Location: The Hangar Bay, Akari City Starport
Day: Two
Time: A few hours prior to the meeting (Act 5.4.0)

The Ghtroc sits quietly in its bay.  A couple of droids plod about here and there but for the most part things are calm enough.  None of the starport crew are present; they seem to have left the starship largely unbothered for the team's stay (thus far, at least).  The other Talons are about their business.

Flash is in the cockpit checking systems - not because he needs to, probably, but because he seems to feel the urge to do so.

Arin was somewhat ancious. He had sworn to the commander to try and get in to talking relations with the Durosian Chief of Security. It had proven difficult with all the things always turning any potential attempt in to a shouting match between the two. But Arin knew, to be a full-fledged member of the Talons, he'd have to give it at least a shot - no, he'd have to do more than that. He'd have to go above and beyond to make it happen, and just push aside his feelings.

He walked quietly down the corridor towards the cockpit. He'd need to catch Flash alone, so they would get a chance to discuss things in private, at least for the starters.

"I would like a word with you", he said from the doorway as he saw the Duro at the panel.

"Oh yeah?" Flash replies without looking around.  He's tapping on his datapad and making notes while scrolling through data on a small screen at the sensors station.  It's not entirely clear what he's doing but he seems to be looking through sensor records of their last flight.  Without glancing up at Arin he waves a hand absently toward one of the other chairs.  "Step into my office," he adds in a distracted kind of voice.

Arin took a seat. "Look, I get your point of view on whether to trust me or not - if I was in your shoes, I'd be asking the same question. But we're not enemies. On the contrary, we would do well to co-operate. I'm not asking you to be my friend or hold hands with me,  but I'm asking, as a fellow fighter jockey, that you give me the same professional courtesy I am going to offer you. I think, we simply got off to a bad start and I want to fix that before it becomes a permanent obstacle between the two of us."

Flash looked long and hard at Arin before answering.  "I'm not sure you do understand, so let me explain it.  I was against you going on the last job because I didn't trust you.  However the commander decided to put his trust in you against my protests.  I went along with him because while I didn't trust you, I do trust him."

"So that is not my problem with you.  My problem is that you're reckless and dangerous.  In your first job with us, you disobeyed direct orders even when challenged.  Added to that, you have a habit of abandoning your team.  Three times now you've left your teammate behind.  Now in this most recent race, you not only left your teammate after a potentially fatal accident, you lied to the rest of the team and make stupid excuses for why you didn't turn around."

"So you want professional courtesy?  Then act like a professional.  You're a great pilot but that's only part of it.  I'm not saying you have to be a 'yes man', I bend the rules all the time.  But when your leader gives you a direct order you obey it immediately then question it in private later.  More importantly you need to prove you wont go abandoning your teammates when things get rough.  You're zero for three on that score at the moment.  I would die defending my wingman, you I'm not convinved of, not by a long way."

He sat back.  Well he'd said it.  Would Arin listen to him?  Personally he expected more excuses.  He didn't see why Mark trusted him so, but the fact Mark trusted him was enough of a start.  Nobody but the Commander had given Flash a real chance.

"Before you go throwing things in to my face like that, consider a few things, Flash. First of all, the doctrine of the Talons is very much different from what I have been trained with and it will take a while to adjust to the new way of thinking. Besides, while you say you are not sure, I would die for my wingman, I can assure you, I would if need be. You speak of three times I've left a teammate to hang, but you have to consider the fact, I did not do so when we encountered the Patrol Craft with Sheila. I told her to stay away because I considered keeping her away from the craft a better way to ensure her safety. There was no need to risk two fighters on a potential suicide run. And at the same time, you simply charged in with no regard to the safety of your commanding officer. And you are calling me reckless?"

The ex-Imperial shook his head. "I know I have a lot to learn about the way the Talons operate, but if you don't give me a chance to do so, then what good is anything? I understand, you hate what I used to represent, but do you think, I would have jumped ship, if I believed in it? Oh, yeah, this is the point where you get to call me a double-agent. I get that point, I really do. I would be as suspicious as you are if not more, if the situation was reversed. But the fact is, the CO seems to trust me enough to get me aboard. It's not the first time, if you consider Sheila. The fact, she had a longer period of getting accustomed to the ways the Talons operate before going on a mission is another thing."

"Not given you a chance?"  Flash's expression can only be described as incredulous.  "Not given you a chance?  Branden, I could have had you thrown in the brig at any time since you joined and I'd be perfectly justified doing so.  The CO wouldn't blink if I decided to.  I've made the assessment that I shouldn't do that - yet - and I haven't given you a chance?  That's bantha shit and you know it."

The Duros ticks points off on his fingers.  "Firstly.  You've got no right - at all - to be considered a Talon.  You've been given a privilege, you haven't earned a right.  None of us have.  Not you, not me, nobody except the Commander.  So stop acting like you deserve this.  It's a good outfit with good people but we've none of us got a right to be here."  He shakes his head and keeps counting.

"Secondly.  I've got my own opinions on Sheila and I'm not about to share those with you but I will say this: no matter where she came from she's proven herself.  That's one of the main differences between you and her.  She has proven she's worth trusting.  You've been given the same chance and you'll notice I haven't stunned you and locked you up so if you think you're being victimised here you're flying on spice."  He lets that sink in before continuing.

"Thirdly.  You've got no right to call my actions into question unless you're put in a position above mine.  I have a responsibility to call yours into question.  I get that it's not fair but I don't give a frack.  It's my job and I'm gonna do it whether it bruises your delicate feelings or not.  I took off after the SPC, yeah, and if the Commander had told me to get my tail back and leave it alone I'd have done that.  He didn't.  So back off.  And on a personal note if you think Sheila fracking needs your protection then you're delusional.  All you did was insult a damn good pilot."

He doesn't stop there.  "Fourthly.  You say you'll die your wingman.  Say it all you want, I've got no evidence that's true.  The evidence I have is that you've abandoned your wingman three times.  You want me to start thinking differently?  Start acting differently.  And I'm not lying when I say that I hope you mean it."

"Fifth."  He doesn't try to say 'fifthly'.  "I never called you a double-agent so get that fracking stick outta your vent.  I've said, more than once and in clear Basic, that you could be an enemy agent or you could be an actual turncoat.  You could be worth trusting or you could not.  You're right, I hate Imps.  Got a real passion for it, but I ain't gonna ignore the fact that you could mean what you say, an' if you don't get how significant that is then you're just dumb.  Wanna know why I haven't shot you, why I let you walk around free?  And don't doubt it, don't kid yourself, you walk free among us because I allow it.  Wanna know why I haven't locked you up?  I haven't decided about you yet, that's why.  An' at this stage I think you're probably not an enemy agent because someone put in our ranks as a plant wouldn't fracking whine so much."  He jabs a finger in Arin's direction.  "There's some on this team that make their livings lying.  They'll lie to your face to get your guard down.  No matter what I'll always shoot straight with you.  I got no reason to lie about anything.  But that means when I see shit I'll call it shit."

He makes one last point.  "Sixth.  The CO could be wrong about you and he knows it.  If he was sure he wasn't wrong he'd have told me you're all roses - which he hasn't - or he'd have locked you up himself."

He looks back down at his datapad and makes a few more notes before adding, "You want my trust?  And you should.  You should want the trust of all of us.  I get that you hate me and I don't give a frack about that either.  But you wanna impress me?  Stop whining.  Put on your big-boy pants.  When you mess up, admit it and move on.  When someone gives you a compliment, take it.  Stop making all these damn excuses.  Trust your wingman.  I get that it's hard, coming from the Imps into a specifically anti-Imp outfit.  I dunno what it's like but I get that it's a culture shock.  I might be blunt and I'm no genius but I ain't stupid.  But it's still what you gotta go through, Branden.  Fair or not, easy or not, this is your deal.  Show a bit of backbone.  Get through it with dignity.  Don't use it as an excuse and you'll win hearts over a lot quicker."

I do not hate you, Flash. Not for doing your job keeping people safe. On the contrary, that is the thing I like about you. But the way you act, even though I do appreciate frankness, does get to me. You act like a blunt instrument where you might consider using precission tools." Arin shook his head.

"And as for Sheila, I'm not saying she needs my protection, but why risk two pilots and two fighters, if you can possibly accomplish the task with one? Sure, I am not your commanding officer and I don't even pretend to be one. However, if you are going to be listing my faults, I just want to point out being hypocritical doesn't really make a good point." The man kept a calm look on his face.

"As for deserving, I know very little about the unit as of yet and even if I did, it would not be my call to say, whether you, me or the neighbour's pet rancor deserves the honour. It's not your job either."

"As for dying for a wingman - I assume I'll actually have to do that before you believe me. And do you ever make mistakes? I am willing to bet quite a bit on the fact that you have had your own lapse every now and then."

"A group like the Talons needs to work together. You don't have to be my best buddy nor I have to be yours. But regardless, you and I need to work together. That doesn't mean, you have to let down your guard, but a less hostile approach would carry far. I'm trying to make peace here, you know."

Flash rubs his forehead and then sighs heavily.  There's several seconds of silence before he responds.  "You're trying to make peace on your own terms.  You're not admitting fault and letting it go, you're making excuses and throwing words like 'hypocrite' around.  I'm not hostile but I am blunt.  I get angry when I think my team's being badly treated.  I stand up for the little guy.  And you frustrate the shit outta me cos you could be so damn good for the team and you're stuck in this victim attitude.  Damn right I'm a blunt instrument.  Could I benefit from being a precision instrument?  Yeah."  He nods firmly.  "I agree.  I could.  But I'm not and that's what you've got to work with.  Take or leave it."

"You get angry when you see people treated badly and yet you do the same to others. If you listened to me, you might have heard, I said I made a couple of mistakes. And yes, you do come out as hostile every once in a while. I might come off having a victim attitude, but there are two sides to everything. I don't know if you have heard of psychology, Flash, but there is a difference in whether you start by telling them 'you did wrong' or 'have you thought about what just happened'. What I am trying to say is that if you use the 'you did wrong'-approach, the only thing the other party will hear is 'wrong' and after that they won't listen to a thing you say. I am who I am, I have my past just like you have yours. We need to work as a team as long as the Commander has us in the crew. I propose this - we do our best to keep civil with one another and not blast each other with words or anything else. You want to subject me to an interrogation to figure out who I am and why I am here, then do so. I won't object. If I feel you are out of line, I will tell you. If I get out of line, you tell me. I'm trying to learn the ways of this outfit, but it might take time before I can unlearn the ways of the Imperial Navy. Take or leave it."

"Hah, throwing 'take it or leave it' back at me like you've actually got a position to negotiate from."  Flash shakes his head.  "What are you, a four-year-old?  Did you come from the Diaper Corps of the Imperial Army?  You want someone to pat your hand and say 'Have you considered this' instead of being told 'you messed up'?  Think we should shake our fingers at the Empire and say, 'Have you considered that enslaving billions and killing trillions might set a bad example'?"  He waves his hand.  "If this is you 'making peace'...  I haven't treated you badly, I've been weirdly lenient.  You want me to treat you badly, I can do that, but fact of the matter is you do have a victim attitude, I don't have to spare your feelings, I don't care if you 'object' to me interrogating you - another thing I haven't done, so shut your face on that score, too - and if you presume to tell me I'm 'out of line' then you'd better have a more convincing reason than 'you hurt my poor butterfly feelings,' and 'oh, but psychology'."

He drops his datapad on a nearby console with a clatter.  "Here's my counter-proposal.  I propose that you grow a fracking pair, act like a grown-up instead of a jilted schoolgirl, get off your moral high ground and stop making pissy excuses for yourself.  Sure, you've admitted 'a couple' of mistakes and every single time - without fail - you make some half-assed excuse.  You're an ex-Imperial - deal with it.  You're in a new situation - deal with it.  You need to prove yourself - deal with it."

"Is it accidental, an added or do you actually try to insult me at every turn? Is your idea of working with someone throwing insults at them again and again? If you have a problem working with me, take it up with the commander. If you feel, you can not work with me, take it up with him. We do not have to talk to one another outside the missions, if you want, but if you have nothing else to say to me, then I prefer, you keep it to yourself. Worthy of being a Talon or not in your books, I am part of the team as long as the commander so deems and as far as we both are, we need to work together."

Flash just shakes his head.  "You really don't get it, do you.  All you hear is accusation and insult.  All you're hearing is what you want to hear."  He points toward the rest of the ship.  "They've all tried to explain it to you in some way or another but you don't get it.  You want someone to be the Big Bad Guy who's treating you horribly so you can cry about how hard-done-by you are and I guess you've decided that's mean old me."  He waves the hand then, dismissively.  "I'm done trying to explain this.  Get someone else to hold your hand."

"I don't need you to hold my hand. I just wonder, if you stopped to listen to what you say, you'd really get my point. I hoped you would. You are just acting like a bully, who thinks he is doing something good by pushing people. No, I don't want you to hold my hand. I pity you. You are afraid to try being even remotely friendly. Yes, I have my faults, but repeating them time after time and adding insults to it - it just doesn't help. You want me to change to what you think is right, you have to give me a reason to do so. Besides, you are not the CO. It's not your job to shout at me. Yes, you are the Security Chief of this outfit, but as far as I know, that does not make you my commanding officer. If the CO sees a problem with me, he can chew me up or throw me in the brig, even kick me out of the team. That's his prerogative. And I have not decided to make you the bad guy. You've done that all by yourself with the way you are acting. I came to offer you peace, but you went 'take it or leave it' yourself. You got the response you were looking for."

"Conversation's over, Branden," Flash says bluntly, going back to his datapad.  "Go whine to someone else and see what you get."  And then, as if Arin hadn't come in to begin with, the Duros goes back to reading sensor data and making notes on his datapad.  From his expression - concentration, true, but not particular anger of even irritation - one would think the conversation hadn't even happened.

"Have it your way, then", Arin said and headed out of the cockpit. If the Security Chief was blind to the point of view of his, there was little he could do to change that even if he wanted.

As Branden leaves Flash taps his Talon comm.  "Cor, you reckon one of your droids could fix up some strong caf?"

"Of course, Mr Allen," Cor says after a brief pause, her calm voice coming through on the ship's speakers.  "2-1B-D3 is best suited to the task.  I will send him in shortly."