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

by Hechtl, Chris

  “That's right. Get your gear off and move. You don't keep the brass waiting.”

  ...*...*...*...*...

  “What's this about?” Hurranna stage whispered. They knew better than to use their implants with the MP's and Firefly breathing down their necks. Best to keep it aboveboard at all times.

  “You have to ask?” Sergei said shaking his head. “The fight, what else?”

  “For that?” She asked. “All this for that?” she asked in disbelief.

  “No talking in the ranks,” private Shep growled. Hurranna rolled her eyes but stopped talking.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  “In here now,” the Major growled. Private Shep undogged the hatch and they stepped through. On the screen a video of utter carnage was being shown. The others looked up in curiosity. Jethro took one look and then went to attention.

  The Major caught the look and shot a look to the Captain and AI. The captain's jaw tightened and her eyes flashed.

  “Sir. Ma'am,” the corporal said, saluting each in turn. They returned the salutes. Sergei and Hurranna followed suit a moment behind him. Hurranna kept shooting glances to the screen.

  “So, you three have something to tell us?” the Captain growled.

  “They didn't have anything to do with it ma'am,” Jethro said quietly.

  “I'm gathering that,” she said eyes coldly locked onto his.

  “You two can leave. Dismissed,” the Major said, pointing to the lynx and Liger.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  Jethro stood stiffly at attention as the Major looked through the tablet. “You've had quite a little foray.”

  When Jethro didn't respond the Major's eyes cut up from the tablet to the cat standing at attention. Captain Mayweather was sitting beside the Major, she knitted her fingers together. “You've got a choice. Judiciary or administrative punishment.”

  “Administrative sir.”

  “You're sure?” Captain Mayweather asked, looking at the cat with one eyebrow raised.

  “Yes Ma'am.”

  “Very well,” the Major nodded and tossed the device on the table in front of him. “For fighting with civilians, one stripe, one week's pay.”

  “For being absent without leave one week's pay, confined to quarters two days, PT detail, and two weeks bread, vitamins, and water,” Captain Mayweather added. Jethro's jaw tightened but he didn't say anything. The Major glanced at the Captain and then nodded.

  “Not one word of this to anyone. Ever,” the Major growled. “Consider it beyond classified.”

  “Sir yes sir.”

  “All right. Dismissed Lance Corporal.”

  “Yes sir,” Jethro about faced and walked out between the MP's.

  Captain Mayweather sighed as the hatch closed. “He did what we wanted. We just didn't...”

  “He acted without orders,” the Major said shaking his head. “And he killed people. By right he should be going before a formal court martial,” he said as he turned.

  “We've got too much invested in the kid to throw him away,” the captain sighed shaking her head. “Besides, I don't have any problem in what he did, just how he did it. If we push it and it goes public it could tear the system and the navy apart. We're too fragile right now to handle the scandal right after the mess with the Admiral.”

  “Agreed. He'll take his due.”

  “Think he knows we have his IFF tagged?”

  “We told him. Of course he does,” the Major shrugged. “Probably why he owned up to it right off the bat. That and he's an honorable kid.”

  “Then why...”

  “Why did he do it?” the Major sighed. “Think about it. Even if we had taken her and her cronies into custody what then? Do you honestly think she'd get a trial? At best, she'd get a slap on the wrist then a medal.” The Major grimaced. “I'm just sorry I wasn't the one who did it.”

  “You and me both. But it'll be a cold day in hell before I tell him that.”

  ...*...*...*...*...

  “So what's this crap about?” Hurranna said coming in to the back room of the galley.

  “You shouldn't be here,” Jethro said, up to his arm pits in potato peelings.

  “Ew. Yeah, you're right. This sucks,” Hurranna grimaced. “How come you got the book thrown at you and we didn't get so much as a love tap?”

  “I was senior, my responsibility,” Jethro grunted. He tried to keep his temper firmly in check. He had been on this detail for a week now. Hunger was getting to him.

  “Bull,” Sergei said, pushing the hatch further open to get through the door. Cans clattered on the floor. Jethro scowled but kept peeling.

  “Give me one of those,” Hurranna said taking a potato. “Talk about a boring job. I thought standing midwatch outside the officers quarters was bad,” she sighed, picking up a paring knife. “You'd think after a couple of thousand years they'd have a better way of doing this.”

  “They do. Over there,” Sergei said pointing to a box. “It peels them right away. Or you can put gloves on and rub and it will shed the skin that way. Or you can get really lazy and use the dehydrated stuff in that box on that shelf over your head.”

  Hurranna looked up to the indicated box and then back to Jethro. “So what the hell man? I haven't seen you eating anything but bread. That's no way to live.”

  “Part of the punishment,” Sergei growled answering for him. “And I'm pretty sure I know why.” He shook his head. “I heard the scuttlebutt this morning. I remember seeing the pictures.”

  “About what?” Hurranna asked. “I just got off shift. They split us apart and kept us too damn busy till now.”

  “The oh so beloved speaker and some of her retinue in exile bit the dust.”

  “Oh?” Hurranna said, turning to Jethro who's shoulders were hunched. “Oh ho! So that's....” she said shaking her head. He shook his head but didn't look at her. “Now this makes sense.” She shook her head. “No, come to think of it. It doesn't,” she said with a grimace. “Everyone wanted the bitch dead. I'd think they'd have pinned a medal on you.”

  “Perhaps I can explain,” gunny Schultz growled coming into the already crowded room. They shot to their feet when he stepped over the knee knocker. Peelings dripped from Jethro's arms and lap. He swayed a little.

  “You've got to pay for your pleasures,” the gunny said shaking his head. “Which we all agree don't we?” He looked to the others who nodded. “Carry on.” Jethro sat fast. The gunny wasn't sure if he fell more than sat. “You okay son?” he asked, voicing his concern.

  “I'll be okay,” Jethro said hoarsely.

  “Bull. He's on bread and water. For over a week now. You know what that does to us,” Hurranna growled. “He's lucky he hasn't lost it yet.”

  “Yes I do,” the gunny scowled. Neo cats were obligatory carnivores. They required kilo's of meat to maintain their bodies. Their bodies weren't built to digest bread as well as an omnivore. Neo cats could digest foods, they weren't complete carnivores, but when they burned calories like marines did the best source was from meat. “I think we can dispense with that part of the punishment. I'll tell the Major.” He pulled a stool out and picked up a potato. “Hand me a knife.”

  Sergei goggled as Hurranna picked a knife out of the butcher block and passed it over to the gunny. “Thank you,” the gunny said and started to peel.

  Sergei bent and picked one up as well. He clumsily tried to imitate the others. He was having a hell of a time though, his hands were too big to hold the tiny paring knife easily.

  “You see, you did what you did for the right reasons, but you did it without orders. Initiative is one thing, but well... going off half cocked, that's something else.”

  “Yes sir,” Jethro half whispered. He'd figured that much out for himself already.

  “You knew this might happen?”

  “Yes gunny,” Jethro said with a choppy nod.

  “Glad you understand. You've taken your lumps and haven't complained. You haven't taken the food you could h
ave in here. Firefly's been watching,” Schultz sighed.

  “Part of the problem is that you took the issue out of their hands. They couldn't make up their minds on what they wanted to do. Officers hate it when someone takes a decision out of their hands. Makes them feel redundant.” He smiled a little as he tossed the peeled tuber to the pot and picked up another.

  “I'm going to tell you a story.” They heard a cough out in the galley. He looked and then shrugged a little and looked back. He picked his voice up so others outside could hear. “Back in the day, pirates were tried and punished. Up until about thirty years before the Xeno war, piracy was a capital punishment. That changed when the politicians got involved,” he scowled, eyes bleak.

  “See, a bunch of bleeding hearts got together and changed the law. Pirates were just misunderstood freedom fighters acting out against an unjust government,” he snorted with them. “The fact that the Federation was the most just democracy ever was never brought up of course.” Sergei shook his head.

  “So they got the law changed. Instead of a nice trial and execution or a mind wipe, the pirates were given rehabilitation and were then released. Their ships were turned over to local authorities for commissioning in the local militias of the area to help protect commerce.”

  “Bet that went over well with the families of the victims,” Hurranna growled.

  “No. It didn't,” Schultz growled. “After a while, a pattern began to emerge. Piracy grew by ten then thirty percent in a few years. Pirate ships were turning up over and over again, sometimes with the same crew. If they got stopped sometimes they'd submit but they'd be smirking the entire time. But the death toll didn't drop.”

  “Ouch,” Sergei grimaced.

  “Yes. The captains didn't like having their hands tied. So they did a little... let’s say, judicial action of their own.”

  Jethro looked up, suddenly intent. The gunny gave him stare for stare then a slow nod of confirmation. “Yes. After a while pirates stopped turning up at detention centers for rehab. Accidents in transit, resisting arrest, killed during boarding, that sort of thing. Ships were scuttled. To badly damaged to be recovered.” The gunny's smile was ugly.

  “Bet someone somewhere noticed.”

  “Oh they did. The flag officers did at first. They didn't say anything. They built their careers in the captain's chair. They knew the stakes, they knew all about the scum. Murders, rapists, thieves, and worse. It wasn't going to make them sleep any less at night knowing that trash was being taken care of permanently. Less paperwork to deal with.”

  “But the politicians...”

  “A few noticed. The conservatives didn't say anything. Nothing at all, and even helped squelch any inquiries. The liberals didn't protest. The backlash from the whole program was a big black eye for them. They came out as soft on crime so they lost two elections back to back and were in full retreat.” He shook his head.

  “In fact, they proposed repealing the law. Which happened just before the Xeno war,” the gunny finished. He tossed his potato into the tub and then got up. He handed the knife to Sergei as he looked at Jethro. “We all know what you did. You took your lumps like a marine. I have no complaints son. I'm proud of you. You did it, and you covered the brass and the navy. They are starting to realize it now. By acting alone and leaving little or no evidence you could be disavowed. The navy would lose face, but it wouldn't have gotten as badly splattered as if they had finally gotten their act together to do something. And anyway, if they had taken too long hemming and hawing the speaker would have gone to ground again.” He shook his head.

  “Just remember you're among friends.” He turned and went out the hatch. As the door swung open they could see the galley was packed with enlisted. Both marines and navy.

  “Holy crap,” Hurranna breathed a little sigh. Schultz stopped by a cook and passed on a low order and then moved off.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  “You countermanded my judiciary punishment?” Captain Mayweather demanded. The gunny gave her a look.

  “I asked a question.”

  “Yes ma'am.”

  “You are out of line.”

  “No ma'am. You were,” he said quietly.

  Captain Mayweather's eyes dilated as her nostrils flared. Her knuckles whitened on the table.

  “Perhaps if you explained?” the Major asked.

  “First, administrative punishment is to be determined by the chain of command. From the Major to me. You are outside the chain of command,” Schultz eyed the captain. “Second the two week bread and water ration constituted cruel and unusual punishment, and was life threatening.”

  “Bull. I've put others on it,” Mayweather growled.

  “Humans maybe. I can check the records just as well as you can ma'am. I did. The longest period was three days. Not fourteen. And none of them were Neo's.”

  “What does that have to do with anything? I'm not racist.”

  “I didn't say you were ma'am. But Neo's and Neo cats like the Lance Corporal have different dietary requirements. In his case his species is an obligatory carnivore.”

  “So?”

  “So he requires meat. Kilo's of meat. His health was failing after a few days without it. If it had gone a few days more his internal organs would have shut down,” Doctor Standish said from behind the gunny.

  The gunny looked over to the doctor and then back to the two senior officers. “The doctor is correct. However there is a much more dangerous situation that could have developed. Regression. Deprived of food for so long the Lance Corporal could have regressed. In doing so he would have made himself a danger to himself and his ship mates.”

  “I could just image him going on a feral rampage,” the Major said eyes wide. He sat back. “I see now what you did and why. Still you should have come to us.”

  “It is a two way street sir. If you had come to me about it I would've headed it off before it came to this,” Schulz said calmly.

  “I... I didn't know,” Mayweather said, running a hand through her hair.

  “Understandable. There aren't many Neo's on your crew ma'am. Most opt for Marine service,” Schultz said, throwing her a face saving gesture.

  “I... I understand,” she nodded. “Okay. I even agree.” She shook her head.

  “We've got to much invested in this kid to screw him up permanently,” the Major sighed. “Is there any permanent damage?” he asked, turning to Doctor Standish.

  “I'm not sure. I've been monitoring his implants. There is some damage. I've been upping his supplements but...” he shook his head in disbelief. “How he didn't go feral...” He shook his head again.

  “Sheer will power. He's got a stubborn streak a kilometer thick,” the gunny replied. “But he is also willing to admit when he is wrong and try to correct himself. Something rare in some people,” he deadpanned looking at the two officers.

  “I agree,” Captain Mayweather said with a snort. “Backhanded compliment as it was, it does describe me to a T. You are right, I came down on him too hard. I was pissed because he backed me into a corner.” She shot the Major a look. “Okay, us into a corner.”

  “You were trying to make sure he didn't do something like that again ma'am,” Schultz said with a shrug. “Besides, you’re the captain, you’re entitled to some things.”

  “But not in killing a good marine,” she replied as she shook her head. “I did over react. We didn't know what to do. We were still trying to figure out something. Commander Logan was trying to figure out who to trust, who we could pass the information on to...”

  “And he took the decision out of your hands and that pissed you off,” the doctor said with a snort. “I know. I know.” He held up his hands as she glared. “Yeah, your privilege. But he fell all over himself setting himself up to be disavowed, protecting the navy. Don't we owe him some of that same protection?”

  “Which, since he is such an asset, and did a good job, I think we can extend.” The captain nodded to Firefly's avatar. “We'
ll see to it that he's protected from official sanction. I'll expunge the AWOL charge. We'll fix it. Since half the navy is in an uproar, I don't have much choice,” she grunted.

  The gunny felt a sense of relief. He was glad it was coming out okay.

  ...*...*...*...*...

  Captain Mayweather watched the holo with a trace of annoyance and pride. The galley was filled with off duty personnel. Most were enlisted but there were a few officers as well. More crowded the wardroom and corridors. All of the men and women stood in line, waiting to take a turn with the panther. So much for being in hack. He was now a celebrity. The people there weren't there to worship him, they were there to share in his punishment. Amazing.

  “Not quite what you had in mind Captain?” Firefly asked, looking at her. She shook her head.

  “No. I put the kid in hack and damn near have a mutiny. What the hell are we going to do with him?”

  “That is taking it a little too far Captain. There have been no mutinous sentiments in the crew. They aren't happy at all with his treatment, but they aren't expressing a need for a change in leadership. I believe the gunny and Bosun have kept that from happening.”

  “You think I went overboard?”

  “Yes,” the AI said simply. “He did wrong. That is a given. But killing him...”

  “Wasn't my intent at all. Okay, I screwed up there,” Mayweather sighed. She looked over to the Major, standing near the door. “Quit looking so smug,” she growled.

  “Why?” he asked amused. “You got yourself in a pickle.”

  “Okay okay, I'm an interfering busy body. So sue me,” she growled. “Your department, not mine. I get it. Any ideas on fixing it so we don't look like total asses but keep discipline?”

  “Well, we need to back the gunny. Pull the records like you said, and expunge them. Also change the IFF location, and get the kid something to eat.”

  “I don't want him on my ship,” the captain growled. “I don't need problems like this,” she sighed rubbing her temples. “He's a loose cannon.”

  “Well, since I was still debating on sending him to Agnosta, I guess that decision is now made for me,” the Major smiled, shaking his head.