She looked up, giving him a passing glance before heaving a sigh and unclipping her vest's left side. Her hand dipped under the armour once it was loosened, coming free a moment later with a manila folder in hand, chock full of papers but with no indication of what they were.
"Lieutenant Hall, I'm assuming?" she questioned rhetorically, her voice instantly giving her away as a Libertonian, where-as the laid back undertones marked her as being from California, somewhere. "Got to your superiors mighty quick...or is this visit social, over professional?"
"To be honest...Im not entirely sure. My superiors were notified, of course."
He looked up at her. "But something...your comment, about being Libertonian...well, it stuck in my head, Ms. Winters. That doesnt normally happen, considering my line of work. I deal with alot of people...most, I forget."
He sighed.
"To have anyone at all stick in my memory is an anomaly in and of itself."
Glancing over at the empty stool a seat away from her, he began talking again. "Would it be a bother if I sat down?"
She gave an indifferent shrug, her head tilting towards an empty stool as she did so, before sitting upright and twisting to face the bar again.
"So you more interested in why I've got a big screaming GC IFF, or why I'm helping the BAF?"
She took a sip from her drink before continuing.
"Nevermind, 'spose it's one in the same. Bigger question is, is it you just chasing some unique tail, or do you actually give a hang about it all?"
Her words were blunt, almost comically so, though it still had a slight barb to it; uncaring and expectant of someone or something not worth the breath. Kusari had changed her a bit. Regardless, she took another sip from her bubbling black concoction, her shoulders drooped almost tiredly.
"I have to say, I didnt think you'd consider me to be so...shallow. Do you honestly think someone so utterly...defective, as myself, would give a damn about something like that?"
He winced, after a few momens of silence. One of the braces must have shifted. Quickly, he tapped a button below his arm console's screen, and the braces tightened a tiny bit. That was better...
"No, I came here to find out why, exactly, you seemed to catch my attention. That, and the...more official reason we've met, today." His last comment was paired with a subtle gesture at the folder in her hand.
"I can understand, however, if you...dont trust me."
Another shrug and another sip from Hayley before she continued.
"Not much t'tell, really. Learned to code at six, learned to hack at twelve, learned to run away from the cops at fifteen. Joined the Hackers, got put onto the VR, learned they had a chauvinistic jack-ass at their head and joined the GC not long after."
She drained what was left in the glass before making a silent motion for two more.
"Never been much a'fan of killing, so after a few successful raids against military and economic shipping, I figured I'd be better off collecting intel and passing it off to someone who's actually got a chance at winning a war; namely you lot."
The drinks slid down the bar, stopping in front of their respective connoisseurs. Hayley gripped her cup, mulling over it thoughtfully.
"Excuse the er- lack of trust, as you put it. History's just shown that with the exception of the gays, the married-and-not-Kusarian and the elderly, well...men just don't have a great track record. Forgot that Bretonia was a bit different."
He nodded his head, clearly relieved, and took his seat. He looked over the thin, aromatic concoction in front of him, before speaking up.
"Quite an interesting story, Ms. Winters, however simple this particular rendition may be."
He picked it up, swishing it in it's glass a bit.
"Coding at 6 years old? Impressive...were you born in California? Ive heard news that Planet...what was it? Ah, yes, Los Angeles."
Looking rather tenative, he took a sip of his drink, his face lighting up as it passed throuh his lips. After regaining his composure, he continued to speak.
"Well, I heard that it began producing optical computer tech over the last few decades. High-end stuff. Id think that would be where a Libertonian would become versed in such things...at such a young age."
BUckaroo Banzai walks into the bar. the smoke is thick and dimmely lit, yet a cozy feel to the place.
As he walks over to the bar he Speakes to the Bartender " Howdy there! Can I get a couple of pints"THe bar tender nodds, Buck looks around the sparsely filled pub. He spots a booth he likes and heads towards it.
The Waitress arrives with the drinks and places them on the table. Buck takes out some credits and pays the waitress plus gives her a hugh tip. She smiles and says 'Thank you' then goes about her job.
Buck sits back and enjoys his pints and revells in the peace and quiet of the place
The bar had been going downhill for many months, the Militia movement had taken a backseat in the war against the Kusari oppressors and the large militia had been forgotten and left to rot working the dry jobs on leeds.
Not many knew that there where some that still fought actively each day against the enemies of Bretonia, fighting for the civilians and for the workers on Leeds, fighting for the Police in the stars and for the men and women in the Armed forces.
Some of these still went to the bar called "The Patriot" some of who still holds an interest in keeping people safe on leeds.
Jason Jackson had just gone of his shift in the steelworks down on main street.
"5 Hours, 5 measly hours... This wont be enough to keep my rusty ship together.."
Jackson had been using his Spatial far to much in fights with Corsairs and Kusari alike, as he approached the door of the patriot his eyes turned to a familiar site, on top of the building where the single landing pad was situated he saw a clydesdale with a Musket on it's side.
"Connors?" Jackson thought to himself as he entered the bar.. Greeted by the other workers that just went of their shifts and had come to the patriot for a drink and a game of pool or darts.
He walked up to Charles and asked "Was that Eric's ship I saw on the pad?"
Charles nodded
"He's in the back talking with some people.. Im sure he'l be out when they're done lad."
Jason couldn't believe it, it's been.. A year at least until Jason had seen Eric..
"Alright just pour me a pint then.."
He sat down at the bar and watched the news concerning the situation in Omega 3.