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"You asked a question you felt important and I answered-- a bit harshly, but honestly." To give herself a point of distraction, Tourmaline began to close off containers to keep the food within them fresh, tidying the table between them as she gathered her thoughts. "Traitors come from places least expected and can, unfortunately, be found serving even the most diligent generals. When I speak of being better, when I insist that we can be more, it is with the hope that none of mine will ever be in a position where they will have to take up the mantle and join the hunt against one of their own. I have been there. The hunt is wild, and it continues on."

Tourmaline had wondered at one point in time whether or not things might have been different for Aluminite under another general. Would a more gentle approach have softened the chaotic nature of the Negaverse to the point of being more palatable to him? While they might all serve the whole, they were each individuals. Every officer from Lieutenant up to General had something that made them tick. Pairing the right officers together could lead to brilliant, beautiful things and so she tried to cultivate her own band of misfits from those ideas, vines branching out to draw other like minds in.

She paused mid carton close, glancing up to Faustite with a glimmer of amusement. If you're worried your recruits might turn coat... Was she worried they might? Not at all. Cornetite was too proud, his temper and passion something she had selected him for specifically. Mab was too vain, the Order uniforms too white to suit his tastes. Cursa? Cursa had too much to prove and Lalande had vouched for her personally. They were all too loyal to each other on the outside to consider betrayal on the inside.

You hope. The voice spoke softly, nagging in her ear and worming its way through her head. She didn't hope, she knew. She had nothing to fear. "Either choice would lead to death-- death by his hands, or death by those who would hunt them after. Knowing what some of the higher ranking officers I am on familiar terms with are capable of, I believe that any of my recruits would choose death by your senshi's hands over ours. I will make certain that they are aware of his tactics, though, and stress even more firmly that they are not to patrol alone-- I've already insisted that they utilize the buddy system." The last two words were said with lips twisting into a wry grin. At least one of her recruits hated when she referred to 'teaming up' as the 'buddy system', often reminding her that he was far from being a child in need of a hand being held.

Little things. It was the little things that, deep down, made her treasure them all.

"Thank you for allowing me to do so." Tourmaline's head bobbed in a polite bow as she returned the niceties. "I'm afraid I didn't venture far from my own during my time as a Captain. Perhaps my time as a General will be better spent in the company of others."

Carefully Tourmaline nudged the chair she'd occupied back beneath the table. She would have enjoyed staying longer, prodding more, and might have insisted were her own mind in a more composed state. Now was not the time nor the place, though. They'd each pushed back and forth enough between the two of them for one evening.

"Until we meet again? For I certainly hope that we will, Captain. My communicator is rarely far from my person, should you think of any other questions you'd like to ask-- Or should you have any desire for cuisine outside of barracks rations." Tourmaline flashed him another bright grin, making a final gesture to the bag containing the remnants of the evening's meal. "What's left is yours."

Giving him little time to respond, if any at all, Tourmaline teleported topside to continue her evening's thoughts elsewhere.