Jethro 3: No Place Like Home

by Chris Hechtl

Doctor Martel: Doctor of genetics. Former genealogist on the station. She has taken charge of resurrecting the Ssilli and Malekian species. She transferred with them to Antigua.

  Ensign Edna Chelsi: Human female, reservist. Therapist and junior assassin in the assassin's guild. Killed by Jethro on Anvil.

  Hrriss: Young neolion. Manager of life support engineering on the station. Black mane, friend of Jethro and the other cats. He grew up with them. Related to the Matriarch. Killed.

  The Matriarch: Elderly Neo Lioness. She had been blinded by cataracts for several years before Admiral Irons directed the staff to repair her. She led the clan after the death of her son at the hands of Admiral Irons. She held no grudge. She went on to lead the clans of all the Neos, and eventually all alien species in the system. She coordinated efforts to repeal the Neo tax. Killed by Miss Persephone.

  Commander (doctor) Nara Thornby: Chief Medical officer of Anvil, also of the star system of Pyrax. Human, brown hair shoulder length, with a clean face despite being in her 60s. Smart, but growing into her role as an officer more each day. Before she had been reluctant to sign on, but now she likes the reserve officer status. She has also started the cataloging and resurrection project and is in charge of all medical personnel in the navy as G-9. Reservist, promoted to full Commander when Firefly returned to Pyrax after the battle of B101a1.

  Matilda, Dean and Commander: Grandmother and dean of Anvil college and San Diego academy. G-3 schools. Former secretary and mistress of a prominent businessman Mr. Malfoy. Canned for being too old. She has grown into both roles, as the dean of the civilian college and acting commandant of San Diego Academy. She is a natural organized person, able to turn chaos into order in very short order. Promoted to full Commander despite being on the rolls as a reservist.

  Lieutenant Commander Montgomery: Monty, human male. Spy of spies. G-2 intelligence. He had been reluctant to take the top role for some time. But the need and promotion finally convinced him it was necessary.

  Commander Decius: Centillian male. G-5 Personnel. A good officer but he frequently takes time off to attend to biological needs. A micro-manager. Promoted to full Commander.

  Ensign Kamia: Female AI of San Diego. Dumb AI brought online from a canned file sent on Firefly. Created like most of the AI in the system by Commander Sprite. She has a Native American form honoring the tribes around the San Diego area on long lost Terra. She has taken on the role of G-6 communications.

  Lieutenant Jeremy Lavot: Human Male. Young, 26. G-7 JAG. Acting Judge Advocate General. Smart, mature for his age but still in need of some seasoning.

  Ensign Barry: Named for a famous American naval founder. A dumb AI created by Commander Sprite and recently activated. The Ensign acts as the Annex AI as well as G-8 Logistics and the Resource manager of the Naval Yard.

  Ensign Klink: Human style Dumb AI, AI for the prison station. Wears a German stylized uniform with a monocle. Speaks with a German accent. Marine Intel officer.

  Ensign Leopold: Tauren style dumb AI of Bismark. Central AI of Bismark, one of three planned. The AI took on male Tauren form to honor to the origins of the ship. Leopold dresses in a German stylized uniform with a monocle and peaked cap.

  Valdez family:

  Senior: Chief tug pilot and owner of the growing tug business.

  Mother and children: Mrs. Valdez is the glue holding the Valdez family together. Her brother-in-law is now serving as one of the assistant chief engineers of the station. Her sister is one of the heads of life support. Both they and their children know to be home by 6 sharp for dinner, as does Senior and her children. And woe any who forget to wash first or are late!

  On Agnosta:

  Cheetahra: Neo Cheetah medic. Former member of the Anvil cat clan. Relocated to Agnosta from Anvil. Was the Omega of the Anvil cat clan like all cheetah. Now has a small clinic near the equator and was pregnant with a littler of kits.

  Nana Jersey: Elderly woman, grandmother of Billy and Pidge.

  George Custard: Leader of the Agnosta delegation. Avid reader, mayor, w/ largest book collection on the planet. He is being maneuvered into the role as governor of the system.

  Jim: Delegate, former mayor.

  Chumly: Farmer, aide to other Agnosta delegates. Works as a manager in a store George owns. Into cars. Quiet, seemingly thick headed but not.

  Doc Wallace Waley: Balding dentist, former pirate slave. Returned to Agnosta on Destiny.

  Maggie Lu Kasey: Friend of Nana Jersey. Former pirate slave returned to Agnosta on Destiny. Became the outspoken leader of former slaves. In her 20's.

  Vesuvian: A giant adult Vesuvian near the growing space port. Several juvenile Vesuvians from Destiny joined it to form a small colonial forest.

  Lieandra:

  Captain Pen'Kelly: Veraxin Captain. Old, past his prime but eager to help in order to improve his ship and unload some of his excess passengers.

  Antigua Prime:

  Cybers:

  Yan Fu + wife Hishina: Leaders of the pacifist and old guard parties. Asians from Earth. Hishina was an ensign in the Navy when she met her husband and fell in love. She resigned her commission and hid her former life from her husband. She has lived in his shadow for centuries, always supportive, even when Prime was in its darkest time. She started to come out of her shell a bit when the Admiral was on board. His mistreatment by her husband and his supporters wrankled and hit a nerve with her. She began to quietly support the admiral and after he left, the Yard Dogs. Her former rank and support for the Yard Dogs has come out into the open when the Horathian's attacked Pyrax.

  Kenny Kennet: Lawyer, follower of the Fu's.

  Averies: Dilettante and self-taught programmer of cybers.

  Sid and Emily Berkheart: Directors of Human resources.

  Doctor Megan Trask: Head of the medical department.

  Ron and Rachael Steward: Neo bears, 1 grizzly, 1 half human half black bear. Life Support managers. They like Averies trained themselves to run and repair what they could after the station went dark. They usually give their council proxy to the Fu's to vote since they are so busy. They resigned from the station council in order to clear the way for someone younger. They will continue serving in their department.

  Doctor Myers: Head of science and R&D.

  Ribber: Gashg gardener. Signed over his proxy to Yan Fu before resigning from the council. He is a pacifist, preferring to attend to his garden over dealing with people. He committed suicide after the Horathians tore up his newly-restored gardens and parks.

  The Warners, 1st Lt Taylor Warner and Ensign Rasha Warner: Sleepers awakened over 100 years ago. Their son is the exec of Kiev 221. Both have been placed in the reserves and are currently the system naval commanders.

  AI:

  The muses: all class one dumb AI

  Clio: historian/researcher. repurposed to manage the first fusion reactor.

  Euterpe and Terpsichore: Music and Dance: air heads, entertainment coordinators and directors

  Thalia: Muse of comedy: recovered. Rebuilt.

  Urania: Astronomy: science. Found and recovered. Brought online. Assistant to doctor Myers in science and teaching.

  Mnemosyne: Memory computer management Smart AI. Took a lot of her higher functions down to keep system running. Did permanent damage to herself. She has to be reintegrated as each fragment is recovered. She is an experimental civilian AI.

  Tribal leaders:

  Romeo: Terran male. Former gang leader. Killed by the Horathians. He had a love interest in Juliet.

  Y'ru: Veraxin, old but wise.

  Juliet: Terran female. Genie descendant. Former gang leader. Killed by the Horathians.

  Sheriff Derrango: Curly handle bar mustache, old, silver hair, beady eyes. Laid back attitude. Has a wife, kids, and grand kids.

  Deputy Barney Fife: Nervous gangly 1st deputy. Terrible shot, very by the book person. The Sheriff frequently uses him as a foil to get others to accept his directives.

  General Staff on the station:

&
nbsp; Savo and Petunia: Primate Neo chimp security officer and Neo gorilla space worker. Transferred from Kiev 221

  Howi and Shari: Tribal members. Neo chimps. Both have become welders on the station.

  Sparks and Regina: 40s something couple transferred from Kiev 221. Sparks is an electrician, Regina is a SBA training to be a nurse. Regina was killed by the Horathians.

  Mr. Freeze and Ezri: Freeze is a lifetime friend of Sparks. Partner, HAC tech. Ezri is his wife, she is a RN and surgical nurse. 1 adult child left on Kiev 221.

  Ralphie and Alice: 50s couple bartenders from Kiev 221. Adult son left in charge of bar on Kiev 221. Own Ralphie's bar and grill and Alice's nail salon.

  Gwen, Riff, Torg: Tauren engineers who transferred to the station from Kiev 221. Torg was killed by the Horathrians.

  Doctor Kraft: Sleeper from Kiev, specializing in implant surgeries. Dr. Kraft is old, a former teacher of implant tech.

  Antiguans:

  Governor elect mayor Jeff Randall and his wife: Politically charismatic couple set on changing their world. Two daughters, Ramona/Kylie, age six and four. The Governor like his wife and many other Antiguans lost relatives during the Horathian attack. He has an about face with his former beliefs and becomes a military supporter. He has grown into his role as leader.

  Commander Nat'aroka: Ssilli hypernavigator. Female, old. She had been drafted into military service during the Xeno war. She was placed in stasis when her ship was destroyed. The Horathians recovered her and used her as a slave for some time on the Destroyer Bounty. She was freed with the other slaves by Admiral Irons. She was offered a reserve or honorable discharge, she chose to remain in the military. She received a promotion to Commander. She was transported in Firefly back to Pyrax after the battle of B101a1. Mate of Ensign Tra'l. Transferred with Doctor Martel and the Ensign to Antigua.

  Ensign Tra'l: Ssilli male. Recovered in the booby trapped liner in Pyrax. Very young hypernavigator. He had been a midshipman prior to stasis. He had been transferred to the salt water habitat built into the interior of San Diego. Mate to Commander Nat'aroka. Transferred to Antigua.

  IO 11:

  Captain: Crotchety old woman. Hard captain, but beloved by her crew. In her eighth decade.

  Vanessa: Purser of the ship, hard penny pinching witch of a woman.

  Emily: Chief of security and XO of the ship. Blue hair, hard cold temperament. Granddaughter of the captain.

  Lessa: chief navigator.

  Shandra: Chief helmsman. Partner of Jennie.

  Jennie: Assistant chief. Promoted to Chief engineer.

  Io: AI of the ship. First AI created by Sprite.

  Doctor: Female doctor. Mother of Mindy, spent years in stasis after injury.

  Mindy: Teenage goth daughter of the doctor.

  Doctor: Male doctor, shanghaied from Seti Alpha 4. He was returned and resettled there with wife and child.

  Deidra: Chief pilot.

  Hibiki: Junior pilot.

  Taki: chief load master.

  Leri: chief of fuel.

  Molly: Clydesdale class freighter

  Captain Faith Meikle: Scottish, former chief engineer of Io 11. She had been injured just prior to the Admiral's arrival. In Gaston orbit she had been restored to full health after a long time in stasis. She served as chief engineer (Scottish accent and all) for several years before taking the Captain's post on the newly built Molly. The ship had a skeleton crew.

  12 survivors from Kiev 221.

  Appendix

  My blog:

  http://cyberforge3d.blogspot.com/

  Jory's Federation Military Network Facebook group:

  https://www.facebook.com/groups/582559128466667/

  Wiki:

  http://federation-datanet.wikia.com/wiki/Federation_AI_Historical_Datanet_Wiki

  Goodlife Guide:

  http://www.goodlifeguide.com/

  Bast:

  http://www.daz3d.com/bast

  http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UCUUMeP_R1M/T2hynQB2MoI/AAAAAAAAA_w/yxNpkQVa1E0/s1600/bastet_by_kaizerin.jpg

  http://io9.com/this-could-be-the-first-animal-to-live-entirely-inside-1561810195

  Medical:

  http://www.dvice.com/2014-1-27/scientists-tag-brain-molecules-watch-them-become-memories

  http://io9.com/breakthrough-could-lead-to-functional-artificial-skin-1512390126

  http://io9.com/how-medical-nanotech-will-change-humanity-forever-1476398307

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocampus

  Misc:

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reefer_ship

  http://www.dvice.com/2014-1-31/build-your-own-street-legal-car-60-minutes

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_alphabet

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Barry_(naval_officer)

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumeyaay_people

  http://www.dvice.com/2014-1-31/beginning-practical-laser-warfare

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bletchley_Park

  http://www.dvice.com/2014-2-24/us-armys-ar-headset-give-soldiers-iron-man-vision

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awards_and_decorations_of_the_United_States_military

  Books:

  Regenesis: How Synthetic Biology Will Reinvent Nature and Ourselves by George Church and Ed Regis

  Effects of Directed Energy Weapons by Philip E. Nielsen

  A Civilian's guide to the U.S. Military by Barbara Schanding, PH.D.

  NCO Guide 9th Edition by CSM Robert S. Rush

  The Basic Training Guidebook by Sgt. Michael Volkin

  Light Infantry Tactics For Small Teams by Christopher E. Larsen

  Naval Ceremonies, Customs, And Traditions, sixth edition by Connell & Mack

  Sneak Peek:

  The following is a snippet from the short story Meat Grinder in Multiverse 1:

  >---{}---<

  Like a great explosion the fleet exited hyperspace and took up formation. Tendrils of plasma tumbled off into the dark reaches of space. Hyper exits were a truly spectacular sight to see, with an explosion of light and plasma, but that explosion also emitted enough gravitons, neutrinos, and tachyons to form one hell of a beacon the Admiral mused grimly as he sat in his chair.

  He had changed into his battle suit a half hour before exit, so wouldn’t have to leave the bridge to suit up. The strident alarms of Condition One echoed through the compartments. Red strobbing lights pulsed the battle stations condition at the top and bottom of each bulkhead.

  He turned to the view screen and used his implants to call up a status report. A hologram erupted before him, swinging out as it showed his fleet and all other ships as the sensors picked them up. The enemy was deeply engaged with Task Force Six point One, with savage fighter battles all over the area clouding it and making detailed scans almost impossible.

  Not bothering to try to track the fighters, he turned to his aide. “Mark, get me a status report from Admiral Rogers and General Benn. Also get our Intel people to download the specs from Roger’s Intel group, I want more details on the enemy for our people as they go in.” Lieutenant Mark Roberts nodded to this as he jotted it down on tablet.

  “Sir Do you want an enemy status report as well?”

  Annoyance flickered across the admiral’s face, but he quickly suppressed the biting remark with a tight “Give.”

  Swallowing, the Lieutenant cleared his throat and began. “So far our tracking and the upload from Task Force Six point One confirms a total of one hundred enemy fighters, with six fleet carriers, two dreadnaughts, sixteen cruisers, twenty three frigates, and what appears to be two hundred disk shaped drones. So far we have discovered that the enemy ships are difficult to lock up at any distance beyond twenty kilometers, so fighters are having to go in with guns.”

  The admiral grimly tapped his implants and called up the stats. “Sir it is turning into a real fur ball out there, without the long range edge, our fighters are getting chewed up. The enemy has better ECM and shields then we do, however our fighters are faster with longer legs and thicker a
rmor,” the Lieutenant reported.

  Nodding, the admiral called up the fighter files and compared them. Holos of the enemy fighters appeared. He silently ordered his implants to send the file the Lieutenant just read off to him as well as the technical stats of the enemy to the squadron Commanders. He made certain that the CAG and each of his pilots got an update as well. Roger's people had gone in cold, but his people would have the benefit of their hard won experience.

  He looked up. “Have the squadron Commanders tap the tactical feed from Resolution’s fighter wing, make sure they listen in to the combat chatter and work out what tactics work and what doesn’t. Contact the Resolution’s CAG and have him pull out at least one or two Commanders for a few moments to detail off the information to the squadrons. We don’t want them to go in cold,” the Admiral ordered. Nodding the Lieutenant turned at the dismissive wave and went about his orders.