Jethro Goes to War (Wandering Engineer Jethro's tale) (2 page)

Their space station,
Anvil was changing fast. Unbelievably fast. Seven centuries after the
Xeno war decay and rot had set in, threatening to shut down the
station's last remaining functional fusion reactor, leaving them all
to die a horrible death gasping for breath in the cold and dark.

Then a miracle had
happened. The person known as Fleet Admiral Irons had come and things
had changed. He had torn into the station, rebuilding the tugs to go
out and get new fuel and materials, and then cajoling the ship he had
come in on to fix the station's life support systems.

A few weeks after
the ship, Io something or other had left, a yacht had come in
screaming about pirates. The Fleet Admiral had rallied volunteers to
go out and salvage some of the derelict warships scattered across the
system and then fought a desperate battle against the pirate fleet.

Jethro's ears
flicked. He would have loved to have been a part of that! Been in the
thick of battle. Fighting hand to hand in boarding actions against
pirates. He'd already picked up stories from the Knox news channel
archive about the battle and marines.

Most people were
coming to grips with the strange dynamo of a human male. He was
different than the fat parasitic Port Admiral. Some people were still
confused about that it seemed. He had to admit, he had been for a
brief time. He'd run a check and found an article about the death of
the fat clone bastard. He was so glad the monster was dead.

Irons hadn't stopped
at just stomping the pirate fleet. He and his forces had captured the
freighters and factory ship they had with them and then gone into the
salvage business.

For weeks now they
had been busy building a dry dock and the beginnings of a shipyard.
All the while repairing and in some cases rebuilding the ships they
had. There were even rumors of new ships about to be laid soon. Then
the call went out for the Fleet to begin a formal training and
recruiting session.

He and his gang, the
Leo's pride had been a sector gang tearing it up before being driven
out by the repairs to the station. They had been squeezed by the
other corridor gangs and station security. Then a few of his cousins
had been killed in a corridor while standing in line at a theater.
Leo had gone on a rampage, killing anyone in the area. When his
rampage had alerted station security they had fallen on the pride
like a hammer.

He'd been lucky to
survive the battle. Leo had been insane. They all had known it. To go
so far as to kill wounded civilians right in front of security?
Madness. He'd gotten his when the Admiral had blown him apart. Not
many in the clan had shed a tear. Those that were angry over his
death were so because he was their protector and their means to
power. Now everything and everyone in the clan seemed to be in free
fall. He shook himself from his ruminations and focused on the events
in front of him.

“
There are
paths opening before us like flowers blossoming after a spring rain,”
the Matriarch began with an amused ear flick to her audience. The
clan's more restless members settled to listen. “Before us are
several paths,” she said as looked over to Jethro.

“
For some like
young Jethro have chosen the path of the warrior. To restore his
ancestor's honor by becoming a marine.” She turned to study the
group as they looked to one another than to Jethro. He swelled up
with pride and felt his fur fluff. His ears went forward, alert and
strong. He wanted to strut. Some of the older clan members took in
his posturing and flicked their ears in amusement or annoyance.

“
Others with
the same temperament may follow this path. And still others have
chosen to study.” She nodded to the clan members already in the
college program.

“
What of the
rest of us?” a nervous voice asked.

“
There are
several options,” the Matriarch said, sitting back. “The
path behind us is closed. The pride cannot be in the shadows, eking a
living by tooth and claw.”  She flexed a claw, flicked a
bit of dust off it then sniffed and let it retract. “The rulers
of this station have forbidden it.”

“
Who are they
to forbid anything?” a voice in the back growled.

“
They are the
ones who control the power. The computers, the air we breath, the
food we drink,” a young yellow tiger male growled. His dame
rested a hand on his arm. He looked down to her and then sat. His
unruly striped mane began to settle after a moment.

“
Correct. They
who control life support control life,” another voice across
from Jethro whispered. “It would be unwise to cross them.”

“
True. And
they have given us many options, including the Marines,” the
Matriarch said nodding wisely.

“
Are those the
only options? A marine or a college student?” an old female
growled. “Or taking care of the kits for those who choose other
paths?”

“
A worthy path
as well. But there are more. Some have valuable skills and can go to
work right away. A few have done so already. There are more. Much,
much more. We just have to uncover them. The Admiral...” The
Matriarch paused as a subsonic growl rumbled through the group. She
waited for it to ebb.

“
I will speak
his name. He is after all, an honorable man. He didn't kill the
wounded out of blood lust like my foolish son did,” she
growled. Jethro's voice was added to hers as a menacing counterpoint.

That stopped some of
the protests cold. A few of the young females Leo had used in his
harem glared balefully at the Matriarch and Jethro.

“
The Fleet
Admiral laid another path before us. We can save up our money, learn
new skills and leave this place.”

“
Where would
we go?” a stunned voice asked. A ripple of amusement brushed
through the Matriarch.

“
I believe the
old saying is that the sky is the limit?” she said. She sniffed
a claw and then flicked a speck of dust out again.

“
Another
colony?”

“
Here in
Pyrax?” The voices went back and forth with ideas for a few
minutes.

“
Or even
another colony outside of this system,” a human voice answered.
They turned to the male who entered the room.

“
This is a
private meeting of our clan family,” one of the pride tigers
growled. The man blinked.

“
My apologies.
My mistress bid me come. She has an interesting proposal from the
Pyrax ruling council for your members to consider.” He stood
straight, trying to look unconcerned but they could all smell his
fear scent clearly. Being in a room full of predatory cats was a bit
more than he had bargained for.

“
And that is?”
the Matriarch rumbled.

“
To be given
passage on Destiny when she leaves to go to Agnosta.”

Voices rose in both
protest and in interest. Arguments began to break out. A few people
were cuffed by those higher in the clan hierarchy.

“
In return for
what?” the Matriarch asked, eyes slitting.

“
A small
service if it is possible.”

“
I do not
trust any who offer so much for seemingly so little,” a white
tiger female rumbled. “There are always strings attached,”
she growled and spat.

“
Truth,”
the Matriarch said and nodded.

“
Wait. I wish;
we wish to hear of this,” the harem leader said, looking to the
human. The other lioness's nodded.

The Matriarch's eyes
glittered but she nodded. “By all means.”

“
The offer is
ah, for only a small group. It is also ah, private...”

“
Then we can
discuss it later.” The harem female leader nodded. She fingered
a bangle bracelet. “Meet me by the corner in an hour.”

The Matriarch
started to object and then sighed. She knew no matter what she said
it would happen anyway.

“
Well then. As
I was saying...”

...*...*...*...*...

Jethro noted the
female lioness, Hera, harem leader with the human at the designated
spot some time after the clan meeting broke up. The female's fur
fluffed. Quietly he went into half cloak, gathering the shadows
around him as he crouched watching and listening to them.

“
So we are in
agreement?” the human asked. He held out a clipboard computer.

“
Are you so
foolish to have this on the net?” the female growled.

“
Of course
not. We've even taken the precaution of let’s say...
misdirecting the security footage of this section until this is over.
Just in case.” The human's toothy smile made Jethro's hackles
rise instinctively. Human's just didn't understand that showing teeth
was for threats, not amusement. It wasn't something to be taken
lightly in other words.

“
No tricks,”
the female growled.

“
Just one
small favor. That's all. It is in all of our best interests after
all,” the human said persuasively. “Think of the fringe
benefits.”

“
Yes there is
that,” The female growled, eyes glowing. “All right.”
She snatched the padd from the human and applied her thumb to the
print scanner.

“
Done and
done,” the human said smiling as he took the padd back. “Your
authorization to board Destiny will arrive after she is ready to take
on passengers. I believe that is in ten to fifteen weeks. Do be ready
by then.”

“
Of course.
And the number?” the female growled.

“
No more than
twenty. Make sure they are healthy.”

“
Of course,”
the female growled. She scented the air. “Go, the clan nears.”

The human hastily
left. The female looked around for another second or two and then
left.

I wonder what that
was about. Jethro thought and then shook himself as his glands closed
and he faded back into visibility. What did she agree to do to get on
that ship? he thought. He was pretty sure from the scent that it was
Hera, leader of the harem, or what's left of it. Then again, it could
have been Asia. She is a cousin and they share the same perfume. Then
after a few minutes he shrugged it off. He had more important things
to worry about. Tomorrow afternoon he would have to report for boot
camp pre-processing.

 ...*...*...*...*...

The next morning he
snarled as Hrris came in fairly strutting. “You heard the
news?” he asked, excited. He ran a hand paw through his
scraggly lion's mane. He was starting to fill out, Jethro noticed.
They all were.

Hrris stank of sweat
and something more. For years he had stank of machinery and spilled
protein shakes. He was one of the few tech savvy members of the clan.
Keeping a small army of predatory humanoids supplied with kilos of
protein daily was quite an achievement. Jethro grimaced
instinctively, scenting the air on his tongue and mouth. “No.
What have you been doing? Jacking off again?”

Hrris snarled as he
sat down. Down the way a voice coughed a laugh. He shook himself.
“The harem females are in a fine mood,” he said with a
tight lipped smile. Was he ever going to live that indiscretion down?

“
Good for
them,” Jethro said dismissively.

“
Good for us
you mean,” Hrris said slyly.

“
Us?”
Jethro asked. He turned to Hrris once more. The Lion male was looking
entirely too smug. He caught Jethro's eyes on him and then looked
down and licked a paw. His tail twitched behind him.

“
Yes us. Us
males. Those of us going or thinking about staying.” He
shrugged.

“
Going?”
Jethro asked, sitting back. He wasn't sure where this was going.

“
Oh you hadn't
heard? Destiny! The harem is going!”

“
Indeed.”

“
So they want
to breed with every male they can,” Hrris said smiling smugly.
His ears flicked forward. “Though they want a sample as well.
I'm not sure why. Maybe to see whose kit is whose.”

“
They plan on
going into space pregnant?” an older lynx female down the row
asked amused. Hrris looked over to her. “They are bloody fools
if they do. Space sickness and morning sickness are no joke,”
the female rumbled, shaking her head. She rubbed at her chest. They
could see her swollen breasts under the thin shirt. A pair of kit
heads peaked out under the cloth. From the look and smell they were
newborns.