The detailed situation was just as bad as the overview that Dave had given Max on the way in, and just before they finished, Nico, her Mom, and two other men dressed as Reavers came into the meeting room.
“Mom, dad, and the Reavers of the Tarith meet Colonel Max and Inquisitor General Ming. Gentlemen, we have some minor details that should likely be shared with you.” Nico announced as soon as they entered.
Nico’s mom found it was easier not to speak, so she handed them all a data tablet with an overview of their combat plans, detailed data of the betrayal of both planetary and Sector Governance as well as a log of all materials moved in and out of the Kepler Terminus system over the last year.
“This is as much as we could do. Until we had enough proof, we couldn’t call in the Reavers, and now that the Tapani are here, it would be too big of a loss for us to do it, so we are asking you, as Tarith Reavers in service to the Kepler Empire, to take us to safety on Kepler 142.” She announced proudly.
When he first met her over the holidays, she seemed like the normal momly mom of a large family, but seeing her now, he could understand where Nico got most of her personality from.
The bloodthirsty was certainly from her past life, but her assertiveness, her sense of humor even in the direst of circumstances, and the very unexpected domestic nature were all inherited from her mom.
“Is something amusing, young Max?” The matriarch asked, staring Max down without effort.
“I was just thinking how your daughter resembles you so much it’s uncanny. Not just in looks, but her entire personality.” Max laughed.
“Oh, do elaborate? What did she do that reminds you of me?”
Nico’s Dad and the two Reavers were intensely interested in what Max might say now, so he decided to add a few more details than the shortest version of the story.
“Has she told you about our firepower?” Max asked, and the family members nodded.
“Good, that saves time. Well one day, we were in the middle of a Klem invasion. We had just finished fighting off the initial wave, and I had passed out on the bunk for a few hours of sleep when I was woken up by the smell of Bacon.
Nico had pulled apart ration packs to make me a proper breakfast wearing nothing but an apron, then thirty seconds later, she was ready to take over the artillery while I ate breakfast.”
That was a bit of a stretch on how things actually happened that day, but there was a naked apron breakfast, that much was true.
“Oh, now isn’t that sweet? When should we plan the wedding for? Spring on Kepler 142 was always nice when I went to visit.” Her mom laughed, clearly meaning a week from now when they arrived with everything that the family had managed to sneak off the planet before they were found out as the cause of the riots against the rebels.
“After our first tour is finished. I am still using my System Functions to adapt this mechanical body.” Nico informed her mom in a very serious voice.
“Speaking of family, I do apologize about yours, it was a rather unfortunate incident.” The Matriarch informed him.
“I hadn’t gotten to that bit of news yet. Best it comes from you.” Dave informed her.
“Your biological parents were executed by the pro-Kepler Militias as traitors. The rebel intelligence forces were offering narcotics and alcohol for information about potential subversives in the neighborhood. They were seen going in and were hit by a car on their way home.” Mary Tarith informed him.
“Somehow that is both depressing and entirely predictable. They always believed what they saw on the television, and they wouldn’t have hesitated to turn in half the neighborhood for drugs, even if it wasn’t true.” Max sighed.
“Dave was more parent to you than they were anyhow, and he’s here, so I don’t count it as much of a loss.” Nico shrugged, her callous attitude pulling Max away from depression.
“Thanks a lot,” Max replied in his most sarcastic tone, but Nico only winked at him.
“How much do you have coming aboard?” Max asked, thinking ahead to how much space they would need to make in order to fully load the shipment.
“If you can clear six cargo bays the size of the one we arrived in, that should about do it.” Mary Tarith informed him happily.
Six bays the size of the one they entered was over two hundred meters long, an enormous amount of storage space. But as a colony ship, they had it available.
“Including or not including quarters for your personnel?” Max asked.
“Plus quarters for ten thousand. Though a number of them are security staff that we pulled from various businesses, so they can be housed in the same bays as their equipment. They’re soldiers, they should be used to it.” Mary replied with a smile.
She had a point, even aboard the Dutchman, the entire Regiment shared cargo bays with their Mecha. They had made it into a very comfortable living arrangement after a little while, so as long as there were raw materials, there was no reason that the Tarith family guards would suffer.
“Alright, we can work with that. Six bays in a block, on the far side of the ship, so if anyone does come looking to see what we are doing, they will see a lot of friendly faces, just Reavers being Reavers, and a bit of cargo.” General Yaakov announced, walking in at the end of the meeting.
“They briefed me down in the cargo docks, so I have a detailed listing of what we need to move aboard, now bring me up to speed on what happened here.” The General asked, and Max made a hasty retreat, pushing Dave so that they wouldn’t have to sit through that explanation for the third time.
“Hey, I hate to ask this, but security on the ground was a bit tight. Do you have any smokes?” Dave asked as they rolled down the hall.
“Yeah, we’ve got smokes. I’ll stop in and grab you some from the First Battalion Supply bays. You will love these new Mecha we’ve got.” Max laughed, glad that Dave was still the same as always.