"Check." A wooden chess piece clapped onto the board.
"Your signature piece." the woman on the opposing side note, her eyes darting across the board before moving her knight in the way, effectively securing the king.
"And yours!" the man laughed, readjusting his seat to view the board for his recovery.
The two sat in the room of a complex, bare except for the tables and chairs that served as decoration. Everything was sterile and orderly. The prime example of military cleanliness. The man was clean-shaven, and slim. He had an intelligent air about him, and was someone who enjoyed his job.
The woman, however, looked to be more muscular, if simply more pronounced. And despite looking like she could arm wrestle any man on base, she could pull off being a model if she were to try, and even let down her hair from its ponytail state. Both of them wore their green shirts and tan camou pants.
"Say, Bishop." the woman looked from the board to his face while he made a move to slide a pawn into place. "Have you ever thought about leaving the military to join the private sector?"
His hand wavered on its return, as he gave the blond a confused look. "Where's this coming from, Karen?"
"Your skill sets are valuable, and the military puts you at risk by sending you in as a combat hacker. And you expressed concerns during our last op." She spirited away his pawn with a rook and sat back in her chair.
"I like being in the military. I don't mind being in the field. Really. Despite everything that has happened to us, and with as many close calls as we've had, I wouldn't ever dream of leaving the team. Now I wouldn't openly admit this to Rook, but I care for you guys. Who else would watch your backs the next time you dive headlong into a military complex?"
"Touche." Karen kept her gaze on him as he made his counter move. "But look at your sister. She has an ordinary life. Friends, family, a safe job without risk of injury -"
"Relief corps. She heads into disaster zones." He grumbled.
"Exactly! You aren't being shot at there! No one is trying to blow you up, or torture you!"
"But there is no hacking involved. The military is one of the few jobs were I can legally hack. If I worked for the CIA, FBI, or even the DI, - that's the Department of Intelligence, Karen - I'd be stuck in a room all day. Only in the military do I truly get to travel, and push my skills to their limit."
"By having bullets fly past your head."
"In a word, yes. But I enjoy this job, this team. I enjoy your company."
Karen Knight leaned forward, seemingly surprised by the ending of his dialogue. She reached out and laid her hand on his. She opened her mouth as if to say something. Bishop raised an eyebrow in anticipation of what she was going to say.
"Checkmate." She fell back, laughing as he looked down at the board, only to be bewildered at what he saw. During their chat, she had managed to slip her units through his defenses, and checkmate him. His own pieces provided a impenetrable wall, preventing his king's escape. Nothing could intercept the knight that leaned smugly against his leading pawn.
He fell back, and covered his face as he looked away with mock shame. "You sly vixen." He joined in with her hysterical laughter. She had played him well.
