Slicey-Dicey joked with Upsilon, "You look like a dork." Upsilon shifted around while Slicey clicked on her own helmet. After a moment, Captain Rose said,"You shouldn't be so hard on him. He and you are my bodyguards!" They clambered down the emergency ramp at the front of the vessel. Upsilon got tripped up by the snow and ice. Slicey was beginning to laugh until her feet met the same mess, and she fell on her butt. Dokka Tkarro radioed to Rose,"Captain Rose--We are departing. As soon as we arrive, we'll report." Rose responded,"Good luck, Captain Tkarro! Bring Snowflake and Pazu back. Be careful...I have a strange feeling about this." "Neblae said that, too. That's why I'm taking River Prince with us. He wants to ride on the outside,though. We'll keep it sub-sonic,then. Tkarro, out." Dokka sounded amused but cautious. Upsilon asked,"Permission to speak freely?" Captain Rose signaled an affirmative. Upsilon asked,"Where are they going?" Rose laughed,"They are off to rescue our downed aviators from Blue Gorge. Narchi hopes after two hundred years, they still have some fibre-optics left, laying about." Slicey sent over the private channel,*I hope so, too! [insert smiley face] Otherwise...[insert rocket lift-off, and crashing explosion]* Upsilon laughed,"Where d'ya get that last one?" Slicey responded,"From Malbess. She has some classics stored up!" Rose sent,*Snap too, children!* The golden-brassy Hiver Envoy nodded to Rose and the others, saying,"We are excited to meet ANOTHER machine-life species! We never anticipated to find ANOTHER in the same system, We are quite curious about these 'Friggians'!" Rose nodded, "We are, too." Upsilon snickered. Upislon sent,*[insert infinite Roses being cloned][insert smiley face]* Rose said,"The Cyclops Commonwealth haven't made contact with another Machine-life species either." She looked over as the blue armored human-looking bipeds strode over. The 'armed' one stuck his staff into the ice and the tip flared into light. Slicey pointed her side-arm at him. Rose waited to see what would happen. The one with the larger bearing said,"I salute you. I am General Ston'na. From your eager and capable crew, you must be Captain Rose. The Sceptre of Power is set for light only. It must be pointed more at you for effective attacks." Slicey repeated with a hiss,"EFFECTIVE attacks..." General Ston'Na regarded her with a smile. "Yes. Very observant." He turned to Rose. She watched him, feeling the strange weight of Snowflake's helmet for her. She had no idea how useful it was. The twin laser-pulse turrets on the helmet tracked Ston'na's head as she looked him over. Internally, he looked like a male version of Malbess. She said,"On behalf of the Cyclops Commonwealth--I do agree that we can help your species with it's reproductive woes. I communicated with our Consensus on Balaam. In exchange, you'll aid us with our war for survival against the Asurans and Scourge? Including being towed off this hill?" He nodded. "I have contacted our Empress, Malbess. She agrees with your information, and needs, and have put us at you disposal. The weather is changing. We must act quickly. A blizzard is coming. Maybe two hours before the front comes through." Rose looked at the clouds closing in. She said,"I noticed. My species has only seen snow on veiw-screens. Our MMI's are charged up and ready to lift our ship. If the winds pick up any more..." "...You could be smashed into the ice. I understand, clearly. I've seen the old vids of the launching of the flying cities!" Ston'Na moved off, yelling orders to his men. Rose signaled her own personnel, and they moved aside as the ship began to move. Upsilon said,"Launching of the Flying Cities? We need to see that,too!" Rose looked carefully over to 'THEIR' Malbess, and at the tanks. "We need to see many things." --TO BE CONTINUED!--