"Do any of you have anything to add?" said the Investigating officer, a high-ranking official whose collar was so high it looked as though the blood wasn't getting to his brain. Tired, weary and ready for the grave, the surviving eight members of an elite unit shook their heads. "Your performance has been nothing short of heroic. There will be commendations for this." He turned to leave and we began to get up out of the hard plastic seats. "But first, the Avalon will be circumnavigating the enemy fleet on a course for Fortress 12 on Gilead where you will be re-deployed."
"Excuse me, sir. Re-deployed?" Burns said. "Surely..."
"The trip will take at least three weeks. Use this time to rest and recuperate. You've earned it." Before another word could be said, the Officer turned and left the room.
"We're being re-deployed?" Phillips spat, slamming his fist onto the table. "After all that!" Brand slumped into her seat, Green began to laugh and Walker crossed his arms angrily, throwing his legs up onto the table.
"You'd think we'd been on holiday down there," said Tekoa. "The way he said 'you've earned it' he sounded like we'd mowed his lawn for him!"
"Don't lose perspective, people. There's still a war on, regardless of how fatigued we are and while we're sunning it up on the UV deck, innocent people are still dying out there. There are six more planets in the Zion group - only one of which is garrisoned and that's where we're heading. I've no doubt that Command wants the other five equally fortified before we figure out what ARC plan on doing next."
"What did they say about the DNA evidence we discovered?" I asked. It hadn't been covered in the briefing.
"Nothing yet. Their lab boys back on Earth will be working on that one."
"Three weeks," Green sighed. "What about the Dothon troops we evacuated? Some wanted to sign up."
"They'll receive basic training on Gilead, but I doubt we'll see them again. They'll be divided up where they’re needed most."
"Some of them fought like they didn't need training," Walker added.
"What about the rest of the civilians?" I asked.
"Any that don't want to fight will be shipped out from Gilead, probably back to the safest planet in range. Some have opted to join the medical corps, others the Chaplaincy." Brand gave a whistle in my direction. "Now this bit doesn't leave the room." Everybody nodded in agreement. "What transpired regarding the POW, you will have noticed, was omitted from the briefing."
"I was wondering," said Tekoa.
"Well, the good people of Sidon deserve not to have their name tarnished by the acts of one crazed zealot. What happened down there died down there. Are we clear?"
"Yes sir," said Phillips.
"Sir," Green.
"Crystal," Walker.
"No problem," Brand. A nod from Wulfgar and Tekoa.
"War is ugly. War is the most basic form of conflict in the human race and it has more than death as its casualties. These people came here to have a peaceful, god-fearing life and ARC destroyed that. But that still doesn't justify what we saw down there. We just can't afford to lower ourselves to their level of cruelty or the crux of this war will be undermined.
We all got up to leave. "Three weeks and I want you ready to get back out there. Dismissed."
*
I saw Rebecca Frakes as she was heading towards the Medical bay, but I held back. One of the orderlies told me that she was one of thirty from Dothon who had signed up for the Medical Corps, under the name 'Rebecca Walters'. The disgrace of her Father's actions must have been too hard to carry round. I never saw her again.
*
In the small but inviting bar on board the Avalon, a slender bottle of clear fluid was the only thing on the bar between me and Burns and he reached over to charge his glass.
"Did you get anywhere with that name I gave you?" I asked, taking a sip from my own. It was a strong, bitter spirit from one of the outer colonies, made from a native vegetable.
"Yes. He's using the name 'David Silverman'. He was evacuated from Micah just before the invasion on Sidon."
"Evacuated where?"
"Take your pick. Absalom is the nearest, then Salem and finally Benjamin. All three are home to refugees who refuse the ride back to Earth."
"He wanted to stay?"
"Apparently. Felt his mission was more important than his own life. Perhaps Gilead will have more info' for you." He drained his glass and then filled both. I took a mouthful and winced. At least it wasn't as painful as the leg.
I thought about Titus. I'd not seen his name on the evac list.
"What happened to Titus?" I asked, emptying my glass and pouring another.
"Staring down an ARC tank with a pistol and a grenade. He insisted that we escape while he drew the enemy away from our position. Hell, we wouldn't be talking now if it hadn't been for Eric Titus."
"A hero's death then."
"He knew what he'd face when he returned. A court marshal. A firing squad."
"You know,” I said. "I didn't have a clue. I knew about the Iliad, every foot slogger did. But I didn't know whole story."
"I was a Sergeant back then. I was on board the Iliad on that day when the order came through. I've never seen a man so scared in all my life. He knew what would happen if he shot it down. He knew that even though Command would cover it up, he'd have to live with the guilt. But I guess at the time his career meant more than the lives of a few survivors."
"So he'd been ordered to shoot it down?"
"Certainly. It was Command's way of weeding out the soft element of its Navy elite. He knew that, but I guess his youth went against him. All career and proud parents. Then one day, a few years later he finds the man who gave the order and puts a slug between his eyes. Escapes on a cargo vessel bound for Zion." I held up my glass and we clinked them together, sharing a silence for the dead.
“What's next then?” I asked. “I'm still under the M.O so my remit allows me to attach and detach myself to any unit I choose.”
“John, I'm touched. You want to hang around a bit longer and see how it's done eh?” laughed Dan.
“Well I figure my best chances of carrying out my mission, official and unofficial, is to stick around. Might even get a few more medals for my trouble.”
“You're all heart.” He stared into his glass and lost himself in thought. “Back on Sidon, in that farm house...”
“It's ok. Forget it.”
“I won't. That's all I'm saying.”
“Good. That's all I'm hearing.”
*
The drop ship touched down on the busy flight pad of Fortress Serenity at 06:00 hours just as the sun crested the horizon. The winter planet of Gilead was none the warmer for it.
We stepped off the ramp onto the heavily compacted snow and was met by the Fortress Commander dressed in full battle gear and wearing a thick fur lined camo cloak. One eye was missing and half his scalp was battle scarred.
“Welcome to the freezer boys and girls. Grab your gear and get to positions – reports are fresh in saying we've got an invasion fleet on its way. Wouldn't want our friends to be kept waiting now would we?
Soul at War Page 12