RP [PISCES Station] Moments In Between

"Still sounds interesting," Ren leaned forward smiling. "What size of crew are we talking?"

Ren sipped her wine as she shifted her position on the chair to lean closer over the table.

Kumiko set her water back down, and sat up in her chair. "Well, I can't be sure, but most likely a small to medium sized crew."

"Hmm..." A small crew probably meant a small ship, perhaps too small for a proper engineering bay. Though probably not a deal-breaker, that did strike Isuzu as a potential downside of such an assignment. She didn't have many hobbies that didn't involve machines, and while she was usually content to play with designs in her head, having a place where she could actually build things would be nice. "What class ship?" she asked.

"I think it's a Kyaa-class SAR ship. It's supposed to have big engines, and a fairly large engineering section for its size."

"Hmm... well, good luck with that." Isuzu raised her glass in salute, as Kumiko had before. After resting on her water for a moment, the Neko's sharp emerald eyes lifted from the glass and darted around the table, catching each of her companions with a measuring gaze. "If the war ended tomorrow, what would you do?" she asked.

It was a question from one of the personality tests they'd been given at the training facility. The chances of the war ending tomorrow were about the same as her chances of growing a tail; there was historical precedent for both, but neither seemed possible at the moment. Still, the motivations of the Star Army's non-Neko soldiers were often quite unique, and Isuzu was interested to hear what the two Yamataians would say- they had the option of getting out, after all.

Renko sat back in thought, slouching in her seat. After a few moments of silence she sat up and shrugged.

"I duno...buy my own farm? Or even better! I'd buy a ship and start a shipping company! That way I could still see some of the sights of the galaxy. When I'm ready to retire is when I'd buy the farm."

It occurred to Ren after she said it that that could be taken in a bad way, but decided to leave it at that due to the truth of the statement either way it ends.

"Hmmm..." The way Orie's face scrunched up in thought at the question, plus the length of time it took her to respond, suggested that it wasn't a topic that had ever crossed her mind. She perked up at Ren's answer. "Yeah! My own ship! That could be neat. ... I, er, I'm not sure what I would do with it, but travelling around and working on it would be fun."

"I dunno. Probably stay in the military, assuming I got no better offers." She shrugged. "I like to tinker, and the military is as good a place as any to do that."

Isuzu turned to Kumiko and nodded in agreement. "I'd probably stay too; got no real plans yet," she explained. Orie hadn't seemed to consider the fact that neither of them would have the choice of leaving, even if the war did end, so Isuzu decided not to bring it up. Glancing to the others, she quirked an eyebrow. "A ship, eh? Not on what I get paid," she noted ruefully. "Not for a decade, at least."

"True enough...I'm in the same pay grade." Laughing Renko raised her glass to the others. "To dreams that will never come true?"

"Why not?" Kumiko said with a smile. She lifted her glass. "To dreams that never come true!"

Isuzu raised her glass as well, smirking at the irony. "To dreams that never come true," ...and the dreamers who chase them anyway, she added silently, glancing around at her comrades.