Love And War Bk. 04

"Skull Group, form up on me." Cobalt commanded, and Skull Group formed off his wings.

"Enterprise and Nimitz, MY TARGET AND FIRE!" He sent telemetry to the limping battleship and carrier. They'd taken extensive damage during the battle, but were still combat capable.

"Enterprise copies, General." Jean-Luc said with a chuckle as the phasers of the Enterprise and the photon missiles of Skull Group ripped the next to last cruiser to shreds. They aimed at the last Dominion ship.

"FIRE!" Cobalt shouted, and the Nimitz, Enterprise, and Skull Group interred the Jem'Hadar onboard the remaining battlecruiser in the vaccuum of space.

"Scopes clear! OUTFUCKINGSTANDING, SKULLS, ENTERPRISE, AND NIMITZ!" Jason shouted over the comm. "Skulls, return to Nimitz, and Enterprise, I highly recommend we head back through he wormhole and call for reinforcements... sir!"

"Agreed, Jason! We've taken moderate damage, but we're still operational. We need repairs, though. As does Nimitz." Picard reported.

"We've lost nearly an entire Squadron's worth of fighters and personnel, sir." Jason reported. "We need refit, repairs, and restaff."

The Skull Group landed on the flight decks of Nimitz, which had also suffered moderate damage to the port nacell and numerous decks when the shields had finally buckled. A chunk of the saucer section had been blown away.

The small task force turned about and accelerated back through the wormhole. As they emerged, Enterprise sent their status to Starfleet Command.

*****

Jason and Delaara vaulted down to the flight deck and embraced, kissing tenderly and holding each other. Nearly one full third of their Wing had been annihilated. Gem was in MedBay, and Alex was with her. She'd suffered a broken arm and dislocated shoulder when he Valkyrie blew, but otherwise she would be fine. The same, however, could not be said for the eight total pilots who were KIA in the extremely dirty fight against the Jem'Hadar.

Freya had come from the forward flight hangar to the aft to see Jason. Delaara put an arm around her as all three went to the Wing office and had a seat.

"Helen, I'm sorry about the Stilettos. If I'd known about that supercannon before it fired, I would have destroyed it first." Jason felt like shit, and he knew it was small comfort to his friend.

"Jason, I'm tired." Helen began to sob. "I knew them for years. And all of a sudden...." Her body was wracked with sobs as Delaara held her. Jason moved in and hugged both of them.

"They were our friends too, Helen." Delaara said softly.

"Sweetheart, stay with her. I need to give Rachael the AAR and forward a copy to Enterprise. I'll be back ASAP." Jason said gently as he stood to go.

"We'll be here, baby." She replied as she held their emotionally wrecked friend. She smiled up at him with tears in her eyes.

He nodded once and left at a double time. He sprinted for the turbolift down to the Bridge.

As the door opened, he sprinted across the Bridge past a teary eyed crew and didn't even bother to chime before entering Rachael's Ready Room. She was holding Rash as she looked up at him, and they both had tears in their eyes. Jason couldn't stop himself anymore and collapsed into a chair. It was the toughest battle they'd ever fought, and he was exhausted. The tears fell freely from his eyes as he set the chit on her desk and sat there, sobbing quietly. He said a silent prayer for the dead as he slowly calmed down. Eight souls had died in his Wing, and he was ultimately responsible. It hit him like a Quantum Torpedo.

Rachael recovered herself first. "Ok, guys. Let's get this all sorted." She took a deep shuddering breath as Cobalt and Rash wiped the tears from their own eyes.

"We lost eight pilots, Rachael. Mostly in Stiletto, but two in Scorpion. We also lost Gem's and Seraph's Valyries, and Gem's in MedBay right now with Razor. Stiletto lost six fighters as well as their pilots, and Scorpion lost a total of five fighters, but only two of them were KIA." He reported. "Striker Wing itself accounted for 40% of the enemy force destroyed during the battle." Jason was now completely calm, as he realized that his men and women had died as warriors, fighting against impossible odds. "I want the Cross of Gallantry for all of them, Rachael."

"They will all receive the Cross of Gallantry then, Jason, and God help the bloody bastard that tries to say otherwise." Rachael said solemnly. She was taking it harder than anyone else, and she was seven months pregnant.

"Good call, honey." Rash kissed her and held her close. "They were our friends, and they died as heroes."

Soon after the call for reinforcements went out, an entire fleet showed up to relieve Nimitz and Enterprise. They set course for Earth as Excalibur, Gryphon, Hood, Eisenhower, and Majestic took over guarding the wormhole.

It was a solemn night in 11Forward aboard Nimitz, and Jason was telling everyone, including the visiting officers from the Enterprise, about each one of the pilots who had died that day.

"Rick 'Jammer' O'Hara was a helluva pilot and a great guitarist. He died with his flight above the planet surface when it was hit by a plasma blast." Jason said. "Now that we know of the planetary weapons systems the Jem'Hadar have, we will know in the future to defend against them."

Everyone nodded at that. Then Rachael stood up. "I've just received word from Admiral Nelson that all Striker pilots who died in today's battle will be receiving the Cross of Gallantry posthumously. It, along with the monetary stipend attached, will go to their families."

"Thank you, Captain." Jason said with a nod and smile for one of his closest friends.

"I'm not done yet, boy!" She said. "You, along with Delaara and I are to report to Admiral Nelson at his office when we return to Earth."

Jason just nodded. He'd gotten a third of his Wing destroyed, and he was ready to face the consequences. "Understood, ma'am."

"It's ok, baby." Delaara whispered in his ear as he sat down. "Fighter pilots know the risks when they go into battle. There was no way we could have detected that planetary gun before it fired."

"I should have considered the possibility, sweetheart. I am ultimately responsible for the lives of my pilots." Jason said stoically.

"Jason, it was NOT your fault! I lost my ship, but we took down that gun before it could destroy any more fighters or even the Nimitz or Enterprise." Jenny said to him. Her arm was in a sling, and she'd been grounded for three weeks while the regen cast did its work. Doc's orders.

Jason chuckled. "Jenny, we did, didn't we? We just won a battle against impossible fuckin' odds and lived to tell about it." He was laughing now, and stood up.

"Skulls, Scorpions, Stilettos, and crews of Nimitz and Enterprise! What we accomplished today has NEVER been accomplished before! We few took down an ENTIRE JEM'HADAR BATTLE FLEET! Two ships and a handful of starfighters destroyed a huge part of the Dominion war machine! We lost heroes today. We lost some of the best of the best. What we will never lose, however, is our Honor!" Jason finished, and the entire bar erupted in applause.

He sat back down. "I don't care if Admiral Nelson busts me down to crewman and puts me on a garbage scow, sweetheart." He whispered to Delaara. "I know in my heart that I did everything right today. Nobody could have foreseen that planetary gun when it wasn't even registering on sensors. I will take responsibility for their loss, though. It's my duty."

"Baby, don't worry. Trust me on this. If you had pulled something like this off in the RIF, you would be promoted and given a medal or two!" Delaara was smiling.

Jason looked around the room at the assembled pilots and crews. Helen was smiling now, proud of her heroes who had given their lives to win an impossible battle. Jameson was smiling too. He lost far fewer pilots than Helen, but he'd taken their loss just as hard.

He smiled at his wife. "I love you, Delaara. With all my heart."

"And I love you, my dearest one." She said in Romulan.

-------------------------------------------------

A Flash of the Lightning

"Commander Jason MacKenzie, step forward please." Admiral Nelson said from behind his desk.

Jason took two steps forward and remained at the position of Attention.

The Admiral stood and moved around in front of his desk. To his left stood Rachael, and to his right stood Captain Picard.

"Do you know why you are here today, son?" Admiral Nelson asked.

"During the battle, we lost eight souls to enemy action, sir. I take full responsibility for the loss of life." Jason responded with military precision.

"During the battle, Striker Wing, under your command, destroyed 40% of the enemy force. You lost a total of twelve Starfighters, while decimating the enemy battlefleet. Near the end, you took complete command of the situation and coordinated fire between your remaining fighters, Enterprise, and Nimitz to annihilate the last of the enemy ships." Admiral Nelson said. "In the face of overwhelming odds, you not only kept your head, but sent yourself into harm's way to destroy the planetary gun emplacement that, until it fired, was hidden from our sensors. You also destroyed an enemy fighter flight in order to ensure the rest of your squadron, which still had photon missiles to destroy the enemy installation, could complete its task."

The Admiral paused for a moment. "Son, you have set a new standard for battlefield command. And since I can't take Captain Picard's suggestion that I promote you to General, I can at least promote you to Colonel in the SFMC, Starfighter Division, as well as award you another Andromeda Starburst."

It took a moment for Jason to process what Admiral Nelson had just said. Nelson handed four solid square pips to Delaara, who then proceeded to pop the three circular pips from Jason's collar and replace them with the four squares in a diamond position.

"I... sir... I..." Jason couldn't catch his breath. He looked at Captain Picard, Captain Thatcher, and Delaara. All were smiling and then he realized that his wife had just pinned his new rank on his collar. "Are you shittin' me, sir?" He asked with his jaw hanging open.

Admiral Nelson laughed. "Son, I can assure you that I am not shitting you. Congratulations, Colonel MacKenzie." He shook Jason's hand.

"Thank you, sir. Also, about the medals for my pilots. Thank you for that as well, sir." He said.

"It was the least I could do, son." He nodded solemnly. The families of the lost Strikers had received the Crosses of Gallantry awarded to their loved ones posthumously.

"Now, Colonel, let us buy you a drink." Jean-Luc said as he clapped Jason on the back.

"Too bloody right!" Agreed Rachael. She tapped her combadge. "Thatcher to Nimitz. Execute transporter program Thatcher seven one, four to energize." She said and they dissolved into energy.

*****

"WELL HOLY SHIT!" was the first thing Jason heard when they materialized in Big Lou's Bar and Grill.

Jason couldn't hold back anymore. He laughed long and loud, tears streaming down his face as he saw everyone assembled.

"Congratulations, sir." Lou stopped before him and snapped off the best salute Jason had ever seen.

Jason returned his salute. "Thank you, Gunny."

"Oorah, Colonel." The big Marine grinned.

"Semper Fi, Lou." Jason grinned and hugged his Biker buddy.

Lou picked him up in his customary bear hug, and everyone laughed.

"Brother, you're gonna have more medals than me by the time you're thirty!" Lou laughed.

"Semper Fi, Jay!" Kralla came out and gave him her bear hug too, pressing her massive breasts into his chest.

"Oof! Thanks, Kralla." He laughed.

He looked around at the assembled Strikers, Nimitz, and Enterprise crew. He smiled, knowing that they were his friends and family.

He grinned. "Drinks are on me!" Jay shouted.

Enterprise was called away for another mission along the Romulan Neutral Zone shortly afterward. Excalibur, Gryphon, Hood, Eisenhower, and Majestic continued to hold the Federation side of the wormhole to the Gamma Quadrant.

*****

Nimitz sat in the Utopia Planaetia shipyards for an eight month extended refitting and repairs. New Sleipnirs and Valkyries were delivered to replace the lost fighters from the battle, and Rachael went into labor while she and Rash were on vacation at their home right next door to Jason and Delaara in Santa Barbara. All surviving Striker Wing pilots were awarded various medals for heroism during the battle, and took temporary assignments while their Carrier was being repaired and refitted to current specifications. Jason, Delaara, and Rash took temporary assignments as combat flight instructors at the Academy, and the Cadets learned from the best of the best. Rachael was quickly approaching her due date, and Rash was nervous, so he took out his nervousness by annihilating entire squadrons of Cadets single-handedly in the simulator. He became known as Herpes Rash to disgruntled Cadets who died to his skills over and over. Luckily for them, he never found out about it.

*****

"Got it, Rash!" Jason shouted as he and Demoness piloted the Mjolnir into the parking lot of Santa Barbara General Hospital. They jumped out and lowered the crew door for Rachael. An orderly was sprinting towards them with a hover chair for the expectant mother.

"Delivery, ASAP!" Colonel MacKenzie snapped to the orderly, who nodded once and pushed her at a brisk walk towards the ER doors. Rash was walking with them, and Jason turned to look at Delaara. She was showing now at five months, and she was radiant. The refit of Nimitz was supposed to take another four months as systems were completely replaced to conform with updated guidelines, and it would be close as to whether Delaara gave birth before the Nimitz was ready for relaunch. The entire crew had been given family leave and temporary assignments for the duration of the refitting.

Alex and Jenny pulled in on their hovercycle. Alex had bought a Harley panhead frame from a local junkyard, and he and Jason had restored it as much as possible, and improved it where restoration would be impossible. It resembled Jason's Hog in that respect. They'd also built one for Delaara, and were in the process of building one for Jenny. Rash still had his, so they finally repaired it from his wreck five years before.

"By the way," Delaara whispered in his ear, "Happy Birthday, baby." She kissed him.

"Thanks, beautiful." He kissed her back lovingly.

"Are we too late?" Alex asked as they got off the Hog and walked towards their friends.

"Not yet, we were just waiting on you two!" Delaara grinned and they all walked into the hospital together.

*****

Cole was sitting at home in Dublin with his mom and dad, telling about his adventures with the USS Nimitz and Skull Squadron. He'd been promoted to full Lieutenant now, and was damn proud of it.

"So you drank a Romulan under the table with Romulan Ale?" His dad said, unbelieving.

"It was more of a draw, dad." Cole said, grinning. They heard a strange whining thrum outside the front door and then three faint knocks.

"I've got it," he said, jumping up before his parents could react. He'd recognized the sound immediately, and had a wide grin on his face when he finally answered the door.

"Hi, I'm a bit lost. Maybe you can help me?" The female voice asked.

Robert McBride's eyebrows rose at that, then his son was standing aside and letting the woman in. She was dressed casually enough with dark reddish hair and striking blue eyes. He then noticed the ridge on her forehead and pointed ears. Then he saw his son take her in his arms and kiss her lovingly. "God, I missed ye, Dona!"

"I missed you too, Cole!" She grinned and kissed him again, passionately.

When they finally broke the kiss, Cole heard his father clear his throat. He grinned. "Dad, mom, this is Commander Donatra, commanding officer of the IRW Valdore. Dona, these are my mom and dad." He introduced them.

"Pleased to meet ye, Dona." Erica McBride said. "Come on in, darlin'."

"Thank you so much. Cole has told me all about you." Donatra smiled at her lover's mother and father.

"Well, he hasn't told us much about you, Dona." Robert said with a bemused smile. "Dammit, Collin, why didn't ye tell us ye had a lady friend?"

Cole grinned. "Well, dad, ye didn't believe me when I said I tied a Romulan in a drinkin' contest, so why would I stretch yer belief any more by tellin' ye I also happened to be dating her?"

Robert put his face in his hand and started laughing. "Bloody hell, boyo!" He laughed himself hoarse, and so did Erica.

"Collin, hon, why don't ye take the lady's jacket and have her join us for dinner?" Erica said with a grin of her own.

"Yer jacket, milady?" Cole asked her.

"Thank you, Collin. You're too kind." She winked at him as he took her jacket and hung it by the door. He then showed her into the dining room and set an extra chair at the table for her.

Erica had already grabbed an extra plate and silverware and placed them at the spot in front of the chair, and checked the venison stew.

Donatra smelled it and her eyes closed in wonder as she smiled. "Mmmm, that smells divine, Mrs. McBride!"

"Wait'll ye taste it, Dona. My mom is the best cook in all of Ireland." Cole bragged.

"He's a flatterer, Dona. Don't believe a word he says!" His mom laughed and winked at her.

They sat down to eat, and his parents, being devout Catholics, prayed before eating. Donatra lowered her head and folded her hands as well.

Cole's mom noticed. "Thank ye, Dona. Ye have more manners than some of the Human girls Collin's brought home in the past."

Cole blushed at that, and Donatra giggled.

Dinner was fun with the McBrides for both of them. They recounted their Christmas Eve drinking contest, and their visit with her family, sans the details of their sex life, of course.

"So yer cousin is married to Colonel MacKenzie?" Robert asked, unbelieving.

"She is. Commander Delaara is Striker Wing and Skull Squadron XO. I didn't know Jason had been promoted to Colonel, however." She said. Even though she was older than both of his parents, she could see calling them mom and dad if she and Cole got married.

They then told the story of how Jason and Delaara had met, and his parents were dumbstruck yet again. "Bloody hell, lass!" Robert exclaimed. "I need to disregard all the conceptions I've had about what's possible in the universe, now!" He laughed.

"That would be a good start, dad." Cole added with his trademarked grin.

Cole's combadge beeped. "Lieutenant McBride," He said, answering it.

"Cole! It's a boy! Nine pounds, two ounces. Rash and Rachael have named him Brandon!" Jason's voice came over the comm.

"Hallelujah!" Cole answered back. "Hey, boss. Is Delaara there with ye? And where are ye?"

"Yeah, she's here. We're at Santa Barbara General Hospital in California. Why?" Jason asked.

"Me and Dona will be there in a flash, boss. McBride, out." Cole said. "Mom, dad, Dona and I have a baby to meet. I hope ye won't wait up." Cole grinned.

"Go, Collin!" Robert said, laughing. "Come on back when ye're done."

They ran out to the Mjolnir that Cole had parked in the driveway in front of the garage and got in. "I'll have us there in no time, luv." He said, giving her a quick peck on the lips. He started the engines and nosed up towards the sky before punching the throttle full forward.

He punched in the coordinates for Santa Barbara General and hit the Warp burners for two seconds, taking them halfway around the world.

He spotted Jason and Delaara's Mjolnir in the parking lot and set his bomber down beside it, making sure not to hit Alex's Hog. They exited the craft and ran hand in hand towards the ER entry. Once inside, the nurse on duty at the reception desk took one look at them, and said "Fifth floor, make a right. She's in Room 551 now."