Spiral of Light

Chapter 39: "There Is Nothing In This World So Tragic As Star Crossed Lovers"

Their first course of action was to summon a Medicus for the wounded. Salazaar had not regained consciousness from Moloch's injectrix dose and Trench had awakened long enough from the extreme blood loss to loudly curse the Drydellians with a long string of colorful oaths, before nodding off to sleep again.

The Surgeon Medicus arrived, already wearing his bionic trauma arms, and he had brought a squad of aids and junior physicians in tow. He stepped between the legionnaires and began a diagnostic inspection of Salazaar and Trench. Then he waved a gurney over for Potter.

"You can entrust the standard to one of my aids, he can take it back to the shrine while we patch you up."

"No, I don't think I will." Potter said simply, crossing his arms around the standard. It was much longer than the gurney and caused a great deal of difficulty for the aids as they started pushing him towards the medical bays.

"Bloody Legionnaires." The Medicus grumbled, as he turned to go after them.

"A moment, Medicus." Moloch called out after him.

The medicus turned and put his hands on his hips. The digits of his four other mechanical bionic arms whirled around snapping and tapping impatiently. The neuronic impulses the sensor picked up from the medicus' brain were fed to the bionic arms, and they expressed irritation in curious ways, for when the mind of the person wearing the arms was not concentrated on using them, the fingers would fidget.

"Please preserve the female's ashes, and treat that wounded constable like one of our own."

"Who are they?" The Medicus asked directly, arching an eyebrow, running a bioscan unit attached to an intelor pad over Salazaar as he lay on the gurney. His mechanical fingers were clicking even quicker now.

"A Drydellian constable who got chewed up pretty bad by the hybrids, and his deceased wife." Moloch replied.

The Medicus stopped mid scan and turned to face Moloch.

"I didn't know this was a public hospital, Centurion. What reason is he here, taking up space in one of my medical bays and not recovering on Drydellia?"

"He got those injuries fighting beside us, to try and save his wife from the Drydellians. I don't reckon they'd spare his life, much less give him medical treatment." Moloch motioned to the wrapped up body.

The Medicus looked at Moloch and then at the gurney, and then he sighed.

"There is nothing in this world so tragic as star crossed lovers." He said after a long moment. "I will see to his care." Then the medicus turned to go.

"What do we tell the Legate?" Moloch called after him.

"Leave the Legate to me." The Medicus waved a curt farewell with one of his mechanical arms, as he briskly pushed the gurney ahead of him, while an attendant brought Myleia's body right behind him.

"Good guy, that Surgeon Medicus." Krasus said.

Then Krasus, Moloch and the other legionnaires moved into the unoccupied cargo bay indicated by Howie to unpack the hover lift and divide the spoils from Rofoscue's mansion. Spoils of war were considered to be a Legionnaires bonus, and it was always best to be discreet when in possession of spoils as valuable as theirs. It was a hard and fast rule that a legionnaire never talked about the spoils they took to anyone else. They loaded the spices and the precious metals and various objects of value from Rofoscues vault into several cargo crates so that they could turn it into the legion bursar, who would liquidate it and then distribute the proceeds as ducats on their next pay cycle. As they divided up the treasure, they made a separate pile for Potter, Trench, which ended up being a handsome sum, when they finished counting it.

The ducats were divided evenly amongst themselves, charging Moloch with the caretaking of the missing Legionnaire's portions.

Moloch stood up and faced the others. "I know Salazaar isn't one of us, but he bled and lost flesh like one of us, and that's good enough for me, so we should at least give him a portion of the ducats."

"Here, Here!" Krasus and the other Legionnaires said in unison.

"Sir do you think he will join the Legion when we get him all patched up?" One of the Legionnaires asked?

"I doubt Salazaar wishes to serve anyone right now. He needs to process everything that just happened to him. But he should know, he can rest with us as long as he needs to. He's earned as much and I'm sure Legate Septimus would concur."

The others nodded in agreement. "Now that the spoils have been divided, we should get going. I hope you all stop by the medicus station to get a once over and when you get time you will heed Paragon Jalan's advice and stop by to leave a final offering for Nassim. His sacrifice should not be forgotten." Moloch said solemnly.

"We will be sure to do so." The legionnaires agreed.

Krasus just crossed his arms, and said nothing.

The legionnaires stood up, saluted and then headed off together in the direction of the medicus station talking quietly amongst themselves.