Farvis listened to the pilot's explanation and nodded.  [i]Typical government compromise,[/i] he thought.  [i]Half the people want to decrease military spending, and half want to keep the military as strong as it was, so, instead of decreasing the number of ships and keeping them on par with mercenary equipment, you compromise.  You decrease the budget AND keep it the same size, leading to all of the military gear being worthless.  I wouldn't be surprised if there were a few backroom deals involved in those contracts, either.[/i]

He walked back to his seat and listened to the others try to come up with a plan.  That was, until Marga addressed him.

[b]"Now that's an idea, Farvis, how about you and I spend some time together on one of the Askarian moons and have a little fun when all this is over? For old times sake."[/b]

"Oh, I'm definitely up for spend some "quality" time with you.  I hear there are nude beaches there where the views are stunning.  Of course, with you there I have no doubt of that they will be."  Of course, they'd never actually been together, but the Ex didn't know that, and playing along would get her even more on his side.  "As soon as the mission's over and we're free, I'll go make a withdrawal from one of my hidden accounts and buy us a cabin on a cruise liner heading there."  Hopefully the last part would be enough to convince the Ex that they'd been together.

He watched as one of the crew got up and irritatedly entered the airlock with a robot of some kind.  The pilot demanded that they identify themselves, but apparently they had already jumped ship.  He walked over to the airlock, but the indicator panel showed that there wasn't any air inside.   [i]Well, so much for boarding the station.[/i]  Judging by the pilot's comments, things were going to well outside the station either.  He wasn't a pilot, though, so he couldn't help.