by Chris Hechtl
When Jethro received his movement orders, he knew there would be trouble. He had a very short time to act too; the brass wanted this on the snap kick. He had less than four hours to get packed and then to the spaceport.
He grabbed his gear, silently nodded to Tungulria and the others, then took off to his car.
He was right about trouble he thought. There was trouble the moment he broke the news to Lil Red; the youngling was upset and furious. She had every right to be he knew. He'd tried to break the news as gently as he could but apparently that hadn't helped. He had realized she'd started to come out of her shell, to finally feel safe and secure in her environment. She'd even admitted to liking her classes, teachers, and a few of her classmates. Now he was throwing her into chaos all over again.
“It's not fair!” she raged over and over again.
Would it be like that if he'd had Shanti and the kittens he wondered? Make them pick up and move every year or so? Obviously, they wouldn't follow him into combat but … he shook himself and put the subject out of his mind for the moment.
“I warned you something like this would … will you sit down already! We don't have a lot of time here, Red,” he said, catching her and tossing her onto the couch.
She bounced, tried to bounce off but one of his hands caught her and pushed her back down. She glared at him as he took a seat next to her.
“Here is the deal. We've got three, possibly four options for you. I honestly don't like three of them but I'm going to lay them out for you.” He paused to see how receptive she was. From her scowl and flat ears not very, but he was on a ticking clock. “You can one, stay here and be on your own on Antigua until I get back.”
“When will you be back?” she asked, eying him.
“I don't know. That's an honest answer,” he said as her eyes and nostrils flared in protest. “I'm being sent a really far distance, Red; I'll be gone at least a year. At least,” he warned.
“A year,” she murmured.
“Yes. And I have no idea who would look after you during that time. I don't even know if the military will let you stay here,” he said, indicating the house they were in.
“But …?”
“Okay, option two is Kathy's World,” he said.
She shivered. “Cold. Too cold,” she said instantly, ears flat. “I heard about it.”
“Well, you can go to Agnosta. I have a … let me finish,” he said as she started to shake her head vehemently no. “I'm not saying you need to sign up with the Marines. I'm … will you …,” he sighed in exasperation. “Red, I'm trying to tell you I've got family there too. Sort of. Cheetahra knows about you. She'd probably take you in if you helped out around her place. She also has cubs.”
“Um …,” she seemed torn.
“Your only other choices than those two are to stay here on your own or go back to Protodon. I don't know if or when I'll be back here. It might be years,” he warned.
“Some choice,” she said bitterly, looking away. “Can't I go with you?” she asked, turning wide, soulful eyes his way. She hung on his arm and batted her eyes at him, trilling.
“No, I'm sorry,” he said as he disengaged from her clutches. “I'm going to war. You don't want that. I definitely don't want that for you either.”
She stared at him wide-eyed with her ears flat and out. “War?”
“Like on Protodon but far more intense. I don't want you anywhere near it,” he said firmly.
“And I don't want any part of it,” she said, ears back and eyes wide in fright. Her eyes searched his for a long moment. “You're serious? Don't go!” she said when he nodded.
“Sorry. I have to follow orders,” he ground out. “People need my help.”
“I need you!” she snarled, voice rising to a painful yowl. Her small hands dug into his fur painfully.
“Red …,” he exhaled and then inhaled slowly. “Okay, look. You aren't quite an adult yet, but you are of the same age I was when I signed up with the Marines.”
Her ears went flat, and she looked away. “We talked about this. I'm not cut out for getting shot at,” she said, wrapping her arms around herself.
“I'm not saying you are. I was trying to say that you are near enough to being an adult to start making your own decisions. Life isn't one big party. You've got a lot of roads to choose from.”
“I …”
“Just think about it, okay?” he implored. “You've got a week to figure out which way you want to go. One week. Seven days and then I'm gone. You can stay here and go to school, or I can pay for a ticket to Kathy's World. Shanti can then take you in. You'll be like an older sister to the cubs.”
“I … I like cubs but I don't like getting stuck with babysitting duty,” she growled, clearly disgusted with the idea. “If I'd wanted that, I would have stayed in Protodon and babysat my sister's brats and eventually ended up pregnant as well.” Her ears went back, and she seemed to pout.
Jethro frowned. “Well, you wouldn't do it all the time. But we all have to find ways to help out. I wish I was there to do it.”
“I've seen the pics. They look cute,” Red admitted in a slightly less petulant tone of voice. She went back to bathing herself.
“They are growing fast. They are already half as big as you or bigger,” Jethro said. She blinked at him. He nodded. “Seriously. So, you can go there and go to school. Get a job, you'd have support. A place to live, a roof, food, and safety. Here you have only the people you've met.”
“Family,” she said quietly, looking away. “I knew this was too good to last,” she said bitterly. “Family though …”
“Right.”
“My family is on Protodon. I don't want to go back though,” she said vehemently.
“Then don't. You'll pass through the star system, maybe make a stop there, and then go on to Kathy's World. It's the best offer I can give you now. And remember, your sister is there. You do have family there,” he said gently.
“Wait, you mentioned another place a second ago. Agnosta?” She wrinkled her pert nose. “Sounds like Antigua." She cocked her head as she studied him. "What's that?”
“Another world. Agro world, well, technically it is a moon like Kathy's World. But it's also the home of the Marines and Army. Technically, it's my homeworld.”
“Oh,” she said with a frown.
“I've got friends there. A lot more there than here or … elsewhere,” he said with a shrug. He squirmed a little. She was randy, a party girl, and his adopted daughter. Not really someone he wanted to subject to the Marine and Army environment. She'd get knocked up or … he winced internally.
Cheetahra wouldn't be able to keep up with her he thought. And she'd never forgive him if he saddled her with the brat.
“I'll … think about it?” she said quietly.
He flicked his ears and then ruffled the fur on the top of her head. “Good answer,” he said. “Just remember, Kathy's World is like any planet. They have these things called seasons. It's not cold all the time,” he teased.
She mock growled and took a swipe at him. He gave her a shove to knock her off balance, then got out of her reach as she growled again with devil in her eye. Her tail thrashed in annoyance, but then stood straight up and splayed out, a clear sign she was playful again. He saw her haunches wiggle, then she sprang as he chuffed in laughter.
<)>^<)>/
How to get Red to Kathy's World was a problem Jethro knew. There was no time to arrange a chaperone, and he was damned if he was going to drop her in someone else's lap. And he wasn't going to let her travel alone. Not again. There was one obvious solution to the problem, but it would take a bit of fast talking to affect it.
“Bast, plot me an alternative course through Kathy's World,” he said as he put a call in to Major Lyon.
Major Lyon shook his head after he laid out his idea. “Jethro, I see the wisdom, but I know a lot of people are not going to be happy about exposing the Cadre to a civilian, even one who was a dependent. But I see your
point. I don't see a fix though; this is way above my pay grade,” he stated.
“And we're on the clock, sir,” Jethro said as he worked on packing his medals and gear.
“I'm putting you through to the admiral on a priority line. Don't be surprised if he not only shoots you down but reams your ass,” the major warned before he signed off.
Jethro scowled, then went back to packing as he was put on hold. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” he muttered to Bast. She flicked her ears.
“Better to ask for forgiveness than permission wouldn't cut it here,” she warned.
“I know,” he said just as Admiral Irons came on. The admiral's image filled a window on his HUD.
From his expression, it was clear he wasn't happy about the idea. “What's this about a detour, Jethro?” he demanded.
Jethro sketched out his plan. It would cost them time since the route was longer, but they would be able to drop-off Red on Kathy's World, he might be able to see his wife, they could refuel there, and the others who had family there might get a brief reunion before they shipped back out.
“Short but sweet, sir. Just the refuel time.”
“It will take up valuable time. You know Marines will die in that time, right?” the admiral demanded. “Your route will take two and a half days longer. And we were planning on having your ship pick up at least two or more units in Agnosta. We can't have you divert to Agnosta without losing even more time. By my math that's nearly eight weeks. We can't afford that time lost.”
“Yes, sir. It is war,” Jethro replied tightly. He wasn't happy about that or the reminder. The civilian losses remained unsaid. He could use the extra warm bodies and equipment though. His ears went back. What he was asking was one of the most selfish things he'd ever asked.
“But you are okay with it. Personally I wouldn't be, but I'm not in-between the rock and hard place you are,” Admiral Irons said in a different tone of voice. After a long moment, he finally grunted. “I was a father too though; I know where you are coming from.” He inhaled and then exhaled slowly. “Well, the major pointed out that this would be a problem. I suppose it will solve it both in the short and long term.”
Jethro bobbed a relieved nod. “Yes, sir.” He grimaced. “I can try to leave her with a friend in Agnosta, but I don't know if she'll take her in.”
“No, we'll go with your route. I'll make up my mind about diverting to Agnosta later.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“In and out. The captain will need to make up the time lost. You'd better hustle. Not a minute more than what it takes to refuel that ship. You will need to get to the spaceport in an hour. You'll only be on Kathy's World for the time it takes to resupply the ship. No more. Not a minute more.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”
“I'll cut the orders. I'll even let President White Wolf know so she can alert the families to meet you at the spaceport. This will solve a minor problem here I suppose. We'll deal with the fall out. But move your ass, Warrant.”
“Yes, sir. I need to get to finish packing and then I'll be at the spaceport,” Jethro said. As he had been talking, he'd been packing. He hadn't heard any such noises except crying from Red's room though. Now that she realized he was serious and it was happening now, she was having trouble adjusting.
“You can replicate your gear on board,” the admiral said.
“It's not my gear I need to worry about, sir. It's hers. I'm just about done,” Jethro said as he finished zipping his last bag shut. His dress uniforms were neatly put away in garment bags. He set them on top of his luggage.
Someone would hopefully come around to clean his food out. The military would hopefully compensate him for that, plus the travel. But then again, he was getting his way so he shouldn't and wouldn't complain if they didn't.
“Ah. Teenagers. I can hear the crying in the background. Good luck with that.”
“Yes, sir,” Jethro replied as the admiral cut the channel.
<)>^<)>/
“Come on, Red, pack fast,” Jethro said after he'd brought his gear out to the waiting car. Red laid listlessly on her bed, clearly not happy about the situation. She started to cry again, sobbing about leaving her friends behind with no warning.
“Write to them,” he said brutally as he grabbed her bag. “Seriously. Now quick like a bunny,” he said, turning to her dresser. He opened the top drawer and took it out. He turned and dumped it into the bag unceremoniously.
Red reached in and grabbed a handful as he turned to put the draw back and get the next one. When he dumped that one, he noted the bag was less full than he remembered. Bast shook her head on his HUD. When he turned back, he caught Red putting her undies back. “Red! Come on!” he barked, startling her. She turned to stare at him wide-eyed. Her lower lip quivered.
“Okay, that was mean I know,” he said. He knelt next to her. “This sucks. I know it. I'm sorry,” he said, reaching for her. She slowly fell into his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I'm so sorry, girl, but we've got to deal with it,” he said as she cried again. He heaved a sigh as he hugged her.
When the sobbing didn't ease up, he detected a note of false or pressed grief so he hugged her tightly until she gasped. He slowly eased up. She glowered at him, pushing away far enough to smack him on the shoulder. He chuffed.
“Serves you right. You are the adventurous type. You and I both know it, lady. You may hate the idea of leaving, but I know you'll like to see new places. And Kathy's World is mainly a Neo planet. You'll fit right in.”
“But …”
“Look, the longer it takes to pack the more trouble we'll be in if we don't get to the spaceport. We've got a ship to catch,” he said as he released her and went back to packing.
“Um …”
“Come on or I'll make you sleep on the bottom bunk. And you know I'm gassy,” he warned.
She blinked at him in confusion. Then she caught on. “So, I am going with you?”
“Yes! That's what I've been trying to tell you! I put a call in to Admiral Irons as I was packing. He's not happy but he gave the okay.” She suddenly brightened like a flower. “They are letting me drop you off if we can get to the spaceport fast! They might even change their minds and have you travel with a chaperone to Kathy's World if you piss them off! So hustle!”
“Oh,” she said in a meek voice. She hung her head for a moment and then snuffled. She finally got to work helping him.
<)>^<)>/
The suits, weapons, and ammunition were drawn from the Cadre and moved by Tungulria and Gunny Z'v'll. Jethro was glad they were on the ball; he'd slipped there he fully admitted. “Thank you,” he said to the gunny as the gunny finished moving the last casket.
“We also tucked away some goodies for you to play with, plus plenty of parts and ammo,” the Veraxin replied.
“Much appreciated,” Jethro replied as Red danced next to him. At least she only had the one carry on.
“You've got a stowaway?” the Veraxin asked.
Red looked up to glower at him. “I'm not a stowaway. I'm going as a passenger.”
“Into combat?” the Veraxin asked, swiveling half his eyestalks to Jethro and signaling first-degree disbelief.
“No. She's being dropped off. Long story, no time to tell it,” Jethro said as others in the Cadre came over to say their goodbyes.
Tungulria shook his head. “I know I am a bit off on not getting a chance to go with you. I can't help it. Chalk it up to sour grapes over being left behind,” he said as he extended his hand. Jethro took it and shook it once as the others looked on.
“You'll get your chance. Next time,” Jethro promised.
“Or the time after,” Letanga said with an ear flick.”
“Next time it is,” the Neowolf said, giving the leopard a sidelong look before he nodded to Jethro. Jethro returned the nod. “I'll make sure the home fires stay burning while you are gone.”
“Good to know.”
“Incoming,”
Letanga murmured to them. They looked at him and then looked to where he nodded his chin. They turned to see a group of personnel in BDUs coming through the spaceport checkpoint.
“The RECON squads,” Jethro said with a nod.
“Squad. A bigger one than normal. You'll have to fit in with them,” Tungulria said in an aside. Jethro nodded. He sent a text to the Cadre members to remind them to play the part.
When the RECON squad arrived, they nodded to one another. They knew each other; it was a small community. Jethro noted there were no officers. He wasn't certain what to make of that. Obviously, he was ranking for everyone in the party. Another thing on his shoulders he thought.
Their gear and Cadre armor was loaded under the noses of the RECON team as they boarded the personnel shuttle. He had no intention of telling them, though he wasn't certain how long he would have to maintain operational security. He hadn't seen that in his orders.
Then again, he hadn't had time to fully read them. Obviously he'd have plenty of time to do so while in transit he thought.
Jethro opened up his roster and TOE and checked it, counting noses. His entire Squad was there, and Third Squad had been remade in his six-hour absence. Technically, it was First minus the major and his fire team Able.
Apparently, the major had decided to keep Third’s fire team baker back. He would miss the shooters, but he knew why. All but Shic was green as a cucumber. He didn't like the idea of sending them in. Two of them were still adjusting to the suits. One of them had just been fitted a week ago and was still having teething issues.
Sergeant V'n'r was something of an enigma to him. He had Sylvia to back him up, but the sergeant and two of his fire team were still new. They would need to get up to speed on the ride out.
Tungulria's squad would remain behind with the major's fire team. They clearly weren't happy about being left behind but understood the need. They would mind the capital while training the next generation and getting themselves up to speed in the process.
He had nineteen Cadre including himself. He would do something about their organization along the way. Perhaps squads of nine and ten weren't out of the question? He frowned then shrugged. No, for the time being, it was best to keep the fire teams as they were.