Amarillo by Morning

[Becky Sandoval]

Becky never slept very well. Her nights were usually fraught with nightmares. Last night had been no exception, and she had dressed and went to the bridge.

She relived Ensign I'yella, and took up position in the center seat cradling a cup of English Breakfast. It was from her precious horded Twinings stock, as the replicator never did an English cup of tea any justice. She had been told once that her counterpart Admiral Sandoval had an equal affinity to coffee. A drink she personally could never stomach.

Angel stepped onto the bridge at her usual time. "Admiral on the bridge!" Becky shouted and stood at attention, saluted her, and began the night shift report.

"The Athena rendezvous with us last night at 0238. Dominus contacted us approximately an hour ago to confirm our arrival at the supplied coordinates. At 0415 I slowed our velocity to time our arrival for the start of your shift.

"Now, for some bad and potentially distressing news. The Prices were attacked by some sort of missile. Preliminary reports indicate that the President and his wife are still alive.

"Reports out of Talaria are considerably less positive. The Narlin government is in chaos with the loss of Emperor Stormtalon. There was a brief battle and their new Empress was kill. Executed if the reports are correct. You served with the Empress on the Byron didn't you?"

[Angel Ryder]

Angel nodded her head and sighed heavily. "Kahlina was my Operations Chief and a good friend." she stood next to Becky and looked at her XO. "The hits just keep on coming, like we can't even take a moment to breathe. So much death in so short a time. And people I care deeply about. I'm holding it together, but... I may need you to take over if I just lose it. I'm glad I sent Nathan off to be with the rest of the Morris clan with little Trini. Pretty sure he'd be freaking out when he saw my back. It still hasn't gone away by the way. That sedative shot was the only way I slept. So uhm... don't mind me if I don't sit too much today. God this reminds me of when Olivia had a full back tattoo for a mission, poor girl couldn't sit or lay on her back for like two or three days while it healed."

[Peter Matau]

"That's why we have copious amounts of alcohol when we do our tattoos." Captain Matau said with a wince. "Bloody awful part of it is, it wasn't even you that decided to do it." he held up a padd. "Marine readiness, fighter squadron is ready when you need it, so are our ground pounders. Granted you said that we shouldn't have to engage, but this is Dominus... and after what happened to Prezzy Price and her hubby..."

"Hubby's the Prezzy Captain." Angel replied. "Oh there is copious alcohol once this is over trust me. Speaking of... you manage to sober up General Talon? Or does Momma Angel need to slap some some sense into my beloved son in law?"

"Last I saw he was sleepin' it off. Course if he even hears the 'T' word..." Matau winced. "I hope we didn't keep y'awake with that Haka the boys did on the flight deck for the Colonel."

"Peter, I will never tell you to knock off a Haka because I've got a headache. I know what it means to you and your men and to me. I'm part islander too remember." Angel said as she looked at the status report. "Just make sure you got a solid transporter lock on my father. The Commander, I mean. Only time 'Commander' has more rank than an Admiral."

"Oh I made damn sure transport control was on point ma'am... I may be a skinny Kiwi Marine but I can intimidate when I need to." Peter winked and nudged Becky. "Course your XO intimidates my boys more than I do sometimes. Redheads..."

[Becky Sandoval]

"Oh, I doubt that. I doubt that very much," Becky said. "The color of my hair has nothing to do with it. It's how you carry yourself Marine." She shrugged, "And it never hurts to be close to an Admiral, have a former president's confidence, and have the face of another Admiral."

[Peter Matau]

"And it's a lovely face to boot." Peter said with a smirk. "Admiral, Commander, i'm going to remain on the bridge easier to coordinate the teams from here. We didn't install a console just for Marine Ops because it filled that space nicely."

"Of course." Angel said with a nod of her head. "Just remind them to hold back until we give the order. We lost a lot of good men and women when Bartyn and the Ajem attacked Sigma Sensor Station. We really don't need to lose anymore."

"We're harder to kill than that. My men are sober and focused." Peter said proudly. "And they like to make me proud when they all return alive."

[Ethan Talon]

"We weren't drunk captain," Ethan said overhearing the conversation as he stepped onto the bridge. He was sober, but it was obvious that was a recent development. He had several days of scruff, his hair looked slept in, and while clean, his uniform lacked his usual spit and polish. "Their klidens sliced through out SKIN armor like a hot knife through butter. Your men would do well to remember that."

[Angel Ryder]

"I've been working on some updates to it." Angel said as she walked over to him. "I'd hug you, but I don't want you to hug me back." she said and pulled out an isolinear chip and inserted into the desk. "SKIN can resist a kilden but it takes an extra dozens of layers of code to tell it how to react. Phasers won't get through it, but a kilden is a lot different." she reached out her hand and took her father's kilden from under his coat.

"You've been practicing." Nick said with a hint of pride.

"Had to. I don't understand it, it's not science... I have a hard time reconciling it, but I started to apply scientific principles to how I approach it and reach out with it, seems to be working." Angel and reached under her skirt and removed the garter that held the SKIN generator for her leg and activated it on the table. "Let's see if I'm as smart as I think I am." she ignited the kilden and took a swipe at it, the skin armor burnt and gave, but it didn't completely penetrate. "Not what I was hoping for but it's better for an all nighter's work. So remind your boys... just pretend that it won't protect them, they actually have to defend themselves. In which case... we do have a limited supply of vibranium plates they can wear in their gauntlets, I would suggest the backs of their hand like one would deflect a regular sword." she pointed to the ancient armor that was in a wall case. "That's what those were for, you get in too close, you can try to deflect, might break your wrist, but better a break than a loss."

[Ethan Talon]

Ethan grunted, "Thanks to mom and the New Federation that we got an ample supply. Too bad it takes so long to process it into something useful."

He rubbed his temple, "God, I could use a cup of coffee right about now. Terrible day to decide to sober up. Have we found Trini yet?"

[Angel Ryder]

"Not yet, that's what we're hoping this Op will help with." Angel said as she handed him a thermal mug. "Hangover blend. Has a bit of ginsing and some other 'stuff'. Always worked to help get me past the post sober up shakes." she said softly. "And if I could get the shakes, with my augment DNA... can only imagine what you're going through." she put her arm across his shoulders. "We'll find her, we'll get her home."

[Ethan Talon]

"Shakes?" He asked quizzically. He held up a massive right hand, "Steady as ever. I just feel like someone is taking a hammer to my temple." Taking a sip of the coffee he nodded approvingly, "Thanks ma'am. I needed this. Normally not into this hippy dippy shit, but it ain't bad a'tall."