Chapter 43: Tav Mi'zya

Bothawui-4

While dozens of beings were still missing a week after the attack on Thellus, one missing human in particular was the greatest mystery of them all. One moment Ditmas Shar was being transferred, a few hours later he was gone. Whatever happened to Ditmas, Tav was not talking, at least not until a holovid was exposed showing him on site at the time of the disappearance.

The Bothan had been hopeful that, with all of the chaos, destruction, and loss of life, that his previous actions would be completely overlooked. However, two days after all combat was said to be over on Thellus, and a day after Ditmas Shar vanished without a trace, Tav's replacement, Marshal Chief Eyz Ren'bel arrived and relieved Tav of his command.

Tav returned to Bothawui on the same transport as Nezir and the kids.

The Pre-Court Martial hearing lasted six days. Two of the days were the prosecution attempting to pin the greatest mystery of the Thellus attack on Tav: what happened to Ditmas Shar?

The first time Ditmas came up, Tav lied confidently. His blonde fur sat perfectly still as he thought: I feel guilty not because what I did was wrong, but because I am afraid of being caught. Ditmas killed Klayer, Gavresk… so many Marshals. He killed Kilar's crew. He got what was coming to him.

Three days later, when Ditmas came up again, the prosecution presented security footage of Tav and Kilar with Ditmas in handcuffs an hour earlier. This time, the Colonel's fur fell flat.

Tav spent the remainder of the hearing in varying degrees of terror. Best case scenario, they figure out the truth. That Ditmas is dead. We get charged with murder. Worst case scenario, they think we freed him!

On the last day, before sentencing, the senior member of the Triumvirate asked a frank but impatient question to the Colonel. "Pam Palkab, kat mu woga yov? Kat mu woga pan Ditmas Shar? Erz-bebethosk pa Ditmas Shar?" [Colonel, do we need to be afraid? Do we need to fear Ditmas Shar? Is Ditmas Shar alive?]

Tav's fur was stiff against his body at that point. He turned to his friend and lawyer, San Ti'trek. Ti'trek gave a defeated sigh. [Tell them he's dead. No need to implicate yourself further,] he whispered into Tav's ear in Bothese.

Tav gulped. He hesitated, proceeding to answer calmly. Just tell him the truth. Tell him no. No Ditmas— "Nokiz jonwi ta!" [No, your honour!] he yelped, his speckled amber eyes dilated in terror.

[Good,] the judge scoffed. [Bring her in.]

Tav's ears perked up curiously as he turned around. On the opposite side of the hearing room, through the doors came Lieutenant Kilar Maj'trek. Her fur twirled unhappily.

[That's a similar answer to the one Lieutenant Kilar Maj gave us yesterday,] another member of the triumvirate mused. [The closest, I expect, we'll ever get to verifying their testimony without charging both of them with aggravated murder.]

Aggravated murder. This is the end. Decades in prison or worse, all because—

[We are offering you both a plea deal. If you plead guilty to conduct unbecoming of an officer and assault well… your lawyers are receiving copies now.]

o.o.o.o.o

Now sitting in a small conference room, Tav and his lawyer were discussing his options.

[Conduct unbecoming of an officer and assault!] Tav yelped. His hands trembled as he read the plea deal. Reduction in rank to Sergeant! Remedial Training Course II on Krant!

[Better than I thought he'd give you,] San Ti'trek scoffed. [You really let them surprise me, Tav Mi. I don't know what Nezir must done… Even for killing a terrorist, I have never seen them just drop potential murder charges like that Tav.]

[I LOST MY COMISSION!] Tav yelped, tears in his eyes. He tugged the fur on his head despondently, then added, in a whiny growl, [four months of remedial training—]

[—Well Tav, you haven't lost your commission yet,] Ti'trek snorted. [You could not take the best plea deal I have seen in ten years and—]

—Tav's fur twirled unhappily as he signed it. [Do you think there would be a possibility for me to do some jail time and just be discharged?] he sniffled as he tugged despondently on the right side of his shirt. The spot where his Colonel rank was. This will be completely humiliating. I am 39 years old. I will be a former Colonel going back to remedial training.

[Maybe?] Ti'trek growled thoughtfully. [I'll see what I can do. Expect to hear from me tomorrow. Anyways, Tav, you are acting like you are getting a bad deal here. You're my friend and all—]

[—It is a bad deal!] Tav snarled, his fur suddenly standing on end as he arched over the table.

Ti'trek jumped in surprise, then regained his calm. [No Tav, it isn't. It is perfectly fair. In fact, it's unfair,] he growled cautiously. [You are the luckiest son of a bitch I know.]

Tav sat back down. Shtak. He's right. Any other Bothan… The only reason I had my hearing not wearing an orange jumpsuit is because of my wife. His fur gave one guilty twitch. He remembered how he felt when he woke up, from a coma, after biting those Thellus cops. Regret flooded his mind as he came to the realisation that he never apologised to them. They might have died and I never apologised.

o.o.o.o.o

As Tav walked into the wide marbled entrance chamber of the Drev'shtarn Tribunal Building, he was no longer terrified of the future. I'll probably just get to go to jail, leave the Marshalcy… Maybe in my free time I can write those memoirs I was thinking of… "Two years on Thellus, by Colonel (ret.) Tav Mi'zya." His fur danced with excitement at the prospect. Jail, then writing at home with the kids.

Continuing towards the door, his fur started twirling unhappily again. I'll need to admit how unfair I was to Klayer. I can't write too much though, about that… Could be dangerous. Could be—

Tav yelped as a closed fist connected with the back of his head. Tav spun around and snarled as a second blow landed squarely on his snout.

[YOU PIECE OF SHTAK!] Kilar screamed, continuing to punch Tav. [YOU GOT ME DEMOTED TO PETTY OFFICER!]

Shtak. We can't fight. We are going to get into so much trouble. We literally—

Kilar's fist connected again to his face.

[STOP] Tav yelped, his nose now throbbing, [we can't fight Kilar! We—]

—As Kilar raised her foot to kick him, Tav grabbed Kilar's boot and tugged her leg up, forcing her to fall backwards. Kilar landed on the marble ground with a furious grunt, then hopped back up swinging harder than before.

Not punching back was becoming increasingly difficult for Tav as his fur stood on end. I didn't get you demoted you shtak-head. Did I tell you to put me in a kriffing airlock? Getting rid of Ditmas was your kriffing idea! Tav continued raising his arms in front of him in defence as Kilar continued punching. A few seconds later, he was backed against the wall.

Kriff it. I am going to have to—

Kilar yelped. Seemingly coming out of nowhere, Tav's wife, former math teacher and now Grum of Clan Otrek, grabbed Kilar by the wrist and yanked her so hard that she fell and slid across the marble floor.

Nezir, why can't I smell you? Tav sniffed the air furiously as he turned to his wife and coughed as liquid ran into throat. His nose hurt and felt stuffed. He put his hand up to his nose, touched it then looked down. Dark red blood contrasted against the blonde fur of his hand.

[Grum Nezir!] Kilar gasped, raising her hands defensively, [I am sorry, I—]

[—I know what you did to him before,] Nezir snarled, her fur on end. [If you hurt my husband again, if you touch my family again, I will kill you. Is that understood?]

[Yes Grum,] Kilar stammered. [I am sorry. It won't happen again.]

[At least Petty Officer has the word 'officer' in the title,] Tav mumbled sarcastically in a stuffy-nose voice.

Kilar's eyes narrowed at him as she sat up on the floor.

[STOP IT!] Nezir snarled, grabbing Tav by the shoulder, leading him to the exit. [You are a kriffing embarrassment.]

Tav winced in the bright equatorial sunshine as he stepped outside into the humidity. [Do you have a—]

—Nezir handed him a tissue as she led him to their speeder parallel-parked outside.

[Thank you,] Tav mumbled, dabbing it on his nose. Is it broken? Is it... no, he thought, pushing more firmly on his nose.

As the Kavris vines swayed gently in the hot mucky breeze, the Bothan and the Shishtavanen-Bothan hybrid, walked down the bright white steps of the Drev'shtarn Tribunal Building.

Nezir's fur still stood straight up angrily as she sat down in the driver's seat. She snarled, fumbling with the keys in the ignition.

Now is definitely not the time to bring up my idea of just going to jail. I'll bring it up… later.

o.o.o.o.o

Clan Otrek maintained several Grum's Mansions. Nezir Mi'trek and her family were now residing in the one located on the green-lawned mansion-lined Kob Hill neighbourhood, overlooking the Combined Clans Building. Most of Tav's possessions which weren't destroyed when Fort Otrek exploded were still at their old house. The furniture was mostly Liska Gyar'trek's.

That night, after Ralosk and Glazir went to bed, the only light visible from the street was Tav and Nezir's room.

Nezir now seemed much calmer. Tav had come to realise that some of the reason she seemed angry was not because of him, but a dispute between land rights on Thellus. Gavin Azi'skar wanted to buy some of the land on Fort Otrek to allow Botha'ahir to establish a military base on Thellus. Nezir's position on this was not before the Heat Death of the kriffing Universe. He also overheard, in the conversations between Nezir and Gavin Azi'skar earlier in the day, something about a ship called the Subletter.

In any case, knowing that he was not the centre of all of her anger, Tav's was calm as he rolled over in bed and popped the big question. Looking into Nezir's red eyes, he said, "so, I've been thinking. Perhaps it's time for a career change."

Nezir snorted. "You think so?"

Tav's fur swirled with embarrassment as he rested his head on her shoulder.

"I've been thinking the same thing," Nezir agreed, stroking his head. "I've selected the perfect Marshalcy Speciality Code for you. The perfect one for us, the kids, the whole family."

"Selected?!" Tav yelped, sitting up straight in bed. "You didn't ask me!"

Nezir's fur stood on end.

Tav's swirled nervously. "I mean—that—that," he stammered. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful." Looking around the room, as if trying to find a way to change the conversation to one where he gets to propose his go-to-jail idea, and Nezir praises his insight. Not finding any inspiration, Tav sighed despondently.

"Fine Tav," Nezir grunted, looking Tav in the eye. "What job do you want?"

Tav gulped nervously. In fifteen years of marriage, Nezir had never been this impatient with him. "I think… well," he sighed. "I was thinking I could opt to take a slightly different plea deal, go to jail—"

"—GO TO JAIL?!" Nezir snarled.

"—Just for a few months!" Tav stammered. "Maybe a year. Then I get discharged and—"

"—You want to quit your job and go to jail instead of getting remedial training?" Nezir gasped in shock. "You want to spend even more time away from your family? How the kriff did you become such a degenerate? Are you on spice now?"

"NO!" Tav yelped, his fur flat in fear. How the kriff did she get high on spice from that?! "It's not what you think Nezir, I just—"

"—Everyone is right," Nezir sighed. "I am such an enabler!"

Enabler? Oh shtak. This is bad. I have lost my commission. My reputation is tarnished. If she throws me out… Tav's fur was now pressed tightly againt his body. "Nezir, I—"

"—Do you know what I had to do to keep my family together, Tav?" Nezir snarled.

"No," Tav croaked. "I am sorry Nezir, I don't know."

"Let's just say I had to give one of the judges a mansion, another a luxury yacht, and the third? Eight percent of Clan Otrek's commodity holdings in Kelsh Copper!"

Tav's fur swirled stiffly. "I am sorry, but…" his voice died.

"But what?" Nezir demanded.

"Why did you help Kilar too?" Tav growled. There was no need to help her. Helping me is one thing but helping her? That Bothan—

"IS THAT A SERIOUS QUESTION TAV?!" Nezir screamed angrily.

Tav recoiled, nearly falling off the bed. "No, it wasn't. I am sorry. I will go to remedial training. Please forgive me," he pleaded. "I wanted to apologise to those poor kids… Those Thellus cops. But with the attack, I just never got the chance Nezir. Please!"

"Sometimes Tav," Nezir sighed, "you make me… just infuriated."

With a cautious glance, Tav slid back over next to Nezir. So… I'm not going to jail.

Nezir glared at Tav, her fur twitching impatiently.

Thinking for a brief moment of what might be bothering her, Tav growled cautiously, "thank you. I am sorry for putting you in that position."

"It's all right," Nezir sighed, her fur twirling unhappily.