Re: Part 10 - A hero's work is never done
Rhijans' greeting snags her attention and Shard squints up at him suspiciously for a momment. Nope; he's not fishing, nor is he mocking. Relaxing, she settles a little further down in her seat, the sullen student of the class. "Yeah." The older woman clears her throat, hoping her next words will sound a little more smooth. "Done now, though."
As always, the professional is easy on the eyes. Clean, sharp of features and eye, and radiating an aura of relaxed preparation. It's good having him around, Shard reflects. She's a little jealous of his charcoal hair, sleek and flowing; her own hasn't been that splendid in a decade, and is threaded with silver strands to boot. "Looking good, Rhijans," she mutters. "Someone has to."
Juragga joins the crowd, looking about how she feels. No, Shard decides with a critical eye, worse. She can't blame the Wookie; hope for finding more of his kind had turned to ash in the raid, and everything certainly hadn't gone as planned to boot. But best he keeps himself in the back and doesn't draw attention, as the Colonel could be a stickler about these things. I'll cover for him, she decides. Her own squadmates have done the same for her in the past.
Haarmon doesn't look much better, trundling in on Juragga's heels. Maybe he hadn't sampled the drink, but sleepless nights looked like the style, hereabouts. Frowning, Shard purses her lips. They're spread out over the room, all in little groups of misery (except Rhijans, with his customary cloak of cold professionalism). It's not right.
"You up for a walk?" she mutters to the man beside her, pushing herself up. "Better we stick together. Maybe make a tighter knot, or the Colonel's going to figure something's wrong and split the unit."
It's not...quite...true, but it might as well be. Things could go poorly Really Quick Now on a mission, and if the group didn't move right it could be the end of all of them. And that'd break us up just as quick as if the Colonel did, she considers, pushing herself up and over a row of seats to sit one row down from Haarmon and Juragga.
Even if Rhijans decides not to move, they'll all be linked in a line.
Craning her neck, she eyes the mismatched pair. "You two..." Shard shakes her head, and with a wave indicates herself included in the observation. "We gotta come to these briefings a little more spiffy-like, or the Colonel's going to figure we don't want to be here."