[i]"...people are looking for you all to fail..."[/i] General Houseman's words lingered for a moment in Myrina's ears as she listened to his report. The Colonel had been right that there was some underhanded business involved, and Myrina's gut told her so too. It was a saving grace that the Roughriders had the support of the General - Myrina felt that his backing of the project was solid and any bumps in the road would find themselves subject to investigation. Just as well, she was glad that whoever else was in charge saw fit to pass the Roughriders this time around, regardless of the foul play involved. The General and Colonel Blade had admitted multiple times already that their performance was fit, so there wasn't any cause for worry, was there? But if there were people willing to bend the rules now, who's to say they wouldn't inconvenience the team later? Myrina shook the thought from her mind - better to relax and enjoy this small victory while they were ahead. 

[i]"I reckon we got some more recruits waitin' on the land-boat, like the big boss said. Let's go meet 'em, an' then I reckon the unofficial bar in the Common Room might well be open fer a celebration or two. Last one back has ta carry th' keg round the ship twice. Move out!"[/i]
With the Colonel's last words, Myrina smiled to herself and skirted off with the rest of the team. A drink or two sounded refreshing about now. 

~~~

"Miss Michelete!" Myrina turned her head at her name as she slid down the ladder from her cockpit. Specialist Patterson was standing by with dataslate in hand, waving her down the hatch. "Congratulations on the exercise, Ma'am."
"Thanks, 'spec.' Whatcha got there?"
"This is a list of packages that command wants to fit your Warlock with. Coming from a paramilitary background, they want to bring it up to more of a standard fitting of the Roughriders' role. Have a look." Myrina took the dataslate from the technician and thumbed through the screen. A moderate list of replacements and refittings met her eyes; top-tier stuff that she'd only seen in military expos and magazines. 
"How long will all this take?" she asked, looking both dumbfounded and ecstatic at the screen in her hand. 
"With my crew on it, not long at all - say a couple of days to get everything installed and running."
"I'd better give this back to you before it gets me too excited. Let me know how it goes till then!"
SPC. Patterson took the dataslate back, throwing a salute to Myrina as she stepped from the hangar. "Will do, Ma'am!"

Myrina followed the trail of Roughriders into the common room, where folks were already loosening up. She surmised that the two unfamiliar pilots there were part of the OPFOR during the exercise, and wondered what kind of expertise they had. Slinking to the bar and grabbing herself a beer, Myrina let her ears wander through the conversations in the room.