Escape to Earth-Living Legends (8 page)

“I’ll have you court-martialed for this!”

“File the charges but do as you’ve been ordered, Sir.” Katy went to her desk and sat down as the two warriors stood on each side of the door. She looked at her panel and all the systems were dead. What was happening? She looked up and saw Lt. Bartolo walk in followed by Michael. She looked in his eyes and for the first time in her life felt fear grip her heart and squeeze it. A moment later, Lt. Keller was ushered into the office by the two armored warriors sent to find her. Fleet Admiral Stone stepped in behind them and closed the door.

M
ichael looked at Katy and said, “You will keep your mouth shut until I tell you to open it!! Nod if you understand!!” Katy nodded. Michael raised his wrist unit, “Stop the black out and send the recording I’m about to play in Admiral Greenwall’s office to every monitor on this base.”

Audrey walked around to stand beside Katy and inserted a data-cube in her desk reader. Katy looked at her with her eyebrows raised and Audrey shook her head. Audrey pressed the play button and a recording began with Admiral Jekins narrating it.

Katy looked at the monitor and heard Jekins say that the recording followed the two of them from the start of the battle to the conclusion. Katy watched and, after a few moments, was stunned by what she was seeing. The two ships flew through the enemy’s formations destroying black battleships in incredible numbers. They deliberately flew into the thickest enemy formations and blasted their way out. Katy looked at Bartolo and saw her looking at Jan shaking her head. She didn’t want what happened known and it appeared neither did Keller.

The recording finally ended with Josey destroying the four battleships blocking the heavy from getting off a shot. The recording then moved from the four destroyed battleships, past the heavy, to six black battleships moving in behind the heavy and preparing to fire. Jekins said, “The heavy would have been destroyed except for Lt. Janice Keller’s attack. She attacked and destroyed all six enemy ships before they could open fire on the heavy. Fleet Intelligence has confirmed twenty thousand enemy battleships destroyed by our ships participating in the attack. Lieutenants Bartolo and Keller accounted for three thousand of those. The next closest number killed by another pilot in the rest of our fleets was four ships. It was their actions that won this battle.”

• • •

Michael looked at Katy and she saw he was close to rage. “I’ve watched you abuse your authority over the years and I’ve refrained from taking action because you’ve done a good job building Fifth Fleet into a good fighting force. But now I find out that you went to another fleet and told a medal recipient how to act when she received her medal. You threatened her with cleaning latrines if she didn’t follow your instructions.

“I saved her from your insane behavior and then I learn that you have a warrior that killed more than a thousand enemy ships cleaning bathrooms in Bartolo’s place.” Michael leaned across the desk and snarled into Katy’s face, “Admiral Greenwall, you are under arrest for abusing your authority and behavior unbecoming of an Alliance Officer. You will be put in the brig in Fleet Operations until a Court-marshal can be convened to remove you from your position and imprison you for your actions!” Michael reached across the desk and ripped Katy’s two stars off her collar. He looked at two of the armored warriors, “Get this piece of crap out of my sight!”

Katy was scared speechless. She was frozen and couldn’t move. All she had ever worked to accomplish was gone. The two warriors lifted her out of her chair and walked her out of her office. Josey saw Katy’s shock and fear. Josey looked at Jan and she shook her head. This is not what they wanted. Then they were shocked into silence. “Guards, take these two and put them in the brig beside the Admiral.”

Josey started shaking her head, “What have we done to deserve this?”

Michaels face was still red from his anger, “It is what you didn’t do! Get them out of here!” Josey and Jan were taken by the arm and escorted out of the Admiral’s office. Michael looked at Audrey, “Find a replacement!” He turned and walked out of the office.

Audrey sighed and shook her head. She went behind the desk and scrolled through Katy’s contact list. She pressed a button and said, “Commodore Moony, you will be in command until a replacement for Admiral Greenwall is chosen.”

“What’s going on, Admiral?”

“That’s not your concern now. You will be notified of the charges facing Greenwall at the time of her court-marshal.” Audrey ended the call and looked around before she left the office. So much damage, so much harm, so much pain in such a short time. She walked out and knew Katy had gone too far. She expected her to eventually do it but it still bothered her that she was that stupid.

• • •

Katy arrived at Fleet Operations first and was taken to a room where she was ordered to remove her uniform and don the lime green one-piece coveralls that prisoners wore. She was led to a cell and locked in. She moved to a corner and sat against the wall holding her knees and rocking back and forth. She had lost everything! She was so stupid! She put her head down on her knees and felt her tears. Thirty minutes later, she looked up and saw Josey and Jan wearing prisoner uniforms as they walked into cells across from her. She looked at them and saw Josey yell at the guard as he walked out, “We haven’t done anything!!”

Jan looked at Josey and shook her head, “Yes we have and you know it!” Josey looked at her and threw herself on her cot. Katy walked up to the bars and said, “If it’s my fault you are arrested, I am sorry. I never intended to do anything to harm your careers.”

Josey looked up at her and snarled, “Just what did you think would happen to our so called careers with your treatment of us? What did either of us ever do to you!?”

Katy blew out a breath and looked at the floor as she shook her head. Jan looked at her, “Why did you do it?”

Katy looked at them and said, “I’ve been in love with the First Commander since our primary grades. I’ve done everything to try and get him to notice me and show me some attention but he’s rejected me at every turn.” Katy looked at Josey, “When I saw your picture and knew he was going to present your medal, I guess my paranoia about his finding someone else took me. I had to make sure no connection was made when he saw you.”

“Why would there be a connection?”

“Because, if you haven’t noticed, you are drop dead beautiful. I just let my insecurities get the better of me. When you ignored my instructions, my anger got the better of me. Now I’ve lost everything and I really have no one to blame but myself. I’m sorry for what I’ve done to you and I will testify in your defense.”

Josey fell back on her cot and Jan said, “I don’t think you’ll be able to help us.”

“Why? Why are you here?”

“Jan, don’t tell her!”

Jan looked at Josey and shook her head, “They have figured it out.” Jan looked at Katy and said, “Once the Admiral gets her legs back under her, she’ll see it as well.”

Katy’s eyebrows came together and she tilted her head, “Figure what out?”

Jan sighed, “You did watch that video?”

Katy looked at her and then started nodding, “What the two of you did isn’t possible.”

Jan looked at Josey, “See! I told you.”

“How could the two of you do those things? You’ve never done well in any of the Fleet Competitions.”

Jan sighed, “That was intentional.”

“What?”

“We made a pact that we would only do enough to not be noticed.”

“Why would you do that?”

“We did not want to be promoted to command other pilots. We agreed to do what was needed to simply remain pilots. Our efforts worked and we haven’t been noticed until Josey was caught clearing the way for that heavy.”

Katy stared at them and laughed. She fell back on her cot and had to hold her ribs. Josey looked at Jan and they shook their heads. Josey said, “What’s so funny!”

Katy fought to catch her breath and finally sat up, “Every one told me I was insane to trade Johnson and Benning for the two of you. And now you tell me you are better than they are.”

“We didn’t say that.”

“Are you better?”

Jan smiled, “We could kick their backsides six light years across space.”

Josey shook her head, “More like ten.”

Katy blew out a breath and said, “I’ve always considered myself lucky and if I hadn’t been so stupid I would have had the two best pilots in the fleet. Now, I guess my luck has run out.” Katy looked at them, “Have either of you ever been in love?” They looked at each other and then nodded. “Well, I think you know how love can make you do some pretty ridiculous things. I apologize for what I’ve done to you; you really didn’t deserve it. I was acting insane.”

“From what I saw, you lost all your chances to ever get the First Commander’s attention.”

Katy looked at Jan and nodded, “I don’t want it anymore.”

Josey’s head went back, “What? Why not?”

“He just scared me enough that I don’t want to be anywhere near him ever again. I saw his eyes and whatever I felt for him is gone. I think I finally pushed him too far.”

Josey looked at Katy, “What have you done?”

“For starters, I intimidated every girl in our classes to stay away from him all the way through graduation.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me?”

“It gets worse.” The three relived all the things Katy had done along with all the mistakes Josey and Jan made growing up. When they finally went to sleep, they knew each other in a personal way that is extremely difficult to achieve. Josey and Jan agreed that they now understood why Fifth Fleet loved their Commander. She was more than either of them thought.

• • •

Ten days later, Michael and Audrey entered the brig and Michael stared at Katy, “I have gathered the Senior Officers necessary to conduct your Court-marshal. You should choose an officer to defend you.”

Katy saw Michael was still angry. Audrey looked at her and then turned to Michael, “Sir, Fleet has received a petition from every sailor in Fifth Fleet asking that Admiral Greenwall be returned to command them.”

Michael looked at Audrey, “They don’t like how I’m treating their Admiral?” Audrey shook her head. Michael’s rage was immediate, “Notify Fleet Personnel to issue dismissal orders to everyone in that fleet. I want all of them washed out of the service.”

Katy fell to her knees in front of him, “PLEASE DON’T DO THAT!! I’LL PLEAD GUILTY TO ANYTHING YOU WANT. THEY DON’T DESERVE YOUR ANGER, IT’S MY FAULT!”

Michael looked at Katy on her knees and sneered. Audrey said, “Can you think of another time and place where someone’s rage caused them to do things they later regretted?”

Michael snapped his head up and Audrey just stared him in the eyes. Josey and Jan remained silent behind them and wished they were somewhere else. Michael finally said, “What makes you think this piece of trash is worth saving?”

Audrey looked at Jan and Josey, “Do either of you want to be transferred back to your former fleet?”

Michael turned around and looked at them. Jan looked at Josey and then turned to Audrey, “No Sir. I prefer to stay with Fifth Fleet.”

Michael was shocked. “After all she’s done to you?!”

Jan looked at Katy still on her knees and said, “It was a misunderstanding, Sir. We’ve worked it out.”

Michael looked at Katy still shaking her head. He looked at Audrey and rolled his eyes as he threw his arms up. He looked at Katy still begging him not to punish her sailors and turned to Audrey. He shook his head and said, “Fifth Fleet are your children now. Make them behave.”

Audrey nodded, “And Admiral Greenwall?”

Michael looked at Katy, shook his head, and said, “She’s part of Fifth.” He turned and walked out.

Katy looked up and then turned to Audrey, “Sir, what does this mean?”

“Admiral, you have your command back. I do hope you never do anything to draw my brother’s attention your way again.”

“Sir, I no longer want to be anywhere near your brother.”

“Stand at attention.” Katy stood up and Audrey reached in her front pocket and took out the two stars Michael had torn from her collar. She handed them to Katy and said, “Don’t disappoint me, Admiral.” Katy nodded and saluted. Audrey returned her salute and Katy looked at Jan and Josey, “When will I get my pilots back?”

Audrey shook her head, “I don’t know that you will.”

“May I keep them on my fleet rolls to use them in Fleet Competitions?”

Audrey smiled, “I suspect they won’t give you their best, Admiral.”

Katy looked at them and said, “Sir, I believe they will and I believe they are worth everything I gave up to get them.”

Audrey looked at the two Lieutenants and saw them staring at Katy. She didn’t know how Katy did it, but it was clear these two would give their all for their new Admiral. “I’ll see what I can do. However, the First Commander wishes to have a discussion with your pilots in the morning.”

Katy walked out of the cell and looked at them. She stuck her hand through the bars and shook both of their hands, “I will always have a place in my fleet for either of you. Good luck and keep me posted on what’s going on.”

Josey smiled, “Yes Sir, we will.”

Audrey walked Katy out and went with her to change out of her prison uniform. Katy stepped out of the room in an Admiral’s uniform and looked at Audrey, “You don’t have to worry about me chasing your brother. He frightens me more than I can say. I nearly lost it all and I’ve seen how he sees me now.”

“Some lessons come hard, Admiral. Go and make Fifth Fleet the best fleet in the service.”

“That I will, Sir. I know you didn’t have to do it but thank you for coming to my defense. I will never forget your kindness.” Audrey nodded and Katy walked out of Fleet Operations.

• • •

The next morning, Jan and Josey were in uniform when they were led into Michael’s office. Audrey, Josh, Jinks, and Laney were sitting along the wall in silence. They came to attention and saluted. Michael returned their salutes and said, “Sit down.” They sat down in two chairs in front of Michael’s desk and he stared at them, “Initially, I thought that Lt. Bartolo was just an extremely lucky pilot who exhibited extraordinary bravery in attacking those four battleships. After examining the recording of your two actions, there was nothing brave about it.” Michael stared at them and neither of them denied what he was saying. “As a matter of fact, both of you attacked much larger groups of enemy vessels prior to the final attack that cleared the way for the heavy to fire. Now, I want to know what you’ve done to your ships to allow you to do those things and an explanation as to why you did not share this information with us. Six thousand pilots lost their lives in that battle that might still be alive today if you had been open about what you’ve developed.”