”Well like I said…I don’t think I have a guardian angel, in either the literal or metaphorical sense” Harry said as they left the safe room and started walking by the hangars, with Garrat then asking if she had a message for Teela. She would be silent for several minutes as she tried to think of what to say after so long and with so much having occurred in the intervening time before finally shaking her head ”no, that’s alright…I wouldn’t know what to say…I’m just glad she’s doing okay” unlike me she silently added, with Teela having always been the more together of the two of them.

The ape woman guarded the entrance you came through and some of the furries covered other openings as Garrat said in a slightly over casual voice “I want to check the new power links for the solar cell batteries.  Please join me.”  he climbs up and into one of the cargo containers that make up the wall and hold the Martian sand at bay.  After passing through multiple containers, linked together by ladders and hatch ways, he removes some batteries from one of the racks and slides open the trap door.  Shining a flashlight down into the open space she can see a room partially filled with sand traveling between the containers, mounted behind the hanger in the dusty light or tarp covered shapes, approximately the size of hammer aircraft nearly stacked on top of each other, but obviously placed with care.  After replacing the batteries Garrat holds his finger to his lips, and then tracks back the way they came not saying a thing until they reach the hanger again.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:27, Thu 27 Apr 2023.

Smiling at the apefolk woman as they passed her, Harry would shrug in a way that seemed to say sure, why not before following Garrat over towards the cargo container. After traversing a series of interconnecting containers and ladders Harry would find herself crouching in front of a hole looking at the tarp covered shapes of the fighters "sleep tight my ladies" Harry would softly purr, clearly satisfied that they had been looked after, before signalling to Garrat that she was happy with what she had seen and was good to go.

Once they were both safely out by the hangar again Harry would break her silence and ask "Well, now that I know where the batteries are...what else did you want to talk to me about?"

“Bluntly, you need to blow some of the reckless bitch out of your system on occasion and we could use the scouting patrol.” Ha says getting on his bike and motioning you to the other.  “It may not look like much but it should do the job.” He motions to hers.  It looks like an old run about with a storage basket on the back.

Upon hearing Garrat’s rather blunt assessment about her being a Reckless Bitch Harry would quirk a single brow as if to say ”oh, and how are you planning to do that sunshine?” as she followed him over to the other bike. After all people had tried changing her before and it hadn’t worked, such as the utterly pointless enforced therapy that both her mother and the ESN had tried, and Lizzy’s insistence that she just needed to be her real self with her overlooking the fact that there was a reason she had walled up that side of her personality. She utterly despised her real self. No doubt Garrat had his own ideas on how to deal with her, with her quietly hoping that he would try and understand her rather than change her.

After taking a single circuit about the bike, looking it up and down with a critical eye, she would mount up and fire the engine before turning to Garrat and saying ”Alright Gar, lead the way”

The walk around reveals that the old inefficient, bulky speeder bike is will covered against the corrosive sands of Mars.  Aftermarket adjustments, and the exhaust port is definitely not stock, but other than that it’s scratched slightly dented, and the well used looking. Garrett gets on his bike and the grins at her as his warms up.  “Let’s go.”
This message was last edited by the player at 16:47, Tue 02 May 2023.

Although the bike wasn’t the prettiest, or the sleekest, it was clearly well maintained with the engine coming alive with a roar. As soon as Garrat started to move, Harry would first keep pace with him and then start pushing to move even faster with only the fact that she didn’t know where they were going stopping her from racing ahead.

In reply to Harriet Lynch (msg # 210):

It’s torqy, very torqy.  Harry has to hang on very tightly to keep from sliding off.  She starts to pull ahead and Garrat’s voice sounds in her helmet.  “You know I am taking you somewhere right?  It’s hard to lead when you’re flying off parts unknown.”

”I’m still here aren’t I?” Harry replied, clearly fighting back the urge to ride even faster and indulge her need for speed that had been long neglected ”So where are we heading? Do I need to be worried?” she asked, curious as to where they were headed …also what exactly is it you’re hoping to find in that cache on Earth?”

She doesn’t see him near her.  Then she spots him on a hill to in the distance.  When she catches up to him he points to what seems to be a rock out cropping in the far distance.  “I’ll met you there with the answer.  Your speeder is faster than mine so you have time to work out the kinks enroute.”

She wasn’t sure at what point Garrat had managed to pull away from her, but she caught up with him on a hill he would point out a rocky outcrop in the distance and challenge her to meet him there ”roger that, see you on the flip side” she said with a grin before gunning the engine and disappearing down the dusty track. She’d ridden bikes before…in fact she’d had ago at driving most things, and usually at speed.

With her speed creeping up ever higher Harry, despite her competitive streak, wasn’t too concerned as to whether or not she got there before Garrat with her instead enjoying the thrill of riding the bike down the dusty track at near suicidal speeds. Her heart hammering within her chest as she effortlessly took the turns, riding the bike like her fighter with the countryside going by in a blur.

With the outcrop appearing far quicker than she had wanted, Harry would come to an abrupt stop with a slide and spray of gravel. Having arrived at her destination she would wait for Garrat to tell her where they were headed and why she was out here.

Garrats personal com chimed alerting him of a message from the 351.

In reply to Justin Kase (msg # 215):

(Probably received another time another place)
(Don’t see a need for it to be private but don’t think anyone will care)

     “Roger that my friend.  Take care of the family for me and give Larry a scratch behind the ears.”

Harry gets there and finds that the outcropping is actually a crashed ship. It has been there so long that the storms have sandblasted the local colors into its frame. Maybe centuries, maybe more.

Bringing the bike to a stop Harry would switch off the engine and remove her helmet before dismounting and turning to look at the long dead ship, half-buried beneath the red, martian dirt, its markings having long since been erased leaving her with no clue as to who it had once belonged to ”So we going scavving then?” Harry would ask Garrat as she walked up to him, curious as to why he had brought her out here.

    He hasn’t pulled up yet but she hears him as he does.  “Nope, just a meeting place.  It’s kinda considered a land mark, off limits to removal.”

    He shrugs. “Also unlikely to be bugged.  But what’s left of the interior is almost as corroded as the exterior.”

She would pause to consider how long the ship had laid here slowly rotting, with the strong Martian winds that had scoured it making it hard to determine whether it was a wreck from Earths early encounters with the Demons or something far older, with it also very easy to believe that the interior wasn’t in much better shape and no doubt picked clean of anything of value ”I take it it’s safe to go in then?” she asked, not that it would stop her from going in if indeed that was where they were headed, with her leaving it up to Garrat to make the next move.

“ we are where we need to be. It was simply a landmark.”

“ the locals just call it the old Martian. If you suggest to meet them out here, they will know where to go. Someone from out of town, not so much.”

     “Soon the Immigrant’s Song going earthside. I’m trying to get someone we can trust to run the entire base, I’m sorry I don’t think you’re up to it. You are in charge of getting the assault wing together and operating properly.  You’ll be operating like mercenaries.  Less orders, more conversations.  General requests such as escort these ships, or we need our flyers to get up to speed (in short train the fuck out of them) will happen.  I trust you can handle those.  This is a military backed civilian base, not a civilian cover for a military action no matter how I’m using it as that, otherwise the enemy will see right through it.  Are you sure you are up to this?

Harry would make a mental note of the landmark along with the decision to see if there were others she could use, figuring that a trip to the town at Olympus Mons may be in order to chat with the locals.

She was a little disappointed to learn that she wasn’t trusted enough to run the base but could understand the reasons and to a certain point agree with them as her health, especially her mental health, had pretty much gone down the toilet as of late. On the plus side she was at least being trusted to get the assault wing organised and trained ”Ok, so for the sake of clarity…you and the Immigrant Song are heading down to Earth to do…whatever…a third party is to be put in charge of the base and by extension me?” she said, giving Garrat a questioning look as she threw her thumb over her shoulder to indicate where they had come from ”…I meanwhile am to set up and train a PMC group that will not only provide a cover for what you’re doing on Earth but also an income and military presence within the system to back you up if necessary and keep me out of trouble…or in the right kind of trouble at least…am I close?” she said wanting to be certain they were both on the same page before she agreed to anything and started asking follow up questions.

Garrat holds a hand out palm down and wobbles it back and forth.  Kinda.  There are a thousand ways this can go sideways.  I can keep you with me, cooped up in a tin can while I hide under the waves, struggling to find a way to mobilize the people of earth, or I can leave you here to work with the ships you’ve already started taking responsibility for.  Agreed it wouldn’t be too different from where you would be if you stayed on that transport to the delta colonies, but you are a couple of steps further up the ladder from where that path would have taken you.”

Given the choice between being cooped up in a ship for long periods of time or staying on Mars to train pilots it was a bit of a no brainier because at least on Mars she could safely blow off a little steam before she had a violent meltdown ”No, this is a big step up from the Delta’s, at least here I have control over my own life and the chance to do something with it” she answered, with the prospect of being trapped on some remote, agrarian planet with nothing but pointless patrols to keep her occupied and no chance of ever being able to leave being the driving factor that had led her to desert in the first place. The thought would cause Harry to chuckle as she looked across the Martian landscape to think a single recommendation on Stefi’s report allowed me to get away!

”I assume Joe has found potential pilots and marines for me to train for this new venture? I also assume you’ll not want the company registered under any of my names?” she asked, because although Harry Lynch had a reputation it was the wrong kind and was currently wanted for desertion, and although Miss Harriet Carmichael would probably have access to the necessary funds, resources and contacts her sudden reappearance after so long would raise too many questions. She also didn’t want to be associated with any of her parents political leanings.

Garrett raised an eyebrow, “ nothing is under your names, if my hunch is correct ESN already has you tagged.  My operation is one of few they won’t poke around.  Several reasons behind that.  Joseph put the word out for pilots but we are in far tighter security for who we hire than even ESN.  You will need to keep your eyes open as well.  Good pilots who want to fight are already fighting.  We may be stuck with pilots who couldn’t make the cut, have retired, or have an attitude or emotional problem.”

”I figured as much…just put Jenny Fraser on the payroll as the WC or something, I know how to find people that can get me the necessary paperwork if it’s ever needed” Harry replied with a sigh, deciding that it was a problem for another day and one for her Daddy’s lawyers to most likely sort out. For now she just needed the necessary clout to get things running.

With Garrat confirming that Joe had put out the word for pilots, it would be Harry’s turn to raise an eyebrow ”Gar, just because they’re not wearing red or blue doesn’t mean they’re bad or trouble, not everyone wants to wear a uniform or fight for a cause or organisation they don’t believe in, and I can guarantee there are EMS personnel that don’t like how Roles has turned them into second rate ESN…but yeah I’ll keep an eye on them and deal with them accordingly” she said, implying that there was plenty of room in the Martian desert for troublemakers and spies ”…and don’t forget I’m going to be needing ground crew and marines too Gar, I need to be able to fulfil whatever contracts I can get and the more we can offer the better” also having a few dozen men with assault rifles around to guard your stuff never hurt.

    Garrat sighs, “Harry, I  know you have that ‘I’ve been there and know everything’ vibe going for you but you haven’t and you don’t.  I’ve been doing this for hundreds of years and I still don’t know everything.  You’ve got skills but your track record for people you associate with isn’t so hot either.  Don’t even look at your family’s assets.  Joe did some digging.  Your sis pulled the trigger on getting Shadows family killed.  In return your family is persona non grata as you Earthers say.  There’s more than one reason people in the black market are after you.  You’re worth way more as a bargaining chip or bounty than an ally.  We are likely the only people in the galaxy who believe you have acted without malice towards good. “  He shakes his head and looks out at the desert, “focus on the flyers.  Ground troops are a liability and more likely to be plants until we get them vetted.  Some might even end up in shallow graves in the desert.  You won’t be touching them with a ten foot pole.  They will be the minimal part of the group.  Ground crew?  You’re going mercenary style.  You will be sharing a larger unit and there won’t be the luxury of individual teams.  We can’t afford that.  To defend merchants we need fighters and bombers.  We need them outfitted and trained.  And we need them working as a team.”

At the mention of bargaining chips and Bounties Harry’s fists would clench, her muscles tighten and her eyes would go hard with it taking an obvious effort for her to calm herself down and regain her composure ”Don’t play with my paranoia Gar…just don’t Gar please, I struggle with trusting people as it is without you planting ideas into my head” she said in an anguished voice, after all there was a reason she barricaded herself into her room at night and went everywhere armed to the teeth, even now with someone she considered a friend she was armed. She wanted to trust people especially Garrat, she really did! But after her time on the Hermes she just found it so damn hard!

And she more than understood his point about her not using her families assets, it was just frustrating knowing that she had a giant pile of money just out of her reach that would make setting this all up so much easier ”ok we can put off finding marines, but we’re going to need them eventually for security work, even if you get someone else to train and run them…but Gar I’m going to need some technicians to keep the aircraft running even if we just get a couple of civilian mechanics…I mean…I can do basic maintenance but if one of those engines develops a fault…” she didn’t need to go any further than that and hoped Garrat would understand that she wasn’t trying to cause trouble, she just wanted to do it properly. After all this would be her first attempt at any form of command and she wanted it to go as smoothly as possible, and was terrified she’d mess it all up. However after leaving the statement to hang for a few seconds she would visibly deflate, fully expecting another lecture on how she was a liability and how they couldn’t risk getting anyone in with her quietly responding ”I’ll see what I can do”
This message was last edited by the player at 09:35, Wed 20 Sept 2023.