<div class="floatleft">(https://i.imgur.com/Ey3kNQB.jpg)</div><br/><strong><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: arial black;">NAME:</span></strong>Ashton Chase (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=335654.msg15965992#msg15965992)<br/><strong><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: arial black;">RACE:</span></strong>Human<br/><strong><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: arial black;">OCCUPATION:</span></strong>N7 - Alliance military<br/><strong><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: arial black;">DATE:</span></strong>December 18th, 2174 CE<br/><strong><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: arial black;">WEARING:</span></strong>Scuffed, battle scarred and faded (https://i.imgur.com/ZBZ0RtB.jpg)<br/><strong><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: arial black;">LOCATION:</span></strong><strong>Enlil</strong>. Docking Bay Victor-12, Pavilion<br/><strong><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: arial black;">CONTENT:</span></strong>Rhetoric<br/><strong><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: arial black;">TAG:</span></strong>Luus | OPEN<br/><br/><div align="center"> ___________________________________________________________</div><div align="center"> ___________________________________________________________</div><br/>It was a well-maneuvered riposte, but not a perfect deflection if only because the sassy turian made Ashton itch to strike again. If previous experience told her anything it was that the two of them could go at this all day. The double entendre of that statement as well as Luus’ willingness to banter encouraged the smirk to climb higher up one corner of the human’s mouth, making the mischief in her eyes glint. “Vaunted… did you learn a new word, Luus?”<br/><br/>With an eventual shrug to show her dismissal of the question, and a casual flick of her hand, Ashton looked as worried about a nuclear strike as a Krogan might fear the bite of a salarian. “It certainly would be quick and easy if they did -but impossible to cover up. Even if they tried to blame it on some Batarians, that would only create messy fallout. The council doesn’t like anything that’ll dirty the image of their white-gloved hands.” She patted down her hips, her flank then seemed to relax when she located a pack of cigarettes. Luck would have it that supplies on some particular vices weren’t limited. Cigarettes were easy enough to come by, it was just convenience food and uncontaminated water that would be the struggle.<br/><br/>Assuming they lived long enough to starve. If everyone built a fortification that could be held and maintained, then supply runs would be easy to manage. The doctor’s worries about everyone jumping ship at the first opportunity was a valid one -self-preservation didn’t always come with logic attached. Luus was smart, and in many ways his argument was valid. But to her, it just sounded like an easy out.<br/><br/>Ashton lit up her cigarette, took a deep inhale of smoke, and breathed out the vapors through her nose with another dismissive shrug of her shoulder. “Council isn’t going to nuke the place, but they might try bombing it to high hell if they think it can’t be salvaged. Erecting safe and secured walls and providing protected streets to travel on would be one hell of a way to convince those arrogant pricks in their fancy tower that things aren’t completely out of control. They’ll want answers -or convenient lies. We fondle their balls and call them sweet nothings; if we keep them happy... we might see some good people walk out of this with their limbs intact while only suffering with a little more PTSD than when they arrived. Therapy is cheaper than a funeral.”