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*Rise of the Warspite*
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by HappyTarget: [QB] CHAPTER 7 [Tilley Base, evening the next day] Thad made his way toward the officers' mess with an easy stride. Taz ride in a bonded treecats customary position, on Thad's shoulder. Thanks to a stop at the base tailor, Thad now had garments that could withstand a treecat's nasty set of claws. The meeting between Thad and his new CO went surprisingly well. Admiral of the Red Glinnis McAllister had started out by saying that whatever your history, all personnel started out with a clean slate under his command. All previous honors and reprimands meant nothing to him, all that counted was how you carried out your duties while on his base. All of the base personnel were fiercely loyal to him because of this policy. Surprisingly, Thad found himself actually beginning to enjoy his new post. It was nothing compared with captaining or even serving on a naval vessel, but it was no where near as dull and boring as he had imagined. The other officers he worked with were all very welcoming and Thad even saw the possibility of becoming good friends with most of them. Admiral Glinnis, despite issuing all his people a clean slate, expected them to prove his faith in them. He worked them hard, yet they all said that he was a great person to work for. Thad hoped that all the good things he had heard today were true. This just might be a good assignment after all. The duty shift that had just finished was streaming its way towards the mess hall. Everyone was joking and conversing with each other, seemingly without a care in the world. Then Taz laid his ears back and exposed his teeth. A snarling hiss escaped his parted lips. Thad quickly turned his attention towards the cause of this outburst. The culprit was a short, plump, gray haired old lady. On her creased face was a look of surprise. She quickly looked away and lost herself in the crowd. Thad tried to search for her, but she vanished almost as quickly as she appeared. Taz was still in a highly agitated state. Thad placed a calming hand on him, sending calming thoughts through their link. It was hard though, because this time, Thad himself had seen what had set his cat off. Though the old lady appeared to be normal, he had seen her eyes. Just before she had turned and fled into the crowd, Thad had a most terrifying look into the mysterious lady's soul. Taz had every right to be defensive this time. That lady was bad news guaranteed! By now a few of Thad's acquaintances had come up to see what the fuss was all about. Thad told them it was nothing to worry about. A few thought different, yet chose not to press the issue. Since Taz was still agitated, Thad went directly to his quarters. He had lost his appetite anyway. [Elsewhere on the base, that same time] Everything had gone so smoothly up till now, The Director thought to herself as she exited the base. Not a single flaw had cropped up other than those greedy pirates. They would be dealt with in due course, but this new development posed a new set of risks. Who would have known that he would have been adopted by a treecat? She had hoped to approach him alone and convince him to join the Cerberus community. That would be impossible now. She tapped her foot impatiently while the guard scanned her ID, thinking hard as to how this situation could still be brought to her advantage. "Here you go. Have a good night Sargent Cogsworth." the guard said, as he passed back her card. Nothing like an alias and the best fake ID card money could buy to get you in and out of a secure area unnoticed. As she made her way to the aircar lot, it hit her. She merely needed to invite Thaddeus Armstrong to a parley and show him the right carrot. Maybe even the stick if he proved unreasonable. Part of her wished he would be difficult, those were the most enjoyable ones to bring into the fold. She rubbed her hands together in anticipation. [Thaddeus Armstrong's quarters, night] Taz had finally fell asleep, after over an hour of reassurance. Thad himself found sleep unattainable. He paced his room, mulling over just who that lady was and what she was doing at the base. Then his com terminal chimed quietly. He made his way over to his desk and activated the panel. A message appeared on it, requesting his presence to a formal welcoming ceremony. The base commandant Admiral Glinnis McAllister himself singed it. There was only one special consideration on it, the admiral requested that his treecat be left at home. That is an odd request, Thad thought, the admiral seemed to have no problem with Taz when we met this morning. Yet, what an admiral orders, a lieutenant commander can only follow. Thad looked in on Taz. He was still sleeping soundly. Though Thad felt bad about leaving his companion behind, he felt that he didn't have a choice. He opened the door and quietly slipped out into the hall. [Restaurant just outside of Tilley base, five minutes later] Thad entered the cozy little establishment expecting a party, but found none. Searching for first the Admiral, then military personnel of any kind, Thad came up empty. Then he felt a hand grip his upper arm. Thad turned and was concerned because of who he saw holding him. "You!! Who the heck are you and where is the Admiral?!" The old lady on his arm merely smiled and turned him towards a private booth towards the back of the restaurant. She was surprisingly strong, despite her appearance to the contrary. "Let go of me now! If you don't, you will regret it!" In response, the lady rolled her eyes and made a show of letting go of his arm. Thad turned to go, but was stopped dead in his tracks by her voice. "Now, now Mr. Robert, that isn't very polite. All I want to do is have a little chat. Do we have an understanding, or do you wish to be bullheaded?" Turning quickly, Thad leveled a deadly stare in the old woman's direction. "Give me one reason why. You have evidently have access to secure com systems, you know more than you should, and you creep me out. All these things individually would be enough to make me leave, together they make me want to run!" "Simple, I can be a very, very good friend… or your worst nightmare! Which you want me to be is up to you." Seeing little choice, Thad sat down. "There now, isn't that better!" the old woman purred. "I know that you really want to go back to space. What if I said I could arrange that for you?" That piqued Thad's interest, though he showed no sign of it outwardly. Though he wasn't totally upset with his present assignment, he still longed for space. "So what if you can get me back into space! You must have a reason for it. Don't tell me you are doing it out of the kindness of your heart!" "Your right, I do have reasons for getting you into space again. But first, I need to have you on side. I can guarantee that you will be where the action is. It’s the old you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours kind of deal. All you need to do is say yes…" Thad looked deep into the mysterious lady's eyes. Part of him was screaming run away. Yet a larger part of him was urging him to accept the woman's cryptic offer. In the end, there was really only one choice for him to make. "All right… what do I have to do." The woman flashed him a wolfish smile. "In good time, in good time. I'll be in touch Lt. Cmdr. I'm sure its going to be a pleasure doing business with you." She rose and left. Thad remained seated for a long time afterward, worried that he had just made a deal with the devil. Anyone still reading this drivel? [/QB][/QUOTE]
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