[h3][center]Ziska[/center][/h3]
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"Maybe we can arrange to have some additional surprises for the Crimson King? If he or his cronies actually show up to meet you, Colonel," Ziska said, the smile having long since left her face.

"If…," Ziska, souring even more at the uncertainty in her proposition, "[b]If[/b] the FPA shows up to the dance to play with their delightful instruments, then I will of course be more than happy to offer some direction for their destruction."

"Either way, I'll keep Giggles busy. She's an excellent dance partner and I wouldn't want the NPRDE to have to fight outside the shade."

She hated the idea of a frontal assault. She hated attacking prepared defensive positions. It hadn’t worked on Terra with glorified rifles…and it didn’t work with BattleMechs unless casualties were acceptable to the commanding officer. However, a distraction made sense. Causing trouble for the defending forces of the NRPDE would be necessary. If they were lucky, the soldiers would be lazy. Lulled to sleep by their turrets, mines, and imposing walls. It was too many ifs, far too many ifs for Ziska to be close to happy. But war was war, you had to dare to win.

Ziska turned to flash Reya a smile and a wink that for a moment seemed to return her usual mirth, before turning back to Wayne, "Colonel, I feel obliged to remind you, there are no bonuses for heroics as a MechWarrior. I don’t recommend that you spend any more time than you have to with the Crimson King. An honorable man like you shouldn’t waste his energies on trash like that."

"But…you will present an excellent distraction," Ziska said, laughing with no cruelty in her voice. It was a mad plan. But Colonel Wayne was a mad man. He still believed in honor. He still believed in doing what was right. Ziska found it endearing, somehow, although she shared few of his beliefs about the honor of warfare and MechWarriors. She hoped he'd make it. But she had her own concerns. Tagging targets for the Green Knights would keep her busy enough.

Ziska didn't believe in fate. She didn't care about destiny. She had no need for justice. Colonel Wayne's fate was in his own hands. He had made his choice. They all had. Every step and every minute. It had been fun, she thought. She didn't want to run. She didn't want to die. Not yet. However, what was a MechWarrior? If not a weapon? If not a sword to be used until the edge was chipped and shattered?

No matter what, the Crimson Knights would pay. They would pay in blood and steel. They could kill Colonel Wayne. They could defeat the Green Knights. They could even kill Ziska. But she'd make them pay to do it. Ziska knew what she wanted. Another meeting with the Firewitch. The fry-faced bitch had it coming. And Ziska was going to do whatever she could to make sure that the masked murderer burned once again.