A slightly smaller Mess

Logen: "Alliance?... With necrons?"

Jax: "Wait a second charles are you mad?"

Charles: due to a lack of time, I'll be blunt Jax. Either we accept this temporary alliance, or among other things, you, your wife and your child, all die. Got it?

Jax: "...Got it. Whats the plan." *he draws back the slide on his rifle, chambering one of the heavy caliber armour piercing bullets.*

Charles: *explains*

Jax: "Sounds dicey... But doable." 
Serah; "No worse than last time."
Jax: "Last time we had the eldar."

Charles: we'll get through this. I promise you that.

Jax: *he knods.* "Lets move then."

he nods and begins moving

*Entering the hangar* Serah: "We can get a crossfire going with heavy bolters on these two galleries."

Charles: I need to talk to the archmagos. Serah, Jax, Chard, you can handle this.

Serah: "Alright..." *Turns around and starts talking to jax about where weapons teams should be placed*

*charles turns and walks away*

*Orders are given, and the gigantic hangar becomes a hive of activity.*

laurence sees charles is talking to the archmagos on vox. he doesn't seem too pleased.

*Laurence walks over, keeping a respectful distance, but catching charles' eyes, raising an eyebrow*

charles hangs up and turns
"He's not happy about it, but the archmagos will give you his infiltrators and ruststalkers for this battle."

Laurence: "Good. We'll be able to hold the corridors."

Charles: indeed.

Laurence: "I assume he is less than pleased at working with necrons."

Charles: he wanted to... make off like the wet bandits, i beleive the phrase is, with their technology.

Laurence: "A poor choice all things considered. It is better to deal with xenos than..." *He pauses at this moment, realising he may have said too much*

Charles: something wrong?

"....I'm going to go with, nothing."

"Laurence..."

"I'll tell you after the battle."

"There may not be an 'after the battle' laurence"

"My point exactly."

"Laurence..."

"Do you really want to do this now?"

Charles: depends what 'this' is.

"Ulthwe. I've had dealings with them."

"Alright."

"And, various others."

"You say this like I'm going to judge you for it."

"Quite the radical, aren't you?"

*Tyren is sitting in the forge, his armour at attention next to him. he is topless, beads of sweat running down the coal black skin of his chest from the heat of the forge. On the workbench, he is carefully engraving a length of chain.*

Charles: The saying that 'the galaxy is mankind's birthright' is far more propaganda than actual truth, laurence. I keep the imperium's people alive. Sometimes that involves getting help.

Lyanna: what's that? *behind him*

Tyren: "A brand chain... I'm remaking the one i lowered pyriel's body with." 

Laurence: "An interesting point. But it wasn't so much help, as a business agreement."

Lyanna: oh... I see

Charles: Alright.

Tyren: "It was a sad day when we gave his body back to nocturne."

Laurence: "I personally don't trust eldar."

she puts a hand on his shoulder

Charles: you'd be a fool if you did.

Tyren: "It will be good to have the marks on my skin again." *he smiles up at her."

Laurence: "Your father in law to be seems to."

Lyanna: whatever makes you happy.

Charles: *eyebrow raise at that remark*

Laurence: "Father in law to be."

Tyren: "It helps me remember."

Charles: riiiight.

Lyanna: fair enough

Laurence: *Chuckles to himself.*

Tyren: "I'll start again after this one."

Charles: *eyeroll*

Lyanna: start again?

Tyren: "Add new brands. For new undertakings."

Laurence: *his eyes turn slightly somber for a moment.* "Take good care of her charles."

She nods

Charles: you say that like youre not gonna survive

Laurence: *he shrugs* "I'm not sure that i will. But I mean it as someone who's had that and lost it."

Tyren: *He turns around on the stool, and frames one of the brands between his thumb and forefinger, on his left bicep.* "Can you guess when this one is from?" *It says "Ferrum et flammam occurit" and is surrounded by a delicate design of barbed wire.*

Charles: we've both lost that laurence.


She smiles at that