[ To that, Wash only nods. Dwelling on the past is something that he does, is what gives him the drive to keep moving, but in the case of what could have been done with the Reds and Blues, it's true that focusing on that is of no benefit to anyone. Better to focus on the new course of action.
When the mercenary turns to face him fully, the Freelancer unconsciously stands ever so slightly taller. The fact that it seems to feel necessary to inform him that orders will be more important than getting revenge shouldn't be all that surprising to him, considering he's being taken on along with a bunch of other war criminals, and yet... To some part of him, it still is. Project Freelancer had been all over the place on the importance of orders and protocol and it's been so long since Wash has had any sort of lecture on it that it simply catches him off guard. ]
Of course. Wouldn't want to compromise the mission for some petty revenge.
[ And he won't. If the mission is going to result in his freedom, he'll do what it takes to get that. That means following orders. If he gets some revenge along the way, even just the smallest amount possible, it'll only be a bonus. He fully intends to get some payback, but Wash's main goal is surviving and getting the hell out. It's not one he'll compromise, even in the wake of getting revenge.
Even with his complete intention to have orders come first, the response comes with a dry edge to it. Something verging on sarcastic without ever actually touching it. There's just something almost amusing in someone expecting such obedience from a ship full of criminals. Such obedience from anyone, for that matter. But maybe he has a more cynical outlook on such things. ]
[ They all are given ample opportunity to understand what will and won't be tolerated. While their new stock of soldiers may be given more free reign than their own crew, there are lines. They will be big, bold lines that can be seen a mile off, so that it will be understood when one of them crosses that line and suffers the consequences.
Obedience and freedom, or death. It's not a difficult choice to make, not for men whose lives so very recently were devoid of any remaining choices.
But Washington is not one of them, not in the same sense. He was better than them, and worth a great deal more than what he had been reduced to. A capable soldier, if not the best Freelancer had to offer. And one of the only remaining survivors. There is value in that, and Locus does not intend to waste it. Least of all through some errant miscommunication about what they expect from him. ]
Good. Then you'll have the chance to prove it.
[ And with that, Locus turns back to the table, bringing up a holographic projection of Crash Site Alpha. ]
[ While he's not actively going to seek a chance to prove anything, he'll take an opportunity should it be provided. He has nothing to prove to anyone and doesn't particularly care what anyone thinks of him, he won't turn a chance down if it means being given a bit more free reign, or even if it simply helps those in charge of the mission to keep him in mind.
The merc turns his attention back to the table and Wash has the sense that he's just been dismissed. Without being told to do so verbally, however, he has a few questions of his own to ask. Whether or not any real details will be shared with him remains to be seen, but he'd like as much of an idea of what this all entails as he can get.
Without being invited, he steps forward, closer to the table and glances over the projection. ]
What is this mission, exactly?
[ Not that it'll affect his agreement to assist in any way, but he'd rather know what he's getting himself in to before he takes his first step. Also, he wouldn't mind knowing how the Sim Troopers got involved in the first place. Awfully big coincidence for him to have wound up out here right where they just so happen to be. ]
Your friend wasn't overly specific when explaining it earlier. While I can understand not offering a standard briefing to a shipful of inmates, I know that some of us are used to having more details.
[ Though none of them are in any kind of position to be complaining about not having said details. ]
[ They aren't. But Washington is a special case, and treating him as one of the common rabble they've stirred up isn't particularly advantageous to anyone. After a moment's hesitation, Locus shifts, allowing Washington a closer look at the hologram. \
When the Simulation Troopers crashed on this planet, their ship was torn in half. This is Crash Site Alpha.
[ Blue outlines illuminate the alien tower they'd converted in their tractor beam, the rest of the wasteland dotted with fragments of ship hull and engine parts. Around this, an encampment has been built. ]
A set of minor victories has given our enemies confidence. They will want to strike harder, under the impression that this will drive us off. Of our strategic holds on the planet, this is the most likely to fall under attack.
[ Felix had seemed very certain that Kimball would vote for a more aggressive push. Knowing that gave them a slight advantage, but it would be for nothing if they couldn't find a way to use that information to its fullest. ]
[ Oh, good. They're not going to play the 'how much do I have to push to get some info' game. Wash is prepared to needle, but Locus seems relatively willing to share, enough so that it doesn't even require a second question. Wash can appreciate that.
After Locus moves, giving him a better view of the holographic layout, the ex-Freelancer steps closer yet. If he's going to be given more intel than the rest of the most recent recruits, he's going to make the most of it. His eyes scan over the projection again, this time taking in more of the detail as he listens to what the merc says. ]
So let them.
[ Though he's had no intention of offering thoughts in terms of battle strategies, not with how little he knows of what's going on, this feels rather obvious. Wash doesn't stop himself from pointing it out. ]
If it's that likely that they're going to attack, let them. Let them think that they have the advantage. They won't be aware that you've just recruited more soldiers, so lure them in under their false pretences and surprise them with your increased numbers.
[ At which point he activates another module on the projection, and a series of lights line the perimeter and several easily defensible areas. Another set presents itself along the rocky cliff face leading to the site, cutting off all feasible methods of escape once someone enters the area.
An ambush. But it's satisfying to hear that Washington agrees with the tactic, even volunteering it before it had been made clear what the plan was. ]
They'll need to believe our numbers are flagging. False intelligence regarding our numbers has been set at one of our less heavily defended outposts.
[ If they took the bait, it would prove an excellent opportunity to thin their numbers. ]
[ Good. So long as the obvious tactic has already been considered and does, in fact, look to be the plan, he's good. It's good to know he won't be working with-- ...Or, for, idiots.
Nodding his approval, Wash's eyes dart over the additions to the projection. He takes the setting in more carefully now, committing what he can to memory, particularly the points that render escape impossible for those lured into the ambush. ]
So now it's just a matter of waiting.
[ The note comes after a few moments of surveying the hologram, followed a second later by a glance shot in Locus' direction. ]
Do you have a backup plan? I don't know anything about the rest of your enemies, but I do know Carolina and the sim troopers. The latter have a knack for exceeding expectations and weaselling their way out of trouble. With a whole army on their side, the chances of that happening only seem higher.
[ And he's pretty sure he shouldn't have to comment on Carolina. ]
Even with a good strategy, it's not a bad idea to have a spare just in case something goes wrong.
[ Locus watches as Washington takes in the field, the layout of the plans for the ambush. The former Freelancer might not know it, but he was in truth playing into the best-case scenario for this alliance.
That boded well for him in the future. ]
You have something in mind?
[ All contingencies run the risk of the Simulation Troopers somehow getting the better of them, as they've continued to do. The reason still appears unclear, and Carolina has proven uncommunicative at best.
Even if he doesn't necessarily trust Washington, he's willing to trust his intel. Betrayal at this point would win him relatively little, and he has no reason to want to help these men. Carolina is another story, but when Washington says he has no loyalty there either, he believes him. ]
There's a fraction of a second where Wash shows some hesitation, but he turns his head back to the projection of the battlefield. Silent, he studies it, running over possibilities in his head. He doesn't know enough about either side of this war to know what may or may not work, or what may or may not be possible. The equipment available, the men... He has nothing to work off of there.
The Reds and Blues though, he knows well enough. ]
Separate them.
[ Vague as that may be, his thought really is that simple. Looking to Locus, there's certainty clear as day in his voice. ]
Separate the Sim Troopers from one another. That's how they keep beating the odds-- they work together. You get each one on their own, and they're nothing but the incompetent soldiers you'd expect them to be.
[ Why working as a team works so damn well for them, he can't explain. It doesn't matter. What matters is that the only time he's ever had the upper hand on them is when he had one on their own. ]
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lydlos2016-07-24 11:48 am
no subject
When the mercenary turns to face him fully, the Freelancer unconsciously stands ever so slightly taller. The fact that it seems to feel necessary to inform him that orders will be more important than getting revenge shouldn't be all that surprising to him, considering he's being taken on along with a bunch of other war criminals, and yet... To some part of him, it still is. Project Freelancer had been all over the place on the importance of orders and protocol and it's been so long since Wash has had any sort of lecture on it that it simply catches him off guard. ]
Of course. Wouldn't want to compromise the mission for some petty revenge.
[ And he won't. If the mission is going to result in his freedom, he'll do what it takes to get that. That means following orders. If he gets some revenge along the way, even just the smallest amount possible, it'll only be a bonus. He fully intends to get some payback, but Wash's main goal is surviving and getting the hell out. It's not one he'll compromise, even in the wake of getting revenge.
Even with his complete intention to have orders come first, the response comes with a dry edge to it. Something verging on sarcastic without ever actually touching it. There's just something almost amusing in someone expecting such obedience from a ship full of criminals. Such obedience from anyone, for that matter. But maybe he has a more cynical outlook on such things. ]
I'm familiar with how things work.
no subject
Obedience and freedom, or death. It's not a difficult choice to make, not for men whose lives so very recently were devoid of any remaining choices.
But Washington is not one of them, not in the same sense. He was better than them, and worth a great deal more than what he had been reduced to. A capable soldier, if not the best Freelancer had to offer. And one of the only remaining survivors. There is value in that, and Locus does not intend to waste it. Least of all through some errant miscommunication about what they expect from him. ]
Good. Then you'll have the chance to prove it.
[ And with that, Locus turns back to the table, bringing up a holographic projection of Crash Site Alpha. ]
no subject
The merc turns his attention back to the table and Wash has the sense that he's just been dismissed. Without being told to do so verbally, however, he has a few questions of his own to ask. Whether or not any real details will be shared with him remains to be seen, but he'd like as much of an idea of what this all entails as he can get.
Without being invited, he steps forward, closer to the table and glances over the projection. ]
What is this mission, exactly?
[ Not that it'll affect his agreement to assist in any way, but he'd rather know what he's getting himself in to before he takes his first step. Also, he wouldn't mind knowing how the Sim Troopers got involved in the first place. Awfully big coincidence for him to have wound up out here right where they just so happen to be. ]
Your friend wasn't overly specific when explaining it earlier. While I can understand not offering a standard briefing to a shipful of inmates, I know that some of us are used to having more details.
[ Though none of them are in any kind of position to be complaining about not having said details. ]
no subject
When the Simulation Troopers crashed on this planet, their ship was torn in half. This is Crash Site Alpha.
[ Blue outlines illuminate the alien tower they'd converted in their tractor beam, the rest of the wasteland dotted with fragments of ship hull and engine parts. Around this, an encampment has been built. ]
A set of minor victories has given our enemies confidence. They will want to strike harder, under the impression that this will drive us off. Of our strategic holds on the planet, this is the most likely to fall under attack.
[ Felix had seemed very certain that Kimball would vote for a more aggressive push. Knowing that gave them a slight advantage, but it would be for nothing if they couldn't find a way to use that information to its fullest. ]
no subject
After Locus moves, giving him a better view of the holographic layout, the ex-Freelancer steps closer yet. If he's going to be given more intel than the rest of the most recent recruits, he's going to make the most of it. His eyes scan over the projection again, this time taking in more of the detail as he listens to what the merc says. ]
So let them.
[ Though he's had no intention of offering thoughts in terms of battle strategies, not with how little he knows of what's going on, this feels rather obvious. Wash doesn't stop himself from pointing it out. ]
If it's that likely that they're going to attack, let them. Let them think that they have the advantage. They won't be aware that you've just recruited more soldiers, so lure them in under their false pretences and surprise them with your increased numbers.
no subject
An ambush. But it's satisfying to hear that Washington agrees with the tactic, even volunteering it before it had been made clear what the plan was. ]
They'll need to believe our numbers are flagging. False intelligence regarding our numbers has been set at one of our less heavily defended outposts.
[ If they took the bait, it would prove an excellent opportunity to thin their numbers. ]
no subject
Nodding his approval, Wash's eyes dart over the additions to the projection. He takes the setting in more carefully now, committing what he can to memory, particularly the points that render escape impossible for those lured into the ambush. ]
So now it's just a matter of waiting.
[ The note comes after a few moments of surveying the hologram, followed a second later by a glance shot in Locus' direction. ]
Do you have a backup plan? I don't know anything about the rest of your enemies, but I do know Carolina and the sim troopers. The latter have a knack for exceeding expectations and weaselling their way out of trouble. With a whole army on their side, the chances of that happening only seem higher.
[ And he's pretty sure he shouldn't have to comment on Carolina. ]
Even with a good strategy, it's not a bad idea to have a spare just in case something goes wrong.
no subject
That boded well for him in the future. ]
You have something in mind?
[ All contingencies run the risk of the Simulation Troopers somehow getting the better of them, as they've continued to do. The reason still appears unclear, and Carolina has proven uncommunicative at best.
Even if he doesn't necessarily trust Washington, he's willing to trust his intel. Betrayal at this point would win him relatively little, and he has no reason to want to help these men. Carolina is another story, but when Washington says he has no loyalty there either, he believes him. ]
no subject
There's a fraction of a second where Wash shows some hesitation, but he turns his head back to the projection of the battlefield. Silent, he studies it, running over possibilities in his head. He doesn't know enough about either side of this war to know what may or may not work, or what may or may not be possible. The equipment available, the men... He has nothing to work off of there.
The Reds and Blues though, he knows well enough. ]
Separate them.
[ Vague as that may be, his thought really is that simple. Looking to Locus, there's certainty clear as day in his voice. ]
Separate the Sim Troopers from one another. That's how they keep beating the odds-- they work together. You get each one on their own, and they're nothing but the incompetent soldiers you'd expect them to be.
[ Why working as a team works so damn well for them, he can't explain. It doesn't matter. What matters is that the only time he's ever had the upper hand on them is when he had one on their own. ]