Stinging Nerves

It had been two weeks since the RLS Legacy had set off from Montressor Space Port to find the hide away of the Gantarins and patience was wearing thin between certain members of the Crew. Namely a certain Captain Amelia and burly male liger named Yarrow. That was his last name anyhow. His first name was unknown to even Phantom who commanded him.

Yarrow had had his eyes on Amelia ever since she had swaggered on board. her lack of a tail didn't bother him at all. Instead he found it very attractive. Yarrow wasn't bad looking himself though. Thickly set with a mellow voice but a quick temper, he wasn't one to mess with, but then again, neither was Amelia. But today was when everything changed.

It was a hot and sticky evening when Phantom and Jim rushed out of the mess hall, side by side, brought to the surface by a cat like scream.

When they got there, Phantom was greeted with the sight of a roaring Yarrow with Amelia's sharp little fangs buried in his scruff and dragging him down to the floor. In was common knowledge that once grabbed by the scruff, no felid of any sort could defend or attack, their cub or childhood instincts to stay still and go limp where to strong. It was their weakness and how Amelia managed to floor Yarrow. She stood over him, glaring daggers at the floored Liger whose green eyes sparkled with fear and awe and he dragged himself to his feet and stood in front of her, bowing his head like the naught youngster he was not daring to look up at the glaring captain. Even though he was 6ft tall, towering above Amelia, he was now crouched at her feet, avoiding all eye contact as if his life depended on it.

Phantom narrowed her eyes and padded forward towards the two felids. She shuddered at the amount of tension and fury that hung in the air between them, she also avoided eye contact with Amelia, instead glaring down at the shaken Yarrow. Before Phantom could speak, Amelia held up a gloved hand to silence her. the Captains' voice was sharp and cold.

"I'll see you in my stateroom, Phantom. Doctor, Mr. Hawkins. Can you please escort this...neophyte down to the brig and guard him. I will see both of you down there shortly."

Amelias' chest rose and fell as she breathed hard out of her nose, curling her lip as Yarrow was led off by the Doctor and Jim Hawkins. The check of that brute! Really! Just because he was bigger than her...he had horribly underestimated her. Amelias' thoughts turned dark at the last moment and she span on her heel and prowled towards her stateroom. She flicked her ears right back until they where pinned against her skull and brushed a few stray locks back and straightening out her partly ruffled uniform, her expression thunderous. She passed Phantom without looking at her and opened the stateroom door.

Phantom barely had time to duck inside the door before Amelia slammed it shut and locked it. She sighed to herself and was glad her tail had been docked. Surprisingly, she had not been born this way. Doberman's have there tail socked for they were the only breed not to need their tail for balance. Her ears had been cropped because her father had them so and whilst he lived, she had admired him. He died a needless death. Sadness crept over her heart as she remembered the huge Black and Tan dog, more black than tan with teeth like a dinosaurs. His name...DeSoto.

She was snapped back to reality as Amelias' voice sliced through the air.

"I did not hire you so I could be molested at every turn, Phantom. First is a crew of Space Pirate, now it's a feckless team of hormone ridden dolts!"

"If I may interject, Captain.."

"NO, YOU MAY NOT, PHANTOM!" she thundered, slamming her hands down on the desk and sinking her nails in. Phantom winced at the force.

"I hired you and your crew because they had been recommended by the Navy, not because I wanted my behind groped by a 6 foot cretin!" she continued, green eyes flashing.

Phantom swallowed and stepped back. Although Amelia was a good way away from her, wave after eave of her embarrassed fury hit her like a ton of bricks. She could see the captain was breathing heavily, a sure sign her fury would not die down too easily. Phantom signed and pulled her ears back, twiddling the thinned tips in her fingers and pacing forward again, her thick claws making almost the same sound Amelia's boots did, but with a heavier, thicker, more natural note as her paw pads thudded down and the decked flooring.

Credit to the Captain, she had managed to floor Yarrow before any real harm could have been done. The excuse:

"He's young." was not enough on this occasion. Yarrow had assaulted a senior member of staff in a way that Phantom did not want to bring to her mind. Amelia was a tempting morsel of feminine body and...

The Doberman bitch shook her head attempting to clear it once more before placing her hands on Amelias' desk and facing her.

She was on the opposite side, way out of striking range. She signed once before speaking and laying her ears down somewhat.

"Ahem. Yes, I apologise for that Captain. And I cannot apologise enough." she added catching Amelias famous death glare.

"I'm not even gonna try and excuse Yarrows' behaviour. All I can ask of you is that you don't judge the rest of us based on the immaturity of one member."

Phantom had gradually been aware of Amelia moving towards her, but since her eyes and skull had been averted for her own safety, the effect of finding Amelia inches away from her face was one of shock and confusion and a little bit of apprehension.

Amelias' eyes bored straight into Phantoms, her teeth where bared as she spoke.

"You can understand if I cast your request aside and judge the rest of your incompetent crew on the basis of one, can't you?" she growled harshly.

Phantom could only nod, paralyzed by her gaze. Although a good 2 or 3 inches above her, Phantom felt small under her gaze.

Amelia moved closer and Phantom could feel her breath grace her lips.

"Listen to me and listen to me good, Phantom of Bel-Air. Another slip up like this..." she unsheathed her claws. "And it will be you who pays for it. Now...get out."

"yes Ma'am." Phantom almost squeaked and sidestepped Amelis' anger and trotted briskly out of the stateroom, shutting the door quickly behind her.

Amelia sighed and hung her head as she listened to Phantom bound away over the decks of the Legacy. Disappointment welled up in her heart. That promotion would have to wait.