It was nice really, being able to shift attention from the Nomads if even for a moment and enjoy the Akabatian view out of the office window.
The constant fight for survival weighted heavily on everyone in the Order, but it was exactly because of that weight that it was important to find time to try and unwind such as this. "Excuse me mister Parothia sir" a voice over the intercom, one of the assistants the Admirals had in the Order to help keep things running smoothly. "Your guest has just arrived."
It was somewhat of an oddity really, a former Rear Admiral of the Liberty Navy coming out all this way to meet with an Admiral of the Order?
To have a drink and catch up on old times? Hell, if they had agreed to meet up in a bar it could have been the start of a bad joke.
With a small chuckle the admiral placed a bottle of whiskey on his desk, as well as two glasses,
He had never particularly cared for anything that would impede his senses but far be it for him to deny his guest and be a poor host.
The room wasn't anything particularly fancy, at least probably not by Libertonian standards, but the Order made do with what it could.
It was a trait everyone in the Omicrons shared; decadence wouldn't help you survive on the fringes of the Sirius sector.
The room was filled with several different kinds of cabinets, a metal desk, three chairs and a large window overlooking some of the moons snowy mountains. "Thanks Jeff, you can send him in."
Following the gesture from Jeff to enter the room, Grey went in to see the man he had traveled halfway across the Sirius sector to find."Admiral, it feels like it's been a lifetime since we spoke. I must say, retirement isn't all that it's made out to be. I've been through almost every system known to man and then some. I suppose I never was the type to settle down, eh?"Grey sat down in the chair offered by the Admiral and took a sip of the whiskey that had been poured while he spoke. As he set the glass back on the desk, he continued his tale.
"It all started with that damned treasure hunt, or so they called it. Dozens of pilots swarmed to the Tau-31 system. From then on, we were all in uncharted space. For the majority of the journey, we were all together, safe from external threats. Then we were lead into the deepest of the Nomad worlds. Omicron Psi was teeming with the damned squids. Not many of us were even able to charge our cruise engines upon exiting the jumphole."His face became a few shades lighter as he continued.We all fled to the nearest jumphole that showed any sense of stability, since the one we had just come through was collapsing in on itself. Nothing could have prepared us for what came next."He shook his head as if he wanted to forget the whole thing, then took a large swig of the whiskey.
"But, my friend, that is a topic for another time. I would rather not dwell on near-death experiences, lest I never stop thinking about the Gallic war. Tell me, how has the Order been faring in recent times? I may not be able to provide my services as a professional exterminator of all things genocidal at this time, but I'm happy to help where I can."
The Admiral listened intently to Greys story, it definitely not something he was expecting to hear. "Omicron Psi you say? You've been busy indeed. Quite frankly you're lucky you made it out without a worm attached to your spine."
For the briefest of moments Solandros locked his gaze with the retired Libertonian, as if expecting to see a flash of purple.
"That said, I doubt you haven't had more than your fair share of near death experiences. What with the Gallic war being so recent."
He pondered for a moment before continuing: "As for the Order, we are doing well enough given the circumstances. The Nomads are constantly pushing us
but the Core seem to have backed off a bit after their loss in Omicron Zeta. Honestly anything that gives us a little breathing room like that is more than welcome."
Solandros moved the bottle to his own glass and poured himself some whiskey. "Of course, credit where credit is due. The assistance of the 5th, as well as more recently LIA, has been very helpful as well. I won't go so far as to say the war is won,
but morale is definitely higher than it has been in quite some time."
With a small chuckle the admiral raised his glass in a toast and said: "To unexpected friends eh?."
"To unexpected friends indeed, and may our friendship continue beyond these trying times. Omicron Psi was just the tip of the iceberg. I've seen something that very few men have laid their eyes upon and lived to tell the tale. Their home, Solandros. I've seen their homeworld."Grey paused a moment to observe the concerned, yet curious look that Solandros gave him before he continued to speak."I thought I'd seen it all, you know. Nomads assaulting Manhattan, the Frogs glassing Leeds, but the homeworld of the Nomads is something else. I know now, that my fight will never end. We can never hope to destroy those foul creatures once and for all. We can only hope to ensure that they do not become an overwhelming threat."
The look on Grey's face was that of someone who had years of pent up loss, fear and burning rage waiting to be released."Know this, old friend; if the Order ever needs someone to command that Atlantis of yours, my axe is yours to command. Until such time, I'll keep putting the fear of mankind in the damned squids, one torpedo at a time. If I run out of torpedoes, well, I'll just have to improvise. Those squids will learn, one way or another, that karma is a bitch."
Grey finished the last of the whiskey in his glass and then spoke once more. "Their reckoning approaches."
Solandros shook his head, walking towards the window to look outside for a moment before replying: "As I said, you're lucky to have come out of that place as unscathed as you did, Most who go that deep into the Omicrons end up dead, or worse."
With a sigh he moved back to the table and sat down infront of his guest and added: "I'll keep your offer in mind, unfortunately the Apocalypse is far from ready to go into the field, some unforeseen administrative hickups, hopefully nothing that can't be compensated for. As for the Nomads increasing numbers; it's definitely a concerning development. The Order is doing its best to keep them at bay however with the ever increasing numbers we're faced...Frankly it's not a matter of if, but when we'll be overwhelmed."
With a slight chuckle he added: "Meanwhile the Houses are too busy fighting eachother. I hear there's peace now but I imagine that wont last very long. Who do you wager is next, Rheinland and Gallia? Liberty and Kusari? If even a fraction of those hostilities were aimed at the Nomads Humanities fate would look a whole lot more promising I tell you that."