Mel subtly poured herself another small glass of whiskey as Tommy wrapped up his story and Lachlan offered the boy a draught of something stronger.
Her fingers twitched a little as she considered reaching out to the boy, but she thought better of it and occupied herself with continuing to sip on her own drink instead.
It was weird thinking that someone would take a leave of absence so shortly after joining the Irregulars, but if what Tommy had said was to be believed, she couldn't blame him.
"F*ckin' brainworms," she said under her breath, and as soon as she said it she instantly regretted it and hoped no one had heard. She'd been referencing the person Tommy had encountered, not Tommy himself of course. But no one here knew her well enough to know for sure what the hell she was talking about.
She'd grown up idolizing the Freelancer Trent from the Nomad conflict in 800, and had heard stories of Nomads driving people to madness. If Mel knew anything, she knew one thing: and that was that she never wanted to encounter anything like that close up.
