"Sure thing, Kray," said Henry, picking Orria up.

"Thanks, everyone, for helping to dig them out. There will be a drink for everyone once this unpleasantness is settled and we can relax."

He looked round to call Mila and found that she was sitting by his left foot. They headed off after the med-techs who were carrying Melia.

-> Med-Lab

  Garrat does as he is told until every one ids free of the debris.

     One  By  one  the Damaged fighters began to land..which is to say..almost all of them,


  Not far behind were primer Grey fighters  from the  Matterhorn factory.. brand new...only thier  serial Numbers on.

  REivets had   people  start to work as   soon as Harry settled   her  down. Shadow had  reached    where  his berth 'used to be and one of the crewmen hande dhim Lady's  nose art plate.

  he frowned  and placed it on a crate where  his  berth  would be..whenever they had a chance to  rebuild them.

   One   by one the  more badly Damaged of the fighted  that could still fly, the ferry pilots took  back towards the  the LG-01T.

   Shadow shook his ehad,   he walked  into the Middle where figthers looked  naked  with no  ESN blue, and no Berths  around them.....NO....NO....WE'RE NOT DOING THIS...NO DAMN WAY...

 Rivets looked at  Shadow  with a harsh frown,..Ye gotta  problem , Boyo?

 ..yes... yes.. a very big one.... I can't  send  my pilots  out  in Tin cats that aren't even painted...They don't even have thier  Gods  be damned  numbers on!

 .. we can't paint the Bloody things... an'  we have lee then 40  minutes  afore the lizards are knockin'  our bloody door!

   Shadow shakes  his  head  , he  walks over to the Maintenance area  and Grabs  a Box of spray cans... he walks over to the  first  grey fighter he sees,..who's  flying this one?

 Wills  put  up0 his  hand.....Me ..LC...

  Right... Wills... #9  .... he stands on the tail fin  shakign the  spray can, then.. with suprising deft touch.. he Sprays  a  ginat 9 on  each side... the he hops  down.. and  Sprays    a # 9 on the   fuselage  on each side.....There?... it ain't pretty.. but folks will know who you are.... Grab some cans...  Pilots   ran towards the box  and  Rivets shook his ehad,

 ..ya know?.. when they come back.. we'll have ta blast  that paint of and  cover it again, before they get the proper  paint?

 Shadow's  smile  vanished  as he turned away,... we  lose pilots.. every time  we take off...don;t you think... they should have the comfort of thinking.. some one..somewhere  saw their Number?.....its a damn small thing... but look at them...

 pilots  were laughing.. some of them trying to make   Block style numbers  like the ESN.. some  added ESN to thier  aircraft.

 ... we get back?... I'll  help you paint...  He    smiled  slightly  as  Rivest  nodded. He went back to his   fighter and  checked the 37 MM belts....

Roy made his way over to Hack after he'd squared away his weapons and gear.  "Where do you want us, Admiral?  This isn't gonna be pretty..."  His physical manner was easy...but his face was grim.

---> Gamma Quad

After receiving her permission to land and pad number, Harry would gently bring Shadow's wounded bird in to land, and in a far smoother manner than she'd done with her own up on the spine. With Shadow's Dart now safely on the Dec and with it's engines shut down Harry would join the other pilots in front of the row of Darts in their grey primer paint; gratefully pulling off her helmet so that she could get a little fresh air.

After a quick word with one of the ground crew she would approach her new ride with a can of spray in her hand, which due to her having been a little late to party was a dusty pink colour. She hated pink. Hated it with a passion that was the result of years of being forced to wear dresses and ribbons in that colour by a mother that was determined that Harriet would be the adorable little princess she'd always dreamed of. Thankfully her older sister was more than happy to fulfil that role so she wasn't too devastated when at the age of sixteen Harry had turned into...well...Harry.

Standing on the wing she would carefully spray 117 onto both the tail fins and the fuselage before then circling the numbers with a big pink heart. Upon completing this little act of rebellion Harry would go in search of some food and hopefully somebody to talk to.

  The Bee was brought  back in, taking the shirt hop from the Big  Ugly to the Hanger Bay... Rivets  waved  it to the back. Out of the way.

   Shadow   was moving to each aircraft, telling  the thinned out  ground  crews to check the power cells and make sure thier   37 MMs  were full, since the LArgans  had the shields.

   When  he was satisfied  hr went   over the Morris's  shed  the Waitress's  who ha d sheltered in SEC, were serving some drinks  and  finger  foods.

   sitting  down by the  Shed, he  ate a  simple sandwich and  a hot  cup of coffee. A very tired look on his face,  as he frowned at the Blueblack blood that coated his  suit.

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

   Hack had his helmet under his arm, there were two deep furrows on the left side  from  heavy pulse  rounds...... Take stock of your boarding teams... If they get close  enough.. we'll board Vexis's  flag ship. Other then that.. you'll carry the brunt of  defense on the hanger Dec...They have us?  We're beat up.. in a battle  we should not have , had to fight...but..had to fight it.

 ..Projects  shouwed, had we just destroyed the  Matterhorn, the Creshians  would  have  left  , or?..  formed up to attack Etna?.... If  we  let them take  Matterhorn, we lose every  one on there ...anyway..and the Bugs have a foothold in ESN  space.

Roy gave a tired, almost sarcastic laugh.  "Hell, Admiral...this whole war is a battle we shouldn't have had to fight."  He shrugged, then nodded.

"We'll be ready...anyone stupid enough to close with us us gonna get a boot in the tail, if they live that long."  He keyed his comm.  "All boarding teams, report to the hangar deck for assignment."  He would assess numbers when he saw just how many were still able to muster out, and what condition they were in.  "If you're wounded, get a medical officer to comm me permission for you, or else you're staying home this time."  He knew there were a few that wouldn't be in condition to be involved...might not even make muster.  Others would show up despite Stefi sidelining them.  He'd have to figure it out once he saw how many able bodies showed up.

  A few  'ayes'..and 'already Dones'  answered  the COMs...

 in a few Moments Admiral Hennings  appeared.. dera Plast  in all the right places,..Alright  SGT MAJ, where  do you want me?

 Hack  looked up and chuckled.

 The Felrites  appeared , some drinking  milk and  eating bits of meat, rather then sandwiches .
Lt Hirr there are   what i am having  to be able to do the fighting

SGT Grrv M

CPL Mirg M

CPL Oiem M med tech

PVT Niog F -OMNI Com

CPL Morv M S

 Az-el  looking a bit battered herself nodded to them as 'battle able'  Angels  ap0peared.

Lt Ne-Lc m Sniper

SGT Jo-Wa m

SGT Ai-Li F

SGT Ba-lo F - OMNI COM

PVT Lo-ne F

 McCloud stood there with McNeil

 Capt McCloud

Colour SGT Hemsly

Lt Mary McNiel

SGT Brooks m

SGT Lancer F

CPL Minnet f HW

LCPL Jeens M Sniper

 Of the   Hermes 'normal' Teams

  Lyri

 Supe

 Tucker ( with a note from Stefi)

 Karson

 SIms

 Rolfe

Mann

 Shoemaker ( no note)

 There was a Younger  Guy.. Seaman. he had  the chest protector of a Light  boarding  armor, and the Uniform of a Mech Tech...Hey . SM?   I can Go   I was a tunnel runner fro the mechs on Astra , when we had to look for  booby traps?

 ... if you   get to board the Flagship... you make want to think  about taking the Mechs?.. if nothing  else , to help  protect the Duces
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:36, Sun 03 Dec 2017.

  The Pilots  were gearing  Up...   Steele   turned on  his COM as loud  as he could  and  begins  to  sing.. many of the others   joined in.. some  with the refrains..  extra load...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F44fT9-7kL8

  Shadow   got up.. thanking the waitresses for the food, and grabbing an extra soda. He  reached  Roy and HAnded  it to him.

  ..You know, Roy.. any other time.. I would be going  with you.....

 Hack  looked over to Shadow,..Frans can take the Wing?.. if you want to?

 aye , sir.  I know... but not this  time...I have to go out  with my  people... we've never done anything like this before....Might never again?... I should be with them...

  coming down the   area where there was a decent path at through the wreckage of the Stage,  Commander Si was in he r flight suit.. her  Helmet under her  arm.

 HAck looked at her,..where the 9 hells do you think you are going  , Commander?

 her  eyes  and bit of a naughty smiles,..Lt Miller has the Bridge.. she knows how to handle   the Hermes.... and  Van Dos  can  command the wall...That  is.. If the LC will have me?

  Shadow looked at HAck   Then to Si,..get your ride on the Flight Dec  do Rivets can clear her... otherwise?.. You don;t fly...

 Si smiled  a smile that could  'launch a 1000 ships '.....Already Done, LC... and she pointed to the  Dec....  her  Hammer IV being brough up from the Black Hanger

  Shadow winced at the sight of a Hammer IV.. but quickly shook it off.....Check your  Belts  and Cells.. You'll  fly with B  Flight.

  She  saluted    Shadow   , bents  and Kissed   Hack  as she strode towards the Gelaming Machine.

  Hemmings shook his head,..that Machine looks pristine ...

 ..Its  still a Hammer  IV.....

 Hack looks around.....so?.. I have to stay here?

  Beth and Lippen are carrying   extra Vid Boards. beth is Limping  a bit.

   the Vidboards  are set up on a Work table.. a  minature version of the 'war room' stage.

  .Lt Morrow?.... what do you think you are doing?

   ..My Job, Admiral  HAck.....

  ..Did  Stefi Clear you?

 ..Aye...sort of....

 ..sort of?  LT Morrow?

  Aye  Sir. She  said said  she didn't know if she  could realease me.. I asked her, if she ever wanted to be about  to use here personal  Vidbaords...ever again?.. She waved me out of the Med tech...

  Hack  frowned  and looked sideways at Beth,..fine... get to work... and  find a gods be damned helmet...

 Beth   giggled, saluted, and moved off to   get head gears  and    set up a power source.

Henry turned up with Mila at his heels.

"Where can we be of most use?"

 Hack Looked at  Henry and around the Dec...Stay close to Beth... if   we would be boarded again?... and it looks bad... I want you to go to SEC, and  finish off the Queen. If they were to save her.. it would be a big Morale boost to the Chreshians..

 Shade was Hobbling  down towards the Hanger   area, Dusk and Orria  were calling for him to come back.

 Lirg showed up after  resupply of Ammo and was  drinking a  soda? When  Tucker watched him  Lirg just gave a  wolfish smiles ( really, cause..he's  has a muzzle).....Lirg ate too many  Creshians.. too much protien.. need something... sweet.

"Understood," said Henry.

He loaded the shotgun, and made sure he knew where he'd put the spare rounds. Then he took up a vantage point near Beth where he could defend her whilst she worked, if need be... and had a clear route to the cells if it came to that.

Guiltily watching as the Bee was unloaded from the Big Ugly Harry would move stand beside Rivets "So...how bad is it?" she asked, feeling like the kid that had just crashed their dads car into a tree. Truth be told it wasn't until she'd tried to get out and found the canopy jammed closed that she realised how much of a beating the Bee had taken out there "You will be able to fix my baby up, right? I mean I know the Darts are good and all but I am kind of attached to her now" she continued, hoping that she hadn't just written off the only Bee prototype on her first outing.

  Rivets  had a  Dan of soda of his own. he  still and a bit of  blood  dripping down the left side of his forehead  as he  took a deep drink.

  ..Well Lass, we'll hafta  see what happens... she looks a bit  beat up, but we dunna have  time ta check her now..we live through this?.. we'll see what we kin do...aye?

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

   Si   looked at the  Clock  and knew  there wasn't  enough time to load her own belts.

   s  looked over the   specs  and asked the  crew to tweak the port thrusters...Unlike   the  ESN fighters, her's was pure  Angel white... Unlike the Angels.. she had ESN Blue  Stripes  on her  wings... her Nose art was a sword  of Flames with white wings.

   Beth was  working hard  with   whatever people she had left for her  COM  team. She  patched her  8 vidboards in to the Vid Feeds around the ship. It wasn't the best course, but bthe only only one Beth had  in her bag of tricks , for the time that was left.

  Shortly after.. Vexis came  back on the screen. He was smiling a Largran, Jagged  tooth smile.

 ..we  see..  that you have cloaked  your ships  somehow?... perhaps the Skith or  Qarl helped you?... But?  we will see you with out  eyes... you cannot  hide Damaged vessels from heat senors...

 Hack shook his head,..Well Vexis?..  we can't  come  out to meet you.. so?.. we'll wait right here for you... you won't have to  look hard for us.. but?  remember?  I gave you the  chance to retreat...

  You have been now to offer such choices  to my fellow Empire  Commanders..

  And?  None of them took the offer.... and none of them are alive to regret it. If? You think you will Curry favor, By saving the  Queen... it will not  work. I have people  with instructions, to  kill her, if all the gods  frown on us... and you take my ship.

"Yeah, I guess so...but I still feel kind of bad about messing her up like that" Harry said with a sigh, knowing that there was nothing anyone could do at this point in time but feeling a little disappointed all the same that she wouldn't be able to fly her baby for the next sortie "Well I'd best be getting on with things, times not on our side again" she said before saluting Rivets and making her way over to Morris' hut to get some much needed food.

Offering the waitress stood outside of the now bullet riddled hut a cheery smile as she spoke to her "Ta love, you're a star" Harry would help herself to a Coke and a sandwich from the selection on offer before going in search of either Grit or Gia to talk to seeing as both Justin and Garrat had disappeared somewhere after the fire fight. It would have been nice to have met a few more people before finding herself being thrown into the deep end, though seeing as she'd spent much of last night getting to know Grit really well that was perhaps her fault. She just hoped that Grit wouldn't think she was being clingy or anything by going to talk to him.

   The waitress looked a cross between  weary and scared, but she forced smiles to all the  warriors who came over  for  eat and drink.... you be careful out there....

   Gia could be seen sitting next to her fighter..  the was  a new Canopy being  put on, while  Techs  worked on her COMs and  Lazar linkages . She   had a soda  as well and a cup of  hot  soup.

 Grit  was  pointing  to parts on his  fighter..one of the techs  had his hand out in the 'wadda ya want me to do"  pose'

 Shadow  gave   Roy a  whack on the shoulder.. Lyri gave him  a Hug, The LC then Pointed  to  B'Flights  'area' and was  waving   those of the Pilots  who were there ( except    Commander Si ) Over. Not that Si noticed   as she was crawling all over her fighter  with the Techs.

 He waited  to get all his people over, Waghgles  had  an arm wrapped..  Shadow pretended not to notice.

   On the screens.. they saw  the Destroyers.. and the Slayer, who was all but untouched in the fight was firing its  Ion Cannon.

   HAck Nodded  as  a Ship Vanished... a LArgran was dropping away from the formation.

  Alright?....   All Ships holding the  line here...  fire your  Power  weapons as soon as they come into range..  have your  Gunners  save the torpedoes.. for a little closer.. to make them count, against the LArgrans.

 Get ready folks.... 15 more minutes....at least...

Thrusting the Dart away from the Matterhorn, Justin adjusted his destination vector to rendezvous with the Hermes. Tapping on the boost the engine increased thrust allowing him to return to the Cruiser quickly. Thanking Matterhorn Traffic Control and switching to Hermes Control for landing approval. Acknowledging their directives Justin brought the Dart in quickly, bringing it to rest in the flight bay he popped the canopy and clambered out. Saluting the Flag and Deck Officer as he flight crew hooked up power cables and checked the Dart for flight readiness. Crossing to a table stocked with food and beverages Justin picked up a handful of sandwiches and a selected a Mug of Hot Cocoa before joining the other Pilots of B Flight for a possible Pre Action briefing.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:51, Mon 04 Dec 2017.

 Justin's  new  fighter  is    sent to where the  flight lines  used to be... As he climbs  from the aircraft, he sees  Shadow  had  called all his   pilots  together...

In reply to Hanger Dec (msg # 50):

Slipping in at the back of the group Justin munched on several sandwiches he picked up and listened to what was being said, pausing to sip form the mug of cocoa.

Roy looked over those who'd answered the muster call, including Lirg in his tally.  "Alright...our numbers are a little light, and we're being held as a reserve force, or boarding assault if the Largrans close with the Hermes."   He looked around, running numbers in his head.

"McCloud, I want you to team up with the Angels.  Hirr, your team will be with me, Lirg, you're on that squad as well.  Remember, our primary duty is to repel boarders, unless and until such time as the Admiral declares he wants us to board the Largran flagship."  He looked at Hennings.  "Where do I want you?  Unless Admiral Hack says otherwise, I want you to help Dr. Christie keep Beth's comm station secure."  He grinned...but his eyes reflected just how serious he was about the assignment.

"The two things that the Largrans can hit that will hurt us most is command and communications.  Since the Commander's going out with the fighters, it's even more important that the Admiral is kept safe.  And if we lose Beth, our comms will be significantly impaired, and that's gonna hurt our fighting efforts.  So that's what I want to be priority."

  Alright.... now?... Listen, carefully... this is an order... and I will not stand for it, being disobeyed?

 he looks  around  and says,.... if   The Commnader finds out  i am ordering this.. I will be reprimanded..... if i am reprimanded.. I will be.....upset....do lot  make me get upset?....everyone understand ..thus far?

 His eyes shift from left to right as he takes in his pilots, then continues,..Flores... Kat?.. I am ordering you to break off  from me  and fly the wing of the Commander...

 Flores  stands Up,..No way in the 9 hells!

  DA!..As  CAndy says...

 ..THIS!  he snaps.. they  ladies   step back.. never  have seen him snap at someone who wasn't  a 'bad guy'....is not a debate!... YOu will keep the Commander as safe  as you have kept me... and if NO ONE comes back from this.. yhou make sure  your TWO and the Commander Comes back..Now tell me... you understand!

 Candy and  KAt look at  each other  and  Nod,...Aye sir... but you are making   us break our promises...

 Shadow  smiles  sadly.... and you are helping me  keep mine..... besides?.. after this? it will be  back to Business as usual

  He looks at the  others,  The Rest of You... pair up... and  taake care of each others.... we get through this..we're having a mega  After party... I'll even spring  for The  Pulse and the Rec Dec....  get ready.. go out.. Kill stuff..Come back...now... Go relax.. we got a few more minutes....

   Shadow   sits  dowm  on a  keg of  Hyro oil. and  sipped his   Soda. Flores   patted  his shoulder, he smiled  at her... and she  went to her  aircraft.

 ..you are..bastard.. for making be break promise to Irina...

 Hw inked, his  trademark half smile  grew,..its only broken, if i get killed?  Right?

  ..you, Comrade.. are not funny... she punched his shoulder  as she  went  to her'new' dart

  Admiral Hennings   nodded at  Roy's reasoning , and    racked up a round in his   CArbine a runner  came  back with an pocket bandoleer that  contained  extra  Mags  for his carbine


    Hack   was watching the    screens, Vexis has no idea what the 9 hells is  about to hit him... can he be this stupid... the  best he can hope for is cripple us more.. and he'll be light  in Anzio then?

 He Looks out  and Shouts,CAPTAIN!  TELL THEM TO MOUNT UP!   and he chuckles,..AND LET SLIP THE DOGS OF WAR!

 Rivets  shouted  and  Flight leaders  called out  to what was left of thier Flights...

  Shadow   whistled  for his  people  and  waved his  fighter over his ehad as he  jumped on his     fighter's  wing, catching his helmet from Argie.

 Shade hobbles up   to  Roy holding a  Creshian sidearm.. he bleeped and   waved a hand at the HAnger Bay...

 Dusk  held  Orria near   Morris's shed  calling out to Shade, who waved her  off with the other hand.