Mech Pilot with all of the swagger but none of the rizz. (-@dismallyOriented)

"Stop dicking around and eat, Hex. Skip any more meals and it won't be the fucking battlefield that you die on," scolded Riz, cheeks so full of noodles a hamster would be impressed.

The crew of the Astraea were spending their lunch as they usually did when back on the station: tucked into their corner of the hangar, up in the catwalks, crowded around Hex's mech. They were in their normal spots: Hex jacked into her cockpit, Riz sat crosslegged just outside, Lolly across from her, and Nova lounging against the railing next to her.

Riz stretched up and nudged the nutrient bottle she'd sat on the edge of the cockpit. She waited a moment, then scowled when Hex showed no intention of reaching for it.

"Not gonna die," said Hex, slumped in her seat, "Cat will haunt you."

"For shit's sake, Hex, you can't turn yourself into a personality core for your mech."

"Already done."

"Bull," said Nova. "Not that it matters — if you die, we're all dead too anyway."

"Wrong. Riz will survive anything," replied Hex, with what Riz thought was the slightest deviation from her normally flat inflection.

"Die first, more like it," scoffed Nova.

"Or die first," agreed Hex.

"Hey, what the shit's that fucking mean?" demanded Riz, spitting food all over Lolly's lap.

"Reckless," said Hex.

"Hey, if I die, it's because you ain't fucking covering me," said Riz, bouncing up to glare down Nova. Well, glare at, anyway. Nova stood at least a full foot taller that her, even when she was slouching.

"Corporal Vos," came a call from below.

Nova glanced down to the source of the voice.

"Sir," she said, standing to attention. Lolly jumped up to match her, and Riz made a half-hearted attempt to at least stop chewing.

"Relax Corporal, Lance Corporal," said Captain Beaufort.

Nova relaxed back into her slump against the railing, and Lolly let her chest puff out a centimetre or two less.

Behind the Captain stood a nervous-looking woman, with her hair tied back tight and what looked liked a surprisingly high-end optical module installed over one eye. Riz was pretty sure she could see a quick-connect interface plug poking out from one of her sleeves too.

"This here is Private Barrett. As discussed, she is joining your squad today. Get her settled and give her the tour."

"Yes Sir," replied Nova. The Captain exchanged a nod with her, before heading back out across the hangar.

"Relax, Private. Get up here, I'll introduce you. You eaten?"

"Eh, yes Corporal, thank you," said Barrett, once she'd climbed the ladder.

"Right, first off, quit that. Name's Nova. This here is Riz—"

"Hi!" burst out Riz, who immediately recoiled in embarrassment at how loud she'd been. "How's it going?" she said, regaining composure.

"Good. I'm Quinn, happy to join the squad."

She held out a hand towards Riz, who froze up.

"Nova, I've gotta go, eh, fix up Charlotte. Something's... shitting up her engines."

Riz launched herself past Quinn and bounced across the catwalk towards her mech bay.

"Did I do something wrong?" asked Quinn, turning to Nova in concern.

"Naaah, she's fine, she just gets nervous around cute women."

"O-oh..." said Quinn, unsure if that was a compliment or if she was just being messed with. She could feel her cheeks beginning to turn red, and pushed her brain to come up with something to say to distract and move the conversation on.

"She's fine around you though?" she stammered, before her hand whipped up to her mouth in realisation of what she said.

Nova let out a laugh. "Ha, no, not cute like me." Her eyes glanced over at Hex briefly before returning to the newbie. "Besides, I'm not cute. I'm gorgeous," she said, a grin spreading across her face. "And your superior, Private!" she continued, grin disappearing as quickly as it had arrived.

"Sorry, I- I didn't mean, I-"

"Relax, I'm just shitting ya," she said with a smirk. "Anyway, yeah, that pink ball of chaos was Riz, that silent cyber witch in there is Hex, and this is Lolly, second in command."

"I'm looking forward to working with you all," said Quinn, shifting her weight foot to foot uneasily.

"If you're gonna keep up that formal talk, you an' Lolly are gonna get on like a house on fire."

"Pleased to meet you, Private Barrett," said Lolly. She gave the other woman a friendly smile and held out her hand.

Quinn shook it eagerly, happy for the sure footing next to the uncertainty she had about Nova.

"No callsign for you?" she asked. Nova let out a snort.

"That... that is my callsign," said Lolly, weakly.

"Oh, I guess I don't get it," said Quinn, with an uncertain smile.

Nova gave another laugh. "It's 'cause she's got a stick u—"

"Because I'm a stickler for rules," interrupted Lolly in a rush, "Isn't that right, Nova?"

"...up her ass," finished Nova.

"Ah," said Quinn, feeling her footing wash away from under her again. "Right." This was going to be a painful few days. She hadn't been briefed on this.

"This is Catriona."

Quinn jumped, and turned to see her own face reflected way too close in Hex's black glass faceplate. She appeared to be studying Quinn's cyberware.

"Oh," she said, leaning back slightly, "she looks very... nice."

"Which bay?"

"What?"

"Your mech."

"Oh, eh, it's right over there; I don't know the number," said Quinn, pointing behind her.

"Let's go."

Hex pulled herself out of her mech and started down the catwalk.

"S-Sure," said Quinn, hurrying after. She may look like a cyborg that got dragged backwards through a kink shop, but a conversation with her about mechs sounded like her best option right now.