..invasion on Elipsian planet-station

 Beth Broke into the  Feeds...This goes out to all the ESN/APF troops and pilots.... I am also, sharing this through the  feeds to our  friends in the  tin egg... Enjoy!

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLE0XJcGLTI

...........

 Shadow chuckles  as the  Song starts  and  plays in a loop in the back round as he calls out to,..Its about that time.... a new hand is  being dealt... One-eyed Jacks  aren't  wild...but Aces  are..and  we have a  hellva lot of them!.... Maris..Abby... You know where I am... Hope to see you in the air, cause.. we're gonna kill a crap ton of   Empire bastards  today...


 I can't  fight you  Shadow..you made sure of that.... Abby wants to come out... I left it up to her..she is  rather strong willed, as you have seen...

..no..Strong Will is  a compliment..she's just   a side piece who things she is better then she  really is..thanks to you.... she doesn't have ESN  pilots watching  out for her...well... They are watching for her..but she better  hope none of them find her.... Enyoy the music.. we'll be seeing you soon...

 ..You think too much of  yourself  Shadow... what is the differance between you  and Abby..and me and Hack...

 1st off... me and the Admiral aren't traitors...ThebAdmiral didn't have to try and kidnap the Captain...... now, between me an Abby... we can start witht he Mountain of bodies   i have satcked up..where Abby's claim to fame is helping get  ESN heroes  killed... I might not get to kill the bitch..but if she  comes out here..someone will....

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

 In the Shuttles    Supe  smiled  at beth's  song... Nifty  got up and stated  to  wave his hands   to get people   to sing along, even as the corss talk with Shadow and Maris happened.

 for the Elipsians, they were warned   something like this  would happen..but...they were taken aback...Millions of Voices   came through the  locked COMs, with  accents of Sanri, occui,Felrites, Hyrians, Mulls, Nivarians,Gava, as well as the lilting  songs of Angels and  the   muti-accents of humans...

  The felrites  grinned at Jug  and  her Gava  troops, in thier  Shuttle

Jug...then the other Gava returned the grins with their own toothy ones.  Jug especially wanted to get in and start a dust up or two against the enemy.  Less enemy meant more freed gava.

---> Hangar Dec

Upon leaving the hangar to enter the familiar darkness of the Black, Harry would move into formation with the rest of B flight, calling to her two charges as she did so "Ok Higgins I want you on my port, Billie you're on my starboard...keep you eyes peeled, do as you're told and try not to do anything too stupid" she instructed, doing her best to block out the conversation between Shadow and Maris as she does so. Once she was in formation and her two wings in position either side of her Mantis, Harry would begin searching the Black and her scanners for any sign of the enemy.

  As the Fleets  neared the  deep space area  where the Elipsians had their Planet-station,, they began to  see other   empire  ships  appear on thier  screens...  from the   tags on the screens  they were labeled  as Demonic, largran and Vampic... with   at elast as many Elipsian  vessels.. at  least 6o, that  they could see, it is hard to tell  what was on the other  side of the  Planet-station, out of   scan range

 Adamial Hack here..... as we see the numbers of  enemy Vessels  increase , i want the   the  1st and send ships  to   confront enemy  Vessels.. the thir  ship in the count to  shell the planet...

 ..This is  Admiral Hirg... there are  only two  ships  above the Northern pole... 

 Admiral Hirg... secure a presence over the pole  first, and pave the  way for troops landing.... only then, send  a ship or two to try  to ambush  the enemy vessels....

Alreayd  done...Admiral Hack.

 ..Shadow.. Poretc  the fighters  until the word is given to send down the  shuttles.. they you  and The hermes Wing ride herd, to get them turf side..

 Already Done, Admiral..... All  Delta  WC's... take control of your wings,  protect your ships, and assign a flight or two to  cover  you ground folks...starting  now...

---------->>>>>>>>>>>>> From Hanger Deck

 Lizzy took off when it was her time, then linking up with Egger and Nikki. Then she heard the banter with Shadow and her fucking Father. Lizzy knew she should keep her mouth shut, this was Shadow's way of pulling the bad guys to him, but her feelings for her Father got the best of her.

 " Well Maris one big thing is the Admiral didn't kill his wife, a whole ship and almost his daughter too. I wish you could come up here and dance with us you fucking traitor. Just know 'Father' if I find you I will make your death painful as hell Phoenix out." Lizzy was a little emotional but she was in full control and ready to kick ass.

 Lizzy knew the LC might be pissed at her but she couldn't help it, the anger she felt for her Father was almost as strong as the love she felt for Izzy. She did see Harry flying with her flight and decided to make one last try just in case one of them didn't make it. Lizzy will wave her wing at Harry as a sign of respect and that no matter what Lizzy would always care about Harry.

Nikki flew close to Lizzy enough to see her in the cockpit and get her attention, but far enough not to make them one tangled mess.  on a more private mike she spoke to her "Keep it cool girl.  Revenge happens at it's own speed" then got space between incase some clown got an idea for a shot at them. She went back to regular mike status.

 Lizzy nodded in her cockpit and sent on their private line," I am fine Nikki thank you, just getting the blood flowing. I know he will get his for sure, thanks Nikki lets kick some ass Fire and Fury."

Slowly walking down the central aisle of the shuttle, Izzy would smile as the troopers sang along to the music being pumped into the rear compartment of the transport as she continued to point out the people she recognised "...And here we have one of our heavy weapons specialists; Supe, If you need someone turning into confetti then he's your man, and the green fella currently eyeing up my camera is Larry the Larg; don't eat Tali, Larry, She'll make you sick!" she said to the Larg in mock admonishment, with a quick laugh showing that she meant nothing by it, although she really would prefer he didn't try and eat Tali "...and just down here we have Jax, who you may remember from my report on Bura, Jax! did you ever tell that girl how you felt about her?" she called to him, seeming to recall seeing him with one of the waitresses on the Rec Dec.

  Supe   sorta smiled and waved to the  CAM.. he  hefted his   60 cal hard  ammo MG and winked.

 Larry  looked up at the  Cam, his   tongue   did  dart out a bit, almost like an Earth Lizard, but not  somehting he normally did...as  Izzy talked to him, he  thumped his tail a bit.

  Jax Looked  aroudn , surprised, Ellen  gave him a shove and Laughed, He  tries to smile at Izzy, but  it was a hard smile coming,..Sneak?.... Yeah.. we have been friends  for a long time...grew up on Etna..sorta..so..she kinda  knows...

 Will was  going over  formations  , leap frogs and   cover fire  with  Scarlet, Ellen,Cora and Lippin.. Captain McCloud    was across the  aisle  listening  as he watched the  ladies  hang on his every word....Hemsly was chuckling as he watched the  clueless Will, go on about things that the ladies have done on more then a few jumpsoffs.

 Jumping Lion  sat using  a whet stone on his tomahawk as  Shade  showed him  the blade he had

   A COM was comign through the contact Channels...Admiral Hack nodded to  Beth to release it to the Main feeds  and  a very stern Looking  Elipsian , wearing   his  Black Unifrom with red  Piping and   novas on his shoulders  for his rank.

 Greetings, I an Admiral Numas of the  EUN..Elispsian Untied  Navy..I am on  my Flag shipe designated  #21..Admiral Hack.. I have been informed  by our Human Consultant, and some of our Empire  Suporters, that you have  'formnally' made your request for our surrender... Rahter  then  not  answer  I am sending  word from the grand  Council of our Planet Station.... Your  threats do no scare us.. we have held  Hyrains and Demons  at bay, with little trouble... or   pilots have been blooded in  scores of battles  and the ships that awiat you have veteran crews... you cannot  scare us Admiral hack. We do  counter your threat with this offer... if you trun over one   of your troop transport of Occui, and surrender one of you Caps  ships, complete  with crew.. we will allow the rest of you to leave  unharmed..you'll have  20 Minutes to..........

  The Admiral burst out  Laughing  followed   by others  around the Hanger  Dec..laughter carried throught eh COMs  from Transports, shuttles  and Pilots.

 Numas's  brow  dropped  a bit  making his  eyes  smaller  and  more narrow,..you think this is a jest?

 The Admiral  waved him off a moment before he collected himself, even then, there was some bouts of fighting chuckles,..That was very refreshing, Admiral Numas.... but?.. you are  in no postion to  bargin.., the only think you have, that we want to take..is your lives... we don't want to eat you, we don't want to breed  with you..well..i hope my  people don't..but? in the end.. this is what is goign to happen... in a  few moments.. we are  goign to  make contact with your ships.... we  will blow  them to the 9 hells, while  we pound that  Oversizerd, metal football you live in..and on..to bits... IF...and only if.. you surrender before the  shooting  starts.. we will allow  civies  to flee, after  we vet them.....Military folks  will either be killed out right, or  sent to an empire destination of our  choosing..you have very little  Time, Numas....If i were you, i would find my mate, and say good by, because.. i do nott hink you'll surrender... so  we will soon start the extermination the  vermin  that live here..

 ..they said you were a fool....

 I don't know who you talked to? but i know it wasn't anyone we faced in battle

 what makes you say such a thing?

  because, Numas..those  who faced us  are either Dead, or wish  they were...Be seeing you soon..The  Hermes is  easy to see... come find me, whil my ship send 1000's of   Empire
  folks to the  9 hells....Your atmo might  save  yout people from  breaches  in the surface..but it  won't help you one  damn bit  when we cut it open like an old  tin can..

 Beth?... How long before  1st Contact...

 with Fighters.. 3 Minutes.. with Capships.. 5...

 ..LC... Yor people  get to kick off..make sure there isn't a big return...

Already Done, Admiral... Hermes   wing, break into flights... Lets  go  see  if  they light up in differant colors  when  the burn...

 ..Hack to all   section Commanders...  send in your  fighters.. get ready   for battle.. Battlesstions... and  may yours gods  protect you..

 The Battlestation went on.. Solifn  red  with   Horns Blaring... troops   who weren't   on station yet ran

 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 Roll looked out  from the openign  on the  mech tech  where to tools were.. he Haley and  Gregor sat..  Gregor  still holding his head up  high with his cape  on.

 Dana shook her   head with a smile as she talked to  Sneak,..why did you make a Cape?

 Sneak looked embarrassed,..I can sorta sew..a little  to keep sleeves on and  all that.. i wanted to make him  a Thing like larry and the other largs wear..but..i..um..didn't know were to start...

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

 Beth   pointed at a screen she had somewhat lower for  Orria,..this is set up for you to have , no more the  4 screens..you can track who you wnat...but?..keep your mind on what we have to do......if it gets too bad for you....let me know, you can take your Vidboard and go over there with the other kids  and  watch?  Ok?

"Well take it from me, It never hurts to tell a girl how you feel about her and remove all doubt" she said with a genuinely friendly smile as she offered him her advice before turning round and heading back up the aisle towards her seat "Soon we'll be landing upon what the Ellipsian's call home and these, ladies and gentlemen, are the people that will be ripping them a new one, the one eyed Jacks won't know what hit em! This is Izzy Sakura live from a shuttle load of pain heading straight down the Empires throat" she said with a wicked glint in her eyes, giving Tali a few more moments to film the troopers within the shuttle before cutting the feed and returning to her seat to wait out the rest of the trip to the Ellipsian Station.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:58, Sat 30 May 2020.

Henry was still sitting there with Mila to one side and Larry to the other. He observed Larry's behaviour with his tongue with interest, it wasn't something he'd seen a larg do before.

 Meari smiled and nodded when the camera came to her again, Meari would then smile and nod to Supe and the others as she quietly readies herself for the upcoming battle, the look in her eyes and on her face was cold, and calculated she was ready for battle and to win the day, her look could frighten non vets for sure.

  Closing   the distance between the  Planet-station, the  fleet got to see how massive the  constuct was Two carrier stations   could  be  put  end to end to ..almost   cover from east to west. and it  was  as  large  as  one  and  a half  carrier stations  from north to south.

  on the scans  now, 24 vessels  could be  seen  with an additional  2 at each pole, Lined up  around the   equator  the   24 ships   had  broadsides  facing out as the    as there in stagger lines, some  ships in the middle  some a little   further North, some a  little  further South..

........

 Shadow  called into the  COMs...They are  protecting the  Docks around the equator.... lets  see home many of thier   hornets  we can drive away... Stay together until after  first contact, then   split it you  smaller groups,,Good Luck..no heroes, you get shot up , go home..get your ride fixed,Rivets will let you back out if its  safe.

 Tally Ho..eh Wot!... he tried

 Flores   just said,LC?  we love you..but..don't.... laughter  could be heard.
  he   turned on his   own music  as  back round.

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

   4  Elipsians  came out to  Mean Shadow's Flight, with out  even waiting  for them  T o Move, Shadow   went into the screw to test their intel... The two Middle  fighters    were blown to Bits   as  the  Pulse  weapons, made a  lovely  'twirl' artr the ship spun, But the 37 MM made the kills.. Flore   Veered Up   and Shot the Belly out of the climber... the Diver  went to peel back towards the Cap ships.

    Raven  Red Water and Kat    hit the  Next  4   that came out..sadly  Raven and Kat did the screw..red  had  no idea what ws going on.

  Raven torched one.. Kat  Got   One, and red Fot the Climber..again the Diver     ppeeled  back to the    Cap ships..

 what the  9 hells  you doing!.. we  both can't  do the Shadow  screw!..it  doesn't work like that!

 ..I am being the Lead!.. I am being  in the middle!.. I am the  one who screws...

 Flores came across....last night for sure!

 Red Water   said,..am i supposed to be hearing this...

  all around the  equator   there were   blossoms   fighter craft dying... it was noted,  enemy aircraft died  with a bit of a Blue  fire..where  APF  forces  seemed to be more   red-yellow...

 the wall of   fighters  started to rise from the Docks and  enemy cap ship hangers.

 Higgins  looked  out is  cockpit...Mother f..............
 the  Black became  alit with Pulse   weapons  and   streams of  redhot  hardammo..
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:59, Sun 31 May 2020.

  Hack  looked at the screens .. Peopel   on the hanger dec  were still getting into place.. a few  Ground techs  were loading 37 MM belts... another  4 had a  torpedo  ready to be loaded   after Mitch  would   use the one he carried.

  Hack, Calmly  , yet  sternly began  to Give  Orders   as he    checked his    Pulse rifle.

   Shuttles  from  Delta  #1, head  for  the  Northern Hemisphere of this thing....  Shuttles  from  Delta #2.. go for the south..Colonel  Cummings,  have your   drops ship troops  designated for   dirtside, split   between the two.....

Delta  3  and delta 4... use your assault teams   at your own  discretion , I can't  see those  sides from here... but we  want  LZ's  for the drop ships...

  Sarah?.. Hirg?.. there has to be a reason there are only two ships at the Poles..be careful..but  we need   those LZs...

  delta   Fleet.. they  are inviting us to  go broadsides  with them....  they are  sitting there like  gun emplacements........ we'll have to take some rounds..but  full flak  speed. and  steer  for   for and aft of their ships..  when you cross thier T.. fire....they proceed  to  bombard the  egg... Assault  shuttles  be  ready for the word...

 Hennings called into the COMs....going by standard  Empire  weapons, we  will be in range of thier  Guns in  3 Minutes...


 Hack announced...On my mark...  all ships , flank speed and steer  as  commanded...

 Roles had made it  down to the Hanger, he had on chest armor  and a helmet  and carried an SMG.....you are Going to give them a   free shot?

 Hack nodded,they are  guarantied  to get off one..if thier Gunners  are good, they'll get off  two..then.. its payback...

 Roles  left out a breath,..all these years, I wondered why Shadow was a nut case... now i see where he gets it...

  the minutes that followed , Shadow  began to attack, and  Hennings   said  'MARK"

 All Delta ships..Flank speed  now!


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

 the    enemy ships opened  up,  the   increased speed  through off  some of the guns.. Delta Ships  too  some  Rounds,   plates   flying off on  impact.

 The Hermes  took  a  hit    between the bridhe  and the   OB  windows, the impact  made a dent, but  she showed no  damage..on the outside.

 The Sif  took  two Big Hits    and    her  nose    went up a Little, the  ship soon  righted itself, continuing on  trail black smoke and  sprats from the startboard Bow.. Only a few  enemy ships  got off the second  Broadside, and even though  there were plenty of targets    as the delta ships   sorted out thier  courses..the sheer  speed and  numbers had the commanders  of the defenders  at a loss.... then..it was the  ESN's turn..

 Lizzy stayed with Nikki and Egger, as their flight engaged the enemy, she would fly on Egger's left wing leaving Nikki on the other he was the most senior of the three. Lizzy opened up on the incoming fighters trying to take out as many as she could before they went into their trio group. Lizzy would keep firing at the bad guys testing their flying skills and also always keeping her eyes on the wing mates and other ESN fighters. Oce they went through the first wave of engagement Lizzy would wait to follow Egger's lead, but she was always watch out for Nikki, she was a good friend and a hell of a wing mate.

"Roger that Harry," Billie said as she looked around, enjoying the brief moment of quiet in the Black. The time was short lived though and she let out a sigh. Time to get to work so that she could ensure that she was able to go on that date. "Everything alright Higgins?" she asked calmly as she opened fire on the enemy, doing her best to take out at least one.

  Bilie  torched    the   far wing. Higgins amanged to  take one out,  it  spiraled away  with bluish white smoke    'downwards"

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

 Lizzy    shot the  tail fin off  one, causing    dark smoke and the  a fire...

 Egger    shot up one that  climbed  away...

 Nikki  hit  a cockpit, splattering the broken galss with what wa s left of the pilot ,, flames  burned inside   as the   aircraft  flew  forward  with no one   controlling it.


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

 Cap ships  auto AAs  were takign their toll on the thick clouds   for   fighters..

Athena  Blow  a cap ship in half

 ...............

 Morris came on the COMs,Capt Nilsson.. accompany the shuttles.... Lt  Mitch?   you are given leave to  find a  tagre  for your   torpedo... then return to reload..


 'already dones    followed Morris's COM.

Harry had waggled her wings back more out of habit than anything else, with her otherwise ignoring Lizzy as she lead her Little flight into combat. With Billie and Higgins targeting the enemy fighters on the flanks, Harry would line up a shot on one of the central fighters before firing off a sharp burst from her cannons. With her shot made she would quickly pull her fighter into a climb so as to avoid any potential return fire before turning it into a loop that would hopefully bring her round onto another fighter and allow her to fire upon it. Failing that she might distract it enough for one of the others to finish the job.

   The Elipsians   must have been taken  aback... Hack's   movement show he was Afraid to  trade broadsides!

 The reality hit  them  as   the   ships funneled   pas  the   stationary vessels,  crossing the  T's.... the cold  grip of panic hit them, as the first tow  ships  went  past after thier    broadsides   fired, and began of   point the  Northern hemisphere of the  Planet-station... meanwhile, every  3rd ship    turned to  engage the  ships that were  trying to power up the   engines...

 The Slayer  split  a largran Cap ship in half  as it   hit the   engines.. the Captain could be heard  yelling  '  FOR THE HARVESTER! "

 the PitBull of Delta  4   was crippled , and begin to Peel  back towards the  Support ships that were  at least 20 minutes away...,  with two of her   four  thrusters out , she  tilted slowly to the  left

.......

 Fighters  zipped  around, at any one second, a  fighter   flew over, under or   past the pilots, some on thier side..some Not...

 Two fighters  collided,  and the mix of  explosions , none  could tell whose  side they were on, or  one of   each...

Shadow to all Fighters....  we're in a fur  ball take  care of yourselves..look for    any ESN folks  who need help... when the Admiral gives the word.. we  dive   down  and start chewing up real-estate

 ..how did you stay alive all this time!... Red Said  as his  wing collected   some stiches from a Demon fighter

 ..good friends, and good luck... keep your head in the game..

Nikki continued on, waxing one on Eggers tail.  Peeling off right out of the explosive path.  She spotted another starting to jump on to Lizzys' tail. "Phoenix...got one on your 5.  Emmelmann bear left, now. " if she did it she could get him clean.  If she continued Lizzy would lead him past her and she'd toast him.

 Lizzy went up with Egger, she was looking for bad guys and looking out for the others, it was a nasty furball for sure. When Nikki told of the boggie on her 6 she said," Stay right there I will loop up and around and head left should bring this asshole right into your guns, and I see a bag guy on you, after you fire hard right meet you on Egger's wings."

 Lizzy flies up and begins her loop hoping Nikki toasts him, as she loops up avoiding bad guys, she targets the asshole on Nikki's ass, and she will open up and keep looking for ESN to help and bad guys to blow up, she will keep an eye out for Harry as she heads to Egger's wing again and keep the bad guys off the good guys.

"Got it... 2 less problems to deal with. Eggers ya good?" Nikki called as she opened up on the one that was on Lizzy.  "If they are in groups of 4 then there is another 1-2 about, keep an eye out" she reminded both Lizzy and Eggers, as well as herself.

  The Black was full of Motion,  fighters from both sides  zipping around like angry hornets. Swearing , screams and  warnings    echoed through the COMs.

    Eckles first cheered , as she torched  a largran, then swore  as she was hit  by an Elipsian  Heavy  fighter.

 Nikki saw    some  holes  appear , as if by magis   on her  cowling, hoping   it didn't effect her  Cannons.

  Lizzy say the    fighter that hit  Nikki    zoom up   and away,  juast as she, herself   felt her   aircraft shake  as   Pulse  rounds  hit her  undercarriage.

  Harry and Billie  saw  Higgins   take a beating  from  two elipsian fighters  , he  BArrel rolled  away streaming   white and  Black Vapor...  Harry saw  2 creases  form on her cowling as hard  ammo zipped  across  her aircraft...

  Billie  felt her  aircraft shake  as something was on her tail.  Shadow and  Flores  split  to   try and  Hunt  down  enemies  who were  getting on  wounded aircraft

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

 Meanwhile   The Hermes and the  here   broke  throught he Maelstrom  and  began to slaow their  speed  and Pound  a n area on the Elipsian Planet-station.. Dirt flew and  plants caught  fire, showing a high oxygen content in the    structure's  atmosphere.

,,   some  30 miles away, Athena and Artemis  were doing the  same  thing

  The Scratch 's  Captain Came on the COMs.... we are in peril!!!  pulling out  to Abandon ship!.. Send  Tenders.. Shuttles   will proceed to the nearest ....

 The COM  ended,   Far back of the Hermes  a bright light  showed as The Scratch met its  fate.

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

 Stoly   COMed  all the Hermes   assault shuttles...we are hanging   behind The Hermes.. be  ready to go as soon as the Admiral gives  the orders.

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

  Mitch had  taken Off   heading mack through the  Maelstrom  to  fine the Cps ship he hit before, ot..the next closes  one... Drop ship troopers   were on two ot   the  Cap ship, beacons lighting up as they cut thier  way into the  vessels...

 Over the COMs   the Commander of The Atom  yelled.....GOT ONE!! as  an Elispian Blew apart like  dropped  egg.

Henry packad away the portable bowls and checked Mila's and Larry's harnesses.

Aboard the shuttle Melia sat calmly in her medium boarding armor. If the shuttle went up during the ride down there was little she could do to change that. She thinks about the upcoming fight, but also thinks about planning her wedding. Not much time had passed but she wasn't sure she wanted to wait an exceptionally long time. She'd have to talk to Zob about that.  Filing that away she goes through yet another check of her gear. They were muscle memory at this point and somewhat unnecessary to check as frequently as she did, but still old habits died hard and this one wasn't particularly a bad one.

As they sat within the rear compartment of the shuttle waiting for the signal for them to make their final approach on the planet and then disembark, Izzy would nervously fidget within her seat. Being in combat didn’t bother her, or at least no more than was sensible, but simply sitting within a shuttle with nothing to occupy her mind other than quietly hoping that they wouldn’t get attacked by a passing fighter and subsequently sucked out into space was starting to wear on her nerves. Drawing her sidearm for third time in so many minutes she would once again start checking it over just incase it had developed a fault since she’d last checked it before once again checking her makeup in the tiny compact mirror she carried and finding it just as immaculate as it had been the last time she’d checked all of two minutes ago. Needless to say she hoped they’d receive the signal to make their landing soon.

”Stop shooting my fucking fighter!” Harry shouted as she watched the pair of hard ammo rounds glancing off of her cowling and completely wrecking the paintwork, before swinging round to engage one of the fighters currently gunning for Higgins ”Hold in there Higgins I’ve got ya” Harry said as she squeezed off a burst that neatly removed the canopy from one of the Ellipsian fighters with the Black quickly killing the pilot inside, assuming of course he’d survived the initial attack ”Higgins you’re trailing a shit load of smoke, if you’ve got any red lights on your dash you need to go home now!” she shouted as she moved to attack the other enemy fighter that had been chasing him, with her quietly hoping that Billie would be able to look after herself just a little bit longer.

" Mother fuckers getting my undercarriage what the fuck." Lizzy quickly tried to fire back at the asshole that got her or the one that shot at Nikki. She would check her indicators and see how she handled but would lock on the first enemy target and keep firing to get as many of the bastards she could. She would still watch Nikki's and Egger's backs and keep herself alive. She would still keep an eye out for any ESN pilot in danger, especially if she saw Harry in trouble.

 After checking her fighter she sent to Nikki," Hey you ok Fury, still trying too see how bad I am hit not sure yet."

 Meari sat there watching the others, she was nervous about the shuttle exploding but why worry about it, she had no control over it, so if it was her time it was their time. She smiled at looked at Izzy and said," Remember stay down, and if you want to record a message let me know and I will give you cover if I am still near you. You are calm under fire Ens that is good, and you do fight well, keep up the good work Ens." She then began to twilr her comabt knife in her hand like a professional as her way of calming down and focusing on the job to come.

   Beth broke Into the COMs......LC!..All Pilots  in the Fleet ..Listen up.... I Snagged this on one of Orria's  sniffers....

( Maris's Voice...)   ..Launch the red  Fighters.....

(an raspy Elipsian voice) we have  1000s  of  fighters out there, human fool!

 ..you don't have enough for the Delta Fleet..send the red  Fighters....

 ..the High Command  will not be happy....

we are gettign shelled!..Troops  will be  droppign soon.. send the red Fighters to shoot  Down shuttles and drop ships...

 As you would have it... Launch the Red Fighters....

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

  shortly after   beth Cut  the   signal.. another Voice  was heard on the  COMs...

 well now?....  here we are Gettin'  ta mix it up  with  the Delta godsdamn Fleet... I wanna  Know where  the Honcho is?.. seems like he  waxed  my Honey on  Aqra.... and  , let's face it, Sin was a whore an' a bitch..but   that was all good    once  we hit the sheets...

Shadow  laughed  an honest laugh,..hey red neck?.... Not surprised you guys  are red , since that seems  to  be Earth's  Color  for Traitors?... let me guess.. you're name is Billy Bob?

 well, well..Kray fuckin' Shadow.. I sure hope i get you in my sights...be damn nice to end your  prissy ass...

 yeah, yeah dickwad.... , Hey? How many babies did you have to eat to get command there?

 why?  you thinkin' of joinin'? 

 Red's Not  my  Color ,traitor Boy... I've killed lots of  folks in my day..some  folks were innocent, colleterial  damage?... But i never  killed  the good  guys on purpose..... I doubt if  I'll see you out here.. Cause..i'm busy killing your masters.. bit.. I won't pass up sending   a Red Bird to the 9 hells....

   best of Luck, Pretty boy....

 ..look? i know you guys  down in the south  sorta swing that way?.. But   I'm not your type....  then he  said Over all COMs...

 ..I know you're  all Busy..but  if you see a red Bird out there..kill it...Surrender lights  don't mean one damn think if you see them on a Red Bird.... any one has a problem with that..go home now...

 ..That little filly with that  english talk?  She  said you  were a   'right bastard'.... Guessin' she's  right?

 ..Look?  pig Humper? I'm busy.. Come  find me... Big old  19 on my tail fin, two  wing leader lights...course.. might  be a bit to close to the fight for Your traitor folks...


 ..I'll see ifin i can find you Kray...by the  way, This is Jimmy Curzz...

 Shadow laughed again,..godsbe  damned , no wonder you're flyign with them.. you couldn't get out of your desk with out tripping and  falling  down...

 The country  bumpkin's  voice thinned out.....yeah?.. we'll see you son?.. I purely love to add your decal to my  ride...

 ..Yeah?... Big Upgrade over those  Peppa Pig stickers from you library books.
.................

 Higgins  was  swearing  durning this all...  gods be damned!!.. runner is   almost shot..Lube lines  red.. and  Hydros  red... I'm going Home.... bastards..I hope they let me  bring a  pool aircraft out..

 ..get the  9 hells out of here....  Rivets can send  for a spare from the LGs... frans shouted.

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

 people were getting  shots  in and Taking  shots.. it was like a forest, but instead of leaves  and branches you have fighters from both sides

   Raven   Flew  Past Harry's  canopy, skids  just   9nched   above her... the trailing largran's  skids  scraped  the  top leaving a gouge in Harry's   canopy, before red   Blew it to bits..

   Loan Lake  was in a Bad  way, she was separated from her Wing and three   Largrans  were chasing her   she  had to keep  diving away from the cloud of fighter.. with the three intent on her  death.
  As  more  cap ships  parked  above the Planet-station  rounded  rained   down , battering the  landscape..  the  auto AAs  worked over time   as they splashed   enemy  fighters

  Mitch was landing  for , yet another  reload..  reporting his hits,  that were helping in some way... alot of the torpedo craft were hitting  targets... alot ..also were dying.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:11, Wed 03 June 2020.

 Lizzy saw Lona Lake in trouble with three on her tail, she sent private to Nikki and Egger, " Guys Lake is in trouble lets give her a hand and keep watching everyone's ass." Lizzy would head for the lead Fight on Lake's ass and open fire hoping Nikki and Egger would take the other two out. Lizzy would still keep an eye out for others in trouble, kill bad guys and keep her own ass alive.

In reply to Lizzy O'conner (msg # 29):

"Dandy!  Seems I brought my 'Sunday.... Go to meeting Mantis'. It got all holey on me.  Phoenix, you are not leaking anything" her joke insinuated she was hit but okay.  Her observation she sent out for her to know, even as she checked her own crafts instruments.  "These fat little flies need swattin'" she blasted away at one that was on someones ass.  She just knew it was on her side, not sure of which pilot but learned it was Lake.  "Time to start swattin'"
This message was last edited by the player at 06:40, Wed 03 June 2020.

 Stoly called abck through the open cArgo  door.....Check your  COMs.. we have  a target Landing area, at an opening few shuttles  came out of..  One drop ship   will be landing  behind us

 Every one checked thier COMs   a a blinking light  was set on the one Stoly had  Locked in  on..

  The   Shuttles  weapons  were firing now. the  rhythmic thump of the  rounds going out, and the  metallic   ,usic of the  casings   hitting the metal floor.."  Got One!!!"

  "Coming from our 6!!! " "

" Got it!!.. Nicked  him up, he's moving off... "

 Larry's  eha d raises     as he looked  around...   his  growl  growing with anticipation ..

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

 Round  from  The Hermes, Hera  and Echidna  pounded the  area .. Foster and  Howe  went   down to   trim back any weeds...

 Meari got ready, she checked her comms to make sure they we on and working properly. Meari sat calmly as she heard the comms, again there was nothing she could do, she just calmly waited for when it was her turn to have something to say and do about it.

Henry rubbed Larry's head.

"Soon, Larry, soon. Then you can be at them! Good hunting..."

He checked his own gear and Mila's yet again.

Roy's face was an inscrutable, stoic mask...if he was nervous, nothing betrayed it.  After so many missions, at this point it was simply a matter of resignation.  Either you made it to the target, or you didn't, and nothing he could do at the moment would improve their odds.  So he conserved his energy...quiet, subdued, listening to the chatter and processing the information, watching his team prepare in their various ways for the upcoming action...and mentally ran scenarios in his mind, preparing contingencies.

Melia popped her magazine into her carbine, but waited to rack the first round until the doors were about to open. She glanced at the beacon on her comm hud, storing the general location in her memory. As the shuttle continues its inexorable path towards the drop zone engaged in the slow deadly dance she leans back waiting. "another day another cred." she says as she waits.

  The Nymph  joined  The Hermes, The hera  and  The Echidna.. it  pounding  a  20  square  mile  area around the   shuttle   release opening..

  Beth's Voice  came on the COMs..  Land  1  Mile  south of the opening... a Drop ship from the  Clara Barton is  right behind you... scans show  troops  closing in from the  sides...Good  Luck!

 Stoly  called to the    Shuttles,Standard  trefoil  landing, ramps open to the middle so we can use  that area  for  wounded and Staging.... mech?..  release as soon as we  hit...

 the shelling did not  stop as  the rounds  'walked ' away from the handing spot, to try and take out  incoming   enemy troops.

  Larry       jumped out of the ramp   and let out a soul shaking  howl.. it was  retruned  By Freddie  and tess  as they  came out of thier  shuttles,

  The  mechs  restraints hiss  as the couplings opens , and they stepped off the  shauttle , lookign  at the  enemy around them as they waited  for   them to regroup and tried to stop them from  reaching  the opening

 The Drop ship was a bright   dot in the sky   right  now... Foster's Flight and Howe's  flight  zipped up the  east and west side, chewing up troops  thay case, Crossing over   North and  south  and coming back  down the other  side

 The felrites  and  Gava  were the first to empty out... Burains and  Angels   filed out , along with the Herme4s regulars from thier  aircraft.

 the  Gunners on the shuttles  held thier  fire  for a Bit, waiting   to get good looks  so the rounds  would kill , rather then scatter.

   Shade  grabbed   two extra grenades  from the Box,   Put on his helmet, and   follwoed the others out.

 Jumping Lion looked nervous  as they  could hear  rounds  pinging off the shuttles  sides.... Stpys and the other  Piltos  send   37 MM rounds  down range  at odd  intervals...

Harry would utter a particularly vulgar curse as she felt the skids of a passing fighter striking her canopy, leaving a set of parallel grooves in the metaglass over her head, though thankfully they didn't seem deep enough to cause her any problems.

With Higgins bugging out, Harry would escort him out to the edge of the maelstrom of swirling fighters, before turning back to help Billie deal with the fighter on her tail should she need it. It was as she was lining up a shot on Demon fighter that was diving down upon an ESN fighter that Harry would hear the intercepted message, followed by Shadow's little chat, signalling the arrival of the Red Birds. With a feral grin appearing on her face, Harry would tighten her grip upon the controls as she started searching the fur ball for any sign of the Red birds, eager to start hunting down the EDT private fighter wing so that she could exterminate them like the vermin that they were.

  the  fighters  swarmed, very few  pilots  could  say  they knew what they were doing, it came down to reaction... is that  a friend? or a Foe... pull the trigger, or  don't... only those on the edges could  say  they knew  what thier target was .. Some  of the enemies  seemed  determines  to  get past the  'ring of  steel wool' that were the battling  fighters..perhaps... to go down and strafe  the shuttles that were now  starting to land.. with Drop ships  behind them.. Enemy troops    were pouring out of opening, like  and    ant hill..but.. also unveiled   more ways into  the planet..

 Troops stationed on the surface, did not  fare so well,  as bombardment focused on Buildings  and   towns, assuming they  held  troops
...........

 Lana Lake fly like a woman Possessed, she  was  takign a  round here or there, but  she   jerked the aircraft around, trying to out  run, outfly.. the   enemy fighters..     Lizzy  Came  in   chewing up the enemy on the left, it  twisted  and truned  as one of  its  wings   broke off and the pilot  tried  to   get some  control in the  thin upper  atmo of the planet..

 Nikki Came  down on the one on the other  side..  the   canopy  crack and shattered as the  Pilot  with its head gear looked  back..

 Egger  chased   another  off .  Giving Lona    a chance  to  Get on its tail screaming at it...BASTARD!!!..LTE'S SEE HOW YOU LIKE IT!!!  in another heart beat   the enemy was gone in the ball for  fire...

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

 Higgins  was  limping  back to the  Hermes... asking for  another Bird   once he got back...

 a Voice  could be heard,..looks like us   humans have to show this back water  Aliens who to kill other Humans...Right Lover boy!...  Three  red 'sorta Mantis'   were arrowing towards the hermes.. one  of them torched a hera Fighter..

  Higgins    tried desperately to   put on more  speed, the  aircraft  around him were Busy, no one paid  much attention to the cripple..until now..

 Lizzy would try and hit the bastard again as she stayed with Nikki and Egger. She saw Lana Lake come around and take one out, Lizzy didnt dwell on it she just lept finding targets and tried to take them out. She would stay with Egger and Nikki and kick as much ass as they could, staying together made them more formidable then being on their own.

 Lizzy focused and concentrated on her instincts and her training. Finally the message she heard of her father still being here and ordering the Red Birds out, Lizzy got pissed and angry, but instead of letting her anger eat her up or hurt her flying, she used this anger to keep her focus and fly like a woman possessed herself. She would stay with Egger and Nikki protecting them and shooting at any bad guys who gets in her sites. Lizzy instead of usually being more for defense, she went full on attack mode and hoped her wing mates where ready to stay with her. As always if she saw anyone in trouble she would everything she could to help them, keep herself alive and protect her wingmates.

With her only having just left Higgins at the edge of the battle, Harry was still probably the closest fighter between him and the approaching Red Birds "Red Birds sighted, coming in low" Harry announced in a cold voice as she gracefully rolled her fighter out of the fur ball and kicked her Mantis into a full burn straight for the nearest Red Bird. It was generally considered to be a serious breach of dog fighting etiquette to aim for the pilot but Harry wasn't about to extend that particular courtesy to Red Birds as she lined up a shot on the canopy of the nearest Red Bird and opened fire with her Mantis. Let's see how keen they were to chase a crippled rookie whilst a Blue Max winner was breathing down their necks!

In reply to the ground (msg # 39):

As the shuttle came down Melia slammed the first round home and clicked the selector to burst fire. As she exited she helped herself to two extra grenades popping on pin than the other throwing each deep towards the edges of the perimeter where she could see enemies clustered. Once the grenades were away she dropped to a knee returning fire and looking for a place to get cover to secure the area until further orders could be given.

As Stoly relayed the message that they were finally coming in to land, Izzy would pull on her helmet and take a moment to check the seals, relieved that the waiting was now over and that she was able to finally do something.

As the ramp came down, Izzy would wait until the others had disembarked first before casually strolling down the ramp herself, signalling for Tali to start filming as she walked into the relative safety of the laagered shuttles "This is Ensign Izzy Sakura reporting live from the surface of the artificial homeworld of the Ellipsians, and it's time for us to show these one eyed freaks why you don't mess with the Delta fleet!" she said to Tali as she chambered a round into her carbine and moved into a defensive position "...be sure not to miss any of the action by staying tuned to ESN news"

 Meari got her helmet on and got ready, when the gate dropped she had her bow out and ran out with the troops. She took position and if she saw any bad guys she would shoot for the eye.

The Morningstar rocketed toward the surface, appearing to the casual observer (or, rather, the untrained observer) to be just another shuttle in the formation until he pulled up about a kilometer above the surface and spiraled into a wide circular orbit that put him in a position to provide cover fire to three different landing zones.

"Save the minigun and cannon for air defense, Ed...anything that doesn't pass IFF interrogation gets lit up immediately.  Start laying down frag rounds at five hundred meters outside the shuttle perimeter on each group, use the pulse cannon to pick up any groups that make it inside the frag perimeter..."  It was an odd line-up to use...in order to keep the heavy weapons oriented optimally on the surface, he was firing across the circle of his orbit to lay down supporting fire, when normally his target zone was at the center of the circle...but it was merely a case of applying the geometry a little differently.

It did mean that he was picking up a new target area roughly every 120 degrees around the circle, though.  "First orbit should rapid-fire the howitzer...lay down as much protective fire as we can.  Once we've given the enemy something to worry about, we can slow the rate of fire to optimize the cooling rate on the barrels."  As he leveled off into the circle, the howitzer belched flame as it spat a round at a target that was kilometers away, and continued firing as fast as the loading system would chamber a new round, with the pulse cannon interrupting the thrum and boom of the howitzer's cycle with intermittent rounds as moving troops highlighted their positions to the AI.  Thus far, the Morningstar was far enough below the fighter action, and high enough above the landed shuttles, that nobody had noticed it...

She had remained pretty quiet as she dodged and weaved but not truly trying to shake the one on her tail off. Her eyes darted around leading her enemy to the perfect spot shen she pulled up, letting the nose of her mantis rise and giving the impression that she was going to go upward. When she got to the right spot, she suddenly dropped down and slightly angled. The enemy, as predicted had slowed slightly and began to follow her inital climb. Billie fired her cannons, letting the hard ammo fly and piercing the craft.

    HArry's  Pivot  was  either  unseen, or no one cared, for the  3  Red Birds  headed  for the    wobbling Higgins..

   Round s  zipped  Into Higgin's aircraft, shattering  the  tail  section..he  was   200   yards away from the Hermes, and the enemy fighters  were, Under the  guns, of the Hermes Auro AA

 Rivets  Could be seen  , a tiny figure in the  Shuttle  bad  door   talkign to Higgins  to try to get him to POD out.

 The closest of the Red Birds felt the sting of Harry's  weapons   Frioe, the Metaglass shattered, and One of the  Pilots, who looked to be  either Human or angle, wacthed   thier  arm  spinn off into The Balck  trailing  freezing  Blood..The Pilot     tried to   stuanch the  blood from  thier   arm... but the breeching of  thier   suit and the  openign in  the body,  was sending the Pilot into  jerks  and convuslions   as the aircraft    'dove'  stright  down..The Off side   Red Bril    Wheeled over   sending   rounds  at harry ..three of them peppering  her   starboard wing... meanwhile the Middle fighters    closed in on the Hapless Higgins...

 Billie   capped the  Eenemy  on her tail with her   Move. she  felt her aircraft shake as it  was hit by somneone, but  could   see the shooter as   he/she   veered off to  find another target.

...  Lizzy and   Nikki Chased  through the    moving cloud  of Fighters.. anothe r danger  was added to the Mix... the  wreckage of   fighters, and   body parts... Mikki  saw a Skid from an ESN  fighter   crumple the port side  Tip of her    wing as  it  hit  her...Lizzy  curved away   from the Nose of  an Hera   fighter  , only to   recive   3  rounds   right behind  her on the port side, the  Largran that put the  rounds  into her   Veered off to  Case  Fitz.


  Raven, Red  and KAt    would split apart, then   regroup , almost as if they had flown  together for a while..., they got  some rounds in..Red  Torched a demon.. Kat got  an Elipsian fighter..Raven   tore up two, but couldn't  tell if they  went down out of control" or not

 Shadow and Flores  heard Beth's COMs, Shadow  said to  'ALL COMs in the Fleet...

This is   LC SHadow ESN  351 Hermes.. we can't let the boarding shuttles get to the  ships.. we cannot allow the fighters   free shots at us, or let them strafe our ground folks.... Keep your  eyes  open, as soon as You get an opening..   fine a shuttle and torch it....and  ..yes Steele.. they will count  as a kill...

The gava poured out of the shuttle after rechecking their gear and landing like bouncing balls.  The older in group literally leapfrogging over each other with a practiced ease.  Firing with their pulse rifles first.  They used themselves to make a path and form a defense for others to come out safely.  Jug chittered orders for several maneuvers to occur.  She knew the Felrites and others could handle themselves, she would prove the gava could as well.  A chill went up her spine as Larry howled, then the others howled as well.  She fired again to keep the pressure up and hopefully pluck a few off as well.

A few lights and alarms went yellow.  Her mantis was not going to look pretty after this, but it was holding together.  "Gotcha LC...Phoenix with me, Egger with me.   Got one target" She moved to intercept.  It was a shuttle,  She might be able to get it... but she would need cover.  She began firing at it.  Another side effect was a breather out of the furball...for 2-3 seconds.  Her craft, not compromised, but was going to handle a bit roughly.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:29, Thu 04 June 2020.

  The area around the  Shuttles   was   leveled.. some places  burned  with  hot fires, because of the   high level of 02 in the atmo..

    The  Mechs    set  up with Kira in the Middle  and her   team  flanking her, but wide   aprat to  Give the troops and largs  cover  as the  Moved  up...

 Zob and the other heavy weapons  people  moved forward... Shade  stayed  near Roy

 an Occui  voice  came over  ALL COMs..Listen..all ground  troops who have never  fought the   Elipsians  in a  real  ground  battle.... They have an ego.. they very  rarely use    anything  heavier then those...what humans  call , Rubber  suits...it makes  them fast and  aglie..but   hard  ammo and some one who knows how to use  a Knife, can  hurt them badly.. ...

 almost on cue,  a  few dozen   charged out  from the  Opening, it  appears , at least one   orbital round hit the   entrance, blowing open anyhting that may have been a 'crash door"

 the Largs  charge d  ahead..  tess a  little behind the two males,   they reached the surprised  One-yed  Jacks   and  the  creatures   tore into them..  tearing and shredding. mady   were let  go once  an arm or leg was torn free, almost as if  the Largs  understood    they  didn't have to waste  time  killing  ine...when they could main 4 or 5

 Nifty  was using his   sniper  scope  and YAPVs from the  east!!! three
   6 wheeled    vehicles   with  twin guns  mounted  and   dozens of throops  behind
  appeared  on the shattered   area .. firing   as they come.. the  shuttles  oprne d  fire
 and  brought  a  Few down..

 Morgan called to Kira  and the  Three mechs  veered to meet the APV. the rest of the shuttle folks    watched the port side   alonf  with   the  Top  gunners of the shuttles  as  a wave  of a mix bag of ebenmy troops  charged..  Jax   opened   up with  Will  and    the   ladies spreading  out   to fire  on the wave, even as 50 call MGs  from the   top guns  zipped  across the   shadowy  ground to find homes in Empire bodies

 Stoly called  to ROY....I'll keep the Burners in the shuttles...  call  if yiou need a team, and  we'll  send  them out

 the  Drop ship was about  500 yards away  dropping  down.

Roy grinned as the largs tore into the Ellispians.  "Nice of 'em to show us the nearest entrance, wasn't it?" he mused softly, before he got Stoly's call.

"Copy that, Stoly.  Spade crew, follow the largs!  Shoot and scoot, keep our backsides covered, but these monocular assholes just gave us a shortcut.  Let's use it!"  Moving in a crouched run, he moved as close to where the largs were finishing up shredding the enemy troops as he could get easily, then dropped behind a mound for cover and came up with his rifle ready to fire.  "Move up!  Supe, Minnet, Nifty, keep up cover fire as you can until everyone's in position, we'll cover for you to catch up to us.  Go!"
This message was last edited by the player at 05:03, Thu 04 June 2020.

  McCloud    tried to keep the    folks  in Line, hemsly and  Brooks    fired thier  weapons, choosing to save goodies  for the inside.


 Jumping  Lion looked  ..one minute like an old pro..another moment lIke  a   green rookie...

 Shade  whistled and whirled  as  he   gunned  down two Larrgans  who   had  made it  with in  range of his  'hip shooting' SMG





.......


above them ,  Karls  weapons  were    hitting, what most  figured  were the    troops   rear as they   poured out to hit  the  shuttle... bad luck was on the   Empire's  side. as   , all over the   Northern hemisphere.. shuttle s were droppign down near   , enemy shuttle Launch tunnels... and now...  the rest of the  ESN  Caps ships   could turn their  attention to enemy Cap ships...

  McCloud  called to Roy,..Be  Bloody nice if  yer  friend up there  could send a   round or two  down that  door way...

 two   largrn fighters  were bearing down on them, even as Foster's  flight and Howe's flight tore into  enemies  behind them ...

 Flores    appeared out of  no where  and tore up the First one.. Shadow came from the other  direction   , Blowing up  the  other..neither enemy had  a clue they were coming.. the  two fighters    did  a pass over, firing into the   enemies  near the   entracne   and  then veered off to chase  two shuttles  that just popped out  about 10 miles away.

  Scarlett screamed and  Fell back wards   as she was  Hit.. Will called   for a med tech..

Roy's face quirked in a grimace that nobody else saw.  "Morningstar, we have a request for a direct-fire mission down a hatchway in front of us...Two hundred fifty meters north-north-west of the Hermes shuttle LZ.  If you can't make it, we'll make do...but you could save us a dozen grenades with a couple of rounds..."

He turned to look at McCloud, after firing off a burst that took a Largran full in the face and sprayed its teeth out the back of its head.  "We'll see what he can do...I know that bird isn't really designed for shooting 'down', but seems like he's found a few dozen ways to do shit that thing was never intended to do, so this'll be another trick for him to add, I guess...if he can do it..."

As troops flowed past him, he nodded, adding bursts of supporting fire here and there.  "As you get past me, get down and get rounds heading down-range, we need to get our heavies caught up with us and they ain't gonna leg it anywhere near as fast as we did!  Come on, people, before they send another wave of troops out of there!  Larry, get your group back here!"  Last thing he wanted was losing a larg as collateral damage...

  The largs  came  back..  Freddie   dropped and arm by Roy and Thumped his tail, they were  all covered in blood  thatw as not thier own, thought Tess  really didn't look near as eager  as the other  two.

 Will was  trying to cover  Scarlet  as he sent    the other ladies  forwards.. wagstaff   came    hustling over, Takign a knee by  Roy,..Shoey  is with the Angels.. he said AZ-ell   is   holing back   the  enemny from the  south east... The mechs  are  engaging  the apvs, but  there are alot of  troops  behind them... AZ-El contacted the Drop Ship...1000  troopers and   three Stuarts

 ..the Felrites  and Gava  are bouncing all ove rthe  North east side

Henry racked his shotgun and came out to take potshots as targets presented themselves. He told Mila to stay close for now, until there was a need for her to patrol ahead.

"Remember you're not a larg..." he whispered to her.

 Lizzy kept shooting and was pissed when she got hit again. Lizzy just kept trying to stay alive. Then the LC said get the shuttles, Nikki had one in her sites. Lizzy covered Nikki, and then went on full attack and would open fire on any enemy shuttle she saw trying to take as many of them out before they get to the ships. Lizzy was doing some of her best flying, it felt good to go on the attack, and she wasnt going to stop now, but she always watched her wingmates back, as she kept firing at shuttles.

Harry would spare the dying pilot a momentary look of satisfaction before banking sharply to starboard to avoid any fighter incoming fire from the offside Red Bird, with her then moving to pursue the fighter still gunning for Higgins. Within seconds Harry had her crosshairs on the Red Birds engines and would open fire with both sets of cannons, hoping to kill it quickly so that she turn around and deal with the one going after her.

  Higgins   saw the two shuttles   hit into  the hermes  from  above, He  steered his     crippled  aircraft towards  the  2nd  one, which 'hung out, a Bit  further, then  PODed  out, ..

 The  Red Bird  behind him said in dark humor,..so Long   ...lover.....

 the chain reaction was as surprising as  it was Violent...  Higgins  PODed to his  starbard.., his  fighter  Hit' the  shuttle, but  was so  crippled that it might not have  did any damage..Until Abby shot  the aircraft, Just as Higgins POded out... The Explosions Light up the area  around  the Middle Hanger   Bay doors....Both Shuttles  exploded  ad the Mantis  exploded..Abby's  fighter   exploded  as  Harry torched the   thrusters..... and  Higgins    spiraled outside    the third  hanger door ..

  The  Red Bird  On Harry's tail took a  parting shot.. sending  more  rounds into her  portside  wing, before  it climbed back into the mess above and behind them

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

 Lizzy, Nikki and  Egger,, closed in  on , what was now.. 4 shuttles as  they   moved with all speed to the Hermes

 They each  chewed up a Shuttle,  watching  as    Bodies  flew into the black when  the aircraft exploded... one was left  headed towards  Rivet's  Door, who..could be  seen firing   and   a squad moving towards  him, as  some   small creature  took  down a Larg.

   across the   area, in between   explosions , weapons  fire and  screams, Could be heard Sounds of Larg Howls  and Wort  yells...

   Larry stopped  and  padded back  and forth his head   lower then   his shoulders, as he  stared  at the entrance  the entrance   they would be moving to, Once more , he let out a  chilling, Answered  by Freddie  and  Tess...

 But... somethign else was happening. Roars  that matched his. but, slighlty  differant  from  others were getting closer.. and screams from  surprised and  dying   Empire  troops  could be heard,  as the 'sun', slowly began to show light on the  manufactured planet..  weapons  fire  was  being  turned ..AWAY.. from the Hermes  folks  as LArgs came in from behind the  troops   that were exiting  other  entrances. Zob and supe  layed  down a curtain of   fire from 12:00 to  3:00

 the mechs  had moved to meet that APVs    who were  now  at  4:00  in reference to the  Hermes shuttle groups... but  2:00 to the shuttles themselves

 the  sky light up brightly as the  drop ship's  thrusters  fired. COMs opened..... SM Spencer.... This  is CAptain  Virn of the  Sanri attack force... I have   1000  Sanri here  and three human toy tanks..  where  do you want us...

 Teh Gava  and  the felrites  were  at 9:00.. meeting the   Largrans, Elispians  and Demons , even as that  surge of troops were Hit from behind, By Largs  who chose to follow Larry's  howl

Karl listened to the fire request, and sighed slightly.  "Well, shit...they don't ask for much, do they?" he mused.  Of course he was going to try it...it was an ingrained reflex to lay down fire on request.  Besides, it was just stupid-crazy enough to appeal to the test-pilot in him.

"You heard the man, Ed...I want HE in the howitzer...we'll make a pass over the hole, I'll roll to port...dump the howitzer and pulse cannon down there, aim for maximum depth..."

The guns fell silent as Karl banked sharply, cutting across his circle over the LZs, racing at the hole the SM had described.  "Two-meter thermal exhaust port would be really useful about now," he muttered, referencing a REALLY old sci-fi movie.

Seconds before passing over the hole, he rolled the Morningstar on its side, heavy weapons pointed down, and both weapons fired into the opening.  Without slowing down, he banked sharply, resuming the circle.  As he flashed over the enemy APVs, the howitzer barked again, drowning out the angry buzz of the smaller cannon as it spun in its turret, chewing a line of destruction through the formation.  The Morningstar climbed and leveled out into its circle again, resuming fire on enemy formations as they became apparent.

"Good timing, Captain Virn.  If you set down three hundred meters due West of the shuttle LZ and move to intercept the forces currently engaged there, it'd be a big help!"  A thousand Sanri would be a formidable infantry group...and three Stuarts could wreak some havoc if they got the APVs caught in a crossfire with the mechs.

The Morningstar streaked overhead, weapons blasting on target, and then was gone, returning to its overwatch position in the sky.  "Supe...you guys coming anytime soon?  I'd like some heavy fire when we go inside, but I'm not gonna sit here and wait for them to send another detachment out..."

 Meari followed the troops, she used her bow going for their eye, and also used her shotgun, she hadn't gotten close enough for hand to hand yet but she was ready for when it happened. When she heard Call call for a medic she looked over, but she saw a real medic head that way. She would help out only if a real medic wasnt available. She would move forward and hold the line until the Heavies could catch up, she would use her skills to watch and see where they might come from next.

Within the blink of an eye Higgins podded out, a pair of shuttles exploded and her sister died by her own hand. No doubt the gravity of what she'd just done would hit her but for now adrenaline, self-preservation and more than a little blood lust kept her mind focused on the very simple task of killing every Red Bird she could find "Oh no you don't! You're mine mother fucker!" Harry screamed down her comms as she violently threw her Mantis into a turn in order to pursue the fleeing Red Bird "It's time to show these backwater aliens how humans kill humans!" Harry laughed as she accelerated after the Red Bird so as to close the gap between them before opening fire with her cannons, with her once again targeting the engines.

 Lizzy saw the last shuttle trying to make it to the Hermes, not on her watch she said to herself, she hit the after burners and as soon as the shuttle was in weapons range she would lite it up. Then Lizzy would turn and look for more shuttles to blow up, and of course any fighters to blow up as well.

As Izzy ran to keep up with the rest of the squad, Tali would zip around like a mad thing asit tried to capture footage of not only the battle taking places between the APV's and the Mechs but also the mayhem being caused by the Largs. Once she was in position with the rest of the platoon Izzy would proceed to provide covering fire for the support weapons so that they could join them in entering the station.

Catching a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye she would momentarily stop what she was doing to watch as an odd shaped aircraft, she'd have to ask Lizzy about it later, shot over head and left a trail of destruction in it's wake before returning to wherever the hell it had come from "Tali please tell me you got that!" Izzy shouted in excitement at the little drone as she resumed firing upon the enemy. Perhaps later she'd be able to find out about the strange aircraft and it's pilot and see if they were interested in having a little chat on air. However that could wait until she was somewhere where people weren't shooting at her.

  The Rounds entered the shuttle  entrance, and  , just to the  right side, Bits of  rock  and alot of gore  spewed from the   Entrance, with  smoke  drifting upwards, to flatten out  as it   got to the thinner  air..

 McCloud  Grinned,..that  should take  care of them, that was  waitin' fer us..eh, Laddie!

 Supe  was  Up  front  with  Zob.. firing  away  with the Mechs to thie right, and  the troops  firing to thier  left.

 Larry and the Largs moved forwards, creeping like cats...

 thier  cousins , were  not as  quiet, as it sounded like   people were  dying , savagely from   claw and Fang.

 Will   followed the others  as scarlet was taken back to the  shuttles. Maria   moved up  with  Wagstaff, by  Roy,.. scarlet  is hurt, Muy badly..., they are going to  send a   Evac shuttle..

........

 Near Izzy  she  could see  some of the 'blade  Ammo' stuck in the  ground,  one, wasn't that far  from her

..............   From Karls  Point of view,  the   sun, such as it was...was casting  light  from west to east... there were a great ,amy enemy tropps     hustling  down from  , just north of the entrance  The hermes  Shuttle folks were head  to.

 The  doen or  so  ramps on the  sides of the  drop ship opened , Light Blue Sanri Poured on,  with three  Stuart tanks   wheeling out of the back looking  like ground  travelign fighters..

  The red Bird  Harry chased could  fly rather  well,  the aircraft  dipped  and  twisted,  zippiing  aroudn   other fighters who were having thier own  'dance of  death"..

 some folks  took shots  at HArry, but she only  felt her Tail fin hit  twice.-

 Billie was  swooped  down on by an Elipsian heavy and a Demonic heavy....her   screens gave her  a warning, a heart beat , before    holes, seemed to, magically , on   each wing.. smoke  came from the pulse  cannon on her  starboard wing, and the light  went  from red..to black.

 Lizzy , Nikki and  Eggar    tried to cut the surviving   shuttle off before  it   latched onto the  The Hermes

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

 ..Com'on pretty boy..where ya at?

 Shadow  chuckled,..you sayb that to all the guys before you bend over?...... Come  find me...  , CAn't  miss me.. just look where all your  buddies  are  dying..

 Shadow  watched  a coup, lights go out on his screens... it angered him..it  made  him feel hopelss, to know , there is a good chance that light  will never  fly again..

Nikki followed it in "Try this asshat... you ain't gittin' a ride home." hopefully there was still a few aboard that could cook.  Any aboard would either be killed or pushed back out into the black, or surrender.  In any case they were history.

"Spencer, you've got incoming forces from the north.  I'll do what I can to lay down suppressing fire, but you'll want to keep an eye out that direction."  With the dropship settling down to reinforce the shuttles, the LZs were able to hold their own for a while...if the Sanri managed to successfully flank the group approaching the Hermes' LZ, they might even be able to clear the entire force.

"Okay, Ed, time to shift back to normal operations."  He tagged the enemy formation approaching the portal he'd just shot up as he adjusted his flight path, putting the troops at the center of his circling flight path.  "Let's find out how disciplined they are, Ed...start laying down fire along either flank...see if we can funnel them into a narrower approach.  Even if we don't stop them, if we can pinch them in, it'll be a smaller front the boots of the ground need to manage."

As the Morningstar circled around the group, the howitzer opened fire, dropping rounds on the right flank at the leading edge of the advance.  The pulse cannon kept up fire as the howitzer reloaded and fired again and again, until the left flank became more optimal as a target.  Then fire shifted, bracketing the formation.  Karl watched carefully, letting the AI worry about targeting for now, as he watched to see whether the flanks collapsed toward the center, or if they held up and fanned out wider...or just continued advancing in straight formation, oblivious to the fire.  For the moment, he didn't worry much about air traffic, aside from avoiding collisions with friendly forces...at a couple of kilometers high and between a kilometer and 1.5 km distant, he highly suspected nobody on the ground would spot him...and the enemy fighters all seemed fixated with trying to engage the larger ships, and weren't even following drop ships down.  He was sure, for the moment, none of them would spot him, especially with Beth's countermeasures masking him from their sensors.

 Lizzy did not want that shuttle to escape," Nikki lets get that asshole." Lizzy was all about killing the bad guys right now, but she didnt loose control, she still watched out for other bad guys and her wingmates, but she was letting go and fly the way she knew she could. She used all her instincts and ability to get this shuttle, also using her wingmates to help as well, if she had to push the shuttle so someone else got the kill she didnt care, she just wanted it dead didnt matter to her who got the kill, as long as the shuttle was destroyed.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:19, Thu 04 June 2020.

 Meari moved forward using her shotgun and watching out for those blade weapons. She would fight them hand to hand if she hand too, maybe get herself one of their knives. She would move with the line and kill any bad guys she saw, in whatever way she could.

"Feisty little sod ain't yer" Harry grumbled as the Red Bird she was chasing lead her on a merry little dance through the fur ball, earning her a few more nicks for her troubles, with her seemingly unable to draw a bead on him long enough to deliver the killing blow. Part of her said she should just let him go and find Billie as there were more than enough targets out there. But that would mean letting this bastard win, and she wasn't about to be out flown by a gods be damned Red Bird! Especially one that had had the nerve to fuck with her. No this asshole was going down, just as soon as she found a suitable opening through which to open fire on him.

Melia sent bursts down range either aiming to keep enemy heads down, or to eliminate threats when possible. She moved up with the squad staying closer to the middle, but leaned towards Izzy in the formation so she could help the reporter if necessary.

Absent instructions, Henry and Mila followed Larry.

Henry took pot-shots at any enemy who showed themselves - that is, if he could manage to get a shot off before Larry ate them.

     Empire  troops  coming from the north  , being battered by  the Morningstar began to disperse , for the most part.

    Shadow  and    Flores   made a swipe past, chewing  up troops with   Pulse weapons...  A COM Call to  Howe, brought Howe's flight in to do what they were good  at..

 .. ALL PILOTS!...watch yourselves out here... if you are  chewed up.. go home get patched  up.. QM drop ships are landing being the  invasion drop ships..if you need 37 MM round, land and get them...

 Vesper hit two Demon fighters  causing  thier insdie   wings  to  snap off, and the two to collide... she  cheered for herself   adn  she  , in turn felt her  aircraft  take a   few  rounds closed to the back of the   'headrest cover', she  dove  down to  do an Inverted   Loop to  shake off/find..the  attacker.

 The   Red Bird  HArry chased, took out  a Hera   fighters, and one from the Echidna   it seemed to dare  Harry to follow her into the cloud of moving metal...harry  collected a few more   hits to her  port side  by an elispsian that  vanished  as Chatty Smith took it out.

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

 from somewhere in the mass of  fighters   the Voice came back...whoooie  , Son..yer harder  ta  find then you think?.. I mean..what's the 'greatest ace' of the war doing, chewing up  them poor  little  ground pounder boys?

 oh?  and you know you'er  not the  greatest ace of the war? Right?  there some of the Empire  fellas that have  200 or  300 kills!

 well,  mr  turncoat?.. for one?  I am the  greatest ace of the war... now? i know your little  crawfish brain might not understand?.. But i have the Most Kills  of any allied  pilot..IN THIS WAR.... i didn't punch up my kill sheet with  escort fighters or  dumbassed pirates.....I do have to say?..I got a couple Red Birds on my sheet..so those were sorta gifts..

 ..My , My  Son? You're  gonna have   learn you some manners?

 ..I really, really don't   think, some one  who turned on his human brothers  and sisters, is gonna  teach me  anything..Look?  I'm busy now? seems like there  are alw3ays more of your folks to kill?..so.. let me know when you have the guts enough to close on me... then i can shut you up  and get back to stacking bodies.

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

  The   shuttle  went  down, as Egger  said,..I'm going  down to the QM ship to get new belts,   The Hermes  needs to clear that shuttle  wreackage..eithger  come  down with me.. or stay together , until i get back up...

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

 Billie's  aircraft   flew   fine,  but  it was taking a Beating, she was on Pulse cannon short  right now. Waggles  came on her COM,..Hey... Billie, can't  find my wing..let's  wing up , until we can find them, while  taking out some of these bastards..

"Well...okay.  There's options to deal with that, too..."  Karl scowled as he watched the formation break away and disperse around the attacks, rather than collapsing into a more condensed formation.  It was the smarter response...but one could always hope for the enemy to make a stupid mistake.

"Okay, Ed, if they're gonna play it that way, let's start dropping rounds at random points across their front line.  If we can't narrow the front, we can at least slow them up and make sure they aren't engaging the ground team in a unified force."  The targeting array instantly shifted...target reticles that had been densely packed at opposite ends of the enemy line reoriented into a seemingly random spray across the enemy formation, some winking out and shifting as moving over terrain changed the relative density of the formations.  Without so much as a momentary hesitation in the firing cycle, artillery began raining down within the enemy ranks, the pulse cannon systematically walking fire along the line while the howitzer shifted around, laying frag rounds into the densest pockets of the enemy troops.

 Lizzy checked her hard ammo and she was doing really good so far to save ammo. Lizzy then replies to Egger," I am ok if Nikki is good I will stay with her until you return, Hey Fury are you good with hard Ammo ready to get more of those shuttles and bad guys?" Lizzy will scan the area for enemy shuttles and fighters near them as she waits for Nikki's answer, if Nikki went down she would go with her.

 Between the    roar of   Fighters  and the  pounding  from the Morningstar, sounds were getting   muted..  the  Empire troops  using thier Pulse  grenades were lightring up  places  with Flashes of  white  light  amd showers of  dirt and rock differant areas  of the planet-thing were still gettign shelled  by   Cap ships.

 The Equator  was being hammered  hard, The flow of fighters  and Shuttles  comign out  of the  docks  were thinning

  Will shouted,..IN COMING POD!  The    egg shaped   pod  hit the  ground  between  the   left flank of the Hermes  shuttles   and the   horde  that was now being hit  by Sanri  and    'rogue' largs from the west.

 Cora yelled out....its a one-eyed  Jack!

  MAria  moved towards them,.. do not get too close... COM  them , to  exit..if  not, blow it up!

.......

 henry and  Mila  followed the   largs , and Heavy weapons folks  along  with the scots  and Roy.

 Shade   stopped to pick up an elipsian side arm, tucking it into his pack.

  the  door  could easily admit   an assault shuttle... or a fighter, if the  pilto had the nerves  to fly down its  maw.

 Bodies littles the   Area, two wounded  Elipsians were  ended with a snap of   Eddie's jaws  and  Tess's//     Larry  Stood on his back 4 legs   and Howled..... The wole  was  returned  , somewhat close by, from LArgs tearing  apart the Empire  troops , trapped  between them  to the west.. Sanri  cutting into them from the South, and   Felrites, Gava  and  some of the other  Hermes folks to the east

 Shoemaker  came running  over to Roy, he appeared  to be wounded, but  was still runnign  alright,.... AZ-el says the  tanks   and mechs  are handling the  Troops to the east.. there are also  troops from  the Hera  on thier opposite flank and thier  Drop ship  landed with Ape folk?.. She  thinks  we  could  go ahead in if  you want..or  COM The Admiral.. we sent a total of 4 Angels and  Burians back to the shuttle to get evaced with Scarlet... hope she's ok..damn good  kid...

 Hemsly  and  Brooks  peered over the  edge of the Opeing.. looking  like   the   modern versions of 'Kilroy was  here"...

 ..there's alo of   guts and ehads  an' the like?...... not  much room for  troops if  a shuttle  come through. most like, be burned up  or crushed.

 ...... well..betcha  them Mechs, or  one of them small tanks  could  go in..., make a right big  explosion if  a shuttle  hits  one of them..but  they might be able to blow them up   before they reach us...

.......

 meari  found hit hard to use her  bow the Milling about of the  enemies  witht he   friends, made hits  uncertain, and armor  kelped the foes alot....m she was rewarded with One Demon trooper   grasping  his leg as the arrow   sunk into the   isd eof his thigh.

 Meari was upset her arrows where not hitting their mark, she did get one Demon in the leg. She would move towards him and take him out with the Heavy Pulse rifle she had on duty on the hanger deck. She would use that for now, but always was ready to draw her weapons to cut these bastards apart. Meari would make her way towards Melia, Izzy and the rest of the group. There was chaos all around them, Meari stayed calm and in control using her training to stay alive and keep her friends alive.

 She will pick her targets carefully looking for commanders and use up to three Pulse arrows to take out a few of those leaders, she will keep 2 just in case. She would only use those special arrows only if she found Leaders to take out, she would use the heavy pulse rifle until the battery ran out.

Nikki watched the shuttle virtually disintegrate.  Only a large section was left to spin and float uncontrollably away.  "Ah'm good.  Just a bit rocky, nothing Ah can't make do with.  Let's go get a few of these douche canoes"  Well if anything was ever learned on this battlefield...it was that En. Rutledge could be counted on for unique swearing and not afraid to show it.
"4 high. I see some red ass canoes all clustered up." you could almost feel her smile over the comm.

Roy nodded to Shoemaker, and gestured at the wound.  "If you haven't already, get a medic to look at that.  McCloud, have your people set up rappel lines to go in...you can go in first with me if you want, or pick someone from your group.  The rest of you, set up around the edge...stand by to follow us down, but definitely be ready to lay down suppressing fire if anyone pops out below us.  Let's get it moving..."  He gestured for everyone to take positions as ordered.

"Admiral Hack, we've reached our objective and we're going to begin infiltration.  So far, casualties are light...but the ones who've been wounded are usually pretty serious.  Any last-second orders?"

 Lizzy smiled and said," Fuck yes lets get those bastards, follow me Fury." Lizzy would angle in on them in full attack mode, but she would watch Nikki's back, and hopefully she was watching hers. Lizzy would open up on the closet red ass canoe and then quickly try to hit another, once they both had their opening shots, Lizzy would watch how they reacted and then engage going for kill shots for sure, engines and cockpit. Lizzy was in no mood to play with these fuckers, kill them fast and move on to the next target. Lizzy would keep after these guys and still keep her eyes open for more fucking shuttles.

Flying at ever increasing speeds and ever decreasing margins of safety, Harry continued to pursue her target through the swirling mass of fighters, opening fire with her pulse cannons whenever an enemy aircraft presented itself but otherwise continuing after the Red Bird. After what felt like an age Harry would finally find her opening, a feral grin appearing on her face as she was finally able to draw a bead on the Red Bird "Got ya!" she growled as she fired a burst of 37mm cannon rounds, aiming once again for the canopy so as to kill the Red Bird pilot.

 Harry chewed yo  the  Red  Burn, some of the GAlss  Gave   way... the surrneder lights  came  on as the  aricraft began to  do some  awkward   version of the Shadow  screw..but there was no  weapons  fire  comign from it....

 some 500 Yards  away, Fitz  was on the tail of  two Demons , who were on the  tail of  Gia..who? herself  was on the   tail of a red Bird..

 Fitz  didn't  know the  Augering  aircraft was  headed    to intercept him in just under  1o seconds..

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

 Two red Birds  torched  a fighter  from the Lyssa, as more Cap ships   poured into the  area  to take on  the   'trapped' Elipsian   ships, and  least 1/3 of the enemy Cap ships ahd beacons  on, saying that  troops were on board.. far to the   east of the Hermes  #24 exploded  as  Telas  Troopers  deemed it too clostly to capture.

  Eggar was landing  at the QM drop ship..Lizzy and  Nikki closed on the Redbirds

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

 The Vocie  Goaded  Shadow, let's go pretty  Boy..I torchedtwo of your people on the way over here...

 Sorry , Ace.. I'm  trying to  keep My people alive and Kill yours..Come on down,'less the sounds   of guns  scare you

  a  Fighter from the Sunray was  Getting  torched  By   a LArgran fighter  with a Flight leader Bubble on  its   Tail fin... the  guns  switched  to ground  attack  as it  neared the    Hermes  assault   shuttles. Worried  about  about  missing the fighte rand  Hitting  his own people  , even as the Largran opened up,  Shadow   hit  full thrusters  , comign up  from the  starbaord  side, Just below the Largran.. the largran turned to see  Shadow,  just  long enough for  Shadow to  Flip his   Stick up and to the right,..Shadow'd  left   wing caught the  Largran's  right  wing,  Sending it  spinning  to the  south west, its  Nose  already down  , it  screamed  as he went over  top of the  troops to land in the mass of  Demons and largans... Sanri  Troops  waved their weapons,  As  Shadow got  control   and Banked  around  the   entrance  area   to  head back up after  another  fighter..

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

 Billie   saw  dozens of   ESN  and  even more   aircraft around her.. she could pick and chose , before some one chos eher

 Higgins  got 'bumped' onto the Hanger deck, By KR-EN who was landing for  Ammo

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

 The LG  was on the    rear edge of the  battle a dozen  'refurbished' Mantis  waiting to launch for the first piltos  to claim them

"...I am currently standing on the surface of the artificial world that has been constructed by the Ellipsians, needless to say we have met some resistance since landing but nothing to be overly concerned about" Izzy spoke to the camera from where she was crouched with the rest of the team "...over in that direction you will just be able to make out the main thrust of the enemy counterattack, there is a company of Sanri drop troops currently holding them at bay, meanwhile behind me we have a contingent of Hermes troopers are preparing to rappel down into some kind of shuttle bay to see if that will allow us to enter the station proper" Izzy explained, using her free hand to gesture in the relevant directions whilst the other held her carbine across her knee. Also just in shot would be Meari and Melia as they fired upon the enemy as Izzy continued to speak to the drone, seemingly oblivious to the firefight going on all around her "...now I just want to show you something...this is what the Ellipsian's are currently firing at us...It's a razor sharp disc that comes shooting out like a Frisbee, needless to say getting hit by one is not a pleasant experience, though thankfully casualties, at least within this squad, have been very light so far" she said holding up one of the discs she'd found lying on the ground between her finger and thumb, which was something she wouldn't be doing were it not for the gauntlets she was wearing. She was also trying really hard to ignore just how close to her that disc had been, with her not even sure if her armour would have done anything to stop it.

"Fitz you have an incoming fighter to your port, you need to make evasive manoeuvres now!" Harry shouted down her comms as she continued to fire upon the twisting Red Bird, completely ignoring the fact that it's surrender lights were showing. If he thought that was going to stop her from killing him then he had another thing coming!

Once the Red Bird was dealt with, She would move to assist Gia with the Demons currently on her tail.

  From the  Ground.  McCloud   and Roy went to look  down into the   shuttle  shaft...

  about  45 degrees, i should say?... we'll go in alot  faster then we come out... might  want to lay  ropes  for us to grab  and help pull us up?

 Shoey looked at his leg...I plated  it?... ok for now?..I can at elast, stand outside the  entrance with a few other, keep bad  guys away?

 ..........\\
  The Mech   were  Gunning  down troops. the elipsions  were using thier  blades, several Blades  such in the mechs.. Meanwhile  the stuart tanks    with there   fightercraft engines    bounced over the uneven grounds  crushing  enemies  and  cutting them  down with MG  fire  and blasts  from the main 37MM cannon

.........

 a Fighter  crashed about  200 yards  from the shuttles, the  enemy fighter  was  now  shooting  at the   Hermes  assault craft, Until a Mantis   came up along  side  and  Flipped it over, causing  it  to crashing into the enemies   some 400 yards away..... The Aircraft banked  around  and  darted  up into the 'metal cloud'

 Shade  waved his  weapon as the  aircraft passed.

  Minnet screamed  a monent. then began to laugh.. above the   northern part of the entrance  6 Largs , slighlty smaller  the Larry   peeked over the   edges, tails thumping rapidly, even as some shook thier heads to  clean of blood and body parts.

 Two  Nivarians  from  the Hertz  stood there with  grins, they were also covered in enemy Blood..our  unit  seems to have lost us?... Big Green  came here, the rest followed..so we followed them... can you use  us?

 the Two Hermes  Nivarians     came running up at the sign of the  Largs appering, they waved at the   two 'handler'

Roy grinned at McCloud as they made their way down.  "You're the mountaineering expert...although if we have to come back out this way in a hurry, something's gone very, very wrong..."  The angle of the shaft didn't allow for true fast-roping techniques...but there were other options.

With the rope laid out before him, down the shaft, Roy turned to face downhill, and ran, letting gravity pull at him, using the rope to keep himself upright and stable, descending into the shaft at a very fast pace, eyes up and watching for any sign of threat.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:06, Sat 06 June 2020.

Melia stayed nearby Izzy as filmed her field report, firing on any elipsians that popped up. Once the segment was filmed she pushed up to the entrance with the rest preparing to "fast" rope into the planet with the squad.

Upon hearing that more hard ammo would do better jug had the gava switch from the pulse rifles and pistols to more damaging weapons.  If there was a cluster of the enemy Bog or she threw in a grenade or two for good measure.  Along with the other ground pounders the gava would give the enemy hell.

Remain calm and don’t panic, she internally repeated, making it a point to breathe deeply through her nose and let it out slowly through her mouth. “Roger that Waggles. Down a pulse cannon!” she relayed that information to her temporary partner. Sticking close, Billie took a bead upon an enemy and fired, using her hard ammo since one pulse cannon was down, hoping to down it.

  The largs  Looked   around thumping thier  Tails, Shoey Looked at Henry,.. up to you Doc?..you can follow  them in and Have  Mila  scout.. or  wait abit?

  Larry     Wen in   first  slowly  walkign, his claws helping  keep him from Sliding The other  two looked  at each other   and   crawled   down.

 Maria called up to the Nivarians,if  you want to  bring them oversize Gila Monsters  down  here?..maybe  you can  leave three outside  and take  three  in with the others...

 The two  Nivarian  larg masters  did  some  sort of arm waving  game, and the slightly tall  one Grinned   and  tapped three  Largs on the  head, the  followed  while the other  three  stayed  at the   top pf the  entrance to help keep enemies away.

 Brooks  and Hemsly started  down. suddenly  Brooks    slid   down a  Bit , tryign to stop himself   before he   hit a   seam int he plates  and  went   head over heels ' landing on his belly  about  30 yards  down from Roy and McCloud.

  Ya bleedin' Blatherskite!   You wouldn't have been  'ookin' yer  lines now , would ye... Naw,, instead ye go ass over bloody tin cups, like a raw recruit  goin' fer his porridge

 Brooks looked up a bit  embarrassed,wee bit steeper then i thought...

 Hemsly shook his  head,we have ta  figure this... them shuttles that came out, they were headin' straight fer thew Cap ships, like cats  at a Milking barn... so's we have to figure there is a base or a Hanger at the End of this...

 Minnet said in her   soft voice   as she  shouldered her   weapon  to  control her  descent .....Teally Now, Hemsly?.. Yer a  fine military  mind  you are!.. we are graced more the  the King hisself  ta have you with us... Imagine that.. a Base  in side  a homemade, bleedin planet... considerin' all them trooper  aboot,  we've been a Killin'... 'ere i was thinkin' we  might  find a Pub at the  end of this  shaft...

 Hemsly frowned,..Tucker  should give in an make an honest  woman of ye... you are  ready have  the wicked tongue ta be a wife...

 Lizzy follows Nikki in and when she does her move she will pick one and open fire on it and then try and take the last one out before they could recover. Lizzy calls," Hell Yes Fury, that was a great spanking." Lizzy will push herself to get the other two before they recover and try to attack Nikki or her.

 Meari nodded when she saw Tali film her, she moved to the passage, and will follow the others in. She will sling her weapons and use her strength, speed and agility to traverse it as quickly as possible.

   Billie  and Waggles   went  back into the   forest of fighters.. Waggles  collected   a few  rounds  from his pour   side  as  an elipsian Light   fight  zipped  By.  A Demon Heavy  fighter  was   diving  down on , him, even as he    blow a Largran of the Tail of  Brivet.

 Billie  nicked up a demon  who crossed her   sights, and it   done  down into another   cloud of  fighters

 there seemed to be more collisions now, as pilots  were losing  focus,, in the   over  thick  dogfight.

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

 Harry  Peppered the  Red  Bird  and Fished  it   off,  its  wing    spiraled off to hit  Fitz's   Skids  as he pulled away, snapping one off...

 Gia   screamed once   as   rounds   stitched up  the  spine of her  fighters..  the Middle of her Metaglass  vanished...

 ..I'm Hit!!! I'm Hit..

  The red  Bird  Pulled  away  from   Gia's   sight line and laughed,..is  is going to feel soooooo good! the  demons Broke off  Left   and  Right,  Fitz   , trying  to get his  aricraft , back under control fired  at th the one  who peeled off to his  side... Micking it up with Pulse   weapons, but saving his  37MM

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

 Nikki and  Lizzy   chased  down the redbirds.. the one   nikki got was a bit lowerm, and the other   two  spread out , port and starboad

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

  Shadow    was   chewing up a Demon heavy , that Flores finished off  when the COM  came again...

 Come on Hero!..  I'm a waitin'....Thatw a s some  fine  trick you pulled on that Lagrans.. he was always a bit full of himself... he had  60  some kills?

  60  kills?  That's  cute..i wonder how many of them  were  military folks?Funny?  You just watched?

 well, Son?  Me and my people?  we're lookin' out  for  Earth's interests  and all?.. so.. we're makin' sure  we try ti pick the ripe fruit  from your trees..the green ones  will fall off  all by themselevs

 Switching over.. he says to Beth...Beth? I know your a bit  busy...

 A BIT!!!

 Yeah ..well... if you could feed me that Jackasses SIg, so i can find his ass... i don't have the  time or the inclination to  go hut  for him

 Hack broke in,use your  head?..you know  he  isn't in the furball... and he can't be under you...

 ahhhhhh.. aye sir..Thank you..

cross post from hangar (ooc: my mistake)


Nikki charged up and literally spiraled through the group of red tails.  Firing and making them scatter quickly, easier to pick off as the maneuver put them immediately on the defensive.  One she shot holes in but it did not explode but did wind up crashing into it's wingmate hard.  One emmelman later she came in and tore into the same one again before they could entangle themselves.  Both exploded as she blew up one and that ones explosion blew up the ammo banks and fuel of the second one.  "...And that is how you spank someone" she said.

"Can it," Roy said with finality.  It might have been good-natured banter, but it was a distraction and had the danger of escalating to the level of distraction.

"For now, it's just another, larger, enemy ship.  We have to assume there are hostiles aboard that will come running the moment they realize we're here.  That's all we know and all we need to know for now."  He continued down to where Brooks had ended up, giving the Scot a quick visual once-over once the man was back upright.

"Let's get close enough to the bottom to be able to monitor if they're prepping anything for launch again, so we don't lose everyone in the tunnel in one go.  We'll set up there and wait for everyone else to catch up with us and then go in from there."

He gave Brooks a clap on the shoulder, letting him know everything checked out, and then continued on.  He was also watching for service hatches, side tunnels, or vents...if he saw places that troops could emerge behind them, he'd call warnings up to the additional troops coming down so there would be eyes watching for a potential ambush.

"Right," Henry said to Helmsley.

"Go on Mila, now's your chance!"

Mila didn't need any encouragement, and darted forwards at Her Human's command.

Through the chaos all around her, Harry would smile in satisfaction as the Red Bird finally died, and Fitz managed to avoid the kamikaze attack that had been heading his way. She would also be able to witness her friend Gia being hit and hear the Red Birds mocking tone as it ascended "Damn right it's going to feel good!" Harry snarled in response as she moved to intercept it, firing several short, sharp bursts at it using her pulse cannons until she could get a better angle with her 37mm. She had no idea whether or not her friend was still alive after that strike to her canopy, but she could at least add the gloating Red Bird to her tally.

With the rest of the team moving to enter the crater, Izzy would quickly glance over ehr shoulder to confirm what was happening before getting up to follow them, tossing the metal disc away as she does so "Ok it looks like we're going in, I'll be speaking to you all again once we're all inside" Izzy said, finishing her link before moving with Melia towards the crater's edge.

She would provide covering fire from her new position until it was her turn to descend into the tunnels below. Like pretty much everything else she did on the battlefield, Izzy was nowhere near as fast as the other marines but she was able to scale down using the ropes in a competent and safe manner with the tiny drone zipping around her excitedly "yeah well its alright for you, you can fly!" Izzy said in response to a series of beeps and whistles.

Upon reaching the bottom she would unsling her carbine from where it had been hanging across her back and take a moment to study her surroundings.

 Lizzy pulled hard to Port to get one of the others, she lined the Red Bird up and opened fired hoping to blow the traitor out of the sky. She would stay on the Red Bird until it was no more or she lost it, then she would check on Nikki and the other fighter.

Melia hooked in and descended quickly and competently. Joining the others. She really didn't have much to say as she looked around for any signs of the enemy or traps

  Harry   shot up the Red Burn before  the pilot  could   try to   dive away, or   trun back, the wings came off  as the aircraft as  it headed to the surface of the   station.

 Gia   was  wobbling  as  she  tried  to turn back to the hermes...

...........

 Billie and Waggles   were  chasing now, the  trio of largrans  they chased  were  hit a few times  already, they  managed to  send  a  Artemis  fighter  to the 9 hells.

 Waggles  sent   rounds  into the portside    fighters, it was starting to trail Vapor

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

 Lizzy and  Nikki  saw another  shuttle  slam into the Hermes just as the last one  was pushed tout to  drift away like so much drift wood.

 from where they were they saw  only a few shuttles leaving the   battered  and burning  dock areas...it seemed  like the two shuttles  were heading towards the hermes, even  as  another shuttle landed on teh spine of the Hermes  , where another one hand  already landed

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

 Shadow, it  turned out  didn't  need   Beth to find  his Red Bird  'buddy'... as he flew  Up, The Guy said,well?  'bout  time?.... You   Northern Types are so  fussy  about   being there on time...

 ..I saw your tail fin, dumbass..isn't that flag  supposed to be whit  and tied to a stick ?

 ..Go Get Him Gretchen...

 I Vil be most happy too, Herr Cruz... As  the redBord  fighter  shout     out  after  shadow tow  37 MM  rounds  hit her starboard  wing...

 ohhhhhhh no you don't , Frau  Frau Blucher... he wants Kray..he  was ta  fight him himself..

 the German   flipped her   aricraft and  shot up into the   fray. leaving   the  Redbird and Shadow.....well well.... 0-1...is  that  homage to your ancestors   win -loss record?

 ..I'm gonna  shut that Bronx  mouth of yours  right up, boy....

 Brox?.. what a dick.. I'm east side, Docks  boy.... i learned to fight  better there, then you did  trying to keep  your older buddies  from watching you pick up soap... They peeled   off   Cruz leading Shadow    way from the cloud of  fighters...

..here  ya Go Jimmy  boy.... music  to die by... i like this... play it on the  OB dec sometimes.. Just pretend i'm singing to you....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abfBasgIZtk

  Shadow  watched the  fellow  dart about, he hadn't  even fired  a shot yet.....geez!..you'er so  scared , you'er gonna have  to borrow  from someone to carp your pants!...don't worry, they say when you die, your muscles  relax, so all that will just pour out...

 Shadow fired only pusle  rounds.. some to the left..some to the right..and grinned  as he saw the  redbird  jerk his aircraft around...

 ..Com'on  Jimmy?..... I have to get back to killing folks....i'll have to end you right now, if you don't wanna  fight?

     most of the  Hermes  troops were in the tunnel  now..  Mila  sniffed ahead padding   along on little  doggie  paws. while the small army of  Largs made  soem clicking  sound s with claws on metal.

  Roy and  McCloud   were  Joined  by AZ-EL, the felrites   were   one one side, the Gava on the other side... Sanri were finishing off troops to the  west, while  those who were  , not engaged  formed up at the tunnel  waiting  for  the call.. the  three 'outside  Largs   were sent   to   run around to catch any  snipers  or   escaping   enemy..

 The Tanks   were    pulling in a  bit near the shuttles to protect them, the mechs  started to head to the tunnel


  Maria  was near Roy  as they walked  witht eh Scots. MAria , Will and the others  formed  up  near Roy as well..

 Mila was lookign  back at henry.....

 Lizzy called out to Nikki, "One shuttle landing on the Hermes spine with already one there, and two heading to the Hermes, you get the two on the Hermes I will get these two bastards and then we will head back into the fray ok Fury."

 Lizzy then went full power at the two shuttles and as soon as she was in range she would unload all her weapons on the two shuttles, she would watch around her and make sure the shuttles are destroyed, then head back to Nikki.

Roy held his assault rifle at the ready, moving ahead, eyes open for signs of ambush, enemy troops moving to intercept, or a shuttle being moved to launch past them.  In a low growl that carried over the comms, he directed, "Eyes and weapons up.  Let's move up to where we can get eyes on whatever they're doing inside...we'll settle on a plan of attack once we know more..."

Henry smiled.

"Mila sees a hatch to the left side of the tunnel, and big blast doors at the end."

He sent approving thoughts in return, and felt the dog's response.

Basking in Her Human's approval, Mila sniffed at the hatch, ears pricked up, trying to sense if anyone was behind it.

"Enjoy the fall you wanker!" Harry shouted as she watched the Red Bird tumbling towards the planets surface before bringing fighter around to cover Gia "Are you alright Gia babe?" she asked in a concerned voice as her friend seemed to struggle to control the limping aircraft "Keep heading for the Hermes, I'll cover you until you're home safe" Harry said scanning the area for any immediate danger. It was also as she was doing this that she would take the opportunity to check her ammunition and noting that she was running low of 37mm rounds though unless something went really wrong she'd be able to hold out a little longer before she needed to stop for a resupply. She was also starting to wonder where the hell her wing had got to?

Billie moved in to follow up, finishing off the wounded aircraft before moving into an appropriate position, making sure they were spaced far enough abeam but her own craft at a slightly higher position. The chaos of the battle was definitely a bit unnerving and with one pulse cannon not functioning, it only added to that…but she trusted in her skills and her bird. “I’ve got your back,” she said to Waggles as she scanned the immediate area. Should any enemy cross their paths, Billie would follow Waggles’ lead.

   Magin  ran up towards  Roy and McCloud,..there is a count  down...and its  at......  there was   a shutter and a rumbling  sound,  metal all around the Moaned  and  screaked ....Zero....

 The    tunnel  was bending and twisting , with with what seemed to whole world...

 Mila  was   pawing at the  tunnel side  entrance.

 Larry   Growled  at Tess.. and chased her up  the   tunnel to the surface,  until he returned  back   with the  freddie  and the other   three Largs from the Hertz.. The Nivarian  shook his head,..i have never seen that before....

  Hemsly  and  Az-el were yelling  for the  troops to head for the  side   entrance, the  Blast doors    ahead   were starting to buckle.

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

 Outside, Shoey was  sending poepl back towards the shuttles    while    some folks  pitoned  extra  ropes and sent them  down, just in case... Tess    was laying at the lip looking  sad, but the other Nivarian   handler  got her to come with him and the other  three  younger largs, towards the Hermes  shuttles.


  The Tanks  wheeled  away  facing outward and  continued to fire at the enemy troops   even as the  saw the Undulating   ground  coming towards them

  Gia  didn't answer..with out a command  console , Harry couldn't tell if  Gia's COMs  were out, or if she  was  in bad shape.

  it  took a good  Minute  for Gia  to  slam into the   hanger.. way to low, her   skids    ripped off  and the  fighter flipped over on its  cockpit... Harry could  see  dozens  of   orange   garbed  people running to it, even as SEC troopers  fired  on the the Elipsians , that was slowly getting taken  down.

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

 Pilots who  would  give the rgound  a notice, would  see the 'twict in the   structure, Like some one  tried to wring out a  dish rag, but gave up aprt way through..

 on the hemispheres..Lines of   ground   rose  and fell  as the shock waves  went through the  Planet station, fires   burst out of  the  Equator's  docks   as  machines blew, power cells  blew..and  ... for them to be foolish enough to mess with them..Plasma  Blew.. some explosions  lit up the inside , like  a candle  lantern...some sent out  Jets   for  flame into the black with bodies and debris.. as the  'waves  went  across both Hemispheres,  there would be a   geyser of  flame , now and  again that shout through   the   hulls and  dirt into The Black.

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

  In the  air  Pilots  from both  sides  might have  taken a look, but they still had  each other to deal with.

  Cruz  flew  'decent' , in Shadows judgmental eye... but   The LC knew  he would kill the man.....Loky down there Red neck?... looks like  the one-eyed Jacks  are goign to need a new  rock to crawl under.... I wonder how happy they'll be with thier  human  'buddies"  for letting them down?

 you're  just trying to get me to surrender....  it  sounded more like a question , then Cruz  would have hoped.

 ..nope... Jimmy Boy?  You'er gonna  die today... and I'm gonna be the one who kills you.. I'd  say.. un;ess someone gets in the way?  You have  about a minute..maybe  two?.... Time enough to think about the kids you ate to get that Flight leader thing..and... you gotta  wonder, Jimmy..if there is  any kind of life after the death...what do you thing is waiting for   folks who harm kids?

 Cruz   screamed in   anger  and  whipped his odd shaped  Fighter around,, he  fired   wildly  , But  Shadow   Had  Dove under and came  around in  an Immelmann   and  fired..only pulse  at  Cruz,, rearing up  each wings  some more...

 ahhhh..Jimmy Jimmy....gotta have  acool head  and a cold heart in the cockpit...course?..don't know how cold your  heart has to be for that Loyality meal and all...

 ..I'm Gonna get you Pretty boy....

 ..not today , buddy... and?..Just like the song says..' i paid the price  i don't care.. there's more of me, there's more of you..we're every where...I gotta be the one who kills this flame..."

 ..You really don't  care.....

  ..oh?  I care?.. But only for those  one my side..... save a place in the 9 hells  for me...

  One 37 MM    round..purposely   zipped  past the   cockpit  it hit the front of the cowling... right where the  Ammo Belts  should be,  Cruz's  aircraft  Blew  back like a  cartoon Blunderbuss  or  an very Ugly Banana... cruz's   Body was  spilt in two  as the tail  section dropped near the  Shuttles...

 Shadow called  downHey!..You shuttle Folks down there... Get me that tail fin.. 1000 Creds  to  whomever  brings that back to the Hermes for me.....  Shadow  Looked   for Flores,, But   flores   was on the  way back as a twisting  bal of  fire  a few miles behind her, impacted   the surface.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:00, Sun 07 June 2020.

 Meari felt the ground shake , she grabbed on and instinctively grabs onto Izzy who was close to her. She watched the explosions and then said on the comms," SM what is the call we bugging out or moving forward, this place doesnt seem stable what happened?"

Henry concentrated on what Mila was 'telling' him.

"Mila reckons the hatch has been used but there isn't anyone behind it at the moment. Good girl!"

Roy cast a wary eye at the blast doors.  "Side hall, now...whatever's buckling those blast doors might make it through, and even if it doesn't flash fry anyone in the way, I don't want pieces of blast door flying down the tunnel at me.  Larry, grab the smallest, lightest ones of us and get the largs out of here!"

He turned, back to the blast doors, positioning his body to divert traffic to the side door (and, in what would be potentially symbolic, setting himself so that he would take whatever damage came flying down the hall before any of his troops).  He gestured to Izzy, Jax, and three other, smaller troopers.  "Hang onto the largs as best you can...or let them grab your armor and drag you, but get clear as fast as possible!"  Izzy, certainly, and probably the others could easily be carried by Larry, and probably the others, and it would be five fewer people to have to fit into whatever space was behind the side hatch...

Nikki all but growled into her comms.  Just past the reforming furball on this side Nikki followed Lizzy.  She was a bit farther and in a scraffing pattern bombarded the shuttles as well.  "Eggers is almost done reload.  I am running low.  best take the time now...we're gonna need it."  After the newer shuttle blew.

 Hemlsy   managed to open the side  Hatch with some   quick  acid-fuse  work,   the   door  swung out , it  was  about   6   foot  high and   6  foot  wide.

  Jumping Lion looked at the  ground,a few people..maybe  4..maybe 5.. went into the  tunnel.., not long ago..  there are Lights   every 20 yards or so..if you count the lights, there  are 10 we can see before making a Turn into  the  station


 The Largs  looked back and forth between everyone ...Jax  , pretended not to  'quite hear' what Roy said  about Bugging out., instead his eyes  were on the  crinkling balst door, down the way.

 Meari smiled at Izzy and then listened to the SM, she looked at the side hatch and knew it would be hard for her to fit in there. She walked up to Roy and said," I can take Ens. Sakura and possibly one more back up SM, I dont think I will fit in that side hatch ."

Roy scowled.  "You're not Garrat-sized, and these weren't made for Occui children.  You'd fit.  Udenese aren't THAT big..."  And then an idea dawned on him.

"Hemsly, McCloud, help me tie some loops in this line..."  He grabbed one end, making a large loop with a bowline, that wouldn't slip and constrict the loop...and dropped it over Larry's head.  He moved to start another.  "We harness up the largs...five of them, pulling together, can drag us all out of here in a hurry, especially if we're not dead weight.  Move fast!"  The knot required one end of the rope to be free...but as he finished the knot and started to pull it tight, he nodded to McCloud.  "Start the next one..."  As McCloud tied, he dropped the second loop over Freddy's head.

Working together, the five largs would be in improvised harness in a matter of seconds, and the troops could each clip onto the line that was left over...

 Maria looked  around,..so?.. we  are leaving?

 Hemsly and  McCloud    worked on the ropes, The  Nivarian  Larg Master    soothed the   3 younger Largs  as they fitted them with the ropes/

 Supe  Zob  , Minnet  along  with  Tucker  and  Hoke  were close  by..they were only about half way down

 Cora and Ellen  stayed  near Will others   were waiting  about  1/4th of the way down

From where she was positioned just outside, Harry would helplessly watch as her friend made a very bad landing that prompting a swarm of orange clad ground crew to come and see if she was alright, and also make sure her fighter wasn't going to explode. Unable to help her any further Harry would turn her fighter around and head back into the battle that was still boiling away.

Seeking out Red Birds as a preference, not that she had a vendetta against them or anything, Harry would search for a new target, activating her comms as she does so "Billie where the fuck are you!"she called in exasperation, trying to locate her sig in amongst the mess on her scanners whilst simultaneously trying to find a suitable target. All the while the planet that formed the back drop for their little space battle was doing some very strange things indeed.

Standing on the periphery of the squad, a rather confused Isobel would try and work out what exactly was going on as the ground rumbled beneath her feet and dust fell from the ceiling overhead, exclaiming "you want me to do what!?" in response to Roy's suggestion. It wasn't that she had anything against Largs or didn't trust them not to hurt her, it was just that she didn't fancy being dragged by one, and was more than a little dubious as to whether she could safely ride one. Then came the offer from Meari to carry her followed by the construction of makeshift harness' with Izzy all the while wondering whether she should have simply started running back towards the exit rather than wait upon anything more elaborate being devised. After all the exit wasn't exactly that far away.

Jug and the other Gava were helping evac the others at the SMs insistence.  small they could move fast and move quickly, more so than one would have thought.  Those not helping kept watch as needed.

"Where the hell am I? Where the hell are you? Got a cannon that has been disabled and teamed up with Waggles since we both were in the same situation...I lost my lead and he lost his wing. Come find me." She answered Harry in that calm manner. Everything had happened so quickly that when Harry left, it didn't even register until it was too late and Billie found herself alone with a disabled cannon.

As the last loop was dropped in place, Roy looked at Maria.  "I'm not betting our hides on the durability of that blast door.  We're getting out until secondary explosions settle down, then we'll sort out survivors.  I don't want anyone down here if there's a chance of Qarl plasma cooking off...a blast door will slow that down for about half a second, before the plasma just eats the door.  That wasn't in the mission brief, and that changes a lot of things..."

He looked around.  "Everyone clip on, do what you can to keep climbing so the largs are helping us, not hauling us.  Let's go.  Larry, get us moving!"

Melia clipped onto the rope with the others. The door worried her and plasma wasn't a joke. She scans until it's time to climb and gets to work her carbine slung for the moment. There wasn't a need to let the largs do all the work. Roy was right.

 Meari nodded and then said," Yes SM." she went to head for the hatch, and then Roy changed everything. She saw what he was doing and it was a great idea, using the largs to help them get up faster.

 Meari turns to Izzy, and says," Clip onto me and the rope and climb with me if you slip I got you, you ready Ens." Meari turned to Roy and said, " We are set lets get us out of here." Meari was very nervous about the buckling blast door.

  The largs   pulled  the troops  who  hooked up on them along, the  Hertz, Largs struggled a bit, being  a little smallers, their larg Master   would run from one to the other..  patting its    side or ehad  and talkign   with   stern but encouraging  words.

 Larry andFreddir   seemed to have  no  trouble... Mila    hustled to henry  tryign to  get him  to   hurry..she  whined  and Looked   back into the tunnel..even was then went up the rgade, they could see the Glow of the  Blastdoors  getting brighter and brighter

 Tes  was  waiting at the top  thumpign her Tail the other   larg master threw up his hands, as he could not get her to move from the ledge

 The Bulldog, took out  another Cap ship ,two more   were captured  and  were rising  slowly above the battle  with  the  beacons set to 'captured'

  the fighters    were thinning out..on both sides.ESN  and largans  retreating   to  rearm

  Kat   had   landed to rearm along  with  Raven, RedWater circled over the  Outpost waiting fro them to  take off again

 ...............

 Shadow flew through the    thinning cloud, with Flores   a wingspan away, turning and twisting  like   one  big aircraft alot of the enemy aircraft were   trying to escape.. either to a cap ship, or to the docks... but  explosions   were still happening in the  Docks, two flight leaders  in largran aircraft were trying to rally , othe r aircraft,  Shadow  and  Flores   camp in,  Shadow  doing  a roll to the left, Flroes  to the right..Both flight leaders  died , other   aircraft were  damaged  by heavy pusle  as they scattered  like a  flock of  birds

 Eggers  had  take off  COMing  for  Nikki and  Lizzy, as he  went back up towards the  battle

 Lizzy took out her shuttles and headed back with Nikki, when Eggers came out and commed them Lizzy replied," We are right here Sir, Nikki and I are both low on 37MM now, can we land on the Hermes yet Eggers?" Lizzy waited to see where Nikki and her should reload.

Despite being more than a little dubious about Roy’s plan Izzy would clip herself into the harness with the rest of the squad, being sure to stay close to Meari as she does so. It wasn’t the climb that worried her but the run down the tunnels. Being at least a foot shorter than everyone else meant that keeping up with them under normal circumstances would be a challenge let alone being attached to a team of Largs. However with no other option she would set off with the rest of them and try her best to keep up and more importantly stay on her feet.

"I'm coming, Mila," said Henry, hustling towards the side door.

Then he spotted Tess.

"Come on Tess. Need you over here, girl!"

   Aircraft hearing  the ground troops  recall, and watching  enemy  aircraft dive   towards  the   equator, or.. head  up to thier own ships...decide it may be a good time to head to thier   vessels to rearm.

 Hacks  Vocie   echos his  Comments made from the  Hanger, Once More...everyone!..pull back.. rearm.. get some rest... we're  not  done here  yet, but the planet  will kill more of us then the enemy will!

  Hennings  Comes on the COMs,Tech Vessels  estimate  5 minutes   before   two   massive  waves from   each pole  will reach the   'temperate  zones'  where   most of  out landings   took place.... get in the air....That's  an order....

”Butchering Red Birds all on my lonesome, that’s where the fuck I am!” Harry responded, as she continued to try and locate her wayward wing in amongst the remains of the fur ball. Thankfully however the order to recall was given saving her the trouble ”screw it, I’ll meet you on the hangar dec, try not to crash between here and there” She said with a weary sigh, wondering what she’d done to deserve a pair of FNG’s as she turned and headed for home.

——> Hangar Dec

Hnery concentrated on getting himself and Mila (and Tess if she'd budge) to safety.

Melia continued to help scramble up the tunnel and out, so they could get to the shuttles and regroup. At the top she unclips, and turns adding her strength to the pulling largs to get the remaining team up quicker and to reduce the load on the largs.

As they got closer to the, Roy called out, "Shoemaker!  Get some teams set up to throw additional lines down here and pull...help get some of the weight off the largs.  I get the feeling it's gonna get hot as hell down here in a few moments!  Anyone that isn't pulling us out should fall back to the shuttles!"

He'd expected the Nivarian largs to struggle some...which was why he hitched them in a line, like sled dogs.  With Larry and Freddy in the lead, they would hopefully provide enough pull to keep the other largs moving at close to speed.  But if there were another two or three lines thrown down with teams hauling, out on the flat surface where half their energy wasn't going to just staying on their feet in the 45-degree slope of the launch tube, the small group below the surface should get back topside in a matter of seconds, between the efforts of the largs, pulling teams, and the troopers trying to get clear...

After finding herself being half dragged down the tunnels by the Largs, Izzy would then find herself scrambling back up the slope, thankful for the fact that she was wearing armour else she'd be sporting some fairly nasty abrasions on her hands and legs right about now.

Once she was back on the surface she would follow the rest of the team back towards the waiting shuttles so that they could get the hell off of the planet before it tore itself apart.

Once they cleared the tunnel, Roy unclipped, moving quickly to get the largs loose while the rest of the group got free of the drag line.  "You guys know where your shuttle is?" he asked the Nivarians that had joined them with the extra largs... they had said something about getting separated from their forces.

"If you don't, or can't get there safely, pack in with us.  It'll be crowded, but we're not leaving you behind."

Nikki went to reload.  Yes there was a recall, but there were injured craft and their shuttles as well as the ground troops.  "We'll reload and cover the shuttles.  there are still enemy fighters about.  I'm sure they'd like some cover.  damaged craft too."  she knew Lizzy would understand since her chosen partner was on one of the said shuttles.

 The   Larg master  who  got to go  down with them,  nodded. //I think we'll go with you  if you can get us in.. the hertz  Drop ship is  almost 2 Miles   to the West..Our largs took off  when the answered your Largs  Call... we  each had  4?.. One one was  Killed  by one of the older Studs  for not   staying behind with them. and another  was  Killed by those   one-eye Blade weapons..Must have  had  10 of those Blades in her body when she finally died..

 The   'younger' Largs  sat around   thumping thier Tails Lookign at  LArry.. Tess  and Freddie   sat  next to himmas they awaited orders.

 meanwhile  troopers   and mechs  were  makign thier  way  to  the   shuttles...

 Magin pointed   to the  Northwest...It is coming!!!  fart..far off..but   Moving  fast  was a   curling   wave of  Dirt, trees, bodies  and Buildings....


 the   Tanks  had picked Up Sanri  troopers,  7 or  8 per  Tank as they traveled   hard and fast towards  the Drop ship.. the QM ship  was hovering off the Ground   incase of    people who might 'miss a ride

 ..it is picking up speed  as it goes!

 Shoey called into all COMs,..Don't  Mess around!..that  wave is  40 feet high and growing.. we got to get  out of Atmo... everyone  who has a wave..get out of atmo!

 any who would   take the time to look back  would see a  shuttle from one  of Delta's  #@'s   chips   get  Crushed  Bu the   wave  as  it seemed to   eat the  thing, even though it was 30 feet in the air.

 Back at the  Shuttles   two  battered   troopers from   The Hersey.. where clamping a TAil  fin on the opposite  side that Kira's mech  would   be on.. they climbed in the shuttle , pretty proud of themselves.. Shoey  , though hobbled   was  at the  Diamond,  ready to help Morgan  clamp in..

 the  evey  'bouncy feltrites and Gava  where already  entering thier shuttle.

 Meari climbed, and hung on as the Largs pulled her a Izzy up with the others. Meari would help Izzy from getting tossed around to much. Once they where out, she unclipped and made sure Izzy was unclipped,she then said," Are you ok to run, the wave is coming we have to move if you can't say something I dont mind carrying you to the shuttle, but we need to move." She points out to the huge wave of earth heading towards them.

 Meari with Izzy,(either with her or carrying her) will get to their shuttle help Izzy in and then look out to see if she needs to help anyone else make it to the shuttle, injured troopers or ones moving too slow to make it before they had to take off.

 Lizzy was about to head back but when Nikki mentioned the shuttles and there where still enemy fighters, she wanted Izzy to make it back safe. She said," Yes lets reload Fury and go protect our people. Thank you Nikki, our friends and Izzy will welcome our protection."

 Lizzy and Nikki reloaded and headed for the Egg looking for enemy fighters and shuttles on the way wasting them of course, and then would wait for their shuttles to lift off.

"I don't have a lot of choice on that matter" Izzy replied when Meari asked if she was alright to run with her then going on to point out the tidal wave of earth and rock powering on towards them. Even as far away as it was the thing looked huge, not to mention deceptively fast "Oh you're fucking kidding me!" Izzy exclaimed as she finished unclipping the harness and started running towards the shuttle. Thankfully she wouldn't reenact the tried and test trope by tripping over something and twisting her ankle so that somebody had to carry her, as that would have been seriously embarrassing...assuming of course she survived the experience. Instead an out of breath Izzy would stumble up the ramp of her shuttle and all but collapse into one of the seats, wondering when the last time she'd had to run that far, that quickly in full kit had been and drawing up a blank...boot camp maybe? Either way it was an experience she hoped she wouldn't have to repeat anytime soon.

After making it to the top he helped anyone else that was still making the way up before turning to see the wall of debris heading on the way once he was sure people got out he would move off full sprint to the shuttles as fast as possible.

  The people , and beaties  Ran onto the   shuttles..  3 of the Largs  and  thier Handler  ran  onto the  Shuttle  with the Felrites   after  Lt Hirr  motioned for them..Andre  was   strapped  onto the outside  and the shuttle  rose into the  air.

 The Spade  was   ready  with LArry  freddie  and  Tess  inside  and   most of those  who weren't evanced out before.

 the other  set of  3  Largs    were in with the Angels and Burians..  shooting almost  straight up,  the shuttles  watched the ever  growing wave  of   dirt and debris..Bodies    flow  in the  air  only to be   covered  by the  wave.. it was  very clear that troops at  each pole would have had very little, if any chance to  survive... Once in the air...Stoly opened the side blinders, the  sun was catching the tops of the  dirt waves....

 The waves  ha d  spread out  from the  Poles and were angerly making thier  way to the equator.

  Cap ships  from Both sides, watched on the VIds.. and  only the gods  know who the people who were there  felt...

 behind  the waves   odd   furrows  were  left, almost  as if  some  massive  tiller   went through...

 then the  waves  hit the  equator...  they  overlapped, briefly...  and   settle d back   to  large  dunes  tat   were  200 or  so yards  from  each  edge...  but the force of thier  arrival and the impact, sent off more  explosions... shuttles and  fighters that had  sought  refuge in the station    when Blown to  scrap,  but  Juts of  flame  and concussion... all around the station, areas  sunk in, making the landscape look  like the moon after it was terraformed.. green and brown  craters, ..smoke  rising  from  some.. geyser's  of  fire  in others


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

 for a while..2 or  3 minutes.. there  was hardly any chatter on the COMs...save for a few fighters   gettign clearance to  Land or  whatever

  Hack  Broke the Silence.......This..is one of the Many reasons, Plasma ebenry, of  any type, is Banned  by the APF.... We...did  destroy the  Qarl ships  as they powered up  to kickstart the Jump ...but... the real plasma powerhouse  was inside  then Station..... only the gods know what happened to the people inside.... what the deaths of  troops on the outside  was bad  enough

 ..for the next 8 hours.. everyone stand  down, get food and drink... People who are engaed  with  enemy Caps ships. finish them off and stand down.... when   after the  8 hours is  over.. we  will be going inside ...

 Once the shuttles took off from the planet Lizzy with Nikki flew towards them and gave them cover as they headed back to their ships, she did move closer to the Hermes shuttles maybe Izzy would see her Phoenix and know she was okay, she really hoped Izzy was okay, and all her friends.

 Lizzy comms the Spade, Diamond and the Club," Hey guys Nikki and I will escort you to the Hermes glad you got off when you did." Lizzy waves to the pilots of the shuttles. She does keep her eyes open for any bad guys trying to shoot down the shuttles.

"We got ya, Stoly" Nikki backed up Lizzy's statement. even as she kept her eyes out for any left over enemies.

Three largs on the Spade made for a crowded flight back...but Roy was happy to have everyone aboard.  "Stoly...we get everyone off that thing in time?" Roy asked as the shuttle vaulted skyward toward the steel curtain that was the Delta Fleet.  The passenger compartment of the shuttle didn't really allow for a good view of the surface, but from what he had seen in the mad dash from the tunnel mouth to the Spade, he didn't want to think about the fate of any allied troops that might have been stranded down there...

Henry got out the portable bowls and made sure all largs and Mila had a drink.

In reply to Melia Kristensen (msg # 140):

Melia put her back into pulling, she wasn't going to win any competitions for strength but it was something more than nothing. Once the last of the team was up she joined the sprint to shuttles, which was something she did excel at.

Once in the shuttle she elected to stand giving up a seat, so as to fit more bodies in. She grabbed onto a rail holding on tight. As the doors shut Melia looks around in the tightly packed shuttle holding off as the lift off gaining altitude. Satisfied that there's no immediately serious injuries, she holds on bracing as they head back to the Hermes.

--Hanger Deck--->

Jug helped any injured as she could.  as small as the Gava were (which was only about a 1/3 to 1/4 smaller than the humans was not a whole lot, but enough) they squished in and moved so others could fit in.  Uvuvu had no problems sitting on Bogs lap.

(( 2nd  battle one eyed jacks ))

   The  Ships  Moved to thier  stations, slowly turning  so thier starboard  sides    faced the  station, and the  hanger  Dec Openings  were to 'the rear'.

 Rounds  were sent into the  equator of  docks..even a cap-shop grade  torpedo  now and then Lighting  up the  10 miles or  so , along the   equator..

 Delta  4 ships  rose  about the station  with  12  Elipsian vessels  , well with in gunnery range.. they would baby sit  the  vessels  until the battle was over.

 Delta   3, 2 and 1  ringed the Station as the pounded the  docking areas...

 The Hyrians pounded the  North pole  opening send a  round, now and thrn right   done the  polar opening.

 The Burains were set up in the same manner...

 Hacks Voice  could be heard over   ALL COMs..

 Launch the fighters  and the assault  shuttles.... Drop ships  put yourself into postions,,,, in 10 minutes the shelling will stop...for now..and   you Ground folks can have some fun....

 ..Torpedo aircraft, head back to your ships.. he food  and rest..we will call you if  we need  you...good  job out there.

 When  the order  was Given, Shadow's  flight went out  first.. followed  by  Frans , then each flight after in order...

 some of the  rookies  bounced  across the Dec, making Rivets  wince.. but all teh fighters  made it into The Black.

 The  Shuttles   followed   right after them...with Mitch Landing 5 minutes after...his  torpedo craft was chewed up badly, but  neither him , nor Benny looked any worse for wear.

  the aircraft  had to fly  above  the Hermes  so the Guns  could  keep firing.


  alright folks?..here's  the plan ,we look for   enemy aircover, then we  head to  20 degrees  North Lat... to where those  red markers are, on you  screens.. that's where the assault  teams  are going..so we have to make sure there aren't  any  troops in the way...The Admiral is on The Spade....Now? I don't know about any of you?... But  i don't like the idea of having to come back to the Hermes and Tell the Captain we screwed up and lost and Admiral

 Shadow?.... North west...here they come.....

 Alright you Greenies..... THis  is what you signed up for..a Chance to  send  Empire bastard to the 9 hells...and for  all you  New Pilots?.... for every  Red Bird you Kill..with out  with out surrender lights?..I'll give you 500 creds from my own pocket and
 an extra   few drinks on the Rec dec...

 what about us Vets, LC?

 we  know how much fun it is  to take out  scum bags....This  gives the new folks, something extra  for thier  first flight...

 Grey Msters , in Frans Flight  said,..no offesne , LC..but i'm just gonna shoot bad guys  down... you folks can sort out  what color they are later!

 People Laughed  as the  Horizon became  dark with  fighters.... already there were explosions  as  other ships  fighters   met  the  wave.

 ..get your weapons hot...Beth?..Give us something...

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?...tcZ6vsg&index=14

  Shadow sings into All COMs.....started  with a stone Cold  heart.....

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


 In the Shuttles   Suep and Shade  stood  up.Remember  the way we use to Feel. before we  were made of Steel...

 Shade pounded his chest plate

all through the COMs   vocies  could be heard, from Drops ships, fighters  and Capships...".....we will take the  field   again..an army of  a thousand men....its  time to rise  up , we're breakin' through, not that we've been improved, every thing has been resorted , ready for the art of war..., 

  As the Fighters  closed  on the enemy  fighters.. Shadow added...  so you can Run if you want to!...

 the screw being performed withoput even telling KAt  and Flores, who instinctively  veered off to to pick off the   wing men..

 Meari was sitting next to Supe, Hodden and Izzy, she smiled to Izzy and said," Yes that was unusual but it did seem to work extremely well. Well normally the Fleet gets green ground troops but the number did seem large, but all those new fighter pilots they seemed to green to be in real combat, I hope your Mate can help get some of them back alive." Meari began to check her weapons.

 when she heard Ade speak of Shade like that Meari stood up, and said," I can understand my cousin enough to get an idea and he understands you completely, plus he is a warrior he doesn't stay by the ship as his charge goes into battle Sgt., I would take Ambassador Shade by my side over you for sure Sgt. Now sit down and shut up before I get really upset." Meari's eyes also turned the darkest anyone has seen them, if there where not all these witnesses she would have taught this asshole a lesson. She will look towards Shade, smile and nod towards her cousin.

She took off when it was her turn, making a mental note to buy Argie a drink for fixing the pulse cannon. While it might have been a part of his job, she wanted him to know that she did appreciate the care for her bird. Slowly licking her lip, Billie followed Harry's lead, taking the appropriate formation, being up higher to keep eyes out and making sure her wing was abeam to Harry's. For the most part, she remained quiet, listening to the music as a means to distract herself from the possibility that she could die or let Harry down again.

  CE-Va was  happy wit with the films  she was  getting and  Moved to talk with McCloud, Hemsly seemed a bit   put off by her, until she started to talk.

  soon they were  laughing a bit  as he  told  some  'ramp down' stories  of Aqra,

 McCloud  talked to the Reporter  who ticked off lists  of  battles she was in, including   Aqra..and   she did some  filming when  some one  blow up most of the Dockmaster's  office on Anzio.

 she  did let mention she was  trying to track down the poeple who made life bad for the EDT...saying they were heroes.

Roy kept a wary eye on the reporter...Izzy, he trusted, at least as far as he trusted anyone with that limited an amount of experience in the war out here.  The half-Angel, he was still unsure about.  After having the EVOL forces start out as allies that turned coat, then having the infantry forces under Capt. Zona turn on them after fighting beside them for several battles...and on, and on, and on...anyone who seemed to be trying too hard to make friends and get people talking instantly got his suspicions up.

When she started talking about wanting to track down those making life difficult for the EDT, he instantly thought of Delta Night operations, which were usually targeting EDT specifically...and if anyone looked like they were about to start talking about him, he gave them a hard warning look and a slow shake of his head.  If she wanted to find out about his involvement in Delta Nights, she'd have to earn it, as well...

Henry, as usual, gave Larry, Freddie and Mila something to drink before the Spade landed.

When the moment came in orderly fashion she joined the fun to take out the enemy.

---> Hangar Dec

After leaving the hangar dec Harry would move into formation with the rest of her flight, finding herself to be pleasantly surprised by the sight of Billie forming up on her wing without her needing to ask her to do so. With her having already gone through two combat missions and coming out the other side unscathed Harry was confident enough in Billie's ability that she wouldn't give her the usual spiel of stick close and do what I say or you'll die! instead trusting her to operate as her wing using her own skills.

Watching the Imperial fighters pouring from out of the plastic planet like wasps from a nest Harry would smile before asking "you ready?" waiting just long enough for Billie to respond before accelerating rapidly as she dived upon the approaching fighters, with her eyes searching for the tell tale flash of colour that would tell her there Red Birds around and in desperate need of killing.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:51, Mon 22 June 2020.

 Meari smiled at Izzy and the others but gave Ade evil dark looks every time there eyes met. Meari smiled at Shade, and says," Ambassador Shade are you doing okay, you ready to kick some Empire ass?" Meari will watch and listen closely using the tips Orria gave her to try and figure out what Shade was saying.

 After Shade's response Meari got a Comm text message from Slick, she quickly sent a text back to Slick and then looked at Shade.

---> Hangar Dec

"I'm more concerned about them not getting her killed" Izzy softly replied to Meari with her already knowing that it was in her girlfriends nature to try and help the green pilots survive even if it put her at risk.

It was at this point that the sergeant accompanying the half-Angel reporter would make a dumb comment concerning Shade drawing the ire of both Meari and the sergeant major, with her suspecting that if her didn't watch his step he wasn't liable to survive on the Hermes for very long "Why does a combat reporter need a bodyguard anyway? Or am I the only one that bothered to get some training so I wasn't a liability?" Izzy asked Meari and Melia, finding it just a little annoying that she seemed to be making more headway with the troopers within a few minutes than she had in the week or so she'd been here. It was amazing what you could do with Shadow and his girlfriends accusing you of being EDT every five minutes!

 Lizzy lines up with Nikki and then looks to see who there third will be as they form into E-Flight with Fitz. Lizzy will get ready and hit them as hard as she can when they hit the wave and just keep lining up bad guys as she goes, she will as usual watch her wingmates and any other ESN/APF pilots who need help, most likely a few of the green ones.

 Lizzy Comms Nikki," Ready to kick some ass Fury, Fire is ready."

  Waggstaff, looked over  at Meria  and Izzy,Med techs  take care of wounded, and fight when they have to.... Troopers   use  first aid when they have to.. we  fight as part of our
 jobs

 she's supposed to be the real deal... wounded, fought... all that.. good bet  she has a  body guard  , becaus ethey like what she's doing... did you see her  handle that  SNG?.. Didn't even think about it, like second nature...She's gonna  fit in  right well?.. that SGT... well...assholes with smart mouths  ned up  floating hope in thier own  secure bag.


  larry  watched   the New   reporter, but seemed non-plussed  The rest of the  scots    just gave  the Half-angel nods most settled  down  as the shuttle   began to feel the bump of atmo.

 Stoly's  voice  told them what the   gunners  alright heralded... Bad  guys were here..

Melia shrugged, "Had no idea to be honest. I just figured camera, plus making vids and all that it was better than other names out there. I suppose I could look at your file, but skimming peoples files for fun isn't in good taste and considered a SEC violation without any sort of reasonable suspicion." She said in response the Izzy asking how Melia knew she was from LA.

When the topic of the reporters came up Melia looked as perplexed as Izzy's tone sounded, "You'd know more than me on that Hollywood. To be a combat medic you go to the basic training like everyone else then I got shipped to the Advanced Infantry Training for 7 weeks, followed by a 22 week Navy Hospital Corpsman training. I'm just an infantryman with a specialty also in medicine. Call it a double major for the college types. Most the troopers I knew from basic shipped out to various posts after the Advance course, only a few tapped for additional combat roles such as engineers, heavy infantry, sniper, and the other combat medics went on to additional training. We didn't have any Media branch people in my class..." She eyed the new reporter noting the scuffs and scrapes on her armor also assessing the tone the Angel had taken with the SGT, "My bet is SGT..." she says eyeing the junior NCOs nameplate, "Ade is about as green in combat as those kids we just took on as replacements. He's probably attached to her to get some combat experience before he goes to an actual line unit. Unluckily for him his reporter got assigned to the Hermes."

She didn't really want to add more. From the way she could see it, the LT had arrived with credentials and significant battlefield experience, something Izzy was rapidly catching up on but wasn't at the same level, also during that time the Angel hadn't made significant enough waves for word to get out about her. Izzy would get there but time was a slow block to check when building experience.

  As  Shadow, Cat  and Flores  Broke throught  the leaders  Shadow  COMed   through ALL COMs,,..This is  it.. they have everything in the air they can get off the ground.... they may outnumber  us  after the losses we took, in round  1...but make  sure to send them to the canvas for good... we got to get  those  drop ships  and shuttle  down safely...Good Hunting... try to , at least stay, In pairs...    Aircraft, climbed , dived , twisted and Turned  , from both Sides.

 The Flashes that mark the death of a  Pilot, from one side or the other , lit up the   expanse of the   Enemy wave...

  the shuttles   were  almost hidden by the drop ships  falling  like  massive Dark  rain drops as they   fired thier thrusters to close the Gap between thier  transport Bases  and the Docks of the planet,

  Enemy  aircraft  zipped by.. now and then an assault  gunner torched  one..

 frans  and Eckles   came Up   from Under two  Demon Heavy  finghters.. Frans sent  two 37, MMs  ito the  Belly of the  leader, , Blowing it apart.., Eckles  used    Pusle  rounds to   chew up the wings, that shed, and  sent the Demon to the  surface, like a massive lawn dart.. the  Demon's  POD shot off  sending  it northward.
  ESN aricraty took  rounds , from almost every direction..some? even from fighters on thier   side, as they missed and the rounds  traveled on.

 Raven and  Redwater had Marco inbetween them  as she  scattered enemy  fighters.. Marco  fored his 37 MM 5  times  before   a  round hit an Elipsian fighter , blowing it apart.

 OK Rookie?  You got  your first Kill.. buit  watch those 37 MM rounds... you run out, you  go back to the ship..you're not  good enough to  fight  with just  Pulse  rounds!

 Shadow saw  another    formation of  fighters  as the  first  line   met thiers.. He  Comed to Flores and CAt to Follow  him after the leads....

 below.. teo drop ships  landed   a mile or  so sway from the  Assault shuttle's LC area, the   troops   spread out  like  ripples in a  pound  was the sought to secure   a Landing area  for a QM  ship.

  As the shuttles bounced   against the atno, or shook from their Nose  cannon firing.. the constant  staccato of the 50 MMs  firing burts when they thought they needed to.

  a Pulse round Burned though the bottom of the shuttle , right near Freddie   who Jumped back a bit...

 one of the Burners   got the machine heated up  to seal the  hole  with  filler and a hand sized plate

 LArry  loked at Freddie, a stern Gaze.. and Freddie   just laid  back down.

Ade  looked at the Hole that was  only two feet fromwhere he  stood , holdign onto the  belt  corad  wire

   Shade Bleeped   somethign and pointed  at him..Ade  gave him a dark look, but Shade  just continued  to have a metallic  chuckle.

 CE-Va talked to the SEC troopers  doing everything  from asking them how they ended up on the shuttle, to if they agreed  with the attack, to  if they how they felt  about officers.

 Cora and Ellen who sat near Will  answered..

we were Lucky, they didn't   chance up the  roster too much..so we got to go down again.. Cora said

  I thing , almost all the   offciers in the ESN  are  worth serving under?.. I  was  taken in after  being  'reccomended' to the SSN....  Then she giggled a bit...we  got   The Admirals?..The Captains?.. and we Got LC Shadow?...there isn't one of them, we won't  follow  all the way through this thing.

 ..The LC is a Pilot?... does he have any bearing on what you do?

 ..he sure  does.. training... after parties... and, sometimes  he'll end up on the ground, and he just keeps fighting

 Pulse  rounds hit the shuttle,, the port side gunner   let of   three  quick burts  and shouted "..GOT YOU...YOU BASTARD!"

 Stoly said.....Gear up...and hold one.. we're  gonna be coming in flat and hard....we have to get under that  wall of  fighters   ahead

"Actually I just thought Lizzy may have mentioned it to you or something" Izzy responded with a friendly smile, the idea that Melia could have read her personnel file having never even crossed her mind "...well it beats the hell out of being called Shorty, or midget" she continued with a roll of her eyes saying how unoriginal she thought those particular gems to be, and they were the inoffensive ones!

Carefully checking over her weapons and vid boards, she would listen as Melia explained the training she'd received to become a corpsman, with Izzy thinking through her own training before replying "I kind of did it the other way around; I studied journalism at college and had an intern job before doing my light infantry training followed by a stint in OCS in order to get a combat cam gig with the 25th...the ESN picked me up during my second tour" she explained fully realising that she'd probably taken a very roundabout route to get to where she was now.

Meanwhile all around her she would hear the sound enemy weapons fire bouncing or even in one instance punching its way through the shuttles bodywork as they broke atmo and headed for the surface. After quickly checking her makeup with the tiny compact mirror she carried, she would pull on her helmet in preparation for their landing before signalling for Tali to start filming "This is Ensign Izzy Sakura live from the back of the shuttle inbound for the Ellipsian home world where we are hoping to finish what we started and hopefully not have the planet try and crush us like last time"

Melia appeared completely unfazed by the hole in the bottom of the shuttle, truth be told she'd buttoned up in her medium boarding armor before they'd left the hanger, any depressurization would have her breathing the metallic canned air from the suits supply, and if the shuttle went up with a little luck she be out before she could realize it. Not that she felt pain in the conventional sense of the manner.

She smirked at the SGT, and chambered a round leaving the safety on, grabbing a loop to hold onto and to pull herself standing as soon as the disembark order was given. "Thing is out here on the leading edge of the storm things like the size shape and color of costume jewelry you wear on your uniform count for about as much as whatever cheap materials were used to make it. You ask how we feel about the officers, but I'd tell you this. With the rare traitorous exception I'd follow any number of the delta people regardless of rank strait to Hel itself. Everyone here's a leader in some way or another, we all know it and when someone has the right of it we suit up and run the plays they call. It's not just the LC or Admiral, or anyone else it all of us together that have influence. What we do shore side or on boarding actions can make or break what happens out in the black for the pilots, and the cap ships. Just like the pilots and cap ships influence our efforts it's an everyone fight Shadow influences us, we influence Shadow, ect." She says eyeing the gate lights knowing they gotta be getting close.

She grinned at Izzy, "If she did I guess I forgot, I've been shot at and gotten laid since then. Lock and load Hollywood these cyclops are lining up to meet their gods we shouldn't keep them waiting" She says playfully punching Izzy in the arm before Izzy begins her broadcast.

In reply to Isobel Sakura (msg # 167):

 Meari replied to Izzy," Yes but she is strong she will be back, and will save those rookies if she can." Meari did not have to answer Izzy on the next question Melia did that for her and actually Meari had no clue how to respond to that.

 Then the shuttle got hit and she saw how Sgt. Ade handled it and chuckled, then she smiled at Shade and gave him a thumbs up. Then things got a little rough and she braced for landing.

“You know it!” Her smile could easily be heard in those few words and the way she said it. With a smirk, Billie followed alongside Harry, maintaining the distance. and keeping her eyes out. As they approached the enemy, she prepared herself, firing when close enough yet keeping with Harry.

Strapped in and still being bounced about one of the ground pounders right across from Jug slipped a bit out of his harness, almost flying into Jug.  He would have had she not put a foot up and braced him.  As the shuttle came back from its angle it was on she pushed him back into his seat.  "Check your straps.  you do no good out cold" she said as he sat and re hooked himself.  Even with only so many battles under her belt she had seen it where a soldier slipped out and hit his head on the bulkhead.

  Aircraft flew about,..to the rookies, and  pilots who only flew  a few  Jump offs... this looked like a furball.

 to the Vets.. it was business  as usual  as the  fired  , moved   twisted and turned.. the other ship's  were chewing up the  blanket of  figthers... and the few that got through, headed towards   the   cap ships

  A Hermes fighter  Blew  apart like dropped egg, Shadow  Just  glanced at  his screen and swore , as   his skids  scraped the    wing of a LArgran,  causing it to Barrel roll  with no intent..giving   Briet a clean shot  to  Blow  out its  Belly..shadow recovered  , Pulled back on the stick to climb.. two  enemy fighters  crashed into  each other..he wouldn't get the kills for that..but he enjoyed it anyway.

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

 Stoly  hit the    Yellow   light..troops  stood up Larry and Freddie ,  nosed thier  way through the  crowd    thumping thier  tails  wildly... One of the Burners  held  the   release Button....

 Open the Ramp!!!!.. touchdown in....3......2.....1..... GO GO GO...

 The shuttle hit  the   torn surface of the  battered planet,  larry and Freddie   leaped out   as  Stoly's  can fired  down  range to  see if  anyone fired  Back.. the target  areas   were easy to see... COM Poles  Jutted from the   soil and , half  covered Metal doors  were closed..

 CE-Va   exited ,,, Supe Pushed Ade   ....HARD..out  down the ramp to the pointed the man  rolled   2 yards  away from the Ramp...

   Shade  ran down Bleepign harshly at Ade,  as he truned the corner  to set up  with the two Largs

Ce  Va had her    weapon Up as she talked into the Vid, being  fed to  the  Vessel...

 we are on the  Plantet-station... and   are looking for  contacts.... the  light  will be going soon..and the Elipsian's  Blade  guns   are silent... please.. stay  tuned and  watch as  we  try to take this  homemade  sand castle...

 The  Other  shuttles   were  unloading, as Larry let out his  Blood curling  Howl Once more.... answrred by the  6 largs  from the  other Shuttles

 Hemnlsy  fired  off   4  flares...and there  they were.. hundreds  of enemies   in  craters  and   rolls of  dirt...and the Largs  charged...

 Ce-Va  charge d after.. letting loose  some rounds  into  a  pair of LArgans...we see the deadly largs  movign to attack... it seems  we may have foiled thier  surprise!

 there  were odd sounding screams  as the  fast, and  furious Larry    reached the   hidey  holes and savage  tore into the defenders..


 Hack shouted....NOW..Before they have a chance to Process.....in the   fading line... thousands of   ESN/apf   troops  down the line  charged  forward... they too, fired   flares 

 Morgan   fired up his   lamps  as he  sprayed  away from the Largs... the   humming  engines  and  bouncing  squeak of  tracks heralded the sound of the  Stuarts

 they fired  Bigger Flares into the  air, lighting up bigger  areas  the  doors  would need  Burned... and they were  400 yards  away..

Nikki gave a snarked laugh "Yep and I am primed to smack some demon fighters and Red Birds and anything they wanna throw at us!" she responded to Lizzy "Got me one in sight at 3 o clock low." Actually there was a small cluster there looked to be lining up on one shuttle.  She made for them "Time to die Red Bird" she snarled and barrelled in firing.

"Roger that, Admiral Hennings...inbound..."  Karl had opted for a different approach to the target...all the fighters had clustered together, creating a visual display that was impossible to miss, even if they weren't showing up on enemy sensors.  The shuttles and dropships flew through the center, taking advantage of the fighters' fire to penetrate beyond the enemy's attempt at air-cover...

So Karl swung wide.  He had, after launching, taken a few seconds to assess the layout of the Fleet, and the fighters and other craft moving to engage...then threw the throttles wide open and raced toward the north, until he'd closed about half the range between the Hermes' group and the Hyrian forces.  At Hennings' orders, he cut throttle to half, banked into a dive, and raced downward.  At fifty kilometers above the surface, he opened the dive into a spiraling descent, the Morningstar laid over with its port side facing the surface...putting pretty much all the enemy defenses within his fire arc.  With gravity assisting, everything he could see on the surface was pretty much within range...

"Okay, Ed...you heard the man.  Let's rain on their parade here..."

From that far overhead, with the noise of the fighter engagement carrying in the distance and the sudden bursts of noise from the shuttles landing and weapons fire erupting from the ground teams, the roar of the howitzer was a neglible vague throb of a beat...and it took seconds for the rounds to reach the ground.

But when they did...interspersed aerial-burst fragmentation rounds, detonating twenty meters off the ground and spraying hot shards of metal over the surface beneath them, and high-explosive rounds, penetrating several meters into the earth which clad the exterior of the station before erupting in a massive spray of fire, earth, and stone, dropped on random points within the enemy formations, the only warning of their arrival being a high-pitched whine in the air that was barely audible for maybe a couple of seconds before either detonation or impact.  They were spaced across the entirety of the formation, firing to induce panic as much as to inflict damage.  About one every second and a half, but they might be a kilometer apart, or they might almost strike one on top of another, with no apparent rhyme or reason...

Except there was, but it was only apparent from someone watching the battle from what was, essentially, a gods'-eye-view...or something, perhaps, would be a better description.  The AI observed formations...radial layouts hinting at a central command post, compacted dirt rebounding light with a slightly different IR reading indicating roads, paths, or trails used to move equipment or supplies, pockets of massed bodies waiting for orders to attack.  Ed scanned comm frequencies, searching for messages that would correlate with the location of an attack...when he was able to triangulate a comm position, another round would land there.  It was, Karl realized as he watched target indicators light up and vanish as rounds landed, uniquely surgical yet brutal, an odd combination that he himself would never have thought to bring about...a combination which, hypothetically, should have been beyond the AI's capacity to synthesize without outside input...

With Admiral Hack along, Roy hadn't felt the need to lead the charge...while he had his assault rifle along, this time, he'd also brought along one of the Barretts.  He got free of the shuttle, found a position, and set up.  Within moments, he was sending .50cal rounds downrange with surgical precision.  He played his scope across the enemy positions.  Anyone who appeared to be giving orders was shot.  Anyone who appeared to be operating comms (including the telltale action of speaking to nobody in particular) was shot.  And if he came across a group of enemy troopers preparing to charge, he put a round through the first man in the charge, forcing those behind him (the ones who didn't get hit by what was left of the round as it exited the first, at least) to stumble over a dead body with a gaping hole through it, while at the same time trying to see through the spray of goo that exited the corpse with the spent round.

Some lucky few didn't get a new paint-job on their suits...they were behind two or three who happened to be in a straight line from Roy's position.  The cleaner suits were a trade-off for having more corpses to move past...

Henry followed Larry and Freddie, shotgun at the ready, looking around.

He waited to hear what they wanted Mila to seek out, meanwhile he kept her close.

 Lizzy flew with Nikki they went into the fray," Lets go get him shall we fury." Lizzy stays on Nikki's wing and will shoot any bad guy who gets in her sites, as they head for the cluster of fighters, Lizzy would follow Nikki in guns a blazing to kill these bastards. As always Lizzy kept an eye out for ESN/APF in trouble and tried to help them out as she stayed on Niki's wing and they unleash into the group of Red Birds.

 Meari stormed out of the gate when it was down watching Ade, she said to Ade," Come on you ape do you want to live forever." Meari charged out shotgun at the ready. She will follow the others and take up a position where she can use her bow to try and hit enemy leaders.

 She wall watch out for Izzy and Melia, it is good to keep the medic alive. Meari watches as the largs go ahead and chew up the enemy, Meari will get a Pulse arrow ready for a person in charge. She says to Ade," Come on Sgt lets see what you are truly made of shall we."

Falling upon a trio of Lagran fighters like a steel bird of prey, firing a quick burst from her 37mm cannon at the port side fighter before arcing round to fire into the rear of the central fighter, trusting that if her initial shot had failed to kill her first target that Billie would finish it off ”Forget about using energy weapons on lagrans, they’re shielded, but hard ammunition cuts through them like a hot knife through butter” she instructed, suspecting hat the academy wouldn’t cover that particular piece of information, as she rapidly climbed, ready to change the manoeuvre into a loop and drop on the remaining Lagran from above.

  with her eye piece, CE-Va looked into the air ,  she  Got  a vid of  Shadow  and his  sword maidens, take out three of the 2nd  wave flight leaders... The Half Angel smiled  at the   'catch".. She  Hunkered  down to keep the  feed on the aircraft above..and sadly caught the Death of a Hermes Pilot...still..any acyion shot was a good  one, the    veiwers   should get  the contrast in feelings from the two scenes.

 Then she   was  up  and  running...

   Ade   got to his knees  as he   saw   the people who were with him , follow  the angry largs  to the east was  the  Club  with Felrites  and  Gava  pouting out, trying to catch up the  the   3 largs  that were with them

 to the west the same with the Angels and Burians..

 MAria  grabbed the SGT by the  collar of his Medium Boarding Armor...... Let's  go Chico!... no one hides   on the Hermes!



 Ade   Truned   and Sucker Punched   MAria.... he was greeted  with a Rifle butt  to the Face   From Nifty......SM!.. we have a problem with the   Reporter's  SGT...

 Will    Grabbed MAria  as she  Got up  swearing  in spanish,  her   face shiled hand Been  cracked by the blow form the  SGts, sidearm, hilt.

      Jax   had    his  rifle pointed   at the man's chest...

Ellen and  Cora   stood  Near  Will firing at stray  enemies.

  Shade  readed a  crater  that had   3 Elispisns in, one's  Blade  weapon fired  and hit  Tim Marx  in the chest, droppign him like a sandbag.. the Little Half  Udenese   Jumped into the  crater with a Metallic  scream.. his  SMG  firing   until he  hit the  Ground, Killing One,,, One of Roy's  sniper  rounds   caught the other.. and the One  who shot   MArxs.. was Tackled  by Shade...who  Burned his  face off  with his   finger  weapon

 Lyri  was On the COMs  trying to get all teh hermes   shuttle  folks to regroup and follow the LArgs, Mechs  and heavy weapons people...,  4 stuarts.. two to each side,   Hummed and squeaked thier way up the    flanks... sometimes    rolling into  a  craters, and pivoting on thie r tr4acks to make, empire jelly

 Hack  took  shots.. careful shots.. But  an enemy went  down, wounded or dead..

some of the   empire  troops  tried  to  rush forward, counting  on troops   from behind the two openings, to re-enforce them... but.... rounds  were raining  down behind the  two , half-buried  entrances.

Roy's jaw clenched as he weighed options...then a stream of invective poured out that could have peeled paint off the side of the shuttle, as he broke from his position to pull back to where Ade was being held.

"Holy shit, Ade, you can't even fuck up correctly, can you?" he demanded as he stepped up.

He looked over at the still fuming Maria.  "What happened?" he asked, looking at the cracked face plate in her helmet as he took a knee to get down out of the line of fire.  "And make it quick, there's people relying on us to provide firepower."

  Fighters  circled   cutting in and Out... Rookies  were easy to see... taking  wider  curves and  turns ...firing too  soon or too  Late...

  Cole Hampton  chewed up and enemy fighter on Egger's  tail... , But Vanished  in a flash of light and bits of  metsl as a heavy Demon fighter   came Up  from  his  3:00.

  Harry  and Billie one   each of the formation they swooped on... thier  rewards were, the   shutter of thier   aircraft, from Solid  hits from Largran  fighters...

 as if to Mock them a Red  bird  streaked   across the    melee, like there werr no toher  aircraft in the  air,  torching a pair  of  Fighters   throm the ASrtimis, then corkscrewed  around  to dive into the mess  once  more.

 Lizzy and  Nikki  found a pair or Largrans  diving  dwon on the  Hermes  shuttles, managing to    take them apart, before they were hit...white  vapor  trailed  from them Both... almost all the ESN fighters  trailed some Vapor..Black..white..or both..


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

 From the  Hermes, Captain Morris  said in a soft...but stern...tone...LC.. You have some birds up therewith  yellow and red lights?

 Understood, CAptain Morris....  for right now?..everyone  out here are big boys  and girls...they should Know what thier machines  can take.. we can't leave. at least , not until the  troops  get in side this walnut...

 Mara  twisted  through the mess, ...JUST..missign  a collison with a Heavy Demon fighter...even as she blew  a one eyed jack to the 9 hells

  ..this   ..CHICA...Bastardo... I  grabbed him by his  coolar he was kneeling in the dirt, like he was  hatching  an egg.. when i got him up ..i told  hijo de puta, that no one hides on the Hermes.. he  caught me on the  side of the  head with his  sidearm... culero   she sp[its at the ground at him.

 Nifty  shrugged....I..um..might  have hit him in the face with  the butt of my rifle...maybe...sorta...

 Jax  snarled,..make him  go up front   with Ambassador Shadow!

 Cora said..they are getting ahead of Us.... Shade Just Jumped into a carter... I think Marx is down...

 Make  the   dumbass    get in the front...his godsbedamned  reporter is fighting  and   taking Vids!...

 Ellen  shook her head.

 the Top Gunners  were   firing over the  top the Troops   , as   Stoly  COMed ...LC!..Man..Its Gettign Hairy down here!

 ON IT... Everyone, chew up the    ground  near the   entrances...

 Vents open to add to the noise, fighters  broke out of the  maelstrom to   give the ground a strafe...

 ..Checkers this  time... one goes  down.. if some   jumps that fighter.. the next fighter  Jumps them...

 37MM rounds and  Heavy  fighter Class  Pulse, rounds   chewed up an area  about  50   yards  from the  openings  to wards  the troops that were meeting on the field , Like   some Medieval battle....

 one  fighter from the Eris,,   was Jumped,,, and crashed into   a mod of empire   types, blowing  up, sending bodies  fling for 50 yards or more...there was no POD...

  The Mornigstar is chewing up thier reserves... we have to get back up , I come down every chance i get..

One of the last to run down the shuttles ramp, Izzy would drop to one knee and fire a couple of shots at the enemy clustered within the craters  as the largs and the more aggressive members of the team charged across the dead space to engage them. Although she wasn’t able to get such a dynamic shot of the fighters overhead like Ce-Va had, she had been right on time to catch her sergeant attacking an SEC trooper.

With an understandably irate Sergeant Major falling back to deal the situation Izzy would approach as he asked what hell was going on “this happened” she said, quickly tapping a few commands into her vid board before holding it out for Roy to see. The vid would show a short segment of video footage starting with Maria hauling the sergeant to his feet, followed by him hitting her and ending with him receiving a rifle butt to the head. She wasn’t out to get the sergeant in trouble, though no doubt it would be seen that way, Izzy simply figured showing Roy the footage would save a lot of time they didn’t have sorting out a mess that should never have happened ”I hope that will be sufficient to get things sorted? Now unless there’s anything else you need I best get back to the battle” Izzy said waiting for Roy to dismiss her before advancing behind the rest of the platoon.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 17:45, Tue 23 June 2020.

Swearing loudly in response to the shots striking her bodywork Harry’s eyes would lock onto the Red bird sailing overhead ”That Red bird needs to die!” she snarls as she fire a burst of fire at the sole remaining Lagran before sharply turning round in pursuit, once again leaving Billie to finish it off should it survive her attack on it.

Roaring after the Red Bird that had had the temerity to pass her by, Harry would move into a position so that she could attack from above it ”ok Billie you better be ready for this, because I’m going to drive this bastard downwards so you can stitch his belly, and don’t fucking hit me!” she instructed before moving in to make her attack.

 Lizzy got the one Largan and her fighter was beat up a little trailing white smoke she shut down what she could and made sure her bird was good to go, she waved her wing to the shuttles as Nikki and her saw a group of demon fighters heading for shuttles, Lizzy called to Nikki," Lets get those bastards no one hurts our shuttles and lives."

 Lizzy would take lead and fly as hard as she could to get a good angle on the lead demon and then hit him with all her weapons hopefully blowing it out of the sky before he had a chance to attack their shuttles, and then move on hoping Nikki will get the other one to target another f bad guy but she would watch out for bandits on their asses, hers and Nikki's and any other good guy pilot who needed help.

 Meari was moving forward and shooting bad guys when she saw Ade kneel down shge turned to go to him when Maria went to get him up and he sucker punched her Meari was pissed she only needed a reason to gut this asshole, and hitting a fellow SEC was all she needed. Then Nifty rifle butted Ade in the face.

 The SM went over Meari watched and moved closer as well, she will say," SM let him come with me we will go aid Ambasador Shade if he doesnt fight I will cut off his head and use him as a fucking shield SM." Meari seemed cold, calm and was not kidding at all, she meant every word to the SM, but she did want to go assist her cousin.

Roy listened to Maria's explanation, fixing Ade with a gaze that could nearly punch it's own holes in armor.  He barely looked at what Izzy showed him, already knowing what he'd see, and Meari had barely finished talking when he spoke.  "Give the woman your helmet, dumbass," he said to Ade.  "You get to fight with hers...you broke it, you bought it.  I'm not compromising a solid trooper because you've got the impulse control of a caffeinated kitten."

He chambered another round and pointed the muzzle at Ade's chest.  "And then you get your ass up there and do your fuckin' job, before you get an instant discharge for cowardice."  He half-turned to Meari.

"I thought you were busy taking care of Izzy's six.  I'm not putting her at risk by requiring you to keep an eye on this chickenshit.  I've got long eyes and VERY long arms out here...he doesn't go where he's supposed to go and do what he's supposed to do, he damn well better find a hole to bury himself in, because I'll gladly see to it that a cracked faceplate is the least of his troubles."  He jerked his head in Izzy's direction.  The barrel of the Barrett never wavered through the whole exchange.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:45, Tue 23 June 2020.

 Meari nodded she understood what Roy had said, she didnt like it of course, but she was to cover Izzy, she then said," Yes SM already done." Meari remembered that saying form the Vids and stories and hoped she used it correctly. She looked at Izzy and said," Lets get you some great footage, follow me." Meari then moved up and got out her shotgun, and she hoped Izzy was filming as they moved forward towards Shade's position and she would shoot any bad guy that got close to them. Meari giggled and said," Make sure you get my good side, lets kick some Empire ass shall we." Meari would look for Shade , bad guys and of course any ESN/APF trooper who needed help or assistance.

There were no curses coming from Billie’s lips, instead, the young pilot wincing, hearing and feeling those shots keenly. Luckily, it didn’t seem too bad. If the Lagran ship did survive Harry’s attack, Billie would finish it off. With a sigh of relief, she heard Harry’s instructions and nodded even though she couldn’t see it. “Roger that Harry. Ready when you are!” she chuckled as she moved into position. Remain calm…you can do this. Lives are depending on you.

  the North end of the   Openings were shooting up gouts of  rock, and Bodies  from the Morningstar's   bombardment .. this  eliminated   extra  troops   for  those  tryign to stave off the   Hermes  assault teams

 One of the stuarts on the   east flank  blew up as plasma hit it. it  from  the  far  east flank..  two of the three  crewmen got out ..the   third   died  screaming..

 Kat   Flipped over  in her climb and    carves a slice of  air as she   headed to the luanch poit  of the plasma..she   used   all her weapons... tracing a Line until she was rewards   with a   small 'mushroom  cloud' of plasma   that scattered over the enemy  troops...

 This is  Kat.... to call aircraft  and the ground troops... the   apvs   are being   with plasma  Guns... shooting  them to death is a good idea!
...........

 Hennings heard the COM......good  Catch . LT Losky...Captain  Nilsson..seach for APVs  in the area.... ALL COMS... destroy enemy APVs !

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

   Ade   handed  his Helmet over..  Maria s  scratched her  name off with  her  trench knife...

  she did  the  same for the SGTs.....I hope   the helmet isn't as full of shit as his pants!

  moving  north ward, with  Pushes  from Maria  and Will Ade  would see   Shade    crawlign out of the crater    with a one-eyed  Jack behind him whose  head was  still on fire.. and two other dead.. though the hole in one of them, if someone noticed..would  have been from  the Barret.

 Hack  was  wiping his  trench knife  on a Largran's  tunic, before    crouching  and movign closer  to were the groups   were fighting... rifles..small arms  and Hand to hand were the   order of the  Day..Supe   was  screaming  a Gleeful  scream  as   he  would pop up and send   heavy  rounds into   groups of  the enemy....100 yards from the first door

 there were some hermites on the  ground...Marx  was wounded, badly... a few other  scattered about.

 Magin had the Omin COM and  stayed  close  to Roy... she pointed  ..a Larg was   dead,, at least  7   blades in its  body  and  many...many   weapons  marks.

 Hack called Back.....if  we can get inside... Mila  and the Largs  will have to sniff out Maris..and  help us  find  the  C and C

 More and More  the fighters    from the other  side  started to go  down... they might have  had  longer Time in the BAlck then most of the ESN pilots..but they were about even  with APF  pilots... the tipping point  were the  ESN pilots that have been around  for a few years....bringing thier type of  flying , into  The Black.

  Fitz    tried to keep his groups  together, when the COMs   came about APVs, Fitz  said.....That's Us.. lets take those  tin cans out!

 Howe  and Foster   said they were on thier  way as well...

 ..This is LC Shadow.. we have our ground   attack  flights  goign down... every one else?..if you  come out of the fire ball take  a   swing over head, and help out the ground folks...


 Col Cummings  Voice   came over the COMs...I say?... Hack Old Boy..... what if  we  bring  some of the Ape  Folk and Naragrans   down, north of you...might  take more pressure  off, sicne   the enemy will have to fight them.... the  Good Captain Nilsson seems  to have thinned the herd  a bit..wot?

 ..send them....

 ..a;ready done...

  Harry  and Bliie   suddenly became popular a shiny white   aircraft with an odd insignia on,, had  torched  a few Planes on its   way over..... it fired..hard  ammo.... the    first  few  rounds   seemed to  be 50 Cal MGs.. but twin flashes  from  the Nose    said they had  37 MMs...

 the   50  cals   ripped into  Harrys    Tail  fin and walked up the fuselage ,  Harry saved herself with a twist... at 37 MM    Hit Billie's tail   Fin, but it  must of been AP ,  it   tore  a section off, but   didn't  explode.., it   kept   flying as if it was the only Aircraft in the sired.. it  took  some   rounds, but the  pilot seemed  to   dance  aroudn 37 MM fire..then the White aircraft was on the other  side of the  Melee, vanishing into the   fuss  and gathering Darkness..

Nikki was right with Lizzy.  She was taking on the one on her left ready to blast it back to stardust and junk  "Time they feel the heat of fire and fear of the fury" She blew ammo across the one red birds fuselage and canopy, cracking it wide and leaving it spinning off into high orbit with no control as it was loosing fuel fast.  the pilot not moving or podding.  Nikki did catch a glimpse of fear in unmoving eyes as now frozen rivulets of blood began to fill her suit.  She was dead.

In reply to both (msg # 189):

Melia rolled out of the shuttle ignoring SGT Ade and his unceremonious face plant onto the ground and started shooting. She worked her precision skills popping off shots in controlled pairs, conserving ammo for the assault on the interior should they make it in.

Making her way up to Marx, she scanned him quickly assessing his injuries.

Nikki caught a glimpse of Harry and Billie.  "Shit.....I think I know who that is" She banked a bit to get a better look.  "You with me?" Both Harry and Billie were caught unaware.  Nikki and Lizzy could see this clown.

 Lizzy shot at her demon and tried to bring another one down, replying to Nikki," Yes feel our heat and feel our fury." She will keep flying and then Nikki said she recognized someone," The white fighter?" She banks with Nikki, she says,<Red>" Hell yes I am with you but we need to hit the planet first Fitz just called us in for a pass to cover our troops." Lizzy will line up for her ground support run.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:20, Wed 24 June 2020.

"Copy that, APVs are hot targets..."  It would mean surrendering the surprise factor...but there was enough chaos on the ground that it was perhaps time to become a viable target.  They could only target him visually...and if the roar of his engines overhead became something of a harbinger of death, he might be able to amplify the panic that could be spreading in their ranks.

For now, however, he settled for dropping altitude to the point where the pulse cannon was now an extremely viable weapon, but he was still far enough above the action that only someone who knew what they were looking for would locate him from the ground.  "Keep up the same pattern with the howitzer, Ed...if you spot open portals going inside, drop incendiaries in there..."  He wasn't sure what kind of atmosphere the Elipsians breathed...but if it was high in either oxygen or methane, incendiary rounds would be devastating, as they could literally ignite the atmosphere within the station.  "Ground vehicles...especially armored transports...get the pulse cannon."  Almost immediately, the pulse cannon opened up, rapid-firing three to four shots between each round from the howitzer.  The AI began extrapolating, taking locations that appeared to have had recent traffic and figuring out where vehicles were likely to have been camoflaged and raining extra fire on those positions.  Where before there had been a regular interval between seemingly random-placed shots, that effect was now compounded by lines of pulse cannon blasts that seemed to trace through the enemy formations.  Unlike the howitzer rounds and their almost surgical precision, the pulse cannon rounds seemed to track around, almost like tracer rounds marking a line of fire, chewing up extra real estate (and a lot of collateral damage) before finding APVs and other vehicles, some moving, some hidden...

"Harry and Billie just got the shit shot out of them.  while we do cover, this twat  gets us from behind as easy picking." Nikki pointed out "Fitz... We have a problem.  Unknown white craft.  It's trying to pick us off from behind." she called on the comm

Roy looked down at the dead larg, his face hardening into an impassive mask.  "Dammitall," he muttered.  The suppressed emotions got channeled into his next words.

"Ade?  You've got ninety seconds to go find your reporter.  Best get your ass moving before someone blows it off.  I'm guessing she's gonna be up by Admiral Hack and Ambassador Shade.  You find her and you stick with her...if she's not coming back from this, you damn well better not either, or I'm charging you with dereliction of duty and sending you to Delta as a guest, not a guard.  Get moving, NOW."

The larg's body made a good position to rest the Barrett to keep firing...close enough to the action that he could see well and there wasn't much chance for gravity or windage to affect the shots, far enough back that he could keep a pretty broad watch over the battle lines and send supporting fire downrange in a heartbeat.

"Nifty, with me.  Jax, you help Maria get up to the Admiral's position.  If Sergeant Shithead goes to ground before he finds his reporter, shoot him in the ass and leave him where he dropped...he can try and crawl back to the shuttles after the shooting is over.  Ade...damn you, man, there's no knowing how many lives you might have already cost because I had to come deal with your horseshit.  You're gonna be treated as a battlefield expedient from here on out...if you become a problem, it will become someone's job to remove you from the battlefield.  I'm watching..."

He dropped down, taking a moment to make sure the larg's eyes were closed in a gesture that showed unmistakable reverence, then set up his rifle and started sending fire downrange, over and between Jax, Maria, and Ade.

 Fitz  COMed Back......we have   3  shuttle loads of our  people  down there, not to mention  troops on either side, from other ships..we have a job to do... I didn't see  any  'white fighter'..but if there is one, its not as important  as  our   shipmates on the ground

 He didn't speak  any more   as they went into the   run coming from west to east

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

 Karl's  weapons sent at least 8 APVs to the 9 hells, with the splattering of plasma  killing even more.

 Fierce  hand to hand was  takign place  , ever  as   Hermes  fighters    strafed   a path  behind the 'front line ' troops...

  Hack   stood    Next to Shade, back to back  as they  fired  into  groups of    Empire  troops... Shade  sported   2  Blades, on  in his  left  shoulders, and  one  caught in the chest piece of his Light Armor.The Admiral never  knew thos e blades  would have hand his name on them, elsewise.

Ade  was   pushed forward,, he  was    shooting at  anything  that Move... Will slapped  him on the helmet,,bad guys..Dumbass... bad guys...shoot the bad guys!

 Nifty was shooting calmly, he was in a smalle r crater  near  Roy, the fuss  around him didn't seem to matter..he  did  sifht in on Ade, once... but   moved the barrel slightly to  drop a demon who was charging  Wagstaff.

 Lyri  came  runnign over, sliding into  Nifty's carter   like she had stolen second base... She  tossed a  bandoleer of   50's  to  Roy and  gave one  to  Nifty..she had a new one of her  own around her shoulders,..the West flank is  over running  the Enemy, no one's takign prisoners...  they are startign to retreat to , what looks  like   tunnels.. this is the only real place they are trying to hold..

 A hole was opening Uo in the Middle of  all this, 5 Largs cleared  a  path  with   two mechs  and the HW  folks chewing away the fringe

 Tucker  and Hoke   were runnign like  made, as  runners from teh QB  were droppign  cases of  ammo and grenades  at the shuttles LZ.. then they would run back  for more  belts   for thier  gunners

 Hyrian fighters were comign from the North  to help clean up  the Enemy fighters.. a Voice  came over all COMs....This is CAptain Jirt of the  Hyrian Fleet interceptor  Force... we saw the Numbers  are  around 400 Delta fighters.. and   almost 1000   Empire aircraft.. we have no  aircraft to fight... Admiral Hirg  sent us  down...

 LC Shadow...  here.. welcome  to the   party..pick out a dance partner... and Thanks!

Roy was working with almost mechanical precision...chamber a round, pick a target, squeeze the trigger, eject the brass...with the .50s, even the heavier armor of the Largrans wasn't any significant protection...the rounds blew through Elipsians like they were paper targets.

"Start looking for marksmen...snipers...anyone shooting one of those blade guns.  We're holding our own pretty well against everything else."  Conveniently, the weapons were rather distinctive, owing to the nature of the projectile they fired.  They caught the eye nicely, even through the narrowed field of vision of a rifle scope...

He squeezed the trigger, vaporizing the upper torso of a would-be Elipsian shooter.  "You see anyone in any sort of a hardened target, let me know.  I've got a surprise for them..."  One of the Raufoss rounds had punched through the hull of a Demon shuttle back on Olympus and still cleanly killed the target inside...  He showed an ugly smile as he considered the reactions of Elipsians who thought they had a secure position when one of those rounds punched through the hardened wall they were hiding behind...

Even as he spoke, he chambered another round, hunting for his next target...

Henry was fighting in his usual manner, methodical pot-shots with his shotgun.

 Meari moved up to Admiral Hack and Shade, as the fighting got more intense she drew her swords and went to town on these bastards, slicing and cutting with great precision with deadly results, she would look back at Izzy and keep her covered so she could report what they where doing.

Lizzy commed to Nikki ," Lets do our run and then we can look for this white fighter together Nikki." Lizzy followed down with the rest and unloaded on the troops and looking for any APV's to eliminate. Once their run was over Lizzy went back up hoping Nikki was still with her and went hunting for more bad guys, if she saw the white fighter she would say something.

Advancing a short distance behind the main line of troopers, Izzy would softly laugh in response to Meari’s quip about getting her good side ”of course I will Sergeant” she replied, waiting until Meari was busy fighting before quickly checking her out. She was nice enough she supposed, but she was certainly no Lizzy.

Dropping down to one knee Izzy would fire a pair of quick bursts with her pausing in shock when she saw one of the Ellipsians she’d been aiming at drop to the ground with a trio of bullet holes in its chest. With the immediate threat eliminated she would turn to face Tali and begin to speak into the camera ”we are once again on the surface of the Ellipsian homeworld, and meeting some resistance from dug in Empire forces. To the north you can just about make out the other enemy battle group currently under aerial bombardment, with the sky above a chaotic mess as our fighter wings clash overhead. We will continue to push forward and continue broadcasting the unedited footage of our advance” Izzy said with a cheerful smile before quickly moving to another position and continuing the fight.

Their combined efforts to bring down the Red bird, although successful, was short lived as they were blind sided by an up until now unseen white fighter which stitched a line of holes along Harry’s bodywork before taking a large chunk out of Billie’s tail section ”you better not of scratched my nose art you bastard!” Harry shouted after the rapidly disappearing fighter with her checking out her dashboard for any red lights before speaking to Billie ”how’s your bird Billie girl? Is it still flying?”

   Melia reached Marks   he  was    rolling his eyes in pain... he was tryign to  talk, , he had to keep his hands  from touching the   blade.

 As Melia  looked around... the   night  was  comign up on the,,,, just a Bit of sunlight touched  the   topmost   entry point.. the lower entry point   was in shadows  already... Flares    Flickered in the air, one   , comically , was   snagged  By Fitz's  #27  fighter's skids  as he  tore up the troops  with his flight in line behind him.

 Calls    for  'MED -TECH" echoed  across the  battlefield... to Melia's  right flank She  saw a Felrite waving    as  it knelt next to another Felrite.

 too her left she  saw a Burian from the Angel's  shuttle  calling  while kneeling  by a comrade and firing.

  a bit  ahead of that  one, was another  Burian  laying on the ground.. the OminCom smoking,

 She Could see Minnet waving as she called for a Med tech, for a scot that was near her.

 and yet another  call as   one of the SEC troopers   puled  a body into a crater.
....................

  Roy's  weapon brought  down, or tore  apart, target  after Target.. Lyri and    Nifty.. were  at the  top of the crater sending round  out  and dropping thier  own targets...

  Two Felrite snipers set up... for all intent and purpose, using the Mechs  and Heavy

 MAria  Pushed   Ade into a small crater, about 5 yards  ahead  of  The Admiral, Meari and  Shade..

  the  shorter Mexican  grabbed   ade's    Neck  and Pointed  at the  three,  fighting  with only a Bot of  rock cover  and Shade  calmly switching out a mag, before    picking targets  again... The tall Undense woman   sliced up a few Largans that  dared to charge.. while   Hack shouted  h=into his COMs...

 This!..THis  is  why...'he gets to go down"...pendejo.... you fight like that....people  will forget you are..hijo de puta.

 As she  says  this  an Elipsian Officer  who  had  now  left  arm,   rose..shaky  from   the ground    pointed   his   Blade  weapon with One   Arm towards The Admiral  and his
 fellow fighters..... ..Will saw this  and   screamed... NOOOOOO!!!!

 Diving at the  Elipsian  one   Blade  went off  at an angle  , the Other    thumped into  will.. Willslammed into the dying   one-eye.. and lay on top him...

 Meari  saw  this  unfold..she also  saw the   blade  zip towards her, and felt the  'thud"

...........

 McCloud   COMed  ..ALL COMs...we're  thinnin'  them out  on the left flank with  AZ-el's  team..But  lookie in the  air!

  Two drops  ships    came down    hard... Nose to nose...  side arms   dropped, makign the   massive shuttle s look like  centipedes .. out of  one, Ape  folk  charges  our   shooting    stabbing or plain tearing    enemies  apart... out of the   others   stormed ...comicilly  in comparison to size.. Gava.. but  elipsians  did not laugh very Long as the Little troopers  swarmed Like Locust, shooting  and  Stabbing in thier own  right.

Naragans   stepped out of the  drop ship, some with mounted Gava, who had  trained better then most with pulse rifles... smaller  Naragrans    shout out  webbing  to tangle enemies ..all the   lights on both Drops ship came on... Lighting  all the   battlefield  from  above the second  Opening... the slope  was covered , in what looked like, a blue  wave...but  was the   ESN uniformed Ape Folk..on one side... and the   ESN uniformed Gava  on the other.. ont eh very top of the   higher  Opening  a Naragran  stood   zipping out  webbed  at

.........

 Hack shouted into the COMs...SGY  JUG!... SGT HEMSLY.... COME to  my Position!

 Meari felt the thud she would look at it later she then said to Izzy, Stay down I have to check Will out. Meari moved very fast for a tall women and was on Will in a few seconds,  she quickly made sure the One Eye was headless and then turned Will over carefully and checked his wounds getting her med kit out.

Jug and the other Gava had poured out of their shuttle running, leaping, and firing at the enemy.  When Jug saw opposing forces she began barking to her troops.  She began returning their fire.  She would focus on the largest threat out on the field.  When the Admiral called she and 2 other Gava moved to his aid, firing and doing a 'duck and weave' for at least some precautions.  "Here Admiral.  We fight at your side!" she raised her rifle to take out an enemy.  Her eyes she also looked to one that maybe the enemy forces leader.

ooc:  hope this works for corrections
This message was last edited by the player at 02:30, Thu 25 June 2020.

  Will was badly hit. the Blade  took him in the   right chest, went deep into the  armor at that range, lots of  blood slowly oozing  down the  sharp blade..he was  semi-conscious .


   Cora    screamed  as she ran Over,,  firing  at  a demon who was charging towards them, when it  Fell she  was almost  hysterical,,..WILL!!!!  NO!!!....

  ................

 Hack  waited  for Hemsly   who did his own  'hookslide ' in the dirt,Aye, Sir?

  While   Shade stood his  ground  sending off  rpounds into  the  enmies , Hack  crouched  dwon to  take to both of them..

 I need  Jug and her  People  to get to that lower  door.... the  enemy is thinning out, and the ape folk along with the Naragrans and  Gava, landed in the   rear where  the Morningstar cleaned out  alot of enemies.... If Jug thinks her people are Up to it.. they might be  able to slip though the lines while everyone is fighting.. Plant  some of your C-10 biskets on the door and  blow the thing open... not  only will that distract the enemy...but  , should send  panic through their ranks, seeing the door get breached... But..Jug and her people  got to want to give it a try?
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:44, Wed 24 June 2020.

”Stay down? Meari you’ve been shot!?” Izzy responded as she followed the Udenese woman over to where Will had fallen. Crouching down she would continue to fire short controlled bursts at any enemy that dared to try and break cover so that Meari could examine the fallen troopers injuries and do what she could to save him ”the injuries caused by the unorthodox weapons employed by the enemy can cause horrific injuries, which can be made even worse if improperly treated“ Izzy explained to Tali, who was hovering a short distance away ”Meari lift your arm, I need to make sure you’re not bleeding to death!” Izzy said in a voice that said this wasn’t a suggestion.

 The Hyrians were right.. things were thinning out in the air, for both sides... at the start of the second  battle, the Delta Fleet  air wing was   down to son 600 aircraft, vs  2000+  of the   Empire group.

 there will less the  400   ESN fighters in the   air,  almost all for the shot up and crippled... some were down on the planet getting reloaded by QMs, fearing that they wouldn't be allowed back out because of thier   aircraft.

    with three flights  being  sent down to attack ground  troops,  some  supply shuttles  were being  fitted with  search lights  to  Hover over the BAttle fields near the 'target points' of  respective  assault  teams...

 thier , in turn, made it  harder  for the enemy to high in thier crafters, or  rolled  earth, this set up new  Jobs  for the aircraft, to protect the   spot-light shuttles, as the old WWI fighters did with  observation balloons.

  Waggles  was the first to Tag an enemy fighter  that  tried to torch the supply shuttle-spotlight  shuttle.

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

 from the   darkness   about the   White   fighter  appeared  again.. weapons    tore into  a Dropships's  thrusters, Makign it list  to the port, the   Pilots  were good  as the    drop ship  skimmed off the  topp of  a   rock mound, and    skittered sideways  1/2 Mile, and ended up on is  port side..... the  starbaord   ramp doors  opened   with troops, slowly spilling out ,...one would thing injuries'  and death would be high on the inside, if there were armor  vehicles, tanks, apvs and the like, that were tossed  around   but the twists  and turns, and Impact...  after that  attack it  climbed  smoothly in the   air ,

 Redwater   was close to it,  and  tried to fire I see the White Ghost!  his   rounds  went   wide   as the aircarft twisted  and  truned.. Only to Fall Back  and  fire   3  well placed  37MM  rounds Into  RedWater's  aircraft.... The Indian pilto  hit his POD  button as  soon as he saw the muzzle flashes..   red water's aircraft  Vanished in fair. as he, Bounced  along the ground  until his   Pod  came to rest on the   east flank of the Hermes  Shuttles.

 then.. the Ghost vanished into the  darkness, once more.

 Meari looke at Will he was in bad shape she had to stop the bleeding but she didnt want to just rip the damn disc out, she hit her comms," Will is hit bad, I do not want to rip this blade out, should I seal the wound from bleeding and get him to a shuttle?"

 That is when Izzy said she had been shot, Meari then felt the pain rush from the wound, it was a good hit for sure, but she was better off then Will. Meari said," Yes I know please just stop the bleeding so I can get Will here to a evac shuttle he is in bad shape." Meari lifted her arm and it hurt like fucking hell, " Oh shit make it fast, waiting on what I should do for Will. She kept pressure on the wound to keep it from bleeding but she wasn't sure if she should seal the weapon in place or not, she had no experience with these weapons and did not want to cause any more harm to Will, he saved the Admiral and her she was going to do everything she could to save him.

"Still flying but turns will be...challenging..." she said, clearly angry at what had happened. She knew the challenges that she was facing now but was determined to overcome it and prove that she was a good pilot. "Ready to go a huntin'?" she asked, as she moved into the proper formation though closing the distance between her fighter and Harry's just slightly.

Will was in a bad way, and Meari wasn't much better as she relented and allowed Izzy to look at her wounded side. It was just as she was about to pull the first aid kit from her webbing and attempt to patch Meari up, figuring that the medics were already overworked judging by the cries going up all across the battlefield, when an hysterical Cora came running over towards them. Standing up to her full five foot of height, Izzy would deliver a quick open handed blow to the back of the woman's head hoping that it would knock some sense back into her "Pull yourself together woman! You're a gods be damned ESN Trooper, not a schoolgirl!" Izzy snapped, partly irritated because her histrionics weren't helping an already difficult situation, and partly because she knew for a fact that Will wasn't her man "...now fucking do your job and cover me while I patch her up, and then the three of us will get Will here to a med evac, ok?" she continued in a firm voice, as her OCS training thankfully came flooding back to her.

Without giving Cora chance to respond to anything she'd just said, Izzy would proceed to quickly dermaplast around the wound in Meari's side so as to stop the bleeding before turning her attention to Will, with her shouting for a medic as she does so in the vain hope that one would be near by.

In reply to ground (msg # 213):

Melia got to Marx, he was in a bad way, The blade in his chest had most assuredly embedded itself in his armor and in his ribs running vertical along his body. Easy there, gonna feel a little prick. Right on the thigh. She says grabbing a syrette of morphine and juicing him with a full dose. You're gonna be fine she says quickly foaming the wound on his thigh. Out of sight she signaled for a gurney team, but she wasn't hopeful he'd need immediate evac and surgery. She used the nozzle to foam in and around the blade, but it was a messy and dirty solution that would immobilize the blade and reduce the bleeding, but would be an incredibly nasty surgery for the Med Techs ship side to cut around. The whole transaction took her less than a minute. At the very least he'd be warm and fuzzy as he gave up the ghost, a small mercy.

Sonofa... she muttered choices to be made. They needed more Techs, she was gonna run out of gear before they even hit the tunnels at this rate. Deciding the Felrite was the closest of the calls she dashed over to them sliding like a baseball player stealing a base, firing down range as she ran. Over the comms she called out, "If you're near a critically wounded person, foam any pulse or standard projectile wounds they got and give them their pain killers from their individual first aid kits. Flag them for a shuttle ride or find someone to give you covering fire while you take them to the shuttle. IF you they got a blade stuck in them or you can't fix them that way let me know or find another medtech."

She looked over the wounded Felrite on the ground snapping at the one providing aid, "Give me Covering Fire." as she set to work on the wounds and assessing the injuries.  She heard will shout, and cursed in her mind wishing with all her being that she could be in about 10 different places all at the same time.

 Meari help the wound as hard as she could to stop the bleeding without hurting Will. She then said," Melia or any other Medtech I have Will here with a blade stuck in his left chest I am doing what I can with my mediocare skills. I need assistance as soon as possible."

 Meari just ignored Cora and kept working as hard as she could to keep him alive until a real Med Tech came along.

Nikki growled as the white ship was there.  She would make its pilot pay in death.  Still Fitz and Lizzy were correct as she banked to follow Lizzy.  She would make her run to carpet the field with her ammo as ordered.  She also kept an eye out for the white ship to pop up.  She sure as hell did not want to be caught unawares.  Almost to the end of her run she heard the other pilot calling of spotting the white ship, and of Billie noting her okay.  "Lynch!  You okay?"

Roy listened to the comm traffic and grunted under his breath at the news Will had been hit.  Again.  "Foam it and get him back to the shuttles.  That's all anyone can do with these things under battlefield conditions.  Leave the blade there, if you pull it out you'll just make the wound worse, foam around it," he said in a level tone, between shots.  He was just about out of rounds for the Barrett, even with the extras that Lyri had delivered, and he began searching for 'hardened targets' that would be worth expending any of the Raufoss rounds on...

"We will do...but we not have the C-10 or detonators.  If you have we will go" she stated.  She had no problem with this.  Hopefully the others would have and they would go and blow the doors that Hack wanted open.  What the Admiral wanted He would get.

Karl eased lower, getting down to a range where the turret cannon could also come into play, adding still more chaos to the mix as the howitzer continued raining down fire...literally, in some cases, with incendiaries becoming a more regular part of the mix of fire in order to stretch the supply of fragmentation and HE rounds.  As APF troops moved forward, he reset the fuses on the frag rounds, still doing aerial bursts, but now dropping them down to go off ten meters off the deck...the fragments didn't spread as far, but they hit harder and with greater density of coverage, shredding targets that were beneath them when they burst.  The pulse cannon continued churning off shot after shot as rapidly as the AI could cycle it or locate another target...APVs were hard to find, at this point, so the targeting became less selective and more firing for effect, stitching lines of explosions across enemy formations.

And barely audible through the din of both those weapons firing came the angry buzz of the rotary cannon, chewing up formations on the backsides of hills, before they could get a chance to charge over the top, or walking fire through surging enemy ranks right up to the leading two or three that were engaged in close combat with APF troops.  And through it all, he kept an ear on the comm chatter.

"Ed, keep up perimeter scans...whatever that white plane is that they're talking about, it's gotta be coming from somewhere and going to somewhere and we've got a more objective position.  See what you can spot...maybe we'll get lucky and we can arrange for him to fly in front of a pulse blast or something..."  He watched the screens, as well, but also kept his eyes shifting to track what was going on around him, outside the canopy...he'd been told, by an old flight instructor, that the only instrument in the cockpit an enemy couldn't somehow jam was the good old-fashioned Mark One eyeball, and the lesson had stuck.

     Hemsly Looked at  The Admiral in question... HAck gave give a quick  Nod, even as  some dirt kicked up around them.

  Alright , ye  wee lassie... here  ya Go.... he practiced hands  brought out  the Biskets  he and Brooks used  most often.. as he brought them out  , he  slips  a small metal tube inside  each he made  5 of them , Handing them to Jug.

 what ye and yer mates need ta do, is  git  ta the door, and  slap these on the Door...

 he  reaches in a side  satchel  , pulling out   teo rund  discs    with a red Button in the middle.....I'll be goven one to you, an' i'll have one , me ownself... if ye can get two of them on the  door.. should be  enough ta case  problems, an' the Burners  can do the rest...ye  get all five.. we might be able to   get  in with out havn't the burners  do a thing....Now?  Admiral's   askin ye  ta do this...so the Honor is yers ta press the Button..make sure  yer  at least  10 yards away, cause  there's gonna be  some shrapnel... you click the button once to activate the   tubes in the biskets.. the second time?  they all go off..no count down..nothin... the second  click sets 'em of.....now?.. if ye  all dunna make it..I'll set them Off  from the crater  where  Ambassador is..

 Hack  looks at Jug and nods  again,..the night is taking over..if you slaty low and move fast, they might not  even see you..good luck..

 On ALL COMs,all snipers.. give  Cover  fire to our  GAva  Unit.. they are going to blow the doors of the lower opening.
..................

 Nifty said softly and Calmly into the COms..already Done Admiral  Master cheif  got be a whole sling of  sniper  rounds ..be a shame to have to haul all that extra  weight back...

 Lyri  sighed into the COMs...we got over  watch.. the Largs have shifted a bit to the  west Flank..something over there made them mad..

..........

 Ellen   dropped down into the crater  .....oh gods..Will..why is it always Will?.....there are med Evacs  comign in up and down the  Shuttle lines, we  should get him back!

..........

 CE-Va COMs...I am  in the Crater  with the Nivarian Larg Master.. we have  a view  of the door, a few craters between us the  the lower  doors... i wouldn't wait to long for the  Gava to go...

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

   there was  some  swearing    and  weapons fire  that seems to be  comign near the  east flank...

 chinga a tu madre !.... The  JAma! he's runnign away.. I don't  know   were the   Idiota thinks he's going?

 Ade  shot  a Largran  and was  running towards the  west, Jumping from  crater to carter.

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

 The Mornign star  had   taken out all the  APVs ( 6) that  were in the area...all siz  still lit up the  night  with htier    burning plasma.. a few enemy  troops  were    stumbling about screaming as plasma  drops ate away at them

Roy sighed audibly.  "I warned him..."  With the same precision as he'd been using the entire time, he swung the Barrett around to angle at Ade's fleeing form.  "Don't know if it's cowardice or betrayal.  Don't care."  He settled crosshairs on the fleeing man's form, gauging his progress...

Ade leapt over a crater...while he was in mid-air, Roy squeezed the trigger, knowing there was no way Ade could change directions without his feet on the ground, and knowing the bullet would be there about the same time the man landed...

Jug listened and began passing the 'biskits' to her troops.  With a nod she moved back and gave a small talk in a low voice to her other gava that were not 'right there a few moments ago.  She explained what they would do quickly and using cover and their own speed and agility.  If one fell pick up their biskit and make for that door.  It would be opened.  Several moments later using stealth distraction and confusion they began quickly to make for that door the Admiral wanted open.  They had cover fire but still a few rounds would kick up at them.  one gava pinned down the others moved then when 'caught' and they become pinned the former moving.  In a few parts they would cover and help each other across the terraine.  Eventually a few made it, some wounded and others not.  Jug had a misfortune of having an enemy soldier pop up not far from her, within an arms reach.  It found her blade quickly enough he did not have time to scream.  for a bit she used his carcass as a shield.  Once against the door all the biskits they had they plasted against the door, from gap to hinges.  then they moved before they would blow the red button.

Mila ran up and "Yip Yip" at Hack. Had he forgotten she had demo packs and could slither through to places?

 Meari getting word from Roy to foam it and go, she carefully foams up Will's wound. Meari notices her wound was alot worse then she first thought, but not bad enough to stop her from getting Will to safety. Meari looked at Izzy and said," You stay with Shade and the Admiral get some good vids I have got Will." Meari didnt care about herself right now, Izzy stopped the blood so all she had to do was deal with the pain.

 Then Meari when Izzy was done with her wound carefully picked Will up, it hurt like hell and she couldn't do it for super long but Meari got Will up and she ten said to Cora," If you wish to join I will not argue." Then Meari with all the speed and stamina she could muster and not kill herself she headed for the Evac shuttles, being careful to try and not hurt Will any worse.

”Yeah I’m fine, some white painted bastard shot up my bird” Harry replied as Billie moved back into formation her ”Me and Billie girl, are off hunting, wanna come with?” Harry the asked, figuring that having another pair of skilled pilots with her would increase the odds of them taking the bastard down. It was as she was waiting on Nikki and Lizzy’s reply that she would start searching for the White Ghost fully intending on putting it down.

 Lizzy heard Harry and said, Sounds great Harry Fire and Fury ready and willing. Lizzy would hook up with Nikki and her Harry and Billie and go on the hunt for the white ghost. Lizzy would still fly and shoot other enemies but dhe would watch out for the White Ghost and also watch for friendly pilots needing help.

Nikki quickly followed suit "Thought I was imagining things.  This pilots a coward...attacks from behind or your blindside" noting what she's learned so far.  He was clever but hopefully 4 to 1 odds they would toast him.

   Hack Looked  down   and   patted Mila.....you are  right  Mila , Girl..i did  forget... we need you  inside for certain..but...
 He looks up at the  'higher'  door...

  ... Here's what you do... when  the explosions go off at the first Door, You try to   drop your charges at the other  doors?....

 He  gently   holds  under her muzzle so he looks her in the  eyes,..you be  careful... we only have one Mila.... he turns to  to  Henry and Gives him a  nod.

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

   Cora  and   Ellen   take Will,  Ellen gets  his  Boots, Cora gets  under his arms.   Maria  was all over the   field  shouting  and Movign people  who were pinned  down,keep moving amigos .. don't  let the  empire Puta  keep you pinned   down!

  Ade  was  running..to where know one knows.. She   watched  as he  flew  forward, , crumpled  in  as she said...pinche idiota...

 Cora  kept Muttering,..poor Will , poor  will...

 MAria  whapped her  head gear,..enough.... you are not the  Bambina.... get him to evac, and get back... That  one bastardo has   taken 4 rifles out of the battle..get back...

 Ellen  nodded  with some sniffles,..already dome...

 as they  moved a bit faster  with Meari along, Cora  muttered,..just one more person hits me in the head...

 ...............

   Hemsly watched  the  Gava,, his shoulders   Moved  and head  ducked like he was Playign a Vid Game... that's it, ye  wee lass... git them  on the bloody doors.... good..good....Now... clear yerselves  and stay down... and press the  button

  when Jug pressed the Button, the 5 charges  went  Off Shards of  Metal,  and rock from the  dirt piled against it   flew outwards, and in wards... at least  6 empire  troops   were cut   down by the  shrapnel. and...many  a few  troopers  as well , but  the  doors  were blown inward and the bottom halves  were  Missing...

 The Admiral came on ALL COMs...THAT'S IT!  WE HAVE ONE WAY IN RIGHT NOW!..I WANT THE MECHS AND TANKS  TO CONVERGE ON THAT DOOR... THAT"S OUR BEST WAY  IN....

 Morgan and  Kira   wheeled      to tier  left   as then   ran  towards  the Doors...we need hard Ammo brought up.... I'm almost  dry... Two of the  4  takes  were left... of the 6  crew man total from the dead tanks.. only 4  were elft,  they scooped up  pulse  rifles from  dead enemy  troopers  and   followed along  with the hermenites, even though they didn't have   armor, and only wore  helmets.

Admiral Hennings.... we can move to the 2nd phase....

 Aye, Admiral Hack... already done!

  frans   yelled into the COMs.....You want  to shoot  something  down?..you damn well better  be shooting the ones  you can see, and not hunting  one gods be damned  fighter!

 Howe added,we have  comrades gettign knocked out of the air  , use your damn heads....

 Shadow finally  came on the COMs,..I still haven't  seen this  thing... don't care.... shoot what you can shoot.... but  be damn careful if you try to take it on...  he doved  down   to chew  up  a  mob of    troops heading towards the Apr folk drop ship,  most were  killed the ones that scattered,  soon would be as a dozen ape for    moved towards them.

 The  sky was  getting thinned  out...  more and More ESN aircraft had to either   peel off to get hard  ammo, or were shot  Down.

 the small evac  shuttles    had reached the CAps  ship circle  and began to drop down, their  white  cubed shaped  aircraft zipped  down  as fast and hard as any assault shuttle.

..........

 the Hyians    were not in the think of the battle... from thier  side of the   melee on Hyrain  shouted  about  a 'Ghost ' aircraft, and its  COMs  went silent

 frans   said into the COMs,..who ever  is flying that thing.. is  smart... its   chewing up aircraft..wounding  them , or  kiling them and then goes... I haven't seen it on my  screen..but it must be damn fast!

 Meari pushed herself but she was grateful for the help.  Once at the evac shuttle Meari saud to Cora, Get back thry need you, I need a medic this is a little worse than I thought. The tall women dropped to her knees grabbed her side and called out,Medic over here As the pain and the wound hit her full force, but Will was safe and in good care,  she just hoped she did enough. Meari sat there on her knees not moving as she waits for a medic to check her out.

  The Med Techs  rushed out.. two Guardians with thier weapons up  scanned the area, .. one Med tech  called out..

 two Blade  wounds!..one of them is  down... het them to the Hermes!

   Will was  CArried  into the small shuttle    and  Meari Ushered in..

 Cora and Ellen  truned , readied thier  weapons  as the     sprinted to  the the area the Admiral was...grateful now, for those tunnel runs.

"Oh, I plan on leaving hulking scrap and broken hearts of the enemy....If they had hearts." she said as she blew a pop up on Lizzys 5 high.

 Meari got up, the pain and the wound hitting her hard now, she had pushed it to hard but she had to help Will. She carefully gets into the shuttle and looks at Will and says, I do not know if you can hear me Will but thank you you saved my life and the Admirals as well, I am here my comrade in arms, you will be fine once they get that blade out of you. if allowed she will put her hand on Wills arm to give him reassurance.

She would give a derisive snort in response to Frans and Howes comments as she weaved through the rapidly thinning cloud of fighters, taking pot shots at any enemy foolish enough to cross her path, as she searched for any sight of the White painted fighter ”I’m sure there’s another batch of school kids waiting to replace them” she said dismissively as she cut the wing from a passing Ellipsian fighter with a burst of fire from her cannon.

Hearing Nikki’s comment concerning the tactics the White Ghost was using, Harry would shake her head before replying ”that’s not cowardly, that’s smart...only an idiot picks a fair fight! If you get a bead on him, tag the bastard and let’s see how good he is when he can no longer hide!”

With Cora and Ellen leaving to take a wounded Meari and Will to the waiting Medevac shuttles, Izzy would quickly move to catch up with rest of the Admirals team. Up ahead an explosion light up the darkening sky, and her comms would fill with chatter about a way in being made. As disappointed as she was to have missed the breach, she had her choice, knowing that she couldn’t have lived with herself hadn’t stopped to help Meari and Will.

With Tali continuing to film the action, Izzy would advance towards the open doorway with the rest of the squad, pausing every now and again to drop to one knee and fire a burst of fire at the enemy as she went.

   Maelstrom thinning, but still dangerous.. Brivet's Voice   could be heard...

 LYNCH!!!!!!! STRAIGHT UP!!!!

 even  as she  said  that, others   could see the white    Aircraft screaming  down on Harry... one  37  MM  round  into   each  wing,  snapped them off   2  feet from the edge...  Brivet screamed  as she   put her aircraft  between Harry  and the  third  shot.. , Brivet's POD  sent her  Flying   towards the LZ.. her   Haircraft  Blew  apart a  Half of a heart Beat later...    Harry's  Nose   went  down, as the   white  aircraft   zipped through the   aircaft like a skier on a slalom run

 a Metallic  Voice  chuckled......humans...... why do others have so much trouble?   It  dove  down  towards the west... its  weapons  chewing  up dozens of ESN troops   before it   vansihed into the darkness.

 Steele  sounded shook...did you see that?  WTF is that!...

 Frans snarled,Shut Up, Steele, Gods be damed , you'er a flight leader...

 ....................

  Red Water   watched from the Ground  as he  reached   Roy, his tomahawk  was  covered with alien  Blood and his  SMG  was  smoking...Iy must be saw  Demon spirit!

...........

 There was  a  shout of angry and surprise  ,, Raven  was yelling into COMs..I got nothin!... the bastard  shot my wings off  and  I don't have a rudder... I can't  POD  Out.. I will be   hitting to the   west....If  anyone   cares to find Me!!

..........

  Shadow  Flew  Over  The Admiral.... Hack COMed  up...I know better then to order you not  to....be careful.....


    Shadow   sent  Flores  and Kat to help   witht he aircraft and troops to the west... Howe  and   Fitz     still  cleaned up the  east and west flanks of the Hermes  thrust forward.

  CE-VA  was near the   Opening, spoke  poured out  , but not  too badly.....you just witnesses   a Breach made  by the Hermes  Gava Unit....  as I turn , you can see  Gava  and Naragran drop ship troopers , and on the other  side, Apefolk... there is  still plenty of  fighting  goign on..but i have a feeling, we won't be seeing much more of  it , on the outside...

  Troops    moved  up, the Admiral and a Battered Shade    following the Mechs  and the Heavy weapons   folks.  More then Once, Shade  would use his   fire  weapon to  torch  a wounded   Empire  trooper... each time  he   repeated the same  'words".. and kept moving..

  ........

 Tali  got  ding  by a Blade, but  its  round shape  only  caused a  slight  crack and dent, sending the Blade  wobbling off into the darkness.

  Cora  and Ellen   zipped   by  the others..  two angry  women on a mission.

 Mcloud  and  his  dwindling  squad  of  scots  moved   Up. Brooks  was limping as he  followed  along.

 Hemsly was near Roy  and the other  Snipers, his finger s   making more  biskets  like beth's hands  moved  across a keyboard.

...........

 Hack called out.....let's  go!..Let's Go.... The Gava  found the key under the Mat, lets go in and have some  fun!

  Beth Pipes in Music...

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOeS8888Usw

 Lizzy saw Harry get shot and Brivet saving her ass, " Harry you ok, that fucking bastard." Lizzy will report to where she sees Brivet's pod land to the ground troops.

 Lizzy then says fuck it and goes full bore attack mode, going after anything that was not ESN/APF, she would say to Nikki," Lets just kill them all if we run into that bastard we will get him too." Lizzy let her skill and instincts take over and put the pedal to the metal and went after the bad guys with a new drive to kick ass, she usually doesnt show emotion in the cock pit, maybe being emotionless was not good, some emotion was good.

Harry had barely finished speaking when she heard Brivet's warning; a pair of 37mm rounds tearing large chunks out of her wings before then taking out Brivet's fighter "Please tell me one of you thought to stick a tag on that bastard!" Harry shouted as she tried to regain control of her fighter as it's nose began to drop. Uncertain as to how much more damage it could take but knowing that if she returned to the Hermes that she probably wouldn't be going back up any time soon, if at all.

"Sorry Harry...was too far away" when Harry asked about tagging the white whale.  She winced when Brivet came in.  Got even angrier when Raven was hurt.  She began looking for the craft again using tracking knowledge to try and figure out where it went and not get snuck up on.  She wanted to go hunting, this thing needed to die.

   Harry  was  going  down , northward  towards  the   battle the  Hermes  folks  were attacking.

  ............

  somewhere to the  far west the   were shouts  from   Pilots of  The Roar.  as the Ghost plane   sent  down a couple for thier   aircraft.

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

  Shadow   Loked  to where  Raven went  down Raven!...  can you get out of your machine...

 ..yeah..yeah... there's alot of  damn lizards here...

 ..listen to me...good.... pull the pin on a Grenade.. set it on the  spoon, so  , if they open your   cockpit, it  will blow , that should set off hard  ammo, or the power cell..or both... after you set that?.. you run like the   9 hells  south  east.. it will take to to the  Hermes LZ..  the Ape folks will be looking for you...

  ..right..right..got it!... Now  go find that bastard.

 ..I will as soon as you  reach the ape  folk.. until them  i'm gonna harrass  the    troops around you..

   even as he spoke, Pusle  rounds shot  from  his  weapons,  tearing up   a fw  Largans   who in truned, fired   pusle weapons up at him. rounds  dinged on  the undercarriage as he   climbed up to come around again.. as he did that... a Big explosion shook the ground  where   Ravens  aircraft was, leaving a  burning Hulk and  a few burning    Troops.

  Raven ran  like a  Mad  woman.. Ape folks  ran towards her.. she    shot  a LArgran causing them to teun, thinking they were out  flanked, only to be torn  to bits   buy the apefolk... one of the Apefolk troopers  ran with her, to escort her to the  shuttles.

 Then.. Kree  saw it... way on the  east flank, sends  another   Delta  fleet  fighter to the ground... and it was gone... Kree  climbed high...Beth?..Talk to me?

 from what i can tell..its flying without a transponder ... it  maus have a caotign or plating  on its power plant, ot has  some new power plant..i'n not getting  any heat from it...

.any Pics?


Me and Orria  are feeding   what we get into a database.. they are all blurred...

 great....

 he climbed  and looked  around..... he   saw  a figher diving on  Foster.. chewing up the  wings  with Pulse rounds, enough that it  fluttered  past Foster and he finsihed it off.

 Shadow   just  stopped..hovering  for the   few seconds  that  he could in atmo... and  POOF.. there it  was.. comign right at it  from  30 yards .. both pilots  must have been surprised... they both  turned to port  Just Missing  each other, Kree  swore   as he tried to power up   again  and the damn thing  was gone  again

 well..if  my Gun Cams   work.. i should have a  damn good..head on shot of it...

 the Voice  came over the COMs..all comes..not from just one place...You are smarter then most people say you are... it almost ended  both of us...

 yeah? Casper?  a 10th of a second   sooner  and  you'd have been chewing on a 37 MM  ...

 ..but you did not Have  that 10th of a second...did you...Uncle?

 what?

 I must go now Uncle.... I think i killed  more then enough of your  people today.....and it looks like  it will not matter how many i kill today... so..we will meet again.... your  training... it is not as good as the Demons say... your people  are not  qualified to fight this war... remember that..for next time Uncle....

 then the COMs  stopped...

 BETH!!!!!

 its no good   Shadow?.. the COM is comign from inside the walnut..but you know that's  not  right?.,.... i tried  to   feed back the bastard and blew out   two APVs   on the planet and...

 dammit!.. teh APVs...  they aren't  just attacking.. they were  tracking!..dammit the 9 hells..every time some one COMed.. they got lit up!

Admiral Hennings!  did you get that!

 ..I sure did!... Admiral Hennings to all  troops.. destroy APV  at all costs.. they  have   trackers  as well as   troops.....

 Then Shadow  dove  down   to   find  Empire  aircraft to make dead.

In reply to ground (msg # 228):

"Pack as much foam around it as you can and get him to a shuttle. Keep your head down you may be strong but you're slower when carrying a body, and an easy target." She replied to Meari.

As she set to work patching the Felrite. The leg looked bad. Likely an amputation if they didn't get help soon. She applied foam to the wound after spending one of her tourniquets. "Get'em to a shuttle I can't do anything else. She shouted over the roar of battle at the other felrite.

 She pivoted looking for the next wounded trooper. "Ellen snap out of it, there's no time for tears. If he's got a blade in his chest get him to the shuttle. Tag him urgent surgical right next to Marx and that Felrite." She let fly some choice curses under her breath as she darted towards Lam the Omnicom operator.

Lam was wounded bad, though not from the blade itself that had hit her. Rather the shrapnel of omnicom blowing up in their hands had done most of the damage, and it was a lot. She finished another can of foam, and Lam was ready to move. Tagging two troopers she set them to bringing Lam back to the medevac site.

"Hermes Med, I've got 3 urgent surgical cases coming up to you. Two of them can't wait. Blades embedded in their chest and armor. You're gonna need a saw to cut those armor plates off. Hope you've done your shopping."

With Lam on the way to the shuttles she was up and firing. Her hands slick from blood that wasn't her own. Staining the stock of her carbine. She spied the other wounded. The three others she could tell even from a distance had bought the farm. There was little she could do other than waste limited resources with gods knows what inside the blast doors.

Then she heard Meari call out for a medic from over by the shuttles. She turned to sprint over but saw the medtech and guardian come out. With a shake of her head she ran to join Hack and the others assaulting the breached door.

  The  troops  moved to the   first opening,  The Admiral looked up at the   higher   entry, to see if   Mila  made it there yet..

  Shade   went to the runners   and  gave them  his  empty mags, filling is   ammo  bag, and a  fresh one in his  SMG, as  well as  two Grenades

  Hack  looked at Shade...shouldn't you take that Blade out of your  chest plate?

  Shade   bleeped and whistled  and gave him a thumbs up.

  The admiral  smiled   dumbly and gave him a   thumbs  up back, which seemed to make   Shade  happy as he sat down to drink  some water

 Hoke and Tucker  were runnign back with   ammo boxes, belts  strapped on thier chests  and   each had a canvas back  back with  two belts  inside


 Supe  looked you didn't have to do that?..there were runners coming

 Tucker   smiled,..they have enough folsk to worry about.. this saved some  more ammo for  the others

 Disna  and Paske  sat  , the  backs  against the  dirt and rock..Disna  looked  crushed... Larry and eddie  sat there   drinking  water   from the water  Jugs the     QM  hover   trucks  were  bringing up..

 ..they killed  Gren... the other    largs looked sad , but  drank along with Larry and   Eddie  as   Larry growled

 all the Largs were  nicked up, but no savage    wounds.

 far to the  west, a   roar was heard  as one of the 'super  studs'  it  , what passed  for an outpost of  the defenders... a keen eye  would notcie  tiny flashes of  white light, which meant  the stuf  was  been driven with Pulse wands.

 CE-Va  was pannign the area.. not only to  catch the  'heroes forming up'..but to ctach the    battle  sighs  for  flashes  and fire in the distances.

"I did not," Billie muttered, feeling a bit sheepish but then again, she was still very much a novice to battle. Flying...no but fighting yes. "Sorry guys." She sighed a bit, feeling very much like she was letting everyone down but even at that, she knew she was no match for the white fighter.

Jug and the other gava took cover for the explosion then quickly scrambled, shook off the dust and debris.  Easily they stepped in through the damaged doors looking for any living enemies.  "The way in is clear" Jug commed.  "Next fight we will have to remember 'Biskits'."  She waited for orders.

Roy grunted at the news that the surface had been breached.  "Let's move up...depending on what the interior defenses are, they might make a push to try and retake the breach point from the outside, let's do what we can to make sure they don't trap any of our people inside..."

The comm chatter about the mysterious white fighter led his eyes to sweep the sky briefly...he didn't expect to see anything helpful, but it wouldn't have been the first fighter he'd shot at, if he did see it...and he actually had rounds, this time, that would be effective pretty much anywhere they hit it, if they hit it, instead of having to score a direct hit on the cockpit...

  Shade   was sippign watr, eating   some kind of cracker thigns  from his pack.. he offered some to Roy and the Snipers

 Jax   came over and sat  down, pushing his   face shield up and blew out a breath...this..is tough?... i don't know if i could  have seen have the  things  i killed without the flares..Nifty took dome crackers and split them with Jax..  jack took a bit of one, and pointed the other half  as Shade.

 shouldn't you  take that Blade out of your armor?

 Shade was  chewign a cracker thing as he  looked down and shrudded, and Bleeped  with some whirls and  gaave  Jax a thumbs up..

 Jax  just loked at him, and gave a  wan..half smile... and returned the thumbs up and happlily went back to his  water, offer Roy one of the  bottles from the QB  truck

Roy looked down at Shade and grinned.  "I can think of a couple of reasons to leave it there...and one of them is even practical..."  He chuckled.  "I mean, talk about a good luck charm...this is the weapon that's been taking down most of the wounded on our side...the fact that it didn't penetrate deep enough to hurt him?  Shit, I'd wear it, too, if it was on my armor..."

His grin turned menacing as he added, "And can you imagine the effect it has on enemy shooters?  These things have been dropping APF troopers right and left...and all of a sudden, here comes one of the smallest guys in the entire ground force, outside of the Gava, and not only did this not take him down, it didn't even bother him enough to take it out?  That's gotta scare the shit out of anyone who puts their scope on him...be willing to bet hardly anyone's shot at him since that one hit him."

He took the water with a nod of thanks, taking a long drink, his eyes sweeping the sky again as his head was tilted back.  As he lowered his head, he looked at Shade.  "Am I right?"

 Shade Grinned a cracker  grin and have him a green eyed  thumbs up.

 Ce-Va  walked over  with her own water  and  panned the  Group having the Camera on a cracker chewing Shade.

 ..Yes   Folks.. the  Verian Ambassador...

 Shade Balred a Bleep and Pointed to the Udenese flag  on the Ambassador insignia ...

...........


 Jax   chcukled  at  Shades  'retort'

The Admiral walked over listening  , his helmet pushed back on his head,well give the  Runners  another  10 minutes or  so  for more water and ammo.. then we'll go inside. we got a barrier of   Ape Folk on one side and  Naragrans and Gava on the other..

 a Half-Ape   arrived with a  very tired looking  Raven..I'll never  complain about  those tunnel runs again!.

  head Back to the shuttles...  Red Water  is  back there along witha Felrite pilot..you can go back with the runners.. they have  a supply  area  set up, but they are going through our LZ.

 The Ape  folk loked at the doors.....forgive  my words..Admiral.. I see you have  hole in  doors.... we do nto have  and doors  to run through...may i enter with you..I an Nugest..I am corp...

Roy grinned slightly and shrugged.  "I vote yes.  I mean, he's about the size of any two of us put together.  They see him coming through the tunnels and they just may smother in their own defecation..."

Before Raven got a chance to take off, Roy called out, "Hey, Raven?  Do me a favor?"  He hefted the Barrett.

"Going into the tunnels in there, this thing's just going to be in the way.  Any chance you can haul it back for me?  I mean, I could send it with anyone, but I trust you to not drop it and screw up the optics...some of these guys are pretty ham-fisted and I'm not sure in what condition it would be when I got it back."

After wrestling with the controls for a few minutes, swearing profusely for every second of it, Harry would accept the fact that she was going down and there was nothing she could do about it ”Nikki! You’d better take good care of my girl!” Harry shouted as she just about managed to wrench her fighter round so she would hopefully eject somewhere behind ESN lines ”catch you later ladies” she said before podding out.

 Lizzy kept fighting and shooting she was on a mission to kill as many bad guys as she could, when she saw Harry go down," See you later Harry get to safety ASAP." and then saw her pod out, she hoped she would be found safely. After hearing the White Ghost fighter say Shadow was his uncle she had no clue what was up. She used and channeled her anger, fear, everything into her flying and fighting, using her powerful emotions to kick some serious Empire ass, for Harry and everyone else that had been shot down.

 Lizzy called out to Nikki and Billie," Ok ladies lets clean these bastards up follow me." Lizzy would target a group of One Eyes and go after the leader as she hoped Billie and Nikki would follow her and work as a team to mop these bastards up.

[Catching up a bit, I've been in a meeting all morning...]

Henry returned the Admiral's nod and launched Mila.

Mila scampered up to the higher door, weaving through legs unnoticed. When she got there, she turned her head, carefully lifting out a demolition charge and placing it at the door. She stepped back, looked up at the size of the door, then added a second charge on the other side.

Then she turned and scampered back towards Her Human, updating her progress as she ran...

Good girl, Mila Henry thought to the dog scampering towards him. Once she was safely clear, he pushed back the sliding safety cover on his detonator and sent signals to the charges.

Then his arms were full of excited dog.

"Yes! You did it! Well done, girl. There's my Mila!"

 The Admiral looked at  Nugest,..COM your CO, tell them you are with us, that i...um..commandeered  you?... we'll be  going shortly

 McCloud   was drink water  as well as eating come of the ration crackers.. I heard  some of the other  troopers on crosstalk... the   Empire  rats  are 'eading  back ta their holes?.. Commanders  are following, tryign to cut them down, and will use  those  entrances  to enter

 aye?  The Burians  have  a set of doors like this.. they wil be  trying to blow open as well The  Hyrians  have  destroyed  two corvettes  comign out  of the Northern polar entrance.

 Supe  was laying   his back against the stone as he and Hodden shared   crackers.Speaking of Hyrians...

 Lirg showed up   his sniper  rifle on his   back a SAW in his   arms  with   he   had  a bandoleer  he   must have  made himself  that had  10  magazines, as well as  4 belts strapped  across his  chestAdmiral Hennings  sent me down, Since Tall Udenese woman is hurt... he  said to bring  firepower...  he grinned wolfishly...

 Nugest   nodded to   Lirg,you dog people fight hard...almost as good  as  Apefolk...


 The Admiral  looked at McCloud  and  Roy, AZ-el came and sat down by them taking off her sweat soaked  helmet and drinking water...what are we to do..now  that the door is open

 well?.. we have Largs and we have Gava  we can send   in to scout...once we get inside   we'll test Melia to the limit, on seeing if she can find Maris..if not?.. taking over the C and C  should   end this battle... the  rest of it will be  extermination...

 He Looked Up, seeing Mila near the top door.

...........

 Not  far.. but , just barely insight.. the Nivarains  and those   Asaut  troops from  the ships assigned there, must have   found, and secured  another  entrance... The   bulky shadow of  a stuf Larg  barley  rose on its  Hind legs and howled... the howl  choed and was  returned  by a smattering of largs...

 Larry   got  up,  Crawled  on a dirt roll  and stood  high, letting out   a  blood curlign   Roar, that lasted  almost  20 seconds...

 as soon as he was done.. Freddie  and the other  5 Largs   Howled as well,,and  dozens of howls  were returned, from both Flanks.

 Larry looked  around, padded  back down to the  water   with  the other largs

 Lyri  smiled a bit as  she ate and drank,..how much of that is Shadow?  and how much of that is LArry?

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

  Harry   Bumped  and  Rolled  a bit until the pod came to rest in a crater... two  sanri and Four Occui came running over. She got out, seeing  the   crushed (dead)  bodies  from the  POD and the

 an Occui SGT  looked at her.....you are ok ..yes?.... Your  Admiral is where  the lights  are?.. and your   LZ  is  back there?.. where  do you wish to go..i will send  Vaka  with you?

 a..slightly short..for a Occui blinked up at her.. the  occui carried, what must have been, an Occui SMG

   As henry   triggered  the explosion, the   Upper  doors  Blew open, sending   rock and Dirt showering   anyone  , including the tops  below  with   dust and rock...

 well...now  we have  two open doors... he hit the COMs,,,well done..Henry, Mila!
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 14:02, Fri 26 June 2020.

   The ESN surviors in the  air, ebgan to Hunt   for revenge, some of Delta's  flights  were  very hard hit.

    Shadow   Got on the COMs..Alright....  chase the Bad Guys, being down what you can..if they are  far enough  ahead?  Let them go into the Walnut... Look at you   readouts..mY screen looks like a damn  christmas  tree...from all your  Birds.... use your heads... if  your bird is  too hurt?..go home... if you can fight, Land    at the QM ship behind our  shuttles.. I'll be there in a bit....

 Flores ..But..Shadow?

 ..no buts..everyone..Understood....

 'already dones  flooded the  COMs

 Lizzy  Nikki and  Billie  managed to  each get a  Kill  from  some who  were running...Then..just like that.. The ESN   owned the northern Hemisphere...

  Med Tech Evac   looked  like massive  snow flakes  as they droped down to the  surface, sorting out  who to take  home and who to take to thier ships...walkign wounded hand to stay, for now.

 Shadow turned to   make a Landing  Near the Admiral's   camp...

Nikki still kept an eye out for the white ghost "From the damage it has 50 calls.  white on black...could look like a star, blending in"
Harry called out about prodding "We gotcha girl.  No worries" she move to complete the trio.  Hunting that ghost and any enemy in the way.  In her mind she was thinking about the metallic sounding voice and 'Uncle'.

 Lizzy checked her bird, she had some damage but she was still in pretty good shape for what they just went through. Lizzy will still keep an eye open for the GHost but she wanted to drop as many of these Empire asses as she could, but still protecting her wingmates. She looks at Nikki's and Billie's fighters and says," Billie you are torn up pretty bad, your call on heading back, Nikki how are you holding out? I am going to empty my 37mm guns into bad guy troops and take out more APV's and then land by the QM ship and get reloaded and check out my fighter, who is with me?"

 Lizzy had never flown like this letting her emotions out and feeding on them it made her a better pilot but more aggressive as her father always pushed fly defensively, well she was done with that bullshit for sure.

As Karl noticed the flow of enemy troops start to shift, moving away the the APF troops instead of toward them, he started watching for points where they were converging...they were either rally points, or entrances to withdraw from the surface.  As he located them, he sent a pair of HE rounds down on each location...if they were just regrouping, the blasts would kill or injure a large number and disorient survivors, giving the pursuing APF troops better odds.  If they were actual sally ports, hopefully the blasts would jam the doors and either trap the enemy on the surface, or make it impossible to close the doors.

Mindful of what had been said about the 'ghost' plane tracking comms, he maintained radio silence.  Odds were good he'd already created a 'black-out' in the enemy sensor net in his flight zone, as he'd been actively hunting APVs since the first word arrived that some were armed with plasma weapons, but he didn't want to take any chances.  He muted his mic...

"Ed, that ambushing bastard might be gone...or he might have just said he was going to get people to relax their guard.  Keep IR tracking on the ground targets...we'll keep hitting targets of opportunity until we're empty..."  That would not be long, he realized, looking at the indicators of the magazine capacities.

"I want you to start sweeping the skies around us with everything else...track any motion you pick up, anything that doesn't squawk friendly gets a closer look.  If they've got one, they might have more..."

”Nine hells...now I know how the ball baring in a spray can feels like” Harry groaned when her pod finally came to rest at what looked to be crater from her rather limited view. Disengaging her harness Harry would retrieve poor Hamlet from where he was laying by her feet and tuck him into her webbing before drawing her pistol and pulling the release handle. With her weapon drawn she would find herself face to face with a group of Occui, at which point she would holster her weapon and scramble out of her cockpit and walk round to the hatch for her emergency gear, speaking as she went ”The pick up point will be fine, I need to get to the Hermes and find a new ride” she said as she first shouldered her pack and then chambered a round into her machine pistol ”sorry where are my manners? Ensign Harry Lynch, a pleasure to meet you guys” she said holding her hand out towards the pair of Occui, before nodding her head in the rough direction of the LZ ”Shall we?”

Harry turned to hear...
 ..I am Vaka I will get you there... the little Occui  tripped  and fell and got up , the other  Occui looked around    with some distaste.

    He got  to his  feet  and  smiled.....get you there safely..  he  stepped out of the crater.

  Vaka?

 ..yes SGT?

  ..The LZ is that way.... and....um..take your time getting back..make sure the Pilot gets  to the Hermes..hmm?

 Vaka nodded, bobbling the head gear..Already done , my SGT... he     walked into and out of the crater   to the right direction where the    three shuttles  could   just about be seen, with a QM ship having   Hermes   fighters starting to land.

 They were about half way through the  battlefield, Bodies from both sides  Lying about.. the Little Occui shot  two wounded Demons...

 ..I am sorry... I..I do not think  my comrades like me much... so they send me to take you to your landing place...

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

  Raven had  arrived  with the runners.. she   made sure Roy's weapon was safely stowed on the Spade.

 Stoly was eating somethign hot out of  a can as he sat in his seat..watching for trouble.. all three of his gunners  did the same

 Rec Water  was   sitting  by a metal cook fire putting cans of  rations in to heat up

 Andy  Mann , sat there his  fast had a past  over the right  cheek.. his   spork  stirred the   hot   mixture  in the can labeled 'stew'.. the new  fellow looked  in deep shock as he stared at the flickering fire.

 meanwhile, over head,  battered  fighters  headed to the QM area  to  reload and get food  and drink

 A Sanri came from the other side  with Mara, who thanked the Sanri , as the blue  fellow  turned to  rejoin his until...well?  that was  the fastest 6 hours of my life..ever!

..........

 Shadow's  aircraft  landed  on top of  a few dozen dead empire  folks, As he climbed out,  shadow    looked at the Bodies  and snorted  at them.

  Shade  greeted him with a wave, Before  Shadow could ask about   the  blade. Shade Bleeped  a few times,Oh?.. Ok?  i guess?

.. he went to see the largs.. Larry   stood up on his hind legs    and pawed at him...easy!... your  all covered with  ...with...Empire stuff...

 freddie  came over  and   nuzzled his legs and the other   5 Largs   looked up thumping thier tails...

  Shadow smiled  as he  fussed with  LArry and  rubbed  Freddie's head.. and  went to the other beasties   to rub thier noggins.. and his smile went away.. he looked at the two trainers...

 ..Gren is gone....

 ..I'm sorry.... make sure her  Body goes up with any other dead we have..she'll get  sent off  with the others..

 the two LArg Master looked at each other.....you..would do that for a LArg?

 Shadow's eyes  narrowed,I don't know about any other time?.. But today, she wasn't ..'a larg'.. she  was Gren....a  Hermite..  and she  died  fighting along side her shipmates to day..

 Disna  stood Up with a sad  smile and saluted   Shadow.....Thank you...LC  Shadow...

 he waved  off the thanks,... it is what we do...it is what  every one, should do... Larry  followed Shadow over to Roy, Shade and the Admiral, McCloud.looked up..

 ..aren't you supposed to be with the fliers?

 ..Aye , Captain McCloud.. but.. i need to figure out what my people will be doing this   round, then i'll go see to them

 Admiral Hack  looked up,..for right now?.. we have to opening here.. we're going to send  troops  down each one.. we'll need   aircover   until   all the   insertion teams get in...after that.. it  just you folks  making sure  we aren't over  run...

 Larry    layed   by Roy and  Shade watching   the Admiral and Shadow talk

  the Half-ape looked at Shadow and   smiled a toothy grin..looking like  a super economy sized Gava.

  ..you are Shadow, LC.. I am Nugest.. I get to go in tunnels and kill things..I am Corp...

 Shadow reached out a hand  to the  Halfape ,..good to  meet you...make sure none of them hurt our Largs or our  doggie... he grins.

 ..I make plenty of them dead.... they say  one eyed people taste good..but we cannot eat them ..i am sad for that..maybe after  battle?

 Shadow   chuckled as the massive   hand  left his,well... I don't care.. but, you might  want to wait after the battle...

 ..you are very wise... that is  why you are LC!

 Lyri giggled    and almost chocked on her water.....No!..thats  defiantly  now why!

 Hack smiled   as he  ate a cracker ..Shade    bleeped a chuckle.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:31, Sat 27 June 2020.

at the QM's area.. Hot  fod and cold  drinks were being readied  for the Piltos  and any runners  who came back.

 the aircraft were parked  behind the transport and   peopel were   patching holes, loading belts  and  replacing what  parts they could

 Frans  and Eckles  walked to the gathering of  Pilots... Flores  and Kat not far behind.. Foster  had  just got a tray of food, and sat down.

 Steele  said,where's Shadow?

 Frans   grabbed a tray of  food  and a drink,..he landed up by the Admiral to see what we're goign to be doing...

 so?..he gets to  land where he wants to because...

 Flores snapped,..because he's  the gods bedamned LC.. and WC.. you wouldn't land there anyway..to damn close ot the guns for you!

 Steele  frowned  and went back to eating ..some kind of steak.

"Yes I know sweetie, the bad man shot you" Izzy softly said as she ran the tube of Superglue along the crack on Tali's casing causing her to wonder if there wasn't a way to upgrade her little drone so that she was a touch more resilient, as the drone beeped and whistled at her in a way that made it very clear that it hadn't enjoyed being shot.

With the fighting having seemingly reached a lull, she had stopped with the rest of the troopers by the Admiral's party, and after having a drink of water from her canteen had begun performing field surgery on Tali, who had been unlucky enough to have been shot by an Ellipsian disc thrower. Behind her the doors into the Ellipsian homeworld loomed, with everyone, including the enemy, seemingly waiting to find out what the next move would be.

Once she had finished repairing Tali and had checked the magazine in her carbine, Izzy would slowly make her way over to where the Admiral was, with her little drone in tow, and patiently wait until he had finished speaking before asking "So Admiral, what is the next move now that the door has been kicked down? Should the Empire be laying out the welcome mat for us?"

 The Admiral showed no pretense of  trying to be 'proper'. he had his head gear pushed back,  his face  was dirty from dust and  smoke, as  was his armor.

 Ce-Va   watche d  with a slight  smile  As  Shadow  drank some water , lookign at Roy and  back to the Reporter.

 Larry  looked at Tali..his eyes tracking it as it bobbed  around.

 Well Ensign.. i figured  we'd  just sit here  and starve them out...

 Shadow started to  chuckle  and the Admiral smiled... as he continued,  we are going in..everyone is goig in any where they found a door they could Open... Captain Nilsson has   targeted a coulpe  , what the things might be, entracnes.. drop troops are  headed there..... so?..it   depends  on  what side your viewrs  will be viewing from?..But the Elipsians  will see us as vermin, infesting thier   home...... the APF will see us  as antibodies, goign into eradicate an infection... I really don'[t care, as  long as the Empire  presecne here is  wiped away.... shoudl  we  capture this...planet-station.. we will  turn it over  to the APF. and it will serve  as a  base to help  buffer the  Udenese and  Everest..if  we have to destroy it..well.... we could made  a few more fleets out of the scrap

“I’m going to head home guys. With turning and dives being challenging, I think it’s best.” Billie replied to the others. With that, she broke formation and headed back towards the Hermes, doing her best to navigate.

>>>>>>>>>> To the Hanger Dec

"Fire..lets follow.  If it shows up atleast we'll face it as a group rather than caught alone" Billies ship was shot up, so heading back was probably not a bad idea.  Still she hated leaving unfinished business.  It really chapped her ass.

 Lizzy replied to Billie," Ok great job, go back to the Hermes get patched up."

 Lizzy then replied to Nikki, " I think it is gone and Bil;lie is going with several other fighters back to the Hermes, that bastard would have already hit if he was still out there. "

 Lizzy waved her wing to Billie and the other pilots that where heading back to the Hermes, she then said to Nikki," Ok they will be okay, I am going to land at the QM ship, the LC just landed. Come follow me down Fury."

 Lizzy will land her fighter by the QM ship and then get out and check out her fighter and tell the grounds crew all the lights she had on, and how it was handling. She would get out and check out who was around and still flying.

"With ya, but we can still escort Billie" she commed

 Fitz and Howe Landed, they each shook thier heads at the  fighters and waved to the  grounds crews to 'do what they can'

 Chatty Smith  landed  with  Higgins.. Higgins  sat back in his aircraft, blowing out a long  stream of   air  with his eyes  closed.. there were 50 cal stiching from the  tip of his starbaord  wing, to the cock pit  Others  were starting to land  as well.. some, wer limping upwards  and   dozens of aircraft , from dozens of ships  did the same

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

 at the LZ Brivet..Harry, Red Water, Raven And Ariv stood near the  camp fire. A trooper from the QM ship said,..Ma'ams...Sirs... I am to escort you to the  Supply area, for  refreshment and to que up when you are to return to the Hermes.

 Vaka stood  around  Red Water  gave him a  cup of the stew,,thing..he was making.