Apologies for the disjointedness. My mind's hyper on caf, so I'm feeling erratic.

Damnable day today. We fixed the torsion problem....but now it seems that the TagCo wiring is dephasing due to unforeseen heatpockets along the wiring. We think it’s because of our solution to the torsion problem – the data loss rate is too high and it’s causing the TagCo to ghost. Which is causing hell on the laser optics. I’m hoping the Beagle won’t go haywire next….I think we’ve got the sheilding situation on it finally working correctly. Amazing what simple foam can do.

We're going to have to completely switch out every single system in all four prototypes - I'm hoping we can do this quickly. According to the grapevine, Jackson's coming on a "readiness" tour in the next few weeks. O'Reilly was hoping that we could take a few of them out to show them off to the Old Man, using some remote HUD feeds and some simple targeting drones. We'll do it in the Acheron Forest, where the top cover is dense enough to keep our babies hidden from some of the satellites we know the Word puts in orbit from time to time. Thing is, with the problems on both the 1X and 2X, I’m not sure they’re ready yet. He could probably run them out using basic controls….but more than likely I’m going to recommend he not at this time.

Meantimes, in order to keep from being bored, we’ve been putting bets on any sats they stick up – so far, the longest we’ve had stay in orbit was a YOC-1, which lasted 179 hours before a Guards Sparrowhawk was able to tag it on an ASAT run. Johanne won that pool, forty-five D’s and two nights off duty. Lucky bastard…

Because of our comms blackout, we're completely in the dark regarding anything going on other than the sporadic broadcasts from Channel 9. The DMI protocol in place, coupled with these random ECM blackouts by the Robbies have really made things difficult for us when it comes to reliable information.

O'Reilly is really paranoid, too. Ever since the Word slammed that firebase not four klicks from here (and took all the ammo, parts, and fuel that we'd been stockpiling for your Guardsmen and the 2nd Cadre), he's clamped down so hard on our privileges it's not even funny. Still not sure how they found the base - it may have been observed traffic or, God forbid, a spy. Either way, it's got everyone on edge, second guessing everything we do now.

I had to give the entire team a day off because Torgesson dropped the entire torso frame mechanism half a meter while we restrung the upper arm myomer; ended up twisting the entire shoulder joint. All because he was exhausted.

Anyway, enough on work. I'm beat just thinking about it now.

Pops is holding up well, though he's taken to drinking some before hitting his rack. Poor guy. I wish there was something I could do for him - it's only fair, since he was there for me after we learned of my family's death on Thorin back in '63. I still remember him standing there, telling me that everything would work out, that by some Divine Hand of Providence, I would be okay.

And by and by, I was. I found out later he'd gone and forged my duty records, even doing the work himself at times, in order to protect me. He'd caught hell for that, both from Hauptmann Jeroue and from me. He'd told me later that "we protect each other, you and I. You make sure I come back in one piece, and I make sure you're there to protect my ass." I think we got trashed later that night, but I don't remember.

He's shattered, Millie. I can't imagine what it's like to find out your only remaining kin is on the side of the enemy. This isn't the type of betrayal we heard about from some of our friends during the Civil War. This war – it’s a war of ideals, a war of survival. The Civil War was a war of leadership. Who had the right to rule. This is a war to decide who lives....and who dies. And it's not us who's asking the question - it's those bastards in robes who call themselves our 'saviors'. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a savior supposed to save without annihilating the audience?

Oh, that reminds me! We saw some network feeds of Avalon City. MI4 apparently put up a remote drone to take some intel pictures and we got to see the feed firsthand, since they've set up a temporary intel HQ down on level 5. It's horrible. Most of our beautiful jewel lies in ruins. But oddly, it's battle wreckage, not a radioactive hothouse. We knew they hadn't deployed any of their nuclear WMD - the rad detectors here would've been screaming murder if that was the case - but we'd supposed they used some other ordinance on us. I mean, the survivors from the 2nd Cadre told us that they just dropped 'fire from heaven' on them and the Cavaliers outside the NAIS back in December of 67.

But the orbital bombardment was apparently restricted to just that area. We've heard scattered reports of other units around the planet - before we went to blackout mode (though we hear things from time to time as patrols swing through the area to rearm) that some strikes were happening, but nothing in ferocity like that on the complex. Even the Den hasn't gotten hit - which is extremely strange. I mean, they know where it is - who doesn't? - but only periodic slaps, like they're trying to remind us they're still up there. Buzzards, circling a very much alive victim. Anyway, the damage to the capitol is mostly out-of-control fires, some war carnage, and we spotted only a couple of other orbital strikes. Mainly, the Palace and one of the Guard staging areas. MI4's probe lasted about 5 minutes before a Shiva flight dropped it from the sky.

The really weird thing? St. Joseph's Cathedral - the heart and soul of our Catholic faith - still stands. Along with most of the neighborhood around it. It's one of the largest untouched swaths still intact in the city - there weren't even signs of even light battle damage, unlike other parts of the city.

Strange. It's as if they're trying to tell us something. Or the Pope's been lying to us all along.

Damn, there's a call. Must be something wrong in the bay - I'll write more later.

Love you lots!

Robert