Cadet Executive Sergeant Ann Campbell feels pleasantly tired after a session practicing basketball, which involved physical training and practicing basic shots. She can still feel the lactic acid in her veins, even after the hot shower in the locker room.
"How are you feeling?" asks Cadet Third Lieutenant Tawny Wilson, dressed in the gray cadet workman's uniform.
"Just a bit tired," answers Ann. The new coach is tough- Melissa Karn had been fired for her role in helping some of her players, including Mirage Sterling and Ayanna Harden, cheat.
"Yeah, I'm a cadet officer now.:"
"I'm now studying the basics of aerospace flight. I'm actually having lab on Friday."
"Lab, as in taking off to the sky?"
"Yes, ma'am. I get to take off from the base here. I'll have an instructor with me."
"I understand why they want to train pilots while they're still in the Academy."
The two ladies walk underneath the late afternoon sky on the grounds of the campus. A few other cadets in gray uniforms walk to their classes or their dorms or the Cadet Union, many of them carrying knapsacks with their textbooks and their laptop computers.
"How are your classes?" Ann asks Tawny.
"I have a class in military justice," answers the basketball player. "Gotta to learn everything about the court-martial system."
"I guess officers have to be familiar."
"which reminds me, I heard the old Commandant's court-marital is almost over."
"Really?" Ann's blue eyes perk up.
"Yeah, the defense rested and closing arguments are tomorrow. It's hard to believe what harm she did to us, and to our teammates."
"Did you see the schedule?" asks Ann.
Junior cadets stand at attention and Tawny waves them off.
"Yeah."
"It looks look we'll be playing against an old friend soon, right here."
ooooooo
Some spectactors, including reporters, gather inside a large room in an administration building at Joint Forces Air Field Samsun that is used for courts-martial. They murmur among themselves. They can see the trial counsel, defense counsel, defendant, and paralegals preparing.
"All rise," says an Ocean patrol petty officer first class serving as bailiff. Everyone in the room rises. "General court-martial is now in session. The Honorable Hyun Hee Seong, Commander, United Nations Ocean Patrol, presiding."
Commander Hyun Hee Seong approaches the bench, her uniform crisp."Is the United Earth Forces ready with closing arguments?" she asks.
"We are, your Honor," answers Lieutenant Commander Keith Ogilvie.
"Then you may begin, Commander."
"Sirs, ma'ams," says the trial counsel, facing the court-martial members, "I was a cadet at the United Earth Forces Academy. The first day I was there, I was taught the Honor Code. A cadet shall not lie, cheat, steal, nor tolerate those among them who do." The Honor Code is one of the oldest standing orders in the United Earth Forces. Throughout the Robotech Wars, throughout the battles to keep humanity from going out into the endless night, this Code remained in force, to mold cadets into officers that led campaigns of liberation. And no wonder. Our troops are expected to lay their lives on the line, so that is why they have to be able to trust their superior officers with no reservations. Those who established broad outlines on how to free the galaxy had to rely on their subordinate officers to carry out their goals to the best of their informed judgment, at the risk of their own lives and the lives of those under their command. And we rely on officers to administer and enforce the Articles of Discipline in a fair and impartial manner, such that our troops will lay their lives on the line for the five services without hesitation.
"When Commodore Nijjar took her post as Commandant of the Corps of Cadets of the United Earth Forces Academy, she took on the responsibility of not just enforcing and administering the Code, she took on the responsibility to teach the cadets the Code, to train them to live by the Code. The cadets- two of who testified in your presence, sirs and ma'ams- relied on her ands trusted her to provide them moral training and moral education.
"The commodore, instead, betrayed them. She and her cadre taught them to cheat and to lie, and to cover up lying and cheating. She did this all to look good, so impress her superior officers, to earn a promotion to rear admiral." Officers who lie, cheat, and steal can not be trusted with the health, safety, and welfare of our soldiers, our sailors, our airmen, our crewmen, our Space Marines. She broke the trust of her cadets and the trust of the United Nations Ocean Patrol and the United Earth Forces.
"You have heard the testimony of cadets and officers who decided to do right in the end, accepting their consequences. I trust that you will do the honorable thing, and find Commodore Nijjar guilty on all charges. Thank you."
Ogilvie sits down at the table to the right. The commodore looks at him through her eyeglasses.
"Is the defense ready?" asks the judge.
"Yes, your Honor," answers Lieutenant Roy Hunter, using his cane to support himself standing up.
"You may proceed, Lieutenant."
"Sirs and ma'ams," says the defense counsel, facing the admirals and commodores on the panel, "my esteemed colleague, Commander Ogilvie, told you a story. It's the stuff of a novel. The story of a commodore, trusted to train the next generation of officers who will lead our troops in conducting search and rescue, responding to natural and cosmic disasters, suppressing piracy, and, God forbid, fighting wars. In his story, my client was the bid bad, the villain, the mastermind. I perfectly understand if you find my fellow attorney's story to be a compelling tale, a tale of betrayal and drama, of people being faced to do the right thing, to sacrifice for their honor, the honor of the United Earth Forces Academy from which I graduated, and the United Earth Forces. It would make for very good reading Perhaps it can even be a blockbuster motion picture in theaters.
"And what did my esteemed colleague present as evidence to back up his story? That's right, the words of cheats, liars, and scoundrels, just like I told you in our opening statement. These are people who violated their oath to the United Earth Forces all for personal reasons. They admitted to cheating. They admitted to telling others to hide evidence of cheating. They admitted to helping other cadets cheat. And we are supposed to believe that they are telling the truth now?
Even if you find their testimony believable, that's not enough. We need proof beyond a reasonable doubt. If there is a reason to doubt, then you must acquit. And given that the United Earth Forces' case relies on the words of liars, cheats, scoundrels, and knaves, we have reason to doubt that these witnesses suddenly decided to tell the truth, when they engaged in a plot that relied on their lies, their lies to the leadership of the United Earth Forces, their lies to my client, and their lies to the cadets who will take the reins of the five services one day.
"Just like the cadets took an oath, you took an oath to enter judgment in accordance with the law, testimony, and evidence. After everything that has been presented, there is still reasonable doubt. Your oath requires you to find Commodore Kamini Nijjar, an officer in the Ocean Patrol with an outstanding service record, a woman who would stop at nothing to do what is best for those under her command, a woman who risked her very life to save sailors from drowning, to find her not guilty on all charges."
Hunter sits down.
"Is the United Earth Forces ready for a rebuttal argument or do you wish to waive a rebuttal?" asks Seong.
"I am ready now, ma'am," says Commander Ogilvie.
"The United Earth Forces may proceed."
"I agree with much of what my esteemed colleague here just said to you, sirs and ma'ams," says the trial counsel, facing the panel members. "Our case does rely on the words of scoundrels, knaves, liars, and cheats. If you still have any doubts, there are words from one scoundrel, one liar, one cheat, one knave, that can dispel your doubts and require you to render a guilty verdict.
"The words of Commodore Kamini Nijjar. Defense argument rebutted."
Ogilvie sits down.
Ooooooo
The basketball is passed around the players inside a gymnasium in Ohio State University. The two teams of women are dressed in red and white jerseys, respectively. The women breathe heavily and their hearts race.
A coach in sweats blows a whistle. "All right, gals," says Ami Belzer. "Time to go. I'll review your performances. Remember, it's not enough to perform individually, but perform as a team."
"Yes, ma'am," replies Mirage Sterling.
"Any plans for tonight?" asks a dark-skinned girl in a red jersey.
"No, Holli," replies Mirage. "I only have a date with some textbooks."
She once again had a practice session. The season is starting in November, which would take more time from her studies.
The basketball was not the sort to shy away from a challenge- those who had a habit of doing so never were admitted to the Academy regardless of their martial pedigree. Aside from basketball, and working early mornings in a bagel shop just a fifteen minute walk from the Ohio State campus, she is also taking aerospace flight lessons, and receiving academic credit for it.
She is vaguely aware of the court-martial of the former Commandant of the Academy cadets. Mirage had been so busy.
She once again looks at the grounds of the Ohio State campus, with the brick buildings, the trees planted next to the concrete walkway, the students in various types and colors of clothing.
She had read the schedule of upcoming games. There is one game that will be important to her.
Ooooooo
Commodore Nijjar sits at the table in the courtroom. Lieutenant Hunter had told her that the panel had reached a verdict, and they both got here on time. Commander Ogilvie is already there, sitting next to his uniformed paralegal.
"General court-martial is now in session," says the bailiff. "The Honorable Hyun Hee Seong, Commander, United Nations Ocean Patrol, presiding."
"All rise," says Commander Seong.
Everyone, include the trial counsel, defense counsel, and defendant arise.
"Has the panel reached a verdict?" continues the judge.
"We have, your Honor," answers a man with black-hair and olive complected skin, who serves as president of the court-martial. He wears white trousers and a white shirt with a ribbon rack telling the story of his service. Two golden shoulderboards are on his shoulders, each with an anchor and four stars.
"You may announce the verdict."
"We find the defendant, Commodore Kamini Nijjar, United Nations Ocean Patrol, guilty of all charges," says the admiral.
"Judgment is entered," says Seong. "The defendant will be remanded to custody of the security police in Joint Forces Air Field Samsun pending sentencing. Court-martial will recess until 0900 Monday."
"Wait, your Honor," protests the commodore. "Is confinement necessary?"
"This court has judged so, ma'am," replies Commander Seong, banging her gavel.
Two uniformed Air Force security policemen hold Nijjar, and one of them fastens handcuffs on her before taking her out through a side door.
Oooooooo
Mirage Sterling had briefly skimmed an article about Commodore Nijjar's conviction of perjury, disobeying orders, aiding and abetting disobedience of orders, and conspiracy to disobey orders.
She buries her memories and feelings about that in this present moment.
She is inside a dark room with other Ohio State students. Colored lights shine from lamps attached to the ceiling. Drinks are freely served, and a disc jockey plays music dating from the 20th century A.D..
She and the other college students know that the next morning, they will have to go on overdrive in their studies.
For now, it is mingling and dancing.