Agree To Disagree [A'zael/X'ar]

[Zen]

10th Pass, 5th Turn, Late 10th Month

A'zael

Zenelle had informed him that Tevanth was lucky he would ever even fly again with the damage Thread had done to the poor Brown's wings. The dragonhealer had worked on the dragon for candlemarks, trying to salvage wingsails that were in tatters. D'van and his Brown had been A'zael's wingsecond for over a turn now, but Zenelle had told him gravely that, with enough physical therapy, the best D'van and Tevanth could hope for was to join the Queen's Wing after he recovered.

Standing in the Weyrleader's office, A'zael stared down at the latest casualty list, looking over Zenelle's notes on the dragons and the Weyrhealer's notes on the riders. His fingers drummed on the edge of his desk with anxious energy. That last fall had been... bad. An unpredictable wind had tossed Thread about in the sky so terribly that hardly any dragon had escaped without at least minor scoring. Fath had gotten a decent score across his flank, but nothing too serious. And besides Tevanth's extensive injuries, R'vil and his Blue Sirith had been lost Between when the man had been badly scored himself, unable to bring the pair back when his dragon had winked out in a panic.

Still... it could have been worse. R'vil and Tevanth were the worst casualties on the list. There had been plenty of scoring all around, but most everyone else would be fighting fit in a sevenday or two, a month at most. They would all return to their proper wing in the end, they wouldn't be forced to retire to the Queen's Wing, or be grounded entirely. Or weren't coming back at all. And now... now he had to figure out a replacement for D'van, which just seemed... somewhat heartless, but he knew it was necessary. Tevanth would never fly in a normal fighting wing again and it wasn't like D'van could be his wingsecond from the ground.

He ran his hand through his hair, blowing out a long breath as he thought over the riders in his wing. Well, the Bronze and Brown riders. While the responsibility might help pull T'rel out of his shell a bit, he wasn't certain how the man would handle having to interact with the female riders of the wing. The brownrider tended to keep to himself, but A'zael had at least noticed how he acted around the opposite sex on a number of occasions. He didn't understand it at all, but it seemed like it would be something of an obstacle. Hm.

K'rin was... too full of himself, honestly. And this coming from A'zael, who knew he had a decently large ego himself. He seemed to think that just because he was a Bronzerider, he was owed so much more than riders of chromatics. A'zael had seen the older man in his office upon a number of occasions to address issues between him and some Blue or Green rider he had utterly disrespected and then had the nerve to try to play it like he was the victim. He was derisive toward him, as well, belittling him for his youth and inexperience. A'zael had thought about transferring him to X'ar or B'rax's wing multiple times, but ultimately thought it would be more of a petty move than anything. He had to learn to work with all sorts, it was better to keep the man close and try to work through his... issues with him.

S'tor was... maybe? The man was stable, a typical Brownrider honestly, though he often bored A'zael to tears if he was forced to spend any real time alone with him. Not that that was a reason he shouldn't be wingsecond but.... He sighed and let himself settle back into his chair, staring at the roof of the cave. He didn't particularly want any of them as his wingsecond. Briefly, he thought about stealing someone from one of the other wings. A'dion wouldn't be so bad? He seemed good natured enough. He frowned slightly, trying to recall the other Bronzeriders in B'rax's wing. Only B'rax and... K'ton. It would be best not to leave B'rax with only two Bronzes, and he didn't particularly want to transfer anyone from his own wing. Augh, why was this so hard?

He leaned forward, rubbing his temples lightly as he looked down at the casualty list once more, as if one of those names could possibly help him. His gaze settled thoughtfully on Rusath's name. Minor scoring, similar to Fath's, though in a different location. He mused that his brother could make a decent wingsecond, though S'fin had a terrible habit of letting others walk all over him, so perhaps not. Maybe that's part of the reason he rode Green rather than Brown, like A'zael had imagined for him when he was younger. His brother was just so steady and stable, responsible. Brown seemed the perfect match for him, before he'd led his pretty little Rusath off the Sands.

He frowned slightly at his thought process. Why did it matter that his brother rode a Green? Sure, he may not entirely be leadership material, but it had nothing to do with the color of his dragon. His thoughts turned to Rau, his brother in everything but blood. Hadn't they been so sharding similar, growing up? Hadn't Rau hatched just as many idiotic plans as he had? Meanwhile, Rau had been the one dreaming of a Bronze, while he had dreamed of a Blue for himself, and somehow they had ended up on the opposite sides of the spectrum. Rau had wanted leadership, not him. He just wanted to have fun.

He scratched his chin thoughtfully. And now Rau was flying some of the stronger Blues and Greens longer too, working on their endurance. A'zael had left that completely in his friend's hands, because Rau knew what to look for far more than he did when it came to picking the Blues and Greens that had the most potential for endurance. Rau knew much better how far to push them each day, how much they could handle and how much might be too much. Rau was... well... he was pretty much already a wingsecond in all but name. Even if he had only been in charge of Blue and Green riders so far. He trusted Rau, and his friend had been the one to come up with the idea to fly some Greens and Blues longer, and it had been helping. He'd made a mistake, a big one, but he'd learned from it, and he'd become far more responsible since then, more than A'zael had ever imagined he would be. Then again, look at him. They had both changed... matured, he supposed. And Rau was shaping up to be a capable leader, as well, regardless of the color of his dragon's hide.

Why couldn't he be a wingsecond? The more he thought about it, the more he was sure there was no one else he would rather have as his second. And with Pallath working on her endurance, he would likely be able to fly a full Fall soon enough, so that wouldn't be an issue.... He thought back on how Rau had complained to him about not being taken seriously before... how it had led him to pull that stupid stunt of his. He thought of how he had only been considering Bronze and Brown riders initially. He liked to think he was openminded, but even he was still caught up in some colorist ideas. He'd like to think he was approachable, that every rider knew they could come to him with concerns and ideas... but he realized that might not be the case, simply because he rode Bronze. Green and Blue riders might decide it was a waste of time trying to talk to him, sure he would just blow them off, not take them seriously due to the color dragon they rode.

But Rau rode Green. He stood, pacing his office excitedly at the idea. Rau could put them at ease. They could come to him and know they'd be taken seriously because he was one of them. And then Rau could bring those concerns and ideas to him, knowing he would listen because they were friends, they were brothers, and he would never take Rau's words lightly again. Through Rau, they could feel as though they really had a voice, a say in their wing and Weyr. Shards and shells, how many voices had gone unheard through the turns thanks to this colorist division? For all anyone knew, some poor Greenrider had figured out how to rid Pern of Thread forever and kept it themselves, afraid of being belittled or ignored. It was frustrating, maddening really, and he finally began to understand where Rau had been coming from, why he had done what he had done. And he really couldn't blame him.

He paused his in his pacing as he thought he heard footsteps heading toward his office and remembered that he had been waiting for X'ar before all these thoughts had started. He had originally intended to ask the man's opinion on replace D'van, wondering if had someone in his own wing he would recommend for the promotion, but now.... He wondered what the traditionally minded man would think of this idea of his. He was pretty confident the older man wouldn't be exactly supportive, considering his previous arguments against allowing Greens and Blues to try flying longer. He would likely support this even less. But, at least he would somewhat know what to expect from some of the other riders that were of a mind with X'ar. Like K'rin, for one. He inwardly winced at the thought. If he did this... it would be a major blow to the other Bronzerider's pride, which was a sizable thing.

He turned to greet X'ar, “Good evening, X'ar. Thank you for coming. I... have something I'd like to run by you.” He cast a glance back toward the casualty list, “As you may know... I've lost a wingsecond.” It almost hurt to say. “I've been thinking quite hard about who I'd like to promote as his replacement. Rau-,” he cut himself off, deciding that a little more formality probably wouldn't hurt, “R'get has shown initiative and proven himself in a minor leadership position. I know it would be... unconventional,” that was putting it mildly, “but I think he deserves a chance. As wingsecond.” He silently prepared himself for a debate. After all, if he could convince X'ar, surely he could convince anyone. Right?

madb

[madb]

X'ar rubbed the side of his leg after dismounting Historith, wincing at the slight but familiar strain. It was the climate as much as it was his age - nothing could be helped, except to ignore it for now and, if he must, go to the healers if it worsened into something more serious. Shrugging off his jacket, he dropped it on Historith's front leg casually. The bronze grunted a half-hearted protest, but made no move to shrug the offending garment to the floor, so X'ar called it his win.

He nodded briefly at Fath as he passed the bronze. Historith had made a brief statement announcing his entry into the Weyrleader's weyr, of course, as it was only polite. Though X'ar was sure his infamously irritable dragon had very little to say to, what Historith had once referred to as 'little more than an overstuffed wherry'. Unkind, perhaps, but as far as X'ar could tell... not entirely off the mark.

But did it really matter? The bronze was young, and in good health. If he was a little addled, well, that was what the rider was for. Surely if dragons could fight Thread by being smart and strong by themselves, they would have little need of the comparatively fragile creatures clinging to their necks.

That thought, at least, made Historith huff out a sound of amusement.

By far and away, Fath was the least concerning problem that Mavros weyr had to offer. X'ar was sure every time they managed to fix one problem a dozen more would crop up overnight. Tonight was sure to be another one of those conversations, especially after the Fall that they had had. Loosing a dragonpair was always difficult, and to make matters worse, the Weyrleader's wingsecond pair was also looking rough.

He hoped, for Mavros's sake, that they would recover. From the glance he had before of Tevanth's injuries, it seemed like a vain hope. 

X'ar tipped his head in greeting as he entered the office. "Good evening, Weyrleader."

A'zael's next few sentences surprised him. Entirely lost on all conversational footing, X'ar searched for a way to respond that didn't involve laughing. Truly, there was nothing amusing about this situation. Last fall had been bad, and A'zael was trapped between a rock and a hard place. Of course desperate men would turn to desperate ideas, try to think their way creatively out of a situation, but X'ar had to reel him back before the young Weyrleader's misguided enthusiasm drove Mavros farther into disarray.

X'ar carefully started with a more neutral subject. "Am I right in assuming that Tevanth is grounded permanently, then? What a pity. He and D'van were a good, solid pair and they served well as wingseconds."

"I do know R'get is your friend, and I understand with all this uncertainty that you would rather replace D'van with a rider that you trust."

He had his own opinions on the reckless greenrider R'get. A'zael had already been convinced of a rather ridiculous idea by his young greenrider friend to try and stretch the lower colors time in the air by an unproven method of flying behind larger colors to reduce strain. Effectively, taking out most of the faster fliers from the areas they were desperately needed by trying to push them into roles suited for the heavier, more powerful dragons.

But X'ar knew when a battle was lost, and he wasn't in a position to change A'zael's mind. Hopefully when the test drills inevitably proved no benefit to the switch this would be buried in the records, a forgotten scandal for Mavros in a time when they happened to be bleeding scandals left and right.

But to promote a greenrider to wingsecond would be harder to hide.

X'ar sighed. "What I simply do not understand," he said, "why you think promoting your friend to act as your wingsecond would be a boon to Mavros. Foregoing the fact that he and his green simply cannot last a full Fall at this time, regardless of their attempts, or that he is young and inexperienced and a greenrider, of all things... Mavros still has bronze riders and brown riders, and it would be viewed as a slight to pass them over. You simply cannot afford that kind of strife at this precarious time."

He was being kind. They would think of it as more than a slight, X'ar knew, all those hungry bronze riders especially. To do something this unprecedented needed merit. Merit of which R'get hadn't proven.

"S'tor would be my choice." X'ar liked the man, a reliable and dutiful brownrider. A bit dull, but in his experience browns often impressed dull men, and it was hardly the worst character flaw. "He shows up without fail, on time, and puts all his effort into even the most basic drills. He's steady and calm in a Fall, and has no great ambition. S'tor has no reputation to worry about either, as far as I know, and doesn't cause trouble."

[Zen]

A'zael :: Bronze Fath

Fath raised his head as Historith and X'ar landed and the far older Bronze made himself comfortable. Hellohello! He was quite happy to have a visitor. Since the Fall A'zael had kept him from flying much. The scoring on his flank was in a rather inconvenient place, which meant leaping into the air for flight could stress and re-open it, take it longer to heal properly. He wasn't supposed to fly for the next sevenday unless necessary, such as feeding himself, just to be safe. It was very boring. Fath huffed as he thought about it, casting a curious look after X'ar as the man entered the office and disappeared inside, where he knew HisA'zael was working. Itches. He turned a whirling eye toward the offending injury, shifting slightly in attempt to relieve the itching in any way, and huffed once more before remembering Historith. Wereyouhurtto? Doesititch? Mineitches. He turned to nose at it briefly, but then remembered that A'zael always told him NOT to do that and flopped over onto his side like an overgrown canine, with a drawn out and dramatic groan.

X'ar seemed a bit... surprised, as it took the man a moment to digest his words and form a proper response. He began by asking about D'van and Tevanth and A'zael shook his head with a slight wince. They had done great as wingseconds and their loss was one he felt heavily. It had taken him a rather ridiculous amount of time in the beginning to finally settle on permanent wingseconds for his wing. He had rotated riders in and out of the position for several months, trying to feel them out and see who worked best, and he kept coming back to D'van time and again until finally he realized he wanted the man to keep the position.

“I don't know.... Zenelle says there is a chance they will fly again, slim as it may be, but... they'll never return to the fighting wings. The most they can hope for is a reassignment to the Queen's Wing and even then...,” he trailed off with a heavy sigh. Tevanth's wings would never be able to carry him half as long, half as far, half as fast as they had previously.

And then he was on to the matter at hand. A'zael tempered the optimism that flared at X'ar's initial response to his idea of naming R'get as wingsecond, the man would surely have more to say, he was only setting him up for an easier let down. As he continued, A'zael carefully mulled the older rider's words over in his mind. After several months working with the man, he was rather certain that X'ar carefully crafted each syllable he ever spoke, and referring to R'get as his friend was not a careless choice in words.

It was no secret to anyone that he and Rau were close. He hadn't thought of it previously, but from X'ar's perspective he could see how others may view the promotion as nothing more than bias, giving a handout to his best friend. His jaw clenched slightly at the thought. It wasn't true. He would never play favorites like that. But.... He inhaled slowly, a deep breath for clarity. The Weyr at large was already questioning his judgment for various other reasons. You simply cannot afford that kind of strife at this precarious time. He wasn't sure if that's what X'ar was getting at or not with such a warning, but he was becoming more aware of the risks involved either way, which was exactly why he wanted to discuss this with X'ar in the first place.

That X'ar moved on to recommend S'tor nearly elicited a groan from him, but he managed to keep himself in check. He perhaps did not manage to completely hide his grimace, however. He had to hold back a laugh. Yeah, the man had no reputation because he never did anything in the least bit interesting. He waited a moment to ensure that X'ar had finished his piece while also putting together his counter. He tried not to linger on the way X'ar had referred to his friend as a 'Greenrider, of all things'. It was subtle, subtle things like that, seemingly innocent enough comments, that made A'zael sure having a Greenrider in a position of authority was worth whatever strife it may cause him from the Bronze and Brown riders' collective wounded pride.

“I understand your concerns, X'ar, and that they are concerns many will share,” he began carefully, “But in this matter, I'm not looking at R'get as my friend. I'm not saying it doesn't play a small part, knowing I can trust and rely on him from turns of experience, but there's much more to it than that. I know you don't agree with the work R'get is doing, but as it stands Mavros cannot afford the luxury of tradition.” He fought hard not to spit the word, keeping an even tone. He had to get through this calmly, he couldn't get defensive, or even too passionate, no. Cold logic was the best way to approach this, if he wanted people to believe what he was saying, that he wasn't just showing favoritism, that what he was doing was for the good of Mavros, not just for himself and those close to him.

Another deep breath, “I wish we had the dragons to not have to even consider R'get's suggestion, honestly I do. Blues and Greens are best at speed and agility, there's no doubt about that, and the Weyr works all the better when everyone plays the part their best at... but we don't have the numbers. We don't have the Browns and Bronzes that other Weyrs have. We don't have the ability to rotate and consolidate if a wing's numbers fall too low due to casualties.” He paused, fingers tapping briefly on the desk in front of him as he glanced down at the casualty list once more.

“What Mavros needs... is innovation,” he returned his attention to X'ar, “We need options, we need to be able to adapt. Mavros is not like other Weyrs and we cannot afford to treat it like one. We have to take advantage of every resource we have if we are to have any hope of surviving the Pass.” Without having to beg the other Weyrs' forgiveness and let them swallow us whole. “I believe that R'get has the capacity to lead well, and I also believe his being in a position of authority would give a voice to those who feel they have none, to those who may have great ideas but are too afraid to share them, afraid that no one will listen based solely on the color of their dragon's hide.”

He wasn't sure such an argument would move X'ar at all. He simply seemed so... content with the status quo. It was easy for a Bronzerider to feel that way, since the status quo favored them, but it was also part of their responsibility as the few and the privileged to demand equal treatment for those that looked to them for leadership. “Mavros cannot afford for us to blindly 'play it safe' and reject change simply because it's new and unfamiliar.” Or to save anyone's fragile pride and sense of entitlement. He tried to gauge how X'ar might be taking his words... if they were being taken seriously, considered at all, or if the older man was more hidebound than he'd realized.

He tried to be diplomatic, “We will never know how anything new will work out until we try it. I certainly have no desire to stick to any new way of doing things until it's proven better than the old, and I know there will be mishaps and mistakes along the way, but we will never learn or improve upon anything if we do not try.” A Pass was also not entirely the best time to be trying new things, it would be much better were it an Interval, but then he supposed the necessity wouldn't have existed to spark the need for the change to begin with. He inclined his head slightly, giving X'ar a chance to respond, interested to hear what the man had to say about all the reasons he'd given. He would hear X'ar out, he wanted to hear as many arguments against this as possible, so he knew what to expect when he went ahead and did it anyway.

It was in his power to give power to those who had never had the chance to have it, and he was going to do it. Whether that proved to be too much only time would tell, but they were going to try, he and Rau. It was his decision, solely his, in the end... but it would be up to Rau and Pallath afterward to prove to the Weyr whether it was a good one or a bad one. He had faith in his friend, in his brother... this would work. This was important, and it would work.

[madb]

Historith glanced wearily at the younger bronze. He found his headtone to be grating, loud, and utterly unpleasant. Yes. No. He replied, shortly. It did itch, but he did not want to talk about it, and even less so with Fath. It was a minor injury - the thread had grazed lightly over his tail. Healing two leggers had fussed over it, and it would go away as, in his experience, all wounds did eventually. That was enough for him.

He ignored Fath entirely as the other bronze flopped over with a groan. Historith turned his head in the other direction and let out a low puff of breath, almost a sigh. It would be best if X'ar finished his business here quickly. He was already taking too long.

X'ar listened as the Weyrleader laid out his explanations. He tried to ward off what felt like a growing headache between his temples, aware that the familiar and well trod out argument between them regarding R'get's... unique suggestion, was being brought back into the center of this conversation. The old bronze rider had no real wish to get involved in that debate again, however, if it was something that A'zael was using as a reason to prop up his suggestion, then it had to be addressed.

“You know where I stand on this matter, Weyrleader," X'ar said, carefully. "I believe that there is no great improvement towards forcing greens and blues to take positions they are not suited for. They simply don't have the endurance or physical strength, and it lessens the impact that they could have in our wings as agile fliers. However, if you do not wish to follow my advice regarding that matter, I do not intend to press it."

His mouth twisted downwards. "Do not believe me to be an unsympathetic man, A'zael. I understand the pressures that you face and if you wish to take a chance on innovation, well, I may not agree with it but I will do my best to carry it out along with the rest. When this is proven, reward R'get as you see fit. I will be first in line to congratulate the young man."

He meant it, as well. X'ar did not find it to be a very likely future, but would gladly swallow his words if it turned out otherwise.

X'ar took a deep breath. "But rewarding an unproven, young rider with a ranking position would already cause a stir. Potential aside, R'get has not proven anything - even you cannot argue otherwise. Even if he did, no greenrider as far back as I can remember has ever been a wingsecond. It simply isn't done. The absolute last thing Mavros needs, in my opinion, is that kind of stir - we are having enough trouble as it is, drawing in riders from other weyrs." His jaw clenched. "You could lose good, strong riders over this. And it will kill most of our attempts to draw promising riders from other weyrs - something we have already enough problems with, considering Mavros's reputation."

"What is the problem with adapting R'get's methods but promoting a bronze or brown rider to wingsecond, exactly? It isn't as though it needs to be both at once. One is already dramatic enough, do we need to add wood to the fire and make the flames worse?"

He felt a slight sting, that riders might not be comfortable coming to him or other bronze riders if they were of a lower rank. The defensiveness rose from his gut, but he pushed it back for now. X'ar had always thought of himself as a fair man, just and level-headed. He could think of no single instance in his past where he had deliberately been unjust to a green or blue rider, and the idea that anyone who worked with him would feel that way felt like a very personal judgement. And entirely undeserved. 

"You act as though we spent our time bullying and degrading riders beneath us to the point where they cower in fear and don't meet our eyes," X'ar said, voice like steel. "No wing would function in that environment. We all rely on each other, depend on each other when we are out there. It is absolutely ridiculous to suggest that level of discomfort would exist."

"'Playing it safe' is precisely what we should be doing in these tumultuous times. You don't run into the thread when you are already wounded, just because you have nothing else to lose. You duck into the cliff and wait it out." X'ar said, then shook his head. "I wonder, young man, if you have brought me here to have a conversation or if you are simply stating the terms as they will be. You don't need my leave to do what you would like - so then, what is the precise reason for my presence here today?"

[Zen]

A'zael

He listened to the familiar opinion X'ar had on R'get's suggestion to fly the stronger Blues and Greens longer, and was glad at least that X'ar seemed agreeable enough that he was open to accepting it after it had been tried and proven, even if he was resistant to it at the moment. A flash of irritation passed over his features as X'ar continued, though he forced it away quickly enough. What did it matter if Rau was 'unproven' and young? So was he, and he was the Weyrleader. He might not be doing everything right, but he didn't think he was doing a particularly bad job of it.

He leaned back against his desk, drumming his fingers against it lightly, raising an eyebrow slightly, “I'd remind you that I'm also young, and when I became Weyrleader I'd proven nothing. I was hardly even a full rider. Our whole traditional system of choosing Weyrleaders sets us up for the possibility of young, unproven leadership, and yet all of Pern has made due and survived on this system since Faranth herself broke shell.” In the beginning, he would have given anything to have had the chance to be a simple wingsecond before having all this vast responsibility shoved at him, “No one can prove anything if they aren't given the chance to do so, and everyone has to start somewhere.”

He closed his eyes as X'ar went on, more proving his point than anything when it came to Greenriders not feeling like they would be taken seriously. Just because a thing had never been done didn't mean it was a bad idea. And he thought promoting a Greenrider would somehow make their reputation worse, make it even harder to get transfer riders? He ran his hand over his face, wondering if X'ar had any idea how all this would sound if he was saying it to a Greenrider instead of to him. Promoting you would make us look bad.

And then it seemed he had offended the man. This wasn't going quite as he'd hoped it would. He shook his head slightly, “Forgive me, X'ar. I did not mean to accuse you of such things, or to make it sound like I think all Bronzeriders are like that. It's not that at all.... But I have seen it happen, and the few can color the rest of us in a poor light.” K'rin sure wasn't doing Bronzeriders as a whole any favors, the way he acted. “I'm not going so far as to say we are some hated and feared elite, I believe the problem is much more subtle than that, so subtle it is easy to ignore, even for the Blue and Green riders who have these feelings. I just....”

He sighed. It was easy to stick to the status quo, even for those it did not benefit. Anyone that knew anything about Pernese history could see how hard it was to implement change, how the vast majority resisted it, feared it even. The familiar, while perhaps not always pleasant, was known, was safe. To step outside of that familiar was dangerous territory that few seemed to want to tread. But A'zael had always been a risk taker. X'ar seemed to come to the realization that he was going to do this, with or without his approval, and A'zael felt a flash of guilt, “X'ar, I want you to know that I do value your opinions and your advice, even if I do not take it. I do not mean to make you feel as though I'm wasting your time.”

He studied the older man for a moment, “You and I are very different men, and that, along with your experience, is why I chose you to be Weyrsecond, to help me see things from a perspective I never would otherwise. It's important to me... to be able to at least try to understand how people who think very differently from me will react to the decisions I make. I made my peace a long time ago with the fact that I'll never be able to please everyone, and it was a hard thing for me to accept. But I still have to do what I think is right for the majority, even if it will displease or upset some people.”

“I have heard your concerns, and I know they are valid. I'm not trying to dismiss them. I will be the first to admit I was wrong, if that does turn out to be the case,” and right now he really wasn't sure which way it would go. His faith in R'get's ability to lead aside, there would be those that resisted it, some more vehemently than others, and there would be nothing his friend could really do about that. He was sure it was not an easy path that lay ahead if he went through with this. Perhaps it would be short lived, perhaps it would be just fine, but he'd never know if he never tried it at all.

He would take a couple more days, really mull it all over, figure out if it was worth the risks involved, or if he should do as X'ar said, play it safe and promote S'tor. He was sure the Brownrider would serve well in the position, but he didn't seem to have much going on in the way of ideas to help make things better for Mavros, more of a go with the flow sort, and he wanted to reward forward thinking and not just promote someone because he rode Brown or Bronze. “I won't keep you any longer, and I will think on all you've said before I make a final decision. I appreciate your time, and your honest opinion,” and he did, even if he didn't agree with it; his words were nothing but genuine, “Unless you have more you'd like to say, you're free to go.”