Read Online Jethro: First to Fight by Chris Hechtl - Free Book Online

rule the roost. Anything coming out of hyper would get reamed.”
    “Great. And cracking a nut like that...
no easy task. Boarding actions...” Hurranna murmured.
    “Yeah, not a high survival scenario,”
Firefly responded, writing a memo to intelligence and the Commander to look
into the possibility of Horathian orbital forts.
    “What I'm also wondering is, if these
are so damn tough, why don't we have them? I mean other than San Diego?” the
lynx asked.
    Firefly stared at the Neocat for a brief
moment before he let out a loud chuckle. “I expected something of that nature
from your cohort Jethro. Hearing it from you though...”
    “Why sir?” Hurranna asked, now offended.
    “No no, it's nothing like that. I'm
surprised at myself for not thinking of it too. I'll pass that along with your
name tagged to it. Good work Lance Corporal Hurranna,” the AI responded as he sent
another memo to Commander Logan as well as the system defense design team.
    “Just off hand, would you have any ideas
on how to get around the lock outs? Ways of powering these things?” the AI
asked.
    Hurranna frowned and then shrugged
waving an airy hand. “Ask Ox, that's his department sir. I am more interested
in flying.”
    “Thank you, I'll do that Corporal,” the
AI responded. “Good day,” he said and winked out.
    ...*...*...*...*...
    Commander Logan finished the latest report
and then sighed, stretching. “Anything else?” he asked, knowing there always
was.
    “Yes sir, we've received a call from
security. A group of civilians want to talk with you and are in the outer
office.”
    “What about?” Logan asked, raising an
eyebrow. He'd had a few cranks, and that one assassination attempt. He wasn't
going to let down his guard. But if they were in the annex, someone must have
cleared them. He flicked his implants into the security channel. There was a
chimp there, a chimp with two humans bracketed by two human MP's. The human's
looked nervous, the chimp looked bored, picking at his canines.
    The yeoman looked at the security Chief.
Two MP guards were standing there as well. “What is this about?”
    “A security breach,” Bailey said before
his security Chief could say anything. “Tell Horatio I'm...” he glanced at the
other two and then blew out a deep breath. “ We I should say are all
friends of John . Look, this is serious. We found something after he left
and unfortunately we don't know who to trust with it so I'm clamming up
for now.”
    “Let them in,” Horatio said quietly.
    “Sir are you sure?” the yeoman asked.
The two guards looked at each other.
    “Sure he's sure,” Bailey said, getting
up. The yeoman stared at him. “I don't have implants but I can hear your end
just fine kid,” the chimp snorted. “Now you want to open the door or do I have
to go get a damn torch? I've got a ship to mind you know, plus a kid who's
liable to tear it to pieces if I'm not back soon,” he growled.
    “Identities are Chief Bailey, Chief
engineer of the freighter Destiny, Computer Tech Everett, and security Chief Ed
Chambers, also of Destiny sir,” the yeoman said through his implants.
    “Show them in,” Logan said, pressing a
button to open his door.
    When all three were in front of his desk
he crossed his arms. “So, you know the admiral. I gathered that much, and you
didn't casually drop his first name so,” he looked at Bailey. “Trust him to
befriend the Chief engineer,” he said.
    Bailey snorted. “He's a damn good
teacher. Both on and off the mat,” he said, shrugging. Horatio eyed the chimp
for a minute and then nodded again this time in wry understanding.
    “Okay, so, let's hear it.”
    Interested Horatio listened to their
story. Bailey, Everett, and the security Chief took turns. It was obvious
Chambers was reluctant to be here, but he squared his shoulders and went along
with the other two. They had been trying to get an appointment with someone for
some time but had been shuffled from one desk to