1 November 3062
Tortuga Prime
Scott awoke feeling extremely groggy and when he tried to sit up he felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. He laid back again and reached, his head wash covered in thick bandages. Damn, what did they do to me. The last thing he remembered was being wheeled into the surgical ward and then now. Slowly, he realized he was not alone in the room. The bandages prevented him from turning his head enough to see who was in the room with him.
He tried to ask who was there but only a croak emerged from his mouth, damn he had a serious case of cotton mouth. Magically, a straw was gingerly placed in his mouth and he took a sip, nice cold water. He continues to drink from the straw. Then it was taken away, he heard the muffled sound of water being poured into a glass. A soft noise signaled a motor being activated and the bed began very slowly adjusting to a somewhat sitting position. He heard a chair being shifted and then he saw her, he noticed her eyes first, a very bright green, they seemed to pierce right into his soul. Damn she is beautiful.
She was dressed in surgical scrubs, but so was almost everyone else he had seen in this hospital. He tried to focus on her name plate "Twyla" it read. She held up the glass of water and he slightly nodded a yes, again the straw was gingerly placed at his lips and he sucked the water down as best he could. Finally he figured he would try to speak again, this time actual words came out.
"Thank you, may I ask who you are?" Scott asked
"I am Twyla, I have been assigned by Khan Carns to see to your needs at all times while you are recovering from surgery." She said
Damn, her voice is a beautiful as she is physically. "Are you a doctor?" He asked
"I am the surgeon who performed your surgery. You will recover fully. You will pilot a mech again." Twyla answered as she stood up "It is time to change your bandages." He watched her move to a small cabinet and remove several rolls of fresh bandages. When she returned to his bedside, she placed used one hand to cup his chin and hold his head perfectly still as she carefully unwound the bandages covering his head. Her hands are so soft, damn she smells good.
"Your healing very well, another week and we will be able to get you up and moving around." Twyla said
How about I just stay here in bed and let you take care of me forever? Scott thought to himself, he inhaled as deeply as he could, filling his head and senses with her fragrance. Wow, I could live with that scent the rest of my life. Since she held his head gently but firmly, he could see just the bottom of her chin, her neck, and almost, almost some cleavage. But not quite. Damn.
For several minutes, all he could do was look forward and study what he could see. He could detect not a blemish on what appeared to be the softest skin ever to grace mankind. Form what he could see, she was flawless. Then she released his chin and very gently allowed his head to return to the pillow where it had been. She stepped back and she shot him the most beautiful smile he had ever seen, Katherine Steiner Davion and her mother Melissa Steiner were famous for their smiles, he had been on the receiving end of them, but this woman's smile beat both of theirs in his opinion.
"It is time to start you on some solid foods, I think mashed potatoes, and maybe a bowl of stew for today. We will see how you handle that and adjust as we go forward." Twyla told him
"Your the boss Twyla." Scott said, you can tell me what to do forever, I could listen to your voice forever.
Then it hit him, he had to go to the bathroom. Oh shit, panic started to overtake him. "Twyla, I uh need a..."
"To use the bathroom? I can assist you." She said as she moved to the bedside
As she reached under the sheets, the panic became a full blown terror. Then she touched him, sweet jesus her hands are soft, but he could not hold I back any longer, the relief was instantaneous. He could not stop the "ahhh" from escaping his throat. He saw her smile again at hearing it. Dammit, I am useless right now, this is so embarrassing. When he finally finished, she looked at him with that smile "Feel better?" All he could do was smile and nod.
8 November 3062
The last week had passed much faster than Scott realized. Twyla answered his questions but never volunteered anything. She was always so nice and gentle with her touch. That first night after he had awakened, he had been startled when he discovered that she had been staying in the bed next to his. Damn, she takes her orders or patients seriously. Only once had he been awake as she got out of bed and moved to the small bathroom, she wore a simple, what looked like a long shirt to him. The starlight coming in thru the window cast just enough light that he could see her legs, perfectly sculpted, firm and muscular, but not overly. Damn they looked so soft and sexy.
Twyla had told him she had been born on Barcella in the Clan Home Worlds. She was not a Trueborn but had been a natural birth. She had been selected for training as a doctor at a early age and was only 26 years old. Her expertise was in neuro surgery, but was also a trauma surgeon. Yesterday had been the first time she had allowed him to attempt to get out of bed, but with her assistance. Today, they were outside in the cool but warm sunlight of the very nicely sculpted garden on the hospital grounds.
"Twyla, where is Khan Carns? I have not seen him since I went under for surgery." Scott asked
"The Khan is accompanying the Clan Nova Cat forces for the upcoming offensive against Clan Smoke Jaguar. saKhan West is about 2 months away. He is returning with several million of our lower caste and their Clan Diamond Shark escorts. Your Prince Davion had granted them access to travel across his nation to us here and the use of recharge stations along the way to speed their arrival." She responded
"So he left me in your care while he is away. I wish I could have said goodbye and thank you before he left. Can you get a message to my dropship, I assume it is still here?" He asked
"Yes, I can arrange a message to your ship or even have the captain brought here to you." Twyla answered
"Even better, yes, I would like the captain to be brought here, I need to send a message to my folks back home." Scott said
"I will make the arrangements." She said
Three hours later, Commander Manny Solis was let into his room. He seemed a little nervous.
"What's wrong Manny, why so jittery?" Scott asked
"Sorry sir, it is just all those damned Elementals. When they got word that you wanted to see me, I must not have been moving fast enough to suit them, they damned near carried me to the car and escorted me up here. Big damned folks." Manny replied
Scott had to smile, he had a mental image of several Elementals frog marching Manny to the car and then up here. "Relax, we are among friends. Move faster next time. Now, any word from back home?"
"I brought the faxes with me, all of them since you have been out cold anyway." Manny replied as he handed over a thick folder. Scott put it aside for now.
"Send a message to Mackolla, I want a Monolith LF loaded up with 4 Overlord C and 4 Sassanid. Get them to Bamburgh and await further orders. Now, I never got to meet the commanders of those Clusters that were gifted. You met them?" Scott said
"Oh yeah, I have met them. Star Colonel Bill Leroux commands the 6th Nova Cat Regulars and is the ranking officer overall, very serious dude. The commander of the 57th Nova Cat Regulars is Star Colonel Sara Demarque." Manny said
"Okay, head back and send the messages, ask the Star Colonels to come see me in the morning if you would please." Scott said
"No problem sir. Any idea when we will be heading back home?" Manny asked
"I am told not for another month at the earliest, more likely 2 months." Scott answered
9 November 3062
At precisely 9am a knock on the door caused Twyla to stand and walk over to the door. Opening it, she stepped back as Star Colonel Bill Leroux and Star Colonel Sara Demarque entered the room. Both stopped short of the bed where Scott was reclining after his morning physical therapy and assumed a rigid position of attention. Sensing they were about to do the entire "reporting as ordered" bit, Scott decided to cut them off.
"Please, take a sit. You must be Star Colonel Bill Leroux and Star Colonel Sara Demarque. I am a bit tired, the physical therapy kicked my butt today. I am sorry I did not have time to meet either of you before I went under the knife here. First, Welcome to the Mackolla Defense Force. Now, since Khan Carns and saKhan West are not around, I need your input. What is Clan Nova Cats preferred Omni Mechs from this list?" Scott said as he handed over the list he held
Star Colonel Bill Leroux was the one to speak first after looking the list over "Sir, Clan Nova Cat uses all Omni Mech designs. The Shadow Cat is Clan Nova Cats design but until their factory here is online, they are in short suppy. No telling when we will be able to build our Omni's again."
"Oh, and what is the hold up? I am curious, they way you said that means there is a major problem." Scott asked
"There is a serious problem, these worlds, though rich in many ores and metals are severly lacking in the types needed for production of our engines." Star Colonel Bill Leroux answered
Well, now. I just happen to know about a huge supply of that very stuff. Scott thought to himself. Out loud he said "Okay, and how about both of your Clusters? How are we equipped?"
"The 6th Nova Cat Regulars have 6 Binary's in it. 5 Binary's are Supernova Binary's and the 6th is a Aerospace Binary. We are fully outfitted with Omni Mechs and Omni Fighters. 50 Omni Mechs, 250 Elementals and 20 Aerospace Pilots." Star Colonel Bill Leroux answered
"The 57th Nova Cat Regulars are not as well off as the 6th Nova Cat, but we at full strength. I have 6 Trinary's assigned, 3 Mech, 2 Elemental and 1 Aerospace. All of our equipment is second line. 45 Mechs, 150 Elementals and 30 Aerospace Fighters." Star Colonel Sara Demarque
"Okay, I am curious, is what kind of Mechs and Aerospace Fighters are you using in the 57th Star Colonel Demarque?" Scott asked
"Our main mech if the Conjurer, I have 20 of them in my Cluster at this time. I do have 5 Supernova's. The Aerospace fighters are several types, but I have 10 Hydaspes in my Trinary. Very powerful fighter." Star Colonel Sara Demarque replied
"Okay, we get home, we will outfit your Cluster with Omni Mechs. Now, how are your troops handling all of this?" Scott asked
"We go where we are told. Both of our Clusters were gifted to you, it does not matter how anyone feels about this." Star Colonel Bill Leroux answered
"Well, it matters to me Star Colonel Leroux. This is going to be quite a culture shock for your troops." Scott said
Before anhyone else could speak, Twyla interrupted "He needs his rest Star Colonel's. This can continue later if he chooses, but now he needs to rest."
