Human Edge

James and Mata made their way to the aerospace hanger.

After a delay, Alexei arrived, dressed once again in that tan greatcoat, expression mild. Fiddling with the door controls, he re-engaged the power, and slid the hangar open.

This time he bothered to turn on the lights, revealing the crescent wing hull of the Shilone Interceptor, on the gantry with the same elegant poise as a bird ready to take flight. The craft was marked red, with large gray chevrons marking some unit which time had since forgotten, though the tail had the blaze of an SLDF fighter. The massive craft recovery arm remained folded up against the ceiling, the hydraulic pump currently silent.

The hangar walls were loaded with crates, secured behind crash netting, small mobile gantries were stocked, and the internal structural supports blocked the center passage - splitting it into two 'sub-hangars' almost. In the far hangar was a second, larger shape, but James couldn't quite make it out from the door.

"Here they are - my birds." Alexei chuckled. "It's been a long time - brings back memories."

James nods. "I know what you mean. It's been a long time since I on worked on aerospace fighters. This is a nice change of pace." He speaks he begins looking the fighter over from the outside, looking for any obvious signs of decay.

The Shilone was fairly well preserved, though it was clear from a glance that the flap controls had suffered damage on the last outing - likely due to the age of the control platform - it was a known problem with the design that required a replacement ever decade or so... or every few hundred flight hours.

It would be a fairly straightforward repair.

Alexei strolled further into the hangar, casting his gaze over the second fighter. It was a model that James hadn't seen in a long time, going back to the history books, still painted in blue, gray, and gold, with star league livery painted between the two main drive engines. A Vulcan 5N, an angular, arrow shaped fighter, developed by the Rim World Republic and exported all over the periphery before the coup, it was a design largely viewed as extinct - though examples still showed up in periphery nations on regular occasions. This one appeared to be in near pristine condition, though the reason it bore those markings were unclear, given the origin of the craft.

"Well, I gotta admit something that I didn't expect to see."

Mata was impressed. "What's that?" James was a little hurt she had turned to Alexi instead of him.

Alexei glanced to James. "You want to let her know? I'm impressed you recognize it - they didn't exactly feature in any inner-sphere arsenals."

"Well, I never saw one in person before. Just read about it in book somewhere. I believe that is a Vulcan... 5N? A Rims World Republic ship. I believer the Ursurper sold them to the other Periphery nations, but I never saw one back home. This one looks like it was probably taken during the war and repurposed for the just cause."

Mata looks to him. "So, that makes it OK?"

James nods. "Battlemechs, aerospace fighters, even people are just tools. It's how you use them that make them good or bad."

"People? But how can people be tools if people choose."

James thinks of how to phrase. "We are all have choice, but we are tools too. Most of those Black Dragons will kill us if we they get a chance. But they are here at their commander's orders. Just as we are here Commander Yuri Creed's orders." James kneels down so he is at Mata's level and massages his temples with his hand while trying to think of how to phrase. "I think what I am trying to say, is don't hate someone because they are your enemy. If they act with honor, then they should be treated with honor, even if they are trying to do a bad like stopping us."

Mata mauls that over. "I get it." Well, kinda sorta.

James stand back up and roughs up her hair with a small smile on her face. "Welcome to the adult world. It's complicated."

Alexei observed the exchange quietly, and then nodded. "Yes... Mr. Hall. It is."

With a faint smile, he glanced back to the fighter. "You're correct, it was taken when a lightning raid captured an Amaris airfield during the coup - one of six. Sitting there in a burning hangar, somehow untouched. A perfect little gift, stolen from the enemy."

After a moment, he coughed. "At least, that's what my ancestor told me."

Mata looks at the man. "Are you descended from the SLDF?"

Alexei paused, looking thoughtful, he gaze seemingly fixed on something not at all present.

For a moment, there was a certain timeless quality about him, before he finally turned and offered the girl a smile. "Yes. I suppose I am."