The Swift Fox and the Pirates of the Jackai, Part One
Council Chambers, Vulpine Interplanetary Protectorate
The chambers were packed, as members, diplomats, and even the curious public watched the proceedings. The Lupine Star System had come against a great threat; Jackai pirates had taken to raiding the shipping lanes that traversed from planet to planet within the system. This was affecting everyone, Lupine, Critainina, Vulpine, Lionid and even Pantheran vessels. For the time being, the uneasy peace and constant bickering between the Vulpine and the Pantherans was set aside to deal with this immediate matter. If it was just one ship, then it would be dealt with easily, but it wasn’t just one ship. It was as though the Jackai had created their own fleet, and instead of their usual mode of operation, which was to attack quickly and steal as much as they could, now several Jackai ships were hitting merchant vessels. With each planetary race being hit, this meant that the Lupine Council had to convene. Even the Panthera were in agreement.
Chairwoman Aberdeen took her seat, her glasses perched neatly on her snout as she brushed back the silver hair to lay neatly between her large ears. A large Critainian guard to her left handed her a docket data pad and whispered to her the current situation. To her right, another Critainian guard stood. Most found this odd, but the two large lizards were never very far from the Vulpine Chairwoman’s side. Rumour had it that the three served together onboard the Tritan, one of the finest vessels in the Vulpine fleet.
“Thank you, Cor’lan,” she said in a crisp, well mannered voice as she straightened her glasses and read over the docket. Clearing her throat she addressed the gathered assembly, rapping her gavel quickly. “If I may have everyone’s attention. This emergency meeting of the Lupine Interplanetary Council is now brought to order. The main order, and only order, of business is to deal with the continued raids by Jackai pirates on our shipping lanes. I have been informed that there is a stalemate in the policing of this matter.” She stopped and looked up as one of the council members rose to his feet. A large Pantheran, decked out in the yellow and black of the Pantheran Fleet stepped up to the main lectern. An assistant complete with data pad in her arms, and dressed in familiar uniform of a junior officer of the Pantheran Fleet, stood beside him. Even with her smaller stature, she was powerful looking, and much larger than the Vulpine and Lupine representatives. Her orange and black markings on her fur seemed to shine, much more so than the male she stood beside, who had the look of many a years service in the fleet. “The chair recognizes Admiral Felan Tal of the Pantheran Fleet.”
“Thank you, Madam Chair,” he replied in a booming voice and bowed with a flourish to her. “My fellow council members. The impasse is a simple one that we can all handle. The Pantheran Fleet has five destroyers ready and able to chase down these … marauders. Justice will be quick, and merciless.”
“That’s what I fear,” called out another voice. A small Vulpine stepped forward to take his stand at another lectern. His white and red uniform was spotless, medals hung on his jacket with pride, a mark of his service to the Vulpine Fleet. And if that wasn’t enough of an indication of the service this male had, then the eye patch covering his right eye combined with his commanding presence for such a small stature would have been more than enough.
“The chair recognizes Admiral Tor Clarendale,” Aberdeen announced.
“Thank you, Madam Chair,” Tor replied with a bow, then turned to Tal and bowed again. “What would the Pantheran fleet do, should these cutthroats enter Vulpine space, hmm? It is against treaty law for fully armed Pantheran destroyers to cross into either Vulpine or Critainian space, just as it is against the law for fully armed Vulpine and Critainian vessels to cross into Pantheran territory. If that were to happen, then there would be a serious misconduct that could disrupt an already uneasy peace.”
“As Admiral Clarendale states,” Tal replied with a small scowl. “That would be the case. However, these raids have proven that we need to increase patrols throughout the sector. This peace has made us complacent, and allowed the Jackai to increase their efforts. A simple, emergency treaty would ensure…”
“I do not believe this would be wise,” a graveled voice called out. All turned to see the Lupine representative take to his feet with the help of his two charges, one male, one female.
“Madam chair!” Tal called out. “This interruption is uncalled for.”
“Uncalled for, yet somewhat necessary,” Aberdeen replied in a quick tone that displayed some annoyance. She’d dealt with Tal many a time, and came to find his games of cat and mouse rather tiring. He was about to start one here, and Aberdeen would not see it. “The chair recognizes Lupine Ambassador Grey Back.”
The old Lupine stepped slowly to the third lectern, an ornate staff supporting him, even with his two charges close by. “Thank you, Madam Chair. In a course such as this, we need to consider the wisdom of our actions. The last thing any of us wants is war.”
“Precisely!” Tal announced in a sort of agreement, even if he managed to cut off Grey Back. “And no offense, Ambassador, but I do not think that the Lupine capable of mounting an assault against these brigands. The Lupine are only just beginning to enter into space with only a few merchant vessels. The Lionids? With great respect to our cousins on Canin, the Lionid fleet consists of four destroyers, three science vessels and a handful of merchant ships and is not nearly enough to deal with this menace. The Jackai leave Critainian ships alone, a wise decision based on the sheer fire power of the Critainian fleet. But, they attack Pantheran and Vulpine vessels with great speed. This is a matter between the Vulpine and Pantheran fleets.”
“Thank you, Admiral Tal, for that rousing history lesson,” Aberdeen said with a calm voice as she adjusted her glasses. “However, I believe that Ambassador Grey Back was coming to a point. Pray continue, Ambassador.”
Grey Back nodded to Aberdeen, then gave a quick look to Tal, as he seemed to ‘harumph’ in defeat. “There is a way that we can scout these pirates through a third party.” He paused as though to wait for a question, continuing when none came. “We contact the Swift Fox.”
“What?” Tal cried out in disbelief. “You would suggest that we utilize the services of a … a … privateer? No better than the brigands that we are presently discussing?”
“That privateer,” Admiral Clarendale called out in a calm voice, but enough force to be heard. “Is my niece. She and her crew remain their own, but have worked closely with the Protectorate in time of great need.”
“And great pay,” Tal scoffed. “And that ship she captains. The Barrow’s Revenge. Is it any wonder that rust bucket still manages to fly. Solar sails and all! She manages to elude any detection, no matter whom she is working for. I admit, I will credit that to her cunning is like a… a…”
“Like a fox?” Admiral Clarendale finished for Tal with a small chuckle.
“Admiral Clarendale, that was out of line,” Aberdeen announced as she removed her glasses, pointing them to the Admiral. Clarendale merely bowed and smiled to Aberdeen, then bowed to Tal, offering a small wink. Aberdeen turned her full attention to Admiral Tal, pointing her glasses in a rather accusatory manner at him. “Are you saying that your fleet has attempted to chase her down?”
“Well, er, we have taken note of her passage into Pantheran space,” Tal replied, suddenly aware of the corner he’d been backed into. “At first we determined she was raiding merchants. As it turned out, she was escorting a diplomat from Lupinia to the Lionid monasteries.” He became very quiet and ran a hand through his orange and black fur.
“Ambassador Grey Back,” Aberdeen called out. “Can you contact Captain Clarendale?”
Grey Back looked to the young female who escorted him to the lectern. “Go ahead, Long Fang,” he said with a motion of his hand for the young wolfen to step forward.
“I can, Madam Chair,” Long Fang said as she stepped forward. She wore the simple tribal dress of the Lupine packs, but even then, it was still rather ornate fare. Her hand touched a small locket that hung from a choker around her neck. “My brother sails with the Swift Fox.”
