Rocket Fox: Part Ten
One could only describe it as brunch. The three Vulpine had just sat down to their meal, too late for breakfast and much to early for lunch. While they waited for their food to arrive at the officers’ mess, both Hardy and Clarfax fielded questions from Senia. They explained that their recruitment was based on a specific need. At first they were a little annoyed, but when the full details of their assignment came out, they grew more and more excited, especially hearing how they would be working with Senia and working on the new Nighthawk.
“You were thworn to thecrethy?” Senia asked as she accepted her plate of pancakes and sausages from the mess hall’s cook. The cook also placed a salad plate in front of Clarfax and a cheese and vegetable omelette in front of Hardy. “Ordered not to divulge any information when you thent the wave?”
“General Gerring was very specific about that,” Hardy said as the cook refilled their tea cups. “She had only explained to the Air Corps tribunal that we’d be working on the Nighthawk. She hadn’t received full confirmation of our transfer yet.”
“How did the tribunal take it?”
“Not well,” Clarfax said with a sigh. “They brought up the breach of protocol that the General was committing and was about to demand a disciplinary hearing. That is until the General pointed out the tribunal had placed an air cadet under her jurisdiction, and by right she could choose service members from any branch of the armed forces to aid the new recruit.”
“Tho thith new ship,” Senia said with a smile as she poured a liberal amount of maple syrup on her pancakes. “She’th going to be our ship during our time with the Main Authority?” The shock of all this information at once was starting to wear off now, and Senia was more comfortable asking questions. There was a renewed excitement within her.
“Indeed she will,” Clarfax said as he poured a small vinaigrette onto his salad. “We get to be the first to test the tri-lateral assault technology. I’m actually excited about that, only ever saw it in the simulations.”
“Here,” Hardy said with a smile as she handed Senia a data pad. “This will show you a computer mockup of what the technology does. It’s the reason why it looks like she’s got three cockpits. Rather handy, really.” Senia watched the display as she slowly chewed on some of her pancakes. The display showed the Nighthawk in her main form, then slowly, the computer detailed the separation sequence as one ship became three. “Impressive, isn’t she?”
“The three shipth share rethourtheth when together,” Senia said with a grin as she read over the other specifications of the Nighthawk. “Which in turn actually thaveth energy for preparation to theparate. She utheth tholar panelth along the wingth to capture and thtore energy. When combined ath one ship, the other cockpit can be uthed ath temporary medical, crew and thupply tranthport or even prithoner tranthport.” She studied the separation sequence one more time and smiled. “I’m going to enjoy pulling that off.”
“Well, make sure you do it outside the buffer zone within a planet’s atmosphere,” Hardy warned as she spread some sweet sauce on her omelette. “In deep space, or in the upper part of the ionosphere it isn’t a problem. Same goes for the lower part of the stratosphere. But in that region between, just above, below and within the mezosphere, and you’re asking for trouble.”
“We’ll most likely get a couple of chances to try the tri-lateral assault, though,” Clarfax said with a smile and sipped his tea. “From what I’ve heard about the Main Authority, they get into some pretty heavy fire fights. Both on ground and in the air.” He stabbed a few lettuce leaves from his salad before continuing. “You should check out the service records for the Main Authority’s head of security and the communications officer.”
“I’ve done my own rethearch,” Senia replied as she shoved in some pancakes. She chewed politely and waited before finally continuing. “Colonel Chatham, head of thecurity, ith a veteran of the Lupine Land War. Thuffered injurieth that put him out of thervithe, but he managed to gain the adminithtrative pothition at Main Authority. Even thtill, he often will chathe tail if no other bounty hunter ith available.” She chomped down on one of her sausages as she took out a data pad. “He hath a good athithtant in a Captain Marr, who jutht tho happenth to be the communicationth offither. Pantheran, she thuffered injurieth in an explosion on board a deep thpathe vethel. Lotht the ability to walk, but reportth thay that did not deter her from performing in Main Authority.”
“Sounds like a tough lot,” Hardy said as she finished her omelette. “But then, from everything that Major Pitts told us, you sort of have to be tough.”
“Think we’ll make it,” Clarfax wondered as he pushed aside his empty salad plate.
“I think tho. I have every confidenthe that we’ll do extremely well,” Senia replied with a firm nod. “We have one thing the other bounty hunterth don’t have.” She looked between the two and smiled. “We’ve got each other.”
