As Officer Binkly settled down into his observation chair, he decided that Christmas eve was no time to be working. Especially not working as a cop, more so as a member of XSWAT, and further more, he did not want to be up on this Godforsaken wall looking into Omega Sector all night.
But there he was, so he decided to make the best of it. He flipped on the TV, turned down his scanner, kicked his feet up, and turned on the coffee maker. A couple of hours of cheesy Christmas specials, five cups of coffee, and a flat bottle of gin later, he was fast asleep.
That is, until he was awakened by the roaring engines of a Spinner as it passed overhead, rattling the windows and barely missing his observation bubble. Sitting up, he spilled his sixth cup of all over his lap, and in a fit of swearing and cursing, he flipped on his radio. "Unidentified Vehicle, you !#$!#@!% Identify yourself! This is a warning, do not enter into Omega Sector! Radiation levels are-"
"Kssshhhh," came the reply. "Xzztra Officers Yiska and Kitt-- UMPH! Grggllenmox Tyger. XSwaxhhhtll"
Yiska, Tyger, mused Binkly, Damn fools that walked out of that place. Well, let them go back in. "Officers, do you have clearance for--"
"Ksssh!" squealed the radio "Mon Capitan Rum of the 13th Precinct has ordered this mission! WHOOO! KSSSHH! All hands a-broad! Kssshjjx Bombs away admiral pretty pirate kitty! --UMPH HAHA-KSSSHHH!"
Turning from the radio Officer Binkly looked out over Omega sector, and as the Spinner finally turned around, the blue light from the engines glinted off of something that was falling from the sky.
If he could have seen the object, he would have seen a fairly large round tin attached to a crudely shaped parachute. The tin was done up in festive colors, bright reds and greens. In large gold letters on the top of the tin was spelled out, "Delux Fruitcake." A little tag was also attached to the tin, and in flowing delicate handwriting, it read:
"To John, love 9th Squad."