Following the stealthy Storm class gunboat into the docking bay was an equaly
stealthy (in the right hands) Hathor class gunboat.
Whilst often stigmatized as a Order ship, the Hathor was the brainchild of Zoner enginers from various
freeports, although some crackpods claimed a station named 'Corinth' was involved.
And this one was in the right hands.
Ok Bernard, the Samothraki gets the next shift. See you when the regulars take over first watch in the morning.
As she finished the shift changeover for the Baffin Blockade
she had her crew pilot the Suigintou, into Shasta.
Allritey guys, since the tazie who set the schedule for us doesnt
like mondays sucking as the start of the week monday is set as the start of the weekend shift
for us anyway
that means we have tommorow off.
Try not to loose any barfights. And if you do, make sure you put at least four of them in the hospital.
If there are more than five of you, and you loose, at least one of them better need med Force One
The crew laughed, and at least one bottle top being popped off was heard as the ship landed.
It was utterly unprofessional, of course.
But these were professionals, at being unprofessional.
These were reservists of the Zoner Defence Force.
The perpetualy underfunded Zoner Defence Force.
Or, as she summed it up when speaking amongst freinds....
The Captain in command of Freeport 11's wing of regulars once admitted over short range comms
that he often flew in only his underwear. Because the Alliance hasnt allocated funding for uniforms.
The Hathor settled down beside the Storm class gunboat, causing one of the guards to look furious.
None of the landing crew paid him any mind.
As the crew headed off for whatever afterhours pleasures they had in mind the intercomm sounded.
Captain Kashiwaba, please report to the maintence office to confirm needed repair work
Tomoe cursed to herself and begain walking towards the maintence office's nearest door.
It happend to be directly behind the Collation gunboat that was also within the hanger.
While she was not an imposing figure, genetic engenering she had recived as a newborn had delayed her aging proces so that she only appeard to be half of her twenty nine years of age
she had stopped letting that stop her many years ago.
As she walked by the parked gunboat one of the guards, the larger of the two, decided to have some fun.
As she passed him with a nod, he grabbed her by the shoulder to stop her.
Stop. This secure Zone. You no be here.
The guard was not exactly the smartest, or the most experinced.
Infact it was his first deployment.
But he was loyal.
This is a Zoner station.
A secure Zoner hanger.
And I'm a captain in the Zoner Defence force.
Yeah, I'm supposed to be here.
The guards face went red with rage.
His more experinced partners jaw dropped as he started to walk over, spotting a possible incident.
The guard bellowed incoherently You learn respect Premier guard!
As he shouted, he tightened his grip on Tomoe's shoulder and swung the barrel of his sub-machine gun up at her face, intending to pistolwhip her with it.
It was then that, inadvertently, he discoverd another of the genetic enhancements she had recived as a child.
As the weapon swung at her face, her left hand darted out with a reflex impossible for a normal human.
And with a strength not expect from a person with the frame of a child she grabbed the barrel of the weapon and pulled.
Fast.
She pulled it out of his right hand before he could react.
Not wanting to steal from the Collation, she gave it back to him.
Unfortunitly, enhanced speed and reflexes make for a bad combination for those not expecting them.
The butt of the weapon smashed into his chin.
His jaw clicked shut.
And several hours later, he woke up with a concussion.
The other guard, seeing the speed with which his comrade had been utterly decimated did the only thing he could do.
He laughed
I appologise Captain. Comrade Petrokski is rather inexperinced.
Tomoe smiled Not a problem, consider it forgotten
The guard breathed a sigh of relief as she walked away. The unconcious Petrokski was his brother in law.
A short time later, Tomoe walked down a corridor towards the club smoking a synthweed joint.