Jethro Goes to War (Wandering Engineer Jethro's tale)

by Hechtl, Chris

  The lion's eyes went wide and fully dilated. “DUUUDDE!”

  “Tell you about it later,” Jethro said with a small smile and ear flick. He was glad he could one up the tech savvy lion.

  “Yeah! Definitely! That's like soo cool! I've so wanted them forever and...” The lion walked away. “So jealous...” He glanced back. Jethro waved and then turned shaking his head and laughing softly to himself.

  He went back to looking for his aunt and the Matriarch. The crush of bodies though, the mingling scents, it was maddening. Everyone was happy. It felt good. Right. He felt at peace with the universe.

  Act II

  Chapter 12

  “Hey sailor, want to invest in a new start up?” a voice said from the corridor. Jethro turned but Sergei's massive arm draped over his shoulder and pulled him away.

  “No he doesn't,” the Liger growled. “And we're marines, not squids.”

  “Ah, jarheads. Gotta love them,” a sailor said with a smirk. “They let you apes wander around unsupervised?”

  “Shouldn't you be swabbing a deck somewhere?” Sergei growled a laugh. “Lets go find a bar.”

  “What was that about?” Jethro asked as they cleared the crowded corridor.

  “Investors. People are starting all sorts of business ventures. They need capital. We've got back pay...”

  “Which means unspent capital. And since we're green, we're easy marks. There are a ton of scam artists out there so watch your credits,” Valenko added from Sergei's other side.

  “Oh.”

  “Yeah oh. I guess you missed mama Matriarch's warning yesterday.”

  “Yeah, I guess I did,” the panther sighed.

  “Well, she did also mention to be careful about any hookers we pick up as well. I hope she was kidding about that one. I'm pretty sure just about everyone is ready to get laid. Hell I know I am.”

  “Okay then.” Jethro extracted himself from Sergei's clutches. “I'll just stay out of arms reach until then.” The others laughed as Sergei mock growled and batted at the panther.

  “Save that till we're rip roaring drunk,” Hurranna said. “I vote Sergei's the designated tea toiler.”

  “Oh hell no,” Sergei growled. “Why me?”

  “Cause I'm not going to try to carry you or his sorry ass home drunk or sober. No one in the universe would pay me enough to even try,” Hurranna said, jerking her thumb to Ox and then to the bear.

  “Yeah, she's got a point,” Valenko growled a laugh. Sergei looked a little mulish.

  “I will refrain from over intoxicating myself,” Ox said. They turned to him. “I am not that interested in getting drunk. I do not wish to be a burden to anyone.”

  “Oh hell. We'll sort it out later. Stale beer and chips are calling us!” Sergei said, making hand grasping motions toward the bar.

  “We're wasting precious drinking time people! Gunny said we've got to be back at barracks by midnight!” Hurranna said skipping ahead.

  “Last one there buys the first round?” Jethro grinned a challenge to the others.

  “Oh hell no, I'm not racing you,” the bear growled slapping the panther playfully. Jethro winced and then chuckled.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  The next day some of the crew were hung over. The gunny dropped by and maliciously smiled as he banged on a pot to wake them up at oh four thirty. Those in the bay groaned and got up wearily. He had them get dressed in workout clothes and then took them on a fun run around the station.

  “Damn,” Sergei panted. He shook his huge head.

  “I tried to warn you to go easy on the sauce,” Jethro said.

  “Oh shut up,” the bear growled. “How's your hangover?”

  “Oh the joys of a migraine,” Jethro growled. “It'll pass. Sometime within a week or two. Until then I'm putting up with your loud voice and really bright entirely too sunny nature.”

  “Just be glad we're not going into combat,” Valenko growled. “I think the gunny just demonstrated that it's one thing to hear about something and try to learn from it, it's quite another to experience it firsthand. A lesson I will try to remember. Just as soon as this gong stops tolling in my head.”

  Passing by the gunny smiled slightly and then kept going. “Shall we make it another run around the track?” he asked. They groaned in response but kept going. “Another lap it is then. Come on slow pokes!”

  After that last lap the gunny took pity on them. He led them back to the bay. When they entered he left. Exhausted they fell into their racks. “Report for duty in two hours! Shit, shower and shave people!” they got over their links. Everyone in the bay sighed at that.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  “It looks good on you,” Hurranna said, eying the lance corporal stripe Jethro and a few others had. They had found their new rank in their IFF and a reminder to wear their rank insignia on their HUD's at reveille the next morning. For some it was a welcome surprise.

  “Jealous?” he asked, tweaking the stripe.

  “Yes. Yes she is. For that matter so am I. How'd you rate corporal and we're privates?” Sergei asked.

  “Good looks?” Jethro laughed.

  “Speak for yourself. I made PFC,” Hurranna said with a wiggle. “Which isn't going to stay if I get into flight school.”

  “Going to glut for punishment and go for OCS training as well?”

  “Mustang? No, leading men around is fun some of the time but all of the time?” She shook her head. “Naw, I'll go for pilot. That way I can pick you up and dump you grunts off and be rid of you whenever I please.”

  “Gee thanks. You're all heart,” Sergei said with a laugh.

  “Seems that way,” she smiled.

  “I heard we're getting time off now. A whole three day pass if you can believe it,” someone down the rows said.

  “Yeah. We are. Tomorrow's Friday,” Hurranna said getting her gear together. “Tonight we've got to be back by midnight. Tomorrow we get the family pass though,” she said. She adjusted her uniform. “Which means I'm going bar hopping just as soon as I can. Anyone want to escort me?” she asked looking around. She batted her eyelashes playfully at some of the guys.

  “Sure. I'm game,” Sergei grinned. He slapped Jethro. “So is Jethro. Let me get dressed.”

  Jethro shook his now stinging bicep. “Why me. Well, I guess someone's got to keep you out of trouble,” he shook his head at the futility in that thought.

  “Oh hell no. There is no way I'm propping his ass to get him back here,” Hurranna said shaking her head. “You know the way he drinks. He falls over and I'm a pancake. You're coming bucko.”

  “Yeah yeah,” Jethro said. “If you insist.”

  “And I do,” she said with a sweet smile.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  Sergei grinned as he spotted the tiny Hurranna coming over with a tray. She and Senjix were both wearing the gold life saving medals. “Moonlighting?” he asked. She growled at him as she set the tray down. “A barmaid's uniform would look good on you right about now. I heard they're hiring if you're interested,” he smirked.

  “Hell no. If we wait for service around here we'll be waiting forever,” she said shaking her head. The others each grabbed a stein. She slapped Sergei's outstretched hand. “What do you say?”

  He grimaced and shook his hand paw looking confused and then chuckled. “Please?”

  “Better. Sure. Be my guest.” She smiled as she sat down.

  He took the stein and saluted her with it. “To teamwork. Long may it last.”

  “Hear hear,” the others echoed. They each took a pull.

  “Ah, I don't mean to bother you, but you're marines right?” Jethro's eye swiveled to a group of college preppie kids looking nervously around. Human kids, probably teens. Ballsy teens to approach a group of Neo's.

  “Yeah kid, what's it to ya?” Sergei answered, wiping foam from his mouth with the back of his hand and then licking it off his forearm.

  “Um, it's ah, just we were wondering, what's it
like?”

  “So far it's no picnic. Going to get harder as we go. Or so they say. As long as we don't have the meat grinder I'm not sure how that's possible though,” Jethro answered.

  “So what do you do? On a ship I mean?” A girl with pigtails and a plaid mini skirt asked, peeking out from behind the oldest boy. She was obviously too young to be here. Ten maybe eleven.

  “We shoot people and break things. It's the marine way,” Sergei said with a laugh. The others laughed as well.

  “We're soldiers. Well sort of,” Jethro interpreted as the laughter died down.

  “Sort of?”

  “Neither fish nor fowl,” Jethro shrugged as he looked away. “Sorry. Old saying I got from my granddad’s journal. A marine is a soldier who's a part of the navy. We serve on ships and sometimes on the ground. We're the security of a ship. We go over when a ship needs to be boarded, and we're the first to land on a hostile planet or moon if it needs to be secured.”

  “The few, the proud, the marines!” the others around them echoed.

  “Oh,” the kid looked startled.

  “Sounds hard. How many are there of you?” the girl asked.

  “Well, two hundred and ninety eight just graduated kid. I don't know how many were in the first class,” Hurranna said shrugging.

  “First class?”

  “Yeah, the major and the people the Admiral recruited as marines. First to serve on Firefly, then the other ships. I think there were thirty or forty,” Sergei answered, giving Jethro a look. The panther shrugged.

  “Cool,” a large kid nodded. “You need good grades?”

  “Hell kid, I never went to school. Just learned to read from the Matriarch,” Sergei growled. “What's it to you?”

  “Just asking,” the kid said gulping at the subsonic growl and flashing eyes of the four meter tall Liger. “Damn,” he muttered feeling that rumble below his belt. He suddenly had an urge to leak. Bad. He shook his head. “I ah, gotta go.” He made his way through the crowd straight for the bathroom.

  “Spoil sport,” Hurranna laughed, shaking her head and slapping the big Liger. “Meany. Scaring the piss out of the kid.”

  Sergei shook his head. “Serves him right.”

  “What, I mean, do you get to do all sorts of stuff? Or just stand around?” a guy in the back asked.

  “If you ask me you're all a waste of air and space. Space the lot,” a guy covered in tattoos growled. A few at his table nodded. “Waste of tax payer money.”

  “Who asked you?” another guy said, looking up. He turned so he could face the table. “I wish to god we'd had them when the damn Horathian scum boarded my ship. Do you have any idea what it’s like to live as a slave?”

  Most of the bar quieted at the man's snarl. He shook himself, half rising out of his chair. “A year. A slave for a year. Watching my crew mates get raped, tortured and killed one by one. Watching those animals rape a child and then cut her up. Hooked a Vesuvian up to a table and burned him slow while they made us watch. It took hours for him to die. I can never ever get the smell of his burning flesh out of my head now. For what? He never hurt no one, never bothered anyone. Nice guy.” He shook his head and then pointed to the marines.

  “These boys and girls, or at least the others that trained them saved my ass. Mine and those that survived,” his mouth writhed. He drained his beer and then wiped his mouth. “So close your fat mouth. These kids earn their living with their sweat and blood. They lay their lives on the line so others can see another day. What have you done? Fuck all. Drink and bitch. That's it.” He sat down shaking his head. He put his head in his hands. His table mate patted his shoulder.

  “Damn,” Hurranna said, wide eyed. She shivered a little, clearly shaken.

  “Yeah,” Jethro said, suddenly not in the mood to drink anymore.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  When they left the bar he had a hell of a time supporting the Liger. He sighed. Hurranna smiled sweetly at him. She made a muscle with her bicep. He rolled his eyes. It wasn't that strength was a problem, no it was the fact that the Liger was so damn big! And of course he had his own mind about where they were going and how to get there.

  A group of punks on the corner were hanging out and drinking from a cardboard carton. He sighed recognizing the signs.

  “Hey moreau bitch come over here and get some real love! Come suck my wanker you bitch, that's all you're good for!” one punk said. He laughed as his friends slapped his back and whistled.

  “Back in a sec,” Hurranna sent over the link. She strolled over to the punks. He couldn't believe it, she was working it, strutting. The punks cat calls added to her strutting. He shook his head.

  “Now, what did you call me?” she asked the punk with the eagle tattoos on his face and arms and sporting a purple mohawk. He glanced at his friends. “Don't look at them look at me. You think you can handle me?”

  “Yeah Bitch,” he says giving his friends a look for support. She got closer.

  “No not that, the other thing,” she murmured huskily, standing on her toes and leaning forward toward him.

  “Uh, moreau?” he asked stupidly. His friends smirk. Her hands stroked his chest. One dropped lower.

  “Ah, that's it,” she said. Her eyes blazed as one hand dropped and suddenly grabbed his manhood. He squeaked, started to move and then froze.

  “I don't think you've got the stones to handle something like me. In fact I know you don't, don't I?” she said looking him in the eye. The guy was staring down at her, frozen and bug eyed. “You or your friends here.” They had all quieted and backed up when she had grabbed the guy.

  The punk gulped, his adam's apple moving up and down. Sweat beaded his brow. She smiled again, making sure he got a good look at her sharp teeth.

  “Shit man...” one guy behind them said softly. They couldn't back away any further into the corner. Their eyes were wide. He could smell the fear. They hadn't counted on pissing a predator off. One of them touched a chain but caught sight of Jethro's snarling face and he stopped, hands slowly moving back out to show they were empty.

  She reached up and stroked the punk's cheek with a finger, flexing the four centimeter claw in and out. It touched his chin and drew a small line of blood. “For your information we don't appreciate being called Moreau's. We get a little pissed by it. When we do, bad things happen to those who call us that. Got it?” she asked simply, hand tightening on his crotch.

  “Yeah yeah... ah, yes ma'am,” the kid said nervously. She grimaced a little as he wet himself. She could smell it and feel the damp.

  “Good boy,” she said. “Go back to your mama's and have them teach you some manners. You all need to learn how to treat a lady. Got it?” she asked looking at the other three. They gulped and nodded as she twisted her hand holding the guy. He practically swooned. She let him go and he fell to his knees clutching his lap. She wiped her hand on his head. After a second the man sobbed, falling on his side in a fetal position.

  She turned, gave the other punks a smile over her shoulder and then strutted back to Jethro and the others.

  “Geeze what'd she do to him!” one guy said softly. “Help me get him up man, we gotta get out of here. Security comes around and they'll snag him for vagrancy or somethin' or other.”

  She smiled and flicked her ears to Jethro. He shook his head. “Naughty girl,” he said, eyes dancing.

  “Too right,” she replied with a feral grin. “And I'm not going to let anyone forget that.” He chuckled softly at that.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  “Spirit of space not again,” Hurranna sighed as she caught sight of a group of kids hiding around the corner from the coffee shop they were sitting at. The only one of them to have a hang over this morning was Sergei. She and Jethero had remembered to take an analgesic and drink plenty of water before bedding down.

  “What?” Sergei looked up. He snorted and then looked back down. “Just kids.”

  “Yeah, but I feel like a freak.”

>   “After working at the club I'd think you'd be used to being ogled,” Sergei grumped. “Hell, you've got a lot more clothes on now. Guess they like using their imaginations.”

  “Oh shut up,” she growled, sitting back.

  “Best to get it over with,” Jethro said shaking his head. Jethro turned in his seat and pointed to a kid peaking. “You want to come over and ask what you want to ask? You are making us nervous.”

  The kids came over slowly, looking a little guilty. One was pushed to the front. Most were teens or preteens. They were a mix of ages and species.

  “Yeah?”

  “How, I mean, how do you become a marine?” the Veraxin kid asked. He clicked his main arms. His secondary arms were clutched to his thorax.

  Sergei snorted. “That all? All you gotta do is check the net. See a recruiter.” He pointed to a poster over on the other side of the quad. “We've got them posters up everywhere kid. Go to the URL at the bottom and it'll tell you all about the corps and where to go see a recruiter to get more info.”

  “Oh,” the veraxin boy said. The kids looked a little crestfallen.

  “But since you're here, go ahead. Ask away,” Jethro said, lounging back and wrapping an arm around the back of his chair. He smiled a toothy smile. One of the kids flinched and gulped but didn't back away. He glanced at the other cats and flicked his ears in amusement.

  “So you went to the site?”

  “No. We were recruited in the hospital. Least the three of us.”

  “I was first,” Sergei said, smiling.

  “Only because you opened your big mouth before we could get our two cents worth in,” Hurranna laughed. She glanced at the kids. “It's all right kids, we don't eat younglings. Too gamey for my tastes.”

  “Hell, too big for you, they all tower over you,” Sergei said getting her back. She glared. He smiled. “Any time, any place honey.”

  “Sure thing peachykins. Just as soon as I clear the rest of my dance schedule,” she said, smiling a feral smile of his own.

  “Bigger and stronger.”

  “But dumber,” she said taking a sip of coffee with her straw. Her eyes locked onto his and danced a challenge.