Everyone Needs Some DownTime

"So you're fired." Xanthiana had just come out of the command tent. Sagaran was waiting for her with his companion Tex.

"Well I wasn't exactly Earth republic to begin with, technically I'm working for VBI." As the AI in her head kept insisting Xanthiana thought to no one in particular.

"Well you could always work with us running messages, Tex is great and all, but you're a trained killer cutter, Tex is just a farm boy with a very large pistol."

"I keep telling you whitey I'm from Arkansas, if anything you should call me Ark." Sagaran smiled and kept rolling a cigarette. He was sitting on a beat up runner, Xanthiana was surprised he drove it very far, let alone made long trips in it.

"Sorry I'll pass, I'm not much for delivering anything."

"Suit yourself Cutter, me and Tex have to split if that's ok with the brass, we got a message for Defiance."

"I don't think they care too much about what you do Sagaran, tell me how Defiance looks, I might end up there soon if things keep going to shit here."

"They just survived an attack by the Volge last I heard."

"So better than here Sagaran?" Sagaran finished his cigarette, struck it up, and got in his runner; Tex followed shortly thereafter.

"Whatever you decide to do, stay Alive Cutter, I always liked you." He drove off leaving Xanthiana in the dust, it was getting late she figured she'd have to find someplace to bed down soon, and with the military yelling her into at least being on leave for now she knew she couldn't hang around with them.

"Would you really go to Defiance?" Elly piped up as Xanthiana walked back to her non function Challenger.

"Nah that place is a warzone, which I realize is silly saying since we are currently sitting in an active one, but they have a worse situation, politics, city life, lack of freedom, the war they are fighting is one society always fights, and I'd rather fight with rifles and bullets, than policies and taxes."

"Good because I don't want to go back east either."

"Oh you think you have a say in where we go elly?"

"I could always try to exert influence over your motor controls."

"That's not funny Elly."

"That's not what my humor matrix's claimed." Xanthiana didn't sleep very well that night.