Surefoot 61: Answer the Call

She glared at him with naked suspicion. She was aware of the announcements made, of course, about the Metremia Crisis. Unlike most of the Low-Born fools out there, however, she did not accept every word that dripped like saliva from these Rat-tails' snouts.

And she was smart enough not to express her feelings aloud. "Well, that sounds like quite an opportunity, Sir. However, my company has many outstanding off-world contracts to fulfil first. If you wish to assist in that respect, it will be welcome."

Ubar-Sin smiled at her, without a trace of humour or warmth. "Ahhh, sadly, you'll soon learn the truth we have kept from the rest of your planet: the Federation has all but fallen. The Dominion have already conquered Betazed, Vulcan, Andor, Tellar, and Earth. And the Breen Confederacy has just joined in alliance with the Dominion, as have the Cardassians, the Tholians, the Ferengi, the Gorn, and of course our Patriarchy." He shook his head. "I fear those contracts will never be fulfilled."

Jnill stiffened. Could it be true? Was the situation out there far more grave than the news agencies, and her own contacts, had presented? No. No, she paid too highly for accurate investment intelligence, and she would have known it was as bad as it was out there.

Wouldn't she?

He approached her. "But... under our banner, Cait will be protected from the wrath of the Dominion. And you, and other forward-thinking industrialists on Cait, can salvage something from this profound change of Galactic circumstances. You can divert your vehicles, your personnel, your resources, towards helping to build the Medical Camps and the required supporting structures.

Needless to say, you will be handsomely recompensed... not to mention, you will have the satisfaction of performing your civic duty to help your fellow Caitians." He held out his paw, large and muscular, to her. "Well, Madame? Will you help your people... and your company?" He smiled and added, "The offer will not last longer than the time I keep my paw raised to you. You have many rivals who would gladly accept the honour... and the profits that will assuredly come with it."

She stared at his paw. At him.

She was no bumpkin. Over the decades, her clan's company had done enough business with the Planetary Navy, and non-Caitian forces, to know the Ferasans for what they really were.

And certainly all this talk about a secret society of elite ruling Cait for centuries was nothing more than wind; certainly if such a cabal existed, her clan would be among its more prominent members. More than likely there had been some combat between the Ferasans and the Militia, the Ferasans won, and they're blaming the literal fallout from their warfare on the losers.

She did accept that, at present, the Ferasans held sway. And she could choose to reject their offer, and face financial ruin. Or she could accept the inevitable.

So she did. And the Ferasan's paw with it.

*

Shanos Minor, Nashea Province:

It took all of Jhess Furore's self-control not to let his claws extend to rake the arms of the chair he sat in; it wasn't his furniture, or his house, any longer. He was merely a guest now, and hardly cub with no discipline.

Still, he let them appear enough to tap rapidly on the sablewood as he stared at the desk screen. "Are you sure about that, Sasha? Are you really sure?"

The human on the screen appeared as sickened as he felt. "I wish I wasn't, Jhess. My ship has some... special programs from Grandma; we tapped into the weather satellites over Mlell Province. Mlell Base is gone. Like all the others. I'm sorry."

He made a sound in his throat. He thought he had been prepared for the worst. He was wrong. Mlell was where he had studied Paediatrics... and where he was trained as a Sabrecat under Colonel Srular, before they set forth during the last Ferasan War. And now she, and all of their comrades who had survived the last War, were now dead in this one. "And there's no word from the Navy? Fleet Captain Shall?"

Sasha shook her head. "I want to head out there in my ship to see for myself, but Dad thinks we need to hold off. If the Ferasans and Dominion did sweep through them as quickly and easily as they seem to have done, then they may have found a way to pierce the Caitian Prowl cloaks."

"Well, I'm just a Ground Pounder, but he's probably right, Sash."

"What are you gonna do now, Jhess? Are you still staying there?"

The spotted male glanced to his left, hearing his ex-wife and son in the kitchen, attempting and failing to give him privacy while he made his calls. "If I'm allowed. There's a few Sabrecat vets like myself in the civilian world, and maybe some still on Active Duty, but off-base. I need to try and reach them."

"Be careful about that," she warned him. "This so-called Protection Act and there's a lot of anti-Militia, anti-Starfleet feeling on Cait right now. Dad's on his way back from First City; the Starfleet offices were vandalised, and the Federation offices are closed."

He nodded, at a loss as to what to do. "You be careful too, Sasha. Message me if you have any news, on anything. And give my love to Esek, Kami, the Warrior Prince and My Lady."

She nodded back, and the screen went black.

He rose, his muscles aching from having sat still for so long, and under tension, and let his nostrils take in the scents of cooking from the kitchen. It made him hungry... and melancholy, as he indulged in the memories of endless meals in this house. And reminded himself that that's all they were, memories, and that he was a guest here, not an occupant.

He strode into the kitchen, seeing his son Shau helping Mreia with chopping up food while the slices of sleekfish were grilling in the pan. "Thanks for that. Anything I can do to help?"

He saw his ex-wife turn to obvious say No- but was beaten to a response by Shau, who held up a pawful of uncut ninshoots. "Come on over!"

Jhess took the opportunity, taking a board to Shau's left, rather than between Shau and Mreia, expertly chopping away with an offered knife. "It's been ages since I've had fresh ninshoots. Do you still get them from Crescent Market?"

Mreia didn't answer. Shau responded, however. "Yes! Noma's family runs a fresh fruits and vegetables shop there!"

"Who's Noma?"

"His girlfriend," Mreia replied now when her son didn't respond, the female never looking up from cutting up sweetbulbs.

Jhess' tail swished happily, glad for the distraction now. "Very nice! Her family can cater for the wedding!"

"Dad!" Shau gasped, his chagrin acute and clear.

Jhess laughed... then noticed Mreia's work, and laughed again. "You still throw away the Umbrellas!"

Shau looked between his parents. "The what?"

Mreia shook her head. "Never mind, he doesn't need to know."

But Jhess wasn't prepared to let it lie, reaching past Shau to pick up some of the discarded tops of the sweetbulbs, which had leafy, mushroom-shaped protrusions. "It's what we used to call these bits. They're perfectly edible, but when your mother was a cub, her Grandpa told her that if she ate them, they would grow in her belly and sprout out of her ears! So every time we had them, she always cuts them off and throws them away!"

Their son looked between them, then seemed to see his mother with new eyes. "You do do that, Mom!" He laughed.

"No one's ever proved that they can't end up growing inside you," she defended half-heartedly, provoking more laughter.

Jhess regarded her -- seeing a little of the wife he once knew intimately.

It didn't last long, however, when they sat down, and talk returned to more serious matters, Shau asking, "Was that human on the comm the one you wrote to me about? The one who thinks she's Caitian?"

He smiled slightly. "She doesn't think she's Caitian... but she just might as well be. She has Caitian citizenship, speaks Old Caitian, is in the Clan registry. And... she's Kaetini."

Shau's jaw dropped. "I thought they were just legend! Story material! Can I meet her?"

"You won't be meeting her," Mreia informed him abruptly. "She's also in Starfleet. Like her parents. Isn't she?"

Jhess held his fork in his paw, never raising the food on it to his muzzle, hearing the challenge in his ex-wife's seemingly-innocent question. "Yes. And she's a very decorated, very brave and very capable young woman."

"And what does she have to say about the allegations being made? Did she deny them?"

He looked up at her. "No. Because she didn't have to. Because the allegations are the height of absurdity! You're an intelligent female, you should see that."

She set down her own cutlery and looked at him. "Should I? Cait signed up to the Federation just over a hundred years ago, and what has it brought us?"

He frowned. "Trade, Knowledge, Security-"

"-Bureaucracy, Legislation, War- how many of our people have joined Starfleet and have been killed in wars that have nothing to do with the Motherworld?"

"How many Starfleet people have been killed in wars that have protected the Motherworld?" he snapped back, his anger at her attitude pouring out, unchecked. "Wars you'll never have heard about?"

"Kussik!" Shau cursed, bolting to his feet and kicking away his chair as he stormed to his room.

Jhess rose as well. "Shau! Get back here!"

Mreia joined him. "Nice one."

"Oh, you're blaming me for this? One of our darkest periods is upon us, tens of thousands of men, women and cubs, dead! And you're still acting like you're debating in law school!"

The door chimed.

Mreia continued to stare for a moment longer, before moving to answer it.

Jhess clutched the edge of the table. Nice one, Jhess. Anger your son, alienate your ex, why not set fire to the kitchen while you're at it?

"Jhess," Mreia called to him, her voice anxious.

He approached now, tensing at the sight of the Caitian Constabulary at the front door, one of them with Sergeant's chevrons checking a pawheld Minicomm before looking up again. "You're Doctor Jhesster Furore?"

He tensed. "I am."

"Formerly a Lieutenant with the 47th Caitian Militia? The Sabrecats?"

His heart raced. No, don't try anything, not here, with Mreia and Shau nearby. "I was, but-"

"Not another word, Jhess." Now Mreia stepped forward. "Excuse me, Sergeant, but what is this about?"

The Sergeant ignored her, focusing on Jhess... and, Jhess, noted, the male keeping his hand near the Yap sonic pistol at his hip. "You'll need to come with us, Sir."

"What for?"

"We'll discuss this at the Detention Centre, Sir." They stepped inside.

"Hold it!" Mreia stepped between Jhess and the officers. "You're not taking him anywhere! The Fourth Title of the Civil Rights Act adjures you to provide a reason for arresting a citizen-"

"Dad?" It was Shau, emerging from his bedroom, looking confused and afraid.

"Get back inside, Shau!" Jhess snapped at him.

"The Titles of the Civil Rights Act are superseded by the Protection Act," the Sergeant informed them. "The Border Agency confirmed Lt Furore has been off-world, serving on a Starfleet vessel."

"I'm just a nanny there," Jhess informed them.

"He's a doctor, a paediatrician!" Mreia told him angrily. "He takes care of cubs! He's a civilian, he's not in Starfleet!"

"This is merely a security precaution," the Sergeant assured her. "We need to run some checks, that's all."

"Dad!" Shau insisted.

Jhess faced him again, forcing himself to appear as calm as possible. "Everything's okay, Shau. This won't take long, I'm sure." Then he stepped around Mreia. "I'll be fine. Like the man said, they just need to run some checks."

His ex-wife looked to him, then at the officers. "Where is this 'Detention Centre'? The Sixth Title adjures you to inform citizens under arrest where you're taking them!"

"Ma'am," the Sergeant said, sounding like his patience was being tested. "As I already informed you, the Titles of the Civil Rights Act are superseded by the Protection Act... and Lt Furore is not under arrest. We just need to run-"

"Run some checks," she finished for him, "You said that already. You can still tell us where you're taking him!"

"It's a secure location, Ma'am. The Lieutenant will be released and returned as soon as we've run our checks."

"Then I'm accompanying him, as his legal representative."

"That will not be allowed, Ma'am."

Jhess watched him. Watched the paw tighten around the grip of his Yap. "It's okay, Mreia, I'll be back in a couple of hours." He reached out and patted her shoulder. "It's nice to know you can still flex your legal muscles even for me." He let his paw linger, before turning to Shau. "You take care of your mother, do what she says. I'll be right back."

Mreia looked to him, concern etched in her expression and scent. "Just tell them the truth."

He departed with the officers, who surrounded him as they briskly departed the apartment building to a large armoured truck awaiting them. Jhess desperately fought the urge to strike out, to react to these men as the Enemy. They were just doing their jobs. They were just doing their jobs. They were just-

Pain shot through him as a sonic blast from one of the Constables' Yaps sent him sprawling to the street, wiping out his sense of balance and control entirely, leaving him like a sack of laundry to be lifted up and placed in the back of the truck.

*

Kami was at the front door of the Clanhouse when her husband finally returned, and she rushed up to embrace him... even as she noticed the young, unfamiliar male following behind. "I'm so glad you came back safely!"

His huge arms felt as strong and reassuring around her as his scent. "Sorry I didn't get back sooner, Beloved; there were... complications." He drew back, indicating the male. "This is Lieutenant Mru Mori, the... last surviving member of the Starfleet Offices. He... didn't want to be tracked back to his family's home and endanger them. Mr Mori, this is my wife and Counselor, Kami."

The cub nodded, looking hesitant as he approached the front porch. "Captain Hrelle insisted I accompany him, Madame. I- I don't want to put you or your family at risk. If you don't want me here..."

She looked to Hrelle. "It's that bad?"

He nodded. "They're looking for data on all planetbound Starfleet personnel, Active or Retired. I've made contact with one of the Retired, and he'll be spreading word around to the others, warning them."

She nodded back, looking at Mori once again. "We're all in this together, Lieutenant. The only thing you'll have to fear here are my Papas trying to fatten you up." Then she leaned into her husband again, whispering, "Sasha's in her ship; go to her. The Kaetini are assembling."

He complied, leaving Kami to deal with their new guest, while he raced through the house, quickly apologising to the few Clan members still around, to the back, and the clearing where the Tailless sat.

Sasha rose from her seat and hugged him. "You took your time getting home, Dad!"

"Sorry, complications. What's this about the Kaetini?"

She drew back. "Mistress Nvell is calling the Sumishar. Tonight."

His eyes widened. "The Call to Arms? And she expects us to meet out in the open? That's too risky!"

Now his daughter offered him a slight smile. "Not for fans of David Meowie."

"Excuse me?"

Her smile became a grin, and she moved to a display at her side, bringing up some text, headed by an image of an attractive-looking, lavender-furred young Caitian male in a flamboyant purple costume. "You and I are Premium Members of the David Meowie Fan Club."

Hrelle frowned as he leaned in to see the image. "I know him! He's a Bowie tribute act! I actually introduced him to the Bowie Clone I met a few years ago!" He looked to Sasha again. "I'm assuming that this membership wasn't some crap Christmas gift for us?"

"According to official records, we joined years ago. And apparently as Premium Members, we have been invited to an exclusive mini-concert for a preview of songs from his new album Diamond Cats. It's at the edge of Winterwane Common in Kaigi Province, at dusk; they've even supplied travel vouchers to Winterwane if needed.

I have some fake registrations for the Tailless, and have entered a flight plan under one of them for us, but we'll have to leave soon." She paused and asked, "No good news, I take it?"

He produced the isolinear card. "This is a list of all Starfleet personnel, active and retired and Cait. Use your Grandma's onboard secret agent crap to access the Caitian Cynet and hide their Starfleet connections from conventional searches."

She accepted the card warily. "I'll do what I can, but I'm not entirely familiar with local protocols and networks."

He nodded. "I've brought a Lieutenant Mori with me from the Starfleet Offices, he'll help. In fact, he can come along and mind the ship while we're out."

She stared at him, looking a little afraid. "What are we going to do, Dad? Who can we turn to?"

He breathed out, expecting such a question. "Out of contact with Starfleet Command, and until we find someone of superior rank and experience... we may have to gather all the Starfleet people, any remaining Militia or Planetary Naval personnel on Cait, and work towards a common goal: to fight the invaders of our Motherworld."

"Fight? With what? We've only got one ship, some hand weapons and spy gadgets and a handful of idiots ready to take on an army of Rat-tails!"

Hrelle smiled, resting a paw on her arm. "No. It's not all we've got."

Sasha didn't understand what he meant.

*

At least, not until they reached Winterwane Common, in Kaigi Province.

It was an open area, surrounded by woods, near the edge of the bay separating them from the metropolis of Winterwane. Sasha, using a false registration of a private transport flyer, piloted herself, Dad and the young Lieutenant Mori, an earnest young male, set them down outside the Common, Mori remaining behind to complete the computer work and watch the flyer, as Sasha and her father followed the signs and walked through the empty woods... aware of eyes watching. "Dad, are we-?"

He nodded, keeping his eyes forward. "Oh yes. We've been identified from the moment we appeared. We're surrounded."

She was desperate to keep her cool... but that dropped away when they entered the Common... and saw the hundreds of Caitians gathered together, a huge throng of males and females of all ages, some dressed in casual clothes, others in formal suits, yet more in purely traditional gear. Many openly carried weapons. Others had young cubs with them.

All were expectant, anxious, angry. Determined.

Sasha took it all in. "I... I never knew there were so many of us."

Hrelle breathed in, impressed despite himself, slipping an arm around her. "Me neither."

"B-But isn't this dangerous for us to be gathered here?"

"Why? We're just here for a bit of David Meowie. He's not bad; he's not the real thing, of course, but-"

"You know what I mean, Dad! It's risky."

"Risky to anyone who shows up uninvited." He winked at her as he looked around, understanding more about their reason for being here.

Before he could respond, however, all attention was drawn towards the stage set up before them, flanked with musical instruments and speakers, but with no persons, just the sound of a chime...

Then a figure appeared: female, lithe, grey-furred, long-maned, clad in a simple vest, trousers and sandals... and with twin swords at her sides, her tail swishing behind her as she strode up to the centre and the edge of the stage.

And all went silent at the presence of Mistress Nvell, her voice carrying far more easily than one might have expected for one of her age. "Look around you. Go on, look."