Jethro: First to Fight (25 page)

“She's good. Trust me. Give her a
chance. Keep your eyes open and your mouth
shut
. Got it,” Schultz said,
eying him hard. The panther had no choice but to nod in agreement.

“I'll keep it to myself Gunny. She's
good troop. No sense prejudicing others,” he said. He thought back, remembering
their sims and this last event. Panache had been solid as a rock. She shook
when it was over, but that they had learned was normal, they were coming down
from the adrenalin high and their bodies and minds needed a release valve. All
that pent up energy, worry, fear, and anger had to go somewhere.

“Which is part of her problem. It got
out in her other squads and it messed up her chances at promotion. So give her
a chance.”

“Yes Gunny,” Jethro replied.

“All right. Go check with Fonz.”

Jethro nodded and moved out.

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

“What about other refugees?” Decius
asked during the all department meeting after the incident.

“We're going to have to set up a system
to monitor all traffic around our military installations. A better one
obviously,” Lieutenant Commander Vargess said, making a face.

Commander Logan nodded. “Double checks
by independent groups. Someone either dropped the ball big time or let these
people in. I want that sorted out now.”

Decius could see the human was dead
serious. He didn't like what that would bring, another circus of JAG and NCIS
investigations and interviews, but there really wasn't any choice. Someone had
done something, something possibly criminal. His species ideals of live and let
live warred with his training of preventing a problem from repeating itself. “I
see sir,” he chittered, clacking his mandibles and sending a ripple through his
legs. The ripple moved in a wave down them, then when they reached the tip of
his long body the wave bounced back. Finally he settled down.

“We have it around the yard and annex,
but the mothballed stations and equipment were apparently out of the scan zone.
Or someone thought the shuttle was an inspection tour. Either way we're going
to take steps to prevent this from
ever
happening again. Make no
mistake, there will
not
be a repeat of this on my watch. Or heads will
roll.”

Grimly the others nodded.

“Yes sir,” Decius said.

“Monty,” the Commander turned to the
acting intelligence Chief. “Work with Jeremy and whoever has the case on the
NCIS end. Get to the bottom of this, and I mean now.”

“Aye aye sir,” Monty replied grimly.
“I'm a little tied up with a few other projects, but I'll see what I can do
sir.”

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

When the decision was announced and the
crisis averted, the media talking heads went into a frenzy of speculation about
the motives of all involved. Most came to a decision that Horatio had caved.
That annoyed the Commander, but there was little he could do short of wading in
and telling his side. But that would just make matters worse. All he wanted was
for it to blow over so he could focus on more important matters.

Quietly the navy had set up surveillance
and security teams on the other stations. It was a boring job. Roving patrols
pick up security and rotate them between posts and base. Dumb AI were installed
in each station, they were programmed to check in with the Annex every fifteen
minutes. Horatio decided to treat the squatters as a pilot program. If they
worked out he would expand it to take on caretaker crews of volunteer civilians
to help maintain the other stations and other facilities.

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

When the Eminent Domain issue didn't go
away, Logan put in a call to the system leadership. He felt slimy having to do
it, but girded his loins and got it over with. “We need the space Commander.
We're going to have it. Whether you like it or not this
is
going to
happen,” Governor Walker said. He'd tried to have his lawyers represent Big Red
but the ungrateful man had gone through the navy lawyers to squash that.

“Horatio, be reasonable. We have to
expand. We don't have a choice. Population pressure is pushing our life support
beyond its limit,” Enrique said, trying to play the peacemaker.

“No way, no
sir
. This is a
Federal versus local situation and Federal trumps local each and every time
hands down. No sir,” Logan snarled. “I'll blow them up before I hand them over
to anyone after we busted our tails building them.”

“But our population pressure...”

Logan's eyes narrowed. In a way, the
governor was right. They both knew the governor was building several colonies
but they were over budget and far from complete. But there were ways to stop or
at least slow the population explosion, mandatory contraceptives for one. They
had used them for nearly 7 centuries after all. They could use them a little
while longer. “Can be alleviated in other ways,” he finally ground out.

“You can build more...”

Logan's eyes flared in anger. “That's
right we can and we will continue to do so. But so can you. Your people, your
industry can get off its ass and build this stuff too. It's not that hard to
make a truss segment or a transhab module.”

The governor stared at him, trying to
stare him down. Logan was unmoved, he'd been stared at by worse.

“So this is your last word on it?” the
governor asked icily.

Logan nodded curtly. “It is. If and when
I change my mind you'll know, hell will be an ice rink. No one takes military
hardware or facilities without
my
authorization.” He tapped his chest in
emphasis.

“But the people on the station...”

“Are no longer squatting, they have
entered a contract with us to take care of the station thus freeing up our
people for more important rolls. It's a compromise, it was that or toss them
out a lock. They now work for the navy.”

The governor blinked. “Oh.” He hadn't
quiet anticipated that wrinkle.

“If others wish to do the same
they
can apply on our website or at a recruiting station on their local colony. Or
they can contact their local colony leaders and ask them to forward their
application.
If
they qualify and
if
we have a slot open they will
be hired.”

“Oh.”

The Lieutenant governor cleared his
throat. “What about the shuttle?”

Logan turned to Enrique. He didn't envy
the man, he was clearly torn. They'd known each other for decades, he'd seen
Enrique grow up. Now if the man had more of a spine he'd be an asset. “That
will be returned to the parties and the people who took it have offered
compensation. If the aggrieved parties press charges that is a matter for the
courts.” He didn't like doing that, it was a military shuttle after all. He
made a note to offer mayor what's his name, he checked his implants. Mayor
Ralkin something in trade for the shuttle. He'd probably end up paying double
for what it was worth, but it was a solid shuttle. And the investigators had
also noted someone had fixed it up rather recently. He was rather curious as to
how and where the refugees or the mayor had gotten the parts.

“Huh.”

“If we have more refugee ships they will
be escorted to the nearest facility, detained and then sent to Anvil or some
other civilian controlled facility. If they break federal law then we will have
to deal with it. I'm discussing the situation with the Chief justice now.”

“Oh you are,” the governor said. He
hadn't anticipated that. He'd heard that Irons had been on good terms but
hadn't known Logan was too.”

“Yes, he and I go way back on Anvil. He
was a hard nose when it comes to his bailiwick, just as I am with mine,” Logan
said, showing teeth in a grim determined smile. “Anyone who treads on the Navy
better be advised of that.”

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

More refugees tried to get to the
various stations. All were turned back, sometimes by force using a bot or
automated tug to force them to return to their destination. One time Valdez tug
had to do the job, and had to provide life support because they left with
enough for a one way trip. The media ended up all over the story. Some were
comparing it to the Cuban refugee crisis of the 19
^th
and 20
^th
century. “Wet foot, dry foot. Get your feet on a deck and you will be accepted.
Get caught in space and you'll be turned back,” a commentator said.

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

Mayor Ralkin put in a stink about how he
wanted the 'borrowed' shuttle returned. Horatio successfully traded a thousand
meters of plasma conduit, a dozen medium life support modules, filters, some
replicated luxury goods, two food replicators, one small molecular furnace, and
one small class 1 industrial replicator for the title to the Aurelie
Interceptor shuttle.

“So it's ours now? Commander, you know
we can make air frames. We can make a more modern one,” the Lieutenant said in
dismay. “That thing fills a boat bay all on its own. You can't get it in and
out of Firefly safely.”

“Yes, but this one has been worked on
recently. I want ONI to take a look at the parts. This time a more thorough
exam while they take the shuttle apart and rebuild it.”

The Lieutenant arched an eyebrow. “I see
where you are going with this sir. You think some of the parts that were
supposed to go to Destiny ended up on her?”

Horatio nodded. “Maybe. Print
everything.”

“And that the parts may lead us to the
people who stole them.”

“Again, maybe. It's a long shot,” Logan
replied waving a hand. “I do know the replicators haven't turned up. We'll see
if they ever do. But I also wanted the Aurelie, well, call it sentimentality if
you will. I loved the duck. She's a sweet ship, I had a model of her as a kid.
The same team that designed her later designed the Warhorse. You can tell just
from the lines and the engine design. She looks like she flies like a brick but
she's a sweet ship. And seeing her come in on VTOL?” he chuckled, shaking his
head. “Full burners going in for a landing or take off? At night? Awed the heck
out of me when I saw it at a military air show as a kid.”

The Lieutenant's eyes flared with
thought as an idea struck him. “Air show, sir...”

Logan grunted and sat back. “Good point.
Wish I'd thought of it sooner. Not very effective here, it's not like people
can walk around and touch and see the craft out on a moon or something. On
Agnosta maybe. We'll see.”

“I see sir.”

“Put it in the idea file,” Logan
replied. “Now, let's get back to work.”

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

Conservative commentators created a
backlash over the squatters. Some didn't like the navy giving in, others stated
other people should do the same. Some commentators attacked the 'weakling'
governor for not bringing the military to heel and the heartless 'Nazi'
military. The various media outlets had a field day, Knox news was torn between
defending the squatters or the navy. Some opinionated people put out in the
public chats that they should be given title to the station, others said they
should go out the nearest lock, with or without a suit.

“I love how they can have it both ways.
No matter what we do, which way we jump we're in the wrong,” Horatio said,
scanning the digest.  His intel shop had created a poll to keep track of
public sentiment. He was fairly certain now the public was growing tired of the
subject. Viewership was starting to move to other subjects.

“Yeah well, screw em. They'll get over
it. For now we've slapped a band aid over the problem so hopefully it doesn't
happen again.”

“Once burned, thrice shy.”

“True. And yes, we've had to stop other
refugees. We'll deal with the backlash from that too.”

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

Commander Logan reluctantly ordered
military crews to occupy all the various stations full time. Valenko's squad
returned to chaos in the naval annex as that order was being carried out. It
took three days to sort it all out.

By instituting regular inspections and
caretaker crews on stations he had inadvertently created a new standard. Crews
would gain some experience in command. It also solved part of their manning
table issue, there were more chances of command even if that command was a
depot station.

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

The orbital fort design contest opened
to military personnel only but the news of the DOD project was leaked to media
within days of it making the military discussion boards. That was a problem,
the Commander hadn't wanted the discussion publicized, it became a security
risk. During the crisis, Firefly had been dispatched to pick up a small
asteroid. Firefly had tagged and started work on it while the power design was
still underway. Purple Thorn followed the plans and used the energy weapons on
the ship to bore out the holes and cavities they would need. When she was
finished they let the rock cool for a few days before they locked a tractor
beam on it and began the slow process of towing it to the Beta 101a1 jump
point.

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

Stuck in the Annex while Firefly
lumbered across the system with its cargo, Jethro was at ends on what to do.
The squad had been given time off, but all the shuttles had been put to work
moving personnel to the other stations so they were stuck on the station.
Instead he spent some time in virtual catching up on his classes before he
moved to the military boards. When he read about the squatters he frowned and
opened a new thread. He suggested why don't we just sell them a station or two?
Discussion immediately started, his squad piled in, and then it got lively as
word spread about the idea. It worked its way up the chain of command in hours.
Logan mused over the idea and then reluctantly agreed to it. The overworked
naval architects sighed and began to design and build stations for interested
groups who would pay in advance for it. Each would be built as a modular design
using the depot station as an initial blueprint.