"Watch the Tail!"

[Kansas 0]

Note: this log takes place about forty five minutes into the one hour TBS.

 

04.20.09

USS Agincourt NCC-81762

"Watch the Tail"

 

The Agincourt had arrived at the colony of Avaros less then one hour ago to offload replacement troops for the Starfleet outpost station contained on the planet.

 

The main shuttle hanger of the Agincourt was a pell mell maelstrom of activity as the various response teams slated for the away team roster were prepping to be deployed planet side to offer assistance. The cities and regions of the colony were experiencing massive quakes roiling across certain sections of the planet, and the local planetary based militia/police, and the planet based Starfleet officers had put a call out for assistance from the big exploratory warship.

 

There were ‘Court security guards mobilizing, marine disaster response teams, medical teams on standby, shuttle pilots, cargo crews getting supplies ready to be shipped out, and various enlisted and commissioned officers running to and fro across the bay in an effort to get the first tier of the rescue deployment kick started. The area was in a constant state of controlled turmoil, but underlying that turmoil was a palpable scent of professionalism as the officers and crew all worked together to achieve the mobilization.

 

Master Chief Petty Officer Keltex was of course in the thick of things: the Klingon was the ships most senior enlisted officer, across all the departments, and had been involved in the coordination efforts for quite a few disaster mobilizations in his service time. And Commander Kansas JoNs found herself zooming about the hanger bay as well, double checking with the various teams as they geared up and keeping a running commentary as she reported on the readiness situation to the main control center of the ship – the bridge, as well as the ships commanding officer, Colonel C.E. Harper.

 

JoNs would most likely head planet side as well with one of the response teams as a representative of the command team. The Cait feline had changed uniforms, eschewing the standard ‘Fleeter trouser and tunic jacket attire for a set of marine issue urban BDU fatigues. The simple fact was, that the BDU’s had way more pockets for a Padd, a small medical kit and any equipment of that sort, and if the ships Ex Oh was going to be mucking about a planet that was in the throes of destruction, then she might as well be as comfortable as possible and have some measure of protection from the more rugged Marine combat uniform.

 

It was official – she had gone native. Not only was the office of the ships Exec located in marine country (since the position originally was to belong to the senior shark on board), but she had received extra training as a Marine. So, she had started out as a junior security officer, come up through the ranks to become the executive officer, and somewhere during all that had gone from barnacle guard to an adopted shark marine complete with a bona fide jarhead call sign.

 

Prepare to be hoo rah assimilated, resistance is futile? Either that or the feline second in command was having an identity crises, and that was entirely quite possible. Whatever will be, will be, and Kansas was content to accept what was.

 

Of course, JoNs was in all four paws mode, but as she zoomed by Keltex’s position, the big Klingon warrior reached out and easily grabbed at her fluffy tail as the appendage whooshed by him. The abrupt jolt to her forward momentum caused the feline Cait to make a half yowl of surprise, but she kept the exclamation relatively contained and the sound did not carry across the shuttle bay.

 

Like the feline, he too wore a silver toned communications device in his ear that glowed with a steady orange hue, with the small protruding microphone that easily picked up his voice patterns. He easily maintained his hand hold on her tail while speaking into the wireless device. Kansas stayed on her four paws and moved a bit left and right, as if trying to shake the offending hand.

 

When that method didn’t work, the feline officer then repositioned and twisted her upper body to an angle so that she was able to gently clamp her muzzle around his big hand. She was careful not to puncture his skin with her fangs, but the gesture more then conveyed the fact that the feline was not happy with his actions on her person.

 

This was of course the Master Chief, and since he had long been acquainted with her general personality and species quirks, Kansas knew that he wouldn’t get all freaked out by the mouth clamp.

 

Keltex was now "convinced" to release her tail, and once released from his grip Kansas did stay put, but the annoyed ears back look that she winged at the elder Klingon enlisted officer was one of pure consternation. The golden furred Cait stood upright on her hind paws and crossed her arms over her chest, maintaining the mild glower that was directed at the non commissioned officer. She waited – not as if she had a choice – while he finished the conversation with the crewperson on the other end of the wireless signal, and from the one sided exchange Kansas surmised that the enlisted officer was coordinating with the operations officer currently on duty.

 

“…. Excellent Lieutenant Xing, thank you for keeping me apprised. I’ll inform Lieutenant Caine and Marine Captain Matthews that the enlisted and commissioned teams do have the flight clearance for the eventual launch of the assistance vehicles. Keltex out.”

 

The enlisted officer then turned his attention to the smaller and shorter feline. “Ah yes, Commander Kitten I would speak with you.” His steel gray eyes twinkled with an inner light that was hard to quash in both the best and worst of situations.

 

“I gathered that. You know Master Chief Keltex, generally I get a bit annoyed when my tail is abused and generally man handled.”

 

He merely regarded his younger commissioned officer counterpart with a smile “But it is so convenient to grab said appendage to get your attention Commander.”

 

A purred huff of annoyance. “And you’d do the same to the Colonel?”

 

“Of course I would not do the same to Colonel Harper, don’t be silly. She has no tail, so I’d merely grab her uniform collar to stop her forward momentum.”

 

And the man was serious.

 

“I merely wanted to tell you Commander Kitten to watch yourself and be careful during our disaster relief efforts, and wished to do so face to face rather then using these infernal devices.”

 

The Master Chief, though a fierce and honorable warrior both on and off the battlefield and a more then competent master chief one hundred times over, could be a huge softie, and due to that mere simple factoid Kansas was able to relax her consternation over the whole matter. If the craggy headed Klingon non com was concerned about you, then that was indeed a huge compliment, and not to be taken lightly.

 

She flashed am answering smile at the big and stocky Klingon, and then spoke to him. “I might say the same thing to you if you are in the deployment rotational Master Chief?”

 

The older, silver haired Klingon officer planted his big hands on his hips and drew himself up to his full height of six foot two. His long sleeve golden security tunic jacket caught the lighting of the shuttle bay, as did the metal baldric sash that he wore across his chest that represented the family House that he belonged to. He had a phaser rifle strapped across his back, and a Klingon dagger fastened to his utility belt – the weapons were for protection, but he was well versed in the use of both weapons if it came down to the need to employ them. His black uniform trousers and boots completed the picture of a career security officer of forty plus years. He was not a being you would want to willingly mess with if his ire was up, no indeed.

 

“Of course I will be along for the ride, where else would I be Commander Kitten? It is my job. We enlisted officer have been tasked with protecting you commissioned officers for centuries now, and someone has to make sure that you and the other field leaders, Captain Matthews and our new security chief, Lieutenant Caine, all come back in one piece. You youngsters make me nervous at times, so someone must keep those young pups and you young cat all in line.”

 

And the man was serious.