, and they're still here. Killing someone is easy. Staying dead and ending your contract, I think, is another matter.
.... 'course they could've also extended their contracts. But I can't really think of a way that it's a-okay for the skellies.
[ Thank you for that, Wesley. Has he mentioned how glad he is that he knows you? Because he is so, so very glad. ]
For one thing, you don't know the skeletons are dead. They're aliens; they could be made that way.
And if you don't mind, I'd rather not think of Barnaby as some kind of reanimated entity, doomed to serve out eternity here.
[ He's going to like that thought even less in two days from now, when he's plagued with hallucinations of the man himself. He's changing this subject.
Well, minimally. ]
But at least that explains where David is. He borrowed my shovel. Perhaps you're right.
They're skeletons. [duh] And I'm obviously playing fast and loose with 'dead' here.
[he doesn't really have much of an impression of david. he comes from jack's world, he can easily tag him in his mind as someone who is more or less just as dramatic as jack. jack 2.0. or something.]
Warriorhead doesn't seem like the type to put his team on the rack for shits and giggles, though watch him prove me wrong. The missions for orange seem fairly out of harm's way; at least, what I've heard of them anyhow. [he starts tallying what he knows of the other instructors.] Armada's missions are fairly straightforward: build this, kill that, defend this. Dagger's shit is mostly 'we need this for reasons.'
[and he just shrugs right after.] Whatever. We'll get new recruits soon enough to fill out the empty ranks.
Which leaves you wondering why Blue were the killers, doesn’t it?
[ He’s eyeing Wesley with intent, now. That little description left out one of the teams, and identified Green and Red as operatives, of a sort. He lifts his shoulder. ]
Blue have a split. One side is medical. The other is strategic. Our missions are geared that way. Two to wrangle animals, which seems simple on the surface, but I think they were testing something more than that. I think they wanted to see how we would teach and train the bahari, and how we would keep the native species in line. Our field mission was geared towards problem solving and coordination, not combat. And now this. Choose someone we trust, and convince them to let us kill them, or convince them to kill us. It’s not about sacrifice, and it’s not about killing a mark. It’s about making doing what needs to be done, for the sake of the mission. Those are the choices one has to make if they expect to command.
[ His lip twitches. That’s what he thinks Blue is about, and it’s why their mission makes sense to him, and why he thinks they put him on Blue and not green. He’s not a soldier anymore. He’d been an officer, and then a fleet commander. He’s here for strategy, not field work. This mission has only made him more sure of that. ]
[wesley stares at him for a long while. he wonders if sturmhond knows how he sounds like he's so full of it. everyone needs to make that decision for themselves one way or another if they want to find a way to make it through shithole after shithole of alien planets in this goddamned universe, it's just a matter of figuring out when, and where; and hopefully, that they aren't just going to do it because someone promised - said - told them - it was the right thing. that for the sake of which is right, like reading binary codes woven into fabric and wondering which name you're going to read. whether he was blue or not really doesn't matter, though being in blue means he has more of a reason to take it seriously.
which is also one of the reasons why he's so annoyed about the damn thing. beyond people actually agreeing in exchange for - something. anything. there's an entire crew of people like him in this place. all wes has to do is to ask in order to find them. he feels exhausted when he thinks about this whole mission, and the people involved in it; like all things that stir wesley, that mostly involves him being angry. but he can't lash out in a small space like this because sturmhond is not fox, or the repairman, or pekwarsky. it'd be unfair to ask of him the same thing he had with these people, no matter how good of a person he is. it's really not worth it.
whatever.]
You're good for your damn team. Least there's no worries of a transfer in your future. [that's about as diplomatic as he can get without stoking some more memories inside of him and pissing himself off again. he goes back to finishing his ice cream.]
[ He thinks he's right. But Sturmhond always thinks he's right, so that's not remarkable. It could be that his interpretation isn't right at all, and he'll end up failing. Neheda hadn't given any indication.
If he's not right, then Barnaby died for nothing. That's not a thought he wants to countenance either way. ]
What would you have done? Honestly. Given the same choice, and with the same conditions. Someone you trust, that's what it had to be. Would you have pulled the trigger, or given them the gun?
That'd be difficult. Because the people I trust the most aren't here. [they're also dead.]
But I've talked to Kotetsu about this. If I were Blue, I'd kill someone. Shit's never gonna come to a point where someone's life is more important than me surviving. I got chewed up and spat out to get to where I am. Assholes are gonna have to pry my damn life out of my fist if they want me to die first.
[that time is long gone. and he can't imagine dying for someone, or killing someone because they're orders or because it's good for the crew. survival is the only mode of command he knows.
probably a good thing he transferred. he's gonna do fuck all in green as time goes by.]
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- though I'm not sure that'd work. Dead or not, their contracts aren't finished. [ajna's still standing, isn't it?] Dagger's been here for centuries, same with Gliese I think. [something to ponder about, now that they're gradually moving away from the subject of their deaths. he's not sure about the other instructors, but he knows that most of them have had centuries on them in their service to the CDC.] The skeleton crew are still working, and they're dead. Hell, they're fucking deader than anyone else, and they're still here. Killing someone is easy. Staying dead and ending your contract, I think, is another matter.
.... 'course they could've also extended their contracts. But I can't really think of a way that it's a-okay for the skellies.
[wesley gibson, bag of sunshine.]
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For one thing, you don't know the skeletons are dead. They're aliens; they could be made that way.
And if you don't mind, I'd rather not think of Barnaby as some kind of reanimated entity, doomed to serve out eternity here.
[ He's going to like that thought even less in two days from now, when he's plagued with hallucinations of the man himself. He's changing this subject.
Well, minimally. ]
But at least that explains where David is. He borrowed my shovel. Perhaps you're right.
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[he doesn't really have much of an impression of david. he comes from jack's world, he can easily tag him in his mind as someone who is more or less just as dramatic as jack. jack 2.0. or something.]
Warriorhead doesn't seem like the type to put his team on the rack for shits and giggles, though watch him prove me wrong. The missions for orange seem fairly out of harm's way; at least, what I've heard of them anyhow. [he starts tallying what he knows of the other instructors.] Armada's missions are fairly straightforward: build this, kill that, defend this. Dagger's shit is mostly 'we need this for reasons.'
[and he just shrugs right after.] Whatever. We'll get new recruits soon enough to fill out the empty ranks.
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[ He’s eyeing Wesley with intent, now. That little description left out one of the teams, and identified Green and Red as operatives, of a sort. He lifts his shoulder. ]
Blue have a split. One side is medical. The other is strategic. Our missions are geared that way. Two to wrangle animals, which seems simple on the surface, but I think they were testing something more than that. I think they wanted to see how we would teach and train the bahari, and how we would keep the native species in line. Our field mission was geared towards problem solving and coordination, not combat. And now this. Choose someone we trust, and convince them to let us kill them, or convince them to kill us. It’s not about sacrifice, and it’s not about killing a mark. It’s about making doing what needs to be done, for the sake of the mission. Those are the choices one has to make if they expect to command.
[ His lip twitches. That’s what he thinks Blue is about, and it’s why their mission makes sense to him, and why he thinks they put him on Blue and not green. He’s not a soldier anymore. He’d been an officer, and then a fleet commander. He’s here for strategy, not field work. This mission has only made him more sure of that. ]
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which is also one of the reasons why he's so annoyed about the damn thing. beyond people actually agreeing in exchange for - something. anything. there's an entire crew of people like him in this place. all wes has to do is to ask in order to find them. he feels exhausted when he thinks about this whole mission, and the people involved in it; like all things that stir wesley, that mostly involves him being angry. but he can't lash out in a small space like this because sturmhond is not fox, or the repairman, or pekwarsky. it'd be unfair to ask of him the same thing he had with these people, no matter how good of a person he is. it's really not worth it.
whatever.]
You're good for your damn team. Least there's no worries of a transfer in your future. [that's about as diplomatic as he can get without stoking some more memories inside of him and pissing himself off again. he goes back to finishing his ice cream.]
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[ He thinks he's right. But Sturmhond always thinks he's right, so that's not remarkable. It could be that his interpretation isn't right at all, and he'll end up failing. Neheda hadn't given any indication.
If he's not right, then Barnaby died for nothing. That's not a thought he wants to countenance either way. ]
What would you have done? Honestly. Given the same choice, and with the same conditions. Someone you trust, that's what it had to be. Would you have pulled the trigger, or given them the gun?
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But I've talked to Kotetsu about this. If I were Blue, I'd kill someone. Shit's never gonna come to a point where someone's life is more important than me surviving. I got chewed up and spat out to get to where I am. Assholes are gonna have to pry my damn life out of my fist if they want me to die first.
[that time is long gone. and he can't imagine dying for someone, or killing someone because they're orders or because it's good for the crew. survival is the only mode of command he knows.
probably a good thing he transferred. he's gonna do fuck all in green as time goes by.]
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I asked Athos the same question. He gave the opposite answer. Everyone's different.
I don't blame you. Everyone has their reasons, one way or the other.
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