Business Almost as Usual

"Its fucked." Elly had done her diagnostic of the Challenger's engine and this was her final report. Xanthiana was underneath the engine trying to fix the hybrid human/votan engine. It seemed like everything she did just made something else break, in a way it was exactly like the erep's encampment in paradise. For every mutant group or hellbug colony they wiped out another problem sprung up. On top of that the other Ark Hunters had apparently gotten into some new shit with Von Bach and local law enforcement. Xanthiana in the meantime had been trying to fix the Challenger and failing, it had been five days since Cobb had said he was assigned to her and he had not returned. She was beginning to think the reassignment had gotten forgotten when she felt a boot strike hers.

"Time's up Roeyka time for you to get back in the field." Cobb had his usual don't give a shit demeanor to him.

"Car's still busted Cobb I'm going nowhere."

"Don't need a car to do the job I need you to do. Its a quick scout and out something even a Votan could pull off." Xanthiana picked up the anger in the way Cobb said Votan, she'd heard it before but wrote it off as Cobb being an ass, but now she wasn't so sure.

"Tell you what, you help me find the parts I need to get this running and I'll do your little mission." She slid out from underneath the car and to Cobb's scowling face.

"I have a better deal, you do what I tell you to do or I execute you for being a traitor to the Earth Republic."

"You know how to make a bargain Cobb." Xanthiana was a bit distressed how quickly the conversation turned from simple discussion to threats of execution, but in her experience that was the Earth Republic in a nut shell.

"Get to the quartermaster, get some new clothes, some ammo, and get moving, I'll upload the map to your ego device." Cobb turned around and walked off, she could hear him yelling at some private for something else apparently today was Asshole day for Cobb.

"Cobb is not a very nice person is he?" Elly had been quiet during the exchange choosing to not overwhelm her operator with an additional conversation that only Xanthiana could hear or participate in.

"No one from the Ereps usually are in my experience."

"That's not fair considering your experience Xan."

"Life's not fair." Xanthiana reached the quartermaster and he had a package of clothing and ammo already ready for her.

"Thanks, anything I should know?" The quartermaster was a man named Styles, he didn't so much have a base of operations so much as he had a tent, a guard, and some scattered supplies behind him.

"Yeah this job sucks." Styles was like everyone else a man of few words.

"We're moving off the mountain!" Elly was excited, Xanthiana considerably less so.

"Oh yeah?" Xanthiana was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Yeah we're heading into paradise proper, they apparently have issues with bandits."

"Oh that's wonderful Elly, any other good news?"

"The bandits are apparently in mines?" Elly's voice trailed off like a child who realized their parent was not happy, "That's a bad thing right?"

"Yes Elly, yes it is."