Ch. 8 - Back in Action

[dakota]

Shep was a bit suprised when Sam had stopped, judging by the expression on his face. He had been headed towards the PX. "No ma'am," he started to reply, then let out a sigh," screw it, you're gonna find out soon as we get back. Head doc is filing a report that's gonna get me stuck behind a desk. That's the real reason I got in the fight last night, somehow Tank found out and was rubbing it in. Sam, I'll retire before I shuffle papers or spend all day yelling at recruits. I even talked to Sy..... General Sykes, and he says his hands are tied on this on as long as I want to keep playing soldier." Shep leaned up against the building, " I don't know what to do, and I'm sure everyone knows something is up now the way I lost my cool. I just wanted a little time to get my head on straight before we head out." He looked at Sam and forced a smirk," do you think I'm a liability too? Be honest."

Janxi and Tori were loaded and good to go with a fair bit of time before dust off.

Scope looked at Takota and shook his head, a grin tugging the corner of his mouth. " Please. what is it with you cats and cocky attitudes? I mean it, something's eating Shep."

Det added," he'll be fine. Just a little premission jitters before a hairy one. He had them just before we took out that comm station, remember?"

"How could I forget?" Scope said," You ended up borged, I had a concussion and Shep should have lost his head saving the Captain. I hope it's just jitters and not a premonition. come on, we better get our gear before Tori and Janxi get bored and pack for us."

[Tori]

Gear in hand, and helmet secured to the top of her pack, she headed towards the door, dropping another recorded message card into the squad mail, addressed to SO-3 Edgar, Seal Tm 3, B Co., 3rd Pl, NS Pinnacle Loan Stare. It was addressed in a child's hand, but legible.

Out of one of her ALICE gear pockets, she pulled out her media player and set it for audible broadcast. With the press of a few buttons, this song began to play loudly over the din of the FOB.



A training video about what can go wrong and right in Special Warfare was shown in training. It was called "Black Hawk Down." The scene immediately before the commandos and special forces boarded the helos, this song blared on the PA. It made one tiny Nautical Commando want to go out and get some.

At the flight line, she found some palleted equipment and leaped to the top to observe people, flight ops and the sunrise with a cat's eye view. She pulled on her Oakleys under her boonie hat and tried to find a Skyhawk in Air Cav markings.

"Buncha pogue hotdogers, the air cav... Hell, I'd rather do a drop outtuva one uv them Kraut spaceplanes..." She mused aloud.

Tori took a 'nip and began to watch for the team along with their ride.

[Takota]

Takota of course doesn't know what could be bothering Shep and he says so after Scope's comment. "Well I just met the guy yesterday so you two would have more knowledge of what might be bothering him that I would."

Then switching the subject the leopard says, "I think you are seeing it wrong. Cats don't have cocky attitudes. It is a confident attitude." Takota is about to say more then decides against it. He gets up from the table to dispose of his plate and utensils before heading back to gather his gear.

[Janxi]

Janxi prowled out alongside Tori without a word. She knew the song well, but had little else to say. She giggled at Tori's comment. "I'll give ya a month's chow to jump out an XM-288... And fer whad's it's werth, we'll all jump out wif ya, just cuz I kin!"

She pounced up onto the pallet and curled into a small target. Watching all that went on. She looked for her ride.

"Let's git on wif tha hop." She grabbed some of Tori's catnip and continued to scan the airfield.

[Mierin]

Sam looks surprised and is about to offer to do something to help with Shep's predicament, but when he mentions talking to the General, she realizes there probably wasn't much that she could do. When he asks her if she thought he was a liability, Sam answers honestly when she says, "No, I don't. You can be a bit reckless sometimes, but no, I don't see you as a liability at all."

[dakota]

Ït's not reckless if I'm saving lives. It's a calculated risk" Shep countered, clearly serious. "The General even suggested that if I accepted the promotion, it might be different. Can you beleive he'd use something like this against me?" He leaned back against the building again, groaning in frustration, then forced a chuckle, "Those cats will eat you alive without me."

Scope smirked, "Didn't mean it as a bad thing, Tacky. I'd sooner have three confident cats than a pack of pups that have to ask to go to the shi...," he stopped as the three of them nearly walked into Janxi and Tori, " whoa, you two ready to take on the whole swamp or what?"

Det passed by," shag's got the right idea if you ask me."

[Tori]

"I'd rather take on tha swamp than tha swamp take on me. Battles are best on mah terms, not mah enemy's."

Her striped tail swished hearing some of Scope's commentary on the age-old dog-vs.-cat debate. Clearly she appreciated a little flattery. To show as much, she leaped down from the pallet and greeted her fellow feline Takota with a nuzzle, then looked at Scope, before giving him the most aggressive head nuzzle ever. It seemed like a headbutt, but ended up a knock-down rub from a plush toy.

"'Preciate ya, Det. One Shagcat pair was designed to take down impossible odds. Be tha shocktroops of a commando team. Ya add a tom to our circle, then two pros like yew and Scope? We're downright sick. Give us leadership like Six? We can't be beat. Give us Shep ta distract tha en-mey? Hell, we coulda taken down Quebec, tha seven uv us."

She began searching her media player and found a new song.

[Janxi]

Janxi laughed at Tori's music.She almost sounded like a dog barking with her lioness roar.

"Hey Robo-prick? Tell me what optics yew got. Scope's pro'lly a purty good shot, but most army shooters go it alone. In tha Marines, we get a spotter with binocs... Full field of fire, even if yer 'bout as stealthy as an Abolisher... Yer optics and Scope's rifle would be a right good blend."

She looked up at Takota and gave him about four of the hardest nuzzles he'd ever known. Still, it was all about cat, and not bone cracking, just affection. "Tori's got it figgered out.. Yer tha lone ranger. Pro'lly tha tail end Charlie, but tha lifeguard, too. Yew got two pairs of snipers up front. Ya gotta cover Sam an' Shep, but yer tha lone gunman that goes fer position and takes tha baddie down. And fer tha rekerd? If ya wanna borrew Sampson, an' I don't need 'em? He's yers."

[foxx]

At the command building top privates got a start when Kain in full armor stepped outside. One almost choking on the smoke he had in his mouth. "Whoa, Special Forces."

"Yeah, what do you expect around here, numb-nuts?" Said the other private to his awe inspired friend. Kain didn't pay them mind as he left and proceeds to look for his new assignment. They were getting ready to leave shortly and he wants to be sure to catch up with them. Judging by the soft tread behind him, he already pick up a following as the two other soldiers begin to tail him. Admiring his armor and wondering why they couldn't get a set.

'Join up and hope you make it through training.' Kain though to himself. He thought Special Forces training would be easier for someone of his caliber but the instructors there proved him wrong. They made him a better man then the aborted attempt by his previous 'family' on the FARM. At least he got to wear the cool set of armor and thankfully no one else; well, cept the SEALS.

"Excuse me." The private voice brought Kain to a stop as they decide to address him directly. "So you going out to kill anything soon?"

Kain eye flick the chrono and notice he really didn't have the time, or the inclination, to indulge the curious soldiers. He takes a step back and slow turns till his visor to face with the speaker.

"Soon." Kain puts a practiced menacing hiss into the word. Looking into the privates eyes the pause was meant to be awkward and meaningful. The flickering light finally caught on in the two soldiers eyes and they took a big step back from Kain.

"Oh sorry." Forced laugh. "Your probably busy, we were, uh, going anyway. Later."

The two stumble off, getting far away from the scary man as they could. There of course would be much bragging about how this meeting went down later, Kain knew it. Really, whatever kept people entertain out in the middle of camp swampy.

After a five minute walk, Kain spots Sam and the rest of the team he would be joining. Their last outing made for interesting reading and their current assignment would prove more so. Another mess they had to clean up because the CS couldn't keep the dangerous toys out of other people's hands.

Walking the Captains eye sight, Kain approaches the group and slings his CP-50 over his shoulder. He renders a quick salute before speaking, "Ma'am. Corporal Kain. I was just assign to your team for the current OP. A pleasure to work with you."

[Takota]

Showing a quick flash of his fangs in a human style smile Takota lets out a soft chuckle. "I know Scope. I was just harassin' you." he says before being accosted with nuzzles by Tori then Janxi.

To some it might seem more like they were on the verge of fighting rather than being friendly as the leopard returns nuzzle for nuzzle. After hearing the comments by Janxi though his ears splay out and puts on his best sad-cat expression. "You just want to keep me in the back so I don't steal your kills." Takota says in a mock hurt voice. His grin immediately after that though is an obvious sign he is just joking around. "I don't care where I'm at in the group as long as I'm out there doing something. It would also be good if there was someone around in back if somehow Tony should find us out there."

Takota looks around for a moment seeing all the gear the other two cats have with them. He then tilts his head slightly fixing a playful glare at Tori and Janxi. "Why didn't you get our stuff also?"

[Janxi]

"Yew mistook me fer tha bell-hop. I'll call tha front desk and get yer gear too!" Janxi's tail swished with mirth. "Since T's the full-blown corpsman now, I dunno if Shep'll have her pointin' or not. I'm usually on her six, but this is all new wif all new people. Scope? Det? Yew guys ever point onna snoop an' poop?"

[Tori]

Tori laughed as only a fishing cat could, letting go a repetition of "ROW-ROWwowwow" barks.

"Y'all got skills, I know, butcha don't know tha country. Iffen it's all tha same to ya, I'd best take tha point. I done pointed half of this here swamp, and I done coxswained a boat to tha uther side."

Her tail gave an annoyed swish, and she glared at Janxi. "Who else ya gon' trust on point? Uh gerilla lyke ya?"

[Takota]

Takota grins and gives Janxi a slight nudge with his shoulder. "Better let the micro-cat take point. She's liable to shoot you in the back of the knees if she is behind you." He knows Tori is going to get him for that later but the leopard couldn't keep himself from saying it.

[Tori]

Tori's ears twitched twice with annoyance. "Micro-cat? I'm as big as mose bobcats, an' a serval, too! 'Sides, I reckon I kin take down anything at least twice mah size, providin' it don't have retard strength like Janx. Me 'n her? I reckon we're bout even."

The little cat spat out her 'nip and replaced it with beef jerky. "Tha hell's Sam? We're oscar mike sooner thin layter!"

[Takota]

Takota smiles at the fisher cat. "I'm just teasin' you. Only a dog would think someone is inferior just because that person is smaller than they are."

Though he is not worried about the absence of the others Takota says, "I'll see if they are hanging around the barracks. I gotta get my equipment anyway." With that he'll head off to get his gear returning a short time later if nothing stops him.