Smithson shakes his head,...they can open it from in there?..we can't  open it out here until  all clear is sounded. They won't do that...well..until its all clear.
 The  Hermes shutters  a bit, shock waves  travel Up the   Hull. Smithson  Nodded, as he looked up, his eyes  darting  aback and forth,..Took a torpedo... feels like  Aft somewhere....

 the Screens  showed  the  Fighters   headed towards  the Thor as son as the News  Ship heard the COMs.

    they  came in Tighter On Justin as  Shadow  coming in from seprate sides  and flaming two...But  both Missing the final one, who shouted  his war Cry and slammed into the Thor.

 The Cap ship was limping  badly, one half of  one, of its huge  guns, drifting  in space as more and More  smoke  Poured out of the ship.

 Capt  Norrison's Shuttle  was Halfway towards The hermes.

    Joseph winces as he puts the first aid kit away. "I guess it's to be expected.  I never got the jist of it when I was on board last time.  Will they tell us if we've been boarded or do we just wait in the dark like mushrooms?"

   With the aftermath of Vid, the News Ship switches feeds, from time to time, Looking  for the next 'big' event to  show.

  ..Traveled  some in the beginning. With the old style colony ships. ESN, even before it was called that, Protected its people the best they can. But...when  we'er in the thick of it? They got they're own problems to deal with...

 He points to the Vid screen, even though there is  some shots  of Fighters, and the  flickering Hull of a Largran Destroyer at the moment.That  Thor Ship?...looks like its in a bad way, and the Explosions there?..pretty damn close to thier   Civie section.

In reply to Civies (msg # 168):

   Joe looks at the screens "I hope not. We're gonna need all the deck space the fleet can muster if'n the rumers about how many prisoners the Avians have is true."  He gazes at the screen.  "There's nothin we can do at this point.  Just watch."  Josephs critical eye scanned the images.  "Wish I could bring in and record all of the feeds at once.  Sifting through this data would give us somethin ta do dur'n tha wait, an who knows?" He shrugs a bit "We might get lucky and see somethin that might help."

  as they  sat around ..waiting... they could feel  a  shake  every now and then was a  straw  fighter  put  some  rounds  into the  Hermes..

  then..the ships  shook a bit harder...

 ..all the gods  be damned...that sounded Like a torpedo... can't  remember  us taking this  much of a pounding....

  the  Red Lights  Came on  Over the    'bunker'


 ...Smithson here!!! Open the BUNKER!..NOW!

    Joe is immediately alert, "Is somethin wrong?"

  Smithson Nods, the  rules are, You never sound  an alarm from within the Bunker, unless it is  important....this is supposed to keep them from  telling baorders where they are.

 there is  a Click-Cluck  sound and the  'park' begins to  rise.

  Joe waits anxiously

  smoke  rose   from the    opening. The street fighters   were Met with the raised  weapons  of those who were armed in the Bunker.

 People came out coughing, but not  too badly. One  older fellow  with greasy ands  and   a rag in his back pocket said tot eh street fighters,...we lost the Air  down there  when that has  hit  came, we were getting smoke   seeping in...damn glad they  let us  open up?

  Smithson was concerned as he watched the people come out, Can we do anything about it?

  The fellow shook his head,not from out  end,  where ever that hit?,  pierced the Vent shafts..as long as that hole's there? We'll be getting smoke everytime the intakes are on...

We better get our people behind closed doors.  Where's the most defendable place in the village?

 Smithson looks at  Joe Mac  and laughs as does the old Tech,we're on the EMS Hermes!...if that ain't safe enough, then we'll most likely all die!

 Judging by the Vids? the Ship to ship  maust be over...we could   send folks to their Homes?..stay on the ground floor though, we'll keep the barricade up...

  Joe Mac's Lady and  Sam Come out. FAces  smudged, Sam has a  bandage on her head...she  fell off a chair  when the ship turned over..or what ever the 9 hells happened....

 Sam held her stuffed up animal tightly..she tried to smile.

In reply to Civies (msg # 176):

   Joseph Recognized Sam as the one Ajax was looking after.   He looks into her eyes "Ye, gonna be okay Las?"

 Smithson Looked  at Sam as well and to the New Girl who was with her,Take them into you place, if you want...anything  comes  down that ramp way?..we'll holler..

 Sam shrugged,..I was standing on a chair, trying to see if the Big Robots where on  the Vids?...then the  ship turned upside  down  and I fell off...

In reply to Civies (msg # 178):

   "Well yer Da is a soldiers soldier, he'll be alright.  Let's get ya behind the shudders of our shop."

   "I'm sorry things didn't turn out well fer ye Mandy.  I think ya deserve whatever dinner my remainin money can buy ya after this."

In reply to Joseph MacPherson (msg # 179):

"So you guys are running a store here huh?
What are you selling?"

Sam carrued her stuffed animal around, looking around the shop curiously.

  The shop is empty accept for some tables and chairs set up next to an espresso machine near the front.  "It's gonna be an Espresso/hobby shop, though we don't have the cash to start the hobby part quite yet." Joseph leads the ladies upstairs to the living space where they turn on the vids to see what is happening.  He goes down and fix's a capiccino for Mandy and a hot chocolate for Sam and brings them up for the girls.

In reply to Joseph MacPherson (msg # 181):

Sam took the cup of chocolate.
"Ohh this is nice! Thank you."
Sam sat down and fingered the bandage on her blond head.
She soon sported a chocolate milk mustache, as she
watched the Vids again for some glimpse of the Mechs.

In reply to Sam (msg # 182):

"Ya've more than earned it lass." Joseph watches scenes of the people pulling out.  He sends a message to his friends in the battle, linking them some music.

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgOwKHn9ZVc

 The all clear was  sounded. and the   People who were counted as Militia began to take down the barricades  and  open the   Bunker up a bit more to get the smoke out.

 Trying to hide them from kids. Two wrapped bodies  were taken out  and sent up to the hanger  deck for scanning and, to be sent off with the rest of those  who died in battle.

 Almost like a parade, the waitresses and waiters, as well as owners  and  Cooks   were rushing up to the Rec Dec, to  get food   ready for the Crew, as well as  loading carts to take drinks to the hanger dec  for the send off.

   Joseph leaves Sam and Mandy to watch whatever they wished so he can complete his duties for the militia.  Both had scars from their past.  Who better than to heal those scars than eachother.

   He returned and met with the girls, "I hear the shuttles are coming in.  We took some casualties but the mech-riders were unharmed so your dad should be with you soon."

    Joseph finishes getting the shop into workable order, and checks on Mandy and Sam. "They're gonna be hav'in a send off fer the fallen.  I'd like to attend.  Normally I wouldn't invite some one your age along on something like this Sam, but ye've seen enough of the dark side of things ta make yer own decision on this.  If either of you ladies want to join me I welcome the company."
This message was last updated by the GM at 05:44, Wed 28 Oct 2015.

  Mandy Looks at Sam, then to Joe Mac,...I'll stay with Sam, if she wants to stay here. If Sam will go, I'll Go along to... They say the Rec dec  gets Busy? Maybe  i can see about getting a Job there..maybe..part time?

In reply to Joe Mac (msg # 187):

"The rec Dec is nice Mandy! It might be a fun place to work I guess? ..
Thank you Joe Mac, yes I would like to go.

I hope the nice felrite lady, Lt. Hirr? Is okay.
...We both like chocolate milk!"

She looked for a safe place to put her stuffed animal, where it would be "comfortable" and checked her hair in a mirror.

  Most folks  didn't talk about...few ever  did. Just like  the   crew members. You might  remember those who have gone, but  really talk about them.

 So it was  in the Civie section.. The dead were gone, followed the others , out into The Black. two  houses  had black Discs on their  doors, to show they had lost someone.

  the Town was quiet, there was to be no school until they reached  Fuji. Rumors  about a field trip was started.

 Sam sat on the  stoop outside her   apartment. she held her stuffed up animal.

  Mandy was   getting ready to leave, she was benig  'tried out' for 4 hours on the recdec.

  Smithson and some  others   where working the 'park' . making sure the trees  and  sods  were   in tight, and cheking  all the pipes in the area.