The Nest

[Lusitano]

We cannot enter into alliances until we are acquainted with the designs of our neighbors. – Sun Tzu

It is time to leave Gran Canaria, for now! Red and what remains of the battle groups, are preparing to be evacuated! A small Kestrel class ship, makes an hard entrance on the planet atmosphere, and picks each time, a group no more than 20 elements. It is a dangerous procedure, the groups are spread over several kms, in case of bretonian detection of the ship, the groups are safe! After leaving the planet that once Zoners called home, the small ship flies to the Barrier Nebula East, where a liner waits for then … that is not any liner … that large bird is what the refugees for The Nest call home!

One by one, the groups are picked, Red is the last one … a mixture of joy and sorrow evades Red feelings!! Sorrow for leaving Gran Canaria, even just temporary, and joy for seeing his family and mainly Sara, the love of his life, that he don’t for so long! Finally is his turn ... the small kestrel is smoking hot, the team enters the cargo hold with proper space suits! It would not be long trip but is a dangerous one! All clear … bretonia is now busy in Omega 3 … funny to know that the Red Hessians are now shooting bretonians, while they helped invaded GC. Few minutes later, the Fast Bird docks on the Large Bird, that immediate leaves Omega 49 to Omicron Theta.

Red leaves the cargo hold, immediately he starts to see familiar faces, he his greeted by all, and suddenly without notice he takes a big slap, he looks and it is Sara:

- Sara – You stink! You need bath! – says with an angry face.

- Red – Is that an invitation?! – replies Red smiling.

Sara smiles and burst in tears, they hug each other ... it has been so long that Red feels that good! Matilda arrives and welcomes her brother, then all come … Bomb … Terrance, and even Chuck, the fast pilot that flies the Kestrel! The family was once reunited … except one … the Mighty Eagle … Martin Luther King, the man that saved Red and all birds, and gave then a purpose to live, and a home that bretonia stole from then. They go to see him … and it is not happy reunion! Martin is lying on a bed, in coma … Red kneels before him, holds his hand:

- Red – Forgive me Father because I failed! – says Red crying!

- Matilda – Red is not your fault!! Is nobody fault, except bretonia!

- Red – What happens if that machine turns off? – says to doctor in the room.

- Doctor – He … may not live!

Red bows his head! Sara comes to him, and hugs him!

- Sara – Come! You need to rest! And a bath! – says smiling.

Red goes with Sara, before leaving the room he looks again to Martin:

- Red – Bretonia will pay for this!!

Red is with the woman he loves … and for now is all that matters now!

Next day:

Red wakes up … a bad dream! His body is no longer on GC, but his mind never left. Sara is still sleeping, Red get’s up and look to the window … Pygar! How can we call that home! It will takes decades just to be acceptable! Crete took centuries to be ok … Harris is taking decades and even with houses supporting the terraform it still far from complete!! Hammersee also will takes decades … and what Zoners will do to Pygar? A piece of rock … not a single tree in the entire planet! Just rocks and rocks, and insects! Pathetic!! And that is how Zoners have to live there … in caves with those insects! How some can be happy with that?! Red and Matilda plan is to build a dome in a valley … that will take a lot of time, even with money being no problem! Red joins Sara in bed, but he can’t sleep … Gran Canaria! That is where mind his!!

Later Red joins Matilda, Bomb and Chuck on the large Bird bridge:

- Red – Nice ship you got here.

- Matilda – Well, this is what happens when someone with good taste has a large credit card.

A big smile from all.

- Matilda – Is good to have you back brother! But … let’s not be emotional … here – Matilda shows the location of where New Nest will be located – Some work already been done … is a very windy area, but could be worst! The mounts give some protection from the storms, but still … we will need a dome! Now … that will be the tricky parte!

- Chuck – We can’t use super alloy for the structure but … on my journeys in Gallia, I found this … ultra alloy! Is the material they use for their ships, and they got a lot!!

- Matilda – And we are going to need a lot! By some calculations, just for the structure we are going to need … ahhh … 250000 units … yes i know!! And that is just for the structure of the dome! After that we will need 300000 polymers to cover the structure and make the dome!!

- Red looks to Matilda – I suppose that you already have a ship to bring it all?!
- Matilda – Yes I have, she will be ready this week, and the best part is that, we can use a big transport to bring this all. That will save a lot of time!

- Red – And to take it all those materials … what is the plan?!

- Bomb – Hard atmospheric entrance … I will use the Big Bird! It is well armored and I already made some tests and worked fine! The ship takes a beaten but with proper inspection, I think we can do it!

- Matilda – The problem is the fabrication. We can create a workshop and do it all on the ground, but that will take a lot of time. So i was thinking we ask Livadia to do it ... and we take the parts disassembled and assemble them on location! This way we will only need 4 weeks to fabricate the structure, instead of the 3 months!

- Red – And you think they will agree?

- Matilda – Well we are going to pay but … ok!! I know!! But at least we will try! If they accept, the dome will be ready in 4 months … and I believe still this year … we can completely settle there!

Red is listening but … home?! Will he ever call that home?! How can he call that home?! We can leave that dome without protection and even so we will be risking his life?! Home!!! The others know what Red is feeling … they somehow feel the same!
- Chuck – Well … you know that the Corsair are planning to take Fes to Omega 49?! Maybe this will be just temporary!!

- Red looks to Chuck – You think that the Corsairs are going to wage a full war and attempt of retaking Gran Canaria, and then give it all to us?! 6 years ago they tried to conquer it and failed. If they are planning to take Fes to Omega 49, it is because they saw that Cambridge would be too hard to conquer, and their plan now is to conquer GC. We may work together … Corsairs and Zoners … but without a knowing what are their real plans … a true alliance will never be possible.

- Matilda – Ahhh! I have a question … yesterday we count … lets say … there are some members missing. Not from our people but from other groups.

- Red – Those still have active bretonian passports … they have other plans!

- Matilda – And when you plan to return to GC?!

- Red – I still have to talk with the others! Let then rest and be with their families. The bretonians are not going anywhere soon. I hope next week we can send the first group of 12, and rotate with other one week later!

Red leaves the room. He goes to Sara, that is working. He takes her for a walk along Large Bird …


“ I know everything happens for a reason. But sometimes I wish I knew what that reason was “ – unknown author