Orange Team Onward!

[voidtreckermods]

Arrival

Their flight path makes sure they are well out of the way of both the battles taking place and they get to the shield station within an hour as long as they fly quickly.

There are no enemy ships around but it is clear there has been an attack, the shield disk itself is damaged and there seems to be no power in the station.

Once they dock they will be met by some technicians who quickly explain the situation.

Help is needed everywhere. The power needs repaired, the shield needs repaired from the outside, there are injured technicians who need medical care. There is a small med-bay available.

Maintenance

Once the initial crisis is dealt with it is a case of keeping up with things. A patrol is needed to guard the station from other attacks, there are four shield stations in total and so the voidtreckers may chose to split themselves once things are a little calmer.

Keeping up the shields is an almost constant job, especially with the attacks. Once one thing is fixed it seems another thing is down. The maintenance itself is very technical but there are parts that can be done by the unskilled as long as they have direction.

Comments

[marriedanidiot]

"I see." She considers. "It seems a little inefficient to need so much wiring! But I suppose Men cannot call the light as we do."

She smiles at him.

"I am of little use to the engineers! That is your Art, my dear. But I can patch wounds easily enough, and I know how to keep folk calm. I delivered our warning - I hope it was enough."

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin chuckles. "It's true that from our Elvish point of view, it's an inefficiency, those enormous lengths of copper wire. But it works. And I have found it most interesting to study these methods."

He smiles back. "And you have your own Arts, quite a few of them. Including some of the healing arts. So that is what you are going to do, work in the station hospital? I think your patients will be lucky to have you involved with their care. And you did keep us all calm when you delivered the warning contained in the dream we both had. I hope so, too -- that everyone absorbed the information and will be on the alert."

[marriedanidiot]

"Needs must, I suppose."

She nods and ruffles his hair. "I am no healer! But I raised seven of you. I know how to patch a bruise and sing small cuts closed, at the least."

[so_dark_a_road]

He grins, her son the engineer.

And he smiles even more when she ruffles his hair. It's impossible to describe how comforting that old gesture is, how it reminds him that he is loved and always was. "You may not be a healer formally, but you certainly had to use your skills, what with being mother to seven sons who could never resist a challenge, even when we were little. Bruises, cuts, even a broken bone or two, from what I can remember."

[marriedanidiot]

"Broken bones, burns..." She shakes her head at the memory. "Ai! Tis a wonder none of you managed to break your necks with the stunts you pulled!"

Not just her seven either, after all, as Nolofinwe's bunch were hardly any better, and for all Findarato might play the good boy, he's just as bad as the rest, as evidenced by his siblings.

[so_dark_a_road]

"Oh right, I forgot about the burns! That time I tried to pull a branch out of the bonfire we children had built down in the ravine below the city. Maedhros and Maglor didn't let me walk back up the slope, they insisted on carrying me. 'Ammë, I burn my hand!' I said, when we came into your garden. You were amazing on those occasions, you never panicked, always remained calm and reassuring. I was impressed even at that age."

He smiles at her, and the love in his eyes is obvious.

True! The cousins were just as adventurous, and they got just as many injuries. Luckily they had their own adults, who dealt with the hurts most of the time. Unless of course, the Fëanorian brats and the Nolofinwean and Arafinwean mischief-makers were playing together and got into trouble together. Then it was likely they'd go to the house nearest them.

[marriedanidiot]

"There were also the explosions." Feanor's wife says dryly.

"By the time we got to you, my Atarinke, we rather had the routine down, your father and I."

[so_dark_a_road]

"Oh yes, those times when I blew up the forge-shack while trying out some new theory about forging." He grins. "I must have inherited that habit from father."

He still finds this funny, though he is well aware that Nerdanel probably doesn't!

"I imagine! Maedhros and Celegorm were rather accident-prone, and so was Caranthir. They must have given you many opportunities to practice, before I joined the trouble-makers. And poor Maglor, he was the one who was least likely to get himself hurt, and the one who was most concerned with being the deputy mom. He must have worried himself sick over all his hyperactive little brothers. Not to mention his cousins."

[marriedanidiot]

"Yes, you did."

SO DRY.

"I marvel that you still consider Makalaure to be less likely to injure himself! But I suppose you only knew him as your dreamy big brother, often away from home."

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin chuckles. It was from their mother that Maglor learned his wonderfully dry vocal tone.

He sobers a little, then. "Oh well, he was less far less likely to injure himself than we to injure ourselves, at least when he was a child and adolescent. Later on. . . " The days of the Exiles. And then the years of wandering on the coast, bereaved of all his brothers. Possibly not the best topic of conversation at the moment.

Back to childhood.

"He was my dreamy big brother. Always thinking about music and song, and often making journeys to Valmar or Alqualondë, or wandering in the hills and valleys or visiting the sea to listen to its songs. But he was home in Tirion often enough to help care for his younger brothers and cousins, and that's when he taught us music." Another chuckle. "I don't suppose the music room was a very dangerous place to be, nor the harp an instrument likely to injure its player. Why, do you have stories about him that refute this idea?"

[marriedanidiot]

Nerdanel's eyes dim, at the reminder. Still, she waits for them to return to her. But she manages a smile.

"Ah, and now you wish me to embarrass your brother when he is not here to defend himself?"

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin's eyes look very kindly on her, as he perceives how she manages a smile. He knows her well enough to see that and know its meaning.

But he is not able to resist trying to amuse her. "What better time to embarrass him than when he is not here?" he chuckles.

[marriedanidiot]

That brightens her smile.

"Hm, and would you annoy him with these stories later?"

[so_dark_a_road]

His smile brightens, too.

"Only if you gave me permission to. I wouldn't divulge any tales to him that you told me in confidence."

[marriedanidiot]

"Ah, well. You are all adults, far be it from your mother to tell you what to do... but I could suggest you ask your older brothers about the Wing Incident."

[so_dark_a_road]

He laughs a little, thinking of how many times his mother had had to tell him what to do, and how well things turned out when he took her advice.

"The Wing Incident? Now, Amil, you are going to have to tell me this story. Please?" He puts on a humorous pleading expression.

[marriedanidiot]

She laughs.

"Ah. Well now, you did not think your rocket was the first attempt of the House of Finwe to fly, surely!"

[so_dark_a_road]

"Oh. You remember my rocket." Slightly embarrassed grin.

"Did somebody try that before I did? Or are we talking about something simpler, more fundamental -- like jumping off a rock with a pair of makeshift wings tied on one's back?"

[marriedanidiot]

"My dear, you took out all of my roses with that rocket."

It was very memorable.

"Ah, no, your rocket was a first. But there were attempts with sails attached to arms... and feathers, once."

[so_dark_a_road]

"Oh yes, I'm afraid I did. Your poor roses! I was so set on making that device actually take off from the ground, with me riding it! -- that I didn't think about what effect it might have on my surroundings."

Oh yes, very memorable!

"Oh, really? Who tried to fly with sails on their arms? And who tried it with feathers?" He's tremendously amused at whoever did it. And also, admiring.

[marriedanidiot]

"Indeed." SO DRY.

"Ah, well, the feathers was your cousin Findekano, and your brother Tyelkormo. The sails were your other elder brothers."

[so_dark_a_road]

OH, THAT DRYNESS! Such a dear and familiar sound.

"Finno and Tyelko tried to fly with feathered wings? Stars of Varda! I wish I had seen that! Ah, so it was Maedhros and Maglor who made the attempt with sails on their arms -- like seabirds, maybe?" He can't help laughing. "Did Moryo join them?"

[marriedanidiot]

"No." She smiles. "He used to claim he was entirely too practical for such pursuits - but he would assist if asked."

Wanna wrap this one?

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin shakes his head. "Just as well, I'm sure. We got him into enough trouble over the years, I guess he didn't need to break his neck trying to fly, like the rest of us idiots." Not that any of them actually did break their necks, but there were plenty of other broken bones to tell funny stories about.

He sighs and smiles. "Much as I love to tell or listen to tales of my childhood, maybe we should get going on our tasks here on this station?"

yus

[marriedanidiot]

"One of you to be the sensible one, hm?" She smiles at him.

"Yes, I think so. Take care of yourself, my Atarinke."