Jethro: First to Fight by Chris Hechtl

dared to scratch with those oversized claws of his. He grumbled,
but tried to be on his best behavior. He didn't mind the teasing of the staff,
calling him a teddy bear, anything as long as he wasn't floating in a regen
tank anymore.
    It took him another week and all his
self control to get through the worst of the recovery after his last dunking in
the regen tank. He still had scars, his fur was patchy at best, but they had
rebuilt his damaged eye back to new. Better than new really, he had some new
features in the eye that he hadn't had before. He was curious to know if Gunny
Schultz also had such abilities as well.
    He ran into his two daughters in the gym
while doing mandatory PT rehab.
    “What are you doing here?” Corporal
Anastasia accused him. She was glaring. Fortunately the gym was only sparsely
populated and she'd kept her voice down so he didn't have to call her on her
insubordination just yet he mused.
    His other daughter Private first class
Netia elbowed her sister. “Knock it off,” she growled. “She didn't mean
anything by that sir .”
    They really did look a little alike,
sisters from the same litter of course, Valenko thought. The Corporal was
slightly larger and more aggressive than her sister. She had a black streak on
her spine and a raccoon mask around her eyes. Her sister was lighter, with
almost blond fur.
    “It's all right,” he said softly. He
knew his ex-wife had poisoned the girls against him. He'd seen it often enough
when he had run into them on the station over the years. He'd hoped with time
it would change. He had gone along with it, shielded them from the truth. He'd
hoped they would have grown out of it, torn through the naivety and innocence
of youth and started asking questions, most importantly why . To see with
mature eyes what it had all been about.
    “I'd think you'd be in an officer's club sir ,” Anastasia growled. “More your speed isn't it Sir? ”
    “I have to do PT just like you Corporal.
Well, even more than you since I'm in rehabilitation still,” he answered. He
was annoyed that all the downtime had made him so soft. A week or two off was
all it took to lose muscle tone sometimes.
    “You are?” the Private asked suddenly
concerned. He touched his face and eye.
    “Oh yeah, that's right. Couldn't duck ?”
the Corporal asked acidly.
    “Plasma burn. We didn't know it was
coming until it tore Private Chirby apart. The second shot got my ruck. Corona
got my face and back,” he said as he pumped iron. He listened to the clank of
metal on metal as he moved the weights. Somehow the sound was soothing on his
jangled nerves.
    Both daughters shuddered at that tid bit
of information, and for good reason. Every Marine hated plasma fire if they
were on the receiving end. It was far worse than an old fashioned flame
thrower, facing the heat of a sun contained in a packet of mail no one wanted
to receive. For once wonder of wonders they were on the same page. A fragile
truce existed. He knew it wouldn't last. He finished his last rep and sat up
panting slightly.
    “Look, off the record,” he mimed taking
his officer insignia and putting them down. “From father to daughters. Let it
be.” He spread his hands apart imploringly. “I am not the enemy. I'm not your
mother's enemy. I am most definitely not your enemy. I've loved you
girls and still love you despite the attitude you inherited from your mother. I
still love her very much despite what she has done and what she has said
about me to you and to others.”
    “She? What did she do?” the Private
asked as her sister opened her mouth to hotly protest. She shot her sister a
shut up look.
    “I don't like what she did. I can't change
it. I tried to... hell,” he sighed shaking his head and closed his eyes in all
too familiar pain. After a moment he opened his eyes and met theirs. There was
sadness there, a sadness both of them hadn't expected. “Girls, your mom and I
were in a difficult situation. I tried to get us