Chapter four Preparations

They were fighting insectoids and learning the horrid secrets we held, I have over time accepted I am a Titan, but there are times by the Gods (or God) that I wish that I was a human like the ones that raised me.  More than that I wished I could treat them as they treated me, I do the best I can within my government's limitations, but I also desire to do more.  Maybe when I finally die I can be reincarnated as a human(or would that just be a smaller, faster, more accepting Titan from Earth?)  That may be better then heaven...-Eryn Bass

Gama Fleet area

Naskia flies the family shuttle into the traffic pattern defined by CPT Gwenn, the fighters and other shuttles must have been lousy pilots with the number of near misses she had and warnings from Gyfjon.  That or Niall was right she is a lousy driver and he was right to have Sorcha drive even before she was legally able to.  No, she was a great driver she thinks as she attempts to park the shuttle manually.CPT Gwenn "ah Naskia you have an automatic docking computer on that thing for a reason..."  

Naskia smiles "Lauryna regardless of what my family thinks I am an acceptable pilot." 

Gwenn winces and knows the shields will hold for the vehicle that is roughly the Titan equivalent of an SUV.  After numerous restarts and 'adjustments' she gets it close enough so that the crew can apply just a touch of help in the form of a low-end tracker beam.  After docking Naskia is pleased with herself only took 20 minutes, to which Gwenn having been joined by her brother Navarchos Bass think it would have been over 19 minutes 30 seconds sooner if she had engaged the docking computer...  Aertimus chuckles internally his sister is the perfect match for Niall, both will go down swinging on certain things, but both support theother even if they are wrong and work to correct the other as much as they can.

Naskia enters the Gyfjon, not much has changed, still a big warship.  She knows the way to the bridge as she passes a number of the crew.  She is courteous and polite as she begins to remember just how big the ship is and it's hallways.  Having been successful at nearly everything her and her husband tried, a touch of modesty and humility reach her in time to see the Man she loves with every fiber of her being and will be regretting her being here for the next week.  As she prepares for her speech to Niall, Sorcha comes into view, Naskia smiles at her baby as her thoughts have fully focused on her family.

Naskia is thinking it has been too long since she's seen her whole family together.  She regrets that it will be somewhat uncomfortable to Sorcha (she is Daddy's big girl) and for too long very uncomfortable to her beloved Niall.  She wishes she could let it slide and she has forgiven him already, but if he isn't checked, well he is Dr. Niall Freeman she thinks with a smirk, once 'freed' it is very difficult to restrain him (needed or not).  It hurts her to hurt her love and mate, but both will be better for it.   

Naskia says "Sorcha!" as Sorcha finally sees her mom and she hugs her much taller daughter "are you ok Tuppy?", 

Sorcha isn't truly ok, she's still getting over losing Joseph and 40,000 of the lives that were entrusted to her.

Naskia senses her daughter's grief and guilt she hugs her baby "have you spoken with your dad?", 

Sorcha "no, he seems very busy and everyone that isn't human seems intent on beating him up."

Naskia smirks "that's because he went around us" before Sorcha interrupts "he had good reasons Tuppy, but we can't let him and Darren get away with it if they do they will have secret project after secret project."  

Sorcha "but after all the Titans have done to humanity." 
Naskia nods "they have a right to prepare for the worst and be a position to defend themselves, but they also have allies, friends, and family who are titan or part titan who should be involved, that could cover for them, that could help them, they need not do alone and that's why they are going to get so much grief from them, cause it hurts not to be listen to because you are a human or a titan.  So are you going to be ok?"

Sorcha considers the question, she's been numb and keeping busy, she hasn't really faced that she had fallen for Joseph.  The one moment she had she cursed the man that likely saved her and Alesia's life.  

Naskia "so you haven't really dealt with it huh baby?", 

Sorcha begins to tear up "no and my first emotion was to cause a diplomatic incident....", 

Naskia has a wry smile "you tore into this Field Marshal Victor Davion?" 

Sorcha nods "this human riding what looks like a toy robot comes in and carbonizes a murder, someone who just stomped 3,000 innocent people, almost killed Alesia and could of killed me and my response is not to thank him but wish the love of his life would die so that he would feel my pain!!!!". 

Naskia "From what I have heard the man is focused on his mission and doesn't worry about such outbursts, either you should apologize or stay away from him." 
Sorcha's never backed down in her life, she realizes that some of her problems stem from that, but even worse is that she has difficulty seeing the other person's perspective until after she has stuck her nearly 20 ft long feet into her mouth.  She knows Victor was trying to do the right thing, everyone she hurts is was trying to do well for her and those she cares for.  Sorcha "mom, I am going to apologize and then I am going to go see Kiri"

Naskia is pleasantly surprised, her baby has been trying with some success to handle her anger issues, that she realizes she can't on her own shows Sorcha understands who she is.  That she's going to Dr. Kiri Miroppi, though they had patched things up over the years Naskia still thought her former best friend as a bit of a snake.  Niall and Kiri cordially disliked each other and Naskia kept in touch due to their earlier friendship and that she was the best psychologist for humans and hybrids around.  Kiri's limited conscience seemed to be perfect for it, she would do whatever the patient needed not because it helped the patient, but it was another success for Kiri, her patient's health and wellbeing was a mirror on how great a person Kiri was.  The greater her success rate, the better for her, so in a sense, she cared a great deal for her patients, but only in that they got better because of her.  In many ways it made her the best doctor for Sorcha, Kiri was only interested in results and would not spare Sorcha's feelings if they got in the way of those results and Sorcha wouldn't be mollycoddled (which she was guilty of doing, but her Husband was even worse).  She silently applauded her daughter's decision.

Naskia "Ok baby" as she hugs Sorcha, "let us go see the family," 

Sorcha smirks "not sure dad wants to be laid into by another titan", 

Naskia smiles "not just another, the one he loves the most and loves him the most".  

Sorcha sees her mom grin, she's seen it a hundred times, its determined, its focused, and its forgiving, she can't remember the number of times her mom would whisper 'I forgiven your father, but he still needs to learn a bit of a lesson, don't tell him that I have ok, let me rant and rave a bit and everything will be well'.  It usually happened when dad was being impatient with an experiment, or some commentator got under his skin.  As mom worked it through it happened less and less.  Mom would never use her size advantage beyond correcting what both she and he had agreed was less than stellar behavior.  When she was wrong dad had his ways of dealing with it as well and they were just as effective.  However, today was mom's turn and for roughly a titan week daddy was going to have it bad.

Just before Naskia enters the bridge Engine Fixer stops her and says "hello scientist who developed communication array."  

Naskia smiles "Engine Fixer?"  

The Avartle female "I am an Engine Fixer, not the one you remember I am her third son, second daughter Engine Fixer."  

Naskia smiles and nods "I hope the root com systems haven't given you any trouble, my husband and I believe we worked out the bugs years ago."  

Engine Fixer "Human Scientist and Titan Scientist communication project works well, does human Scientist and Titan Scientist relationship works as well."  

Naskia looks down and a bit hurt "Human Scientist for understandable reasons did not trust Titan Scientist, wife or Titans.  For that, he is enduring pain from Titans."  
the Avartle nods "Remember how much pain Human Scientist and humans have already endured, remember how much they have already sacrificed for our benefit." as she leaves "It was nice Communicating with you Titan Scientist."  

Naskia contemplating all 'engine-fixer' had said: "it was instructive engine-fixer..."
Naskia, as she walked to the science station she knew, couldn't back down from her course, but she also understood better Niall's pain and sacrifice.  Sometimes as well as they live and how deeply they understand each other she forgets the everyday pain and grind of living in a world not meant for him and dealing with things she never will.  She will never forget her cardinal sins, but the venal day to day sins she tends to ignore or deem not worth fighting over.  After what she has planned for punishment to Niall, she is going to have to re-evaluate that and will try to have others such as Loona and Kymie consider it as well.  It was likely them ignoring or dismissing the small items that made Darren and her Husband go the path they choose.  If the Titans who loved them could be so callous and indifferent, what of those like Qorni who hated them.  She shakes her head, further disliking what she was already uncomfortable with, but like a Titan, she has to see it through before she can move on.

While walking to bridge's science station Naskia had communications from Semi-Navarchos Tamm she was skimming through her pad on all the data 'borrowed' from the task force.  She was impressed and pleased by what she saw, they had researched and made a number of breakthroughs, but as humans were wont to do they broke off before they could make some very large strides.  Anti-mater reactors, too dangerous, to likely to be used in wars (they seemed not to be able to go a Titan decade without a war), dark energy/matter same, but their fusion reactors were miniaturized to the point they could run cars off of them, and somehow they were roughly three to four times as effective as the best designs Titans had come up with, in fact, their shielding, containment fields, and power distribution/usage were off the charts, even their loss of technology stemming from their most brutal period still had several items (armor, construction materials, fusion plants, weapons)that were as good if not significate improvement to Titan equivalents, if only they had a Titan mother (and only one, Naskia knows too many of her ilk would smoother and stunt their development as shown by her universe) to spank their cute little behinds and keep them on task the humans from Task Force Bulldog's universe would be well in advance of the Empire rather then ahead in places.

Naskia really wanted to go over all this with Niall, she really wanted to enjoy his insights, bounce concepts and ideas off the other, bounce Niall gently off ah parts of her..., well she couldn't until Niall had learned his lesson, once that was done he and her would play some Tupp and Shaar, and see if he couldn't provide her one last Freeman.

Naskia was just at the end of her fundency normal bell curve, a year or two it will drop like a stone.  Sorcha had been a HUGE challenge, they loved her and she was their daughter, but she seemed to inherit and multiply both parents tempers, that and keep 99.9999% of Niall's arrogance.  She was too bright for her own good, she learned to fast, easy and well, she was too strong, fit and talented.  Things came way to easy for Sorcha so any difficulty angered her, any obstacle she couldn't easily surmount was "unfair".  She has become much better which upon seeing her improvement gave Naskia hope that another child would as well, Sorcha had to be an outliner with all those gifts marred by arrogance and anger.  She and Naill had to be able to have a calmer as well as just as loving and brave child.

As Naskia enters sees her brother, Tamm, CPT Gwenn, 'CDR' Izzy, and of course her husband on the science station.  She signals everyone to stay quiet, Niall is focused on the data she was just looking at "come on guys, you folks are brilliant, but Frakk you have the attention span of an ADHD three-year-old hyped up on caffeine" as he completes his sentence her senses a large hand closing around him, he turns to see that it is Naskia's hand, and he braces for her to squeeze just a 'pinch' harder than usual.  Naskia applies just enough pressure to let her husband know she's displeased "hello Niall" she says with an angry smile "you have any other surprise projects you neglected to tell your wife, your family, or your friends?", Niall "P, err Naskia, I am guilty, I ask your forgiveness but you do know why I did it?"  

Naskia sighs deeply and sufficiently into Niall "yes sw, err Naill, 499-501, I know, I know you don't trust the majority of Titans to do the right thing, that they haven't a clue of what the right thing is, and you know YOU ARE RIGHT!  Most are too busy with their lives or don't know better, some are actually evil and would keep you from the rights you have as a class one sapient, but am I one of those"  

Niall looks done "Pet...Naskia no you are not, most of the Gyfjon aren't, the vast majority of Gama fleet isn't...", 

Naskia loosens her grip and takes him into a loving hug "but the system is, you needed a defense for your species if we reverted or fail, we failed.  You've been beaten up by every Titan on this ship for not trusting them, what they haven't told you is that each and everyone would die not only for you but for any human if that's what it took to keep your species safe, to keep the earth from being a pet store.  They would revolt against the empire if that's what it took, now some like Tamm is so by the book if you told her about it, well it would get to the authorities, even if it was redacted to the point of being unintelligible and on such a low priority that no one would ever read it.  But Aertimus, Gwenn, Kymie, even Loona would quietly bury it and ensure nothing the empire would develop would be effective against your acolytes for as long as it took to get Earth able to defend itself against any foe".
Loona looks down at Niall somewhat ashamed" its true, we've messed up you humans for much too long, we need to allow you to reach parity in and outside of the Empire.  If you can defend yourselves we no longer have any justification for butting in where we never should have been in the first place." 

Aertimus shakes his head "we've clung to our biases, we are slow to change if your species was technologically advance and meddled with our civilization who's to say we wouldn't be your beasts of burden?  We should have kept the Insectoids out and left you the hell alone until you were ready."  

Tamm "being small in stature should not be the basis of how you are treated, too long we've done that with your species"

Naskia "see sweetie, yes I called you sweetie, everyone here loves you and loves humanity, you already knew that from first contact, but fear has crept into your hearts, you know Solis was one step away from crushing your home world and further enslaving humanity.  We ask you not to trust Titans, the empire, or our military but to trust us.  Besides just from looking over your work mister smarty pants you've missed a good five medium level applications of your engine and dozens of moderate to minor improvements that can be applied elsewhere if you all weren't in such a Gor'rom hurry..."  

Niall "petal", 

Naskia "I mean you all are awesome at the initial breakthrough, but..." 

Niall "Petal", 

Naskia "I mean can't you all slow down a bit, we can extend your life, but your patience and focus...", 

Niall "PETAL",

 Naskia "yes, sweetie" 

Niall "whatever you require I will do as penance I will do" 

Naskia smiles and beams "I know you will sweetie" as she kisses him "your my pet as much as I am yours".  The sultry smile on her face and the shaar clawing shes simulating with her free hand has Niall gulping "you know I am a bit old for some things Petal?", Naskia "oh I am sure you are young enough..."

FCS Yggdrasil

Dr. B Banzai frustrated with MIIO and DMI makes the quip "Anna you think if I left an unmarked copy the Canterbury tales in middle English DMI-4 would think it was an exotic language?"  

Anna shakes her head the intelligence agencies are bright, they are thinking too far outside the box, new universe they assume everything is new, that her father can immediately get back to the box when he sees the pattern makes him a genius, the others are quite bright, but don't have the flexibility her dad has.  Hell Anna for an hour or so wasn't sure Titan or Achievian as it was known locally was Cyrillic.  

Anna "Dad be nice, we have projects that require our brain power more than this," she says with a giggle and smirk.  

Dr, B Banzai nods he knew his daughter hadn't picked it up right away as well, but she was only 10 minutes behind him and working 12 projects, the 'linguists' of MIIO and DMI were working intercept, decode and translation...  Ah well, he had other things to put his passion into he thinks with a slight chuckle and a slight grin.  The translation was done and the information was his to work with he was still frustrated though.

Dr. B Banzai and his daughter have hacked the Gyfjon's medical computer, tactical, communications, well all of them.  B. Banzai "comparative effects of medicine" the Fedcom's latest computers took four hours to decipher the Titan's language, it would have taken 30 minutes if the MIIO agents doing the decrypt weren't sure it was an 'exotic' language for the love of GOD man just look at the cultural pollution and the Cyrillic alphabet.  That said it was fast enough for them to get a good look at teraquads of data, their tech is 'fully-developed' in that everything that can be wrung from a discovery is, their 'breakthroughs' are more like push throughs, they test, test, test, test some more and then test, whereas humans would test, retest implement, but given their long lives and dominate size and population their mentality makes sense.  

Banzai chuckles to himself if they were a successor state they would have been carved up by now, they would be protected by the six liberties if the Federated Suns or Commonwealth took them, much better then what they do to his kin, Lyran commonwealth slightly worse until they became part of the FEDCOM, FWL, and Combine wouldn't kill them, enslave them? not quite, close not quite, Capellan Confederation depends on which branch of the Liaos were in charge, the crazies would kill them all, the sane close to FEDCOM treatment.

Banzai comes to what he is looking for "ether", 

Anna nods "only need 1/100 of what a human of proportion weight would need, plus our filtration and protective masks work well against it, the Titans haven't really encountered heavy use of chemicals in their wars, we've had an advantage over them since WW1." 

Her dad nods "well let's not break out our VX and mustard quite yet (yes the fleet does have some for use in retaliation), the Archon-Prince and Precentor Martial want this done within the Ares convention",  

Anna smirks "as it should be", 

Dr. B. Banzai hits his intercom "Precentor Martial how many units do we have on hive ship?", 

Focht "2 mech, 12 armored", 

Banzai "can we have our missiles and autocannon rounds laced with ether and set for smallest fragmentation?"  

Focht smile "of course, you find a weak point",  

Banzai "not just one, but ether is the safest and in compliance with you and our Archon-Prince's wishes".  

Focht "we'll raid the third tier medical supplies and load up our mechs and combat vehicles".  

Banzai "thank you, sir"