Chapter 19

Zeke wasn't too happy about what we'd done. You've heard about being chewed a new one? Well he didn't do that, he just chewed around the old one and it fell out! He didn't like me risking the others (they volunteered), he didn't like me risking the ships (they were my ships) and he didn't like me risking the Mechs (the Mechs had been left behind with the Regiment). When he finally stopped ranting I asked him one question and that brought down the house. "Do you want me to give them back?" He couldn't help it. He started laughing. "Mick, damnit to all the Hells, I can't have my Officers doing things like this. First thing you know the men'll think its alright for them to do the same thing. You're setting a bad example."

"Zeke, I agree and I disagree. What kind of example do you think I would have set if it came out later that I knew where Dray was and did nothing to him for his actions against us? I can look my men in the face when I say that Nobody screws around with Shadow. I will accept any punishment you deem appropriate but remember I was on Leave of Absence and not part of this command."

"Are you now a Jailhouse lawyer? Get out of here and don't pull anything like that again. If you can do something like that you're ready to come back to work."

I left and was stopped by Billy Jackson. "Dumb shit. I told you to talk things like this over with me and Travis. I was afraid for a while that you really had your tit in the wringer until I heard him laughing. Good job, Mick. You're right. Nobody messes with Shadow."

While Rachel wasn't real happy about having twelve more Mechs dropped on her to take care of she was happy to see all the spare parts and tools that we'd brought with us. "A lot of this'll replace things that Tate took with him out to the island. Others we'll send out there anyway. You've got several more exoskeletons than we need. I'll sent them to him and some of these other tools. I might even send some of it to Karuska. The parts and so on I can use. I also noticed that my budget for parts and spares has been greatly enlarged. Was that some of your doing also? Thanks."

After that I returned to my headquarters. It seemed strange after a year. I'd been running around getting the Plant set up and operational as well as getting the problems that Karuska was having ironed out and now I was back.

The first thing Sgt. Major Mackey did was bring in all the orders and Battalion mail that had come in for the past year. Most of it had been handled but some of the later stuff needed to be seen to now. Yes, Master Sergeant Travis Mackey is now my Battalion Sergeant Major. He was getting too old to be running a Support and Supply detail, besides I needed someone of his ability here.

One of the first things I learned was that Phantom had grown. We're now a light Regiment and I kept my Lt. Colonel's rank. We're now two Battalions not one. I now had six Company Commanders and two Battalion Commanders to give orders to, not what it'd been before. We also weren't all Lights and Mediums any more. We had both Heavies and Assaults now to back us up, to give us some weight.

Jero Conn who had been one of my original Company sergeants had moved up to take over a Company when I got the Battalion. Pending my approval he was a Brevet Major in charge of one of the Battalions and had been acting Regimental Commander while Doc and I were both on leave. I had orders cut making it official and the rank permanent. Next I had J.J. come over with the Regimental Roster. We had some promotions to make and I needed input.

When he arrived we sat discussing who and where to make the moves. "You aren't going to like one of my suggestions, but make Clark a Company Commander. He has changed in the last year, Mick. I don't think he realized how bad he'd gotten until you got his attention. Then in front of the whole Task Force you commended him for his actions and later repeated it to the Colonel. When the Colonel himself repeated the comments you made him see that good works were appreciated. He still mouths off in Briefings but now it's helpful stuff not the snide digs like before. I think he's ready for a command."

"Ok, what about the others. Doc, I've been gone for over a year. I don't know what they've been doing, how they've been growing and now I have to decide who to promote and who not to. I need help, please."