Jesse moved  out the  North door, there was still some heat to feel as they moved  through the door. the catwalk led to a smooth stone   landing... with a tunnel going wast and west.. the north wall was solid rock.

  "On it." Garrat says.  He sets the charges and listens for movement on the other side of the door.

    Setting the   charges  he doesn't hear  any thing  behind the doors, though the  little holes seems to show a light now and again?.. or does it?

   When the charges are set...Garrat will give the word   for  cover.

   Admiral Hack  watched   the gun games now, of the  Mountain units... the only games  left in town...

  He says , distractedly,...NC-37? If you think you need to return to your ships, to contact the Home  world , or discuss the entrance into the APF... You are more then Welcome to... Commander Bornberry will see to your safe return.

 NC-37 shook her head,no Admiral,  If you provide a Link to the proceedings , so the Homeworld can look on? that should suffice.

 MC-1.....I still do not Understand  Admiral HAck?.. let us say we decide not to sign?

 ..then you return to your ships  and go on your merry way, provide you do not attaempt to aid   any of the blockaded planets..

 ..and  if  we sign... we   will be  permitted to help the Nivarians...

 Hacks eyes never left the screens as he raise the  finger that held his mug,Only...if the Nivarians sign.. if they do not sign, they are  still an enemy..thus?  we do not provide aid..of  any  kind...

 TX-5 spoke up,so?.. we try to help them.. and we do not  sign.. you attack us...and go to war with  Rouss and her colonies?

 Hack shrugged,..it depends on Rouss, doesn't it? They will asked why we  destroyed or captured your ships... we  will tell them..and we will tell them you know  what would happen. If Rouss decides they have to ....'punish us"... so be it.. We  will just have to  visit that system next....

 NC-37 looked a bit  Wide  Eyed.. the Cavet shrugged her shoulders and nodded...this is  how you play at Politics???

 Hack slowly turned his head to face her, then his eyes  shifted to take in the other   Roussians,..I do not ....'play'... at anything. We have a Goal, NC-37... those  that help us reach that goal, i consider friends..... those  who get in the way..i consider  foes.

 He points to the  black screen that the Highcouncil  was on,..Perhaps   the High Council felt i was  a statesman?.. Or perhaps they thought they could scare..or  ..even beat us?...whatever the reason.. I do not repeat myself, when I offer a way for my enemies  to survive...nor  do a go bad on my word, should they not take my offering...why?... Because the demons  do not even offer.. they just  kill, take, whatever....so? when my offer is  slapped back in my face.. then?  I act as the Demons..Because it seems, My enemies prefer their way...

 The Cavet spoke up,..perhaps?  they  just need some  banter? to save face..and...

 ..That isn't..in the least way... my problem.... i tell them what we will do... it is up to them to take or elave... and if they leave it?.. then i must fulfill my promise, lest i  be thought of as bluster..or even a lair..and that will not do at all.

In reply to Garrat's team (msg # 932):

   While setting the charges Garrat says out loud.  "If you Quarl are in there, you know we are here.  This is the only offer you are going to get before we come.  And we are going to keep coming until you are dead.  Either that or level this mountain from orbit.  After I blow this door we are going to be expecting an assault on the other side.  If we you on your face on the floor with no weapons near you, you will be spared, and may even have the chance to join us or remain neutral.  If you fight, you will die one way or the other."  Garrat doesn't waste time waiting for a response.  He backs off and takes cover. "Blowing in 15 seconds."

    The trooper s    retreat...Garrat triggers the charge.  The  battered  door blows in ward.. once more  the white  hot  flash of Plasma  go off....

 Smoke drifts  back out... as  the Snipers    try to see through the haze with their  scopes

 ..CLEAR... there is a bend  to the North about 30 yards in...

Roy scowled...there was an increasing number of approaches to the rear of his group...and something else puzzled him...

"Why are all the plasma grenades detonating inward?" he asked, thinking aloud.  "I mean...if you're trying to prevent someone from sneaking in on you, wouldn't it make sense to have the charge explode outward, in the direction from which they're approaching?  Why have it blast inward, toward the center of the base?..."

He looked from east to west for a moment, digesting the question and considering the implications...

  Supe  and Tucker   looked    at the different Directions,

  Karson shrugged,..MAybe , its  just the nature of the beast..confine the blast..could be malfuntion... not of these doors look like they have been used for a while....Could be.. whom ever  set the things, didn't know  how to set them?

 Melia stood  By Kole and  Jessse,..could be for show?... That stuff   eacts away at anything, except  rock..even the weapons sued to  dispruse them suffer  breakdowns  after the charges have been used .... we have never  found a Plasma weapon yet , inless it took it off a fresh Kill...

 meanwhile, both passages  looks  dark.. With no  'end' that they could see as of  yet.

  Lyri added,... Be in alot of trouble, if they figured out away to have that stuff pour  through the Tunnels?...like getting  rid of  cockroaches...

Could also be another entrance that they have and this one was not known at time of the set up.  Jesse shrugged.  I'm no explosives expert but seems to me that this tunnel is newer than the entrances.

She thought for a minute and shivered from a cold goosebump.

Or on the worst side, there's something here that they are more worried about gwtting out than someone getting in.

She was all to aware it could have been that answer instead.  If that's the case, what big baddie was captived here?

  While they waited  for marching orders, the  group could fill  rumblings  of  explosions, thought they were   soft...and no sound was heard.

 Lyri Looked at her COM, Haven't heard from the Admiral or the other Team..so i guess  no news is good News?

  Hack was looking a bit angry at the black screen, that was connected  to the The HC chambers.

 Beth?....  can you get me a feed through the planet's Vid  systems?

 beth   snorted.....Please... Um..Sir.....

 do so....


 already done...

 ( hack   Vid on Novar..)

In reply to Garrt's group (msg # 935):

Garrat advances slowly looking for more traps or side passage.

  Garrat moves up  through the passage, the snipers  don't move  as the  watch down their  sights  as he walks.

  Garrat notes  that the  plasma bombs were  set in the walls, like the others .. there  wasn't anything left in the   tunnel but charred and Pitted stone.

  when the turned the corner ,  he saw the  passage went 40 yards or so..and stopped. A small light at the  top of the entrance , shone down on a Massive door...it was Unclear if the   door  went up..down, or side to side...

  Simms  came over to Giol,..Doc Henry? The Admiral is Busy telling the Nivarains they are gonna die?... Commander said, if you wish to  leave to take  your specimens home, and  get Mr Giol situated .... You may?   They will be checking  with the CAvet, about  Mr Giol's release...but i don't say anyway they are stopping him, if he wishes to leave.

Henry nodded.

"Right. Thanks, Simms. Giol - we are going to take the specimens up to the Hermes shortly. You are welcome to join us, best gather up anything you want to take with you, we probably won't be coming back down."

He went off to organise the techs in loading the specimens.

  Giol Nodded and Opened his COM to the Capitol city,Requesting  some things  from his home and telling, whomever  was on the other  end  , that they could now  run his office and use his home.

 When done , he shoulders  his rifle and begins to help carry and  secure  what speimens have been collected.

 ..If they can do so... a small shuttle  will bring what items  i asked for... if not, they will have to be transported  by  hover cart.. it may take  most of the day for that?

 Simms   Nodded as he kept  watch,..That will be  fine, if we are ready to go and a shuttle cannot be used... we'll make sure its  sent up, as soon as it arrives.

Garrat motioned the group to come forward but not to cross into sight of the door.  he gets into his back and rolls a roll of duct tape up to the door to see if it's trapped.

  The     Duct  tape  rolls  and Bounces, it curves , just  a Bit   and Bounces off the door wiggles  about  and stops.

 There  doesn't  seem to be  any change in teh  passageway or  door, with the 'entrance' of the  new thing...

 There is a snort heard in the COMs,..this work..it is not  for warriors.. for this? we could Hire   Veeks.. this is what they do..crawel around dark places... make holes.... steal things...and.. they taste line   branna Meat!

Once his speech was done,  Hack sat BAck down at the 'picnic' table to watch the  vids of the teams in the mountain.

 NC-37 , looked at her people , thenback to Hack...and? You think this is a choice they can make in a few hours?

 Hack  Shrugged,..it took them minutes to fire  that 'gun'  at my ship.... it took them  less tiem then that, to  send thier Cap ships out to face mine... and took  a fraction of that, for gutless  troops to prtend to be hurt, then  kill..or try to kill, my people who were going to aid them.... You don't realize this?.. but  on one of the Damaged  Nivarina ships...a shuttle  full of Sanri Medtechs and thier Guardians  went  abaord to see  what aid they could give... Nivarians pretending to be 'victims '..attacked  and Killed  all But one  Sanri doctor..  and  one of the Guardians... I understand the Guardian will Lose  two arms?.... I am sure you know what that means to thier  people... so?.. make the choice..don't make the choice.. that's  fine... My choices   are already made, i just need to...push the Button.

 TX-5 asked,...you push Buttons  to makle choices?

 Hennings cleared his throat,...what the Admiral means is.. we know what paths we will take... and we wil take the one, that is  the answer, to what choice they make...for good...or ill.. thier fact is in thier own hands..

 COmmander  Bornberry   speaks up,..Admiral HAck... should  we have to chell the planet... I would  request My ship be premitted to take part....

 Hack nodded   without looking away from the screen,..Once   Nivar has made thier choice... we will  take the Roussians to  the Hermes to   get them a copy of the standard treaty.... once they decide  what they will do, then we will act on Nivar, depending  on what choice they have made...

 MC-1 drinks a coffee..he  wrinkles  his Nose  until Emmie  puts some sugar and  'milk' in.. then he nods and  smiles a thanks.  H e asks   Hack...what if we choose to stop you from  attacking Nivar...

 Hack looked up..clearly weary of their fence sitting,..we will allow  you to go back to your ships.. you will be then be given.. a Very..very short window, to leave the system.. should you sue that window to  move towards nivar.. we will destroy your ships.. should  you leave the system.. we will leave you alone.... but the catch is?.. any action , by a Roussian Vessel, against  any  ESN/APF  vessel or holding, will result  in all Roussian's considered  enemy targets..and? because of that, you will force  me to make a Visit to your system

 MC-1  smiles coldly......That , Admiral Hack, would be a very big Mistake...

 Commander Si  pipes up,...yes... it would be...MC-1. I hope your  people, do not make such a mistake...

 In the backround One of the  Older  , battlescarred  Naragrans    had   scuttled over ot watch and Listen...  Bale  Looked at the creature  and   gavce it a way... Emmie, sorta  moves   closer to Hennings  when it  came.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:55, Wed 31 May 2017.

In reply to Garrat's team (msg # 947):

  "This work needs to be done.  Veeks would be dead by now "  Garrat approaches the door carefully watching for traps.

   when   Garrat reaches the door, he does notice  on thing..there are a lot more footprints here in the  thick dust... some are smaller.. some are Humaniod  size.. and some have  clawed prints...

 Cummings   came on the COMS,..I say..Mr Garrat?  LT Cove  is encountering some resistance. mostly the aforementioned  traps?.. but some of the Bloody Qarl are popping up now and again.... I sent  a warning about the traps you have encounters to him....

 Aslo.. your Stick of troopers are spaced out  on the stairs, with 5 , 4 man fireteams   at  the last large Platform you have....Coves stick is  all deployed, and we are sending some  of the reserves   i have to follow him.

Garrat looks to see if the clawed foot prints Match any of the species he has meet in this part of the galaxy.

In reply to Admiral Hack (msg # 948):

   Joseph had arrived with the creature observing It's interactions with humanoids and documenting everything he could.  No one else seemed to need him as a com operator at this time so he was gathering as much information as he could.  He also managed to capture some of the interactions between hack and the purple aliens.

  Joseph snorts in amusement at MC-1's comments but tries to keep his words to himself.

   The  Roussians  watch the Naragran and shook  heads, or made a face.

   Admiral Hack?  From the  Vids, we saw you sign a treaty with the  green Moon Nivarians  and these....creatures...

  ..Naragrans... the name of thier Race is Naragrans... we call them spidergators,  But thier  Name  is..Naragrans...

    The Cavet nodded,we had an unsteady truce with them... now we are all under the blanket of the ESN/APF...

There was a wrinkle of a Purple nose,as NC-37,..how..in  all the 9 hells could you make a treaty with these things.. yet, condemn planets to horrific  death?  You understand.. these  things  would eat you   without a second thought?

 Hack  shrugged, more interested  in  the   Mountain teams,..The Ape folk of the Delta  Planets..which includes.. carnivour Apes, Cannibal Humans  and Carnivour Man-apes, and Ape-men..also would kill and eat us on sight.... but  they have joined the APF, and we have thousands of them  in the  fleet transports.. they do..have the OK to eat dead enemies..since..you know..the whole Empire  eating and breeding folks...thing...

 MC-1 who was closest to the smaller  human that Just entered the Area with the NAragran he was   observing....you cannot tell me you can communicate  with these   beasts... they are nothing more the animals...Nivar  made the  extinct hundreds of years ago!

 There was a pitched whistle from the  older  Naragran.

  Shade   bleeped and Beeped... Orria said,shade say..no one  knows  what he says... he is not a beast!

 TX-5 shakes her  head  wrinkling her Nose at the creature   that was as big as an Airvan...so?..how did you come to talk with them.. how did you get them to take your side?....

 Hack brushed the  words away....long story

   "Actually they understand everything you say."  Joseph says matter of factly, "They can read th'very thoughts yer tryin to project when you speak with 'em or others in their presence.  Their verbal language is impossible to hear in our range of words but the have a set of gestures and signals that are standardized and I can possibly roll them over into a translatable language." he continues booting up a screen on his computer. It shows some simple sentences in gestures. "Go ahead, ask it aythin that requires one of these responses.  Ya donna even have to say it out loud."