"Junior"

[Kansas 0]

04.26.09

USS Agincourt NCC-81762

“Junior”

 

Written By: Lieutenant Senior Grade C.T. Caine and Commander Kansas JoNs

 

The remote command center had been completely set up in record time, and the lower level of the office building was buzzing with a controlled chaos pattern as the various enlisted or commissioned officers or crewmen went about the business of checking in with the 'Court, relaying information between the field teams, and the general hour to hour co-ordination it took to keep it the planetary on site operations flowing smoothly.

 

Commander Kansas "Will" JoNs found herself on the business end of the controlled maelstrom, but this was one of the things that she had been trained for, so the felinoid senior officer went forth as best she could and performed her duties as the Ex Oh On Site; the golden furred Caitian was currently hunched over one of the communication relay screens that had been set up at the front reception desk, speaking with the Ops officer currently manning the bridge station for this duty cycle over the secure ship to planetary wireless comms.

 

Caine trotted in through the doors of the building which had been hastily converted into a control center for the rescue operations, her Vulcan features narrowed with taut focus. The camps outside were well on their way to being constructed and she had just checked in with the marines, who were just about ready to roll out. Some of Caine's men had moved in here with the XO and she could see the gold-collared officers and crewmen spread throughout the abandoned offices of the lower level.

 

The XO herself was at the reception desk with a field comm system and Caine made a beeline for her, to check in and see if any further orders had cropped up.

 

JoNs had opted to wear urban Marine BDU's rather then her usual 'Fleeter command red jacket tunic and black trousers. When Caine came trotting up, the feline executive officer did a bit of a double take at the security gold jacket that the half-Vulcan wore; sometimes, it was still an odd feeling to not still be wearing the colors of the security forces, let alone the BDU's as an adopted Marine.

 

She had read Caine's personnel file, and the new Cee Sek was forty seven years of age; to be really honest, with the exception of the enlisted officers, JoNs had not yet commanded one older then herself. It was yet another untried command situation that the Caitian found herself in, but was determined to handle it well.

 

The golden furred Cait regarded Caine as the senior security officer reached the reception desk. "What’s the word El Tee?"

 

Caine came to a halt across the desk from JoNs and laced her hands behind her back as she made her report crisply. "Medical and security have nearly finished setup for triage facilities and base camp outside, sir. The marines are ready to move out."

 

Kansas fiddled with the wireless communications receiver ensconced within one delicate feline ear before replying to the Vulcan female. "Good. You and Marine Captain Matthews really got the set up and patrol teams moving along. Any issues as of yet? I know the local authorities are having some issues with looters going for the downtown stores. Any shenanigans spotted out this way as of yet?"

 

JoNs had moved around from her vantage point behind the half moon shaped reception desk to stand a few feet from Caine, her paws making no sound on the ceramic tiled floor; she crossed her arms, cocked her hip, and her tail swished idly. Though a young officer dealing with an older subordinate, her body language was confident because, well, she had a job to do. "Aye - we are pretty much on our own out here, but this suburban corporate park is perfect to launch the rescue and relief ops." An ear flipped back. "I'd like you and your lead teams to handle the security lockdown here at the site, and maybe head out on search teams for the secondary wave, to spell Buddha Matthews and his teams."

 

"Sounds like a plan, sir," Caine said with a nod, watching as the feline officer moved lithely around the edge of the desk. She knew JoNs had once been a member of the security department Caine now commanded and it showed in her bearing; she had good, confident control of her movement that reflected the physical nature of the job. "For the most part it's relatively stable around here and seems to have remained so consistently, but of course that leaves the question of whether that means it's safe or just growing increasingly likely to take a random hit."

 

She puffed air out through her nose thoughtfully. "I'll make sure we're ready to back up the marines when needed; I've got a list of teams already prepared and spread out the disaster relief experience evenly among us as near as I could tell from the personnel files." It was what she would rather have been doing; supervising a lockdown was, at the moment, a pretty quiet job but, logically, it was necessary. Caine hated that half of her brain sometimes.

 

The feline exec looked up at Caine - seriously, at five foot three inches, Kansas always looked up at everyone - and as the half Vulcan was taking in the cat’s own appearance and stance, the Caitian was taking in Caine's body language. Ramrod straight, yet relaxed and ready to go at a moment’s notice to act. Athletic body, definitely used to a life in the security service. Obviously a recipient of those good Vulcan genes, she might have been forty seven but had the strength of a twenty one year old, and would maintain that level of conditioning well into her nineties if not later.

 

To put it in another perspective, even though JoNs had the fangs and claws, if for whatever odd reason (alternate universe? strange gas that drove them all whacky?) the two women found themselves in a one on one hand to hand combat confrontation, Caine would most likely wipe the decking with the former chief of security.

 

A tail swish. "What about supplies? Think you'll need any of the real heavy defensive equipment? We have free access to all the good marine toys as well. Started the practice a bit back when the two departments started cross training together."

 

Caine's mouth twitched in a faint grin, but she shook her head. "I can't see why, sir. For the most part we're dealing with the enemy under our feet and it's not one we can shoot at. As far as the potential for riots or something like that -- we're here to help and I'd rather not go about doing too much damage in the process. Admittedly I'm not as familiar with my teams yet as I could be but what I know of them so far says they know what they're doing; I think we can handle the crowd control."

 

Kansas nodded in approval. “Well, we’re far enough away from the city that I think we’ll avoid any riots, but really, the local authorities are mostly dealing with looters targeting electronics stores and such.”

 

“Okay Lieutenant, you’re free at last." The commander gave her a fanged smile. "I release you from your reporting duties, but one thing before you go ... " and at this statement, JoNs's smile turned mischievous and her one ear flipped back and her tail curled into a question mark shape, completing the image, for lack of a better term, a rascal. "I'm sure you've noticed that some of us on the senior command and line officer staff are running around sporting the call signs?"

 

Caine let one eyebrow climb, giving her for a moment a very Vulcan expression of bemused curiosity. "Yes, sir, I'd noticed it."

 

"Well then, I regret to inform you, Lieutenant Senior Grade C.T. Caine that you are now target number one on the name blitz. It's our tradition on the 'Court started by the former Ex Oh prior to myself." Kansas cocked her head to one side, and for a moment, amidst the controlled chaos of this quake ridden world, JoNs was able to perform a duty that was harmless and didn’t exert an opportunity to do so a whole lot. "How do you plead? and I promise, I refuse to call anyone 'Pinky' or some such name like that."

 

Caine's eyebrow climbed higher and her eyes narrowed with amusement as she appeared to consider the question very soberly. Admittedly it was not the time she would have chosen to take a pause for this sort of decision, but the XO was probably under even more stress than she was, and Caine could understand her wanting a moment's break in the tension. "I suppose I'll have to plead guilty; given your expression I doubt it'd do me much good to do otherwise." She wondered what she might be in for; the XO's grinning expression could only be described as wicked.

 

Happy cat is a wicked cat. "And besides, for most on site or off ship operations, we kick into the call signs over the wireless feeds and in the field just on general security principles. There are a few enlisted guys who are older then yourself Caine, but basically, you outrank the command team in age. I think .... ‘Junior’ would be appropriate."

 

Caine absorbed this for a second, and then what remained of the Vulcan expression dropped as she snorted, a wide grin flashing across her features as she laughed. OK, so perhaps the tension release was good for her, too. "Junior, hmmm?" she muttered. "I approve of your sense of irony, Commander, and accept with all the dignity I have immediately to hand, though given the current level of chaos you probably shouldn't expect too much."

 

JoNs had read within the woman’s personnel file that Caine had chosen not to pursue the diligent study of the vulcan emotional suppression disciplines. To see a wide grin break out on her features drove that bit of text information home with visual confirmation.

 

The felinoid answered the grin with one of her own, her keen green eyes glittering with happiness. "Trust me Caine, you're in good company. We have a Medusa, Buddha, Sin, Casper, Will and Flux running around, to name but a few. And, there's no need for a formal announcement because your new tag’ll run through these on site teams as well as the shipboard relay teams faster then the call sign’ll make it on the next official roster that I’ll distribute."

 

As a general courtesy, Kansas then saluted the chief of security with a big paw touching her temple. "Junior Caine - welcome to the 'Court."

 

Caine straightened and snapped a salute. "Thank you, Commander." She'd already had a feeling -- when she'd been greeted on her first day aboard by, in quick succession, a Caitian, an energy being, and a jarhead brawl -- that the Agincourt was going to be a very interesting place to work, and this more or less continued the trend. The young XO's exuberance and amusement with this little bit of the ship's culture was obvious and infectious, and all in all made for a solid unofficial welcome. She snapped her hand back to her side and nodded a grin at JoNs. "Anything further, sir?"

 

Will's own fanged grin had toned down a bit as the figurative weight of the on site command that she was responsible for rested firmly on her shoulders again after the brief respite, but the smile remained nonetheless. "That's a negatory Junior. Dismissed."

 

"Thank you, sir." Caine's expression too turned more serious as her mind went back to what needed yet to be done, and she about-faced and jogged out of the building without a backwards glance.

[Guest Laarell]

I have to admit... when I first saw the title and the Jones author...

 

"The dog was named Indiana..."

[Kansas 0]

I have to admit... when I first saw the title and the Jones author...

 

"The dog was named Indiana..."

 

You know, I totally didn't pick up on the Junior and the Jones/JoNs.

 

"Joon-Yah." - Henry Jones, Sr. (w/ Connery accent)

 

Don't call me Junior. - Henry "Indiana" Jones Jr.

 

The dog? You are named after the dog?" - Sallah

 

Classic Indy film there Laarell!

[C.T. Caine 0]

::laughs:: You're the second person to make that comment to me about this log and I'm now feeling like the last person in the known universe who *hasn't* seen that movie.

 

::very much *not* named after the dog, but named *by* the cat::