by Chris Hechtl
“What?” Boyd demanded.
“Trouble,” Asa replied as the duo grimly came over to them. “You two need to come with us,” the big gorilla said.
“Why? What'd we do?” Boyd demanded as people began to stop and stare at the tableau.
“Just shut your yap, cub, and come with us. Don't make this more difficult than it already is,” the gorilla growled. He had been through a dozen pickups in the past six hours and was tired of the crap.
“Who are you,” Asa demanded, inserting himself between the gorilla and his brother. “He's a minor. He was just shooting his mouth off a bit. Venting,” he said.
“None of your business who we are,” the human with the gorilla said.
“You don't have ID and you want my little brother to go with you?” Asa demanded. “Yo!” he couldn't whistle but he could bark loud enough. “Someone want to call the cops? We've got us a situation,” he growled, turning his eyes on the duo. “I think you two best step aside and wait for the real authorities to show up,” he said firmly.
“We are the authorities—ONI, kid. That mean anything to you?” the human said.
“He's just trying to stick up for his brother. It's a pack thing. I guess we'll have to take both and sort them out later.”
“The hell you will,” Asa growled. “ONI has no jurisdiction with civilians. You can pull that shit on others but not us. Buzz off,” he growled as store security came over.
The human turned and flashed his ID and gun to the mall cops. Both stopped and then turned to work on crowd control.
“Now you've done it,” the gorilla said, grabbing Boyd by the arm. The dog yelped. “Come on. Just shut up; you are making it worse.”
“He's not going anywhere and neither am I! You have no jurisdiction here,” Asa insisted as the gorilla grabbed his arm. He tried to shrug the ape off, but the guy had a grip like a vice. His teeth bared instinctively.
“Bite me and I'll rip all your damn teeth out,” the gorilla growled right back.
“He just threatened to torture us!” Boyd yowled, ears back in fear.
That made people mutter and the mall cops turn back to them. “Sir, what did they do again?” a cop asked.
“Just stick to crowd control. We've got this,” the ape said as a woman stepped up to them. “Now what?” he sighed.
“I'm a lawyer. Since these two are juveniles, I insist they get counsel and planetary security is called.”
“Lady, this is none of your business,” the human said, fed up. When she got in front of him, he knocked her to the side.
Her husband rounded the corner to see her being knocked down and snarled. The ape turned to see the guy. “Hang on,” he said, seeing the military buzz cut. “Stand down, Marine,” he said, lowering his voice as his partner turned to the new threat.
Boyd took that opportunity to bite the ape on the hand. The ape snarled and let go instinctively but punched the pup hard. His other hand twisted Asa's arm until something snapped. Asa snarled in pain.
“You just broke his arm!” a man said as the marine waded in past the mall cops. Others grimly moved in.
“What the hell, man! They're just kids!” a woman said.
“Mind your own lady or we'll come after them next!” the human said. The woman clutched at her kids fearfully and then moved back with them in tow.
“Son of a …,” the ape said, knowing things had just gone south when the cops turned on them. The marine got to his partner and threw a punch. The human agent managed to duck it, but when he pulled his weapon, all hell broke loose. The retired marine's training kicked in, and he blocked the weapon.
The weapon went off into the crowd. Someone screamed, and the group went silent. “We need backup!” the human snarled into his phone just as he got the gun around and into the abdomen of the marine. He triggered a round into the guy's guts, making him slump.
“Jeff!” the woman screamed.
“Oh, this is just peachy!” his ape partner growled as the pup they'd been told to pick up bit him on the arm holding the other pup. He snarled again but managed to get his freehand on the pup's ruff and pull. The dog didn't let go however.
Another ape moved in, a retired Neoorangutan, and then a group of chimps. “What's going on?” a chimp in a business suit demanded.
“They just shot a marine! And they are threatening to torture those kids for running off with their mouths!” a woman said as the wife of the marine crawled to his side. Her face was bloody. The marine was soaked with blood. His eyes narrowed.
“Call a bus,” he said over his shoulder. “Get back up here now,” he said as he sized up the group. He was off duty, but that no longer mattered. “Stand down,” the chimp said, pulling a sidearm. “I'm with planetary security. Put your weapons down. You are under arrest,” he said.
“The hell you say! We're ONI!” the human snarled, pointing the weapon down to the ground. “You even think of coming against us, and we'll tear you apart. We own you!”
“We're civilians. Last I checked, they are civilians. I don't know what's going on, but we're going to sort this out. But you aren't taking those pups anywhere. And you're going to answer for shooting that guy,” the cop growled as more cops arrived.
“We …,” the human agent continued his tirade. When he shifted his weapon, one of the mall cops pulled his own weapon.
“Stand down!” the cop said. “I don't have a shot,” he said to the chimp.
“Clear the area!” his mall partner said, waving people to get out of the way. “Everyone out,” he said, indicating the far emergency doors as staff showed up. “Get them out of here,” he ordered.
“You son of a bitch. You try anything, and we'll make your family disappear,” the human snarled.
“Not helping,” his partner said through gritted teeth as he realized they couldn't bluff their way out. “Stand down.”
“Frack that!” his partner said. “They are pussies; they won't shoot us! They know we'll be all over them.”
“I said, stand-down, Jake,” the ape said as a van arrived and agents piled out. He groaned as he realized the situation was going south fast.
Jake saw their backup arrived and smiled triumphantly. “See?” he said, nodding his chin as he shifted his weapon to his left hand so he could wipe the blood off his right hand. “Now, all of you stand-down,” he said. “We've got a job to do.”
The injured retired marine reached out and grabbed his leg. “No,” he said. The human agent gave him a vicious kick to the face, then kicked him again and then the man's wife.
“That's a cop you're beating!” Asa snarled, recognizing Jeff, his school's safety officer.
The planetary security chimp's eyes widened and then narrowed. He moved in and knocked the human agent's gun hand aside. The human stared at him in surprise, taken aback at the move. A single shot rang out in the store as a mall cop took the opening and fired. The human agent's head exploded.
“Frack!” the ape snarled as the backup team began to fire. All thoughts of stopping it were forgotten as survival instincts took over.
@
“We're still getting word on the actual count of dead and wounded, but what many are calling the shoot-out at Jerry's Super Grocery Mart is sparking outrage that quickly went from social media to the real-world as protests begin to mount. We can confirm ten dead, including one ONI agent and officer Jeffery Smith, a retired marine and police officer. Officer Smith was a school safety officer at Galileo Bridge Academy and was well respected and liked by faculty and the students who are now bewildered and in mourning,” the Veraxin anchor said solemnly as video over his shoulders played out of the kids placing tokens of flowers near an image of the officer in uniform.
“Meanwhile, an impromptu march turned into a protest and then riot as screams of fascists, tyrants, and traitors were lobbed at a group of off-duty naval personnel. The fighting was fierce with an unknown number of people at this time injured or killed.”
The video of
the cop switched to that of the riots. Patty grimaced and hit mute with her remote as she finally got through. “Colton! What's the deal?” she demanded.
“Sorry, Admiral, it's a no go. We can't get in there. They have locked our personnel in the secure ward.”
“So, you know they are alive?”
“That's about all we know at this time, ma'am. We can't spring them. The place is crawling with planetary security, and they are not in a forgiving mood. I'd steer clear of the area if I were you, ma'am.”
“Damn it …,” she muttered. She owed her people. She didn't leave anyone behind. She had tried to go through channels, but she'd been slapped down. “They are really going forward with this investigation?”
“Yes, ma'am. They are pissed,” Colton replied. He looked over his shoulder. “Ma'am, it's a bit hot here. They are beating up anyone even remotely looking like a sailor or ONI. It's bad.”
“Pull your people back and monitor the situation. I'll try to work my magic on this end,” she said tiredly.
“Understood.”
@
After Admiral Hill briefed him and Sherman, Omar called President K'k'R'll and demanded that his personnel be released. The president took the video call with the attorney general at his side. He deferred to the AG. “I'm afraid that isn't going to happen. A number of laws were broken, and we're still investigating. Since many people were killed, we're not letting them go. Besides, they are being treated anyway,” Raphael Koitz said with a straight face. What he left out was the fact that if they released the agents they would look ineffective and the public would go after them next.
“Now you listen to me, you little prick. I want my people back. I want the civilians who caused this too,” Omar growled menacingly.
“I'm afraid not. You have no jurisdiction over civilians. The Office of Naval Intelligence has no police powers. They do not have the right to detain or arrest civilians, especially minors,” Mister Koitz replied, completely unmoved by the fuming admiral.
“The hell you say!” Omar thundered.
“I do say. ONI no longer has any jurisdiction off base or off your ships. Keep them there. They have no arresting powers, as I just said. NCIS does I admit, but they weren't involved. NCIS by the way has to work with their civilian counterparts at all times when off base. They will follow the law or they will be booted too.”
“Frack that! Federation jurisdiction trumps local every time!”
“Perhaps in some cases but not this and definitely not when kids exercise their First Amendment rights,” the AG growled. “You yourself pointed out the separation of the navy from local authority. It is a two-way street, Admiral. You say we have no jurisdiction over you, okay; the courts are working on that. But, ONI has no jurisdiction over civilians either. They overstepped their authority.”
Omar snarled, fists clenched. He turned to Sherman, but the chimera just shook his head. That lack of support burned him almost as badly as the traitorous civilians. Finally, he turned back to glower at the chimera on the other side of the screen. “You won't get any help with the riots. I'm not sending a single marine.”
The AG shrugged. “Fine. We'll deal with it on our own. If you did send anyone, you'd just make it worse. That is apparently all you are good for, making things worse.” He smiled tightly as he shut off the channel as Omar sputtered in fresh anger.
@
“I want your people to do a hot drop, General. Drop in, on top of the hospital, hell, it has several landing pads on the roof; they are perfect! If your people go through the roof, that's fine with me too—the messier the better, I want a message sent that will be clear to everyone in the star system! Get in, get our people out. If anyone gets in the way, mow them down,” he growled.
The white-furred brigadier listened attentively and then shook his head when Admiral Childress stopped for breath. The expression on the human's face was priceless, Sharif thought, glad he was recording the conversation. That might make a good new wallpaper he thought with a small corner of his mind. He was already planning to have one of Omar when he was finally arrested put up or hell, posters made for every dart board and marine barracks in the republic.
“No.”
“What do you mean no?” Omar demanded dangerously, his excitement for the show of force cooling instantly.
“Just what I mean. No. We can't do it.”
“Are you refusing to obey my order? For heaven's sake! Why? I gave you an order! Get it done! Those are our people down there!”
The ape smiled slightly. “That's not our job. They committed a crime; they do the time. Settle it in the courts. We're not going to make the situation worse. I guarantee if we go down there, it will be worse. A lot worse. No.”
“I'm ordering you …”
“Do you really want to go there, Admiral?” General Yetmister asked mildly, staring into his eyes intently. Omar stared at him fuming and then cut the connection.
“Yeah, I thought not,” the ape said as he sat back. That had come far closer than he wanted to a break with his theoretical chain of command. Eventually, he knew he was going to need to shit or get off the pot. When was the big question.
@
Vice Admiral Ss'k'ttthhh shook his massive head as he stared at the image of the Neochimp before him. “I believe you have enough on your plate monitoring military personnel, Patty. Going after kids like that was beneath you.”
“Yes, sir. For the record, it wasn't me. Someone called it in. We're running that down now since they made it out like major subversive activity.”
“Which it wasn't. I understand the president and AG have slapped our hands as well. You can thank your people for that.”
Patty winced at the mild tone and then her eyes narrowed slightly as something came to her. He said your people. She didn't like the distinction from our people.
“New order. Passive monitoring only. Pull your action teams out. I don't know why they were given the go-ahead, but that stops today. I don't give a damn who told you differently, I'm still the director of Naval Intelligence. Is that clear?” he demanded.
“Yes, sir,” she replied, shaking herself slightly. “I'll pass on the orders today.”
“Good. Close any safe houses and such that have been compromised.”
“What about our people, sir?”
“For the moment, they rot. They deserve it for getting us into this mess,” the Naga hissed. She winced. “I'm monitoring the situation. Two of the six from the backup team have died, one is in a coma. The rest are in stable condition.”
“You got that, sir?”
“I've been around. I've got a friend of a friend who I can still rely on to pass on information. Which is all we're in the business for as far as civilians are concerned, Admiral. If you see a terrorist threat, you are to pass it on to planetary security. Supposedly, they are supposed to do the same if the threat is for naval personnel. How they can sort through the mess though I don't know.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I'm glad that is settled then,” the Naga stated. “Well, you have a lot of rearranging to do. Get to it.”
“Aye aye, sir,” she replied as she cut the channel.
She sat back and stared at the blank screen. It finally switched to her wallpaper, and she grimaced as the number of voice mails and emails in her inbox registered. It was going to be a long day she knew. Some were probably from friends and family of the agents in custody or who had died wanting answers.
Well, they would have to wait. She had her marching orders. The snake was right; obviously, her people had gotten sloppy. They'd gone in too arrogantly. They were supposed to be the Office of Naval Intelligence spooks. In and out quietly without anyone the wiser. A public grab—what were her people thinking?!? She shook her head in disgust.
No, she had some asses to ream, and she needed to work on her wording to get the sear a nice even well done she thought as she opened a file and began to type.
@
And all of them were aware that not only was the media monitoring them but also ONI.
Some took their side a little too far in discussions in the veterans’ homes. Stories began to hit the media of fights in veterans’ homes and even one between a retired marine and sailor in a hospital ward.
Some of the younger veterans had left the military service in order to take up a position in the civilian economy. Law enforcement was a favored place for some, especially MPs and Marines, while others took on their secondary training such as medicine, law, or other fields. They didn't like the sight of the republic fracturing.
What to do was still a big question however.
Chapter 10
Admiral Niell Rowley grimaced as he considered the problem before him. He was an old navy hand; his family had been in the navy for over eight generations, despite being high elves, or perhaps, because of it.
His mother had retired as a rear admiral. His grandmother, a captain, had died in a shuttle crash. The list went on and on, right up until his father.
His mother had died when he had turned ten. He'd been shipped off to military boarding school. His father had become a drunk, unable to handle the loss of his wife. His drinking had affected his service and destroyed his career. He had made list but his depression had forced him out of the service into early retirement, destroying a once-promising career.
