Growing Up Rainbow

The Legate

The baby's crying woke her.

It was wrong. Lopsided in some way the legate didn't understand.

Cobalt blinked reluctant eyes and was greeted with a Space Girl dressed in green. She held the baby while applying ointment to her face. The baby didn't seem to like this at all.

"Is she all right?" Cobalt asked.

Space Girl Green Pisces look up from applying the cream. "She'll live – thanks to you and your armor. Burns on her head and face though."

The room's shape indicated a flying saucer. Contents indicated a medical lab. Standing, or more accurately leaning, against the wall was Tesserarius Decanus Badile. Her armor was black on one side with a concise demarcation line down the middle of her torso. Obviously she'd caught the blast directly from the side.

Cobalt realized she wasn't in her armor. She was naked on a medical bed with some contraption covering her lower half. Nothing moved from the waist down.

"What happened to me?" she asked. "Why am I here and not on a Warrior Sector?" The Warriors had developed a system to deploy an entire MASH unit or as much as was needed. The full thing was a circle, each part was pie shaped, or in mathematical terms, a Sector. Depending on how bad the situation was, you could deploy just one piece of the pie or all of them.

"I was the closest trauma doc to the blast and ordered to get you out. The Sectors had to wait for the flames to die before they could land. The High wanted you out immediately, Legate," said Green.

Cobalt wondered how the High even knew what was happening on Traxor. But she had that ability. The legate turned to her guard, "Report."

She'd never seen Bandile move with anything other than quickness and purpose. Today her Tesserarius levered herself away from the wall and stumbled to the bedside. She pushed herself into something very like attention and said, "Legate, the explosive caught everything in the area on fire. We had no idea of casualty numbers when we evacuated you."

"I need to get down there and organize the clean up operation," she said and put her hands on the thing at her waist. It didn't move.

"We are on course for the Angel to get you to a level 1 trauma center," said Green. "Traxor is no longer your problem."

"I'm Acting Preator for all of the Home forces on Traxor. I can run things injured."

Space Girl Green looked at the Tesserarius.

The Warrior looked at a spot over the Legate's head and said, "You've been relieved of command, ma'am." Then she looked Cobalt in the eyes and finished, "For medical reasons. You've lost both legs, ma'am."

The room went silent. Blood rushed in Cobalt's ears. Her mind broke into pieces and started yelling. The part concerned with personnel was impressed with Bandile's directness. That was exactly how she would have wanted the news delivered. Get it out. Get to the point. Another part, concerned with her physical body, screamed silently and her eyes burned. The career parts started arguing about the unfairness of it. Finally the commanding part ordered everyone in her head back to work.

Looking at the Space Girl bouncing the now quiet baby she asked. "How bad?"

"Catastrophic landing. Sheared through the armor, which you know is no small feat. I wondered how you could have messed the landing so bad. Your trained reflexes should have landed or, at worse, the suit should have compensated." She looked around for a place to put the baby. "Then we unwound you and found this little bundle. You ordered your armor to protect her?"

"I willed myself to surround her. Armor must have picked up on that."

"It worked, Legate. Baby's going to be fine." The Space Girl stepped closer and said, "Here, you hold her. She needs sleep, and you won't have anything to do for a few minutes."

Cobalt took the baby automatically and noticed Bandile swaying. "Tesserarius, you ok?"

Bandile said, "I'm fine, Legate. Just been on duty awhile." Cobalt wanted medical read outs on her team, but wasn't wearing armor anymore. Deftly Space Girl Green caught the decanus as she passed out.

"She's been out on her feet since she got here, but refused to do anything but stare at you. I had Jeffery hack in and give me her vitals. She really is just exhausted. Low electrolytes and a little dehydration. All to be expected, but she could have eaten and maybe napped. You really should teach your people better self-care." The Space Girl got a tube of fluids and attached it to armor so the suit could feed its occupant.

"I have...had...4953 Warriors under my command. I couldn't watch all of them. My protective detail were the best of them. I'd think a Space Girl would understand pushing your limits."

"Of course, but this one..." she came back around to the Legate's bed. "Truth be told, I'm pretty sure being blown up wasn't as bad as knowing she would be breaking the news about your legs. Insisted on it."

Cobalt looked at Tesserarius Bandile's face relaxed in sleep. She felt ashamed to have forgotten the fears of a line solider. She should have been better to her, "She handled it perfectly. Exactly how I would have wanted it done."

Green nodded. "How you handling it?"

"I'm fine."

"Of course you are. Why would a girl even ask?" She gave the Legate and baby a long look, then glanced at the wall displays. "I've got to go make a landing, Legate. You good to take care of the little one?"

"Ummm, of course. To your duty, pilot."

Green smiled her salute and disappeared from the room.

Warrior Woman Legate Cobalt Tomahawk, former leader of the Prime Legion of Home, looked down at the baby. One side of her head had dark hair like most Yuyu. The other was a slick, ravaged mess. Scars ran halfway around her skull, taking the hair with it. More had been cut away so the Space Girl could do whatever had needed doing.

When placed against the General's chest, the babe had instinctively turned her head to a breast. "That won't work, little miss," Cobalt whispered. She thought medics could give her the hormones that would turn on her milk glands. Could probably get it done on the hospital ship they were heading toward.

Then she caught herself. I'm commander of the most deadly Legion of Home. No time to be a mother.

But she'd just lost her command. She had a long, long recovery ahead of her. Regrowth seemed unlikely. Cybernetics then. Months of fittings and rehab. Perfect time to adopt a child.

But this little one needs special care, and not a half crippled ex-legate.

Exactly, you two are made for each other.

"Well, then little warrior, I'm game if you are."