Color & Light [Roderik/Natasi/Pierce]

[Natasi Fortan]

​

ROOM 504A - FIV HIPPOCRATES​

CURRENT OCCUPANT: CAPTAIN PIERCE FORTAN III​

CURRENT STATUS: SERIOUS - STABLE​

INJURIES: ​

(1) COMPOUND FRACTURE, LEFT LEG​

(2) CONCUSSION [GRADE II]​

(3) SEVERE CONTUSION [RIGHT FOREHEAD]​

(4) LACERATION REQUIRING STICHES [RIGHT EYEBROW]​

​

"You need to stay with me."

Pierce's grey eyes popped open -- or more realistically, his one grey eye and one that was a dusky mauve thanks to the blood that had poured into his eye for some time during his extra-vehicular journey through space during the Omega battle -- and instantly glared at the nurse who was leaning over him, light shining in his face. "Oi!" he gasped. "Have you any idea what kind of stress I've been under today? I had a TIE Fighter blast apart around me, for heaven's sake. That entitles me to a drink and a smoke, a shag, or a nap -- now what'll it be? You can hop on, right?"

"No, Captain," said the nurse firmly. "Now, open your eyes and let me see about those pupils."

"There are more impressive things about me to see," said Pierce, suppressing a mad giggle. "C'mon, I've got half my leg bone sticking out and I could still get you there in -- what, five minutes?"

"Captain, I saw it all when you arrived and we hosed you down," said the nurse, smirking as she marked down his pupil dilation. "Besides, you must believe me when I say the pain medication you're on will quite prevent getting me, you, or anyone else there in any amount of time. Anyway, your leg bones are now safely back inside you where they belong. Stop telling people they're sticking out -- it's alarming them. Now just sit back and try not to fall asleep."

"A caf wouldn't go amiss," Pierce said waspishly.

"I'm not a waitress," the nurse snapped back, then turned as an orderly entered. He whispered something to the nurse, who looked up at him like he had just confessed to being Sieger Ren. "Certainly not!" More whispering, then the nurse rolled her eyes. "Well that's about six rungs above my paygrade, so -- oh all right. Might keep him up and talking. Captain Fortan," she said on a raised voice. "You have a visitor."

[member="Roderik von Brinkerhoff"] | [member="Natasi Fortan"]

 

[Roderik von Brinkerhoff]

"I don't know the answer to that." Roderik said in a matter-of-fact tone, somewhat unusually brusquely. Or it would be, if he was conversing normally.

"Nor to that." Was his response to the next query - which came in a series of beeps, and boops, and whistles of every variety. Roderik wished the round little droid, affectionately known by [member="Pierce Fortan III"] and most of the 100th as bartoo, would speak a little slower. Roderik was only partially fluent in binary, the basic language in which all droids communicated.

Before he could be tormented further with discussing the answers to the after action report from Pierce and bartoo's engagement with the Rogue Sith, the receiving nurse returned to inform Colonel von Brinkerhoff that he was cleared to see the wounded Captain. "Thank you," Roderik responded to the nurse, before looking down at bartoo. "Well, after you." He gestured for the droid to roll in, to which bartoo responded with a series of sharp, excited chirps, before rolling off at highest attainable speed into the patient bay.

Roderik afforded the droid and Pierce both a moment. He knew that bartoo was more like a domesticated house pet than astromech droid, most of the time. Pierce would be relieved to see the little guy again, Roderik thought, before slipping into the bay himself. A smile crept across his face as he neared the bed containing the injured Fortan.

"You gave me quite the scare out there, Smoke." He wasn't quite sure what, if anything, Pierce had heard yet about Roderik's own antics. He might have a thing or two to say, himself.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Bartoo rolled into the room with an excited chirp, chittering excitedly in binary as it raced past the orderly, past the nurse, and tried to stop at Pierce's bedside. His momentum, plus the smooth polished floor upon which he was unable to gain traction, caused Bartoo to go skidding into the bedside table, rattling the tray and water glass for a moment before one of his attachments reached out to steady the table. Pierce's face lit up when he saw the little droid, white and blue and spherical and, if Pierce had anything to say about it, chock full of booze.

His smile only broadened when [member="Roderik von Brinkerhoff"] followed the droid in. "Colonel!" he said, trying to snap a salute, but only managing to tear the IV out of the back of his hand, as well as the fingertip pulse monitor, then cursing, then giggling as blood beaded on his hand and the heart monitor pronounced Pierce dead. "Golly, my time's run out," he declared theatrically, over a cascade of giggles.

"Palpatine's black bones," exclaimed the nurse as she came came back up and set about reattaching the heart monitor and then sanitizing the spot and inserting a fresh IV in its place. "No sudden movements, Captain! Colonel," she said, nodding to Roderik. "I'll leave you two alone."

 

[Roderik von Brinkerhoff]

Roderik's initial look, a reserved smile concealing an expression of extreme concern, immediately washed away into an expression of joyous excitement. This was coupled with a playfully exasperated throwing up of his arms in response to [member="Pierce Fortan III"]'s attempt at a salute - which caused his immediate death, if the monitoring equipment's audible tone were to be believed. Augmenting the scenario was an equally excited bartoo, chip-chirping away frantically after stabilizing the table it had run into, only to vroom about in a tight circle, never leaving far from the Captain's bedside - even as the nurse and staff rushed back in to resuscitate a fully alert Pierce.

"Thank you," He responded quietly to the nurse as she departed again, before slinking himself into a visitors chair next to [member="Pierce Fortan III"]'s bedside - and out of the way of bartoo. "How long have you been awake?" He asked as solemnly as he could muster, between the relief he felt and Pierce's giggle-fits. It was still a bit of a shock to Roderik's system, the whole events that had transpired in the last short while. The battle, the subsequent attack run against the super-weapon itself. The recovery efforts for injured and helpless pilots floating in the vacuum of space, like Pierce and many of his fellow pilots from the 100th squadron, and parent Wing.

"I think you nearly killed your cousin, Pierce." He shook his head, grinning now.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

"I have been awake -- " Pierce began counting on his fingers, his eyes rolling back into his head, then squinting, before finally he opened them and looked over at [member="Roderik von Brinkerhoff"]. " -- since forever. Every time I start to nod off, that damned bloody woman wakes me up. She slapped my cheek an hour ago, I swear to you, like I was some sort of -- I don't even know what! I mean, she's damned good looking, so if she likes slapping men around I suppose I could make that work, but still. I'm a patient." He heaved a sigh and leaned back against his seat. "Good God, I am tired."

When Roderik mentioned Natasi, Pierce's sallow skin went white, with rosy patches in his cheek. "Bugger all," he whispered. "I forgot about her. I forgot about everyone, once they snapped my leg back into place. Golly Moses will that clear your head. She survived, then? Of course she did. She'll bury us all, poor dear, the last of the Fortans. Mark my words." He raised a finger. His heart monitor started beeping faster. "What about -- Kohler? and Brenner? Jones?" He listed the men and women under his command, pausing to add that he knew Ambrose was gone. "Did we win? Did we take it down?"

"I heard them talking about Yvarro. She's right across the hall. Big to do." He rolled his eyes, then immediately winced. "Agh! The bastards blew up my ship, didn't they? Well I hope you gave 'em hell."

 

[Roderik von Brinkerhoff]

Roderik's grin faltered a little at some of the names listed off. A few killed in action, others injured to differing degrees. [member="Pierce Fortan III"] was one of the more seriously injured of the recovered pilots, at least physically. Psychologically Roderik knew they were all fractured. It would take some time to pick up all of the pieces, to wear in the new replacement pilots that would shortly cycle in to fill in the ranks. Life would continue, as it always did for the military men and women of the First Order. But at a price.

"Kohler is just fine, I'll send her your regards at the final debriefing." The Colonel's grin recovered somewhat, he could afford to take a casual approach to Pierce's infatuation for their flying colleague, particularly now that she was a peer in rank to Pierce - and more specifically, outside of the same squadron as she; thus negating certain regulations regarding fraternization with fellow officers. "Jones took a bad hit, herself. Pretty nasty business, but she'll pull through. Brenner... You know Nils will out-live us all in the cockpit."

"The Navy took a beating out there, it's true. But we gave twice the punch. We won, we took it down - well, I guess we can give the kill confirmation to gravity. Crashed into whatever rock we were above." He offered up a little shrug as he adjusted his position in the chair, slouching further.

"They blew your ship up, alright. But I'm not counting it against you, old friend. There's no sport in shooting down a crippled fighter - I think I've said so myself enough times." He forced a little chuckle for levity.

"I got them back for you personally. You... You might have to smooth things over with you-know-who about it, when you're feeling better. Hell, when you're feeling better you might even have my job. Who knows what Breyer is going to do when he hears about my jumping out there. To rescue a Fortan, no less. He's probably writing up my death warrant as we speak." He chuckled again before letting out an unconscious sigh, before looking down at bartoo. For a split second, Roderik wondered if the droid was mourning any of his lost BB-10 friends. Did bartoo have friends, at all?

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Pierce's eyebrows lofted, and again he winced as his stitches stretched. "Damn and blast," he muttered quietly. "Is Jones all right? Hey -- " he held up his hands. "I know I'm hard on her, but she's a decent pilot... generally," he said defensively. "I'm sorry to hear that she was banged up. Is she here? If I ever get out of this damned bed I'll pop over for a visit." He tried to sit up, struggling with the navy-issue blanket and pillow before giving up and sinking into the mattress. Bartoo made a sad sort of beeping sound, then ejected a silver flask, reaching up with his little arm and offered it to Pierce.

"Sorry, Bartoo," said Pierce. "Not today. But jolly good show holding onto it."

The Captain looked back up to [member="Roderik von Brinkerhoff"]. It was hard to feel excited about the victory with how bad he felt, and knowing how many friends he had lost in the last day. He gave his closest friend a look -- half smile, even as his grey eyes squinted and filled with tears -- as if to say: bully for us, but what was it all for, what was the point of any of it? He almost immediately looked away, nodding his head over and over until he had control of himself again -- a Fortan trait if ever there was one. "Jolly good show all around," he croaked. "I'm sure the snow queen won't mind. She's running out of cousins, you know."

He awkwardly wiped his eyes on the shoulder of his hospital gown. "What do you reckon, Roderik?" he asked, nodding at the chart clipped to the end of the bed. "Will I fly again?"

 

[Roderik von Brinkerhoff]

Roderik nodded as [member="Pierce Fortan III"] asked about his fellow pilot. "She'll pull through," He paused and listened to Pierce continue on inquiring about Lieutenant Jones. "I don't know where exactly, I'll find out just in case." Roderik winced involuntarily along with the wounded Pierce, as the Captain struggled to sit up, amidst the pain and bursting stitches. The tension was alleviated greatly, however, by bartoo. The retrieval of a flask internally stored in what had to be an entirely unsanctioned modification was too much for Roderik to manage, causing him to laugh aloud, and slump further back in his chair.

The levity of bartoo was broken soon, however, by the sobering expression and question posed by Pierce. Roderik paused a long moment to formulate the right response.

Roderik was in unfamiliar territory with this conversation. He liked to think he had been through everything, so he could have the experience to draw upon to alleviate the fears and concerns of his fellow pilots. But he had never been exposed to the psychological trauma of a combat ejection -- i.e., one's spacecraft had literally exploded a second behind you, leaving you drifting in space dazed and confused.

He had experienced simulated ejections to train and prepare for the moment, but never a live ejection. The moment never came. Yet, at least.

"Of course you'll fly again, Pierce." He tried to sound as reassuring as he could. Physically, Pierce would heal completely. Psychologically, a near-death experience like that can take a longer time to heal, with a deeper toll.

"You did an incredible job out there. You really did." He added as a confidence booster. It was true, as well. Pierce had flown exceptionally well, with that one fateful exception. In another life, another twist of fate, perhaps it would have been Pierce all along that ran the last mile of the gauntlet, and faced down the Omega weapon. The hero of the minute, hour, and day.

But instead, Pierce was in a medical bay. "I'll have your gun cam holo-footage sent here as soon as its processed, too. You can tally up your kills for the board. It'll give you something to do." He didn't want to add, to keep your mind focused off of your own losses.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Well, he would fly again. That meant everything to Pierce, so he was willing to endure whatever torment the medical professionals put him through, provided at the end of it he was back in his trusty TIE fighter. "Jolly good show, then," said Pierce, laying back down against the pillows. Bartoo filled the silence with a little chittering, then an interrogatory beeping sound. //INTERROGATORY: WILL CAPTAIN FORTAN 3 REQUIRE SERVICES OF BB-10-AR2 WHEN RETURNING TO FLIGHT ROSTER? Pierce hoisted himself up onto his right elbow, leaning over a little -- as far as the IVs and monitor cords would allow -- and studied the droid silently for a few moments. "If I'm flying, that means you're flying," Pierce said. "Why would you ask such a thing?" Bartoo's domed head swiveled towards [member="Roderik von Brinkerhoff"], as if wondering if it was safe to beep-boop in front of him, then he rolled closer to the bed and aimed his photoreceptor up at Pierce again, chittering softly. //EXPLANATORY PHRASE: CAPTAIN FORTAN 3 INJURED ON BB-10-AR2'S WATCH; PERFORMANCE UNSATISFACTORY.

"No -- that's nonsense, Bartoo," said Pierce, glancing at Roderik. "It wasn't your fault. It was mine."

More beeping. //EXPLANATORY PHRASE: //BB-10-AR2 DID NOT WARN CAPTAIN FORTAN 3 ABOUT IMMINENT EXPLOSION.

"Forget it, Bartoo. Everyone warned me, I just didn't move quickly enough. I thought I could outrun it and I was wrong." He dropped a hand down to pat the top of the droid, managing only to brush his antennas, before falling back onto the bed and looking back to Colonel von Brinkerhoff. "Between my lady cousin and Bartoo here, who has need of a wife or mother?" He sighed. "You can bring the tapes, but I hope you'll give me some time to review them. I'm not exactly eager to relive the experience."

 

[Roderik von Brinkerhoff]

Droids rarely concerned the Colonel. Not because he saw them being inferior to organic lifeforms -- he didn't really have an opinion one way or another, of neither the sentience nor the sapience of such things. He considered them very much akin to pets, in the manner that they were to be treated respectfully and responsibly.

It wasn't until he witnessed the bond that emerged between [member="Pierce Fortan III"] and bartoo that he gave any real credence to the idea of a droid as a friend or companion. Roderik peered at the little droid as it rolled closer to Pierce's bedside, as if to whisper the series of distinct bleeps, bloops, and whistles, that made up its vocabulary. The inquiry tugged at Roderik's heart-strings, prompting him to speak out to reassure the small astromech droid.

"You'll fly too, don't you worry. I'll get Novari to put his best - and quietest - techs onto giving bartoo a quick look over." He said back to Pierce, a smile creeping back. "Those fancy little modifications you made probably wouldn't go over too well being logged into the regular system." BB-10 units rigged to hold flasks could, conceivably, get even a well connected Captain into some unexpected trouble.

"It wasn't anybodies fault, anyways." He finally addressed that particular elephant in the room. "You were riding the edge out there, we all were. You miscalculated, but you didn't miscalculate that much." He emphasized as if to say, you're still alive, so you must have done something right along the way.

"We were all thinking five steps ahead, when we should have been in the moment. That's not on you, that's on the Admiral. That's on our need to fine tune and get experience using that strategy." He used Admiral DuSang as a scapegoat, hoping it might cushion some of Pierce's ego and psychological recovery from being so close to death out there, above Castameer. It was only a half-truth... They did need to train with the battle meditation technique more, but it had undoubtedly no part in Pierce being shot down.

He nodded again, smiling more, reassuringly.

"And don't worry about the tapes. You can review them whenever you're ready."

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Pierce smirked tiredly, his eyelids dipping a little as he struggled to remain in the moment. Just talking about the explosion put him back there -- trapped to a glorified piece of space debris, hurtling heels over head into the void, blood filling his helmet, stinging his eyes, turning the world a hideous shade of red and threatening to asphyxiate him before he had lost the thread and blacked out. Things only got worse from there when he learned that his folly had cost the First Order its equipment, distracted medical personnel, and would likely put a black mark on his service record. His eyes opened and he peered over at [member="Roderik von Brinkerhoff"], his face struggling between a smirk and an apologetic frown.

"Breyer's going to have a conniption," said Pierce, his voice trembling on the edge of a giggle. "We're going to get a slap for sure. We probably deserve it this time."

//INTERROGATORY: DOES CAPTAIN FORTAN 3 REQUIRE A BEVERAGE? Bartoo chittered from below.

"I don't think that's a great idea," said Pierce. "With all the chemicals they've got me on, I'm sure a scotch wouldn't be a good idea, but golly would it hit the spot."

 

[Roderik von Brinkerhoff]

Roderik nodded, laughing again - unexpectedly, at the mention of General Breyer.

"You might be my next squadron commander, if Breyer lets me stay in the service after my little stunt." He looked [member="Pierce Fortan III"] square in the sleepy, drooping eyes. "You're a good friend, Pierce. And a damn good pilot. I don't say it enough." He paused momentarily, "I always razz you about Nils being the better flyer, but you're one of the best. Don't let that go to your head, though."

He sighed, wishing he could slump further back in his seat. Interruption from the moment came by way of whistling beeps and boops from bartoo, offering further refreshments to Pierce -- or at least, that's what Pierce thought he was able to make out of the binary. The little droid was a constant source of levity and amusement, even in the darkest, most trying of times. Roderik again wondered if he should requisition himself one of the BB-10 droids. Bartoo needed a friend, just the same as Brinkerhoff and Fortan.

"At any rate, I'm sure Natasi can give us some top cover. Maybe she'll forge the authentication time code authorizing me to fly prior to my, well, flying." This caused another, more jovial laugh to emerge -- as they both knew that the Grand Moff would die before submitting fabricated documentation knowingly. "Worst case scenario, she writes me one hell of a recommendation letter for diplomatic services." He joked -- as they both knew Roderik would die before submitting himself to a life of a non-flying.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

"Nils is the better flyer," said Pierce, in a tone that he meant to sound bitter but somehow ended up sounding admiring of his colleague, [member="Nils Brenner"]. "Can't hold a candle to my charisma, though, and his sabbac face is rubbish, so it's not everything." He shifted on the pillows, unable to get comfortable in the hospital bed. "If I can give you a word of advice, Colonel, it would be this: don't ever get injured. The thread count of these sheets is hovering between three hundred and death, as if I didn't have enough to cope with I shave a layer of dermis off myself every time I move."

"Don't worry about Cousin Natasi," said Pierce dully. "She'll cover you. Me, on the other hand -- well, hopefully my status as closest living relative buys me some sort of mercy from her scorn"

He smirked and once again tried to push up on his elbows, but his eyes flashed open when he saw the door slide open to reveal a tallish, slender brunette in an Admiral's uniform, her bobbed hair tucked neatly under a naval cap. She looked pristine, except for the occasional bloody spot on the cloth; clearly she had stopped to visit with other wounded before making her way to Pierce's room. [member="Natasi Fortan"] offered an apologetic smile as she approached, only to find her space blocked by Bartoo. "Move, ball," she commanded coldly, causing the droid to chitter an apology.

// APOLOGETIC PHRASE: APOLOGIES FOR BLOCKING PATH
// INTERROGATORY: WOULD GRAND MOFF FORTAN CARE FOR A BEVERAGE?

"No, B-- ball," said Pierce as Natasi examined him, then leaned down to kiss both cheeks.

"You gave us rather a fright," Natasi said as she straightened, then turned to Roderik, her dark eyes searching his face for a few moments. "I don't know whether to write you a commendation or a demerit," said the Grand Moff after a few moments. She put a hand on his forearm and squeezed lightly. "But personally -- thank you, Colonel. Your actions mean rather a lot to me. If there's ever anything I can do for you in the future, as I believe the saying goes, I owe you one."

[member="Roderik von Brinkerhoff"]

 

[Roderik von Brinkerhoff]

Shifting up in his seat somewhat, as if slouching was beginning to take an uncomfortable toll on his own posture, Roderik considered his response to the proffered advice from [member="Pierce Fortan III"]. It was, for all intents and purposes, pretty solid advice. His retort was never to come, however. The faint but distinctive swishing sound of the heavy durasteel door sliding away nearly instantaneously to reveal Grand Moff and competent but short-lived military commander, [member="Natasi Fortan"], Her arrival prompted the Colonel to rise up out of his seat entirely and turn to face her. He winced unconsciously at Bartoo's moniker applied by Natasi as it blocked her path to Pierce's side. Ball. The little guy had earned his recognition from Roderik - it was only a matter of time before the astromech grew on Natasi, as well.

Perhaps Roderik would have [member="Pierce Fortan III"] surprised with a slightly-unauthorized piece of artwork painted up on his TIE Fighter, while he remained on convalescence leave. A little bartoo drawn on, in appreciation. Roderik could only imagine the ramifications for such an action, however. Soon every pilot would want to adorn their spacecraft with this or that. Perhaps it was a small price to pay.

The starfighter Colonel was snapped back to the moment from his mindless pondering when he felt Natasi grip his forearm and squeeze. A small smile broke out on Roderik's face, and he gave a little nod.

"I wager one of each," He said jokingly, though he truly expected such a thing may happen. General Breyer would undoubtedly push for a demerit, and perhaps a demotion back to Major, where Roderik could be shoved out of High Command and back to a Group-level operational command. Roderik obviously loved to fly, so it made a small penchant of sense. Top cover from the Grand Moff would put just enough pressure to make sure that never happened, however. Her favor would be repaid quite quickly if that were the case.

"Strangely enough, the man feels like a brother to me." The cliche was true in the regard that Pierce was like the brother Roderik never had - he was an only child, after all. Roderik turned his head to shoot a grinning expression of, 'How did that happen?' before turning back to Natasi. "So it felt the right thing to do." He said rather matter-of-fact, before slipping aside to the left a little bit, stepping out of the way of the chair he vacated before motioning towards it, for Natasi to take a seat in his place if she so desired. This was a display less of the right thing to do, although it could have easily been. It was, however, only proper to allow the Grand Moff to take the sole provided seat, as opposed to sit back down and leave the Grand Moff standing alone.

"Please," He offered the seat politely, while suppressing the desire to stretch out and correct his bones from such prolongingly poor sitting posture.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

"I'm fine," Natasi said with a grateful look to [member="Roderik von Brinkerhoff"]. She took her cousin's hand and let her thumb trace over his IV and turned her attention to Pierce. His bruised, battered face was a sight that she would not soon forget -- if ever. She could tell herself until she was blue in the face that his injuries, and the injuries of others, and the deaths of many more, were worth it in the scheme of things, were an acceptable price to be paid given the threat they were facing. But Pierce could easily have been killed, destroying the possibility of a true Fortan heir and robbing her of one of her few living relations. The whole scene, she felt, was rather reminiscent of her father's deathbed -- and what Mathes' deathbed must have been like. Her dark eyes filled with tears and she lifted her free hand to her mouth.

Both she and Pierce looked away uncomfortably; it was the Galidraani way.

Finally, Natasi squeezed his hand. "Well, you can't lay around all day," she said briskly, reaching up with her free hand to wipe under her eyes discretely. "When do they say you'll be up and around?"

But Pierce, whilst looking away, had drifted off. Natasi placed his hand down on the mattress and stepped away awkwardly, half turning back towards the Colonel. She leaned closer, lowering her voice so as to avoid disturbing her dozing cousin. "General Breyer is already sniffing around your movements during the Omega conflict. I don't know how he heard; I suppose he has a -- well, can we call it a mole, if we all work for the Supreme Leader? Anyway, perhaps someone stationed aboard Concordia has reported on you. Thoughts?"

 

[Roderik von Brinkerhoff]

Bartoo became the subject of Roderik's undying attention while [member="Natasi Fortan"] and her cousin, [member="Pierce Fortan III"] shared a moment. A moment only the Grand Moff would recall, as it turned out - with Pierce going down, under the weight of the medicines coursing into his body. Soon Natasi's attention shifted back to him, to unveil the fear he had discretely held. Of course Breyer would be the first to know, Roderik thought. The General of the Starfighters ire with the Colonel had only continued to grow, the further Roderik was placed in the spotlight.

"Any mole working for Breyer is only really working for Breyer and his ego, which might as well be it's own planetary gravity well." He said with candor. Roderik believed in the Supreme Leader just as ardently as any other officer, or gentleman-citizen of the First Order. If the Supreme Leader had spies among the ranks, it was for a good reason and true purpose. Any spies Breyer had among the ranks were for his own self-interest; blackmail and extortion material so as to firmly and forever maintain his status at the top echelon of the military and citizenry.

"Marsten?" He inquired-or-theorized without hesitation, which surprised even himself. The Major, who was his executive officer within Concordia's starfighter Wing, and had taken over for him temporarily while the Colonel flew out to help Pierce and the war effort personally. The two enjoyed a polite, courteous working relationship, so much so that Roderik would potentially go so far as to call him more friend than colleague as well. But there was something about Marsten that unsettled Roderik, as well. An ambition that was as blind as it was fierce. The opportunity to claw his way to the rank of Colonel in an expedited fashion could be motive enough.

"Unfortunate, but not unforeseen." He said quieter, and truthfully. "Whatever happens with that, I'll make sure it doesn't have any blow-back on you, Natasi." Roderik added with an honest and genuine inflection to his voice.

"You have a real burgeoning military career on your hands, the way it looked from the bridge." He added again with a weak smile, as if to counter-balance that the war had nearly cost them both so much.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

"Nonsense," replied the Grand Moff. "It is for me to ensure your career is safeguarded. My family owes you a debt of gratitude. I owe you a debt of gratitude." She again put a hand on his arm and squeezed lightly. "You may recall that once Pierce's fighter went offline, I was in such a state of shock that my command headset became dislodged and fell on the floor, so my order for you to go after Captain Fortan didn't make it to the official record, however I will ensure that it is included in its proper place. And if General Breyer doesn't like it... well."

She looked up at [member="Roderik von Brinkerhoff"] through her lashes, a touch of mischief in her dakr eyes, her lips turning up at the edges. "He can just lump it."

His comments about her military career were gratifying to be sure, but during the trip, she had received a signal from the Supreme Leader requesting a word about her use of First Order military forces. "I'm not so sure that will be the case," said Natasi grimly. "There are elements of the military establishment that think my job is to count paperclips and collect taxes -- to spend on them, of course. I'll be lucky not to be hauled before the Supreme Leader to be brow-beaten by the Supreme Commander like a naughty schoolgirl." She rolled her eyes, the disdain pouring through very clearly. "Honestly, sometimes I'm so sick to death of these generals that I could vomit."

 

[Roderik von Brinkerhoff]

A fleeting smile was offered in return for the Grand Moff's 'explanation' of his missing orders to take to the stars in his own TIE Fighter.

But Roderik could not help himself but to frown as [member="Natasi Fortan"] spoke of being figuratively defanged by the military establishment. General Breyer was more of the exception than the norm within the forward-thinking and individualistic Starfighter Corps, but he represented the status quo within the military and its circles. His was the power base that existed throughout the Army and to some lesser degree Navy - those that considered fear and doubt-killing indoctrination preferable to independent thought.

"The Supreme Leader would likely commend your courage, and bravery." He paused, searching for the proper words to convey his next thought. His eyes swept down to drug-enabled slumber of Pierce, before returning to meet the Grand Moff's before him.

"It is one thing for our commanders to show commitment to root out ill-equipped pirates, to lead our forces against -- well, frankly, equally under-prepared planetary militias and rag-tag defense forces. But to lead us against an actual, credible foe? You should receive more than just commendation for that. Your presence was equally powerful a boon, as our good Admirals' sith doodad." He shot another glance to Pierce, allowing a smile to slip through at the reference of the Captain's first experience with the Sith meditation sphere - seemingly so long ago.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Natasi looked discomfited, not usually one to toot her own horn or to accept compliments easily, and instead turned her attention back to Pierce, who had started twitching in his sleep. "Ought we to let him sleep? Didn't that nurse say he had a concussion?" she asked, moving over to the foot of the bed where she picked up his medical chart and began to read over it. "Yes -- it says here, something-something-something... trauma to the head, something-something, something-I-can't-read concussion." She walked around the bed, so she was on the opposite side of the bed from the Colonel [member="Roderik von Brinkerhoff"].

"Pierce?" she murmured quietly. "Captain?" she tried again, when the first time didn't work. It didn't work again; Natasi glanced up at Roderik and murmured: "Watch this."

She cleared her throat delicately and then adopted an old-fashioned Galidraani accent, sounding remarkably like her Aunt Hyacinth as she said: "Pierce Thaddeus Fortan the Third, who is that girl in your bed?"

Pierce jerked awake, blinking rapidly, and looked around the hospital room before fixing his mis-matched gaze on his cousin, eyebrows furrowing in offense. "When I get out of this bed, I am going to kill you."

"I know," said Natasi with a smirk. "You can't sleep while you have a concussion. At least not until the doctors say it's all right." She looked across the bed at Roderik. "How are we going to keep him awake?"

 

[Roderik von Brinkerhoff]

Roderik found himself laughing lightly at the display, [member="Pierce Fortan III"] jolting awake at the right verbal buttons being pushed by his cousin, and both of their superior, Grand Moff [member="Natasi Fortan"]. The Grand Moff was a woman of talents across a great many disciplines, it seemed. The Colonel offered her a smile, along with a little nod of his head in acknowledgement of her advice that Pierce should not sleep. "Good catch," There was a slight embarrassment in his tone, as Roderik knew he should have figured that out, too. The annual first-aid and survival techniques refresher training was always dull, and vague on the important details - at least, that would have been Roderik's excuse, had he offered one. He internally noted that for later review.

"She has a point, Pierce. You've got to stick with us," He paused, leaning forward to get a better look at the wounded man. Grinning down at him mischievously, he added, "do you remember the last night of training? Don't think I won't pull that here."

He turned his attention back to Natasi, to explain.

"The night before graduation from Dagger Point, the final stage of our flight academy, it is kind of a customary thing for the class to pull an all-nighter in the barracks. The only rule: A trick is pulled on the first one to fall asleep. Traditionally, some enterprising young flight cadet will infiltrate the station's brig and commandeer a mobile stasis field system. You know the kind meant to keep prisoners from climbing out of their hospital beds," He shot another grin back down to Pierce before turning his attention back to the Grand Moff. "The first person found out cold would have the stasis field placed over their bunk, and the scramble alert would be tripped for the barracks. You can imagine what happens when their head meets the field. For good measure, the stun mechanism is usually turned on."

Roderik found himself laughing again, this time with a little more heart behind it as he considered that Pierce would most likely have been the one sneaking into the brig to secure the device in his graduating class. A very Pierce style of thing to do.

"You fell asleep back then too, didn't you?" He prodded teasingly to keep the Captain somewhat alert.