So she was smiling as she went along with the sound of workmen using the tools of their trade to get the hanger into the best shape that it could be.
"You really like it here, now don't you?" Rabby asked her as she followed her commander's lead.
Misato chuckled at that. "It's no fun to be stuck with your ass attached to a chair all day. I'd be bored to tears if I had to constantly look at the same four walls for hours on end. But...."
"Yes?"
"Just between you and me, it hasn't always worked out for me."
"People didn't want you there?"
"Oh, they liked me being there plenty," the major admitted, and then let her smile turn wry. "It's quite another when you join in on the work being done. Helping those under your command is great and all, and I like being friends with them, but all that effort.... I just wish that we didn't have to get all hot and sweaty in doing it."
The redhead watched the other woman for a long moment before deciding to shake her head slowly. "Serving with you should be interesting, if nothing else."
"I should hope so. Insisting on only being professional makes life dull, and you wouldn't want that, now would you."
"I wouldn't say that I'd like 'dull'. 'Peaceful', maybe, but not 'dull'."
"Well, look around you. We're going to be really busy for a while now."
"But not afterward."
"Why'd you say that?" Misato asked her subordinate.
"Well, we aren't exactly a forward base. We're only really supposed to be in a real battle if they get close to the planet."
"True enough, but I'm sure that they'll find plenty for us to do."
"Of course," Rabby muttered. "We are code named 'Kennels' for some reason...."
Oddly enough, the dark haired woman stopped in her tracks, threw back her head and laughed.
"Did I say something funny?"
"Not because you meant to. You do know where the name comes from, right?"
"Yes, something about an Earth pet. 'Dogs', I think they were called. Animals used for work and companionship."
"In a way, we're like that for them."
"Oh, that just makes it so much better."
"'Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war.'"
"Huh?" grunted the Solinoid woman.
"It's a quote from a play written by William Shakespere... and a description of what's expected of us if a fight really does come."
"Hmmm.... Then we'd be...."
"A pack of wild, but trained, dogs ready to tear apart any threat."
Rabby cocked up an eyebrow. "Doesn't sound all that peaceful."
"Wasn't meant to be, but then we can't take too many chances. I'd prefer to not have to fight, but if we do have to, I'd like to really try to win."
"That does sound like a good thing. Still, it'd help if they gave us more to work with. From what I hear, they're really looking into something called 'Project Horn'."
"You got that from the grapevine?"
"Only bits and pieces. It's not like we're looking for a lot of information. Still, it'd be nice to work on something that important."
Frowning, Misato wondered if she should mention that the major herself had been working a little on the project. In fact, she had even heard that she had been a candidate to captain the Joyeuse, but it had been decided that she was better geared towards ground command, or at least of better use. Not that she particularly minded, since she wanted more of a planet bound assignment anyway.
But she decided against it, and she merely smirked at her subordinate. "Are you sure that you're not bucking for a transfer?"
"Of course not," Rabby protested, and hefted her datapad under one arm. "It's just nice to be able to daydream."
"I'd have to agree with you. But we have work to do, and I think that we should get through this part soon."
"I thought that you liked being down amongst the grunts and techs."
"Them, yes, but I have more to do than to be caught up when I can get going. Unless you have a particular desire to see someone here."
It took several moments, but once the lieutenant commander understood what she was alluding to, her expression quickly became a derisive scowl. "I don't care how... skillful Alex Smith thinks he is, or that he flew a Gran Trooper in the battle against the Zeravire. To me, he's still an empty headed idiot with an ego problem."
"Good to hear. You're learning to handle me well."
"You think so? My people are all female, and even after meeting men, I don't have use for a lot of them."
"But you can respect some, right?" Misato asked, her expression turning sly.
"I even like some. Why?"
"We're going to have to get you out sometime. See if we can't get you a date with a good man!"
"Now, Major.... Wait a second!" Rabby called out, racing to catch up to her commander as the older woman wandered away, while:
(Posted Mon, 09 Jun 2008 02:23)
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