Maintaining A Tiger

By. Mr. David R. Dorrycott

"Queel, look what that fargin fool did this time" complained a muffled female voice from deep within the battered Tiger fighter. There was a clatter of loose parts, with several eventually falling to the hanger deck. After long minutes of scraping and thumping, two small booted feet appeared. They were slowly followed by a female mouse figure clothed in ragged, grease coated coveralls. Carrying a small bronze colored box, Kiko Nao Rhys ducked under the wheel well from which she had emerged and walked to a nearby bench.

"Sheesh! You'd think these pilots would be more careful with these things" the disgruntled mouse muttered. Placing the unit gently on her bench with all the care a mother gives her baby, she turned around and walked back to the fighter. Reaching into one of her outfits many pockets she produced a pad of fluorescent yellow stickers. Peeling one off she slapped it below the pilots station, pulled out a black marker and wrote 'IFF OUT' on its surface.

"That ought to hold this one for a while" the mouseling grumbled. From behind her the intercom beeped, breaking into her tirade. With the oddly graceful movement of one long past exhaustion she made her way to the intercom, managing to kick one innocent tool about halfway back to where it belonged. Rubbing her eyes against the need for sleep she reached out and toggled the switch. "Kiko here. What is it?"

"Ramon here" came the answer. "How's my ship coming?"

Kiko sighed, looking at the battered old Tiger class fighter. "Well, I might be able to salvage a piece or two. If I really work at it" she responded. “Then, I guess I could just sticky-glue it back together and let you play tag with Michael or Millin out there. Why?”

There was a laugh from the other end. "Okay. Well, I'll spring for the tape if you'll go for the bubble gum. Anyway, I really called to let you know that a Miss Dai Ti is on her way down there. Thought you might like to know."

Kiko glanced up at the speaker mounted just above her head, a feather touch of memory momentarily disturbing the rigors of the day. The feeling passed. "Dai Ti? I haven't met her. Is she with the local secret security or something?" There was a pause before Ramon answered and she could swear she heard more muted laughter on the other end of the line.

"Yes, you might say she's Local Security. Marcus says to answer her questions as honestly as you can, but not to give too much away. She works for the local Hegemony’s black ops I think. Claims to be a terrorist hunter or something about as equally implausible. Incidentally, we're just passing through on our way to pick up a consignment from an industrial satellite."

Kiko shook her head in disgust. Security! They were always into everything and always the main problem in the Passion’s life. Even customs agents didn’t cause as many problems as snoops did. No matter what system they were from, or which King, Emperor or President they supposable worked for. Every one came from the same bolt of cloth. "Okay," she agreed, really wishing that she had time to query The Librarian about this newcomer. But she didn’t, so best to ride the wave with care. "Give her the access code and I'll do the best I can. Rhys Out."

Finished with her conversation she switched channels to supply and ordered a new IFF set for the injured fighter, then grabbed her tool kit as she headed back to the waiting ship. Several minutes later, back in the ancient ships nose she heard the bay door alarm chime. A few seconds later a deep rumble informed her that heavy armored panel had slid open. It closed again, the delay being about as long as it would take one person to enter the sensitive repair bay. Shifting around in the confines of the Tiger's forward hydraulics access bay she called out in greeting. "Is that Dai Ti?"

"Yes. Where are you?" answered a honey-soft voice from somewhere near the fighters nose.

Kiko struggled to turn around, in the process knocking her head against a bulkhead support in her cramped work area. "Duck under the nose wheel and we can talk while I work" the mouse suggested, fighting back words she had learned only after joining the PURPLE PASSION’s crew.

She could hear the soft noises the other woman made as she ducked under the Tiger's massive nose gear. Moments later Kiko caught a glimpse of soft, silver-white hair at the access hatch. She smiled to herself - office-types were always too careful around fighters. "That's close enough. Any closer and you might catch a live lead or something" she cautioned. "Now what was it you wanted to know?"

The hair retreated, apparently to a more comfortable position. "I need to know about Captain Turverion" Dai explained. "I understand you served under him on the DRAGON’S BREATH. The man's applied for permission to reroute part of his combat relief wing through our area of domination. He claims to be on his way to the Ossarian Front, but we’ve had problems with the AlKun Kingdom before. We need to know as much about him as possible before granting this request. Just in case this might be a trick. Anything you may remember might be the difference between identifying a true ally or a dangerous menace. Tell me. Did he strike you as the dangerous type?"

Kiko burst out laughing so suddenly that she dropped her inspection lamp. "Tub Bottom'? Dangerous?" she gasped. "Well, maybe to his own people. But not to anyone else. He's a by-the-book officer. Almost no inspiration." She dug her lamp out of the mess of cables into which it had fallen, then resumed her inspection. "Okay let me think. As I remember, working aboard the D.B. was sorta like working in a prison. Everything had to be accounted for, even the paper locks. If something unusual happened it could take hours to get a command decision. It was why I didn’t re-up and came to work on this junk yard of a ship instead” she lied. “Less problems with upper management. Besides. I get to see more places."

The mouse paused, checking a suspect line before continuing. Was it frayed or was it simply lint she asked herself as she reached for a magnifier. "But during battles he's like a machine - spitting out orders like a robot and obeying superiors' orders without question. All in all. If you know the Book, you just about know the man. Unless he’s got someone superior to him aboard I’m pretty sure he’s telling you the truth. I can’t see Tub Bottom being smart enough to pull off a double cross."

Unseen by the mouse, the rabbit Dai Ti shook her head, making notations on her recorder with practiced, slim fingertips. "Unfortunately I already knew that. Everyone I've quizzed has given me the same run-down." She paused again, then explained in a lower voice. "If you don’t mind. What I really need are personal responses. How he reacts to others. I understand you...went to his office several times, yet nothing shows on your official records."

Kiko’s legendary anger flared up at that, her eyes though invisible to the other, narrowing. How had this woman gotten hold of another Kingdom’s personal records, specifically a near nobody like her. It hit her then, this was no local security agent. This woman was White Force. Or worse. She bit her lip, anything she said could endanger more than just her life. White Force was bad, if this was an independent, with these kinds of contacts...

"I know your personal likes Miss Rhys. Even the ones you try to hide," the woman continued blandly, completely unaware of her slip. "So it couldn't have been for physical reasons. You see, I just finished inspecting your quarters. With your captain's permission of course. Your are an AlKun citizen so your as much a security risk as a battle fleet. In our books."

Kiko sighed, closing her eyes. "Next time, just ask. As for those 'visits.' Turvelon loves singing. For some reason he liked my voice. Why I don't know. At odd times he would call me to his office to sing for him. Didn’t matter if I was on duty or off." The mouse paused, searching her memory as she critically inspected the last cable. Lint she decided, returning her magnifier to its pocket. How much could she tell this woman she wondered. Maybe it was best to just tell the truth, you could only die once after all. "You know” she continued, “come to think of it, it always seemed to happen just before an ORI or combat. Does that help?" she asked.

Unseen by Kiko the rabbit smiled quietly to herself. "Maybe. I'll have to run it through with the rest of the data. Maybe it's just his way to relax before a bout with stress, but it may be something we can use. We'll see." Closing her recorder she stood from the tyre she had been perched on and stepped back on the ladder leading to the access hatch. "Now ex-Sergeant Rhys, something I want to know myself. How the heck can you fit into that small space?"

Kiko flipped off her inspection lamp. So, this woman didn’t know everything after all. "If you move out of the way, I'll be happy to show you" she replied. Watching as the other complied, stepping down and out of her line of sight, Kiko slid out of the access panel. Turning her back to the waiting officer the mouse stepped out onto the ladder, carefully closing and sealing the Tiger's maintenance panel. She glanced over her shoulder, checking for clearance before dropping lightly to the deck. Brushing off her coveralls Kiko moved out from under the fighter and towards her work bench, where she sat down her tools and replaced her lamp into its waiting charging box.

"You see” she continued. “I'm sorta short. A throwback. Sis was five five when she was eighteen...before the raid." Kiko took a deep breath at the old thought. "They always called me the runt of the litter." The mechanic turned to face her visitor, finding herself staring at an attractive lop eared rabbit. Extremely attractive she decided, feeling the muscles of her lower belly tighten as she studied her inquisitor. "So you can see how I fit into small places with ease” she continued. “And for the record Miss Ti, I’ve long ago renounced my AlKun citizenship. I’m a free spacer now. No home, no family, no planet."

Dai herself gazed at Kiko with amazement. She had to be the smallest Muridae the rabbit had ever encountered. The other had walked under the ancient Tiger's notoriously low-slung nose without even ducking. More than that, the woman was somehow familiar. The fair-haired rabbit suddenly recalled a hotel courtyard and, a bit more distinctly, an encounter deep in the ruined Old City ruins on planet Medel. Pretty thing she thought, her heart stirring as she stared into the others eyes. Dai though kept her tone level. After all she was tokenly on official business. "I see what you mean. So that's what got you into maintenance?"

Kiko giggled softly at the question. "No Miss Ti. I was in battle robot training at first. ‘The Perfect Pilot’ they claimed. That was until they learned I can't hit the side of a cargo pod unless I weld the muzzle against it. Even then I’ve got a fifty-fifty chance of hitting my own side." She yawned, stretching languidly as a wave of exhaustion rolled through her small frame, her tail curling around her right leg as she forced herself to remain awake. "Sorry. Tired. Godds, but I get kinked up in those things” she groaned, indicating the fighter behind her. “If that access area was any smaller I'd have to pull the nose to do the work."

She shook her head, rubbing the worst of a streak of grease from her facial fur with a rag. "But if you do” she continued, rambling on without thinking as all experts in their field do. From time to time. “You chance stripping a pressure fitting. Makes a pilot real unhappy if his ship blows its nose during combat. Real Bummer." The mouse giggled again. "I just remembered: Turvelon hated maintenance getting dirty, so we were always pulling the noses for inspections and repairs. Hydraulic lines G23 and G24 were always getting stripped. If any model Tiger, even the newer ones goes into a high gee climb to port, it puts an awful lot of stress on those lines."

Dai looked blank as the information went completely over her head. She contented herself with an appreciative inspection of the mechanic's compact, shapely form. Technical waffle had never been her strong point, and it was obvious that the mouse could easily talk rings around her in her enthusiasm. Still she memorized the important parts. Sometimes the oddest bit of datum could save ones career. Or life.

Kiko scratched her back absently while she continued, unaware of the effect she was having upon her visitor. "When either of those lines fail a Tiger usually instantly loses about a third of its computer ‘eyes’ control on the port side. Liquids and electricity don’t much like each other, even in space. At least all you get in space is a thick vapor trail. Be a heck of a fire in any reactive atmosphere. Sorta makes 'em blind in a port bank though."

Dai smiled slightly. Kiko had been giving her a thoroughly enjoyable show with her stretching, and the mouse’s natural scent was a seductive perfume. One that the rabbits keen nose easily picked out through the cloying tang of the lubricating grease and machine oil. Dai considered things. If memory served, Michael and company had been duly registered aboard the HEARTS PASSION when they had visited Medel. There was no question in her mind that that craft and the PURPLE PASSION were one in the same, even though the silhouette no longer matched. Not much of a mystery though. Free Traders often switched to backup registrations in certain conditions, and moving pods around, adding and removing them at every port of call was SOP. Just like coming from an area the new system considered hostile. Or running illegal cargo. If she played her cards right this little mouse could be an open invitation to extend her stay aboard the ship. "Now that's exactly the sort of information I was looking for Sergeant. Thanks." she replied, her face a mask of innocence belying the thoughts behind her eyes.

Carefully loosening her tight tunic a notch in order to offer an impressive show of her own, Dai hefted her recorder. Standing she nodded to the watching mouse, then walked back across the bay to the hatch she’d entered by. As she passed Kiko one hand lightly caressed the mouse’s hip, the touch apparently an accident. As she keyed in the hatches code the rabbit paused. "I may have a few additional questions later. I can find you here...or in your quarters?"

Kiko nodded yes in agreement, that touch having wakened feelings long dormant. She was finding her mouth suddenly sand dry. “Either, depends on what time” she answered softly.

"By the way" Dai added in a low, husky voice. "I really liked the leather outfit." Then the metal panel hissed shut behind her.

Kiko shook her head slowly in amazement before she turned back to the waiting Tiger, a clean rag and canopy cleaner now in her hands. "Security" she muttered to herself. "Always into everything. But she is cute." Singing quietly to herself she clambered through the open canopy and returned to her work.