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% Finally getting to more backlog:
The next morning everything seemed normal when Jeff arrived
at work. Ona and Cindy were waiting out front, as usual,
although the tall Zentraedi looked like she was having trouble
focusing her eyes.
% Heh. She's lucky that's all she's having trouble with.
arrived as he was unlocking the door. Flipping on the lights, he
heard a motorcycle pull up. Had to be that Montoya girl, he
thought. Whatever else he might think about these girls, this
was certainly turning into a colorful squadron.
% And thus, an interesting one.
He held a quick assembly in the main room, handed out a few
assignments, and left the rest of the day's organization up to
Katherine. After all, she was the Exec now. It was time she
started doing the job.
% And free up valuable amounts of sleeptime for him.
Retreating into his office, he closed the door and tried to
get some work done. It wasn't easy. Every time he closed his
eyes, he kept feeling Gail, pressed up against him and doing her
best to give him a tonsillectomy.
% Perhaps allowing her to sneak into his office and do that was not a good
idea.
He knew it wasn't right but he
was only human; subject to all the weaknesses that went with it.
There was no question in his mind that his sister-in-law had
taken advantage of him.
% Just hadn't taken enough of an advantage, he thought angrily.
Had he been single or less faithful to
his wife, he might have pursued her further, possibly to an
evening of unbridled lust.
% Of course if he wasn't 'forbidden fruit' he also might not seem so
desirable to her. :)
Groaning out loud, he forcibly banished such images. He had
work to do and precious little time to do it. The clock was
running and he was still short pilots and Veritechs. He still
had the Veritech requisition forms to check.
% Just have Cindy fill them out. She'll probably look it over to make
corrections anyway, so just cut out the time he'd be wasting in filling them
out in the first place. :)
"It's your wife, sir."
"What?" he gasped. That's impossible. Wives aren't allowed
on squadron grounds. Kay knows better than this.
% Ohh. Present tense there really doesn't work for me. Change it to past,
unless you're going to make it his dialogue.
"I know Jeffrey,
% I know, Jeffrey
but I need to see you," she said softly,
her expression still unreadable.
If he was surprised to see his wife, the sight of her
sister, Gail, following in her wake made his heart stop.
% With Jeffrey's death, though, the fic ended most unexpectedly.
Visions
of scalpings quickly scrolled through his head.
% Whereas a true pervert would have images of a three-way going through his.
Time to beg for mercy, he thought. "Look, if this is about
last night --"
"Well, partially," Gail said with a glance at Kay. "Mostly
it has to do with this squadron."
Huh? What? Now he was confused.
% Yeah. I didn't think this would be resolved so quickly.
"I've had..." She looked down at her lap and pursed her
lips. "Most people call them strong dreams. We call them
'visions'."
% Well, peyote will do that to ya'. :)
"A vision quest," Jeff corrected. "You're telling me you
had a vision quest." He'd heard about such things for years. It
was something the Lakota held in high esteem. Many of her people
spent a lifetime striving to achieve a successful vision quest.
Most fail.
% 'failed' I'd say.
Yet, here his wife was claiming to have accomplished
something extraordinary in a single evening.
"Yesterday afternoon, after I talked to you on the phone, I
felt tired but not sleepy. I don't know what made me do it but I
sealed the apartment and burned a little sage."
So that was what smelled so odd, he thought.
% Thank god it wasn't his wife passing gas, like he originally thought. She
could waft so real stinkers.
"I fell asleep on the sofa and dreamed. I saw you, alone,
in the darkness. All around you were... beings, evil beings like
a dark cloud. You had no weapons. You had no way of protecting
yourself
% 'from my vengeance for kissing my sister,' she finished as she drew her
knife, intent on making her vision quest a reality.
She grimaced like just telling this tale was too
painful. Gail reached over and placed a hand on her arm in a
comforting manner.
% Probably not by putting it in a hammerlock then. :)
"It attacked over and over again. You fought
back as best you could but the darkness was too strong. When you
were just about to be overwhelmed, many young eagles came and
beat back the darkness.
% 'So buy many birds before you go,' Kay told him.
"Jeffrey, I've spent all morning trying to convince her it
was only a dream. But she's adamant it was a vision quest.
She's convinced something terrible will happen to you," Gail said
holding her sister. Her hand slowly stroked Kay's long black
hair, trying to soothe and comfort her.
Jeff sat stunned. He'd heard about vision quests and
understood how strongly her people felt about them. They were
absolute. There was no way you could avoid their results.
% Of course you could. All Jeff needs to do is blow his brains out now, thus
rendering the quest incorrect. :)
"Kay, if you don't know the ending, maybe it turns out okay.
Maybe I survive. I always have before."
% Hence why you are here, duh. If you had died you wouldn't very well be
having this conversation, now would you?
"I've talked to RDF Headquarters," Gail said. "Since this
base is in the North American Sector, Kay is entitled to
accompany you --"
"No way!" Jeff gasped. "I'm not taking my wife into some
hell-hole of an outpost. It's too dangerous."
"It's dangerous for you too," Gail insisted.
% Yes, but he will be using a veritech, which is considerably safer than
being a civvie target, now isn't it? :P
"True. But Maintenance Officers are."
Jeff rocked back in his seat like he'd just been struck.
"Gail, this is nuts. You're getting out of this madness."
"Honey, you can't tell me what to do." Gail's eyes
narrowed. "I've already cleared it with General Emerson. As
soon as I sign the papers, I'm your new Maintenance Officer.
I'll be there and so will Kay. And there's nothing you can do
about it."
% Jeff: But having the wife around is going to be so boring. No true officer
wants his wife hanging all over him during the few times he gets to get away
from the ole' ball and chain.
"Kay...?" His voice failed him when their eyes met. What
could he say?
% 'No, you can't go?' (Well, he can try)
He could feel her desperation.
Sweeping her long hair back with her hands, she sniffed and
swallowed hard. "Jeffrey, please don't send me away. I promise
I'll stay out of the way. I won't interfere, or question
% Of course, Kay is overlooking the obvious detail that she couldn't
complete the vision quest because she won't be alive to see it beyond that
point of the dream. :P
or..."
Her voice trailed off. He could see her taking gulps of air in
tiny spasms. "I have to be there. Please."
Jeff covered his face with a hand, his fingers rubbing a
sweaty temple. What Gail had said was certainly true. There was
% were
should be the safest place in the Ozarks. He looked again at his
wife's pleading eyes. He knew he wasn't going to keep her away.
If he tried, she'd just follow on her own. She might as well be
inside the fence rather than camped somewhere outside.
He sighed heavily. "Very well.
% Pussy. :P
I just want you to know I
don't like this but..." He sighed again. "Okay. I'll arrange
for transport. You'll need to see to the packing."
A tiny smile a relief
% of relief
He opened the door and was only mildly surprised to find
Cindy standing there, clipboard in hand.
"I've got the paperwork ready for your signature, sir,"
Cindy said in an official voice.
% Scary girl.
"Cindy, what am I signing?"
Lt Wallace blinked. "I thought you knew. They're the
transfer papers for Captain Lynn, Sergeant Crowkiller, Corporal
Crowkiller, and a three day pass for me."
Jeff's jaw dropped. "What?" he gasped.
% Heh. Got one past him.
"It's only three days, sir," Cindy protested. "I haven't
had a day off in three months."
"What do you mean we just accepted the Crowkiller sisters?"
Jeff demanded.
% Eh? No one told him about them?
Jeff burst through the office doors and leaped over the
headquarters steps railing. If what Karen said last night was
any indication, there was going to be trouble in the hangar - if
it hadn't happened already.
Approaching the open hangar, he slowed just enough to listen
carefully. Instead of the sounds of a fight in progress, he only
heard his own running feet and those of Gail right behind him.
% Everyone is already dead, eh?
He was about to clarify his question when he noticed Karen
Crowkiller on the floor, her back against a crate. She was
blinking like someone that had just resumed consciousness. "What
happened to her?"
Nancy Montoya ambled slowly around another crate. "Not
sure. Must have fainted."
% Right into Ona's fist. Happens all the time.
"What happened to your lip?" he asked the Zentraedi.
Her eyes roamed over the others before looking directly at
Jeff. "Bit my lip," she said flatly.
% 'With Karen's fist," she added.
"That doesn't forgive my actions," Ona insisted, tossing the
now unneeded rag on top of another crate. She couldn't
understand why these girls were so eager to overlook what she
did. Worse yet, they appeared ready to lie for her. As much as
she appreciated the gesture, it wasn't proper.
"You just don't get it, do you," Gloria said with a sad
shake of her head. "I've spent the last ten years denying who I
am because of all the abuse." She took a handful of her frosted
hair and held it out. "I did whatever I could to look white. I
dressed white,
% And exactly what way do 'whites' dress? Have yet to see a standard with
how diversified they are. :P
With a sigh, she said in a soft voice: "Thank you. It's
been a long time since I felt at home anywhere. I just hope I
haven't screwed it up with what I did."
Virginia glanced at Gloria. "Leave that to us."
% They'll screw it up for you. :)
Jeff watched as they helped Karen into one of the empty
offices. She was walking better now and protesting that she
could make it on her own. Just in case, Gail continued to shadow
her and the others, making certain they all got where she
% got to (I think)
intended.
He paused to glance around the main room. Cindy was back at
her desk industriously studying her computer and acting like she
didn't notice anything unusual.
% See nothing, hear nothing. A good policy to live by.
He looked over at his open
office door and saw Kay peeking out from around the corner.
Their eyes met for only a moment before she quietly closed the
door. She knew from his expression this was one of those times
she shouldn't get involved.
"Wow," Cindy said softly.
Drawn by his Admin Officer's statement, Jeff leaned over to
see what she was doing. On the screen was the specifications for
the new VF-4 Lightning III Variable Fighter; the latest and
greatest product of Stonewell Bellcom and Shinnakasu Industries.
It was faster, more maneuverable, and better armed than the old
VF-1 series.
% Reflex Weaponry might be cool, but give me a TX Uberjaeger any day.
Nothing like 500+ MDC on your main body to kick ass and take names. :)
"Too bad." Cindy changed screens back to her logistics
spreadsheet. "I'd really like to get our guys the best."
Jeff patted Cindy's shoulder. "I'm sure everyone
appreciates your efforts. Just do what you can and stop dreaming
of things we won't get."
"Thank you, sir." Her voice sounded disappointed, like a
fighter pilot asked not to push herself to the limit. "Oh, I
almost forgot." She pulled a tiny slip of paper off her desk.
"General Emerson called. He want's
% wants
Karen was still a little groggy when Gail snapped an ammonia
capsule under her nose.
% That'll wake you up, and make you wish you were unconscious again.
Her reaction was immediate. Coughing
and choking, she pushed Gail's hand away.
"I'm okay," she growled.
Gail removed the irritant and examined the girl closely.
One eye was swollen and her upper lip was unnaturally puffy.
% Almost to Anglina Joline proportions.
If
she had fainted, she certainly struck a number of things on the
way to the floor - a whole lot of things.
% Well, at least the situatiuon didn't deteriorate into one where people
say, "No really, she just fell down and landed on ten bullets. Feak accident
is all."
"Yes, ma'am," Karen mumbled even softer than before. Her
eyes never left her lap.
"I'll make the call and get you some ice for that face,"
Gail said standing and tossing the used capsule in the trash.
She looked directly at Daisy before saying: "I trust you'll be
safe in here while I'm gone."
"No problem, ma'am. She's among friends."
Despite Daisy's assurance, Gail was reluctant to leave Karen
alone. There was more going on here than she knew and *that*
bothered her.
% Well, Jeff could make an educated guess. He knows Karen's bias against
Zentraidi.
As soon as Gail closed the door behind her, Nancy pushed
herself away from the wall and shook her head.
"That was unbelievably stupid what you pulled out there,"
she said with disgust.
"What was the idea of picking a fight with Capt Parino any
way?"
% anyway
Karen glared at her lap, like she was looking at a hated
Zentraedi right then. "I could have taken her."
% "If I had my veritech' she rectified.
"Enemy?" Daisy asked with a curious expression. "There are
no enemies in this squadron."
"She's Zentraedi," Karen insisted. "They only want to kill
and keep on killing."
"Not this one," Nancy said. "She's pretty mellow for an
alien that's only been alive for three years."
"They're killers!"
Nancy snorted. "I sure hope so. I'd rather have a killer
watching my six than a kitten."
% Heh. Good point.
"We've all lost friends, relatives, and people we knew to
rebels of all stripes. What you faced before were rebel
Zentraedi. Like rebel humans, they have no regard for you, me,
or anyone else." Daisy stood up and headed for the door.
Stopping, she turned and added: "You better get a grip pretty
soon. Everyone here, including that Zentraedi out there, is
ready to fight for any other member of this squadron. I hear
you're a pretty good fighter yourself. We can use you. But only
if you're willing to be one of us."
% Nice laying down of the law.
"I'm not in the mood for this, Rolf. Spill it."
"My, aren't we the grumpy one today," Rolf chuckled. "I
better give you the good news first. I know your people are
probably anxious to get back in the air, so I pulled a few
strings and got you six Veritechs."
There was a long pause as Jeff's shock wore off. "Six? You
only got six?"
"Hey, be grateful, they were the last six I could squeeze
out of the Rehab Detachment.
% Which is probably the bad news. :)
"They're not out of a junk yard, Jeff. They're completely
rebuilt; almost like new."
% Get a good mechanic that doesn't mind some non-regulation tweaking and
they can be even better than originals. :)
Jeff groaned. Here it comes.
"The GMP has been here twice today. They want two people.
Lt Robins you know about. They also want whomever beat up their
operative at a certain mission about a mile off base.
% Jeffry: It was a bald guy. Called himself Anatole Leonard or something.
Seemed xenophobic to me.
They claim
the assailant was a tall female with blue hair. You wouldn't
know anyone like that, would you?"
% Jeffry: He was wearing a blue wig, now that you mention it.
There was a soft 'click' and Major Vera's voice boomed
through the earpiece. "Colonel? I've found you a pilot."
"Only one?"
% Vera: Hey. We need time for the reader to adjust to each new person as we
learn theie individual personality.
Now *this* was really confusing. Just what could that clerk
know about Katherine or her people? "I don't get it," he finally
admitted.
"I kept looking for men who were interested in a tough duty
assignment. That's a tough kettle of fish, if you know what I
mean."
% "But then I mentioned there were a bunch of chicks in it, and then the
guys started volunteering like nobody's business," he added.
Jeff was going to correct the good Major but figured it
would only lead to a protracted discussion of mixed metaphors.
Besides, what Pat *meant* was certainly true. Jeff had struck
out with everyone he knew
% He can hit on Gail. I doubt if he'd strike out with her. :)
and was on the verge of giving up.
"Anyway, I forgot to check the last Veritech Flight Training
Class that Captain Fox taught, on account of them being totally
combat inexperienced," Major Vera said.
"And what did you find?" Jeff sometimes hated talking to
Major Vera. He tended to ramble, taking forever to get to his
point. For some reason, today his rambling was like a leaky
faucet; drip-drip-drip.
"There *is* one young lady, a Lakota
% Jeff: Well now that is a surprise.
I believe, who
graduated a few months ago and got posted to a squadron in
Australia. They really didn't need any more pilots, at least
that's what they said. Anyway, she sat around doing nothing for
a couple of months. I can tell you, doing nothing in Australia
is about as bad an experience as I can imagine.
% Almost as bad as doing something in Iowa. :)
"She's a cutie, that's for sure."
"That's... that's great, Pat. Now about --"
"Not very tall but then I like them that way on account I'm
not very tall either. Anyway, she has the softest hands --"
% Heh. Sounds like they got along well. :)
"PAT!"
"Huh?"
Jeff took a deep breath to collect himself. "Is she willing
to transfer?"
% Jeff should realize he wouldn't be calling if she wasn't.
Opening the door to leave, he was startled to find Cindy
standing there holding out a clipboard and a pen. "Just sign
here," she said indicating the paper on her clipboard.
Jeff took the pen but hesitated. "What am I signing this
time?"
"Request for R17324/B2 Requisition Forms that are supposed
to replace the R17324/B1 forms we were issued instead of the
R17320/A7 forms we need to get the R17324/B2 forms," said matter-of-factly.
% The sad thing is things like that really happen in real life.
"Oh? That's all?" Jeff said sarcastically.
"Well, there's the transfer papers for Lieutenant Mary Cook-Lynn."
"Who?"
"Major Vera's girlfriend."
% Oh? Did she listen in, or is Mary that talkative?
on another pilot."
Jeff shook his head in resignation. "Yea verily, she goeth
forth and our number multiplies."
"Is that, like, from the bible or something?" Cindy asked.
Jeff gave her a strange look. "The Colonel Stuart version."
% Heh.
Casper wasn't a very large town. Located a few miles
outside Yellowstone RDF Base, it was a mere shadow of it's
% its (Boo, basic mistake)
Block after block, dens of pleasure vied with retreats of
salvation; purveyors of every conceivable vice dueled for the
attentions of the bored, the confused, and the hopeless. Paths
of the ten thousand or so permanent inhabitants intertwined with
the hundreds of wanderers, troublemakers, and lost souls who came
and went in a never-ending stream of changing faces and fortunes.
Miners from the nearby mountains and farmers from the flatlands
to the east used the town as a place to sell the fruits of their
labors, buy the necessities of life, and provide themselves with
a little entertainment along the way.
% But then, the suburbs had always been like that.
It was into this volatile mix Katherine and Samantha Fox
drove their aging vehicle in search of another pilot for their
ranks.
% and looking for drunks to roll. They needed to do something relaxing in
their off time, after all.
Night was falling by the time they pulled up in front of
the last bar on the far side of town. They'd been searching for
a particular pilot since noon; visiting every establishment they
could find that served alcoholic beverages.
"Well, this better be it," Samantha said with a sigh.
"Otherwise, we're out of luck."
Katherine nodded before opening her door. The tiny dome
light flickered once and blinked out for the last time. She
froze, her eyes on the dead light.
"I told you we need a newer car," Samantha said with a look
of disgust.
"Sam, we're going to the Ozarks. We won't need a car
there." Katherine congratulated herself on such a sensible
answer. There was
% were
still arrangements to be made for one of her
"Welcome ladies,"
$ "Welcome, ladies,"
"Well...," the bartender said scratching his short beard.
"I might be able to help you... if you're sure you're not RDF
Security."
"Quite sure," Samantha said,
% "We would have just oozed under the door if we were,' she said.
The big man sighed. "If you did, you'd know enough to leave
her alone." He frowned down at the bar. "But, I suppose you two
aren't leaving until you talk to her. I doubt you'll have any
luck." He pointed to a figure at the far end of the bar.
"That's her down there."
% "The one with the mustache," he clarified.
"Suit yourself," the bartender said with a shrug. "It's
still early so she's probably not too far gone for an intelligent
conversation."
% Always a good sign.
"Oh, then you wouldn't be interested in joining Daisy Mills
and Nancy Montoya either." Katherine crossed her arms and hoped
the inducement of former associates would do the trick.
% Liz: A three way? Cool. Count me in.
Katherine's eyes widened at the sight of the healed wound.
The lighter scar tissue was wider in some places than others.
Pin hole sized spots flanked the scar where a crude attempt at
stitching had held the skin together while it healed. It look
hideous. "Why?" was all she could gasp.
"My *mother* is crazy. She thought I was possessed by a
demon and decided to kill it in the middle of the night. I
barely had time to get my arms up to protect myself from her
knife." Liz began to tremble as she described the midnight
assault in her bed. Her voice lowered to a snarl. "I almost
killed her that night."
% My. How grim
"But --"
"NO BUTS! We're all going to die. Our world is doomed. I
watched my entire squadron, every friend I had in the RDF die at
the hands of the Reds. I only survived because my Veritech
crashed into the sea. I lived for two weeks in a cockpit no
larger than a coffin before I was found."
% Headcase. Get her to psych counciling and leave her. But of course, we
know that's now what's going to happen: too much info on her already. :)
"You know, I've got a pretty good claim going down south.
We pull almost an ounce a day out of it." She caught a glimpse
through her hair of a small leather bag being dangled over the
bar. "Yup, doin' real good."
"I'm happy for you," she said in a low, flat voice.
"Of course, a pretty lady like you shouldn't be sittin'
alone." She felt his hand slide lower, his fingers slipping
under the elastic of her panties. She didn't react. She figured
that if he wanted to fondle the crack of her butt, that was his
business.
% Heh. Truly burned out.
"Maybe they weren't looking for our passenger," Samantha
suggested as she watched the police car disappear.
% Heh. Right
Katherine's fingers drummed a light beat on the back of her
sister's bucket seat. There still was the matter of their
squadron's needs. Despite Capt Littlebear's refusals, she was a
very experienced pilot; the kind Thirteen Squadron badly needed.
% Except for the alchohlism and burnout.
Once in the parking lot, Katherine pulled out a folder and
affixed a rather complicated-looking document to a handy
clipboard. She then leaned over the seat and uncovered their
backseat occupant.
"Hey, you," she said roughly while shaking Liz by the
shoulder. "You gotta sign for the room."
% How evil.
Samantha put her arm around her sister's shoulders. "You
haven't failed. Not yet, anyway."
% No, but we're working on it. :)
Katherine opened the door to her room and acted only mildly
surprised when her sister didn't stop outside. It was as if she
knew what her sister was up to and welcomed it.
As the door closed, the squadron and all its attended
problems were left outside. Tonight was going to be for 'girl
talk' only. Tomorrow they'd decide what to do about Liz and the
rest of Thirteen Squadron's problems.
% So get on the next chapter already, will ya? ")
Nice work
D.B. Sommer