BSBxKc Chpt 18

==Blue Squadron (Battletech x KanColle(ish) crossover) - Chapter 17 -==
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===Happily Free of the Yard===
Waystation 135 - Jay Mayen System, Deep Periphery
"Hahaaa! Woooh!"
 
Brest exclaimed with exuberance while she performed a shakedown trial twirled, then leapt as far as she could and took off running. Subsequently screeching to a halt, she spun again before breaking into a renewed sprint.
 
Silver Justice smiled. The girl's excitement was contagious, putting the flagship in a good mood as she followed the brunette's wide semi-circle with her eyes.
 
"Don't overdo it!"
 
The yell drew Swift's eyes to the large woman next to her. Trelleborg was also watching the Fox attentively, smile broad and a contented look in her brown eyes.
 
Sensing the flagship's gaze the auburn-haired woman turned, which made her cape and hair billow as though blown by a breeze.
 
Their eyes locked, and Swift , unbidden, experienced a mix of emotions she sometimes got when looking at her old comrades. Interestingly, Trelleborg had the same effect as La Plata did, despite Silver still being unable to remember her.
 
Her thoughts must have shown on her face, because the latter questioned. "What are you thinking?"
 
"Sorry, i did not mean to stare." Silver shifted her gaze to Brest, who had taken another running start and leapt into a pirouette.
 
"It's not staring if i do it right back." Amusement in her voice, the auburn-haired woman stepped up next to the Aegis.
 
Chuckling, Silver replied. "I sometimes get hit by nostalgia. Call it a yearning for better days, when i look at you or La Plata."
 
"I thought you didn't remember me?" Trelleborg's brown eyes were following Brest as well, the girl performing a burn and flipping around, then decelerating again doing a cartwheel.
 
"I do not, still." Silver shifted her gaze to the large woman next to her again, and tilted her head slightly.
 
When she did not speak for several moments Trelleborg gave her a questioning glance.
 
"Maybe it is the uniform?" Silver had given in to the urge to make that bad joke before she knew what she was saying.
 
Surprisingly the other woman snorted, placing a hand on her hip and taking on an exaggerated pose and expression. "I'm glad i can showcase the splendid fashion that is the Star League Naval Standard in this day and age."
 
Trelleborg rolling with her silliness made Silver laugh. Taking a few moments to compose herself again, the Aegis continued in a more serious tone. "I mean it though. Being around you sometimes makes me forget that we are not in the past any more, that those days are gone."
 
Brown eyes softening, the Newgrange nodded. "I know. It's the same for me, and I've had more than a century to come to terms with what's been lost."
 
The words were something of a sobering reminder to Swift , yet she consoled herself. "I will cling to the fact that we are living relics of the past. As long as we are here the Hegemony and the League are technically still around" Ending on a questioning note, Silver hoped Trelleborg would agree with her view.
 
The woman in question tilting her head in thought made her auburn tresses sway. "Suppose you can see it that way. I like that actually." Expression morphing into a slight frown, she carefully continued. "I've been meaning to ask. What's your take on the new Star League?" Their orbit around Jan Mayen taking them from the planet's shadow into sunlight again, the large woman lifted a hand to shield her eyes while she watched Brest continue her trials.
 
Replying right away, Silver did not need to ponder an answer. She had spent a lot of time doing that already, for the Star League of centuries past as well as the current one. "Despite it merely being an alliance of convenience between the House Lords, it does have its value. At the very least it let me convince Brest and Amber to join me as a counter against the abyssal threat."
 
"Oh?" Trelleborg sounded intrigued, her eyes still on one of the corvettes in question. The brunette girl was performing combat trials with her aerospace assets.
 
"Yes. I will tell you that story sometime."
 
"Looking forward to that."
 
Following Trelleborg's gaze, Silver watched Brest for a while as well, before she continued. "I suppose we have the clans to thank for it. Without their onslaught the new Star League would not have been founded."
 
"A blessing in disguise? The cat that is our existence coming out of the bag would've brought on a lot more complications without the new alliance." Trelleborg agreed.
 
"You can say that again. Not even thirty years ago an enemy nation having a warship, regardless in what form, would have probably sent all other House Lords scrambling for their caches of nuclear weapons." She sighed and silently watched Brest for several moments. "Instead all fleetmaidens are united under nominal command of the SLDF. I hope that fact calms some minds on the political capitals. "
 
"We'll just have to see that it doesn't fracture again."
 
"Maybe i am too optimistic, but with the abyssals in play i do think the new League will remain. At least until their threat is neutralized."
 
"And we don't even know where they are coming from." Trelleborg continued the thought.
 
There was a brief stretch of quietness as both women watched Brest finish up her aerospace exercise.
 
Silver broke the silence. "Once we are at full strength we will track the abyssals down and discover their base of operations."
 
"Assuming they have one." Trelleborg was frowning, concern prominent on her features.
 
"You know something?" Silver gave the large woman a sideways glance.
 
"No. It's more of a hunch." Trelleborg turned and returned the Aegis' look. "We have emerged in four different systems, at, in part, vastly different times. I work on the assumption that the abyssals also appear that way."
 
"That would suck." Brest screeched to a halt next to the older women. Having gone at full burn sprinted as fast as she could back from the area of space designated for her trials, the girl was wearing a positively elated expression despite the serious topic of conversation. "In that case they could appear literally anywhere."
 
"Yes. But if they were capable of choosing where they appear, assuming they do appear like we did, then they would have done so already and attacked any target they wanted." Silver gave a nod and a smile to Brest in recognition of the girl's performance in her shakedown trials.
 
"Instead they've tried stealthy encroachment. So there's got to be limits and reasons for why they do things the way they do them. I just can't see a pattern." Frustration was plain to see and hear in Trelleborg's expression and voice.
Considering the Newgrange's secondary role at, as well as connections to, ROM and now the SLIC, Silver could sympathize with Trelleborg. Being part of a large intelligence-network, yet unable to provide information which would be crucial for deciding the conflict could not feel good. Though the flagship thought her old comrade was being impatient, and expecting too much of herself.
 
"We will figure them out." Silver placed a hand on the large woman's shoulder. She again noticed that the gesture seemed a little odd, considering how far she had to reach up to do so. She pushed the notion aside. "Twice have we gotten information by signal-intelligence, which has allowed us to respond to an enemy advance and subsequently destroy the attackers. I would claim that things are working as intended. You just cannot cast miracles, so give it a little time to score the Big One." Trying for a reassuring smile, Silver squeezed Trelleborg's shoulder one last time and took a step back.
 
"Yes!" Brest, visibly filled with enthusiasm from having her mobility back, joined in. "Once Silver is repaired we can head out and go after them. Find out where they're hiding."
 
With a pained smile the large woman nodded, looking into Swift's pale eyes, then Brest's blue ones.
 
The flagship could tell what the Newgrange's expression was for, what she was thinking. In both of the cases Silver had mentioned they had been too late to save the people on the receiving end of the abyssals' attacks. While militarily the operations had been successful, thanks to accurate intelligence, Trelleborg could forget the people which were lost as much as Swift . Not at all. 
 
Something needed to be done about the gloomy mood which had settled over both adults. "Trelleborg did a fine job on you." Silver addressed Brest and began to reach out a hand for the girl.
 
The brunette quickly stepped out of her reach, wearing a mock frown. "No ruffling my hair!"
 
With the Fox' attention on escaping Swift's reach, Trelleborg quickly took advantage. Catching the girl in a one-armed embrace she used her other hand to tousle Brest's brown strands. "I did my best." Grinning broadly, Trelleborg spoke over the corvette's protests in a mock conversational tone. "Producing your Ferro Aluminium armur gave me a bit of trouble, though."
 
The gambit worked, for herself as well as Trelleborg , and for the second time this day Silver laughed outright. There was something soothing in seeing comrades have a bit of lighthearted fun. She looked on in amusement for a moment longer, before she felt sorry for Brest. "She has had enough. Let her go."
 
"You're right." Releasing her grip on Brest, who quickly distanced herself from the Newgrange with a mock scowl, Trelleborg was still grinning when she turned to Silver and made a come hither motion with her finger.
 
Chuckling, the Aegis raised her hands in a defensive gesture. "Not yet. Not before the others are back and i know they are safe."
 
As though summoned by their mention, three familiar emergence-signatures appeared at the system's zenith jump point.
 
"Speaking of." Trelleborg's gaze, along with that of the other two, was drawn to the rest of the unit returning from their patrol.
 
"Wonder if they found something." Brest murmured, squinting into the distance while their orbit took them behind the planet.
 
Silver passed on their patrol's impending arrival to Zheng and Jess, the latter of whom having been issued a radio so she could be reached in case of urgent matters. "We will know soon."
 
Several orbits went by, uneventful. The trio at the station, due to the approach La Plata had chosen, only saw the unit's other half up close when they were already in the process of pulling up next to them.
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===Reports of Misdirection===
"Oh my. So you did find enemies." Brest's gaze roamed over the three returning kanmusu before it came to rest on her friend Amber, who was showing obvious battle-damage.
 
"Look at you! Your legs work again. Nice paint too, nanodesu!" The Inazuma in question returned the attention in kind, her eyes glued to Brest's boots.
 
"Aha. But what happened on your sortie?!"
 
"Ran into a few baddies."
 
"Come on, come on. Tell me the details!"
 
Both corvettes descended into excited chatter, Amber pulling up next to Brest.
 
The remaining corvette had drawn Trelleborg's attention. The woman was in the process of stepping close to the green-haired girl, and leaned forward to take a closer look at her damaged hull the prominent injury in the Peregrine's side.
 
Silver made a show of taking several paces back and scowling at the auburn-haired woman.
 
The simmering animosity Silver displayed towards Trelleborg was something she would have to keep an eye on, the flagship decided. And possibly step in at some point if the situation did not improve. She filed it away for later when La Plata stopped in front of her.
 
"Welcome back." Silver saluted her fellow cruiser.
 
"Glad to be." The tanned woman leisurely returned the salute.
 
"Report." Silver ended the word on a questioning note, glancing in sequence at the individual shell-craters in La Plata's armor.
 
"We caught them by surprise. Breaking radio-silence was the right choice." La Plata was looking at Silver expectantly. "Where'd you get that intel from?"
 
From the way La Plata spoke, the other woman obviously expected Silver to understand. Yet she had no idea what this was about at all.
 
It must have shown, since the Dart frowned after a moment. "Does that mean you didn't send that message?" Quickly her brilliant green eyes sought Silver's.
 
Returning the cruiser's gaze with a smug expression, the Peregrine prompted. "See?" The green-haired girl had stopped backing away from Trelleborg once the Newgrange had paused in her advance.
 
The latter looked over her shoulder at La Plata, expression as curious as it was confused. "What message?"
 
Unhappiness was plain to see on the Dart's face.
 
Expectant gaze going from La Plata to Silver, then back after a moment, Silver addressed her old friend. "Start at the beginning, please."
 
"Right." The tanned woman gave herself a brief shake. "Most of the patrol went without incident. We were recharging, and due to head back, when we received a fax-message." A pause. "It was coded in the cypher we agreed to use, and contained concise information about enemy movement within one jump of our position. It also had jump-coordinates appended, so i assumed it had come from you or Trelleborg. "
 
"Nope." The latter chimed into the conversation again. Having given up on trying to approach Silver, the auburn-haired woman joined the two cruisers.
 
Shaking her head in the negative as well, Silver looked thoughtful and worried. "It did not come from me either. Had i somehow gotten wind of an enemy presence i would not have sent you there alone, but joined you instead."
 
That drew a disapproving glance from Trelleborg , the woman making a show of running her eyes over the worst damaged parts of Swift's hull, but remained silent.
 
"That checks out. You'd do that." La Plata gave Silver a teasing smile, then voiced the obvious question. "But if that message didn't come from either of you...then who sent it? Was it Mr. Zheng?"
 
"Flavio knows better than to keep intelligence to himself. But I'll ask regardless." Trelleborg argued in favor of her disciple, before she got a far-away look in her eyes for a few moments, then spoke again. "He's not answering. I left him a message."
 
"Well..." Silver chose her words carefully so as not to offend. "He did leave us in the dark about a number of things before."
 
"Only on my behest." The auburn-haired woman's tone was firm, before a smile gradually appeared on her face. "As i said, i needed to be sure about the lot of you before I could reveal everything. It was to protect myself, but mostly Flavio."
 
A snort drew the three adults' eyes to Silver. The girl obviously distrusted Trelleborg , and by extension Mr. Zheng as well. When faced with the three's gazes the Peregrine merely crossed her arms and returned their looks.
 
"Flavio responded." Trelleborg's head was tilted to the side. "He confirms he has nothing on an enemy formation. Also says that there's barely any comms from the Abyssals. in our general area any more."
 
"Huh. Then..." La Plata trailed off.
 
"Then it is as i have warned of. That message could have well been bait, to lure and destroy us." Silver drew all eyes again. She had uncrossed her arms and was gesturing animatedly to bring her point across. "It is fortunate that it was not. Using jump-coordinates into the unknown, and from a suspicious source too, was the wrong decision."
 
La Plata exhaled wearily before she responded to the clan-warrior's accusing words. "Look, I was forced to make a judgement call. I may not have been exactly right, but i wasn't wrong either."
 
"Through sheer luck, quiaff?" Silver apparently felt vindicated for the stance she had taken on the matter, shoulders squared and violet eyes piercing as she stared down La Plata.
 
Glancing back and forth between corvette and cruiser, Silver understood what the quarrel between them was. La Plata was in the same spot she herself had been in when they had received the distress-call from the Willemstad during Swift's last sortie. It was a bit ironic seeing the tanned woman's decision questioned like that. Though Silver was less polite about it than La Plata had been..
 
Silver was about to reprimand the girl when Trelleborg spoke up, expression curious. "Yet you went along with it."
 
"Aff. Because disobedience on the battlefield invariably leads to defeat." Silver responded matter-of-factly.
 
There were things about the clan-mindset which were difficult for Silver to understand. Giving herself a mental shake, and resorting herself to attempt to crack that particular code another time, she carried on.
 
"We are getting sidetracked." Shifting her attention back to her fellow cruiser, she prompted. "Please continue, La Plata."
 
The Dart took over again. "We finished charging and used those coordinates. We emerged in orbit of a young terrestrial planet around an equally young brown dwarf."
 
"Where? I don't see any of those within a hundred lightyears." Trelleborg was looking over her own starcharts wearing a far-away expression again.
 
"I didn't have it on my starcharts either. But it's there. I provisionally named it System 8156 in my report, after the last four numerals in the set of jump-coordinates we received." Sparing a glance at the modified Overlord next to the waystation, La Plata continued. "Maybe the astronomers can detect it and give it a proper systemic designation."
 
"Noted." Silver made a memo to herself to contact them.
 
"We quickly discovered an ion-trail." La Plata carried on. "I decided to intercept low and fast, so if the ship was enemy it had little time of warning."
 
"It obviously was." Trelleborg's eyes roamed over La Plata's damage, then the hit in Silver's side, which still looked like the girl had been bleeding black blood, and came to rest on Amber. The draconian was still engaged in excited conversation with Brest, unperturbed by the minor hits she had taken.
 
"Aha." The tanned woman hesitated a moment and gave Silver a meaningful look. "There was an abyssal warship there. It was an Athena-class. And she wasn't like the one on the recognition-cards you gave me. She was an old Athena."
 
"Really?" Silver could not keep the surprise out of her voice. It was not due to the fact the squadron's adversary had apparently been another pale woman.
 
"I've never heard of another class by that name." Perhaps surprisingly, Trelleborg chimed in.
 
"That's because there never was one." La Plata gave the large woman a meaningful look. "The concept for the original Athena-class goes back to a design drawn up by the Terran Alliance Navy in the latter half of the twenty-second century."
 
"Yes." Silver cut in. "In fact it was used as a basis when my own class was designed, two centuries later."
 
"It cannot have been what you claim. It was armed with naval lasers and capital missiles. Both were only developed much later." Despite having spoken her words with confidence, Silver's expression was more questioning than anything.
 
"I guarantee you that it was a twenty-second century Athena-class." La Plata insisted. "The hull's shape was unmistakable. And the abyssals seem to have gear they, by all accounts, should not have." Reaching into her uniform's pocket, the tanned woman took out a vintage noteputer.
 
Centuries out of date as it may have been, it was very much functional and served its purpose. Just like La Plata herself. Looking at the device caused a nostalgic smile to appear on Swift 's face.
 
"See for yourself." La Plata chucked the noteputer at Silver, who deftly caught it and started perusing its contents. Turning back to Swift , the tanned woman continued. "Our approach worked as intended. We got the drop on them while they were in the process of landing units on the surface. I gave the order to engage, and the battle was brief. Caught out of position and effectively without a screen, that Athena went down quickly."
 
"Literally." Silver added as she lobbed La Plata's noteputer back at the woman, albeit in a more gentle fashion.
 
"So no insights gained, again." Silver cupped her chin. "Unfortunate."
 
"We'll get our hands on one of them eventually." Trelleborg's confident tone, sharp in contrast to the conversation the two had had before the patrol returned, drew Swift's gaze.
 
"I hope so. Finding out where they come from, and striking at their staging-point, is our main objective for now."
 
"There's more." Handing the noteputer, which presumably also contained an action-report, to Silver La Plata continued. "Amber saw a glint of light above her during the battle, and afterwards quickly found a satellite in geostationary orbit. We did a little search on the planet right below it, the same area the abyssal dropshuttles were originally headed for." A bit of hesitation. "We found an SLDF outpost."
 
That revelation raised eyebrows. Trelleborg and Silver exchanged a look.
 
"What the heck? They don't only attack anything that moves and abduct people and JumpShips, but are also also searching for SLDF ruins now?" Brest's voice carried a note of the incredulity Silver felt. The two youngest members of Blue Squadron had apparently finished catching up, and joined the rest of the unit.
 
"Looks like it." La Plata shrugged.
 
"It may have just been coincidence? They could have found the old outpost and decided to loot it?" Trelleborg tried to be the voice of mundane reason.
 
"Wouldn't count on it. They had only just arrived and were making a beeline for the installation, nanodesu." Amber joined the conversation, having come to a halt alongside Brest and Swift.
 
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===Next Steps===
"What did you find?" The latter asked carefully.
 
"Nothing. Literally nothing." La Plata spoke for the three members who had been there. "It was entirely empty. Nothing but barren rooms and hallways. It's been abandoned in an orderly fashion."
 
"Anything on the satellite? I assume you took a look at it?"
 
"Nothing either. Was merely a relay-satellite. It's been completely wiped, but we did bring it along."
 
"Hmm." Silver hummed again. "One more mystery to add to the growing list."
 
"One worth figuring out?" The hopeful look in Brest's blue eyes was endearing.
 
"I would think so." The flagship nodded. "Anything else would be dangerously ignorant.
 
"Totally. We should make Mr. Zheng send a request to the SLIC, ask if they know anything about that system." Once more Silver could not help but notice how keen the Fox was to figure things out.
 
"Comstar's archives are also a bet." Trelleborg added.
 
"Do it." Silver instructed the Newgrange, before pocketing the noteputer in her hand and addressing the brunette girl next to her. "Brest, have you finished your trials?"
 
"Yup. Everything's fine." She sent a broad smile to Trelleborg. "Thanks again."
 
"You're welcome." The answering smile on the auburn-haired woman's face was just as broad, and even more endearing.
 
"Then it is high-orbit patrol duty for you, in case our monochrome friends get ideas about paying us a visit, until Amber, La Plata and Silver are repaired again." In flagship-mode once more, Silver was giving orders.
 
"Boring, but I'll do it." Having her mobility back gave the Fox a good mood, as evidenced by the minimal complaints about what the girl assumed to be a solitary and monotone duty.
 
"Amber will join you soon. Her damage is minor, and i can fix that while i work on someone else." Trelleborg was also all business, and in the process of preparing her sewing-kit.
 
"Great!"
 
"I'll join the patrol too, assuming you want to fix up Silver first?" La Plata looked at Trelleborg questioningly.
 
The large woman confirmed. "That's the plan."
 
"Alright. We are off, then." Turning, La Plata waved Brest to her side.
 
"Wait. Don't you want to resupply first?" Obediently the girl came to the Dart's side, despite her obvious concern.
 
"I'm fine."
 
"You can return to the station and eat something once i relieve you on patrol, nanodesu."
 
"Sounds like a plan. We're underway." Nodding at Silver once, the tanned woman accelerated away with Brest in tow.
 
Looking after her old friend's retreating form, Swift 's attention was drawn by Trelleborg's voice.
 
"Now then, here we go." Having sent two teams of her workers to repair the superficial damage on Amber, the auburn-haired woman was beaming an objectively appealing smile at Silver, and waving her closer.
 
The girl just scowled and did not move.
 
"Come on. Don't be like that. I don't bite." Trelleborg had gone into a sitting position, legs folded under her. She opened her arms wide, smile as inviting as before.
 
Silver could not see how the Peregrine would not want to get a great hug like that repaired.
 
At least for this attempt the greenette gave an answer, brief as it may have been. "Neg."
 
"What's your issue with me? I only want what's best for you."
 
Trelleborg's attempts to lure in the corvette brought to Swift 's mind the image of someone attempting to get close to a spooked animal.
 
Silver's scowl just deepened.
 
If the Peregrine would not be enticed then there were other ways Silver could make happen what was necessary. Donning a stony expression, she addressed the girl in an authoritative tone. "Silver Merlin. Report to Trelleborg for repairs."
 
Silver shifted her scowl to the flagship, anger audible in her voice. "Neg."
 
Have it your way, Silver thought. About to put on a performance, Silver raised her chin before she pointedly questioned the unruly corvette. "Am i to take that as a challenge to a Trial of Refusal?"
 
The mention of the possibility of an altercation made Amber straighten, yet she could not move much while Trelleborg's technicians were crawling all over her.
 
"I..." Silver began to reply right away, then trailed off and glanced at her feet. Raising her eyes again after a few moments, she returned Swift 's gaze. "Neg." Hesitantly and obviously unwillingly she approached Trelleborg. 
 
Silver had to pull herself together to keep up the stern act when the green-haired girl was being enveloped in the woman's massive arms, and sat down on the latter's lap. It almost looked like the auburn-haired woman was handling a doll, since Silver was so still and unmoving while their relative sizes contributed to the picture.
"There. I'm not so bad, am I?" Trelleborg cooed to Silver while she was in the process of wrapping her cloak around the girl's figure one-handed, while the latter leaned against the large woman's other arm, eyes already droopy.
 
Not replying with words, Silver merely sighed while her eyes slid shut the rest of the way. She was asleep.
 
With the Peregrine unconscious, Silver could drop the act and smile openly while she watched the auburn-haired woman start doing her thing.
 
"Have you considered a career in training dangerous animals?" Trelleborg joked, looking up from her sewing-supplies for a moment.
 
The unexpectedness of the words made Silver laugh, and Amber joined in. "It may have worked on this Falcon, but i doubt any other beast would respond well to implicit threats."
 
"That was pretty good. But i probably won't be able to do what you just did, even if it became necessary. I'm just not large and powerful enough, nanodesu." Amber threw a glance at Silver before she returned her attention to watching Trelleborg's work-crews scamper around on her hull uniform.
 
Silver shook her head. "In tense situations with her leave all of that to me or La Plata. Only do something when i tell you." The flagship cautioned, eyes going back to the sleeping form on Trelleborg's lap. "Though i hope that will not be necessary, ever."
 
"Wonder what her problem is." Trelleborg murmured while she held up the upper part of Silver's uniform for inspection.
 
"I think that's just what warriors of her clan are like, nanodesu."
 
"Probably. Though i hope she will mellow out over time." 'Swift took in the sleeping girl's profile. Without the frown, or outright scowl, Silver so often wore she looked a lot more friendly. And also a lot more vulnerable. Silver had to give herself a mental shake, to remind herself that the girl she was having those thoughts over was a seasoned warrior of almost a century in age. That and also an engine of war. Over a hundred thousand tons of steel.
 
Conversation ebbed after that. Silver was busy writing a report and request to the SLIC directly. If they got urgent requests for information on old SLDF facilities in their theater from Zheng and herself, they hopefully would treat the matter with high priority.
 
Amber was occupied aiding Trelleborg's work-crews with her own, while the latter hummed a tune while she was mending Silver's uniform-top.
 
Finished with the report, Silver questioned. "How long will it take you to fix her up?"
 
"Damage isn't too bad. Shouldn't be too long." Trelleborg looked up from her work and connected her gaze with Swift 's, a question in her eyes.
 
"Good. I cannot wait for all of us to be ready for action again. Too many questions and next to no answers. I want to get out there and go after those answers." A moment of hesitation. "And the abyssals."
 
"Yeah! We'll show them, nanodesu!" Repairs to her armor done and work-crews on their way back, Amber straightened and waved at Trelleborg and Swift , then made to join the others on patrol.
 
One fleetmaiden back in top shape. three remaining.
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==Chapter Note==
*; Chapter Note from the Author : As usual, this grew larger than i wanted it to be. In fact i had to make myself leave out things i wanted to do at first, otherwise chapter 19 would be twice as long now.
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