"Detour of Life"

[Kansas_Jones 0]

03.23.08

USS Agincourt NCC-81762

“Detour of Life”

 

With the ship not shaking for the moment and the warp tech test runs on standby as the engineering department re-calibrated and studied the readings and data results from the last set of tests, Kansas JoNs decided to take care of one more fire. She had started the fire, so it was fitting that she attempt to cool it down. Or rather, cool certain situations down.

 

Master Chief Keltex and the feline had not spoken since she had informed the big Klingon that she would be transferring once the ‘Court made it back to home space, and that she had recommended him to take over as the new security lead. The conversation had gone over about as well with Keltex as Klingon opera at an Andorian wedding. As a result, Keltex had been brusque with Kansas ever since, and Kansas had limited her contact with him to their respective duty cycles. With her verbal retraction to Harper regarding the official typed request, it was time to approach Keltex and try and undo some of the damage that she had caused.

 

The golden furred Cait stood in the corridor outside the enlisted officer’s quarters, paws on hips, mentally charging herself up for the conversation to come. Since she had decided to approach this whole mess from a non-official angle, she had worn civvies: black sweatpants ending just below the knee to accommodate her cat shaped hind legs, and a white tee shirt bearing the ships mascot of the USS Yellowjacket.

 

The stylized design on the tee was of a pissed off looking Earth insect – a bee, also known as a yellow jacket – standing in a tough guy pose, stinger ready to strike. Kansas’s cousin, MVess “Left Ear” JoNs served as the second officer to the ship, and the bee reminded her of the elder feline. MVess was no nonsense, tough, and didn’t take sh*t from anybody, and since Kansas was worried over the upcoming conversation with Keltex, she had worn the shirt to remember MVess and bolster her confidence a bit. And hopefully, the young feline wouldn’t get stung. She valued the older enlisted man’s council, and did not wish to dishonor his House, the House that he had invited her to join.

 

A paw delicately rang the chime for admittance, and she heard Keltex’s booming voice a moment later. “Come!”

 

JoNs tentatively entered the inner domain of her senior enlisted man. The Klingon's quarters, as always, were well kept and decorated with a few weapons and artifacts of Klingon design. Since Keltex was a senior master chief, he had personal quarters and did not share them with another enlisted officer. The square yardage was a bit smaller then say the size of Kansas’s quarters though.

 

The enlisted officer slowly stood from the small desk where he had been reading something on the desktop monitor, and just stared at the feline security chief. “Oh. It is you.”

 

His tone was flat enough and condescending enough where, normally, as a superior officer she would have been within her rights to chew him out. But…she didn’t.

 

Kansas cleared her throat, and the purring trill sounded very loud in the awkward silence. “Master Chief, I just wanted to stop by and let you know that I retracted my request for transfer off the ship after the return to the Alpha Quadrant.”

 

“I see. And how long before you try and run away again?”

 

Kansas’s ears went flat in anger, but she said nothing. Instead, she walked over to the medium sized window and stood gazing out at the pin pricks of light that twinkled of the blackness of space. The silence stretched for an eternity, with neither security officer speaking. JoNs heard Keltex reseat himself at the desk and start to type on the keyboard inset on the desktop.

 

“… I know you’re aware that I had some communicator trouble down on the prison planet during the mission op, and failed to secure a working one prior to the start of the operation, and technically went rogue when I dropped off the radar in the middle of the op.”

 

The tapping of the keyboard had stopped, and JoNs knew that the big Klingon was listening to what she had to say.

 

“With her injuries, Lieutenant Colonel Day has no clue about anything that happened down there during the mission, and she doesn’t remember or realize that I was out of contact for an extended period of time on my own recognizance. I’m sure the fact that she doesn’t know about the transgression works to my favor right now.”

 

Keltex now moved up beside the feline, moving swiftly and easily for some one of his age, height and bulk. He crossed his arms over his broad chest and also gazed out at the stars while he continued to listen to what she had to say.

 

As she spoke her peace, JoNs could make out her partial reflection in the plasti-aluminum glass window: her features were drawn with fatigue, and she had dark circles under her eyes, visible even with the fur. It had not been an easy few months in the Perseus sector. She had also dropped some weight due to the stress of running the security department. “Colonel Harper was very much aware of the protocol slash breach of stupidity, and ripped into me in the transporter room when I returned. She was in a rare temper.”

 

The young feline began to channel her nervous energy, pacing up and down the length of the quarters.

 

“… to me, it was just one more dressing down in a series of “let’s punish the cat” wrist slaps, so I had a reaction. A bad reaction. I was feeling low after the encounter with Harper, and on the rebound upswing I sent off the resignation to the commanding Sharks. It was a mistake, I see that now.”

 

The feline now turned to face the silver haired Klingon. “What I am about to say is not common knowledge among the crew, and I know I can trust you. The Lieutenant Colonel is not doing well. The injuries she incurred saving that one young jarhead are serious – she can’t focus, her thoughts are addled, and she keeps going back and forth between current memories and events and past memories and events. At one point, she thought she was an Ethan Hawke, and I have no idea who in the frag that is. She might be fine tomorrow, or next week, or next month. Or, she might not … she isn’t in a good way Keltex… and I can’t just…”

 

Kansas waved a paw in the air in frustration.

 

“… I can’t just up and bolt. Not in a reactionary way like this. I need to suck it up and do what I’m here for. I’m the second, and I need to have my command teams back, and I can’t do that if I’m being all prissy.”

 

The master chief now turned to face his younger line officer counterpart. After a moment of gentle scrutiny, he walked up to her and offered her a hand. “Nice to have you back Commander.”

 

A wide paw clasped firmly around the big, callused hand. “Thank you very much Master Chief. I just took a detour among the many choices on this little trip that we call life.”

 

“Well, you see Commander, this is why we have the Klingon pain sticks to jab you back over on the main thoroughfare...”