A New Day

[Sherwood]

<p>


After the disaster of the Haydonite betrayal, the Expeditionary Forces are in the process of reorganizing its fleet formations, trying to rebuild from the damage done. Pulling back to the relative safety of an uninhabited solar system, the Robotech Factory is working overtime trying to open up the few capitol ships that have been upgraded with the Shadow Tech and remove their power systems and special weapons and replace them with older models that have been proven to work without the self destruct systems input into them by the Haydonites. At the same time, several ships that were in construction are being rolled off the assembly line to join in the fight. Onboard the <em>MacArthur,</em> Yoshi gets word that Hydra Squadron is being split up and reassigned to a different ship. Thanks to the hard work and training she has received at your side, Ryma is being promoted up to a squadron leader, and she is being assigned a team of her own. When she gets the news, you can see that she is both happy to be getting the promotion and command position, but she's also sad to be losing her 'family' of Hydra Squadron. You do see that she is being assigned to the same ship as you, a Command Cruiser named the <em>Demeter,</em> so she will be able to come and visit you and the kids frequently. She gives Yoshi a grin. "Besides, if I'm not on the same ship as you, who would be coming to save your bacon when you get pulled into the worst of the fire? Seriously, I doubt that I would have this opportunity if it were not for you. Fighting at your side all this time I have learned tactics and strategy that I will take with me to my own team, and hopefully, if I have any questions on what the frack I'm supposed to do, I can come and get some advice from you and Sharon." Sharon gives her fellow warrior a great big hug and a wide smile. "Ryma, you will do great. If I didn't think so, I wouldn't have done my part to get you this promotion to running your own team, and I bet that Yoshi feels the same. With the numbers of ace pilots thinned out so much from the war, we need people like you to lead our newer recruits. But you had best come by to visit. Sakura would miss Auntie Ryma if you don't!" There is a celebration party onboard the <em>MacArthur</em> before you ship out to the <em>Demeter.</em> This gives everyone a chance to congratulate Ryma on her step up, and to say goodbye not only to the members of Hydra Squad, but to most of the pilots and crew of the ship. With the wait to get fixed, it will be some time before the <em>Mac</em> is once more taking to the field to bring the fight to the Invid and Haydonites. Now, the team is being loaded into a shuttle and transported over to the Robotech Factory where the <em>Demeter</em> is currently in dry dock, getting a fresh load of crew, beans and bullets. As it stands now, Hydra is down to Yoshi, Sharon, Evangeline, and your newest member, Shykrad. You have gotten word that there will be at least one new member, but most likely two, added to your ranks to bolster your numbers. Details on the new pilots will be available to you once you get to your new post and check in with the CO. Your orders specifically say to see Commander Ellen Holloway, the ship's CAG and third in command onboard. Already on the Factory is Efemena Rufaro. You were one of the lucky pilots that survived the destruction of your old ship, a Garfish Class cruiser called <em>Concorde</em>. For the past few weeks, you have been bunking on a different ship as it raced back to the rear assembly point, knowing that you will be assigned to a new team and ship once you get there. Your wingman is a literal blockhead, one of the few refugees from the planet Spheris in the fleet. The Spherians are energy beings that are encased in a shell of stone, making them the most unusual race that humanity has encountered so far. They 'eat' sunlight, and as such, are immune to lasers of all kinds, but being locked in darkness for long periods can make them starve. The physiology of the Spherians is quite unusual. If a portion of their stone shell is bown off, including their head, it can be regrown in time, leaving no ill effects to the alien at all. In order to reproduce, an 'adult' Spherian forms a rock bulge on its side that eventually breaks off and becomes a fully formed member of the race in a matter of only a few days. As such, they have no gender, but will frequently sculpt their rock body to be either more masculine or feminine in appearance, depending on the personality of the Spherian, and they use the same pronouns based on gender that goes with their general appearance. Your partner is a young pilot named Ram, and has taken on a more male appearance and behavior. He is fresh out of training as a pilot in the REF, and is anxious to show that he has what it takes to be a part of the REF. He was a guerilla fighter against the Invid before coming across the fleet from Earth, and quickly recognized the advantages of being a part of a larger and better equipped team than he had on his little singleship. His homeworld is one of many that have been taken over by the Invid, and he wants to be a part of any effort to free his home from the crushing grip of the invaders. Ram comes up to Efemena. "Ma'am, I have just gotten word that we are to report to the Command Cruiser <em>Demeter</em> and check in with the CAG, a human woman Commander named Ellen Holloway. It looks like we are finally about to get our new assignment. Hopefully this will not go as badly for us as my last combat did." He lets out a sigh. "I fear that my luck is all bad." A quick check of the personnel roster of the Command Cruiser by either the incoming crew of the <em>MacArthur</em> or those on the Robotech Factory shows that Admiral Natasha Kerensky is going to be using the <em>Demeter</em> as her flagship for the new fleet that is being built. She is a tiny red headed woman of Soviet descent that is a veteran of the First Robotech War, but was not a part of the SDF-1's crew. This will be her first time up as a fleet commander, having spent her time in the REF as a captain of one of the <em>Arc Royal </em>class escort carriers. The ship is under the direct command of another member of the former Soviet military named Alexi Kutuzov, and was hand picked for the command by Admiral Kerensky. The ship's Executive Officer is Commander James Wolfe, and the CAG is Commander Ellen Holloway, the only two members of the command staff that don't hail from the old Soviet Union.


</p>

 

[Teh Frixz]

Evangeline


It was a deep deep betrayel and now out of the war zone, the aftershocks were destroying Evangeline. She'd linked with the Haydonite, installed their technology not just in her systems but in her body. She'd spent nearly two days locked in her lab tearing out the now corrupted material and sending all her Haydonite data into archival storage. The lab floor was coated with artificial blood, bile, lubricants and oils, half of her computer systems rendered inert as all her tech fell offline.


It was betrayel of the soul and what little was left of Evangelines was torn to shreds.


In all the gloom, she at least had Hydra to help tape together the lost bits of her life. Occasional breaks and sojourns into common rooms helped maintain her sanity through a difficult transition process oft providing important council and the best sentiments.


Now, gathered at their meeting, Evangeline seemed to at least have a temporary handle on things. Even artificial, her body still seemed haggerd, eyes now void of her normal spark. She sits quietly, waiting for the meeting to be over.

 

[Sherwood]

Sharon doesn't say anything when she sees Evangeline, but she does sit next to the other woman and places a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder. Sometimes all you need is a bit of a reminder that you are not alone to get through tough times. She offers a soft smile when Evangeline turns to look at her. "How are you holding up? Remember, we are a family, and we are here for you."

 

[Silanon]

Demeter - another strange name he would have to remember. Another ship that would become his home, another place to stay until Garuda got freed - if that was ever going to happen. Finally getting to see more of the mess the betrayal had caused, the Garudanian pilot had more doubts than ever before. Even if the alliance had the right goals in mind, they had proven to be quite vulnerable, and the Invids were a giant mountain to overcome. Also, there wasn't all that much to gain by freeing his home planet, he was fully aware of that - mankind had their own, much bigger problems at hand. Fighting Invids, helping the Paraxians, starting a revenge attack against the Haydonites.


It was moments like these when he missed his old comrades' presence the most. A few people to talk to in his mother tongue, to share old stories of wit and endurance with. The celebration party on the MacArthur had been the most awkward moment for him thus far, with dozens of people recalling past deeds way before he had even known the REF was a thing. Zentraedi, humans, paraxians - they all had seemed as if they had their proper place, with only him standing out as an odd fellow who had accidentily found his way into the Hydra squad.


The humans made their own destiny. Freed Zentraedi had joined them, even starting to build themselves a future behind mankind's protective presence. The Paraxians were at least able to fight their own war, now that the alliance helped them out. With Shykrads people, things were different. They had no chance to free themselves on their own, and they weren't important or close enough to get help, either. With every breath he took through his apparatus, there was a fair chance that a Garudanian died, slowly sealing the fate of his kind. And there was nothing he could do about it. He took another breath, the taste of his home planet filling his lungs. Another child, brother, or leader. Another breath closer to the end.


Standing in the room's furthest corner, his paws grabbed the back of his chair in front of him tighter, asking himself where to find the hope and confidence his old tutor had always been an example of. Far from home, with the ancestors barely reachable through the Hin, he was lost between all of the others who fought for their own, seizable goals. A family was what the captain had called it when they first had met. The oddball squad, filled with accomplished soldiers, old foes of his kind and soon enough others, most likely better suited for the upcoming tasks. Well, he would do his best to keep up with them, spending every single free minute to get more familiar with the given equipment. If he was about to fail in everything he had ever hoped to accomplish, he would do so fighting, just like his entire life.

 

[WlfSamurai]

Efe


She sat quietly—as she did in any new situation—and observed. Since as far as she could remember, she was able to divide her attention. It was one of the many reasons she was a good veritech pilot. She could track and time different actions in her head all while keeping the tactical and strategic situation in mind.


Here, she divided her attention between the meeting and analyzing her new crewmates. Her focus was on Dr. Crowley and Lieutenant Dorsee. Crowley had a stone face on, one that would fool most. But Efe could see the pain and exhaustion in the woman's eyes. Was it just the betrayal? Or something else?


The crew files Efe had studied during the transfer had detailed Dr. Crowley's many...experiments and work. Though sometimes strange, the work provided results, sometimes far beyond what could be accomplished by any other means. The reports were that Crowley had taken to working on Shadow Tech at some point. Efe was sure that had all changed nearly overnight. She made a mental note to subtly ask Dr. Crowley what her plan was for future projects. Her answer would be very interesting, Efe had decided.


Sitting next to Dr. Crowley, Lieutenant Dorsee was stark contrast. Her eyes spoke of a deep well of compassion buried within her. Efe knew the type: quiet, compassionate, compliant. But, she also knew people like Lieutenant Dorsee were the most valuable in teams and squads. Efe had seen first-hand many times the iron will and determination in difficult situations from people like Dorsee. It had been like a switch was turned on. If threatened, she knew Lieutenant Dorsee would close ranks and throw herself at the enemy to save the rest. And Efe knew that more often than not, Dorsee most likely walked away from such a fight with little injury to herself.


Like a cornered mama bear, Efe thought to herself. She couldn't help the smile that crept into the corner of her mouth. This will be an interesting team.

 

[Sherwood]

Everyone snaps to attention as Commander Holloway comes into the room. She looks around at each if you, her expression positive and hopeful. "As you were. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard. I'll tell you that I had to pull in more than a few favors to secure Hydra squad on the Demeter. Your reputation precedes you, and I want the very best under my command." She makes a point to single out Shykrad and Ram. "I have been given a full briefing on your two races, but i hope you will forgive any misunderstandings that may come along between us. Until I have a chance to get to know you better, please let me know if I offend you in any way. Now, I understand that Dr. Crowley was instrumental in uncovering the Haydonites plans, but I must warn you that you that some may suspect that you could be partially under the influence of them. I will do what I can to defuse any suspicions, but if you are in any way mistreated, report it right away, either to your captain or directly to me. Now, are there any questions for me?"

 

[Silanon]

When the Commander entered the room, Shykrad took his seat, hinting a smile when she actually cared enough to mention him separately - obviously not due to his rather short list of accomplishments, but because of his dissimilarity to the others. Only now did he take time to muster the two newcomers, one human, the other one of a species he better did some research on when the meeting had ended. Probably something he could have done beforehand - well, now it was too late for that.


"As long as we're fighting the Invids, there won't be all that much for me to complain about. This leads me to a question though - where are we headed? I might not be the right one to ask since I have no part in my comrades' earlier achievements - but Hydra is the kind of squad that gets sent into the heat of the battle where others might struggle."

 

[Sherwood]

The Commander nods at Shykrad. "As a matter of fact, we are taking the fight to the Invid on your homeworld, so any input and feedback that you can offer when dealing with your people will be greatly appreciated." She turns and touches a control and on the big screen is a holo image of your home planet. "Since we are advancing on what we hope to be an allied world, we must remember to watch our fire and do everything we can to preserve the locals and the critical infrastructure of the Garudian planet. Our first target will be this," she works her controls and a blurry image of a rather extensive orbital shipyard comes onto the screen. "We do know that the Invid have seized the shipyard, and retaking them is mission critical for both the Garudians and the fleet. The Invid are not using the shipyards to maintain their own war effort, but appear to be focused on keeping the facilities out of the hands of the Robotech Masters and the Garudians themselves. To give you a sense of scale, the construction berths are large enough to easily fit a Robotech Master Flagship, and they are over four miles long. It is on the same scale as the Robotech Factory we now have, just somewhat smaller and non mobile."


Shykrad can remember as a youth looking up into the sky at night and seeing the massive complex moving across the sky. At that time, the yards were being used by the Robotech Masters to build ships for themselves and the Zentraedi. It was pure luck that the Invid didn't blow the whole thing out of the sky, giving your people hope that, someday, they could use the resources up there to rejoin the interstellar community once more.


"Garuda is somewhat smaller than Earth, with a surface gravity of approximately .85 G. While it is heavily populated, the planet does have a atmosphere that is poisonous to humans, Zentraedi, and the Paraxians, causing suffocation in a matter of minutes. All of your CVR-3 flight armors come equipped with a internal air supply that will last you 48 hours before needing a recharge. That time can be extended by using the life support systems in your mecha, and as an additional back-up, all your mecha will be loaded with additional air masks and filters. Obviously, for both Shykrad and Ram, this is a non issue, since it is the native atmosphere for you," indicating Shykrad, "and Ram does not need to breathe. Your veritechs will still be carrying air filters as a back-up for the other members of your squad. Now, lets go into more detail on those orbital shipyards."


"The fleet will be deploying the veritech wings far from our targets due to the presence of several of the Fury class artillery mecha that have been detected on various points of the station. Those are your first targets. Normally, we would move the fleet close enough to the target to use the main batteries of the ships to bombard the Invid, but we cannot do so without risking damage to the shipyards. Once the artillery units are nullified, we can safely move the ships in closer to support fighter operations in the area. At this point, we do not know how many Garudan workers are on the station, but we suspect that it is in the range of several thousand skilled personnel that the Invid are using as hostages. Rescue of these Garudans is critical both for the economy of Garuda and the fleet. Do whatever you have to to ensure the safety of these people. Since we no longer have access to the Shadow Stealth tech, you will be able to be tracked by the Invid as you approach. This is good; draw the enemy out of their entrenched positions and it will help to reduce collateral damage to the station. Once the initial wave of Invid has been dealt with, the next priority is the elimination of the Brain that is coordinating the orbital defenses. It will not be easy, since we are not entirely sure where in the massive facility that the Brain has been placed, forcing a hide and seek hunt through the station. Luckily, since it was built to be able to maintain the Zentraedi ships, much of the place is large enough to move about in your Alphas and Betas without having to dismount and use your Cyclones. However, there are many command and control bunkers on the platform that has been built to human scale, so don't assume you'll be in your larger mecha the whole time. Go where you are needed."


"Several teams are being sent inside the facility to help hunt for the Brain, so if you are pinned down and in need of assistance, you'll be able to call for back up and have them respond faster than from the Demeter or her escorts. The rest of the fighter wing will be occupied with sweeping the Invid out of the sky and keeping them from reinforcing the garrison at the shipyards. This is going to be a close in engagement; a knife fight in a closet. Keep your cool and remember your training. That will get you back to us in one piece."

 

[WlfSamurai]

Efe


Garuda. Efe tried to imagine how it might feel to have her home world up on that screen. Of course, being born on a ship in the fleet and growing up a Navy brat made that impossible. She assumed Lieutenant Shykrad would have some kind of reaction. Or would he?


She looked over at him. A strange people. Both beautiful and alien. How could she even begin to consider how a Garudanian would "feel" about anything. She had never met one, until now.


She refocused on the data on the screen. So many nooks and crannies. So many hiding places. And Cyclones? Knife fights? This would be a fantastic bug hunt. She grinned and slammed her fist into her palm. Finally, some revenge.

 

[Silanon]

Garuda. Those familiar with the Lieutenant clearly can see an expression of surprise on his face before his animalistic features reseize control. He tries to hide his excitement, but the eyes are almost glowing in prospect of the announced target. I'll finally return. However this ends, the circle will be complete afterwards. For a moment, he only stares at the holo image, trying to see how much has changed since he last saw his homeworld through the windows of a captured ship, fleeing the planet to fight for a better future.


Shykrad then looks up to the Commander. "It's been a while since I've been there. Things might have changed, for the better or worse. I'll help as well as possible. Don't expect my people to welcome you all too euphoric, we already got rescued from slavery once. And don't expect them to hand out gifts to the Zentraedian forces, and if they do, better open them in a safe location. Not everyone believes things change over night." He has seen the Zentraedi fight for the good cause, and still is sceptic, to say the least. His brothers and sisters don't have that privilege.


Seeing the shipyard, old memories and dreams return to his mind - dreams of freedom and peace, shared with friends most likely swallowed by the time's flow by now. The old facility has always been like a distant promise of a better future, something to look up to during the nights, when nothing else seemed to give hope. For those on the ground, setting a foot onto those structures has been a synonym for getting rid of first the Zentraedian plague, then of the Invid's cruel regime. That's the key to our future. Hand it over to us, and we'll once more reach for the stars - at least if there are still people left willing to fight for a future. Four hundred years under the Zentraedian control haven't been able to break their efforts, but the Invids are different. Even though Shykrad fought to return at some point, he is almost afraid of what is waiting for him and his team members down there. After years of war, things probably won't be quite like his romanticized memories.


"Watch your shots on board of the shipyard - if it somehow gets destroyed, we'd have to start from scratch. When we lifted off, Myrvin told me we'd return and start our revenge there, reclaiming it for our people. I dreamed of the day we'd sneak in, tearing the Invids apart and breathing freely after all those decades." Mentioning the old shaman, he stops for a moment, then continues in a quieter fashion. "I didn't expect we'd go there that early, there are probably much more valuable planets out there. But if this is the route you are going to take, my people will be in your debt forever. At least if things go similar to what I've seen since I entered a human ship for the first time."

 

[Sherwood]

The Commander nods at Shykrads' words.  "We will be doing all we can to establish positive relations with your people, but I cannot say that I will be surprised to see a level of distrust at the presence of another alien race showing up in your skies, promising peace and freedom.  Hopefully, our actions will speak volumes to your people, and we will leave here with friends and allies at our side instead of another enemy at our backs.  Now, we have several days of time in fold space before we get to the breakout point, so you will have time to get to know one another and get a chance to work together in the simulators."

 

[Teh Frixz]

Evangeline 


It was like her body was in standby mode. Sitting through the words of comfort, the reminder of her position with the betrayal, and even sitting through the display of Xenomorphic machismo with nary a comment on the biological reasoning behind it. 


"The Simulators are currently offline, being refitted without Haydonite adaptive sensor arrays. At least for a few hours." She snaps loudly, letting the last s trail off into an augmented groan. Sitting up suddenly, Evangeline begins gathering her things, her mind already splitting off, partly in her body and partly retreating to her digitized realm of safety. 

 

[Sherwood]

Commander Holloway looks like she is about to say something to Evangeline, but bites it off before it comes out.  Then, she nods.  "True.  They are expected to be back and ready for use by 1600 this evening.  I expect you to make good use of your time together before launching on the shipyard recovery.  If there is nothing else?  I must be on my way." 


When the commander leaves, the Spherian clunks his way over to the rest of the team and snaps to a crisp salute.  "Lt. Ram, reporting for duty.  I look forward to working with you all."

 

[Captain Hesperus]

Earlier (with permission from ehmygirl)


Yoshi shook hands with the ebullient Ryma as she enthusiastically pumped his arm as if she expected water to gush out of his mouth. She'd apparently discovered the joys of the home-distilled moonshine some of the flight's engineers had started producing in some dark corner of the Reflex engines and had been imbibing it excessively. Her cheeks were flushed, her pupils wide and a carefree smile plastered her face.


"You should be proud,", he replied, when she finally released his hand, "You've come a long way from the arrogant Parino who declared she would never follow the orders of a human male. Any team you lead will be one of the best and I'll definitely be looking out for you when we're stuck in the thick of it all."


The party endured into the wee small hours, but for Yoshi and Sharon they had a more important assignation. Since Hiro had been suddenly relocated by High Command, Zairine had become distant and depressed. Her every motion had been of direst need and was bereft of the brutal elegance she'd normally employed. She'd finally stood down from active duty. The pressures of combat, on top of caring for two small children, had become too much and now it seemed that she was going to devote herself to protecting her children. As the door to her quarters opened, Yoshi could see past the smile she gave them. There were still dark rings around her eyes from lack of sleep and her features were ever so slightly drawn. But yet, Akayna and little Hiro were both clean, well-dressed and well-fed. While she might neglect herself, she saw for her offspring faultlessly. As he hugged her, Yoshi noticed the piles of packing cases dotted around the room.


"Finally all packed?"


"Yes, it was difficult packing Hiro's things, but everything is ready to go now.", she replied.


She had almost completely stopped speaking non-Zentraedi languages, despite her fluency in English and Japanese. Her children understood her and her extended flight family understood her, so there was little need for her to speak any other language. She had elected to remain with the picket fleet, those ships that were either being retrofitted, repaired or tasked with protecting the rest while they were being made ready once more. With Hiro's unexplained loss, she had recognised how fragile her family was and she had refused to allow the prospect of her children losing her in battle. Yoshi applauded her strength and her wisdom.


"Akayna has been assisting me with storing her father's things. She continues to maintain his family shrine. She shall be a warrior who has respect for those who have gone before her."


"I'm sure, should her time come when she is needed to serve, she shall. But I pray that time will never come.", he replied, with a smile.


It was a hope he'd continued to hold in his heart, even as Sakura's magical powers grew stronger and her instructor advised him of her progress, that she'd never have to use those awesome abilities in anger against a mortal foe.


"So you are shipping out so soon? I had thought they would have waited til more of the fleet was ready.", there was the merest hint of a sigh in her words, a regret of seeing those she cared for and who cared equally for her leaving her behind.


"I'm afraid so. Fleet Command feels we need to capitalise on our victory and push on before the Invid start fortifying other worlds with additional units."


"Such is the way of war.", her words were flat and emotionless. It took Yoshi aback for a moment how quickly she'd rationalised the fracturing of their little family, but then he remembered that deep down, despite marriage and childbirth, she was still Zentraedi and therefore she was still a warrior and warriors quickly adapted to losses. But not all losses.


Now


The flight over to the Demeter was quick, but it allowed Yoshi time to review the files of the pilots replacing Zairine and Ryma. A human, Efemena Rufaro, and a natural-born full-blooded Zentraedi called Orran MacDonald. This would certainly be new, children from two Zentraedi parents was rare, but becoming more common. But this Orran was already full grown, meaning he had been born prior to the Second Zentraedi War. The briefing was swift and to the point, leaving Yoshi with little need to ask questions as his squad faultlessly asked or answered questions to fill out intel that was needed. Evangeline was still suffering from the Haydonite's betrayal. Yoshi still remembered how he had had to lead a team of security personnel to cut through the door of her lab after she sealed it and locked it out of the Macarthur's security overrides. There they'd found her, a literal skeleton, having pulled large chunks of her internal systems out and cast them carelessly around the room. Her lab was trashed, experiments broken and lab notes torn up and cast about like snowdrifts. This was the worst state he'd seen her in and he'd sworn the Marines with him to utter secrecy. Then, Sharon had come and had since been Evangeline's constant shadow, always on hand to offer support. It made sense, really. Sharon had suffered at the hands of the Invid, so she had empathy for Evangeline following the deep personal suffering she'd experienced following the Haydonite betrayal.


The Commander's departure drew him back fully to the present and Yoshi took a moment to speak.


"As Shykrad says, we have to, have to, minimise collateral damage during this assault. I highly recommend people against using plasma missiles this time out, fragmentation and armor-piercing should be the weapons of choice. Limit your fire and control your spray patterns. I kind of wish the Metal Siren Valkyries were available for this, since their plasma lances would have suited the close quarters combat, but we have to deal with what we have, And what we have is the VF-1R Valkyrie. If you read up on the specs, you'll see she's a venerable old bird, but she served well enough during the First and Second Zentraedi War and with the refit, she's going to be good this time around too. They are a little heavier than Alphas and they have a significantly different flight profile to a Beta, so take time to get used to the way they feel. Additionally, we have two fresh pilots, Efemena and Orran, who are joining the squadron. I know you'll make them feel part of the family in no time. Welcome aboard, Lieutenants."


This done, he approached Ram and returned the salute.


"Pleasure to meet you, Orran and Efemena. I look forward to seeing what you can do. Hydra's a bit strange in that while we're officially a recon squadron, we've ended up in some pretty hairy adventures. I'm sure, once you've settled in, people will fill you in on all that's happened."

 

[WlfSamurai]

Efe


It was him. The "Shogun". The pilot who had beaten the odds over and over again. And who had lead his squad to do the same. Efe took in every detail. The face of experience, the eyes filled with joyful sorrow, the hard jaw of combat. She saw the world he had on his shoulders. And she saw how he stood tall despite it.


She had never met a more complete man.


"Sir," Efe said, saluting. "Pleased to be serving with you and your squad, sir." She couldn't help the pride swelling inside. A smile crept to the corner of her mouth. Hydra. The famous Hydra. She had dreamed of making her mark with a well-known squad like Hydra. And now it was happening. She'd get her chance.


The memory of her childhood bedroom aboard her father's command cruiser came flooding back. She'd lay starting up at the Skull Squadron poster she'd hung on her ceiling and dream.


Now she'd find her limits and push. She knew they'd fly the toughest missions. Extreme would be an understatement. And she'd have to flourish under the stress. It was then that she knew what it meant to be elite.

 

[The Rose and Phoenix]

Orran


As soon as he had been given his orders, he had done his homework on Hydra squad and had been overly pleased with the posting. "It's the best there is," he'd told his father. And when he had mentioned the Mentradi warriors who had fought in the squad. 


As he walked through the halls of the ship, he reflected on those of Hydra squad. There was the leader: Captain Tokugawa, Yoshi AKA Shogun and his wife Sharon AKA Cypher. Their romance was the stuff of legend, so much so that half the women he trained with either read or wrote bad fan fic based on the rumors of their romance. The other power couple had been Ghost and Smurfette, the Parino Zairine. She was Mentradi down to her bones and had fallen in love with a human male. The other half of the women he trained with wrote or read bad fan fic on their romance. He knew that Zairine, who never took a human rank, had retired from military life after her husband was declared MIA. The other Mentradi, Ryma, was given her own command. That left the cyborg Dr. Crowley, the Garudin, Shykrad, and the newest member: his old teammate Efe. He was pleased to see a familiar name.


But now he was standing before his commanding officer and he couldn't be more pleased. This man, it was reported, kept pace with a Mentradi warrior, fighting each step of the way, past all human endurance to free his wife from her Invid captors. So no wonder the female recruits got all mushy headed over the story. It was a pretty damn cool story.


"Pleasure to meet you, Orran and Efemena. I look forward to seeing what you can do. Hydra's a bit strange in that while we're officially a recon squadron, we've ended up in some pretty hairy adventures. I'm sure, once you've settled in, people will fill you in on all that's happened."


"From what I have read, Captain," Orran replied, "the Haydonites offered Hydra and other squads new technology that would allow us to better fight against the Invid. Shadow technology, I believe. It did, however, come at a cost. Fast forward a few years and they had installed a weapon of sorts in the technology that would have destroyed us had Hydra not found out about it. I haven't quite gotten all the details as some are clasified but if I am able to read between the lines, Hydra squad led the fight against the Haydonites though it cost the squad. It did, however, offer Parino Ryma the chance to lead her own squad. No mention of Parino Zairine nor Lt. Hirokai other that they were involved in the battle against the Haydonites."

 

[Sherwood]

Sharon  gives the two new pilots a friendly smile, then offers her hand to each of you.  It is a bit unusual to shake her hand, since it is clearly made of a blueish-purple metal, just like the armor of the Invid.  It is one thing to know that the Lieutenant was the subject of Invid experimentation by having her limbs removed; it is quite another to come face to face with the reality of that level of brutality.  "Hey there.  Welcome to Hydra Squad.  Its good to have some fresh blood in the team to bring us a new perspective on things.  I'm Sharon Tokugawa, call sign Cypher.  I guess I'm the 'old lady' of the squad, since I'm married to Yoshi.  Don't think that gives me any free rides here, he's quick to put me in my place when I do something stupid.  This is one of the few times that the husband can be in charge."  She gives her husband a mischievous smile to show that, yes, he is in charge in the field, but at home, he'd better toe the line!

 

[Silanon]

It still felt as if he had joined the squad just yesterday - nevertheless, there were already two new ones joining the ranks. When Commander Holloway left, Shykrad leaned back, only his breathing breaking the silence around him while he eyed old and new team members - barely noticing the first few words exchanged. Yoshi's thoughts had left him in a rather optimistic state, seeing that his superior seemed to have gotten the point he had tried to make. But the leader's words couldn't outweight the uncertainty when the Garudanian considered the state the team was in. Of course, the veterans would do their work as usual, even though important ones of the members had left - but things had changed for them, and the new ones were hard to measure up. At an earlier time, Shykrad would have been happy to see Zentraedi gone from the squad, and rather feral in concern of the new one. Now he almost wished Ryma and Zairine back, seeing that he had to jump into his world's heavens without their angrily-cold precision on his side. Well, he would do the best he could to make things happen. Every breath could be the last one of my people - every step the one that seals our fate. But if we don't act, we might miss the only opportunity we'll ever going to get. He took a deep breath, the air running through his filters - he would never forget what he fought for as long as the taste of Garuda filled his lungs. Standing up, he looked at the new ones, his slightly absent-looking eyes mostly focussing on Orran. " Shykrad Lykri, Tabby, or whatever name you can come up with. Welcome, both of you - I hope we'll get along well." He nods in direction of Sharon, a gesture almost perfected since he first joined the fleet. "She  will have to take a back seat for quite some time, as it seems. Everything is on the line, and we can't afford mistakes."

 

[The Rose and Phoenix]

Orran


The young Zentraedi shook Sharon's hand. "Ma'am, I'd say lady but you're not old." He spoke with an odd mixture of a clear, defined Scottish accent with just a hunt of Texas twang. "And I'd say that the Captain is a lucky man indeed. After all, a good woman is a blessing to a smart man." He think winked at her in such a way that suggested he was having a blast plying a lady with compliments. 


His attention was then taken with the Garudin who had been eyeing him since he entered with Efe.


" Shykrad Lykri, Tabby, or whatever name you can come up with. Welcome, both of you - I hope we'll get along well." He nods in direction of Sharon, a gesture almost perfected since he first joined the fleet. "She  will have to take a back seat for quite some time, as it seems. Everything is on the line, and we can't afford mistakes."


Orran smiled and knelt down. "Aye, and it's true what they say, that good gear comes in small bulk. It isn't right ta pick on someone who might be a wee bit smaller than yerself and if there's one thing I know, it's that it doom's a man soul to take another man's freedom. Aye, you're aright there Shykrad, it's time something's done about this. I went to high school in Texas and we had to have a debate on whether or not humanity was better suited being under Zentraedi rule. It left a bad taste in my mouth when I had ta argue aye. No man should submit his will to another. The Scots, and the Irish fought many wars against the English for the right to self-rule. Eventually we won, though we didn't, seeing as we're still a part of the UK, aye, but well the current king is of Queen Mary's direct line so, I guess it's only fair. " 


He then stood. "Well then, what's next? Do we do some fighting? I'd love a good fight, it gets the blood pumping. Ah but that's a way to wake up in the highlands."

 

[WlfSamurai]

Efe


Efe saw the team dynamic already playing out. And a friendly face was always nice to see. But being new, she and Orran would have to work extra hard to keep up with the vets.


"Orran. You old dog," she said, punching him in the shoulder. "How have you been?"

 

[The Rose and Phoenix]

Orran


With a huge grin, Orran took the offered blow then picked her up and spun her around. "Efe!" He then very gently set her down. "Did you get dizzy that time?" He held up his fingers and crossed them with deliberate boyishness. "Please say yes. If ya do, I promise to pretend that your punch hurt."

 

[Sherwood]

As everyone is starting to get to know one another, a distant explosion can be both heard and felt inside the hull of the Demeter.  Alarms start to blare as the ship violently jerks out of fold space.  As you are picking yourselves up from the deck where you had fallen, more explosions can be felt.  From the overhead loudspeaker, you hear the urgent voice of the ship's XO.  "Battle stations!  Prepare to repel boarders!  Ready fighters to launch when ready.  I say again, Haydonite forces are attacking the ship, deck five, frame 21.  Seal all internal blast doors in that area."


Sharon's hands squeeze into the chair she is holding onto, bending the metal under the force of her grip.  "Deck five, frame 21 is . . . crew quarters.  Right near where Evangeline's workshop is.  Dear God!  They must be after her!  Shogun, we have got to help her!"

 

[Teh Frixz]

Evangeline 


Her eyes were glued to the pod opposite her private workstation. In it floated the newest attempt at creating a shell to operate her cyberized mind within. A miracle of technorganic growth. Developed around a 'living' chassis, the tissue, yes true tissue, was hers. Grown from her own cells, it would be a true hybrid to house her mind. Essentially a human version of the Haydonite propagation process. It would be yet another triumph in a long line of success. 


But there was doubt. Swirling in her mind like a fog. Her logic enhancement centers were grinding to a halt while they worked against each other trying to decide upon the ethics of continual use of the Haydonite technology. Not even including the fact that it wasn't a cleared experiment but it seemed nobody would even get close enough to check anymore. Half her staff had quit after the betrayal, leaving her even more understaffed than usual. 


Getting up, she approached the pod with reverence, hand spread against the glass in an attempt


to touch her next stage of life. 


Then the the expolosion rocked outside in her lab, power cutting black before the emergency lights flashed on. Bulkheads had sealed and internal alarms began blaring. 


Crowley opens her chest up, withdrawing her hold out and quickly locking her station down remotely, pulls the blinds and peeks out the door to her lab. 

 

[Silanon]

Everything seemed to go well - the Zentraedian soldier showed a gesture of respect, and more importantly, seemed to have realized that they fought for the same cause. Not everyone in the room had realized that as quickly as he had, Shykrad himself included. "We'll get our fight..."


Soon enough was what he wanted to add when suddenly an explosion shook the ground, followed by the ship's pace changing so suddenly that the Garudanian went to the ground. Releasing an angry hiss, he jumped back on his feet, hastily getting an overview until both the XO and Sharon added clarity. Seems like we will be delayed once again. Thousands of my people will die just because of a single attack. The doctor was a logical target, usually involved in something only barely legal, if at all. Always ahead of mankind's technology, at least as far as he could understand her mysteries. If a single person had managed to gain the Haydonites' attention, she certainly was the first one to ask. "There's no time to be wasted." Being the furthest back, he made sure to shorten the distance with small, quick steps, stopping at the door. Turning around, his eyes seemed a bit hazy, as his hand had scaled down the proportion of new air added to his breathing circulation. Just a tiny bit so that he could taste the suddenly ever so distant feeling home world, not enough to take more than just a little splash of color. "Captain", he asked urging as if hundreds were dying with every second they waited, "do we take the mechas, or do we run there afoot? I haven't had the honor to fight their kind so far."

 

[The Rose and Phoenix]

Orran


"And do we check on the lady doctor? If there's been an attack by her lab, she might be in need of assistance. I read the reports of the last Haydonite attack." Now that there was fighting to be done, his voice deepened and warmed into a thick burr that sounded as if he was about to go to war with the sound of bagpipes.