Federated Suns RP Thread

[Daemonknight]

Public RP Thread for the Federated Suns

[Ian Sharpe]

1 January 3040
New Avalon, Federated Suns

It was a quiet passing of the torch, and the sole reason it was public knowledge was that theSuns had no real reason to hide it.  Quintus Allard, long Hanse Davion's intelligence advisor, was stepping down in favour of his son Justin.  It was not nepotism, as he had been doing intel work in an analyst's capacity for over ten years.  No, he was the most qualified, and Quintus was tired, and feeling his age had led to at least some of the mistakes of 3039. 

He hadn't wanted to change his office, but his father's was simply a larger, better set up for running  everything compared to his old one.  He had barely settled into his chair, when more reports started coming in.  Justin sighed and wondered why he had stopped piloting his mech, thinking that had been at least easier than this. 

He did, though, send out a request to the AFFC, to have Delta Company from the Light Guards seconded over to DMI for an indefinite period of time.  He maybe had something special for them, and he knew they were always up for that.  Redburn was long gone, off with the Kathil Uhlans, but he had met their new CO and felt confident this assignment would be appreciated.  That request made, he put his mind back to the drudge work.   He filtered everything, showed Hanse what was of immediate importance, what could wait, and some things never went past his desk at all, as he would continue waging the quiet war that Quintus had managed so well. 

[Hugin]

2 January 3040
01:34 AM
New Avalon, Federated Suns

Justin sighed.
He was working all night, digging through various reports and trying to get a full grip on his fathers work.
He was done, and he was tired.
Stretching his arms, leaning back in his chair a new icon appeared on his screen.
It was the Icon of an incomming HPG message from the C* compound.
Rocking forward he clicked the icon, saw that it was from Candace and smiled. He grabed his cup of green tea and opened the message...

[Daemonknight]

January 1st, 3040
New Avalon, Federated Suns
NAIS Teaching Hospital, D Ward(Oncology)

It was perhaps, the most sparse room outside of a dropship cabin she'd seen of late. The walls were a pure clean white, same as the shades and the bed she lay on. There was a window overlooking a nice little park outside, the lush emerald of the evergreen trees capped with soft white snow, colorful caps of patients and families walking around. It was quite peaceful, likely by design, she thought. The only color in the room was the multicolored lights of the medical instruments keeping track of her vital signs: heart rate, blood pressure, O2 saturation, flow rate. The last was newly arrived, only 3 days ago. A bag hung from a tall hanger bar, a yellowish-clear liquid slowly flowing from the bag, into the pump, and then into the IV needle that entered her skin just above her heart. The liquid(she forgot the name, some silly 7 syllable affair, the unpronounceable type that doctors seemed to relish as their power over the non-medically trained) was some type of experimental 'miracle' agent. She shook her head slightly. Miracles were seldom what they seemed, although considering her improved condition, she allowed that this one might be what it was claimed to be.

She heard the elevator ding from the hallway, and the stamp of military-style boots on the clean white tile floor. She wondered who it could be. Her current state left her weak for normal pastimes, so she amused herself by trying to guess who a potential visitor was by the size of their escort. Whomever this was must be quite important, she counted no less than 4 escorts. But there was something else, something less like boots and more like soft soled shoes, and the speed at which they moved was far to fast and erratic for military guards. She heard the guards outside her door snap to attention, but before they could address whomever it was that was calling on her, the door burst open.

"Grandma Katrina!" Victor Steiner-Davion, only 10 years old, burst into the room like an Atlas charging through a lance of Locusts. He immediately rushed over to her bed and took a pale hand in his. His eyes were worried but his face beamed at the obvious improvement his grandmother had made in such a short time. She still looked quite frail, but some color had returned to her pale skin, and her eyes had more focus than mere days before.

Unlike her older brother, Katherine Steiner-Davion entered like a regal lady. She too though made haste for her grandmother's bed. She looked worried aswell, but shot her elder brother a glare.

"Victor, you're shouting. They can hear you clear on Tharkad." Victor grinned for a moment before doing his best to hug his grandmother on the bed when she put an arm around his shoulders.

She was quite happy to see them, and was rewarded further when Hanse Davion walked into the room, carrying 5 year old Peter Steiner-Davion in one arm, while managing to simultaneously lose an arm wrestling match with him at the same time, much to young Peter's delight. Hanse was amazed at the change in his mother-in-law. She still looked quite seriously ill, and she rarely spoke, but she no longer looked on death's doorstep.

Another man followed Hanse into the room, this one in a white lab coat, obviously a doctor. In fact, he was the head of Oncology at the NAIS, and as such was personally in charge of Katrina Steiner's treatment team. He was explaining to Hanse as they entered the room.

"Its quite a change, First Prince. The treatment is experimental, and it is having a more pronounced effect than we hoped for. We have noticed several tumors shrink by at least 2cm, and a few smaller ones are gone completely. If this keeps up, she might go into recession in as little as two weeks. She will still be weak of course, but she could make a full recovery at this rate!" The doctor was quite beside himself with the outcome of the experimental treatment. It wasn't unheard of for new treatment modalities to yield results, but very rare on this scale.

Hanse seem quite pleased with the doctor's report, and upon seeing Katrina's slightly raised arms and the smile on her face, he settled little Peter down next to Katrina on the bed. It was perhaps the happiest he had seen the Archon-Emeritus in quite some time.

[Ian Sharpe]

6 Jan 3040
New Avalaon, Federated Suns


It wasn't often in the last few years that he had heard 'no' and the other party had stood by it.  But Riffenberg had stuck by his guns, and denied Justin the 'new' Delta Company.  And despite his less than stellar performance on New Mendham, no one could actually fault him for his caution on a world that had repeatedly resisted all attempts to successfully subdue it.  That, along with the fact that he no longer held any military rank aside from being a retired major, meant that the general was within his rights.  It wasn't worth bad blood between his office and the Light Guards, but nor were they the only source of experienced, innovative  tacticians around. 

One of the nicer things about being Hanse Davion's intelligence chief was the sheer volume of information at his disposal.  If Riffenberg would not give him Delta Company, he would create a new one.  But that meant staffing it, and more importantly, a leader for it.  As good as he had once been, maybe still was, Allard knew his days of jockeying a Mech were over; Yen-Lo-Wang sat deep in underground, waiting for him to start her up.  But even if he still felt like he could go out there, the fact was that he had become somewhat difficult to replace in the last few years.

But here on New Avalon, there were plenty of veterans, instructors, active duty, misfits, ex-mercs, and all sorts of other expendable jocks.  And this candidate looked promising.  Point Barrow Academy, passing marks for his education, but excellent in the mech.  Damned good outside of it as well, at least hand-to-hand.  First action in 4th Succession War, saw more in 3039, one of the handful of survivors of the First Chisholm Raiders.  He was seen as unlucky, the First suffering horrendous losses in both wars, and so he'd been sent as an instructor for the NAIS. 

He hit the intercom, giving his aide a single sentence of instruction.  "Tell Major Van Damme that I want to see about getting him back under a neurohelmet." 

[Daemonknight]

March 7th, 3040
New Avalon, Federated Suns
NAIS Teaching Hospital, D Ward(Oncology)

Reinhardt was wearing what he considered the singularly most detestable garment in the entire illustrious history of the human race: a fitted suit. Tailored to his body measurements, there only so much room to cache what he considered a sub-minimum of weapons: a single-shot needle pistol, a mono-wire garrote, and a small vibro-dagger in the top of his boot. He grumbled to himself the entire way up the elevator to D Ward that he was practically unarmed. The fact that he was also a master of unarmed combat didn't register in his mind as a 'weapon', but even if it had, a single assassin with the most basic or archaic of firearms could lay waste to the whole Ward.

As the doors of the elevator opened, he resigned himself to the fact that perhaps his lack of weaponry wasn't such a horrible idea after all. There was an armed AFFS infantryman in the corridor just to the left of the elevator. Of course, just because he LOOKED like an infantryman, didn't mean he actually was. He could be a Rabid Fox(and very likely was, when Reinhardt thought about it), or any sort of MIIO or DMI agent. The two uniformed guards outside Katrina Steiner's room were also unlikely to be your average AFFS infantryman plucked out of whatever regiments happened to be stationed on New Avalon at the moment. Quite possibly they were from Hanse's own protection detail.

Reinhardt did not immediately head to Katrina's room however. He headed in the exact opposite direction, sparing barely a miniscule glance at the room(unbeknownst to him, he fooled none of the guards with his lack of interest- EVERYONE stared at that room upon first arrival to the floor). Business first: he was meeting with one of his agents on the floor.

Less than a moment later, he and his agent were alone in a bathroom, where the LIC operative gave Reinhardt the quick 'all clear' report, before he nonchalantly slipped back to his duties. Reinhardt, saving satisfied his sense of professionalism, headed to Katrina's room. He rather hoped that her grandchildren were present- it was good to see the retired Archon's face light up, considering how dire her situation had been only a few short months ago.

The guards recognized him when he approached the doorway, but still didn't budge until he showed them his ID badge from the embassy. They smirked at his feigned annoyance at the hold up, but let him in without undue delay. Reinhardt entered the room and took in the scene. He was greeted with a warm smile by Katrina, something that never failed to bring a smile to his face as well. Especially as the children were all present. Young Peter, sitting next to his grandmother as she read him a story, while Katherine and Victor were playing chess. He did a quick appraisal of the chess board and determined that, unless his sister's psychological attack was successful, Victor had checkmate in 4 moves. Her suspicious glare told him that her mind games were perhaps winning and he was not to interfere as he had accidentally once before.

Reinhardt shook his head and walked over to the bedside of Katrina Steiner, who had resumed reading to Peter, who happily waved at Reinhardt. He sat down and took out a small stack of reports(not for his department, but what else was one to do to kill time?) as Katrina continued her reading, wondering if the person he had actually come to see would indeed make an appearance.

[Ian Sharpe]

7 March, 3040
New Avalon, Federated Suns
NAIS Teaching Hospital, D Ward(Oncology)

Major(ret.) Justin Allard(he rarely used the Xiang on New Avalon) walked tiredly into the hospital.  His bodyguards waited outside; given the presence of Katrina STeiner and the visits of the Steiner-Davion children, few places were more protected in the Inner Sphere.  Despite him being relatively well-known, he didn't quite pass for the Champion of Solaris fifteen years after the fact.  The gray hair, in particular, was irksome.  Somehow his father had left out just how quickly the onset would be.  His ID was checked thoroughly, although he recognized at least one of the 'infantrymen' present.  Unlike the man he would meet, he was unarmed, save for the laser pistol built into his left arm.  At forty-three, he could no longer realistically consider himself a weapon, tai chi or no.  Also in contrast was the that black trousers and tunic he wore.  The black metallic hand gave him the look of wearing a glove as well. 

Ostensibly he was here to meet the Archon.  Melissa Steiner-Davion he knew rather well, after all, from years of working around the Prince, but her mother, he had never met.  But Justin also knew that Katrina Steiner would not waste his time.  If she had asked to be introduced to her son-in-law's intelligence adviser, she had an ulterior motive.  So he was not quite surprised to see someone who looked dangerously out of place in his his clothes.  "Archon."  He let the pleasantries play out, both knowing they were required for propriety's sake, and he certainly understand that.  After a solid 20 minutes, time in which he was asked about Candace, Kai and Cassandra, and various other topics, finally they were able to get down to business. 

"You needed to see me, Herr...?"  Names weren't all that important, and he expected an alias, but he needed some designation for the LIC agent.  He assumed it was high priority, as normal turf wars did not normally require Justin himself to intervene. 

[Daemonknight]

7 March, 3040
New Avalon, Federated Suns
NAIS Teaching Hospital, D Ward(Oncology)

"Reinhardt. Joachim Reinhardt. A pleasure to meet you." There only the slightest trace of a German accent in Reinhardt's English. "Perhaps we could step outside. I would not like to intrude on our hosts' time with her grandchildren." When Justin nodded, and with a warm smile for Katrina, Reinhardt strode out of the room, being careful to keep his hands in plain sight. He didn't exactly expect suspicion and hostility from Justin, but one did not long survive the intelligence world by taking foolish risks.

The two men walked to a nearby empty cafeteria room.
"The reason I asked you here is because we have uncovered some information that might be of interest to the Suns. Here, this is what we have." Reinhardt handed Justin a small noteputer, an analysis of an interrogation session, althought it was lacking any information about source or method of interrogation.

Reinhardt waited a moment while Justin read the report.
"Seeing as the location mentioned is closer to your territory than ours, we are asking permission to dispatch an exploratory mission to the area. I've been instructed to request Command Circuit access for the mission, aswell as if the AFFS has any units on Stand-By in the area, in case we need to extract our team."

[Ian Sharpe]

7 March, 3040
New Avalon, Federated Suns
NAIS Teaching Hospital, D Ward(Oncology)

Allard could sense a vague uneasiness from Reinhardt, but not exactly why.  if he had known it was the suit, he would have told him to spend more time in one, sleeping in it if necessary, but not knowing, he chalked it up to hospital uneasiness.  Justin himself had no fond memories of NAIS, where his mechanical hand had been fitted.  Not the most advanced type V, but the type IV was in many ways more practical even if it did mark him out. 

The noteputer he scanned quickly, discerningly.  "How reliable do you consider this?  Your gut feeling."  He knew Reinhardt would likely trust his fellow LIC agents implicitly, so no sense in asking if he trusted their methods.  "A command circuit?  Doable, but pricey.  Full disclosure and a similar favor, should something come up?"  Technically the Federated Commonwealth was a single political entity, but in practice it would be decades, if not a full century, for things to really operate the way they needed to.  He had the utmost respect for the LIC, and he was sure they felt the same about DMI and MIIO, but that didn't mean they were always on the same page.  "Boots on the ground, I'm sure I can find somebody willing to back you up.  We'll use the command circuit to get your team there, then shift it over for them."  He said it confidently, this was all the more grounds for him having a few smaller commands under his direct authority.  Soon enough, he thought.  Line units were useful but lacked the discretion and security clearances that he would have preferred for this, at least in general.  Still, they would have to make do.  "You looking to go with them, Mr. Reinhardt?" 

[Daemonknight]

7 March, 3040
New Avalon, Federated Suns
NAIS Teaching Hospital, D Ward(Oncology)

Reinhardt considered Justin's question for a moment. He had read the full interrogation report, including method and source. It was unusual, but he trusted the information, if only because the man who gave it had absolutely nothing to gain by lying, and had no black marks on his background checks(none that mattered anyways. Everyone had some, and only spies, inexperienced ones, had none).

"I trust the information. Enough to head out an meet our exploratory team in person at any rate. If you'd prefer to have a DMI or MIIO agent along for the ride to ensure full disclosure, thats fine with me. And I think the Archon will indeed remember the favor. I will personally as well, if not the LIC in general." Reinhardt was fairly confident his superiors would scoff at the notion they wouldn't remember. Favors and personal relationships were the currency of espionage, and nothing would ever get done the first time someone reneged on returning a favor.

[Arvanna]

New Avalon, Federated Suns
June 3rd 3040

Office of Marshal Tobias Green-Davion Department of Mercenary Relations.

Tobias remained seated behind his desk glaring at the report and it's contents that amounted to no one having a clue how Candace Liao how managed to hire all five of the Wolf Dragoon regiments without anyone having heard so much as a rumor about it? Course no one had forseen her suddenly reconciling with her insane sister and returning to the Confederation and immediately helping them attack the Suns either.

He imagined there was rather a lot of hell being caught over in MI2 as well as MIIO and the Foreign Ministry. There had been a scare that Duchess Fenlon had nearly had a heart attack at the news if the gossip going around in the last months was to be believed? Speaking of blindsided by this he sure as Hell wouldn't have wanted to be her husband  trying to explain how he missed that one to the Prince and the Archon.

Still no sense in crying over spilled milk so setting down the report he buzzed his aide to come in. The young Captain came in  less then a minute later "You needed me Sir?" he asked coming to attention.

He waved for him to relax "Yes I did Andrew, any word on how the negotiations are going on Outreach and Galeta yet?" for a second he almost felt bad about pestering the young man about this, but with the higher ups screaming for more troops to both shore up the defensive line in the Sarna region, let alone counter attack they needed all the mercenary units he could lay his hands on and quick.

Andrew shuck his head "I'm afraid not yet Sir, but then we haven't gotten the latest message download yet aside from confirmation that that we do have another liaison officer in route to Galeta so assuming we got anyone to accept the offered contracts we'll have a someone available."

"Well that is something of a relief, who is it?" the Marshal asked sounding somewhat less sour now and leaned back, rubbing his temples lightly.

"Captain Robert Townshed-Davion." Andrews replied not even needing to consult his data pad at his side.

The name got a surprised look from his commander at first "I thought he was still on leave to see his wife and that new baby of theirs back on Numenor?" Then even as he asked that his eyes fell on the file on his desk again and he nodded in understanding "Let me guess he cut his leave short and requested orders for Galeta? That's just like my Dear cousin..at least he got some time with them..anyways let me know as soon as anything new develops. We're going to need all the mercenaries we can get if we're going to beat the Capellans back." mentally he added "And teach the Duchess of St. Ives the cost of betraying the Suns."

[Ian Sharpe]

The Capellan attacks had caught DMI and MIIO flat-footed, and Justin Allard, along with Alex Mallory, was working long into the night. 

"Reminds me a bit of Sian, before and during the War."  Alex didn't need to say what war.  They had both been there, deep cover, neither knowing the other was a Federated Suns plant.  "A bit more desperate back then, though." 

"Just so.  Plus, there were other distractions..."  Candace Liao, who had run off with him.  Now she had left, keeping their children.  It had been as big a trauma as when he had been publicly made a nonperson and exiled from the Suns.  Not to mention, this little war had put off his plans with Major Van Damme's unit.  The Capellan attack was not a convenient training ground for a new unit.  Maybe some raiding later on...

Not to mention the wary looks across the border at the Combine.  It was easy, all too easy sometimes, to forget about them, but the Dragon would never be satisfied, was always looking to expand.  Maybe 3039 had been too near run a thing for Teddy Kurita, but Justin wouldn't have bet on it. 

He stood up, yawning, stretching.  "C'mon, Alex.  Go home.  Get a few hours of sleep."  Of course, neither of them was going anywhere.  Justin would sleep on the couch in his office again, and he knew that Mallory would do the same, despite the trouble it would give him the next day.  "Back at 0500?  That's three hours."  That would give them a few more hours before they would brief the Prince.  Not trusting an alarm, he always had an orderly come in to wake him, and told the infantryman outside that he had to be awake.  He kicked off his shoes after Alex left, and lay down on the couch.  Exhaustion claimed him immediately. 

[Arvanna]

Federated Suns Consulate Alpheratz
September 1st

Desal stood at the head of the conference room and watched his staff as he finished reading the copy of the message that had been forwarded from New Avalon. Things there had been hectic to say the least since the announcement about the absorption of the Alliance into the Combine first with preparing to evacuate the place and warn all Sun's citizens to return home, then calming down and simply issuing a travel advisory regarding the areas where the Combine troops would be stationed.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen we have a bit of a quandary on our hands." he began looking from one face to another "We have the assurances from President Avellar that nothing much has really changed and we have this message here that..well seems to cast some doubts on what's been presented to everyone. New Avalon wants to know what the real situation here is and we're going to find out. I want a careful examination of every source of public media and what's being said on the street what do the people think of this deal their leaders have made. And not just here on Alpheratz but the rest of the Alliance worlds, now I know this is going to be a lot of work but I have faith in your ability so get to it and lets get to the truth."

[Hugin]

New Avalon
7th October 3040
07:46

"Andrea?"
"Yes First Prince?"
"Steak"
"Pardon Me?"
"I'm having steak today. Get me a table in Flatchers. 8:30 PM. Non smokers. And please ask Mr. Allard if he wants to join me, yes?"
"Yes Mylord."

Hanse stetched. He had been in his office sinc 6 AM with two short breaks to see his kids and grab some food.
It had been a busy day at the office with the Capellans waging their first war with territorial gains in centuries and the like.
He had to leave for Terra the coming day and he wanted to make it a short day at the office so he could have a nice dinner and actually see Victor before he went to bed today.

He rose and left his office, taking the elevator to the garage and towards his cars.
"Hello Mathew."
"Mylord?"
"We are having dinner at Flatchers. Fetch me the porsh, will you?"
"Mylord is driving himself?"
"Yes. Inform the Foxes. Fox actual will leave in the porsh in fifteen minutes. Destination: Flatchers. Drinks and Steaks on me."
He was safe on New Avalon, he knew that, but security had to be kept tight. He knew that as well.
The Foxes were one of the best teams in the Inner Sphere. He knew that and he called each and every one of them a friend.
Most had served with him over the years, the years where he had not had any family yet and where the Fox was only second to the throne.
He had a sad look on his face when he had to think of his brother and how he died all those years ago.
His brother died fighting the Draconians, as many others had as well. The bane of their existance, the red flood.
He almost had the combine... just some short years ago.
He and his analysts were convinced that their front would break and that they could push towards Luthien.
And then the Combine showed new regiments with long thought extinct mechs.
It was almost as if they had been given them by god, would they believe in god, that was.
They then fought his army to a stalemate and finally fighting died down.

And now this! The Wolfs Dragoons fighting for the capellans in a frenzy that seemed nigh unstoppable at the moment. Were it not for the Lyran forces in the theater, holding a line would have been difficult.
But now the tide was destined to turn and this time he surely would not stop. This time it would be Sian or bust!
"Sian or Bust!" He yelled when he started his porsh and speeded out of the underground carpark into the nightsky.

Fifteen minutes later he had reached the Flatchers. It was easily the best Steak place in the capitol and people waited for months to get a table for two, let alone multiple tables or, god forbade, a table for six or ten people.
Well they always kept one empty for him. And his security detail usually also got assigned several tables around him.
The Flatchers owner knew very well that having the First Prince in ones house on a regular basis was good for business, and free advertising.

Justin was already waiting at their table when he arrived.
They exchanged some kind words, shook hands and spent some minutes talking small talk.
Hanse made sure to evade the topic of children as this was a hard time for Justin with his Ex-Wife now leading the sworn enemy nation alongsinde her sister. She had taken the kids with her... and this was hard for him.
"I'll take Sian for you Hanse, and my kids for myself!" that was what he kept saying.

They ordered steak and beers and slowly the topic was switching to business as suddenly one of the guests got up, taking a step or two towards the Davion.
His men suddenly went active on radio
"Fox Actual possibly compromised, taking action!"
In that second hell broke loose around the two men:
Like a well oiled machine men rose from all over the restaurant drawing their weapons and targeting random civillians.
That was what it looked alike but in reality they targeted the men of the Foxes team, killing some and wounding many.
One of the security detail managed to draw his laser pistol and shot two assaliants through chest and head before he got gutted by a shotgun at point blank range, another one was decapitated by a thrown tablet.
Two more got engaged in a fire fight and wounded badly.
The whole restaurant quickly became a battlefield with the whole lot of the Fox team now engaging the enemy specops team. They put up a valiant fight but their position and their plan had been compromised.
Then, when the first assailants went to the ground, dead, the full extent of the attack became visible: Every body killed exploded in a cloud of tissue, flesh, bones and marrow, piercing the remaining survivors in the restaurant with their remains. It looked as if it was a gore driven chain reaction with exploding bodies left, right and centre.
Hanse got hit in the hip by a laser shot, blood and bones all over his uniform while Justin tried to cover him as good as possible with the little he had with him.
Justin had obviously been a wild card in the engagement. They had no apparent answer for him and he was, in multiple occasions the little weight that kept the scales in Hanses favor.

In the end it did not matter. Justin got knocked out by a severed foot that flew off a man- explosion and hit him over the eye, knocking him unconscious.
Hanse reloaded his pistol and peeked over the armoured table that had given him cover over the last minute.
Hell was all that was to be behold out there with most of the restaurant covered in gore.
A woman, dressed in an elegant white dress came towards his position, the assault rifle at the ready, almost looking casual.
"Surrender now First Prince and you might see your kids one more time." she muttered with a strange accent.
He was surprised, he did not know where to put it but his thoughts were interrupted when another hail of bullets were fired onto his cover.
It were not the bullets, it was not the gory explosions, it was not even the fact that his team had been anihilated. It was the grenade that he saw all too late. It had been rolling besides the table under the cover of all the noise of several dozen bullets ricocheting off his table.

He smiled.
He would see his brother again soon!

[Arvanna]

April 1st 3041
Kir Zorban system ARAR

  Within the old SLDF base's assembly yard lights sprang alight along the massive shadows length as it came to life once more after over 300 years. Aboard General Yuu stood behind and stayed out of the way as the naval personnel manning the bridge stations went about their tasks with quiet efficiency. In the command chair Commodore Helena Roberts continued thru the final check lists tapping away at her own console while looking up at each section in turn "All stations report status?" her clear, aristocratic voice doing a good job of masking the excitement they all felt.

"Engineering here, the drive board is green and power distribution is green Skipper."

"Environmental Green Ma'am"

"Tactical reporting all stations manned and showing green Skipper."

"Helm and navigation are ready, all maneuvering thrusters show green, we're ready for a test drive when you give the word Skipper?"

  She swung her chair about towards the General , wearing a smile worthy of the Chesire Cat "Permission to take her around the block Sir?"

  Yuu could only chuckle as he nodded "Go have your fun, I have to go see how our guests are doing now that they've seen our little fixer upper here and I need to get packing, we have a date with those robed bastards, run your checks then come back so we can load up." and with another chuckle he turned and started making his way to the boarding tube.