Hound hadn't missed that he'd gone from 'fruit' to 'bro', and though he was not quite appeased they were better off than they had started. "That is a clever bit of thinking. However, you'll find Labukas doesn't pick weak links. Even the frailest of us have their own hidden strength." He thought of Mirage fleetingly before returning his focus to the conversation. "Let me frame it this way. We are duty bound to help you. The Oath we took prohibits us from turning our back on you if it means condemning you to die." For the second time in the span of a few moments the weight of the words settled around his neck like a noose. "I'm not going to give up on you so easily, and the others might not be as gentle as I... was." Hound would much rather have Epoch join them on good terms than on bad, when he could so easily botch their journey from one time to another. Not that Hound couldn't be just as bad when he felt like it. He'd been titled by some of the other contractors as the 'patron saint of lost causes' for a reason, though he had a good feeling about things this time... Kartahn would only need a gentle push more. "It's a bit early to be writing yourself off as well, isn't it? The Manual was vague about your ability," he conceded, though his eyes narrowed to watch Kartahn more closely. "... Though it sounds more than powerful enough and would make a good asset to our team. Have you used it before... enough to determine its limits?"