CHAPTER 6

Hoshi put both cats in the cage in her cabin in anticipation of Jon's arrival with Porthos. She hoped the animals' formal introduction to each other went well. The captain had reluctantly agreed to allow the cats freedom to roam most parts of the ship on a trial basis. Porthos was to be part of the trial.

Hoshi didn't think her appeal alone had swayed the captain to try this experiment -- Trip had made it a point to tell Jon about what Warp Core had done in Engineering.

Phlox, too, had put in a good word for the cats. He noted that their mental well-being was damaged by day-to-day confinement, not to mention there were morale benefits for the crewmembers who enjoyed pets.

The cats were looking accusingly at her through the bars as she hastily tidied her cabin before the captain's arrival. They were never locked up in the cage when she was home, and their stiff postures clearly indicated disapproval.

"You guys behave," she said. "You pass this test and you pretty much get to have the run of the ship, and I won't have to spend half my time chasing after you."

Warp Core mouthed a silent meow at her as if he understood. Torpedo merely stared at her with feline inscrutability.

The chime sounded and both cats looked toward the door. Hoshi took a deep breath and said, "Here goes."

She opened the door, and Jon entered cautiously with Porthos in his arms. "I thought it would be best if I held him at first," he said.

"Why don't you sit down and hold him," Hoshi said, motioning to the chair at her desk. "Get him down closer to their level. They won't feel so threatened that way."

"All right." Jon moved to sit down with Porthos on his lap.

Porthos, who had seemed happy to see Hoshi, suddenly saw the cats. His hackles rose as a low growl came from his throat, and his whole body went rigid.

"There, there, Porthos," Jon said. "They're just a couple of pussycats. They can't hurt you."

He continued to murmur reassuring words to the small dog. The growling eventually became intermittent, then ceased altogether, but Porthos' body remained tense.

"So far, so good," Hoshi said, sitting down on the floor next to the cage. "Ready for step two?"

"I guess," Jon said. "Go for it."

She slowly leaned over and opened the door to the cage. In keeping with their personalities, Warp Core at once stepped out while Torpedo backed up in the cage as far as he could go.

The softest of growls came from Porthos, who didn't take his gaze from the orange cat. Now that they were in close proximity, Hoshi realized that Warp Core was just as big, if not bigger, than Porthos. Of course, a lot of that was orange fur, but still...

Hoshi pulled the cat onto her lap and began to pet him. Warp Core submitted to the stroking but didn't begin his customary purring. He kept his gaze on the dog only a short leap away.

Torpedo, still in the back of the cage and showing no inclination to leave it, was also keeping a wary eye on the beagle.

This went on for several minutes. Hoshi began to relax, thinking this might actually work. She opened her mouth to tell the captain just that when, without warning, Porthos jumped from Jon's lap to land close to Warp Core.

Warp Core hissed and spit at the ferociously barking dog. The combined cat and dog noises, along with Jon's yelling at Porthos, produced an ear-splitting cacophony that hurt Hoshi's ears.

Warp Core slipped out of her grasp and ran to hide under the bunk. Hoshi was ready to call the whole thing quits when she saw Torpedo launch himself out of the cage to confront the beagle. Puffing up and moving sideways with his back arched, the gray-striped cat approached the barking dog. Just when Hoshi was sure Porthos would take a chunk out of him, Torpedo growled and lashed out with one of his front paws to thwack the dog on his sensitive nose.

Porthos yelped and jumped back to cower at Jon's feet.

In bemusement, Hoshi watched as Torpedo's tail lashed back and forth while he eyed his adversary. As if to say there was more where that came from, Torpedo lifted the paw he had hit Porthos with and began to lick delicately between the splayed clawed toes.

"I don't believe it," Jon muttered.

"I'm not sure I do, either," Hoshi said in amazement.

"Porthos usually won't back down for anything," he said, bending over to pick up the thoroughly cowed dog, whose normally wagging tail was tucked between his legs.

"Oh. I meant Torpedo actually jumping into the fight," Hoshi said. "He's usually so timid. Um...is Porthos OK?"

Jon inspected the end of the beagle's nose. "I don't see any scratches."

"Torpedo must have kept his claws in," Hoshi said, and began to laugh.

"I'm glad you find this whole thing funny," Jon said dryly as he petted Porthos.

"I'm not laughing at what happened," she said. "It's just that the cats are like Trip and Malcolm in feline form." She leaned over to pick up Torpedo. "Warp Core is outgoing and friendly, but tends to get into trouble. That's Trip."

Jon chuckled. "And Torpedo is quiet and cautious, until there's a definite threat. Then you couldn't want a better person...er, cat?...on your side. Just like Malcolm."

Hoshi put Torpedo on the bunk and leaned over to coax Warp Core out from underneath it.

"It's really kind of weird in a way," she said, wiggling her fingers to get the cat's attention. "Warp Core is always hanging around Trip and Engineering when he gets out of my cabin."

"Hasn't Torpedo shown up in the armory a few times?" Jon asked.

"Yes, but not always. And that's what's even weirder. It's almost like he's keeping an eye on everything, like a security officer would. Although he does go to the armory more than any other place."

A pink nose appeared from under the bunk to sniff Hoshi's fingers. The rest of the cat slunk out a moment later, rubbing against her hand. Hoshi picked Warp Core up and held him close.

"And here we all thought Torpedo was the scaredy-cat," she said to Warp Core. "Guess you'll have to take him along next time you go mousing in Engineering."

"Speaking of which," Jon said. "That 'mouse' he found must have gotten aboard when we traded supplies with that freighter a month ago. Phlox suspects it was in one of the crates, and Trip said one of them has marks in it similar to the injector pieces that were damaged."

"Does Doctor Phlox know where it's from originally?"

Jon shook his head and stood. "That's about enough for one day, don't you think?"

"Yes. All things considered, it went pretty well."

Looking down at the dog in his arms, Jon shrugged. "I don't know about that. But I think Porthos has revised his opinion of the cats. He'll probably be a lot more careful around them."

"I hope so. Who would have thought Torpedo would be such a tiger?"

Jon snorted as he headed for the door. "You've got one tiger, and the other is the cowardly lion. You don't happen to have a bear hidden away in your closet, do you?"

"Sir?"

"You know. 'Lions, and tigers, and bears--'"

"'Oh, my!'" she said as he stepped through the doorway.

In the corridor, he stopped to look back at her. "I'm hoping this works out, Hoshi. If the cats cause problems, you'll have to figure out some way to keep them contained."

"I know. I'm sure they won't. Cause problems, I mean."

Hoshi closed the door as he walked away. Looking over at the two cats engaged in a mutual grooming session on the bunk, she said softly, "I hope you two don't make a liar out of me."