Post by Threid on Apr 27, 2010 16:24:57 GMT -5
The three pilots sat around the table, silent. Their faces were still tired from the battle. Kyle couldn't manage even a little comment regarding recent Minosvky particle research, and Madelaine was not talking about the battle; even Tybalt's constantly-upbeat demeanor was drooping a little. They had all fought well, but Odessa had been far from a complete victory.
It was the first time that The Beam Team had met, officially, since the Odessa offensive. Kyle had been dragged to the infirmary almost immediately after his broken mobile suit was tossed into the nearest friendly hangar by Madelaine and Tybalt, who were both grumbling good-naturedly about how much work it was taking care of him. Honestly, he hadn't even noticed the injuries to his body; his focus was on the battle raging around him. He was, as a famous pilot had once said, a "leaf on the wind," a riding the tide of a torrent of armaments.
He was satisfied with his leadership; he'd placed his relatively-resilient Ez8 in the line of fire to protect the more vulnerable GM units of The Beam Team. The bazooka hits his unit had taken had hurt more than the shattered glass and shorting electrical circuits. He'd run his unit into the ground, trying to press forward, to carry out orders, to avenge Bigby's death, to give their team something to brag about.
But in the end, their efforts just made them another small cog in the ever-turning gears of war, powering the EF war machine. It was kind of elegant, the small part they played in larger plans, but there was little satisfaction in the results they had achieved personally in the offensive. The satisfaction, he decided, came from doing his job well, from serving as the group's leader, protecting his teammates from harm and following orders. It didn't matter that they didn't have the highest enemy kill-count, that they hadn't saved General Revil from certain death by nuke, or that they hadn't saved entire ships from a rampaging Zeon naval force. They had done their part.
"We did well, Beam Team; now, it's time to move forward." Kyle smiled as he spoke. It's time to move past debriefing. The freshly-promoted Staff Sergeant launched into a detailed explanation of their plans. Madelaine leaned forward, Tybalt's droopiness disappeared and The Beam Team gelled. Moving forward - It was what Kyle did best.
It was the first time that The Beam Team had met, officially, since the Odessa offensive. Kyle had been dragged to the infirmary almost immediately after his broken mobile suit was tossed into the nearest friendly hangar by Madelaine and Tybalt, who were both grumbling good-naturedly about how much work it was taking care of him. Honestly, he hadn't even noticed the injuries to his body; his focus was on the battle raging around him. He was, as a famous pilot had once said, a "leaf on the wind," a riding the tide of a torrent of armaments.
He was satisfied with his leadership; he'd placed his relatively-resilient Ez8 in the line of fire to protect the more vulnerable GM units of The Beam Team. The bazooka hits his unit had taken had hurt more than the shattered glass and shorting electrical circuits. He'd run his unit into the ground, trying to press forward, to carry out orders, to avenge Bigby's death, to give their team something to brag about.
But in the end, their efforts just made them another small cog in the ever-turning gears of war, powering the EF war machine. It was kind of elegant, the small part they played in larger plans, but there was little satisfaction in the results they had achieved personally in the offensive. The satisfaction, he decided, came from doing his job well, from serving as the group's leader, protecting his teammates from harm and following orders. It didn't matter that they didn't have the highest enemy kill-count, that they hadn't saved General Revil from certain death by nuke, or that they hadn't saved entire ships from a rampaging Zeon naval force. They had done their part.
"We did well, Beam Team; now, it's time to move forward." Kyle smiled as he spoke. It's time to move past debriefing. The freshly-promoted Staff Sergeant launched into a detailed explanation of their plans. Madelaine leaned forward, Tybalt's droopiness disappeared and The Beam Team gelled. Moving forward - It was what Kyle did best.