Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 6

Chapter 4: Amid the Bitter Cold

(DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Supernatural because it belongs to Eric Kripke and Warner Bros. So, enjoy the show! Rated M for graphic violence, adult content, and adult language.)

I saw the many members of the Medical Corps standing in front of me as they were ready to take me back home. Even with my mission wrapped up, I didn't want to deal with anything right now as I saw an annoying face emerge from out of the vehicle that was parked in which he stowed away to bear a grudge. It was Jethro as he was adamant into bringing Aelfric back into the ranks, but he was still not too thrilled to see me out and about as I was walking towards the Impala. I didn't want to deal with him right now as his presence unnerved me to the extreme, for he was a descendant of the Bevell Family after all. Even Dean and Aelfric weren't too thrilled to see him out here as they wanted to take me away from Piper Canyon and back home before anything else happened. In a moment of concern, Dean had the task of escorting Teresa and her two children towards the train station as he didn't want them to see what was about to happen, for this situation was about to get more ugly than it looked.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I said as I was getting testy.

"You know why, Sam," said Jethro as he was armed with a new baseball bat. "We're here for Aelfric Gunderson and no one else."

"Is that so?" said Sybil as she came out of the church with Missouri in tow. "You're not here to have him discharged at the behest of his superior, Timothy Calvert. You just wanna add more fuel to the fire by bringing his ass back into the lion's den."

"Silence, old crone! Aelfric is part of the Alecrian Army and a brother in arms! Having him discharged is a dishonor to us all in which you of all people don't realize!"

"That 'old crone' knows more than what you have in your deck of cards, Jethro Braddock," said Missouri. "She's known tragedy since she lost her entire family and yet you mock her and those below you just to make a point here."

It wasn't long as we saw Jethro walking towards Aelfric as he punched him in the jaw. He was not too happy with the outgoing ginger-haired soldier as he wanted him to remain in the military. In a broader sense, those who served in the Alecrian Army were revered for their reputation in the service, but in Aelfric's case, he was getting out of it due to his mental health altogether. He was ready to be discharged as he didn't want to have his mental state go in tatters, but his commanding officer was refusing to budge as he was there unleashing his authority on those who were lower than him. Even with Sybil and Missouri stepping back to avoid the danger, it was much safer to keep them out of the way as I didn't want them to get hurt in this conflict. It was a good call to get them out of the way, but I was about to endure the wrath of Jethro as he was still going at it towards Aelfric while pinning him down in the cold snow.

"You defected, defunct ginger!" screamed Jethro as he fished out a document of discharge papers from his coat. "How dare you consult with the Marshal about cutting and running from your duty to this planet?!"

"He has every right into doing so," I said as I came to Aelfric's defense.

"Is that so? You see here? I have these discharge papers for Aelfric with Marshal Calvert's signature on them, only to have him running away with his tail between his legs!"

"You don't know the whole picture, do you? Aelfric Gunderson suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder in which it debilitates any sufferer after seeing the grave consequences that were put in front of them."

"You haven't learned your lesson, didn't you, Sam Winchester?" I see Jethro putting his foot on Aelfric's face as he rubbed the sole of his boot raw into him. "You still don't get why you weren't supposed to be out and about like that. It's a fleeting moment, but sooner or later, you will see how obedient a soldier in the Alecrian Army truly is."

"Damn it, Jethro," he said as he was feeling the bitterness of the captain's boot on his face. "Leave him out of it! You know that he's there for a reason! Hell, he even helped me stop a poltergeist that haunted my home last night and this is the thanks we both get? As for those discharge papers, I am a free man now and I have to deal with what my post-traumatic stress sums up for me whether I like it or not."

It wasn't long until Aelfric pushed Jethro off of him as he was up on his feet. He was ready to grab at the discharge papers out of the captain's hands, but the latter was too swift for him as he was ready to pin him down until another vehicle arrived. When we noticed Timothy dressed in winter garb getting out, he wasn't too fond with Jethro picking a fight with either me or Aelfric as he was determined to put his foot down. He was there for a reason as he wanted to get Aelfric's discharge papers back, for he wasn't about to let him stay in the military much longer after what he noticed.

"You still haven't learned your lesson, have you, Jethro," he said.

"Aelfric should be courtmartialed for desertion!" he cried as he was still had the latter's discharge papers in his hands. "We need all the help we can get and Aelfric should do his part into serving his planet instead of given the option to cut and run."

"Let me remind you that you still have an assault charge on your record in which you should leave quietly before you cause more trouble on the sidelines."

"I will not be challenged by your bullshit, Calvert! Aelfric's going back in the game or else he'll live the rest of his life in squallor and dishonor."

I noticed Jethro getting ready to use his baseball bat at Timothy as I stepped in and took the hit in his stead. The blow of the bat hit my shoulder as I fell to the snowy ground in which I didn't want Jethro to do damage on either Timothy or Aelfric, for they were two different men: one that is fervent in the military and the other about to go out the door of it. I couldn't let them suffer as I can't let their reputations go down the toilet so readily, for Jethro was itching to make his mark on hurting people with the baseball bat in his hands.

"So, you still stand between me and that lowlife halfbreed of a marshal, don't you, Sam?!" I heard him yell as he stripped off my winter clothing and boots. "You see here?! I'm just getting warmed up to finish off the insubordination that you caused after you rebelled from me and the other squatters who once took over your home four months ago!" I felt my kimono and overrobe being ripped off as I was left only with the white one that I had on. "Now, that you're all chummy with one of the squatters, you try to let him go free from the responsibilities that were put on his shoulders just to serve his planet!"

I was getting another beatdown by Jethro as he was hitting me in the same places again: the back and legs. The pain of it got much worse as the cold added a lot more trouble for me. I was in for the beatdown of my life as I was taking the heat once again for defending Timothy and Aelfric from further scrutiny. I couldn't let them be bullied by Jethro and his rhetoric as I took the heat blow by blow for standing in front of them to take the abuse I endured. Just as I was about to endure another hit, I saw Aelfric rushing towards Jethro as he took the baseball bat away from him. He wasn't about to let me take the heat for much longer as he was getting fed up with the captain for being here.

"Step away, Jethro!" he yelled as he threw the bat further into the cemetery. "I won't let you do your worst!"

"Out of my way, you ginger deserter!" he yelled angrily.

"And you have the gall to come here with the Medical Corps observing everyone," said Timothy as he snatched back Aelfric's discharge papers. "You may be a captain, Jethro Braddock, but you can't force an injured racehorse to run all over the tracks!"

"And you defend that ginger-haired pussy for leaving the military?! What you're doing is a total dishonor to both us and the family he comes from!"

"Let me remind you that he's been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder," I said as I was up on my feet. "Aelfric has every right to be discharged and he needs all the therapy and care he can get, is that clear?"

Jethro was about to let me have it all over again as I fell into the snow from the pain I endured. He was willing to use more than just his baseball bat until he was restrained by several military members who rode along with the Medical Corps that came here to Piper Canyon. With Timothy staring at him, he was seething with rage as he was ready to strike until he was about to be given the ultimatum in his career.

"Jethro Braddock, you now have a second assault charge on your record," he said. "Don't make this more worse than normal because Aelfric is more than willing to accept treatment for his post-traumatic stress rather than be put into combat much longer."

"You'll regret your choice, Timothy!" he yelled as he was being hauled away into the same vehicle that he came in earlier. "You think that you can hold back a broken soldier when he or she has about had it? Think again!" He briefly glares at me as I was left with bruises all over my body again. "As for you… Oh, I never forgot about you, Sam… Your purpose as being the savior to us is wearing thin all because you prefer freedom instead of security! I bet that everyone's not too happy with you getting into trouble because you are trouble! Day in, day out; your friends and family have bent over backwards all because you have the decency to protect them. Therefore, they've all gave up on saving you time and time again, so I suggest that you do all of us a favor and go kill yourself so we can be a lot more happier. You've been nothing but a burden to us, so I suggest that you pick your self-inflicted death either by poison, jumping off, blade, gunshot, or any other method of killing yourself with. No one wants you around anyway, so I suggest that you crawl away in some dark hole somewhere. As for being in this empty shithole, we should leave, but you're walking home barefoot, is that clear?!"

At that moment, we saw the Medical Corps haul Jethro away for good as I was about to endure my walk home barefoot in the frozen snow. With Timothy disgusted at the captain's behavior, he saw me shivering with cold as fresh snow was falling down. Even Aelfric was not too thrilled at Jethro and his bullying tactics as he didn't want to go back into the Alecrian Army, for he was free to seek treatment after enduring all the tragedy that occurred in front of him. He didn't want any more trouble as he saw me being taken into the Impala instead of walking home, for I was in dire need of rest by the time I got back. I was mangled again as I was taking the heat for protecting the people around me in which I couldn't let them suffer too much like that, for the aftermath was getting insane than normal…

Dean was at the train station with Teresa and the two children as they were waiting for the train. Even Sybil and Missouri were there as they also had a gut feeling that I would be put under further danger at the hands of Jethro himself. Still, they couldn't shake the fact that they were ushered out of the way as they regretted to intervene on their parts, for this was something that they couldn't let go so lightly. By the time the train arrived, it was ready to pick up everyone who was going towards the Winterlands as they were safe from the awful conflict from far away, for they were safe and that mattered the most. With the two children going in first and Missouri next, Sybil and Teresa were ready to get going as they had to be on their way until their next encounter.

"I've never expected to see Jethro Braddock come out of one of the Order's vehicles, but he'll get another thing coming if he's not careful," said Teresa as was getting out her train pass.

"Jethro's got an assault charge on his record," said Dean. "He won't get far when it comes to dealing with what he calls 'insubordination' on the sly."

"Well, you better get your ass over there and help your brother out before he gets beat even worse," said Sybil as she got on the train. "Sam's a lot of things, but he's not someone's whipping boy."

"Sybil's right, Dean," said Teresa. "I know that Sam takes the heat for getting beat for our mistakes, but you should be looking after him in this crisis. Besides, you're his protector, right?"

It wasn't long until Dean saw Teresa get on the train as it was ready to go out of Piper Canyon. By the time he got back towards the walkway between Aelfric's house and the church, he saw Jethro getting hauled away as he noticed me in my white kimono shivering with cold with a side order of bruises from the latter's baseball bat. Anger flooded him as he was wanting to rip a new one in him, but he had prior engagements first as he saw me in such a battered state, for it was gut-wrenching to the extreme.

"Jethro got you there, didn't he?" he said to me as I was propped next to the Impala. "I guess that the asshat's not over his last stint after he attacked you in the bathroom."

"He was going to hurt Aelfric and Timothy," I said. "I couldn't let him do that, Dean. They're both military men, but they also have respect for what they serve, even if they were-"

"Don't try to talk, Sam!" yelled Aelfric as he was concerned for my health. "You got a beatdown just to keep Jethro away from me and Marshal Calvert, but he's on strike two now."

"We're going home, Sam," said Dean as he opened up the door to the Impala and propped me up on the passenger's side. "Let's get out of here, alright?"

"We better get going before the snow hits worse," said Timothy. "Still, that primitive car that's there isn't fit for travelling in the snow, but it's best that we get into the Jackal before we get snowed in."

"The Impala's got snow tires that can haul ass. Besides, I've driven in the snow before and I haven't slid once."

And so, we all left Piper Canyon as we were going home towards Kanto Village as planned. As for the debacle about my misfortune, I was still shaken up by another beating from Jethro as I didn't want him to inflict harm towards Aelfric or Timothy whatsoever, for the lives of others trumped my own at this moment…

I was back at home as I was cleaned up, dressed, and placed into a hospital room in the infirmary wing of the castle. I was in a much dire wreck as I heard the sound of people cheering while being entertained by various booths in this year's winter carnival. After getting up and putting on a warm robe and slippers, I felt the sting of Jethro's words filling my head as I found them to be troubling, but true. I really was a burden as I felt overwhelmed by what I heard, for I was itching to hurl out of the window anyway.

"I bet that everyone's not too happy with you getting into trouble because you are trouble!"

I didn't want to bother anyone right now as I was walking out of the hospital room and going downstairs where the elevator was. When I stepped inside, I was still sore as I was going all the way down to see the winter carnival briefly. By the time I stepped out of there, I saw several members of the Medical Corps arriving as they were ready to take up residence after the fall of the Order's main headquarters four months ago. I didn't want to give anyone a hard time as I went past the new residents that were living here for a while. When I went outside, I saw several people from Kanto Village and the other adjoining towns from the dirt roads having fun as it ranged from eating contests to selling food and wares to tourists. I saw them to have a great time, but I wasn't going to dampen anyone's spirits as I kept my mouth shut and didn't bother anyone right now.

When I spotted Reiko and the children looking at some journals and books for sale, I wanted to join them, but the words of Jethro stung me to the core as I wasn't forgetting them after what was done to me. I didn't want to be a burden to everyone as it was best that I had to leave out of sight before I was spotted. With the cold chilling me to the bone, I was walking in the snow in my slippers as I felt the wetness from the ground covering my bare feet. Still, I couldn't shake off Jethro's hurtful words as I picked the best way to end my life and that was freezing to death.

"Day in, day out; your friends and family have bent over backwards all because you have the decency to protect them. Therefore, they've all gave up on saving you time and time again, so I suggest that you do us all a favor and go kill yourself so we can be a lot more happier."

I felt tears stinging my hot cheeks as I felt the fresh snow falling onto the ground. I was nothing more than a burden that should've been dead a long time ago, but I was there in this constant misery that I got myself in. By the time I was about to go back into the main house, I was hiding in the corner as I wasn't trying to get caught by any member of the Medical Corps that was on duty. I was in plain sight while not being noticed until I was caught by Dunya as she was outside on detail, for she was ready to bring me back into the infirmary wing against my wishes.

"Sam, what are you doing out of bed?" she asked.

"I was checking out the winter carnival," I said.

"In your nightclothes and slippers? You can get pneumonia for being out here for too long."

"You have other patients to tend to, don't you?"

"If you don't comply with returning back, then I'll have no choice but to alert Kazuo about this."

"Let him try… He's busy right now, but I don't want to be a burden to anyone right now."

"Wait! Get back here!"

I was running towards one of the booth as I saw it to be a tent that had a karaoke machine in it with people watching a few townsfolk singing for their supper while hearing the awful instrumental in the background. It wasn't long until I noticed Dean going up next as he was ready to sing "Wanted Dead or Alive" the moment the music started up. He was the better bet as I was hearing him getting ready to bellow out his best until he spotted me watching in the crowd.

"How's it going, Sammy?" I heard him say as he was testing the microphone in his hand. "Are you feeling a bit better after what you went through?"

"I was about to leave," I said.

"C'mon, when was the last time you actually sang karaoke?"

"I was never good at karaoke!"

"Can't you help the guy sing for his supper?" asked a Dwarf tourist as he was sitting up front.

"I would, but I don't want to be a burden right now..."

I was ready to leave as I didn't want to cause an uproar on the horizon. I didn't want to cause any trouble as I was ready to go back into the main house and sulk in the infirmary wing. Just as I was about to do so, I felt a foot clamping down my long hair as I turned around and noticed Kazuo in the audience with a sour look on his face. He didn't want me to skip the joy that was in front of me as he wasn't about to let me off the hook for very long.

"Your brother needs you," he said to me.

"You know that I can't sing that well, Kazuo," I said.

"You're afraid of tapping into what you haven't accomplished before, aren't you? Look at Dean while the one running the karaoke machine is looking for the song that he needs. He's wanting you to be there for a reason, but you decide to leave with your tail between your legs."

"He's been through enough trouble already! Everyone knows that they all gave up on me for a while now! The only way to see everyone happy is that I end myself so that I won't bother anyone anymore!"

The crowd gasped in shock as they were turning towards me. They never saw me to be suicidal before as they now knew about what I was suffering from. I was shaking as I yanked my hair from Kazuo's foot and ready to leave the tent until I saw the crowd surrounding me to go up towards the stage. I didn't want to go there and embarrass myself even further as I heard the music beginning to start the moment I was ushered next to Dean who was ready to start it off. It was all too much as I couldn't bear so much embarrassment on stage, but when I heard my older brother singing, he was much better than I was as I was just a second fiddle here.

"'I'm a cowboy...' C'mon, Sammy, work with me here!" yelled Dean as he was bellowing out that karaoke tune. "'On a steel horse I ride… I'm wanted...'"

"'Wanted..." I chimed in as I had no choice.

"'Dead or alive...'" we both sang as we were seeing the crowd cheering us on.

We were singing the rest of the song on the karaoke machine as we were keeping the crowd wanting more of what we had. Even though I was awful at singing, I had to stay the course until we heard the karaoke machine get unplugged for no reason with the music dragging slowly like the beginning of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. When Dunya caught up with me, she was determined to bring me back into the infirmary wing as she was concerned about my physical and mental health. She wasn't about to let me off the hook as she was not too happy with me for running off and out in the cold like that.

"I hate to interrupt your little song, but you should be in bed instead of being outside!" she yelled as she was not too happy with me. "You could get pneumonia for running out like that, especially when it comes to not dressing in boots for walking in the snow!"

"Tell me that you're wearing socks under those slippers…," said Dean as he was staring at me.

"No, I wasn't," I answered as I removed my slippers.

"Son-of-a-bitch..." Dean sees my feet starting to turn blue. "You're getting warm after we get into the house, you got that?"

"I can walk by myself, Dean; I'm not five anymore."

"Sam, you can't just walk alone and tell everyone that you're fine," said Dunya. "Let us escort you to the infirmary wing, alright?"

"I don't want to be a burden to anyone, alright?! I should just kill myself here and now so that you can be happier that I'm gone!"

"That's an oversized load of horse piss!" yelled Kazuo. "If you die now, then eveyone will be lost without you! They will never be able to recover from seeing you end your life like that because you're far too important for us to lose right now! As for those words that Jethro spewed out at you, they're nothing but crap in which he got a huge reprimand from Timothy before he got handcuffed and taken towards an inquiry courtesy of Central 46. You were a lot of things, but you are never a burden, you got that? Now, go back to the infirmary wing in the main house and go to bed. You're still sore from the beatdown you got from that tinhorn captain earlier, but it's not healthy for you to be running around in just your nightclothes and slippers. You have a lot to live for, Sam, so I suggest that you live it to the fullest before you fall flat, are we good?"

I reluctantly agreed as I left the tent and went back towards the main house with my soggy slippers in my hands. By the time I went back in, I walked towards the elevator as I took it upstairs to where the infirmary wing was. When I went towards the hospital room I stayed in, I tucked into the bed I was in as I felt the warmth bringing me so much comfort. The freezing air outside was kept at bay as I was staying in my hospital bed until I heard someone coming into the room. I didn't pay any attention as I was huddling up in bed for warmth, but the stigma of Jethro's words still stung in my mind.

"You've been nothing but a burden to us, so I suggest that you pick your self-inflicted death either by poison, jumping off, blade, gunshot, or any other method of killing yourself with. No one wants you around anyway, so I suggest that you crawl away in some dark hole somewhere."

I wanted to shrug it all away as I had tears in my eyes. The anguish I had in the numerous days of dealing with the squatters as I was at my limit until I began to roll off the bed. I was a mess for taking the heat as I began to cry out in both pain and sadness. I was at the end of my rope as I had so much on my hands, for I bore the bruises just to prevent Jethro from causing trouble towards my family and servants in the past four months or so. Turning around, I spotted Aelfric as he was concerned about my mental state, for he wanted to use his angelic powers to heal me from what I suffered from earlier.

"You shouldn't be shouldering the burden on your own, Sam," he said as he was concerned about my well-being. "You may have taken the heat into defending me and Marshal Calvert from Jethro's nasty attack on us, but you need to have us help you from going off the deep end."

"No, don't look at me like that," I said as I wiped the tears from my face.

"Hey, I have angel powers and I can heal you with them."

"No, you should have them… I can't pressure you to use them like that."

"When I saw you being hauled back home, you were covered in bruises from what Jethro did to you while you protected me and Timothy from the scrutiny that we would be under for rooting for my discharge from the military. I can't let myself stay trapped with what I suffer from or else I'll be a prisoner of my own folly. It's not fun, but no one is meant to be broken forever, you know. You have respect for us 'cause we're there, aren't we?"

"I don't deserve to be healed right now. All I need to do is to make sure that my family and friends are alive and safe and that's all that matters."

"If everyone mattered than you did, what will you end up with? You did help me face the terror that I suffered from when I lost my family, didn't you?"

I got up on my feet as I removed my robe and took off the top part of my white kimono. The bruises on my back were more than enough to make Aelfric angry at Jethro for causing this on me. Even though he was partly responsible for keeping me under house arrest for four months, he wasn't about to let the captain get away with what he did as he wanted the latter with the baseball bat to just disappear for the rest of his days. I didn't blame him as he was also wanting to heal the bruises that I sustained while protecting him and Timothy from Jethro's bullying.

"I'm sorry that I had to watch that asshat do that to you, Sam," he said as he placed his hands on my back. "I won't sit on the sidelines anymore! I won't let my post-traumatic stress get the better of me 'cause this abuse is dangerous! Still, I don't care what you say 'cause I wanna heal you with what I inherited so that you can get better and the abuse you suffered from shouldn't define you for the rest of your life!"

At that moment, Aelfric used his new angelic power on my back as I felt the bruises going away from my body. I was relieved, but I couldn't shake the fact that I felt the bitter sting of Jethro's menacing words beginning to cripple me as I was not doing too well right now, for I also didn't want those things that were said to me put me on a pedestal of shame anytime soon…

Jethro was facing a judging committee from Central 46 as he was shackled in handcuffs with Timothy sitting in the jury box. He was still not too happy with me relishing the freedom I enjoyed for so long as he wanted me to pay for the insubordination that I caused. The disgraced captain was eager to keep me staying put under house arrest at first, but he changed his tune as wanted me to end my life in retaliation for siding with the people who wanted to see me again. With his mother also sitting in the jury box, she wanted him to stay the course into protecting me from the very evil that would use me as a weapon as it was a crucial time to bring me into a further dark hole to hide in. With the head judge sitting on her seat, she banged her gavel as she was ready to bring out the sentence that was given to Jethro for his misconduct, for it was the last straw indeed.

"Jethro Antonio Braddock," she said to him. "You are hereby charged with two counts of assault on the same man you and your three cohorts held under house arrest for four months under false circumstances. You are also charged with contempt not to do community service in which you stowed away in a Medical Corps vehicle that was intended to bring your co-conspirator, Aelfric Gunderson, towards the ship bound for the town of Lillium on Essos. You're also charged with theft of an important discharging document and even causing insults towards Marshal Timothy Calvert and the young man who was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, which is a debilitating mental illness that is highly common in those who have a mental disorder. How do you plead in all this? Do you take responsibilities for your actions or are you defiant to do so?"

"I plead not guilty, Your Honor," he said.

The crowd in the jury box began to react angrily as they wanted Jethro to crawl away in a prison for his actions. Like his ancestor, he was in the wrong when it came to doing the right thing as it was also something that was overstepped in the time of the Elder Days. When he was ready to defend himself from the rhetoric that was thrown at him, the judging panel from Central 46 was ready to throw the book at him as they weren't having it for too long.

"You may plead not guilty, but your actions are very guilty," said the head judge.

"I only said to Sam to go and kill himself, but no one can be charged with forcing someone to do that anyway," said Jethro. "As for the insults that I hurled at Marshal Calvert and Private Gunderson, they were mutual because they were discussing the further latter's discharge from the military, which is a grave form of dishonor to our brothers and sisters who served in it."

"If being discharged from the military with a debilitating mental condition is further dishonor, then why did you tell Sam those words before you were hauled away from Piper Canyon?" said Timothy.

"I only said that to intimidate and get back at him for disobedience towards me and my mother who ran the castle just to protect him and his family from the likes of the Executive Division and others who would take advantage of him."

"Does turning away concerned citizens as well as friends and family constitute of protection? You do the math altogether! As for the beatdown that you gave Sam, he took the heat because he didn't want me or Aelfric to have our reputations get thrown under the bus. Still, he may take the heat for us, but he's got more honor than you ever have!"

"And what about you, Timmy? What about your failed courtship that ended the engagement with Gloria Barnett?" Timothy was stunned to hear that as he was reminded of the failure that he never told anyone about in public. "Did I hit a nerve, Marshal? Your father wanted you to be something other than a soldier, but you followed in his footsteps anyway. Your daddy wanted you to be a pianist like your mommy, but you were too stubborn to stay away from the path that you chose. And for that, you dated Gloria Barnett, but in the end, you chose to remain in the military over the woman who was earmarked into becoming your wife! You may have come from a military family who served in the Alecrian Army for generations, but you should've listened to your daddy instead of taking up the gun and sword while wearing a uniform!"

"Will you put a sock in it, Captain?!"

At that moment, the head judge banged the gavel as she was ready to read the verdict that was about to seal Jethro's fate. It was the final nail in the coffin that caused the disgraced captain to be unhinged as he was most likely to be sent off somewhere that no contact could get to him whatsoever. Even though Timothy felt the sting of the captain's words, he didn't want the failed engagement to Gloria Barnett get the better of him as he was ready to hear the verdict that would put Jethro on the pedestal of shame.

"Jethro Antonio Braddock," said the head judge. "You have been found guilty on all charges in which you will be stripped of your rank, discharged from the military, and sentenced to the Citadel of Silence on Cirith Ungol to reflect on your actions after what you pulled. Therefore, this inquiry is adjourned!"

With the gavel banged again, the judge panel from Central 46 left their seats as everyone in the jury box did the same. With Jethro taken away out of the courtroom, the only two people that were left sitting were Timothy and Braddock, who were both marshals and at odds with each other.

"How dare you send my son to that awful place on Cirith Ungol?!" she cried. "Have you no shame in your actions, Timothy?!"

"Your son had it coming, Meredith," he said. "He may be the worst in the Alecrian Army, but his actions towards Sam Winchester of all people crossed the line. As for Aelfric, he took part in that house arrest that you cooked up, but he's making amends just to make sure that he doesn't get pelted with paint and getting peed on."

"And what about the savior?! Jethro had to keep him under control or else he would get out of hand in all this!"

"And what about having your son telling the revered savior to kill himself and referring to him as a burden that everyone gave up on? I heard his words clearly and they aren't the type that can be taken lightly."

"He has a point, Ma," said a man as he was dressed in a red naval uniform. "Jethro was a loose cannon, but he's also the worst when it comes to dealing with those who rub him the wrong way."

Braddock saw the man in person as he was the most intriguing one who was a part of the Alecrian Naval forces. With the same hair and eyes like his mother and brother, he was a man who kept it cool under pressure as he didn't tolerate words that encourage suicide whatsoever. Still, he was concerned about the behavior of his mother's actions as they were heinous indeed, for this matter was far worse than one ever imagined.

"Wade Molloy, I presume?" said Timothy. "It seems that you have a beef against your brother's actions just like the rest of us. Before your mom married Jonas Braddock, she was married to her first husband; your father, Jacob Molloy; who was killed in a space attack many years ago."

"I'm not too happy with Ma for causing this mockery of a house arrest on a certain savior, but there are reasons that justify her actions," he said.

"At least you agree with me, don't you, son?" she said to him.

"I may agree with you to protect Sam Winchester and his family, but keeping him under house arrest for no reason? As for Jethro's actions for having him kill himself is a matter that I don't condone. I've seen and heard of people under both the Alecrian Army and Alecrian Naval Force commit suicide due to mental issues and it's a heartbreaking moment for those who are closest to anyone who were ready to 'take the easy way out.'"

"Jethro was made to intimidate him, not force him to kill himself!"

"Meredith," said Timothy. "Your son did wrong in order to attack Sam for no reason, but he has that burden to bear whether you like it or not."

"That's not quite all," said Wade. "There had been sightings of two suspicious men in different places: One with a cybernetic arm and the other in black clothing. Both are considered dangerous and caution is recommended. They're out there and so is the Executive Division in which one fears the rise of the Destiny of Worlds and the other wants to grasp the raw power that Sam has for their own lust and greed. It's not a fun job, but we can't let Sam Winchester fall victim nor become a puppet for one's amusement. They're out there and they won't stop until they win this war."

It was one hell of a pickle as everyone had to be on board with what was going on so far. The Second Galvanic Uprising may have started with General Wetzel declaring war on both the Order and the Alecrian Army, but the whole galaxy is in danger as this fight has now spread all over other planets in the Ashizoka System. The war itself was here to stay, but the impact of it all was only the tip of the iceberg to those who would manipulate the Destiny of Worlds to their own warped desires to abuse, for it was getting much worse…

The next day, I was up and alert as I was feeling better after all the trouble I was in. With the bruises on my back and legs gone, I was out of my hospital bed as I was ready to leave until I saw Kazuo entering into it. He was concerned about my health as he wasn't about to let me off the hook just yet, for he didn't want me to leave right now, for he was not convinced that I was up to full health after my folly from yesterday.

"I'm a little bit better than I was yesterday, Kazuo," I said. "There's no need to add more fuel to the fire right now."

"Dunya said that your feet turned blue in the karaoke tent yesterday," he said. "She even said that you were not doing too well with what Jethro put you through in the past four months."

"He was only there because his mother allowed him to be on the castle grounds… As for the rest of my health, I'm fine in this mess..."

"No, you're not. I heard some of the townsfolk talking about how Jethro kept attacking you all because you allowed it out of concern for the safety of Reiko and the others around the castle."

"I couldn't let them suffer, alright?" I see Kazuo dig into his medical bag as he got out a stethoscope in order to examine me. "I took the constant attacks from Jethro because I didn't want him to sully one's honor, especially Reiko's."

"You care for them too much, Sam. Therefore, you should also care for yourself to the fullest if you want to stay ahead in the game. Now, I want you to breathe deeply, you got that?"

I saw Kazuo beginning to listen to my heart and lungs as I breathed in a sharp breath until I began to cough with a raspy side effect. I felt something slide up my throat as I grabbed a tissue from the nightstand and wiped what I spat up. To my shock, I saw blood on it as I had a feeling that my moment of misery contributed to what I had, for this wasn't my day at all since I was free from my house arrest four months ago. Even Kazuo noticed it as he wasn't about to let me leave my hospital room just yet, for he didn't want me to just get up and leave with something that was more than just a simple cold.

"Your worst fear's been confirmed," he said as he took the bloody tissue from my hand and placed it into a specimen dish. "You have pneumonia, but you need to get some rest after what you've went through."

"At least you're a better comfort than the squatters," I said.

"Aelfric may have contributed to your confinement, but his reason for making amends is his own way of having him on your side in this war."

"Aelfric's supposed to go to Essos for treatment where the house in Lillium is at. His post-traumatic stress may be permanent, but he has to do more to face what is put in front of him."

"For now, he'll get the treatment that he needs, but as for you, you're not going anywhere for a while until you recover both physically and mentally. As for the verdict about Jethro, he's been given a lengthy sentence to the Citadel of Silence on Cirith Ungol for his actions on not only you, but on Timothy and Aelfric as well."

"At least he's not here squatting in this castle. As for the you and the Medical Corps, I'd rather have all of you here instead of the captain who had that baseball bat."

"Kazuo, we've got a problem!"

We heard Dunya yelling as Kazuo left my hospital room to see what the commotion was about. When I followed him out of there, I spotted several soldiers from the Alecrian Army being carted in as they were injured from battle. I had a feeling that the Second Galvanic Uprising would be more trouble than it was worth as this was just the tipping point of our worries right now…

To be continued...