Shadow  stood  and Looked around...he whistled   as face turned towards him..Finihs  up..  get to  you right,, we'll spread  our  fighter  wing out  from here to the Black, make sure  everyone's   craft's make it home

  Looking at  Maddy,Your  stuck with me as a Wing , ..they cant  find the  Cat..i thing he  went Awol..he was supposed to have arrived  at the  Beachhead with Lizzy..

 he grabbed  another  cup off  coffee and fixed it in a hurry....now?  You want out of  my wing// or even my flight, 'cause  we can Juggle Flores  and Kat..they love to fly together...  if you're fine with the set up, it can stay that way , until you want to  spread yoiur  wings  and go to another   flight.

as they  walked  , he looked up, at the  yellow-blue  sky..I hope he dies  slow...and its good you feel that way. because  , when we  find  people with little kids or woman ..anyone tied and ready for the  dinner table.. I don;t  take prisoners.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:54, Tue 04 July 2023.

"I'm not sure why you'd say that." Madison got up with the LC. She was confused by the options. Serving with Kray Shadow was an honor. Maybe she was being too much of a fan girl, but being his wingman was bragging rights. "I'm proud to be on your wing. Why should I want to go somewhere else?"

She followed him to the planes

   Shadow smiled, perhaps a bit of  pride,almost any of the   Piltos  in our  Wing would  fly wing with me. Some..no-so much. The thing here, , its not often you get a choice.. so? there it is..  Yiou did well, Kept Up, clean up thsoe i  didn't see.and yeah// anyone tell yiu they see everything, is  damn liar. You just have to   hope the one you didn't see... didn't see you.

 now? keeping track.. that's been a thing since peope  started killing each other.. Notches on Gun grips, Pilots been  marking thier kills on cockpits since people could  fly.. he shrugs  and smiles,somewhere ,a rounf 40 kills , I wa called out  By a demons  we called the Yellow  Baron..somethuig like that,   when i zipped passed him  the  who side of his aircaft  had flags  of  every race i have heard of, and some i still haven't..  But.. I killed him, and he became a marker on my  cockpit. new folks eat that up..and so do the people who  root for us.

In reply to Tarja Vanska (msg # 372):

Swallowing a mouthful of coffee he.  smiled at Tarja. Sure thing; it's a part of Combat Engineers duties.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:00, Tue 04 July 2023.

 Meari looked at Tarja with a I dont know look," Was it something I said aren't all Vodka's the same, on my world one group makes a certain alcohol and they perfect it and sell it. You have different types of the same alcohol that doesnt compute."

 " Hello Brian, glad you joined us, I guess the next step would be getting you a suit to see if you can fit and handle it and then you decide if you want to be part of our group, do you have any questions for me Brian." Meari smiled at him, downed her coffee then began to stretch and she added," So Corporal so what skills do Combat engineers have, or are you just calling yourself a fancy named Demo Specialist." Meari seemed extremely serious and a little cold, with also the twang metallic of her voice.

In reply to Kray Shadow (msg # 385):

When they got to the LZ, Madison saluted Shadow. "See ya in the sky, boss." After doing another full inspection of her skeeter, she doubel checked her ammo and fuel, then stood by for the lift off order.

In reply to Meari (msg #

That sounds promising he replied returning Meari's smile, which reverted to a grimace at her dig about his training.  About my training I'd guess any comparison between Demo Specialist and Combat Engineer is similar to that of a Civilian and a Marine, or Armoured Infantry and Mec Rider, or a Fireworks Coordinator and a Explosive Ordinance Specalist.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:31, Tue 04 July 2023.

 Howe, Fitz, He-LA,Frans, Ariv,Steel and Fostr   came  by they checked  thier Vidboards   and chatted

  other  Pilots    gathered    around as they waited for the word.. Flores   made her way through the crowd    with a  guy who had  a Athena Flight jacket on.

 LC?  this  is   Casey McCole.. he ..Um..is looking for a  transfer to the Hermes..

 The   Man stood  ramrod and Saluted  the LC. Shadow  chuckled  and  gave a  lazy return.

 Well...Ensign....how many Kills you have...

 13, LC Shadow ,,SIR!

 dial down there  Ensign.. what makes yiu thing Bornberry's  gonna give  you to me..

 I..Um..contacted  our Adjutant  last night.. it went up the line..The Captain said  if  you would take me.i could start the  paperwork..

 Shadow Looked to Flores.. Frans  had a knowing  smile  as she watched  Flores where her hands in front of her mouth and eyebrows up.

 Turning back to the Ensign,You like tunnel runs?

 Oh ..yes  Sir!  I Love  Tunnel runs!

 Flores  face palmed. The other pilots  laugh..the ensign  looked round nervous.

  Shadow  smiled  at the wide eyed  Ensign.Candy?..  have  Kat  take your   compartment  stuff ... Then  you follow   McCole to the Athena. we'll take  her pilot, but I would steal her  aircraft. Put  all he can  carry in your  fighters, and bring him home.. .. I'll  send  Captain Morris.. Welocme to the Hermes   Ensign..

 Flores    gave   Sahadow  a g=hug and    McCole saluted  with a smile..  Soon Flore   ws in the  air and  the Athena  aircraft le  her up.

 Hennings step out of the Crowd "Admiral on  dec ' was shouted...You going soft on us , LC...

 Maybe?  The Admiral clapped his shoulder

 Frans  smiled at him with bright eyes..well? that's one yoiu won';t have to beat up on the hanger dec!

 Depends? on how he treats  Candy.. poeple laughed.


 Take your  people  up in  10.. BUs  will go first, then our shuttles..

 Aye Sir, Already done

 LAST CHECK... SKIDS UP IN 10!

Roy made his way through the group, stopping in to check on the ground troops and get a general assessment of just how many had been lost, and how many of them were fresh troops versus experienced personnel.  It was a cold calculus, but there had to be consideration given to the absolute costs of actions taken...it was easier to replace a handful of new troopers than to regain the accumulated expertise of a single well-seasoned veteran, although he hated the feeling of losing any of them.

It didn't take him long to find himself burdened with the numbers.  This one had been costly...they had known it would be, but that didn't make the reality any less oppressive.  And his recommendation to attack Paradise had been no small part of the determining factor.

He managed to scare up a couple of shots of vodka and something to eat...his appetite wasn't there, but he knew he needed to eat...and found himself a spot away from the center of the encampment, where he sat facing away from the fires and lights and looking up at the skies, raising one shot in the direction where he knew Earth to be, even though it wasn't even the minutest pinprick of light in the sky from here.

"Still bringing us home safe, Stoly..." he said, by way of a toast, before draining the shot.  "Well...most of us, anyway..."

He ate mechanically, not really tasting the food and deep in his own thoughts, and used the second shot to rinse down what food was still in his mouth, as he leaned back and contemplated the skies.  The boarding announcement interrupted his reverie, and he gathered his gear and the shot glasses, returning them to the mess tent personnel before he headed for the shuttles.  If the Big Uglies were leaving, the assault shuttles would be going with them...

 Lizzy smiled at Izzy and replied," Yup all taken care of thank you."  Lizzy listened then responded," Oh awesome yes I heard the Blue Moon is almost as pretty as Paradise. Maybe we could get married there Izzy."


 Then before Izzy could respond the LC said Skids ip in 10, she had to get moving. She kissed Izzy and said," Talk later my love."

Tarja held a hand out to Velta to calm the Estonian woman who was looking incredulously at Meari ”process and ingredients are similar but each country is slightly different…Velta and myself are from The Vodka belt” she explained before they turned their attention to Brian as they spoke of his training and the Armoured Infantry ”Skills are good, I like skills…anyone can shoot gun, not everyone can place breaching charges” Tarja quietly spoke.

It was around this time that the call to break camp and return to the shuttles was raised, and the non-coms started started hustling their sections to get moving ”We need to go…Brian come see us at mech compound  and we will get you to try suit, I can’t promise you will get to use all of training as engineer but your skills will be useful” she said before finishing the last of her coffee and begin getting her own squad up and ready to leave.

  Climbing up on his  aircraft, he saw  Roy  off away from most folks  eating,  He  Jumped   down  from his  craft, Joggig over to Roy.

 Hey?,,, you might  have to  get a doggie  back,,, Got  about 7 Minutes   befoire the BUs  take off...

 slowing to a walk as he approached, knowing Roy had his own Rituals. Can some one tell me  why The Most High isn't  a patch smoking goo right now?

 Meari still looked puzzled then said," Ok so different regions have different formulas and you compete on who's is the best?"

 Neari looked at Brian," I am sorry I meant no disrespect still understanding human culture, Udenese culture is much different than human. But yes we will see you on the Hermes and go from there." Meari got suited up and ready to head back home.

 NA-CE finished her breakfast and then got packed up and ready to move out, she did drop in to see if she could help out in Med Tech as well.

Giving the AI ladies a thumbs up he hurried over to his bivouac grabbed his gear then headed to the shuttle he'd been aboard. Chambering in he stowed his gear and strapped in.

Roy turned and looked as Shadow approached, grimacing slightly at the question.  "My idea," he answered.  "Melting down the Most High gets rid of one bad guy.  We send him out and have the Skith shadow his ship...someone comes to rescue him, the Skith kill them and we get rid of a bunch of bad guys.  Nobody shows up, the Skith blow up his ship and we're still rid of one bad guy.  Just trying to optimize resources..."  He shrugged.

Shadow  nodded with a sad smile...would have loved to hear him scream in  pain...terror. knowing that would help.. like those who dies in the Iquistions, Crusades, witch trails...have thier  living hears  cut ou  on top of a Pyramid  in south  and cental America... but.. as long  as he   end up dead.

 well  Gotta  get my Guys and Gals in the air, After party  tonight.. I'll annouce it after   I land.

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

 jogging back to his  aircraft  he  whirled his hand over his head.. once  people  mounted up B flight  followed  him into the Air The A flight and everyone in order.. frans  would lead them BUs and shuttles... Shadow  would be rear guard.  everyone else  filled in to   cover the flanks of the  aircraft going  home.

 >>>>>>>>>>> To Hanger Dec #14

 Lizzy got to her fighter, did a recheck and then got in and went to work, she powered up and got ready for liftoff when it was her turn. Lizzy went up right before Nikki, when up she followed Fitz to their area to cover. It was good to head back home this was a rough one, she would have to wait to see who they lost.

----->>>>>> To Hanger Dec #14

”yes, that’s just what I was thinking” Izzy replied before leaning in to return the kiss, allowing it to linger for a moment before breaking away and whispering ”I’ll see you when we get home” before watching Lizzy leave and head towards her fighter.

After retrieving her armour and equipment from where she had left it, Izzy would quickly gear up before heading off to board a shuttle back to the Hermes.

——> Hangar Dec

Both Nikki and Mitch headed for their crafts after they finished breakfast and cleaned up.  Shadow called 10, they were up by 9.  The one good thing was the main fight was done.  In a few minutes she was in position in FitzSimmon flight along with Lizzy.

===> to Hermes Hangar

Roy nodded.  "I'm hoping for a Sol System transport that shows up to rescue him, and the Skith wait just long enough for him to really believe he'll be rescued before they atomize both ships...his second, though, so he has a few seconds to realize that he really is going to die and nobody's going to stop it."

He shrugged and added, "But, yes, the ultimate plan is for him to wind up dead, regardless of whether or not another ship shows up to try and grab him."

He nodded when Shadow mentioned the after-party.  He wasn't in a particularly festive mood, but he could put on a brave face for the sake of crew morale.

After waving goodbye to Brian, Tarja and her team would take a few minutes to break down their camp and suit up before boarding a shuttle and heading back to the Hermes.

——> Hangar Dec

Henry checked that the youngsters from the saucer were being taken care of then rounded up the largs and got them onto a shuttle to take them back to the Hermes.

 Meari got herself and the rest of the team ready and they boarded the shuttle for home. Meari gave Brian and wave and she will see him soon an the Hermes.

--->>>>> To Hanger Dec

 NA-CE got her gear and then boarded the shuttle with Roy, Izzy, the Admiral and others and headed back to the Hermes. NA-CE was tired but she would help out saving as many as they could if they needed her when she got back on board in med Tech to help out.

---->>>>>> To Hanger Dec