Naero's War: The Citation Series 2: The High Crusade

by Mason Elliott

  They marched slowly, and followed Jonny into the enormous hold where personnel prepared the honored Marine dead for their burials, after a wake upon the third day.

  They carried Jonny Fox forward and within and Naero walked slowly before them, drawing her energy cutlass and saluting as she called out with the voice.

  Let the trumpets sound into the Beyond and let it it be known for all to hear. A great and good warrior prince–Jonny Fox–goes forth, upon the next journey. Let his Fearless eyes be clear and give strength to his sword arm. Let him stand tall and valiant and walk with pride and highest honor. Let him be welcomed by the blood of all his mighty kin who have gone before him, taken into their arms, and kissed and embraced by his Spacer, Marine, and lander sisters and brothers. Ooh-rah!

  “Ooh-rah!” hundreds of Marines shouted.

  Shetanna and Company 36 knelt for a deep moment of silence. Then 36 took their leave and then returned to their dropship quarters, even as the celebration at the terrible war’s end began to spread on the last liberated world below them.

  Naero and Pete helped Chime gather her cousin’s things.

  Chime wept the entire time, tears simply raining down from her eyes.

  Naero and Pete both held her, and tried to comfort her as best they could.

  “I guess it’s just me and greatgran, now,” Chime said. She sighed deeply. Then she broke down sobbing again. “How am I going to tell her? I know she just put up with me; Jonny was always her favorite.”

  Pete took both of Chime’s hands and covered them with kisses. “The war is over, Chime. We’re done with all of this. Wherever you go, I’m going with you. You’d better get used to that.”

  Naero smiled sadly. “You know, at the end, all Jonny could think about was protecting you two. He was so worried that something was going to happen to one of you. He never even thought about himself. In the end, he saved all of us. We could have never survived those fusion blasts up close. Jonny saved me, you two, our Marine brothers and sisters, and all of those scores of kids who are still alive because of what he did. He did it for all of us. And he never hesitated one bit. He just did it.”

  Chime bent her face into her hands. “Oh, Jonny!” she wailed.

  Naero hugged her. “Jonny didn’t want to die, Chime. I saw him at the last. He was trying to break free and get away. He wanted to live. There just wasn’t enough time for him to do so. That’s all. He loved all of us. He loved us so much.”

  Chime wiped her eyes and sniffed, looking up at Pete. “We’re getting married. And we are going to have a son. And I don’t give a damn about tradition. We’re naming him Jonny–Jonny Fox. And he’s going to carry my family name, damn it!”

  Pete smiled and pulled her close, stroking her hair as she leaned against him and broke down again. “Our son can take any name you give him, honey. And he will bear such a name as that with pride and honor for all of his days.”

  Naero still couldn’t believe it was truly all over, and the final terrible price they had paid. She hugged her own knees and buried her face down in them.

  36 remained somber. They rested and kept to themselves, as if they were all in some kind of shock. But while many around them rejoiced, they did not celebrate anything until Jonny Fox’s wake came around on the third day.

  With her own funds, Naero purchased a small merchant ship, and registered it in Jonny Fox’s name. She even had it named and christened The Green Fox with a big bottle of Jett, just the way Jonny had wanted his own ship to be named.

  When Jonny Fox went into the sun and returned to the stars, he would take his own ship with him, on into the next journey.

  They partied and got drunk that night at the wake in Jonny’s honor.

  The following morning, The Green Fox awaited her captain on board.

  General Big Jim Walker, that giant of a man, stood beside Major Ivana Luna, and MCL Captain Naero Amashin Maeris on his left. Naero was in her role as Shetanna, the Dark Angel of Death of Bravo Command, as all turned out that third day.

  Chime Fox stood in the place of honor on the General’s immediate right, his mighty hand upon her shoulder, holding her close to him. She cried but stood tall and ramrod straight and still.

  Shetanna also wept openly, as was her want, as Jonny Fox’s gleaming Marine casket, decorated with all of his high honors, was loaded into his own starship. Om had programmed it to lead the last sortie of the last batch of victorious Marine dead from the High Crusade into the nearest star, and on toward the next journey.

  For a few nights thereafter, Naero and her Marine brothers and sisters knew rest, and ease, enjoying the accolades of all the grateful worlds and countless innocent peoples and sentients that they had rescued and protected.

  Everyone on those worlds knew very well whom they owed their lives to. The very next day, Naero and many Spacer forces raced off to save the Spacer Mystic Homeworlds and what came thereafter.

  Yet the worlds that Shetanna and the fearless Marines of Bravo Command rescued from the Ejjai invaders would never forget them, or their great sacrifice and valor.

  The legends of the courageous and undefeated ghost warriors of Bravo Command continued to grow and spread and would be told again and again among Spacers, and upon many a lander world. And now those expanding legends were forever joined and entwined with tales of the Amazing Shetanna, Bravo Command’s very own mysterious, and fearsome: Dark Angel of Death. She often went before them into battle, striking fear in every enemy heart, helping lead all of humanity to total victory, throughout the course of The High Crusade.

  The End

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  Please enjoy this teaser for The Citation Series, Book 3:

  Amazon link for presale: http://amzn.to/1oaMNE3

  Release date: Tuesday, December 9th, 2014

  Naero’s

  War:

  Naero’s

  Trial

  Amazon link for presale: http://amzn.to/1oaMNE3

  Release date: Tuesday, December 9th, 2014

  by Mason Elliott

  On the third day of Naero’s trial, the Prosecution and the Defense made their final, closing statements.

  Master Jo spoke first, for the Defense.

  “In the final analysis, I would both conclude and insist that Naero Amashin Maeris has proven herself time and time again to be an honorable Spacer, and that her word is without question. She is also vital to the survival of her people in many important ways. Naero Amashin Maeris is a noble, invaluable warrior and a proven leader who has served the Clans and the Alliance well, in both peacetime and war. A Mystic Champion who is now part of the great and mysterious Cosmic Prophecy, long foretold. There is still so little that we do not know about those prophecies; who can say what her role will be in the end?”

  Master Jo paced a bit. “And on a very basic level, she is a Spacer. As such, she has the right of all Spacers and all sentients to defend herself, to the death, against anyone who attempts to kill her. Reluctantly, she only resorted to lethal force when High Master Vane attacked her with the intent to destroy her, and take her life. Even after she had tried to get away from him, and begged him repeatedly not to attack her.

  “She cannot not be convicted of murder for defending her own life against someone trying to kill her. Those are all many good reasons why you must see fit to exonerate her of these erroneous charges. We cannot take the life of this hero.”

  The Defense finally rested.

  Master Tree was given the final word in the trial for the prosecution.

  “Hero? First, let me also revisit the reckless side of this renegade, outlaw Spacer, who fled from justice and had to be brought back by force to face her crimes in shackles, in order to keep her from getting away once again. On several occasions, Naero Amashin Maeris has proven herself to be dangerous, unpredictable, and out of control. By her own words, she has more than once declared that if she ever lost control and became a threat to any of her people, that she herself agreed that she should be put down–and destroyed.

  “The cold blooded murder of a High Mystic Master has not demonstrated this fact readily enough? Beyond all doubt? If she can slay a High Master of the Mystics so easily, how much more is she a danger to all? And she even admits that she cannot control her abilities. Her very existence has become such a clear and present threat that it cannot be ignored and must be dealt with. I repeat, she has admitted on several occasions that her powers can go out of control and be very dangerous.

  “Next, she also clearly admits that she killed Master Vane. Now, of her own accord, she claims that she killed him in self defense. But she has thus far presented no single shred of proof of that. She claims that Master Vane attacked her, attempted to kill her, and that she killed him, as she now conveniently claims–in so-called self defense. And I remind everyone in this court, once again. It does not matter who she is, what she is, or whatever else she has done. No one is above Spacer Law.

  “Not even the infamous, Naero Amashin Maeris.”

  Tree took in a breath and clasped his hands behind his back. “What are the facts, therefore? A High Mystic Master lies dead, murdered by his own student, who openly stated that she could not stand him. Who openly admitted that she killed him. Nothing else can be proven, beyond those facts. Nothing else exists as fact. And this case must only be decided, based solely upon the facts. Nothing else.

  “A Spacer on trial for her life could readily claim and say anything. Merely stating something does not make it true. That does not prove it to be fact. According to the facts of what is known, Naero Amashin Maeris is clearly guilty of murder, and will undoubtedly say and do anything possible in order to get away with her crime. As anyone logically would, in order to escape punishment, justice, and execution.”

  Naero fumed. Haisha! What the hell did they expect her to say? Yes, I offed the asshole, I loved it, and I’m a fricking monster. Go ahead and kill me?

  I wish that weren’t so painfully funny, Naero.

  Me too, Om.

  Master Tree went on to demand that the jury uphold one of the key tenets of Spacer Law and Spacer society:

  “Spacers do not murder other Spacers and take their lives! Naero Amashin Maeris is not above that law. Naero Amashin Maeris broke that solemn law. And like it or not, the law demands justice. There is no way around that law and no way to escape it. That law demands that she face the ultimate punishment for her being guilty of committing the ultimate crime!”

  Tree emphasized his final point with a single, upraised index finger. “That punishment is immediate Death, by execution. To be carried out by beheading, at the hands and the blade of the Mystic Enforcer!”

  The Prosecution rested its case.

  Admiral Klyne looked slightly pale as he instructed the jury of Mystic Elders to decide the case and announce their decision after their period of deliberation.

  Naero went back to her cell in silence feeling sick, unable to meet Khai’s utterly heartbroken glance. She felt stunned and numb. She didn’t know what to think. All that she could do was await the jury’s decision, along with everyone else.

  Yet it was her fate alone that was being decided.

  But when she thought about it further it wasn’t just her fate.

  Everyone waited for eight long hours.

  Naero could neither rest nor sleep.

  Then everyone was summoned back to the court room.

  A decision had been made. The jury had arrived at a verdict in her case.

  Admiral Klyne announced, “All rise for the verdict to be read.”

  They did so.

  The jury leader stood up and read their decision.

  “According to Spacer Law, and based upon all of the facts and evidence presented, we the jury find the defendant, Naero Amashin Maeris, of Clan Maeris…guilty of murder in the death of another Spacer.”

  Naero gasped, nailed to the bedrock of the planet itself in almost complete shock.

  Guilty meant…

  Master Tree rose up. “This Mystic trial has ended; it is over. A verdict has been reached. Without question, this grim crime is punishable among our people by death. Under the circumstances, the sentence is to be carried out immediately and without delay.”

  Naero, I can–

  Shut up, Om.

  Naero gasped and covered her mouth with both hands as she sobbed and went down on one knee.

  Then she dropped her hands to her abdomen and her eyes met Khai’s in explosive waves of desperate horror and regret.

  Their child from their love within that distant star barely grew within her. Now, no time remained to tell Khai all that she needed to before he performed his duty as the Mystic Enforcer.

  Before he took her head…ended her life, and the lives of his own family.

  Naero Amashin Maeris clenched her fists, and rose up with her head held high to meet her fate with her eyes clear and wide open, if that was what must be.

  Amazon Presale Link for Naero’s Trial: http://amzn.to/1oaMNE3

  Release date: Tuesday, December 9th, 2014

  SF Author Mason Elliott’s Contact Information

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  About the Author

  Mason Elliott grew up loving Science Fiction and Fantasy in all of their myriad forms. That love has transferred into his dedicated writing. Like most writers, he lives a spartan lifestyle and yearns to devote his life even more to his writing, and someday retire on the Pacific Coast. So be a fan, buy his stuff, and enjoy!

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  Mason’s Acknowledgements

  I love writing the Naero books. She is a wonderful and fascinating character. I am so please to be able to continue writing this series, and let me assure you, I have many more Naero books planned. First, let me always praise my friends and helpmates at High Mark Publishing SF.