[dcs_p]”Clean up that mouth of yours. You have been among these people too long,
Rally.”[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Not one to back down from a contest, Rally held his ground. “You are the one
whose abilities are being impaired. I may not show so much mercy next time we
spar.” He grimaced, his own echo of the distasteful language he often found
himself speaking accidentally.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]He looked down to the floor, then back to her again. “You are right though. This
language is not ours to use.” he said softly.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]”You speak as if you defend its use,” she hissed. She realized her emotions
were again trying to take over and indeed impairing her judgement. She closed
her eyes and concentrated, feeling the anger wash over her skin just before it left
her body. All that remained was the warm heat of embarrassment.
Hazukashi.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]It was the most common word to express embarrassment in the native Japanese
tongue of the locals. She had picked up a lot of the language during her time
spent on Miranda, a planet just barely located within the Nova Cat’s Irece
Prefecture of the Draconis Combine. It was still a very alien place for a proud
Steel Viper warrior like herself to be stationed at.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]The reason for her embarrassment was in her failing in yet another sparring with
the Mechwarrior before her. He was supposed to be her inferior according to
rank. A failure to defend that earned rank usually meant a lot in the Clans.
Luckily Rally was not one to back-stab his trusted ally when given the chance to
do so. She was, after all, his oldest friend in the whole Clan of Steel Viper.
Sasha had long suspected he might try trumping her one day, yet far from
anytime soon, so to speak.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]”I apologize Rally. I am finding it hard to be myself lately. We are Clan warriors,
among the best of Steel Viper.” She began looking up at her surroundings, the
brown barren ceiling inside of the storage area of which housed her unit’s
BattleMechs. “We are not meant to sit idly by while our unit plays out its justice
system like children playing a game.”[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]Had Devon issued the Trial a minute later, I would have challenged Mike Strider
myself.” She always used Mike’s full name, possibly because it was easier to
express her sentiments with more syllables. Sasha felt the anger building inside
her once more. It seemed to pour from deep within her stomach and progress
with each sentence she spoke.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]”You were right to wait.” Rally said with all confidence. “Devon would not have
taken lightly if you had issued the challenge for his own fight. You must bend to
his will if we are to retain the unit’s respect for our Steel Viper cause.” Rally
began to walk towards the far end of the ferrocrete slab, where the massive
Mechs of the Steel Viper warriors of Strider’s Strikers lay waiting like hibernating
giants.[/dcs_p]
[dcs_p]He approached the foot of one of the machines, a Shadowcat salvaged during a
raid against the Ghost Bears, upon which sat a large thermos that spilled steam
from its broken lid. Rally grabbed the nearest foam cup and poured himself a
swig of the hot liquid, some sort of Japanese tea provided by the locals of
Miranda. Downing the tea in a single gulp, he turned to her.
She had her eyes closed, head still raised upward.[/dcs_p]