by Chris Hechtl
“I'm on it,” Rah stated.
Shanti hesitated, finger hovering over the transmit button. She wanted to hit it and say she'd back her up but …but … she remembered a similar situation when she'd first gone out on her own. Sabu had hovered a few times but then he'd backed off. He'd taken a step back and had let her handle it. And she'd discovered she could. She didn't need big brother there looking over her shoulder breathing down her neck protectively. He'd learned that lesson too. She'd only found out later that Moira had talked to him about it.
She exhaled slowly, curling her finger. No, she'd talk to Sabu tonight. She'd try to be mature about it. She resented his going behind her back but … he hadn't been thrilled about her following him into the service, had he? And yet here she was. He'd figured out she could make up her own damn mind. She had to give him the same grace he'd given her. She just hoped it wasn't a mistake. She decided she needed to talk to Moira about it too. See if the wily old wolf had talked her brother … no, she shook herself. That wasn't right. Sabu made up his own mind, and when he did he was the type to follow it. He was stubborn, hard headed. He didn't give up or back down when he was challenged. She hoped he'd be all right though.
She also hoped Rah wouldn't follow in his footsteps.
<(>~^~<(>
Jethro noted the transfers from the militia Rangers were easily handling the PT. Most were smart enough not to show it. What they did struggle with was the book learning. Many had learned in the field, they'd learned by doing not by reading the manual. He had to rearrange the training to show them something to interest them, then explain it to them, then get into depth about how it worked and why.
He made notes on each of his student’s progress daily. At the end of the week, he presented it to the Marine officers. The squad that had gotten the best scores in their last test were given the holiday weekend for liberty late Friday night, much to his surprise. Sabu's squad had been the number one but only just barely. His squad had beaten out Rainkin's by a half a point.
The other squads who had passed but hadn't excelled got liberty on Saturday once they passed morning inspection. Those who had barely scraped by or who had failed the test had to retest all weekend if need be until they passed at an acceptable level.
Once word that they were getting liberty for the holiday weekend got around to those who failed, they dug deep to get through the test. The final four squads passed on their third try. After a late morning inspection, they were released just before noon. All of the boots were expected back at the barracks by sundown Monday evening.
Jethro wondered why they had allowed the recruits liberty. It wasn't done with … he frowned thoughtfully as he sat down. “Was that it?” he asked.
Bast flicked her ears. She'd been sleeping on his HUD. She looked up, yawned, and then stretched. Then she looked at him with sleepy eyes. “Sorry, did I wake you?” he asked dryly.
She sniffed at him, then cocked her head. “I was wondering why the brass is allowing the recruits time off for good behavior. I think I just figured it out on my own, they aren't in boot yet. This is pre-training. Glorified ROTC in other words or high school. Some of the recruits didn't know how to read!” He shook his head at that bizarre concept and lack of education. “Technically, I'm not doing them many favors by treating them like boots. I suppose I should scale the syllabus back for some. Help them get up to speed before their real boot camp experience begins,” he mused.
Bast made a meh sound. Jethro chuffed. “Is that supposed to mean something?” He kept challenging her to talk outside of the suit but she rarely did. Again she just sniffed and flicked her ears.
“Right,” he drawled. Bast put his HUD up and pointed to it. When his eyes focused on it, she brought it up to most of his vision and then like a presenter pointed to several dots. When he started to ask who and why she was bringing it to his attention she opened a window showing a security camera as the officers departed the HQ in civilian gear. Well, Lieutenant Queen did. Lieutenant Chaing was still in his office according to the HUD.
“You're saying they had ulterior motives? That they wanted everyone to clear out? Why? Oh, less need to supervise them? And put up with the grumbling?”
Bast mewed again, but this time it sounded in agreement. She nodded to emphasize the point.
“Okay, gotcha. Tricky though.” He was on watch rotation, as was Sergeant Farsea and each of the two human officers. But they only had one eighteen-hour shift to man and then they were off. Apparently someone had set it up so they were covered but could enjoy most of their holiday weekend. He nodded. “Good to know. Hopefully nothing comes up while we're off.”
Bast just seemed to roll her eyes at him in disgust. He caught her meaning though. “Oops. Jinx.” He flicked his ears and then went back to finishing his paperwork. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do for his time off, but it wasn't sitting at the desk handling paperwork, that was for sure.
<(>~^~<(>
Sabu came back to the Mountie HQ and barracks with mixed feelings. He walked in with his kit, and nodded to deputies Joey and Travis in passing. Both gave him a jaunty salute as they took themselves off.
Rah pulled up a half hour after he'd arrived, and she paused to scent the area. When she picked up her brother's scent, she rushed in and purred loudly as she nuzzled him. He chuffed in amusement. “I've only been gone a couple of weeks, sis,” he said, fending her off. He oofed when her tail got in his face.
“Yeah, but you've changed!”
“It's not like I haven't been gone before. I've done the convoys you know,” he teased, scrubbing her ears. She closed her eyes and snuffled, rubbing her brother. “Yeah, I missed you too,” he admitted.
“Have you seen the kits yet?” she asked.
He shook his head. She turned on him, and he shrugged at her expression. “I just got in. They are in Carlson, and I'm here. I'm only off for the weekend. By the time I get there, I'd have to turn right around and head back here,” he said.
“Oooh, that sucks,” Rah said in sympathy.
“Well, the good news is I can call them, which I will do once I get you and Shanti settled.”
“I'm fine,” Rah replied with a sniff. Miss Bitch on the other hand is a different story,” she said, taking her gear and headed to the bunk. “I'm going to wrack my gear then do my write-up and log out. Then you can tell me all about it. And don't think about sneaking off while I'm busy!” She accused, pointing a finger at him and shaking it.
He chuffed again, this time louder as he raised his hands in surrender. “Wouldn't dream of it.”
“Yeah, right,” she sniffed then took herself off to get cleaned up.
“You're back? What'd you do, flunk out?” a familiar voice said from the open doorway. He turned to see Shanti sizing him up.
“Nice to see you too, sis,” he said dryly. She came in and tossed her hat on the desk. “Okay, let's hear it,” he said, leaning against the desk and crossing his arms.
“You ….” Accusing eyes locked on his as her ears went back. But he forced himself to remain calm, to keep his ears up and listening. He owed her that much. He'd already been through it with Lisami and the kits. His estranged mate had nearly deafened him with her yowls of protests. Why was it that women could bend metal with their high pitched voices?
“You ….”
“You're rather articulate this evening. Can we get past that and move on? I don't have all night,” he said. Her eyes slitted even further. She turned and paced, thoroughly incensed. He could smell that she wasn't in heat, but she was pissed. Riotously pissed.
“I'm not out, I'm on liberty. I've got the holiday weekend to rest and unwind. To take a shift or two as well if I can be worked into the roster,” he said simply, still watching her.
She froze and then turned a glower on him. “Do you understand what this means? That I'm going to be alone raising …,” she waved a hand.
“I'm old enough to be an adult now,” Rah said from the other room.
; “Shut up, Rah!” Shanti snarled.
“Don't tell me to shut up! You shut up! It's his life!” Rah insisted.
“Zip it, Rah. Let her speak her peace,” Sabu said, not looking away from Shanti.
“Fine,” Rah sulked.
“You're clearly upset about my decision.”
“A decision that effects the whole family! That effects the force! The Rangers! And you didn't even discuss it with me!”
“I knew what you'd say,” he said mildly. “I thought about it, but put the decision off. But seeing Gunny McClintock and the other Marines ….”
“Him!” Shanti froze and then glared at her brother.
“Let me finish,” he said. “It got me to thinking about it again. That and the recent battle. I had an epiphany.”
“Oh?” It was her turn to cross her arms. But everything about her posture screamed sarcasm.
“The same one I had when I joined the Rangers and later became a Mountie,” he said as she crossed her arms. “That I want to help. To do more. To defend our people we have to be up there. If the enemy is up there, we're just targets. Like stepping on ants,” he said.
“And if they send you to other worlds?”
“Then I'll go help the people there too,” he answered simply.
“You have all the answers,” she said snidely.
“I'd like to think I've thought of all the angles but I know some will come up from time to time and I'll have to figure it out. But I'll do it.”
“And if you die?” she asked softly.
He sighed heavily. “Yeah, that’s what's really bothering you isn't it?” He looked away for a long moment. “It bothers me too. I admit that. I'm not a cub who thinks he's immortal. I know the risks.” He locked eyes with her and sent a level of intensity in his gaze, a maturity that she hadn't seen in a while. “Believe me Shanti, I know. But I could die just as easily as a Ranger or on the street as a Mountie. Even easier since we have a rough crowd here.”
“But you'd be here, with the family,” she insisted.
“And be buried here?” He snorted softly and then shook his head. “I'd still be dead and cold, sis.”
“That's cold! Heartless! How can you do this to us!” She demanded.
“I didn't do it to you, or against you. I did it to follow my heart,” He smiled slightly and flicked his ears. “I'm not a total idiot though, I chose the reservist option.” She blinked. “That means once I get through basic training in Agnosta I can come back here and be posted here. I would serve one or two months a year, or one weekend a month and a month every year.”
“It's still ….”
“Stop,” he said, holding up a restraining hand. “What's done is done, get over that part now and move on Shanti. You're better than this.”
“Damn it, Sabu.”
“If you haven't noticed, I'm training while also attending to the duties as a Ranger and Mountie. Fortunately, my Marine training is qualifying as Ranger time according to the captain.” he paused and flicked his ears in humor over that little bit. “But it means I can't be on hand to train Mounties. And I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to teach at the Mountie academy next year when it's built.”
“If it's built. They could build the base instead,” Shanti said bitterly. “You know Moira's wanted a base. But Bengali and the other elders have blocked it. Now they don't have any excuses.”
“True,” Sabu admitted. “And I for one would like a proper base. One away from the capital I suppose like they are talking about. It'd suck for commute time, but I'd find a way around it. “But I've talked with Moira and Moreta. We're moving forward with both.”
“We are?”
“Yes. She's deeding the base to the Marines. They are going to take an island off the southern coast. Near the equator if possible to keep it warm. Which is what Lieutenant Queen is looking into among other things.”
“Oh.”
“So, once they have that, the motel we've turned into a barracks will be turned over to the Rangers and the Mounties. Moira is working with the businesses in the area. She's proposing they move to other facilities once they are built, or they get credits to rehab buildings in a better district. That way the barracks can be expanded into a campus.”
“It's still … Wait, campus?”
Sabu nodded, ears flicking slightly. “A college campus with the barracks as student quarters. It'll be improvised until we can get a proper college campus together. You know our moon hasn't had one, right? Not in … well, I think Moira mentioned a community campus but …,” he shrugged and flicked his ears.
“Are you serious?” she demanded, eyes wide.
“As a heart attack.” His ears moved forward. “So Lisami will be able to teach here, if she wants to do it. I don't know if I can entice her into coming here, but …,” he shrugged. Carlson was the second largest city on the planet. It was nearer the equator so outside the reach of the glaciers and bitter cold. Lisami loved it because she was part lynx, part African leopard. She had short fur and didn't like the cold.
They'd met when he'd traveled through Carlson on assignment. It had been a whirlwind romance, mainly brought on by his short time in the city and her time in estrus. Both had nearly given up on finding a mate. But neither would give up their work and growing career to follow the other. Perhaps the college would entice his estranged mate into being a snowbird, coming to the capital in the warm summer months and then returning to Carlson for the winters.
“You'd give it a try anyway. But she's rooted in Carlson with her family in the hills nearby. I don't know ….”
“She's fascinated by the concept of a library and higher education. She might like it. If I can get her to take a tour …,” Sabu shrugged. “But we're digressing from the main point of this … conversation,” he said ending his sentence on a wry tone. “You were still chewing me out?”
She eyed him for a long moment then exhaled slowly. “Oh you!” She shook her head. He chuffed. She paused to eye him again. “I don't suppose I can talk you out of it, can I?”
“At this late date?” He snorted. She glared at him. “No, I don't think so. I like being a Marine, Shanti, please understand that. I've got implants now too!” She blinked at him, surprised once more.
“You've got what?” Rah demanded, coming out to stare at him.
He snorted, ears flicking as she checked him out.
“It's a pill we swallowed on day one. It's an ident implant, just a basic thing. It grew inside me and connected to my brain and stuff.” He held up his left palm and pointed to the side of his thumb. “I don't know if you can see it, but just under the skin there is a bunch of wires. I can hook up to a computer now. I can't do much but I can do a bit more than before.”
“That is so cool!” Rah said, taking his hand paw and turning it over to look at it closely.
“Now you've done it,” Shanti sighed, shaking her head as she stalked off.
Chapter 18
Shanti and her younger sister Rah were called out at night on a search and rescue in the Catskill mountain chain. The missing bear cub was found quickly but another more urgent problem loomed on everyone's mind. Mudslides from the rains and recent logging had torn apart the upper slopes of the mountain chain. If more rains were coming as predicted, it could spell disaster for the small but growing towns in the valleys and foothills of the area.
The threat of a full blown avalanche was on the captain's mind, so she sent the Mounties in to go door to door to urge people in foothills and on the hills to voluntarily evacuate. Many refused; they were either too ornery to allow someone to tell them what to do, discredited the threat, or just didn't want to risk losing their precious knickknacks to potential thieves.
“Don't they understand that stuff can be replaced? They can't be! And even so, they've got time; they could pack up ….”
“For some everything is precious. Images …,” Shanti sighed. “I don't know what to tell you, Rah, it's a problem. But right now the evac is voluntary.�
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“Yeah, but if this mud comes down, we'll have to dig them out. Which means we'll be risking our necks ….”
“That goes with the job,” Shanti said, cutting her off. “Get used to it or find another line of work. You're keeping the map up-to-date?”
Rah grimaced but nodded as she held a tablet up. “Yeah. I know who is where and who is staying. I'm not sure how much help it will be, but I'm doing it.”
“Good. Keep it up. We've got the satellite imagery to use fortunately, but the growth around some areas covers what roads and buildings there are. Why did they clear cut the top of the mountains and not down here?”
“Because they could. Because down here people own the properties and are liable to shoot first and ask questions later,” Rah answered.
“Oh yeah, that,” Shanti replied. She tugged on her ear. “Stay safe will you?”
“Always, sis,” Rah replied as she crossed the street to begin knocking on doors once more.
<(>~^~<(>
Until the recruits were properly processed on Agnosta, they held the rank of recruit privates. Even the officer recruits were considered recruit privates. Jethro had found that the Ranger recruits were fairly sharp and disciplined; apparently Captain White Wolf had selected and trained them for that carefully.
He didn't have to deal with any of the Ranger leadership, though he knew Lieutenant Chaing and Queen had to do so from time to time. Since Captain White Wolf was also the planet's president and therefore commander-in-chief, she managed to iron out a lot of the scheduling issues before they became a problem.
Still it was annoying to have a few people poached for other duties from time to time. There were, however, hundreds of others who signed up as well. Once the spring planting was complete, dozens of young recruits came to the capital seeking work. Many drifted over to the Marines’ improvised barracks to watch them at work.
Sergeant Farsea had overseen a logging team that had gone into the timber stands near the capital and cut down trees to be used for the improvised gate house and obstacle course. Unfortunately, he hadn't cleared the activity with the landowner so there had been a bit of a debacle over that mess. He'd been reprimanded by the captain for his zeal.