Raiyek finds himself enjoying this whole adventuring thing quite intensely. Sure, he likely should be waiting by the portal to return to Isolate Prime, they were about to help one street gang by taking out its rival, and here he was with his back to the wall spying through a hole like a criminal himself, but he couldn't help feeling exhilarated. As he scans the street around the orc shaman's hideout with his keen elven eyes, he finds himself wondering why he didn't do this sooner. The Imperium did have paladins in its service whose job it was to essentially go adventuring, rooting out evil creatures, but for some reason he had never been offered such a position, and never felt comfortable asking his superiors for such. Ah well, he thought, I'm getting a taste of adventure now. Better late than never. Not really all that late for an elf, either; he recalled how many of his comrades had gone through full military careers and retired, while he was still barely into the prime of his life. Yes, this was definitely better than campaigning - no overbearing commanders, the opportunity for subtlety and clever maneuvering, the responsibility of his companions' safety - these were things Raiyek had desired for some time, but had never really admitted to himself.
A voice shakes Raiyek out of his silent contemplation and observation - Les was speaking to him. "Heh, again you seem to assume that I had any significant rank in the Imperium," he says, throwing a wink toward the gith. "Though I suppose you're right, to an extent. I learned much about diplomacy and persuasion in my training at the temple of Palladys, and those skills have been honed somewhat over the years with some experience diffusing disputes in various garrisons. Nothing too special though, you just need to figure out what the person wants to hear, then tell him."
Drifting off into thought again, he gets a far-away look on his face. Almost in a trance, he asks, "Forgive me, but have you ever seen a friend die?" Seeming to come back to the present a bit more, he continues in a low voice, "I'll admit that I am finding this all quite exhilarating, but I cannot deny the lethal potential of this next encounter. It has been a long time since I have seen comrades die, and I do not care to have the experience repeated." The elf's piercing green eyes watch the gith as he waits for her reaction.