Operation: Sigma

[Nick Ryder]

"Might take me a minute to get enough for everyone, each one takes about 6 hours to fabricate but I can get you enough for front line troops." Nick replied. "I am really tired of the Ajem cutting through our people like butter."

[Ethan Talon]

"We can adjust our tactics as well. We have numbers. We might as well use that to our advantage. The 223rd Engineering Battalion should be able to help. We'll have to talk to General Mattis first."

[Trinity Talon]

"I wouldn't." Trinity said as the device finished it's task and opened up, revealing a rather pink looking hand. "It's really red..."

"It'll normalize in a bit... once the blood flow and circulation catch up." Nick said and removed the device. "And there's tech in the fingernails, they won't break or snag, can grow or retract as needed but you do have a variety of gadgets that can activate in there which I'll set up later. How's it feel?"

"Other than a little numb, like I slept on it and tingly... wow..." Trinity said and looked at Ethan. "I think you should at least do your hand with this... doesn't feel at all like your's." she said with a smile and sighed. "As I was saying... I wouldn't tell Mattis about this tech, I mean the Ajem seem to know our capabilities, we should have something to surprise them with."

"Then I'll just use 'dark funds' for it. Ablative armor in pill form that is easily deployable and cheap and may save lives... entirely worth it." Nick said and handed Ethan the tin. "Hang onto these for now. Just don't eat them otherwise it'll deploy inside your stomach and you'll have to wait out the powercell and you'll mess up your guts. Trust me on that..." he blushed. "I... kinda ate one by accident, thought it was a mint and I threw up for three days couldn't keep anything down."

"Put a bitterant into the outer shell... like we had to do with the FMJ bullets that some of these yahoos liked to suck on." Trinity rolled her eyes. "Nothing more disgusting than slobbered on bullets."

[Ethan Talon]

"Some folk are weird," Ethan said shaking his head. "You know, if we are at war with Dominus and the Ajem, we're going to have to grow the Corps. That means more regiments, more corps, and more Marine Expeditionary forces. During World War 1 Great Britain fielded more than 6 million troops. I am not sure you can do 50,000 let alone millions by yourself." Ethan extended the armor mechanism for emphasis, "I don't have an answer yet, but this will not be enough to protect our Marines." Ethan shook his head, "I just don't know, but I fear far too much blood will be on our hands after this."

[Nick Ryder]

Nick shook his head. "I'm wondering if a more... homeopathic approach would work best." he noted their confused expressions. "In homeopathy you use a very small amount of the poison to create a cure, but in such minute amounts it actually eliminates the symptoms. In essence... we need to use Grey Jase'dasis practitioners to combat the Ajem, but in essence using a smaller force than simply overwhelming by numbers. We did not win the Imperium War because we had greater numbers we won by the actions of a few, in the right ways. Isabella Price taking a bullet for Julie, endeared her to us. My death... faked as it was by Jackson... changed her mind and her heart. Yes there will be bloodshed but... not nearly as much if we think that greater numbers will win the day. This is the modern military Ethan. We can do a lot more than we could even a few years ago with some of what we've been developing. I'm tired of losing good men and women. I'm tired of military funerals. And yet I know it'll never end, no matter what we do there will always be someone that will try to face us. Our very strength invites conflict, someone will always try to prove their stronger than us, that our existence is somehow enough motivation to kill. But we are the Alliance. We are not going to kill for fun. Or for no just reason."

[Ethan Talon]

Ethan shrugged, "We are not going to win this, by fielding a huge army. I don't know, but we do have to hold the line. We cannot have another Sigma. The logical choice to end this is the Jase'dasis. But can we count on them? I doubt it."

[Trinity Talon]

"We need more Augments around." Trinity said as she sat up and cocked her head. "We've only been discussing that for a while... the Ajem have powers... why not counter that with powers?"

[Ethan Talon]

"You're talking about..." He hesitated and swallowed, "You're talking about more Khans. How do we know we won't have another Eugenics War? Just because our pet Kahn isn't threat doesn't mean our new creation won't be. There's a reason genetic alterations were banned. You're asking for problems if you make this mainstream."

[Nick Ryder]

"You do realize who you're talking to Ethan..." Nick cleared his throat. "And who's bloodline you're married to. I'm an Augment as well... and that's seeped into my children and their children. I wouldn't just create augments, that's crazy but there are enough of us around, from other realities and out of necessity. We're fighting precognitive, telepathic, telekinetic warriors that can also shoot out lightning from their fingers. We need an edge." he looked at Ethan. "And I have been fighting the 'more Khan's' bullshit since I was 20."

[Ethan Talon]

"I do, but it only takes one Kahn. I just don't want us pumping augments out like starships. It's a slippery slope, but I don't disagree there's a need."