Chapter 2: The Catamaral

From the Orientation Briefing: Star Fleet Academy

"There comes a time in every man's life, when he must face his actions in the light of hindsight. The question he must answer for himself is: 'Did I live up to my own standards, or did I compromise, and give in to the views of others.'"

Admiral Carl Fitzgerald
Star Date: 10.251

Presidents Personal Log: Star Date 7.035

I have just completed reading the intelligence reports for Operation Gray Hammer. We have learned that the occupied planets of the Grays are honey combed with tunnels and living spaces, often to depths of two miles or more. Although our fleet of ships stands ready to destroy the Gray fleets and capture the planets, the estimated casualty rate for the Star Fleet ground combat personnel ranges from fifty to seventy percent. I am unwilling to accept the losses of so many fine men and women. To avoid losses on this scale, I am forced to consider genocide on a Galactic scale.

Oh, Harry! How did you ever find the personal fortitude to drop 'the bomb' on Japan? For me the issue is much worse, I have three options on how to accomplish this. I'm in agonies of the moralities as to which choice to make. The only reason I am even able to consider the genocide, is in response to their actions towards humans. If negotiations were even possible, I could not bring myself to consider that course.

The Blues have proven to be capable and peaceful allies. They have formally petitioned the Federation for full membership. It will be granted, in due course. Gloria has been by my side day and night, for eighty-four of the ninety days required under Lucian marriage customs.

She has observed me making love, and preparing for war. Her voice is a song that calms my mind when I am troubled by the pressures of this war, and the decisions I face. Though I have not made love with her as yet, the time of that bonding is close at hand.

There are many differences between her race and mine. But fidelity and mating prior to the wedding are not bridges that she would ever cross. She sings of the Seven Nights of Bliss, the two of us must and will share, after the ceremony. She has made it clear that despite her love for me, the cannons of her people must be followed for those Seven days and nights.

My other wives have not even fussed about being reduced to voyeur status for those seven days and nights. I have tried to explain that the human male body is not capable of seven continues days of copulation. She smiles, and the songs of her mind tell me I have no idea what I am in for.

Annette and Jennifer have supported Gloria's position from the start. My other wives have their concerns. However, they seem to support the process. Since I can't read minds with this new ability (I am limited to hearing their thoughts), they have to actively think on a subject.

I am getting worried because they all seem to know something I do not. Their thoughts are confusing to me. I suspect it is something that no words exist to describe, that is keeping me from understanding what they are thinking on the subject. Then they think about sex, and it drives me crazy! My body responds with lust.

Ugh! Women! Who ever it was back on Earth that came up with the saying, "Women, You can't live with them, and you can't live without them", obviously didn't have as many wives as I.

It was at the middle of the sleep period, at 0300 cycles, when the planetary AI unit interrupted Jim's rest by directly implanting thoughts into his growing Keb.

"Jim. Wake up. There is a problem."

Jim silent mental thoughts responded, "Just fifteen minutes more."

"Sir, their has been a kidnapping."

That caused Jim to sit bolt upright. Gloria was startled by Jim's sudden jump to alertness. She had been watching him as he slept, as she sat on the ornate Kalama lounge. Inlayed with gold and other gems, the ceremonial Kalama had been in her family for untold generations.

"Kidnapping, Who was kidnapped?" Jim shouted out audibly.

The AI responded in kind and spoke, "A young family of three human Kalmiasans, out at the edge of the Kalmias system."

Gloria was appalled by such news, her mind raced, even as the calmness overcame her thoughts. She was projecting this calmness to Jim, and he accepted it. His mind relaxed even as it accepted and digested the news.

"I see. Do we know who the kidnappers are, and what they want?"

"No, Sir. We have no idea of the whom, however we do have the holo of the abduction from a monitoring station in the Kalmias system."

"Let's see it in here, please."

Gloria smiled at her affect on Jim. He wasn't irrational, but he was prone to far more emotional fluctuations than were most people of her world. She was pleased that she could calm him so easily. It was good that she could help him. She had been falling in love with him and his family from the beginning. As her feelings grew, she desired to help them in every way possible.

Jim and Gloria then watched as an unknown alien craft skirted the edge of Kalmias space. The ship was big. On its side, it bore the symbol of a cat's paw. Then the alien craft spotted the small family runabout and headed for it. Runabouts are not military vessels. They lacked the scanners needed to see the threat behind them, or weapons to respond even if they had seen. The craft closed with the small ship, and literally opened up its front end, and swallowed the little ship. Shortly thereafter, the cat's paw ship went into warp drive, with the characteristic flash of light.

"How long ago did this happen?" Jim said.

"Thirty cycles ago."

"What ships do we have close to Kalmias at this moment?"

"Closest ship is the UFP Jason, currently in orbit, overhead," AI said.

Jim accessed his nano-transporter menu and materialized on the bridge of the ship with Gloria. His menu was already slaved to keep her with him for the required ninety days of observation. If they were separated during that ceremonial amount of time, it would be required by custom that it be repeated. Jim had slaved his nano-bots to automatically include her wherever he might go.

Jason and his wife Lisa were training a group of cadets from the academy at the time Jim and Gloria appeared.

"What's up, Dad?" Jason asked seeing the look on his father's face, when Jim and Gloria appeared on his bridge.

Jim said, "Jump to Kalmias's space. Yellow alert. I will fill you in as soon as we are there."

Jason, "Nav! Plot Combat Jump. Course Kalmias. Open Gate."

The cadet manning the navigation console dashed her fingers across the display panel like a pianist, then she reported, "Sir! Course laid, jump engines on line."

Jim without formality ordered, "Engage."

His order was followed without question.

The crew had become well trained in emergency deployment maneuvers. Even the cadets in training knew something important was about to happen. After all, its not every day the President transports on board, and takes the command of a ship away from its Captain.

The UFP Jason plowed though the shimmer of folded space before them. Even as the ship's rear was entering the shimmering fold, The front of the ship exited out of the Kalmiasan jump gate on the other side.

"Lisa, look for a recent warp signature," Jim said to the Sensor Cadet.

Lisa reported back, "I have a fresh one. Looks like it's moving into uncharted space at warp four."

"Follow it, max warp."

The UFP Jason then went into warp drive, and was now hot on the abductors trail.

Jason was looking over the nav cadet's shoulder at the data displayed there.

"Estimate twenty-five cycles before we overtake the craft based on the trail decay rate. Any chance I could find out what's going on?"

Jim ordered the ships AI to display the holo of the abduction as he filled them in.

The mostly cadet crew was looking a little green around the gills as the cycles clicked by.

"Picking them up on scanners. Visual: on screen," Lisa said

And there it was, one alien non-Gray ship, heading for a planetary system that had not yet been explored by the Federation. The ship was large, sleek looking, and painted black. The only external symbol on the craft was what looked like a cat's paw with claws extended, on a red background. From the image display on the view screen, it almost looked like it was clawing into the hull of the ship. Such was the detail level of the image.

Lisa, "Scanners show it to be 1.1 miles long, two thousand feet wide and the same high."

"Life signs?" Jim asks.

Lisa reported "Three human, 468 alien unknowns. I have never seen this signature before. They look like they could be feline. I mean the computer says they're cats, but I have never seen the signature before."

Jason asked, "Could it be an abduction like the Grays used to do?"

Gloria frowned. Her race did not like the Grays much. The Grays also had taken their share of Blues in that manner. Sometimes even returning her poor people, after some bizarre sexual experiments had been performed on them.

"I am considering that as well," Jim said. Then he asked, "Intercept time?"

"Three Cycles to weapons' range."

"Com, send a message all channels and systems. Send 'Surrender your captives.'"

"Sending, Sir," came the male cadets shaky voice.

They waited one cycle, then received a reply.

The Com cadet said, "Sir, it is a 3D image and audio reply."

"Display."

"Aye-aye, Sir."

The holographic signal flickered onto the main screen, then solidified until it looked completely normal. Well, as normal as the inside of the alien craft could look. The bridge of the craft had many hard angles, and was covered in rich looking cloths of green, amber and blue. The black claw that was on the outside of the vessel, also appeared on a red background, behind the being that appeared before them. The Cat-like man was 6 feet tall, and was covered with spotted hair like a leopard, but had a head resembling the head of a lion.

It spoke, saying "Ha, more food for my clan pursues us, prepare to cook them."

"Holy shit!" shouted Lisa.

It was a term she had learned from her spouse. It was also appropriate, given the image before them.

Jim responded to the cat like creature, "Only if you can eat pure energy. Surrender your captives, now, and we will depart in peace."

The Big Cat said, "Who do you presume you are, that you dare threaten and try to give orders to the Catamaral."

Jim replied, "I am the President of the Federation of Planets. You have abducted our citizens... and I'm here to get them back."

The cat considered the words from his translator for a moment, then the sickening cat like grin crossed its face.

"I am Cavindish, leader of The Clan of the Claw. I do not recognize your authority. You risk war with my clan in our own space."

Gloria song said, "Is it worth a war with this race? Are the three humans, worth starting a war with an unknown race?"

Her question was not meant to sound crude. She was asking in order to learn more about the personal character of the man for whom she had fallen.

"Yes. To get them safely back, is worth going to war. I will defend the people of the Federation, as if each and every member was my own child."

Cavindish's translator translated child as cub. But it didn't matter to him in the least. He spoke again.

"Our food supplies are not your concern."

Then the cat like being turned his head and shouted the order, "Nova them now."