38

9.

Funerals, Lady Hawk decided, were pure hell. Especially military funerals, with Honor details and salutes, and having to present a folded flag to the family left behind. Hawk had been right about that. She'd insisted on presenting the flags herself. Her team, her call, her duty. He and Colton had been right behind her, slightly flanking her, as she did so.

"She needs a break, General," Psych Out reported to Colton. "A chance to regroup without everyone hanging over her shoulder at every turn."

"Has she opened up with you at all?" Colton asked.

"Not really, sir. She still feels the ultimate responsibility for what happened lies with her, even though she is fully aware it was Lt Moore's actions that caused two deaths and a medical discharge," Psych Out replied. "I know she needs to attend the court marshal proceedings, but directly after that, I suggest an extended leave. She winds herself up any tighter with the self-doubt and guilt trip, she will shatter."

"You suggest I just cut her loose, Psych?"

"Not totally, sir. She'll still need to see a councilor, preferably a military one, and according to Doc, she will still need a few follow-up medical exams for the shoulder," Psych said. "We both recommend a medical leave of absence."

"Very well, Psych. Thank you. Dismissed."

Unlike the funerals, where as many Joes as could safely be away from the Pit or assignments had attended, the court martial of Jillian Moore was restricted to those who had to be there to testify. The remaining members of OMEGA, including Maria de Carlos, were there. Duke and Ace were there, and Colton, as the CO of OMEGA. Jillian was assigned an Air Force JAG team.

"I won't lie to you, General Colton. The defense team is going to try basing it on the fact that Sgt Abernathy does not hold rank on Lt Moore," Lt Walter Hammond from the JAG Prosecutor's office warned Colton and Lady Hawk.

"Special Ops units, which OMEGA is, have always had their own chain of command styles, Lt. Hammond," Colton pointed out. "OMEGA is Sgt Abernathy's team. In the field, she calls the shots. It is as simple as that, and Lt. Moore has known it from day one… which was nearly two years ago. The only person who could have countermanded the sergeant's orders on that mission would have been me, and I wasn't in the field."

"Are you sure Lt. Moore was clear on that, sir?"

"Very sure. She came damned close to getting the boot before her second day in training when the team was formed," Colton said. "For basically the same reason, only the orders she chose to disregard that day didn't come from Sgt. Abernathy. I am the one who drew up the training itinerary for the team, with input from the field commanders of my other, larger team. Both of my teams, Lieutenant, are Joint Forces specs, even if OMEGA is currently staffed with all Army personnel."

"And why is that again?"

"Because I was presented with a proposal for a needed team that included several dossiers for consideration as team members," Colton shrugged. "The proposal came from two GIs, who didn't, at the time, have any way to access such information from other branches of the military."

"And the Air Force lieutenant?"

"Got her chance because of a benefactor who made her appointment to the team his price for agreeing to let the team be formed in the first place," Colton admitted. "A major mistake on my part, for which three of my soldiers paid too high a price."

"Lt. Hammond, there is an urgent call for General Colton on line four, sir," Hammond's secretary announced over the intercom.

"Do you want privacy, General?" Hammond pushed the phone in Colton's direction.

"I doubt it's necessary," Colton shook his head, lifting the receiver and punching a button. "Colton… Really? That is interesting…I'll be waiting for her, thanks Flint." He hung up again. Lady Hawk looked at him quizzically. "Lady Jaye and Scarlett wrapped up that little project. Scarlett's bringing me the results."

"Is it something that might affect this case, sir?"

"This case, I don't think so," Colton told him. "OMEGA's assignment, as I am sure you are aware, was to rescue Theodore Westing and his family from One World Order. They did so, and captured the leader of OWO, Ethan Greynor, in the process. It was noted that Greynor very strongly resembled someone else who'd recently made the acquaintance of both OMEGA and several of my Joe staff…Roger Moorland, a new aide to Senator Nesbitt. I had my Intel people do what they do best. It seems Greynor's real name is Greggor Ethan Moorland…listed as being KIA in Nam in 67."

"They're related?" Lady Hawk demanded.

"Very related. They are brothers," Colton nodded. "Duke told me the same thing you did. Someone knew you would be visiting that compound, if not quite when. Looks like Lady Jaye and Scarlett found that 'someone'."

"I doubt Nesbitt had any idea," Lady Hawk said. "He's not our biggest fan, but I seriously doubt he'd have sold out Moore."

"And why is that?" Hammond asked.

"The same reason he fast tracked her for a special assignment that would look real good on her resume, sir. They sleep together."

"Senator Nesbitt is a married man."

"What has that got to do with it, Lt.? And no, we can't actually prove it. But whenever he was in the area, she wanted at least a two day pass."

"Not pertinent to this case, though."

"No, it isn't, and I don't think the Air Force cares who their pilots are sleeping with outside of the military in general, as long as it isn't a known enemy to the USA," Lady Hawk shrugged. Then she winced.

"Shoulder hurting, Lady Hawk?" Colton asked.

"A bit, sir. Don't suggest the pain killers Doc gave me. I can't take those and stay awake," she said. "We get through this, keep Moore from endangering anyone else, and I can stop worrying about it for a while."

"Why is that?" Hammond asked.

"Medical leave, sir. Doc's still not sure how my shoulder blade didn't splinter with the round I caught."

The trial started the next morning. As Hammond had warned, the Defense went for the rank angle, which was easily refuted by the Prosecution based on OMEGA's Joint Forces status, and Lady Hawk's position as Team Leader. Lady Hawk, Blackbird, Duke and Ace were called to testify. None of them varied on their stories, even with the Defense in rapid-fire mode during cross examination.

"Sgt. Abernathy, isn't it true that you and Lt. Moore have been in contention for the leadership of OMEGA from the very beginning?" the Defense attorney, a Second Lt. Richmond, demanded.

"No," Lady Hawk shook her head. "I was OMEGA before Senator Nesbitt shoved Moore down General Colton's throat, Lt. Richmond."

"How could you have been OMEGA before the team was even formed?"

"Objection," Hammond's superior, Major Randolph, stood. "That has nothing to do with the matter at hand, gentlemen."

"Objection sustained," the judge agreed. "Keep to the focus, Lt. Richmond."

"Yes, sir. I was trying to establish something with this line of questioning…"

"The only thing in question is did Lt. Moore disregard orders from her team leader, resulting in the deaths of two team mates, and the blinding of a third," Randolph pointed out.

"If there was no clear chain of command…"

"But there was. This team wasn't fresh off Basic, Lt. Richmond. "And the squad records show Sgt Abernathy as the Squad Leader from the very start."

"I honestly didn't expect to be the team leader. It was enough for me to be on the team," Lady Hawk commented. "I was chosen team leader by people whose judgment I trust."

"Including your own cousin, Colonel Clayton Abernathy," Richmond accused.

"No sir. In fact, the Colonel knew nothing about it until about three months after the deal was done," she remembered the day Hawk had found out, and brought the roses and her Berretta into the mess hall at the Pit.

"So, you were in charge in the field that day?"

"Yes sir." Talk about stating the obvious! Richmond was giving her a headache, and she really didn't need it, since her shoulder was already causing her enough pain.

"Your first time out. Young, untried," Richmond smirked a little. "And now, you are trying to put the blame for what went wrong somewhere else…"

"OBJECTION!" Randolph came to his feet this time. Firecracker had yelled something very uncomplimentary at Richmond, and several others were commenting angrily. The judge slammed his gavel down for order.

"There will be no further such outbreaks in this courtroom!" he ordered sternly. He glared straight at Firecracker briefly, before turning the same glare at Richmond. "Objection sustained. Watch your step, Lieutenant."

"Yes sir," Richmond nodded curtly.

"The buck stops with me, Lt," Lady Hawk said, her voice like ice. "If my orders were wrong, and shit happened, then I'd be the one facing this court as a defendant. My orders were the right ones to make. We needed cover fire. Because we didn't get it from Lt. Moore, two damn good soldiers are dead, and another sits in this room, unable to see what is happening, having to rely on her hearing alone…"

"Isn't it possible all that would have happened, even had Lt. Moore provided more fire?"

"Anything is possible, Lieutenant. But probable? No, it is not."

"Sgt. Abernathy, isn't it true you were also wounded in this action?"

"I caught a bullet in my shoulder, yes," she nodded.

"But you haven't mentioned it so far. Why?"

"It was a bullet in the shoulder. It's healing, sir," she looked at him, a little confused. "Compared to what happened to my team, it isn't important."

"Do you like getting shot at?"

"Are you on drugs? No, I don't like getting shot at. It happens, because I made a choice, and took an oath," Lady Hawk knew, suddenly, what angle he was trying for now. "Had the cover fire I ordered been there, it would have been that much harder for Greynor's mercenaries to open fire at those of us on the ground. That, sir, in case you hadn't realized it, is what cover fire is for."

"No further questions," Richmond turned on his heel.

"You may step down, Sgt.," the judge instructed. Lady Hawk moved cautiously, since her head was spinning. "Major?"

"Prosecution rests, Your Honor."

"Lieutenant?"

"The Defense rests, Your Honor."