<div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Dark Star Dropship</strong><div class="floatright">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/e/ef/Damian_Harper.jpg)</div><br/><br/>Damian agreed with Allia, though silently. His arms crossed over his chest and his ever-present furrowed brow adding to his grumpy air. He was as much a man of contemplation as he was of action, and already, he felt as though they were going in circles; stating the obvious. But than again, this was news to his two associates. He had been staring at the numbers for over a day by that point, which actually gave him less perspective than the rest. He didn't know yet what kind of unconventional means of survival they would be able to do. Some guard duty work would be a cakewalk for them, but the pay would barely cover the dropship. Unless, of course, the job had some added danger to it. In that case, though, they'd likely be too undermanned to even be considered by the employer. They were trapped, until something good came along. But, he gave the both of them his support, and he had made a promise to Kari's father to make sure she stayed safe. To that end, he'd put his ear to the ground and see what he could dig up. He wasn't hopeful, however.<br/><br/>His eyes flashed from one of the women to the other, noting the blush that appeared on Kari's cheeks. He couldn't help but wonder where that sudden bout of shame came from, but he was inclined to agree with lieutenant Moreno's assessment. Allia had the people skills. Damian was good at looking at the profiles and distilling the wheat from the chaff, but only on a technical level. Emotion in their warriors was just as important, if not more, as that dictated how they would fit in with the team, and whether or not they'd perform under pressure. That was something that required empathy, which he sorely lacked. Since he agreed, he added nothing else to Kari's words.<br/><br/>His amber hues settled on Kari as she turned to him. A simple nod was all she received in response at first, before his lips parted to state the obvious. <strong>"Have I ever sugarcoated anything?"</strong> he commented rhetorically.<br/><br/>As she brought up Solaris warriors, his furrow increased. <strong>"Arena fighters? We will have a hard time filtering the decent ones from the glory-hogs. But... It is not impossible. They would be hard up for some pay; any pay, which means they would be inclined to accept even a lousy offer from us. The clever ones in particular could see the substantial reward that comes with the substantial risk of signing on with us when we are at our worst. However, if we make it out of this ditch, they would be set in the core of a mercenary company that once again becomes highly profitable,"</strong> Damian theorized, finding some merit in Kari's suggestion. <strong>"I will scour the boards for anything, but if the both of you agree, I will pay close attention to former Solaris members. See what comes up."</strong><br/><br/>The matter of command was a tricky one, and he couldn't blame Kari for thinking she was being promoted just for her family name alone. As always, he wasn't going to beat around the bush.<br/><strong>"You have not proven yourself in a larger scale command position, lieutenant,"</strong> he started, before leaning forward and resting his arms atop his desk again. <strong>"But at the end of the day, your competence only matters halfway. Your family name brings with it trust and some nostalgia. If Allia follows in your father's footsteps, she will come under much more scrutiny than you, irregardless of whether or not she can handle the task. You, on the other hand, will be trusted, whether you deserve it or not. As close as it comes to nepotism, I say we play up your name, and hope you are up for the task,"</strong> as always, Damian was brutally honest and was not pulling any punches. He genuinely had no idea if Kari was going to fill her father's shoes, and he wasn't going to give her reassuring pats on the back just to spare her feelings. However, as always, what he failed to voice, which could have softened the blow, was the fact that, despite his doubts, he still felt she was the best option for more than just her lineage. She had all the makings of a brilliant commander; it was just a matter of bringing it out.</div>