Clidepp Requital (9 page)

"Hi, guys," Caruthers said as he filled the fourth and final seat at the table.

"Hi, Pete," Sydnee said. "Where have you been? We've hardly seen you on the trip to Mars."

"Mostly I've been enjoying the comfort of my bunk and catching up on my reading. I'm really going to miss the great quarters I was assigned here. I'm not looking forward to returning to my closet-sized room aboard the
Perry
."

"I don't think you'll have to," Sydnee said. "I don't think any of us will be returning to the
Perry
."

"No? And why is that?"

"The first time I returned to the
Perry
after being on Diabolisto, I performed a slow flyby around the ship. The damage was unbelievable."

"Yeah, we had to walk the hull to assess the damage."

"Well, I believe it would cost far more to repair the
Perry
than build a new ship. If the war in Region Two was still being waged, they might have tried to repair the
Perry
because a repair would probably be quicker than a new build. Everything may not have worked aboard the
Perry
, or at least not worked properly, but it would have gotten a ship back out on patrol sooner. But now that we're at peace again, I'm betting he'll be sold for scrap rather than trying to get all his old systems up to par."

"And what about us?"

"They'll probably find some other bucket to send to our sub-sector," Weems said. "That ship's crew will get a new ship, and we'll get the clunker. Perhaps we'll get something like the
Portland
or even the
Tokyo
. I think they must be the oldest warships in service with the
Perry
gone."

"Great," Caruthers said. "We're trading one old clunker for another."

"Whatever ship we get," Sydnee said, "has to be in better shape than the
Perry
. The
Portland
and the
Tokyo
are both thirty years newer. And I'm sure the quarters are much closer in size to current standards."

"I hope you're right," MacDonald said. "And I hope we Marines can be assigned an area large enough to create a new practice range. Our range was the best thing about the
Perry
."

"I'll certainly second that," Sydnee said. "I've really missed being able to pop down there to spend a few hours working out. It was a lot more interesting and fun than jogging around a hold or working out in the weight room." A chime sounded in her left ear, causing her to hold up her hand momentarily before touching her Space Command ring and stating, "Marcola," then, after several seconds, "Acknowledged. Marcola out." To her friends, she said, "Have to go, guys. I'm to report immediately to the shuttle bay for my trip dirt-side. See you in Nebraska."

Sydnee had already packed her spacechest and two smaller cases and set them by the door of her quarters where they could be picked up for transport down to the base, but before heading for the shuttle bay she returned to her quarters to grab the duffel that contained her personal armor and weapons. It was unlikely in the extreme that the equipment would go astray during transport, but while in her personal possession, there was no likelihood at all. Besides, she had signed for everything in the duffel and would have to spend a week doing paperwork if any of it was ever lost. Then too, the clothes and personal items in the cases could be replaced easily, but she wasn't so sure about the difficulty of replacing the specialized items in the duffel.

When Sydnee reached the shuttle bay, a logistics officer checked her name on his passenger manifest and told her to go aboard and take a seat. Sydnee stowed her duffel in the cargo locker just behind the flight deck door after entering the ship and then found a seat. The ship was only half loaded, so it would be a while before they departed. At least passengers weren't required to wait outside until everyone was assembled, as was required of Marines prior to an interdiction operation.

As the shuttle filled up, Sydnee buckled her seat belt and prepared for departure. She hadn't seen anyone enter the flight deck since her arrival, so the pilot must have been on board the entire time. She was normally at the controls whenever she was in a shuttle, so it felt strange to be in the rear cabin as the pilot released the skid locks and the shuttle began to move towards the temporary airlock. She wasn't concerned for her safety because military pilots were the best trained of anyone in the flying profession, but it
felt
strange.

The flight was a non-stop to Nebraska, so they avoided having to dock at Earth Station 3 and transfer to another shuttle for the flight down to the planet. Twenty minutes after entering Earth orbit, the shuttle touched lightly down at the Nebraska Space Command Base. Most of the
Perry's
company would be housed there until their testimony at the BOI was complete and decisions were made regarding new assignments. Sydnee, her duffel slung over her shoulder, was given her room assignment by a housing officer at the shuttle pad, and she trudged off in search of the named building.

It was easy to tell they were dirt-side when she entered the quarters assigned her in the forty-story building. The suite was easily twice as large as her quarters aboard the
Babbage
, and eight times larger than her quarters aboard the
Perry
.

Rather than going out to walk about the base, she opted to relax in her large bed and think about the coming days. She had never attended a BOI, but she'd heard about them. They were reportedly quite formal, but the rules were not as rigid as that of a General Court Martial, since the goal was to learn all the facts rather than trying to determine guilt. The guilt-determination part and General Court Martials would come later, after all statements had been taken.

Following her rest, she decided to send some messages. During the past two months, she had fallen back into her regular messaging routine, so everyone was up to date with her news— at least as much as she wanted them to know. Since she was dirt-side, she could have merely called home, but she didn't want to be grilled about the upcoming BOI, so she opted to send vidMails through the military system with its imposed time limits. The first mail was to her Mom.

"Message to Kathee Deleone, Park Central Towers, New York City, USNA, Earth. Begin message.

"Hi, Momma. I just wanted to let you know I've arrived on Earth and I'm at the base in Nebraska. I'm well, and everything is fine with me. Board of Inquiry hearings begin tomorrow and my presence is required, so I won't be able to come home for a visit right away. I have no idea when the hearings will end, but I expect them to last for weeks as they piece together the story surrounding the damage to the
Perry
. I'll let you know as soon as I learn anything new. Love to you and Curtis.

"Sydnee Marcola, Lieutenant(jg), BOQ-1835, Space Command Headquarters Base, Nebraska, USNA. Message complete."

The next three messages went to her sister Sheree, her brother Sterling, and her best friend, Katarina. The message was basically the same to each of the three and merely updated her status, as had the message to her mom.

She still didn't feel either hungry or sleepy when she was done, so she pulled up her personal folder on the computer and reviewed all her notes about the
Perry
, the incident aboard the diplomatic ship, and everything concerning Diabolisto and the battle that followed her return to the
Perry
with the
Abissto
.

~ July 2
^nd
, 2285 ~

The chamber where the Board of Inquiry would convene was empty when Sydnee arrived the following morning a full half hour early. When she'd awakened that morning, she'd been so nervous that she couldn't fall back to sleep, so she bathed and dressed, then skipped breakfast to walk around the Judicial building complex before going inside and entering the hearing room.

A long table with five high-backed chairs sat on a meter-high raised platform at the front of an austere room devoid of any decoration, while a small table with just one normal office chair occupied an area off to the right side of the room. A table long enough to accommodate ten office-style chairs sat facing the front of the room. Each of the sixteen places had a microphone on the table in front of the chair.

"You're not supposed to be in here, Lieutenant," she heard from behind. Sydnee turned and saw a Lieutenant entering the chamber. She wore a JAG insignia on her collar.

"I was told to report here by 0800."

"Witnesses to be deposed should wait in the appropriate witness waiting area until called. Go back out into the antechamber, turn left, and the witness waiting room for officers is the next door. The waiting room on the other side is for enlisted personnel. Both entrances are marked."

"Oh, I see. I'll be in the witness waiting room then."

As she exited the chamber, Captain Lidden and Commander Bryant were just arriving. Sydnee came to a halt and saluted.

"Good morning, Lieutenant," Lidden said as he returned her salute.

"Good morning, sir."

"Have the sessions begun early?"

"Um, no sir. The only one in the hearing chamber is a lieutenant from JAG. She told me to wait in the witness waiting room until called." Sydnee pointed to the door.

"Then I guess we should all wait there," he said as he moved towards the door.

The waiting room was enormous and had a couple of dozen chairs in small clusters about the room, in addition to a long table with about a dozen chairs where witnesses could work as they waited. Against a side wall there was a large coffee urn and another with brewed tea, plus a large rack of cups. There was also a refrigeration unit with soft drinks.

Captain Lidden selected a chair in one of the informal clusters, sat down, then pulled out a viewpad and began scanning through documents. Commander Bryant sat down next to him. Sydnee, unsure if she should sit close to the Captain or not, selected a chair in the same cluster but across from the Captain and the Commander.

As they sat there in silence, waiting for the proceedings to begin, Sydnee wanted desperately to pump her captain for answers about the future. But she supposed that, at this point at least, he didn't know much more than she did. He was probably just as concerned for his future as she was for hers. A ship's captain couldn't control every crewmember's actions, but in the military they were almost expected to do exactly that, or have a well-documented explanation— usually referred to as 'a damn good reason'— for why they didn't or couldn't.

"Sydnee?" Lidden said a few minutes before 0800.

"Yes, sir?"

Holding out a viewpad to her he said, "Here's a summary of the issues the Board will be investigating."

Sydnee accepted the viewpad and read the displayed text.

1) That Lieutenant(jg) Sydnee Marie Marcola, a member of a security complement from the
Perry
who boarded the
Darrapralis
, a diplomatic ship, with the stated purpose of verifying diplomatic credentials, did, without orders or permission, perpetrate an aggressive act against citizens of a neutral nation while aboard said ship,

2) That the
Perry
, while trying to commandeer a destroyer, the
Glassama
, stolen from a neighboring nation by rebel forces, did collide with said ship,

3) That a Marine officer, First Lieutenant Everett William Kennedy, posted to the
Perry
, against orders, led a raid against rebel forces from a neighboring nation who had established a base on the planet Diabolisto, which is clearly situated in Galactic Alliance territory. Said raid was responsible for the deaths of several rebels while the Marine force attempted to destroy armament stolen from the Clidepp Empire,

4) That Lt. Marcola did assume command of the Marine platoon after the platoon's commanding officer, First Lt. Kennedy, was killed in battle by rebels on Diabolisto. Lt.(jg) Marcola then led the Marine platoon into close combat against said forces, killing some sixty-three rebel fighters and losing two Marines,

5) That Lt.(jg) Marcola did then lead an assault against the rebel encampment and commandeer a stolen Clidepp Empire tug after killing the senior rebel military officer present,

6) That the
Perry
, under the command of Captain Anthony Frederick Lidden, did attack the Clidepp destroyer with which it had collided and was almost destroyed itself in the process,

7) That Lt.(jg) Marcola, assisted by several other officers from the
Perry
and the Marine platoon she had been commanding, did commandeer a stolen Clidepp destroyer, the
Abissto
, and engage the rebels trying to destroy the
Perry
,

8) That during the battle with the
Glassama
, the
Abissto
, under the command of Lt.(jg) Marcola, did fire upon and destroy a freighter, the
Furmmara
, after said freighter fired upon the
Abissto
,

9) That Lt.(jg) Marcola did finally ram the
Abissto
into the
Glassama
, destroying both ships, and

10) While returning to Earth aboard the
Babbage
, Lt.(jg) Marcola, commanding the platoon she had commanded on Diabolisto and in the
Abissto
, did suppress an insurrection by rebel prisoners who had taken a Marine squad and several medical personnel prisoner.

"They make everything sound terrible, sir," Sydnee said when she had finished and handed the viewpad back.

"Oh, it's not so bad. It's just legalese. We'll get a better picture when we see how the JAG officer addresses us."

At precisely 0800, the JAG lieutenant emerged from a side door into the hearing chamber and bid Captain Lidden to enter. Lidden stood up, straightened his uniform, turned his head slightly so the JAG officer couldn't see his action, and winked at Sydnee. Sydnee, just as clandestinely, smiled slightly.

When the doors closed behind Lidden, Sydnee and Commander Bryant were left alone in the antechamber. Bryant didn't seem predisposed towards conversation. His career was riding on this almost as much as Lidden's, although Lidden would take the brunt of it if the Board decided to come down heavy on them.