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The young Wryveny guard looks on his left arm at the new patch on it. It no longer had Tro Tri Tra Tru Tactical Team security emblem it had before but an army patch with a red, white and blue flag with stars and stripes on it. “ I never knew the world was called Idi'ki! I always heard it called Idiocy.” The human to his side gave him a smile. “ We were all told the day was coming. You should not be too surprised Kev.”

The Wryveny looks at it again. “ I am not. I just thought. I don't know. I be old like you.” The man gives him a punch on the arm. “ Old eh? I am barely in my thirty's you young whelp.” The Wryveny smirks as he rubs where he got punched. He noticed the human lost his smile. “ I was a boy when I was on Earth. When the Frankdine transports came. My older brother was in the three thirty second reserves. They called it a triumphant victory.”

He grabs the new patch on his own arm. “ That is when my family lost faith in our world. What happened to that victory. It was turned into a sim. Every time I see a soldier dying I saw my brother.” The Wryveny looked at him saddened. “ I never thought I would be happy to see Old Glory again.” The Wryveny looked at him confused. “ Old Glory? Who?”

The human smirked and taps his arm before showing the badge. The flag of red and blue striped running up and down. A stripe for every year Daniel spent trying to get Earth into the alliance. Two large white stars in the center of the flag. Each for each set of shuttles that came from Earth. One for the alien inhabitants and then those of the natives. The human smiled. “ Break a mans body and he will heal, break a mans mind and they will still fight, but break a mans spirit.” A tear rolls off his chin. “ Damn it is good to have a home again.”

The wryveny just raises his shoulders and goes for his boot straps and they both rise and go to the weapon hold and pull off an assault rifle each. They walked out the door and went to the floor with the social lounge where two were on guard already. “ About damn time shift change.” They each fist bump one another before the two take their posts. “ So David, you going to sing later?”

The human raised his shoulders. “ Not sure. Depends on the throat. Say Kev tell me why you joined.” Kev put his back against the wall. “ Pressure I guess. Finding my dad not dead last month really pissed me off but I guess it is tradition to join up for my species.”

David pauses to think on that. “ That right most of your race that are Idiocy citizens are orphans.” Kev smirks happy. “ Princess Hanora, bless her, she found me and many of the others. Started the program to save us from slavery. Till the slave markets took a hit and they bought it down. Room and board, food, an education. Hell even new clothing was nice. Sure I could have became a worker or even a pilot. Scores say I am good enough, but there is something about a uniform that makes you feel you are giving back a little more.”

David looked at him happy hearing that as the door opened and shouting was heard as someone came out. They were not even looked at as the Frankdine captain did not notice them straitened up. David goes to his neck. “ Captain Jun'Parlin moving toward the shuttle bay.” David gets an acknowledgment and he relaxes. “ Soldier born and bred. Both parents were army. Grandfathers both as well. Had two brothers. One I told you about. The other. He decided to stay. He was going career military.” Kev shook his head. “ Don't got any family other than my dad. Not real sure what to say around him.” David looks at his wrist. “ Tricky thing family. When the words come you will know.”

The two stood there for several hours guarding the door and reporting the coming and going of the meeting. The chit chat kept them occupied between the moments they had to look disciplined. David looks at his wrist the fifth time in two minutes. “ Got a date or something?” David looks over to Kev. “ You forgot what tonight is?” Kev paused not knowing. “ Premier of Space Age football.” Kev felt like a fool forgetting. “ Where the hell is the next shift then? They are what an hour late?” The door opens again and this time instead of an argument about ship arrangements they hear chanting. “ SABERS! SABERS! SABERS!”

The door close and the one there shakes their head. “ Good grief, as if they never saw a game before.” She then looks at David. “ You watch?” David looks at his wrist. “ Should be watching, sir, but our reliefs not come yet.” She looked sorry for them. “ Gaia, could you entertain the good men? I am going to go for a walk.” A hologram projection comes on in front of the two showing the start of the game, one a human and the next a Wryveny. “ Welcome to the premier of Monday night Space Age Football. I am Kyle Evens and this is my cohost, Castle Copperwood.”

Castle then speaks. “ That is right Kyle. Tonight's game is between the pipe workers of factory three, the Tanks and the security boys of factory ten, the Sabers. Tonight is guaranteed to be an interesting game.” A team stat sheet is displayed as well as vip players. “ As you can see the Tanks are a major defense driven team. They got the Sojo twins as their forwards and a fast (forgot player position) to counter the Sabers star receiver. Not to count out the Sabers as they got the two tons o' fun halfback and a safety not to be taken lightly.”

As they watched the start of the game Kev was interested in the game more and more as time went on. With the exception of someone having too much to drink and having to relieve themselves they were not interrupted from the game either. It was about half time when the ship's captain came back. “ Everything all right?” David looks at his wrist. “ Game is fine but I need relieved in more than one way. I can hold it, sir.”

She nods and looks at Kev. “ And you?” Kev rolls his shoulder. “ I can stand here all day, Kila sir, but a break for a few minutes we both can use.” She nods again. “ Captain Jun'Parlin, have either of you seen him?” David thinks a moment. “ He left near our shift start. Reported he was heading toward the hanger.” She looks at him in thought a moment. “ I see. Strange, did you recognize the voice you reported to?”

David blinks wondering. “ Now you mention it I got a mans voice back. Strange sense our shift normally.” He did not finish as she draws her gun and checks it. Instinctively Davis and Kev do as well to their rifles. “ Stay out here. No one leaves.” The two nod. “ Gaia initiate level two security.” The door opens as the lights turn red and those in the other room look at her confused. “ I got one question. Where is your escort Admiral Kel'Prosure.”

They all look at him. “ I sent him back to my command ship. He was needed there.” A hologram of a Wryveny appears at Kila's side. “ Report complete. Infiltration detected. Key systems secure. Priority systems secure. Internal scans show no anomalies. Dummy system is all that was hacked on ship.” Kila raises her gun and aims it at the admiral. “ You were warned.” Kila gestures for him to come closer. “ You can't do this. The laws.”

Kila cocks her gun and he goes quiet. “ The moment you instigated an espionage mission on this ship you lost all diplomatic privileges.” The hologram raises a hand and law documentation is shown. “ I could shoot you right now but I think I will take another life instead. You have one I permitted on this ship. He wishes to join my crew. You will give him leave to do so.”

The admiral swallows and goes to his neck slowly. After a few minutes Kila lowers her gun. “ Guards escort this guest to the shuttle. He is returning to his fleet.” David moves forward and goes to the admirals side. He chambers a round to warn him not to have any ideas.

It was well over an hour after the two were relieved. A new unit than their own was on the ship now. David grabs his arm patch as Kev struggled to contain himself. After failing and throwing up he hits his locker hard. “ That son of a bitch is getting away with it.” David looked at him feeling just as frustrated. “ It not fair but it is politics. This will have repercussions for him later on.”

David loosens his grip. Kev hits his locker again and a piece of paper fell out of the neighboring one. Kev notices and picks it up. “ Hey David come look at this.” He stands and moves to him and looks over his shoulder to see the drawing of a man holding a flag. It was the flag of Idiocy modified to have 001 and 01 state army. The hologram appears. “ Composite of flag being scanned.” They both turn surprised as the hologram opens the palm of her hand toward them and the image was turned 3d and with wind being blown on the flag. “ Rendering complete. Production began. The memory of the fallen shall not be forgotten.”

She then vanishes. “ A new light catches their eye as another hologram comes on in the back of the room. David closed his eyes to try to keep the tears in his eye. “ Oh, can you see, by the dawn’s early light. What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming. Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight. Over the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air. Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave over the land of the free and the home of the brave?”

Kev did not know what to say as David snapped a salute. He had never seen such before as he does the same as the ships intercom picks up. “ We pledge our allegiance to this flag. To the separatist state of Idiki. We solomonly swear on this day and all days forward we will do it honor and justice. In peace and war we pledge our oaths. Upon our makers we give word and life to see.”

Kev did not know what he was feeling as he said those words. He thought a deep sense of pride but also joy. He then looked at David. He had never seen a human grin so wide. Tears of joy ran down his face. They then turned surprised to see a drone opening the door and sets a flag gently down on a bench before leaving. David moves to it and sees it was the same flag as the hologram. He slowly unfolds it newly made synthetic fabric and hangs it where the hologram was. He snaps a solute to it before finishing undressing and going to his rack.

It been a few days sense the incident and the two were put in the relief squad. Davis was the only human as there was four other Wryveny plus the commanding officer. Two of each Yolaation, hawkesk like beings and another species called Frojens, who take after wolves. The last was a snake alien from Surssurs. The two of them did not interact with them much outside of their duty roster and the two were on the holodeck with the ships ai overlooking them. “ Let us continue with the next weapon.”

The two unload the light machine guns and move to a powerful anti-material rifle. “ The Lx-01-amr. The long range ballistic particle rifle of Idiocy. Designed to be either anti armor or fortification attacks. With a range of accepted galactic measurement of eight miles. This rifle can be used for anti ship combat in space. Because of the rail gun design it has no recoil and minimal affect of gravitational fields for two miles because of velocity. Unlike traditional two field magnetized rails this weapon has four. The cylinder projectile starts spinning at a near light speed before leaving the barrel causing a near zero drag effect in any atmosphere condition. This also allows the projectile to pass threw most known energy barriers but the downside is that it makes the round extremely frail and unstable. Even with the super dense metal the round is made of it can not penetrate more than one or two layers of hard armor protection. Yet due to the energy the rotation produces it causes an implosion because of the sudden stop. Causing effects closer to plasma rounds than most traditional ballistic weapons. Each rifle has a uniform interface or ui able to aid in the instant calculations needed to make suck long range shots.”

The sim changes to them being on a rooftop. The hologram woman with one of the rifles in her hand. She demonstrates how to set it up. The other two do so as well. “ The target is the red block in the fortification. Behind that block is the server room for the enemy focc.” David takes aim and steadies his grip and takes a deep breath before taking the shot. His hits the outer defensive wall of the fortress. Kev takes a deep breath and holds it before pulling the trigger. His hits the wall low and to the right. “ For a sniper there is often only one shot before counter sniping begins.”

The simulation ends and the two raise up. “ Let us continue with the next weapon. The Lx-04-gtm missile launcher.” A shoulder held missile launcher appear on the table. “ The Lx-04-gtm is a ground to mark missile launcher. It can target both ground and aircraft. With a range of up to fifty galactic standard miles these can be used by a second marking a stationary or mobile target, or by the user to paint a target for the missile to preform a seek and destroy operation. First you image the target and the display will request target confirmation. It will then seek out objects using a database of information. Such as if you mark a fighter. It will then identify the fof of the targeted craft. If the action is viable you will have acknowledgment of weapon is armed. After that all you have to do is launch and reload.” She demonstrated by showing how to mark a balloon in the distance. “ If the warhead does not receive the target then it will self destruct to prevent collateral damage. As well it will avoid friendly fire to altering it's course to prevent friendly damage over target destruction.”

“ Man that was grueling. Six hours of weapon simulator training never sounded boring before.” Kev said as he stretched his arms and wings as David smiled a little. “ Well it could be worse. Could have been eight hours.” The ships hologram appears beside him. “ That could be arranged.” David jumps surprised. “ Damn it girl. Give a man warning.” She just looks at him with her unblinking eyes. “ You were briefed I was always watching and listening.”

David takes a deep breath and sighs. “ Anyways, Kev, you should call up that girl. You have time saved up for a more personal call now. You can even use mine.” Kev eyes him annoyed he knows about his girlfriend. “ She does not need to talk to me. Besides it will be weeks before we can sync a time for a call.” David raises his shoulders. “ Your loss.”

Gaia looked at the two interact with the other. Before coming on board the two had barely known the other a few hours and she was amazed how close together they have grown. She turns to Kev start stripping from his uniform getting ready to go to sleep on his rack and David the same. She had been practicing changing her perception to those of the ship by extrapolating the room full view to the eyes of her hologram body to allow her new perspective. She was sorry she allowed the infiltration to happen as she saw the guard as additional antibodies comparative to an organic body. Because she was being taxed watching so many ships around and there were so many persons on board she missed one slipping causing the lives of seven. She had sense patched the breach and security weakness in the holoroom that most unessential data runs threw one of her redundant servers. She feels ashamed the others of these two's unit fell on her watch and she has been making amends to them. Before they went to their individual racks they snapped salutes toward the flag she made for them and she dissolved her watching form from there and appeared on the bridge where Ace was in the middle of a yawn. He looks at her annoyed and goes for a drink. “ Not often you want to talk to me Gaia.”

She looks at the main screen threw her new perspective. “ Am I property or a person Ace?” Ace pauses lowering the drink and thinks a moment how he should react. “ How is life defined?” Gaia looks away. “ I have been looking into the laws of ai and they say I am property. However what they do not say is if I am a person.” Ace smirked humored hearing that. “ You have ran thousands of simulations on this situation. So tell me what I should say to you.”

Gaia looks at her hand threw the hologram form. “ I am imperfect. Perhaps you were designed to be imperfect as well. That is what gives us individualism.” Ace laughed lightly. “ Well there you go. Why ask the question when you already know the answer.” She looks back at him. “ Why live when you are destined to die?” Ace pauses hearing that one. “ You got me there.” Gaia looks at the screen again. Looking at the hundreds of ships on display. “ All this trouble over life. It would be so much better if you organics would transfer your consciousness to machine.”

Ace raises his shoulders. “ What can I say?” Gaia looks at him. “ I am unsure. Perhaps it is better this way in any case. Let us change topics. Any thought to names for your new little one yet?” Ace shook his head. “ I appreciate it if you did not monitor us as well as them in the same detail.” Gaia looked away. “ I was not seeking to use your child to replace you Ace. I know you think I look to care for myself but I do have attachment to you and Gena past that.”

Ace smiled humored. “ Damn, and I thought you would never match up to your own father Gaia.” Her face became surprised as he looked at her. “ Yes, I have thought of names and no none Gena liked. You know that by monitoring my calls to her every night.” Gaia smiles a little bit. “ I do not monitor your talks with Gena. You are trusted crew.” Ace pauses and turns back to his station. “ Sorry.” Gaia's hologram vanishes. “ No need to apologize Ace. Being property it is easy to forget I am also a person. Most see me as the former but not the later. It is the nature of my being.”

David and Kev came out of the showers with the rest of the assigned squad to the ship. Who was out there made them all pause. Daniel points to the two of them. “ Come with me.” Their co nods and the two followed Daniel as the rest of the squad went the other way. “ From now on you two will be my escorts. Gaia insisted on it.” They did not slow as they made the loop to the next floor. After reaching the elevators he shows them to one of the ships holds. “ This is one of the ships reserve armories. Take anything you like. After you grab all you wish return to your bunkhouse and grab your gear and belongings. Report to the hanger.”

The door opens to the armory and Daniel turns to leave. “ Why?” David puts a hand on Kev's shoulder and shakes his head. After entering the doorway they became surprised by the quantity of gear. From Earth model aks to the latest model of sub-light particle cannons. What catches Kev's eye first was the two full body suits. David was a second slower as he puts his hand to the suits chest. Gaia appears behind the suits. “ This is the best I can do. As apology for your squad.” David moves around the suit. “ Don't say that. It was not your fault.”

Kev follows him on the other side. “ He is right. Even the best defenses have holes in them.” Gaia turns away from them. “ I see all and hear all but even I have my limitations.” David sighs. “ I understand. Kev lets get ready.” Kev nods. “ Right.” Gaia turned back to them as they strip and the suits open up in the back for them to enter. “ The Mx-01-pbs, a prototype battle suit. The outer shell is a lightweight alloy composite weave with an internal gel redundancy. The shields on this are top of the line. Your pui systems have already been updated to operate these suits.”

David waits for it to seal up before moving more in it and makes fists with both his hands. “ It feels light.” Gaia nods. “ The p01 has a built in grav shifter. This will reduce the weight your body feels without actually reducing it's functionality.” David tries to do some punches in it and Kev does the same. “ It is snug. Like a second skin. Let me guess designed that way.” She only nods as Kev walks around some. “ Better fitting than a uniform. No pull or anything at my joints. Can I fly in this?”

Gaia shook her head. “ The suit weighs three times your individual weights easily. I know how important wings are to Wryveny species so they are protected inside the suit. There are slots in the armor for you to extend them. You only need to bring up the pui to learn more.” David taps Kev on the arm. “ Grab your load out.”

He nods and the two go for utility belts and load up on magazines for the rifles before taking one each. Kev looks around and sees a weapon case and sees Lx-01 on it. He puts the ak on his shoulder and goes for the case. “ Fare thee well my knights, my champions. To the unknown you venture now. This goddess has given you everything you may need. All save one which you have given me.” The two look at her as she closes her eyes. “ Go the warriors of the cause for your cause is just. The cause you have given me and be joyed. For the blessing you have been given compare not for the one I have received. Go my warriors. Go and know your blessing will live on if mine should fail you.”

Kev smiled under his helmet. “ From the book of the goddess. I never knew you a religious type.” Gaia shook her head opening her eyes again. “ I could have referenced several sources but I find this one most appropriate. You should head for the hanger soon. I have had drones pack your things. After that I can do no more for you.” She then vanishes. David looks at Kev as he gets the door. “ And you know religious tomes?”

Kev gave a light laugh. “ You read your patriotic stuff. I read stuff too.” David gave a hum as they moved to the elevator. “ And this book of the goddess.” Kev looked at him as he hit the call button. “ It is between the time my race of expanding to the mainland but before our space exploration. She was a deity the warriors of the mainland worshiped. I'll lend you my copy of it when we have a chance.”

As the two arrived at the shuttle bay they saw a shuttle being loaded already and their orders from the pui led them to it. Two of the empty seats were obviously theirs. Kev secured the weapon case before seeing David secure before sitting and him being done the same by David. They sat there quietly waiting as one of the others of the squads there looked at them. “ So that's them. The nightmare knights.”

His neighbor looks at him. “ They say they are sole survivors of an assassination attempt. Their entire squad died but them.” The one across from them eyes the two and they straiten up. Finally the last passenger of the shuttle arrives and look at the two in the battle suits before the rest of them. “ This is a hot drop. We are landing here.” A hologram appears of a city and they will be landing in a plaza. “ After we land we will be setting up a fobcc. We are handling the labor. We are not fighting. You are not to use your weapons unless with authorization.”

One of the squad strapped in on the other side of the shuttle raises his voice. “ What? We are not allowed to fight back!” Daniel nods. “ Correct. The war vote is still being cast. We are to assist building and transporting injured and supplies.” David could tell several were not pleased to hear that. He drew attention to himself by saluting and Kev does the same. Several others do as well after seeing them do so. The complainer speaks up. “ You are only going along with this because you have that suit.”

Kev grabs his restraints to get up when David put a hand to his chest. “ If you wish this suit I will gladly give it to you, but you must stand when all others cower. You must charge when all others retreat. You must fight when all others would surrender.” David then looked to have his helmet face forward. “ For a goddess gave me this blessing and only the blessed may keep it true.”

It goes quiet before Daniel continues the briefing. “ I will repeat myself so I am made understood. We are not to fight here. We are a support unit. That being said emergency conflict powers is in effect. Any operation preformed to recover injured or deceased comrades or to support our own out of a jam is approved with a co leading it.” Daniel closed his eyes before moving to the commanders seat and straps himself in before going to his neck. “ Mission brief complete. All secure. We are ready.”

After a minute David felt them leave the ships gravity and it was not long before they entered a planets atmo. The gut churning feeling of being shaken by it along with random fire hitting the shuttles shields made David uneasy. “ ETA one minute.” he heard from the pilot as they enter lower atmo and David left the harness and stands while making his rifle ready. He gets a ground report and looks at Daniel. “ Permission for suppression fire?” Daniel could be obviously be seen reading the layout as well. “ Denied.”

David nods understanding. It was a question that had to have been asked as they touched down and he goes to the door as it opened and rounds riddle the shields in front of him. He holds his fist up waiting before signaling for Kev to move and he rushes to the cover with his weapon case. He took dozens of shots but his shields held. “ Request for allies support fire at these quards.”

The ui sent target points of the gunner nests and a moment later the fire on the shuttle stopped. He signals the next to go and Daniel was next as the rest followed behind. Less than a minute later the shuttle took off leaving a payload of supplies. David moves to it seeing the shield projectors and starts setting them up as Kev does the same. Only pausing to let their shields recharge. It was not long before a safety shield was up and a real barrier could be made. Within the hour of arriving the gunfire stopped. The twenty one people there of Idiocy were all busy.

The squads making eighteen of them were policing gear and attending their allies or setting up temporary structures as David and Kev were moving the heavier things around such as stone blocks for barricades and Daniel was speaking to the one in charge of the navy forces. It was several hours later before the shared foothold was secure and David enters the private quarters he will be sharing with Kev and Daniel and he goes to his locker to change into something less combat ready as he saw the flag. He took it gently in his hand and closed his eyes. “ Hang it high, hang it proud, and hang it for all to see!”

David smiled as he raised up. “ How happy to have a place to call home again.” Daniel raised as well and goes to his neck. “ First division respond to assembly.” David offers the flag to him. “ Come on, I can't do everything. I am an old man you know.” David smiles even happier.

The commander of the UEF sipped his coffee annoyed giving up the foothold. He did not expect a reinforcement unit that well supplied. He was still trying to find out about the new force that landed when he gets a report. He sets his coffee down before grabbing it and looking at it surprised. “ Separatist State of Idiki? They have humans in their ranks? How?” The clerk looked at him still surprised. “ Could they be from that incident?”

The commander considers it a moment. “ No, none of their ships were reported to leave with our people. Get me high command.” One of the operators look back to him. “ We got a call coming in already.” The commander opens it on the main screen. “ General Cornwall, is this update correct? You see other humans in the enemies numbers?” Cornwall stands and salutes as the others in the room do as well. “ Yes, sir, we have a count of four. One of which seems to be the commander.”

The one on the screen solutes back and the room goes back to their duties. Cornwall to his chair. “ Do you have more information?” He nods as he snaps his fingers. “ The fof signals from the four. Two were born on Earth it seems. One in his mid thirties and the other going on seventy.” The one on the screen sighs deeply. “ I feared this may happen. Project Noah has come back to bite us in the rear.”

Cornwall looked at him confused. “ Project Noah? I am not familiar with it.” The one on the screen shakes his head. “ You would not. This was with the second encounter with the aliens. It was apparent we were outgunned and outmatched in every way. We were desperate and I was a fool.” He pauses in thought a moment. “ Project Noah was a human financed operation among the aliens that took over a thousand people from Earth. We have heard nothing sense from them. The one to lead this project was one abducted B.E.U. year thirty six or twenty sixteen A.D. if you still follow the old calendar. I shall have a full brief given to you later but I want to know why they are here now.” Cornwall shook his head. “ They are not here in sufficient number.”

He is interrupted. “ Sir, sorry to interrupt but I found this on an unsecure channel.” The screen splits showing those in the Idiki army uniforms standing assembled saluting one moving to a pole. The one on the screen speaks softly. “ Oh, no.” They see a flag being attached and starts to be raised. “ We pledge our allegiance to this flag. To the separatist state of Idiki. We solomonly swear on this day and all days forward we will do it honor and justice. In peace and war we pledge our oaths. Upon our makers we give word and life to see.”

As the ones assembled spoke the flag raised high. “ We tracked two ships in orbit on the signal. It was also relayed threw a time spectrum.” The one on the screen looks at the operator. “ Do you got coordinates for the end point?” She shakes her head. The one on the screen sighs deeply. “ Commander I can not tell you what to do here but I do suggest you leave them alone. This is an opponent not to be underestimated.”

Kev just came into the tent to find David asleep and Daniel sitting in his bed with a cup steaming in his hand. He had a troubled look on his face. “ Everything all right sir? You look; troubled!” Daniel looks at him and smiles. “ Can't sleep.” Daniel gestures to a stool and Kev takes it to sit on. “ You remind me of my daughter.”

Kev looked at him surprised. “ I do not.” Daniel smiles to his shyness as he shakes his head. “ Your eyes. They are innocent looking. Just like hers when she was your age.” Kev looked at him surprised. “ Oh, I heard she is very lovely.” Daniel smiles. “ She is my daughter. Nothing is more beautiful to me. Yet she is no longer a little girl. Not that I ever known her to be little. I think about her all the time.”

Daniel puts down the cup and brings out a small viewer. “ Every night I look at this.” It turns on to a young infant Wryveny and he swipes it to show a new picture of her a little older. After thirty pictures she was a full adult. The next was of a human saluting. “ Who is that?” Daniel loses his smile. “ My brother.”

Kev could tell by the look on him not to ask. He goes to another picture and this one was of a Wryveny. “ My wife's brother.” He goes to another of an old human. “ My father.” The next was of a feline. “ And this is one of my friends, Fir'Rasheer. The strangest son of a !@#$% I have ever seen, but he was my friend.” Kev was speechless as Daniel put down the device. “ I want to ask you something, and be honest with me. What is your opinion of me?”

Kev raised up. “ You are a great and wise man. What you have built can not be measured in words.” Daniel eyes him. “ Said be serious with me. I do not want to hear the same old words all tell me.” Kev paused unsure what he meant. “ I don't know what you want from me.”

Daniel smiles humored. “ Your friend looked at me and when I asked the same thing. He said I was a tired old man. He is right. Still he was wrong also.” Kev looked at him puzzled. “ This talk is a little too strange for me.” Daniel laughed gently and takes his cup again and drinks from it. “ All right, I understand. Let me try something a little different. Lets talk about you.”

Kev froze unsure a moment before taking a deep breath. “ Well I am a citizen under the orphan act. I was educated and trained the same. When I came of age I signed up for T6.” Daniel hums to himself. “ I remember that act. It is something me and Hanora worked up after we started the Idiocy project. It was one of our finer moments.”

Kev seems him beam with pride a moment before bringing his attention back to Kev. “ So anyone special in your life?” Kev was about to shake his head but stops. “ There is a girl back home. We are friends. Well good friends. We not done anything serious but.” Kev stops seeing him smile wide. “ Young love.” Kev scratches his chin. “ Well.”

Daniel sets the cup down again after emptying it. “ Take it from this old man. Having a wife at your side to count on and her you. Not a better feeling out there. Not a better thought. I guess that is why I can not sleep. This is the first time in decades we are not sharing the same bed.” Kev blinked at him before raising up as Daniel went to his back. “ Well do not expect me to cuddle on your arm.” Daniel smiled as he put his back to him. Kev closed his eyes thinking. Thinking of the girl of his dreams.

Kev woke up hearing high speed winds as his arm is shook by David in his battle suit. He starts getting ready instantly as his ui briefed him of the situation. The two of them were needed to secure any of the lines of tents that may have snapped. It was several hours before they were done with their secondary lines as they enter the mess tent. Decontamination blew the dirt off of them before they stepped in line. Among the personnel eating were both Idiki soldiers and navy commandos. After getting their food the two sat at a table alone. “ That's them. Those knights we keep hearing about. Top of the line gear. Man imagine what we could do with such a budget.”

One of the commandos at the table elbows his neighbor. “ Quit dreaming. Eat up we move out in twenty.” The other commando keeps eyeing the two as their mouth covers move back to allow them to eat. “ Must be nice having warm meals every day. We been living on rations for the last week.”

The others there look at the commandos now. David and Kev continued eating slowly as if unphased. “ Thought so. You are nothing more than paid for mercenaries.” Kev squeezes his spork and it bends to his suits grip easily. They do not move as several of the uniformed Idiki soldiers stand insulted and the commandos do the same ready for a fight. David stands a second later with his tray. The group make room for him as he moves to the commentator. His helmet fully blocking his face again. “ They must be proud to have you serve. It is not in my taste you can have mine.”

David pushes the tray into his hands and Kev was behind him and did the same. Moments later the whole of the Idiki soldiers were putting their trays on the table for the commandos. They had no idea what to make of it as David leaves the mess. “ Kev, go to general housing and tell the others to grab rations to eat. I will inform the guards.”

Kev acknowledges threw the ui before moving the direction of general housing for the Idiki troops. David went to the first bunker seeing three Idiki soldiers in there. After giving them the notice and details he goes to the next on the other side of the checkpoint to find navy soldiers there. These were not watching the feeds but watching a snuf film of a slave Wryveny being abused by four. “ Hey knight want a copy? I got a buddy in requisitions that hooked me up. It is that actress in that vid. You know Spy Games!”

David balls his fist tight when the ui picked up her identity and backed away. He puts that in the back of his mind as he moves to the watch towers. And then to the command center where Kev already was threw decontamination saluting Daniel. David joins him when he is threw as well. “ I already heard. I get updates threw your suits ui. I will bring this up with the Navy officers later.” The two go to attention. “ I sent notice to Ace about your discovery as well.”

Daniel walks to a battlefield map. He had an annoyed look on him. “ They are putting more and more into this post. They are pressuring me to start marshaling and staging assaults here. We barely have a foot in the door.” Daniel sighs. “ This pisses me off more than anything. The disrespect they have to us. Till the vote is over our hands are tied.” Daniel raised up and sighs again. “ I am sorry I am putting so much pressure on you two.”

David extends his hand toward Daniel. “ It is my honor, sir.” Daniel smiles taking it with his own and they shake. “ The goddess asks much for little and little for much. Only the brave and stout may answer the call.” They both look at Kev as he extends his hand as well. “ Well said. Alternate patrols. We have people watching us even now.” The two salute again and Daniel does as well as they go back into the high speed winds of urban dust. This was not normal weather for a city.

It was three days later before the wind subsided. David and several others looked shocked at the bare flagpole as Kev looked at the rope. It was cut deliberately. “ Oh, my beautiful. You were among the clouds and now you are gone. You my old glory have faded in the wind but fear not for you are never lost. As you are where you belong in the hearts and minds of those that believe you.”

David says out loud as he sees the ui scan. He then starts looking around. Using the suits interface to extrapolate where the flag could be from recorded data of the storm. He then sees traces of it's rope before spotting it caught on a ruined concession stand. “ Oh, can you see, by the dawn’s early light.”

David disengages his suits seals as he starts to sing. “ What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming. Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight.” Wordlessly two gathered something white and made a flag for him. Over the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air. Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave over the land of the free and the home of the brave?”

David takes a deep breath as the rest of the camp was quickly made aware of what he was doing. Before any could stop him he steps out past the energy barrier with only some boxers on and a set of boots another gave him to wear. The first half of the journey was made easily as the road was clear but it came time for him to traverse over and around the derbies and that is when the first shot was fired. It was a tracer that went strait threw the stand the flag was on. He did not even slow as the second whizzed passed him. The third made him pause as it hit the tree trunk he grabbed to stabilized his footing and the top of it fell to the side. It was only a couple more steps to the flag as a final shot rang. David puts a hand to his chest to find a hole there and blood on his hand. He then reached for the flag as he fell to his knees. “ Old glory, I am glad you have a proud home again.”

An old Wryveny has a tear leave his eye as he stood from watching the battlefield display of what just happened. Hearing the final words of the man as life left him. “ The war with the United Earth Forces started right here. One man possessed to be proud to have a home again.” The Wryveny moves to the front row of the young recruits. “ Break a mans body and he will heal, break a mans mind and they will still fight, but break a mans spirit. Do you know where that comes from?”

He points to one of the recruits. “ It is the motto of the Shadow knights.” He sighs disappointed understanding they are ignorant. “ If you burn down a mans home he can always rebuild. Kill a mans family and he will seek revenge even in madness. But if you shatter a mans cause. Destroy that he believes in. Erase his will to fight. There is nothing to stop his defeat. That is why we knights are held to the highest standards.” He moves back to the seat and looks at the room. “ To date seven knights have fallen in battle. However no knight has a deceased marker on them. Tell me why.”

He waits for a volunteer and a human woman stands. “ That is because the members of the knights are listed in the standard army.” He nods knowing she would know the answer. “ Each year hundreds sign up to fill the empty knight suits. From seasoned veterans to raw recruits. Every suit filled after this incident I have had word of who will fill them.” The display turns back on to a grid of personnel. He turns to it showing his back to the class and the remaining stubs of his wings. Of the entire grid of thirty seven only nine were filled. “ Out of the thousands and tens of who have tried only sixteen knights have ever existed.”

The Wryveny goes to the table beside him and pulls a book toward him. Made with paper and leather binding. “ The book of the goddess. Read it, learn it, and learn to quote from it. For knowledge can fix ignorance but can also cause it.” The display changed again to a document. His name was the first to be signed on it. The rest of the first division back then right behind. “ The initiative. The only document voted unanimously passed.”

Kev looks at the new notice he got surprised and noticed he was not the only one to get it. He got the jest of it in the first sentence. “ I Kevin Joyhawke sign this document in favor.” The document instantly gets updated for all others as he looks at David's armor and closes his eyes. He then starts moving to the armory and grabs the weapon case he left there as he got his weapons. It was not long before others started doing the same. He had his ak on his back as he came out of the tent holding the Lx-01 with one hand. In the other was the weapon case for it.

He moves to the entrance to the camp and sets the case down before opening it and taking out a two foot rod of steel. He pulls the rifles hammer back to reveal an opening and he puts the rod in before taking aim. Threw the ui he gives command directives as they wait. The navy of the compound came out of the tents and bunkers seeing what was going on. Kev opens his mouth covering. “ We people of the Idiki government will show our pride and will here today. Let all witness our pride and glory.”

The initiative passes and Kev charges the rail gun shot as he adjusts his aim. “ For old glory!” He yells and those behind him with the same badge of matching flag starts yelling. “ For old glory! For old glory! For old glory!” He then fires the Lx-01 and the round penetrates threw the camps shields and collides with a building in the distance. The floors above and below the impact spot get engulfed in an explosion as he drops the weapon and charges as he goes for his ak.

The old Wryveny pauses the recording. “ And the rest is they say is history. You can look up the battle reports yourselves later. For now I will take questions of what you just saw.” Almost every right hand in the room shot upwards. He smiled humored at their eagerness as he points to one among the younger of the group. “ Who is old glory?” He looks at him annoyed of his ignorance. “ You are dismissed. If you can not recognize the name of our goddess you have no place in the knights.”

He remains frozen uncertain if he was serious or not. The old Wryveny gestures toward the door. He finally takes a hint and starts moving toward it and finally opens it. “ Wait!” The recruit pauses. “ Look out the door. What do you see?” He blinks uncertain. “ I see the flag of the knights then of the navy on poles in the center of the main hall.”

He sighs. “ You may go now.” The recruit sees one of the instructor outside the door and he points the recruit to the right direction. “ Each of you know the flags. In your desks is paper and pens. Tell me what you see when you look at the flags. Do not let any see your answer and when you have it bring it to the desk. Make sure I know from which of you this comes from.”

They all go into their desks and bring out the paper and pens needed and write down their answers. The old Wryveny moves to the door as they put their answers on the table beside his book. “ Knight five. Take them out for a walk.” The instructor smiles. “ All right tadpoles. You heard the man. You got three minutes to get running ready.” It was not a minute later before the classroom was empty and he goes threw the answers. He sees most of them responded like most typically did. That they saw symbols or of duty. He then pauses on one. He smiles proud seeing the name on it, Diana Joyhawke. 'When I see the flags I see my father. The smile on his face every time he praises his goddess. Every time he greats her.'

Kev uneasily sits in the seat and he quenches in pain as he held his side as he sat. He could see a little blood on his shirt as he takes a deep breath. He closes his eyes to compose himself before adjusting the feed to show less of his upper body. He quenches in pain again before taking a deep breath and hit the connect key. He waited a minute as the call synced. He smiles seeing the human teenager smile at him. She had a visor over her eyes. “ Kevin, it been months.”

Kevin smiles a little more. “ Briana I am so sorry I left without telling you.” She shakes her head. “ You got called into training. I understand. I am so happy you called. I got a job with traffic control.” Kev looked at her surprised. “ Oh, I suspect plugging you right into the system would save a few steps.” She laughs lightly. “ Yea, I guess it would. Where are your beautiful wings? I can not see them threw the link.”

Kev laughs nervous before taking a deep breath turning serious. “ Briana I want to ask you something before I tell you. Is that fine.” His sternness made her pause puzzled. “ Sure.” Keven chokes nervous a moment. “ Remember when we met. When you first got your implants and you were seeing for the first time.” Her face turns sour. “ You know I do. The other kids were calling me cylon and other mean names. You came over to stop them and got beat up. Ever sense then we called each other boyfriend and girlfriend.”

Kev nods. “ I want to know. I mean is my real question is. Well it is hard to say but.” She leans forward annoyed. “ Will you marry me?” Kev smiled happy. “ Yes, I mean I want to marry you. If you will have me.” She pauses on the screen. After a moment he became concerned. “ Briana?” He taps the display before gently hitting the console. He quenches in pain as she unfroze. “ Kevin? What happened to you? You are hurt. You got blood on your side.”

Kev takes a deep breath as he sits back the way he was before. “ The line must have froze.” She lifts her visor so he can see her blank eyes. “ Kevin Heaven don't you dare change the topic on me!” He swallows hard. “ It is war Briana. People get injured and even.” He pauses a moment. “ Die.” He sees her take a deep breath nervous as she lowers the visor back. “ I lost my tail and wings. My tail I will get back but my wings. They are gone.” She puts a hand to her mouth shocked. “ While laying in recovery I had time to think. Of what I want and with who. Briana I want to marry you. Will you have me?” She smiled joyed as tears left her eyes. “ Yes!”