Jethro 9 Snippet 1

 Sitrep:

So, all of the betas are done with J9 and I sent it off to Rea Saturday. So, here is the first snippet!

 

 

Antigua

ChiefWarrant Officer 5 Jethro McClintock noted the flutter of the wind, picked up onthe heat rising and ran mental calculations even as Bast fed him the data. Whathe saw matched her data roughly so he fed it to the sniper.

Thesniper was a new recruit to the Cadre, Sergeant Manoox. The sergeant had sniperqualifications from the army but seemed to struggle with accepting data fromhis AI.

“Targetat two-five-six-one meters. Up one point five. Wind at nine o’clock sixclicks.”

“Two-five-six-oneup one point five, winds… got it,” the sergeant replied in a text through theirimplants. The duo was side by side so their respective AI had established awired nanite link between them. That facilitated conversation so they could notbe picked up or overheard.

“Sendit,” Jethro growled.

Thesergeant gently squeezed the trigger. As always it came as a surprise to them.

Theround went down range and slammed into the target.

“Highpoint two,” Jethro observed. “To the right point four.”

“Roger,”the sergeant said as he made adjustments.

Anothersniper fired a shot off to their left. A target plinked.

“Sendit,” Jethro ordered.

Thistime the round hit dead center as expected.

“Goodshot. New target…” Jethro moved on across their zone as the first target reset.

<<(O)>>

SergeantSuqi McClintock noted the target hit and smiled. She was dialed in. She quicklymade it through the qualifications and then rose when her spotter cleared her.Half muscle memory, half training she cleared her weapon and looked around.Sabu was finishing up his quals to the far left of her. Their father Jethro wasin playing spotter for another student.

Sheglanced to her right to see Hurranna wrapping up her quals. The lynx sat upwhen she finished and stretched and then scratched at her back.

“Gettingold?” Suqi texted.

Hurrannaturned to her, stuck out her tongue and then stretched again. Suqi chuckled.

ChiefWarrant Officer 1 Hurranna was their ‘aunt’. She had grown up with their fatherand others on Antigua Prime. She had served with them in Sigma Sector huntingpirates, though she had done so in a fighter as a Marine pilot while Sabu andSuqi had been sergeants in the Marines.

All3 had been tapped to join the Cadre. They had done a bit of soul searching andthen had agreed much to the chagrin of their respective commands. It was thator get rotated home to serve in a training force or standing guard duty at somebuilding somewhere. None of them wanted that.

Hurrannahad been threatened with a commission a few times. She had considered it buthadn’t liked dealing with the paperwork and the headaches involved with being acommissioned officer. As a warrant she could get to the rank of a CAG but notmuch further. She had said that she hadn’t considered getting out of the pilotseat until she had found out that the Cadre also used pilots.

Sinceshe had finished her integration she had taken up duties with the shuttles thatoccasionally moved the Cadre to distant exercise locations.

Hurrannajoined Suqi at the table where the weapons were laid out. “It took a little bitto get my eye back in I admit. But it’s like riding a bicycle.”

“Ifyou don’t practice regularly you forget the tricks,” Suqi retorted.

“LikeI said, like riding a bike. Once I had a refresher it all came back,” Hurrannareplied.

Suqiflicked her ears.

“So,what’s next?” Hurranna asked.

“Thefinals for camouflage for the second half of the class. Since you alreadypassed it, you lot can head in and pack it in,” Chief Humble stated. He was abig albino Neogorilla.

“Takeyour weapons with you,” the chief growled as the duo turned to leave. “Turnthem in to the armory and clean them. You know the drill.”

Thegirls sighed. “I hate getting my nails dirty,” Hurranna mock whined.

“Ihate chipping a nail,” Suqi said, pretending to look at her nails. Her clawscame out as she examined them.

“Myheart bleeds,” the chief said gruffly, rolling his eyes at them.

Thegirls smirked at each other. “Want to get our nails done after this?” Hurrannasuggested.

“Sure,”Suqi answered. She turned to the chief. “What do you say chief? I think hotpink is your color,” she teased.

“Pass,”he growled. “Get out of here before I throw you two out. And you two are smallenough that I can do it too,” he said eyeing them.

“Ithink he means it,” Hurranna chuckled as the duo put their sniper rifles intotheir carrying cases and then headed off.

“I’msure he’s just a softy at heart,” Suqi said. The chief roared and both girlsstartled and turned back to him. He was growling at another student.

“Onthe other hand…” Suqi drawled.

“Yeah,maybe we should tease him later,” Hurranna agreed with a nod.

<<(O)>>