Ch 4. Landfall

[Tori]

Tori snatched her tail away from Janxi after the first swat and hissed. She drew back on her legs and pounced for Janxi's tail, attempting to grab it in her forepaws and give it a nip! "You dirty shagcat! I'll get you!"

Cats loved to wrestle when bored.

[Janxi]

"I don't think so!" Janxi rolled onto her back and kicked with her back legs and swatted with her front paws much like she was boxing, but being careful not to hurt the smaller cat.

[Tori]

Tori flew off the bigger and more powerful cat. She made a point of her stalking, knowing Janxi was watching, but it was all kitten play. Within pouncing distance, she leaped, and tried to pin Janxi to deliver a nip on her scruff.

[Janxi]

If Jan could laugh she would've, but she allowed the smaller cat to at least get a little nip in before she kicked her off with her back feet. Then, she circled her, her tail swishing back and forth.

[Tori]

Tori flipped onto her feet, as cats always land upright, and swished her own tail and circled Janxi, getting low, and lowering her ears. She was in hard play mode, but it was still play. She knew Janxi could have snapped her neck if she was truly angry. "Ohh Spotty, I'm gonna getcha! ROWOWOWOWOWOWW!"

[Janxi]

Jan uttered two chuffs and squared off to scrap. Her motor-like purring with every breath drawn in proved she was having a great time 'rassling with her team mate. She jumped on tori, but used little muscle to pin her, then gave the cat a muzzle-to-muzzle nuzzle. The gesture acknowledged their sisterhood. "Who's gettin; who now, Stripey!"

Then she let Tori up and returned to Richardson. "So what da need from me?"

[dakota]

Shep folded his arms and scowled at the cats, but said nothing. Nala and Rahne giggled at their actions, and the little girl clapped her hands in delight, " Silly kitties"

"You got that right, kid" Shep said. " Come on Richardson, show me what to strip off the other one. Maybe Soc can tell which parts are better between the two and we get one decent one out of it."

[Renekin Skywalker]

Socrates nodded, and went to the second boat, doing an object read on it, as well.

[Tori]

Tori ignored Shep's scowl and purred towards Nala, whom she already liked, Rahene, who seemed pro cat, and the little girl, who needed a distraction from whatever ailed her. She knew Janxi didn't plan the game, but it came at just the right time to entertain humans that might be a little scared of Coalition troopers. She reached into her ruck and produced an MRE and her first aid kit. She opened the MRE with her claw, and produced a strawberry dairyshake and added some water to the pouch shaking it up. She presented Rahene with the cherry-blueberry cobbler, and Nala got the cookies. "Y'all have some treats, and relax. We're gonna help yer cub."

She approached the little girl, carrying the shake and some Tootsie Rolls. She wanted the girl to have the shake, to ensure she was hydrated, and considered the Tootsie Rolls to be an extra bribe.

Tori gave the treats to the girl and needed to do little bending down to be eye to eye with the cub in her mother's arms. She decided she'd help with some of the nursing while Autumn got ready to examine the cub.

"Hello there little cub. My name's Tori, and I'm kinda like the Doctor's nurse. What's your name? Dr. Autumn's the best doctor in the world, and she's gonna take real good care of you. She already done helped Miss Nala's friend Tam with his busted arm and she's gonna help you. Could ya and your mama maybe tell me what's wrong? In the mean time, I'll check your temperature." She had a much softer voice than usual, and seemed anything but the highly trained lab-created warrior she really was. The Russian Blue maternal streak kicked in full time, once again.

She took her thermometer from her first aid kit, and took the girl's temperature, noting the result. She took note of each symptom described. Using the pen-light, she checked to see if the girl's eyes dilated properly. If not, she could have neurological problems. She also peered into the girl's throat with a "Say ah!" to look for any infection.

She took the girl's pulse and recorded the result as well. With her powerful hearing, her ears swiveled like radar dishes, focusing on the girl's chest. She first listened to her breathing to see if she had any fluid in her lungs or lung damage. Then she listened to her heart to ensure it had a good, regular beat, no murmur, and nothing irregular. Cats could recognize prey with hearing, and any odd sound, like an irregular heart beat or murmur, or a wheezy lung could mean an easy meal. She knew little about what the symptoms meant, or how to fix it, but knew sick from well.

She gave the child and her mother a tender nuzzle. "Dr. Autumn's gonna put you right. So you don't worry there."

She turned to Autumn and reported the results of her preliminary exam, hoping she helped matters some.

MA-trust: [dice=100] needs 45
First aid: [dice=100] needs 55
Locate sound and judge distance [dice=100] needs 80
Identify sound [dice=100] needs 72

Sense psychics and magic energy [dice=100] needs 30
Sense supernatural beings [dice=100] needs 54

Just in case:
Detect ambush [dice=100] needs 45
Detect concealment [dice=100] needs 35
Perception [dice=20]
[rand=1349066988834090029608733232653343493709922700296642568840301471345]

[Mierin]

Sam smirks at the cat's antics and shakes her head at Shep as if to say 'They aren't doing any harm'. Sam then asks Richardson, as she waits for Autumn to look at the sick child to see what is wrong with her, "What's the situation with the boats?"

[Janxi]

Janxi stood tall under Shep's scornful gaze, then swished her tail with pride with Sam's non-verbal affirmation. Cats were natural readers of body language. She looked at Sam, making eye contact, and blinking slowly, as if to express gratitude and fondness.

She averted Sam's gaze and looked over to Socrates, groping boat parts. Maybe he could tell what worked, but Richardson would need a block-and-tackle, or something like a Mauler, to move an engine block. She could outwrestle a Mauler, and was easily as good as something like a Terror Trooper or GB Killer.

"When you figure out whatcha need, lemmie know, Richardson. I'll carry it over to the workin' boat. Somethin' tells me we'd better hurry up."

she glanced at Tori and purred, "Mama T-Bone." Her tail's tip twitched as she thought of her own mother. Only another cat could be so nurturing, Janxi suspected.

[sasqaricious]

The doctor snapping out of whatever reverie she was in, "Yes the child, let me look." She states aloud. Then as her focus returns, "Yes I will be more then happy to help!" She says using her best bedside manner.

She heads to wherever the child is and checks her out to the best of her ability.

Psychic Diagnosis - 4 ISP
Medical Doctor: [dice=100]/90, [dice=100]/80%[rand=6366304908026738323327388733284876791145349030389407408914401532]

[dakota]

Shep caught Sam's look, replying with a nod of understanding and relaxed a bit.

Between Autumn and Tori's efforts, they soon found the little girl, despite her smiles and weak laughter, was very sick. Her lungs gurgled as she breathed and she ran a high fever. Autumn's psi diagnosis picked out the textbook pneumonia case quickly, and Tori recognized the symptoms as well, though not on the Doctor's level.


Socrates found that the second boat, other than the hole in the hull, was in better shape. The hole howeevr was beyond repair.

The tool kit Richardson was handed was crude and well used, but equal to any field mechanics kit he'd seen.

[Mierin]

Sam nods at Janxi's gaze and turns to Shep, briefly smiling as she waits to hear reports from both Richardson and Autumn on the condition of the boat repairs and how sick the little girl is.

[Renekin Skywalker]

Socrates stepped back from the second boat, A smirk visible. "Easy to solve, hard to correct." He said. "Richardson, one boat was abandonned due to abuse to the engine, the other for abuse to the hull." Just to state the obvious, he added "We should move the good engine to the good hull rather than try to repair the abused engine."