"Lashback"

[Kansas_Jones 0]

02.27.08

ISS Agincourt ICC-81762

“Lashback”

 

Written by: Colonel Harper and Lt. Commander JoNs

 

Lieutenant Commander JoNs stalked purposefully over to Crewman Pharon, a participant in the recent planetary bag ‘em and tag ’em op. He was currently under guard by two of his fellow security grunts. As she came within earshot, the human attempted to speak. "Sir, it was not what it looked like..."

 

With no warning, she raked her claws across his chest, drawing blood and ripping his uniform. Pharon gasped and clutched a hand to the wounding as he stumbled backward. "Don't you ever cower in battle again, and I know what I saw." The feline turned to the smirking guards. "Take this coward to the medical bay and then he is to be placed on inventory duty for the next two months. Go."

 

A chorus of "Aye sirs" was directed at her back as she moved across what had previously been the scene of Armageddon -- well no, not quite that bad, it had been fun – and did a thorough once over of the secured area. Satisfied that all of the security teams had cleared the area and were back on board the ship, she tapped at her comm badge to initiate transport back to the ship. “JoNs here, one to beam up.”

 

The transporter effect caught her, occluding the planet and then clearing to reveal the familiar clean lines of the Agincourt's transporter room. Harper stood beside the operator's console, and she turned to the officer there. "Take a break, Chief," she purred, her eyes drooping half shut as a small, cold smile graced her lips. The man looked from her to the Caitian, swallowed once, nodded, and took himself out.

 

The Caitian security chief gave her Human marine commanding officer a look that could clearly be interpreted as 'what in the name of the Blue Sun are you doing here'. Instead she said, "Ma'am, the planetary area is clear and secured, the suspects are in custody or dead, and all security teams are home." She stalked down from the transporter platform, her felinoid body moving dangerously.

 

"All teams," Harper repeated thoughtfully, one finger meditatively tracing the hilt of her dagger. "And all lone operatives, I see."

 

"Lone operatives? Last I checked sir, this planetary op was team based. Were you following the correct tactical feed?" An ear flipped back to punctuate the deadpan statement.

 

"Perhaps not," she replied. "The one I was watching showed my chief of security running rogue, and I'm sure that couldn't be the case."

 

"Rogue? I beg to differ Colonel. What you saw was me taking the point guard for the operation. My team moved on the structure itself while I had some fun with the perimeter guards." She licked a claw seductively and eyed the marine officer with a contented twinkle dancing in her eyes.

 

One dark brow arched elegantly, a motion apparently picked up from a Vulcan comrade at some point. "You placed 'fun' over the approved plans for the operation?"

 

JoNs fell into a formal parade rest. "One beings fun is another beings work. I meant no harm, every officer had their orders, knew what was expected and what to do. Standard operating procedure was followed, and the job was completed successfully." The Caitian waited expectantly, as if this statement explained everything.

 

Harper stalked towards the officer. One slow, deliberate pace. Another. "And the time frame?" she murmured, tilting her head slightly in question.

 

Kansas looked at Harper with interest; it wasn't often a human could approximate stalking, and do it well. A small smile tugged at a corner of her muzzle. "I made the call to push the launch time up. Hitting the smugglers hard and fast worked quite well, don't you agree. A time call is within my purview Colonel, depending on said conditions."

 

”Certainly," the colonel agreed readily. "I just find it interesting that you made no attempt to inform the bridge of your decision." Her smile froze as her gaze chilled. "One might almost think you didn't want us tracking you for a while."

 

The Caitian cocked her head to one side and spoke quite bluntly. "Sir, I prefer to leave the non tracking moments for my after hours business endeavors. I am working now. There is a difference."

 

"Indeed," Harper replied archly, "I would certainly hope that difference is plain to you... now." She fixed the security officer with cold eyes. "Perhaps I should chalk this appalling breach up to poor training, or the slipshod barnacle discipline. My Marines certainly know better."

 

Mischievousness flickered across the Caitians eyes. "Indeed. I am sure you are not biased in the least with regard to your Marines.”

 

"Of course not." An answering flicker of amusement woke briefly in the colonel's face, then she was all business again. "Were you expecting I would let you get away with it? You take my favor too lightly, Commander."

 

"Get away with what Ma'am? The insurgents are subdued, and the security portion of the planetary op was completed as I saw fit. I fail to see your perceived problem."

 

"Mmm," said Harper. "Clearly, I haven't taken a firm enough hand with you, Kitty. A mistake I'm sure we can rectify -- beginning with your due correction from today's debacle."

 

JoNs stiffened, whether from fear or anger it was hard to tell, and glared at her marine commander. "I beg your pardon, sir." The statement was not an apology. "Debacle? You are questioning my methods and decisions Colonel, and I do not appreciate that."

 

"I'm not questioning your decisions, Commander; I'm flat-out insulting them," Harper rapped back. "And you should count yourself lucky that we're having this conversation at all; you could be screaming right now, but I for one am inclined to cut you a little slack."

 

JoNs didn't raise her voice, but her ears went flat with a controlled defiance. "All factors were taken into consideration with regard to my decisions for that op. Do not cry failure or irresponsibility on my part with regard to what I did or didn't do just because my methods differ from yours Colonel."

 

With a voice like steel, Harper replied, "And if you had been wounded or killed? I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you wouldn't allow yourself to be captured. But did you stop to consider what kind of jeopardy you might be placing the operation in by indulging your own desires?"

 

"Ma'am, I know my duty requirements and I would never place a member of my team in jeopardy unless they deserved it." Her thoughts flitted back to the crewman she had clawed, before refocusing again on the matter at hand. "My ‘desires’ did not compromise the op, and I do not assume that all of the ops I participate in will automatically go to Hades in a Hand Basket."

 

The colonel's response was a clear sound of disgust. "What are they teaching at the fleet academy?" she said, apparently addressing the ceiling panels. "Commander, every operation goes wrong. There are merely greater and lesser degrees of wrongness."

 

The feline officer's temper - or perhaps her pride - was really starting to get the better of her. "I've already stated my case, Colonel. I used teams and a one man point guard, in what was very much a by the book procedure for this planetary ground mission. The mission was successfully completed and resulted in another conquered group for the Empire. I am not driving this into the decking again with you. Excuse me sir." JoNs moved, heading across the space toward the sliding doors.

 

"Walk out that door, Commander," Harper said sharply, "and you'll walk straight into a Booth."

 

Kansas flew out the doorway in a golden blur of self righteous determination.

 

Immediately outside the threshold, she found her arms grasped by firm hands, and a phaser leveled at her chest. She looked into the grim face of Crewman Pharon, whose eyes betrayed a slight incredulity that he was actually holding a weapon on his chief. His hand did not waver, however.

 

"What? Pharon?” Her eyes took in his still bleeding chest wounds, courtesy of her claws. “What in the name of the Predator Bird are you doing?! I remanded you to inventory duty!" The Caitian chief began to hiss and growl at her own security guards that held her firm. "I order you to release me!"

 

"They're under my orders, Commander," Harper said from behind her.

 

The feline officer strained her neck to get a look at the human officer. "Colonel! This is stupid! Why are you so hell bent on the fact that I was out of contact for a short while and took out the point guards on my own!"

 

”Stupid? Oh, no, Commander. Disregarding orders is stupid. Risking the success of a critical mission is stupid. This? This is decidedly not." Harper's voice grew steadily more heated.

 

"Disregarding an order would be if I just up and bolted in the middle of that mission; this is not the case. Risking a critical mission is when you screw up six ways to Grethor; again, this is not the case. I did my job Ma'am, and you are being narrow minded!"

 

"Perhaps you're simply ignorant," Harper mused, ignoring the insult. "Ignorant of the scrutiny this ship is under -- particularly your department. Ignorant of the consequences of your poor decisions. Ignorant of the reality that perception is as important as fact."

 

"I am the first to admit that I can be unorthodox at times, but you are nitpicking with regard to my perceived transgressions. I do my job, and I do it well, and I think you know that!" A low murmured growl vocalized the feline chief's frustration, and she began panting with the effort to break away from the guards who held her.

 

"You may as well stop struggling," the colonel advised. "Pharon there has orders to shoot you if you refuse to go quietly." She strolled casually towards the security officers. "As for your work... You're a creature of extremes, I notice. Very, very good -- or very, very bad."

 

"....I have not been Boothed since my service as a junior grade midshipman." The felines tone was haughty.

 

“Then perhaps you're overdue." Harper was standing directly behind the Caitian by then, close enough for her breath to stir the golden fur. "But since I dislike punishing officers who do not comprehend their transgressions, and do not care to explain matters to your back..." She snapped her fingers once, the sharp sound startling in the small room. "Gentlemen, assist the commander back in here, and shut the door."

 

And the Caitian was promptly ushered, several inches from the floor. When her paws met the firm decking again, she posed a question. "Colonel, for cripes sake, let's try a direct question - what is it exactly that you require of me?"

 

"I require you to promise me that you will never do something this utterly stupid again," Harper replied briskly. "But in order to assure that, I require you to understand why it was stupid, and I'm not quite certain we've pounded that though your thick skull yet." The security officers left quietly while she spoke, looking profoundly relieved to be out from between the two commanders at odds.

 

Her mental tactical brain recorded the fact that the security personnel were bugging out, but JoNs was still too intent on her argument with Harper. It was time for a tactical retreat. "Sir, yes, sir! I will avoid blatant acts of playing cowboy in the future, and will apprise the bridge command team of any operation changes in the future. In addition, I will dispatch someone less enthusiastic then myself to deal with any future perimeter guards. May I please be dismissed now - neither of us is getting any younger."

 

"You know what your problem is, JoNs?" she asked conversationally. "Your problem is that you lack any understanding of politics."

 

"Ma'am. I believe the root problem is that my politics and your politics are currently at odds due to what transpired down on the planet." An ear flipped back, and her tail lashed once.

 

"No, Commander." Harper regarded the Caitian as a teacher might a favorite but somewhat slow pupil. "This stems from the same source as our problems with your, shall we say, creative personnel reconfiguring? You need to understand that there are good ways to go about achieving your goals, and bad ways -- and you need to stop choosing the bad ones."

 

Kansas closed her eyes at that point, taking deep breaths and visibly calming herself down. After a moment, her intense feline gaze again was directed again at Harper. "Aye Colonel. No one likes to have their methods questioned, and everyone always feels as if their way is the most logical. I have never dealt well with my methods being questioned, but I understand what you impart, and will heed your advice." She inclined her head in silent respect.

 

"I'm pleased to hear it, Commander," the colonel replied, "because I grow extremely weary of having these discussions with you."

 

".....we do seem to have rather charged conversations, aye Colonel."

 

Harper studied the Caitian for a long, pregnant moment. Then she walked forward, past the senior officer, and triggered the door sensors. There was a flurry of motion out in the corridor, flashes of yellow and metal as the three young security officers saluted the senior officer. "You're dismissed," Harper informed them. "Return to your rounds."

 

The feline lieutenant commander shifted position to watch and offered a small smirk as the grunts intended for the booth escort left the general area. Good - that means I have clear sailing from here.

 

"Wipe that smirk off your face," Harper ordered without turning.

 

Oh dear - the yacht has just impacted with a coral reef.

 

"You see, Commander," Harper said, turning her head slightly without moving otherwise, "I don't give warning shots."

 

"And you also do not negotiate...." Reflexively, green feline eyes searched the room. There was no other way to bolt other then the doorway that Harper now blocked. Oh, frag.

 

Slowly, with deliberation in every movement, the colonel turned. "Getting it now, aren't you?" she said, her eyes boring into JoNs's. "You are not in control here. And you were not in control on the planet."

 

The power in the room shifted to pool around the marine colonel and coldness lanced out to spear the felinoid. Harper exuded the scent of a hunter, whether she herself knew it or not. JoNs could hear a low ringing in her ears as her blood pressure skyrocketed, and with ears flattened she backed away from the advancing danger.

 

"Are you frightened?" Harper asked softly.

 

The Caitian responded to the question in a surprisingly firm voice. "Yes sir, of course I am. I'd be a fool not to." Kansas faced Charlotte with the dignity learned and imparted from the past dealings with her marine sponsor.

 

Harper advanced towards JoNs one deliberate pace at a time, the doors sliding shut behind her as she moved out of the sensor's range. A smooth, quick motion put the point of her dagger at the Caitian's throat. Eyes meeting the commander’s over the blade, Harper smiled. It was not a nice smile.

 

The feline security officer could feel the coldness of the blade at her neck and she stood wire tight, paws held out from her sides, claws retracted. Gods forbid we make any sudden moves! Harper had effectively pinned JoNs against the transporter console. The colonel's eyes glittered in the dim lights of the transporter room. "Lack of situational awareness," she said. "I believe that was the topic of our conversation. Perhaps now that we've had an objective lesson, the point will take properly."

 

"Sir, yes sir." The Caitian’s voice was barely above a whisper.

 

"I trust," said Harper, the dagger not budging a millimeter, "that we won't be needed to discuss this again."

 

"No Ma'am."

 

Harper allowed the blade to drift downwards, sketching lightly over the wrap-top uniform, sliding to her right until it fetched up against the point of another dagger: the one impaling the Starfleet emblem on JoNs's chest. Delicately, the colonel slipped the point of her blade beneath the badge, tugging it lightly. Harper glanced down at the badge meditatively, and then looked back at JoNs.

 

JoNs looked Harper right in the eyes, trying not to get lost in the marine commanders intense ice blue gaze. “I accept this consequence Medusa." The feline’s tone came out very soft. Her gaze then fixated on the distant bulkhead. Her leonine features were taut with stress.

 

"I'm glad to hear it," Harper said softly. "Finally the lessons begin to sink in." Bouncing the agonizer lightly with her blade, she continued, "Generally, I find these rather crude, although they are undeniably effective." She drew the knife away, sheathing it. "Under the circumstances, however...." The marine commanding officer paused, and when her senior officer made no sign of moving, Harper allowed herself to smile slightly. "Take hold of the console, Commander," she said with surprising gentleness, lifting her hand towards the badge.

 

JoNs did as she was told, extending her arms out to the sides and clamping both paws down on the console casing located directly behind her. When the officer was settled, Harper reached out easily and pressed two fingers to the surface of the golden badge. There was a soft click, barely audible, and then a hum that ramped up in intensity and pitch until it went super-sonic. A snarled yowl reverberated within the confines of the room as JoNs arched backward in pain. Every limb, every nerve ending exploded with fire as the agonizing currents coursed through her body. Her paws flew from their grip and her agonized movements slammed her back against the drab silver gray casing of the console; it offered a bracing barrier, preventing the feline security chief from jerking herself over the transporter device and crashing to the decking.

 

Harper allowed it to continue for a few moments, her face carefully impassive, before lifting her hand from the device. Kansas collapsed, pitching forward on her paws and knees to the decking at Harpers feet. Her breathing was intermixed with pained sobs as she sucked at the air with great gulps. The Caitian officer refused to stay laid out on the decking and using the console as leverage, she dragged herself back up on her hind feet. With lingering tears marking a path through her facial fur, she said nothing as she adopted a shaky parade rest and gazed past Medusa’s left shoulder at the bulkhead.

 

A glint of admiration appeared in the colonel's eyes. "Well taken, Commander," she said quietly.

 

A silent nod acknowledged the compliment.

 

"Think well on this," Harper warned, then stepped back a pace to give the commander space. "You are dismissed."

 

Weary green eyes made contact with hard blue ones. "Aye sir." Thoroughly chastened, the feline lieutenant commander's purred voice came out quiet and pained, but with conviction, and she started for the doorway.

 

"Oh, and Commander," Harper added as JoNs reached the door. "Take the rest of the shift off."

[Kansas_Jones 0]