Gall Force Fan Fiction ❯ Another Journey, Another Story ❯ Chapter 8

Gall Force: Another Journey, Another Story

Part Eight

Catty rose from her communications station, looking towards where the captain sat. With a simple formality she said, "May I leave the bridge? My shift is over."

Captain Gail nodded. "Of course," the redhead said, "Please keep you personal communicator in case you're needed for one of the emergency teams."

"Thank you ma'am," Catty said. With that the purple haired woman left the bridge quietly, disappearing into the lift.

Gail watched her go before turning to her second in command and quietly asking, "Any rumors about her, maybe?"

Commander Allaine pitched her voice low as the dark brown haired woman said, "She's more unusual in what's not happening. No relationships, not even rumors."

Gail shook her head slightly as she turned back to the front viewscreen, "I still can't get a feel for that woman."

"Me, too," Allaine agreed with a sigh. She tilted her head to look at Gail, "Is something bothering you about her?"

"Yes," Gail sighed, "I just wish I knew what."

Completely unconcerned that the others might be talking about her Catty descended in the lift, exiting into the engineering section. She made her way down the hallway, occasionally giving casual nods to any passing crew members. She made her way to a unmarked door, using a keycard to open the door and go inside.

The computer center within was lined with monitors, a single station set up to allow a user interface. Catty strode over, sitting down there before her fingers flew over the keyboard, accessing data from around the entire Lady Grace. Faces flashed in the screens, the bridge crew, engineering staff, fighter pilots and other members of the crew.

Catty paused, then began to type more slowly. She called up an encrypted storage archive hidden within the mainframe, creating a document there, then began to type out her report...

Catty, Unit designate #0123, currently stationed aboard the light cruiser Lady Grace. Current location is unknown as we are transiting through hyperspace towards the boarder of Solenoid and Paranoid space and beyond. Mission status: ongoing.

This unit was first assigned to the Lady Grace several months ago as part of the covert plan of the Paranoid/Solenoid leadership to attempt fusion of our dissimilar races. Few opportunities have arisen to facilitate any fusion attempts, and those that have arisen were thwarted through the quick actions of the ship's Captain Gail.

Any Paranoid assaults against the Lady Grace have largely failed due to the ship's command maintaining strict order. The fighter crews have been remarkably successful against their Paranoid counterparts, with the ship providing much needed support. Oddly, the captain has gone against good tactical reasoning in preserving her fighter crews, endangering the vessel itself to do so.

Ship to ship combat has been surprisingly inconclusive between the Lady Grace and other vessels of her size. The incident that slew the previous captain was arguably a command error, but the surviving crew rallied around Gail to preserve the ship. Gail herself commands a fierce loyalty from her crew even with the recent crew losses, along with her second Allaine.

Allaine herself is something of an enigma. Promoted at the same time as Gail was she had formerly been an engineer, but has adapted to command well. She handles the day to day problems of a ship of the line well, in addition to showing no traces of personal ambition herself. The crew itself holds her in awe, referring to her privately as the Iron Lady.

The ship's chief engineer, Lieutenant-Commander Karin is almost the typical scientist. The black haired woman is almost entirely preoccupied with the vessel's engineering concerns, working to maintain the now understaffed vessel at peak efficiency. She knows this vessel to a frightening degree, almost stumbling upon this data center several times.

There are few sources of dissension within the bridge staff, only the occasional conflicts between tactical priorities. Lieutenant Danielle, the ship's tactical officer, is a cool and capable young woman who has developed a reputation for ruthlessness that is very well deserved. The black haired young woman made an enemy of Major Tanya, the commanding officer of the fighter wings, when Danielle advocated abandoning them to save the vessel. It is also possible that she resents the Captain for overriding her in this matter.

The other potential point of conflict is the new chief medical officer, Lieutenant-Commander Meris. The tall blonde officer has performed her duties admirably on board this vessel, but her past record is spotty at best. Bounced from ship to ship for poor fitness reports she was finally caught on her last ship stealing medical supplies to feed her addiction. While other officers have not stated their reservations publicly, it is clear they have them.

My mission has become somewhat problematical with the new course that our captain has set. Using historical archives that I was ordered to help recover as a guide she seeks to find lost Solenoid colonies out beyond Paranoid space. But to do this, we will need to run right through the Paranoid territories, with the quantity of vessels and military forces awaiting us unknown.

The effects of discovering those colonies could shift the entire war, entirely change the balance of power. Reinforcing the Solenoid forces could allow us to implement the final solution to the Paranoid threat, reinvigorating our race. The difficulty becomes in predicting the reaction of these lost people to being drawn into our war.

In light of this situation I am abandoning the fusion protocols for the time being, and intend to assist the ship and crew in achieving their goals. I will maintain my cover as a standard crew member, and will attempt to blend into the crew with my standard efficiency. Emergency communication methods will be used if we are successful.

... Catty leaned back in her seat for a moment, studying the report that she had typed. She saved the document to the secure archive, then began to shut all the systems in the computer room down, carefully hiding it from the rest of the ship in the process.

Once Catty was satisfied that her work was done she checked the hallway for motion. Patiently she waited until an officer had strode by, considering what she needed to do next. When the coast was clear Catty walked out, sealing the room shut behind her.

The trip back to her quarters was as quick and efficient as she could manage, Catty politely dealing with the few acquaintances that she knew. She shed her uniform as soon as she got in, stepping into the personal shower. She really didn't need to use it, but it was the custom to do so after work. Catty stepped out and toweled herself dry, then changed into a clean uniform.

The halls were quiet, only the occasional crew member passing by as Catty walked to the mess hall. She ordered her usual meal from the dispenser, collecting the tray and then turning to look over the dining tables, taking in the few crew members there.

"Hey," Davies gave her a wave, the sandy haired engineer smiling slightly.

Catty made her way over, sliding in to the empty space across from the young woman. "Thank you," she said simply, laying out her food simply.

"Any good gossip from the bridge?" Davies asked curiously.

Catty remembered to smile slightly as she said with some dignity, "I don't gossip."

Davies snorted with amusement, "Yeah, right. One of these days I'll get you to tell me all your secrets, you know."

Catty raised an eyebrow, "Not likely."

Davies dug into her food with vigor, enjoying it while Catty worked through hers methodically. "Don't you ever get bored eating the same thing?" Davies asked.

Catty looked down at her plate thoughtfully, "It's nutritionally balanced, containing the proper amounts of several dietary requirements..."

"But do you like it?" Davies asked.

"Well..." Catty blinked, not sure how to answer that.

"Here," Davies offered her a fork full of gravy covered mashed potatoes, "try it."

Catty leaned forward, taking a bite. She chewed thoughtfully, then swallowed, the taste lingering in her mouth. "That is... good," she admitted finally.

"Try some variety," Davies smiled, "who knows, maybe you'll like it."

Catty felt a moments confusion at the other woman's tone, but she still smiled back slightly. "Maybe I will," she offered.

To be continued...

Author's Notes: Catty was a character in the original Gall Force anime series, and was revealed to be an android. In the series several Catty androids were revealed to exist, so I didn't think I was pushing my luck in using her. The Fusion project was an attempt to combine Paranoid and Solenoid DNA that eventually created humanity.