Red vs Blue: Private Jessie

Episode 94.5: "Redfresher Course"

Just outside of Red Base, Jessie stands not far from the base's main entrance with his back to its outer wall and his arms crossed over his chest. Church, Tex, and Tucker all stand in front of Jessie in a gentle arc with Church a bit to his left, Tucker dead ahead, and Tex a bit to his right. Tex claps her hands together and quickly rubs them against one another.

Outside of Red Base
Tex: Alright then. If we're all in agreement, I believe that we've got some palavering to do. So, let's get down to brass tacks... stopping O'Malley and Wyoming.

Tucker nods and raises one hand palm-up, smashing his other hand down onto it, balled into a tight fist.

Tucker: Right! Uhhh...

Both hands slowly drop back to his sides.

Tucker: ...how do we do that?

Tex quickly answers, a slight impatience seeping into her voice.

Tex: Like I said before, I think we should start by pooling all of our information together about... well, about anything that we think might be important. That way we're all on equal footing and all have the clearest picture of what's really going on.

She turns toward Jessie.

Tex: Jessie. Do you want to start? Anything you know about O'Malley, Wyoming... or just anything that you think could be relevant?

Jessie hums and adjusts the position of his arms over his chest, stifling a reaction from the small ache that pulses out from his injured shoulder.

Jessie: ...how do I know that you three won't just take my information and run? Try to take down O'Malley and Wyoming yourselves while they pick off my team and me one by one.

Tex raises a single hand and touches its palm to her chest plate, her voice suddenly swelling with a mixture of faux surprise and offense.

Tex: Jessie! I... I'm hurt...

Jessie simply tilts his head to one side and Tex can almost instantly and vividly imagine the raised eyebrow that must be hidden beneath his helmet. After a brief seconds-long standoff, she finally gives in and raises both hands in surrender.

Tex: Alright, alright! Knowing us, it's a valid concern to have. But that plan would've been flawed from the very beginning! If anything, I would've listened to your information, shared ours with you to see if you could piece together anything that maybe we couldn't, and then used you as cannon fodder once the fighting started! That'd be a much better plan!

Silence. If there were any crickets in Blood Gulch, they'd almost certainly be chirping. When neither Church, Jessie, nor Tucker respond, Tex sighs, dropping her gaze to her boots.

Tex: ...I'm not making this any better, am I?

Tucker immediately shakes his head in confirmation.

Tucker: No. In fact, I'd say you're making it much worse.

He turns toward Jessie.

Tucker: Look, Jessie. We uhhh... we won't betray you?

He caps off his attempt at a convincing reassurance with a shrug. Church vehemently nods in agreement.

Church: Yeah! We... promise?

Jessie looks from Tucker to Church and back.

Jessie: Why'd you two say that like they were questions?

After a brief moment of silence following no response from either Blue soldier, he shrugs his own shoulders and drops his arms to his sides.

Jessie: ...you know what? Fuck it. We're already past the point of no return. But before anything else, we should address the elephant in the room.