[D5, EE, mech bays, open] Fix the mechs, fix the pilots

[Andrea DeTroyes]

"For landing the killing blow on two already damaged mechs?" Andrea asked with a shrug, "It would be better to call it a lance victory mayhaps?"

« Olivier » She corrected, "From an ancient Terran poem. A friend of the knight Roland."

[Dorgan Bruun]

"Well, and where would we have been if you hadn't landed those killing blows?" He asks gently, but then waves even that much conflict off with his free hand.

"Lance victory it is. Enemies defeated, everyone came home safe... I do wish we could have gotten one more of them, but..." He shakes his head with a frustrated look on his face. "Oh well. No sense crying that great somehow wasn't good enough."

[Andrea DeTroyes]

"I had hoped my words would have drawn them back out." Andrea shrugged, "Their commander is one who keeps his anger in check, I did not expect that of a fanatic whose own side has decried their actions."

[Dorgan Bruun]

Bruun nods. "Yeah, and I hoped they'd come back closer. Like I said, I wanted one more kill for today, but we couldn't risk sallying out of the town into the open under those Battlemaster guns." He looks a little annoyed, or maybe worse than annoyed, knowing they'll still have to deal with the Battlemaster tomorrow. But finally he shrugs.

"It'll be fine. It looked like Olivier," he carefully pronounces as he shifts the topic, "took some hits without much notice. You liking the Ostsol?"

[Andrea DeTroyes]

"It lacks the speed or family history of Sly," Andrea looks toward her old Commando, "Though they are both old warriors, Sly has seen many generations of war while Olivier slept out here. I grew up with Sly and only just met Olivier. Ask me again after a few more battles."

[Dorgan Bruun]

"Right," he says, inelegantly capturing the idea that he sympathizes. As a longtime pilot, he has seen and had all kinds of relationships with mechs.

He looks over at the Firefly, a little sadly.

"My new girl and I are still working things out too."

[Andrea DeTroyes]

"Oh?" Andrea rubbed her head, she seemed to contemplate something then continued, "It's a rare one and, like Olivier, her fangs have been unbloodied for a long time."

"Its a bit chilling to think the last people who piloted these might have been SLDF pilots from centuries ago. Wonder what they were like? Those old warriors of legend." She mused.

[Dorgan Bruun]

Bruun takes a small drink at the musing.

"I don't reckon people have changed all that much over time. Those doing well want more: money, power, control... Those that ain't doing well just want to survive, hoping things get better." He looks into the cup in his hands. "I reckon it's that second group for me," he admits, taking a longer drink.

[Andrea DeTroyes]

"I am not so sure, at the very least things back then were more stable." Andrea replied with a shrug, "I suppose it would make our current business harder to break into...what with the largest army in human history running around."

She rubbed her head, "For someone who just wants to survive you picked a strange career."

[Dorgan Bruun]

Bruun shrugs at the description of stability under the Star League. She'd know better than I do.

He chuckles a little. "Well." He pauses to chuckle more. "Originally this was the path of getting away from what was called home. Somewhere between then and now, it became 'the way that Bruun stays fed.' So yeah, surviving this way ain't easy, but it's what I've got. And I reckon I've done ok with it so far." He smiles a little, clearly proud but knowing he's no example to aspire to.