Kandar Ep27 The Azmarelda

      On the Azmarelda, Captain Santiago "Smokey" Saporta was just entering the bridge from the crew area. He was a very thick, but solid build, on a 6'8" frame. His dark brown fur had a reddish tint with stray gray hairs giving it a salted look. His plump stomach was beginning to surpass the girth of his massive chest. He was big for a Ursine, but the Kodiak clan tended to run on the large side. His left eye had been replaced with a bionic one that glowed red, he could change the color, but he liked the effect.

      His uniform was neat, creases well ironed, but it was showing the wear of many years of use. Most people, Kandar and Human a like, would still know the deep, royal blue color of the Kandar Nation Royal Air Command even though it was devoid of even patches or badges that would have identified it as such. Only the two silver bars on each side of the collar, denoting him as Captain still remained. With a low growl and a heavy thump, he plopped down in the over sized Captain's chair at the helm and spun the chair around to face the controls.

      Captain Smokey, as his crew and close friends called him, dwarfed the much small brown and white Musteline male sitting in the co-pilot position next to him. His coat was a "very classic" pattern as his parents would tell him, but he hated that he looked so much like every other "ferret." He spent a lot of time and credits to keep his coat shiny and perfectly groomed. It was his 'edge' in the mating field, even though he was well past the settling down stage of his life. 1st. Lt. Corey Degatto was dressed in the same uniform, devoid of marking but his was in much better shape than the Captains. His collar sported only one silver bar for his rank. He was a high strung, wiry fellow who fidgeted often. He started to speak several times before finding the right time. "Did you hear?"

      "And, why do you think I am here?" Captain Smokey asked rhetorically. Corey drew in his breath to speak but Captain Smokey cut him off, "yeah, yeah, yeah, they know we are here." Captain Smokey sighs loudly as he looks sideways his at his long time friend and co-pilot.  "I'm not worried about the scan, we designed this ship to be read wrong... unless they have a really, really good guy reading the scan. They will think this is just another common Leviathan pirate ship for the shape and lack of IFF systems, markings or maybe, just maybe based on the modifications they can see. But, they cannot, thanks to our wonderful design, read all the corner mounted 30mm twin rail guns. You guys know this. We're gonna tear through those Tedo's like a badger through hot cakes."

      "But...umm...what about the rest of..." 1st. Lt. Corey got out before Cptn. Smokey cut him off again.

      "Yeah, hear that conversation too, and that's the real problem ain't it. So, quit jaw jackin' and get this sled in the air. Which mean you, little hacker cat, need to pull back to all wireless as we have to cut the landlines." He looks around the bridge like he is expecting to see a hologram of her appear somewhere. "I know you are listening in somehow so, chop chop."

      "Affirmative Captain," came a sweet, yet sarcastic voice over the intercom on the bridge, "I thought that would be our next move. I am clear, all solid lines are disconnected and retracted, ready for take off."

      "Good job hacker cat," he said as he lit his customary cigar for battle.

      "Call me Deletekey, please Captain."

      "You know he is right," 1st Lt. Corey interjected as he hurried through their lift off sequence. "We are dealing with a whole brigade. This is not, just some random Tedo squad, its just part of a fighter group. Look at their formation!" pointing to the 3D holoscope radar. "They are going to have three, maybe five, yeah, probably five squads. Depending on the set up, thats gonna make one or two jet fighter squads, and that's one or two squads more than we can handle." He talks fast and sounds a little bit squeaky when he is upset.

      "And what if they read this ship right?" Deletekey adds sounding a little concerned. Mentally, she was monitoring everyone in the field and rerouting her programs while boosting the wide area wireless signal.

      Capt. Smokey looks up at one of the speakers on the bridge like that was her. "IF, they would have read the ship right... IF they realized this is to big to be a Leviathan... IF they would have seen the armor is ten inch black egog... IF they saw that there are six not four engines, which are magnesium pulse not crystalline... If they saw our guns...a lot of if's, but rest assured, IF they got any of that right...they would have sent the jets first."

      "Wait... according to those numbers...that would make this a... Royal Kandar Juggernaut!" she exclaimed. "Where in nine hells did you get a Juggernaut from? And where are all the big guns? We could use them against the jet fighters," Deletkey sounding a bit concerned.

      "Well, after the war, they were a bit conspicuous for a pirate ship, so... well it's a long story, and for another time. They would help against a brigade, but not against jet fighters, so let it go, we have other concerns right now...like getting our tails out of here."

      Smokey flips on the ships intercom "ATTENTION!! ALL HANDS TO YOUR BATTLE STATIONS NOW! REPETE ALL HANDS, BATTLE STATIONS NOW! CHARGE ALL GUNS, YES THE BIG ONE TOO BEFORE YOU ASK DON DON! CHARGE AND READY ALL GUNS!"

      CMSgt. Donald "Don Don" Haystack,the ships 3rd in command and the lead gunner snaps back over the intercom "We are already in place slow poke. We have been listening to whats happening out there too." Don Don wore a more appropriate battle attire, blue heat reducing fatigues with lots of pockets for all the gear he needed. He tried to keep fit, bit was getting a little pudgy around the middle. He had normal markings that most Procyoine did, mask and bushy, stripped tail included.

      Corey looks at Smokey covering the microphone "What are we going to do about a squadron or two of jet fighter?"

      Smokey shrugs "I'm working on it. For now, if that cat can get us some satellite images of the surrounding area we will start looking for where a hidden base or army could be. In the mean time, lets put these Tedos down and start the evacuation."

      Deletekey comes in over to comm again sounding a even more nervous this time. "No need to look for where an army is hiding, they are out in the open. I see two groups moving towards us. Sending the images to your screens now." In an instant the images of two different groups aprear on the main screen on the bridge. "Good news is you can concentrate on finding that hidden base."

      Capt. Smokey and the 1st. Lt. stare blankly at the images for a moment, the shear mass of the two armies overwhelmed them for a moment. Corey took the initiative and zoomed in on the night scope images, so they could see the insignia on the flags. "Oh, thats just great, we have a tank Regiment with a Heavy Ranger Battalion here," 1st. Lt. Corey states sounding as happy as a kid in a candy store. He flips over to the other group for a closer look there. "Oh, and Lighting Scout Battalion over here with an armored Cavalry Regiment." The look on his face as he stares at the Captain says what he dare not, 'we're screwed.'

      CMSgt. Don Don and TSgt. Salizar "Squiggles" Gomez, another Procyoine Kandar, were raising the twin 55mm turret midship when they overheard 1st' Lt. Corey. "By the mother goddess, how bad has the Wolves pissed these people off?!? Screw fighting let's get everyone we can and haul tail outa here! How much time do we have?"

      "We have a couple hours,at best, before these armies get in range. I am more concerned at the moment about if...well... when they are going to launch the jet fighters on us," Cptn. Smokey replied as he rubbed his temples trying his best to think of a viable escape plan.

      Finger's voice creeps across the comm again "Send me pictures mountain where first see Tados. I find base hidden. I fix it."

      As fast as Deletekey is, Finger's assistant and pilot, Jordy, breaks in before she can send the file to Finger's tablet. "I am getting the bird in the air now boss. Keep covering the mercs. I got this one."

      "You are idiot," Fingers responds sounding very annoyed. He laid the tablet down near by and watched the sky across town for the approaching Tedo's. From his view point he could see the whole town and most of the valley stretching south into the plains and a good ways north into the mountains.

      "Idiot or not fingers, we will be dead or long gone before you can make it across one mountain on foot," Cptn. Smokey adds.

      "Where do you want them Fingers?" she asked a bit nervously.

      "Send to both us." Mear seconds later Inferred, heat, and night scope images stolen from some satellite appeared on both of their screens.