Karma: Wrong Place, Right Time

[Kansas 0]

Note: this log is set in the Mirror Universe, and parallels the USS Agincourt’s current mission to the Corianis Colony in the Regular Trek Sim Universe.

 

07.12.09

ISS Agincourt ICC-81762

“Karma: Wrong Place, Right Time”

 

The Corianis colony mission was going as well as could be expected. The USS Agincourt had arrived at and established a station keeping orbit above the planet, and the soldiers and guards of the Security and Marine departments had started to patrol the streets and campsites of the dilithium colony world in an effort to help the local police and militia further handle the problems that had been incurred due to the riots. In addition, the Agincourt command staff had started preliminary negotiations between the colony administration and the dilithium mine workers in an effort to further curtail the problems.

 

Time would tell how well the overall mission to knock the colony inhabitants back into submission would unfold however.

 

Commander Kansas ‘Will’ JoNs was stuck however, on a written report intended for her commanding officer, Colonel C.E. ‘Medusa’ Harper, concerning the feline’s observations regarding the current situation on the surface of Corianis and a few patrols runs that the feline had participated in within a command observer capacity.

 

You might say the feline was having a bit of writers block. It wasn’t so much the content as the choice of wording that was the issue. She lounged in her desk chair, staring at the small screen on her desktop monitor and squinting at it as if she were about to give the inanimate device a good talking too.

 

A deep and purring voice drifted across the expanse of the quarters from the sitting area. “You know if you keep thinking that hard, you’re going to get a nose bleed.” Sarritt, who functioned as the chief shuttle and helm pilot for the Imperial Fleet ship as well as Kansas’s lover, was half sitting and half lounging on the couch and waiting for her to finish the report. The two felines had made dinner plans for the evening. Granted, they weren’t going any farther then the ships main mess, but it was a plan for dinner nonetheless.

 

Sarritt couldn’t put his paw on the current reluctance considering JoNs wasn’t the anti-Memo type. If anything, she regularly worked on and sent out updates, reports and memos with clockwork efficiency. She wasn’t exactly afraid of Harper, so that didn’t explain the hesitancy other then the usual common sense of any officer not wanting to tick off ones superior officer. Maybe she was afraid of any disciplinary action? Sarritt had only been on board for about six months, and really, he had no direct dealings with the commanding marine officer. But word on the ship was that the Colonel could come down like a ton if a situation warranted it, and the feline had been on the receiving end of that particular wrath enough to warrant some trepidation so that might explain it.

 

“You could just bypass some parts in the official report.”

 

Kansas stared at Sarritt, not really seeing the big brown furred tiger feline as her mind worked over the current issue that had landed her in both an advantageous as well as an awkward position.

 

The colony worlds were a prime source of black market credit income provided that you had a specific sort of product to move. Kansas, ever the opportunistic mercenary with a day job as an Imperial officer, had gotten wind of some interested parties from the Corianis colony in some sonar, tracking, and rock breaking equipment she had purchased that could be converted for use by the local workers within the mine structure tunnels. The Agincourt had roving patrols of both Marine and Security officers to clamp down on the factions that were rebelling; JoNs, per her duties, would frequently ride shotgun with both departments to get a first hand view of how well the situation was being quelled. Therefore, Kansas had been on an established patrol with some of Lieutenant Caine’s line officers.

 

When the last cycle shift’s planetary patrol had gotten in range of a particular downtown market area, the felinoid had slipped away down a side alley access way to get a visual read on a storefront that she had been led to believe would be the likely target for any sort of off the record and black market business dealings with the local underworld element. Unfortunately, the golden furred Caitian had literally come across a group of about twenty mine workers, hunkered down behind one of the outbuildings who were intending to ambush the security patrol about a block away.

 

Anyhoo, after the rebel miners and Kansas had all stared at one another in shock for about ten seconds, all hell had broken loose and the random phaser shots started winging back and forth. Hi there and how is your day going and pardon me as I dive for cover.

 

JoNs had managed to dive behind a low storage outbuilding for a bit of cover -- well okay, her personal guard Lieutenant Mical had sort of half rammed into her in a textbook scramble protection move and the resulting momentum carried both the blue skinned female Andorian and her feline charge behind the building. In between the insanity of not getting shot and trying to keep track of where the attacking miners had scattered to, the Commander had managed to access her wrist communicator to basically tell the security patrol to quote ‘move your butts, we have hostile contacts in the next sector grid over’ unquote.

 

As a general rule, it was accepted that First Officers did not wander off. But then again, Kansas JoNs had never claimed she was your typical second in command. For better or worse, she had found herself smack dab in the middle of a situation that required some quick on your paws thinking. Yes, it had been a very successful afternoon from a tactical standpoint, and some of the lead rabble rousers had been taken care of which meant one less headache as the Agincourt patrols continued to police the colony planet.

 

But, how in the heck was Kansas supposed to explain away what she was doing in that alley access area in the first place? The location was within the map grid that the patrol had been assigned too, but typically (there’s that word again) a ships Ex Oh could have ordered a couple of the security patrol grunts to investigate the area rather then going off on her own.

 

The tiger like lieutenant commander shrugged one broad shoulder as he continued the back and forth brainstorming conversation with his romantic interest. “You wouldn’t be the first Exec officer to not be completely detailed with their commanding officer.”

 

Sarritt, in some ways, was a better behind the scenes ‘counselor’ (and compatriot, from an inter species point of view) then the Caitian females former lover Conrad Zimm had ever been. The big Kzinti tiger played the Devils Advocate with the grace and ease of a professional.

 

Kansas shook her head in the negative, placed her paws on her hips, and her tone came out with a confident ring to it. “I wouldn’t go so far as to call it friendship, but I’ve served under Colonel Harper long enough to have respect for the chief ground pounder. No way Sarritt; I refuse to out and out lie to her and degrade whatever mutual command trust we’ve built up between us by glossing over a report with a blatant lie.”

 

The Kzinti feline smiled at her.

 

“What?”

 

“You look pretty cute when you make a decision. Your chest puffs all out, your chin juts up … you’re all perky and sh*t.”

 

“First, I’m cute, now I’m perky. Do not call me cute or perky.”

 

Sarritt chuckled and then started working on the conversation from another angle. “What about Caine?”

 

Lieutenant C.T. ‘Junior’ Caine was the ‘Courts newly assigned half-Vulcan Chief of Security, although she wasn’t exactly new any longer. The Vulcan security officer was very good at her job, and the Cait feline had no complaints with regard to the downright orderly running of the department, but there was tension between the former Cee Sek turned Executive Officer Will and Junior Caine going back a few years thanks to an encounter the woman had with some JoNs relatives. The shared animosity was a classic Sins of the Father (or in this case, cousins) pattern situation, joy.

 

The golden furred Caitian Ex Oh merely flipped an ear back as a smirk plastered itself across her muzzle. “What about the Lieutenant?”

 

“You slipped away while you were with one of her patrols. Think she’ll try and make an issue of it?”

 

“She’s probably disappointed I didn’t get shot.” Kansas chuckled and had withdrawn her dagger from her belt as she spoke, and began to twirl the sharp bladed weapon around in her paws through ease of practice and use.

 

The felinoid merely continued calmly from an almost detached tactical viewpoint as she effectively reinforced her so called position on the matter. “It’s not a case of incompetence, so there’s nothing tangible that she can make an issue of, really. I didn’t cower in battle, I didn’t place her people in any more danger then they already would be in during normal patrol duties anyway by calling them in for backup, and I managed to deflect an ambush that most certainly would have had the potential to rip up her guys if the patrol hadn’t been warned by me."

 

“You were lucky today Kansas.”

 

Luck had frequently played a part during the female Cait’s career with the Starfleet. For JoNs to admit anything less to herself was for her to not be completely honest with herself. Granted, she would prefer to not walk smack dab into a group of ambushers waiting to spring a trap and thereby triggering the need for luck thank you very much. She wouldn’t be surprised if two or four or so gray hairs popped out in her mane due to the experience thanks to the momentary fear the adrenaline jolt had introduced.

 

“Indeed I was very lucky. But, if I’m so lucky, then why am I having issues with the wording and presentation of this after action report now? How does this sound -- I removed myself from the main patrol guard long enough to take care of some personal curiosity with regard to the patrol pattern when I encountered the suspects, who were obviously acting in a suspicious nature?”

 

“Sounds good enough to me. Vague enough, but still explains the situation. If Colonel Harper wants more information, she’ll question you further.” The big tiger like male feline shrugged. “You are being honest, if not professionally vague.”

 

Kansas let out a long suffering snort through her nose, yet a genuine smile crooked her muzzle. “Oh yeah, don’t I know it. Very thorough, that woman is.”

 

He cocked his tiger like head to one side. “You like Harper don’t you?”

 

Will chuckled. “Yeah, I guess you could say I like her. I respect her.” Now she flipped an ear back, and her tone also went curious. “Why so interested in myself and Harper?

 

“I find the command relationship dynamic interesting, is all. You really don’t get it do you? No, wait, I take that back: I do know that if you didn’t understand, you wouldn’t be where you are today. It’s just that you’re a Caitian who is second in command on a line warship. I’m not saying that you didn’t work for the posting, as I know for a fact that you worked hard for it. But, it’s rare to find a Terran Human commanding officer who is willing to share the command with an alien.”

 

JoNs shrugged a non committal gesture and her tail swished once. “They all can’t be xenophobic. There are a few commanders throughout the Fleet who don’t mind working with an alien. The Colonel just happens to be one of them, and we work relatively well together. I have her back, if that’s what you’re saying?”

 

The tiger like Kzin officer shifted his lounging position on the plush couch into a sitting position. “Well… why haven’t you tried to take over command of the ship yet? You could do it you know -- you’re aggressive enough, have the contact network, the credits to cover any costs. Enough pull behind your name now to not have too many Fleet Admirals questioning the coup.” Her new lover was being honestly curious rather then bloodthirsty with his questions and statements, and he winked at her with encouragement.

 

She flipped an ear back and regarded him with a mischievous expression, “If I want to get shot in the head, sure, that’s a good way to go about it,” and then her manner changed into something akin to a more professional manner, “Look, Sarritt, I’ll be honest with you. I know you’re older then I am and have a bit more professional experience, but not all ships are like the ones you’ve served on. The ‘Court is one of the more stable warships in the Fleet, it’s a main line warship, and I have absolutely no desire at this time to upset our status quo here. I’m not trying to be a smart ass here, but your service postings? Most of the Fleet ships you’ve served are not exactly a shining example of the Imperial Fleet and the manner in which most professional or career officers maintain themselves.”

 

The leonine female officer slinked over to where Sarritt sat on the couch and straddled his lap, placing her wide and nimble paws on his shoulders as she settled down into position. The Kzin male in turn placed his huge paws on her lower back and started a slow and easy massage.

 

“So quote, wandering off, unquote, is professional?” There was no animosity in his tome, only curiosity.

 

“No, not really, but let’s just say that my curious nature got the better of me and I was casing the area. Curiosity almost killed the Cat this time you know. If it wasn’t such a serious situation, I’d have laughed at the look of shock on the rioters faces when I lurked up behind them. I’m sure my expression was jaw dropping as well.”

 

“… do you regret not making the contact or finding the information that you wanted? In order to sell the equipment?”

 

“Of course I do. But, I can handle the loss of a few thousand credits, let alone there wasn’t any sort of formal deal as of yet, only typical back room rumor and hearsay, against clearing the colony streets of at least one faction of rebellious miners. I was … where I was meant to be this afternoon Sarritt, and we didn’t lose any personnel to some recalcitrant miners wielding makeshift pipe rifle and rock ammunition weapons*, so that makes it a good day.”

 

Kansas smirked and cocked an ear back. “Are you quite through psycho analyzing me Mister Sarritt?”

 

“Indeed I am Ms. JoNs; all of my questions have been answered.” He pulled her close and nuzzled the side of her neck with his nose.

 

She responded in kind with verbal response caught somewhere in between a growl and a purr before making a final decision. “Fine. I’ll finish up and send off this damn report as is and then we can grab some chow in the mess hall.”

 

“Good plan. And I can think of a pursuit we can enjoy afterwards …”

 

*Trivia Note: This type of makeshift pipe weapon was employed by residents of the colony planet Nimbus III, showcased in Star Trek 5: The Final Frontier.