Karl held off firing...there were too many ESN targets around the bombers for safe attack from his angle...but he plotted target-locks on them, ready to fire if it became a last-second solution to saving the Big Ugly.

Then someone called the fighters away to protect the other shuttles, and he gave a bloodthirsty grin.  "Okay, Ed...we're going to test a new attack style...direct-fire engagement with the howitzer.  I want one HE round on each bomber, just aft of the cockpit.  Start with the lead and work back up the line..."

He kind of wished he could see the expressions on the Nivarian crews' faces when their planes started blowing up from unseen attackers.  He was still high above the engagement zone...and Beth's masking system seemed to be working on the Nivarian equipment on the planet.  Odds were pretty high that no one would think to look for him, and he was a damned small target to pick out if they did...

Roy helped with Commander Si, when asked, then walked back to his seat...but didn't sit down.  Where another person might have looked agitated, he went very still, as he stood there...moving only to adjust his balance to the motion of the transport.

"Admiral?" he asked, after listening to the Nivarian High Council members explain why they could be so cavalier with the lives of their subjects.  His jaw muscles worked for a moment as he struggled to remain calm.

"Do we really NEED all of these individuals?" he asked.  His eyes passed a scathing glance over the bound Nivarian and Roussian envoys.  "I mean, they're so big on how they're just following the natural order of things...I'm wondering if they might react well to a demonstration of just what 'natural order of things' really means..."  His voice was a rarely-heard too-quiet tone of contemplation...the same kind of stillness to it as was in his body, which was akin to the stillness he achieved just before pulling the trigger on a carefully-aimed shot.

Justin's bursts fragmented a second Sundrop allowing him to sweep through its remains. Bringing his Dart about he adjusted the angle vector bringing him attack path of one of the ships trying to catch the Big Ugly. Tapping on his thrusters he head forward until his targeting sounded, and he squeezed of two bursts into the closest Bogey.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:12, Thu 03 Aug 2017.

   Garrat grins, he motions to shade to stay and walks over to the static field controls.

  Hack   was brushing  Si's  hair she had a smile smile on her  face , but her eyes were closed.

  Melia was working on his leg, he winced a but, but tried to remain stoic..... High Council?.... Who is in charge of the treasury on your planet...

 The High Council  nodded to  a  Light yellow skinned  Male he wore  Green Robes with golden rings...

  Perhaps...SGT Major.... The Military Fellow in the Bright Gold and the treasury fellow...should  be  with thier people...in thier time of need.

 Shade  sat on the Dec watching.. he kept looking   to  Orria to make sure she was ok.  Shoe  still sat between them, But  Pulled his side arm out..a  .45 style pulse weapon.

 Lyir  Grabbed  the  Golden   robe, and the  green robe  and  shoved  them  down the cargo bay  The female Naragran  caught  them , holding them for Roy.

  Mila    snuggled closer to Henry as her nose sniffed up and  down.

 of the 7 that has  went ballistic, to catch the Big Ugly, 4  remained... the began to  fire.. a few scattered rounds of  Golden Lazars,  hit the   bottom of the machine, but  most missed or dissolved as they depleted in the  thinning air.

 The Pilot COMed to the  cargo Hold,..its going to get rough, Admiral.. we only have the top bubble  gun  and it  can't  target  anything below us.

.....

 The Stolys  Fired...  between the  two of them... they took out One  fighter...

 ..Sorry Admiral...  we don't have any more rounds....

  Supe  said.....yes we do!...

 the  folks inside the Stoly hooked up  and Tucker opened the Ramp... there is a good  chance , that only the   Heavy Pulse  gun and the 60 could do any damage.. but the other  rounds   might add distraction....I got one Belt.. the rest us Up to you guys!

 Tucker  threw out his last 2 grenades.. the  Blew up in the air... but  did  cause on fighter to move  a tiny bit.

 the rounds poured out the back like  hundreds of Bees..not one of them thought they could bring down a fighter..but it didn't mean they wouldn't try.

  The Feltites followed suit.. The hail of   rounds and beams did break up the flight pattern of the 6   attacking  fighters..but they were still closing in.

..........................

 Karl's  rounds  begin to hit the  slowly climbing Bombers... as slow as they were... they were still gaining on the Big Ugly, and ...would most like catch  it, as it broke   atmo , to The Black. ..  One  Bomber  fractured  Cases and cases of explosives fell  towards the   ground..... the second one  Burned   before  the  cargo  went up, the  wings   went on flying    a few hundred  yards before    dropping  ., the  Pilots  could be seen  pounding on their  cockpit as  flames  rushed in, and the nose fell to the ground....

 below them..more people died as the  crates hit the ground...effectively  'bombing' their own people.

  The Ironwood   was trailing Vapor, but is was becoming intermittent  as her   crew patched the   hull... the stubborn stolys  and the Ironwood formed a rear guard... The  Civie transport has reached The Black and   headed , with all speed towards the nearest Cap ship.

  The first troop transport  as another Minute away from the Black.... The  2nd Transport was 5 minutes away.. the Big Ugly was a painful 9 minutes..

    Justin  had  taken out  a fighter from the second  Group..the other  5 now   hit  full power  as they   streaked upwards...leaving the last three bombers  behind...
......................

   The  Hermes  Fighters   were trying to catch the   Sundrops.....Its was clear the fighters would reach the Big ugly , well before the safety for  The Black...

 Shadow  Fired his  cannon   10 rounds at a time.. hoping  the rounds  would hit something, not caring where the  round  would land if they missed... to him..everything on the planet was a target now.

  frans lead  her People  in a straight line to  try and cut the distance as the   Sundrops  climbed , they might be able to reach them..

 They saw the hail of  Gun fire  coming out of the  back of the   stoly's no one though, for a moment , they could  bring a fighter down...but?  the tinfoil fighters  were as heavy armored as  Darts...

Henry stroked Mila's fur, glad that they were safe for the moment. Better, they were together. He didn't want her to be alone again.

Sarah sat in the command chair, "none of those fighters get past us. Do what ever it takes, do not give them even a fouled shot at the board, and command team." She states calmly,  though the tension on the bridge could be cut with a knife. "Ironwood fighters and shuttle if you aren't topping off on ammo or fuel I need a screen now!" She states.  They helm and navigation team worked frantically to keep the wall of steel between the flying bombs, inside engineers fought their own battles with the hull patches, conduits, and damaged components. The powerful engines thrummmed and surged under the deft hands of the helm.  Behind the exhaust ports the atmosphere was superheated and a trail of plasma followed the capital ship as she defended the big ugly.

The Ironwood flight darted out guns blazing as they cleared the field not bothering to conserve ammo.  The shuttle right behind them.  Sarah desperately hoped they could out last the enemy aircraft and reach the safety of space
This message was last edited by the player at 16:41, Thu 03 Aug 2017.

In reply to Henry Christie (msg # 372):

 She licks his face twice then goes back to watching for anyone dangerous to her Henry. She isn't going to let anyone hurt him like they did Jeremy!

In reply to in the air,all (msg # 370):

Melia continued to work get fingers moving deftly as they treated the admiral and Si's injuries, though she offered the offhand comment.  If you hold him up to the door I'll post mark him with my boot."

Orria spared a moment to give the nivarian council her version of a withering glare though on a small child the effect was less threatening than its intent.  She gave shade a small smile,  she was okay just not happy.

>>>>>>>On Stoly's Duce

 Cookie bandaged and medicated and treated the injured as they came her way, triaged of course to tend to the most injured first, and did the basic for those not injured as bad, but who were able to return to duty with just minor treatment, usually cleaning the wounds and tossing pain meds and bandages to those who could take care of themselves. Once she treated the most seriously wounded like General Bale, she moved onto those who were less severely wounded but who were out of action for the duration.
 She sewed up and or glued wounds that were bleeding too much to continue duty without help, and gave plasma or transfusions to those who lost a little too much blood to keep going, and fed those who could eat soups and drinks to rebuild up fluids to combat blood loss.

 Those who could go back on duty she sent on with a smile and some candies to help blood sugar levels.
 "Go get em Boys and Girls!"

 She checked back in with General Bale, making sure his wounds were stable and not bleeding, and that all was copacetic with him. When he wakes up, if he does, she will offer him some hot soup if he wants it.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:15, Thu 03 Aug 2017.

    Garrat clicked on the static field and lowered the ramp to space revealing a lovely vista of the stricken planet.

    "Can we do it one part at a time like last time, I'm sure the council will find it educational to know what happens to a body in space."  Garrat grins, "After all, there is a lot of planet for him to cover."

  Hack looked  at the door as it opened.. The View would have been great id not  for the Golden Aircraft rising to meet them..  A brief Flash or the Corvette  went By  belong as its  shuttle  and  two fighters   Joined the fight.. that  would help.. something between them and the attackers.

 From garrat's Postion he could see the hail of   weapons fire from the back of the stolys. The Stolya would have reached Atmo  a bit ago, had the pilots  not insisted on  trying to screen for the  Big  Ugly.

 ......

  The ironwood  Fighters took weapons  fire  almost from the start, the  fanatic  Sundrops  had  a Mission...

 The   Ironwood's  Duce  opened  Up, fresh and full hard  ammo sprayed from  three sets of  twin 50's.. tracer  firing sweeping across the  sky to  chew up one of the sundrops,,,as  Smoke Poured from it.. it  switched its  vector to  head  straight for the  Ironwood Duce.

 .....

Hack's eyes   moved to the   CArgo hold's screen as he watched what he can't see..... By the time  we get to break Atmo, SGT Garrat....this  will all be over  One way or the  other...

   LT Stoly..LT Nura.. you each have a Member of  The Board... Get the 9 hells out of here...

 ..I'm sorry  Admiral.. this COM link needs a look at, when we get back..keeps  fuzzing out...

..the Fuzzing..it is  happening here..every time you make the order  for us to be leaving?...

 some folks  could swear they heard Stoly's face palm....

 Hack  flicks off his COMs  and frowns....there was a time.. all i would hear, was 'Already done..'

 Si   smiled a big bigger.

   Shade looked out at the   golden dots that were getting bigger... he looked at the screens....his eyes  just turned grey as he shook his head.

,..........

 Over the COM chatter Hermes  Pilots   could be heard  swearing, yelling, or wisecracking..  when the Ironwood's   aircraft entered the fray, there  was some cheering.

  ..Alright...   time to adjust...   Nilsson?...  keep hounding the Bombers....  Everyone else?.. this is  a damn race.... we get the  fighters..or they get the  Big Ugly.... Judging  by my screens some of you don't have the  Juice?... those of you who do...  all power to the   fighters......and..listen closely... pass the  closest ones... Unless you  take a  quick shot... that first wave is what we have to stop..... those who don't have the juice for s print... you will take that second Group.... we got % in the lead... and 5 behind them by 20 seconds or so.. everyone!  on your own...Good Luck!

 Shadows  Fighter  jerked  as he jammed the thruster  forward, pushing on the   stick as if that would make a difference .. he  fired  his energy rounds  as he   passed   over the    2nd  wave.. nicking one Fighter  Up... but other wise, not harming it....

 Flores  was  right  next to him,,, vapor  coming out of her left wing.....Shadow?.... They are  a bit slower then they should be.. they are packed  with ..whatever  explosion the bananas use?...... we might be able to catch them...

   Some  Golden  lazar  chewed Up her    left wing and  she      wavered  away to the right... trying to  stay  as straight as she  could, but not let the     fighters  behind them get a good lock.

............

 Howe's  fighter  couldn't  join the Main chase.. he was red Lining  as it was... but he  fired off his Cannon  and two rounds of the 6 hit  the  Fighter   that was targeting Flores.. and it Vanished   into Golden Confetti...one less  banana in the second  bunch...

Roy's tone was carefully measured.  "You claim such adherence to 'the natural order of things'..." he began, as he walked up to the Treasury minister, looking him coldly in the face for a moment.  He turned and looked back at the rest of the High Council, and added, "I think, perhaps, you need a reminder of just what the natural order of things really is."

He began pacing a slow circle around the Treasurer, not unlike a shark circling its kill.  "You claim the natural order is that the rich lead, and the poor follow...but you forget one simple thing."  He stopped in front of the Treasurer, getting in his face in a manner only Marine sergeants could manage.  "Money isn't natural.  It's a construct of society, and only has value if society agrees it does."  His voice dropped to an impatient growl as he spoke, leaning in so the Nivarian could feel his breath on its face.

He resumed pacing.  "Force, strength, violence...these are the natural order of things.  Nature could not possibly care less about your money...it's a cheap security blanket to be ripped away when Nature decides your time has come."  Suddenly, he stopped, seizing the military minister by the upper arm and the back of the robes, and rushed him to the hatch, flinging him out into empty air like a bouncer ejecting a troublesome drunk.

"That is the first lesson."  He walked back past the Treasurer, looking at the Nivarians.  "Your money buys you a false sense of security and power.  It means nothing.  It will never make you safe..."  He turned and rushed the Treasurer to the hatch, tossing him out in the same manner.  He turned briefly to Garrat, with a grim smile, and said, "Thank you, Sgt Wolfrim.  I think will do for now..."

With a nod, he turned and strode back to the remining Nivarians and Roussians.  "Lesson learned?  Or does anyone still feel inclined to claim "the natural order of things" as a pathetic excuse for ordering the suicide of thousands of your own people?!"  He barely paused, anger suffusing his whole being as he added, "Please, speak up!  Because while the odds are slim, I kinda like trying to knock your planes out of the sky with your falling bodies...there's a poetic justice to it that really appeals to me."

He was sure that he would loathe himself for what he'd just done...later.  Right now, he felt pretty damned good about it.

  The treasurer  looked worried.. the  Military leader  was confident  ....Until Roy  Grab the  Military Council and sent him screaming out the   hatch..  It   Fell Past Stoly who said..what the 9 hells?, They dropped away.

 Sadly, for the  Military fellow they were well past the  surge of bodies that might have made it hurt a Little  less... but the crash through the trees, were he  Hung, impaled...No one  would ever know, how long it took him, tom die.

  when the treasurer  fellow went out the  Hatch... He Bounced off the Top of the Ironwood  as she   passed..... a broken arm and broken leg, flailed around like a child's  wind up plane prop.. Until the  leg ripped off from the torque.. send  the fellow down to the trees.. with his very own vapor  trail.

 ..Thank you  folks... if  we need another Example, I thin MC-1 or TX-5 should do the honors... I have plans   for NC-37

 Shade  held a thumbs up.

   The Ironwood, with it new bit of  red-orange Blood on the top.  Managed to Vaporize  two  sundrops   on ( their) left  flank.. the over powered weapons and explosive packed  aircraft..makes  for little in the way of  scrap.

  But... she didn't see the other one  that broke off from the shuttle, to  try and  Ram the Ironwood...

  b only the shuttle  Pilot    who tried to get his  people  a Shot at the thing.. he missed  with   two cannon rounds... so he  flew the shuttle   inbetween the Ironwood  and the  Sundrop.... whether the pilot  didn't understand, that the  fighter was a bomb.. or..knew  exactly what  he was doing, to save the Ironwood... no one will know...

   The Shuttle  and Sundrop collided.. the   force  from the Blast shook the  Ironwood, but on tiny bits of armor  were  nicked... The shuttle was gone, alone with her  3  crew man...

  One of the  Ironwood fighter  torched another.... That left two Closing in on the Big Ugly.. and 4 more , about  30 seconds behind.

...................

 Inside the Pilot  came on the COMs,Admiral.. they are doing damn well out there? But those  two... they are  15 seconds out... I can't do a gods be damned thing...

 Lyri walked to the Hatch  hit the opening   and Hooked her self  up.... this is the last damn time i leave my barret at home....

 She  Knelt, and started to fire at the closes one.... low... then high.. then spot on.. one pulse round at a time.

 Beth Looked at the others,..can she  bring one  down  with a Pulse rifle?

 Hack smiled  sadly..sure... sure she can.. right shot.. right place...

 Si held his hand.

 Shade moved over to Orria standing in front of her, as if , he could stop what was going to happen...

..................

 Nura  was a fighter pilot... some say..she flew a shuttle...like a fighter  pilot... and so she did... cutting  above the   vector of the   fighters...   she halfrolled   to slide a bit  Closer....   folks Could Hear on the  COMs,

 ..you sure this Bloody thing  will work?

 sure, I'm sure!.. that  hard part was the  cat  getting us  close enough!

 ..bugger it!... here  we Go!
  and.. whether  watching out the door...or the screen... they saw  Hemsly dive out the Back of the  Duce  with a tether...  he   held a  Cago Net is  his chest like  a wild octopus...

 McCloud, McNield and Minnet   fired   at the   fighters below them.. nicking a couple, but no real effect

  Nura forested the Thrusters  once more  time   and  Hemsly.. swinging like  a broken paddle Ball waited  and Tossed   the Cargo net... the Sundrop flew into the Net... and KAreson pressed the Button... the C-4 and grenades went Off,  and so  did the Sundrop..  Hemsly  was   pushed straight  backwards from the concussion  and  dangled Limply  on the end.

  Karson shouted,..9 HELLS..IT WORKED!

 McCloud  could be heard, whadda ya mean!.. You told him it would work!

 ..well?  yeah?.. he wouldna  went other wise?


 Lyri now  redoubled her  efforts shooting at the last  'close' fighter.

"On it, LC," Karl replied smoothly.  He was still higher than the Big Ugly, having taken a high position at first orders to watch over the signing area and then having climbed higher when shooting started.  He nosed the Morningstar down, starting a dive down toward the rising bombers' altitude, while keeping them in the firing arc of his big guns.  "Keep pounding them, Ed...give me an audible alert when we're down to five HE rounds..."  He already had a plan in mind that would probably go into effect before he ran out of the howitzer rounds, but it wouldn't hurt to have some contingencies in place.

The howitzer continued to roar out shells as fast as the loading gear could move them from the magazine to the gun breech, the heavy pulse gun spitting massive pulse rounds at a pace of three for every one from the howitzer, the angles shifting as the Morningstar closed on the bombers in a gradually changing arc that would have him into range with his cannon about the same time the bombers were no longer in his fire-arc with the big guns...a quick roll would put him going head-to-head with the remaining bombers.

It wasn't what the Morningstar was made for...but neither was air-to-air artillery.  Adapt and overcome... he thought, reciting an age-old Marine mantra...

   The Morning start began to fire. The Bombers  were  Big.. 4 engines..but they were packed with...whatever they packed them with... but the seemed to speed up slightly as after the   Hermes  fighter  left them... The  right  side  Bomber  was hit  3  times   before the HE found  the sweet spot.. the right  wing  broke off  tearing  a large part of the  fuselage  away.. sending    Crated of   explosives  down towards  the  forest below.. it would take the broken  bomber about  8 more seconds until  it joined them.

  A large fire was breaking out now... Nature, might have chose her side.

Roy smiled grimly, looking at MC-1.  "Lucky you," he said...and grabbed TX-5.  "Shadow would never forgive me if I deprived him the pleasure of beating the hell out of you."

He dragged the Roussian back to the hatch, oblivious to any protests, and paused long enough to say, "Give our regards to Nivar..." he said, giving the tech a solid push out of the hatch, past Lyri.  He walked back to his rifle, grabbing it and heading back to where the Master Chief was shooting.

"A drink at the Pulse for every Nivarian you shoot down," he said, taking up a shooting stance beside her.  Her pulse rifle didn't have the same ammo limitations his did...but hard-ammo weapons had proved more effective against everything the Nivarians had fielded so far.  He settled crosshairs on the cockpit of the closest fighter, and fired.

Redundant post.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:28, Fri 04 Aug 2017.

The approach angle became such that the howitzer could no longer pivot far enough to come to bear on the approaching bombers...the Morningstar was diving at well above recommended max atmospheric speed.  "Well...here goes nothing," he grunted.  Using the exo-atmospheric maneuvering thrusters, he barrel-rolled the Morningstar into the bombers' flight path and braked, beads of sweat starting to form on his forehead from fighting controls that were never intended for the speed and aerobatics he was doing.

He keyed his weapon select to the rotary cannon  and minigun that were turret-mounted under the nose of the plane, and opened fire, relying on the rotating barrels to keep the guns cool and continuing to fire retro-thrusters to maximize his time on target.

  The Battered Tech  tried to  scream as she left.. but her  lips   and teeth took a lot of damage from Shade... should  would hit the forest  some 10 miles from the last ejection...

 Lyri  grinned,..Right now?.. I'm  just worried about this one...

   Pulse  round   zipped out the Barrel,  dents and scoring    and  some  dark smears on the Cockpit.was all the Pulse rifle  had to show... 8 more second  and the  Fighter  would hit around  midships..

 Those who watched.. could see the Pilot Laughing and singing .. Roy's  first  round    send cracks around the  meta Glass..

 The  next pulse  round cracked it more....

 The next harm ammo  round shattered it.. the Pilot's smile went away.. then so did his head as a hard ammo round blew out the back of his skull and a  pulse  round shattered his chest..

  The fighter went under the  Big Ugly by 8 inches... they could her the  tailfin grind  across the  bottom of the hull... and it was Gone...

 That left 4  in the second  wave  The Big Ugly Pilot  shouted,..That gives us  another  20 seconds  before the  first ones  can ramp is.... bit their guns can hit us  now!

 .............

  Shadow  saw the last 'near' fighter    nosed   down under the Big Ugly.....Alright  folks.. Gloves  are off now... take out those  damn Bananas...  he   whipped  his  Dart into a steep  Climb, then  let the  Nose  Fall over the Back , spinning out to  come  down  on the   four suicide plane... Firing every weapon that still worked on the 2nd one in from ( their ) right.

  Frans    lead the Others   into a steep  bank  as they came  around  behind ...

....................


   Karl heard Noises that weren't   Good... something snapping.. the  Morningstar shook a bit.. then shook more  as his weapons   fired... The  first of the   Two died  after the   impact of several  round..one getting  trough to the  Interior and  setting off the  goods... The Last one  tried to ignore Karl.. but its  top   gun was   hammering away at the Morning star... the Golden Lazars  chewing up  plates , and setting off  sparks...

Justin followed the other Fighters, participated in B Flight runs as directed when and where directed.

Karl gritted his teeth, not ready to consider what the shaking and odd noises from his plane could mean.  "Ed, would you kindly point the minigun at that turret and make him STOP SHOOTING US..."  He'd have just used the cannon...but he was trying to make sure the plane went down...

There was a pause...uncharacteristically long for the AI...then a fuzzy, mechanical voice that was generally recognizable as the AI's interface answered.  "Atttttttttttttempting to comply, Caaaaaaaaaptain..."  The minigun stopped firing...for an agonizingly long moment...before it opened up again, targeted at the general vicinity of the turret.  It shifted fire, 'walking' in on its target, as though the AI had lost its primary targeting functions and was having to adjust fire as it went.

Karl swore under his breath...the AI was what made the Morningstar so effective...there were too many weapons, on too many different axes, for a single person to operate them in any coordinated fashion.  When they got back to the Hermes...IF they got back to the Hermes...Ed would need a LOT of attention...

Roy shifted slightly, trying to get an angle on the next fighter.  "If we have to bat them down one at a time the hard way, so be it..."  He lined up crosshairs again, still firing single rounds, and took a shot at the next fighter's canopy.