Mila was still growling and baring her teeth at Feng, her fur stiffening into spikes as the avian blood dried.

  Feng watched the others   as he  was  set down on the cartes, with Folkes being less-then gentle.

 ..you know?  I could take that weapon from you, and kill you before  anyone  could stop me...

 ..Give it a try  , traitor?.. even on the slight chance you are right? there  are enough people  and  animals   near here, that you won't even see me hit the floor.

 Feng snorts  , and Give  Mila a sneer... then says , to anyone...I am being called a traitor?.. But I am not. China and the rest of the Big 4, , were never part of the ESN  or alliance with the Angels , we joined them, only as working partners, after  our  first two ships vanished... We..as many  of all your own countrymen, Joined the SSN...so.. we  fight for our planet  and our people...

  Meari helped move Feng over to the crates, she decided to help out with guarding the traitor. Then Mila came closer growling at Feng, Meari will pet Mila on her head and say," Good girl I know I dont like him either Mila."

 After Feng was done and threatened Folkes, Meari just smiled and raised her combat shot gun at Feng and said," Yeah sure go for his weapon and you will loose the hand, or I might miss and blow your head off."

Then Feng went on his talk about how he is not a traitor, Meari just looked at the fucking idiot asshole," Really giving your race over to the Demons for food is fighting for your planet. Ok let me put it this way, you watch many of your fellow humans put on larder ships for food for the demons, you eat loyalty dinners for the Demons and you fight the real humans who are trying too destroy the Empire and not be slaves to them. How is that not being a traitor to your race, I dont give a fuck about your country flag, Udenese are united under War Lord Lilith, all Udenese fight and work and live and are at peace as one. Humans are very different, they have different factions, groups, you name it. I believe if all humans could unite under one true leader who will do what needs to be done the Empire can be defeated, that is why I am here fighting beside your race fighting for freedom. I will end with this ask yourself I am going to die fighting for the enslavement of my race, or I could have died fighting the Empire to fight for freedom of your race. That is the biggest problem you humans have you are too divided, you all need too unite." Meari just sat back with her combat shot gun pointed at Feng and waited for his response.

   As Izzy  arrived back at the  scaffolds top, Beth  pointed to the  Trooper feeds...You Handle those..I'll take the   Fighters... when Orria  gets back , she can take the troopers  , since she can Help with  Shades, language, then  You'll take  the  Cap ship feeds.. we should be moving on ,towards the nest by then. she pauses  and  says, in a very stern voice,..do not open the feeds  to earth , if someone COMs... do not except any feeds  from   Earth unless they start with the phrase, " Lights are out"

 Then she  closes of  a screen and calls   for the Admiral's  Attention, she looks a bit ...unnerved.

 The Admiral  Hands his  , half finished  Belt ( the 5th that he was loading) to the  Ground Tech, as he  went, followed  by Hennings who had just finished his  4th  belt.

  Turning her Back to the Rest of the Hanger Dec, when the Two Admirals  arrive,we have a problem....

  Admiral hack looked at her, and shrugged,we always have problems, and we solve them, either  with a soft hand, or a heavy hammer, what do you have?

 we are getting...just started to get... pleas from Earth for the  Fleet not to attack  Earth or the Nest ship.... many of the  people who appear on the  calls are related to  people  on The Hermes, or in the Fleet...

 There is a grunt as Hennings says, if you count all the support vessels, The Fleet has  close to 500 ships!.. If you add al the transport Bases together,  there are more people  aboard all of them, then in some of the smaller countries!..Of course there are going to be people related   , in some way, to  The Fleet..

 Aye, Admiral Hennings, and I understand this.... but..the people  showing up, aren't random.... They are aimed at certain crewmen.. for instance, Chief Morgan has a  younger brother who was invalided out of the service when he lost a leg... he was working as a training director  in  The great lakes  academy..he was one of the first one that 'sent a message'

 Hack frowned as he asked,what of  our people?

 I sent the   Pink warning... they know how they have to start any message... thus far  we haven't heard from any of them

 Hennings looked over the Hanger Dec, then to Hack,..Morgan is  as hard as they come?, I'd like to think his  Brother  would be of the same mold, why would he  send the message?

 there are tons of reasons.. he could have a gun to his head, or  a gun to the ehad of a loved one...maybe he has it in for  the ESN, because he lost his leg and couldn't get a 'regrow'.... maybe creds  are involved...or maybe a invitation to dinner?

 beth Nodded,with him as the main course.

 ..that doesn't track?  they prefer  Kids  and  women , because they are more tender?


  for the High Officers?...for  the  loyalty feasts?... But they  toss a few scraps to the lower officers, or  troops, it sends a message to those who  decided   not to work with them

 Hennings  nodded  as he  rubbed his  chin.

 ..what do i do about the COMs?... I mean? i can bleach them, we are going to get tagged by them,

 Hack  looks over the Hanger as well, then says, sterilize them, and  stick them  in a containment  machine, and  we'll review them later....we don't need   crew hesitating because  some one they  know or are related to, is begging them  not to fight,   and such..., When the next  message from our  people come through, get them to look into it.... Either way..deaths, or  no deaths, that Nest ship is  getting destroyed..Earth has a  while yet..because  we have bigger fish to fry, and ...if we have to go to Earth, well?its  not goign to  be pretty, we will be invaders, Just like any other planet we had to shell, we'll just know  our way around a bit  better.

 With a Nod of Agreement, Hennings adds,over the last few months, most of our people have come from Stations or  colonies? They  will only have fleeting  ties to Earth.

 Many of us   who cast off  from Earth, still know it  as home. But....we are in  the middle of the longest runnign  war, that i have read any accounts about.... The demons expect us to stubble over Earth... Instead, we'll go around it...unless our  people down there  can   generate  some kind of effective  counter attack?.... Earth doesn't have  much chance at coming out of this..it might be a good thing,  we can Hammer the Big four, and get rid  of alot of  'the bad' that was there.... but that is a story for another time....if we don't beat the  demons, it doesn't much matter  anyway...

 Beth nodded  and turned back to the consoles. The Admirals  went back to the Hanger Dec.

when the Admirals left, Beth turned to  Izzy,..no one knows  about thsi.... you feed  any Earth COMs into    the SEC Capture  Computer....any COMs that  are labeled  witht he Lights out  Phrase, we'll open here.

Izzy was understandably concerned by the prospect of dealing with comms from Earth, especially those belonging to family members of the crew, but she would nod her head before pulling on a headset and starting to work on the incoming trooper feeds. It was as she was working that she would start speaking to Beth, just as much to have a conversation and distract herself from what was going on back home than to relay the information "Our friend in red was rather talkative, or at least he was until he talked himself into a beating anyway...Now I don't know how accurate his information is but there are two other SSN fleets; one in each funnel into their territory, and a "Former ESN fleet" backed up by mercenaries at Olympus under the command of Governor Frans, in fact from what he told the SSN is rather heavily reliant on mercenaries" she explained suspecting that any engagement they had with them would result in a complete route should things start going against the SSN, that or the ESN simply bought them out from under the SSN before the lead started to fly after all loyalty costs extra "...He also informed me that they have taken over a trio of stations the Angels built, I don't know the names of the stations but the people onboard are pretty much working under duress...oh and they're turning the Kuiper belt into a fortress but that might just be bullshit" she said ending with a bit of a shrug. The information wasn't much but it would give someone else something to work on.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:03, Fri 28 May 2021.

 Lizzy loaded belts and did what she could to help out the grounds crews. She saw Izzy working with Beth and was so happy Izzy seemed to find her place. She was so worried about Nikki she looked bad and from what Izzy said, Harry was in bad shape as well. She truly hoped they would be fine and have a full recovery. She would help out with the crews and have fun doing it.

Henry spoke on his com and then looked round for any 'spare' avian bodies to send down to BioTech for the animals there. The two largs he had with him had made short work of the ones they'd had, nothing left there.

   Climbing back up the scaffold, , Hack watched the  goings on , with the fighters  and the  assault teams.

   there was a distinct frown as he pointed to the  fighters  and looked though thier Gun CAms...

 Hennings  , who had  followed, Nodded,If that Reddish dot is the Nest ship...its bigger then its supposed to be....

 Aye.... We still can't leave the assault teams here.... in case they can't make it to thier shuttles, or the  SSN bastards   try to scuttle the ship.

 Wincing,  Hack   pointed to the ALL COMs  and   Beth hit the Button...

 Attention... Delta  2  and Delta  3 i need to know   your Sit Rep, to moving onto the Nest ship.... The Hermes is  staying with the Troy, until we get our assault teams  back.. I am sending   the Delta  1 ships that our not tied up with  prize vessels and  can fire   ship's guns... we will rejoin  you at the Nest ship, once we get our people  back...

  Bornberry  here  Delta   2 is  ,5 Minutes  from the  Troy.. i left 6  ships  behind  to deal with prizes, and one is badly damaged...

 Captain Bruce here....leaving  7  ships  behind.. two damaged, they rest  are dealing with prizes..

  Very well... The Hermes  will be there when we gather our  people...don't wait for us to arrive... I will send the warning now.. its the only other  warning they get...we have been too nice to them, thus far.... Hack out..

 Pointing to  the   Broadcast Channel,  Beth nods,, she opens  up COMs  to the Black,,,'locking ' the feeds open as  The Admiral begins to speak....

After summarising her conversation with Feng, Izzy would get on with monitoring her section of the comms, though thankfully by this point in the battle they were generally taking care of themselves and required little in the way of intervention from herself. Which was just as well considering the increasing amount of messages she was receiving from Earth for the various members of the crew either asking them for help or for them to call off the attack on the nest ship. She would shunt these messages into secure storage as quickly as possible with her only listening to just enough to confirm that they weren’t from Lights Out before doing so, knowing that listening to them all would drive her mad.

  Beth had  listened to  the results  of Izzy's talk with  Feng....well , that gives us  something we  could only guess at..the Kuiper Belt could be  like a  fortress wall,  and if its  manned guns  or  even  fighter bases, they could Harrass the Fleet  if we have to go in and neutralize Earth.

 she looked  over the   railing at the  3d Holomap... first thing  would be first, once inside the   Belt, we'd have to start takign over  the Moon bases of Saturn  and  Jupiter , as well as Pluto?.... Then  we'd have to  pay a visit to  Olympus... seeing how   Jupiter  and   Olympus  are paired.

 then she shrugs  as she goes  back to the COMs,but? its above my pay grade... Earth turns on us?  we can't treaat it  any differant  then the other  worlds he pounded... The APF is  watching, they have aided   The ESN and helped  beat the 9 hells out of the Empire.... and?  we always have  Fuji, Bura, Uden and a  few other places to call home now...

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

  Rivets is  walkign over  the hanger dec, he has a strained  look on his face. Captain  Morris  sits  on a  crate, sipping  water  and  eating a  cold  sandwich.

 You look  a bit up set Shamus?

  Rivets  sat  down   next to Morris, took off his  crumpled  , softcover  cap. Sneak  hustled over  with a sandwich and water.

 Rivets nods to her  with a tired  smile and she hustles  back to the table.,,That i am, Washington. I ain't used to losing this many people ...some of them, I never got to know thier names.. and a few who been with me  sicne Astra? I dunno which hurts  worse...

 Captain Morris nods  as he takes a  small bite, then says between  chews, somehow  staying  elegant ,..the war is  getting harder... lots of people  are goign to die, and  we cannot do much more then train them  and fight...

 We have   4  birds on the Dec now... 3 of them  kin fly..., we got  but one  pilot to take them up

 If needs  be, I'll fly over top the Hermes.. We only have one pilot otherwise..

  Rivets  nods,a big bite of sandwich ,..ye stay on the Dec this  time out...'less The Admiral says so... we kin use the   fighters , iffen some one  comes  in banged up...

 Washington  smiles,aye, we shall see....

 Lizzy was helping out where she could, and the grounds crew was getting beat up in every battle, they needed to do something about this for the next battle protect grounds crew more. Lizzy wanted to do more, she saw Morris had come back, and was talking to Rivets.

 Lizzy walks over to them," Sirs are there any fighters left I wish I could help out more?" Lizzy wanted to help and do what she could, but knowing her friends are hurt she wants to fight and not dwell on their conditions until after.

  Rivets looked at  Lizzy,  your bird  will be good to go, but you can't  enter Atmo.. Don't think that'll be a problem though..

  Morris  was   nibbling his sandwich,..got to listen to crosstalk on the COMs  alot more then normal, cince i was in the  cockpit.... sounds like   The LC had you all on the same page, no one missing wingmen...

 Lizzy nodded to Captain Rivets and replied," Thank you Sir is it ready too head out now Sir?"
Lizzy turned too Captain Morris and replied," Yes Sir we all flew great together unfortunately the only time we lost wingman was them getting shot up Sir. "

Izzy listened to what Beth had to say about Earth and how the APF would expect them to treat it's invasion no differently than any other planet they had encountered "perhaps it would be for the best if the APF dealt with Earth without us...there's a very good reason why the American Nisei battalions in world war two were sent to Europe and not the Pacific" Izzy quietly responded. Just because Hack had the Iron resolve to shell Earth didn't mean that the rest of the fleet did, with him running the risk of mass desertion, mutiny or even people swopping sides should the fleet attempt to invade Earth.

The vast majority of the comms calls she received was standard comms traffic that she simply sent to the relevant party's however there was also and increasing number of comms messages from Earth which she had to sort through with the audio messages being the worst as she had to listen to the screams and sobbing from those on the other end; begging to be saved or for the fleet to turn around and leave the Empire in peace. Despite her best efforts to focus on her job and do what needed to be done it was clear that it was starting to wear on her nerves, however despite this she would manage to find a trio of Lights Out messages that she would pass on to Beth for her to deal with. The first one was addressed to Shadow from a woman by the name of Hannah, closely followed by Stoly Senior wishing to speak with Roy. The person in the third message didn't identify themselves but did use the correct pass codes so was added to the list.

With the battle still raging on out in the Black Izzy would continue to monitor the comms; listening out for any further messages from Lights Out operatives with a haunted look in her eyes as she did so.

  Beth gave a shrug, the stern look on her  face as she routed  Calls  and  watched the Admiral for  any  questons  or   Links.

  In the End?... There's  enough  evil folks who signed up  for  Creds, or power,  and turned thier back on  the  'have nots'  and those loyal to what  the ESN was  supposed to stand  for.... If  we have to pound  Earth into a ball of clay to reshape it... I won't shed a tear...

   She Saw the Calls for Shadow  and  Roy... she he touched the  COM from Hannah, she didn't open in, a slightly sad  look came to her face,..Shadow?   Izzy  has  been filtering COM  Calls,,, I have one  for you from Hannah..shpould i open it?

 Shadow's voice a  a bit quiet.....no?... if i get back, we can loik at it together,,,if  i get torched  you can open it  then....

 Already done..... she said  softly, a pained looked on her  face as she  loked to Izzy.

 Then to Roy... Stoly  The Elder sent you a COM from earth... let me know if you want me to open it, send it to you, or wait....

 The Last one she   catches the Admiral's   attention, pointing  at both  Admirals.

  Arriving  on the scaffold,  Hack nodded to the COM  and  Beth Opened it...

 Lights have been going off   around here..( a puase )... I am Ralston Humes...Ligths Out..Canada.. we have been  movng people to the '10 Circle  Hideaways'.. we've been losing people...but  we're giving better then we have taken.... Eath  has folks who are siding  with  the  Paradise  Angels  and   the ESN.... others folks have  bought into   the EDT and Empire. lots  of  damn redcoats  running around..easy to shoot though.... Don't know if you're  comign al the way in..but if you do, give us a heads up, so we can get as many good  folks into the 'deep blue" Ralston out..

   Rivets   pointed at   Lizzy fighter, Argie  who looked tired beyond compare, nodded and gave a thumbs up...

 check yer belts  Lass, and  go ctach up to the rest o' the lads and Lasses ..

 Morris gave her  a  nod  and a wink as he sipped his  water.

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

  Hack  stood on the  Scaffolding as he listened to Bornberry give orders, he smiled a bit  and  Hennings grinned.....sounds like she was thinking of this   for a while...


  Nothing  wrong with that..... best to have  Leaders then followers...

  Beth loked at  both the Admirals... The Nest ship is sending some shuttles  away... we don't know who is on them...

There is a  slight nod of his head. For a brief moment. he has a sad look on his  face,we are  about to learn about our race. We already know there are  folks   who look down on those  who have a lower station in Life... we know there are people out there who will use  those people, to earn creds  or  gain power . We know, for a fact, the  Empire will leave Humans  and APF  behind, to try to slow or stop us.....

 ..it is up to the  Humans  and APF folk on that nest ship, to  fight  for those   folks  who are going to be left for dead... his   brow furrows,..because  we cannot  allow them to use  Humans  and APF folk as shields...

 beth  looked at the screens  are the   Cap ships deployed...

 About the  time the  keel was  layed  and the first three decks of the Bulkheads were in place, a Group of  anti-ESN  folks  had  captured some  workers and threatened to kill them if  we did not stop work on  The Hermes... GE-FI  and that time, gave in..., promising the Keel  would be lifted  soon to the space docks  to complete   its build...

..about a week later, all over the world, Hostages were taken, demands for everything under the sun, was made... some  countries  and cities  gave in..others did not..people died..and more died  and more died...

 Hennings said softly,..Academy  History , freshman year.... The  anti-Angel movement  captured 24  workers  who  were terra  Forming   Titan ....The demanded  we stop, and not spread our 'taint' through the Black...The ESN  chose not to  negotiate  with them... They Killed   2 a day, for  12 days... then? they were out of hostages.... The first Gen , 'Dropship' Troopers    landed on Titan, and killed very last   member of the
 EDT movement there...it was the last 'hostage' threat we have  recived from  the Enimies
 ..outside o booby Trapped   transports and med Tech ships.... The Professor  used to say "...can't make an omelet with out breaking eggs.." he smiled a bit.

 LC says that alot. like a Mantra ....when that nest ship goes, alot of eggs
 are going to be broken.

 Lizzy smiled at Rivets and replied," Thank you Sir, I will of course check them Sir, I will Sir go Hermes." Lizzy smiled at Morris and then ran over towards her fighter and began her pre-flight checks. After those where done she would store her emergency gear and equipment because she thought they might have to scrap her but her  mantis made it through so far. She would try and get Izzy's attention but she looked busy as hell. Lizzy sent Izzy a Comm Text Message: " Izzy they fixed my fighter heading abck out to hit the Nest Ship, love you see you soon. Lizzy xoxoxoxox." Then she checked her belts and when that was all completed she did one last check, jumped into the cockpit and powered up her fighter.

 She got her helmet on, powered up her systems and saw how her lights came on and if she had any major problems. Once she was good too go, she turned on her Comms," This Is O'Conner bird fixed enough to help out on my way." Lizzy then saluted the dec Master and then smiled hit her thrusters and headed out of the hanger dec back into the fight.

---->>>> To Alph-Beta Funnel

Despite the number of messages having slowed down Izzy would continue to quietly concentrate on what she was doing, blocking out much of what was going on around her, though she would briefly pause to read Lizzy's message before stoically continuing. It was probably a good hour after she had last spoken to Beth, and more tearful, pleading messages from Earth than she cared to count, that Izzy would clear her throat and speak in a voice that betrayed the strain she was under "I've just received another Lights Out message" she said with her usual cheerful mood nowhere to be seen as she transferred the message across to Beth for her to deal with. Again she didn't recognise the name of the operative, though that was perhaps to be expected all things considered.

Rooting around, Henry managed to find some avian remains to send down to Bio-Tech for the largs and briss there, then sat quietly at the base of the scaffolding on the off-chance that anyone else would be daft enough to try and storm the Hermes. A rather grubby Mila curled up on his feet and went to sleep there.

 Hack nods to beth again... she  plays the latest Message.

 ..lights  are out....getting dim.... Lights out Argentina, We  just finished a massive battle. we drove the EDT and Empire forces    to the sea... but  they had some  captured  Navel vessels  shell the shore line... Cities are buring. we are headed to the Amazon at the 'Three Tree Hole' recruits comign in by the drove...Empire is packing up kids and sending it  gods be damned  Angel shuttles to larder  ships... we are connecting...it  will be slow...but they can't have earth without a fight.... you get a chance, carpet bomb the  who globe! We'll sort out what's left... Jave Ortege.. Lights out  SA....

 Hennings  and Hack were  quiet...Hennings  spoke first,The fleet  could  do a  'drive by..' maybe  take out  GE-Fi's mother ships?... we could get target points from those on the ground?

 It would be nice if it were that simple. But we have to deal with the colonies  and Olympus....They could  shut us off from the Delta Quad... we  could fight through?.. but it would be costly. And Matterhorn needs us  as well......After  this  action... we have to talk with Paradise and see what they can do for us, now that they are free.

  Beth watches  the  Nest-Station getting pounded...are we sending people there?

  aye, if  we get our assault  teams back..if  not, we'll pound it to shards....

 wecound send in drops ship troopers in , with out  assault  recon?

Hack shook his head as he watched,..no?...  we'll send  recon in  first to see if we can save  anyone... if  so, the troopers will go  and   round folks up....if we cannot  send in the assault  teams, I won't  send in  troopers, and we'll just blow the whol damn thing  up...

 we're blowing it up  anyway?  aren't we?

 Aye?... but one  way we try to see if  we can save  a few handfuls of people ... the other  way, we just save our own people... I'm good with either, right now.

Henry was listening to the chatter.

"I have been on an Avian Nest vessel before. Do you want me to go with the recon team?"

Mila sat up and paid attention, picking up the feelings of revulsion from Her Human's memories. He was trying to repress them - trying to conceal things from HER? Fat chance!

  The Admiral looked down the stairs  at Henry, the out   the  static field, as he said,It doesn't  appear to be a standard nest ship, and those  new tubes  around it, have the look on Anzio... I think  there has been alot of  Remodeling done.... but if you want to go, . we'll get you on an assault shuttle  when they come  back to refresh and rearm.

Henry nodded.

"If you think I can help... I'll go."

 Meari took a seat on a few crates not far from Feng, she watched him close she had a feeling he was trying to find a way too escape. Merari just smiled at him and then said," So Captain Traitor how many human children did you have to eat to show your loyalty to Aliens?" She had her shotgun at the ready just in case he tried anything.