Nikki made her way to where Spencer was.  He was chatting with one of the media people.  She moved so he could see her and how slightly stressed she was.  Still kept a distance as a courtesy.

Roy chuckled when Izzy commented on plans to publicize Delta Nights, especially her unspoken reaction.  "Hell, after the last two or three, I figured they were already public knowledge.  EDT definitely seems to have puzzled out that any time the Fleet comes into port,they lose a bunch of people...guess the Admiral wants everyone else to be aware of it, as well..."  He shrugged as she walked away, and started to turn to the shelves when he noticed Nikki.

"Ens. Rutledge...what's the word?" he asked, informally.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:20, Sat 09 Nov 2019.

"Brought her here with Roll and Sneak.  She's got Doc Henry watching her and checking on a creature she found at the lake, and Mitch" she said quietly.  "As far as I know he is still near there wanting 'out'.  He won't leave with out her.  Wants me to go with him" she sounded a bit exasperated.  "Thinking If he really has any remorse or humanity in him...hell even plain descency, I'll try and talk him into giving up to see her.  Trust him though...no.  Right now looks like he sold his soul and his kids.  He may be the biological father but he sure as hell is not a dad or papaw." she calmed a little bit getting that out  "Gonna call him...tell him if he wants to see her then he'll shed his weapons and the duster with sighting any one of our people he'll surrender to them.  put him in custody and lets find out what we can.  Giving her up or going with him...not an option" she looked to see if he might have other plans or options.

Roy nodded as Nikki laid out her intentions.  "You've got more faith in him than I do," he answered bluntly.  "Given where we found his daughter, I'd already have written him off, unless maybe I thought I could lure him into interrogate.  But I suspect he's new enough to their organization that he has no productive intel to offer."

He gave Nikki an appraising look.  " So, why are you so interested in getting him to surrender?"

"I remember him being a good man" she said wistfully "He once loved his wife and family.  But bad crops and little to no money I think broke him.  he started drinking.  and of course that spiral it took him down.  I believe, but can't prove, that Beaudrift had him sellout his family and they got another recruit.  and he saw it as a chance to start over.  I'm just not going to let him complete that cycle by just handing his daughter to him to sell for food, rank, or anything else" she looked at Roy "And I believe intel we had, was that that Angel that he is so keen on was there when all of it went down back home.  Stuck Haley and her sister on a pig truck to go be slaughtered like a market hog.  Her, I'd like to see bleed like a pig in a Chicago slaughterhouse" her voice dropped a couple of octaves in seriousness.  "I'm gonna comm him now.  If you want to listen in and tell him his choices.  see how he want to play it.  and you can try and locate him"

Roy snorted softly.  "You need Beth, or someone similar to locate him, that's way outside my training...unless we're out on open terrain and I'm tracking him.  But via a comm call?  I'm not going to be any help there."  He gave a humorless laugh.

"If you really want me to listen in, I'll oblige.  But we've already got interceptors in the air waiting for escaping shuttles and we've got ground forces closing the nets...I don't expect you to get far with him on the comms, if he hasn't already decided to surrender.  But you're welcome to try."  He was clearly skeptical of the idea.

She understood and commed Beth first.  "Lt Morrow?  This is Ens. Rutledge.  This is in reguards to a situation we talked about earlier on the Hermes.  Can you triangulate  or do any voodoo you do to locate someone I am going to call?   I think this Duster needs to be caught alive."  She would wait for a response of yes or no before trying to contact McGaha.

  Beth's COM  coems  back  after a Moment...we  are still  clearing up   donw here in the  tower, thatw as  used as a war room. I can get ..probably get a 'ball park' area... unless  he is using a Military device.., then it wil take  a bit longer to nail down.

"I know he mentioned 'the cat's', and an airfield other side of the lake.
 Give us a bit of a start.  Gonna call in 1minute, give you a bit of time."
Nikki waited then began to recall the comm link signal.  "Nathan McGaha.  Nathan, Nikki..."

  There  was a   beep  and  odd beep... Then the Voice  said,..Nikki?..look..tell youyr friends to  stay off me..Just brink Galey... and yorself if you want to come... if not..Drop HAley off on the far side of the Village, that is past the airfield . I ...I don't have  much time...see you there...

 The   COM  went Dead.. Beth's  voice   growled,..I didn't think they were that smart.. they had a Sniffer..but   it was sent to  one of the dead guy's  COMs  in the cave, Doc Henry was  at..that means two things....  1...someone has a decent Omni-COm... and 2... someone's watching  him..

"Great" she said tiredly "Wonder why someone ..other than us would be watching him?" She thought a moment as her comm flicked off.  She looked at Roy "I'm gonna go get him.  Sneak is with Haley and Roll in my room here, Lt. Regal is there too.  I'll leave her here.  I'm gonna go and get him.  Shoot him if I have too.  Do we have extra equipment?  I had to come down in a ball gown...body armor is a bit tough to wear under that" except for a pistol and her screwdriver she was rather unarmed.

Roy grimaced slightly and shrugged.  "We brought down gear in anticipation of a Delta Night...there should be something in your size, if you can catch up with the QM people to get it from them now that things have been wrapped up."  He shook his head and added, "I'm not gonna sugar-coat this...going after him is a bad idea.  If he's ready to come in, he can surrender...if he's so heavily guarded that he can't surrender safely, you going to get him is just going to get the both of you killed.  I can understand feeling like you've got history...but you don't owe him anything.  It's true that there's a few working for EDT and Lady V who just made some bad choices...but for every one we find who legitimately wants out, we find about three dozen who are just trying to play on someone's sympathies to get past our guard and try to knife us in the back.  I don't trust him, and going out there after him is painting a bullseye on your forehead, at best...at worst, it's you getting abducted and interrogated for information.  That's a helluva lot to put on the line for a bastard who sold his kids."

He sighed, and continued, "But I'm not going to tell you that you can't go.  I've been wrong before...not often, but it's happened.  But here's what I foresee happening...best case scenario, the minute he sees that you're there without Haley, he's gone.  Or else whoever's looking over his shoulder decides you're the first step in an ambush and decides to shoot you before the trap closes, if it turns out that he's actually just a sucker caught in the middle.  He's picked a spot that we can't scout without tipping them off.  The best you could hope for is to catch Captain Nilsson before he parks his bird for the night and ask him to do an aerial overwatch for you, because that's the only way we can get any element of surprise on anyone there.  The most practical thing is to tell the Burians exactly where he said to meet him and let them envelope the whole area and bring him in with anyone who's holding his leash."

"And I agree with you.  Right now though don't see much of a choice" she hated these catch-22 situations.  "I'll take a look at what you got and I also agree about Nilsson.  I'll comm enroute to the QM you got going"  She began making her way to the stores Spencer had set up.  Walking quickly she commed Nilsson, who hopefully was still up and about "Ens Rutledge to Capt. Nilsson.  Karl , you still looking for action...I need a favor"  It was not too long before she arrived to begin seeing what fit and what worked with the stores brought down.  Atleast she would not get killed in some frou-frou angel silk gown.

There was a brief pause, before Karl responded.  "Whatcha need?  I was just about to put my bird down for the night..."  While he didn't sound particularly enthusiastic, he also didn't sound disappointed to get a call to help with something.

"I need some air cover and hopefully not...But maybe a hot extraction.  Looking to go talk to a Duster.  He might have friends" by this time she was gearing up.

  Her  COM beeped......window is closing   you have 8 minutes.. or...or... i ahve to leave with  out her.. that won't be  good...

Nikki looked at it and texted back.  "She won't be there." he'd either talk or surrender.  After what he'd done.  That was it.

  But.... alright then.... goodbye...  the COM  went  dead.

"Like I would take a 5 year old into a combat area....dumbass" she said into her comm, not sure if he could hear her or not.  Then flicking channels she picked up Karl "Belay that request Karl.  Duster does not want to play but may be taking off in less than 8 minutes" she missed an opportunity, but she was not going to put Haleys life at risk for her father or anyone. she began to give back most of the equipment but  just in case held onto a few.  "Sm Spencer...target decided to take a powder.  May still be about though.  Is it possible to get an extra man to do foot patrol, just in case?"

Sarah picks a glass of wine that looks to go well with the cheese and the meat snacks. As mostly a beer and occasional liquor drinker she knew little of wine. That said the smells paired well so she rolled with it.

She poured Rivets a glass and chuckled at his comment about the seclusion. "Yeah you think its too secluded" she says leaning in close with a chuckle taking a bite of cheese in her mouth, but leaving it between her teeth.

  Rivets   took a sip on  whine,well.. depends.. ya know?...who could be out there..an'...

 a fuzzy eyebrow  rose   as  he  tried to lean in and get  a Nip of cheese...he  wasn't very smooth at it..

 Traffic  was  rather  light in the air. shuttle s took off  from time to time..fighters  in pairs  or threes  would hand  or patraol across the  sky.

  The town was   10 miles to the  south, an APV wouldn't get there.. and if he was bugging out on foot, well...Bura  was a big palce, with lots  of forest.
This message was last updated by the GM at 02:29, Thu 14 Nov 2019.

Sarah chuckled at his lack of smoothness. But enjoyed the make out with the cheese.

She didn't press things as they continued to snack and sip the wine.

After finishing her glass she chuckled again giggling. Rolling over to straddle Rivets legs using a hand to brace herself next to his hip. She leans in again kissing him to hide what her other hand is up to.

"You know what sounds fun." she says mischievously, slowly sitting back.

"Going for a swim." she says with a full giggle, rising to her feet taking a few steps back and turning dropping her pants giving Rivets a full view of her bare backside as she ran to the lake  stripping off her top and bra as well not quite giving Rivets the full show before her bare body slipped beneath the water.

"You coming or not?" she asks

 Rivets  looked a bit shocked, to say the least... pulling off his shirt,, his   sailing shorts  to follow..

  he followed  he rin. a bit mor e 'iffy'.....I..um.. we dunna  know what  night beasties   might be int eh water.. eh?

 he looked  across the  lake, and only saw a couple  splashes  far off.. most likely, more   Fleet folks.

Karl's responsecame readily.  "Just as well...I can do aircover, but the Morningstar doesn't have rumble seats...you'd need someone else for the extraction, and I'm pretty sure Stoly's gone to bed for the night."  Laughter threatened to creep into his words.

"He may be taking off...but I don't think he's getting anywhere.  The Bura Fleet has pretty much the whole planet covered, and anyone who sneak past them has the Delta Fleet waiting.  Unless he's taking off in a Qarl ship, he's got half a snowball's chance of breaking orbit, much less running."  In the background, things got quiet as Karl set down his bird and shut down the engines.