The Furry Conflict: Fan Fiction

A Plot, or maybe something more...
By: GGA Falcon

FANFIC LIBRARY

THE HOLOTORIUM

CHARACTER BIOGRAPHIES

            George G Alverez stood on the gantry, staring down at the hanger bay below him, his cold falcon’s eyes picking out every man and woman that scurried around below him. Through the chaos he noted, only one figure was stationary. Turning slowly to face his adjutant the peregrine spoke. The face he had seen, he knew.

            “Calthrop, have that man come to me immediately.”

            His adjutant a fat faced dog, with small drooping jowls on a disproportionately large head, squinted into the hangar. “Which man, sir?” He said, Calthrop’s eyesight was notoriously bad and the stuff of many barrack room jokes.

            “Which man? That man sir! That stationary man!” Alvarez had yet to get used to his new post and still forgot about his adjutant’s short sightedness. Calthrop, pulled out his glasses and polished them trying to hide a half-smile. Alvarez noticed, and got the hint.

            “Oh, yes. Your eyesight. Hmmn.” The falcon thought for a second trying to remember the files.

            “He is a pilot sir?” Calthrop had a good memory and never forgot a file. But guessing that a pilot was in the hangar bay was a start.

            “Hmmn, yes one of those long haired types you know.”

            “Lion sir?” That would make it easier.

            “Yes, yes! Just find him and send him to me, then get the last intel report from the bridge.”

            “Aye sir.” Were it not for his aim, Calthrop could have been more than just an army/navy liaison officer, below that wrinkled neck was an incredibly powerful body. He turned smartly and marched away sure about who he was after.

            On the flight deck Duggan was supervising the slow and painful demolition of his favorite TIE fighter.

            “Ummn... sir?” Calthrop had found him, damn, that means the blasted bird would be watching. Better be nice to the liaison.

            “Yes Calthrop.” he purred.

            “The Lieutenant Commander would like a word....” Calthrop stopped, unsure how to address the lion.

            “Flight leader?” Duggen suggested helpfully.

            “Yes Flight leader, he would like to see you, sir. On the gantry sir.” Calthrop saluted quickly.

            Duggan sighed. Returning the salute he said “Go on get whatever else ‘e sent you.”

            As Calthrop strode off through the hubbub Duggan recovered the flight recorder from his favorite TIE.

            Tucking it under his arm he walked off towards the gantry access.

            “You fought at Yavin did you not” Alvarez was studying a notebook he had pulled from his uniform thigh pouch. His back was to the lion almost to make a point of the small scar on the back of his neck.

            “Aye sir.” Duggan was confused, why him, why the questions?

            “Hard fight that.” That was a bland fact. “Your last ship was a TIE/in?”

            “Sir.”

            “Then by supervising the decommissioning of your fighter you have saved me the trouble of finding you.”

            Duggan’s mind raced, ‘What in the universe did he mean by that?’ rather than voice his thoughts he remained silent.

            “Yours was the last TIE/in onboard it was the only way to be sure. The admiral was insistant that your squadron be dispersed. It was one of the oldest squadrons still in service.”

            “Aye sir. It was the best the fleet ever had too.” Breaking protocol Duggan was about to make a stand for his squadron. Alvarez wheeled on him.

            “Who are your loyalties to!? Who would you die for!? What do you know of the ‘Federation’!?” The three questions were virtually barked at him. Duggan reeled, unconsciously taking a step back.

            “Sir?” Duggan asked in confusion.

            “Who are your loyalties to?” said Alvarez, more slowly now, but with far more menace.

            “The Empire! The Navy! My squadron!” The response was instinctive, it had been drilled into him since he was a recruit.

            “Who would you die for?”

            “The Empire! The Navy! My squadron!” Listening carefully to the response the peregrine smirked before replying. “There is no squadron. At least not for you there isn’t.” Alvarez continued smirking it was like playing with prey, made even more enjoyable because there could be no real retribution. Not now. he was sure he had crushed the veteran’s spirit enough but one last twist of the knife couldn’t hurt.

            “You are scum, a traitor. You have no squadron, no position of worth, outcast even from the federation that spawned you!” That would suffice. Go on he willed. Attack me Duggan, if I die then it will be for the Navy.

            “That’s a lie!” Duggan roared. He threw himself at the falcon, baring his teeth and dragging the other to the ground. Pinning Alvarez to the ground he raised his hand, claws unsheathed ready for a killing blow.

            “Stop.” The voice was so commanding that Duggan could not resist. It was so simply stated but it carried with it Imperial authority. Calthrop stood in the doorway, his glasses placed securely on his face a blaster in his hand.

            “You know I won’t miss, not at this range. Put the claws away and be a good kitty.”

            Alvarez picked himself up from the floor and dusted off his uniform. “Remind me to give you a commendation.” he said. Calthrop took a step forward, relieved Duggan of his side-arm and pointed it at Alvarez.

            Continuing with the same cool authority he said “Both of you will be escorting me to the brig. Brawling has never been and never will be tolerated on this ship. As senior officers both of you should be aware of that.”

            “You did what!?” exclaimed the thin, aging fox that was Captain Botham. the silvering muzzle was set in an expression of disbelief. Calthrop remained calm, he was on the bridge, he spent most of his time here, It was his second home though he rarely talked to the Captain.

            “I arrested them both, sir. The regulations were on my side sir.” he replied in answer to Botham’s exclamation.

            “You arrested them both. Why?” Botham was taking this slowly.

            “Reg’s two twenty three, section four, subsections thirtyone to thirty-five sir.” Elaborating on a situation was usually unnecessary if you quoted the reg’s. That was why he knew them, he hated to elaborate.

            “I see. Calthrop...” The captain favored the man with a look that would have withered a score of junior officers and made a few senior officers flinch. If any were looking.

            Calthrop failed to see the significance of the pause and the cataract was back in his left eye. “Sir?”

            “How long have you known the lieutenant commander?” he always pronounced the rank ‘left-tennant commander’ as if it actually ment something these days.

            “Two months, Three weeks and ...” Calthrop paused as he blinked and checked his timepiece “nearly two days, pardon the discrepancy, sir.” Meticulous to a fault thought the fox.

            “Discrepancy forgiven.” Botham fumbled for his monocle, when he had it he affixed it to his left eye.

            “Thank you, sir.” Calthrop snapped to attention only relaxing at a gesture from the captain.

            “In the time you have known Alvarez, has he done anything like this before?”

            “No sir.”

            “I see. Do you have any reason to suspect why this would occur now?” I know why this was done you foolish dog, but you will not need to trouble yourself with it Botham thought.

            “Thank you for bringing this to my attention Calthrop, carry on with your duties and forget this ever happened. Is that perfectly clear?”

            “Aye, sir. Crystal clear.” Calthrop snapped to attention and saluted.

            “Good. Dismissed.” Botham returned the salute, letting the liaison leave.

            Some time later Alvarez had been released. The falcon stalked back to his quarters, he had a post to get to in ten hours time.

            Botham was in the brig. Or, more precisely Duggan was inside the brig, Botham was interviewing him.

            “...so you see, although there are no better pilots in the fleet, there are better craft.” The fox was seated with two stormtroopers flanking him. Between him and Duggan was a strong black table.

            The lion flung his stool backwards as he stood and placed both hands on the table, leaning forwards. The stormtroopers raised their blasters.

            “Why tell me this? Why go through all this unnecessary pain?” The lion had leaned forward his voice a bare whisper.

            “Sit down. You are here because you are a civilian. Civilians have no place on a warship. Ex-flight leader Duggan, you are going to be transferred to the next independent facility. Enjoy your stay here. It will be your last on an Imperial vessel.” Through the speech Botham kept his thin face totally immobile, his voice stern and his eyes unmoving. Before standing to leave he said “Goodbye mister Duggan, sleep well.” There was a hint of affection in his tone as, seconds later, the two stormtroopers fired.

FANFIC LIBRARY

THE HOLOTORIUM

CHARACTER BIOGRAPHIES