Jane had no idea what to say after that speech and she did all she could think about to do, she took Maura in her arms and held her tight to her, finally relaxing in the arms of the woman she loved.

Nina smiled and sneaked out, still grinning the moment she found her husband.

"Hey love, what makes you smile like this?" Barry Frost gave her a suspicious look.

"Maura made a very special declaration of love and trust to Jane, sappy as it was – Jane got very emotional." The grin on Nina's face grew far wider.

"Don't tell Frankie – I'm not sure that Angela would be okay with her only living son being a castrate!" Both of them fell in laughter.

The Skye Rangers were not overly happy about the amount and type of the possessions the Kurita soldiers left and they could claim but there was nothing they could do to change it. Two weeks later, they made their voyage back home. Two more weeks after the departure of the Rangers, all the damaged Mechs were completely repaired and they started to excavate the sixteen Mechs from the avalanche. To get all of them out, it took them over four weeks, not one was willing to rush it and get more stones on their heads.

"Okay folks, give me the stats!" Jane sat in her chair behind her desk, a coffee in front of her and little Sofia on her lap. All of her command crew was smiling about the tough badass Jane Rizzoli playing pillow for the little girl.

"Let me start with the support personal," Maura began, "first I have to excuse Susie, she is occupied with some very important other business, but that is not mine to tell. Our medical team swelled – as all of you should be aware of – to three doctors, beside Susie and me. We have two more surgeons and one more country doctor. We have a good number of nurses as well, I believe we have that part well covered. No health problems with anyone beside the injuries from the fights. Techs and all the others are fine to my knowing. Korsak and Frankie are on Galatea to hire a couple of pilots with and without Mechs. Nina should be able to give you the stats for our machines and Frost should be able to tell a lot about our pilots. I have only one point I want to discuss with you. I'm talking about Lieutenant Kelly."

All heads turned to her and Frost asked. "What's about her? I mean – she is doing a remarkable job with her as a lance leader on Reds Battle-lance." Frost voiced the question all were sharing.

"Yes, I know." Maura replied. "I know that she is doing a remarkable job there but I would like to have her back for Silver. You know – the pilots in Reds Battle-lance are only tolerating her – "Maura lifted a hand to stop the others from protesting. "I know for sure because I had the chance to overhear them talking. Silver is down to eight pilots – nothing unusual because the others aren't in any better shape. I thought about giving her the same job in Silvers Battle-lance. In Silver, she is highly respected and they would follow her without hesitation. Honestly, I thought about transferring command over to her and being a doctor again but as I see it, this option isn't to draw for the time being. That way, Susie will fill in as the CMO until further notice. Tell me your opinions." Maura leaned back.

Frost, Nina, Angela and Jane thought about it for some time, finally it was Angela who started to speak first.

"You are sure about the people in Reds Battle?" Maura responded with a nod. "Fine, I'm in!" Angela threw a look at Frost who gave Maura a thumb up. Nina replied with a nod and watched Jane who closed her eyes, going through all the arguments in her head again. Opening her eyes, she told them "Okay, Kelly is the new CO of Silvers BL and she is 2IC for Silver!" Turning to Nina, she continued, "Tell us about the Mechs and tanks."

Nina opened a file case. "We were able to retrieve all sixteen Mechs from the avalanche." Now she beamed happily. "We can repair twelve of them, two more are completely destroyed, there is nothing worth to salvage left. Two, we have to talk about. We can take them apart or can see if we find those parts we need and repair them. Won't be cheap but they make a nice addition to us. The reason for those two is, all the parts were either taken away by the Rangers or went with the snakes."

"What type of Mechs are we talking with those two?" Angela wanted to know.

"A Longbow and a Goliath." All watched Jane as she thought it over.

"The Longbow would be a great addition." She mused.

"The Goliath too, okay, more on the psychological side but eventually, he could be nice for Gold." Frost added.

"Okay, we are going to repair them. Send Frankie a list of the parts we need and ask him to see if they can find some of them on Galatea. Cheaper and probably faster than to ask our employer." Jane turned to Frost, gave him a raised eyebrow.

"If we pool all our pilots together, we can barely fill three companies but the recruiting is on its way. Tanks and infantry the same. The two units, which are in the best shape of all, are Silver and Gold. Not counted in are those pilots still in the infirmary. The last of them should be out in the next two weeks as Susie told me yesterday. With them, we are back to fifty-two pilots."Frost gave them his part.

Everyone turned to watch Angela as she walked over to the sideboard, filling a couple of coffee mugs and taking along some water, she walked back and placed it on the table. Looking around, she started.

"Okay, let's make it short. Families and staff are all well; our finances are very good, besides the fact that we had to pay a lot of money for repairs and all, even if I take into account that we have to transport the new members and their gear over here. Only thing making me a little bit unsure what to make off is the question we got from Steiner – if we are still able to do our job." Angela looked at her daughter who leaned back in a way that reminded her of a big fat cat.

"Already took care of it, Ma." Jane told her, "Asked them if they had some additional jobs for our unit, the job we are doing now wouldn't be enough to have work for all of our people. I'm sure; they know our stats as well as we are."

"Nina," Jane remembered something Frankie told her before he left, "how is the Awesome coming together?"

"Slowly, very slowly. I know that Frankie asked to switch from his Marauder to this baby but he is tricky. Nonetheless, we have a couple of weeks to find the bug. Eventually, it is in one of the weapon circuits, if it is, we change his configuration from three PPCs to two of them and one large laser and add two more heatsinks. Do you have an idea who should take the Zeus?"

"He is complete?" Jane wanted to know.

"We had to change the AC/5 for an large laser and added four heatsinks. The replacements for the autocannon were to expansive from Steiner. Except that, he is good."

"Interested?" Jane wanted to know from Nina who shook her head no. "Maura?" Another no made clear that both women weren't interested in the assault machine and Jane told them that she would think about it.

A last view over the faces of her people and Jane asked, "There anything else?"

Four shaking heads told her no and Jane told them, "In this case, I have to go now to fulfill a very important task."

All wondered and Jane gestured to the sleeping girl in her arms. "We have to take a nap!" Laughter followed her as she carried her little burden out.

Frankie and Korsak send a message in advance to inform them about their 'catch' and though everything was prepared when they came down. Frankie smiled as he saw his family but as he saw Susie, his eyes went wide.

"Close your mouth, little brother, you will only catch flies!" Jane ordered him. "Never saw a pregnant woman before?"

"Sure I did," he stumbled over the words, "but I never saw MY woman pregnant before."

"Congrats Frankie!" He got from many people.

While most were occupied with the newcomers and the family news for Frankie, nobody saw Angela and Korsak greet each other – except Maura who gave them a small but happy smile. The remainder of the day, they were sorting things out, placing the new members at their new post, moving some people from their existing units to new ones and late the evening they were done. Silver ended up with a couple of very young people and Maura shook her head.

"Seems that I will have to play mother hen for that bunch of kids!" She stated the obvious, not very happy about the fact that all she had left were four expirienced pilots including her and Kelly.

Korsak replied with a nod. "Frankie and I talked about it and came to the conclusion that it would make sense to train some pilots ourselves. This way, they knew how we work and tick. We hired those eight with the idea in our heads that we can start our own trainings cadre."

Shaking her head, all Maura could say was "Why me?" All around her started to laugh.

It was Kelly who finally told her still laughing "Because you made an excellent job with Gold and Silver!"

Nine days later, they assembled for the first time the whole unit. A complete regiment of Mechs, one battalion of tanks and one of infantry. They made an impressive picture the way they stood and Jane beamed with pride.

"Okay folks, I know all of you are curious who will be in command of which unit. I will make it short and we start with first regiment! I take command of first battalion, made from Blue, Silver and Orange, 2IC will be Major Isles." Maura was baffled, nobody had an idea that Jane thought about promoting her. "Major Rizzoli takes charge of second battalion made from Red, Purple and Brown. His second in command will be Captain Luis. Major Frost takes over third battalion with Green, Gold and Black. 2IC for them is Captain Hendricks. Your other company leaders you already know, who is in command of which lances you know although. 2IC for the regiment is Major Rizoli. Major Korsak, would you please step forward to me?" When Korsak stood in front of Jane, he murmured, "Don't do anything stupid Jane!" With a small grin, she ignored his words. "I hereby promote you to Lieutenant Colonel and set you in command of our second regiment. I delegate the honor to announce all news connected to your regiment to you!" With a wink, she couldn't resist and gave him a quick hug. "Good luck Vince!"

"Didn't I tell you not to make a stupid move?" He asked her in a low voice shaking his head. Turning to the microphone, he started to give them their information. As soon as he was done with his task, Jane took the microphone back.

"That's it folks, now it is time to celebrate. Have a good day and lots of fun!"

Two and a half hours later, they sat with their stomachs filled in a corner of the mess hall and watched the interactions of the other people around them. Taking in the view of her mother and Korsak, Jane gave a sigh.

"Okay old man, why don't you do the right thing?" She threw the question over to her surrogate father.

"Care to explain what you are talking about?" He asked her back.

"I don't know about Frankie but from my point of view? It is gross but okay. So I would suggest you do it, soon!"

Frankie, who held his wife in his arms and caressed her baby belly, looked between his sister, his mother and Korsak. "What do you want to tell us Jane?" He wanted to know.

Jane shook her head, unable to believe that her brother hadn't figured it out already.

"I told the old man to grew a pair and ask his girlfriend to move in with him – what else?" Jane shot a glance over to her mother who made a surprised face. Giving her a grin, Jane continued. "He could alternatively ask her to marry him." Now it was up to her mother to outright look shocked and Korsak choked on a sip of beer he got into the wrong throat.

"Sorry but I don't get it." Frankie watched the way Korsak and his mother fought against their problems.

"Tell him." Jane told her mother with a move of her head toward her brother.

"Don't you think that it is up to Vince to clear the path and then announce anything to you and or Frankie and or anyone else?" Her mother gave her a stern look.

"Sure ma, but I can take only a certain amount of fooling around." Jane smiled at her mother, quoting an old saying she gave to Jane and her brothers when they were in their late teens and early twens.

"Does anyone care to tell me…?" Frankie started only to be interrupted by his sister, sister-in-law, his mother, Korsak, Frost, Susie and Nina, which all called out as one "NO!"

Two month later, Vince told them that he had asked Angela to marry him and that she said yes. All were happy except Frankie, who was stunned.

xxxxxxxxx

AN: This is the end of our story besides an epilogue but that chapter needs some time to come together. Thanks for all your reviews so far.