Roy snorted softly.  "I'll have to get him another one.  Maybe something soft, that won't get dented if he hits someone with it.  A good insulated soft-case, with a freezer pack in it..."  He didn't add it out loud, but a case like that would also not leave much of a mark on the person who got hit with it...but they'd definitely feel it.

"And Tony's full of crap.  Shadow's my friend.  So is Shade."  He scrubbed for a couple more seconds and added, "I bet Tony pisses himself every time the boarding alarms go off.  It's always the guys who shoot off their mouth like that who crumple like cheap wrapping paper whenever there's a little heat on..."

Zob was paying attention to the conversation as he scrubbed hard to remove the paint, "Likewise" he said in response to Shade and Shadow being friends.

    Runner saw two  people in uniform  enter from the ramp way down..her comes  some guys looking for You?

 I knew he ws wrong, I see  you and  Mr Zob talkig to him ..and he plays football  with Mr Zob and Shade. And he  has Ladies  sitting by him alot too

 Tony's  Dad, make  tony take all the  kids to the Back of the shelter  when we have to go there... Tony gets  made  at us stem kids  cause  we  won't go back there  with him..MR Barcoli yelled   at us,  I told him to go to the  9 hells. I said there is nothing he can teach us stem kids  about  hiding  in a big tube  filled with Little room.

 Two guys  from Maintenace arrived,HJey SM?  we got  this  spray one  paint, like they use    for  outposts  and such?... and we got  a  box of..um...um..

 The other   guy opens  a satchel ..Secuity lights...right? we'll  be installing   8 of them to add  some laight when  'evening ' comes.. there are these  two...

 the pats the  case where  to, 'slighly different' lights  sat..One is  going over the  house here that need painted...and the  second one across the street.

Roy nodded.  "Get the lights up first, that'll give us time to finish up here and for everything to dry so the paint goes on properly."  He glanced over at Runner.  "Trying to paint over wet surfaces never turns out well...I first learned that trying to reapply camo face paint while I was really sweaty.  Ran right off my face, had to touch it up again in about twenty minutes."

He finished scrubbing off the markings he'd been scouring and shifted to a new spot.  "Sometimes, if you really want the results to turn out well, and to last, you've gotta take the time to do everything correctly, and in the proper order, even when it'd be easier to just do something about it right now and call it good..."  The words were as much a reminder to himself as instruction for Runner...but being a sniper had forced a LOT of patience into Roy's life.  He was used to assessing a situation and waiting for the right moment to pull the trigger...right now, he was scoping things out and setting up his 'sniper hide'.  There would be a better time to pull the trigger, and make sure he got the right target, later.

 the  two men started to work.. two lights  at the entrance/// two more  across the street from each other  about a 1/3 of the  eay  down.

 next set  aBove Roll's home and across the  street, then  the put the others  up by the school yard.

 Runner sat  back , squeezing out the  sponges.I think  those   bully kids  would be sorry  if Grgeor  stayed aroud here  more.

Roy grinned.  "Yeah, I'm sure they would.  But Gregor's still young and lacks judgment, and might take things a little too far.  I'm not sure how well he can distinguish between bully kids picking on Roll and Creshian hybrids trying to kill him on the Hangar Deck, and if he did to the kids what he did to the Creshians, we'd have a lot of panicked civilians on our hands.  I'm trying to find something less extreme...and if that doesn't work, then I'll have Larry stand guard down here a few times.  He might still bite pieces of them off, but they wouldn't be heads...cybernetics are pretty good, but we still can't replace heads yet."

He was half-joking...it started out as dark humor, but partway through the suggestion of Larry staging an intervention, it started to sound like it could be a very good idea.  And it would still drive home the notion of 'we watch out for our own', since Roll took care of the largs...

He filed the idea away for later reference.  He'd go with his original plans, first...he hoped that the adults seeing him down here scrubbing graffiti for Roll might plant the idea that the bullies were getting awfully close to open flames and could get themselves burned, so that the 'lights' that had been installed would actually pick up nothing out of the ordinary and this problem would never be repeated.  He hoped it...but he didn't actually expect it, which was why he was taking additional surveillance measures.  If it happened again, he wanted to know exactly who it was.  The meeting he had after that would not be pleasant, and the Hermes might have some empty accommodations before all was said and done.

But if that didn't resolve the problem...well...Larry made a very effective Plan C.

  The two men returned, The  'foreman' handed   Roy his  vidboard to  sign.Everything is  up, SM. Should be able to see things  more clearly, not that  we installed those lights.

 A women  came  walking  up to Roll's house  after the   men left. she eyed  Zob and  Roy..Is my some in trouble?

 Runner frowned,I was   helping  them clean up what the Bad folks did...

 doesn't that odd  little  boy clean it himself?

  Runner stood  up, his shoulders  set.He didn't  put it there. The Pack helps  thier  members...

 The woman's eyes darted to  Runner, she said firmly.You have a family now... you are no longer  'the pack"

 NO!.. I was  pack for years before  you and   my new Dad  came  around. We are always  'PACK'..

she looked  angry but shifted her  eyes  to Roy and Zob..You see what  we put up  with, its like they are Feral

Zob turned he could of been snarky but he kept his cool and responded, "These Stem kids have been through horrors that you and even i can only begin to imagine, the fear that they could get abducted by some gang and sold into slavery or eaten by critters or any number of possibilities... if they hadn't formed this PACK none of them would be here today and its this understanding that forms these strong bonds of friendship that in his eyes are unforgivable to break"

He then set down the sponge into a tray and continued, "As a single father yes i actually do and i see no problem with it, perhaps the issue isint them but instead its you and your way of thinking and approach to the situation" he had the look of a very dissapointed parent that really wished he didn't have to have this kind of conversation.

"That 'odd little boy', as you put it, is currently busy taking care of his duty as a cadet larg master.  And since the ESN makes it a practice to watch out for their own, I figured it was only fair that I take care of some of his problems, since his work with the largs helps keep my infantry troopers and Marines alive."  Roy's voice was courteous, but frosty.

"Runner here, and the other Stem kids, understand that concept pretty well.  I was going to comment on what a credit he was to his family, until you made it clear that it was all his doing.  Be thankful that we don't all have the same self-serving outlook...you'd have been lost to a Demon dinner table long since, if we weren't watching out for you."

He turned and signed the form, then paused for a moment before looking at the foreman.  "Perhaps you can answer a question for me...I know you guys aren't paid by the hour, but if you were to calculate a going hourly rate for your work, what would it be?"

 Runner wasn';t the least bit pleased  with the  way his new Mom acted. We.. and I mean all of uswere adopted by  the peole here, But  when you adopted us, you tried to make us into Civi  kids...

 None of the Civi kids , had to fight of  Stem Rats   that are as big a  Gregor. and only haave  a popper, or   piece of rebar... they didn't have  to run and hide...or worse..serve  a Bandit  gang...  Jax  and Sneal kept us  as safe as they could, sometimes they got beat up for it..but they kept doing it. The Pack.. any station you go to..The Pack comes first


..........

 The   ligts guys  said..Depends...i eman. if the ship is paying  we just get out  checks, with out  base? If we have to do civi work, we get paid 20 creds  an hour, this job would be charged  for 3 hours  ...so 60 creds each  foor me and my buddy..depends on who the  bill is made out for.

..........

The Lady looked down towards Zob's home.people have said  about  you..wife? Mate..whatever   you would call her..hasn't been around.. Your daughter  does  well in school....despite  being around   the Stem Kids...

Zob simply shrugged his shoulders, "It is what it is not gonna worry about something out of my control" as for the last part he didint dignify it with a response he knew Roy would be displeased if she somehow were parted with some of her digits.

The alert lights went off, and Roy looked up in response.  "Take care of the touch-ups here, if you would, please," he said, with an apologetic grin for the maintenance crews.  He gathered up the sponges, tossing them in the bucket before he picked it up.

He paused for a moment to rest a hand on Runner's shoulder.  "I'm glad Roll has friends like you watching out for him down here.  He's got more family than he knows what to do with, it's just that none of us call ourselves family."  He gave Runner's shoulder a light squeeze, then gestured at the alert lights.

"Duty calls.  Time to go take care of our own again, even if some of them are incredibly obtuse and obscenely ungrateful."  He gave Runner a wink, and added, "When the time comes, look out for them in the shelter.  I wish I had as much faith in the adults down there as I do in you Stem kids."

He glanced up at Zob.  "Shall we, Sergeant?  I'm pretty sure I know where we're going, but I have no idea what they're going to have us do yet...not even altogether sure they know, themselves, at this point.  It's still pretty early..."

Zob gave a farewell wave to Runner before turning to Roy, "Of course SM" he then glanced to the alert lights, "Regardless of what we end up doing it will make for a interesting evening" when Roy was ready to set out he would follow up after him.

A bell rang.  Not one from the ship, but the one from the school. a few of the kids poured from the door to go play on some of the equipment on the playground.  Haley in her purple tights and park purple and white shirt got on the merry-go-round with Casey.  they laughed and giggled.  She noticed Zob and the Sgt.Major.  She waved at them.

  Runner's new  Mom was giving him a lecture, while runner threw out things    Like 'The PAck'  and   "the Hermes Pack'. She just threw up her arms  as the  headed to their home to get things  ready for going to the Shelter.

Roy gave a wave in response as he and Zob headed off to get their gear together and prepare to muster for whatever assignment got thrown their direction.

Back from the recess the kids all but sat down when the alarms went off and red lights went off.  immediately the kids lined up in pairs to head for the bunker.  once outside the school Haley could see parents also heading to the bunker.  Meeting up several children went to their real or adoptive parents.  soon Haleys best friend Casey was with her family.  Runner and a few other of the Hermes pack snuck off, preferring not to be trapped in the bunker.  Haley understood that.  in a flash she made her choice.  Haley slung her backpack and darted out of the areas, making her way to the lifts she knew went to the hangar dec.  she thought someone call her name but she did not stop.  in the lift she pushed the button for the hangar, now tall enough to get it.

=====> to the hangar dec

 The Civie  section raise the Bunker, letting    more fresh air   in,  people were returning to their  homes  , until they had to lock  down again

  kids  ran around the   park  area, but they were no able to   on on the grass itself, because of the incline of the  bunker's opening

The 2 newest Gav squad members helped the humans in the bunker.  They remained polit but rarely spoke to the humans.  They remained respectful of them.

Zob had returned home and got cleaned up a bit making sure his dress uniform was safely tucked away as he was doing so he noticed his formal-wear suit he wore at the last ball... he thought about it long and hard, 'Come on you can do this...' he thought to himself as he punched in Sams com number and sent her a text.

"Hello its me Zob, I know this is kind of last minute but... i was wondering Sam if you would like me to escort you for the upcoming ball?" he then hit send and went about packing for shore leave.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:04, Tue 18 July 2023.

 Sam sent a Comm text message back to Zob: " I would love to have you escort me to the ball Zob, I am getting ready now I will see you where we get into the limos and thank you for asking. I will be wearing an iridescent white dress."

Zob opened his com and let out a sigh of relief as he read the message quite happy with the results, he then reached in and got his formal attire and got suited up making sure his sidearm was secured and concealed on his belt as was required of him at all times.

After which he went into the bathroom to do up his hair and take a good look at himself in the standing mirror.

The black trench coat is made from a very fine Burian wool with angel silk lining on the inside, with it features a double breasted button closure, broad lapels, four external pockets and a textured design, the buttons are made from a very fine astra silver that glistens in the light like moonlight.

The black dress suit itself is made of the finest Astra silk which forms very well over his physique, with this he sports a pair of gold rimmed luxury men sunglasses tying the look together in one impressive display of badassery.

<=== officers quarters

Nikki and Haley made for Rolls.  the Briss in toe and a basket with food.  Haley waved at her friends and such. she even waved at a few she didn't care for but tried to be a nice person.  getting up to Rolls she checked to see that the front door was not covered in hate graffiti.  luckily it was not.  she knocked first to see it he was in, he wasn't.  "He must still be taking care of the larges" since she still has been taking care of Roll she opened up the door.  when all went in the little ones scampered in the living room.
"You too...don't make a mess" Haley followed to make sure.
Nikki cleaned up a bit and put the food she brought in the fridge.  she also checked to see what he would need.  of course, Mortica's bedroom was neat as she had not returned.  As she did this she placed Friday on the counter.  she moved and made for a bowl with a bit of larg chow in it.  sniffing and flicking a tongue to check if it was safe she ate it a piece at a time.  after about 3 pieces were ate Nikki heard the door begin opening.  Roll came in.
"Hey Roll." she smiled.
Haley ran over and gave him a hug
Roll gave a bit of a tired smile and hug back. "Hi.  What are you doing here?"
"Well, just checking to make sure you're okay.  you came in alive, so you're okay. We also brought you some food from the wedding in case your hungry, including cake." she said picking up Friday "and taking the Briss for a walk.  want me to help tuck you in?  or anything I can help you with?  I can get you set up and lock up  behind us so you can get some rest and sleep"

  Roll's tired smile  got a bit  wider as Halely Hugg him.The SM and LC  are yelling  at new guys, they said i hadda  get rest 'cause   i am the only human   larg master!... I aslo have to wash my stuff cause i  got  wet and Muddy  by the lake  with all the largs..did you see?  Mr  Shadow got  Three  more Largs to join us.. and one of them had a puppy..its a Girl puppy..so we have Bunches of Largs now.

 They sent  a Shuttle  down to the lake, and had  food  for the Largs. Boris and  Cookie ate two, and they had a big plate of stuff   for   Mr  Disna , Mr Puskie  and me..and a slice of cake.. I am a bit hungry now..but i can eat   later

 He  went to the  washer  and Dryer..I only have  two real uniforms... so i have to have them clean for tomorrow. Mr  QM  gave  me a pair  of work out  stuff two , but they are  clean... I bet there will be a tunnel  run tomorrow...

 Seeing the Briss running around..as soon as i get the wash started, i would like to   play with Haley and the Briss a bit, if younaren't in a hurry?

"We're not in any hurry.  If you like you can go take a shower.  I'll be happy to wash your things for you.  You can either put on some jammies or off duty clothes.  I'll also reheat some of the good stuff from the party.  Or we can grab a meal at the RecDec" Nikki said.  interesting she thought they got new largs, including a new pup.  Friday wiggled to be put down.  She liked the lard chow nuggets.  She helped Roll doing the laundry and getting his uniforms done.  Taking care of Haley was fairly easy, adding Roll actually made it easier.
As Roll cleaned up and changed Nikki also made him a hot dinner.  As well she prepped up a breakfast dish so all he had to do was pop it in the gammawave.  Nothing like a egg, sausage, cheese, on a bagel with some potato tots.  Haley helped as well.  the snittens...well they just made a mess.  they cleaned it up too.  they all spent a bit of time talking and playing some card games, like a family.