Onward with Love

By Yuki Wildstar

A Star Blazers Fan Fiction work

 

All the thanks to Fred and Gail Kopetz for inspiring me to write.

Thanks a lot Freddo, for your input and detailing. You ROCK! My story was good, but with collaboration you made it great! I grew up watching Star Blazers way back in the late 70’s and fell in love with Derek and Nova. This story continues after Final Yamato and after they marry. In this part of my tale Derek and Nova’s love will be tested time and time again. With new characters and old they will have to once again fight The Bolar Federation in the midst of working through their personal lives. I hope that you enjoy this and the twists that come up….

 


 

PROLOGUE: Nightmares

 

The Tokyo Megalopolis

 

Derek Wildstar and Nova Forrester-Wildstar’s Residence

 

December 1, 2205

 

0536 Hours

 


 

“TALK! Damn you! TALK!” screamed a harsh voice in Nova’s ears.

 

Where am I? Nova thought, very, very confused. This place is cold. So cold!

 

The harsh voice came again. The room was dark, but Nova thought she could see a glimpse of pale, cold, ice-blue skin as her tormentor slapped her across the face.

 

Nova fell to a cement floor, crying as she hit the floor. She had on a blue EDF uniform, but it was shredded. The knees and elbows were torn out, and her knees hit the hard cement and began to bleed when her tormentor shoved her down. The floor was very cold; and she had on no gloves or boots.

 

“WHERE IS CAPTAIN WILDSTAR?” yelled her tormentor, right in her face.

 

“I’ll never tell you,” Nova said. “I’ll die before I tell you….I’ve told you that before…”

 

“SHUT UP!” yelled her tormentor. In the darkness of the room, Nova could not see his face cleaning, but he screamed close enough to her cheek for her to tell he had a beard. I do not know many people with beards; well, people who are still alive, anyway, unlike Pat Orion and Captain Avatar, Nova thought slowly; her usually keen mind seemed disjointed…confused, and Nova’s stomach hurt. She recognized the feeling at once…hunger pangs. The sort one gets when one has not eaten for several days. Nova had never felt hunger like this since she had been a little girl living in one of the transitional bomb shelters she had lived in with her parents after the planet bombs had destroyed their house but before the underground cities were finished.

 

Nova was jolted back to reality by the harsh voice. “You think I bloody care whether you are comfortable or not, Earther pig?”

 

“Sub-Lieutenant Alfon never treated me like you did!” Nova gasped.

 

“I’m not him, little girl,” hissed the voice. Nova was slapped across the face again, once, twice, hard. It left her upper lip cut and bleeding.

 

“WHERE IS WILDSTAR?” yelled the voice.

 

Nova bowed her head and went silent. Not that it was easy to talk anyway with a fat lip.

 

Then, the horrible voice said, “Men, strip her down! Get me the Persuader!”

 

Nova’s legs were shaky, but she fought a little as two strong guards grabbed her and pulled off her ragged EDF shirt and opened and pulled down her ragged EDF pants. They cast them aside, leaving Nova naked in the cold room. Nova had forgotten when she had last had underclothes, socks, or boots.

 

The men dragged her by the wrists to a part of the room where there were two manacles dangling from chains. They lifted Nova up like a doll and put her wrists in the manacles. She hung there shivering like a side of beef as tears of humiliation and pain ran down her face.

 

“TALK!” yelled her tormentor. Nova knew what was coming next; the old wounds on her back burned horribly. “Where is the Endeavor and where is your slime-ridden husband?”

 

“I won’t tell you,” Nova gasped. “You can go on with that thing until you kill me; I won’t give him up!”

 

“Let’s see if this will CHANGE YOUR MIND!” roared Nova’s enemy in the dark.

 

Nova tensed as the bullwhip whistled through the air, and she screamed as it hit her bare back.

 

She shivered in pain as the whip came again, slapping hard into a different part of her back.

 

The whip came again, its tip licking hard into her side as Nova thought she felt a rib cracking beneath her dirty skin. They had not let her bathe in days.

 

Nova breathed hard, gasping in pain with each breath as the whip came again. It hit her buttocks this time, cutting into them hard enough to leave a painful welt.

 

The tormentor went at her again, taking cruel advantage of her nudity to hit her upper thighs, and then, as he cracked the whip against the floor, the soles of her bare feet.

 

Then, there were two more strikes against Nova’s back, opening fresh wounds that were painful and hot with her fresh, warm blood.

 

Then, a whip strike hit the back of her head, making her ears ring and her head spin.

 

Then, the enemy tormentor came again. “What makes you so accursed almighty and great, you little dishrag of a dog?”

 

“Go to hell,” Nova muttered.

 

“What was that?” hissed her tormentor in her ear.

 

Through her tears, through her pain, Nova managed to turn her head and spit on her tormentor. “GO TO HELL! Or are you deaf?”

 

“Whore!” yelled the alien, slapping her across the face.

 

“GO TO HELL!” Nova screamed as loud as she could manage…

 


 

gotohell,gotohell,gotohell,goootohell,gotohell…” Nova gasped as she thrashed in her bed, nude, but tangled up in the blankets as an equally bare Derek held her and tried to calm her. She was punching at him, not aware of where she was, as her mind broke out of her tormented nightmarish sleep.

 

Derek’s old-fashioned Naval clock chimed 0545 softly in the bedroom as Nova opened her eyes and realized where she was. Derek stroked the back of her head but then stood back as she slapped at him. He just let her cry it out as he turned up the lights in their room, to help her realize where she was.

 

Then, he came back to her and held her. “It’s all right,” he said as he stroked her hair and soothed her. “Nova, it’s me. It’s all right.”

 

“Derek…” she said softly.

 

“The same dream again?” he asked tenderly.

 

“No, now it’s worse,” Nova said as she threw back the covers and rubbed her own back. “Now that Bolar creep whose face I can never see in the nightmares was using a whip on me. On my back. Before, they were laughing at me when I tried to sleep in that cell. They’re getting worse.”

 

“Nova, where you on Dunbar again in that dream?”

 

“No, some horrible cold Bolar prison on some base. The whole planet was cold and icy, like Berth when we were there maybe two years ago. I was never warm there. Once, they made me run in the snow with just a shirt on, no pants, no boots. Nothing below the waist. They thought it was funny. Another time, they made me chop wood with a heavy axe I could barely lift, and…”

 

Nova went to the window and recoiled when she saw it was snowing out. “Derek, are we there?”

 

“No, it’s our backyard,” he said tenderly. “You can watch the snow from in here. It’s totally safe.”

 

“How many months have we been home again?”

 

“September, October, November, December, ” said Derek. “Maybe four months…I’m doing that TDY at the Academy, you know. Have to get ready for work soon. So do you.”

 

“I wish we had the day off so we could just put the Christmas tree up,” Nova said as she yawned. “Almost six. Might as well get up now…”

 

Nova threw on a kimono and got up. “The rugs are warm,” she said as she flexed her toes in the carpet.

 

“The baseboard heaters make it warm. Nova, if those dreams are that bad, Doctor Sane won’t mind if you call in sick for once,” Derek said. “Just stay in that robe and make some tea.”

 

Nova shook her head. “Work’ll help me today, Derek. Really. Even if I won’t see you again until 2100 tonight…”

 

“Yeah,” Derek said. “They were talking about a debriefing again today. For all of us.”

 

“Again?” Nova said. “Oh, God, when are they going to stop?”

 

“When they figure out why the Bolars are back,” Derek said.

 

Nova shook her head. “Thought so…well, let’s get our showers taken care of…who first?”

 

“I was thinking about sharing the water with someone I love,” Derek said as he kissed his wife on the forehead.

 

“Not Julie Tolbert, I hope,” Nova said with a wink.

 

“Nova, have you lost it?” he said as he picked her up and she giggled. “She’s not getting past the door of this house!”

 

“Good,” Nova said as she let Derek carry her away….

 


 

Chapter One: New Trials…

 

I. TRIALS AND TESTS

EDF Airbase Delta

Great Island

February 2, 2205

0730 Hours


 

It was now five months since they had returned from their mission to Dunbar. Another Christmas had come and gone. Both Nova and Derek were debriefed for hours, no…for days in a row by the EDF on their return, and for several weeks afterward. The sessions seemed like a form of torture. To them, it seemed like the same questions every time. By the time they got home each night, they were both too tired to do anything but sleep. They spent what time they had together doing things around their new house and shopping. Nova and Derek had finally gotten their kitchen repainted (that had been a rather funny experience) and Derek had taken Nova to an aircar lot right before Christmas and had surprised her with the keys to a 2205 Mini-Cooper Variable Mode air/ground sports car that Nova had been eyeing for a long time. However, much of their time was also spent in bed. There was no need to elaborate more than that.

 

Derek decided to start work early that day, since he wanted to get some more flying time in his Superstar fighter. He went through the training course and hit all the targets. Yeah…I still have it! he thought to himself. Suddenly he heard his alarms going off. What the f.......what is that? Derek thought. He turned his head to check out who or what was targeting him. Then, he smiled at whom he saw. It was Lieutenant Pesci buzzing him.

 

“Mister Pesci, what are you doing here?” Wildstar said into his helmet mike.

 

“Sir, I thought you could use some real action! Those targets are standing still! How are you gonna get any better, old man, with targets that don’t move?” Pesci teased with his Brooklyn accent.

 

“Who the hell are you calling old man? Bring it on! Let’s see what you’ve got…little boy,” Wildstar replied with a laugh. He liked mock dogfighting on low-powered lasers for practice. He had been up with Nova the other day, and even though he had beaten her at last, she had given him a pretty good little mock battle.

 

“Okay sir, you asked for it!” At that, Pesci took off in mach speed doing various turns and flips. He was trying to get Wildstar in his scopes, and succeeding at times. “Come on, sir, you can do better than that!” Pesci laughed.

 

Damn, this kid is good…almost too good, Wildstar said to himself as he turned on his mini Ipod to hear some Aerosmith. He flipped to the song Living on the Edge because it helped him concentrate better. Damnit, I’ve gotta get control here, can’t have this kid outdo me in the air, Derek thought in frustration at his own skills. I mean, I let Nova get on my six twice the other day! But I’m not letting this kid do crap to me! But he’s doing it!

 

Wildstar started behind Pesci at his top speed, twisting and diving while trying to get a scope on him and tag him, and then fire some low-powered lasers at him to make him wake up a bit. They twisted and dodged each other in the sky while going through canyons and past mountains at top speed. It was a race to see who the better pilot was. It was the old school against the new school. Pesci took a turn into the base of the canyon that Wildstar knew all too well and that’s when he finally got the upper hand. Gotcha! Wildstar told himself. With one quick turn down the canyon wall, Wildstar was on top of him. He pushed his button and tagged Pesci, firing a few low-power lasers around his cockpit for effect. “You’re out, kiddo! You are going down in flames, my friend! Now tell your friends how this old man tagged you, huh?”

 

“Oh, bugger it,” said Pesci. Through his canopy, he saluted the Captain and they both headed back to the air station. Wildstar touched down on the runway first. Pesci touched down next. They both met at the hangar, Pesci jumped out of his Cosmo Tiger II while Wildstar waited for him next to his Super Star. “Hey! Good job, Pesci! For a minute there I thought you almost had me,” Wildstar said while grinning that the young kid didn’t beat him.

 

“Well sir I thought so too. But I’ll make sure next time it won’t be that easy for you, sir,” Pesci replied, embarrassed that the Captain beat him.

 

Wildstar and Pesci continued to talk about dog fights they both had been in. They were still talking when a young Corporal came over and approached Wildstar.

 

“Sir,” the corporal said with a salute. “Your presence is needed at EDF headquarters in Commanding Admiral Singleton’s office.”

 

Wildstar nodded and returned the salute. “Tell the Admiral that I am on my way, thank you.”

 

“When did the Commander become an Admiral?” said Pesci.

 

“The President recently changed around the EDF command structure. Since most of our forces are naval forces,” Wildstar explained, “it was decided to give Singleton back the old Naval rank he had years ago. General Stone, as his chief of staff, technically has the command over ground forces with General Perkins, another well-known jackass. Admiral Consodine is currently the active commander of the Combined Fleet from his flagship, the Sagittarius.”

 

“Oh? Is that the ship that you have to wipe your feet on the doormat every time you show up?” Pesci laughed.

 

“Yeah, the flying computer hotel,” laughed Derek. “Listen, bud, I’ve gotta go. I’ll catch ya later.”

 

Pesci saluted Wildstar and the two men bid each other a fond farewell.

 


 

II. HOMECOMINGS

The Wildstar Residence

Great Island

February 2, 2205

1032 Hours

 


 

Derek got home around 1030 Hours. “Nova?” he called.

 

The house was quiet. She told me she would have to pull an all-night shift with Kojima calling in sick, he thought. They must still be working her like crazy at that hospital.

 

Derek yawned a little and pulled off his sweaty uniform shirt. He went into the kitchen and found a note on the refrigerator under a little magnet that looked like the Yamato after he put on his house slippers at the door. He found Nova’s wooden kitchen clogs kicked off under the table and abandoned. When picking them up, he still felt a little of the warmth of Nova’s foot in one of them on the smooth vinyl-covered insole of the Japanese exercise-sandal like clog she liked to wear in the kitchen. The note was in a feminine hand and it read:

 

Derek, Dearest!

 

I was home for a few minutes only around 0940 and was getting ready to crash and longingly wait for you to finish your flight practice, but the phone rang again. It is not bad enough that Keiko called in sick and left me to do two operations with Doctor Sane and Doctor Spada; now Vanessa has called in sick, too! I hope they get better soon because this makes twelve hours on my poor tired feet. Oh, well, it’s like being in battle again, I guess. And this too shall pass.

 

Anyway, I made a lunch for you before I had to get dressed again and run out in the cold! Fresh tempura shrimp and rice. All you have to do is warm it up in the microwave; exactly 120 seconds, NO MORE. PLEASE do not burn down the house, love! It will be cold tonight and I don’t want to make love to you in a shelter, hotel room, or even (uggh) Mom’s place! YOU KNOW HOW YOU AND MOMMA GET ALONG!

 

I think they might spring me from this latest operation by 1600; then I can sit at my desk at the nurse’s station and call you wherever the heck you end up today. I guarantee I will be waiting for you tonight.

 

Love and kisses

 

NOVA

 

PS-please comb your hair? 

 

Derek smiled at that. She’s so cute. Okay, I am hungry again.

 

After carefully microwaving his lunch, eating it, and cleaning up for Nova, He showered and changed into his official Officer’s uniform. Then, Derek hopped into his air car and headed for EDF Headquarters, arriving there at just before 1200. As Wildstar walked into the building, he made chitchat with some of the officers that he went to school with. He got into the elevator and got off the 30th floor where Singleton’s office was. He approached his office and Singleton’s female Aide stood up and told Wildstar to go straight in, the Admiral was waiting for him.

 

So, in he went.

 

“Sir, Captain Wildstar present as ordered,” Wildstar said as he saluted.

 

“At ease Captain…have a seat.” Singleton motioned to the seat in front of his desk. “How are you son, and how is Lieutenant Commander Forrester?”

 

“She’s doing pretty good considering what happened a few months ago near the end of our last cruise…, sir,” Wildstar said, while thinking back on the horrible scene with Lieutenant Commander Lee.

 

“Good, good. Well, let’s get down to business shall we? Captain Wildstar…we have been receiving word that one of our colonies in Sector Eight has been under attack again. We are not sure who it is, but my guess is that you might know already…”

 

“Yes sir, it could be the Bolar Federation. Especially since Desslok has reasserted himself and he has been gaining more of their space again. They’ve been moving towards our new space colonies, hoping to gain control so that they may capture who they can to enslave them and impress them into their forces like they want to impress all of us, what with their crazy claim that we are allies of the Bolar Federation and under their sphere of influence.”

 

“That claim went back to the crisis with the Sun, right?” said Singleton as he steepled his hands.

 

“Yes, sir. They remind me of the old Soviets and the ancient Warsaw Pact, followed by the 21st Century Russians. They were the sort who said that once you were under Mother Russia’s influence, you would never be free again. Part of what started the Wars of Unification, as a matter of fact. That and the anger in the Middle East when more of those small nations got nuclear weapons. With the Bolars, if you aided them once, like we did years ago when we helped Captain Ram of Berth and the Legendora near Pluto without knowing who they were, they considered you their slave forever. That’s the sort of men who attacked Planet Dunbar and us; as bad as old Marshal Stalin was, or worse,” Wildstar said, remembering all too well the headaches that the Bolars gave him. It was supposed to be a simple training exercise and retrieval mission. But it turned out to be a major battle. He almost lost Nova twice because of them. Not to mention his friend Lee whom he still checked on even though the doctors said he might never become sane again.

 

“Well Captain, I know that you are enjoying your time off, but your orders have come down. You are to report to Space Dock Number 29 tomorrow morning at Yokosuka Station and take over the command of the Endeavor one more time. You are to make sure that she is fit for departure from Yokosuka in one week’s time on the ninth. Here are your orders, Captain.” Singleton handed him a file with the manifest of the crew. “Are you going to have the ship ready in that time, Captain?”

 

“Yes sir, I will. Oh. Sir?” Wildstar said.

 

“Yes?”

 

“I requested a promotion for one of my officers, sir. I asked to…well…have Lieutenant Commander Forrester serving as my Deputy Captain. Were they able to do that?”

 

“No, sadly,” said Singleton. “It was denied.”

 

“Denied?” said Singleton.

 

The Commander nodded. “Doctor Kitara of the hospital spoke with General Perkins when we brought this up last week. With a major personnel shortage at the hospital, they cannot spare Nova. We are very sorry. She will be remaining behind on Earth for this cruise. What is more, a new officer will probably be assigned to you as Deputy Captain. I am told by Stone that she is a very good officer who had a few bumps along the road. Just as you worked with Lee and had almost redeemed him before his breakdown, we hope you can work with this bright young lady. She is having a little trouble processing off her current command so we are not completely sure she can serve with you or not. If she can serve with you, expect her to hand-carry her jacket to you when she reports to you on board ship next week before you lift off. Any more questions?”

 

“No, sir,” said Derek as his heart dropped to his boots.

 

“Very well, good luck and Godspeed,” Singleton said.

 

Wildstar stood up, saluted and turned to leave. Oh boy, he thought. Now I’ve got to break all the bad news to Nova, I hope this doesn’t turn into a waste of time. But knowing the Bolars I wouldn’t put it past them. And what kind of crazy first officer are they expecting me to work with? Another reject? I wanted Nova, she is one of the best in the whole Fleet! What the heck is going on here?

 

 

 

Wildstar jumped into his air car and headed home after attending appointments for a few more debriefings on their last mission. The psychologists were asking him questions this time; they said they wanted to know “The Bolar mindset!”

 

When they finally let Derek go, it was close to 1630 Hours. His mind was racing on what he had to get together for the mission. While stopped at a light, he opened the file with the list of names. So far, he remembered some of the younger officers that were on the Endeavor with him on their last mission. At least I don’t have to break in any new cadets, Derek thought. I see I’m lucky enough to get the two Tonys again… they are excellent pilots. Like the Admiral said, I don’t see any one here as Deputy Captain. I wonder why that is? I guess I’ll meet him or her when we depart.

 

Derek stopped at a store, knowing Nova needed a few things for the house. It took him a while to find everything in the grocery store, but find it he did.

 

It was just past 1700 Hours when Derek got off the expressway and began making the turns that would take him to his own neighborhood. He pulled up to the house that he now shared with his wife, a house that was left for them by Captain Avatar, and he walked in after observing Nova’s Mini Cooper aircar back in the driveway again in front of his Mustang. Good, she’s home, he thought.

 

Even though it was 1700 and was now dark, it was still early and he knew that Nova had been busy back at the hospital. Several surgeries back to back; and when she got home she had  she just stripped off her clothes and fell asleep. Derek knew this because he was following a trail of Nova’s clothes into the bedroom. Her fleece-lined winter white boots were by the door by their shoe cabinet, and he put them neatly in place beside her other boots, sneakers, clogs, pumps and sandals after he took off his own boots. Derek his peacoat and found that Nova’s flight jacket was thrown on the floor near the couch, and that the pink sweater she sometimes wore at the nurse’s station over her white minidress was by the kitchen, and her white Medical minidress was thrown by the bathroom door. There were no stockings; they were hard to get, and Nova usually preferred to be bare-legged in a dress, and she seldom wore socks under her shoes, except if it was very cold. Derek found Nova’s bra off by the bedroom door, and her panties were abandoned nearby in a little sweaty ball of cloth. Derek walked into their bedroom and saw her sleeping on her stomach with nothing at all on; her only covering was a bed sheet that covered a portion of her nude body. He sat on the chair that they had in a seating area and watch her sleep for a few minutes. She is even beautiful asleep, he thought with a gentle smile.

 

He then got up and walked over to her and started to caress her bare legs, giving her soft strokes. He moved his hand to her face and passed his hand over her delicate features. Nova stirred with half-sleepy eyes. Derek bent down and kissed her on the cheek. “Hey there, sleepy face it’s time to get up. It’s six o’clock at night. ” Nova smiled at him and turned to him. “Good morning or is it afternoon?”

 

“It's evening, my love. What time did you get out of work? And you know you left your clothes in a little trail again?”

 

“Sorry, love. I don’t think very clearly at times when I’m this tired. I think it was maybe 5PM when we finished. I’m hoping for a better day tomorrow. I’m so bushed.” Nova looked at Derek and knew something was up. “Okay, what’s up?”

 

“You read me all so well, it’s scary at times.” Derek smiled at her.

 

“Well?”

 

“I got orders, I’m leaving in a week,” Derek said with a fake grin.

 

“Oh, great! That soon? Well, I was expecting this someday. What did we think that they would do? Pay us to sit around? What’s the mission this time?” Nova asked.

 

“I have to go to Sector Eight and check things out there. We’re thinking Bolars unfortunately.” Derek said.

 

“Did they pick me as Deputy Captain?”

 

Derek shook his head. “No. They want you here at the hospital.”

 

“Oh Derek, I’m going to miss you!” Nova said while hugging him hard. She knew was going to miss him, and she knew that there were bound to be separations like this, but she knew it’s the life that they chose together.

 

Derek held her close…he wanted to stay longer…like months longer, but he knew that duty was calling. He finally realized that she was still completely naked and started to kiss her.

 

“Oh you could be so bad, Captain. Are we going to start saying our goodbyes right now?” Nova smiled at him.

 

“I think we should, who knows when we will see each other after this week, right?” Derek said while playing with her left breast.

 

“Well if you put it that way, Captain….we need to squeeze in a lot of private time,” Nova giggled.

 

“Well we both don’t have to be back at work until the morning, right?”

 

“I’m not due back at work until 0900 tomorrow morning, right,” Nova said.

 

“So, Nova, we have all day and all night, so why don’t we start our goodbyes now?” Derek said while caressing her naked body.

 

“I think that is a great idea, Captain,” Nova smiled and started to kiss the man she had waited so long to call her husband while opening his EDF uniform shirt…

 

 

 

II. PREPARATIONS

Great Island

Space Battleship Endeavor

February 8, 2205

1600 Hours

 

Between preparations for departure, Nova and Derek spent as much time together as they could. Of course she was still at the hospital, and he continued to make sure all work was done on the Endeavor.

 

A day or so before departure, Derek sat in the Captain’s quarters looking over things on his computer and making sure that all papers were signed that needed to be signed. Tonight would be his last night home, and he wanted to get home early enough for his date with Nova. They were going to have their last night together for a while and she was planning something special. Derek was finishing up his last computer check and then he was getting ready to leave for home when there was a knock on his hatch. He noticed that the sky outside looked very gloomy, dark and ominous in the fading light, as if it was going to snow tonight. Wildstar called out, “Who is it?”

 

“It’s Lieutenant Commander Julie Tolbert, sir! Permission to enter?”

 

Julie Tolbert?! Derek thought in anger and panic. Damnit, that can’t be! I haven’t set eyes on her since months before we left for Iscandar! What would she be here for? What does she want from me?  Derek racked his brain on the topic as he said, “Enter, Lieutenant Commander.”

 

“Sir Lieutenant Commander Julie Tolbert…reporting for duty,” she said as she snapped a brisk salute while holding a personnel jacket. Wildstar noticed that, just as if the past, Tolbert had smeared on a heavy amount of lipstick, eye shadow, mascara, and blush, even though her face did not need it. She had a few freckles (which Derek had always thought were sort of cute) but Tolbert liked to wear a lot of makeup to try and hide her freckles. Wildstar noticed that today Tolbert had on a weird purple shade of lipstick that just looked…strange. As usual, she was smirking.

 

“Excuse me?” Wildstar was confused even more. “You’re not assigned to this ship!”

 

“I am. My orders, sir,” Tolbert handed him her jacket and orders.

 

Wildstar took her jacket from her and looked it over No! This can’t be. This is a nightmare! Derek thought. “Miss Tolbert? You’re my new Deputy Captain?”

 

“Yes, Derek we’ll be working together on this mission.” Tolbert announced.

 

“That’s Captain Wildstar and make sure you don’t forget it, Miss Tolbert!" Wildstar ordered.

 

“Yes, sir.” Tolbert replied. “You don’t look too happy to see me. I’ve heard stories about you. Don’t you like having a woman as your Deputy Captain or something, sir?”

 

“It’s not that at all,” said Derek. “I actually requested a specific woman as my Deputy Captain for this mission…”

 

“Who would the lucky girl have been?” said Tolbert with a leering wink.

 

“None of your business,” said Wildstar in an irritable fashion as he thought, I wanted Nova, then I would have wanted Sandor, or Dash, or Eager, or Parker Lee, or Mike Terrell, or Piper Caleford, or even Jun Asagara, one of about ten other officers I know. But I got you. WHY? “Well, I wanted one lady, then id I didn’t get her, I would have wanted maybe Miss Holly Parsons or Miss Jun Asagara…”

 

 

Artwork: “Julie Tolbert” by Freddo.

 

“Asagara? You would have wanted that skinny little dark-haired freak over me?” asked Tolbert.

 

“Not important now,” said Derek as the faces of the red-headed Holly Parsons or the coal-black brunette Jun Asagara ran through his mind, followed miserably by Nova’s smiling face. “Well, I wanted certain people, but they sent me you, instead, so we just have to get along.”

 

“Should be lots of fun…we have a lot to catch up on, Derek,” purred Julie as she sat down in a chair and kicked one of her long legs. Derek tried to hide the look of revulsion on his face. When Nova did that, with her more subtle body language, it was cute. Julie’s use of a similar gesture almost made her look to Wildstar like some very disreputable woman. 

 

“Lieutenant Commander, don’t you dare think this is going to be some pleasure cruise, we have a mission! So reminiscing about our past is not going to happen! Report here tomorrow at 0700 hrs and make sure that you are here on time. The Endeavor is scheduled to depart the docking bay at 0900 hrs. You’re dismissed, Tolbert!”

 

“Yes, sir,” Tolbert responded.

 

I can’t believe this, not now... how can they put her on this ship as my Deputy Captain? Why? Why the hell did I get her out of all people in the Fleet? Why didn’t they give me Nova instead? I’d trust Nova with my right arm in a battle, and it’s almost like she and he are telepathic; just a glance, and she knows me well enough to know what I’m thinking! And Nova knows exactly what my leadership style is and how I like a ship run. Everyone respects her. Tolbert, I would not trust with my little finger! And it’s too late for me to ask for someone else!. Derek thought to himself. Oh. Nova I hope you’re going to be okay with this. Please do not kill me…this is not my fault and it is not what I want!

 

 

 

Once Derek got home, he took a long breath before he entered his house. Nova was just finishing up dinner for them. The table was set for a night of romance. Derek walked over to where she was standing. He noticed that she looked beautiful in a green lace dress with straps that showed off her shoulders and with no shoes. She wore her hair down the way Derek liked it. Her make-up just perfect, natural, not heavy and not light. He could not help but compare Nova’s simple elegance to Tolbert’s heavily-made up face. Nova was exquisite, and never looked like a tart like Tolbert did, because she was a lady with grace and refinement. She smelled wonderful with the scent of Imari.  Bryan Adams was playing in the back ground. The song was, (Everything I do) I do for you. “Hello my sweet, how was your day.” Derek asked as he kissed her on her lips and then on her neck.

 

“Hold on Captain, that part comes after dinner,” Nova smiled at him.

 

“Why have dinner…it’s just leads to the bedroom, so let’s skip that part, hmm?” Derek said with a lopsided grin.

 

“Sir, you need your strength so let’s sit down and eat!” Nova said pushing him out of the kitchen.

 

She finished putting dinner on the table while Derek went to the room and changed into something more comfortable, namely silk pajama bottoms and a black t-shirt that he knew Nova liked. When he came out, she already had dinner set up. “Oh Derek, can you get the wine ? It’s in the wine fridge down in the cellar. A dry red Chianti would be good. It’ll go nicely with the prime ribs I made us. Thanks.”

 

Derek went and got the wine, while he thought, Nova always picks out the best wine, while if Julie were to pick out wine, well, she liked to drink a lot but wouldn’t know a good wine if it hit her in the face. When he got back upstairs, the lights were turned down low. It would be just the perfect night. Derek thought, I need to tell her about Julie, but when? Will this ruin our last night together? I know I never got into detail about her but I can’t go on this mission without her knowing that she is there…and why?

 

“Let’s sit” Nova said.

 

Derek walked over to her and pulled her chair out. While doing so, he kissed her on the neck and helped her push her chair in. Then he went around to the other side to sit in his place. “So how was your day Derek? Are you all set to go in the morning?” Derek’s heart skipped a beat.

 

“Nova, there’s something I have to tell you,” Derek said while feeling very uncomfortable.

 

Nova could sense something was wrong, so she nodded, and just sat there and listened.

 

“Nova honey, remember when we talk about some of our ex’s well…I ... I . I really don’t know how to tell you, so I’ll just come out and say it. Julie Tolbert is my new Deputy Captain. The EDF stuck me with her.” Derek blurted it out.

 

Nova thought back when they had a conversation about her a long while back, right before their wedding day…

 

“I need to tell you something Nova, before we get married. Before we left for Iscandar, before my brother Alex was presumed killed, I was serious with someone. Almost serious enough to marry her….

 

“What do you mean, Derek?” Nova asked while stuffing some flowers into a vase in the apartment she would soon be vacating after the wedding to move into their new house.

 

“Well Nova, we met at the Academy, we were both very young and stupid. She and I became close and I thought I loved her enough to almost ask her to marry me. I had suspected that she was with someone else while she was with me. I couldn’t live like that and when I confronted her, she called it off.  She just told me that things between us could not work out. Then I lost Alex to the war. A week later I heard she was dating some officer who had already graduated from the Academy. A real creep of a pilot. But then I found you, and you stood by me even after I told you to leave me alone. You were the best thing that ever happened to me. I guess Alex knew and he somehow sent you to me…”

 

“What was her name, Derek? So I can thank her someday for sending you to me?”

 

“Does it matter?” Derek asked.

 

“No, it doesn’t matter but I would like to know anyway. Remember, we promised…no secrets between us.”

 

“Her name was Julie Tolbert.”

 

Nova sat there in silence for a moment, just staring at him. Then she finally spoke, Derek thought it took a long time for her to say anything. “Derek, do you love me?”

 

“That’s silly! Of course, honey I love you with all my heart and soul, I’d die for you!”

 

“Then don’t worry about it, Derek!” she said with a nervous laugh. “As long as you love me you shouldn’t think of anything else but the mission. Unless you still have feelings for J......”

 

“No Nova, I don’t! That was a long time ago. Julie and I had a very bad breakup, and you remember how I reacted when she called us that day, remember?” Derek assured his wife.

 

“Yes. You sounded like Typhoid Mary was calling,” Nova teased. “With that being the case, there’s no other reason to discuss this any further. So let’s not spoil this last evening together. The matter is closed. Res judicata,” Nova said

 

Derek got up and walked over to his wife. “I love you so much Nova Wildstar, and don’t you ever forget that!”

 

“I won’t Derek….I know you do love me,” Nova hugged her husband and kissed him long and hard.

 

Gratefully dropping the subject of Julie Tolbert, they talked about the mission that he was going on and the expectation of the possible enemy forces that they would be looking at. Derek ran some thoughts with Nova about some scenarios and she gave him some reasonable answers. They finished dinner and cleaned up in the kitchen. Nova washed, while Derek dried the dishes. “So what’s next?” Derek asked while looking into Nova’s dark brown eyes.

 

“You finish up here and I’ll get ready,” Nova purred.

 

“Get ready for what?”

 

“You’ll see,” Nova smiled. “I think you might like this…”

 

Then, she vanished into the bedroom.

 

Ten minutes later, Nova called out to Derek “You can come in now!”

 

Derek entered their room and looked around. She had tossed rose petals all around the room. The lights were off but there were candles lit up. Aerosmith was playing in the background; the song was called I don’t want to miss a thing

 

Nova sat on the bed in the sexiest see-through teddy that Derek had ever seen her in…with no underwear on beneath it. Her body glistened in the candle lit room. Derek took all of it in. He wanted to remember this moment for the whole time he was on board ship. He walked over to her and took her hand that she extended in an almost shy fashion; she was sending an invitation for him to come join her. He took her in his arms and began kissing her up and down her neck.  He slowly peeled her teddy off and undressed himself. She leaned back and fell naked on the bed with Derek on top of her. They laughed and continued to kiss as the music played on. She turned over to him and he started to kiss her shoulders and her beautiful, smooth back. He knew that it drove her crazy when he ran his tongue down her back. She turned around slowly while he licked her body with his tongue and kissed every part of it at the same time.

 

Nova caressed him and brought a moan out of him. She began to kiss his chest all the while caressing him. “I love you, Derek. My God, I love you!”

 

“I love you too, my baby!” Derek whispered while caressing her most intimate parts. Finally, Derek entered her just as Def Leppard began to sing out Have You Ever Needed Somebody So Bad?  Derek moved with grace over Nova’s body, never did he love someone this much in his life in this moment. Their bodies became as one while moving gently yet urgently with the music. Nova screamed with pleasure and Derek wanted to please her more and more. He didn’t want this night to end…ever. They continued for what seemed like hours of making love. He then looked at Nova and she looked at him, they both tense up and exploded with pleasure.

 

Derek was crying at the end as he said, “Oh God, Nova I love you so much!” 

 

“I love you too, my love.” Nova said with a tear in her eye. She would miss him so much. She thought, Who knows what will happen out there. All I can think of is that he will come back to me when his mission ends. Please, God, bring him back to me safe…and whole….

 

I don’t know what I’d do without him…

 

 

 

II. GOODBYE

Great Island

Space Battleship Endeavor

February 9, 2205

0700 Hours

 

Captain Derek Wildstar sat in his quarters checking all systems all over again on his laptop. He was starting to like this ship in the sense of communications. It seemed that in her refit, they had added a lot of other things that were useful to make life better for him and his crew. One of the improvements was the wireless communication net that each crew member could use throughout the ship. With this new Net, Derek could call Nova and see her on his laptop privately without asking Lieutenant Miamato to patch him through to Earth. It made life a little easier for him with that, but the other extras in this overly luxurious ship were things that he could do without. Like this huge state room. To Derek, there was no need in having something this big and no one to share it with. As Wildstar looked through all the new personnel jackets of some of his crew, he heard a knock on the door. “Enter” Derek commanded.

 

“Sir, Lieutenant Commander Tolbert, present as ordered.”

 

“Yes I see, well have you checked in and looked over the systems?” Derek commanded.

 

“Yes sir, I’ve checked everything over and all systems check out perfectly,” Tolbert replied. Derek noticed that this time, Tolbert had no makeup on.

 

“Good, you can take your place.....”

 

“Hello?” Nova called out as she came in.

 

Tolbert immediately did not think much of Nova. She was in civilian clothes, namely a blue skirt that she liked, worn with boots, a white turtleneck sweater, and her flight jacket. She also wore a little fur beret that Derek thought was very cute. Tolbert, however, thought, That is the most stupid-looking hat I have ever seen on a woman in my life. This is what you replaced me with, Derek? This bubble-headed blond bimbo?

 

Derek’s eyes lit up. “Hello there, what brings you here this early? Don’t you have to go to work in an hour?”

 

“I called ahead and I told them that I would be running late. I want to make sure I see you off decently.” Nova smiled at him. “Oh, am I catching you at a bad time, Derek?”

 

“Not at all, this is Lieutenant Commander Julie Tolbert. Lieutenant Commander Tolbert, this is my wife, Lieutenant Commander Nova Forrester-Wildstar.”

 

Nova shook her hand and  said “hello” with a smile. Nova looked over Tolbert, thinking, Ah! So this is the women that broke his heart many years ago? She uses a little too much mascara. But she is cute. She stood about Nova’s height…just an inch shorter. She had dark brown eyes and mousey brown hair. Nova realized that she was pretty, no, more like a stunner, with a slightly tomboyish look with a cute scattering of freckles on her cheeks. Nova guessed that she was the sort that men took a second look at, and maybe a third and a fourth. She stood there in front of Nova and Derek in her officer’s uniform, looking appraisingly at Nova the same way Nova was looking at her.

 

Despite Julie’s dislike of Nova’s white beret, she looked her over, thinking, Now, even I have to admit, you are a doll. Delicate nose and features, the tip of your nose turns up a little, sort of cute….lips are smaller than mine and less sensuous; you could use some lipstick, even that honey-blond hair in your eyes is kind of cute. Gorgeous eyes; they look like lakes a man could jump into and drown in for eternity. Nice figure; taller than I am…leggy as hell. Maybe too leggy. Do you eat? If so, what? Diet salad mix?

 

“Hello Mrs. Wildstar.” Tolbert said.

 

“Hello,” Nova said back in a low, melodious alto voice with a smile that could have launched a thousand space battleships. Derek, You’re lucky! Julie bitterly thought as she saw Nova walking up to Derek and almost shyly putting a hand on his shoulder, Damn you! So you’re the one that stole his heart and threw away the key, Nova? I envy you it should have been me standing next to him, but I had my chance and blew it.

 

“Well, Nova, you’re rather..” began Julie, but Derek cut her off with a glance.

 

“Miss Tolbert! You will refer to her as Lieutenant Commander Forrester! She’s been in her rank longer than you have been!” Derek ordered.

 

“Yes, I’m sorry, Lieutenant Commander Forrester. Ma’am, I am sorry that we got off to a bad start when I called Derek on the phone, and…” Tolbert said feeling uncomfortable.

 

“That is water under the bridge…like everything else,” Nova said formally, trying to be ladylike. “You and the Captain have to work together, so let’s forget it ever happened, okay?” Nova said as she extended a hand in a gentle yet elegant gesture that Derek could have hugged her for right there. “Friends?”

 

“Friends,” Julie said in a stiff and formal voice as she and Nova exchanged their first, and, as it would turn out, their last friendly handshake.

 

“I’ll be on the bridge in a minute, Miss Tolbert. You are dismissed,” Wildstar ordered.

 

Tolbert saluted Wildstar and walked out to her post on the bridge. Derek and Nova watched as she left.

 

Nova looked worried as she said, “Derek, are you going to be okay working with her? You seem really angry at her.”

 

“Yes, but I just want her to understand that we are on a mission and she has to prove herself as an officer and a Deputy Captain. Just like everyone else that stood in that position. Now, we’re going to be taking off soon. Let me walk you down to the gangway,” Derek said.

 

“I’m going to miss you so much Derek, last night was just wonderful,” Nova said with a smile with tears in her eyes.

 

“Oh, Nova, please don’t cry… this mission won’t take long. I promise. I’ll be home before you know it,” Derek said while holding her in his arms.

 

Derek walked Nova back to the gangway and kissed her long and hard. They waved good-bye to each other, then Derek disappeared back into the Endeavor.

 

Nova watched as the gang way was brought up and got into her new Mini Cooper Convertible air/ground car that Derek bought for her. A long awaited present that she been waiting to get once she had enough credits saved up. Even though her parents had more than enough money she didn’t want to live on the inheritance that her parents gave to her on her wedding day. Good bye my love come back to me she thought to herself as she drove away.

 

“Attention, Captain on Bridge” Tolbert announce

 

“At ease, let’s get this show rolling.... Attention all hands, attention all hands report to your stations and prepare for departure.  All crew members secure quarters and those on departing ceremony report to the flight deck.” Derek called into the ship microphone.

 

“Activate gyro stabilizer” Tolbert sang out the orders. “Accelerate slowly to 3.4 knots”

 

 

 

 

Nova watched the Endeavor leaving port from the distance. She waved as the vessel pull out of port and started her ascent to the sky. Goodbye, Endeavor come back safe. Goodbye, Derek! I love you!  Once the ship was out of sight she got back into her car and headed to the hospital to pull another double shift. If Derek was home, Nova probably wouldn’t have thought twice by telling Danielle no.  But now, Nova knew there was no one there to go home to. She knew that just keeping busy was the best thing for her.

 

Nova started her shift as soon as she walked thru the door. After she changed into her nurse’s uniform, Nova met Danielle. Danielle went over her charts with Nova and explained which patients got which given medicine and when they got it last. It was a ritual that they went through every time someone took over for the next shift. Nova bade Danielle farewell and told her to have a nice day off with the kids.

 

Then, Nova started her rounds with heir patients. While working and never looking up, she ran straight into Doctor Spada. “Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t see you there, Doctor.”

 

“That’s quite all right…I wasn’t looking either. How are you Nova, how have you been? We haven’t seen each other since the mission to Dunbar. How is Derek doing?”

 

“He’s well, but he left this morning on another mission. He will be gone for five months but who knows how long it will take this time. And Command didn’t see fit to let me go,” Nova said with sadness in her voice.

 

“I’m sorry to hear that. If there anything I can do, please let me know.”

 

“Thank you Doctor, I’ll keep that in mind,” Nova said politely. Nova did not want to dig old skeletons out of the closet. She remembered all too well how Spada had acted when he had found out that she and Derek were married. But after the incident with Lee, Spada was very supportive. He never acted badly towards her again, once he saw how Derek had looked when Lee had taken her, sick with worry and relief at the same time. He knew then at last that they loved each other deeply…and that he had better butt out even though he was a former boyfriend of Nova’s.

 

“Nova, I’ll see you around, I guess. Are you taking over Danielle’s shift tonight, too?” Spada asked.

 

“Yes sir, she wanted time with her kids…their dad left in the same fleet with the Endeavor.”

 

“So I guess we’ll be working together again, I was supposed to work with her this shift,” Spada smiled.

 

“Oh, well, I guess we are working together,” Nova smiled back. “After you, Doctor.”

 

On that note, they walked through all the patients’ rooms and went over their treatments and meds.

 

Work, as usual, kept Nova busy.

 

It kept her from being depressed at her empty house.

 

 

 

 

III. SOUR NOTES IN SPACE

Deep Space

Space Battleship Endeavor

March 1, 2205

1120 Hours

 


 

Captain Derek Wildstar slammed his fists against his panel as Tolbert made another mistake.

 

Again.

 

“Miss Tolbert, I thought you knew how to navigate this ship! How did you pass your flight tests? You almost hit that asteroid, you jerk!

 

“I’m sorry, sir. I guess I wasn’t thinking hard enough!” Tolbert replied.

 

“No excuse! Now, you had better get your act together or I’ll have one of the cooks do your job! Read me loud and clear?” Derek yelled.

 

“Yessir!” cried Tolbert as she wiped her lipstick off. Oh, no, what did I do to deserve this? Oh yeah I dumped him! Tolbert said to herself. She was near tears. Ever since they had left Earth Derek, had been riding her. He was nitpicking everything she did and constantly telling her she did not measure up to his demanding standards. I wish he’d just leave me alone and let me do my job! He’s making me more nervous talking to me like that in front of the crew.

 

For his part, Derek thought, This woman has no decent reaction time. None. Nothing like Venture had. She nearly miswarped us into the Fourth Dimension the other day and lost us forever because she misread several figures because she was playing around with her eye shadow. I had her on the bridge as Officer of the Deck the other day in command from the radar, and I pulled a surprise drill and I sent in some simulated computer bogies to see if she was on her toes? Oh, she was, but not in the way that counted. She was polishing her toenails at her post! At her post? She was just calling out the first vector and putting her boot on when I got down here! Another officer I know, another lady, a lady named Nova, would have had those bogies plotted in forty seconds and would have been ordering her crew to take action and the whole bridge crew knew that!

 

Derek watched her staring out the window and tapping her fingers at her post, doing nothing! Nothing at all! Idiot! Wildstar thought.

 

“Tolbert,” he snapped. “Are you paying attention? Get your head out of your ass and look where we are going!” Wildstar continuing to yell. “Look at the astro-compass. Off course by three degrees!”

 

“I’m sorry sir, correcting coordinates…it was only a tiny mistake!” Tolbert said while holding tears back.

 

“Like hell!” Derek snapped. “Small mistakes of two degrees can multiply to large mistakes in a few minutes! Thank God that this is only a training exercise before we head to Sector Eight, or else we would have been done for if we were being attacked by enemy fire!”

 

“Lieutenant Miamato, tell the fighter pilots to come back, the exercise is over. No thanks to our navigator, we were just destroyed by enemy fire.” Wildstar commanded. “We’re all dead now.”

 

“Yes, sir,” Miamato replied.

 

“Lieutenant Commander Tolbert, you take command of the ship. I’m going to my quarters, do you think you can handle at least that much?” Wildstar snapped.

 

“Yes, sir,” Tolbert said with a low voice. She was beaten and tired. How could she take command of the vessel when everyone was looking at her with disrespect? She had to talk to the Captain before this got out of control.

 

“Lieutenant Miamato take control of the ship…”

 

“Ma’am, you heard the Skipper’s orders. Are you all right?”

 

“I’m fine, damn you! I’ll be back!” Tolbert ordered.

 

“Yes, ma’am”, Miamato replied. Poor thing, she’s probably  going to cry her eyes out… the Captain has been riding her hard. Why? Because she is a screw-up!

 

Tolbert went into the ladies’ head and cried.

 

A few minutes later, she finally collected herself and headed to the Captain’s quarters.

 


 

Wildstar was at his desk looking over some strategies for the trip to Sector Eight when he heard the knock on the door. “Enter!”

 

“Sir, it’s Lieutenant Commander Tolbert, I need to speak to you…now!” Tolbert said as she entered.

 

“Damn! I left you in command! What the hell are you doing here? What is it?” Wildstar questioned with anger. “Requesting sick call again because you have a hangnail?”

 

“No, sir. Not this time. I want to talk to you about the way you have been talking to me on the bridge! Permission to speak off the record, sir!” Tolbert said angrily.

 

“Permission granted….what do you want, Julie?” Derek asked with disdain. 

 

“Derek, what the hell is with you? Why are you beating me up over little things? Derek, if I didn’t have you breathing down my neck I might be able to do my job. Are you still upset that I left you all those years back? Is that it, you jerk?” Tolbert yelled at him.

 

Derek looked at her and laughed. “What a drama scene! Are you kidding me?”

 

“No, SIR,” said Tolbert.

 

“You are serious? You think that I’m hard on you for leaving me? Hell no! Don’t flatter yourself, lady, those days are long gone! I’m happily married to someone who cares about me and loves me, and, most importantly, respects me! I’m no harder on you then I would be on anyone else in your shoes. Anyone. You’re just incompetent, Miss Tolbert! That is the whole problem! You are an officer with a disappointing record and a bad attitude! I’ll be blunt, Tolbert. You are not what this ship or crew needs. You are emotional, childish, inefficient, nasty to your subordinates, vain, dumb, and very bad for morale!”

 

“AM NOT!” yelled Tolbert.


“Ask any crew member on that bridge what they think of you! You are a lead anchor around my neck and we’re barely a month away from Earth! I wish I had gotten the Deputy Captain I had first asked for!”

 

“Who?” demanded Tolbert.

 

“None of your business. At least that officer is a real leader and a good pilot. All you do is ride my men and lollygag around with your thumb up your ass!”

 

“You’re making me nervous each time you question my ability to lead, SIR!”

 

“Then maybe you’re not fit to be Deputy Captain! You should be able to overcome my ranting and raving. Learn to take control, if you’re as good as they say on your jacket then you should be able to handle anything I throw at you. So grow up and get back to your post. NOW!” Wildstar yelled.

 

Tolbert left his cabin, without even a proper salute. She just slammed the hatch like a cadet. She thought, Derek! How dare he bitch me out like that? God damn him! I’ll  fix him if takes this whole time on ship to prove him wrong. I can do this job. And I’ll fix his wagon. Oh I’ll fix it good!

 

Derek watched the door close. Gee what drama, what next? Did she forget how to salute? Oh Nova. I miss you so much! Derek thought while looking at a picture of his wife. I wish I had gotten you on this ship like I had wanted as my Deputy Captain…instead of…her. Who the hell threw my request for you in the circular file, anyway? Anyone should have been able to see I wanted you as an officer after they looked at that Navy Cross you won back in that battle on Dunbar when you saved some of those scientists! Who screwed this up? I ask for a decorated combat veteran and instead they give me a whiny kid who broke up with me years ago and who has a persecution complex!

 

Derek wished he could talk to Nova now, just to unwind…she would listen to him and know how to counsel him through this in her common-sense manner, but Derek knew that she was working late and that the new communication monitor was on the fritz like a lot of the things on the ship. The further they went out, the more they had to rely on the old systems. At least he was able to send e-mail messages to her through the Intergalactic Web network.

 

Oh well Nova… once again I must sleep alone. Thank you for leaving me that handkerchief with your scent on it. At least I can smell you at night while I sleep. Derek looked out into space and watched the stars before he went to bed. I love you Nova… I hope you’re not to sad about me being out here.

 

Or, that you blame me. I tried to get us together. I really tried!

 

 

 

EARTH

THAT NIGHT….

 

Nova heard a knock on her door as she sat in a kimono drying her hair. Now who the heck is this at this time? It’s past nine o’clock already!  

 

Nova opened the door of the house in time to see Lieutenant Michael Spada MD standing on her front porch in the cold. Nova shivered in her thin kimono, which was all she had on after climbing out of the bath a few minutes beforehand.

 

“Hello Doc, what are you doing here? Is something wrong back at the hospital?”

 

“No, Nova, everything is just fine. I was in the neighborhood and figure I’d stop by and see how you were doing. Have you had dinner yet?”

 

“I, I, no Lieutenant…I haven’t…I was just about to settle in with a TV dinner and watch a movie…I just finished taking a bath.” Nova said with caution, she didn’t want to lead him on.

 

“Well, a few of us were going over to O’Malley’s for a bite to eat and we figured you were home by yourself, so you know. Wanna tag along?”

 

“Oh I don’t know, it’s late and....I’m cold,” Nova said as she shivered again and dug her bare toes into her cold welcome mat.

 

“Oh come on Nova! You see it’s just not me, there are others in the car, silly goose!” Spada pointed to two others in his car.

 

“Oh, okay give me a minute to change and throw on some shoes. I can’t go to O’Malley’s half-dressed! They’d throw me out!” Nova laughed.

 

“Great…we’ll be in the car!” Spada waved to the car.      

 

Nova closed the door and changed as fast as she could, she got out of her robe, put on some plain underwear, and then she threw some jeans and a plain white T-shirt, and then she stepped into a pair of plain brown closed pumps (the open-toe ones were saved for dance night out with Derek or a hot summer night) and she grabbed her bag and flight jacket. She locked her door and ran to the car.


“Hello?” Nova said as she got into the car.

 

“Ah, the Princess herself graces us with her presence,” teased Spada.

 

“I sort of recognize these people, Michael…from the floor. Who are they?” Nova asked as Spada drove away.

 

“Well, This lady here is Ensign Felicia Jones, and that’s Commander Marcus Fritz. Felicia is a nurse in ICU and Marcus is the big cheese doctor in pediatrics. Felicia, Marc, this is the famous Nova Forrester. She might be an MD someday,” Spada said as he introduced them.

 

“I know Felicia, how have you been, Felicia?” Nova asked.

 

“Fine. Miss Derek?” said Felicia.

 

“Yes. Like a fire misses oxygen,” Nova said sadly. Then, she brightened a little and said, “But Doctor Fritz, I’m sorry I haven’t met you, sir. Pediatrics are not my specialty, but it’s something I would consider in taking as a round.”

 

“I can arrange for you to work with pediatrics for a month. See if you like working with kids, Nova. I mostly deal with basic medicine but you can expand from there if you like the work,” Doctor Fritz said.

 

“Oh, no you don’t!” said Spada. “Nova here is the best nurse we have in Internal Medicine and Doctor Sane would kill me if I let you steal her away,” Spada said with a grin. “Everybody ready? Off we go, then, to O’Malley’s!”

 

Spada drove there. Nova noticed he drove fast. Just like he always did, she thought.

 


 

At O’Malley’s, they all sat at a table having drinks. The men had beer, Felicia had wine and Nova decided that she would just have a plain seltzer, since she had to get up in the morning and work with Dr. Sane. Felicia and Dr. Spada went to shoot pool and Nova and Dr. Fritz sat alone at the table. “So does that offer still stand on taking rounds at pediatrics?” Nova asked.

 

“Are you interested? I can arrange it if you like. But will Dr. Sane mind?”

 

“Oh, he’ll be okay with it. If anything, he’ll encourage me to try it. He’ll probably want me to start a family once I work there.”

 

“Very well then I’ll talk to Admin and see when we can get you in there. It would be nice to have someone there that can pick up things quickly. And from what we have heard about you, you are the best to work with. Quick on your feet.”

 

“Thank you, Doctor Fritz,” Nova said.

 

“No it’s Marcus tonight. I feel like my father when they call me that.”

 

“Was your father a doctor too?” Nova asked with a smile.

 

“Yes. A renowned neurosurgeon, so he wasn’t happy when I decided to work with kids. His logic is that it is better for the patient to be asleep when dealing with them.”

 

“So your father is still alive?” Nova questioned.

 

“Yes, he’s in New York Metro Hospital, to which he continues to encourage me to go work for him over there as a neurosurgeon. But I kind of like it here. So, where are you from Nova?”

 

“I’m from Colorado, but I did two semesters at NYU; it’s a great city and I’d like to go visit again someday. Hopefully with Derek.”

 

“Derek? Someone special?” Fritz asked.

 

“He’s my husband, he left about three weeks ago to patrol Sector Eight on the Endeavor. I guess that’s why I decided to come out with you guys, tonight. I was just lonely sitting home. I haven’t heard from him in almost a week, I guess the farther away they are the harder it is to get video. At least we have the Intergalactic Web, and we are able to e-mail each other,” Nova explained

 

“Just looking at you I can tell you love him very much,” Fritz said with kindness

 

“Yes I do…and you, Marcus are you married?” Nova asked.

 

“Very much to my job. I lost my wife several years ago to space radiation sickness. She was 4 months pregnant when she died. We were hoping that she would have stayed strong enough to give birth, but she died and the baby was too small and didn’t survive.”

 

“Oh my, I’m so sorry Marcus,” Nova held his hand with sympathy.

 

“That’s okay, it’s been years now and my wounds are healed. That’s why I love working with kids. Mine didn’t survive so I want all the kids to have healthy lives with their parents.”

 

“That’s very noble of you, and thank you again for the offer. It would be nice to deal with kids instead of big Marine babies,” Nova laughed.

 

“What’s going on here, have you stolen my best nurse away?” Spada questioned with a laugh.

 

“Only temporarily, if it will be okay with Dr. Sane, that is…,” Fritz said.

 

“It’s getting late so I’m going to need that ride back I have an early call at the hospital with Dr. Sane. Can you drive me or do I have to call a cab?” Nova asked Spada.

 

“I guess she is right Michael we all should be getting back it’s getting late and we all have duties in the morning,” Fritz announced to Spada.

 

“Only if you promise me that we do this a lot more until Captain Wildstar returns,” Spada smiled at her.

 

“Wait. You’re married to Captain Derek Wildstar?” Fritz asked

 

“Yes sir, that’s me,” Nova said with a blush. She did not like to have her fame pointed out much.

 

“Well then, you’re THE Nova Wildstar. Oh sorry…Forrester - Wildstar. Well it’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Wildstar, Derek is a lucky man having such a beautiful and lovely young wife,” Fritz winked at her.

 

“And it’s a pleasure to meet you Dr. Frit.... oh sorry Marcus,” Nova said.

 

“Okay let’s take these two lovely ladies back home and maybe we can have a game of Texas Hold’em,” Spada looking at Fritz

 

“I don’t think so, I almost lost my shirt last time with you. Maybe a rain check,” Fritz laughed.

 

“Let’s go,” Nova said.

 


 

TO BE CONTINUED….