TIFFANY AND THE RANGER

I first met Tiffany a couple of summers ago. She was staying with her aunt Pattie and Uncle Phil for the summer. Her dad, a single father, is particularly busy during the summer months working construction. My heart went out to the little one and one day I sent her a joke. Her response so touched my heart, "A real writer had written to her!", that I incorporated her into a story idea I had been toying with. She was all excited and blushing as she read the story to Phil and Pattie. Hope you also enjoy it.         -Bob Blacketer-

I had put into Stanos Three for servicing of my ship and had decided to just enjoy a few days of relaxation, although a Ranger is never off duty. Strolling around Jubal Port, in my plain shipsuit with the Ranger's patch, not to mention the holstered needler, was enough to keep it in everyone's mind that the Ranger's were around.

I don't know where she came from, but one day I found this young lady following me around and staring wide eyed whenever I would stop. She must have been all of eight with the cutest wispy blonde hair you ever saw, although it was a bit hard to tell under the dirt. Her clothes were ragged and dirty, and my heart went out to her. Ranger's are sworn to fight injustice in whatever form and although it is impossible to fix everything, this was one case I was going to check into a little deeper.

Catching her looking at me I said, "Hi there!" She just stood there, and although it seemed impossible, her eyes got even wider. "It's okay," I chuckled. "I don't bite; besides, I've had my shots."

"Are you really a Ranger?" she blurted suddenly.

"Yup!" I answered. "Russ Jennings, Star Ranger at your service mam!"

"Well then where's your blast pistols and jetpack?" she asked with a frown. I knew that here must be another fan of Bull Armstrong, Star Ranger. While I didn't know for sure, I thought that those at Headquarters had much to do with such drivel. It made a good device for diverting public attention from the truth of what we really were.

"I didn't think I would need them today!" I answered solemnly.

That seem to open the floodgates and she began to chatter like a Bronskian Torano, talking my ear off and sticking to me like glue. Among other things, she told me her name was Tiffany, she loved horses and she once had a dog named Blue, her best friend was Bonnie, but she hadn't been around for a while. She liked ghost stories, camping out and cooking over a fire. I loved every moment of her chatter, but I think she was hoping to hang around long enough to see me start doing Ranger stuff at any time.

I slowly drew her out and confirmed my hunch that she was one of those unfortunate street children, that somehow get left to their own devices to survive however they may. I determined to set this injustice aright before I left Stanos.

I stopped by a little outdoor cafe run by a Lupine, I eat at their establishments every chance I get, and invited her to join me. Her chatter never slowed, but I don't know when I have seen such a little girl put away so much food! I teased her about having a hollow leg and she got upset, so I had to apologize and say of course I knew she was a growing girl and being active as she was that of course she had to stoke her engines.

It was so pleasant and relaxing, so like being back home with my little sister in tow, that I put off contacting the authorities. Soon I found myself strolling around Jubal Port, her little hand in mine, as she pointed out all the sites to me.

First thing you know, the little sweetheart had talked me into a tour of the ship, of all things. She didn't know that a Ranger's ship was his Sanctum Sanctorum, and that no one just invited themselves aboard.

I cautioned the AI and showed her how I put my palm on the lock to let the ship know that it was really me. Well, it wasn't actually a lie as it was there for emergencies, but I couldn't tell her I was in full contact with the AI all the time.

I even found myself showing her the manual controls and how one accessed the voice interface with the AI. She said hello and it dutifully said, "Hello Tifff an ny!" She had no idea what it really was, but seemed thrilled that she was aboard a real Ranger's ship.

She would have gladly stayed there forever but all good things must come to an end. I had put off correcting this situation long enough, but sometimes a Ranger's life is a lonely one, and she had given me a precious gift of her company that I would treasure for all my days.

I was in a rather melancholy mood as we left the ship, feeling a little sorry for poor Russ I guess. Perhaps that is why I grew so careless, or perhaps I should say acted so irresponsibly. Lost in thought as I was I never paid much attention to the route we were taking, nor to the approaching darkness. I was so far gone in reverie that the first intimation I had of danger was when I scooped Tiffany to me with my left arm and dived for cover, as a heavy slug slammed into my leg.

Combat mode was already in action, the needler bucking in my hand even as I fell. The muscles clamped down around the wound, cutting the blood loss, and pumping blood to the brain to counter the shock. It seemed Tiffany and I had walked into a drug deal gone bad. Cursing my own stupidity, I quickly checked her, and was relived to find that the blood was all my own.

I had dropped two of the attackers in their tracks and the others were fleeing when one fired a last desperate shot in my general direction. It hit the masonry wall behind me and the flattened slug bounced off and slammed me in the back of the head.

My body collapsed on Tiffany as my muscles went into wild convulsions, twitching and jerking, my heart alternately racing and almost stopping. After what seemed hours, but could only have been fractions of a second, waves of grayness began washing over me, as the AI did an emergency shutdown of my onboard system.

Desperately I fought for consciousness as Tiffany wiggled her way out from under me. I knew I was hurt, and bad. My only hope lay in getting back to the ship where the medbots could, I hoped, stabilize me until I could reach a Ranger aide station. Far better for a Ranger to be lost, than for our secrets to become public knowledge. In mystery and misdirection there is strength.

I don't know but that I would have died right there if it had not been for this nagging voice saying, over and over, "Russ! Please get up. Oh please don't be dead!"

Reaching down deep, to reserves I did not know I had, I pushed myself to my feet. "Ship," I mumbled. "Get ship!"

She was a smart little tike, I'll say that. And not a bit of fear in her either. I was aware of only her hand in mine, tugging me along, making me come back from the grayness and keep fighting when all I wanted to do was lie down and rest.

How she managed to get me to the ship I'll never know, but that is what she did. I blearily phased in long enough to realize she was pressing my palm to the emergency hatch access. The hatch slid into its recess and I tumbled in a heap on the floor. Try as I might, I could not regain my feet.

"Voice interface," I croaked. "Say Emergency Medical Override. Authorization Jennings Alpha Bravo."

At that point the grayness won, and I collapsed uncaring, into a pile of nearly lifeless flesh.

I have a hazy memory of waking dimly in the medbot bunk, someone gently wiping my forehead with a damp cloth, but can't say if that was real or a fevered dream.

I have no clear recollection of anything until I woke in a clean bed in the Ranger Hospital at Secundus base. There to greet me was the smiling face of my little cherub, all scrubbed clean and her beautiful blonde hair artfully arranged. She was dressed in a spotless pink jumpsuit which went so well with her fair complexion.

"They said I could be here when they woke you up," she smiled, and then she threw her arms around me and began to cry. I held her close and patted her back, doing all the things I had seen my father do to soothe my sister when she was younger. Soon she drew back wiping the tears from her eyes. "I was so worried about you!" she said.

"I must admit I was a bit concerned myself there for a while," I told her.

"And well you should be," groused an all to familiar voice. "That fool stunt of yours nearly cost me one of my best Rangers!" Commander Burrows snarled.

"Good to have you back with us Russ," he said, taking the sting out of his earlier words. "I guess you know that this young heroine saved your bacon. Not only triggered the medical emergency override on your AI, but somehow convinced the darn thing she was your partner and had the right to give it orders. Not only got it to set course for the nearest Ranger Hospital, but talked it into running at max overload. Going to have to rebuild those engines now. The tubes are shot."

"It messaged ahead your condition, and then refused to let anyone have access to you, unless SHE okayed it." Tiffany was squirming uncomfortably by now. Enjoying the praise but not sure how to take it all.

"Now that you are back with us Russ," Commander Burrows grinned, "its time for you to go to work. I wanted you to witness this ceremony."

Puzzled I looked at Tiffany but she seemed as much at a loss as I was.

Clearing his throat Commander Burrows turned to Tiffany and said, "Miss Tiffany, in recognition of your bravery, valor, and service to the Corps, it is my signal honor to declare you an honorary Star Ranger," and with that he presented her with an engraved plaque, citing her acts of bravery and valor and proclaiming to one and all that she was indeed an Honorary Member of The Star Rangers.

"Would you do the honors Russ," he asked, extending me a small box.

I opened it and took out that sacred symbol, the star enclosed in the circle, which is the badge of the Star Ranger. The legend on this one read "Honorary Star Ranger," around the border. Sitting up in the bed I pinned the badge on the front of Tiffany's jumper. I couldn't decide which shown brighter, the highly polished badge or her smile.

Hugging her close I said softly, "You have a family now. You, are one of us and the Rangers take care of their own!"