The Nest

[Lusitano]

“May we never forget that freedom isn’t free”

It happened … as fast bretonians arrived they just left! Thousands died, and many more lives were broken, and at the end … for what?! Red scans Gran Canaria … bretonia signals are quiet … as if they never been there! But before he lands on the planet, he first scans the system … he knows that bretonians had a base hidden in the system, and later he found it … gone but not far!! Even so he returns to Gran Canaria orbit … he contacts the planet surface and all reports say that bretonians left and sacked the planet! Even the docking they took … even so he finds one orbit entrance points, and heads to Port Canaria! On the ground he notices the mess … people don’t know what to do … major equipment are missing … bretonians took all … empty hospitals, ripped of all power generators they could … water pumps all! After some contacts, Red returns to his ship, and heads to some location on the planet, former bretonian bases and some settlements … and all confirms … they are all empty! Even Port Jackson … all empty except some scavengers trying to find in vain something useful! Red heads to the location where Eagle group fought and fell … again all empty! He lands near the former cave complex where Eagle Group made their last stand, where he can still see the scars on the ground where many fallen … craters … pieces of destroyed vehicles ... helmets ... and then he looks to the destroyed mountain where many zoners and bretonians most likely are still buried … why all this?! He returns to his ship, and heads to the Nest … home! It is getting late, when Red arrives to the Nest, he lands on a small platform covered with vegetation, where one small entrance is hidden! Few moments later he is finally home … well … needs some cleaning but still intake. He goes to the control center where he checks if all systems are operational, few moments later, all good! Red smiles … home sweet home! He sends one message to Pygar “All ok. Bretonians left, and the Nest is secure”! Red is tired, he lays back on the chair and he fall asleep!
Day 2 after Bretonia abandon GC. Red roams the Nest, checking if all is operating well, he stops at his quarters … empty … dirty … but not for long! Red receives a message that a ship with his people is coming. He opens the hangar door and goes outside … it is summer but temperature is low … even so good enough. He sits at the edge of the landing platform, and does something he doesn’t for too long … he takes off his boots and he treads the grass with his bare feet! Red enjoys this moment of freedom but not for long, one small freighter arrives and lands on the platform and before Red stand up, Chuck leaves the ship and runs to Red and jumps to him!

- Chuck: We are back big brother! We are back home! – he says in the happiest and emotional tone.
Red smiles, yes finally home! He stands ups and greets all that come on the small Kestrel, and there she is … his beloved princess Sara … finally together home! Red never considered the colony on Pygar home … he always felt like a refugee there.
Time is passing and more and more birds are arriving … a lot of work needs to be done, from cleaning to maintenance. But now one important decision has to be made … what about the colony on Pygar? For now is going to stay there … never know when we are going to need another plan B.
Some days later the Nest is fully operational, finally all are safe home, and anyone can see the happiness on everyone faces. One memorial is made to remember the sacrifice that was made, and all those we lost, including our founding father, Mighty Eagle, who’s ashes can finally be scattered over Zoner free ground.
On the next day, news of order and reconstruction arrive. Many Zoners returned home, and are rebuilding what they lost. Red returns to Pygar, there still stuff to bring back home, but before that, he heads to the Arena. Red talks to Ken. He doesn’t plan to return, at least for now, to GC. He lost everything there and on Pygar, at least he has something, war is over … or isn’t? Even so … there plans for the Arena to continue open, what Bretonia did will not be forgotten and forgiven!

Many plan to continue on Pygar … the situation on Gran Canaria is still not clear and the future is still uncertain!!!

But at least for now … we are once again free.