REC DEC # 9
Roy grinned...not a derisive grin, but genuine amusement. "Oh...it's probably best that you stand back from it. The tricky thing is going to be putting up enough of a show that Paradise...and the rest of the APF...realizes that we're not tolerating their bullshit, without making it look like we hate the Angels. They're a good resource...but they surrendered any claim they had on leading the war effort centuries ago. They can't even claim dominance over their own star system, at this point...the Paradise Moons became APF members years ago, while Paradise was still handing over their lunch money so the Demons wouldn't beat them up. Wasn't until we chased the Demons clean out of the schoolyard that they put their hands down and their money back in their pockets. Ego dies hard, though, and especially in people who are still living on the glories of a past millennium."
He shrugged. "So, Shadow, Hack, and I--representing the leadership of the APF fighter wings, battle fleet, and ground forces--have to be the stubborn assholes that adjust those egos...forcefully, if necessary. But it shouldn't look like the whole damned APF just wants them to piss off and go hide at home again."
He grinned, glancing over at Billie as they hit the ramp to the Med Tech level. "That said, don't hesitate to call them on any bullshit they choose to spread. If this lot are anything like the other Paradise Angels I've had occasion to deal with, they're gonna be full of it. And if you see one of them draw down on one of us unawares, well...kneecaps make really good targets on Angels, too."