[D6, EE, mech bays, open] Regulators, mount up...

[Dorgan Bruun]

"That's right," Bruun agrees. "Every little bit helps. And this girl and I haven't quite gotten in sync yet, so the pulse laser gives a much better chance of scoring hits. And when you're in small laser range, you don't want to miss."

[James Hall]

Mata nods. "I am sure you will hit every target." After a moment, "Try to save one of the Dragon's arms. Father wants to put the arms back on the Commander's mech."

[Dorgan Bruun]

"Er." Bruun looks frantically around the mech bay for anything wood to knock on. He sighs. It's ok, kids say things all the time. That doesn't count as tempting fate, right?

"I'll try to get their Dragon's arms," Bruun pledges. Then he sighs again. "I can't believe that Major Creed is going into battle in a mech with no arms. He is brave, but maybe that's too brave," Bruun worries, scratching his beard.

[James Hall]

"Maybe it is just really important to him. Did you ever have a mech like that?"

[Dorgan Bruun]

Bruun makes a pained face.

"Mata, it's... I get attached to every mech I pilot. They're each as different as people are from each other. But when it comes to staying alive in battle, you don't want to be handicapping yourself at all. You should never tempt fate by saying something like, 'I can fight in a damaged mech. It'll be fine.' Because it ain't gonna be fine," he says with great certainty.

[James Hall]

Mata nods. "I understand. You can not keep fighting if you die."

[Dorgan Bruun]

Bruun pauses a moment, as that level of bluntness is striking even to him.

"Right," he says slowly. "I don't necessarily want people doing more fighting, but I sure want to keep them alive. Including Major Creed. He's doing a good thing here."

[James Hall]

Mata looks confused. "I do not get it. Mercenaries fight. Why did you become a mercenary if you do not want to fight?"

[Dorgan Bruun]

Bruun chuckles while he tries to figure out what to say.

"Somebody once told me that combat heals all wounds. And I reckon that's about right. But it causes wounds too, Mata, and I been a mechwarrior for 18 years. Was training for it before that. So I've seen lots of fighting, from big mech battles down to people punching and kicking face-to-face. And I ain't done with fighting. This is my job, I'm good at it, and I don't know of anything else I'd go do instead." He sighs.

"But have you heard the saying, 'That's too much of a good thing'? I reckon even for those who want to fight all the time, it gets to be too much of a good thing."

[James Hall]

Mata nods with some understanding "I think I get it. When my dad tells me the animal stories, the jaguars just like to fight and that makes them cranky and kind of jerks. That is why daddy said I should have hobbies. But I do not know what I like to do. I mean, I like to play, but I do not think they count. Hobbies are thing adults can do." Mata rubs her chin in thought. "What kind of hobbies do you like?"