Wing Commander (novelization) Chapter 11: Difference between revisions

The Terran Knowledge Bank
Jump to: navigation, search
 
(6 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{infobox Novel Chapter
{{infobox Novel Chapter
|faction = terran
|faction = terran
|title = Chapter Eleven
|title = Chapter 11
|image = image:Movienovel.jpg
|image = image:Movienovel.jpg
|book = [[Wing Commander (novelization)|Wing Commander]]
|book = [[Wing Commander (novelization)|Wing Commander]]
|parts = 2
|parts = 2
|previous = [[Wing Commander (novelization) Chapter Ten|Chapter Ten]]
|previous = [[Wing Commander (novelization) Chapter 10|Chapter 10]]
|next = [[Wing Commander (novelization) Chapter Twelve|Chapter Twelve]]
|next = [[Wing Commander (novelization) Chapter 12|Chapter 12]]
}}
|pages = 78-82
}}


== Dramatis Personae ==
== Dramatis Personae ==


* [[Jeanette Devereaux]]
{| class="wikitable"
* [[Rosalind Forbes]]
|-
* [[Raznick]]
!
! Part 1
! Part 2
|-
! POV
|valign=top|
[[Jeanette Deveraux|Jeanette "Angel" Deveraux]]
|valign=top|
[[Jeanette Deveraux|Jeanette "Angel" Deveraux]]
|-
! Speaking
|valign=top|
[[Raznick]]
|valign=top|
[[Rosalind Forbes|Rosalind "Sassy" Forbes]]
|-
! Mentioned
|valign=top|
[[Rosalind Forbes|Rosalind "Sassy" Forbes]]
|valign=top|
[[Christopher Blair]]<br>
[[Todd Marshall|Todd "Maniac" Marshall]]<br>
[[Pierre]]
|-
|}


== Text ==
== Text ==


<B>UNITED</B>
{{infobox wcm
 
|line1 = UNITED<BR>CONFEDERATION<BR>CARRIER <I>TIGER CLAW</I>
<B>CONFEDERATION</B>
|line2 = MARCH 16, 2654<BR>1330 HOURS<BR>ZULU TIME
 
|line3 = VEGA SECTOR
<B>CARRIER <I>TIGER CLAW</I></B>
|line4 = ETA TO CLASS 2<BR>PULSAR ONE HOUR
 
}}
<B>MARCH 16, 2654</B>
 
<B>1330 HOURS</B>
 
<B>ZULU TIME</B>
 
<B>VEGA SECTOR</B>
 
<B>ETA TO CLASS 2</B>
 
<B>PULSAR ONE HOUR</B>


=== Part One ===


Lieutenant Commander Jeanette Deveraux, her cheeks warming, her
Lieutenant Commander Jeanette Deveraux, her cheeks warming, her
pulse racing, double-timed through the hall adjoining the flight hangar.
pulse racing, double-timed through the hall adjoining the flight hangar.


She had little tolerance for rebels and hotdoggers and even less tolerance
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She had little tolerance for rebels and hotdoggers and even less tolerance
for experienced pilots who succumbed to the taunts and coercion of new
for experienced pilots who succumbed to the taunts and coercion of new
fliers.
fliers.


Without looking up, Deveraux passed someone, then, realizing who it
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Without looking up, Deveraux passed someone, then, realizing who it
was, she turned back. "Hey, Boss?" she said, greeting Mr. Raznick by his
was, she turned back. "Hey, Boss?" she said, greeting Mr. Raznick by his
more familiar name. "I was on my way to see you."
more familiar name. "I was on my way to see you."


The flight boss came to her, shaking his computer slate as though it
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The flight boss came to her, shaking his computer slate as though it
were a torch, he an angry villager. "Well, I was just on my way to talk to
were a torch, he an angry villager. "Well, I was just on my way to talk to
your people. But now that I've got <i>you</I> " Raznick's shaven head glistened
your people. But now that I've got <i>you</I> ..." Raznick's shaven head glistened
with sweat, and a thick vein throbbed at his temple.
with sweat, and a thick vein throbbed at his temple.


"Just calm down, boss. And believe me, I know how you feel."
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Just calm down, boss. And believe me, I know how you feel."


"Begging your pardon, ma'am, but you don't know jack. I'm going to
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Begging your pardon, ma'am, but you don't know jack. I'm going to
charge those pilots with everything I can, right down to their scuffed
charge those pilots with everything I can, right down to their scuffed
boots. They recklessly endangered the lives of every man and woman on
boots. They recklessly endangered the lives of every man and woman on
my flight deck—and for what? To prove they don't care about their own
my flight deck--and for what? To prove they don't care about their own
lives or anyone else's? I'll have those idiots busted down to spacehands."
lives or anyone else's? I'll have those idiots busted down to spacehands."
"Just take a deep breath."
"Just take a deep breath."


"I don't need to take a deep breath! I need to get down there and chew
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I don't need to take a deep breath! I need to get down there and chew
some butt!" He started to leave.
some butt!" He started to leave.


She held his arm. "Has Lieutenant Forbes ever given you a problem
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She held his arm. "Has Lieutenant Forbes ever given you a problem
before?"
before?"


"That's not the point."
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"That's not the point."


"Just… will you do me this favor? Let me handle this internally. If you
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Just ... will you do me this favor? Let me handle this internally. If you
want to go down there and let them have it, that's fine. But let me handle
want to go down there and let them have it, that's fine. But let me handle
the discipline on my end."
the discipline on my end."


He huffed. "This deserves a hell of a lot more than a smack on the hand.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He huffed. "This deserves a hell of a lot more than a smack on the hand.
And Commander, your carpet's already bulging from all the bullshit you've
And Commander, your carpet's already bulging from all the bullshit you've
swept under it."
swept under it."


"I know. But do you want to know the sad truth, Boss? If we take those
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I know. But do you want to know the sad truth, Boss? If we take those
two off my flight roster, I can't replace them. At least not now. And
two off my flight roster, I can't replace them. At least not now. And
judging from the scuttlebutt I'm hearing, we'll need every able-bodied
judging from the scuttlebutt I'm hearing, we'll need every able-bodied
Line 83: Line 98:
you've been working off-duty on your qualification."
you've been working off-duty on your qualification."


"Now if that's a bribe, it'll work," he said, his tone softening
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Now if that's a bribe, it'll work," he said, his tone softening
considerably. "I hate pilots. I love flying."
considerably. "I hate pilots. I love flying."


"I won't make you any promises there. But I will promise that no pilot
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I won't make you any promises there. But I will promise that no pilot
under my command will ever pull a stunt like that again."
under my command will ever pull a stunt like that again."


He squinted into a thought. "My people expect me to act. I'll lose their
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He squinted into a thought. "My people expect me to act. I'll lose their
respect if they know I'm whitewashing this."
respect if they know I'm whitewashing this."


"They don't have to know. You go down there and say what you need to
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"They don't have to know. You go down there and say what you need to
say for their benefit. Just don't follow through. Blame the delay on
say for their benefit. Just don't follow through. Blame the delay on
Confederation bureaucracy. No one will have a hard time believing that."
Confederation bureaucracy. No one will have a hard time believing that."


"I'd better get that ship assignment," he warned, then moved off.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I'd better get that ship assignment," he warned, then moved off.


"I'll do what I can. But Gerald will never approve it," she mumbled.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I'll do what I can. But Gerald will never approve it," she mumbled.


"Sorry, Boss."
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Sorry, Boss."


* * *
=== Part Two ===


Back in her quarters, she sloughed off her uniform and eased into a hot
Back in her quarters, she sloughed off her uniform and eased into a hot
Line 113: Line 128:
enjoyed a true, side-splitting chuckle.
enjoyed a true, side-splitting chuckle.


After being made squadron commander at the beginning of the year,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After being made squadron commander at the beginning of the year,
she had found little time for amusement. Her job, as she saw it, was to
she had found little time for amusement. Her job, as she saw it, was to
police a bunch of highly talented loose cannons, to collect and forge them
police a bunch of highly talented loose cannons, to collect and forge them
Line 121: Line 136:
their final approaches inverted? The number stood at two.
their final approaches inverted? The number stood at two.


She keyed off the shower, wrapped herself in a towel, then found the
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She keyed off the shower, wrapped herself in a towel, then found the
chair at her small desk. She sat there, staring at the statue of the little dog,
chair at her small desk. She sat there, staring at the statue of the little dog,
a Brussels griffon, that she had ordered via a Datanet catalog. The dog's
a Brussels griffon, that she had ordered via a Datanet catalog. The dog's
Line 129: Line 144:
behind the orphanage. <i>Sleep well, my dear Pierre. Sleep well.</I>
behind the orphanage. <i>Sleep well, my dear Pierre. Sleep well.</I>


Her hatch bell rang. "Who is it?"
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Her hatch bell rang. "Who is it?"


"Me."
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Me."


"You don't want to be here right now."
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You don't want to be here right now."


"Just let me in. <i>Please</i>."
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Just let me in. <i>Please</i>."


Deveraux stood and shrugged. "You're at your own risk." She touched
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Deveraux stood and shrugged. "You're at your own risk." She touched
the keypad, and the hatch opened.
the keypad, and the hatch opened.


"Single malt… just for you," Forbes said, holding Lieutenant Todd
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Single malt ... just for you," Forbes said, holding Lieutenant Todd
Marshall's bottle of Scotch.
Marshall's bottle of Scotch.


She glanced perfunctorily at the bottle, then shifted back to her chair,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She glanced perfunctorily at the bottle, then shifted back to her chair,
but couldn't bring herself to sit. "Trying to bribe me? Well, it won't
but couldn't bring herself to sit. "Trying to bribe me? Well, it won't
work—especially with <i>his</i> liquor."
work--especially with <i>his</i> liquor."


"I'm trying to thank you. The flight boss would've brought us up on
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I'm trying to thank you. The flight boss would've brought us up on
charges if you hadn't said something."
charges if you hadn't said something."


"He told you we spoke?"
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"He told you we spoke?"


"Not exactly. But I could tell that you had already disarmed him. You're
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Not exactly. But I could tell that you had already disarmed him. You're
the only one on board who could do that. Raznick hates pilots. We get his
the only one on board who could do that. Raznick hates pilots. We get his
flight deck dirty and raise his blood pressure. But you he respects."
flight deck dirty and raise his blood pressure. But you he respects."


"Do you know why?"
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Do you know why?"


Her expression said that she didn't.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Her expression said that she didn't.


"Because I work with him. Not against him. That's simple math. No
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Because I work with him. Not against him. That's simple math. No
advanced degree required."
advanced degree required."


Forbes hid her gaze.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Forbes hid her gaze.


"What the hell were you thinking?"
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"What the hell were you thinking?"


Biting her lower lip, Forbes stalled. "Well, I wasn't thinking with my
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Biting her lower lip, Forbes stalled. "Well, I wasn't thinking with my
head."
head."


Deveraux beat a fist on her thigh. "Goddammit, Rosie. You'll get
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Deveraux beat a fist on her thigh. "Goddammit, Rosie. You'll get
yourself killed doing that. How could you follow <i>that</i> kind of lead?"
yourself killed doing that. How could you follow <i>that</i> kind of lead?"


"I don't know."
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I don't know."


"Well, let me tell you something. I think—"
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Well, let me tell you something. I think--"


"I know what you're thinking."
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I know what you're thinking."


"I think you're one of my best pilots. I can't afford to lose you."
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I think you're one of my best pilots. I can't afford to lose you."


And that lifted Forbes's head. "Sorry. I was just showing off a bit in
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And that lifted Forbes's head. "Sorry. I was just showing off a bit in
front of Maniac."
front of Maniac."


"Maniac?"
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Maniac?"


"Lieutenant Marshall. He's got a new call sign, although I don't think
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Lieutenant Marshall. He's got a new call sign, although I don't think
too many people will appreciate it."
too many people will appreciate it."


"I think you're right."
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I think you're right."


Forbes went to a cabinet, removed a glass, and began pouring a drink.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Forbes went to a cabinet, removed a glass, and began pouring a drink.


"I hope it felt really good," Deveraux said, driving the point home but
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I hope it felt really good," Deveraux said, driving the point home but
realizing that her tone had been too cruel.
realizing that her tone had been too cruel.


"It felt great. Better than sex."
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"It felt great. Better than sex."


Forbes handed her the Scotch, and she took a healthy swig. "Bullshit."
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Forbes handed her the Scotch, and she took a healthy swig. "Bullshit."


"Well, better than sex with myself." Forbes waited for her smile before
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Well, better than sex with myself." Forbes waited for her smile before
grinning herself.
grinning herself.


"See that it never happens again."
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"See that it never happens again."


"Never."
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Never."


Deveraux took another pull on her drink as her friend, now visibly
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Deveraux took another pull on her drink as her friend, now visibly
relaxed, sat on the cot and yawned.
relaxed, sat on the cot and yawned.


Then Forbes stared at her. Deveraux stared back. Forbes looked away,
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then Forbes stared at her. Deveraux stared back. Forbes looked away,
as did Deveraux. Then it all happened again.
as did Deveraux. Then it all happened again.


"What?" Deveraux asked.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"What?" Deveraux asked.


"I don't want to pry, but I've noticed you've been giving special
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I don't want to pry, but I've noticed you've been giving special
attention to Maniac's friend…"
attention to Maniac's friend ..."


She lifted the towel higher over her chest. "Oh, really? I think that's
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She lifted the towel higher over her chest. "Oh, really? I think that's
your imagination working overtime."
your imagination working overtime."


"He's pretty damned cute, Angel," Forbes pointed out, using Deveraux's
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"He's pretty damned cute, Angel," Forbes pointed out, using Deveraux's
call sign as a way to link the intimacy of combat to the intimacy of their
call sign as a way to link the intimacy of combat to the intimacy of their
conversation.
conversation.


It didn't work.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It didn't work.


Seeing that her Scotch glass stood empty, Deveraux said, "Just
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Seeing that her Scotch glass stood empty, Deveraux said, "Just
shuddup and pour."
shuddup and pour."


Forbes offered her a meager fill, and with the lift of her brow, Deveraux
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Forbes offered her a meager fill, and with the lift of her brow, Deveraux
gestured for a full glass.
gestured for a full glass.


Yes, she did see something in First Lieutenant Christopher Blair.
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Yes, she did see something in First Lieutenant Christopher Blair.
 
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And that was why it hurt so much.
 
== Scans ==
 
<gallery>
Wing_Commander_novelization_page_078.jpg
Wing_Commander_novelization_page_079.jpg
Wing_Commander_novelization_page_080.jpg
Wing_Commander_novelization_page_081.jpg
Wing_Commander_novelization_page_082.jpg
</gallery>
 
{{novelindex/wingcommander}}


And that was why it hurt so much.
[[Category:Wing Commander (novelization)]]

Latest revision as of 03:25, 9 April 2024

Chapter 11
Movienovel.jpg
Book Wing Commander
Parts 2
Previous Chapter 10
Next Chapter 12
Pages 78-82


Dramatis Personae

Part 1 Part 2
POV

Jeanette "Angel" Deveraux

Jeanette "Angel" Deveraux

Speaking

Raznick

Rosalind "Sassy" Forbes

Mentioned

Rosalind "Sassy" Forbes

Christopher Blair
Todd "Maniac" Marshall
Pierre

Text

UNITED
CONFEDERATION
CARRIER TIGER CLAW
MARCH 16, 2654
1330 HOURS
ZULU TIME
VEGA SECTOR
ETA TO CLASS 2
PULSAR ONE HOUR


Part One

Lieutenant Commander Jeanette Deveraux, her cheeks warming, her pulse racing, double-timed through the hall adjoining the flight hangar.

     She had little tolerance for rebels and hotdoggers and even less tolerance for experienced pilots who succumbed to the taunts and coercion of new fliers.

     Without looking up, Deveraux passed someone, then, realizing who it was, she turned back. "Hey, Boss?" she said, greeting Mr. Raznick by his more familiar name. "I was on my way to see you."

     The flight boss came to her, shaking his computer slate as though it were a torch, he an angry villager. "Well, I was just on my way to talk to your people. But now that I've got you ..." Raznick's shaven head glistened with sweat, and a thick vein throbbed at his temple.

     "Just calm down, boss. And believe me, I know how you feel."

     "Begging your pardon, ma'am, but you don't know jack. I'm going to charge those pilots with everything I can, right down to their scuffed boots. They recklessly endangered the lives of every man and woman on my flight deck--and for what? To prove they don't care about their own lives or anyone else's? I'll have those idiots busted down to spacehands." "Just take a deep breath."

     "I don't need to take a deep breath! I need to get down there and chew some butt!" He started to leave.

     She held his arm. "Has Lieutenant Forbes ever given you a problem before?"

     "That's not the point."

     "Just ... will you do me this favor? Let me handle this internally. If you want to go down there and let them have it, that's fine. But let me handle the discipline on my end."

     He huffed. "This deserves a hell of a lot more than a smack on the hand. And Commander, your carpet's already bulging from all the bullshit you've swept under it."

     "I know. But do you want to know the sad truth, Boss? If we take those two off my flight roster, I can't replace them. At least not now. And judging from the scuttlebutt I'm hearing, we'll need every able-bodied pilot we have. Hell, we might even stuff you in a Broadsword. I know you've been working off-duty on your qualification."

     "Now if that's a bribe, it'll work," he said, his tone softening considerably. "I hate pilots. I love flying."

     "I won't make you any promises there. But I will promise that no pilot under my command will ever pull a stunt like that again."

     He squinted into a thought. "My people expect me to act. I'll lose their respect if they know I'm whitewashing this."

     "They don't have to know. You go down there and say what you need to say for their benefit. Just don't follow through. Blame the delay on Confederation bureaucracy. No one will have a hard time believing that."

     "I'd better get that ship assignment," he warned, then moved off.

     "I'll do what I can. But Gerald will never approve it," she mumbled.

     "Sorry, Boss."

Part Two

Back in her quarters, she sloughed off her uniform and eased into a hot shower. She closed her eyes, tilted her head back, and stepped head-on into the spray. She held that position for three, maybe even four minutes, feeling days-old knots in her neck and shoulders loosen and the tightness in her brow subside. She thought about what Forbes and Marshall had done, the absurdity of it, and imagined them laughing. She found herself laughing along, realizing that she couldn't remember the last time she had enjoyed a true, side-splitting chuckle.

     After being made squadron commander at the beginning of the year, she had found little time for amusement. Her job, as she saw it, was to police a bunch of highly talented loose cannons, to collect and forge them into a single, well-honed blade that would pierce the enemy's cold heart. But the job had de-evolved into glorified babysitting, and recent events highlighted that fact. Still, how many pilots did she know who could make their final approaches inverted? The number stood at two.

     She keyed off the shower, wrapped herself in a towel, then found the chair at her small desk. She sat there, staring at the statue of the little dog, a Brussels griffon, that she had ordered via a Datanet catalog. The dog's short, bearded muzzle and blond fur vividly reminded her of Pierre, a stray dog she had adopted as a child. She had felt a kinship with that dog and had loved him for ten years before he had died. He lay buried in Belgium, behind the orphanage. Sleep well, my dear Pierre. Sleep well.

     Her hatch bell rang. "Who is it?"

     "Me."

     "You don't want to be here right now."

     "Just let me in. Please."

     Deveraux stood and shrugged. "You're at your own risk." She touched the keypad, and the hatch opened.

     "Single malt ... just for you," Forbes said, holding Lieutenant Todd Marshall's bottle of Scotch.

     She glanced perfunctorily at the bottle, then shifted back to her chair, but couldn't bring herself to sit. "Trying to bribe me? Well, it won't work--especially with his liquor."

     "I'm trying to thank you. The flight boss would've brought us up on charges if you hadn't said something."

     "He told you we spoke?"

     "Not exactly. But I could tell that you had already disarmed him. You're the only one on board who could do that. Raznick hates pilots. We get his flight deck dirty and raise his blood pressure. But you he respects."

     "Do you know why?"

     Her expression said that she didn't.

     "Because I work with him. Not against him. That's simple math. No advanced degree required."

     Forbes hid her gaze.

     "What the hell were you thinking?"

     Biting her lower lip, Forbes stalled. "Well, I wasn't thinking with my head."

     Deveraux beat a fist on her thigh. "Goddammit, Rosie. You'll get yourself killed doing that. How could you follow that kind of lead?"

     "I don't know."

     "Well, let me tell you something. I think--"

     "I know what you're thinking."

     "I think you're one of my best pilots. I can't afford to lose you."

     And that lifted Forbes's head. "Sorry. I was just showing off a bit in front of Maniac."

     "Maniac?"

     "Lieutenant Marshall. He's got a new call sign, although I don't think too many people will appreciate it."

     "I think you're right."

     Forbes went to a cabinet, removed a glass, and began pouring a drink.

     "I hope it felt really good," Deveraux said, driving the point home but realizing that her tone had been too cruel.

     "It felt great. Better than sex."

     Forbes handed her the Scotch, and she took a healthy swig. "Bullshit."

     "Well, better than sex with myself." Forbes waited for her smile before grinning herself.

     "See that it never happens again."

     "Never."

     Deveraux took another pull on her drink as her friend, now visibly relaxed, sat on the cot and yawned.

     Then Forbes stared at her. Deveraux stared back. Forbes looked away, as did Deveraux. Then it all happened again.

     "What?" Deveraux asked.

     "I don't want to pry, but I've noticed you've been giving special attention to Maniac's friend ..."

     She lifted the towel higher over her chest. "Oh, really? I think that's your imagination working overtime."

     "He's pretty damned cute, Angel," Forbes pointed out, using Deveraux's call sign as a way to link the intimacy of combat to the intimacy of their conversation.

     It didn't work.

     Seeing that her Scotch glass stood empty, Deveraux said, "Just shuddup and pour."

     Forbes offered her a meager fill, and with the lift of her brow, Deveraux gestured for a full glass.

     Yes, she did see something in First Lieutenant Christopher Blair.

     And that was why it hurt so much.

Scans