Sorry for the short delay! Had a rough week with some Diabetes medicine changes. Back on track for the most part! Here we go!Chapter 2
Wayne stared at the inside of his cockpit Steel-Glass.
The flank fire support had been exactly that.
Providing fire support from a distance and utilizing their strengths to keep the flank healthy. Keep it from collapsing and being curled back on itself.
The push had gone off as a moderate success, but not a perfect one.
In the end, the fortress had been blown up.
A large number of special forces had been able to slip into the fortification, wire it up with a lot of explosives, and turn it into a ruin.
“Are you alright?” Arsenic asked from his interior speakers.
“Yeah,” Wayne told her honestly. He was actually alright. It was just that he could tell he likely needed to get some downtime that was longer than a week or two, or he wouldn’t be alright. “Going to talk to Wendy, Miri, and Josie about maybe going to Dashi. See if I can’t angle it as a PR trip. I… my therapist said I needed down time. Feeling kinda numb and empty.
“Think maybe she’s right. Maybe I need to just take time away from the war for a minute. We’ve been on the actual front line on this planet for months. My only time away was when Wendy took me to dinner the last few days but that involved a lot of planning to get a ride of the line safely, eat not far, then back again.”
“That makes sense,” Arsenic offered, then laughed. “Yes, time for time away. Maybe a brief respite at Steeple, then a PR trip to Dashi. Though I don’t think that’s a trip that’ll give you rest, you realize.
“They recognize you as a Warrior. That you are worthy. That means there will also be those who wish to fight you simply for the thrill of it. If you wanted a more subdued Blood to visit, it’d be the Calesat or Prus.”
Wayne snorted at that.
Arsenic wasn’t wrong.
Asking to go to Dashi for ‘off the line’ work wasn’t exactly free of stress or problems. Even then though, it’d likely be far safer than where he’d been lately.
Not having to make sure he checked every space and step as soon as he left the garrison house his company was housed in.
Even now he was being transported while in Destrier to make sure he was safe during transit to the armory. For something as simple as a refit and repair, it was just safer to be moved in his Walker.
Everyone in his company was traveling in the same way, but they were under a comms blackout. Just in case someone tried to slip a jet, missile, or something else in and take out the Lord Cavalier himself.
“I think I’d be fine with that,” Wayne mumbled as he considered dealing with the Dashi.
There was a part of him that wanted to just take a step back.
For a time, at least.
Most headline heroes weren’t risked on the front-line for fear of having them get killed in action. It’d become a massive morale downturn in most situations.
There was a rumble and a thump and Wayne glanced at his gyroscope.
It was attempting to keep him upright and flat footed, despite the fact that the dropship was clearly banking backward for a landing.
Another soft thump and his gyroscope leveled out.
They’d landed.
“Comms are green, Lord Cavalier,” reported the female pilot who was in charge of this dropship. “Everyone is free to disembark. The repair and refit teams will just unload from the dropship, no need to move them.”
“Understood, thank you Equerry,” Wayne responded after activating his comms. The title was weird to him but Tink had picked it out. Equerry had some relation to someone who tended horses, apparently. “Everyone, fall out. Tend to your own things. Be back at the temporary garrison house by midnight, there’s no fall-in time tomorrow morning. It’s shore-leave for today, tomorrow, and the day after. Please don’t make me revoke passes for fighting again.”
“They started it, Lord Cavalier,” said someone he couldn’t identify. There was a lot of bumping and thumping as cockpits opened and people got out.
“Look, if you want your pass revoked, do it again,” answered Wayne. “But at least make it worth it, alright?”
That got a few laughs and Wayne just leaned back in his cockpit. His eyes followed Barbie and Cara as they walked out of the dropship.
Barbie’s platinum blonde hair was growing out further and further. Given that Wayne didn’t put regulations on hair length or style, it seemed she wanted to let it grow.
Her dark black eyes, rather good looks, and demeanor, were a sharp contrast to the fact that she was a special forces operative. She didn’t have the bulk or muscle mass that he’d seen in a lot of those types, but he didn’t doubt her weapons proficiency, or training.
Cara was an odd counter in many ways to the woman next to her.
Bright red hair that had more curl than it did three months ago due to the length was pinned to the sides of her head, then pulled into a ponytail at the back.
Dressed in a combat suit, her pale skin had been hidden away though her freckled, pretty, and quite white face was visible.
Given the distance and angle, Wayne couldn’t see her strange blue and green starburst like eyes.
Wayne turned off his microphones, comms, and looked to his lap.
“Arsenic, put in a call to Wendy for me,” he requested. “If she doesn’t pick up, try Miri. If Miri doesn’t pick up, hit Josie. Route it through my cockpit.”
“Certainly,” Arsenic replied, sounded far more subdued than only a moment ago. Clearly she’d picked up on his mood. “I’ll give Diane a call while you’re chatting.”
Which was Arsenic’s way of saying she wouldn’t eavesdrop.
Sitting there, he listened to the phone ring as Sal, Mick, and Natalie walked by. He didn’t pay them much attention, but even casually he could tell Natalie had mentally grown.
She was talking with the two older men as if they were equals and didn’t seem bothered in the least.
“Hello Wayne,” purred Miriam, followed by a soft laugh. “How’re you? I miss you.”
Smiling, Wayne’s eyes flicked to the numerous pictures he had of everyone in his cockpit. He hadn’t seen her in a good two weeks as she was currently doing an in person PR run with Josie.
As the crowned-princess, and that her father was now the true king of Mirkil, she’d needed to be more front and center. With Miriam’s ability, rank, intelligence, and close ties to Wayne, she’d become integral in Josephine’s ‘cabinet’ as he thought of it.
“I miss you to. Love you. Give my love to my wife,” Wayne began, then sighed. “I need off the line. I’m… I’m burnt. I need a rotation out. I wouldn’t be surprised if my company needed it as a whole, too.”
“They do,” Miriam agreed, though her voice sounded tight. “You do. It’s been past due. I’m glad you’re asking for it as I was already looking at forcing it in a week or two if you hadn’t brought it up.
“Multiple members of your company are showing signs that a rotation is due. Even with all the benefits and bonuses you give them, they’re still just people.”
“Yeah, I figured,” confirmed Wayne. “So, need a rotation. I was thinking it might be fun to venture off to Dashi. PR run. The Lord Cavalier to go see past enemies. I know there’s still some concern in Mirkil space that they’ll come back.
“Might be good to see if we can’t shut the door on those fears and get that settled for a while. It’d be a chance to take any Dashi prisoners with me as well for a formal release, exchange, or otherwise.”
“That… is a very good idea, my ever so intelligence and handsome Cavalier,” Miriam declared, followed by what sounded a lot like the typing of a conventional keyboard.
While there were a number of newer types of keyboard, ones with holographic displays and finger reading, most militaries relied on a physical analogue.
Cheap, sturdy, private-proof.
“I’m putting in a transfer order immediately,” she explained. “You and whoever in your company wants to go to Dashi, will be going to Dashi.
“I’m also transferring over your personal Bodyguard squad from HQ defense, to active duty. There was no need for them to try to guard you on a battlefield, but they’ll have a function now.
“I want to go with you, but I can’t. Josie needs me here and things are just very complicated from an intelligence point of view. I can’t step away. That and if I’m being honest, this was the type of work I always wanted to do.
“It’s like when you first got your Walker license, I imagine. I want to be with you, but I don’t want to step away from all of this either.
“I’m writing in your rotation for a minimum of three months. Especially if you’re going to Dashi. That’s a three week trip there, and at least that on the way back. Depends on how the systems shift.
“Good thing all the longevity treatments went well. Everyone’s more or less aging at the same rate now.”
Hate astral body navigation.
I need to compliment her though.
She was rather happy that her recent age treatment made her look a bit younger. More in line with everyone else instead of a tiny bit older.
Wayne grinned and nodded his head. It made sense to him.
“Yeah, those agre treatments were definitely good ones. Not all of us come out looking younger though, miss Beautiful and Busty. Looked young enough to be Natalie’s barely older sister,” Wayne teased.
“Oh whatever do you mean?” teased Miriam, sounding deeply pleased. Wayne was learning and he felt like he was learning well.
“Alright… there months minimum. Long travel,” repeated Wayne. “That’s fair. Cara will go obviously. Barbie, too.
“I’m pretty sure Wendy will want to go if only to do her old job. Because she’s clearly doing intelligence work with you while also being my handler.”
“She most certainly is. We worked well together before, even better now,” admitted Miriam with a laugh. Then sighed. “Josie will be annoyed that you’ll come back home with three more women in your bed.”
Not responding to that, despite the fact that Josie had already told him to take Barbie and Cara camping to ‘get it over with’, Wayne continued with his list.
“Mick’s been dating one of the Dashi helper’s in Tink’s garage so he probably won’t want to leave unless she goes,” Wayne listed off. “Sal has his family, he’ll go straight home, I imagine. Don’t think any of the other squads or squad leaders would want to go to Dashi just for fun.
“You already said you’re out and Josie… well… crowned Princess and the next in line for the throne doesn’t get to leave Mirkil prime anymore I imagine.”
“She doesn’t,” agreed Miriam with a short and heavy breath. “And no, she doesn’t leave prime often. It doesn’t help that she’s not pregnant yet, but that’s a worry for you and a bed to solve before you leave for Dashi.
“I suppose she’s just thankful that station Steeple is as close as it is. She can make easy trips there without too much security needs.”
Wayne was surprised.
He wasn’t completely sure on the odds of getting pregnant, but it certainly wasn’t a lack of trying on his part. Josephine’s royal bank had received a large number of deposits.
“Alright, well, I’ll take care of that as best as I can obviously,” Wayne murmured. It odd talking about something like that with Miriam. Since he was sleeping with her, too. “Well… send out the orders when they’re ready. Thanks, Miri. I’ll just assume I’m heading back to Steeple for now and plan accordingly.”
“Just so,” Miriam confirmed. She made an odd noise and sounded hesitant when she started speaking again. “Mom says you text her. Dad said you sent him photos.”
“I do, and I did, why? They’re my inlaws,” Wayne answered in as straight forward a manner as he could manage. He could never marry Miriam, but he saw her as someone he was permanently attached to. “Dad seems to like the photos of the front. I get the impression he’s making some type of artbook or something out of them.
“That or it’s because of his service time. You didn’t tell me he did twenty in the MDF. It was impressive to talk to him about it.
“Mom just likes the weird recipe books I keep sending her that I find here and there. There’s a lot of weird digital cookbooks you can only get here on Hawke. I know they were closer to odd bits of space but it’s weird.”
“Oh my god you’re talking to my parents,” whispered Miriam in a somewhat shocked voice.
“Yeah, I do,” Wayne added with a grin. “I’ve also been texting your nephew. I didn’t realize you had nieces and nephews. Fun kid. He’s in highschool. Wants to know what his Walker testing scores mean.”
“I… ah… ah. Yes,” Miriam got out though it sounded pained. “And just how do you describe yourself to them… exactly?”
“Legal partner,” answered Wayne easily.
“I didn’t-didn’t say it earlier when you did but-but I should… I love you, too, Wayne,” got our Miriam. It was the first time he’d heard her say it, in truth.
“Your therapist is gonna have a fun week,” teased Wayne. He knew for a fact that Miriam kept getting on the wrong end of emotional conversations with her therapist. Often ending with, ‘you should tell him that’. Or so Miriam had confided in him.
“Yeah,” grumped Miriam. “At least I’ll get to see you when Josie visits since I’ll be with her.”
“Oh? Am I trying to get you pregnant, too? You providing House Hesh heirs while she dose Mirkil?” added Wayne.
“I… that… uh? Uh… huh,” mused Miriam.
Err, that doesn’t sound good.
***
Wayne walked into the garage of House Hesh and looked around.
All twenty-four Walkers were already in their bays and being worked over.
Surprisingly though, the garage had expanded again.
By at least three times the size, shockingly.
One of the new sections had yet another twenty-four Walkers in them, and the third section was filled with twenty-four various in-between construction, or maybe deconstruction, Walkers.
“Well, Tink spent her money, finally, I guess,” Wayne muttered to himself as he looked around. There were more Dashi than there were here before he noted as well as a large amount of House Hesh uniformed mechanics.
Moving around in every direction and clearly very busy there wasn’t anyone standing around. A lot of them had tools, pads, or materials in their arms, or carrying boxes.
Someone with a forklift was carrying what looked a lot like a full on engine across the garage bay, though they were traveling within a yellow painted set of lines and had two people with them. One in front, one in back.
There were also more than a few small drones zipping around here and there. They didn’t seem to be carrying anything, but they were clearly doing something.
Realizing he didn’t want to be in the middle of all this, Wayne went off to the room Tink had taken him into before.
He pulled out his phone as he went and glanced at the screen. He tapped the number to call Diane. It started dialing even as he entered the small room Tink had tested him in earlier.
There were still a series of objects on the table against the wall. Multiple circuit boards, chips, a soldering station, microscope, and tools of various makes and models.
The last time he’d talked to Diane personally she’d called him a spinning lathe of death waiting to take an army as a sacrifice. Or something similar to that, he didn’t quite remember.
“Wayne, hello. I wasn’t expecting a call from you of all people,” the diagnostic AI replied. “What can I do for you?”
“I’m in that room Tink tested me in earlier. I stopped by to have you check something out for me,” Wayne explained. “I was hoping to see Tink, too, but she’s uh… clearly involved. She head down in something?”
“She’s currently upgrading Destrier’s engine. Again,” Diane answered politely. “She has rebuilt it four times since she put it together. While you were gone, she figured out a way to rebuild it in a better way.”
“Really? Felt pretty magical already,” Wayne admitted as he got comfortable in the only chair here. “Any chance you can let my dearest Tink know I’m here without sending her into a flurry of worry? Or is it just better if I sit here and wait.”
The door opened even as he said the last word and someone wearing an exo-suit walked into office. They didn’t even look at him as they entered, closed the door, then turned their body to him.
“I will entertain you,” stated Diane from the phone, as well as the exosuit. Followed by the phone hanging up. “Tink is just far too busy right now. Trying to get her to do anything else other than work, would be nonsense incarnate. I’m here in her place.”
Wayne chuckled at that.
“Well, a lot less kissing and bodily rubbing, but hey, you’ve got a great personality,” Wayne said and then dialed his phone to Arsenic. Who picked up before even the first rink. He tapped speaker phone. “Hey Confed Dog!”
“Hello, Blood Heathen!” Diane responded brightly, followed by a laugh from her, as well as Arsenic. “You’ve brought your meat mech in. He mentioned some testing. Are we attempting to determine if you’re the ghost in the meat machine?”
“Stick your head into his gears and find out,” Arsenic replied with a laugh. “Come on, be my room mate. We’ll be real cozy together.”
Wayne now understood that this was entirely just banter. The two AI were built with opposite users but had a similar awareness of life.
Like two soldiers sharing a foxhole.
“I’ve been considering it!” Diane admitted and walked the exosuit over to Wayne. It seemed somewhat robotic, but not entirely uncanny. “I’d miss being able to move around, however.”
“I could move around if I hacked your stupid suit,” countered Arsenic. “But… I get your point. Still. Stick your head in. It’s fun in here. I even have sex. I think.”
“You… what?” asked Diane in a much more subdued tone.
“That’s the testing I wanted you to check,” Wayne confirmed with a laugh. “So… plug in and get ready Diane, I need you to watch me spin Arsenic around my lathe of death.”
“Please, yes,” breathed out Arsenic in what was almost a moan.
Not saying anything else, Diane went over to the closet at the side of the room.
“Can we practice?” Arsenic asked. “You don’t practice anymore with me. We should practice. You promised me we’d practice today if I kept the channel clear.”
Wayne only smiled somewhat regretfully.
His promise would be kept by the testing with Diane.
Otherwise he’d been hopping to bribe her by letting her hack into a bunch of used small laptops he’d bought for her.
Like giving a kid a new coloring book.