First Command (41 page)

      
Kelly had his people relax in the shadow beneath the Vigilant.
 
Mary filed hers back inside the AS-500.
 
Kelly considered moving his crew back into the cooled Vigilant, but the Ascetics started marching onto the field.
 
Kelly checked his pocket terminal and saw they were only 30 minutes away from the start.
 
He told Chief B to fall them in on their positions at 15 minutes out.

      
He watched the Ascetics march in long battalion formations onto the field in their camouflage uniforms, with their traditional white tunic surmounted by a red cross.
 
Surprisingly, at the end of their formation was a mobile air and space defense battalion floating onto the field mounted on their hover carriers.
 
Kelly didn’t know where this equipment had been.
 
His sensors hadn’t found them.
 
These combined missile and hypervelocity plasma gun systems would prove useful and effective if the K’Rang penetrated all the way to Barataria.
 
Kelly was just glad they were hidden away while he was merrily skipping across the atmosphere.
 
He would have to ask one of the Ascetics where they had been stored.

      
Chief Blankenship formed up the ship’s company and marched them into position to the left of the reviewing stand.
 
No one would mistake them for a drill team, but the crew was obviously doing their best.
 
Their turning movements were crisp, they were in step, and they all halted at the same time.
 
On the opposite side of the reviewing stand, Mary marched her company to their places and halted them precisely on their marks.

      
With the last of the troops positioned, Mr. Delvane stepped up to the podium.
 
Kelly and Mary hurried to their seats.
 
Kelly was to the immediate left of the Admiral.
 
Mary took her place two chairs further down.
 
A pocket terminal with the sequence of events on the screen had been placed on every seat.

      
Mr. Delvane welcomed all visitors and dignitaries to the surrender ceremony.
 
He enjoined all to see this as the evolution of Barataria from a non-aligned world to a member planet in the Galactic Republic.
 
The large number of former captives in the crowd cheered loudly.

      
The announcer called attention to the sky as the six remaining torpedo ship squadrons made a fly over of the ceremony in four-ship formations.
 
They were followed across the sky by twelve Undefeated-class cutters in single file.

* * * * *

      
Friedrich Debran had also been invited to the ceremony.
 
He and his family sat on the opposite side of the platform from the admiral and Kelly.
 
Julia Debran, seated next to him, was bored and wished she could be anywhere but in this folding chair in the hot sun, watching a bunch of fancily dressed soldiers marching around.
 
She didn’t understand why they hadn’t already signed the papers and been done with it without all this pomp and circumstances.

      
As the first torpedo squadron made its way across the sky and all eyes were looking up, her supplied pocket terminal buzzed.
 
Julia looked down, expecting it to say something about the squadron, but instead she saw the following:

      
“Do you still want to divorce your husband?
 
If yes, press Continue.
 
Thorson.”

      
She couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
 
She looked around and all eyes were still looking skyward.
 
She pushed Continue on the screen.

      
“Do you wish a traditional divorce with 50% community property settlement or a no fault divorce with no settlement?
 
Push A for traditional.
 
Push B for no fault.”

      
She pushed A and another screen appeared.
 

      
“That option is not available at this time.
 
Press return for another option.”

      
She laughed, pressed return, and chose option B.
 
Another screen came up.

      
“Are you Julia Halscomb Debran?
 
Press yes or no.”

      
She pressed yes and that screen was replaced as yet another screen appeared.

      
“Are you currently married to Friedrich Rainer Debran resulting from a civil ceremony conducted on Rigel Station on 2295.08.03?”

      
She wondered where this was going and how long it would take.
 
The aircraft had almost all passed over the parade field.
 
She pressed yes and yet another screen appeared.

      
“Do you renounce your GR citizenship in favor of Baratarian citizenship?
      
Press yes or no.
 
(Do not worry.
 
Your GR citizenship will be restored in a month’s time when our request to join the Galactic Republic is approved.)”

      
Julia pressed yes and the screen changed one last time.

      
“In accordance with the Captains’ Court of Barataria, your request for summary divorce is granted.
 
Congratulations, this is a perfectly legal and proper divorce recognizable in any GR court.
 
It is in accordance with Baratarian law, which will be recognized as legitimate by the GR representatives when they thumb the surrender document.
 
Keep this to yourself until you hear from me personally.
 
Thorson.”

      
Her screen returned to the ceremony’s sequence of events.
 
Julia did not know what to make of this.
 
She prayed it was not some joke or trick by Friedrich.
 
Her heart was buoyed by the thought it might be real.
 
She looked at the ceremony with a renewed interest.
 
The music playing as the Ascetics passed in review actually had her toes tapping to the beat.

      
The next to final event of the ceremony was a fly over by all 48 fighters and attack ships from the Assault Landing Carrier Golden Eagle.
 
Then Steven Maynard and Admiral Minacci jointly thumbed the surrender documents.
 
The final event was a prayer by the Bishop-Commander of the Ascetic Brigade.
 
It asked for repose of the souls of those lost in the recent battle and for peace to reign over Barataria.

      
After the prayer, he gave the command to his unit to return to their barracks.
 
That was the cue for Mary’s Marines and Kelly’s crew to retire from the field.
 
In crisp military fashion, both units marched away from the reviewing stand and onto either the AS-500 or the Vigilant.
 

      
Refreshments were served in a large tent immediately behind the reviewing stand.
 
Kelly followed the Admiral into the tent to get a pirate’s idea of refreshments.
 
Rum punches, brandy, port, and clarets were free and freely served.
 
Kelly watched his alcohol intake to maintain a clear head, and was rewarded with the rare occasion of Mr. Debran getting his own back.
 
Debran was in a conversation circle with Maynard, the admiral, and Kelly.
 
Debran’s wife and daughters were making their way down a buffet table.
 
Ambassador Thorson came up to Mr. Maynard and whispered something in his ear.

      
Mr. Maynard looked over at Mr. Debran and said, “Friedrich, remember earlier when I said that I’m not a fool either?
 
Do you know what those two survey ships you sent to the yellow sun systems will find when they arrive?
 
They will find registered survey marker satellites specifying that Barataria legally claims those systems.
 
Why don’t you call your Mr. Delphant and recall them so they don’t waste any more of your credits and time than they already have?”

      
Debran was furious to have been caught in a subterfuge and called out on it in public.
 
He yelled for his wife and daughters to come along that they were leaving.
 
His wife was talking to the ambassador and did not hear him.
 
Debran rushed over, reached out, and grabbed Julia roughly by the wrist and started pulling her along.
 
The next thing he knew was that he was in the air and crashing onto the hard turf floor under the tent.
 
Julia had just executed a perfect hip throw on Friedrich.

      
She stood over him, yelling, “Don’t you ever touch me again!”

      
He stood up, dusted himself off, and spoke coldly to her, “You are still my wife.
 
You will do as I tell you and that goes for those slut daughters of yours as well.”

      
Julia reared back and punched him square dead on the nose.
 
Debran wound up on the ground again.
 

      
As he picked himself up off the ground again, a small man walked up to Debran and asked him if he was Friedrich Rainer Debran.
 
Friedrich, already in a foul mood, pulled a handkerchief from his pocket to staunch his nosebleed, turned on the man and said, “Of course I am, you idiot!
 
What do you want?”

      
He handed Debran a small packet of paper and said, “Sir, you have been served.”

      
Debran, confused, asked, “Served?
 
Served with what?”

      
“Why, your divorce decree, of course.”

      
Friedrich looked at the man as if the man had just been hatched.

      
“What are you talking about?
 
I didn’t ask for any divorce proceedings.”

      
“No, sir, Mrs. Debran…excuse me, Ms. Halscomb requested a divorce and that divorce was granted by the Captains’ Court of Barataria this afternoon.”

      
Debran built up into a full rage and shouted at the small man, “Whom do you think you are dealing with, little man?
 
I will have that divorce issued by your kangaroo court overturned before the sun sets.”

      
The little man advanced on Debran, causing him to take an involuntary step back.

      
“I am Emilio Rondage, senior partner of the law firm Rondage and Jompe.
 
Ask your legal advisers if they want to tangle with me in court, any court, even those you’ve bought in the Rigel system.
 
This divorce is absolutely legal and the GR Fleet can testify to it.
 
One of the codicils of the Surrender Agreement was that GR courts would uphold decisions handed down by Baratarian Courts before the surrender document was signed, as long as they did not violate GR law.
 
This divorce is legally binding.”

      
Debran did not know what to do.
 
He had never been treated this way.
 
He looked around for sympathy from the crowd and found none.
 
He turned and stomped away.
 
Julia would never see him again.

      
Thorson stood beside her and said, “Ms. Halscomb, I know this is sudden, but would you do me the honor of being my wife?”

      
She smiled and said, “Mr. Thorson, wait, is Thorson your last name or first name?”

      
Thorson smiled back and said, “It’s my last name.
 
I am Francis Jesse Thorson.”

      
“Well, Francis, I would love to be Mrs. Francis Jesse Thorson.”

      
Thorson picked her up and twirled her around to applause from the assembled dignitaries.

      
When he let her down, he said, “Rondage has sufficient evidence of Debran’s corruption of the Rigel legal system that he can argue in GR court that Debran made it impossible for you to get a fair divorce trial in the Rigelian courts.
 
He thinks he can get you a 50% settlement anyway.
 
That’s enough about that.
 
Where do you want to get married and honeymoon?”

      
She smiled and asked, “We can worry about that later.
 
Do you think you can get my ship back before it is stripped?”

      
Thorson smiled.
 
Yes, he thought he could do that.

* * * * *

      
Irina Bugarov was in the crowd that day.
 
She was on the opposite side of the field and hoped to reach the scout ship and AS-500 across the massive parade field, but there were too many people and too many Ascetics providing crowd control to get over there.
 
She and Terri found a shady spot on the hillside and sat down to watch the show.
 
She and Terri had dropped the tired old women disguises and cleaned up.
 
They got more than a few admiring glances, especially Terri.