"You would think that but expecting high end engineers to think seems to be too much to ask anymore.  That said we do have a lot we can still do.  The demons keep pulling Allies out of their asses so things are gonna take more time than we think.  You might get your wish.  There are Improvements I'd like to see to.  Maybe in time we can discuss them over beers on the commercial deck"

  Molly looked at the Vid Board  and in the direton of the  quarters...then i'll be on me way, bet  e  kit settled  in  and we'll start... I dunna  care who you pick fer me  crew?... cause they'er gonna have ta  work my way...and they will...

 she  moves off to find her quarters.

    Missy had been working hard to knock out both quality and quantity.  When she wasn't on the clock she was hiring or pouring over schematics with the occasional collapse into a hammock.

  Lights  turned Yellow  as the Fleet  cast off  from  Etna.

  The LG-01T would be with the Sanri and Occui forge ship In the   second  ring around the  MedTech ship..the Agra-ships  would be next as well as supply ships and Tankers..

  Outside of them, the Transport/bases

  and outside them the  warships.. Media ships were  waiting for the OK to broadcast, and made thier way to the outer rings of warships...

 some 10,000 miles ahead of the fleet.. destroyers and Corvetes ranged on all sides to  stop any flanking   forces..or..at very elast alert them


  The  Military crew was, in haste, in the prep. AA guns being tested...a pair of fighters  were ready, painted  pure lt grey primer .. the two test pilots  could fly them in defense, if needs be,

   Missy looks at the fighters in satisfaction.  "Okay, do we have the next challenges set up, or can we take a breather?"

  Zack Fry, the foreman, shakes his  head....all we can do right now?.. is wait... we have some parts?..could try and get another figther together..or ? Just wait and use the parts   when they start sending aircraft over.. or tenders  drop of what's left...scuttbutt says its gonna be  nasty...and that Vid  feed didn't make it sound much better.

   Missy nods. "We'll get more fighters out of repairing than building so maybe a break is in order.  Okay boys and girls, get to the rec deck, blow off some steam but make sure you are well rested, because if the rummers I hear are correct, there's going to be fewer hands working elsewhere and we might be needed to get in some overtime."

 Fry  Nods  as he looks out into The Black,..You know?... I  ain't never been a real fighting  man... always been in the rear area   fixing stuff... But with this fleet... there is no ..'rear area"... cause they bring us  right along with them...

  "Your still not a fighting man.  ESN needs good repair teams on site?  We'll give them good repair teams on site.  If your grabbing food on the rec deck bring me a cup of miso soup in hanger nine.  I'm working on a new sensor array for the Albatross."

  ..Right.. Miso coming up... hope you get to eat it!... he   moves off. Some of the ESN troopers  were staring out the static  field as well, their faces  lit  but starshine , static filed flickers, and the Lights  of  Transport/bases  as the  glided by..seemingly in slow motion.

  Missy heads to her beloved ship.  As it was basically designed like anphibious twentieth century bomber/cargo plane with space ship upgrades, the sensory suite was built into the nose where the bombardier station would have been.  A deep swivel seat allowed the operator full access to multiple control stations at once...or it will as soon as she builds the station.  With the loading ramp facing the rear of the hanger it would be easy to enter the ship, not so easy to find the nose compartment from the payload.

about  15 minutes later  Fry came  back with a box that  had a large container of  Miso..  one half of  a French breada small container   for shreaded cheese and a cookie.

 ..Hey!..Soup's On... for real!..

 he placed the  box on  tool stand and sat on the floor  with a Cup of  Coffee and half of a doughnut.

  Missy comes out of the shuttle, a little bleary eyed. "Thanks, what do I owe you?"

  Fry laughed, 48 hour  pass to Eden II Pleasure  Moon...next time  we  hit Astra  space.

 ..See  them destroyers.. they  are   rising abover the main body... msut be red alert...

  Missy nods. "I better finish up.  In about forty five minutes we are going to have the injured limping in and 30 minutes of shut eye is needed for a human or porcine brain to reset."
   She winks at Fry, "Bet you thought mechanics was all I was good for."

 Fred  grinned and looks innocent as he said,..wait?.. you'er good?

   Missy shrugs, "You know what most human men say about porcine Maidens:  when we are good, we're good.  And when we are bad, we're really good."

Missy popped out of her hammok on the flight line and got on her coms,  they had been through all of this before in imprompt practice runs but this was the real deal. "You heard the man folks."  Her shrill voice cut across the coms and the deck.  "R&R is over, grab a coffee of a stim-drink and get your game face on.  They call this a forge ship for a reason, you are about to be forged in battle."

  "Okay, control room, send the dry working ships to the high repair bay numbers and the repair jobs to the low numbers.  Deck staff we want to start shifting batteries to the high numbers so it takes less time to load.  I want armor plating in both places in case we need to do any quick swapouts."

   "When a ship is coming in for repairs I want the pilot in contact with the crew chief in contact with the pilot who is coming into their repair bay as soon as they are free of the fight.  Chiefs, be aware of the pilots condition.  If he might goof up on the landing I want your crew clear of the bay, if it might endanger other bays you sound general alert."

   "Batery loading Numbers, havd them check their retros befor they come on final approach, last thing we need is a ship that cannot stop plowing into fuel cells and blowing us all up."

   "Crash deck, double check your proceedures and fire up the magnets, I want one last run through on all systems."

   "Let's move it folks, by the end of this battle I want Rivets begging to recruit each and every one of us."

  ESN   troops  we almost all in palce.. a few ran about to  make sure they had power cells  for Pulse  weapons or  get that 'extra' box of  37MM cannon rounds  for the   AA guns.

  the  Civie folks ran about, most knew what they were  doing.. some looked scared. Some looked like it was another day on the Job.

   Missy saw everyone into their positions, and got ready herself.

  some of the ESN types  were laughing  and  talking as the stood by their  battle stations.

   fred  was  grinning his teetah as he watched the abttle get closer and clsoer... it seemed   by inches?.. but   each inch  was  10,000  miles   or  more.

  already stray Bits of the expanding BAttle   field  was   floating past.. Bright  flashes, that were just 'twinkles' before.. heralded the death of  an aircraft.. or, perhaps a smaller  ship... grand  explosions heralded the death of  a cap ship... but, without  watching Vids?  no one know whose

 Matterhorn looked like a   decoration with    twinkling light s  as Parasites  were Blown off, or  fighters  died.

  There were PODs are ready  Blinking, for pilots who were lucky enough to escape..

  then the Lights  started to flash... Two  ESN  fighters   crippled , one trilign Smoke  and  atmo. were wobbling in...

 an Occui's voice said,....LT  Cranz....   I can't land  on the Odin.. too many  bugs  flying around..Captain sent me here......

 the one  trailing Atmo COMed,Ensign  Hues  from the  Remus... my bird's  bleeding here...

   Missy waits for the tower to instruct them in, then sends them both the same message.  "Alright boys, we're happy to be your home for now. Throttle back and make sure you have enough maneuverability to land.  If not your going to need to use the crash deck.  Hues your up first.  Stay calm.  What's you maneuvering status."  She motions for a med team to com forward.

 Hues was  calm..but stern,..she can fly.. but  she's hurting..O2 is almost gone...

 The Occui Hovers   a bit  wobbly  but waited.

In reply to LG-01T (msg # 82):

   "Bring her into bay one.  The lights will show you the way.  Cranz, what is the status of your maneuvering thrusters?"