Day 62, morning; Hoff; Attn: Elizabeth, Carson, Adam, Collins, Ian, Mitar, Perna, Druhin [F]
Written by Light, Cajun, and Taylor
Mitar tugged on the hem of the tac vest he was wearing, trying to adjust the fit, and shifted the P-90 he carried. Carrying weapons always filled him with a sense of foreboding. He knew the reason was because he'd only ever carried them in wartime and during the crisis here on Atlantis, so the horrors of those times became associated with the weapons. He took a breath, trying to calm himself. This was a peaceful meeting, he reminded himself. He was only carrying this weapon as part of the standard mission procedure.
Carson's nervousness stemmed from seeing Perna's father and the whole issue of his being not interested in the chancellor's daughter. The fact that it was a man that held his interest was hopefully something that would not be discussed. He also preferred not to discuss the whole issue of his bruising. There was just so much to talk about and then all the stuff he wanted to keep quiet. The fact that the last time he was here he became trapped also swirled around in his mind.
Elizabeth was no stranger to kevlar. She'd worn it in Afghanistan, in Somalia, in Sri Lanka, places where they told her it was necessary. Once she'd come under sniper fire, once her convoy narrowly missed being struck by a mortar, but she'd never been asked, in all that time, to defend herself or others with anything other than her words. It was words she planned to employ on this mission to Hoff, but there was not a world in the Pegasus Galaxy that did not face an enemy against whom words had almost no power. Elizabeth understood that, intellectually, but the fact grated badly with some of her most cherished core principals.
She would have liked to focus on the fact that she would very likely not even have to touch the gun holstered on her thigh on this mission, but she could not put it out of her mind. There was nowhere the Wraith could not come, and no world where she might not regret not taking this weapon. It was a reality every Pegasus native took for granted, but one Elizabeth knew would take a long time to feel natural to her. Hopefully it never would.
Wanting to get her mind off this sobering subject, Elizabeth glanced around at the other members of the party assembled in the gateroom. Carson stood nearby, looking even more uncomfortable than Elizabeth felt. "Carson," she greeted him, hoping to draw him out a bit. "How goes it?"
"Elizabeth," Carson said returning the greeting. "I suppose it's going as well as it can," he replied with a small smile. He knew he still looked bad and of course he was terribly nervous about this mission. He really hated doing this but he wanted Elizabeth to be prepared. "I ...well," he stammered, "Perna's father likes me. But he might not after he realizes that I...well... have no interest in dating her."
Ian made his way into the gate room, all too aware of the Beretta holstered on his thigh and the weight of the tac vest he wore. He heard footsteps behind him and turned, nodding to Collins who was decked out for the mission as well. "Collins," he greeted, then turned before his smile got too broad from the memory of Collins attempting to convey Priscilla, Queen of the Desert in charades during their recent team night. He nodded at Belic.
The botanist caught his grin and smiled back. "It is still funny, even now, is it not?"
Collins started blushing furiously. "You guys!"
Ian glanced over at Weir and Beckett, but the two seemed to be having a bit of a serious conversation, so he left them to it.
Mitar tugged on the hem of the tac vest he was wearing, trying to adjust the fit, and shifted the P-90 he carried. Carrying weapons always filled him with a sense of foreboding. He knew the reason was because he'd only ever carried them in wartime and during the crisis here on Atlantis, so the horrors of those times became associated with the weapons. He took a breath, trying to calm himself. This was a peaceful meeting, he reminded himself. He was only carrying this weapon as part of the standard mission procedure.
Carson's nervousness stemmed from seeing Perna's father and the whole issue of his being not interested in the chancellor's daughter. The fact that it was a man that held his interest was hopefully something that would not be discussed. He also preferred not to discuss the whole issue of his bruising. There was just so much to talk about and then all the stuff he wanted to keep quiet. The fact that the last time he was here he became trapped also swirled around in his mind.
Elizabeth was no stranger to kevlar. She'd worn it in Afghanistan, in Somalia, in Sri Lanka, places where they told her it was necessary. Once she'd come under sniper fire, once her convoy narrowly missed being struck by a mortar, but she'd never been asked, in all that time, to defend herself or others with anything other than her words. It was words she planned to employ on this mission to Hoff, but there was not a world in the Pegasus Galaxy that did not face an enemy against whom words had almost no power. Elizabeth understood that, intellectually, but the fact grated badly with some of her most cherished core principals.
She would have liked to focus on the fact that she would very likely not even have to touch the gun holstered on her thigh on this mission, but she could not put it out of her mind. There was nowhere the Wraith could not come, and no world where she might not regret not taking this weapon. It was a reality every Pegasus native took for granted, but one Elizabeth knew would take a long time to feel natural to her. Hopefully it never would.
Wanting to get her mind off this sobering subject, Elizabeth glanced around at the other members of the party assembled in the gateroom. Carson stood nearby, looking even more uncomfortable than Elizabeth felt. "Carson," she greeted him, hoping to draw him out a bit. "How goes it?"
"Elizabeth," Carson said returning the greeting. "I suppose it's going as well as it can," he replied with a small smile. He knew he still looked bad and of course he was terribly nervous about this mission. He really hated doing this but he wanted Elizabeth to be prepared. "I ...well," he stammered, "Perna's father likes me. But he might not after he realizes that I...well... have no interest in dating her."
Ian made his way into the gate room, all too aware of the Beretta holstered on his thigh and the weight of the tac vest he wore. He heard footsteps behind him and turned, nodding to Collins who was decked out for the mission as well. "Collins," he greeted, then turned before his smile got too broad from the memory of Collins attempting to convey Priscilla, Queen of the Desert in charades during their recent team night. He nodded at Belic.
The botanist caught his grin and smiled back. "It is still funny, even now, is it not?"
Collins started blushing furiously. "You guys!"
Ian glanced over at Weir and Beckett, but the two seemed to be having a bit of a serious conversation, so he left them to it.