ACT 2 – TRUTH
Chapter 23 – Differing Tactics
The last few days had felt challenging in ways that Oneakka couldn't quite remember facing before.
It had all started with failing his medical review, not just because he had failed to do his proper research beforehand into the importance of flexibility in recovery for his type of wound, but the revelation that Meiyo and her staff thought he had some psychological issue.
He'd at least managed to convince Meiyo to review a return to non-battle rotation after his two week break away, but even that wasn't guaranteed. Some of the experts involved apparently thinking he might not return to his former full capabilities, and, despite Meiyo's reassurances, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about that.
There had been the brief and unexpected return to combat yesterday which had at least given him a burst of confidence in his abilities, but even that positivity had been short lived in light of his fight with Raven almost immediately afterwards.
And for the whole day since then, he'd not seen or spoken to her.
The last view he'd had of her had been of her striding away into the Facility. Practically the second the Transport had docked in the Facility she'd had the door open and had stormed away from him without a glance back.
Not even an angry word or glare.
It had felt as cutting as some of the things they'd said to each other at the Portal.
He'd taken his time returning into the Facility, stopping by the weapons store in the first lobby to return the holster and stunner he'd borrowed for the trip to Saoka's station. It had only been when he'd lifted the stunner out of the holster to return it that he'd realised that he'd not used it during the incident on the station.
He couldn't remember even thinking about using it.
Why hadn't he thought to use the stunner?
His initial theory had been because he'd spent months in recovery without weapons, and he'd been on the station as a visitor not on rotation, so… But he'd reacted in every other way along with his training. When he'd raced through that marketing hall, had spied that creature slashing a knife at Raven, he'd not considered using the weapon. He could have ended the fight with a single blast of the stunner from further away. He'd fired stunners for most of his life, could use every single type and was a very good shot, but he'd not thought to use it.
Instead he'd barged into the fight, slamming that scum away from Raven and dealing with the criminal as physically as possible.
Because of the battle fury.
Because Raven had been in danger.
The answer worryingly clear, he'd slid the borrowed stunner into its place in the weapons store and made his way back to his quarters in conflicted grumpy frustration.
Everything he'd done that day had felt uncontrolled. Even from randomly following Raven to the station in the first place, then rushing at that knife-wielding criminal rather than efficiently ending it sooner from a distance, and he'd not intended to start that fight by the Portal; hadn't meant to show his anger. He'd simply wanted to express his very valid points about her choice of tactics, but it had just poured out of him the second he'd found a place where he and Raven could talk privately.
He should have waited, let his emotions cool down before speaking with her in a more logical and calm manner about her stupid choices.
Instead he'd caused one of the worst fights he'd had with her.
They'd argued before, plenty, but yesterday had been different. Had felt far too raw and…perhaps…more honest than usual between them.
She'd brought up the Rogue Hive again, accused him of having used wrong tactics himself back then, which wasn't a correct comparison at all. He was an Elite and he had a job to do and if that…upset…her that much then perhaps the fight had been a good thing.
His whole plan in returning to his normal life on battle-rotation had involved getting some distance from her. They'd gotten too used to being around each other. He was an Elite and he didn't want or need what his hormone-driven dreams had been entertaining.
He'd repeated that very real fact as he'd headed back through the Facility to his quarters to change clothes.
He had no intention of having a permanent female in his life.
And even if he considered it, of all the females in the galaxy, one who put herself in stupid dangerous positions, refused to listen to good experienced advice, and who couldn't handle his own life's work would be a terrible choice.
So he'd dwelt on that very important point as he'd headed to his afternoon rehab session, arriving early at the Rehab Gym so he could distract himself. Not that it had worked, as he'd just stewed about it all.
When his afternoon's Physical Therapist had turned up for their scheduled session, Oneakka had told him about the brief combat on the station and had negotiated some changes to his recovery program to increase the intensity of the strength element of the rehab plan. The Therapist had seemed strangely agreeable about it, which had either been due to the true fact that the combat had proven Oneakka was capable of more…or the Therapists were being accommodating, possibly because of the psychological issue they thought he had.
The only issue he had was Raven.
And their very clear incompatibility of lifestyles and her stubborn indifference to her own safety.
Last thing he wanted was a female he might outlive. He'd outlived enough people who meant too much to him.
He wanted nothing to do with such close bonds again. He had enough regular nightmares about those already lost and those around him he could lose. He still had repetitive fearful dreams of Halling and Massa being in danger, of Emmagan and Si overwhelmed by Wraith, or the Sythus exploding taking everyone with it.
Or of his people's last moments.
He didn't want anything else in his life that could cause anymore of that.
As he'd gone through the motions of his rehab plan, simply following the Therapist's instructions without question, he'd started to wonder if the fight might have helped him a little. Helped remind him of their incompatibility, of how distracting she could be, and how space was clearly needed between them.
That maybe it would help break the bonds a little.
And as he'd finished his workout, a text link had arrived from her – though notably addressed firstly to Massa rather than him – pulling out of the usual Late Meal yesterday evening. He'd been relieved, and had decided, then and there, to go an entire day without seeing or talking with her. A whole day out of contact was the best way to start untying the bonds…and stop him from uncontrollably blurting out anything else if another argument kicked off.
So he'd headed back to his quarters to shower and change, and only later realised that his silent, compliant behaviour in the Rehab Gym might have only made the Physical Therapist more convinced there was something wrong with him, but whatever.
After some stretching in his quarters, he'd gone to see Belka and the goatlings, knowing Raven was with Amel and unlikely to turn up randomly. He'd focused on feeding the goats and talking with Neligan about setting up a weaning plan for the goatlings, and then had headed to the Canteen to have Late Meal just with Massa and Aki.
Of course, in his usual way, Massa had sensed something was wrong and had been full of pestering questions. Oneakka hadn't told him much, not wanting to talk about it, and had finished up his food quickly and headed back to the sanctity of his quarters.
Back in his home, and far too early to go to bed, he'd caught himself replaying the incident on the station and the subsequent fight. So, he'd sat down and linked up with Enforcement's systems and looked up the latest on the incident. The investigation was well underway with both of Zuka Sasturas' two criminal relatives already having been officially charged, and that Enforcement had worked out how the scum had gotten that small zircon blaster through Saoka's security checks. The blaster had been disassembled and Zuka's relatives had split the small component pieces between them, hiding them in their clothing. When they had arrived on the station they had been checked over by Saoka's Station Security as metal had been picked up on them, but the blaster components had been small and had been well hidden between them, so the weapon had been missed. Enforcement had apparently already had a discussion with Saoka about the findings and changes were being implemented on all of Saoka's stations as a result.
On reading that, Oneakka had reached for his electronic pad, intending to send a text link to Raven about the zircon blaster finding, but had caught himself. No communication for a day, and, besides, he hadn't trusted himself not to add in some comment about having thought she'd have known about criminals hiding weapons on themselves. Surely that had happened on Dreamstation all the time.
To find out for himself, he'd logged into the Dreamstation database copy that Raven had given the Elite. He had spent considerable time researching specific areas of the database when he'd been actively tracing The Traitor's past actions and connections, but he'd not been into the database in awhile, though he knew it was under constant study by Division and Enforcement.
He'd found the Dreamstation entry on Zuka Sasturas, unsurprised at the extra wealth of crimes it had listed beyond Zuka's Alliance criminal record. He'd read the final entry on Zuka, written by Raven herself after the near-assassination of Creass. As usual in the Dreamstation database, her report was thorough but concise. There had also been images linked to it, which had documented the injuries her staff had sustained, Zuka's weapons, clothing and various items found in his pockets, and then an image of his dead body. And there had been other linked entries in the Dreamstation database referenced in Zuka's record so Oneakka had read them too.
Zuka had been active on Dreamstation over a number of years before his death. He'd captured a few of his bounties there and, though not proven, been responsible for some assassinations as well. Raven had clearly not liked the male and had directly accused him of the assassinations, but her entries on those cases ended with a single loaded sentence that Creass had allowed the Bounty Hunter to leave.
Considering the last contract Zuka had taken had been to assassinate Creass himself, clearly that past leniency had meant nothing to the Bounty Hunter.
There had been no references to Zuka's family, seemingly never having visited Dreamstation, or perhaps never having left the Alliance. There had been other names linked to him though, so Oneakka had read those records as well. And he'd kept reading, following the links between different incidents, no longer related to Zuka, and he'd lost himself to hours of reading the recounted tales and tribulations of life on Dreamstation.
The database had been used to store all work related to the running of the criminal station, including daily all staff updates, engineering matters, docking manifests, cleaning and kitchen rotas and much more. But Oneakka had kept to the extensive Security logs, some days holding as many as fifty 'incidents', which had ranged from simple bad behaviour where visitors had started fights, various degrees of theft, people trying to manipulate the gambling halls to steal currency, to more dramatic aggressive behaviour towards the staff, and visitors attempting to kill each other off. Then there were the more station-critical issues of attempted sabotage of the docked ships or of Dreamstation itself.
Raven's days had been very full, with a myriad of challenges on top of the standard security duties related to running a station with thousands of visitors, nearly all of which had been criminals.
As late night had arrived, he'd finally pulled his eyes away from the stories and threats on that wayward station to go to bed. As he'd changed into his night clothes, he had been aware that his anger from the fight had gone, or had at least been transferred onto the truly horrible lives some people chose to live. But what had become extraordinarily clear to him, and in a way he'd not really processed before, was how versed Raven truly was in all matters of criminal activity.
And it had put a new light on his words to her during the fight.
She'd loudly taken exception to his calling her tactics into question, because she had all this experience. The Dreamstation database hadn't even included her life experiences prior to living on the station. He knew little bits of it, from the Glisi cruelty to living on the streets, some stories of her pit fighting days and then that she'd worked as a bouncer in clubs and bars.
As much as he gritted his teeth at all those dangerous circumstances, the truth was that she was far more experienced than him in dealing with criminal scum.
And a deep sense of regret had set in.
He'd insulted her and her experience, even if he did still question her choices on that station. His own life experience and training just couldn't be overlooked, he'd reminded himself as he'd gotten into bed in the dark. Elite trained from their first days on teamwork as much as self-reliance. No single Elite would ever defeat the Wraith; it was instead a combined effort of thousands over decades, and with military support, that would bring that eventual day.
But a single warrior could turn a tide. And she had stood in the face of repeated tides of villainy on Dreamstation and he admired her for that. Profoundly.
As much as it also grated at something deep inside him, because part of him just wanting her to go live a nice quiet, simple life on a safe planet deep in Alliance territory. And yes, away from him. He could be content in his likely short remaining years knowing she was living a safe, long and happy life out there somewhere.
Tiredness had slipped over him with those thoughts and his last memory before falling asleep had been the fear. The old fear of what his dreams would bring; would it be the nightmares of battles and danger, of Raven in harm's way again, or the torturous replayed deaths of those he had failed; or, perhaps even more unsettling, erotic dreams of Raven that would whisper of things he would never have in his life.
But, in the end, his dreams had turned out to be something entirely different.
Instead of war and death, he'd had a long and convoluted dream of being a new low level member of Raven's Security staff on Dreamstation. He dreamt of dealing with fights, Bounty Hunters, and criminals putting the station at risk. And through it, Raven had been there somewhere, in charge, but never talking to him directly or personally. She'd just been there on the periphery, giving orders and reporting on other dramatic events that had been happening in the station of which he'd known nothing.
He'd woken up from the long elaborate sequence of dreams feeling calmer, but with a strange sense of sadness.
Dressed and his First Meal delivered to his quarters, he had returned to his Dreamstation reading.
But unlike yesterday, when the database had felt like ten years of evidence of the threat and danger that could still find Raven, this morning it had been ten years of evidence that she had far too much experience related to yesterday's events.
That didn't change the fact that she'd put herself at considerable risk yesterday by putting herself in a corner, but today he had to admit that she had clearly made a tactical decision.
And with that the realisation that he had over-reacted yesterday, had reacted emotionally. As much as he had striven in his life to prevent as much death as he could, to ensure no other worlds met the same fate as his own, people still died. Those he'd cared for - had loved - had died without him being able to do anything about it.
Raven was experienced and had the skills to look after herself as best as she could in the face of further possible criminals recognising her in the future. He'd make sure that she had some extra weaponry with her though to increase her odds at survival, but he had no way to ensure she was never hurt. If he was with her on a future outing somewhere, then he would fight to protect her as he would any of his other friends and colleagues, but yesterday he hadn't reacted appropriately in their fight.
He'd let emotion get the better of him, but there were only five days left until his two weeks away, to when he could absorb himself into relaxed isolation on Pelydr, regain his headspace and focus on his recovery plan. He'd then return and hopefully Meiyo would allow him back on non-battle rotation.
And two weeks away from Raven would do him some good. Hopefully reset things.
But first, he owed her an apology for yesterday and, hopefully, she would accept and then could move past it.
In preparation, during his morning walk around the Facility, he'd stopped by the Facility's Armoury and had spoken with the Lead Armourer. There were plenty of tasers and chemical sprays in stock in various shapes and sizes, so Raven would have choice of what she preferred. There was also time available on the testing range this evening if she was free to try them out.
He'd thought about sending her a text link about it, but had decided to keep to the full day's distance from her and, besides, he should apologise first in person later.
And it would allow some extra time for her own anger to subside, hopefully.
So he'd waited for the rest of the day, having Midday Meal in his quarters and then going to his afternoon rehab session, which focused on strength at the new intensity so that had made him feel a little more positive again.
After that and a shower, and technically more than a whole day having now passed without any contact with Raven, he'd finally searched for her Beacon within the Facility.
She was in the Hydroponics Bay near the goats' enclosure, so he headed through the Facility to the Bay. She'd most likely missed seeing the goats yesterday, so was getting her time in with them today before Late Meal. But, on entering the Bay, he decided it would be best not to force her into the conversation by the goats, so instead selected a wooden bench alongside the path she'd take when she left the goats. The length of the path would allow her to spot him from a distance so she could decide if she wanted to talk to him.
It also gave him a little time to consider what he was actually going to say; this time without losing control of the situation and blurting out things like yesterday.
Not that he was anywhere close to the emotional intensity of yesterday, but things with Raven often had way of catching him off guard and quickly getting out of control. Something of an agent of chaos in his life since she'd stormed into it, he would have to be more measured in how he handled things going forward. Learn from yesterday's debacle.
Plus it was only five days until his break away.
A shift of motion to the far left drew his attention and he saw her appear at the far end of the path, wandering along it, her attention elsewhere. He waited for her to move out of the shadows cast across the path by the trees and notice him.
It only took a few seconds.
She pulled up short, freezing in place some distance still along the path.
He got up from the bench, making it clear that he had been waiting for her and that this wasn't just as chance meeting.
He watched her take a few more seconds to inwardly debate what to do and then she started forward again towards him.
She was striding now though, the meandering from before long gone, her chin held even higher than normal for her and her expression seemingly blank. But, it wasn't. He could read her pretty well now and could see the uncertainty beneath the determination, and the tension in her body that said she was primed for battle.
Still by the bench, he waited for her, watching the bright artificial sunlight of the Bay glow down over her, making her black hair shine.
If she were even just a little less beautiful it would really help the whole situation.
But she wasn't, and a Warrior had to face challenges in his life.
He waited until she was a few metres away and finally moved onto the path and turned to face her more directly.
"You were right," he stated, getting directly to the point of this conversation.
She almost stopped again on hearing that and her tense controlled expression dropped into shocked confusion. "What?!" She asked with a frown and then seemed to catch herself. "Well, yes obviously," she added quickly but still with a slightly confused frown creasing her brow as she continued on across the last couple of metres between them.
But she stopped a little further away from him than she normally would.
Defensive behaviour.
That was probably a good thing.
Best they hold the line clearly between them.
"You have far more experience in dealing with Human criminals," he clarified his point.
"Exactly," she agreed, but he could tell that he'd thrown her. Good, it was nice to know that the agent of chaos work went both ways.
She angled her head slightly, giving him a wary assessing look. "But…?" She prompted, somehow having sensed it coming.
"I have more experience battling Wraith," he added, calmly and logically.
"There weren't any Wraith on that station," she pointed out, but there didn't seem to be any anger in her voice today.
"Yes," he agreed, "but that is how I view tactics. And putting yourself alone in a corner against Wraith would be a dangerous strategy." Her eyes narrowed a fraction, taking offence again regarding her decision yesterday, but he continued. "But you were a pit fighter, and those pits were essentially a 'corner' you had to fight in all the time."
She didn't say anything to that, but her eyes moved from one of his eyes to the other, her mind working on that statement.
"You know how to fight in a corner," he clarified his point.
"And your point is going to be that there are other strategies?" she asked, defensive for certain now. "Sometimes a corner is the best place to fight, Oneakka."
"And sometimes a collapsing Hive is the best place to fight," he replied meaningfully.
She blinked at that, surprised again perhaps, but he saw that his point had been understood. It was all very well that she had called him on his comments in light of her experience, but she continued to do the same about his own choice of past appropriate strategic decisions.
He held her direct gaze.
"So, what's your point?" She asked, repeating her question from the fight, but it didn't hold anything close to the anger it had yesterday. "That we're both wrong and right?"
There had been just a touch of humour in her voice and he felt some tension ease inside him.
"That you have your area of expertise," he summarised his conclusions from a day of ruminating on the matter, "and I have mine. Sometimes what doesn't seem the right strategy in our own frame of reference could still make perfect sense in the other's experience."
She didn't say anything back, but he saw the change in her; a softening in her posture and across her features. Then she glanced away, appearing to be considering something and eventually her gaze snapped back to his, bold and direct.
"You called me stupid," she stated, challenged.
He considered her expression and the tone she'd used. He definitely hadn't called her stupid, but he had said her tactics had been stupid, and it seemed that had struck a sensitive nerve for her. Might even have been what had insulted her most in their fight? Well, that might be true, but it was hardly the first time that word had been used between them.
"You've called me stupid plenty of times," he pointed out.
"Maybe about that Rogue Hive situation-" she started.
"No," he interrupted as calmly and as non-threateningly as possible, "you've called me stupid at other times." He distinctly remembered some specific occasions.
"When?" She challenged.
"When you barged into my room in the Healing Bay and lowered the head of my medical bed without my permission," he recalled.
She blinked, clearly surprised he had come up with an actual example.
"You were being stupid," she retaliated, "you were hurting your wound with the head of the bed set that high."
"And you've now just called me stupid again," he pointed out. "How come you can use the word and I can't?" he asked, aware that they were slipping into something closer to their more usual bantering.
"That's not my point," she argued but she didn't look entirely sure.
"But it is my point," he countered, "Isn't that what friendships are? Mutual respect?"
She pulled a series of expressions as she clearly struggled to come up with a counterargument.
"How about we agree," he suggested before she could come up with one, "that neither of us are actually stupid, but we may, occasionally, make unwise decisions?"
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Is that how you're going to describe my tactics yesterday?"
"Both our tactics worked yesterday," he decided was a safe summary. "But if you start carrying some additional weapons, like a taser and/or a chemical spray, then you'll have a better arsenal at your disposal."
One raven-black eyebrow rose up at that and a faint smile lit her features. "Practiced that argument have you?"
He smiled back a fraction, pleased that his carefully planned argument had worked, but it wasn't the proper apology that he owed her.
"That and I'm sorry for raising my voice," he added more seriously.
The other black eyebrow rose to join the first, and, unexpectedly, she smiled properly this time.
A burst of happy relief hit him, pleased beyond what seemed appropriate as he held her gaze.
She glanced away again though. "Well," she said, her voice turning a little softer than normal, "you've lost a lot of people in your life, so I can understand you may get sensitive about us being put at risk."
He was a little taken back at the summary, hearing it voiced by her so directly making it seem a little too real. A flash of embarrassment hit him and he glanced aside too, uncomfortable at the transparent feeling which happened far too frequently around her.
"So apology accepted," she added into the slightly awkward moment.
He met her gaze again and she gave him another smile.
He nodded. "Are you going to have Late Meal with me and Massa?"
"I was already on my way," she indicated the path that continued on behind him.
"Good," he shifted aside and turned so they could walk along the path together. "Did your presentation go well this morning?"
"It did," she answered as they walked. "We didn't get through all the team presentations though, so it's carrying on tomorrow."
"But your and Amel's part is all done?" He asked conversationally.
"All done, so we can just sit back and watch the other presentations and debate it all."
"How did your rehab sessions go today?" She asked as they reached the exit out of the Bay.
"Really well," he confirmed as they passed through the multiple sets of doors that worked as an airlock out of the Bay. "The focus on flexibility is already showing improvements, and this afternoon I managed to lift a new record weight since my injury."
That had sounded a little like he was boasting, another thing he'd caught himself doing with her, but it was good to discuss normal things again; the argument over.
"That's great, and I was thinking you could take Belka with you on your Facility walks," she suggested as they headed down a corridor that was increasingly busy with the obvious change of shift.
"I could," he considered, "though I'm not sure if all the goatlings would all follow her. Keeping track of them all in the corridors could be a nightmare."
She chuckled at that. "Fair point, we probably would need a team of people to herd them along and keep them out of mischief. I'd say you could take just Splodge, but I'm not sure she'd keep up for the entire walk around the Facility; I usually end up carrying her some of the time."
"And she's definitely full of mischief," he teased truthfully as he glanced at her profile beside him.
"No more than her siblings," Seeal came to the defence of her goatling.
"Do you take her to your quarters?" He had wondered about that.
"Occasionally," she admitted. "Neligan recommended it to train her to be house-broken for when I end up moving somewhere else after the project work."
He frowned faintly at the news that she was planning that far ahead. Though, of course she was, that was part of his own plan; that once he was on battle rotation and her role in the computer project over, that she go wherever she wanted in her life. Hopefully to that simple, safe life he wanted for her. Splodge now to accompany her.
"That's a good idea," he simply said, a little annoyed at the little stirring of sadness at the future when these daily moments would be over.
But it was the reality of their futures, so there was no point pretending it wasn't going to happen.
They had arrived at the Canteen and there was a short line at the food selection, so they headed towards it. Oneakka glanced towards their usual table and saw that Massa was already there, focusing on securing Aki into his high seat. No doubt Massa would be overly pleased to see him and Raven together at the food selection, their argument resolved.
"Here," Raven said from close by and he looked round to see her offering him a tray, which he took and followed her to the food, the queue having moved surprisingly fast…unless he'd been lost in thought.
He focused on adding some stew, then some rice-grain and a thick slice of bread to his tray, and caught up with Raven as she was filling a cup with her beloved Athosian tea. He decided he'd maybe have some tonight too, so helped himself to a cupful after her. Tray full, he lifted it and turned to see Raven already halfway across the bustling Canteen. Oneakka followed, glancing around the large room for any fellow Elite. There were only a few today, and he exchanged nods with them before he reached the table.
"Evening, Oneakka," Massa said with all sorts of unidentifiable tones in his voice and smile.
"Evening, Massa," Oneakka returned as he set his tray down and pulled out his chair.
"Glad to see you two have patched up your disagreement," Massa said, still smiling.
"All patched," Raven summarised from Oneakka's left and he glanced at her as he sat down. She was eagerly lifting her cutlery, seeming especially hungry.
He frowned down at her tray.
They'd selected the exact same food.
"So, do I get to hear about the argument now?" Massa pushed.
Oneakka glared at him across the table. "Tactics, but we've come to an understanding."
"Good," Massa grinned.
Oneakka glared at him, waiting for more.
"I had a good day too," Massa continued though. "Aki slept all through the night and passed his monthly medical check this afternoon."
"Ahhh, that's good," Raven cooed across the table to Aki, who grinned back at her. "Though I notice that he's still got that toy with him."
"Yes," Massa looked down at his son, "he's refused to let go of it all day."
Oneakka looked up from his food. "Kind of like you and that comforter blanket you had as a kid," he teased.
Massa reacted as planned. "It was for warmth, I wasn't used to the temperature in that Facility."
"Uh huh," Oneakka nodded and glanced to Raven. "Took him two years to get used to the temperature apparently."
Raven grinned as she chewed on a mouthful of bread.
"I'm sure Seeal would love to hear about your obsession about your 'lucky' trousers," Massa retaliated.
"No problem," Oneakka shrugged and looked to Raven. "We were doing these difficult challenges and I passed every one of them, and I was wearing the same trousers each time, so I kept wearing them for other challenges."
"Seems logical," Raven nodded. "For a child," she added teasingly.
"I was a child," he made it clear.
"Not last week or anything," Massa put in. "Though do you remember that Recruit who refused to wash his socks after that base jumping incident, what was his name?"
"Chalcop," Oneakka recalled with a grin. "Man did they stink."
"His parachute and back up didn't open, but then seconds before he reached the last point of survival the backup opened; he swore he'd been saved," Massa told Raven.
"By his socks?" Raven frowned.
"Not by making sure he packed the chutes properly," Oneakka muttered as he spooned up some more stew onto his bread. He felt like he'd missed a meal almost, but he hadn't. Though he'd not eaten a great deal yesterday evening with Massa pestering him with questions about his argument with Raven.
"How young do you start base jumping?" Raven asked, sounding shocked but also intrigued.
Oneakka listened as Massa filled Raven in on the basics of Recruit early year training, of which he was a particular expert now he was a Trainer and Tutor here in the Facility.
His main meal finished, Oneakka turned his attention on his pudding. A sticky steamed pudding with kita fruit; he loved this one. The only problem was it didn't last long.
He set his bowl aside and reached for the Athosian tea. He still felt faintly hungry though and glanced down the Canteen towards the food selection to see if there were any more puddings left. Meiyo had said he needed more calories in his meals…
A familiar face caught his eye off to the right: Ru, the former Lead Engineer of the Sythus. Back in the Facility apparently.
He was stood near the food selection, but was peering around the Canteen clearly looking for someone.
Oneakka imagined he could guess who.
He glanced to Raven next to him, but she hadn't noticed Ru yet. Instead she was reaching across the table and tickling one of Aki' feet sticking out from his chair. Aki giggled loudly, kicking out hard.
Oneakka focused back on his tea, sipping at it, but his eyes shifted back to Ru. The male was facing this direction now, his eyes now obviously latched onto Raven. Oneakka watched the male leaning to one side, clearly trying to catch her eye.
The male's desperate intentions were so bluntly obvious over the Engineer's face even from this distance.
Aki giggled loudly again and Oneakka watched Raven give Aki' toes one last tickle and then withdraw her hand to focus back on her food.
Oneakka glanced back down the Canteen.
Ru now had a hand partly raised as he shifted one way and then the other, practically dancing now as he tried to catch Raven's attention. If the male was attempting to avoid disrupting her meal by trying to attract her attention from so far away, it certainly wasn't working for Oneakka.
And it was getting really distracting and Oneakka wanted it to end, so he looked at Raven next to him. "The Engineer is loitering for your attention," he informed her.
She looked up and around with a frown. Oneakka gestured with his tea towards the front of the Canteen where Ru was lifting a hand, and Raven finally saw the Engineer and a big happy smile transformed her face.
Oneakka switched his focus back to Ru, who was grinning and waving madly at Raven as if the two of them hadn't seen each other for years. Not that they'd known each other for even a whole year.
Raven's arm gestured through the air in Oneakka's peripheral vision, clearly waving Ru over to the table.
Oh great.
Oneakka focused down on his tea, pushing away the irritation at the interruption, but it was probably going to be brief at least.
"Seeal," Ru' bright cheerful voice arrived at the end of the table, "Honoured Elite," he added respectfully.
Oneakka glanced up and round and nodded to Ru.
"Hello Ru, long time since I last saw you," Massa said brightly.
"It is good to see you too, Honoured Elite," Ru replied and then looked down at Aki. "And your son. Hello," he grinned at Aki.
Aki stared up at Ru with wide eyes, as he always did when he saw something, or someone, new.
"Say hello, Aki," Massa said to his son.
Aki smiled instantly at the instruction, but he was still intently studying this new face.
"You're back," Seeal said to Ru.
"Yes," Ru turned his full attention on Seeal. "The Skerti Drive has been successfully transferred to the new Research Dock, so we are finally starting our week split rotation between the Dock and the Project Room here."
"You're on your half week stay in the Facility now?" Seeal asked, sounding all eager to spend time with her friend.
"Yes," Ru nodded with an eager smile. "Though I have tomorrow afternoon free, if you are as well? I was hoping we could catch up."
"Yes," Seeal smiled. "Oh, no wait," she added with a frown. "I can't do tomorrow afternoon; I have the next experiment to go to in the Research Lab."
Oneakka focused on her. "The cold tolerance tests?" he recalled from yesterday.
"Yes," she confirmed.
"Which involves what again?"
"They gradually reduce the temperature in the room and I just sit there," she explained, "let them take their readings."
Like some sort of object.
"And no," she stressed at him, "it won't be dangerous." There appeared as if there was an extra point in her voice and look, perhaps relating to her earlier comment about him being sensitive about losing people.
"Good," he replied simply. "Smee going with you again?" He found himself asking.
"No, I know how to get to the Research Lab now," she replied though.
He wondered if the Security male had still offered and whether she'd said that to Smee. Was it wrong that he felt a little smirk of pleasure in picturing that, the likely disappointment on the male's face? But, Smee would at least have been someone looking out for her and making sure she wasn't putting herself at risk by stubbornly holding out in a cold room too long.
"What time is the experiment?" Oneakka asked.
"An hour after I've have Midday Meal," she replied and then looked the other way towards Ru. "I could meet you for First Meal tomorrow instead?" She suggested.
Ru frowned. "We have an early meeting tomorrow in the Project Room. How about Late Meal tomorrow?"
"I'm meeting Smee," Raven frowned.
Oneakka saw the shift to Ru' face at the news and almost smiled.
"I don't think I've heard you mention Smee before?" Ru asked as casually as he seemed able.
"He's a new friend of mine, works here in Security," she told Ru, the male's face moving briefly through concern and back to innocent interest. "I'll introduce you to him," Raven continued, oblivious it seemed to Ru's reaction, "and there's a new member in our project you've got to meet too."
"Oh right," Ru nodded with a faint frown.
"She's a lot of fun," Raven added about Amel, and Ru's frown vanished at the news the new friend was female.
Oneakka wondered how the male functioned while being so unable to conceal his true thoughts and feelings. Honestly, everything was written in blazing obviousness across his face and body language…which normally Raven was very good at reading so was she aware of Ru's intentions towards her?
Or perhaps she even liked the attention?
Or maybe felt them in return for Ru?
But then surely she'd be making time for Ru.
"You are so busy," Ru said to her. "I would not want to steal you away from any of your new friends. Though, how about this evening?" He suggested, so desperate for Raven's time that he wanted it as soon as possible.
Well, he could damn well wait.
"I was hoping," Oneakka cut in, pressing his elbow against Raven's and she looked round at him, "that after we eat that we could go to the Facility Armoury, see about that equipment we discussed. The Lead Armourer has plenty in stock you can try out and there is space in the testing range this evening."
"Oh, okay," she nodded, seeming surprised but she was agreeing, which was good. He'd rather she have the new weaponry as soon as possible.
She looked back round to Ru, still hovering near her. "You could join us now?" She suggested, pointing to the end of the table where there was, admittedly, space for another chair. "If that's okay with you two?" She asked looking back round.
"Of course," Massa agreed.
Oneakka nodded vaguely as he focused down on sipping some more of his tea.
"I'd love to," Ru said, clearly pleased that time have been made for him. "I'll go get some food."
"I'll get you a chair," Seeal offered and was up and moving away.
Oneakka looked round to see that she'd found a spare chair a few metres away, so he looked back, to find Massa frowning at him.
"What?" Oneakka demanded.
"So how goes the new recovery plan?" Massa asked.
"Good," Oneakka confirmed as he watched Raven set Ru's chair at the end of the table, close to her own. "I lifted a new weight target," he added idly.
"Close to your pre-injury weights yet?" Massa asked next.
"Not too far off."
Raven was sat back down next to him, but looking off to where Ru was working his way along the food selection. She certainly looked happy and eager to see Ru again.
As a friend or was Ru something more? Where Smee was apparently not in contention, was Ru?
"How about the walks?" Massa asked next.
Oneakka focused across the table to where Massa was feeding a spoon of green goop to Aki. "I'm doing them."
"Twice a day?" Massa checked.
"Only once a day is mandatory on the recovery plan," Oneakka replied and saw over Massa's head that Ru was already on his way back. He'd made very short work of choosing his food it seemed.
Oneakka sipped at his tea as he watched Ru practically running back to the table and sitting down close to Raven.
"It is good to see you looking so well, Seeal," Ru started and Oneakka almost rolled his eyes at the obviousness of it.
"Thanks, you too. So was it difficult moving the Skerti Drive to the new dock in the end?" She asked, starting back on her food now.
"It went completely to plan," Ru answered her. "So tell me about your new friends."
Yes, he clearly wanted to know all about Smee in particular.
Oneakka considered the male, seeing that, though Ru was holding a fork in his hand, he hadn't started on his food. All his attention was on Raven, his eyes wide and dark with dilated pupils; well, Oneakka couldn't see that for certain from here, but he was pretty certain it was the case.
"I think you'll really like them both," Seeal told him.
"If they are friends of yours, then of course I will," Ru answered, his tone so sickly sweet and imploring that it was almost too much to have to listen. Raven didn't appear to be responding to the compliments all that much, so clearly Ru should just give up and move on; preferably away to another table.
"Amel is from Ridd-Ellma, have you heard of it?" Raven asked.
"I'm not sure," Ru considered.
"They wear big eyebrows," Raven prompted him.
"With the giant decorations?" Ru asked gesturing with his hand and fork to show wide big eyebrows.
"That's the one," Raven laughed. "But she refuses to bow to such a cultural demand," she added proudly.
"That's wonderful for her," Ru stated, as if he had any clue about Amel and was clearly judging the Ridd-Ellman culture without even understanding it.
Foolish male.
"She sounds fascinating," Ru continued. "I would love to meet her. Perhaps we could all have a meal together when you are free."
"Good idea," Seeal agreed. "I'll invite Smee too. At this rate we'll have a secondary Strays group."
Ru laughed, but it was just plain sick. He still hadn't eaten any of his food, just holding his fork in his hand unused. Like a predator, he was focused in on his prey, the Engineer's eyes fixed to Raven's face in-
A sharp sudden kick hit against Oneakka's right shin.
"Ow!" He snapped his eyes across at Massa, who had clearly done it.
"Sorry," Massa replied, but he didn't sound anything close to apologetic. "My boot must have slipped," he added in what was a very fake explanation, his eyes boring into Oneakka.
Oneakka frowned back at him.
Massa's eyebrows lifted in a look that was clearly meant to mean something and his eyes darted pointedly away to Ru and Raven and back again.
Had the kick been Massa's way to get his attention about Ru's overt intentions towards Raven? That seemed a very over-the-top, not to mention painful, way to get Oneakka's attention.
Reaching down under the table to his still griping shin, Oneakka glared at his friend. "That hurt."
"Sorry, no one likes someone to get hurt," Massa added, again with some sort of hidden meaning in his tone. "Inappropriately."
What did Massa mean? Who would get hurt?
Oneakka was aware that Raven and Ru were chattering on between them, and Aki suddenly started crying loudly.
"Look you upset him," Massa said as he reached for his boy.
"You kicked me," Oneakka protested. His shin was still aching.
"Poor Aki," Massa made cooing noises to the babe as he lifted him out of his high seat and into his arms. "It's okay, Uncle Oneakka didn't really get hurt; he didn't mean to scare you."
Then Aki was being handed across the table towards Oneakka.
"Here, keep him distracted," Massa instructed.
Oneakka put down his tea on instinct and reached for the grizzling Aki being passed to him. He drew the babe to his chest, sitting Aki in his right arm as the little tearful face peered up at him.
"I didn't mean to upset you," Oneakka told Aki, starting to bounce him…gently, after all he had just eaten and had been known to projectile vomit of late. "Your nasty Father kicked me."
Aki appeared to find the motion and apology acceptable, his eyes shifting to the right side of Oneakka's face. Aki had been fascinated with the facial tattoos from very little, so Oneakka settled the boy up a little higher against his right shoulder so Aki was closer to the markings. It worked instantly and little Aki was patting one hand against Oneakka's cheek, touching the tattoos.
Pleased at his quick success in distracting the babe so easily, Oneakka smiled smugly across the table to Massa. "See distraction complete."
"Yes," Massa smiled. "He did a good job."
Oneakka frowned. Wait, he'd done the distracting, not Aki. Hadn't he?
Massa looked back, his eyebrows raised with his unspoken point.
Oneakka glanced out the corner of his eyes towards where Raven and Ru were chatting away, the Engineer finally actually eating his food.
Looking back to Massa, Oneakka wasn't entirely sure what Massa's point had been. Had it been about giving Raven and Ru some privacy? Well if that was what they wanted, they should have sat at a separate table. Raven clearly hadn't wanted that as she'd invited Ru to join them all, not that Ru had made any effort to talk with him and Massa.
Not that Oneakka had any interest in talking with the soft-faced male who was gushing over Raven still.
But then maybe she liked all the grovelling compliments?
With Aki' little hands patting against his forehead tattoos, Oneakka focused in on what Raven and Ru were actually saying to each other, only to find that they were simply recounting stories of their time with the other Strays on the Sythus. Nothing flirtatious at all.
At least not on Raven's side.
She had sounded more flirtatious when they bantered than she was with Ru right now.
So the Engineer's weak seduction platitudes were being wasted this evening. And he wasn't going to get to spend any time with her tomorrow, and certainly not after this meal as she was going with Oneakka to the Armoury. There they would be working to do something far more useful for her in providing her with weapons to protect her life.
Not weak empty flattering useless praises Ru was spraying out almost as much as his food, which he wasn't paying enough attention to eating correctly with his attention so fixed on Raven.
Foolish male didn't even know how to eat properly.
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TBC