[ Wash wants to say it again, it still wasn't your fault, but he knows it's useless. He knows it doesn't matter. He knows that look in her eyes when she shakes her head, sees mirrored in her the same person that pushes back his friends' attempts to make him move on, make him forgive himself, convince him he's a good person after all. She knows the truth of it, just like he does, and Wash just looks at her, and nods.
He understands. He does. There's nothing for it, but to focus on something else. ]
I know you're the most practical option. [ Because of course he does, of course he's weighed it. That was Natasha's advantage as an informant. She's never been to the camp, and Wash has been careful with what information she shares, what they'd get out of her wouldn't be useless but it'd be limited. Byerly, though? Byerly's native and from the fucking future. The location of the camp's probably the least concerning thing in his damn head. ] My point is that there isn't going to be a need for a choice, in the first place. No sacrifices, no heroics. Ideally we get her out and leave both of your covers intact, and the worst case scenario is that we get all three of you out. Nothing less is going to be acceptable.
[ He sounds firm, here -- authoritative. The officer in him. But this was always Wash's weakness, wasn't it, his one failing as an officer or a leader in a time of war. Losses happen. People die. You suck it up and move on. He knows how to do that, has lost too many people not to, but damn if he doesn't do anything he can to prevent it from happening when sometimes in the bigger picture a different leader, a different captain, a different sergeant might've taken the loss. For the UNSC, for humanity, Semper Fi, always loyal. But for Wash, loyalty to his own has always been more important than loyalty for the cause.
He likes to think of this as an advantage, rather than a weakness. ]
Just another Exotic wouldn't be here talking to me right now, Natasha.
no subject
He understands. He does. There's nothing for it, but to focus on something else. ]
I know you're the most practical option. [ Because of course he does, of course he's weighed it. That was Natasha's advantage as an informant. She's never been to the camp, and Wash has been careful with what information she shares, what they'd get out of her wouldn't be useless but it'd be limited. Byerly, though? Byerly's native and from the fucking future. The location of the camp's probably the least concerning thing in his damn head. ] My point is that there isn't going to be a need for a choice, in the first place. No sacrifices, no heroics. Ideally we get her out and leave both of your covers intact, and the worst case scenario is that we get all three of you out. Nothing less is going to be acceptable.
[ He sounds firm, here -- authoritative. The officer in him. But this was always Wash's weakness, wasn't it, his one failing as an officer or a leader in a time of war. Losses happen. People die. You suck it up and move on. He knows how to do that, has lost too many people not to, but damn if he doesn't do anything he can to prevent it from happening when sometimes in the bigger picture a different leader, a different captain, a different sergeant might've taken the loss. For the UNSC, for humanity, Semper Fi, always loyal. But for Wash, loyalty to his own has always been more important than loyalty for the cause.
He likes to think of this as an advantage, rather than a weakness. ]
Just another Exotic wouldn't be here talking to me right now, Natasha.