Asamodai sat in the Yakusai's mess hall. He poked and prodded at a cold pan of runny gunk with a dented, beaten metal spoon. Occasionally he'd scoop up a spoonful and choke it down. The door opened with a pained creak, the space it once filled being taken by a tall, broad, familiar figure. Bronco, the ships operator stepped inside and swept up another pan from the side. Asa was happy to see him. He still wasn't sure how his old friend had found him, he hadn't seen him in the best part of a year but he hadn't got to asking. All he knew was he was glad he was there. The big guy slid his pan across the table, sending a dull scraping noise echoing around the room and sat down, sweeping his long, greasy hair over his shoulder.
"What's up?" he asked. Asa continued playing with his food, looking down at it unresponsively. "...Asa?" he continued, lowering his head to try to make eye contact. Asa shook suddenly, snapping back to reality and looking across at his friend.
"Oh, hey Bronco. How's it going?"
"Fine. I was just asking you. You look preoccupied."
Asamodai waved his spoon dismissively before plunging it back into his food. "Nah, it's nothing. Don't worry."
"You think I'm gonna fall for that?"
Asa sighed, shaking his head a little and looking down into his food again. "Do you ever feel like...I dunno, like you've been left behind?"
Bronco frowned slightly and motioned for Asa to continue. The redpill looked back at him and the pair shared a short silence. "Well, care to elaborate." The freeborn said.
Asa sat up, pushing his hands into the table and looked around the room at everything but the person opposite. "It's like, there's this whole new generation of operatives and..." he finally turns his gaze back towards Bronco. "They're already running rings around me." His head drops again, "I just feel kinda, obsolete ya know?"
Bronco nods slowly, carefully taking in each word. Gradually the nods changed to shakes, "No, no no no Asa. You can't worry about some new hot shot. They may be good but you've got experience and that's so much more."
Asa shrugged a little. "Yeah, guess you're right. Thanks."
"No problem." Bronco replied, smiling and lifting his pan to his mouth to slurp down the last of the slop. He got up and made to walk away. "You coming?"
"Yeah, in a minute."
"Ok, there's something came through I think you should see when you can."
Asa nodded. "Ok, I'll be right there."
