Day 093: Day On Guard
Summary: Alex, Grey, and Nathaniel discuss the Skaikru situation while on guard duty.
Date: 30 August 2016
Related: None directly.
Grey Alex Nathaniel 


Guard Post, Camp Jaha

Formed of plate metal from the outside of the station and reinforced with surviving (and scorched) ceramic heat tiles, this guard-post sits up a good 10 feet above the ground on I-beam stilts. The front and sides have narrow firing slits piercing the metal plates, the top is solid, and the back is a half-wall. Entry is through a hatch in the floor, with a ladder protected by a half-cylinder pipe leading up from the ground. The hatch can be closed and locked from the inside, and there is a button for a loud siren in place inside the guard post.

The guard post is set immediately behind the metal fence that surrounds the camp, with an open space and then an electrified wire fence beyond that. Outside of the wire fence is a rolling meadow, a peaceful lake, a little stream, and then the lush forests of Trikru lands.

93 Days After Landing

Guard details evidently overlap, at least some of them, to keep one 'experienced' set of eyes on post at all times, because when Grey comes clambering up the ladder, pushing the hatch aside, he notes, "Figgins, you're off, man." The ex-Delinquent doesn't even try to exchange any further pleasantries with the man, given the past Figgins had with Paris Grey, just steps out of the way and gives Alex a nod, "Heya, Stone." A little chuckle touches his lips then, "You know how funny that sounds, right? Got so used to Captain Arkmerica," that would be his own name for William 'Billy' Stone, "bein' the only Stone around."

Alex glances over from her perch that gives her the greatest view of the area. A slow smirk touches her lips and she gives Grey a slow shrug of her shoulders. "I keep hearing it. Though I never met the other Stone.." Her voice is low and deep, soothing or sensual depending on the listener, but still somehow suitable. She stretches slowly and then relaxes back into her at ease watch pose. "Though, really with as many names as I have? People are welcome to use any of the others.." She finally turns her eyes to Grey and looks him up and down slowly. "How are you hanging in there Grey?"

"Good kid. Frickin' huge. A little too stick-up-the-butt, but…" Grey shrugs a little helplessly as he drops the hatch after Figgins and moves around to look out of the viewing slits for a moment before he shrugs, "You got a lotta names, I got one. Everybody's got their own way of goin' about it." The question causes him to shrug, "Frustrated at idiots, glad the house," the one he's building with his Grounder-born girlfriend, "is almost done. Got a football from the Mountain. you know. The usual. You?"

"Settling in I guess. Waiting to see where I end up with all the moving around. Glad to know Jackson woke up.." She flickers at smile at that and then shakes her head, "But about the same, frustrated on what is and is not happening and how everyone seems less than pleased with others.." She wrinkles her nose but shrugs, "But it will get better, no reason for it not to. How is the girlfriend? Heard she was something of a Scout or Archer before?" She seems curious and is one of those that does seem to have an issue between Trikru, Skakru and Teen nor Adult.

Grey nods, frowning a little thoughtfully, "Jackson… Jackson… oh yeah. He's up? Good. Need all the Guard we can get." The question about Gideon causes Grey to grin toothily, "Yeah. Not many girls who'll give up everything and everyone they've ever known for you, so there ain't no way I'm gonna complaint." He chuckles a little, then shrugs, "Yeah. She was an archer. Good scout and hunter too. Grew up in these woods. Been showin' folks how to hunt a hell of a lot better'n I can." Looking sidelong at the other Guard, he inquires, "You got the greenwood blues too, Stone? A hankerin' to go all native?" He winces just a little at his own word choice, "Well, not like Kai."

Alex chuckles at that and shakes her head, "Not really. I simply like to learn all that I can. I was climbing the walls of the station when I was ten, so the idea of climbing the trees is nice. Mostly I'm curious, I'd like to see what is out there and what I can find. But I think everyone knows that about me.." She stretches again and glance around before she offers. "I believe that if I was born here, I'd be the type that liked to camp out from time to time and then come back home…"

"Oh, don't get me wrong," Grey's grin returns, "Climbin' trees and cliffs and shit is awesome. Hell, there's a Trikru scout who wants to climb Alpha Station," he points back to the rising bulk of the downed station, "just 'cause it's there. Figured I might try it out too when the time comes." He turns back to look out over the open territory outside the wall and fence, "The woods are great. But gimme indoor plumbing and showers or baths."

Alex shakes her head gently, "We are spoiled in that I believe. At least with the rumors I've heard. Again, mostly it's rumors, other than the whole mountain thing, they have kept me mostly around here.." She motions around as she shifts position again. At the idea of climbing the station, she turns her eyes and tilts her head to the side. "That might be interesting, with earbuds in and all. Mmm, let me know if it comes up and I'll come along.."

Grey shrugs, "Screw spoiled. No reason to have to live in the middle of the suck if we don't have to." Still, he's chuckling when he says it. "But hell, I've been in the middle of everything since… well, since I got my ass dropped down here instead of floated. There's some rumors you wanna know about, just ask."

Alex thinks for a few moments and then shrugs once. "I'll admit. In general unless it's something I can effect or effects me, I don't listen to rumors to much. I'd rather learn the truth than what most people are throwing around. Though if you can think of something useful? Let me know.." This is said but she is clearly thinking still of what has been talked about. "Oh, what can you tell me about Fiona? I did not know her above, but she seems to be throwing herself into the middle of things.."

"Well, I'd start with, don't listen to the bullshit Morgan Blackwood or Cam Scott throw at the Guard. They're just pissed 'cause they ain't willin' to take responsibility for their own actions." Grey snorts, then shrugs, "Beyond that, don't look at the Trikru like we're all superior and shit. We got more tech, but they know more'n any of us about survivin' down here. They ain't some sort of barbarians or anything like that, and treatin' 'em like it's just gonna piss 'em off." The more specific question causes the ex-Delinquent to shrug, "Fi's the reason we're alive. She and Elias and Kai made it through a whole bunch of pissed-off Trikru to talk to their kruheda and call off the war. She's good people."

The female on duty seems to be Alexa Stone who nods towards Grey before she wrinkles her brow. "I have a feeling to many have been doing that if that is what you tell me. Just like you Grey, I treat people as people and not who they are or who they are related to.." She points this out with a half smirk but she seems to mean it as she glances towards one of the other directions, allowing her to stretch as she moves. Her duty time is coming to a close soon enough. "As for Fiona, that is good to know, I believe people need to start writing down what has been happening, it might be helpful in the long run.."

Duty shifts can be a fickle thing. Lately, Nathaniel has been leading middle-of-the-day patrols every other day, with Militia training earlier in the day. The rest of the time? He's been seen going hunting by himself, or with Richael in tow when they're both available.

Right now though, Nathaniel has a bit of time before the next shift, and pops up the Guard Post for a survey of the area… when he hears Grey and Alex talking. "Guardsman, Guardswoman." He says by way of greeting, before… "Different cultures and values… but if they were barbarians, they'd be trying to siege us again already." Nathaniel comments as he closes the hatch, "they've got people who can be dismissive and insulting over there just like we've got over here. Just a matter of ignoring them." Nathaniel comments as he starts to look around the region.

"Nope. Plenty of people put up with…" Grey cuts off as Nathaniel comes up the ladder, "Sarge," straightening up a little more for all that he was already looking out over the terrain before the camp. "Whole lotta people had the wrong idea about my dad." Really, just Grey is wrong about his dad. The words aren't directed at Nathaniel at all, in a very directed and obvious manner. "There's some reports that've been put in, Stone. I dropped a couple of 'em off to the Chancellor myself. Real question though is whose version do you write down? Everyone's got their own view on things." Looking back to Nathaniel, he adds, "Hope there's a few other reasons you don't think they're barbarians than just that they ain't attacked us yet, Sarge."

"A few." Nathaniel confirms, "At ease, Guardsman. I'm not here to take over watch for tonight, and I'm on duty in about an hour for the next patrol." Grey talks about his dad, then… and he smiles to the teenager as he talks about his father. He's certainly not going to be the one to disillusion the man, and he goes into a formal military stance as he stands near the port holes. "I don't claim to be as big a fan of them as you are, Guardsman," understatement of the year, "but I've met some reasonable ones and unreasonable ones. If they could get over their whole 'we don't like tech' thing, I'd wager we'd get along just fine with them, honestly." Nathaniel shrugs before he looks back to Grey again, "I'm hoping to do joint training exercises with them if and when a peace treaty is formalized. Sparring, joint learning, that sort of thing."

Grey snorts a little softly, "I think some of them are dicks, Sarge. Hell, one of them tried to knock my block off in C-Bur. I just think they've got at least as much to teach us as we got to teach them. But they ain't gonna get over their 'tech thing,' Sarge. I talked with their gone-heda," he absolutely murders the title, "And she hd a real good point, why should they learn to use tech that's just gonna break down soon anyhow, and then have to re-learn how to do things without?" The mention of joint training draws a nod, "Yeah, like the night hunt I put together with a couple of them for tomorrow night. Show 'em Enn-Vee-Gees, learn more about game trails in the area…"

"It's not just that. I've seen sneers about *anything* related to technology beyond a medieval level. Stuff from the industrial age should be easy for us to get started with with the basic resources we have." Then Nathaniel looks through the portals over to the Trikru Village across the way, "even if our technology will break down in a generation or two, that doesn't mean they need to treat it like it's going to infect them." He shrugs, "quite a few of them go beyond 'it's going to break down'." Then his eyes narrow, "That's more a joint day to day. I was thinking along the lines of sparring."

"You seen anyone sneer at the idea of the water system? Or heating their baths without fire?" Grey shakes his head, "I mean, yeah, some of them are damned idiots. But the rest of them, they don't want what they don't need. I think they gotta knock it off, and we gotta stop thinkin' that our tech can 'fix' their lives, and that their lives need fixin' with tech." His fingers trace over the little initials carved into the stock of the rifle he just about always gets issued, and then he adds, "And both sides've gotta stop bein' superior jackholes."

Nathaniel takes a few seconds after Grey finishes, then looks over to him. "Our technology can improve their lives considerably. Their village chief person realizes this. If they don't want our technology, that's fine… I just take issue with the idea that our technology is worthless. We proved it wasn't during the Mountain invasion. Ironically, it was one of their little girls that thanked me first for doing my part. Asked if I was a 'Skaikru Warrior'. Cute." Nathaniel chuckles a bit, "I see very different cultural values and standards, and I can get why there's so much tension. I mean hell, I dislike their ideas of justice… but we aren't accountable to their system for the most part, so I'm happy to let them keep it."

Grey nods, "Improve, yeah. Not fix. They ain't got anything that we need to fix, Sarge. We do got things we need to fix. We're in a new place, in a new environment, and we gotta learn how to live here, 'cause the old ways don't work. At least, some of them don't. And we are Skaikru Warriors, at least from their point of view." The mention of Trikru justice causes Grey to blanch a little under his skin, but she shrugs, "Works for them. You don't see them havin' to do it often, do you? Don't get me wrong, I almost tossed my cookies with the Mountain Man Head Jackhole, but… I dunno, are cuts so different from shocks?"

"I'll have to disagree there. The exodus charter was specifically meant for making us less ruthless about the law, and nothing says things can't change more. Of course, people like Mr. Blackwood and Mr. Scout will always be unhappy unless their ideas for a 'just' government are realized… I'm pretty amazed they decided to not go hermit as it is." Nathaniel shrugs, "I don't consider myself a Warrior, but I can see why they'd think we are, since we're the closest thing to Warriors for them. Cuts leave scars, and knives are more for application than pain. Shock batons are more humane and effective in my opinion. I saw Mr. Wallace during their whole thing… wouldn't wish that on anyone." Then he sighs, "Alright, I need to head out to get to the squad soon. Good talk, Guardsman." Giving a nod, Nathaniel heads back down the hatch.

"Didn't say anything about the law, Sarge. Said how we do things." Still, Grey shrugs when Nathaniel makes his departure, "Of course, Sarge."

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