useofaswhat | 003 ✫ Voice

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003 ✫ Voice

I've been on some pretty odd worlds in my time but I never saw one like that before. Somethin' new every day on this ship, huh? [On the whole, he sounds pretty pleased about it.] Anyone out there know how to patch up spike holes in leather?

[Private to Natasha]

Appreciate the expertise back in the wilds there. How'd you know how to deal with big cats?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Part of your training? [It definitely did not look like the first time she'd been in that situation.]

I'm trained for a lot of things. [So, yes.] Do you still have boy scouts in your time?

There anything they didn't train you for? [Besides living like a human being, of course. For the moment he keeps that to himself.] You mean like – junior military divisions? Some worlds got corps like that, why?

Alien invasions. You're on your own for that. [This is just her being secretly bitter. How does the future even happen, she doesn't understand. But it fades because lol Mal.]

No, not military. Never mind. Being prepared for anything is their motto.

You held your own on the last planet, didn't you? [It's a legitimate conclusion! Can you tell he's ex-military, Natasha?] Good advice. Now I'm all curious, what do they do?

Stayed on board. [Self-preservation at it's best okay, she was not going out there into danger land.]

Teach boys how to tie knots and be polite and navigate by the stars, I imagine. All technically useful things, but they tend not to make use of it. [Since they're just normal kids and all.]

Smart girl. [A much better idea than getting yourself captured by alien overlords.]

Adventure club kinda thing? Sounds like somethin' the rich folk on core planets send their kids to during school breaks.

Probably pretty close.

You have youth military?

Every world's got its armies. Some of 'em don't get too picky about who they take in, you know? If they ain't got enough volunteers, they'll recruit anybody, even kids.

I know. [She knows that better than most, but still. It isn't often you run into standing, civilized militarizes that do that.]

Oh. Right – uh, sorry. [It's not Alliance battalions that have youth regimens – though they do have the 26th century equivalent of military academies. It's the outer planets, the border worlds, where the population of able-bodied adults is insufficient against whatever threat they face or perceive.

He imagines most of them are not as sophisticated in their training as the Red Room.]

[The Red Room wouldn't even consider them threats. Simpletons with weapons, but nothing any of their students couldn't take care of. Maybe Natasha would even feel sorry for those kids - the didn't sign up for it, and they were trained badly. At least she can say she survived, in the end.

Well. Almost.]

Don't be.

[Simpletons with weapons are a hell of a lot dangerous than simpletons without, regardless of how well they know how to use it. Still, Natasha could've handled most folk on a border world, he didn't doubt that. She was a highly trained government agent, after all. Practically Alliance.]

Dropping the subject.

So seein' as things are back to as normal as they get, give me an update. You holding in there?

[She almost says she's just peachy, no need to keep checking in on her, but. Wait a tic.]

I wouldn't say not to having my Bite back. [She did not name the stupid things okay.] My wrist-weapons.

That's an interesting notion. Got a persuasive reason why I oughta arm you?

Next time it might be a bigger cat.

Jaguar defense. So next time the Barge turns into an ancient jungle wonderland you want your Bite weapon? Think I can agree to that.

I was thinking more along the lines of now, in case of next time.

That depends real heavily on what you plan to use it for. Woman like you with skills like yours, seems to me she'd handle herself fine, Bite or not. [He speaks from experience. Saffron had been... brilliant. Ruthless. Incredibly talented, not to mention a master at weaving new identities for herself. Mal didn't need to be told not to arm a woman like that.]

If everyone here was human? Maybe. But having too much faith in your abilities is a good way to get yourself killed.

So this is purely a precaution.

Strictly preventative.

[He sobers a little bit; seriously now.] Anyone been tryin' to give you trouble?

No. [But she's heard enough about what's going to go down with Loki, and that's enough to keep her hackles raised. Not that, you know, she'd volunteer that infor for Mal.]

Anyone been givin' anyone you know trouble? [Probably a wiser question to ask. The answer could give him a good idea how to best help her now; he just wishes he had some way to make her tell the truth.]

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