Jethro 10 What We Fight For Snippet 1

 So, I am struggling with getting back into writing. I have been having a lot of fun making various projects. I may post some images and video here in the coming weeks.

I just finished a life size Wampa bust, it is... cool. :)

  Anyway, I need to get back to the AI art and the current book I am writing. I sent Rea J10 the other day so I better get on the snippets too.

Oh, you are going to see some crossover material. That syncs my timeline up and of course some events drive reactions in other circles... yadda yadda.

On to the snippet!

 Chapter 1

Deep Space, Sigma Sector

 

Jethro felt a sense of relief as the titanic ship dropped out of hyperspace. It pushed through the last barrier in an incredible burst of energy and then drifted. Second Fleet came in behind them. As he stared at the screens Bast finished working her way into the computers and signaled the other Cadre members.

Jethro noted other AI in the network but he was busy making certain that a reactor wouldn’t overload or something. He’d hate to come this far only to blow it somehow. When power dropped to lower levels he flicked his ears.

“We’re getting calls from across the ship demanding to know what is going on,” Bast said in amusement.

“Now what?” Mara asked, looking very small as she climbed out of the helm tube. Water dripped around her. She snagged a towel from the limp fingers of a sleeping attendant and dried herself off. She looked at the other sleeping water dwellers and her lower lip quivered.

Bast sent a signal to the nanites to wake them up. The girls woke within seconds. They looked up to Mara and then began to cry.

Bast flashed ‘trauma’ on Jethro’s HUD in yellow as a caution. He gave a slight nod and ear flick of acknowledgment.

“You were very brave. Now we get you and your friends back home,” Jethro rumbled softly.

“Home,” she said in a quavering voice. She shivered violently. The other water dwellers cuddled with her. “Home,” the blue woman said softly over and over again as she cried. They cried with her huddling together in a knot of comfort, misery, and relief.

“Sitrep?” Jethro asked as he scanned the room.

“Doors secure. They are armored so the guards outside won’t get in easily… even if they were awake which they are not,” Bast stated. Jethro raised an eyebrow in inquiry. “I am in their computers and control the life support.”

Jethro nodded.

Images appeared with knots of humanity as well as some fighting. Jethro grunted. Even though he had control of the ship there was still more to do. They had anticipated this, the die hards would try to fight to the end rather than surrender.

“You need to broadcast to the ship to lay down their arms,” Bast stated. “I am transmitting the codes to Second Fleet with the invitation to come on board.”

Jethro nodded and took a position at parade rest. When Bast nodded a green light came on in front of him indicating that she was recording.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Jethro said over an all hands circuit. “This is Chief Warrant Officer Jethro McClintock. I am the black cat you definitely do not want to cross,” he growled.

Bast smiled and barred her teeth briefly.

“As some of you know, the Cadre boarded this vessel several days ago. We have disabled the self-destruct and taken control of this vessel. Your empress and her staff are in our custody.”

He didn’t look around the room.

<<(O)>>

Detective Kern felt his shoulders slump a little as he and other police officers and their families gathered around the video screens in the bullpen to watch the broadcast from the black cat.

He wasn’t quite ready to admit it, but he felt strangely relieved that it was over.

<<(O)>>

Jewel Cohen stared at the screen. Her lower lip quivered as did her whole body. “What happens to us now?” she asked as she turned to her parents.

“I wish I knew,” her father said quietly. He shook his head. “I wish I knew.”

<<(O)>>

Across the ship some diehards bristled at the idea of surrendering. Some were just ornery, others knew that they would be executed for war crimes. They had no reason to lay down their arms. Some privately vowed to build a death guard of as many people as possible.

<<(O)>>

“Twenty or so years ago I boarded one of your ships on my own in a little star system called Kathy’s World,” Jethro rumbled matter of factly. He felt his lips twitch in an almost smile. “I fought the crew to a standstill. Their captain negotiated to leave if I left their ship.” Bast flicked her ears on his HUD.

His ears flicked briefly. “Well, this time I brought friends,” he growled.

Bast smirked on his HUD. She had been with hiim on that mission but she was classified.

“We are now out of hyperspace. Second Fleet and a task force of Tenth Fleet are outside and boarding Marines now. Your fleet, what little was left of it, fled. We control your life support, your security systems, weapons, computers, power, the whole kit and caboodle people. There is nowhere to run, if you try to hide we’ll find you. There is no sense in fighting. It is over,” Jethro said flatly. As he spoke Bast was altering the command codes for the systems with the support of the other AI. She was also locking down sections of the ship, trapping people while also mapping their locations.

<<(O)>>

Chief Warrant Officer Hurranna grinned at Jethro’s broadcast. “Now that’s tellin’ them,” she growled. She glanced to the compartment where the EPOWs were being housed. Some looked even more defeated. Good.

<<(O)>>

"Power plants are on lock down. All self-destruct packages are secure. All magazines are secure though some are only remotely secure," Minotaur reported.

Ox grunted and flicked his ears. After a moment he nodded. "Good to know."

"Marine shuttles are inbound. Once they have a secure beachhead they will start to ferry over the skeleton crew."

"The round up?" Ox asked.

"Lockdown has been initiated. Anyone not locked down will be caught. We are working on tracking them now. Many are without weapons."

"Understood."

"It is rather pathetic that many of their weapons are melee weapons."

"Thank the tyrant for that," the Tauren rumbled as his thick fingers scrolled through the feeds. "She didn't want her people armed out of paranoia. So, it bit her in the ass."

"Right," Minotaur stated. "Though, they are pirates. We still need to be careful. That militia came as something of a surprise."

"Agreed."

<<(O)>>