There was  a nod  from Hennings, Taht's a good point..   we have to wonder, , beyond  the  Largran and Creshian space, how many colonies are out there..., they  will have to pull  troops from  , 'inside' thier systems..its hard to tell what kind of actions are taking place  way out there...

 There was a  frown and a shake of his head, as Hack said,Not Much known  so far..there are  still Vampic raids  being made against Verian and  Hyrian shipping. They know  that Hyria is APF  now, and they know that Vera has been  gathered into the Udenese systems of  worlds  he waved  at a Vidboard.we have  Mortica out there somewhere, lookign for her  mate. She won't accept he has  been killed, By  Washingnton was the  Vid proof  from  En Rutledge's  Gun Cams...

 Morris cleared his throat.....Trooper  Lynch as been sent away to  the Med Tech ships... if....she recovers, she will either  serve  as a Delta Colony trooper,  or resident...someone   added  'pleasure tech'..i left that on  the  record...I would say, any future  involvement  with her..that we keep the LC away...he is adamant  about her walkig to the med tech ship...

Rivets   nodded.The  Lad was angry, and that's a fact Thouht   we didn['t havta   worry 'bout other people gettin' killed..he has too many friends in SEC, and Shade was Down there...

The  Warlord   scoffed... be nice if he worried  about  all of his  responsibilities   ins such a way...

...Granmod!.... You will still have ASdem around, if not   for Him!

 ..If Not  for  The Admiral. It was his fleet that fell Adem...

Roy's features hardened.  "Warlord, you make one more crack about LC Shadow's sense of duty, and we're going to have an uncomfortable talk.  Where were your ships when we called for a cordon of outgoing vessels?  The only reason Shadow didn't reach that ship before it left...hell, the only reason the whole Hermes Delta Night detachment didn't make it...was because we had other responsibilities...responsibilities that involved preventing further damage to the ESN and APF, rather than chasing down the remains of fallen comrades.  You come out with us on a Delta Night sometime and see just how easy it is to take care of your own assignment, much less doubling back to clean up because someone else botched theirs."

There was no mistaking the tone of his voice...he was fully serious about potentially challenging her, even knowing what he did about Verian physiology and the distinct advantage she had in terms of body density and relative muscle mass.  "I haven't exactly seen you sending out ships to try and chase down leads on where they may have taken Lady's remains.  Stop using Shadow as a whipping boy for your own inability to make up for losing your daughter.  When you hunt down the people who desecrated her monument and bring back the pieces, maybe then you've earned the right to bitch about Shadow.  Until then, keep your hole shut unless you've got something constructive to say."

  Dusk  Gasped, but Giggled.

 Captain Si raised her glass of  a pale blue wine to Roy. Then Looked  at  Lilit.SM  Spencer seems to have  found the right words  for this particular arguement, wouldn't you say?

 ..he  is Shadow's friend....and he is...

 Hack said Sternly,absolutely correct. If  we  want to go further down a very long path... Just thing what a difference, this war  would have been, if someone  had killed   Adem..or even Evert, some 1000 years ago?

 ..  Do you think Mother  would carry on this way, about a  part of her acquired  body? As Father said  when Adem and  Evert used the device to burn mothers, verian-udense body... it was just a shell...

 Captain Morris's   rather  quiet  voice, was stern as  well, as he  sipped  some of the  same wine...it was a rather bad show, that piece being taken. But? it is not a secret weapon? It cannot  cause mass destrction ..it is a mere symbol  for  Lady V, or the EDT ..whomever? But that symbol only matters , if  we allow them  to thing  we overly care about  it.....

 General Bale  added,nothing to be  done about it? If we would search The Black for platter  sized bit of metal, what would be the chance of  finding it?. There are bigger  fish to fry...

 Hennings looked around the table...I was  on  Woth..The  Playground? where  weapons are tested  and such. There is a  Piller  with   Stevens  Name on it there? The first   GMH winner ,humans have had..his body ...isn't there, the piller  was  damaged a few times by mishandled  equipment  by   trainees , they just.... I dunno?... Fix it

 what are you saying?

 ..That.... we send out a statement, in ordinary News  Traffic, That the part has been recovered and the   rest of that wing  will be sealed  in a casing... The  monument  is  there now..and will be  forever, I suppose...no one outside this room, would know that we had  not recovered the  piece...except for those who have it..

 Admiral Hennings?  That piece has Lady's  DNA in it...The EDT or  whomever will wave it around, saying that it is the  missing piece.

  Hennings   smiles...yes... yes they will...won't they...

Roy clearly had more to say on the subject, but seeing that the conversation was moving in constructive directions, he held his peace.  Unlike Lilit, he didn't feel compelled to keep rehashing issues that had been addressed.

But if Lilit chose to continue arguing the point, he had plenty of opinions ready to offer on her own failings.

"It will definitely put them in a bind...first off, they'll actually have to check to see if the piece they've got has any Verian or Udenese DNA...and I'd imagine not everyone has a skilled geneticist on staff, ready to test metal for such things.  But assuming they do, then they have to decide whether they're secure enough to start disputing claims, knowing that anything they send out increases the odds that we can trace their location.  They're almost certainly going to have to send out pre-recorded messages, knowing that Beth can likely trace any live feed they try to use and data-bomb them within a few dozen seconds...and recordings are rarely as convincing as live feeds, since claims that they're doctored diffuse the impact of the message."

He paused, grinning sadly, and added, "And if it meant increasing the chances that we smoke out Lady V and her toadies, Lady would have gladly surrendered a chunk of her structure to serve as a potential homing beacon.  I saw her risk worse...hell, I was the beneficiary of the combined recklessness of Shadow and Lady on multiple occasions."

  I have heard , that Father and  Mother    had  some big fights, and some odd ways to deal with enemies. Dusk said.

 The Admiral looked  around,I suggest we have our   dessert ,  and relax    for  a while  . The LC  has  an 'all hands '  Tunnel run at 2000  hours,  eat now  and  digest before then..eh?


 Hennings    said,so?  the plan is to swing back, all the  way to Vampra

 Admiral Hack    gave a rueful smile,yeas.. we make it looks as   if we are  gong to try to  close in on the  Lizards and Bugs..if  we can engage any, so be it.. By  will  zip right by, and   go through ;The Line,  get fresh troops from Everest as we  pass, and  the hit  Vampra..after that Jump off, we'll  swing back to Everest for  repairs and shore leave.The
 goal here is  to devastate  Vampra..there are only the Bugs  and  the lizards  who can offer any real  aid

"The more we can mislead them, make them look like we're going somewhere else after another target, the harder we can hit them at Vampra.  Hopefully, we can keep the media cooperating with us on this one..."  He still had a sour taste in his mouth from the early days of the Fleet, back when it was only the Hermes and the Harvester, and how the media would unfailingly report every move and intended target that then-Captain Hack had settled on.  It hadn't made much difference in the results, as the Demons, in their arrogance, had dismissed the potential threat of two Human ships...but similar reporting, now, could spell disaster if the Demons and their allies actually got their collective acts together and utilized the free intel...

  Hennings  added, looking to Roy,Delta 4 is already   spreading out as if   forming for Advancement, Dealt   3  is   moving to   , what would be 'thier   flank' if we were in Battle formation.. Dealt 1 and Delta  2 wil form up, some time  tomorrow , as the   support ship top of  of water  and such from E-1

The door opened,  Admiral Roles  entered.. he smiled   and  gave a   Salute as he walked to the bar,  pouted a  tall whisky and drank it  down.

 Too Late to eat?  Captain Si  smiled, take a seat.. we have  plenty.. as he  sat and pointed to the steak , mashed potatoes, and 'corn' as well as a few rolls,  He began to cut into the  meat  as soon as if was set in front of him.

 Alright, This is  what we   found...E-1  had pockets of  Lizards and Creshians.. the  wreck was  making Hybrds..doing a damn good  job...from what we   found in a Lab?..3 of every 5 became humanoid  Creshains,  they  were still deformed in some way.// the other  2 of those
 five, began those spider-human things.. about  two steps up from a UE.

  eating   a few bites  and  taking a  sip of coffee, he smiles and Looks at the coffee...now?.. we   seeded amor  Morrow  Buoys  between her  and  Anzio, closer to the  Creshian side of the   corridor.. we  picked d up Vampic   Corvette.. we let the   Run..but you can bet they are around Hyria and The Line.

 we're going to  pay a Visit to  Vampra Space.

 I didn't think you sent us out there , just  to snoop..we  did  catch EDT signal   on the   far side  of Vera?..  I don'ty know what's out there... but they might have thier won corridor  to  Vampra.

A sly grin crept into Roy's eyes, although it made it little further than that.  "If we're lucky, we'll catch a significant EDT detachment in Vampic space, as well...although I really have a hard time seeing what anyone in the EDT could offer the Vampics.  The Demons could at least utilize the threat of overwhelming force--whether or not they could actually deliver doesn't matter, as long as the threat is plausible.  The EDT isn't strong enough to be threatening...and in spite of all her ill-gotten gains, I can't see Lady V being wealthy enough to buy the Vampics' loyalties..."

His voice tapered off as he realized he was drifting from the original point.  "But I'd imagine any EDT forces going through Vampic space would regard themselves as pretty secure against an attack by us.  That's the best time to kick 'em in the ass."

 General Bale, clears his throat  as he starts on his  dessert of  some Burian Berry  pie.

 From the Information i receive from Provost agents,  Together with   What Captain Morris  receives from  Lights Out Agents. The EDT  is becoming, or has become  ...'dark Ops'  arm of the Empire.

 Captain Morris agrees,This is true, and it is a very intelligent  move on their  part. The Big Three  of  Demons, Largrans and Creshians, cannot  walk around   other races  planets and holdings  , unless they happen to be wearing ESN or  APF  Uniforms?... Even  at that, COM pictures  are taken   by someone, and fed to the  Nearest SEC ....

 They seem to recruit Malcontents  and fringe  folk , from the  dominate  Race  of whatever  planet or holding it is. Humans though, are like the Norway Rats  of the sailing ship days. We tend to pop up everywhere  and adapt.

 Looking around the table, he continues,If you remember the 'ill-fated' Earth return we  had, when  The Hammer V was supposed to be the Next best thing?... EDT  was thought to have infiltrated the Angel Military as they  had  , many Black Uniformed  Angel Elite with them. It  turned out, as  we  saw  with  Captain Si's ...late sister... that the Angels  not only  recruited the EDT, but gave them much  support and power to spread. Now? every time  we dock somewhere. The first thing I must  do is  send a coded  message  to our Agents , to see who or what need to be eliminated... Then we send out  the LC, SM and  eager volunteers  to remove  those  marks..we have been getting lax of late, as we have had   some  people  , several  ball up their missions.

 Dusk speaks up....but  all legs of  lights  out tend to have some problems? Do they not?

 Indeed, Captain Shadow. We expect such turn of events, since intel is fleeting between the time we get it, and the time we act. The Biggest problems is when our  Volunteers , make  mistakes of thier own...  our people  normally , can adjust to whatever the Mark's  defenses  are, and what changes they have made....but it is hard to make up forfoolish and stupid acts by our people.... we send out teams, for a reason..

 does not your  LC  go out  on missions  alone.

 There are times the LC goes  out  after a Mark , by himself. It is  normally because the MArk  has the same skill set  as he. One must understand,  Our Lights out Agents  aboard this ship, have been confirmed after   a few  Delta Night  Missions...

 Roles is  about halfway done with his steak,Shadow  and  I were  recruited   to be  Lights Out... we were lights  out before we were recruited... I mean..not officially?.. we  killed folks  to balance the ledger, and  help folks..Beth  is in the same Boat, but she  handles the things   Kray and I wouldn't have a clue to do?...

 Hack added,Our Black Hanger is home to  the 'Hermes Lights Out"..very few  people  are  admitted there...and yes? we  made  mistakes, but we tend to shorten the lifespan of those mistakes.

 Captain Si clears her throat,getting back to the point?... EDT is there to Help Vampics... their main service, would be as always.. the Funneling of  Humans  and  other  APF  people into the Larders of the Vampics... The Vampics, in turn, can sort out  the  'foodresources. Those they can Turn, will add to their genetic  versatility , and make the Vampic  stronger. There is a reason  Demons punish any Vampics that hold  Demonic  captives..a Vampic-Demon  hybrd, would be  harder to deal with in  Combat, and even worse in dark ops.

 Lilit  looks from  ack to  Si...Is there a reason, neither  of you take part in Delta  nights?

 forks  hei the table all around.

 Captain  Si too  a deep sip of her wine, and cocked her head   slightly...Lilit? I have never , formally asked you what you allowed Adem and Evert to run wild  in your section of Space...your  fight with them , goes back further then  The Angel-Demonic war...another  sip and a straightening of her head,As  a LT in the ESN  and  instructor at SanDiego Academy,  My Husband  and I  culled out recruits , not just for Lights Out. But  for the Hermes.. Roles, Beth. Lyri  and Shadow  are , our most  successful
 candidates...

 Rolls   lifts  a forkful of mashed potatoes to  Lilit and winks.

 I served   to  infiltrate  agents, and  evac them, along with other candidates who would fly shuttles, drive  cars... Oliver   was a flight instructor, as a  side  job, while he over saw  the Hermes   building...    His  actions were more  'in house', as certain other Instructors, or   ranking Officers  had  accidents to prevent them from  aiding the enemy, or ...simply  taking  advantage of   recuirts....

   Roles sipped his coffee...we liked doing that too... made us feel like we were back in New York

  Hack breaks in...sadly? we are too high profile. So we use that? There is always The   Balls that  the    Home port puts on for the fleet, this, in turn  has  parties  all across the planet of Station, we  make sure   the people involved  are seen at the right places, and can leave  with just the right reasons. You have stood along side  as , at many of these  occasions

Captain Morris adds,we used to try to   hide  some of our...for want of a better   word..'Aliens'... but we have found out, the   images of  a dark figure , that resembles  a demon, or  Hyrian, or  Sanri..not to mention a  Short Undenese -Verian can cause   all kinds of  worry , among our enemies...The damage  and  Kills we  do on Delta Night, is but a fraction of what we net  from  vessels   leaving   a port, to escape...  fighters and
 picket ships   detain , or destroy them, depending on  how the react to boarding...many of the smaller  vessels we capture , are sent to  The Pit, Nivar, Bura, Astra, and Aqra to add what  defense they  are able.

 Captain Si smiled a condescending Smile at Lilit.so you see, Warlord . We know what we  are doing, and we know there will be  mistakes...whatever  distain you seem to have  found for   The LC... you must remember , he is the Father of Lady's   children, regardless, of how his DNA  was used. For My part,  Shadow, Roles  and  Beth are  like  my children..  they  gained our Interest, we tried to help them, then recruited them, to help us..

 Roles  nodded,Angel  made Pasta, with these light  rolls?.. it was worth it  to run the streets, knowing you would be getting a meal like that!

Si Smiled. Hack Chuckled.

 Lilit   straighten  as she  said.....indeed, that  serves you well, since you cannot have your own offspring...

 Si Looked like she had Been slapped...Hack  put both hands on the table...most folks  were shocked...  Dusked  shouted in Anger.. 'GRANMOD"!

 Morris  stood.  stood...HOW DARE YOU MADAM! I DO NOT SEE YOU OVERBURDANED BY OFFPING!... WAS LADY YOU ONLY GET?

 Lilit    was shaken for a moment.

Roy was dumbfounded for the barest of moments...but one didn't survive twenty years of sniper duties by being slow to adapt to changing situations.  Shaking his head slowly, he spoke in the pause.  "Warlord, I'm beginning to understand why Sergeant Meari has such a hard time understanding humans, even after this much time around them."  It was the slow, "can you really be THAT stupid" drawl of a drill instructor...and it suddenly turned cold and hard.

"Before you start casting aspersions on anyone who sits in any leadership capacity in the Fleet, you better make sure your record is better than theirs.  With regards to your question about why the Admiral and Captain don't participate in Delta Night...it would be really stupid to take the brains that fought the Demons to a standstill in the Delta Quadrant and built the Delta Fleet from two warships into the most lethal armada in the Black, and put them at risk chasing a bunch of lackeys and errand boys.  The operators that lead Delta Night are there for one or two reasons...either they were expendable and volunteered, or they're REALLY, REALLY damned good at it.  Keep in mind, LC Shadow beat you, three out of three, in contests that YOU chose, and he did it by unconventional means.  When he goes out on Delta Night, he's not a pilot who's going out to chase bad guys...he's a cold-hearted butcher who happens to know how to fly.  He's probably killed more people in Lights Out missions and Delta Nights than you have in your entire combat history, and you've had a thousand years or more head start on him.  That's why he goes out...well, that, and he gets a perverse joy out of making bad guys suffer.  I go out because I'm good at making dead bodies out of live ones, and not always at long range with a high-velocity projectile."

He gestured over at the ranking brass in the room.  "They may or may not have the skills to do Delta Night, but it doesn't matter.  They have other skills that none of the rest of us have.  There's plenty of pilots and groundpounders in the fleet...we're redundant, aside from our experience.  There's not one person, Human or alien, in this fleet that could do what Admiral Hack has done.  So why the hell would we put him at risk in a Delta Night situation when we've got a few dozen operators who are just as good as him at that kind of work?"

He gave her a frank look, and shook his head again.  "It's a damned good thing for Uden that you're a helluva warrior, because your strategic sense obviously didn't help much in trying to protect the planet, if your questions and comments here are any indicator of how much you grasp the greater picture.  But even then...if it was just you leading the war effort, where would Uden be right now?  It wasn't Uden's forces that beat Adem and Evert.  You've got a LONG way to go before you earn the right to start asking those kinds of questions to the people who liberated your world."

  Lilit stood.. she  was shaken by the 'lack of respect'( in her  eyes).I have had  many...'get'...Captain Morris. you mythical book hints  briefly as the lands  That were mine, after    Removing myself  from Adem's  Tyranny .

  She looked to  Roy,The APF is   better, with the Delta Fleet..... after  the  war?... we will ahve to see what  is done with it... I will take  My leave, I am  goign to take part in your  'Tunnel Run"

as she turned to leave, Hack said,most of us will take part in the run,  Just remember Lilit... This  Run is  Shadow's  gig? . Check your   rank and Ego at the  stairs leading up to the  Tunnels..you will be treated no better then any trooper or pilot during that time..

 ,,indeed.. Thank you for the  Dinner  , Nil, Oliver...Dusk? are your  coming?

...not  now  , Granmod. I am hoping to go to the Rec dec  with   Roy, for a bit.  I have not talked  with Shade much.

  Lilit  left... Dusk looked around at the  Table as she  said quietly,...Granmod is...out of sorts. The theft of  Mothers fragment has  hurt her more then any loss  she has suffered... I have heard he speak with  other  ....higher..ranking Undenese  officers., She  is not pleased, that  My brother  and I have  come from the DNA of  Fathe... Adem's  using Mother  to  'infiltrate' the  Earth, backfired, as Mother became , more  and More attracted to  Father. I believe, if  Mother would have access to her  real body, she would have left the fighter, and  tried to become Father's   Mate...


 she tapped her head...Adem tried to remove  any traces of  Mother from my programmed memory... it  did not work, and Evert would not allow, him to 'fix ' me.... I know. That Shade  would have been disassembled  by Adem  and Evert..They say he was  too 'broken'... I learned quickly, that  they feared  he had 'too much' human in him....

 She smiled, perhaps a bit Sadly,one of the first things  Father showed me, when i came back from  Vera. Was Shade  protecting my egg..he gave up so much to do that... I do not know if  that is father's  DNA, or Mothers, or if the combination is what drove Shade to hatch himself  early.  I have seen, on Vera. Hatchlings, that  'do not make it'..they are mere armatures of a verian, and look, only slightly different, from Shade.I can never  repay Shade for what he tried to do. Thinking   we....I...was in danger. And how  i acted,when
 i was  with Adem and Evert.. I  think i understand  Granmod a bit because of that...She was...'Warlord'..and now, she is   just the leader  of  Undenese  System, as she followed the Admiral

 She Stood  and   said to   Captain Si...Thank you and  The Admiral for the   Dinner... I will go to the rec dec  for a bit, before i  get ready for the tunnel run.

Roy stood up, with a mildly apologetic smile to the Captains and Admirals.  "Apparently, that's my cue to be going.  Can't have the Udenese flag captain be made a liar so soon after she declined the Warlord's invitation..."  While the wink never made it to his eye, it could be heard in his tone...less a tease of Dusk and more a slight jibe at Lilit, but he said it in good humor, just the same.

(( luncheon after leaving Bura...))


The Admiral's  quarters   had the  smell of  what might be  Ham and Turkey, at least to humans.

 The table was  set in the Living room area, Vis screens were on showing news from other Quads.

Ambassador Lix, of the Skith  was in the  Room talking with Captain Si.  The Sanri ambassador  and Occui   had come over  and were   sitting in stuffed chairs, drinking a hot drink as they  spoke. It was  early  yet.

----->>>>>>>> From Officer Quarters

Sam left her Quarters then headed down towards the Admiral's Quarters, she smiled at the guards and walked in. She looked around looking very nervous. She wasnt sure where to sit and what the procedures where so she went and got some coffee and some food.

Roy arrived shortly after the Sanri and Occui ambassadors, just in time to catch Sam's arrival.  "Ambassador," he said, with due formality...and just a hint of a comforting grin.  "Come on in, meet the others..."

He turned to the Sanri and Occui ambassadors.  "I don't believe you've had the opportunity to meet Ambassador Robertson?  She'd the delegate from Bura..."

  The Occui   smiled and offered his  hand,ahhh..yes... you are Burian Fllet..yes? Well it  will be good  for   some one with Combat in thier  blod...too many   desk people involved any more!

 Dusk was  Introducing   Shade to   those who haven't met him in person, or, if they had  seen , him , never approached him before.


AZ-EL  was there in her Dress uniform  for the  Mons, she talked to Dusk and Shade, with Dusk filling in what  Shade  said

 Sam smiled at Roy and replied," Thank you SM." Sam smiled and raised a hand to the Occui delegate. Sam smiled at the Occui and replied," Well I guess I am both, I use to run a desk but since I joined the Burian Fleet I have seen a lot of combat I even shot bad guys on Roussa.  So I can see it from both perspectives." Sam smiled at Roy for helping her out, she then migled with the other delegates until it was ready to get started.

  May I have your attention.  This is  a luncheon with 2 reasons.. The First is , in honor of our new Bura Ambassador. Lt  Robertson.....

There was clapping  all  around. Holding up  his  glass,he  says,To the Ambassador...

  everyone   raised thier glasses of what ever  drink they had.

 The  Second  part, is, If she will forgive me.. a tad  more important. Please sit and select your food, this  is a  'eating, meeting..

Rivets and Morris  sat  together..  Shade  sat  next to  Lilit..Dusk on the other  side, with Roy next to her.. Lix  sat with the Sanri and Occui and Nivarian  ambassador.AZ-El sat across from Roy, and  Captain Muska  sat  one  chair down

 Muska  raised  his  massive arm..Hack Nodded to him as he took a bite of  steak and Noodles.why are not the Hyrians here..and Gava and naragrans? and where is    The LC...

 The Hyrians  are atentding to shipboard Business.. there   Cptain of their Flagship  will be on the    Monitoe to the left..as will the Gava  and Naragrans..we would have  had to have this meeting on the Hanger  dec to inclue the   Naragrans.. but we canot  as  Captain O'Rielly's people are very busy,As  for the LC, Captain Morris  has al the information aboiut the airwing.

  and? you do not  need a Bullet to know its destination, you just pul the tigger and send it on its way... Lilit  said.

 Shade grined  and whilrl..Lilit  seems shocked.

 Dusk said,The  Amabassador  made a comment of wht he things   Wartoed   Lilit  shoud  do with her  response.....

there was  some laughter    as Shades  eyes    rturned to grey from Black.

 Sam cheered, and then said," Thank you everyone, it is a honor to be selected as the Byrian Ambassador thank you again. Yes of course sir." Sam got some food and listened to the start of the meeting.

"That's a somewhat short-sighted viewpoint," Roy commented drily.  "Bullets are only good against opponents that you can actually see...you extend the range over the horizon and you need artillery that can lay down indirect fire, or aerial support...and in either case, you need precise directions to make sure the shot lands where you want it.  But the Udenese don't really favor indirect fire, from what I understand."  He paused for a moment, then added, "In fact, I was under the impression that your people preferred pulse rounds, rather than hard ammo..."

It was all spoken with casual dismissal, as if he was discussing a trivial subject...and without waiting for any response from Lilit, he tucked into the steak dinner he'd selected for his meal...almost as dismissal of her.

  Shade  whirled and Bleeped..

  The Ambassadoe  feels you may still be angry  over being  beaten but  father  in the three challenegs

 Your Father  cheated on the range.... the  Sims, are only sims, and the HAnd to hand , i almost killed him...

 Captain Si said,and if that Vibra Blade would have  been his trench knife..how would you have fared? SM..you were there? How badly , did the  LC cheat in those trails..

every9ne  turned to Roy.

Roy cleared his throat, taking a moment to wipe the corners of his mouth.  "Well, in all honesty, the only 'cheating' he did was strictly abiding by the terms of the contests.  It's not his fault that you thought they were supposed to be one-on-one direct challenges.  The terms were laid out, the Warlord agreed to them, and then Shadow fulfilled them, by staying focused on the actual objective of each encounter, rather than getting distracted by efforts at displaying some perceived superiority."

He gave Lilit a level gaze, unflinching in what was undoubtedly her growing ire, and added, "He won because he kept his ego out of the way, whereas you kept tripping over yours."

 Captain Si  gave Lilit a tilt of her  head an a smile, something she must have picked up from human women.

 be that as it may? Had he  adhered  to the rules  as they were  written, he would  have lost the range, he may have still beat me in the Sims, and the Outcome of the  Hand to hand  would have been Much differant

 Shade  said  something   holding up a Hand , with   1 finger  raised.

 The Ambassador  said  That you would have still lost, and  father   had  out maneuvered you in Hand to hand

  Rivets  raised a hand...lookit. I 'ave a 'anger  ta run,  let us move of  from the Warlord gettin' her  ass kicked, to something that matters, Like..what are we gonna do  and how we getting there..

 People laughed ( except   Lilit) Shade's eyes  were green. as was Dusk's

 The Admiral  smiles  as he  takes  another bite of his meal, after  sipping  some coffee he says.Rivets is  right.. that is one of the purposes of the meet and eat.. What we are goign to do, is By Pass  Fuji...  and  steam close to Astra... BU's from astra  will  be waiting in orbit  with more  fresh food  and  water as needed , they will supply us on the run...., From astra  we  will sail  directly to the  Blue Moon, to pick  up angel troops for each ship and at least one transport of angel troopers, The Felrites  are  sending a squadron over to help protect the Moons  when we cast off from there., and we  will put a  full on course  for  Paradise Prime...The  other two planets, Shangri-la and Nirvana, will get to witness what we do  to Paradise prime. we are not  going to 'blockade them.. we are goign to kick their asses, and show the  , the horrors of  war

 He nods to Lix...They  Skith is are loanign us   4 Cap ships and  4  transportbases of troops. The Angels and the Skith are not the closest of friends. By the Skith have held the Qarl at bay for  centuries  The sight of  Skith in our Van guard, will send the message, that we  not only fill that the   Qarl are  contained, but will add, that the Skith  have sided with us after  Paradise  brought us into this war.

 Lix  added, The Angel moons have been good to us. many times  we had  damaged Vessel able to , put into the moons for repairs. Those inside the blockade would   turn down any  attempt made, for us to aid them by running the blockades..it was as if they were afraid of what the Empire  will do...   the faces on the Vid board of   Hyrians, Gava. naragrans and Felrites nodded in agreement, though the Gava might have been lost in what he spoke of.

 There are still  2 fleets of  Empire  vessels, a mix of the  main three races... they  are in space, around   the other two planets.  if they come to the Aid of the Paradise fleets, we must be ready... if they do not, and we subjugate  Paradise, we  need to eliminate their presence, one way or the  Other..

 we will be  ready for that, I should think. I do not think we  will get out of this
  with out losses, we are attacking   the Prime planet of a system that has been ruling over The Black for almost 2000 years

AZ-El shakes her head..Maybe the  1st 1000, the rest of the  time they sent out for aid, and  filled transports  with   their own people  to decorate the   dinning  tables of the  Demons.

  Sims   waved his   fork....let us hear feed back

 Sam smiled and listened, she didnt see the contests between the LC and the intimidating Warlord, she would have to check out those vids if they had any thats for sure.

 Sam then added her input," Sounds like an excellent plan to me Admiral, maybe with those 2 Empire fleets in the area, we could put together a Burian, Udenese, Hyrian battle group to watch those fleets and to blindside them if they attack and try to protect Paradise Prime. Also Admiral how are we attacking Paradise Prime, ae we going to shell them into the Stone Age or are we actually going to do foghter and ground assaults?"