Rolf was in  a bit of a state,... Damn Dusties!... look at what they are doing... what do they hope  will happen?.... This  is being  send through the Vids? Ge-Fi will have to lose  alot of BAcking back home?... His angels  will be split, some  will follow what the Mission was, others  will follow him....who the 9 hells , gives   Dusties a ship!

Catrina watches as Azzaz nearly gets his head blown off by the .45 round. She smiles with a grim satisfaction, that does little to hide her concern for the casualties on the screen. OR the talk of women in the tubes as shown earlier. She sighs as she sits back, contemplating the feed and feeling conflicted as to where she belongs at the moment.

 Rolf, as  frustrated  as  he is, can also sense  a wee bit of that feeling in Cat.

 ... Lookit? we're sittin' here all nice and  warm an' cosy...but we're Gonna have tpo get back before  jump off, anyway.... ye want ta go back an' check on the lads  and LAssies?
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:42, Fri 09 Sept 2016.

Catrina smiles guiltily, "I'll comm Stefi first, she's capable and I don't want to ruin our evening, but I also feel bad about not being there for the teams." She says, she rises quietly, "I'll be right back," she says stepping out of the room with her comm.

Calling over to the meddlab she inquires as to the situation, and whether or not they need her to come in.

      Rolf Nods. He doesn't  even wait for the answer on the  COMs , but he  begins to pack up their things.


 AS Tech  take Cat's  call and says they have some wounded, and some...'odd'..survivors.

Hawkeye nods interested in both the wounded and the survivors. She nods a few times asking for a detail here and there, and inquires about the extent of Lyri's injuries, nodding again. Once she finishes the call she returns to the room, and sees Rolf packing their things. She sighs, "I'm sorry to the time we have early like." she says stepping up behind him and giving him a gentle hug before helping him pack.

  Ack, Lass.... his right hand Holds hers when she hugs him,..part of the Bloody job now, isn't it? Best we go do what they need us to do. Seein' how Minnet was nicked, I'd like to make sure her and Hemlsy are doin' right....

  He calls for a car, and they catch it back to the Hermes....

>>>>>>>>>>  Cat , McCloud to HangerDec.

  The Fleet  sent their  people down for  some shore   leave,2 hours or so on rotation , so  everyone  had a chance  before the battle.

  After Recall was sounded, Everest began to get  ready itself... the   Fighter  wings  for the station were   lined up and  ready.

  The  two Lock up were sealed off from the station itself. Pop up  AA guns  and  Heavy Pulse  cannons  were   armed and  ready.

 Civies  began  to  take the tunnels into the  deeper  parts of the station, with SEC  troopers setting up in squads  to protect homes  and businesses  from  looters.

 Some  folks  who signed up to be 'militia' were allowed to stay in their home/business..but  were warned of leaving, unless   fighting came to  the streets.

  The Stem's  AA guns were  readied   and  the people there  had  to shelter, the best they could , in the slums of the  stem.

 .................

  In the   ESN HQ, The   Beta  Fleet officers  held a big dinner. Some  waiters  and waitresses were told off  for  not paying attention... 'don't worry, you'll have plenty of time to get back to your loved ones...concentrate on your job!!!"

   St Gaul picked at her  food, Von bern  nibbled a bit, others boasted of how they were going to kick the Hyrian's  asses and  drank a bit  too much..

  The Turning point  came, when one of the drunk Pilots  hit a serving tray, and the waitress   dropped stuff  shells over his  Dress  whites, He stood and slapped her..You Clumsy Bitch!... a New  tailored   uniform is  coming  out of your  pittance of a salary!

  She    turned  back and splashed  his  face with a small bowl of sauce  from the table...I WILL NOT!.. I am done... You gutless gasbags.... Your  ...your.. 'mighty' ships... she  spit the  words at him as she wailed  and  tried to wipe the sauce  from his eyes.

 She turned    and looked around the   room,Our  Big 'HEROES"... spitting the word again,... The Delta Fleet  is  going to smash...Headling into Hyrian Might... and what will you do?.. sit outside Everest..waiting to see which ships break trough.... while our fighters  Hover in the back.. like impotent Brua  gas flies

 Throwing down her apron, after grabbing   what tiny bit of  tips  were given her, I go home..now.. to be  with my family... If  the fleet wins, I will ask to board a delta  Caps ship, with my family....if the Delta Fleet fails... this  is  our last hours, and  i will not waste them, with  fools  and cowards!.

 at least  half the others  left with her...

 St GAul stood , and  in a shakey Voice, Lt LaTrulle?.. You... will lead your  flight into  the battle,  I will contact the WC and tell him you are on your way...

  But Admiral..My..My eyes..I...

 Cutting him off...If you fail to follow the  fighters into the fray... I wil have you, and your flight tagged as deserters  and.. you will be  shot  down..no?...This  is no understood....?

 LaTrulle noded slowly and Got up to  head to his quarters to  Change.

  This  dinner is over.... everyone..get ready for ze  jump off...workers?... leave everything.. tell the cooks   to shut  down the   stoves..go home...make ready...

  An older...brown noser of a waiter, But, Mon Admiral? the food, it will spoil?  it will go bad..and..

 Holding up a hand to stop him,If  we win, yuour  employees  will have  something to do.... if  we lose..it will not matter...  She strode out, with more  confidence they what she really felt...many of the others  downed one last drink  and began to filter out...
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:57, Sun 20 Nov 2016.

 After the Battle with  Black Fleet..............

 Everest began to get busy as shops  were being oepend up..  Civies  who, at one time, Lived on   the Isis and the Anubis were now looking to go to other Caps ships that may  be heading to another station or   near a colony.

 In the MedTech,  wounded were being brought in , that Cap ships  couldn't handle. Admiral St Gaul was in  the Crit ward as  she was  wrapped up from Burns, while  the Derma Plast began to take hold  and regrown skin tissue.

  The Deltas Ships  and transports set up rotations  for  shore leave, so  not to 'invade' the station.

  Sr CAptain Tonsul was underfire.. the two locks ups...were empty... the  shuttles that normally took prisoners  off the station to be transported to colonies..were no where in sight!

   Calling  for a  Cab, Shadow  waited with  Dusk and Shade. They  looked out through the MetaGlass watching the   crews  putting the finishing touches on , What used to be, The Saladin...

 Right next to it was the Hyrian destroyer, is  was already painted,,with its new number and name  'The Cobblestone'

 The Saladin would become the Taurus..  The  Bullsheaded , winged creature was already taking shape on the Bow.

 I would  guess That general Cen will use the Taurus as his  ship, that will be your  New home, Unless you  want me to ask the Admrial to post you here?

 Dusk smiled  slightly,..no.. i will fight  with the  Verians...for now.. maybe, a little down the road?

 Shade  bleeped a bit  as he peered over the  railing.

 Naw... if anything happens to me, The Admiral won't let you go anywhere..unless you want to?

  The  can landed   at the  cab station, the three made their  way towards it

 People down on the Carrier station were bustling, Shop owners opening back up. The  folks who rented  boats and sleds and  such unclamping their   vehicles from lock down.

 Shadow has  stopped  at the Uppers first, so Dusk  could see the snow... Shade was less happy with the idea, not liking the could at all.

  Getting them  envirosuits ( though Shade   had  trouble getting sized). they  went   for  a  walk around the slopes of the  mountain.

  There were construction cranes  and  people   up at the top of the  mountain as a resort was being   torn down and rebuilt. From the  Everest Newspaper, Shadow read, that some 30 people died in the fire, some...it appeared  killed themselves, rather then burn alive...

 Also in the papers, was a story of SEC troops   in both Lock up , being added to help with the   restoring  of order, after the battle stations have been cleared. The rumor  had it, that both lock ups were empty of prisoners, and the   SEC shuttles were missing...as were their  crews.

  they stopped  by a Vender, near the sled  rentals , Shadow buying them all hot chocolate and a hot dog...Dust seemed very pleased  with both, Shade, having had them before, just munched happily , getting hot  food into his body.

 A 'well-off' man and woman were  going for a walk through the brisk snow, the  Man stooped , looked at Shadow's Jacket, then the uniform tunics that  younger ones  wore over their  envirosuits...I hope you and your  Admiral are happy, Young Man....Your  fleet has  brought chaos and death to our  Quad...

 The  woman gave the kids a hateful stare and nodded, the two were about to walk away when Shadow grinned and said,ohhhhhh..no..Not how  it owrks  , Ace.. you should your  fat mouth off, you have to pay a price...now?..with your condition... He  pats the  fellow's ample  tummy,..I can't just haul off  and smack you, don't want to hurt the baby... but you'll hear me out..just the same...

 The woman was about to say something,  and Shadow  just held up a finger and shook his head... she shut her mouth, her face red,..your  Quad has  always been...in chaos and death...just rich folks like you?..well..you don't have to worry about dying, or being taken away to fulfill the tribute numbers  for the Hyrians to  dine on.....

 ...sooner or later, they would  have  cracked this tin can open and ate its  contents, your  'fleet'would have been shredded ..So..some folks died... Too Many delta Fleet folks died, to help a Quad that was willing to hand feed thier own people, just so the ...'better folks'..could go on with their lives...

 Now?..you two bottom feeders get out of my sight, and think twice, next time you shoot your mouth off, to some one ewearing a Delta Fleet patch.... You people?..You aren't safe anymore...there are folks lookign, for those who made deals with  our eneimes..by 'our'..i mean that of earth and the Human race..so?.. you best step softly..and hope there aren't  any Hyrian or  Empire connections in your backround..because  we have people looking..

 The Man and his wife  turned..red faced , insulted, embarrassed.. the woman turned to say something and  Shadow  just waggled his  finger at her, and she turned away, both walking faster then they had before.

 Shadow returned to his hot dog, and Dusk asked,....you do that alot?

  Shade  answered  as  he chewed on  his  hotdog..

 There was a nod from Shadow  as he pointed at  Shade, and tried to talk around the hot dog in his mouth......like he said...every chance i get...

   The first 2 hours  on Everest were spend walking a trail and  riding a sled down a couple times. Shade was not having a good time, he did not like the snow and the cold.

 Dusk seemed to  be enjoying it, though  she was getting cold herself.

 Ok..let's   find a Cab and get down to the Lowers.. it will be  warmer.. and  we  can look at some shops  down there..

 ...and the Library?.. I want to go there?

 Both Shadow and  Shade stopped and looked at Dusk.

 ..what?..I want to learn more...we do  not have to stay , overly long, just long  enough for me to read a couple  books or so?

  Alright, But then  we're going to see  Captain Lighting at the Vids...

 ...why?... you do the things  they do....in real life?

 Shadow  shrugs  they near the Call station,...yeah..but the   people who  live after their  battles...seem to have alot more  fun..

   Exiting the taxi, after it touched  down, The three  headed  down the street towards the  Library. There was  still a bit of  Burn marks on the building, but otherwise, it had been fixed. The  Delta Fleet techs, who were sent  by Admiral Hack, made the  stacks better  then they were, and the servers that had the   content, were more powerful.

  There were a few complaints , by some folks who used the  'online' gateway to the  stacks. Those  people seemed to be quiet now, after  visits from ESN Techs to study their  'equipment', for free upgrades.


 ..So?  what are you looking for, in here?

 ..i..um.... wish to study  some of  the  older novels  and such...some that have their focus on Human  emotions...

 ..Like?

 She Looked away as she seemed  distracted  by the   content list on the stacks...

 Shade bleeped a bit...

 Dusk's head  turned,...you be  quiet!

 Shadow looked  at Shade then Dusk,..Romance?.. what the 9 hells for!

 .... that... is  what i wish to read......

 she went  down the  stacks  and Picked  out a few discs  and  Moved to the reading tables.

  Shadow  snapped,..Just stay the 9 hells away from Romeo and  Juilet ...and..um..Bonnie and Clyde!

 A few bleeps,, Shadow turned back to Shade,..yeah..the second  pair  robbed banks and stuff...

  After  some rest and talking with Board, Admiral Hack and Commander SI Head  down to The  Everest Lowers Med Tech.

  Entering    Admiral St Gaul's  Room, They saw her  with  some of the  nurture wraps on , as  her skin was repairing itself  with the aid  of  dermaplast.

 Greetings, Mon Admiral..to what do i owe this visit...

 We wanted to visit those who were  bad enough to be brought to Med techs on the station...How Many of your people made it back?

 St Gaul smiled a bit painfully,We got ze Civies off, before you made  contact... as it appeared  ze Hyrians were going to Ram ze Station, we moved out ships   into  ze way... we had only  Ze  Bridge  Crew left...and  launched our  Pods  after  we knew the  contact was  for certain.... I am assuming the  Isis did the same..Out  of  my 8  bridge  crew who stayed, we have 4  who are still alive,,,we  were  hit  but, ze blowback of the  collision ....

 ..you know..if you keep ramming aliens with our ships, we might have to put you in charge of loading docks...

 She tried  not to laugh to hard,..i...will try not  to do zis things  again...

  Shade, found a  computer and  worked on  hunting  up things of Interest , Dusk was   reading..rapidly .

 Shadow found a few magazines, but  he didn't enjopy them, since they were all geared to the Everest football team.

 he  did, laugh a few times  as  he  Read  "Everest Weekly".. the Issue was an IN depth Interview Of   Von Bern entitled,"...How I won the Blue Max...From the Best Fighter  Pilot in the ESN"

 Kray was told  a few times  by  a Librarian to keep his laughter  down...

Jesse finally made it down to Everest butnot without a growl and grumble at the driver.

She began just wandering around aimlessly.

   Everest was unlike   Olympus, or even Fuji.  The latter  two weren't just colonies stations, but served the ESN as bases ...which means they were used  as shore leave and Merchant stops.

  Everest, being  the last Human/ESN carrier/station  only saw  the 'normal' volume  of merchant and transport traffic, hardly ever  seeing other ESN ships, except  when the Alpha Fleet's  scouts would docks  for a day or two, when they patrolled the   Everest-Etna corridor.

 Now..The Delta Fleet , hung like a  monstrous metal cloud around the station...and 100's of thousands of  fleet members were being shuttled back and forth on leave, or  to MedTech..or Tech labs

  there was a strange division...most folks, Civies, or outsiders, wouldn't catch it...But the normal rivalry between Ships  personnel wasn't as Prominent...but the way each of the Fleets viewed each other, was.

..in some of the bars and clubs, in the lowers, and  at the  'near' ends of the Stem. fights  were breaking out  as crew's  blew off steam, fought off sadness..or were just plain too competitive ... even the Uppers  had their  share... the bars and clubs on the   'beach' that surrounded the Mountain... and the  VERY few  hotels/clubs on the mountain,that allowed  'lower  ranks' of people, had  their share of outbreaks as well.

 The SEC of Everest was more then Busy... The  Lock ups  were  strangely empty, and none seemed to know...or care..what happened to the prisoners  who were there, less then 48 hours ago.

 There was an odd mix of emotions...Delta folks  either ignoring, or being adversarial... to attractions by fleet members and  Civies as  ' romeo and Juliet ' encounters happened.

 Delta Fleet  ships   had a few SEC teams ready to go down to retrieve any Members that caused...or  were forced...into confrontations ..some of the businesses were making as much Creds on 'damages'  as they were on their services.

 A Dark side of this, as always , loomed as well... Fleet members   braving  the Stem,  getting ambushed  by Stem  Gangs..some, being found  dead and cash slashed..some?..never found as bodies..or parts of bodies would be ejected out of the refuse tubes that still worked in The Stem.

 Occui and Sanri  found that they were mostly accepted..unless they saw  the Delta Fleet patch on their shoulder, then...they were treated nearly as bad, as if they were Empire.

 These Races didn't seem to mind..few folks  tried to fight  a Sanri in a bar...those that picked on Occui might as well climb into a burlap bag, with a cougar... this..only strengthen the bond these  races felt  with the Delta Fleet, and it was not uncommon  for a Human from the Delta Fleet , to dive into a fight where  some foolish Everest civies/crew ect..would gang up on  Delta  Occui or Delta Sanri ...even couples.. human and Occui  or  human and Sanri could be seen, sharing a drink, dancing ..or..perhaps..finding  a quiet hotel... this only added to the fuel...after all?..It was one thing to see a human with an Angel?..i mean..who didn't have that fantasy?  But   Occui???..Sanri?
 The Green Angels and Felrites, on the other hand...for whatever  reason, seem to draw the attentions of   Everest civies and  personnel , and the  short Green Humans  from Bura, were almost always had  groups  ofsmilign  people aropund, buying them drinks, talking and....slipping awau fro an hour or so.

  Ge-Fi's plan.. to cut of the life blood of The delta fleet, had failed. Humans still leaft earth of  transports or merchant ships...some, that  were under contract with the  Delta fleet, to take on transfers or volunteers...Those who did not transfer from the academy, or  Boot camps, were signed into these, on Fuji... Burians , either  Green Angels  or   short humans..were  joining by the  handfuls, spread out through the   fleet.. their nasty looking  machete-type blades and  deadly bows. making them a foe to be Reckoned..their stealth  was..almost..beyond equal.

  So?  The Delta Fleet grew. Sanri and Occui adding ships and  troops...Bura adding troops, as they had  no ship building skills what so ever. Humans who have settled on Bura, were trying to  salvage the blown up  Empire bases, with two goals...one..to turn out armor...the second, to turn out  fighters...Cap ships, would need  some docks... and only one  dock was nearing completion , though? it was only  for  repairs... it would be a good while before they could start building anything .

Jesse had been dropped off near the Stem and as she paid her fare she walked from there towards a middle ground area where she could possibly find peace.

She notices the various fights but dared not go to inquire.  She shuffled her baseball cap on her head and pulled her avian black jacket closer around her.  She wanted to look like a wallflower and runaway.  She certainly felt the part.

After passing by several bars she came by one where there was a rough mixture of occui, sanri, human soldiers.  She enters quietly and takes a seat at the bar and orders a scotch or whatever would be similar.

  Jesse was dropped  near the Uppers  End of the Stem. The Massive   entrance about a half Mile  away..looking only as big as a Base ball, held at arm's  length .

 above , was the   main traffic  stream, not daring to get to low to the   battered   'townhouse ' buildings that covered   the  one 'wall' that served  as the  street..  As she walled towards  the Uppers,  she finally  stopped  at  " The Mixed Blood"

  It wasn't  quiet, but  compared to the ones she passed, it was. The Music was..maybe Sanri?.. waitresses of   most races were there as were customers... it was close to being a full house. and smoke  from various  planets' version of tobacco , hung thick in the air..

 As she  sits at the bar a ..youthful..looking femalr Samri is  wiping down the bar with  her left arm, the  two right arms are pouring a drink for  Battered looking Human who wore  scrotched leathers and a smashed  Captain's hat.

 Jesse noticed the bar keep only had one left arm.

  she  pours   Jesse a scocth, while the other  arms  went about cleaning or   getting other drinks.

Jesse gave a nod of thanks to the barkeep and doddled with the drink nursing it like a bad wound.

She casually looked around and kept attentive for the various conversations going on.  Specifically keeping eyes out for ESN, Evol...or worse LO ops.

 After  being at the bar for some 15 minutes, she witnesses some  folks   asking the bar keep for something, they would slide her  some Cred Bills and she would pick a Key, and they would  head upstairs.

 The  Batter man  near Jesse was getting ready to leave when 2  well dressed  Humans  entered. They didn't look overly deadly...but they did look overly confident.

  As the   Man started to head towards the  door , the smaller  Man grabbed him by the arm. it was a smooth, quick move, and few would even take notice, save  for the  look of pain on the MAn's face...you ver  to be vaiting  fer us...Ja?

 ..ya  took to bloody long.. I have ta get back...

 The other  fellow was calmly looking around he gave his shoulders  a shrug to 'reseat his over coat. The shoulders of the two men were  a bit wet.

 ..Then..Mien friend..we vill be giving  you a ride.... no need for you to thank us...

 They Turned  to Go out the door. a Tall Human  with  a Beta Fleet shoulder patch  Bumped into the  taller  man, who pushed him aside  like he was a 5 year old child.. the sailor   fell off the steps into  a table, and   a fight ensued , sweeping through the bar like flames on oil... The  three vanished  through the door.

  The Admiral and Si left the med tech and grabbed a limo to the Uppers, hoping to get some sledding in before they need to return.

  Shadow  was finally , able to leave Library , and the three headed for the beach,

 ...I thought you wanted to see the Vids?


 There was a look around  as he replied,..Yeah.... we'll see it some time... I don't knowhow many beaches you have seen since going to veria... do they have beaches?

 Dusk thought a bit,..things are very different ....witht eh silicone base... even the waters are differant then yours...very few..at elast the ones i saw..go swimming?...most  have not had the programming to swim...

 Shade  spouts off a bit.

 ..no..you don't have to go in,thought it would be nice  for us to walk around..will the Sand  hurt you?

 Dusk laughs as  does the  sounds of  Shade's laugh,echo.... we are built like you..we have  skin...it is not like you were taking your toaster to the beach...

 There is a grin,I see you have  my humor, when you choose to use it....pity though...now i feel guilty about the toaster  and the  coffee pot , being left alone all the time...

Jesse scoots farther from the fighting as ot ensues and looks to the barkeep.

Busy night, eh? She said and shrugged.  What happen to you?

She nods to the lone left arm

  The Bar Keep frowns as she presses a button under the   counters...within minutes people are  coming down stairs  in various states  of undress, and some are leaving by the back doors.

 She  refills  Jesse's glass and says, in a cold voice as she waits for the  SEC to arrive...i was born with only three arms...i do not know, what you know of my people..but to be born an arm short, is top carry a sin? we are cared for until we reach 30 mor so Sanri years..then we must leave our homes and make our way. Its  is sad..is it not.. That Sanri who lose an arm in battle are  treated much the same  way?.. but...by then, they are 70..maybe 80 years old..just entering adult hood, so they will have had means to support them..for ones such as me...we mostly leave the Homeworld and make our way in The Black, the best we may.

Jesse gave a bit of a shrug and nod.

I don't personally know your history, but am associates with a few.  Not much different than how some humans are treated. 

She lowered her head a bit.  Sometimes we are cast aside cause we are a liability.

She looks back up to the Sanri.  Anything important I need to know out here?