The Nest

[Lusitano]

The Nest

Somewhere in the Northern Hemisphere - Planet Gran Canaria - Omega 49

Red … that is his name! Not a call sign! Nobody knows his real name … those who knew, his family, died 25 years ago on the First Nomad War, red was only 3 years old. A group of orphans … misfits … on the streets of one of the so call Zoner cities on Planet Erie, took care of him. They gave him this name, because he was with a red shirt, and he gets angry, his face gets a flushed face! But who his Red? Nobody … hero … depends who you ask! Nobody because he his just another Zoner in Gran Canaria, hero because he his one that every time there is a problem … a war … he is one of those that are in the front line … from the Omicrons to the War for the Liberation of Gran Canaria! The war on Gran Canaria was the one that left more marks … one thing is to shoot a ship in space, other is to kill a man face to face! To see his eyes … to hear their scream … to watch then fall on the cold ground … to look around to see pieces of broken bodies, and some … some were his friends that few minutes before were all laughing telling jokes!!! Red isn’t the only one! 23 years ago, a man … a great man … saw Red’s group while they were stealing bread from a bakery. They looked like a flock of sparrows, enterd the bakery, stole what they could and left in a blink of eyes! That man followed then and saw then eating what they got, sharing equal to all! On that moment that man found a lost reason to live. That man was Martin L. King, a former Liberty Navy officer, there isn’t a medal that he doesn’t earned! But those medals meant nothing, for the father that lost his son on the Nomad War, for the husband that fighting and could be next to his wife, and hear her last words in a hospital bed!! Martin saved those little birds and many more, and took then in an old transport ship, way to an abandoned mine on Planet Gran Canaria. The dome that covered the hole of mine would give protection as well the tunnels, in the beginning it was hard, but then all finally could live in peace … or not!! There is no peace on Sirius … never was and probably never will be!
Red is next to bed … his loving princess … the love of his life ... Sara is still sleeping. Only she can tame Red’s angry heart ... she is beautiful … she is perfect! Red kisses her face before leaving, he has a meeting and he has to go! Red arrives to what they call the control room … it is here here the decisions are taken, the life of the 892 people … birds ... that live The Nest may depend of what it is here decided, so we all must be very careful of what is decided.

The meeting

Red enters the room, already there is Matilda, Chuck and Bomb.

Matilda … she was one that took care of Red, she even has the one that gave him that name. Competent and organized, she is basically the one that puts things working here, she is actually in charge … since our leader ... our father … the Mighty Eagle is not in good health!!

Chuck … a orphan from the Taus that Eagle toke care of him. Fast, energetic, it is hard to see him completely stand still … and quiet! He flies a freighter, it is he who takes supplies to the Nest from Canaria, and is an expert on smuggling!

Bomb … his real name is Jack, but all calling bomb because … well ... he likes to eat and his body has a noisy and many times, bad smelling, reaction to that!! He flies a small transport, and his trading is the main income of the Nest!

Red greets all … they are not just friends … they are family! All basically are family there, so is very hard when he lose someone! On the the War of Liberation of Gran Canaria against the Corsairs many have fallen … we were not prepared for that!! But now is different! The Corsair lost and they learned a lesson, as also they have other things to worry about, but Gallia ... Gallia is different! They know how to fight in the ground, and if Bretonia falls … Gran Canaria could be next!! As all were sitting, Eagle enters the room.

Mighty Eagle – Martin L. King, hero of many wars that Liberty fought, he is the one that saved us all! We call him Mighty Eagle, because of the big libertonian eagle tattooed on his right arm. He … he gave all people a place to live … a place to grow … a place to be happy … he gave not only a home but also hope. He is tired … he is getting old and his health is not the best!

All are sitting in their places ... for some obvious reasons Bomb is next to the door. Matilda starts with the basics, food and water production are going well, and are fully stocked as well has fuel! Basic stuff, but Chuck was nervous … too nervous! Chuck still have a special connection with Planet Leeds, and breaks his heart knowing what is happening there and now can’t do anything! Not long ago a Liberty Rogue tried to destroy his ship while he was taking refugees to Liberty, because he hadn’t money to pay him, but luckily he his fast and got away, but worst was last week, when he was taken supplies to the resistance in Leeds and evacuating casualties to New London, he was intercepted by a patrol, a bretonian patrol, that threatened that he continues to do that we would be captured and jailed or even killed … killed just for helping those who need!! And for that we no longer allow him to do that anymore! He his fast and manage to escape, but now is more difficult, he no longer has to run from gallic forces and pirates, he also has to run from those who are responsible for the ones he is helping!!!

- Chuck – I … I can not understand why they did that to me! I was helping … helping their people!!

- Eagle – Pride!! They don’t care! Bretonia is losing the war, and they don’t want to show that! He the people sees Zoners evacuating their civilians * cough * they might lose the confidence in their armed forces, and while there is a resistance * cough * they can say that they didn’t lost Leeds, but we all know that Leeds is lost!!

- Chuck – But but ..!!

- Matilda – Chuck … I know how good you are, but is too dangerous!! And if your ship is destroyed, you may escape in the life pod, but what if that happens when you are evacuating people? They will die, and don’t tell me that you promise not to evacuate casualties or refugees, because we all know that is why you want to go! We need you to continue to smuggle military equipment … I don’t believe that Rheinland would let us transport legally all we need! We need you here!!

Chuck with a broken heart, nods his heads accepting what Matilda told him! Suddenly Jack leaves the room in a hurry, he closes the door, but even with the door closed everyone heard why he is called Bomb, and he enters the room!!
- Bomb – Sorry about that. *smiles *

- Matilda – Well since you are up, here your transport routes and schedules.

Eagle looks at Red … he could see that there is something bothering Red.

- Eagle – Red? What you have to tell us? I know that is something that is bothering you!

- Red – When I was on Freeport 6, there was a rumor of another conflict in Delta, and they were calling for reinforcements !!
- Eagle – Delta!!! Always Delta!! Why they built that station on that goddam place in the first place? There were spilled so much blood ... zoner blood … that we could paint that station from one end to the other!! Who is this time? Core? Corsairs? Order? Jellies? Or all ?

- Red – Looks like that this time are the Outcast or an Outcast group!! Don’t know for sure!

- Eagle – Out * caught * Outcasts?!! That don’t surprise me at all! Many are nomad followers, despite some of those followers, despite many even respect Zoners, others are ... well ... are rats with some crazy idols!! We will not go there this time!!! Zoners should leave that system! IF that base could not be transported, so abandon her, leave then to the Corsairs or Core or Order! Even those stations in Kappa … after the Omicron 74 jump holes were gone, Livadia should have come to here Omega 49, or to Baffin. Corinth can stay there … the forces that now protect, or think that they can protect Freeport 11, could retreat to Corinth! It will be much safer, and many lives could be saved!!Gran Canaria is our priority!! We don’t know what the future brings, but of what we can see now, is not all good things!! And we must be prepared!

The meeting continues!! Red can’t stop thinking of what is coming … war! War and much war!! What he wants is to join his beloved wife, but he knows that he soon will be in