Sam went around the Condo too look for Howe.

    The Board came In , Flores  snapped a salute  while in  her Bikini  holding a  cover up.

   Hack  waved to Elge , ERlge  poured  some Burian Rum. The Captain took Astra   'gin'.. Hennings   went for a beer, for  he and  Bale.

 Beth looked  up as she finished  putting   the  Vidboards  and Lap tops into a special lined case.Anything Wrong  , Admiral...

 there's a how lot that's  wrong, I need to see what  The SM thinks  about all the  Black Uniforms on Paradise Cap ship

<<<<<<<<  Shadow from beach.

  entering the  the  condo, The Admiral  and others  sat around counter.. Elge looked at him, giving him a shake of his ehad  and a wry smile,I have  , no fear of this station falling any longer, she  has survived  two Delta Ops and she still stands....

 Just one Delta Night.. the other one, was a Shadow night...

 FC Captain on the site says, there  are close  to 100  dead  , in and  around the resort...

[7 blank lines suppressed]

Shadow   Takes a glass of  chocolate Milk from Captain Si.....guess  that happens when you have a Building  stuffed  full of Black Unifroms...

 alot of them were killed  otside the  Building, Including Civies...

 sipping the  chocolate  milk,..yeah?  too bad they hung around with  enemy troops.... too bad , i guess..

 My friends?.. You do not care?

 Not one bit. there is what?..a Million people on this giant  tin can? lots of them are alive, because they weren't with bad guys...

 ..you cannot   kil people  , ebcause they are Bad Guys...

 Shadow snapped, cauing alot of the people , except  for Admiral Hack to jump..DON"T!.... it wasn't long ago  you would have  been in a bag outside this station....someone has to kill bad  guys..that's what i do....if a few good guys  get caught in the wash... I'll feel a little bad...but?  someone workign with Bad guys?.. that makes them bad guys....Now?.. I'll see you all  at breakfast, if you want..  he down the rest of the Milk nad  went back towards the4  spare rom, in the masterbedroom-staging area.

Roy walked in, just in time to catch the tail-end of the exchange.  He watched in silence as Shadow sounded off and walked away, then stepped forward.  "You sure as shit CAN kill people because they're bad guys.  There's no better reason for it.  Yeah, there's stealing-credits-from-banks bad guys, and they maybe don't deserve to die.  But selling-your-own-people-as-as-literal-fodder bad guys?"  He shook his head.

"I can't think of a single good reason they should be left alive.  And anyone who associates with them, knowing that's what they do?  As the old saying goes, they made that bed, they can die in it."

  Elge  frowns......this is not  the job i thought it would be... we have  put  down  some...very bad..people..but you people are laying waste to the station

  Not your problem , Elge. Your job is to protect  the people of the Station.... Admiral Richards  job is  to make sure the  station stays clean.... These Paradise  ship are  full of scum, we just helped you clean some of that up.... We are asking some heavy questions tomorrow...we'll see  what answers ZU-IS  has.

 standing, The Admiral  waved as he walked to the main door,see  you folks at Breakfast.

Elge  finished his   drink,  with a shake of his head...it was much better shooting people...  he followed out

Roy snorted softly at Elge's final comment.  "Sounds like Elge didn't realize that, when he got tapped for the position, we needed Elge the Assassin, rather than for Elge to straighten up and become a bureaucrat.  I mean, I wasn't that acquainted with his reputation...but when I learned about him and Shadow suggested him to be Security Chief here, I thought Etna would be cleaned up "The Elge Way", and Delta Night wouldn't be an uncommon event because those targets would routinely be disappearing.  I certainly didn't expect him to turn out to be squeamish about bad guys dying..."

He shook his head, and proceeded down the hall to drop off his rifle and gear in Shadow's 'ready room'.

  Gresh gave a  wave  with his , lone lower  arm,..we have  many stories  of  great war leaders, who were not great civie leaders. Perhaps, he will  find his  way back to being the
 'shooting' elge

  Beth  waved to everyone as she went out the door to  visit the beach for a bit, see you guys in a few hours.

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

 Shadow  sat on one of the high backed chairs he had a  tee shirt and sweats on, his  enviro suit  on the  floor. The  Greasegun , looked brand  new , as he   laid it on the floor, holding a , lightly oiled rag, in his left hand/

 looking up at Roy, he said,so?... GE-FI....right? He was the   Military governor  of Earth and the Sol System.  But it was his call, not  to help the  Moons when they fought back at the Empire?...... It was his  choice for the Sol System, to join the Empire?.... Vicrock gets  recognized  by The Paradise system, with   the Angels  having ambassadors swapped out?.... who made that choice?... GE-FI?  but he's only  in charge of  The Sol System..does that  mean  the big boss in Paradise, is as bad as GE-FI..?

The crates  and chests were mostly open. places  for  certain weapons empty, the  grenade crate only and 4 grenades left on the  4th row  of the  container.

 we got around  2 days, maybe a bit more, before we get in a shooting war again... Bugs  and Lizards for the most part I wish Doc, would have went along with the  Bug Drug The APF  would come back with  alot more troopers, and those troopers  would come back with more body parts , still attached.

 a Voice from   the stack of closed containers came as Nifty  stuck his head out,why don't  we just  go to the Sol System  and   kill this GE-FI guy...

 Shadow waved the  rag in a tired hand,...can't...anyone we send there , that would be good  enough to do the job, is needed  here....we need to go as a fleet, but then  we are invading the  Sol System.  I mean?  we're gonna have to do it sooner or later, By the Sol System, is a tiny bump in the  road, Lizards, Bugs, vampics and the rest..they have to go first.

 Then he looks at Nifty,what are you doing  back there...

 ..sleeping between the   trunks?.. pretty comfy with the  pillows  from the main bed here...

Roy shook his head at Nifty's question...and again at the explanation of why he was there.  "Ge-Fi is a distraction.  The real enemy is the Demons, and turning back to Earth would only prolong the war...and could be turned into propaganda to convince other systems that the Delta Fleet can't be trusted, that we turned on our own so how can we be trusted to respect and protect those who aren't ours."

He glanced over at Shadow, and added, "And anyone we sent to get Ge-Fi would be going in on a suicide mission with little chance of success.  Ge-Fi seems to spend most of his time on that Angel station in near-Earth orbit, so it's not like we can just kick in the door of his favorite restaurant and shoot him at dinner.  Someone would have to infiltrate a station with tightly-controlled access, probably only possible for either an Angel or someone who could pass for one.  If anyone like Shadow, Mullins, myself...people familiar enough with Earth to get around but skilled enough to get the job done...went back, we'd be killed as soon as we were spotted, and if we were absent from the Fleet for long, Ge-Fi's spies would notice the absence and they'd be on alert.  So, we can't go in big...and going in small has a slim fraction of a percentage point of a chance for success.  We're better off cutting off Ge-Fi's support network, going in after the Empire is defeated, and dragging him out when there's nowhere left for him to run."

He looked over at Shadow and commented, "And I don't think Ge-Fi's actually in control of Paradise...doesn't make any sense for him to have gone to Earth.  More likely, he was estranged from Paradise leadership...maybe ousted by another faction.  Earth was his chance to regain control...if he could manipulate us into fighting for him.  He underestimated how independent we are...he's got SOME Earth forces fighting for him, but his initial plan blew up in his face.  He even tried to saddle you with his other daughter to rein us in...probably would have used her to kill you, if she couldn't control you, but you didn't blindly give in to her looks, or her political connections.  As soon as he realized we were beyond his grasp, he sounded the alarm to Paradise...probably got a skeptical response until we liberated the Moons, and then he became very plausible to them."

He shrugged, and added, "Funny thing is, Paradise knows jack-shit about Humans...so they have to rely on Ge-Fi's advice on how to deal with 7s, because he's the only one with any real history of interaction and any degree of knowledge of our background and psychology.  They don't realize that he's full of shit, himself...so it's the blind leading the blind.  That's the only reason I can imagine an Angel admiral staffing his ship with a bunch of Humans...and others.  I mean, we took down a Largran in an Angel uniform, so Zu-Is is scraping the barrel to man his Fleet, in his eyes.  Pretty sure Lady V didn't buy him off, and it's for sure that it wasn't any of those Shitcrock officers that talked him into it.  Something like that could only happen under the advice of another Angel...Ge-Fi telling them that the Humans would be puppets and cannon-fodder until the Angel's were securely in control and then they could get rid of all of us."

He shrugged, and added, "But, then I thought Elge would do a better-than-adequate job of riding herd on the station and Etna would be one place where we wouldn't need to worry about Delta Nights, so maybe I'm the one full of shit..."

  Shadow shook his head,..Elge didn't  even try to kill me , when i went to mark him...he's people  were idiots. But he talked.... he lost his edge...I think he wants to die respectable like....

 ..What about you LC...

  well? if i go up in a ball of flames, that might be respected... I get  gunned down in  the street, I might have some problems with that.... Hey?.....You're not  sleeping there,  'cause  you think you'll get  to see the Ladies  change   ...right?

Nifty looked  at Shadow, then at Roy, Shadow tilted his head a bit......you....think..I should  go in the  TV area?

 Look? They ladies we have...most of them....will do one of two things. They'll either tease you..or  Knock your teeth out... me?..I'm thinking its  better  to keep all my teeth, Regrown takes a bit..

 check the  rooms, there might be an empty one?

 Nifty looked a bit embarrassed as he went  past   Roy, to see if he had a room, or would sleep on the floor.

 when Nifty was  near the kitchen, Shadow chuckled, reminds me of the  song ' He had   High  nopes , he had  High hopes..."

Roy shook his head.  "That kid needs someone to keep him busy, before his hormones leave him staring at some EDT assassin who flashes a little cleavage before she guts him..."

He tucked his gear away with the meticulous care of someone who relied on the equipment to protect his life, taking time to reload the empty magazine.  As he worked, he said, "So, what do you expect to find at Matterhorn?  I'm guessing with them still chasing down Creshians inside the station itself, it's probably a bit hot for EDT sympathizers to have started setting up shop...anyone on the station that's been there since before the infestation is gonna be watching for any sign of suspicious activity and they're gonna be pissed as hell at anyone they think might be even peripherally responsible for the Creshians hitting the station..."

  Shadow snickered a bit at Roy's take on Nifty...something tells  me is was exposed to that  early , and now that he understands more...is  trying to get more   experience..


 As  far as  Matterhorn goes.. its  sort of our Bredbasket , out here...or, at least it was, until we  annexed Astra and Aqra...and   Bura  signed up? E-1 and E2 are garden spots...but, accroding to what i read, anyway?  Matterhorm's Uppers still has a Mountain, buty the land around is is mostly grain fields and  such, and orchards... i think it goes
 down several decs like that..The Uppers  people live below  the   farms?....The Lowers
 is a flip flop, with   Industry based on Food tech, and weapons for  fighters  and Shuttles...The humans on that base are mostly  American, Germans and Japanese, The germans
 have  had folks  lean towards the Browncoats  and EDT..Japanese folks , not so much..though, i'm sure there are  those  who might  take a chance a quick creds..

 ..anyway.. those  EUs, that got  flooded into the  station,must have thought
 they were in bug heaven with all that food  tech. Naragrans,gava and apefolk, got to freast on them?we'll have to see  what  Admiral Van Ros has done there, I understand  she and
 Admiral Richards are pretty close, so we don't have to worry about one station, letting the
 other one 'die"

   Shadow   gave  Roy a  pat on the shoulder  , as he put his cleaned   SMG  away...Get some rest...gonna have breakfast as always for  people who want.. I guess,  we get  to  be  at the meeting again....See you in the morning..

  The LC   walked to  the   'spareroom', to  get sleep.


  >>>>>>>>>>>>> Next day

 last day of   leave.....

   Those who were still asleep were wakened by bacon, eggs and  toast. Shade sat on a  stool behind the  counter , buttering toast, There was 'grape" Jelly  in large jars  for those who wanted to add that to thier toast.

 Flores  came  around the  courner, a new  one piece on , she was pushing   disheveled hiar  out of her  face as a guy with Diomedes jacket on...the Guy looked at  Shadow, who gave him a half smile, and the  fellow  almost ran out of the   building, nearly tripping over an incoming Larry..

 Flores  shakes her head as she poured  coffee...did you have to do that?...

 I didn't  do anything?

Flores   giggled and shook her head, drinking the coffee like it was some magic healing potion.

  Etna sec called up Shadow,  They heard  the LC say, yeah?.. make sure there is breakfast stuff for the Civies and crew who are staying on the beach, just have them add it to my  Condo bill... Thanks...

 Steele got  a dish of scrambled eggs, toast and bacon,  waiting for Flores to pour him a coffee. ..why you doing that? Stalls  are free , right?

 No..the stall guys get paid for their  time and their supplies...for this  breakfast, i want to make sure the people, especially the civies, get something good, for their last , what?  12 hours on the beach...we might get shore leave on Matterhorn, but we don't  know how nuts it is over there..or?..how many of us will be around to see it.

 ..your  such a boy scout....

 Larry stood up and  got a bacon strip from Shade, for his  trouble...Yeah, I'm a Larg scout...that's my pack.  steele  gave a shiort laugh and  sat  down on the couch.

 where's beth?

 Dunno?

 Thought she would have been with you?  Shade  bleeped   and looked at Shadow.

 You ladies  are free to  come and go, right?..She might have  found  a nicer guy somewhere..

 Frans  came out with a smile,Not  Bloody likely....Morning all...

 wow? cat-Canary much?

 Cross  followed her out   and nodded to the others  as he grabbed  a plate, Flores  leaned back and Looked at Frans, who raised her eyebrows a few times.

  Captain Morris  entered,I say!, Good  Morning  all... LC, You have  tea?

 Shade pointed to the  'extra coffee pot" that had nothign in m,ut hot steaming water,  with  dozens of  packets of tea.

 ahhh!..Bloody good show, couldn't face those  Paradise Blokes  without a stout  cup of tea... wot?

Mila smelled the bacon and was up and scratching at the door and whining. For once, she didn't mind if she woke Her Human. She wanted some bacon!

  Maria  and Scarlett entered, Scarlett turned on the TV   to see the Morning news.... Ellen  came in with  the ETNA SEC troopers, she looked at Shadow, pointing to  the trooper, Shadow smiled and waved the guy in...

 Ellen and  Will came in, both looking rather  relaxed and  smiling, she  broke off from him to  Go chat with the Ladies  as they waited in one  Line,  Will got in another line.

 The Admiral and Captain  entered, both wearing their dress pants, and  Hermes Eviro top. leaving their  dress  shirts and Tunics  at their   condo.

  The Admiral went behind the  counter again to help with the bacon,he looked around  form the SM  and said, more to everyone, but focused on  the LC, SM  and Captain  Morris.

 Just so everyone isn't surprised?  we are Getting & Pilots  and  12 Troopers from the Paradise Tranports... They are all Volunteers.... i have no idea  what they will be like.

 Captain Morris looked a bit upset,I say, rather  bad dealing? No one contact me?

 I got the COM an hour ago. I called AZ-EL first... she will be the  immediate  command  of those tropers as we intergrade them with what is left  from the Moon troops  we had...The LC , of course, will ride herd on the Angels.... SM Spencer   will  have  'CO' responsibilities  with the troopers  as  AZ-EL's  commander of both SEC  and   Ground trop operations.

 Captain Si refused the offers for her to go to the  front of the line, merely 'shooing the others  to continue with one hand, she added to the information,

  There will be no Vicrock Humans coming over...and  any Vicrock trooper, no matter what race, that  steps on any ship, is to be asked to leave...ONCE.... she held  up a finger...If they do not comply, then you make them walk back to their ordinal vessel

  Shadow   was cracking more  eggs as he said...Mother F.... I mean....this isn't good,  we have  pilots  now  and...

 How Many pilots  will we have  after the first Jump off in the Gamma Quad?... This is frontier  Fighting  now, The Bugs and Lizards  right across the fence with the Vampics
 just down the road

Captain Morris  took a  rather  dainty  bite of  buttered  toast with  Jelly after he watched Scarlett  spread some on her own...I should think there will be  fisticuffs..The Paradise Angels think they are cock-of-the walk...

Shadow snorted,...they got the 1st part  right

Henry sat up in bed wondering what the racket was, then caught Mila's mental images. He was delighted to see Can get up to open the door for her. The boy looked round.

"Yes Can, you may go too... are you dressed?"

He reached for Val. Bacon could wait a few minutes when he had his beloved beside him.

 Can came out  with a shirt and  beach shorts on, he looked slightly awake  and he brought  Mila over the the Counter.

 Comearound  back her Mila. You and  Larry can help me get rid of  'odd ones'

 Can  looked up , Eckles  got him a plate, and waved him over  by her.   Shoey passed a  glass of  Orange  juice to him/

  Nagy got in line,How Much sleep did you get LC?   5 Minutes> he chuckled.

  Got  about  4  hours, that's good enough... if  i need more  , i can fall asleep while ZU-IS tells us how great the Angels were back in the day, when they made guys with spears and shields think they were gods..

Sam walked in with her dress Burian pants and a Burian Lady Memorial T-shirt. Her Tunic was left in her room in the Admirals condo.  She walks over and gets in line for the amazing smelling breakfast, she smiled at Howe and says," This meeting is not going too be fun if there is time I will head down to the beach after the meeting ok Steve."

 Sam then smiled at Admiral Hack, Captain Si and the others and she heard most of the conversations and said," Well I dont think any Paradise Angel should be allowed near any APF vessel, if their ships are full of Vicrock troops doesnt that make the Paradise Angels Empire sympathizers and shouldnt we just blow them the fuck up Sirs, Ma'am?"

  Steve   followed her  in from Sam's room, he  looked a bit tired, yeah?  I'll be heading up at 12, so i miss the rush for Recall, but i'll be on the beach until then..

 The  Admiral chuckled  as  he used tongs  to lay  fresh bacon on the tray for people to take, even as he  started  another set. we have to watch?... there are some Angels  who were trapped there...i don't mean the planet, i mean the ships... I have heard   several  Angels talking with ESN  folks  about transfers and the like.... still..the ones  with thier noses  in the air  can;t be trusted...


 AZ-EL  sat down by  The Captain,we have  a few angels on the Moons, that lean towards the Homeworld, because they are fools.... I would imagine there are Homeworld Angels , who would rather be on the moons, but cannot , because of family ties  and the like.

 Sam smiled at Steve, gave him a kiss and said," Great if I get out before then I head too the beach if not I will meet you back on the Hermes Steve."

 Sam got eggs, bacon, homefries, toast, it smelled great. As Sam got her food she said to Admiral Hack," Admiral Sir I understand that but dont think they bad guys wont try to send infiltrators as well though. Also Admiral Sir after we eat and before we leave may I discuss with you a possible temporary transfer to the Hermes Sir as the Burian Liaison?"

 The Admiral looked concerned,..is  everything alright?.... I mean?  If  Sarah does not mind, we'll bring you over, anything  you can learn  during a Jump off. can only help the Burian Navy.

 Sam smiled and replied," Yes Sir everything is fine, Commodore McKeon is really busy with the Fleet and building it up. She wanted me to represent Bura here at these meetings. I will send her a message to make me the official Burian Liaison to the Hermes Sir. Yes Sir working with Beth will help me and in the long run the Burian Navy." Sam was smiling and she felt honored Sarah had chosen her.

Zob woke up fairly early and took a shower and got dressed opting to put on his coat with his usual loadout before stepping out into the kitchen area to get himself a cup of coffee, "Morning" he greeted everyone as he caught the news on the vid screen of last nights events, "goodness shore leave is just getting more and more dangerous it seems" he wanted to chuckle at that comment but managed to suppress it for the time being.

------>>>>> From beach

 Meari got back from the beach, she peeked and checked on Dusk, and then headed for her room and some much needed sleep.

 Meari woke up, took a shower and then in her beach clothes headed out for breakfast, she walked in as Zob began talking. When Zob was done Meari smiled and replied," Well yes if you are aligned with the Empire of course Shore leave should be dangerous."

 Meari then made her way too the food line as she smiled at everyone there.

  Shadow was   making mounds of  scrambled  eggs that were going  down almost as  g=fast  as  the bowls  filled.

    Funny.... he said  as  he sipped  a coffee,..not  one mention of a certain corvette , that had  a run in with a private  skimmer?

 Hack  gave a sidelong glance at that,it will be  something   for ZU-IS to explain, that his  human handler isn't around.

 Hemmings came in  giving a  few whacks on shoulders, as he  grabbed  a coffee...so?  how  do we  handle the Angels  when it comes time for them  to suit up and fight?... I sure  wouldn't want them on my Flank.... if  we send them in first, they'll claim some kind of glory, even if they get thier  godly asses  kicked...

 Hack shrugged,..i'm going to wait, see if ZU-IS  volunteers something, no matter  what he comes  with, i'll counter...we can't tell whose  idea  it  will be.

 Shade Bleeped.

 ..he wants to know if  Dusk is going, so do i for that matter,haven't seen her since  she got tagged... i'm going to head over   after i get dressed.

 I know she wants to be there... Lilit  is eating  breakfast  with her now...