Lilit   Give the  rest a nod, as she  and   the two 'shadows' leave...

   Hack  Looked  at the Hyrians,..I do not think this will ake overly long... Follow  my orderly to the Ambassador's Quarters and relax while  we  call the Vote...

 Gorl   waves his  two   board members one,..thank you... i could use  some rest.... the shuttle  ride.. was not what i am used to...

  Commander Si Looked at Evert but  spoke to them both,..though you make   lead your  Planet.... you cannot  rule all those  who seek a place in this  wore.... I am Thinking the Blue Verians   will be speaking for your people..at least until the end of the war......

 Hack added,..i would take  Lilit's  suggestion, and leave before  Shadow  hear's the news.... I cannot think he will be a happy fellow...


 ..Indeed.. it was cruel to act as though you were LAdy's  Mother... and Adem?.. allowing her to claim that, was just as bad, when you are the Mod..and Lilit is the Modder..it is...sickening....

 Hack nods,...SM?... as you said we have APF guests to worry about..Adem and Evert are on thier own.....

   Garrat nods to Adem and Evert then turns to Lirg. "No matter how you veiw him, would it not be proper to see Gorl to the admiral's quarters?"

...Lirg  Snorts  and Follows   Gorl and his two Board Members out...

  Adem and Evert leave.. they cast one last look at  Commander Si who turns away from them.

  Lyri   put the  safety on her weapon....well... that was.....odd...

  ..Shadw isn't  here... But it will not matter unles the Votes  are  tied?   Let Us Hear  what we have on the  Blue Verians..

 The Sanri Grinned,..with the choice of  color.. I will have to voye  Yes, for allowing them in...

 The Occui raised her hand,Aye... as well for us...

 Hennings   spoke,..As fleet rep..I say Aye....

 Bale  raised his hand,   as legal Rep.. I see no reason to not allow them.. we set the mark when the  Blue and Red Moon joined... for that matter.. when the Nivar Green Moon joined..

 well..without Shade   voting...  they  are now in the APF...

 ...Now?  The Hyrians?.. a bit of a different   story... but?.. the  same book cover?

 ..My people are not  fond of the Hyrians.... but... we can use thier  troops...so?.. I say..Aye

 The Occui shook her head......I should  say no... but  we can free up alot of  scout ships and  caost watchers if they are on our side.. so i say..Aye... she didn't sound happy.

 Hennings and BAle  both Agreed... with Hennings  adding the  Caveat ,...if they turn on us... we can just finish the job we started.

  great!...  we now have  Nivar and the Green Moon... Hyria   and Uden in the fold.... the Hillites will take some time.. they seemed the more aggresive  of the two..between Nivar  and  Hillite... but for now... we  can concentrate  On the Next thing...which is.....

 Beth  had  recorded   al that went on, and was finishing Up the votes  after Sending Shade a COM Text for his Vote...I am set to call the Officers  aboard as well as Admiral Richards and Her XO...

 yes.... have them brought up to  the  Officer's mess for Dinner... I will see you all there...

 The Board walked out..  Mann was lookign at the  Crushed Metal chair,..so?..That Adem guy..how much do you think he weights?

 Waggstaff grinned,..a lot less then  that Lilit  chick can pick up...that's for sure...

"Remember that, Mann, if we ever end up in a situation where we have to tangle with Verians.  I don't think it will happen, but...she threw him into that chair.  It was as much the firce of that throw as it was his weight that busted it.  And he got up like the chair was nothing.  Pretty sure you'd be hurtin' bad if someone broke one of those chairs with you, and he shrugged it off."  Roy's face got contemplative for a moment, and he added, "He may just have been so focused on the pain of almost having his throat crushed...but I doubt it."

He gave a sigh, and shrugged.  "We need to tell Security troops to be ready to intercede fast and early if trouble starts brewing between any human crew and the Verians, when they join up with us.  Looking at what we've seen today, I'm guessing Urns was lucky that Dusk didn't decide to deal with him, herself...if she's half the warrior her grandmother is, Urns would have been beaten to death with the bloody stumps of his own limbs."  He gave a feral grin, adding, "And it probably could have happened before any of us got a chance to intervene.  I'll be happy to have them fighting beside us...but we've got to be extra-vigilant about potential trouble during off hours.  With the Hyrians, too..."

His job as Security Chief could be getting much more complex.  It had been bad enough back when the only down-time headaches he'd had to worry about were the EMS pilots picking fights with their ESN counterparts...

   Garrat also left with Gorl.

(( after  the  'trust test " on Hnager dec.

 Hack say  in a chair, lookign at to    Holo maps .. One showed Etna, with some red marks  on it, as   it slowly turned.

 The other  showed  ..what was  not beign Called,' Vampic  space'.. The shuttle that was sent  with  the  prisoners  jammed into the cage.. was  also relating  information the  the Delta  4  ships , who  in turn..  relayed it   through teh fleet.. and the Fleet to  Staiions, in just a ehart beat slower then 'real time".. the Map of Vampic space was  growing..  ..Vampra  was growing ever larger... two  moons  aboiut the size of earth    had   tilted    orbits.. one  that was further out, showed a bit more blue and  green... where as the other  was  mostly  blue and grey.. Vampra  showed  bits of Green..mostly near  Volcanic  areas

 Hack  was making Notes every time  a new  spot   appeared on the map.. the  tiny bred dots that showed Vampic  fleet ships closing in on the  "Darkness Rising"..  as  one   dot   was tracking the  shuttle.

 Smiling, he knew the  feed  wouldn't last forever.. but  every secon charted  another 1000 miles of  space...

Henry arrived, a bit out of breath, Mila at his heels (not out of breath at all). He was a bit surprised when the trooper on door duty just let him in without asking his business.

"Admiral, may I have a word?"

 Had Sat there..   Commander  Si came in , still in her  sweats and T shirt.. she brought  a  Coffee  for   The Admiral and asked   Henry if he wanted  Tea,,, she watched the   display as well , while she waited  for  Henry's answer, she Gave Mila  half of   Hack's   breakfast tart.

 Hack nodded ..of Course  doctor.. I am watching the  'delivery' of the prisoners  we sent back..with any luck that take the shuttle the whole way home... but right now, we got alot of new map info...

 The  as  an After thought  he pints    at the   little red dots... three of them  were getting close  to each other...

 ..Those three?.. are  the  'Darkness Rising".. and two  of her sister  ships..it appears.. they will make it  home..

 he scowled ..there is a damn good chance  we could have sent them all to the nine hells... but... I let them go... I would not  count on too many more gifts like that..

"Thank you, Commander, I'd like some tea."

Actually he wasn't sure if he did, but best to be polite. Mila wagged her tail as she ate the tart, it seemed to meet with her approval if the feelings he was getting from her were any guide.

"Admiral, I am convinced that Mortica is on the level. I have asked her, as advised by Captain Morris, to issue orders to her faction that if they enounter our ships they should put on surrender lights rather than flee... but this is on the understanding that you will talk to them not open fire on them."

He fished his COM out and played the recording.

"We have a chance here to make a big difference, not just for us but for the Vampics as well. If this faction, with our support, wins out then we will have a strong ally with some... interesting capabilities, and a lot of knowledge from their travels around the galaxy to share. It's in their biology to require blood, but Mortica's faction is determined to stop the practice of obtaining it by force, or otherwise doing harm to other species. That's the sort of thing we ought to be encouraging."

He took a sip of tea.

"I understand the concerns about past treachery, the Nivarians and so on. This time, though, I believe that we have the real deal. They are prepared to chase the other faction, Forrest's lot, off of their homeworld. You can do what you like with them, if they won't come round."

  Hack smiled  at  Mila  and broke the  othr  Half, in half and gave her  that...  Si returned with a plate with  a half dozen  tarts. of   'cherry'  and 'apricot".


 She sipped  and ;listened.. her visage could only be seen as 'cold".

  well  , Henry?...  with Humans, ebign Humans... we know, for a fact..there will be humans that 'jump' at the cahcne to  live  beyond our years..even beyond  what angel food gives us?. So.. you  know, that 'good' faction...'bad' faction, won't make a diferecne.. and...just like the old  Vids..t ehre will be  people  turning and feeding...

 .These Vampic?... They struck at us.. and it was   a tiny test?.. it was a 'look what  we can do"....

 she shook his ehad  as the three dots  got together.., more and more  of Vampra was being revealed  as   the shuttle drew near.

 ..So?.. Ig  Harsh messages   are the  theme out here.. then.. we must also be harsh?.....

 Mila wagged her  tails and  Hack 'accidently droped another   portion of tart

 so?.. what the Vamoic have to do.. is 'start their civil war"... I want to see  Vampics  killing Vampics,  before  i even   think about  letting them in the Fleet. much less the APF..Sanri?.. have suffered  more  from them, then anyother  race... Imagine, Henry? Turned Sanri attacking us...

 The commander   broke in,..look at teh Hound?..  Lirg?.. he came to us on his  own, he brought other Hyrians  over..but  look what we needed to do..to have that happens.... Look at  the Nivarians..what  we had to do to them?.. thoguht..to be fair..The green Moon Nivarians   were ..well trusted  after the   beating they took?....then? You have th poor  Gava? they do not hurt, anyone.. they are...were.. a smiple race..and the   Empire and Vampics treat them  as walking ...walking.... she motions to the  tarts,..walking  Tarts...

 Hack sits back.. and sighs  a bit.. the 'Darkness  Rising  was gettign help.. the shuttle  was being  Shadowed  by a Sloop or corvette..most like, sending a boarding party.

 ..if this...Vampic.... wishes  to  serve that's  fine.. we'l take a chance on one vampic.. but the leash will  be short..and pulled tight....As for her  home world.. I have to see  hard proof  of   some kind of  rebellion...

 he  looks at the  other Holo map,..right now?.. we  go to  Etna.. have a football game, and tidy things  up there  for Ekge and Admiral Richards... then..  we'll either take  our selves  on a hunting  crusie  and  go home to Fuji for a bit.. or we'll turn around  and ehad to Vampra  and test some  for  'hel busting' senarios...

 ..You tell  this...Mortica... that i will allow her    a COM...but it will need to  be  broadcast.. to her homeworld, and The Black..when we  cast off in the morning...That broadcast will aslo contain the directive to  show surrender lights   either.. as soon as they see   ANY!.....ESN  or APF craft.. I don't  care if  its a gods be damned Tender...If will  be outlined, so the Vampic know..if they are caught   sneaking away..or  boarding a  ship ..not thiers... they will be  attacked ...and   the first time a false flag, or false   surnder  is used.. they will..at very elast..suffer the same  fate as Nivar..

  he  sipped  again  and  rubbed her  forehead as he added, a bit less  sternly,..I'm tired  , Henry. I'm tired of The ESN... humans..in particular, being treated  as  'food fish' in the    Galactic  Aquarium... They look down on us?.. treat us  like fools, or children, until they get  slapped around.. then?. they want us to stop..they want to be friends...Gods only know what would be going on right now  in   Beta Quad, If Uden didn't   Join us?

 so?.. good  Doctor.. the evil race  that suddenly wants to be ..less evil.. has   about a week or two.. to start thier little shooting war with themselves.. and we will monitor them, to see how..'real' it is... Tell Mortica... pres the point home.. that the first  time a Vampic  vessel crosses us  with surrender lights.. will doom the whole planet... but you know what i see?... I see  a few boatloads  wanting  to 'comeover' to the APF.. I see others, flat out attacking?..and? That's fine... At elast we know you are being honest... but  the  whole thing shatters when one ship violates that directive.... and..Henry?  that's what i am giving them... there is no treaty... there is only a directive...if they prove   capable of  following the guidelines, then we can treat with..'Blue Vampics'... That, My firend?  is the ebst i can do...will..do...

 The Commander looked at Henry,..you know  My stance.. The LC is like our son.. to provoke him, with the idea  of  killing, was  to endear the Vampic to the Empire..maybe? the promise  of   this whole quad being 'gifted' to them... there was   a very old movie.. Shadow  an Roles  watched it a lot when they stayed over our hosue..it was a baseball movie?.. But  one Line Shadow  would  repeat, everytime we watched it was "...there are some mistakes, you never stop paying for.."

"You are aware, Commander, that those who provoked the LC with a song and then attacked him are of the other faction of the Vampics, Forrest's lot, are you not?" asked Henry, who was beginning to wonder if instransigence was the cause of many a conflict.

 The Commander looked at henry and  gave a slight  nod of her head...do we know that, Doctor?... What if Shadow had  fell  to the Vampic's   enticements?.. Imagine  a 'turned Shadow ".. would they  be  worried   about thier   'change'..and  I must remind you, the very Vampic  that tried to turn him..is the very same one sitting in you lab?

 ..with out knowing? I have to beleive,  the  resulting confrontations, were the  back up plan..' we can't have  him, you can't have him"...why else,  do your forcibly try to stop[ Shadow  from  reaching the   stage? .. for all we know?   this  was their plan, try to  tear out the  ESN's heart, and when that didn't work?  Beg  to be forgiven?.. how would you have felt, had they sunk thier  fangs into Mila?

 ..lets   do  what i said, Henry... we owe them , nothing, but a shelling to keep them busy for the next 20 years.. they crossed the line.. and they did it knowingly.. I think it ..damn convenient..that they seek 'help' after being  battered  and found out... I'm sure?..if you took a poll of the  people we fished out of the cages.. we would know how they would vote..except the ones who were killed, of course..

"Never confuse revenge with justice," said Henry, sadly. He'd done what he could.

   Hack  winked  as  henry,..sometimes,  It is the same.  But   when you  drop a vase on the floor?.. saying ' i'm sorry'  doesn't fix it... We'll see what the Vampics  do with the directive.. we'll see what your  Vampic  does, with her chance...

Henry smiled, rather sadly. Mila laid aside the last tart and lent against him.

   The Admiral's eyes  went back to the  Holo Map of the Vampic system.. three dots   were traveling to the Homeworld.. which would mean the  'Darkness Rising' is  being towed or escorted...

 The shuttle  was closer to the   slops , or whatever it was...

 Well Henry?.. seems   we  let   some enemies  live... I am not  at all happy  about  sending thsoe   priosnes back in the Shuttle, it is against the   grain to allow  them  to  return home, no matter how humilated...for what they have done

  As   your Bampic, what she  wishes  to do?...

"Mortica wishes to liaise between the 'good' Vampic faction and yourselves," said Henry firmly, "With the intention of forming a good working relationship between you."

He patted Mila.

"Perhaps you should send for her, hear her out yourself. She is determined to make this work."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:12, Sun 04 Nov 2018.

    Admiral  Hack Hit his COM...BIO-TECH..  Bring  the Vampic  to the WAr Room...please...

 The Commander made a  disgusted  snort as she moved off to the coutner.

  ..Make no Mistake,  Henry?... I only worry about tehr aces who are on our side, or  hare Helpless..like the Gava?..I would save  one Gava, at the expense of  100  empire  folk...

  The Door  Opens the SEC  trooper outside   lets them  In.

   Nagy Steps to one side  and Motions  Mortica  in.. Lippen takes the otherside.

 The Commander  sets  a cup of Tea out   for Mortica, but  steps back to the Counter.. she has    a Human .35   on the counter Next to her.

 The  Holo maps  were still up. Hack was  sipping his coffee.

 ..Have a seat,  Doc  Henry seems  to be hell bent  on us  having us...'understand' you..

Mortica comes to attention as she enters the room then bowed slightly to the Commander for the tea. She sat as indicated and took a sip. “What would you know, Admiral? I will tell you.”

  The   weary Admiral looked at Mortica, The pointed to the Tarts,..I do not know  if you can eat those?...

 His  eyes  shift to Herny,..The  Good Doctor..seems overly concerned   about You and your  People?.. I...however  am not.

 Of the enemies   we have, and enemies   we have made, I have little  pity  if the Demons, Creshian, Avains  and..not  your  people.. LArgans?.. we will cut..very little slack..... The Roussains may very well  join you and the demons at the bottom of   my 'i don't care list'..

  There are other races  we have  Fought, and Dealts  with.. even a Race... The verians, who were once allies   and  have stepped  away, save for the Blue Verians....

 Sipping  from his  coffee  and Holding the Cup up for the Commander  for a refill,why am I telling you this?.. Well?  I do not lie to the enemies , we may deceive them in battle...But you will never  see   and ESN vessel, or APF  Vessel.. use  false   surrender lights... We have  send  Prisoners to thier  doom.. putting the  onus on thier own people to save them, no matter how slight the chance...  The prisoners  we  sent back to  Vampra, jammed in the  cages , naked, like they had   the Humaniods they were goign to eat..... Your  people  had to  choose    to save the shuttle, or it would   crash on your  homeworld

 ..Now.. LT  Mortica?.. after   all  i have said, and  all your people have  done... he raised a finger, Considering.. everything  your people  did, came  in a 'first contact' contact situation... tell me  what  would   make  me  give  one damn..about the Vampic?

She picked up a tart and took a bite, one sculpted brow rising at the taste. “A very good question, Admiral-one I have been forced to consider myself whilst talking to your crew.” She indicated Nagy and Lippen. “I can sit here and tell you things all day but words are meaningless without action so I am prepared to show you my sincerity by backing my words up and proving to you the truth of which I speak. It is time for the slavers and Empire sycophants to be wiped aside and my people join in a true galactic society. I’m going to deliver that to you sir. If I am unable then I shall give you something else: the means to burn away the sickness at the heart of my people. And I, Admiral, I shall stand next to you and push the button.”

   The Admiral Listened .. The Commander   sipped from her  own  tea  while  watchign   over the  rim of the cup.

  Nagy    Shurgged  as his name  was  mentioned, Lippen , just never took her  eyes on Mortica  being this close to the Admiral.


  Well...LT..What Needs  Be  done to start this?   Shortly.. we will be sailing  for Etna.. we have a football game to play, and loose  ends to tie up... where  we  sail from there,  will be decided  a bit after    we  finish out business there..

 Pointing to the  Holo map, he  says.....Those three  red dots   that are even  with the Northern Hemisphere of your Homeworld?.. are the Darkness rising, and  two sister ships.. so?..I am assuming, those who were still alive.. will be  saved... those  2  little dots  on the  western side  is the shuttle... and..I assume a sloop, or a Corvette.. they are  either  boarding the shuttle..   or   riding alongside ..it will be thier choice  whether they save them or not

 so?..  I'm listening...

“I believe that it is time someone speak to my people and force them to see what we have avoided for so long. I’m going to send a message to the Vampic people and force us all to open our eyes and look at what we have let ourselves become. If I may make a video broadcast, Admiral I will send a message because, in something I recall from Terran history-the Revolution will be televised.” She smiled.

   The Admiral looked up at  The Commander,where is Beth?

 She  reached  around for  her Vidboard,..Off Duty and  in her  quarters... I assume, she's sleeping.. I hear some people do that...

 The Admiral  chuckled,..well? LT.....  YOu  compose your message... tomorrow  at 0800.. you may   have your platform...

 he    sips  from his  new cup of coffee.....Just..please..keep in mind..I will not hesitate to use Vampra  as the next  testing  ground, for how to destroy a planet.

  Doctor?.. You may  take   the LT back with your Lab..or send her back to the Brig...

 ..Nagy, Lippen, once you escort her,   and she secured, You may  get your  rest and send  two other SEC  to the Lab.