The  Guard  slid  across the   seat, he  had  a greasegun as well,..Ok.... Your  the man then... watch of   for  Black  sports cars.. too  damn many of them around for my taste.. seem damned nosey..

 he sat Back as another Van  came in, to replace  Grit's

Karl handed the bundle to his rider.  "Put a mag in each of those and put the extras where they're handy..."  He kept his departure relatively routine, waiting until they were away from the hotel to open up the throttle and race upwards.

"Heading for the mountain...shouldn't be be much reason for any sports cars to come around there.  If we see any snooping, feel free to discourage them."

   Beth snapped    in a very LT Voice,..I said ..I need   2  more wheelmen!

 Flores     came  running past towards  Shadow's room.....I'll Go.. Goot  get a suit on...

  Raven was  Close  behind.. Steele  was  brought Kat up to help   Fill the Voice  of the   Vid-J's  role...even thought Kat didn't have a clue.

  ..I'll go..always  wanted to see what you guyt  did  for  fun...

 about  2 Miniutes   later the   two  came out  zipping  up the    enviro suits..

  ..You want  Shadow , or    Spencer?

  ..i best go after   Shadow..wingman and  all?

 ..sounds Good,,, she  me where?

 Beth pointed to the  map for each of them.......Mullins is on the Roof of the Toy store.. she should be fine... but  if you need  another  Gun,  one of you mighy  want to  pick her up...

 As the   two pilots  left with Shoey showing them the  way to leave... Beth Contacted  Roy and  Shadow....Have  rides  coming in for Roy and Shadow....

 Then she adds,....Harry?... Your  ride   just settled in the trees   near the eastern Hull...

   ..I dunno , Shadow.   Harry's calling in her  evac guys.. Roy is chasing his   mark....

  Shadow's  Voice  came on, more or  less level,..if then need help.. have them tell me.. we have to hit that beach before those two get  wind of what is going on..

  Elge    Got a COM.. He  made  a fuss,..Lydia  and Must Go Admiral Richards, seems  like there  are some problems  that need  my attention...

 they  saluted  and moved off, Elge  On his COM s   sorting out   Vans   and  ' units that were goign to be send to MArko and Olanni's homes...

 As he Left, Hack  COMed beth,..how does every one stand?

 ..Marko's  MArked..... Olanni is   woudned,  Elge is  sending a Van to take him out of  the Van Flroes is  flying...Raven is  waiting  for    Roy......

 ..there  has been some shooting  at Lucci's   No word  yet, but   Grit  and  the SEC trooper are going in..

 ..the Mountain has been  entered..   Evac is  also there...

 ..Stem is Busy...

 ..thank you.. Keep me informed...

 aye , sir..already done...

 Beth COMed   the Admiral  and informed  I'm of Harry's   Op.

 ..Alright.. I'm goign to send   Stefi and Morris over... Melia has to stay , or  else she'll have to Bring   'The Ambassador  and his  aide.. It might not  Bother  Shade...or? Orria for that matter, but  no use rolling dice...

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

 Shoe Pointed  to Supe to come with him.. as they waited for Harry  and her  team to return.

   Two of the trooper s Now  had   delivery Overhauls over their  dark suits.. they  Pushed  the  hover  carts with   'cases of drinks" , they were  two high.. the bottom the fake   boxes  the  top, they Moved  around a bit  incase some one had  eyes on them.

 when they got in,  two of the trooper s took the real cases  and started to Unload them  while   Harry and    Grit  were Pulled out of the  coffins.

  it took but a few Minutes, but the  coffins  were folded  down and   empty  crates were haphazardly thrown on top as the 'delivery' people left.

   One of the Guards  helped Grit, Nagy Helped   Harry down the  hall  on the other  side of the Bar to her  Room.. Stefi was already there.. Her  Angel silk dress on a cahir, far away from bolod, while she wore  a Lab coat .

 ..Ok , Nagy?   who's   first?

 ..I'd  Say Harry, she was  bleedign before  we got there... Then Grit... I just need  my arm patched up a Bit...

 Stfi looked at his  arm  and frowned, ..more then a bit... but it least it was a pulse  round  and  you didn't bleed... Have a seat...

  Morris, Likewise  had his  Tunic and  shirt  by  Stefi's  dress, he wore an apron from the   kitchen , over top his  t-shirt and Pants.

 ..hey?..  Captain..you'er pretty cut of an old guy! Nagy Grinned.

 Morris  simply  frowned at him,... staying in shape..means staying alive... quoted right from the academy.

 Stefi looked  at Harry's  wounds..we're going to take care of this Knife  first... then your  shoulder... and Put  some of that Derma plast on your face scratches... whomever stabbed you, knew what they were doing... the  ridges of the  steak knife  would have  done alot more damage on the way out.. Now...  Captain Morris is  Goign to hold you down.. I'm going to spray you with numbing agent... but i still have to Open the  would a bit..to pull out the Blade....

 Morris   came up to her   and   put  firm hands on her shoulders, trying to stay away from teh wound....welcome to the glamor of the ESN, Ensign....

 the spray did  help a bit, but  the  small spreaders  didn't make things feel too great... the  knife  came out, almost by itself as Stefi dropped it in a bowl... she sprayed in disinfectant .. then Foamed the Inside... Plasting the outside... then  wrapping it....should be  Good in  a day..two at the top..   Now  lets  fix that shoulder....

 the    suit was Cut away from the shoulder... Stefi worked like  someone building a ship in a bottle. taking out  tiny bits of burned uniform...  she peeled  away some of the Burnt  skin  until  Harry started to bleed,, then  Foamed the  Gouge   and plasted it.. Placing a  large   bandage patch from 'Shadow's Luggage"...

 the last part , Stefi even took more  are. make sure the scratches  on her  cheeks  were  clean  then used the Derma  salve...

 ..alright Harry?...  go to the bathroom,  get  a robe on and hang out at the party..any one who might sneak a peak, we'll thing you had a bit too much...

 Grit was moved to the TAble,..what the  9 hells is that?

 ..The Mark  had a weird  Gun.. flat barrel..fat  grip.. that thing  shot out.. Hit Grit when he was hollering and  broke through the door.. put him down.. I got a snap shot off.. not  sure if i winged the MArk... but  it got away.. we have  the   Goods in that  Bundle there.

  Stefi looked at the Disc.. grit wasn't saying anything as Nagy spoke.well?..it s smooth, but its also coated... you feel anything besides   the obvious?

 ..Bloodly thin'  slammed me against the wall.. it burns  right now...

 ..you'er  lucky... It's  stuck  in the  breast bone, there's a damn good chance that thing would have  went right through you... some one who knew what they were doing  would have  hit yoou in the   Neck.. or belly  or  even your thigh.. it would have  sliced  right through..it has a weal Poison... we'll check it out  on the ship?  right now  we'll get it out...  she cut away the suit  from the wound,  and used the spreaders.. Blood flowed like a spring  seeping up from below, she took the  disc  and  waited for   Morris to have a baggie ready and she dropped it in..he sealed it.,, she  frowned at the Bleeding   until she was sure the  blood help  clean out the  wound then used the disinfectant.. then  Foam,Plast  then the PAtch...

 ..alright.. get a shirt on,, and head back out to the  party.. no lefting anything too heavy....

 Nagy went through  Much the  same, except  his  collar bone needed to be  fused... it  took a bit longer, and the  smell of  burnt   flesh wasn't real  appealing.. in the  end she patched him up    told him to Get a shirt on and sit somewhere , where he  could hide  his  arm.

 ..now... we  wait...

---> Etna Ops

The drive home had been decidedly uncomfortable for Harry, with every bump and turn causing a jolt of pain to shoot up her leg which she'd been forced to rather awkwardly fold beneath her  other leg so as to avoid catching either the six inches of handle sticking out one side or the three inches or so of blade protruding out of the other on anything and causing yet more damage to her leg.

She'd then, much to her disgust, been crammed into a coffin sized box the moment she stepped out of the van which had resulted in further jolts of pain as the SEC troopers wheeled her inside. She knew it hadn't been intentional but all the same she had no idea how she managed to stop herself from crying out during the short trip into the building.

All in all she was in a pretty rough state by the time she got into her room so Stefi could patch her up, with the Medtech confirming Harry's suspicion that she'd done the right thing in leaving the knife where it was "You should see the other girl" Harry responded in a weak voice and with an even weaker smile to Stefi's comment that whoever had stabbed her had known what they were doing. It was also just as well that Captain Morris had been there to hold her down else Harry was liable to have broken Stefi's nose instead of quietly whimpering as the knife was painfully removed from her leg, despite the numbing agent she'd been given.

With her jeans and the coat she'd stolen having been cut away from her body during the course of her treatment, Harry would strip down to her underwear upon entering the bathroom, leaving her rain drenched clothes in a heap as she carefully washed the red dye from her hair and the thick, goth makeup she'd been wearing before then returning to the party dressed in a robe and slippers, her pale, ashen face more than adding to backstory that she'd had a little too much to drink and was now feeling the effects.

Feeling more than a little sorry for herself Harry would curl up on one of the sofa's and simply watch the party going on around her, hoping that she hadn't screwed up too badly and that Grit would be alright.

  Harry felt  a gently hug of her head, and say Gia smiling away,..so?.. you are Back... much excitiment..Si? You seem to have the wounds... are they hurting?.. I am glad you come  back.... when we fly in  The Black..at elast i can see your  spot on my screen!

  Nagy looked a bit Put Out as he wolfed into some 'wings' or what passed for wings out here... as he sat by the counter.  Grit  walked out, he seemed a bit...slower... he stopped  by   Beth and went to say something, she waved him off...

 ...sorry Collie... I'm trying like the 9 hells to track everyone who is left out there...

 Grit nodded  and turned  to  ease himself into  the  couch near Harry.

"Yeah I'm back, though someone's pet assassin stuck a steak knife through my leg" Harry quietly replied, pulling up the hem of her robe to show Gia her bandaged calf before gently smoothing it back into place "...Stefi put something on it to numb the pain but it still hurts when I move it" she explained as Grit came and sat down beside her.

Carefully shifting position so that she could rest her head upon his shoulder, harry would offer the Aussie guilty look before quietly speaking "I'm sorry I got you hurt Grit, if I hadn't made such a mess of the whole thing you wouldn't have even been there, instead..." Harry stopped short of finishing the sentence as her eyes started watering up as all of the stress and anxiety of the day finally came to a head and she was simply unable to deal with it anymore.

    Nagy  leaned  down Between Gia  and Harry, as she leaned on Grit...you didn't  mess  nothing up.... back is  is there..for back up...almost every Op we have is clouded in  dark, because  we can never give   them the chance to prepare...

  ..now?  some one yellign out someone's name during a firefight  and Bursting through the door?.. that's  how   you get people hurt...or  killed.. Just Like waiting to pull the trigger when yo  shoudl just  left fly....

 He Gave  Harry a  Fuzz of her  ehad  befoer  he  winced  when he straightened  up  to  go listen in on Beth.

 Gia   smiled sadly,..it is  truth.. you go in with target.. what you find.. is many times... more then you would hope!

"Leave him alone" Harry responded with a hurt look on her face "Grit said he wasn't cut out for this line of work but he stepped up anyway! He's a pilot, not a marine...I'm the one with the so called skills"  she said, snuggling in that little bit closer to him. Sure he'd made some pretty dumb moves in there, but when she needed someone he'd been there for her...though granted a little more skill would have been appreciated.

Cuffing the tears away from her eyes Harry would look over at Gia and quietly ask "how are the others doing? Better than me I hope" not really knowing what was going on as she been focusing more on her own Op than Roy or Shadow's, though from what she'd heard over the cross chatter Shadow at least had successfully completed his Op unlike her own bungled attempt in which the only thing she'd achieved was to get seriously messed up at the hands of an assassin. No matter how nicely everyone treated her, Harry knew she'd messed up, she'd had Lucci in her sights and missed and then had been forced to call for help, too badly hurt to even collect the disc's from the table herself and both Nagy and Grit had been hurt because of her. Sniffling slightly, Harry would hurriedly begin wiping her eyes as a fresh wave of tears threatened to fall.

  Gia's head Bobbled  back  and forth,...from what it is, Im heard... the LC got his  fellow..and  many others...  He  is going after  another   now?..... The SM.. he  is going to another  person's  as well... i think they have  captured   Olanni.... he is, not in the good shape.... Like  your   part..many dead  backers of the  LAdy V are dead....so?.. I am thinking,  we are doing  quite well..so far.. there  are so  many more wheels that  are doing the turning...

 Grit   patted her  leg with  his  right arm, his left hand , held a  mug of coffee...he's right  ya know.. I bloody 'umped to pooch... got  Nagy  shot  casue   i didn't  fire me bleein' gun right away..... Come runnin' down the  'all like a school boy yellin' yer   name..

 Gia made a  'ughhh' sounded and winced at that.

"Hmm...yeah...that wasn't your finest moment" Harry said with a hint of a smile "...but it was still brave of you to come after me and besides what sort of a girlfriend would I be if I didn't stick up for my man?" she said, leaning in to give him a gentle peck on the cheek before going back to rest against his shoulder.

Listening as Gia filled her in on the other operations taking place, Harry would feel yet another pang of guilt over the fact that her's was the only target that gotten away with Roy even going so far as managing to bring his in alive to be interrogated "I need to get back out there and find Lucci before she has chance to leave the station...she can't have gone far on her own... I could still find her and finish the job" she said whilst making a move to get up. There were clean clothes up in her room and weapons stashed all over the place so all she needed to do was figure out where Lucci was and get in a car and intercept her...and painkillers...lots of painkillers.

   Gia  tucked on her Robe, her  Voice was  a HArsh whisper,..how are you going to  get out with Out  Stefi  finding out... the LC  says 'she is  the mean bitch'... I am thinking he is scared of her!

 ..besides...  Lucci is  in  as much trouble  with her  people... as  with ours..... she have lost people and money!

"We'll just have to sneak in and out without her noticing...I'm sure Grit here can keep her distracted whilst we're gone... besides which she'll probably just assume I've gone to bed" Harry responded in an equally quiet voice.

Like Gia had already mentioned,  Lucci would be in serious trouble after having those discs stolen from her, not to mention having all of those rich backers and Lady V's pet assassin killed under her roof, meaning that chances were she would be heading for the nearest ship so she could get the hell out of dodge "Come on Gia babe don't tell me you've never snuck out before? Besides we won't be gone long and whats the worst that Stefi can do us?"

 Gai bite her  lip a bit.....tell the Admiral ?.. Can't think of  anything worse then having a man like him angry at us.


 The  the  Itailain Pilot's eyes  went wide  as she looked up at Frans. Frans  was  breathing a bit  heavy from dancing , while she took a  sip of  some Mixed  drink...

 ..so.... you want to sneak out?..... her  eyes  looks  at HArry , the   to Gia, she dismisses  looking at Grit.

 ...tell me..what  is your plan.... If it  sounds   good enough..maybe  I'll Help......Keep in mind?   This is you mark's station?.. she  could have Hidey holes no one can find...

Hearing Frans' voice coming from behind her, Harry's eyes would go wide with fright, mirroring the look on Gia's face upon being discovered. However instead of turning them in to the Admiral or reprimanding them herself she instead wanted to know what she had planned "Hey, Gia and I lived here too you know...besides Lucci can't have that many bolt holes left; Marko's dead, Olanni's as good as dead and we've wiped out all of her backers and security team...so the way I see it, she's alone and trying to avoid being killed by both us and Lady V...she has to be heading for a ship right?" Harry said, speaking aloud the logic in her head as she tried to formulate some form of a plan...or at least a better plan than Find Lucci and Kill her "She used to work with Olanni right? Maybe he'd know where she would hide?" Harry suggested, sure they'd have to beat it out of him but it was worth a shot, right?

  Eckle s   came  By   and  sat on the back of the couch, sorta  screening  folks,..well?... I'm Not  Lights Out.... But i do know Olanni only had  one leg when they  tossed him into the van.. from  the Tiny bit i heard.. he's at Etna SEC now.. Elge  and Lydia  are there....now?.. if Elge is anything like  Shadow.. Olanni isn't making it through the night...

  Grit  suddenly sat  up straight, which made him grab his  chest,..the.....bloody  Car park!..... Lookit..she can't go through the stem..not on foot.. so she needs a car.... even if she wants  ta try to reach one of the  blackmarket docks on the Stem..she still needs a Bloody car......an'  see hasta go out the bleedin' Uppers,  cause the Lowers   are crawling with  Etna  SEC  and ESN shore patrols, 'cause of the party...


 Frans    Pushed  Grit  back down,..well?.. that's something? she could have  hid and took off in a car before the cleaners came?

<Returning from 'Delta Night' operations...>

Roy nodded with some degree of satisfaction, Florine's explanation giving him some reassurance that he'd made the right call.  "Set it down back there, Raven," he said, gesturing to the service area where a few innocuous-looking vans sat...sharp eyes could pick out the Hermes SEC troopers keeping an eye in them.

He grabbed his extra pistol, holstering it as he got out of the van and opened the door for Florine and Lyri, then headed to the service elevator, nodding to Shoemaker as the door opened.  His manner was pleasant, but he wasn't chatty as the elevator went up.  When the doors opened, he walked past the noisier penthouse that had Shadow's 'party', leading the trio to the Admiral's penthouse, holding the door open again.

"Admiral Hack?  Micca Florine," he said, both by way of announcing their arrival and maintaining the presumed formalities involved with Hack's position.

    Hack  Smiled  and  Introduced Micca , once  again, to The Board.

   ..So, Ms Florine , You wish to talk about  your Current Buisness operations?

 Micca Looks at Roy, then back to Hack,..yes.... I have been walking a Rzor's edge out here...Not  fully committed to either side , because   I would have to deal with the fall out, of ...whatever  choice i made.

 ..What is  it that you want to do.... Hack says  as he sips  from a beer

 She Pointe to Roy and Lyri,..Your..Salesmen helped. It may be also have helped , that  i could not stand Sevente, and he hurt me hard , but restricting   sales  to  the ESN....

 Si Handed Micca   a wine.  Hack Motioned for  Roy and Lyri to get a drink.

 ..What i need...is for this  to work both ways.. If I don't seel to Pirates and Mercs..... then i have  to have  my ships  protected, ebcause, the minute  my name goes on the pact?... they are going to hunt and Kill my people..

 .. I Think Emmie's transports  can help there... there are  armed ..at least enough to fight off most  pirates.... and  we tend to have   destroyers or Slops in the corridors as well as  flights  of  scout  fighters.

  She  sips the  wine and says,..Anzio .won't care... they are amost  a Merc Navy. not  , unlike the EMS...

 ...Yes.... well.. we will be having a look at Anzio space pretty soon... so.. some of that we soon be taken care of..

Roy grabbed a soda...operations were still in progress, after all, and there was always a chance that he'd be sent to back-up one of the other operations...he didn't want his brains muddled by drinking.  He gave Florine a grin, and said, "I told you, the whole playing field out here is being reset.  Did you think, after sending the Demons packing from the Delta Quadrant and completely disabling their allies in the Beta Quad, that he'd only worry about Etna and ignore the rest of Alpha Quad?"  He shook his head and gave Hack a ruthless grin.

"It amazes me that people pay so little attention to your combat record, Admiral.  I shouldn't complain, I guess...it does make enemies easier to spot and deal with, after all.  It's just...this stuff isn't classified information.  Hell, if anything, I feel like the press is a little too free in sharing it.  But to just overlook basic intel..."  He shook his head.  "That runs counter to everything I've ever been trained for."

  Hack smiles,well?..being underestimated seems to be the par for the  Course, wouldn't you Say, General BAle?

 Bale nods  as he picks a small cake from  the  little  dish of choices, Miller  Holds...Quite right. The Provost foces  around  The Black send us  intel from what they gather   during the more.....routine...arrests  and such. The Enemy,  Believes that the Adamiral is only successful, because of his ...very large..Fleet. And such actions   as ..'Delta  Night".. a mere happenstance, brought  about  by the underworld  trying to  claim territory and what not...

 ..Still?  They have the right of It. With Out  The Fleet and  My people, i dare say , there would be  very few Victories..... Delta Nights, would still be  in force though.

... The Last check in, Beth mentioned that Lucci was in the wind..but her backers were dead..... MArko and his BAckers  are dead..... Olanni ..well.. good bet he'll soon be dead, and his backers  are gone... The Stem is still Active... and Henry's  Team is on the Mountain...  Shadow is  suppsoed to be going  after  Leena?

 Micca Looked back and  forth as HAck Calmly outlined the what has   happened  and what is happening.... Well..The SM here, saw  my  backers... But you should have sent your  3  armed Buddy after Leena... You might wnd up short  a Pilot...

 Gresh shrugged the  extra  thick shoulders,..I tries to tell  him that....The  fellow can  be  ...most....stubborn...

 Micca  looked  at Gresh then to HAck,..which one...  Hack or  the Pilot...

 Gresh  grins,..both...

 Hack turns  to Roy.....well.. we still have  Mindless Mitch and  Lady August  in the  Uppers....  Vinno and  Ka-Li in the  Stem.... and Nona running around in the lowers  somewhere...

 ..Well..Leena's ships  have thier own Dock off the Lowers.. at  any one time she has   3 small transports... say.. Sloop  to corvette size..built  for  speed.....if i was running, and she was a friend.. I would go see her... other wise,  anyone trying to get away, will have to go to the Uppers  Civie  docks..or  try to pay a ton of creds to some one who has a workign Dock on the Stem

Roy glanced over at Lyri.  "Ten rounds, you said?"  He turned to Micca.  "Are there one or two buildings near that port that have a good view of the entrances?"  He turned to Hack and added, "No sense leaving a door wide open for her.  Could even, perhaps, have a few ships interdict anything leaving from that part of the station, just as an extra backstop..."

  Lyri nodded as the '10 rounds"

  Hack looked  at Richards   who truned away to COM  Elge to get   Etna SEC fighters Near the Lowers.

  Hennings Looked  at all of them around him.....we knew going  in, that we wouldn't get them all.... and  a couple of our people declined the chance to pick an Op... I'd  say we're doign pretty well?

  Finishing his Glass of Beer. he waved to the server for another, But The Admiral looked  pretty intense...every time  we go to battle.. in or out of the spotlight.. we have a chance to 'lose some'. It would be good to keep that at a Minimum

 he was about to Say More  when.. Dusk came over  with the Nervous  LT,...May  we go  to Father's Party?....

 Lilit looked at the  fellow , though she  talked to  Dusk....I will say.... yes. But only on these terms. When you go there.. you will listen to whatever  rules are laid  down  Before You......

 Dusk's   eyebrow rose...

 ..or?  If you are bored.. You may be escorted back to the Hermes or the Charon....

  Dusk's   shoulder   drooped, as she nodded,... we will  follow the  rules....

  right On the Heels of Dusk Leaving,  Shade   rattled off  some  Noises and Pointed to Melia  who held a sleeping  Orria.

 Si didn't need to have it explained, but Moved off to show Melia where she could take Orria.

 Shade Pointed to the Door and  Lilit  smiles,...yes.. YOu may go to Shadow's party as well....

 Shade gave them a  salute  and thumbs up and   followed   his sister out the door.

 Micca shakes her  head,..am i the only one Unnerved by that little guy?