"Call me Victor, or Reaper my callsign back in the day." He said with a small smile."As for the teams, two man units. They can cover each other and perhaps two area of eyes will give them the edge that training gives us. They are in an uphill battle, don't have the years of experience you and I have in both combat and military thinking. We have to hive them the most we can in a short while. I would appreciate the help in training, you will provide experiences I don't have. I worked solo for most of my ops, teaching them might help with our own unit cohesion as well."

  There is always time for eye candy. Poppy waggled her eyebrows comically." I Didn't think Valkiir did the whole squealy jumpy, clingy thing....well maybe in the really good ones, but most of the time I'm pretty sure I've seen a lot uglier critters...annndddd never go to a movie with Rhic, he's like "Oh I've seen this before, or thats like in ...and oh come on I could see that coming a mile off..... Poppy mimicked Rhic's voice and puffed up in a manly pose." He does have a really good collection of old flat-vids, and he keeps the popcorn coming so it's not too bad."
   Poppy finished her last weapons and held it up cycled the bolt a few times then expertly tucked it into her shoulder sighting it on a bullet trap in the corner. then set it with the other rifles." Ya know I never really thought about it... well since all the valkiir guys are already taken,well the ones who might like a nice little Cyberoid girl with a slightly crazed sparkle in her eye. do the guys buy the popcorn or do the girls...I mean he could go broke fast if he has to buy...and if he has like four or five girlfriends man the same movie would get really old by the end of the week.."

  There is always time for eye candy. Poppy waggled her eyebrows comically." I Didn't think Valkiir did the whole squealy jumpy, clingy thing....well maybe in the really good ones, but most of the time I'm pretty sure I've seen a lot uglier critters...annndddd never go to a movie with Rhic, he's like "Oh I've seen this before, or thats like in ...and oh come on I could see that coming a mile off..... Poppy mimicked Rhic's voice and puffed up in a manly pose." He does have a really good collection of old flat-vids, and he keeps the popcorn coming so it's not too bad."
   Poppy finished her last weapons and held it up cycled the bolt a few times then expertly tucked it into her shoulder sighting it on a bullet trap in the corner. then set it with the other rifles." Ya know I never really thought about it... well since all the valkiir guys are already taken,well the ones who might like a nice little Cyberoid girl with a slightly crazed sparkle in her eye. do the guys buy the popcorn or do the girls...I mean he could go broke fast if he has to buy...and if he has like four or five girlfriends man the same movie would get really old by the end of the week.."

  There is always time for eye candy. Poppy waggled her eyebrows comically." I Didn't think Valkiir did the whole squealy jumpy, clingy thing....well maybe in the really good ones, but most of the time I'm pretty sure I've seen a lot uglier critters...annndddd never go to a movie with Rhic, he's like "Oh I've seen this before, or thats like in ...and oh come on I could see that coming a mile off..... Poppy mimicked Rhic's voice and puffed up in a manly pose." He does have a really good collection of old flat-vids, and he keeps the popcorn coming so it's not too bad."
   Poppy finished her last weapons and held it up cycled the bolt a few times then expertly tucked it into her shoulder sighting it on a bullet trap in the corner. then set it with the other rifles." Ya know I never really thought about it... well since all the valkiir guys are already taken,well the ones who might like a nice little Cyberoid girl with a slightly crazed sparkle in her eye. do the guys buy the popcorn or do the girls...I mean he could go broke fast if he has to buy...and if he has like four or five girlfriends man the same movie would get really old by the end of the week.."

She listens to Elsbeth talking with Grym about gear for the sniper team. Well technically they only had one professional sniper on hand and that was Grym. Anyone from the compound would have to prove themselves first. Not that they wouldn't work professionally together there was something to be said at having worked together for a while.

She keeps working listening to the two chatting with a feeling of approval. It was nice to see Grym talking a bit more. Now if only balkier was around there would probably be a bit more laughter and chatter. She missed the big lug but it couldn't be helped. With him being shot up like that he wouldn't get around as well. Luckily he wasn't confined to medical bay.

Laughing when poppy waggles her eyebrows plus her comment about eye candy made M'kira's eyes twinkle with amusement. "Oh I see. Rhic's a real movie spoiler is he? There's always one in a crowd I know what you mean."

She takes the last bit with a thoughtful expression one hand lightly brushing a bit of hair back from her eyes. "Well in Omaden society it's the women that do the chasing. You would want to flirt with him, buy him popcorn, ask him out on a date and so on. Got to let him know you want to rock his world as it were. But with Non Omadens like Rhic, Grym or Trey I have noted the males usually pay attention to a woman they like. It's different yet it still works rather well sometimes. Still I don't trust that if you like a guy let him know is the safest bet. I can't help but think that way because of my peoples culture. It's way to easy to end up without a partner. Elsbeth would probably tell you different but that's because she was raised different. I would ask Grym what he thinks but he probably would just give me one of his patented looks."

T'risa responded to Elsbeth "Ask the Chief for personnel. He has a better idea of his available resources than I do and where his teams strengths lie. Ask him to see me when he gets free, I need to run some of this by him."

"You know a unified dating manual would be nice." Poppy grinned."You know something you can use for trouble shooting, Not that cyberoids do a lot of dating, I mean some of the biological imperative stuff keeps humans busy with it, But you know it's not like we're gonna settle down and raise 2.5 Kids."
  "And it's really hard to find anyone who shares my interests...."Hi my name is Poppy. I like dancing, old movies, long walks on desolate worlds, and unleashing massive amounts of firepower on deserving slime from other planets. My favorite color is lavender and My sign is 'Discontinued Model 1/2 price'."
  Poppy talked as she worked packing up the weapons back into their shipping crates. " Okay so we go play Santa Claus and teach these guys how to shoot next. Sounds like fun."
  "I don't think I can teach the whole turn off autonomic reflexes, and stop breathing, and don't blink for two days, part of my game. But I can show them how to handle a pistol."
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:30, Mon 09 May 2011.

  Once the rifles and other weapons are sorted and checked Chief Jons assembles his volunteers. An assortment of diggers, cooks archeologists and random workers from he various camps.
  Most have completed the TAE standardized Military Skills training programs required by most settled worlds during High School. But only a few have had the full Basic and advanced training the military gives recruits. The bright side is most of the group has spent several weeks under constant fire, and are eager to get proper training with the weapons they are issued.
   Rhic has a second group training on camp Hope's new air defense system Looking frazzled as he runs them through the reloading of missiles and fuel slugs for the weapons and how to properly control the automated systems.

   A small group of Potential Marksmen has been assembled they have more practice with their weapons and most are fro frontier colonies where hunting and ballistic vermin control is far more common.

Inside Maran completes the additions to the map and fills ina few key holes that might have let a small group through the planned defenses without first person knowledge of the area.

Leoulin was weaving among people in the encampment, a new bodysuit or perhaps the old one repaired adorning him so that his race was not so exposed.  He was more suited to training personal combat, not that he wasn't a fair shot, but that he felt guns took much of the fun out of a combat.  As far as causing massive damage to scum that deserved it, he could almost love Poppy for the sentiment.  He had been taking some time to acquaint himself with the peculiarities of his modified armor and weaponry.  The nanites were not as itchy in his blood as they used to be.

"An assault?  Why didn't someone tell me?  I'd have brought Glimmermourn flowers." He was teasing and the things would have been impossible to get out here anyhow.  "Human minds, in my experience are a little slower than us who were raised being reprimanded mentally, but that can be overcome for the most part with a lot of practice."

  " well for now we are short on everything but time." Rhic chuckled as he clapped the smaller man on the shoulder." grm Elspeth and the gang are on weapos training. T'risa is looking over the big picture. I think at this point maybe some of these locals could use some remedial hand to hand training jst in case the enemy is not overcome by your tasteful floral arrangements."
  Personally I'd have went with the Willow Spire whites. Glimermourn are sort of formal for an impromptu genocide don't you think." Rhic motioned to one group of volunteers." that bunch looks like a good place to stat why don't you teach them a few Of the basic blocks and deflections, nothing fancy just the keep your ass alive stuff. I'll work on the basics of a knife with them after you get them limbered up a little."
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:34, Mon 09 May 2011.

Laughing and smiling M'kira shakes her head. "If only life were so simple as to have a dating manual." She lightly claps her on the back with a twinkle in her eye. "Don't sell yourself short. I like using lots of fire power on slime that deserves it and just about everyone likes dancing."

She shakes her head with a amused look smiling at Grym, poppy, and Elsbeth. "I don't know if I should feel sorry for the poor sods here or not. It's going to be interesting training newbies proper shooting. I know Grym is going to have a very high standard. Though I am looking forward to seeing how poppy teaches." Her eyes sparkle for a moment as she imagines the entire far end of the shooting rage going up in a massive explosion. With poppy standing there saying something like. "Now that's how you shoot!"

One hand comes up to brush a bit of hair back from her ear and she speaks softly. "Maybe we should have Elsbeth do the Training?"

Elsbeth nodded to Victor, "Call sign Reaper," she noted plainly, "I would be honored to instruct the recruits along side of you.  What I lack in instruction training, I trust in the Fickle Lady Ifni, a solid bit of ingenuity, and more than a dash of pure desperation to see us through."  Her delivery was just deadpan enough to engender uncertainty in its true intent as a joke or serious statement.

As for Poppy and M'kira's discussion about relationships.  Elsbeth could say next to nothing about it.  Not that she wasn't in one; it was merely that she really had no idea how she got there.  Elsbeth probably could have suggested Trust as a good foundation, but honestly she didn't know if that only applied to some sentients or all of them - it had worked for her, but she never really knew how.  So, she figured that it was best to keep her mouth shut and ears open.  Perhaps their discussion could shed some light on what Elsbeth found to be a strange and beautiful ritual that continued to amaze and mystify her time and time again.

Plus, Elsbeth mused to herself that she was not very good at dancing - having never really been trained in it; nor did she particularly care for it.  At least, not the way that Friend Balkiir engaged in dancing.  So, Elsbeth definitely could not speak about that.

Elsbeth's brow furrowed slightly when M'kira suggested that she take the lead in the training.  While she was not immediately averse to the idea, she was quick to mentally note to herself that she had not formal training as a drill instructor, nor did she have a background that was any less cloistered (even if it was vastly different from Poppy's), nor was her training entirely orthodox or truly grunt level.  Her specialty was powered armor - which meant that her bright ideas about teaching the base regulars, might be as with all of her tactics, a bit reckless, a bit bold and, more than a little bit reliant on luck.

But, if not given a choice, she would attempt to teach.

"Well done Maran. A good commander always knows the battlefield. Those little gaps you filled in, could have caused us big problems on the day. Imagine what might have happened if a group of Marduk got behind the line. Now we know of the weakness...we can exploit it. Set a trap for their elite forces. We want to demoralise more than win outright. They have vast more numbers than we do. So our part in this is to keep them demoralised. They've already lost a big battle, and food, and they know we are stocking up on both at their expense. We could never win a stand up fight with them, so we need to strike them. Harass them, make them make mistakes. The more mistakes they make, the easier they are to exploit. This town is rapidly turning into the best defensive structure we can build on the planet. They already know...if they come here...the cost will be high. We want the Q'sa and the O'maedan's guiding them to feel fear. To know we can reach out and touch them whereever they are. They already feel it, we need to magnify it a little. The programs we're setting up for defences, mines, the upgrading of the local bots to combat models, the marksmen, the training of the citizens in weaponry, Our air defences, all of them are little pieces going to make one coherent whole. A symbol of fear for the enemy." T'risa's eyes held Marans. "I am sorry Maran, in times of war, even the young need to learn. One thing I have grown to appreciate, is that in war, anything can happen. I teach you now, so if you need to, one day you will have the appreciation for what is needed. That reminds me."

T'risa reached for comms headset.
"M'Kira, can you and...well someone who has fighter experience take ours up and harass a Q'sa patrol or two? Try to leave one survivor in each case and don't stray too far. We need some recon of what's going on around the town and especially up to where Rhic destroyed that air defence tower."

 "War? You're going to war with somebody? I got to fight too? I'm just a kid. I don't want to kill nobody!"
 She accepted the praise like a plant took in rainwater but then she heard the war part and became uneasy. She didn't know about killing people and even the thought of shooting someone turned her stomach. She wasn't even sure she could kill anybody unless her life was at stake, and even then she wasn't sure she could do it.
 "I'll try to learn stuff but I don't know if I can shoot anybody."

He looked over the group of volunteers he had been given, he cradled an assault rifle in his arms. He looked them over, he wasn't't sure if he could do right by them, but he would try. "Listen up and listen well. I don't have the time to train you like I was. The time to take a single perfect shot. Because of this I have decided to take a different tack, we will turn you into a harassment to our enemies. You will use the tactics of a two man team, hit and run, and most importantly cover your comrades back. If the cost of a shot is your partners life its too high. Now over the next few days I want to run through several exercises and combat scenarios. Who wants to go first?"

Getting the com from T'risa M'kira nods slightly guessing it was time to kick a little more Q'sa butt. "Right I am on it T'risa. Don't think there is anyone else so I will have to do it on my own. Unless you want to involve Aziza."

She shrugs her shoulders helplessly smiling at the others. "Good luck with that training. Looks like Grym's going to take the lead after all. It's good experience Elsbeth I bet you can pick up a few tricks from Grym." Looking to poppy she smiles at her friend. "Looks like I have to run. Unless you have fighter pilot experience. If you do your welcome to come along. Just remember T'risa wants us to leave at least one survivor so they can run home and tell momma. That or she might want to question em as she didn't specify."

Walking gracefully to the hanger bay most likely on the Crow she gets into her powered battle armor. Then into her fighter prepping for take off. "Almost ready to go T'risa. So you want that survivor for questioning or let them run on home to tell the tale?"

T'risa looked at Maran carefully. "I intend to fight the war, so you do not have to. You should realise, dear Maran, that none of us are invincible. We can be killed. Balkiir had a very lucky escape in our last battle, likewise the team we sent to destroy the anti air emplacement very nearly did not come back. This is war, not the nice war you read about in books where 300 people died in one place. This is the war, where every person that dies has a name. I am not invincible. I will lose sometime. When that happens, people will die, probably including myself. The war being discussed here is a genocidal one. It is us or them. My intention is to make sure it is us. Always us. If I succeed, you will never have to raise a fist in anger. If I'm unsuccessful, you will have to take over."

T'risa moved to the kitchen to prepare some tea for both her an Maran. "During the battle for this place....if it ever happens. I might need to ask you to be my assistant. You know I am a battle witch. I cannot help the entire town. So I will help those I can. What I will need you to do...is this. You'll need to keep in mental communication with all of the commanders for each section, and let me know, when they think that something bad is close to happening." she poured out two cups of hot tea "Do you think you could do that?"

She waited for Maran's response before continuing.
"See if you can reach M'Kira. Tell her that we want the survivor to run home. We're more interested in causing fear among the patrols than inflicting casualties at the moment."

 The fighter freshly fueled and rearmed sat waiting with a light touch on the control it sprang into the air tactical downloads streaming from the crow to the smaller ships on board nav system.
   Without Oriental recon, or a forward air controller M'kira was flying on her own. the rough terrain left plenty f locations for hostiles to find shelter and possible launch an ambush with shoulder fired missiles. Valkiir pilots were all trained in ground support and primitive conditions flying but seldom did they find themselves forced to return to the very basics of combat flying.
    her craft was centuries more advanced than the first wood and fabric fighter craft but she now found herself in a role any pilot of that era would have found normal alone in the sky visually hunting for targets.

In reply to T'risa K'mahda (msg #56):

 She listened to T'risa explain things a little better then nodded solemnly. Said that way, it made her feel a bit better about things. She could help others without actually killing someone unless it was desperately needed. Maybe she could just knock em out or something defensive and help her friends or the good guys by taking out an attacker or by stirring dirt up into their faces or something.
 "I will try my bestest T'risa. If I can learn how. Can I try to do stuff that don't kill too? I'll learn all you want me to if I can, but if I don't gotta, do I have to kill people?"
 She listened to her ask for her to try to contact somebody and nodded.She'd try, if she could figure out who and how.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:25, Mon 16 May 2011.

While Victor introduced himself to first batch of recruits, Elsbeth pulled the weapons and equipment aside to be distributed to them.  She began to divide and recollate the material into individual stacks: one rifle, one knife, one set of webbing, three magazines each, one canteen, one small satchel ... and so on.

The individual piles were ready once Victor finished his opening remarks and asked for volunteers.  Channelling one of her old drill instructors, Chan Liu Goethe, Elsbeth stood rather imperioulsy near the carefully laid out piles and noted in rather clipped tones, "Well, don't all volunteer at once.  But you better start lining up so that we" and she indicated Victor, herself and Poppy, "can get on with the business of making sure that you survive and our enemies, like the Q'sa, don't."  Her tone bespoke what she knew of a 'command' voice - like Elsbeth herself, a bit 'no nonsense', a bit single-minded arrogance, and more than a tad on the 'more economic' side of efficient.

She intended to give the new recruits their gear, show them some of what could be done with all of it, then show most of what they wanted them to do with it.  And then let them loose on each other and some targets for a while.  Then some recon and stealth training; which was more Victor's forte than hers.  So, perhaps a number of stations to have the recruits rotate through might be most effective:  Poppy on the target range, Elsbeth working on hand-to-hand and physical conditioning, and Victor concentrating on recon and small unit tactics.  There would have to be some overlap and joint lessons, but these recruits would need to assimilate a lot of information very quickly.

Also, Elsbeth was keen on the endurance training and conditioning. perhaps running some such, was in order.  And she had mentioned it to Grym earlier, but she knew that time was limited.  For the regular troops, and not necessarily these skirmishers that Victor was training, Elsbeth intended to include plenty of manual labor as they got to help produce some of the defensive emplacements that they were going to have to defend.  Nothing like saying to someone, 'Well, you make that hole as deep as you need it to be so that you can properly defend yourself from multiple enemies and crossfire.'  And then, of course, adding, 'Oh, and watch out for thrown grenades.  They have a nasty habit of being attracted to foxholes that are too deep.'  But that regimen could wait for the moment.

And while hand to hand skills would be covered, but Elsbeth knew that more than likely, these boys would never get to that stage in the fight.  Nor should they, as Victor had so eloquently said.  Survival was the order of the day.  Keeping everyone alive at the end of the day was the most important.  They were undermanned currently, and that meant that each loss hurt them much more than the enemy.  They need to act smart or they would quickly join the dead.  And while tactics was not her forte, Elsbeth knew that they would need to instill some semblance of unit loyalty and cohesion to their new charges.  "Mr. Grym." she intoned addressing Victor, but making it loud enough so that the rest of the unit was well aware of the conversation, "We are going to need to name this ragged group of misfits.... Or have these greenies not earned that right yet?"

Patrolling with careful attention to detail M'kira remains alert. She does her best to spot any Q'sa patrols before they spot her. Scanning carefully she looks for com chatter, Reflective surfaces, heat/energy signatures, anything that might indicate a patrol was out there.

Personally she wasn't exactly interested in shooting up the Q'sa she was more interested in completing their mission. However T'risa felt there was a need to taking out a few patrols and that's all she needed to be out here looking. Eventually she would either find something or T'risa would call her back. With any luck they would track this queen down and put a end to her. Whatever was going on she was involved deeply in it. Though she hadn't forgotten other players were making trouble.  The Marduke were running around and for some reason the Omeda were there as well. Contacting T'risa she speaks softly. "No sign of patrols yet T'risa. No contacts of any kind. By the way if I run into Marduke I will blast it as for any unfriendly Omeda out here you want me to try to take a prisoner? I figure with all the action we have seen lately there is no telling what I will find out here if anything."

He looked out over the group of men, his face as cold as when he sighted down his rifle."Let them earn that right. In the blood of their enemies they can paint that name for all to see. Now get up here grab your packs and weapons and reassemble back here." He ordered and then turned on a heel and with a nod handed over the resins to the marine. She would be their taskmaster, the demon of their training. He would stay aloof and be the ideal they strove to compare themselves to. At least that's how he hoped it would work.

Elsbeth carried her concussion rod more for effect.  Obviously, she would never actually us it on a person - at least not with an active singularity, but it was still an effective collapsible baton.   The rod snapped open, when she sensed that the recruits were a little slow on the uptake to picking up their packs.  "Move." she stated with a level of understated menace.  To ensure that she was taken seriously, before the recruits were allowed to reassemble with Victor, Elsbeth took them for a ten minute run sprint around the compound with everything they had just picked up - the crackle and snap of the concussion rod ensured a nice pace.  She told them that she expected them to sleep with much of that gear on or near their person from now on.  Her idea of conditioning consisted of ensuring that drills were carried out carrying everything they were given.  It was not that much weight necessarily, but the extra twenty or thirty pounds of gear and weapons always took its toll by the end of the day.  Intervals of running and then shooting practice or sparring - she wanted her people tired, but driven.  Elsbeth also trusted her own conditioning, despite the obvious bruises and minor scars from the previous day's battle - she ran every meter with the recruits and was willing to dig, spar, demonstrate, or shoot along side them, if necessary.

Ultimately, even though she had no children nor any real family, what Elsbeth knew that she needed to do was something that every parent grapples with.  She did not intend to be the recruits' friend, she needed to make them productive members of society - which in this case, meant a good, cohesive fighting unit.  Of course, she cared about them on a level that they likely would never understand - but, their reciprocating that care was neither required nor necessarily desired at this point.  And, like most children who survive to adulthood, only in the long run might they thank her for whatever she might have done for them.  Elsbeth knew that she only started to appreciate her makers training and instructors and her Marine drill instructors and their lessons some time well after they had been put into practice and proven time and again that they were some of the only things that kept her alive sometimes.

Elsbeth never minded playing 'bad cop' or 'taskmistress' or more accurately, 'harsh drill instructor', which to her was really more about being attentive and critical, a little callous and more than a little cruel to be kind.  Her upbringing was more than fourteen years of what the recruits were about to experience over the next couple of days.  It wasn't about sleep deprivation or rigorous routines, but she knew that repetition instilled familiarity and that pushing the recruits to (and perhaps beyond) certain limits would help them survive.  And survival was the name of the game.

Despite her genetically engineered background, Elsbeth was aware of a number of sociological studies (hell, her entire existence up to the age of 17 or so had been one of those studies).  The human condition is such that, when everything is stripped away, primal fears and instincts rise to the surface.  And in some ways, Elsbeth knew that these people needed to harness that energy, that emotion, that fear.  Her self-awareness about the nature of fear stemmed from her own personal experiences confronting and coping with such things: the accelerated learning and stilted military and bodyguard training, her time in the slave pits, and all of the time spent in Force Recon.  Whether she could effectively translate that experience to something that the others could relate to remained to be seen.

Elsbeth also knew that she, Grym and Poppy would walk a razor's edge:  only the most unstable would crack after only a couple of days of exercise and practice.  But, raw emotions were a common occurance when dealing with stress and outbursts would need to be dealt with effectively and efficiently.  Elsbeth was never really sure what the right method to effectively deal with such things might be, but tended to lead by example, her words often failed her - so, demonstrating a move or nuance or action often served her best.  That and she was never above a little corporal punishment - again, a holdover from her upbringing.  Elsbeth was not eager to call out recruits, but their aggression did need to be channeled and harnessed.  And in the compressed timeframe crucible here, sometimes a well-placed dope slap, uppercut, or even a knife scar could help to curb any insubordinate tendencies and correct even the most egregious habits.  Well, and Elsbeth was confident that anything they could dish out, she could take and return in kind.  Her size precluded most from harboring any really damaging grudges or trying anything, but there was always one or two striving to make a name for themselves - those  who had just enough previous training to make them slightly arrogant or dangerous or those that were big and naive enough to think that even a tall girl was not match for them.  Again, when push came to shove - these boys needed to be focused and ready, primed to fight.  Everyone's survival was at stake.

Many of the colonists they were given, were already somewhat combat hardened; and that was a good thing.  But that hardening, did not always translate into unit cohesion or trust in their comrades or themselves for the upcoming battle.  So, Elsbeth focused on getting them ready for those particular things.  And that meant developing and stressing teamwork and trust for their fellow recruits.  In some ways the colonists trusted each other, but not to the extent that she (and Victor or the Marshal) needed them to.  So, this is where the razor's edge came in.  Elsbeth intended to push the recruits: to learn about themselves and to trust their fellow recruits.  While, Elsbeth knew in her heart of hearts that the recruits could trust her in the heat of battle, this was not that battle yet.  Her role was not to coddle them or to nurture them, but to ensure that they could and would fight whenever and whatever was necessary.  And, ultimately, they would not be fighting side by side with her, necessarily - it was the greenies to either side of them that they need to put their lives in the hands of.

So, Elsbeth pushed her charges as much as she could.  It would not be their training that was their downfall.  Not if she could help it...

The first patrol sweep is a no go, nothing moves in the desert for kilometers in any direction a vast expanse of broken hills and rocky scrub bakes silently under the sun. Boredom is the worst encounter M'kira has as three hours of flying back and forth patterns over the empty landscape drags on.
   " Colony control to Air patrol please investigate coordinates 15-23.1 by 73-4.40. our spotters indicate movement in area. a calm voice crackled over the colonies frequency the encrypted signal having the familiar buzz common to most military broadcasts.

  as M'kira approaches the area her thermal sensors ping three high temperature sources, classifying them as civilian grade vehicle power plant.As she zooms in she spots three land rovers offloading a group of Q'sa and a second group emerging from spider holes dug in the hillside heading toward the vehicles.

---

   The training session is productive, the volunteers seem a little stunned by Elspeth's forceful and commanding presence as she takes control of the situation. The weeks of stress and physical hardship followed by a short break and time to recover has left the recruits in better physical shape than most greenies. although the lack of hard military discipline shows in the grumbling and joking from a few of them, until Elspeth cracks the whip. the Military veterans respond the est to the hardline Elspeth takes quickly settling back into a military frame of mind.
   

---

The group slated for hand to hand training is a rough group at best  brawlers, amateur athletes, and one or two martial arts enthusiasts who spend the first part of the session jaw jacking and blustering. Until deposited on the floor by someone half there size and looking more like a dancer than a fighter. the abrupt and in one case bruising introduction to O'maeda martial arts soon brings them to an attentive state.

Conrad leaves Trey to work on any repairs for the mecha's while he went to go work on T'risa's mines.  The trigger mechanism goes fairly fast but the demolitions takes a lot longer, since that area wasn't Conrad's strongest point.  Though after he gets a few finished, he went and tracked down T'risa to show her what he had made.

"Hey T'risa, here is a few mines that I've made so far.  Would you like to go test this out before I make more?"