Chapter 19: Finale?
"Having heard the evidence brought before this court I have no other choice but to find you, Captain Silas, guilty of high treason and pronounce the harshest sentence of the court, death by firing squad!" Weir pronounced the sentence with a heart like permafrost. In the quiet moment that followed her deadly pronouncement she felt another small slice of her soul die.
As the court rose again Weir watched the weeping man be led away for summary execution. Like all the others she had sentenced there would be no appeal, no remittance of sentence, no reprieve, the man would die within the hour.
Richard approached, his new hardness of resolve visible in the very way he walked. He reached out a hand to her, another thing he would never have done before Mars, and clutched her shoulder.
"Not far to go Elisabeth" he said.
"Not many more men to kill?" she asked.
"Not many more wrongs to make right" he replied.
"Is there no other way?" she asked, emotion cracking her voice.
"If there is we don't know it," he answered.
o
o
o
The extent of Baur's treachery was only just coming out. With his eyes set on ultimate power he had taken every step he could towards destabilisation. Advanced arms had been sold to any radical nutter that guaranteed to use them. Rumours had spread of the longevity treatment and riots had followed. Miracle cures were suddenly a cause of civil unrest.
Cults of alien worshippers clashed with right wing reactionaries and everywhere the world was going crazy. Many smaller countries were in states of martial law and only force was keeping order. Ultimately the whole nightmare could be laid at Baur's door.
The only good thing was that the X-Com spin off that had cornered the latest generation of home entertainment systems was vetting their broadcasts and had launched an unsolicited propaganda program.
o
o
The other good news cam from Mars orbit. Nemesis was ready. Her final crew was being selected and the command staff cross trained. For 'Ranko' it was a nightmare, the damn interceptors just wouldn't do what they were told, it felt like trying to fight in tar. Added to that the idiot instructors kept trying to make a 'real soldier' out of her, and Ranma just didn't do formal discepline. The only reason that they didn't wash her out was that despite the redhead's hatred of the craft and her lack of 'soldiery-ness' she was easily one of the best flyers, with an innate grasp of three dimensional, zero-g combat.
Nabiki on the other hand was experiencing the old thrill of power. Bridge command was amazing, it required her to know everything that was going on aboard the ship. She would have weapons and tactical officers to fight the ship, her job would be to run it, essentially logistics, people and information management. Nabiki excelled from the very start.
Laura for her part made sure she was assigned to the marine complement. With Ranma apparently 'elsewhere' she found herself promoted to Sergeant Major of Marines, they had tried to give her a full commission but she had threatened to keep punching officers till they took it away again and it was quietly dropped. She would have to serve under another officer but she was dead sure that whoever they were they could be 'trained.' It may take her a while to get them up to quality she had her last commanding officer but not everyone learnt as fast as a Saotome.
o
o
Nabiki was walking on the bridge, her bridge, the lights were out and the only illumination was the stars coming in the view-windows. Tomorrow her crew would come aboard and final proving would begin. But for now the ship was all her own.
Suddenly the lift doors opened and someone was standing, illuminated by the lift lights.
"They told me you might be here" said the love of her life in the voice of a young woman.
"Is that how you address a superior officer pilot?" Nabiki asked smiling.
"Yup," 'Ranko' replied. Stepping closer and answering her smile.
As two parts of the same whole they melded together. Their kisses ignoring the current gender similarities instead focusing on expressing their love and passion.
"Fancy christening my command chair?" Nabiki whispered breathily into her husband-turned wife's ear. She could feel the poor man's sudden flush of colour.
"Er um I er well." He stammered. She rescued him with her cup of coffee. And then made good on hr offer.