[center][h1]Raven's Rock, Camp Hannula, Pöyrisjärvi National Park, Finland [/h1][/center] [center][h1][color=lightblue]Skye Rosalind Lyons[/color][/h1][/center] [center][h2] 1730 Hours Local Time[/h2][/center] Loading rounds into the magazines, Skye sat there with a meticulous look, the jacket shed and the blue-fleece wearing, blue jeans having Scot contemplative, quiet, on her own and keeping her thoughts internal. Her hair had been tucked into a gentle bun, auburn as ever, a strange choice that her father must have made. He must have known that gene made redheads. He must have. And to pair it with blue eyes? That explained a hell of a lot of weirdness. Still, there was more to do. Skye was not one to sit there and be idle. She had another test to run, since the light barely was out, and the hours were still passing by. Dinner had come and gone, a mixed affair given everyone was in and out of Sophie's, but not her. Not even whisky this time around. There was likely to be another job, soon, and she wanted to be ready for it. Even though the events of yesterday morning had hit, and the team had their day off, being seen by medical staff in various phases, now they were back out and on free time. Raph was the only one really back to work, but the others had been pretty drained by even Raven's standards, an operation that had gone all sorts of haywire. So for Skye, it made sense to keep her knife sharp and her mind following that. The new exo was back on, without a combat uniform, but it felt even more reactive, even more explosive in pace, like she could break into sprint harder. And with the AR headset on, a new toy, she was able to drill movement with it in the small, tiny little killzone that Camp Hannula had on site. With pre-programmed targets, she was able to use her training rounds loaded into her FNX, the .45 cal spitting pistol with its tactile grip and raised sights to clatter target after targets as part of a room raid. Turning around the corner, she used the overcharge to leap forwards and into a room with a skid, clattering two more with a slide through the floor, her red-hair pouring from her helmet messily given she hadn't bothered to tie it back up. A mag slid into the empty well as fast as it left, as she finished the course with three more targets, walking out, clearing up the mess, and with it, heading back to her next task at hand. There's this air about Skye, that even though she had been involved in an op that had saved the world, she wasn't celebrating too soon. She had routine. Comfort was found in routine. It ensured you kept being invincible, kept you going. And the way that Skye seemed to be, doing cardio. She hadn't done her usual mileage, she forgave herself given what had happened yesterday was still just about sinking in, but she was going to get time on the bike today. Set up in the gym of the base, and she was back to it, wearing her usual exercise shirt and tights to follow it, a crank below where she'd like but in line with the routine she wanted to follow. That cardio was interrupted by Athena, who came in, the giantess's more casual approach comprised of a now tight-fitting t-shirt that had clearly been outpaced by her arm days, a leather jacket, jeans that seemed to frankly be screaming at the amount of work they did to keep her back end in check, and her as usual, ridiculously large sneakers. For a girl that seemed to live in fashion, she seemed to be picking as bland as she could get away with. Sighing, Skye stopped, clambering off, about done, not really intimidated by the sight of Athena, but of course, respecting the fact she was a full foot and a half taller. "Hey, Skye, uhh....I never meant to say. Thanks." Athena's respect seemed earned, even by her brash standards, she had to give the Scot that. "For the blimp?" Skye seemed almost a bit pointed, a little rude yes, but direct. "Well, that and everything else. You're a crazy bitch, you know that?" Athena giggled, her ice breaking getting the same with Skye, as she shrugged. "Part of the job. You too." Skye smiled, as Athena leaned against a wooden pillar in the wall, physically straining it almost like she was some herculean stress member of the building with her lean now. Skye seemed tight lipped, as she grabbed her t-shirt from earlier, and her jeans to go with, heading to a tap to wash her face, Athena the usual goddess she seemed to be just looking on stone faced. "So, you always give the silent treatment to your team? Or, am I in the shit? Should I be scared?" Athena could tell Skye was a little in routine, but well, she couldn't help herself talking, the blonde just bored and curious at this point. "You're seven and a half foot, and could mash me into a pulp. Athena, I guess I'm deep in thought." Skye seemed a little bit on edge, and Athena got that straight away. "You seem to have been for a while. Look. I don't know you well enough to ask, but you ever thought that after this is done, you could find private work? I promise, the hours are better." Athena seemed to be selling it like a sales pitch. Shirt on, Skye chuckled, shaking her head. "Honestly, I thought about it. But still no. It's not as simple as that, Athena." Skye replied, Athena shrugging. "I think it is. We kicked a lot of ass together." The reply was expected, Skye lacing up her shoes on the bench next to her, looking across to the lady expecting response. "I got into this because it was service. I suppose, to something greater than me. Athena, everyone loves you for who you are. I mean, look at you. Jesus, I'd have a poster of you on my wall if I was younger. Which, I guarantee someone does have somewhere." Skye chuckled, Athena's eyebrows immediately raised. "But that doesn't mean I would want to be that. What do you add to all of this, exactly? All the attention, everything on you. A bunch of guys who'd drag their balls through a mile of glass to hear your voice through a tannoy. And you can smash, fuck shit up, on another scale, but this isn't just for me. Neither is a price to what I do." Skye didn't particularly care, adding to the list on one hand that might find Athena's presence not so intimidating, even though Athena seemed to be able to take one stride to close the distance, if she would have liked. "Rude." Athena called back, Skye shrugging. "You don't often get people telling you that, do you? And the people that do, you can often kick their ass." Skye replied, Athena nodding silently. "You're pretty fucking cool, Ath. Like, I get it, you can be all of this. You're literally everything your sister said you were, and more. Capable as hell. But, I wouldn't convince you into this. I wouldn't want to. You do you, but that isn't something I can sign up to personally. You know, some people are keen on that. And that's a good thing. All eyes Athena, so none to me." Skye replied, forming a smile back. "Nah, I get that. You like this life. But keep it in mind. You don't have to be the boss lady just in Raven, you know. Someone like you could point towards something a lot bigger. Just think about it, 'kay?" Athena replied, walking over, head turned as she headed out of the room. "Oh, and Skye?" Athena caught Skye's look, as she put away the rest of her training gear. "Yeah?" "I'd probably say you were everything Freya said you were too. Glad we have you on our side." "Appreciate that. I'm sure once this is done you'll be on Instagram again." Skye smirked, Athena nodding, breaking back into her energetic self. "And you know it!" [hr] Tahlia looked down at Duke, as the tech passed by with Duke frankly leading the man straight to Tahlia. If ever a dog had a sense of direction, Duke was it, and the Belgian Malinois had spent time on base with the techs, but particularly with Tahlia when not with Duke. And Tahlia had taken a liking to him. He reminded her of her Labrador back in the Otago farm, albeit with a jaw that wasn't made for recovering game, but for just gnawing away at anything it latched onto. A fierce boy, but, no less handsome. "Hello there Duke!" Tahlia gently brushed him behind the ear, at this point, very accustomed to how he was about his business. He gave a gentle bark back, as the lightly blonde Kiwi gave him some attention, heading over towards where his bowl and his food were, on the hour, at the hour that he needed it. "Now, I'll be honest." Duke seemed to give an inquisitive look, as the helicopter left, Tahlia looking down to him, talking to him. As if he was a person. Like he'd give a response, after he'd chowed down. She must have been going crazy here. "We somehow managed to save the world, and now, your owner, your dad is going to go find out if he can spend time with a very cute looking redhead. And if he can't, he is going to get his dick cut off. Yes, yes he is!" Tahlia added, leading him along with a subtle command, the obedient Belgian Shepherd following, as Tahlia rustled his hair again. "You know how clever he is, and he won't answer you back." "Fuck!" Tahlia nearly jumped out of her legs, as Purna chuckled, a wry smirk on the Nepali's face, gently brushing his hand over Duke, as if HE was just as surprised. "You enjoying this?" Purna said stone faced, as Tahlia shrugged, Duke enquiring about Purna's ability to sneak up on a trained scout sniper, someone who regularly did the creeping more than Purna did. And how had Duke not realised he was coming? Dressed in a plaid shirt and cargo trousers, the pale-faced, shaven Nepali seemed to not really emanate right now some level of Sam Fisheresque stealth, but more some guy who just looked innocent enough. "Yeah, time with Duke is always fun. Why the hell did you scare me like that?" Tahlia asked, Purna leaning against the wall, shrugging. "Honestly, I always wanted to see if I could. Dogs are incredibly observant. But, there's things I heard might work on guards in particular. Like, carrying this around. It's a nullifier for scent, or basically, like a cloak for their senses. Outside of course, of noise and vibrations. Anyway, thought to check in on how you were doing. Duke might not listen. But I'm happy to, given this is your first serious operation back." Purna pulled the small brick, an innocent looking shard of grey. "And me? Jesus Christ, Purna. Yeah. Yeah, all good." Tahlia replied, the two walking through the corridors, and heading outside, finding a bench, Duke in tow. "I mean, it went alright. The operation happened, we got it done, my legs held out and we completed three serious assaults in the space of three hours. Sounds like a loose end with Skye's uhh.....well, many, many twin sisters. So yeah, we'll be busy." "That we will. But, I thought to ask. Why did you come back to service?" "Because it's the right thing to do. Or some shit like that. Sitting in an office isn't my idea of fun. I mean, killing people is miserable, shitty, horrible work. But...." Tahlia said, Purna recognising that tone. "You snatch life from a mile away. And are good at it. And you know that. It helps the team, and somehow, you prefer it to being a desk warrior. Not many people like that. But I can tell from a mile away." Purna's response was quick, Tahlia unable to answer, as Purna provided another conversation piece. Drawing the kukri, Purna swung it in his palm, passing it to Tahlia, and pointing to the hut. "This is all my life was up till now. In there, there's someone who killed my brothers in arms, and has a knife just like it. These are incredibly ornate...more than that to us. And it was the first time I truly felt something. I felt this strange hate, Tahlia. Yet, a feeling that I respected the man too much to do anything to him. Like a greater good meant it pulled our fibers one way. Not another." Purna said, as Tahlia inspected it over. "Perhaps he made me realise that the object of that hate, has something that keeps them going. Even when he seemingly doesn't inside. So, as someone good at this, what do you suggest, Tarly?" Purna seemed dethatched, as Tahlia shrugged, thinking about the scale of the question. "It's hard. My dad was tortured in a Chinese prison when he was working with the CIA, and a few other groups at the time, and he wondered how he'd go back to reality after everything settled down after his work. And he told me, what got him over the line, was to accept it. Understand that we're people who want to affect the world around us normally, and we do through what we do. Yet sometimes, we need to let that part of us run. If the only justice in the world is the kind we make, then sometimes it's better to let it flow. Let him keep that knife, because it'll never bring anything, or anyone back. Or any honour. We've killed far too many people for that to be applicable. And, you're mindful enough to do that, Purna. Calm like a monk." Tahlia was serious and then a little jokey, knowing she'd get through to him. But was still curious why he would ask. "You know this. So why did you ask?" "Because I suppose it's the first time I've not made that justice myself." [hr] [center][h1]Interlude: Last Campfire[/h1][/center] [center][h2] 2200 Local Time[/h2][/center] [img]https://eldvarm.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Eldvarm-Stories-How-Stories-Were-Born-Header.jpg[/img] The arrival of Sam brought a smile to Skye's face, the question amongst the hubub getting caught, and getting a reply. "Nothing much." Skye called back back, as Adam looked across, poking two sausages over the fire, pulling one off and putting them into a communal plate. The fire was life out here, keeping the cold at bay and crackling as the damp sometimes caught. "How's your day been, Sam?" Skye asked, curious to hear it, the redhead sitting up and looking over, Adam and Athena making conversation, as they knew the others would soon be making their way across. Athena broke that bit of conversation, bringing in her own bit of gossip. "Well, my brother, get this...." Athena started, telling the tale of what she'd heard on the grapevine from Jamie....and well, the laughs followed rather quick. No surprises there, because Mama Kaantario was not a woman to be messed with.