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From: "Stasya T. Canine" <stasyatk9SPAMUNDESIRED@juno.com>
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Subject: {ASSM} (new) BioMates - Station Twenty - Caught In the Crossfire (2/?) M-Wolfess Wolf-F zoo military-scifi nosex
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Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2005 21:10:04 -0500
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zoo military-scifi nosex

Bio-Mates
Planned Parenthood - part two
"Caught in the Crossfire"
by: Stasya T. Canine

---

Grrfeth looked us over and snorted softly.  "What a bunch.  You stink,
too.  Humans."  He and Lia were standing in the open doorway. "Scanners
tell us this area is clear.  If nobody has anyplace else they need to be,
let's do the initial debrief here."

I was about to chuckle when the incongruity of holding the initial
debriefing in the fire zone sank in.  "Back up.  'Feth, I know you like to
get your news asap but this isn't your usual ess-oh-p."

"The ambush isn't a Partner related affair unless Lieutenant Myers wants
us involved.  Otherwise, all I need is an after action report."

Silence.

Stella found her voice first.  "Are you saying what I think you're
saying?"

Lia nodded her head slowly.  "Somebody wanted 'Myer's Misfits' dead.
Sophia and Ted got caught in the crossfire.  It could have been any
security team that was planning a live drill."

"Lia."  She turned to face me.  "I'm not tracking.  It was *us* they were
shooting at."

She shrugged slightly.  "Tacmind it.  Every safety chamber was sabotaged. 
Why do that if you were the intended targets?"

My response was automatic and identical to Sophia's.  "No witnesses."

'Feth snorted.  "As high profile as you two have been?  Anybody who
manages to take both of you out under combat conditions is going to *want*
witnesses.  If one of our better teams can be killed, the types we usually
go after are going to want us to be as nervous as possible."

"On the other paw..."  He turned his head and studied Stella until she
flinched, blushed and then stiffened as he slowly bared his teeth at her
in what looked like a snarl but what was really one of his pleased grins. 
"Former Captain Myers--and her crew--have a knack for putting paid to
operations run by people who aren't used to taking, shall we say, a long
term view of revenge."

I whispered over our private com to Sophia.  "Did you know who they were?"

Her voice was equally quiet.  "Not until I took the sniff to check them
out.  I knew she and her team had been demoted.  That demotion never
should have happened if their reports told the truth.  What are they doing
on station twenty instead of one of the 'no problem' ones, such as station
fifteen?"

"... So, somehow, you folks *happen* wind up pulling duty on the station
that hates Bio-Partner teams with a passion, just *happen* to get involved
in a drill that just *happens* to involve a planned loss of air, PLUS the
security team doing the drill *happens* to be one of my better teams." 
'Feth had kept on speaking even though I knew he was probably monitoring
our discussion.  He finally wound down and glanced at his mate.  "Lia?  Do
we really want to hear this story?"

Her eyes closed briefly before she sighed and reopened them.  " 'Feth,
this one *has* to be better than the explanation your *best* team cooked
up to explain station nine."

Sophia and I glanced at each other and started edging out of the line of
fire.  Some of Stella's people started to join us but she caught the
movement and motioned for them to stay put.  Lia finally chuckled ruefully
and gestured at Sophia and me.  "Maybe those two can learn something by
sticking around."

Caught, we shrugged and stayed.  I tried to get in yet another reason for
our long ago decision.   "It seemed like a good idea at the time.
Remember, as head of recruiting, Sophia has final say in the techniques we
use."  I figured an appeal to authority couldn't make things any worse.

Lia chuckled at my discomfort.  "Only a fool would believe someone could
plant a collection of cameras in a Bio-Partners Security team's living
area and have them remain undetected long enough so enough data to make a
two hour video of the team's private lives could be recovered."  Several
of Stella's people groaned and Lia grinned at them.  "I've met a lot of
fools since that tape was made."

Sophia snorted loudly.  "Speaking of fools, maybe it's time 'Feth and I
discussed my readiness to replace him."

"No!  Tell me you aren't serious."  My dismayed shout was jerked out of me
before I could think of anything else to say.  Lia and 'Feth grunted in
surprise and spun around to face Sophia.

Sophia laughed at us.  "Got your attention, didn't I?  The original topic
was 'How the hell did Myer's Misfits stumble into nearly getting
themselves killed--this time?'"

Several of the named team sighed loudly.  The three of us came out of our
paralysis and turned to Stella.

Stella grimaced when she realized she'd have to tell us what happened. 
"Actually, we talked it over and decided that duty on station sixteen
didn't require our full time presence.  Somehow assignments saw it the
same way and let us all use our accumulated leave at the same time."  She
glanced at one of her people.  "Mark? When is our leave up?"

He thought about it briefly.  "If that clock is right, call it 783 days,
17 hours, 46 minutes and 13.7 seconds.  Approximately, of course.  I'd
have to check our main combat chrono to give you an exact figure, Ma'am."

She turned back to us and shrugged.  "So, we were taking it easy when the
call for volunteers to work with a Bio team went out.  We recruited up our
missing strength and volunteered as a unit.  I guess our arguments that a
team who had worked together before would reduce the risk, worked too
well."

Her eyes turned cold.  "Commander Grrfeth?  Now that we know the new team
members are alive, we wouldn't mind a chance to talk to them."

Before 'Feth could answer, I spoke up with a mild comment:  "I wasn't
aware that there was enough left of station sixteen--that it needed
guarding."

"Somebody, and I can't tell you who, because I don't know who it was,
thought otherwise."   She shaded her eyes as she briefly studied the wall
over our heads.  When she looked back, she had an embarrassed smile pasted
across her face.  "I can't say more unless...  Need to know?"

Lia spoke up:  "I suppose we could take the time to go through Tango
Delta--if that would make you feel better, Captain."

She blinked and then mumbled to herself.  "I *thought* things were too
simple.  If you know about Tango Delta, and the fact I wasn't demoted, I'm
willing to let *you* take the fall if I screw this one up.  I'd prefer
that Tango Delta doesn't hear about this incident until I can get things
sorted out a bit.  We weren't supposed to be this visible."

Lia's voice was dry.  "I appreciate your faith in my credentials.
Continue, please."

"Yes, Ma'am.  We've been making the combat grade sweeps of the orbital
area for over a year.  We've also been quietly seeing who else tried to do
the same thing.  My missing team members are guarding what we found a few
weeks ago.  Our *real* orders were, as you probably know, 'If you find
anything unusual, don't touch it, guard it with your best and take your
accumulated leave time on station twenty.  Just make sure you don't lose
track of what you found.  Someone you already know will make pickup."  She
sighed deeply and I detected some resentment.  "Let's just say that 'Tango
Delta' has always impressed me as the sort of commander who can get really
unpleasant if someone screws up after receiving their orders. 'I'm just
following orders'.  For what it's worth, what we found was definitely
unusual, considering what happened to sixteen."

Lia chuckled.  "Relax.  I feel the same way about him, even though I've
only had to talk to him over the com."

I was shaking as I forced words past lips suddenly unwilling to move. 
"Bodies.  At least two of them, apparently uninjured.  A Partners team, or
teams, in unfamiliar combat gear."

Stella looked at me and there was a question, combined with respect,
behind that look.  "Captain Larson, I'll repeat it:  'For a station grunt,
you seem to know a lot more than you should'."

"It's a small community of professionals up here.  We have to know as much
as we can about our friends and foes.  When a geostation blows up, killing
everyone, you can bet Sophia and I would take a personal interest in the
event.  We lost some close friends."  I sighed.  "Truth is, we lost a
couple of Bio-Partner research teams.  That's rare enough that we started
wondering how someone could get past us."

I turned to study Grrfeth.  We held a silent conversation and decided to
break our long silence.  This was something only he and I had known about,
even as a remote possibility.

We hadn't tried to keep the search itself secret.  Stella's team had been
operating under very specific orders while other teams had been assigned
to do followup work with anything they found that wasn't 'unusual'.

I muttered 'nothing lasts forever', then removed my helmet.  I bent down,
removed Grrfeth's helmet, set it aside and applied some basic makeup to
both of our faces before I stood up and faced Stella again. "Recognize
us?"

She studied us for a long time.  "Something isn't right."

'Feth fed me some words and then gave me a timing signal as he started
speaking while I only mouthed the words.  "Is this better? We use Ted's
face and my voice with some computerized changes to both."

She frowned and finally shrugged eloquently.  "Quite an act."

Sophia and Lia were studying us carefully.  Sophia's question had an angry
edge to it.  "Ted.  Why?"

It was my turn to shrug.  "'Feth didn't give me a choice in the matter."

She glared at me before nodding slowly.  "We'll finish this
discussion--later."

I winced, then decided to try and divert her attention.  "It's 'Feth's
story."

Her lips peeled back in a vicious snarl as she shifted to confront him. 
"Well?  Brother?"

He and Lia were involved in a silent confrontation.  Lia's angry scowl was
being met with a calm stare.  When he settled on his haunches she sighed
and motioned for him to say whatever he was going to say.  I had the
distinct impression she was saving her comments for later, when they were
alone.   He studied her a bit longer, sighed and to my surprise,
apologized to her.  "Love, I'm sorry.  It had to be that way.  We have a
leak and I decided that Ted was the best one to know what was going on. 
'Tango Delta' was a creation he and I had discussed as a theoretical way
to work around the prejudice we've been running into.  After what happened
on sixteen, I needed a low profile way to run the search and make sure
nobody found and recovered any of our people or equipment.  The fact that
you and Sophia like to get rid of us so you can have those 'girl talks'
made it easy to hide what he and I were really doing when we were supposed
to be 'male-bonding'."

He grinned at Lia until she blushed, then confronted his sister. "Do you
have a problem with your commanding officer's decisions, *Colonel* Larson?
 Ted was the *only* person with a need to know. First: 'Tango Delta' was
his idea.  Second: His primary specialty is communications.  Third: We
have a leak somewhere in the upper command structure.  Fourth:  You and
Lia are two of the worst liars to ever get promoted past Lieutenant."  He
grinned as she finally flinched. He switched to wolf:  "Tacmind it,
sister.  If you held command, which of us is most qualified to perform the
duties?  Which of us would you have used if *you* had to make the same
decisions?"

She settled on her haunches to think about it.  After several minutes of
silence her ears flattened against her head in a manner that showed her
frustrated resignation.  She answered him reluctantly, in wolf.  "Liandra.
 Brother, that's not a choice, it's the only solution that has a chance of
working."

I stiffened in surprise, Lia flinched in her own version of shock--and
Grrfeth merely smiled and spoke one word before he turned to face Captain
Myers.  "Exactly."

Grrfeth shifted his expression to one of intense concentration before he
started questioning Captain Myers.  "Captain?  You didn't do anything to
the bodies except keep track of them?  Nothing?  No contact with them at
all?  It's critical that you followed my orders, exactly."

She looked thoughtful as she thought back.  Before she answered she looked
at her team members.  Each shook their head in negation.  She nodded and
looked at Grrfeth again.  "No, Sir.  All we did was plot their location
and make excuses about the need to have the area clear so we could
'examine it in detail due to the nature of the debris field'.  The team I
left behind is keeping station next to the bodies--with orders to avoid
any sort of contact.  Once I had a chance to think about my orders, it was
obvious that we might find them. Considering the fact a nuke was used,
intact and apparently unharmed bodies qualify as 'an unusual find'."

He had the grace to chuckle ruefully.  "Yes.  Well, Ted and I never really
expected you to find intact bodies.  Intact suit parts, yes." He took a
deep breath.

"You aren't going to like this.  You are now members of Bio-Partners
Security, backdated to the date of your original orders.  You and your
team are also assigned as a special investigation unit, answerable only to
myself, Ted, Lia, Sophia and Tango Delta--in that order.  That is also
subject to the same stipulations."  He stopped and studied them before he
turned to me.  "Ted?  You're involved with R&D more than we are."

I sighed.  "Point.  Everyone listen up.  If we ever discover one of you
leaked what I'm going to tell you, we'll turn you inside out with no
hesitation so we can find out who it was and who it was to."

I took the uncomfortable silence as an admission they understood the need
for secrecy.

"I'll keep it simple, for now.  When we get on the shuttle, I'll go into
more details.  The suits Lia and Grrfeth are wearing aren't prototypes. 
They're production models.  The prototypes were being tested on station
sixteen when it got blown up.  Everyone has been encouraged to believe
they were destroyed and there was no chance of any other possibility. 
However, there *was* the possibility that the teams had enough warning to
go on combat alert before things went wrong.  *If* they also had the time,
or the need, to use the full shielding capabilities, they theoretically
could have been standing next to the nuke, and been unharmed."

Now, I looked at Lia and smiled grimly.  "Now, you know the reason for the
*other* new item in those suits.  With that kind of power available, R&D
was finally able to move ahead on the hibernation system.  There was a
functional prototype of that system in each of those suits.  Our people
didn't know about it since it was deliberately designed to be
automatically activated *only* under certain conditions.  One of those
'conditions' was the enabling of full power to the shields, followed by a
flash of light and radiation whose profile matched that of typical nuclear
explosions."

I leaned against the wall.  "We knew the activation sequence would work. 
None of us *ever* expected it to be used.  If the rest of it worked, those
two 'bodies' are actually in hibernation, and if we are careful, we can
bring them out of it."

Captain Meyers, I'd appreciate it if you and your team went back on
station after we do the pickup.  There's a small chance the other team is
out there somewhere."

She snapped a salute.  "Of course we'll do it.  Do we have a time limit?"

Her practical question was one I was glad to answer.  "Effectively, no. 
Since one team appears to have survived over a year with no obvious signs
of damage, the system would have long since gone to the program for long
term survival.  Theoretically, since the suits are almost a completely
self contained system capable of extensive recycling, they have 20-30
years before they run the risk of death from starvation.  It depends on
when they ate their last meal and if the suit supplies were topped off. 
Even combat sweeps will completely search an area larger than they could
have drifted to in that time.  Since you found one team, we have a minimum
radius.  Now we can do some calculations and get a rough idea of the
maximum distance the other team could have traveled in this amount of
time. Now that you know what you're looking for, you don't have to examine
every piece of debris, only the ones that might be bodies wearing those
suits."

One of her techs spoke up.  "Begging your pardon but those suits don't
show up on anything except our best combat search systems.  The way I
figure it, we were lucky."

I nodded and then smiled slightly.  "And you didn't see if you could
overcome that problem once you knew about it?"

He hesitated.  "I didn't say that.  Actually, it was quite a challenge
until we started working our way through some of the techniques used in
astronomy."

That got my attention.  "Oh?  You found something?"

Now he grinned.  "Yes, Sir.  Gravitational lensing.  It took all of our
computing power in parallel but once I had things sorted out, and you'll
have to see it to believe it, those suits stand out like a supernova--even
though all but the most sophisticated search gear says the area is empty. 
Give me a chance to reprogram your shuttle and the search should take
days, not years."  My face must have shown some of my shock in spite of my
effort to hide it, because he added in a much softer tone: "I'm sorry,
Sir. Those suits have the best stealth systems I've ever seen.  Now that I
know a bit about the technology involved, I'm willing to bet they are
using so much power the energy concentration creates the lensing effect I
spotted.  Maybe it only happens under extreme conditions."

Grrfeth and I looked at each other and I wondered if my face had the same
shocked look his had.

* * *

Stella's senior tech was just about done reprogramming our computers. 
"You know, with all the energy those suits use I'm kinda wondering how
your R&D folks missed the calculations for the lensing effect."

I flinched and tried to hide my shock at the tone of the man's voice.  It
was then that I realized his eyes weren't looking at the radar console. 
Instead of commenting I got Sophia's attention.  "You know, Sophia, this
whole weird situation reminds me of our final exam.   We almost got
ourselves killed because we missed the obvious.  Wish this tech had been
there to help us out."

Sophia launched herself at the tech and he screamed when her jaws closed
around his throat and she knocked him away from the programming console. 
In the meantime I'd clawed my laser out and snap fired, killing the main
security lasers.  By the time I'd done that Sophia was straddling the
stunned tech and using her personal laser to kill all the other defenses.

Stella and her people had made the best decision possible and frozen in
place.  When I looked closer I realized they hadn't been given a choice. 
'Feth and Lia were on opposite sides of the room and both were obviously
attack ready.

Sophia looked down and snarled at the weakly struggling tech.  "Give me an
excuse."  He froze.  She stared at him.  "Good choice."

'Feth never took his eyes off of Stella and her crew.  "Ted?   Do you know
how many ways these people have been checked and been declared clean?"

"Yeah.  But there's one stress check they haven't been put through."

At that he looked at me.  "As I recall you and I were both monitoring the
review.  We used every test we had."

I sighed.  "I know.  But we never did the obvious one.  Tango Delta
*can't* use it."

"Oh?"

"You--and your nose.  I bet that guy reeks of the same stink you got from
Mr. Delagado."

He was so surprised he sat on his haunches.  "I'll be damned."  He stood
and narrowed his eyes as he studied the situation.  "The special
programming that took effect during your final exam.  We never did find
out who it was.  How the hell did you spot him?"

I sighed again.  "His eyes.  He wasn't looking at the radar console.  He
was looking at the security controls.  Pull the security tapes."

Instead of answering me he stalked over and lowered his head until his
nose was almost touching the tech's nose.  He inhaled through his nose and
snorted the air back at the tech.  "I don't need the tapes.  Lia?  You and
Ted watch this thing.  Sophia and I have some old business to finish and
we don't need you two in our way."

Lia and I took our prisoner off to the side.  She looked at me and shook
her head.  "What's this 'old business' he's talking about?  I've never
seen him so angry."

"Not now."   I raised my voice.  "Sophie.  The training software had been
programmed to kill you if it was ever set to combat suit testing and your
name was listed.  Delagado was the finger man who activated the
subroutines.  We never found the others responsible.  Need to know."

She turned to face me.  Her face was a mask but her ears twitched a
private signal.  "Briefing understood."

'Feth switched to wolvish battle tongue.  "Sister.  Tacmind.  Mastermind
present at kill?  Confirm or deny."

She moved to flank him.  "High probability.  Interrogate suspects."

I shivered.  There'd been the threat of death hidden in her simple
assessment.  Lia must have heard it too because she lifted her head so she
could glare at Stella and her people.

'Feth walked over and looked up at Stella.  "Your senior tech just tried
to kill my sister.  I'm not pleased with the situation.  Any suggestions
or comments, Captain?"

She stiffened to attention.  "He's my man.  My responsibility.  I want
him.  I don't enjoy being betrayed."

I barely heard 'Feth's next question.  "Sister?"

"Fear.  Anger.  Truth."

"Agreed.  Sorry, Major Myers.  Combat law.  He belongs to us, now.  Join
Lia and Ted."

Stella joined us and turned back to watch the rest of the room.  She
reached for her laser and Lia touched her arm.  "Put that away.  The four
of us can handle this, unarmed.  You don't have the skills to mix it up
when two very angry and kill-ready wolves are after their prey."

She nodded.  "Those are my people.  I hope they're all innocent."

Lia's reply was gentle.  "So do we."

Stella never took her eyes off of her people.  "What's 'combat law'?"

I looked at our secured prisoner and then at Lia.  "This is my first time.
 You'd better tell her."

Lia sighed.  "Combat law is a special code for a rare situation.  You've
just seen a temporary but significant shift in our command structure. 
Normally 'Feth and I are the alpha command team and Sophia and Ted form
the beta team.  If any one of us decides that a situation threatens the
entire biopartners operation we can invoke 'combat law'.  'Feth and Sophia
team to become the alpha pair and Ted and I team to  form the beta pair. 
It also frees them from having to worry about us during combat.  There's
one more thing.  I mentioned that  Ted and Sophia are the best team in
security.  That's not quite true."  She gestured at 'Feth and Sophia. 
"When those two are teamed...  They're at least twice as effective as when
either one of them is teamed with us."

She sighed.  "Major Myers, your new orders are simple.  'Kill this man if
any of your people tries to start something.'  Ted?  You and I need to
provide backup.  You take the door, I'll disarm the people so 'Feth and
Sophia can get this over with."

I moved to the door and Lia moved to stand next to 'Feth.  "I'm going to
gather all your weapons.  Don't move and don't try to help me, or oppose
me.  If I miss a holdout, tell me and I'll take it.  If one of you is the
person we're looking for, this is your last chance to give up."

She waited.  Nobody moved or spoke.  Lia quietly collected everything and
stood guard over her 'loot'.   "'Feth?  All yours."

He nodded.  "Sister.  One of these people does more than fear."

"Agreed."

"Now!"

The two of them lunged in different directions and rapidly wove a complex
pattern that let them make brief contact with each person.  When it was
over they froze on opposite sides of the room and stared at the group.

They switched to battle language again.  "Sister.  One only, female."

"She hates, brother.  I claim her as mine."

'Feth went in low this time and used his body and momentum to knock people
aside.  When he was done a woman was standing alone in the center of the
room with him facing her.  He settled on his haunches and snarled at her
when she started to move.

She froze and began to tremble, then glared at him.  "Animal, you and all
of your kind are abominations.  The people who help you have denied their
human heritage to become less than human.  Death is all you deserve for
pretending to be the equals of true humans."

"You do not deny that you've spent years trying to kill my sister?"

"No.  My only regret is that I have failed, this time."

'Feth was silent as he studied her.  His eyes never left her when he
spoke.  "Major Myers.   Assemble your team and take the prisoner to the
detention area."

I moved away from the door and let them go.  After the door closed behind
the last of them 'Feth spoke quietly.  "There will be no 'next time'. 
Before you die I will give you the gift of knowledge, a knowledge known
only by a few."

"You can't kill me!  I have rights!"

"Ted?"

I chuckled.  "You became a Biopartner, voluntarily.  We are a recognized
international security force with our own laws.  Like it or not, you're
looking at the four people who would be asked to review your case and make
the final decision.  We have plenty of documentation of your attacks.  All
we need to close the case is your admission of guilt.  I ask you again,
formally and under oath:  Have you spent years attempting to kill the
Biostruct known as Sophia?"

"This is a mockery of justice.  You can't kill me for trying to kill an
animal."

I sighed.  "Answer my question."

"Yes, damn you.  By killing her I would have removed one of the breeders
so they couldn't propagate their kind.  All of the Biostructs should be
killed, along with the humans who help them."

Grrfeth smiled.  "Before you die, I will give you the gift of knowledge: 
None of the Biostructs are animals."

"You lie!  You attempt to hide behind your lie so none will know the
truth!"

He settled on his haunches and grinned.  "Wrong.  A diligent search would
have told you the truth.  The breakthrough came when Liaya Stevens
realized that success would be reachable only if humans were given animal
bodies.  The sealed records of the Ponygirls' court case--that gained us
recognition as full humans--contains more proof of what I say."  He stood
and his grin became a snarl.  "And if you and your followers had done a
simple DNA analysis...

"Our true genome would have been obvious."  He carefully moved backwards
until he touched one of the walls.  The woman was shaking and moaning
while she came to terms with his news.

He settled on his haunches again.  "Yours, hunt mistress."

Sophia lunged.  Her target never had a chance.  The woman fell to the
floor, her throat ripped with surgical precision.  Sophia settled on her
haunches and spat to clear her mouth.  Then she looked at me.  "She
smelled like an Alpha Bitch--in heat."

I couldn't stop my relieved laughter.  She'd just used our private term
for women who controlled men by sexual means--to tell me the woman she'd
killed was the mastermind who had  spent years trying to kill us.

---

Stasya T. Canine
March 24, 2005

-- 
Pursuant to the Berne Convention, this work is copyright with all rights
reserved by its author unless explicitly indicated.
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