Eve Squad's private dining chamber in Nomad. The long table was cluttered with plates of fusion cuisine—flame-grilled Ryne-beast steak, nutrient-rich rice nebulae, synthetic wine—half-eaten in the midst of a loud, laughter-filled conversation.
The squad had been newly assembled and they couldn't stop obsessing about Eve. The legendary tale, the shadow hunter, the queen... they had only heard the stories. Now they get to fight by her side.
Mira, her second in command, tried to defend her from overly frank comments but the dinning room had just developed an atmosphere of its own. Eve leaned to Mira and whispered, "let them vent if off."
Nomad had two huge mess halls for staffers, but Eve thought it would be a good idea to invite them to dinner. Until next day, she learned it's become a routine. The team was mingling well. She had to go with the flow.
They already had successfully completely two IC-assigned Nomad missions. Today they were all present in the same room. Laughing, throwing joke at each other, but Eve continued to be the main subject of discussion. They just kept talking about her.
Among the chatty ones, on the table sat Vayne. The pilot, the cutest; Jax, the gunner, muscular beast; Anya, Gearhead, weapon designer; Kai, the tech guy, hacker.
Zara, alien, diplomate; Dr. Salam, polymath, scientist; Nadia, star reader, cartographer. They were sobre, but entertained the company, so fun to be around.
Then there was Axel, the sentinel android, always trying to keep up with team dynamics. Hannah, shadow assassin, warrrior. She felt cold, ate silently and listened to everyone talk.
Eve entertained their commentaries with smile, Mira answered the questions on her part. She was like a wall you have to get to get to Eve, but softer now. Mira liked discipline, these guys were chaos.
They were curious why had she choosen them, and Kai couldn't help asking. "Mira, you gotta let her answer the question. So Eve, why Us?"
Eve finally replied, "Maybe cause you are talented, maybe I just needed friends or maybe I needed a bigger team," she said as she leaned back, smiling, "maybe I'll tell you some day." And then she laughed.
"Fair enough," Kai, raising his glass: "To the lady who's everything we can love her for and more."
All: "To Eve!"
Eve raised her own glass, smiling softly. "And to the misfits that make her happen," but then her smile dropped and she became serious, meeting each of their eyes. "I might be engineered to survive anything, but it is your humanity that gives me purpose. Your courage. Your flaws. Your jokes, even."
Everyone became silent in appreciation and admiration.
Vayne raised a brow breaking the silence. "Even my jokes?"
Axel: "Statistically the least valuable part of the squad's morale boost."
Laughter echoed. The tension of missions and battle bled out into warmth, into family.