Quote
Originally posted by Admiral Benden:
**Paul recieved a burst message from Mira. The arming station had been destroyed. "Well," he thought. "It looks like we are going to have to fight this one out." he sent a message to mamajama: "It looks as though someone has managed to sneak into the dockyards and destroy the arming station for the SW's.
Looks like we are going to have to fight this one out. Evacuate the station, our fleet ill hold them off. After you unload the station, get together some freightors and tugs and see if you can move Zanat Refinery somewhere.
(message to: Foster's Revenge (extreme encryption, Raven/Mamajama personal codes))
(message fr: The Seraphim)
Mamajama, we, and trillions of Azdgari civilians, require your help. The Suicide Warships have cloaked and left the shipyard, as has the antimatter, loaded onto an old-style Heavy Freighter. For the good of the Galaxy, please try to get the recognition codes for both the Heavy Freighter and SWs out of Benden. Spin him a story about sending warships to guard them or something. Anything. Just try.
The Seraphim
-Raven
-Rasael
-Saraine**
Mamajama received the Admiral's request, and Saraine's encrypted transmission, at the same time. She gave orders to her most trusted lieutenants to proceed through Adzgari fire, and evacuate the rest of Station Pybin. She then retired to her quarters to decide what to do. As the Foster's Revenge rocked with weapons impacts, she pondered. She couldn't be a part of a genocidal attack on the Adzgari people - and she couldn't simply allow Admiral
Benden to do it in the name of the Miranu people, either. At the same time, she was no traitor. Loyalty was one of the few sacred Miranu virtues.
Although Benden was not technically her superior, (Poch being an independent mercenary world) , she had had a contract with him, and a long trading relationship with Mira. These ties of commerce were among the most binding in Miranu society. To work against his interests, to lie to him, and betray Miranu interests went against every fiber of her being, yet....she picked up the child's Azdara toy she had plucked from the ruin of Veltes.....the alternative, to once again blindly "obey orders" went against her increasingly uncomfortable conscience. "Damn Saraine, Raven, and all the rest of them,"
she swore. "We Miranu aren't meant to have consciences. But...perhaps Miranu interests are bigger than I had thought," she said aloud.
Slowly, she formulated a plan.
Later that day, the evacuation of the station was complete. Redchigh's fighters had done minimal damage, as, for his own reasons, Redchigh had elected to have minimal civilian casualties, and so the Foster's Revenge and other Jama fleet ships were now overflowing with refugees carrying their household valuables, babies, and pets. She managed to evade at least seven officious local government officials on her way to the bridge, and took a brief report from her ship Steward on the availability of supplies for the refugees. It seemed that the unfortunates could stay on her fleet's ships for about a week, before exhausting or stressing the ship's capacity to feed them, provide air and water, and process their wastes.."So I've got a week to figure out where to take these people", Mamajama grumbled. "And we have to get to the Zanat system and see what we can do there. Benden wants us to move the friggin' refinery. Why, I don't know. It's a sitting duck wherever it goes - better just to defend it with everything we have."
In an hour, Mamajama's exec, a cousin named Mo Jama, had managed to disable two Adzgari warships, with the aid of 3 other CWs in the Jama fleet.
Standing orders had been to disable rather than destroy. On the vidscreen, the huge, now impotent vessels slowly drifted through space, their signatures showing green for lifesign and white for no weapons activity. The Foster's Revenge had taken some hits, but armor was holding and shields were at 65%. Mo had kept the Revenge at the spaceward throat of the alley leading through the stations' Adaah aura, and waited there, picking off the Aradas and smaller vessels that were dodging around the hulks of the disabled warships.
"Orders, Captain?'
"Conference room, now. Get the other captains on a secure vid channel."
"Aye, ma'am."
Once the split screen showed the dozen or so Jama fleet captains, Mamajama began.
"Half of you will continue to stay in this system and defend Station Pybin, under Mo Jama on the Crescent Warship We Be Jammin'. I want the remainder of you to go to Station Zanat. Defend it with everything you have. Your commander in Zanat will be Ona of Groned, the human merc serving with us for the last decade. Personally, I will be going to Mirava on classified business. It's better for you if you don't know any more about it.
Remember that my son, Jo Jama, is now the head of the House of Jama. You may take any further orders from him. If I don't see you again, it has been a pleasure and an honor serving with you. Over and out."
Then she called her cousin Mo to a secure room to talk. "Mo, I am embarking on a course that will probably get me labelled a traitor in Miranu space. I can't tell you any more about it than that, but if anyone cares, I am doing it for the conscience of Miranu. "
Mo, a tall, thin Miranu with greying red-brown hair, looked at her quizzically.
"Miranu don't have consciences.....we have enlightened self interests."
"That's what I mean. Watch out for my family, Mo. You'd better get on over to your ship. . Goodbye." She hugged him and watched him climb into a shuttle for the We Be Jammin'.
With Mo Jama commanding, the Jama fleet continued to harass and pound the Adzgari attackers of the station, Five Crescent Warships, and the remaining Miranu Gunships, set a course for Zanat. The refugees had been loaded onto these ships, and they were looking to drop them at a noncombatant port, possibly detouring to Kitrak for this purpose.
As the Foster's Revenge streaked out for Mirava, Mo shook his head. "I sure hope she knows what she's doing."
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My karma ran over your dogma. - bumper sticker
I guess I can spare Mavs from my conquest for now. 
