Mr. Blue Sky

"So what's going on with the Microtech settlement?" I ask as everybody from Terra and Microtech sit in the mess hall, our temporary boardroom.

"The Ninetails have found it and have OBVIOUSLY set up a drug lab in my fucking server room." Ravi says getting progressively more angry. "There's so many that they're sleeping on the floors while the higher-ups are sleeping in the beds."

"What about the ships in the hangar?" I continue.

Verdi pulls up the manifests for the ships and gear. "They can't get in, still can't and if Ravi has any say they won't. That colorblind encryption is really coming in clutch but they have the turrets, so any attempt to get in or out is gonna end up in tears."

"Fuck." I grumble to myself. "What ships are down there anyways?"

She flicks the manifest to all of us.

//SPMT INVENTORY//

Sabre Comet

Cutlass Red

MK1 SuperHornet

Starlancer MAX

Pulse

Dragonfly

Vulture

Ursa Medivac

Ursa

Cyclone

Cyclone TR

Cyclone RC

Nova

Nova

Nova

Storm AA

Carrack

Reclaimer (Unknown)

Polaris (Out)

Zeus MK2 CL (Out)

"Where's the munchy-frog?" I ask.

"The Reclaimer went missing shortly after they got there. We know they can't get into the hanger but everything is having a helluva time picking it up." Ravi replies.

I pinch the bridge of my nose and groan. "This is gonna be an all-ships op. There's no getting boots on the ground because they have all our guns and med beds."

"Then what do we do? Blow it up?" Arcantha says with a hint of excitement in her voice."

Eva walks into the room looking like shit.

"Mmlook, okay, I have a plan and it's so crazy it just might...work." Eva says as she braces herself against the door.

BDL is through the roof, I think she celebrated getting out of Klesher again.

I gesture her to me with a finger and she stumbles over.

"Close your eyes, how did you even manage to fly here?!"

She doesn't answer me, just takes off her helmet for a kiss and I reel from the stench of Rust on her breath. I put my new hand on her forehead and administer a shitload of resurgera.

"Momcallie, how dare you ruin my celebration?!" She says as I guide her to a seat.

"Whatever dumb idea you had isn't gonna work, Eva. Let the good stuff do it's job." I say and she spots my arm.

"Yyyoooo what is THAT?!" She says and reaches for my hand and I pull it away.

I nod to Grendel who walks over, picks up Eva and carts her to the medical room.

"Don't let her up until she hits a flat zero BDL."

Eva is draped over Grendel's shoulder but she shoots me a little salute and Eva groans, then I turn to the group who is collectively trying to not laugh.

"The site is UEE protected, but right now I think they wanna be free of us in any capacity they can be." I say and Deacon nods.

"We can't bomb it because then you're going to lose your home, you're all basically stuck to living here on the Polaris which is less than ideal." He says.

I look at the Black Op Trio sitting in the cubby watching the news and clear my throat towards them, all still covered head-to-toe.

The lead who I have named "Eenie" turns and nods at me.

"Yes?" Their modulated voice comes out.

"Ideas for getting the Microtech home back?" I say and Meenie turns around.

"Bomb it? Start over?" They say in a more distorted voice.

I groan and say that not everything is fixed by blowing shit up, which the BOPs refuse to accept.

"Bombing makes everything better, ma'am. Or go back to Terra." Says Miney.

I hate them sometimes.

"I genuinely think we can do this without LOSING MY FUCKING HOME!" I yell and my blood pressure goes up.

Grendel walks in with a now sober Eva and takes her seat next to Deacon while Eva lays down on the floor.

"What's this about Terra?" Grendel asks, and Deacon fills her in.

"Oh dude, no. We don't have the room for you all, even if we built. Bomb it!" she says.

I'm going to get these gray hairs removed I swear.

"WE ARE NOT BOMBING THE PLACE! WE HAVE SHIPS DOWN THERE AND RESOURCES!" I yell, and everybody looks confused.

"Callie are you...are you okay?" Arcantha says quietly. "You've been angry ever since you came home from the surgery..."

The tears come, and they aren't good.

"I just...I just want my home back. We were going to get married there and I just...I miss my home..." I sob.

<Birb: The Ninetails there aren't as deeply rooted as you think they are. They're already mad they can't get into anything>

<C: DAD?! WHERE ARE YOU?!>

<Birb: Been keeping an eye on things down here. They keep out of the caves but they're getting close to giving up on the security here>

Here?

<C: Where are you? Where is "here"?>

<Birb: The caves are nice and warm, and they won't come near them. Good place to gather intel>

<C: Need backup?>

<Birb: Calliope, I know this is your home but if their comms chatter is right, Deadbolt will be moving in next month>

Everybody perks up instantly

<Birb: But with the security he's gonna have, and your choice of location, blowing it all up is the only option you ha->

I disconected the chat and grumbled off to the Captain's quarters then locked the door, followed by rageful screaming.

I always wanted a home on Microtech! Terra is lovely and all but the perpectual cold weather makes beyond happy. Just fucking ONCE can't things go right?!

A knock on my door, and the knock says it's...Deacon?

The door slides open when I unlock it and we exchange the usual pleasantries, then he steps around me and sits in MY desk seat.

"Hey bud, that's my seat." I say and he doesn't move.

"Hop up." I say again.

Still doesn't move.

"Deacon it's disrespectful to-"

"-completely disragard the opinions of others because you think you have everything figured out because your pride tells you that you do? Sit the fuck down."

He kicks a seat out from my side and it rolls up to me perfectly stopping at my legs.

"You can't just-"

"Sit. The. fuck. DOWN!" He barks at me and something deep inside makes me plant my ass and roll up to the desk.

"You're wearing the burdens of others as your own, you're stretching yourself so thin that we can see right through you."

I pout.

"Shit doesn't work on me, I have a little girl of my own and it's never worked." He says with his tone more serious than the day I met him.

"I get that your home is important to you, I really do. But your home is where you first put roots, on Terra. It's never been the same since you left and Jorg never comes home. The land we own for Terra is fucking massive, yet you want this corner over here at the mountains. It's like you WANT to be alone."

"N-no I actualy hate being al-"

"I didn't say you could speak, shut your mouth." He says and I straighten up.

"You feel that taking on the burdens of others has made you yourself a burden. So you're trying to isolate to 'take their problems away with you'. Some of the, frankly, DUMBEST shit I've ever heard. Fareeah, Ravja, Ivy, Katherine, Brianna and I are where it all started. Yeah Jolene and Desiree are dead and gone, Kite was an inside job, but hell even your daughter Bella loves being around you and needs you."

I am tearing up, but something comes to mind.

"What about-"

"Bella put three rounds through his head. He's gone."

Fuck...

"What you have to do right now is admit that you're better with a family around you instead of running off with your wife. You expected Ravja and Brianna to stay behind with us, didn't you?"

I gasp and then nod my head in shame.

"Just me and Ivy...I didn't want to get in the-"

"Finish that sentence, Calliope, I fucking dare you."

Swallow the pride, bury it deep below.

"We have to take out Deadbolt when he moves in, when the coast is clear we'll put in claims for all the ships, and you of all people should know the armor can be replaced in a few bunkers. We'll come back with salvage ships to clean up what's left and use the materials for you and Ivy to have a new home along with Eva and Kat."

Slowly I raise my hand, and hope he notices me never.

"What?" He says flatly.

"Me, Ivy, Kat and Eva. Single home."

Deacon says nothing, you see the muscles in his neck move around as he tries to gulp down that info.

"I see...either way. We can have you a home, and make an organizational push to hit every bunker here in Stanton to restock your armory, and possibly expand the only one we have."

<R: Sorry to butt in. But what about my server room? I have the data backed up but what do I do with that? Or the new boardroom?>

<D: Upgrades. Don't worry about it. We'll get you a Herald while we're at it>

My head hangs in shame, I hate myself so much for this.

<C: Fern, can you come to my personal quarters?>

<F: OMW>

Deacon looks at me with confusion but soon his mind catches on before Fern steps in.

"Hey uh...Can you find a way to squeeze a Colossus payload into a size 10 torpedo?"

The smile they gave was absolutely sadistic...

"We need four of them if you can..."