Thomas Ni’lan Wolf Jr., a twenty year old man with platinum blond hair and a bronzed complexion. As he stepped off the transport and marveled at the scene around him. He was inside a massive space station orbiting In’nel four, the main staging base for the Free Rangers, a former mercenary company turned semi-independent military force for the fledgling free systems republic.

  The bay was massive large enough to hold seven of the thousand tons B78 Super-lifter with room for a wing of Valkyrie drop-ships without being crowded.

  "Move your ass, kid. We got places to be and imps to slaughter!" barked and ornery sergeant major. Wolf double-timed down the ramp, using his implant to ping the station AI to direct him to where he needed to go. Moments later, an arrow appeared in his upper right field of view, pointing forward and slightly left. Ducking his head he hurried along dodging through the crowds of humans, green-skinned Horonak, furred and animalistic Grrikkains though everyone called them Beast-kin. He almost tripped over the scurrying form of a Gelision, its segmented carapace and four legs hidden under a crate of valkyrie parts being balanced on its back by its forelimbs.

  after a couple more minutes of walking, he stood in a line leading to a group of desks, each with a bored-looking corporal or ensign, checking orders and directing them to their berths.

  Once his turn came, he stopped at the desk of a bored otter-kin. "Orders." They squeaked.

  Wolf lifted his wrist comp and swiped the needed docs over. the otter-kin barely seemed to skim them before gesturing for him to move through. "You're assigned to the Chattanooga. It's in docking cradle fifty-two and will disembark in twenty minutes. The station AI will direct you to the tram, which will bring you to the appropriate airlock. Wolf thanked the corporal and hurried away. He spotted a pair of MPs HG13s hanging from slings across their chest in easy reach should they need them but not directly in hand. The MPs were standing guard at the door the AI was sending him to. He took in a breath and tightened his grip on his duffel as walked up to them.

  "What berth?" came the growled question from the guard on the left, an irritated looking wolf-kin. The human beside him sighed at his companion but didn't say anything.

  "Fifty-two, the Chattanooga." Wolf replied, swiping his updated orders to the beast-kin.

  As the MP read through his orders, the human moved beside Wolf and leaned in. "Don't worry too much about Rrollk He's a bit on edge due to the recent scuttle butt. Apparently, the imps are building up forces along the border. Looks like we may be back at war in a few months."

  "Stow it Henderson." Rrollk barked before turning back to Wolf. "You're clear to head to your ship express trams on the left."

  "Thank you sergeant." Wolf said, hurrying past and jumping into the tram just as the doors closed. Inside, he found a seat next to and older wolf-kin woman and a felanid that, if Wolf was guessing right, looked to be around his age if only a few years older.

  The wolf-kin had dark grey fur with some speckles of white mainly on her neck and around her muzzle. the felanid reminded Wolf of his calico Ulenia back on Hastor.

  "So he's going to be on the ship with us today, right mama?" the felanid asked, excitedly.

  "That's what you papa told me. He's going to be assigned to the PA troopers for a training rotation before officially getting commissioned as a first Lieutenant." The wolf-kin, apparently her mother, replied absently, her eyes darting back and forth, clearly reading something being projected from her implant.

  The felanid looked at Wolf, and he saw her nostrils flare, and her eyes beging to twinkle. "Thomas Ni'lan Wolf?" she asked in a sultry purr.

  Wolf scooted back even as he nodded, "yes Ma'am. What's your name?"

  Wolf as caught completely off guard when the felanid woman pounced, only to jerk to astop by her wolf-kin mother. "Heessin, don't pounce on people. How many times do I need to explain that?" she growled. Then looked over, her previously glazed eyes now zeroing in on him.

  at the same time her nostrils flared, and she murmured, "I see..." returning her attention to her daughter, she said, "sit down, Hee and leave him alone until we are on board. Then you can show him around the ship until O'gren calls for him."

  "Sorry ma'am, but I am supposed to report directly to my CO once i'm aboard the Chattanooga." He said, trying to ignore the cute way the felanid Heessin pouted at his words.

  "Don't worry about my husband, he dotes on our little kitten and it's been almost sixteen years since any of us have seen you. And please call me Hrrol or Aunty." She said with a disconcerting grin that showed the sharp teeth hidden by her lips. Even as Heessin bristled at her parent's apparent nickname for her.

  Wolf gulped and nodded, "Understoom ma... Hrrol." He said correcting himself when she gave him a disconcerting grin that showed the sharp teeth hidden by her lips. Even as Heessin bristled at her parent's apparent nickname for her.

  Wolf gulped and nodded, "understood Ma... Hrrol." He said correcting himself when she gave him a disapproving look.

  Heessin cheered and grabbed Wolf pulling him into a tight hug. "This is perfect I can introduce you to Doc and Gawn. You'll like Fawn she's fun..."

  Wolf tried to extricate himself from Heessin's grip for a few moment before gibing up and listening to her prattle on about his new shipmates,. Even when she began to rub her face against his shoulder and purr, just like Ulenia would especially while he scratched the cuddly cat behind the ears.

  ***

  Captain O'gren, a human with grey just creeping in at his temples and dressed in a formfitting skinsuit common among the PA corps, sat back and rubbed at those grey patches in irritation. "So, during the Major's son's shakedown cruise we're starting with an actual combat op?" he asked incredulously.

  "I know, Ogre, but those are our orders. We will be in hyperspace for a couple months, so he has that long to train with his half-platoon. I would suggest putting him with Fawn leading first and second squads under Rodriguez. Between the two of them, we're covered even if he doesn't have an ounce of his parents' abilities. Though if what his father told me is true, he has been fighting pirates and bandits on Hastor since he was thirteen." An asian woman said before taking a drink of amber liquid.

  She had close-cropped black hair and the insignia of a captain on the shoulder of her uniform. She was unremarkable aside from a jagged scar running from her hairline to her chin on the left side of her face.

  "You're right about Fawn and Rodriguez. I'll give him third and fourth squads between those two he has all the bases covered that's even before you consider the squad leaders Cyber and Tsar." He said with a sigh, looking longingly at teh bottle on the desk between them.

  "Offer still stands if you want a glass. I'm technically your CO while on ship Ogre." The captain said, her tone revealing she already knw his answer.

  "No, I shouldn't. I'm still on duty until seventeen hundred. Besides Captain Yamamoto, in regards to ship's security and ground ops, I have final say." He replied with a sly grin.

  Yamamoto chuckled and took another sip of her drink. "So have Hrrol and Heessin come aboard yet?" she asked to break the silence.

  "Not yet. though they should be boarding any min... they're aboard." He said, his eyes going glassy as his grin grew wider. "And our prodigal sone is with them. I almost feel bad Heessin got to him before I could warn him." O'gren chuckled.

  Captain yamamoto's lips twitched at that. She his it by taking a final sip from her glass before setting it on the desk and standing. "Well, shall we go rescue him from your daughter, or enjoy the show?"

  "Let's give Heessin a head start. I think she's going to bring him to the mess and introduce him to Fawn first chance she gets. BT'dubs, I had Tia send him his room assign ment so he could try and escape from her there. O'gren said.

  Haruka Yamamoto giggled and shook her head. "Bet you twenty creds she won't let him out of her sight until you or I haul him off."

  ***

  Wolf waws at a loss, he had done everything short of actually stripping to get the felanid woman to let him be alone for a few moments. Granted he wanted to use that time to figure out how to escape her but that was beside the point. "You should just give up and let me bring you to the galley. We can eat and I'll introduce you to some of the PA troopers." Heessin insisted, not for the first time.

  Wolf let out another groan and gave her a flat look. "I'm going to strip and shower. Wait outside and I'll join you when I'm done. OK?"

  After studying him for a moment she nodded and darted out of the room with a "I'll be right outside so don't trya and get away."

  sighing Wolf began to strip when a disembodied feminine voice called, "Captain O'gren will meet you in the galley when hi is ready for you Lieutenant."

  Wolf froze his top halfway off. "Who are you?" he asked.

  "I am Mortia the primary AI for the chattanooga. Most of the crew calls me Tia. if that form of address is preferable." the AI said.

  Wolf continued to disrobe casting an eye towards the dcorners of the room, trying to find cameras that didn't appear to exist. He was soon in the fresher letting a combination of sonic waves and a fine mist of water wash away the accumulated dust and sweat he had gained waiting on the tarmac planet-side.

  Ten minutes later and Wolf was dressed in the standard service Uni of the rangers, and opened the door. Heessin was waiting on the other side of hte corridor glaring at the now open space the door had occupied moments before. Her face lighting up as soon as she saw him. She bounced over taking his arm in her hands, her claws extending just enough to keep him from pulling away without skewering him.

  Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Good now let’s head to the galley. I already pinged Fawn she’s expecting us.” She chattered, pulling Wolf down the corridor ignoring his insistence that he could walk without her help.

  Once they were at the galley she drug him over to the chow line releasing his arm and grabbing a pair of trays offering in one. “The foods great though I wish we could have more fish or poultry.” Heessin said as she moved down the line. The cooks grinning at him as he followed behind like a scolded puppy. The entire time she offered suggestions and filled both of their trays.

  As they hit the end of the line Heessin once again snatched up his tray and started walking towards another felanid woman with grayish white fur at her neck and around her mouth the rest being a vibrant reddish orange. The alien was dressed in the formfitting skinsuit of a PA trooper. Shaking his head Wolf followed and sat down next to Heessin who immediately invaded his personal space by scooting her entire side into his.

  “Hee, I know you missed your cousin but it’s going to be hard to eat when you’re basically sitting in his lap.” Fawn teased doing her best to stifle her laughter.

  She was joined by several other people seated at the table with them. “Hee, you trying to hook up with your cousin?” a man across from them shot out, his grin softening his words some.

  The woman next to him elbowed him saying, “Wouldn’t matter if she was she’s as much his cosin as I’m your mama.”

  Through the whole thing Heessin’s fur slowly puffed out. The reaction only causing more teasing laughter until someone shouted, “Officer on the deck!”

  The room froze all noise cutting off as if someone had hit the mute button. “As you were.” The giant of a man barked his cybernetic eye surveying the room. It didn’t take long for him to spot Wolf and Heessin his face turning into a frown. Moving to the table he stopped in front of Heessin and Wolf.

  Wolf was worried at first until he realized the captain was glaring at Heessin not him. “What did I tell you about bothering your cousin?” he asked.

  “That I should leave him be until he;s settled.” She recited indignantly, reminding Wolf of a rebellious Teen rather than someone older than he was.

  “We will have a longer discussion later.” He said. Keeping his eyes on Heessin O’gren continued, “Wolf pick up your chow and follow me. Fawn make sure Hee stays here otherwise you’ll answer to her mother.”

  Fawn nodded and gestured to a giant of a bear-kin that Wolf was surprised he hadn’t noticed. “Bunker Keep her from following or you’ll face my wrath.” She said her smile showing off her canines.

  Bunker just chuckled and placed a hand on the back of Heessin’s uniform, pulling her away from Wolf. “You heard’em Hee. You’re staying right here.” He said ignoring the hissing protests from the felanid woman.

  “Lieutenant, follow me.” O’gren ordered breaking the surprise at how different ship life was from the academy. Grabbing his tray he followed O’gren out of the galley and down a few corridors until the captain pressed his hand on a panel and the door slid open revealing a relatively cramped office space.

  “It’s tiny but I usually only use it for paperwork.” O’gren commented, moving to a well worn chair stuffed into one corner. Wolf did a double-take looking between the chair and the door trying to figure out how he was able to get it in there when the chair looked bigger than the doorway.

  “Don’t worry bout my lounger go set your tray down and get some grub in you while I give you and informal brief.” O’gren insisted, gesturing at the desk.

  Wolf gave him a curious look before doing what he said. He knew from Heessin that O’gren and Hrrol were basically his estranged aunt and uncle, or at least considered themselves to be. He still had expected more discipline on a military vessel than he was seeing. He started to eat as O’gren began speaking.

  “This will be your shakedown cruise. I’m going to put you in charge of two squads under the supervision of a first lieutenant on course to be promoted to captain. You will also be evaluated by your sergeant who will be said Lieutenant’s senior NCO one who is on track to get her own set of bars on her shoulders.” O’gren grinned as the young man nodded at his words not realizing that his cheeks were stuffed with food as he chewed a slightly to large mouthful.

  “All you need to worry about is keeping your nose clean, listening to your sergeant and mentor. One of whom you have already met.” He said with a chuckle.

  “Sir?” Wolf asked.

  “When we’re alone call me Ogre. Save the formality for operations and when we’re with the rest of the crew.” O’gren said with a chuckle.

  Wolf nodded slowly, taking a swig from a cup of water wanting a second to wrap his head around the odd order. “Ogre.” He said, after setting the cup down. “Which one did I meet?”

  “Fawn, she’s Lieutenant Henderson’s first sergeant.” O’gren said with a shit eating grin. “You’ll meet Henderson at O’seven hundred tomorrow at the briefing. We’re being deployed for a policing action. Some pirates set up shop in a neighboring system and are harassing trade in the area.”

  Jack gulped. At the academy they had told him that for the first six months he would be running drills in the sim at most live-fire exercises on an uninhabitable rock. The farthest system in the loosely allied systems in the republic were only three to four months out max. “How long until we are deploying?” Wolf asked hoping it wouldn’t be for another few months.

  “We’re jumping to hyperspace in…” O’gren checked an ancient mechanical timepiece full of scrapes and dings held to his wrist by a series of brass plates. “Three and a half hours. Just enough time for you to get fully settled and in your rack before the transition.” He said cheerfully.

  Wolf shook his head then nodded. “Understood, may I be dismissed? I would like to finish putting away my kit.”

  “Of course. I know this is a bit sudden for a fresh graduate but the last few years hit us hard. As you know recruitment took a big hit after the war especially during the famine and subsequent unrest. We’re stretched thin.” He replied with a grimace as he stood. “Just defer to your sergeants and focus on staying alive without getting anyone killed and we’ll call the shakedown run a success. We should have a more normal mission tempo after this op.”

  Wolf nodded and gathered his tray leaving O’gren’s office in a silent daze. He didn’t even remember returning the tray to the galley. Just that he ended up in his room with a curious and concerned felanid staring down at him as he lay on his bunk still in his uni. “You ok Thomas?” Heessin asked.

  With a jerk he shot upright slamming his head into the built in cubby over his bunk. Groaning he rubbed at the rapidly forming egg and glared at the woman. “Why are you in my room?” he asked somehow keeping his voice neutral despite his irritation at this grown woman acting little better than a wayward child.

  “I followed in behind you before Tia could close it.” She replied, much too happy with herself.

  Running his hands down his face she checked a groan. “Of course you did.” He sighed. Wanting to get some sleep he grumbled, “I’m going to strip and hit the sack. You can either leave or watch. I don’t care anymore.”

  Heessin tilted her head in confusion a moment before shrugging. “If you don’t mind me being here I can just sleep in the bunk with you.” She suggested.

  Wolf froze for a second his uni top already on the floor. “I would not advise that Miss Marjaarah. I have already notified your mother of your location. You are late for your shift in the Med-bay.” Mortia said. If Wolf didn’t know any better he would have thought the AI was being smug.

  “SHIT!” Heessin yowled, Darting for the door. “OPEN THE DOOR!” she hissed when the only way out of the room remained shut.

  “ I am sorry, Miss Marjaarah. I have been ordered to keep you here until your mother arrives to collect you.” Mortia said, now Wolf was certain he heard amusement in the tone.

  While the AI was talking Heessin pulled something from a pocket he didn’t know she had. Moving closer he saw it was some kind of cobbled together device with a basic digital display he hadn’t known were still made. She began waving it around until she settled on a secluded corner of his room flipping it over she began frantically pressing actual buttons and a moment later a small hatch popped open just big enough for an insectoid to fit through.

  Or apparently a determined Felanid. “Catch you later Thomas!” Heessin called as she crawled into the maintenance access the hatch slamming closed behind her.

  A moment later the door to his room chimed and Hrrol’s voice came over the intercom. “Is Heessin still there?” She asked.

  It took a moment for Wolf to respond. Once the shock of what he had just witnessed wore off, and Hrrol had asked the question again, he replied, “no ma’am. She left through the maintenance access using some kid of homemade device.”

  “Thought we got them all before she got back on the ship.” She grumbled as the door slid open. “Tia can you trap her in there?” she asked seeming to already know the answer.

  “No Ma’am. It would hamper the movements of the insectoid maintenance crew. I can, however, track her and keep you appraised of her position. At the moment she seems to be heading towards the Med-bay.” Mortia said.

  Hrrol gave Wolf a nod and turned the door closing behind her. Shaking his head Wolf finished stripping and reached for the button that would start the shower when the maintenance hatch opened again. Heessin poked her head out. A second device , one resembling a headband with wires draped off it like braids each ending with a circuit board and a blinking LED strapped to her head.

  “Good she’s gone.” She sighed a moment before she finally seemed to notice Wolf standing there nude his mouth trying and failing to form words. “Oh! You’re going to shower before bed.” She said utterly unconcerned with his lack of clothing, and asked, “Can I wash your back?” finally fully crawling out of the maintenance corridor.

  The question shocked Wolf enough to get his mind back to what was currently happening. “Tia lock down my room, including all maintenance hatches, and inform Hrrol that Hee is back here with me.”

  Heessin turned to dive through the hatch right as it slammed into place and what sounded like deadbolts clacked from several directions including both the known maintenance hatch and the door. Heessin whimpered and removed the odd headband being careful with the tangle of wires and boards setting it on his bunk with the other device he had seen earlier. “I just wanted to spend more time with you.” She muttered plopping onto his bunk almost crushing the odd headband contraption.

  Wolf felt a twinge of pity for the felanid woman, and fighting his instincts he said, “I’ll be on the ship for at least seven or so months. We’ll have plenty of time to see each other.” Being sure to grab a towel to cover himself.

  That was a mistake as it left him completely unprepared when Heessin lept at him, tackling him to the ground as she straddled his hips, the towel fluttering to the ground just out of reach. Then, heedless of his growing discomfort Heessin alternated licking his face and rubbing herself all over him.

  It only got worse when the door lock clicked and the soft whoosh of it opening sounded signaling Hrrol had stepped into the room to see the scene. Hrrol growled and Wolf heard someone else failing to stifle their chuckling. The chuckles cut off with a few forced coughs and O’gren’s voice grunting, “Hee, you are late for your shift. Get off my new officer or I will put you in the brig… nude… after a full body cavity search. One they will do manually.”

  Heessin froze obviously debating disobedience before grumbling and hopping off Wolf. She slunk over to the pair reminding Wolf of a sullen teen rather than a fully grown adult. She stopped when O’gren held out his hand and raised an eyebrow. With a soft sullen noise, like a strangled meow, Heessin pointed to the bunk at the two devices he had seen her using earlier.

  Before she could get past him he grunted, “All of them.”

  Letting out a weak hiss she dug through her uni, handing over two more cobbled together devices and what looked like some kind of cutting tool Wolf had never seen before.

  “Now follow your mother to the Med-bay.” He ordered, watching her walk out the door head bowed, shoulders slumped, Hrrol right on her heels.

  Once the door slid shut Wolf, having already retrieved his towel and wrapped it around his waist, asked, “Sir, how can you let her get away with that?”

  In response O’gren held up the confiscated devices including the ones he had retrieved from the bunk. “She consistently gets around more and more advanced security measures using cobbled together devices like these.” With a shake of his head he continued. “Her mother and I tried to get her to enroll in some kind of tech field but she refused, insisting on staying near me and her mother.”

  O’gren sighed and shook his head, “Now we have standing orders to collect any and all tech she develops for R&D to play with. Half of our updates to security, even some of our stealth tech come from Hee.”

  Wolf stood there one hand on his towel the other frozen partway to his face. He finished brushing some stray fur from his face, contemplating how the airheaded boisterous felanid was apparently a tech wizard. “Sir…” he began earning a glare from O’gren, “Ogre, I know you and Hrrol can’t have kids. So where did you find her?”

  O’gren gave a sad smile before answering, “She and her mother were some of the first beast-kin liberated from Holank two” he chuckled, pointing at his cybernetic eye and adding, “I actually earned the cybernetics after popping my faceplate in an active firefight trying to calm Hrrol.”

  Wolf stared for a moment wanting to ask for more before just nodding and gesturing to the door. “For now si… Ogre can you please let me get my shower and hit the sack?”

  O’gren grinned and nodded heading to the door, “Of course, Lieutenant. Be sure to be at the briefing at O’six Forty-five. Don’t want you late for your meeting with your mentor.” He said stepping into the hall the door sliding shut.

  What should I name the Rangers organization? currently named free rangers. keep in mind this would likely be used only in official comunications between commanding officers such as when addressing the pirates or unknown or hostile vessals.