The sun was shining, birds singing, people laughing.  It was an all around beautiful day, and Drys was miserable.

It was one of the few times that he had visited the Clan Wolf Embassy on Terra, and nothing had gone right.  When he had first arrived the techs that had unloaded the dropship had misplaced his ‘Mech (how you misplace a 75 ton machine is still beyond him) and his prized, handcrafted katana.  It had been three months since then, and he had just got these back.  The katana had been stored with the training weapons, and his ‘Mech, as it were, had been sent back to Arc-Royal.

Fax Conners, Drys’ close friend since Watch training, was supposed to visit the planet, but he had been called away on urgent business.  The only other person that he knew on planet was a Davion that went by SRX.  He would have sought the fox-thing out, but he did not feel like dealing with his anti-clan rhetoric at the moment.

To top things off, the embassy had run out of coffee a week after Drys had arrived.  At first he thought they were joking, until he checked every inch of all the storage bays.  He was told that it would be a month before they could get more; that was two months ago.  The local establishments refused to serve clansmen, so he went without.

He finally found a place that would look past his clanship.  It was small Kuritan place.  The owner recognized Drys from when they had been in the ISF together.  They exchanged war stories from time to time, and Drys got free coffee.

Drys had just sat down at his usual table when a waitress walked over.  He ordered his usual; coffee, black, extra strong and a bagel.  After she wrote it down, he pulled out his book and began to read.

Soon after, he heard someone walk over and sit in the chair across from him.  “I didn’t know they let renegade Wolves here,” the person said in a familiar voice.

Drys looked up and smiled; an odd gesture for a dragon, looking like a cross between an actual smile and preparation for biting someone’s head off. “The same could be said for a rogue Budgie.”

“Ex-falcon,” Gryph corrected.  “Remember, I’m a mercenary now.”

“Which is worse than a rogue Budgie.” Drys responded, smiling again.

The rogue smiled back.  Her snow-white teeth glistened in a predatory manner. “So,” she said, “How’s life treatin’ ya?”

“Fine, if you like the boring, simple, ‘Mechless kind,” he sighed.  “Did I mention that the embassy ran out of coffee?”

“No.” she said, sarcastically. “What brought you here to Terra?”

“Vacation.  I wrote it off as an inspection of the embassy.  Fax was coming--“

“Fax is here?” Gryph asked, sounding a bit worried.  She glanced around quickly.

“Fax was coming, but he was called away on Watch business.”

“Ah,” she said, trying to hide the relief.  “Too bad.”

Drys looked at her for a moment, as if trying to think of something.  Gryph was about to check if he was awake when he grabbed his mug and took a sip.

“I hate it when you do that,” she said.

“Do what?”

“Stare off into space.  You tend not to blink.” Her grin melted into a cold stare. "It bothers me.”

“Ah,” he said.  He set down his mug and started messing with the ponytail that he recently started growing.  “So...what brings you here?”

“Same as you,” she said.  The waitress decided to walk over then.  Gryph ordered a bowl of soup and continued.

“The Marauders needed a break.  I heard you had come to this planed for something.  So here we are.

“The unit is spread all over the planet at the moment.”

Gryph pounded on the table, startling Drys. “You’re doin’ it again.”

Drys held a finger over his muzzle for a second, then mouthed I am not here.  He slid under the table.

Gryph heard footsteps behind her.  She turned around and almost hit the ceiling.  “What the hell?” she yelled.

“Hello to you to,” Fax said, walking over to the table. “Is Drys here?”

“I thought you were away on Watch business.”

“We finished early,” he said. “Is he here?”

“Who?”

“Drys.”

“Oh.  Um...you just missed him.”

“Ah.” Fax turned to walk away. He took one shortened step and fell on his face. “What the…” he said.  He looked at his feet and saw that his laces were tied together.

Drys rose back into his seat while Gryph snickered a bit. “Funny.” Fax said.  He stood up and shuffled over to the nearest chair.  Sitting down, he said, “Here I was thinking I would get you.”

“A dragon’s eyes are better than a fox’s.” Drys said, then took another sip of coffee.

Gryph's neon eyes flickered for a moment. “He’s right,” she said.  “Though, a falcon’s are better.”

Drys and Fax looked at her for a second.  She smiled, somewhat jokingly.

Fax fixed his shoelaces as the waitress brought Gryph her soup.  He came up long enough to order the house special.

Drys stood up quickly.  “What’s with the quick movements?” Gryph asked.

“I will be back shortly,” he said and walked off.

“You’re leaving me with him?” she called after, then looked at Fax.  He smiled.

“I’m not a budgie,” She said.

He kept smiling.

“You will not eat me,” she said.

He kept smiling.

“You will not have a ‘Mech stomp on me when I leave this place.”

He frowned.

Gryph jumped out of her seat.  “I knew it!” she yelled.  She looked around and saw Drys coming back from the bathroom.  “Drys!  Fax is going to have a ‘Mech stomp on me!”

“So turn into goo!” Drys called back.

“A lot of help you are,” she grumbled and sat back down.

Suddenly, someone came running out of the kitchen.  “Infested Kerrigan!” he screamed.  “Infested Kerrigan!  Infested Kerrigan!”

At that moment, an anvil fell from the ceiling and landed on the screaming chef.  It then morphed into an eight-legged Venusian lizard and scuttled out the door.

“So,” Drys said, returning his gaze to the people at the table, “what are we doing today?”

“Who knows...” Gryph sighed and ate her soup.

“Something different,” Fax said.  

The waitress showed up with a plate filled with steaming rice and sushi; egg and octopus wrapped in steamed rice and seaweed.  She walked away smiling as Borg implants started popping through the skin on her face and neck.

Fax happily picked up his chopsticks and started in on the rice.  Gryph stared at the plate in disgust, then went back to her soup.

Drys finished his coffee and turned to Fax. “Can I get an egg?” he asked.  Fax handed him one of the seaweed wraps.

Gryph looked at the two of them again.  “How can you eat that?”

“It’s like peanut butter and horseradish sandwiches,” Fax said.

Drys added, “Or blood.”  Gryph decided not to ask and went back to her soup.

When they were done eating, the group got up and headed for the door.  On their way out they passed a family of Zerg being served by a Protoss waitress.

Gryph glanced back into the restaurant.  Her eyes narrowed as they locked onto the Zerg.  She turned back to the group.   “Is it just me, or is it getting strange in there?”

“Not overly,” Drys said.  He leaned against the wall and waited to see if the conversation would pick up.   When it didn’t he said, “Where are we going?”

“Embassy,” Fax offered.

“Spaceport.”  Gryph said.  Fax jabbed her in the ribs with his elbow.  She stared at him, neon-green eyes narrowing.  He smiled.  “Spaceport,” she said again.

Drys looked at Gryph, then Fax, and headed north.  “Embassy it is,” he said.

Fax smiled at Gryph as she sighed.  The two hurried to catch up with Drys.  “Why are we going to the Embassy?” Gryph asked as they caught up.

“For something to do,” Fax said.

“And we can have a ‘Mech battle.”

“Really?” Gryph said.  She ran ahead.  She looked back at them and, grinning mischievously, she called back.  “Hurry up!”

Moments after they were out of sight, Phelan Kell rode a 20-foot-tall Jade Falcon over the restaurant.  It crapped, crushed three people to an inglomious death. But they were the lucky ones, for five more were trapped inside the building for hours.

They ended up running the last mile to the Embassy.  They were forced to stop while the guards checked their identification and opened the gates.  Fax leaned against the stonewall, hunched over, and tried to catch his breath.  “You seem to be out of shape.”  Drys said,  “Are you sure it is not time to retire from the Watch?”

Fax looked up at the dragonoid.  He tried to give him a stern look, but failed miserably.  Drys laughed as he went back to panted.

Gryph ignored the two.  “The gate’s open,’ she said.  “I wanna ‘Mech.”  She started running again.  Drys looked at Fax, shrugged and followed.

“Yeah,” Fax called out between pants, “you run ahead!  I’ll catch up!  Eventually...”  He began walking down the path at a slow pace.

Gryph and Drys arrived at the ‘Mechbay fifteen minutes later.  Someone called from behind a nearby Timber Wolf foot.  “Hey!” They said,

The person stepped out where they could be seen.  Approximately 5’11”, appeared to be like any other male human, until you noticed the dog-like tail.  He whipped his hands on his pants, and then pushed his platinum hair out of his eyes.  “About time you showed up.”

Gryph looked at the newcomer then glanced at Drys.  “Who’s he?” she asked.

Drys sighed. “That would be Phenix.  Phenix, this is Gryph Pryde.”

“Nice ta meet ya,” Phenix said, extending his right hand.

Gryph took it cautiously, pumped it a few times then let go.  “Why do they call you Phenix?” she asked.

“He will not tell anyone,” Drys said and Phenix smiled.

Gryph turned around.  She took a few steps then stopped.  “So…” she said.  She turned around again and dived at Phenix, knocking him over.  She pinned him down for a few seconds, leaped up and walks away.

“What the--“ Phenix said as he got back up.

“Do not try to understand some of the things she does.” Drys told him, “It is better that way.”

Gryph laughed and turned back to face the two of them.  “So,” she said, “when do we have the ‘Mech battle?

“As soon as you choose a ‘Mech,” Drys answered.  He walked over to the Timber Wolf and leaned on its foot.  “Take anything in the bay.”

Her eyes drifted across the bay.  “So you have a Shadow Cat?” she asked.

“We have a Prime and a copy of your ‘Falconer’ variant.”

“How’d you get that?”

“The plans came through the Watch.”

Gryph stared at Drys for a second. “That was easy,” she said.  After another moments pause, she added, “I’ll find your spy.”

“I doubt that.”  Fax said as he entered the bay, “They were reassigned.  Last I knew they were with Marialle force.”

Gryph looked over at him.  “Why should I trust you?”

Fax smiled.  “You shouldn’t.”

“Right,” she said.  She went back to looking around the bay.  “What to pilot...”

“How about a Charger?” Phenix offered.  He then started to yell about his tail being on fire while Drys slowly refastened his control-bracelet.

Gryph’s head darted around.  “Charger?” she asked, “Where?”

“Uh, Gryph--” Drys started to say.

“I wanna kill it!” she whined.

“Oh.” Drys sighed.  “It is behind you, left of the ‘Falconer’, right next to the bay door.”

Gryph stared at Drys.  “Why is it by my ‘Falconer’?”

“My ‘Falconer’, and because it is.”

“Give me my plans back.”

“No.”

Drys and Gryph disappeared.  Fax looked around the bay for them.  “Where’d they go?”  Phenix, who had put his tail out, pointed up at the scaffolding.

Gryph held out her hand like she had blown off an embarrassing comment.  “Give me all your jewels,” she said.

“No,” Drys said.

“Yes,” she said.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes.”  For no apparent reason, Gryph slipped off the scaffolding.  “Ah, I’m falling,” she said calmly.

“I’ll save you,” Drys said.  He bent over, grabbed her hand and dragged her back up.

They were suddenly back on the floor, exactly where they had been.

“You will give me the plans back, quiaff?” Gryph said.

“Neg,” Drys said.

“Fax stared at them for a second.  “Aff,” Gryph said, “you will.”

“Neg,” Drys said.

“What the hell just happened?” Fax yelled.