Ves paid a lot of attention to the general mood of the Vandals. The servicemen he walked past and ate next to in the mess hall or the more ornate dining room when Major Verle wanted to hold a social occasion all expressed their opinions without much inhibition.
He thought this was a special feature of the Flagrant Vandals. Every mech regiment carefully constructed their moniker and religiously followed it after establishing one. As their moniker suggested, they embodied the ideal of behaving flagrantly.
"They're crude, but they're also honest."
He admired that about the Vandals. Everyone felt free to express their true opinions, even if they broke some unspoken taboos. This allowed Ves to judge the general undercurrent of the crew of the Shield of Hispania.
"Still, I'm only sampling what the Vandals aboard the Shield of Hispania are talking about. The people serving on the other vessels of the task force might hold different opinions."
