Jethro Goes to War (Wandering Engineer Jethro's tale) (59 page)

“
Of course
Destiny was here. Destiny was passing through the system on her way
back to Pyrax when we jumped in,” Ox rumbled coming up behind
them. He squatted in the dust and picked at his ear.

“
She was?”
Jethro asked turning to the Tauren in surprise.

“
Yup. Heard
the comm tech talking about it in the off duty bar last night. Scared
the bejesus out of each crew. We jumped in and Destiny was about to
jump out.”

“
Heh. Yeah.
That it would.”

“
Wait, was the
Admiral on board?” Jethro asked, voicing his hope.

“
No. He got
off somewhere else. Their last stop before turning back. Switched to
another freighter. A down on their luck tramp bulk freighter of all
things.”

“
Crap.”

“
I don't blame
him for not wanting to come back right away. Hell, for his sake I
hope he doesn't for a while. Why should he go back to that snake pit?
Ungrateful bastards are getting just what they deserved.”

“
Killed the
golden goose?”

“
Or at least
drove it out of town. He'll set up shop somewhere else. Pyrax had its
chance. We need to let go of that and concentrate on the mission,”
Ox nodded to the forest around them.

“
What about
the pride members?” Hurranna asked.

“
Curious?”
Ox asked turning to her. She shrugged.

“
They got off
in the same place. On the planet apparently.”

“
Oh.”

“
One of the
pride members is here. The cheetah. She's on the other side of the
planet running a medical clinic,” Ox said. Sergei blinked at
him.

“
Cheetahra?”

“
Yes. Perhaps
you three can visit her before we leave.”

Sergei glanced at
Jethro and Hurranna. Hurranna glanced at Jethro and then shrugged.
Jethro's ears flicked back and forth in a shrug as well. “Maybe.
We'll see. If there is time.”

“
Don't tell me
we're going to another team portrait?” she sighed. “I
think three are enough.” That was one of the first things they
had done before the gunny and bear had gone off for a last minute
consult with the local authorities.

“
What?”
Ox asked.

“
Recruiting
material. They didn't have you do that?” Miles asked. He
adjusted his belt and bloused his pants once more.

“
Must've
missed that.”

“
Oh,”
Miles snorted. “Probably a good thing. For some reason they
passed on my dashing good looks as well.” He smiled his prize
fighter battered face. “Just as well.” He put his cover
on.

“
This new
digicam...”

“
It's not
new.”

“
Whatever,”
Asazi said testily. “It cloaks?”

“
No. It has a
limited chameleon ability. Your sensors will send signals to it to
adjust to the colors of the environment around you. It will also
cover your infrared signature. But it doesn't do that if you’re
not wearing it,” Ox said pointing to himself, Chirby, and the
neo’s. Each of them were wearing cut down BDUs. The Neo's
preferred as much fur as possible. Fur tended to itch when covered in
cloth. Only the humans, medic Gusterson, and the gunny were fully
clothed.

“
It's ten
degrees centigrade out, how can you stand it?” Asazi asked. Ox
snorted. His breath fogged around him briefly.

“
I have no
problem. They have fur.” He indicated the others.

“
Yeah.”
She eyed the others and then shrugged. “Since we're bored.. any
word on any Taurens?”

“
No.
Unfortunately no. Nor any Malekians or Ssislli here either. I didn't
think we would get this lucky this close to Pyrax.”

“
Well. Keep
looking. We all will.” She slapped his arm and then walked off,
hands on the rifle strapped to her chest. She turned then nodded to
someone behind him. Ox turned.

“
So we're
going to look into this mess in the back hills here and here, there's
been talk about a predator on the loose. Something's preying on live
stock and has graduated to people a couple weeks ago,” Valenko
said coming up behind them. They turned and came to attention.
Letanga dropped out of the tree to land in a crouch and then came to
attention. The grizzly nodded.

The gunny came over
and handed him a tablet. Valenko glanced at it and nodded. “We're
also supposed to scout a couple areas for a possible training base.
Keep your eyes and ears open and your mouths shut.”

He shouldered his
ruck. “Gear up people. We're getting dropped off at the base of
the hills in five. We're meeting a group of locals at the falls in
two days.”

 ...*...*...*...*...

Hurranna picked at
her halter top, grimacing. It didn't quite fit right. Her multiple
breasts were getting squashed. The middle ones felt like they were in
a press. The cool ten or twelve degree centigrade air was doing
wonders for her nipples though. They were standing up and out like...
She grimaced and shook her head trying to dismiss the thought.

“
Just between
us girls...” Asazi asked sitting across from her. Hurranna
looked up. “I was wondering why you've got um, you know.”

“
No I don't
know unless you tell me,” Hurranna said looking down to adjust
the digicam some more. She was tempted to take the damn thing off,
but it gave her breasts support when she moved. Besides, she didn't
need the males ogling her. Not that they did. But after being a
stripper she wasn't interested in people looking at her in that way
anymore. Besides; her team was her family.

“
The breasts
she means,” Miles said giving Asazi a look.

“
Then it isn't
exactly between us girls? Well, then again, you may qualify,”
Hurranna said. There was a small smattering of chuckles. Miles
flicked her the finger then sat back and drank from his coffee cup.

“
You want to
know what about my breasts?” Hurrann asked. She thought about
taping them, then thought about any fur getting on the tape. Pass.

Asazi blushed a
little and then shrugged. “Well, why, I mean, why are they up
on your chest instead of down low.”

“
You mean why
I've got real breasts and not udders?” Hurranna purred a
chuckle. “Ah the wonders of genetic engineering.” She
shook her head. “I had this one john who had a fur and mommy
fetish. I think our creators had the same thing.”

Miles sputtered his
coffee, spraying it all over Ox who snorted. The others chuckled
softly as the Tauren pulled out a rag and cleaned himself up. Miles
wiped at his mouth with his free hand then flicked droplets onto the
bed of the truck. “Cruel.”

“
True,”
Hurranna said, purring a chuckle. Her ears flicked and her eyes
twinkled with humor. “The only reason I remember him so well is
because he was a big tipper.”

Even Valenko
chuckled at that.

“
So you
haven't had kids though? Or ah, kits I think you call your babies?”

“
Kits. No. If
I did I'd really have udders,” Hurranna said rolling her eyes.
She framed her boobs with her hands then pretended to swirl them
about. “They'd make great weapons though. Bash a guys head in.”

Ox didn't see the
humor, but chuckled with the rest of the troop. Sometimes it was best
to go along with it. He looked over to the Bear. “I am curious.
Have you considered becoming a parent Ensign?”

The bear leaned
back, eyes closed. “I am one,” he said softly.

“
Oh?”
Jethro said looking up from his supposed nap. “And here the
girls were trying to hook you up with the two female brown bears we
had in the corps.”

“
My
daughters,” Valenko said chuffing. He snuffled and rubbed his
nose with the back of a paw while the group looked at each other in
surprise.

“
Your
daughters?” Hurranna asked startled.

“
Their mother
and I got together a couple weeks after I arrived on Anvil. I was the
only brown. The others were polar bears,” he shook his head. “I
must've gotten damn lucky to have arrived when she was about to go
into heat.”

“
Yeah,”
Sergei rumbled a laugh. “Some would say that.”

“
I was hired
to work for Mendela the security chief. I was big, young, and strong.
Fearless,” he sighed, eying the others with slitted eyes. “Boy
I was dumb.”

“
Then things
haven't changed much,” Chirby said with a chitter of laughter.

“
Watch it,”
Schultz growled. He wasn't about to put up with insubordination to a
superior officer on his watch.

“
Sorry. Sorry
sir. No offense,” the Veraxin used his lower set of arms to
show apology.

“
What
happened?” Hurranna asked quietly.

The bear opened one
eye. “What do you think? Do I have to spell out the birds and
the bees to you at this late a date?”

“
Lions,
Tigers, and Bears oh my?”

“
Cute
Dorothy,” Jethro gave her a look. “Missing a Leo though.”
He shook his head.

“
No. It's
another reference,” Valenko grunted. “It means that the
powers that be were already concerned about us. We eat five times
what humans do, and we put out about the same amount of work. I may
not need to hibernate, but that doesn't mean I still don't pack on
the pounds.”

“
Ah.”

“
So when she
had three cubs instead of the maximum of two...”

“
You were
forced to choose,” Hurranna asked softly, suddenly feeling
sick.

“
Yes. Oh I
wanted to leave. But she didn't. Not until the cubs were born. But 
by then it was too late,” he grimaced. “I thought my
position would protect them. So did she. We were both wrong.”

“
Ouch.”

“
So my son
died. I tried to be a good father, but she didn't want me around. She
blamed me. I couldn't blame her.” He shrugged remembering the
accusing eyes with pain. “So I left. I kept sending her the
checks though.”

“
Oh.”

“
Well, at
least one of us has had kids,” Jethro sighed.

“
What do you
mean one?” Chirby chittered. They turned to the Veraxin. “I
too have had young. Several. Two have survived to near adulthood.”

“
Good for
you,” Miles said slapping the Veraxin on the arm. “At
least you got to home plate from time to time, I barely ever got
around second.”

“
Next time try
a base hit. In the dark. Or get them really really drunk and try all
three,” Asazi said with a laugh.

“
Funny. Real
funny,” Miles sighed sitting back.

“
I thought
so,” she grinned, closing her eyes and resting her head against
the wall of the truck. As a marine she knew to get as much rest as
she could, whenever she could.

 ...*...*...*...*...

“
You folks
want some mounts?” the rancher said, coming over to where the
team was dropped off. The air cars turned and moved off.

“
Cool huh?
That Admiral fella sent down stuff for us to fix them,” the man
said tipping his hat back. He looked over to Asazi who was busy
checking her ruck.

“
I'd say you'd
need it miss. This areas under some sort of... uh...”

He paused when he
saw her pull her side arm, check it, then holster it again. She
checked her assault rifle then looked up to him in polite
disinterest.

“
Um...”
The man turned as the last lorry left. As it moved off he caught
sight of the Neo's on the other side. “Okay, you don't use
animals.” He shook his head.

Valenko came over
and held out a mighty paw. The man blinked and then shook it. “You're
a Neo right?”

“
Last time I
checked.”

“
We don't get
many. In fact last one on the planet died out over two hundred years
ago. Most of the others either left or died.” He shook his
head. “Disease, regressing, or inbreeding. Take your pick.”

Jethro winced. All
three were major sore points with Neo’s. “Well, if it's
not Neo’s that rules that out,” he said softly as he
turned to the bear. Valenko nodded.