The Jaeger and the Neustadt

[Dieter Schprokets]

"Just what the hell are you doing?!"

The hapless mechanic stood up so quickly he hit his head on the fin of the Rheinland Gunboat, and dropped his arc-cutter. Alarming as the pain was, the site of the angry Commander Schprokets, glaring red-faced and sweating, was quite a bit more riveting. One arm and both legs mechanical, he looked like something out of a nightmare. And he was really, really, not happy about something. Something the mechanic was doing.

"Um, stripping her, sir. For parts. Decommissioned."

"The JAEGER?! DECOMMISSIONED?!"

"Yes, sir, Commander, sir."

The commander looked positively apoplectic. This was the mechanic's worst day this year, bar none.

"Son, do you have ANY idea how many times this ship has saved my life? Jan may not want her anymore, but I'll be damned if I'll let you cut her apart like a frog in biology class!"

"Sir, you should be aware that she needs extensive work to get ready for action again. The corsairs really did a number on her last time out."

The commander glared at the mechanic and said in a calm voice. "You may notice that I also needed some 'extensive work' recently. You suppose I should have been 'decommissioned' instead?"

"NO SIR!" Gulp...

Schprokets spun around, and stormed off to the hanger office, and yelled back over his shoulder; "You will not do ANYTHING else until I return. Got me?"

"Sir, yes sir!"

Lots of yelling in the hanger office, but not for very long. Schprokets soon returned, with a self-satisfied smirk on his face. People with bionic limbs often get their way.

"Son, you are to inventory all the parts you need to get this girl shipshape, and report to me personally. I will arrange for you to get those parts, and then you will make the full restoration of this ship your primary purpose in life. Understood?"

"Yes sir. My mission in life, sir!"

Schprokets patted the armor, near where a Corsair bolt had blasted through.

Old girl, he thought, neither of us are ready for the pasture yet...

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