"Carry a Big Stick"

[Col. C.E. Harper 0]

A pouch hit the table in front of JoNs with a clink. Looking up, she saw Harper standing in front of her. "If you were that short of cash, Commander, you should have come to me," the colonel rebuked her, managing to look angry and sound disappointed simultaneously.

 

The Caitian had not been expecting any flying objects to grace her desktop, and had half jumped out of her furred skin. Composing herself, she spoke to Harper. "Colonel?"

 

She also mentally noted that Keltex was nowhere to be found. Interesting...had the Colonel sent him elsewhere?

 

The colonel leaned over, placing both hands flat on the desk and getting in JoNs face. "You were a little busy after hours yesterday."

 

The feline lieutenant commander froze where she sat, the only movement she made was to place the Padd she had been perusing down flat on the desktop; her green eyes never left Harper's blue ones, and the Caitian swore her body temperature dropped due to the ice blue orbs. "....this is regarding my NNC activities Ma'am? There is an explanation."

 

"I love a good bedtime story," Harper purred. "Do tell."

 

JoNs leaned back as far as she could in her seat, keeping her paws flat on the desk where the marine commander could see them. Gods forbid we make any sudden moves! "I was contacted, for a job, obviously. Homesteaders on some backwater planet are having a problem with rustlers...weapon cells were needed...and I had access to them..."

 

One brow winged upwards. Harper straightened. "You didn't try to deny it," she remarked, in some surprise. "Points in your favor."

 

The security chief merely nodded in deference to the comment.

 

"But," Harper continued, her voice hardening, "I am hardly about to tolerate stealing from my marines. And frankly, Commander, I'm disappointed in you."

 

JoNs felt embarrassed, which was a surprise to her; she normally did not do 'embarrassed'. The feline looked down to the decking quickly before looking back at Harper. "Apologies sir. At the time, it did seem a worthy cause, and had credit value in the process - I could not resist such a deal all around."

 

"Credit value?" The words fell from her lips in sheer disbelief. "What did those homesteaders offer you? A hundred credits apiece? That's barely worth an ensign's time, Commander, let alone a department head's."

 

Kansas sat up a bit straighter in her seat. "If you take a job, you complete that job. It is how I was raised Ma'am."

 

"But why take it in the first place?" Harper sat on the edge of the Caitian's desk, leaning back on her hand casually. "You have much better opportunities available to you; why are you wasting your time with this... small-time stuff?"

 

The gold furred feline relaxed a bit herself, taking into account the fact that Harper had relaxed....or so it seemed. "Is that an invitation sir? If so, then I am all ears. "

 

After considering the security officer for a moment, Harper hopped off the desk. "Walk with me, Commander."

 

JoNs paused for ten seconds before getting up and going with Harper. "Aye, sir."

 

The colonel steered her out the door, where Keltex and Norales quickly broke off their conversation and jumped to accompany their respective charges. Harper led the way to the turbolifts. "I think it best we finish this conversation elsewhere," she told Kansas conversationally.

 

"Yes Ma'am - as long as it is not the airlock chute."

 

"Waste of good atmosphere," Harper answered as Norales finished checking the turbolift car and waved them in.

 

A good natured purr escaped before Kansas could stifle it. "Yes Ma'am, that it would be." She maintained her decorum, attempting to match the marine's upright bearing.

 

The four of them traveled downwards at speed. Harper watched the lights flicker past idly, and said, "It seems you're not settling in well."

 

Kansas answered the statement, along with her own question. "I am trying to sir - there is always a transition period with regard to a new Chief. Why, is there a problem?" Her head tilted curiously.

 

"Aside from the one I've already mentioned?" She slanted a look at JoNs that said clearly the matter was only tabled for the moment, not forgotten. "Nothing official, or we'd be having a very different sort of conversation right now."

 

"...I see. Am I to understand that this current meeting is entirely off the record?" And was this a good or a bad thing?

 

"No reason why it should be on or off, Commander," Harper said as the turbolift ground to a gentle halt. "We're both off-duty, enjoying a little recreation. No harm in that, right?" She ushered JoNs out of the turbolift.

 

"We? Us? Recreation? Ah. Aye. Sir." With Harper gripping her upper arm, JoNs hopped along for a second before falling in step with the commanding officer. "Sir, I assure you that I will even out and adjust to my new responsibilities - officially and unofficially."

 

Harper offered her a toothy smile. "Yes," she agreed. "You will."

 

The young security chief stared at the taller marine with one ear flipping back, the look on her face clearly saying "oh frag". It was like looking into the face of, well, Medusa.

 

"Oh, don't look at me like that. I'm not looking for a new rug."

 

"Thank the gods for small favors." JoNs tried to gently disengage from the Colonel's death grip on her arm. She felt like an errant kitten.

 

"Indeed." Arriving at the gym, Harper released her security officer and wandered over to the weapons rack. "So, then," she said, her fingers walking idly over the selection, "we'll have a little workout, I'll express my annoyance with you in a constructive manner, and you can avoid any unpleasantness." She glanced past Kansas to the two bodyguards at the door. "Gentlemen, we'll want privacy for this. See to it, please."

 

Master Chief Keltex, who had moved up beside JoNs, clapped a hand on her shoulder. "Good luck Commander Kitten." Before making his way out with Norales. JoNs called after him, good naturedly as well. "Way to step up there personal guard."

 

Keltex shot back over his shoulder, "I love you too Commander."

 

The colonel selected a simple staff from the rack and stepped over to the mats, twirling the weapon casually to familiarize herself with its weight. "Commander..." She motioned the Caitian towards the weapons in clear invitation.

 

The feline cleared her throat, obviously attempting to stall. "Sir, ah, I've heard of breaking in a new section chief but I had no idea you were the literal type." A paw deftly plucked a similar staff from the weapons rack; for a brief moment, Kansas admired the construction of the ancient weapon from many cultures.

 

"Oh, no, Commander," Harper said seriously. "The whole idea of this is not to break you. As much as I would like to simply lay into you, I do feel obliged to provide a more constructive lesson."

 

"Constructive? yes, but this will still hurt correct?" Despite the looming pain, Kansas's tactical mind was working on various fighting forms she could employ. ".....all the same, thank you sir for your honesty. Most would not take this time, particularly with a non-Terran."

 

JoNs recognized an opportunity when she was given one, and she would take it and learn... and hope she could walk in an hour...

 

That got a look of surprise. "Non-Terran? Commander, we take skill where we find it -- or had you not noticed the number of aliens in the Marines? Loyalty is an issue, yes, but we won't waste a valuable player because their genetics are off." Harper spun the staff once more and then swept it at JoNs's legs.

 

"Mrrowl!" JoNs had been ready, but not ready enough; Harper’s attack was vicious yet controlled. The feline went down hard, landing on her side, the staff flying from her paw.

 

The marine didn't press her advantage, waiting patiently for the Caitian to pick herself up and reclaim her staff. She did, however, use the opportunity to impart some of that aforementioned lesson. "Now, you -- you have potential. And frankly it might be wasted in a Fleet that sees you as sub-human. But that's what patrons are for, isn't it?"

 

Kansas picked herself up and grabbed at her staff. Despite the pain in her side from the impact, she adopted a ready stance and her mischievous humor surfaced. "And is it often that a patron beats the hell out of said being that is mentored?" There was no anger, no recrimination; if anything, she was impressed that the Colonel was quite hands-on. Some upper echelon officers preferred not to get 'dirty'.

 

"Did that already," Harper said dismissively. She beckoned Kansas on. "I could have taken a swing or ten at you in your office, but this is more sporting. Besides which, you didn't do anything you haven't done before. I am fully aware of your illicit activities."

 

The lieutenant commander darted in toward the colonel, bringing her staff around to swing at her exposed neck.

 

Her staff cracked against the colonel's, and Harper grinned at her. "Good," she praised. "Go for broke, take what you want." She broke away and came whirling back, clacking their staves again. "Are we not paying you enough, Commander?"

 

JoNs locked eyes with Harper. "The pay is fine - lets just say I prefer some supplemental income as well." The felinoid ducked and whirled to the left, swinging at Harper's side.

 

"Of course you do." Harper hurried to block the strike, feeling it come too close for comfort. "But really -- power cells? What did you take from the last planet we subdued? Besides what went into your report, I mean."

 

"Engineering gel packs. Hii Yah!" The Caitian lunged.

 

The combination of two surprises -- the response and the attack -- tripped the colonel up. She hit the mats, but kept hold of her weapon, bringing it up to block any further attacks. "That's it?" she exclaimed.

 

The lieutenant commander's staff connected with Harper's upraised defensive staff. "Aye. Why be greedy?" A feral leer lit her leonine features.

 

A shove pushed the Caitian's staff away and Harper rolled to her feet. "Maybe so that you can keep your paws out of marine equipment?"

 

The leer disappeared and was replaced by - was that a bit of regret? "Yes sir." JoNs twirled her staff. "That will not happen again. It was a lapse on my part."

 

"Lapse. Indeed." Harper initiated a rapid flurry of blows, filling the gym with the sound of wood on wood. "You're still thinking like a junior, Kansas. Little things, under the radar, afraid to get caught."

 

The feline backpedaled, frantically blocking the blows. One block wasn’t fast enough, and her shoulder caught a glancing blow. Kansas knelt on one knee; not exactly a yield, but a bit of a breather while the pain passed. Tears were rapidly blinked away.

 

Harper let her catch her breath, grounding her staff and continuing the lecture. "I admit your handling of your department has been excellent, with the one regrettable exception. But if you want to continue your rise, you need to start thinking like a senior officer all the time. Petty theft is a waste of your time."

 

The bruising, on the muscle between the neck and shoulder, would be deep and sore; the Caitian could feel it already. Her voice came out a bit shaky, but gathering the accustomed strong purr. "Yes sir."

 

"I expect to see better from you in future."

 

The Caitian senior officer stood, slowly, as to not alarm the Human commanding officer. "Noted sir - I will be reevaluating my personal tactics Colonel."

 

"Good." Harper smiled, and for once it seemed an honest one: no hint of malice about it. "The power cells are coming out of your pay, of course."

 

The Caitian looked to the decking and muttered. "Damn." Her attention then latched back onto the marine officer. "Yes sir."

 

"Small potatoes, Commander." She clapped a hand on the security officer's shoulder -- the uninjured one. "Come now, you ought to be making more than that just in bribes."

 

"Yes indeed - the bribery upgrade coincided nicely with the lieutenant commander promotion. Rank has its privileges?" A small, genuine grin flashed some fang-age.

 

"Indeed it does," Harper replied quietly.

 

Kansas glanced around the gym area, and then at the hand on the uninjured shoulder. "Sir. May I attend to my duties now? Official duties, mind you."

 

Removing the hand, Harper nodded. "Go ahead. Oh, and good staff work," she added, taking her weapon back to the rack. "You as well. I cannot take the full credit - my father trained me. He is a very good staffer. Could have gone pro, if he chose too sir."

 

"Thank him the next time you see him," the colonel said idly. "Now, scat, before I decide I was too easy on you."

 

"Yes sir. Thank you. Scatting. Out the door. Personal Guard! I know you weren’t betting on that outcome or eavesdropping..." the feline stalked across the common gym area, content for the first time in a long while.