"Pirates"

[LeftEar JoNs 0]

11.30.07

Mika Four Colony Outpost

“Pirates”

 

Note: this log is set in the third month of the four month re-deployment

 

Lt. Commander Left Ear JoNs leaned casually against one of the outpost’s fighter shuttles, her amused gaze set at a point in the distance. The brown furred Caitian feline chuckled to herself, the happy sound of purring genuine.

 

Lieutenant Preston currently had his hands full across the hanger bay, because listening to his every word and watching his every move as he worked on another one of the fighter shuttles was an avid listener of the feline variety. She kept peppering the human male with question after question regarding the fighter craft. M'rrett JoNs was a cousin to Left Ear, and was currently visiting her relative at Mika base. The gawky young Cait sported golden fur, green eyes of a lighter shade then Left Ears, she had not yet filled out into her adult weight and build, and was therefore all elbows, knees and wide clumsy paws.

 

Commander Jinx Brennan entered the hanger bay, her long auburn hair flowing out behind her. She walked over to JoNs, a lopsided smirk set on her light skinned face. “….she’s an enthused one.”

 

“Oh, you have no idea.”

 

“You had told me that M’rrett is planning on attending the academy?”

 

“Aye, probably next year, she’ll be going to the academy with the junior cadet program. Still doesn’t know what she wants to major in though.”

 

As the two senior Fleet officers watched, the younger Caitian darted again around the distant shuttle, moving quickly on all four paws. Left Ear raised her voice, calling out across the expanse of the hanger bay. “M’rrett Shaow! Quit slouching and walk on your hind paws – you were not raised in a barn!”

 

Her attention then turned back to her current commanding officer. “Thank you again, Jinx, for letting me bring her out here for a visit. I thought seeing what the pilots do might help the kitten with a decision.”

 

“So, piloting is in the running as a career choice?”

 

“Yes, along with operations or security. Medical and Sciences are definitely not her thing, as the desire really isn’t there at all. Engineering has a better chance in the long run as well.”

 

“What about the marine program?”

 

“She, like many Caits, would be better at commando tactics, so studying to be a full on ground pounder is definitely not a viable interest to her.”

“And you also told me that your family is rather large?”

 

“The entire JoNs clan ranges in age from my grandmother, who is in her mid nineties, down to the baby, M’rrett – she’s only sixteen. That will probably change once myself, one of my brothers, or one of our many cousins start having the next generation of babies.”

 

“…you give the Irish a run for their money.”

 

“Sweetie, Caitians can blow the Irish out of the water.”

 

The Irish woman’s bout of laughter was interrupted when the yellow alert siren for the base started droning, and Brennan slapped at the comm badge attached to her flight suit. “Jinx here, what’s the word Fashal?”

 

The strong voice of the Andorian executive officer quickly answered. “The Veshaka colony over in the fifth sector just radioed in a level two alert. Apparently one of their ground supply convoys is having some privateer troubles.”

 

“Aye, I’m on it. Log out myself, Left Ear, and Beans as the interceptor party. Beans can use the flight time and Lefty and I can back her up. Jinx out.” The base commander turned to her the senior Caitian pilot. “Let’s move Lefty.” Like a shot, the lanky Irish woman was off at a flat run for her fighter shuttle.

 

JoNs had quickly and gently guided her young cousin away from the hustle and bustle as the base scrambled to the yellow alert. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. You mind Preston, and stay with him in the command ops staging room. You can see how a pilot recon and training outpost works…” She gave M’rrett a quick kiss on the forehead, and then hurried off to prep her own fighter.

 

**********

“This is Scout One. No visual contact, repeat, no visual contacts as of yet.”

 

Jinx responded to Beans and spoke into her helmet comm unit, the tone of her voice instantly activating the device and coming over the private channel to the two other females loud and clear. “Noted Beans, keep a sharp eye, Left Ear and Jinx still holding position on your six. Out.”

 

It had taken a grand total of ten minutes for the three pilots to scramble, get airborne, and cover the distance between the base and the last known position of the Veshaka convoy. Every minute that ticked by was a chance the raiders would get away scott free.

 

Left Ear spoke into her comm piece, “Let’s try a south vector run, maybe flush something out that…’

 

The excited voice of Beans interrupted, “…we have contact! Northwest of the convoy location, making good time with all terrain vehicles. Small group – we should be able to take them easy.”

 

Jinx jumped into the conversation, “Let’s go! Beans, you have point run…”

 

 

**********

JoNs banked her fighter shuttle, re-orienting herself according to the attack pattern called by Jinx. Her matte gray fighter arced gracefully around, and then she made good time bearing down on the last all terrain vehicle in the privateer bunch. Her adrenaline peaked, and the rush enveloped her. She rarely felt this way on starship duty; there was something about being a pilot, the thrill, the sense of a good job done…

 

….unfortunately, the big ass homemade grenade launcher that was being leveled at her as she approached was impeding her happy thoughts!!

 

“Oh my gods!” The Caitian pilot jerked the dual control joysticks, causing her craft to zig sharply to the right. She avoided being hit full on with the projectile, but her underside was still caught, and the shuttle bucked and rolled wildly. Her stomach flip flopped as the internal equilibrium filters gave out, and the fighter started to go down with a screech of metal on metal.

 

Left Ear hit the ground hard once, twice, three times before sliding the fighter shuttle to a rough halt. With a quick prayer, she was thankful that the only thing injured was her pride. “This is Left Ear to Beans and Jinx, I am down, I repeat, I am down but uninjured…”

 

*******

After Brennan and the remaining pilot had completed the convoy mission, the clean up teams from the base had ventured out to further get the situation in order. All of the supplies that had been taken from the Veshaka convoy had been recovered, one pirate had been apprehended (the rest had managed to scatter) and remanded to the Fleet base for questioning. The pirates still at large would be hunted down by the colony authorities and dealt with on a local level. Left Ear was of the opinion that all of the thieves should hang from the nearest tree, but it wasn’t her place to say that – out loud at least.

 

Jinx and Beans had given the Caitian a tow back to the Mika outpost, and she now sat on a bio bed in the medical bay getting patched up by the base doc. She had no doubt that once she was feeling better, Jinx was going to work on her about the damage to the downed fighter. The thought did bring a smile to her muzzle, oddly enough.

 

M’rrett suddenly came scampering in, her young face taut with worry. The medical doctor wisely moved out of the way as the gold feline flew to Left Ears side. The two cousins embraced, with the elder feline speaking soft words of assurance to the younger feline.

 

Left Ear disengaged from the hug, gently clamping a paw to the side of M’rretts face as she spoke to her guardian child. “This is all part of service, kitten. It isn’t all about reports, looking good in the uniform, taking over helm and tactical so you can fly the ship and shoot things, and meeting an admiral every other week. You’re too young to remember what happened to my brother, but he was killed in the line of duty. Fleet service can be dangerous, and you or those under your command may get hurt….you have to account for all this if you choose to enter into a career as an officer, okay?”

 

“Mmm Hmmm.” M’rrett nodded, her eyes slightly misty with unshed tears.

 

“Alright – go calm down, and I’ll be along shortly. We’ll grab some chow.”

 

The golden Caitian again scampered off; JoNs stayed in the medical bay a bit longer, and then she also left. What she spotted in the outer offices stopped her dead in her tracks however.

 

“What the hell is this?”

 

Her young cousin and the pirate that had been brought in had been talking. The man had been brought to the medical area to have a wound cleaned and patched. He was secured with energy bonds and one of the base security officers stood nearby, it was true, but M'Vess did not like the situation one bit.

 

“Oh, come on M’Vess, we were just talking….”

 

A firm cuff to the rear end convinced a certain young Caitian that it was not wise to argue with an elder guardian; M’rrett again scampered off, post haste this time in a flash of golden fur and civilian attire. With a glower at the scruffy pirate, Left Ear moved past him to the exit way.

 

“…you might want to watch that one.”

 

The brown Caitian slowly turned. “Pardon me?”

 

“That kid of yours. She knows more about, and is more interested in, the privateer lifestyle then you think.”

 

“Don’t give me that targ crud. She’s on her way to the Fleet academy.”

 

“Yeah…so was I at one time. Just watch her, that’s alls I’m saying… Commander is it?”

 

JoNs regarded the human male in a contemptible silence for a few seconds and then finally left the area to track down M’rrett, her tail switching angrily.

 

Her paw swiped at her comm. badge. “Jackson? Yeah, this is Commander JoNs – I’d like you to put a second guard on our guest. I want to keep him out of any mischief, JoNs out.”

 

You never could tell with these damn privateers.

Edited December 1, 2007 by LeftEar JoNs