As Stephi was pulled away to other things Garrat turned to the command. "Admiral," [to hack] "Assault Chieftain" [to Spencer, for some reason he could not grasp the full title and calling him Sgt doesn't seem right so he used the Asgard tittle] "If you'll excuse me, I have to notify a loved one of their fallen and recover some damaged equipment."

Sarah stood out on the airfield, sipping a cup of coffee. After the pleasant night at the lake with Rivets, she'd wound up having to return to work nearly immediately. She'd taken time in for lunch and in the afternoon to spend time with him, however there was a pressing need to get started repairing different parts of the defense infrastructure from the battle, and to get the ball moving on her own plans for Bura's defense forces.

 Rivets  looked over the airfield... APVs  were  comign   loaded, and leaving  Empty right now as  troops and civies  made thier way back.

 ..Got a COM  from Shadow... says  him and one of the trooper  took a  fighter an' went ta visit  a Gypsie  Village     that ain't far from the western sea?... Says the Village was attcked  by Empire folks who were runnin'  away, but they sorta fended them off... he  says.. Gypsies  asked fer  help.. an' didn't get none, until he called in to the fleet.. the total is.. 2  shuttles  escaped.. two wer shot   down with all hands.... might be  some loose in the  trees?.. I dunno.... But  he said  fer me ta ask you.. to ention to the High Chairman...'bout treatin' the Gypsies  more like other Burians.. they do alot of fightin'..should be gettin' some of the  good stuff too..eh?

 while he  talked  he looked at his Vid board.. his  scans in red  would blink out  when  , whomever was on the hanger Dec.. scanned the same person... the lights  flickered  like a  christmas tree..which was good..it meant things  were movign like they shoudl.

(( this  will be used   for meeting..just to  keep those  posts out of the other  Bura  threads ))

-------->>>>>>>> From Bura Palace

 Sam smiled as she entered, see saw everything was there but not set up yet. Sam began getting everything ready for the meeting, mics, vids, everything they needed. She also had security cameras monitoring the meeting and the general area around it, this was always an opportunity to strike when the APF leaders got together.

 Sam will set up hat needed doe and do her normal job unless told otherwise.

11:00am..Last  day of Delts Fleet shore leave.

A lot of people where there. Two from each of the APF Worlds as  well as   a Military advisor.

  The Burian   Fleet  Commander  was out   as there were  run ins  with  Sol System merchants, excorted  bt SSN ships.

 The   Council of three  sat  at the head of   the table,  Down one side were the Races that made up the ESN..down the other  Side , the APF world

 Nivar, SAnri, Occui,Astra,Qura as well as Bura where the APF world

  The Delta Fleet... Delta  Prime ( represented   by the  three races of Ape folk)..The  Blue and Red  Moons of Paradise, Hyrian, Uden ( including Calimate and Vera)

all the   Carrierstations   were under   the ESN  banner, ...Anzio, Tortuga, and Th Pit were  under the  APF banner.

 The Hillites and  Roussa   systems were  in 'hold' they were informed of  laws  and   and such, but had no voting power.

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

  Shadow came in a tad  Late, a  doorman pointed him to the drink  Table where  he got a  Coffee. He did not sit, But  stood  behind t The Board. Shade  had a seat net to  Captain Si, With Dusk  net to him  and Lilit  Next to her.

 in the Gallery were  some Naragans , Gava some Skith, as they had no representation yet, but were  still deemed  'ambassadors' to carry the word to their people.

 Sam took her seat in the comms station and had everything ready when the Council of three was ready. She felt very out of place in her fancy dress uniform running the meeting but until she was told otherwise this was her job here on Bura.

Roy was also standing behind the board.  It could be argued that he should be sitting at the table, but there was plenty of representation of the ESN, and he didn't feel the need to further crowd the table space just because he represented the Marines as opposed to strictly Naval units.  They were all taking their orders from the same place...the group at the table.

He gave Shadow a nod as the LC took up his own spot, and leaned over to mutter softly, "So, how's the pack enjoying shoreleave?"  He'd gladly take a moment to check up on part of his troop allotment, before the generally dry nonsense of the formal meeting began.

Henry came in and looked for somewhere to sit, preferably out of the way. Mila trotted along at his heels looking round with interest.

 Henry was sadly pointed to a Chair, nest to stefi, who was  just 'down' from the Udenese folks.

   Shadow  turned to the drink table  and  said  something softy, the fellow   gave  he   'real' green tea  and some  sweet packets. There were also  some sandwiches for after the  meeting, Shadow Grabbed  two.. The   head waiter  came rushing over. but a stare  from  Shadow, and a finger to his  lips, made the fellow looked towards  Mila, as Shadow did.  Then the main in the green waistcoat, nodded with reluctance.

   placing the   saucer, spoon and  tea in front of  Henry, Shadow  put the sandwiches on a Napkin for Mila, then stepped back, next to Roy. as Roy asked, Shadow said  in a  soft voice.

  They own that field now, Running  around, going in and out of the BU  like its a Massive  Dog house...  I left them there.  when  we go on our  visit,  they just have  to  make their  way across the field with us.. or even  slip into the  tree line. You can make a Judgment when it comes time... we'll be  about  300 yards  away from the meeting area. we may  have  to  use a ruse, like ..i dunno..we're  walking to the Faire.., or maybe come  down the tree line ourselves to where Flores and Mara   will be..we;ll figure that out at the  Field

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

 The Three took thier  seats, it was a signal  for  those    around them to take thiers. The Felrites  came in  about the  same  time, Both of them females, casting  applicative looks  at  Roy and Shadow as  they slinked  past to  sit on the ESN  side of the table, just  down from the  Apefolk.

  Shadow chuckled  softly...there is a mountain of  Jokes to  be made about hitting on felrites.... Captain Si turned  her head   to lo at  Shadow.. Shadow   decided to drink his coffee.

  CU-DL a Green Angel stood, she was 'The First; to her right was  Genol a pure blood Burian  male. LA-DS, the youngest  and a female green  Angel to  the left..LA-DS cast a  slight smile in Shadow's  direction.

 Thank you all for coming. This will help give us   Some  solid  ideas  on what to expect, in the near future.. Our   Fleet Commander is  away,  as they disrupt  shipping from the sol system. we are diverting  merchants that seem Honest to   Fujo, Zolth and  Bura. we are capturing, or destroying those who are carrying  troops from the Sol System, and  we give any Sol System war ship on chance to leave the field.if they persist, then  they are attacked, we try to capture what we are able, to add to our  fleet..But...scrap is just  as good, as  our ship building is in its infancy  and can use  all  materials we  can get.

The massive changes  in the balance of the War, is...of  course..The Paradise  system Joining   the Empire. This is unheard of. and a doubt those  who helped seed The Black  with angels, would have  ever  thought this  would come about.

 A Sanri stood.It  should not be a surprise...  They letf Sanri and Occui people to  fight on our own... it was only the  , joining of the Humans  that started to turn the war around.

 CU-DL   bowed ever so slightly to the Sanri ambassador...Thank you Ambassador Sten. I think it is a given, that all here  know of  The  Human's  skill and bravery

 and their Officer's Leadership.... LA-DS  said  as she looked once more in Shadow's  direction.

Hack  turned to look at Shadow..Shadow just gave a  quick shake of his head.  Hack  chuckled.

  I will turn over the  floor  over to the Delta Fleet..and we  will get this meeting started, in earnest

"Thank you, Shadow," said Henry quietly, accepting the tea and the food for Mila.

Mila looked up at Shadow and wagged her tail, keeping it quiet. She nosed at Her Human until he passed her a sandwich, then lay down with it on her front paws.

  Hack stod up,  took a sip of clear Burian water that  had  Greenice cubes..the  cubes were slowly bleeding thier way  into the water.

 Its Not  often i get surprised... But i was surprised a few days ago, as we   lead a 'rescue' party to an old Chinese  Cap ship/arc..

 The ship contained   Oil Lord  Mercs..and some strange  creatures  we thing were genetically  enhanced  Chinese people. the results  were Creshian style  humanoids ... and  spider things that seemed to live i  a communal Group,

his   face had a dark look as he added,we did not get a chance to study these groups, as a careless trooper, set of  an Attack... we were also attacked  UEs  and   fighters.. The  fighters  were  not.....good. I assume they were of Chinese make, with whatever machines they could use , and scrap from the  arc, and whatever the Bugs  gave them.

The  Colonists and troopers that are Movin in on E-1 and E-1 will forward us   more details as they uncover  structures from Under the Surface.

 This  brings us to the death  of  Ambassador Frans, his  'family' as it were, and  at  leat 30 high ranking EDT, Paradise  and  Earth   Officers. We  pulled off our  intended target of  Vampra. but i do not like leaving them to fester... The Hyrians, and Undenese, as well as Everest   have  doubled thier patrols  out there  to Hund  the Vampics   down...

  The Second  Raised his hand to Address  Admiral Hack.How did you  kill the Ambassador , from where you  were at the  time  of detonation?

 The Admiral  smiles   slightly    as he replies.That must remain  quiet for now. lest  some one use our  own tech against  the APF...and? before anyone   asks. E-1  and E-2 are Massive terrain  type worlds. I think it would be a good  idea to have  ESN worlds  and APF  worlds  stake out  Colony areas, and help each other  settle in. once we have people there,  both planets  will pay  big dividends  to  our organizations.

 now. for me. The Big topic of the  day. As we have grown, we have  seen the need to eliminate red tap, taking days   or weeks to make a choice, rather then a few minutes in here. another  sip... It is  Common knowledge we are moving alot to   Fuji... the enemy isn't quite sure, if we will turn towards  Olympus, or  head to the Angel moons.My ...shadow troops.. have  seeded information that we are going to  Hit Olympus and   begin to set up outposts on  asteroids  in the  Kyper Belt. But we are Going to the  Moons. It will be  seen as a  way to  'wall off' off the  Sol System from  Vicrock.... but i have other
 intentions... and that is why were are all here today.. Beth..herself, went to each  and every  member seated and  to 'The Three'  she would hand  one each to the Gava. Naragrans and  Skitch in the  gallery.

 There has been intercvepted chatter , from Sol System and Paradise  system. They  think we are going back to Vampra, or even  to go After the Largrans  or  Crestians.....others  think we are comig for Eerth.. I will say this  now, so all understand. The Delta Fleet can't go after  Earth  yet.., no matter  how much i wish to do...just..that.....

 he opened  his packet holds up the   disc  and shows those watching how to insert it in a tiny pocket on the  folder..

 The Disc  will play  when you squeeze it, but  do not do so now. You'll hear just about the same thing from me, with a little more  Tactics

 now? I am not here to debate..i was bad at it.. i'm here to lay of  facts and tell you what will happen, and you will all then Vote.

 After a brief  stop at the Blue Moon, the Delta  Fleet will form up... we will then steam hard and fast into th  Paradise System.... our Gola is  3  fold  1... to  show the Angels  what happens to peope who are  caught in a shooting war..rather then  sit back and  cast lots to see who the demons  eat or mate with..2...we are goign to inflivt as much damage  as we are able  , to Paradise.,  LT Morrow  will lace the airwaves  with propaganda, to try and get  Angels to rise up I can only imagine the parents on Paradise who had to give up children for tribute... The Third  goal is to hammer the  Paradise Fleet into boxwood, as the old navy saying says, with the Homeworld  Crippled and the Fleet  hamstrung.. Paradise  will get to see what a wonderful ally , The Empire is....

  The Sanri stood  after  raising his hand..that is Madness!.. you can't  hold  Paradise? there are three worlds in that system..they were sailing The Black  when your ancestors  crawled out of the sea!

 you are  Right, Ambassador Sten, they have been around longer then us... But  we   came out fighting a war.. they watched it.. I think, if  the  Council agrees? This  will will change the   war, in the paradise system. They will see the horros, and they will hear why we are doing, what we are  doing.. and, we will put shaip in  the Hands  of  Those  who want to  fight back

 he nods his head, taking a deeper  drink of  his  , now, light green water.I am asking th  Grand Council for this, as it will be  , every  race involved  doing this. whether you are getting   even, for being left on your own... or have risen to the status, where the rest of The Black understands your species  is important

 If the  Vote is no?  then we still sail from the Moons, as i have promised to return....

 IF....The delta Fleet is not permitted  to attack Paradise.  we will sail back to the  other side of  The Black. and see about  the tasks i left behind.

 you may  sit back and listen... but the Delta  fleet   approves  of this  plan.

 he picked up a Green   chip and tossed it into  the  pot  on the table... everyone else red..and would have to  decide to Green chip..or Black  chip

 Sam did her job and keep all the translations and comms going. She really hoped Bura would voye Green she was up for this big time. Sam thought it was an amazing slap to the Paradise Angels you really want to fuck with us well opps you messed with the wrong race.

 Sam watched and waited to see how the vote would go.

Roy cleared his throat.  "If I may add something onto that, Admiral?" he asked.

"Some of you believe that the Angels are inviolate, that there's no way they can be defeated.  Ask yourselves, weren't you saying the same thing about the Demons before the Delta Fleet began curb-stomping every Demon task force and outpost that we came up against?"  He looked around the room briefly before continuing.

"The Demons are in such disarray that they have mustered token assistance, at best, for every one of their allied worlds that we've attacked.  There were no Demons there for the Hillites, they never showed up for the Hyrians, they couldn't even convince their proxies from Roussa to show up at Nivar.  Aqra, Roussa, the battles near Matterhorn...if they're massing their forces, they're taking their damned sweet time doing it."

He shook his head, tucking his hands behind his back as he adopted a sort of 'lecture mode'.  "Now, Earth has claimed allegiance with the Empire, and with Paradise...we've already proven, repeatedly, that the Demons are worthless as allies...they take what they feel is useful, but they aren't going to show up to help anyone else.  If...no, WHEN the Angels get their beatdown, that will be both of the so-called Unbeatable Races that will have been sent down in flames...and consider this--the Demons had control of massive swaths of the galaxy.  THEY had the Angels hemmed in and paying tribute.  The Angels had enough military might to convince the Demons it was easier to beat them through attrition via tribute, and through sapping their morale and knocking them out of the fight so long that they lost the edge they had when the war is at its full ferocity.  The Angels have a fleet that couldn't even liberate their home world, crewed by personnel who haven't fought a major engagement in centuries.  How could that force possibly hope to win?  They couldn't even defeat the Demon forces that the Delta Fleet defeated, back when the Delta Fleet was less that a quarter it's current size...back when it was still just the ESN, and we didn't have Sanri, Occui, Nivarian, Hyrian, Udenese, and Burian fleet elements."

He continued, taking a moment to look at the members of each delegation, pointing them out with an imperious gesture, "Each of you, on your own, put up enough of a fight that the Demons decided you were too much trouble to just slaughter or subjugate completely as slave worlds.  Some of you even continued to carry the fight to the Demons, rather than just shoring up the defense of your homeworlds.  Against warriors like that, all united in a cause, what chance do the morally bankrupt Paradise Angels stand?  The Moons of their own system have even turned against them.  Right now, their greatest defensive weapon is a reputation that is millennia out of date.  We shatter that reputation, and we can get a replay of what happened in the Verian system...the corrupt old-guard collapses, the Moons that have been fighting the war while Paradise was giving away its future a shipload of young Angels at a time can step in and take over...and the APF gains all the technological mastery that the Angels once wielded, now in the hands of beings that aren't going to tuck it away and use their own children to bribe the Demons to stay away."

He looked around the room again, pausing to let them all think for a moment.  "If anyone has a suggestion that will give the APF as much, while damaging the enemy so severely, I'd love to hear it.  From a strategic standpoint, there is no other viable option...everything else is a compromise, striking a lesser target for a smaller reward.  We MUST go to Paradise and set things right there.  It is the prize, far moreso than Vampra.  Infinitely moreso than Earth.  As Ambassador Sten so generously demonstrated, Paradise is perceived as a bastion, impregnable and unbeatable, even though nobody's tried it for over a thousand years.  Earth?  We're upstarts.  If you talk to the Demons and the Angels...well, the Paradise old-guard, at least...we're lucky we can even figure out how to fly a ship, much less carry on a war.  Earth isn't even unified under a single leader, despite what Ge-Fi would like the universe to think.  Cut off their allies, and the non-ESN factions on Earth will wither and die.  Going after Earth would be akin to giving someone painkillers for a brain tumor, rather than removing the tumor.  Paradise is a tumor.  Let's go excise it, and clear the way for healthy tissue to regrow."

  People looked  to Roy as he began. Shadow standing at ease next to him, sipping his coffee. There was a half-smile on his face.

 as Roy  spoke,  Dusk see  to smile proudly. Shade's  eyes  turned a brighter  Green.  Captain Si winced a bit, at Angels sending off their children. Her  eyes  darted to the Nivar  ambassadors  as   she absent mindedly  touched her   midsection.

 people   talked, The ESN  side talked and the Council talked.  Shadow looked a bit bothered  by  the  way the  APF side  had to 'talk". he grabbed another  Sandwich , setting it  down by  Mila   with  some scruffing to go with it.

  CU-DL looked    down  the table as  Shadow stood up..Does all this...bore you,  LC Shadow?

 Bored?..not really. Disgusted..yeah, a bit...

 there were Murmurs ...The First  leaned on her arms on the  table...Please, Good    Shadow? Tell us  why you think a big decision  like this , should not be talked over.

 Nivarian Ambassador, the male stood  and pointed at Shadow.I supposed you would just like to sail in there and Pound   Paradise  as your Admiral   stated..with out  talk or preamble,...Like you did to us!

 Captain Si  stood up and pointed at  Ambassador  Gilus..If it would have been in my power then,  Nivar  would have been laid waste for  what  they did to me... and my child...for a planet that was  subjugated  after a  failed attempt  to assassinate   The Board... and then.. less then a day ago, your 'larg Masters' try to eliminate  our Units, because we have   found a better  way to  train them!...I would not be so pompous if i were you, Ambassador  Gilus

 Admiral  Hack   , gently  pulled Captain Si to the her seat..  the frustration and  anger in her eyes  as she fought back  tears of anger and  loss.

 Shadow  sipped his  coffee, his  eyes  over the rim of the cup , scanned the    people at the Tables, when the  cup was lowered  he said.Lets go back a Bit... I'm sure between Beth and  Sam,  you could get  some film from the archives.... But..did we have a meeting before  we went to Astra?.....How about   when we had the fish Fry on Aqra?... when
 we took Vera, there was a small conference, not even worth the time to do it..and Roussa, got bitch slapped  for leading  Nivarians into something   that was over thier  heads.,,The Battle of the Line? The Pit, The Battle of the Field, all those were just  meetings of stating what we were going to do, and what we needed from all of you to do it.

 his arm  waved to the Ape Folk who  repped  the  Delta System...Look..here, and Doc henry will tell you... would the Ape-folk be  where they are today, had  we not driven the  Empire out of   Delta Prime... Both sides in the war saw the Ape Folk as  creatures, rather then a people..and now..here they are... a full member of the ESN, and  some of the Finest fighters to make a Jump Off.

 He pointed to the Hyrians.we  set in motion , the Death of  the Hyrian Home world. But  when we found that the  Hyrains were an honorable Race... we sent  folks to help 'clean up' our mess. Now..they stand  By us,  They have seen, As  SM Spencer   pointed out, that, that they were mere tools  for the Empire...

 Admiral Hennings stood  up and waved Shadow   back to his  spot. He began..The Delta Fleet... along  with the ESN aligned  worlds, can take the fight to Paradise. It will not be  easy, and it will be bloody, and no matter which way  it turns, it will have a lasting effect on The Black as we know it. If ..The APF  follow us in and fights  at our side as they have done  since they joined.. the outcome  shifts our way, even more....of the Ships in the Delta Fleet..90 %..at least..have veteran crews, seasoned  in ships to ship battles  and  bombardment of  worlds..As  the Nivarians  and Hyrians  can attest to... The   SM pointed out..quite distinctly, That the Angels  have not  fired a shot in anger  for  centuries... one has to wonder, how long it took their warships  to  be ready for sailing, after  sitting there, all that time.. and? since the Empire controlled the   system, were there any   new modifications  in past  100  years?  We  aren't here to decide  IF, the fleet is going in..we are here to decide who is coming with us.

 From the Gallery  a  Gava    called  down...They say us.. and the   naragrans  cannot  vote yet, as we do not have homeworld..yes? but  we have been taken to Aqra, where our home world was, it is world of our home?..we have been put in Nivar..Bura  and  Astra, and many many of us  are on  Green moon and  those two big E planets... You give us,...all white tokens or all black tokens...  here  is the tokens you gave us.. put in  the pot... we understand, that they only count in tie.... but..at least  Naragran and Gava  are Heard!

  a naragran with a   Cloth   webbed to its  shell to show his ambassador status..  sent  a webbing down with the two discs  in.. Shadow  retrieved the  Discs, they were both white.. he   tossed them into the Pot...They shame you all..... and Shadow tossed the   dics into the pot.

 Stefi   sat with  Henry,..if we  end up  being able to  set foot on Paradise?.. it would be  what  our ancestors  viewed as Heaven!... imagine what  we can find there...animals, medicines, tech..maybe  fruit  plants  to seed to other planets...

 Lilit  frowns. she picks up her  black token  and says.....as    our warriors point out. The Fleet has  served to   fight and protect the  APF and ESN  planets.... but if they are destroyed , or crippled.. what have we then? we would need to muster our home defense fleets  to  try and police what we have... she went to  toss the disc in... Shades  Hand  grabbed her  wrist, and not too Gently, Pulled it back as he removed the Disc from her Hand. To say she was shocked, would be  an gross understatement.

  Shade  stood on  his  chair.. Dusk looked back at Shadow, Shadow  Nodded to her  as Shade becane to  Bleep , whirl , grind  and screech...

 Dusk would look to Shade   then to the others  as she translated.....The Vote is not  for  Lilit  to give. It is for the Ambassador, which is my brother. He says, He was on  The Hermes, when Qarl tried to attack, he was barely hatched  , but his senors   found them...He grew up on The Hermes, seeing the fights, feeling the pain of lost friends, and the  exilration  of won battles....

 she holds  a hand  up to  Shade  for him to stop a moment....I grew up on Vera. I saw what  my grandmods there, did. twisting things   for themselves...and only themselves..and look were they are now. I am proud to be an ESN  Officer, of the Undenese  faction...now..My brother  continues,,,

 Shade   Continued  and Dusk talked...he says. The Angels  held sway over many  peoples  in  The Balck, mostly relying on Religion and   Fables and  Myths. We see them for what they are... some are  imperious, and look down their noses  at other races...some  are eager warriors,  looking to  defeat the Empire.To this Point... My Brother says...we must  go there..win or lose. 

 she  smiles at  Shadow   as she turns back to the table and adds,Ambassador Shade says, he has learned this from father... you do not fight only the fights  you know you  will win...but you fight   those that will be hard, and make sure you win!  Shade will now  cast  the Unden Vote...

 Shade Holds  up the Black disc, and sends it   flying across the  room the shatter on the wall behind the APF races.. some  flinch at this.. he holds up the white  disc.. for all to see, , dropping it into the Pot.

 You little fools! This  could be the Undoing , of everything    The APF has   put together!

 Shade   just  waved her off , Bleeping as she   sipped   a cold  drink of  greenish water.

Brother said...'everything   the Delta Fleet put together"

 ...I know what he said....

  Dusk waved an inclusive are , to those  around her...I wanted to make sure, they knew....

 The Banter  went  back and  forth, the skith  did not toss their   'tie breaker chip.They felt no need to , they just watched those  at the table  below.

 ApeFolk   not only voted for the  attack. But held  the disc up for all to see.  The Occui did as well, as did the Sanri. when the Votes  were cast, the attendant took the pot to The Three.  they were counted Only one 'nay  vote'... The  ESN  side of the table, and Most of the APF side  cheered.. the Gava   in the Gallery   jumped up and down as the  Naragran shot out webbing like  confetti.  They,and the Skith  came down for the  'after   meetin'  Lunch and talk.

The Skith ambassador  put a hand to his heart, bending  to greet  Admiral hack..It is a good thing you do here , Admiral. Our  fight goes well against the Qarl. they can neither get help, nor give help to the Angels  or the  Empire... But..we must hold them at Bay....in saying that.. we  are sending a Token of  4 Cap ships..one for each of your sections.. and  4  transport bases of  Skith Marines... After you crush the angels, you may send then back... i..however..think they will  want to kill empire folk, and the  thought of eating fresh  Creshians  will be  most enjoyable to them.

 Thank you ambassador  Lix. I look forward to their arrival .

 Oh? Admiral hack..they are here!  I...anticipated   your   winning the  argument.  they Both Laughed, Hack  Introduced him around. the women had to watch  for the pheromones  The Skith produced. but  once   they were aware, on the   really willing  fell prey to them.

  Lix Greeted   Roy, the Ambassador's skin was smooth, blue and  yellow   spots  on the back, white   in the front,  small jagged  teeth, revealed that Skith were, in deed, meat eaters.It was a very god talk you make, SM..i saw  Aqra  people   shift you way, in their eyes.. only one   species  voted  no?.. it is  not hard to figure out which ones...it will be like Old   times with Skith in the  fleet again..yes?

 not far from them Shadow stood with Lilit, Shade  and Dusk..are you proud, Shadow? you are turning your  mods  into the blunt instrument you are!

 Ok..help me out here? is that  a boast, or a insult..cause..I'm kinda round  right now.

  Lix's eyes shifted to  Lilit   as he turned from  Roy, for  only a moment..Forgive me... But is your Titel now 'Warlord Lilit". It seems to me, as if you simply  are saying, I have what i wanted, now the rest of The Black can go to the 9 hells..

 and where  were you  these last 4 years or more?

 Ahh..Good  Warlord, we  were fighting our  blood foes, the Qarl.. Jump engines against  Jump engines... Plasma  vs plasma.. fighting  on planets  , moons and space  a we always have.. with 9ne difference.. we are fighting to keep  them from aiding the Empire.. they are fighting   to save the Empire Some day..there will be many books  and Vids on our battles. But  today..we are not the center of attention..

The large  mouth breaks into a grin as he offers his hand to  Dusk and Shade.You be proud.. your  are what the  ESN/APF need... I am most certain, Your  Father is proud..  His eyes shift to Shadow. Shadow smiles  and Salutes  Lix  with his  cup.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:17, Sun 23 Oct 2022.

 Sam was monitoring comm traffic in case anyone sent out a message, they were not supposed to. Sam was monitoring when she got a SEC bleep on her comms. Sam checkec it and it was about Ens. Perry and how she showed up to the Palace. Sam didnt have time now but she would have a good talk with her. Madison was putting a black mark on her reputation now.

 Sam hit acknowledged on the SEC alert and continued to monitor the meeting, Sam did find many vids if anyone wanted to see any before they made their vote.

Roy gave Lillit a cold look.  "For all the pride you took in not falling under the sway of Adem, you're sure walking down the same path he chose," he said, in a scathing tone.  "You're worried about the Delta Fleet being defeated by a force that couldn't break the Demon blockade of their own home system? When the much smaller, early Delta Fleet had already gone in and liberated the two Moons..."  His voice practically dripped with contempt.

"How did you ever become Warlord in the first place, with that kind of strategic sense?" he asked.  He gestured to Lix as he said, "You were all-in on backing the Delta Fleet against truly unknown odds...forces that NONE of us had fought before and had no intel about, back when you needed our help to retake Vera...has the Ambassador found your true colors?  Was all that just so much bullshit to secure our aid, and now that your objective has been fulfilled, you no longer dare risk anything?"  He shook his head.

"Good to know where your allies actually stand..."

Mila wolfed down her sandwich, and wagged at Shadow as she enjoyed his fingers ruffling her fur.

Her Human was talking quietly with Stefi - she hadn't heard what she had said but Her Human was distinctly excited about it.

 Shadow   smiled   talked with the Skith, and Others.

 Lilit did a slow burn as she   answered Roy, by talking to everyone.Since the beginning. The Udenese  had been  subjagted... we   freed  Calimate  with the aid of the Delta Fleet, and  APF  factions.  Vera  Fell and was  added to our  system. Roussa  system  has  been beaten down, but   has  neither    Joined the ESN or APF..... So, if the  Delta Fleet fails, or is crippled enough, not to protect the APF holdings. Then the Empire   can  start reclaim. even if they fail, we will lose people all over The Black, just trying to take  back what we  took  before.  My people are grand  warriors., I do not know if they could Retake Vera  again, with out the aid  of the Delta Fleet.

 Shadow   Just waved,I'm off  to  my quarters to change, then head  out   to the BU so  Disna and Puskie can get some shore leave... SM?  I'll be there  when its  time for the meeting.

 Shadow>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Bura

Roy snorted softly.  "By that logic, we should never have left Earth.  If the Demons destroyed the Hermes, it would take massive resources to build a replacement...resources they may not have on Earth anymore, judging by the quality of the ships they've been sending out with the SSN."  He shook his head.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained...or, you miss one hundred percent of the shots you don't take.  There hasn't been a single battle we've gone into that didn't hold the prospect of losing so many ships or personnel that we'd take a major setback on the overall war effort."

He looked her squarely in the eye.  "The reason Shadow defeated you in all of those combat tests?  He was more focused on winning, than he was on not losing.  Yes, it cost him some pain and suffering...but every fight does.  If you only ever engage enemies that you're completely certain you can defeat without any significant loss, you're not conducting war...you're bullying.  It's what the Demons thought they were doing with Earth, until they discovered that not only do we fight back, but we fight better than they do."  He shook his head again.

"If the prospect of carrying out this war is too daunting for you, maybe you better return to Uden for a more peaceful life, and stop interfering with those of us who know that we need to do better than 'not lose'...we need to win."

 Lilit looked sternly at Roy, then to hack.. Hack jerked a thumb to Roy. What he said. We are not  out here to acquire   planets  and then sign a treaty. we are out here to win a war..That's what Fuji and Bura  are as close to a 'home' as we'll ever have, because the systems we have aid , are taking care or their sectors, while we got  out  and squash Empire  bugs..

 Lix   went off  with  Lilit.  Dusk  said, to Roy.when you and father   are done with your errand tonight. Might i be permitted to see  Father's  friend's  village with you?

Roy grinned and shrugged.  "I don't see why not.  I'm certainly not opposed to it, and I wouldn't imagine the LC would be, either.  And it might be good for them to see some of his family...helps keep him from becoming too mythical, in their minds..." he chuckled softly at that, as there seemed to be no end to the myths about Shadow that they'd encountered throughout the Black.

He gave Admiral Hack a lop-sided grin and a nod, his eyes flicking in the direction of Lillit with a 'What can you do?' expression on his face that spoke of resignation.  Fortunately for all of them, Shade, as Ambassador, held the voting seat on the Council...and with his reputation growing ever more popular, it was unlikely that Lillit could ever mount a successful attempt at replacing him.

 Sam smiled at the council of three, she did went and secured everything when the meeting was over. With no one telling her anything Sam closed everything up and then headed back to the Palace to have a word with Madison and to see how Izzy and Lizzy where doing.

---->>>> To Palace.

As the meeting ended, Henry got a com message about kids' games at the Faire.

Can is with Val, get her to send him along if he wants to play.

He looked round for Mila, who'd eaten her sandwiches and was dozing on his left foot.