Placing a glass  down in front of a Younger sailor who seemed to be escaping the action, she scans his wrist chip  and turns back to Jesse, as her two right arms  pour a drink for a woman  within reach.

  Out Here? If you mean Everest?... JUst stay out of trouble. Most folks do not  come back from the lock up. The ones  that do, do not say much.

 Blaring sounds of SEC air cars  are heard...smart  fighters   ran for the abck...dumb ones..well..kept  fighting.

Thanks, she said and paid for the drink.  Adjusting her satchel she gets up and proceeds to head out.

She recalled some of the conversation the men near her spoke and as she exited yhe building she scoped the area to see if she could find them.

If not, she'd begin walking the streets in this area.

 As Jesse paid, SEC  Busted through the doors  and Began  grabbing  fighters and  subduing them  or   breaking them up... there was no shorage of Tazer  type flashes, and  Zip tying the worst cases.

 When she   headed towards the  Door  an SEC  Two striper stopped her, Looked her over  for 'fight  damage'...then allowed her to pass.

  Outsdie the  Mixed Blood, she saw three SEC Vans  and Three  aircars, there were , at elast..6 SEC troopers with  weapons...

 from the general area, Aircars were rising into the air to join the main traffic  streasm, amost  a mile up..

 a few 'street people' watched.. a few  were gladly taking creds  from an SEC trooper that had some spare  change..others  cowered in the shadows,

Jesse stepped aside and watched as the SEC took control of the scene.  She placed her back flush to the wall as she watched2 everything go on.

She listens carefully at everything is said to draw on keywords or clues.

  it was nothing more then a round up... the worst  folks getting  hit or tazed  and tossed into  the SEC VAns.

 others   being shoved  away from the Building and told to  go home.

 there was a group  of  folks, some were military that began to take the walkway towards   the Uppers. None   took the  walkway towards the lowers..instead, waited  for  high priced taxi rides.

      Shadow  stopped at a stand, and got them  milkshakes   then  waved them towards the   water. about halfway down the   sand  they stopped  and   sat down , looking at the  water, and the stars that were able to be seen... there were  dark shadows  of some ships   moving   to and from the station.

    They sat there..nursing the  Milkshakes, Dusk asked,... what can you tell  us  about Mother?

 Shadow's  smiled his half   smile,..First off? she is more your Mother, then i am your father...there  is , but a part of me..but you were made from her...

 Shade   whirled a few times,

 ..Shade is right?  Is that not the way of most children?

 Shadow looked back at both of them  , he chuckled     and gave each one of them a  Fuzz on their Metal heads, though both had   human-like skin,. Dusk had  Filaments, that acted  and lived, like human hair.

 well..lets start at the begining...

 And Shadow began to talk..from the first time he began to understand that  Lady was more then an AI...things she  did to folks who tried to harm him or  Hannah...some of  his  'best'  flying experiences... his favorite, flying through the hanger  Dec of a creshain Vessel.. both of them listened, to every word..perhaps, they   When he was done, they just sat there...

 Then Dusk asked,..is it harder to fly...without her?

 Shadow  shook his head slowly as he sipped, then said,..I've  always been good.. and i have only gotten better....but...i am a worse  person with out Lady...and..Hannah..that is  for certain....but i will tell you this.... The Black is Colder now...lonely? Perhaps..it is  just the way ..

 Shade  blurped  a bit harshly,

 ..Aye, Shade? I have  the Vids of  me beating   Jonny Blu to death....the only thing i regret..is not making him suffer longer..but?.. we had  people to protect...and Empire stooges  to  kill..sometimes?  you don't get to enjoy your work...

 .....grandmother says... you are a cold blooded  Killer...

 Shadow  shrugged,..then?  you know she told you the truth, at least once...

 The Admiral and Si  began to  enjoy the snow. Hack had never been a big  fan of the snow, but Si loved it, so? he made the most of it..

   He had  inquired  about  going to  a resort up on the mountain, but it seemed some closed after the fire at the fire..others  were booked solid... one fellow  offered to allow   Hack to 'out Bid' the group of  sailors  who had  went..en masse to their  resort., But hack  just hung up. He wasn't going to  throw   his   people out  of  their shore leave, just because he could   spread creds around

  So.. Admiral Hack... and Commander Si say eating Hotdogs  and fries  on a bench, just above the snow line.  'The Devil of Delta'...Munching a hotdog, like the   10 year old boy who say  20 yards   away..watching  snowflakes  fall , as they looked towards  the bottom, and saw folks  in bathing suits  splash in the water.

Jesse watched as the vans were filled and others started wandering off.  She began heading towards the lowers on foot.  Keeping an eye out and ears open to something that may be of interest.  So far, nothing. She sighed, and wished.

  Walking down the  walk way, she could see, just a little below, the  'ash can' fires burning , by the  dim street lights, in the 'always dark' Stem.

 some times she saw  groups  walking  down  the streets, only to vanish when they hit shadows.  muzzle flashes  and far off cracking sounds  could be heard, the echos, , almost drowned out  by the Hum of the heavy traffic   way above them

Walking down the ramp with a small bag of essentials over her shoulder and relatively nondescript clothing on. On each hip she carries her .45s openly, though has her regular assortment of tricks in their places. Orria had insisted on wearing the Hyrian side arm, but after a firm no had settled for the Verian that Melia had given her. She too wore hers on her little hip just like mommy. Melia had replaced the powercell in the weapon as it defeated the purpose of teaching Orria how to use the weapon and respect it if it couldn't be used in an emergency. Though she was keeping an extra careful eye on the young girl.

As they step off the ramp she hails a taxi, and asks what restaurants the cabbie recommends.

Arriving aboard the station Sarah took a deep breath. The air was still recycled, but the flora and fauna plus the shear size of the station definitely took the recycled taste out of the air.

Summoning a cab she asks about places to relax near the Beta fleet HQ.

  The Cabbie, a Human, looked into the mirror,..well Lady? depends what you want... The Uppers has   french  and german stuff... a   bit of Occui foods....The Lowers  has   some  french  and Italian stuff, but mostly American and such..though  there are a few places that tri to be Chinese...

 he shrugs,..out  here. most folks  don't know the difference.

 'course, Pizza's  a  big thing...seems like it  swept the Black, oNce you folks started  kicking aliens  around.

   The  Cab was a bit newer as it  spotted the hail signal, if dove past a few of the older Taxis.

  Hey, You looking  ofr a classy Cab ride?.. this is it!
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:51, Thu 01 Dec 2016.

  Down the beach a bit  some  people...Everest Civies   and  Delta fleet folks were  starting a bon fire some one was playing a odd looking , wooden horn , while  another one  pounded on  bongo type  drums..

 people began to dance, some of them sang to ...whatever...tune was being played. The smell of Hotdogs and ..what passed for potatoes being cooked filled the air.

 ... those  people... they are having  fun..are they not?

 Shadow  nodded,..Aye...that they are...

 this is like the rec Dec...but...a bit different?

 ...well? someplaces you can do some things..some you can't..so you do ...what you can do?

 There was a thumbs up form Shade.

Jesse kept a clise out out but kept in walking.

She wasn't certain what She was looking for, but she remained alert.

  There  were some folks walking towards her, they were talking among themselves, none seemed interested in the goings  on  below them.


 They passed jesse . one of them gave her a  Passing  look , but the group continued on.

 Smoke  hung , near where she walked  as the   fires burned to keep folks warm, and the houses who didn't  still have working ehar, burned  things to stay warm.

In reply to Melia (msg # 968):

Melia nods, "what do you recommend? Out of all of them surely there is a place that's not gonna break the bank, but has the best food in town. Something small, that a lot of touristy types and trouble makers would avoid." She says with a smile slipping a 20 credit chip to the man, as an upfront tip for his help.

In reply to sarah (msg # 969):

Sarah nods, noting the cab is indeed well kept and clean. "I'm looking for a quiet place to grab a bite to eat, and relax for a bit, near the fleet HQ. Nothing too fancy. think you can find a place like that?" She asks slipping into the rear seat.

  The  Man nodded,You bet LAdy.. about a Block or so past the Fleet HQ....Its called..Le Arte..good  food as you can get, with out having to wear a gown....

  he headed  down the docking arm and finally into the traffic  stream to hit the Stem

  The   fellow  smiled, his eyes darted to  Orria,..well.. I think i know a place in the lowers... beach side, most folks don't bother with it, while the Fleet is in, since the Clubs and such fill up...

 kid  friendly as well?..has  some  games..or you can have a small Vid  screen at your table

Jesse looked at them when she passed as if looking for some hidden clue.

She gave a sigh as the tell tale sign of another bar came around the bend.

  for a space..there weren't  any other  people walking, but another group was  seen in the  distance.. the  hole for the Lowers easy to see now.

 by herself, she could hear the sounds of the Stem. As much of a Jungle as  any plant populated  world...Screams of  woman..or Kids  as they were attacked or chased... Sounds  of Men swearing, cursing threatening...all with the back round of  small arms  fire.

 Above her, about half way between her and the  main traffic  stream, SEC aircars crusied, spotlights  searching..sometimes stopping on people..way to the other side.. one air hovered with the light  fixed on a body..from the traffic  stream a Med tech Van was  diving down.

Seemed that she'd made a circle, she decides turning around and going another way.

  She  stops, turning around, heading back towards the Uppers where she had   entered, Now  a good  200 yards behind the people who past her.

Jesse looks up and noticed that she's a bit of a distance from the group that had passed her.

Why not? She thought to herself.  Nothing else better to do.

So she follows them but walks a bit quicker to have a little less distance between herself and them.  She slows down until there is about 30 ft between them.  She keeps her head low and quiet.