maskormenacelogs | the star maker says it ain't so bad

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the star maker says it ain't so bad

WHO: Jacob Taylor and Agent Texas
WHERE: A gym in De Chima with a fighting ring
WHEN: Backdated to an evening in October, after the events at the Swear-In but before Halloween
WHAT: Jacob gives Agent Texas some advice, from a relative imPort veteran to a newer arrival. He also gets punched.
WARNINGS: Mild violence?

"I figured you weren't the type to chat over coffee," Jacob remarks dryly to the other space marine as he climbs into the ring. "So here we are."

He changed into exercise clothes before meeting Tex at this gym, and is wearing a black undershirt with loose-fitting red shorts. It's a quiet hour at the gym, and the two imPorts have the place mostly to themselves. Jacob finishes swinging his legs over the ropes, then nods to two sets of fighting gloves in the corner.

"Up for getting some practice in while we talk?"

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Is that even a question? Her expression says as much as she climbs into the ring and heads for the gloves. There's a reason she agreed to this location and even changed into more appropriate clothes in the locker room before joining him. But he is right about her preferring this space to a cafe. There's only so much interest a cup of coffee holds when she's not even sure if it serves her any real purpose.

"I thought we'd just hang on the ropes and compare dress sizes," she says just as dryly. It only takes her a moment to slip on her set of gloves. "Yeah, so long as you can move and talk."

"Oh, I can move." Jacob does likewise with his gloves, then moves into the center of the ring and takes up a boxing stance in front of Tex.

"So. What do you want to know?" He'll let her make the first move, both in the talk and the practice. He'll probably regret that, though.

She's sizing him up and taking her time as she studies his stance. There's some things she can be infinitely patient with and she'll give them a moment to settle into conversation before she makes any attempt at a move.

"You've been here a year. What kind of crap are we really up against?" She's been to Finland, she's heard of Crane's bullshit. Hell, she's seen the attack at the recent swear-in. But there were a lot more politics going on than she had realized when she arrived.

Jacob snorts.

"Take your pick. There's terrorism against us. The Soviets are hostile to this country. And this country lies to us all the time. The Porter is out of control and nobody knows why... Then you've got imPorts who turn bad. That's on top of regular street crime and gangsters that we're supposed to handle."

He circles around Tex, shifting from side to side, then tries a few feinting punches to gauge her defences. He doesn't fully commit yet, though.

"Here's a question for you. What can you tell me about the sim troopers?"

Yeah, somebody's been talking to Tucker.

"So there's some truth to their bullshit." She'd been wondering since her first swear-in, with all the ramblings and speeches about the terrible Soviets and communism. Confirmation that it's not a load of crap helps, somewhat even if she's not too pleased with this country lying out their ass to them.

And of course, an answer for an answer. He's smart to try to get his own bit of information during this. She moves swiftly to deflect his blows before shrugging.

"They're a bunch of harmless idiots that'd rather argue than get anything done. What else is there to know about them?"

"For starters, what job they had with you Freelancers." Jacob punctuates this more pointed question by coming in, stepping forward and beginning to jab at Tex's body in earnest, rapid-fire one-two punches. "Something to do with training. Right?"

He'll see how honest she is about what Tucker was talking about. Part of him hopes that the turquoise guy was full of crap- Jacob's impressions of the Freelancers so far are too positive for using expendable troopers for target practice to fit in with them.

What? Why the hell is he asking about that? She blocks the first jab as she slides out of the way before pausing for a brief moment as she sizes him up. Someone's told him enough if he's heard that much.

"Yeah, for training," she replies and steps back towards him to throw a hook. "Their bases were used as a testing ground for equipment and practice for a war. Why?"

Jacob blocks the hook handily, but grimaces as he takes the impact on his forearm. Even out of her armour, Tex hits hard.

"Because I talked to one of them. Heard those troopers were used as target practice, with live ammunition. It sounded messed up."

He sidesteps, pivots, weaves for an instant. "Is that true? He punctuates the question by kicking at her knee.

Which one of them has been talking that freely about the Project? She wouldn't put it past Wash to.

"Yes, and to test out combat scenarios for the real war." The answer is blunt and while she keeps her eyes locked with his, she's moving to lessen the impact of his blow. He's strong, she'll give him that. "No one here designed the program."

Or ask an alliance of alien races to try to exterminate them, but he's not asking about context.

"Right. They just participated in it." Jacob speaks flatly as he fires off a couple more punches, trying to batter down Tex's defences in more ways than one.

"You know, I've been the guy who's 'just following orders' before," he grunts as he presses his attack. "It's not something I'm proud of. How about you?"

There's a shift in her demeanor. A look far grimmer has settled onto her face as she studies him and she knows if she aims anything at him, it's going to go a lot harder than planned. Instead, she hardens her defensive stance and while his hits land, she has her arms up to block and soften the blows.

"You should know better than to ask a soldier about the crap they've done to ensure survival," she says, tone perfectly even. "Is this the conversation you really want to have with me?"

Jacob backs off a step, at least physically. He's breathing hard. It's clear to him he is making zero headway against Tex's blocking techniques. But there's a more important conflict going on here than the sparring, one that he wants to shift his focus toward.

"I've seen what 'survival at any cost' really looks like," he says, firm. "I'm not a fan. We can talk about imPort politics if that's what you want- but I'd rather know just who it is I'm talking to."

So yes, that is where he's going with this. She keeps her guard up and her eyes on his. She did her part in the war effort in two life times and sharing her place in the mess that Carolina took down isn't exactly high on her priority list.

"I barely know who I'm talking to and you want me to divulge my secrets?" She snorts. "I don't want to hear your self-righteous, bullshit talk. You want to know about me, you have to make it fair."

"Fair enough."

Jacob sidesteps, keeping his arms, up, beginning to circle around her as he works out where to go next, what to try, what the angles are. Even though Tucker has raised some serious red flags about trusting Tex and the other Freelancers, Jacob knows Tex's reticence is perfectly reasonable- and his default impulse is always to be honest, especially about his own doubts and regrets.

"What do you want to know?"

She's watching him with a keen eye as she matches his stride. This isn't what she planned on when she set this up, but there has to be something to this good guy act.

"You said you worked for some group named Cerberus. Tell me more about them." Her words come out as more of a demand as she aims a few blows towards him. "Because it doesn't sound like your hands are entirely clean."

Jacob staggers back, shifting onto the defensive now, arms up to block.

"They aren't," he says. Cerberus is an illegal group. Terrorists." He pauses to dodge, ducking under one of her blows. "I joined them to protect humanity. But I left when I realized how far they were willing to go."

He backs off a couple steps, then springs back and starts swinging again, trying to regain his momentum. "I'm going to be making up for Cerberus for the rest of my life. I know it wasn't right. Are you on the same page?"

"We aren't terrorists. The Insurrectionists have that title." Which is true, as far as she's concerned. She doesn't condone what the Director did, but she understands it on some level. She's died more than once for this war, in a variety of ways. Something had to be done even if it wasn't palatable to most.

But she's not telling that to the man in front of her. It's not his business and she can see him switching back to offense. She tracks his movements and falls into an easy motion of evasion and deflection. In the back of her mind, she's working on building a combat profile for him. It could come in handy.

"I've already paid my dues. I'm the reason the assholes didn't have their main base of operations anymore." And Caroline finished what she started. As his last blow comes at her, she lets it land and brushes it off quickly before she's moving in try to grapple. If he's not careful, she'll attempt to suplex him onto the mat once she's finished speaking. "That part of my life is over and you'd do well to remember that."

"Yeah, well- Hurgh!"

That right there? That's the sound Jacob makes when he gets suplexed facefirst into a wrestling mat. But he can take a hit, and he sits back up, rubbing the back of his head.

"Yeah," he breathes. "Fair enough. I'll drop it." And not just because of the suplex. If Tex had gone into some excuse about the survival of humanity justifying anything, Jacob would have had none of it. Taking out a base as a resignation letter was another story. He gets back up.

"So. You still want to know more about the situation?" The original offer is still on the table, despite how awkward this has gotten.

At least he gets the picture now. She leans down to offer him a hand.

"Whatever you can tell me that wasn't in that information pamphlet someone linked me on the network," she replies. "I'm registered, but I'm not sure I trust who I'm throwing in with."

After the last government she worked for, she's a little wary about any projects this one has going for it.

"You can't trust them," Jacob shakes his head. He's breathing hard, a little winded from getting tossed around, but his answer is strong and definite. "They've lied and held things back more times than I can count. All they care about is pointing us at the Russians. I don't know how you feel about the Cold War, but it's not my fight."

Which is a different situation for Jacob to be in. Ordinarily he's first to volunteer for a cause, regardless of how bad the odds are. But the politics between Russia and America just aren't something he can get invested in. He wouldn't want to live under the Soviet system, but that doesn't automatically make the Russians his enemies.

She lets out a low hum of acknowledgement. "Just what I'm used to then. I could care less about a Cold War or whatever the hell they've got going on, but they're paying me so I'm sticking around for now."

There's not much waiting for her back home except death. This is by far the better alternative even if their employers are questionable at best. She has more freedom here than she ever had before.

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the star maker says it ain't so bad

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