Corianis Colony Log 2

[Crash Calestorm 0]

Corianis Colony Mission Log

Location: USS Jackrabbit NCC-2421/Planetary Orbit

Captains Ready Room

 

The crew of the Jackrabbit were currently on day twelve of their police keeping mission to the colony world of Corianis, and though things were going as well as could be expected despite with the constant state of rolling uproar across the continents of the planet, Captain Ashton “Crash” Calestorm was bone tired and needed a solid eight hours of sleep to shake off the feeling.

 

Whether or not she actually got the sleep was another matter entirely.

 

Her long and lean frame was settled in an aerodynamic desk chair, while her combat booted feet were propped on the corner edge of the desk. She gripped a glass of bourbon, on the rocks, in one hand. She sipped casually at an amber colored alcoholic drink that almost matched the color of her eyes, and looked for all the universe like she was fully relaxed. Yet, she would leap into action at a moment’s notice. Her XO, Lucas McCall, sat across from her in the offices only guest chair, also sipping on a drink.

 

The light skinned Human female wore her usual on duty uniform of dark brown cargo trousers, black vest, and brown short sleeve uniform top. The officers and crew of the Jackrabbit typically wore the field uniforms that had been unofficially ‘adopted’ among the naval border patrol squads rather then the traditional gold, red or blue ‘pajama top’ uniform jacket of the Fleet at large. The black trousers and jacket tunic gave way to sweaters of a military cut, cargo vests and marine fleet issue BDU trousers on Cale’s ship. McCall was dressed similarly in his own dark brown and black uniform, and both of their rank pins were visibly secured to a flap on the protective uniform vests.

 

McCall and Calestorm had been in an on again and off again romantic relationship for ten years now, and knew each other way longer then that, going all the way back to their basic training days at the Fleet academy. The two of them would never be married though; at most, if they were to ever settle down with one another, the union would be within a common law partner arrangement rather then a traditional marriage arrangement.

 

Lucas knew without a doubt that Calestorm would never settle, at least not right now. She had her ship and her rank, and she was a quarterdeck breed through and through. Her body would probably give out on her before her desire to command did. He noticed, from an ease of long knowing what to look for, how she discreetly rubbed at the knee that had given her trouble since the Dominion War. Most of the time, she was able to ignore the pain. Other times, the meds worked … when she chose to use them. And, the bourbon was a time honored home grown medicinal method that she would employ when option one or option two crashed and burned.

 

“What’s your professional opinion on the Corianis situation Captain Calestorm?”

 

“This situation is growing legs and walking Commander McCall.” Calestorm said with a derisive snort.

 

“Any word on the new help?”

 

“Agincourt’s been assigned.”

 

“Bringing in one of the big guns? For a dilithium colony uprising?”

 

“Beats the hell out of me Lucas. I don’t have a ‘why’ answer to even speculate on yet.”

 

“Command team?”

 

“Harper and JoNs. Colonel and Commander respectively.”

 

“You know anything about them Crash?”

 

Cale shrugged, noncommittally. “Just the information that their service biographies contain, and what I’ve heard through the Fleet grapevine. CO’s Human, cut her teeth coming up through the marine ranks, and has time served during the Dominion War, same as us. The XO’s a Cait, newly posted to senior command. I recognize the name, that’s about it, doesn’t have same time stretch served like the other one.”

 

McCall took a sip of his own bourbon -- he didn’t particularly like the stuff, but he drank it occasionally with Ash when they had these off the record command staff meetings -- and then spoke his mind. “So … we have a front line battleship on route, commanded by a seasoned ground pounder and a slightly green Exec, to further contain the situation here at the colony. I don’t like it Cale. One colony, putting aside it’s a major dilithium producer, can’t be worth this much hassle. The ‘Rabbit’s a Miranda class border boat, we belong here. But, a Prometheus class vessel pulled from the main line Alpha sectors to schlep all the way out here? It just doesn’t make much sense to me.”

 

She tilted her head slightly in agreement, the overhead lighting tracks that illuminated the smaller officer area catching some of the strands of gray in her hair and making them contrast with the still wheat blond colored hair. “I agree, but orders are orders, and we work with ‘em if we like the content --or who we’re scheduled to work with -- or not.”

 

‘You think the civilians’ll keep going off like this?”

 

She tucked an errant strand of gray hair that had escaped the braids behind an ear. “I think this’ll all get worse before it gets better. We may have to crack a few heads together. And, we’ve been given the clearance to do so … which bumps it up to a whole ‘nother level. Question is, why did these riots suddenly seem to blossom across the planet?”

 

Lucas McCall quirked an eyebrow towards his hairline, and gave a good natured reply. “We’re border patrol: first to go, last to know.”

 

Calestorm just smirked and moved her arm slightly, bringing her midair glass about halfway across the desk area, indicating a toast of camaraderie and agreement to that last statement. Lucas complied and clinked his glass against hers.

 

The CO of the Jackrabbit knocked back the last of her drink and set the now empty glass on the scuffed slate gray desktop surface. Then she unfolded her lanky frame and stood up from her seat on the desk chair, moving her leg to stretch out a kink in her bad knee.

 

“Okay, we got a department head debrief to run through.”

 

Her tone was polite but all business, effectively signaling to McCall that the quick drink break had given way to the day to day business of running the ship. The hefty Human male nodded his assent, and stood to accompany her down to the main briefing room one deck below them.