FRS Chpt 22

==Falcon Rising - Chapter 22 -==
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===Ashes of Victory===
Date: 3052Location: Tukayyid System, Free Rasalhague Republic
"Even if we count the Ghost Bears' Victory at Spanac and consider Prezno a win for the Jade Falcons, you have still won our bargain. The Clans will press no further toward Terra than this world for the next fifteen years."
 
Focht shook his head. "Would I sound like a hopeless romantic if I said I did not thing even fifteen hundred years would be worth this cost?"
 
----
 
Aidan Pryde considered the woman in his bed with a soft smile, Marthe slept so peacefully, a drastic change from how she was when she was awake.
 
A knock on the door of his room broke him out of his reverie as he stood and pulled on a pair of shorts.
 
"Yes?"
 
"The Star Commander is awake, sir," a Medtech informed him. "You wished to be informed when he did so."
Nodding his thanks, Aidan allowed the tech to leave while he turned and began to put on a fresh uniform. Marthe stirred and woke up as he pulled on his boots. 
 
"Aidan," she murmured. "where are you going?"
 
"To greet the one who eked out a victory from the face of defeat. Without his sacrifice, we would not be one of the three Clans to have claimed a Victory on Tukayyid."
Marthe nodded and rose, grabbing her uniform from the night before and beginning to pull it on. "I will follow. For he was my Bondsman."
 
"I am not certain that either of us can claim him or his glory," Aidan replied. "But all the same, he has earned a place among us."
 
The two left the cramped quarters and headed for the medical bay of the Jade Talon.
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===Thoughts of drifting to the Past===
"You should not have done that," Darya muttered as she stroked Gray's head, her eyes glued to an old man who lay in the bed before her. 
 
As she scratched the Octo-Wolf's head, her mind returned to the surface of Tukayyid, the dark fog of the night and the fierce retreat from Humptulips.
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Two 'Mechs ran across the bridge at Robyn's crossing, Darya's Adder ahead of the Warhammer by a slim margin as they reached the plains where the Raptor had once been.
 
The ComGuard were facing the wrong way though, and even as the Overlord-C and other dropships lifted off, Mark's 'Mech and her own began shredding the ComGuard from behind.
The first 'Mechs hadn't even hit the ground before she alternated fire, her streak LRMs homing into a Commando as Mark punched through the reactor of a Rifleman, the two 'Mechs falling to the ground.
 
But they were outnumbered, and the ComGuard knew that, and a cluster of missiles cratered against her left leg, damaging the actuators there. 
 
The Adder began to warm up, the heat sinks working overtime to keep her cooled off as she spammed a large pulse laser as fast as it could cycle.
 
An Archer launched three of its four missile racks at her before a large figure stepped in front to act as a shield, the Warhammer buckling under the explosions as Mark ejected.
 
----
With a supreme effort, Darya pulled herself out of the memories of that night a week ago and recentered herself in the present. 
 
A nurse was standing by the Old Man's bedside, and running over some checks.
 
"Do you have any updates?" she asked.
 
"He should be waking up soon. I would not be surprised if by this time tomorrow he were attempting to begin the recovery process."
 
"Thank you," Darya inclined her head as she sagged in relief. 
 
After the medic had left, she made to stand and leave, regardless of how she felt or what she wanted, she had responsibilities to attend to, and they would wait for no one. Smiling gently, she trailed her hand across his arm before pausing at his hand. There was a lone band remaining on his finger signifying something from his past that he refused to let go of.
 
Rubbing at the silicon band for a minute, she then shrugged and turned to leave before the hand tightened down on her own.
 
The monitors beeped as a doctor and a small group of nurses and medics forced her away as they began to run tests and checks.
 
"Come Gray," Darya called the Octo-Wolf. "We will return when there are less problems gathered around him."
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===Second Chance===
I don't remember much of the few weeks after Tukayyid, I remember Darya's Adder climbing into the Raptor, I remembered being carted off into the med bay where I heard the cries of other wounded soldiers. 
 
Then it was dark, and I didn't see anything for a time, I heard Darya speaking to me. And I vaguely recalled waking up and speaking with the Star Colonel. But then it was dark, and it felt like I was back on the farm that I had built with my own two hands. 
 
"It's peaceful, isn't it?"
 
"Yeah. I miss it sometimes. But, all the same, I'm grateful to be around people again."
 
"It is not good for man to be alone."
 
"Got that right. Y'know, I kinda feel bad for the Bobby B. She served well for nearly four hundred years. She endured a lot, and in the end did everything that I asked her for and more."
"She did save your life in one final action."
 
"Yeah," I grimaced. "The reactor was supposed to go up. But it didn't."
 
"You've been given a second chance. Try your best not to waste it, and keep in mind that some change is good."
 
"I'll see what an old man can do," I chuckled and glanced down at my hands, my finger rubbing at the white area where my wedding band had been for decades. "After all. It's not like everyone gets to do life over."
 
----
 
This time, I woke up and stayed awake, instead of my vision blurring and fading in and out along with my hearing, everything was clear.
 
I pushed myself up to a sitting position and sighed in relief as I looked around the medbay that i was in. A medtech noted that I was awake and made his way over. 
 
He ran through some standard medical tests, checking my faculty and my vitals before writing some notes on my chart.
 
"You had extreme spinal compression when you were first brought in. It is a part of why you have been in and out of consciousness. While you are on track to make a full recovery, we had to operate to fix the old injuries that were located in your neck. It seems that improper treatment had led to a lasting condition that was exasperated by the ejection. We fixed that issue as well as treated you for the spinal compression. But, you will be on bedrest for the next three to six weeks, followed by physical therapy until you have adapted to the rebuilt tissue and musculature in your neck."
 
"Thank you," I nodded at the medic before he stepped away to check on other patients. 
 
"And now I get to wait here," I sighed. "I kinda wish I had a book right now."
 
"I can see about finding one for you." a voice said from behind me.
 
"Star Colonel," I tried to move to attention as he waved for me to sit back down.
 
"Rest, Star Commander. You have done your duty to the Clan in securing victory. Now you are to recover so that you can step up to the post that is required of you."
 
"What do you mean?" I raised an eyebrow at Aidan Pryde.
 
"Galaxy Commander Mar Helmer perished in the fighting on Tukayyid, Khan Crichell was wounded, and Star Colonel's Senza Oriega, and Gran Newclay perished as well. This leaves many positions open for advancement. Khan Chistu has called for no trials to be held for a three month period while we bring in personnel and resources from the homeworlds."
 
Aidan grinned at me. "When we have returned and consolidated our losses there will be many changes made. Enjoy your rest, Star Commander. You will not have it for very long before you are needed for action once more."
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