//------------------------------// // Chapter 55 // Story: Hegira: Eternal Delta // by Guardian_Gryphon //------------------------------// Earth Calendar: 2117 Equestrian Calendar: 15 AC (After Contact) April 7th, Gregorian Calendar The inky black water of the Caribbean lapped against the side of the Retribution like an oil slick. The peace of night's dark shroud was intermittently pierced by the whine of servos and hydraulic rams, as a series of cranes carefully maneuvered their precious cargo into the Retribution's open rear bays. Mr. Utah stood at the end of the pier, finishing the last cigarette of his pack with care, to ensure he savored every last inch of the paper wrapped substance. As he watched his men work under the dim illumination of black-out lamps, the Retribution's captain approached from the nearest gangway. The man held up a small DaTab, and gestured. "Sir? You have a communique." Mr. Utah nodded, and took the DaTab in his free hand, pressing the un-mute key with a thumb as he removed his cigarette. "Speak." Minos' voice emanated from the device, slightly garbled by the low quality encoding necessitated by heavy encryption. "We expect to arrive at the rendezvous point by late morning." Mr. Utah nodded, and took another draw on his cigarette before responding. "We will arrive by zero nine hundred. Attack to commence at thirteen hundred. Your ship is prepared?" Minos' voice seemed slightly recalcitrant, but it was nonetheless firm. "We are fully armed and ready. You are positive we only need to hold the platform for six hours?" Mr. Utah exhaled a large cloud of smoke, and dropped the expended butt of his cigarette onto the pier, stamping it out firmly. "Six hours. And then this war will be over. Once and for all." "This is absolutely ridiculous. How can you possibly let them go on with this insanity?" Fyrenn offered Kephic a half-smile, and nudged him in the shoulder. "Relax. I don't like it either, but ultimately? It is just words in a room. There is nothing these people can do but waste our time. And really, if it buys the favors Celestia needs for her new initiative? Then it isn't a waste at all." The red Gryphon glanced around the interior of the heavy VTOL, then leaned over to the nearest window, estimating that the vehicle would reach its destination momentarily. Aside from Kephic, Varan, and Sildinar, the only other occupants of the compartment were a pair of Military Policemen. Ostensibly the officers were there to keep custody of Fyrenn; In reality, they simply shuffled awkwardly in the corner, having no real purpose given that protocol, and the instinct for self-preservation, prevented them from so much as stepping near the red Gryphon. Fyrenn had insisted that Alyra remain at the Bureau. Neyla, Carradan, and Skye had volunteered to remain with her. Celestia had traveled on to Vancouver for negotiations and press conferences. The VTOL's engines increased in pitch momentarily, before spooling down as the craft thudded to rest on a large concrete circle. The rear door pivoted open with a hiss and a whine, to reveal a large complex of steel and duracrete structures, bounded by water on three sides. The Navy complex at Annapolis had the nearest facilities and personnel to facilitate a military tribunal. Fyrenn guessed that the three Councilors tasked with overseeing the proceedings had arrived overnight. He rose and stretched, yawning calmly before striding casually down the ramp and onto the helipad. The two MPs shuffled awkwardly to one side, weapons lowered. Fyrenn knew they expected him to behave as if he were their charge, but he had no intention of doing so. He paused for an intentionally long moment to take in the complex as Varan, Kephic, and Sildinar disembarked behind him. The compound was modern, well appointed, and strongly fortified. Nevertheless, the glittering glass and steel of the superstructures showed definitive signs of the impending Barrier. Many windows were unlit despite the foggy gray afternoon, and many offices empty; Devoid entirely of people, and furnishings. Though the facility had a month or more before the bubble arrived, it was obviously preparing for a draw-down. Fyrenn sighed, and at last began making his way down the nearest footpath at a sedate pace. It was not his first visit to Annapolis, and he knew precisely where his attendance was desired. The military Judge Advocate General maintained a dedicated building within the campus. The structure was tall, blocky, and clearly designed with an eye for imposing form-factor. A circle of flags adored the front synth-lawn, displaying the Earthgov flag, the unified Military flag, and the flag of each individual branch on either side. Flanked by Kephic and Varan, with Sildinar just behind, Fyrenn made his way through the front entrance of the structure. The interior of the building was appointed mainly in faux oak paneling, and granite trim. A further attempt at creating an imposing façade to radiate authority. As the MPs followed awkwardly, Fyrenn made his way towards a small gaggle of officers clustered around a large entry door on the right side of the corridor. The men and women were engaged in a hushed conversation, which ended abruptly with the Gryphons' arrival. The officers consisted mainly of Army and Marine Major Generals, and Navy Commodores. In silence, tensely glancing down at their boots, the three men, and two women made their way into the room, closing the door behind them. Fyrenn sighed, rolled his eyes, and began to pace slowly before the door as the court room was prepared. The red Gryphon snorted softly as he listened to the officers and Councilors recite reams of procedure and legalese for the better part of fifteen minutes. At last, one of the MPs placed a hand to his earpiece, then reached out and pushed open the door, gesturing for Fyrenn to enter. The court room was dimly lit; A long mostly rectangular chamber ending in a semi-circle. The five upper-level officers sat on a raised dais at the center, under an Earthgov military flag adorning the wall. To the left in the otherwise-empty press box sat Hutch, and Lantry. Their presence surprised Fyrenn. The two men, and woman sitting in the Jurors' box did not. Fyrenn recognized the three Councilors, though he felt no particular desire to recall their names. Fyrenn had made it clear that he had no desire, nor need for court-appointed defense. The act was one of stark belligerence, given his total lack of formal legal training. As he made his way to the defendant's bench, Kephic and Varan accompanied him. Sildinar peeled off, and joined the Generals in the press box. The red Gryphon shot a stony glance at the prosecuting attorney, before seating himself calmly. As Kephic and Varan took up flanking positions, the prosecutor rose, and held up a hand. "Point of order; The defendant requested no legal council, and is in no way entitled to bring guests to the defendant's table." Kephic raised an eyebrow, and chuckled darkly. Varan spoke softly, but projected his voice to ensure his dispassionate, bass tones would get his point across. "If you'd like to dredge up pointless minutiae, we could conceivably argue that this proceeding has no place as part of a tribunal. What are your feelings on comprehensive media involvement, for example?" The Major General seated in the center of the judgement bench cast a withering glare down at the prosecutor. The man shuffled backwards a half step, and waved his hand awkwardly. "Withdrawn." The General rose, and slammed a small steel gavel down onto a similarly armored baseplate. "This Tribunal is now in session, as per Article eight-eight-five of the Earthgov Uniform Code of Military Justice. Brigadier General Stimson presiding, with Brigadier General Sharpe, Brigadier General Nyass, Commodore Elliston, and Commodore Leytan." The aforementioned General Sharpe, a young woman with short-cut auburn hair and a severe demeanor, rose and gestured expansively. "The court will hear opening arguments. Defense, please rise." Fyrenn stood, and made his way forward to stand before the dais. The structure had been designed to place the judge, or tribunal oversight board, well above the average Human without making them look pompously elevated. Awkwardly for the men and women of the board, Fyrenn elected to stand on his hind legs, placing him easily at their eye-level. Sharpe raised her right hand, and nodded towards Fyrenn. "Raise your right... Claw." The red Gryphon mimicked her gesture. When he had first signed on in the military, defendants and lawyers had not been required to initially swear the same oaths as witnesses. The protocol had changed several years prior, along with several other things that had previously been courtroom staples. At one time, witnesses had been allowed to swear upon the religious text of their choosing if they asked. That protocol had been struck down by activist groups in favor of simply swearing over a folded Earthgov flag. Fyrenn thought the change silly; The product of cowards essentially admitting their fear of faith. Internally, he did find himself forced to admit that it streamlined the process significantly. Though it offended his moral sensibilities, it appealed to his logistical and organizational mentalities. Sharpe gestured, and two officers of the court produced a folded flag, tentatively approaching Fyrenn, and holding up the object for him to place his free left claw on it. Sharpe nodded curtly. "Repeat the following: I do solemnly swear, under the oath of soldiers of the United Earth Government Military, that I will speak truthfully in all matters pertaining to these proceedings. That I will obey the dictates of the court, and cooperate fully with the officers therein. And that I will abide by the Uniform Code of Military Justice at all times." Fyrenn narrowed his eyes slightly, and repeated the words in staccato military fashion, atonally and loudly. The General nodded as the flag was taken away. "You may present an opening argument. Since you have elected to forego council, I have been advised to instruct you that you will still be expected to abide by courtroom protocol. Opening arguments are not subject to such strictures however, so you have leeway to speak freely at this time." Sharpe tugged on the edges of her uniform to straighten it, and sat. Fyrenn, for his part, remained frighteningly close to the dais, pacing slowly to make sure he spread the intimidation of his physical presence evenly over the assembled officers. "I have no special argument in defense of my actions, as I feel that none is needed. I did you all a service by finding, and eliminating, a domestic threat. The oath you swear, and the oath I once swore, stipulates that we do everything in our power to defend the innocent from all threats, both foreign and domestic. I believe the spirit of that oath supersedes the letter of lesser laws." Fyrenn shrugged, and inclined his head slightly, changing his path to pass before the Jurors' box, giving him an opportunity to spear the assembled Councilors with a subtle death glare as he continued. "I will point out that this proceeding is both questionable in its legality, and pointless in its effect. This court lacks authority to mete out any particularly severe punishment in my case. Any actions this court is authorized to take will do very little to affect the public perception of recent events, in spite of your misplaced hopes to the contrary. And if you truly believe my actions were illegal, one might argue that you are 'stooping to my level' by responding to one illegal action with another." The red Gryphon raised a claw as he made his way slowly back to the defendant's table. "Although... One could also argue that my actions were committed under duress and exceptional circumstances. Yours were not." Fyrenn turned to face General Stimson, and raised an eyebrow. "I formally move for a mistrial." Stimson exhaled sharply, and shook his head emphatically. "Denied. The concept does not apply to a tribunal. You are here to answer for accusations of war crimes, and as such you have reduced rights." The red Gryphon nodded as he resumed his seat. "True. But I also have unique standing with a separate governmental and military entity. You are bound by law to respect Accord stipulations of your alliance with us. We have a royal representative of the Kingdoms here today... What do you suppose would happen if I formally requested he lodge an injunction demanding this be tried under a joint-court as per my rights within the Kingdoms?" Stimson blanched, and his breathing went shallow. Fyrenn found it internally amusing that he could read a multitude of signs of fear on the tribunal's faces, while they were at a complete loss to understanding the subtleties of his expressions. The Gryphon allowed the concern to percolate until the Councilors in the Jurors' box actually began to whisper in low panicked tones. He waved his claw absently, and sighed. "Proceed then. I will make no formal attempt to stop this. As I said... What would the point be either way? That being said? I would appreciate it if you dispensed with appearances and completed your task as quickly as possible, so as not to waste time." Fyrenn smiled slightly, driving home the damage he had done. Regardless of whether or not the trial ever became a matter of public record, and regardless of the final outcome, he had proven for the record that the proceedings were only occurring by his leave. Celestia would have, he guessed, referred to it as unnecessary arrogance. Fyrenn liked to think of it as a tactical double-down. He had doubts that his case would be the last instance of a Gryphon being forced to violate Earth laws to accomplish a task. Fyrenn decided that it would be potentially useful to get some added function out of the trial, on behalf of those future fighters. He understood that Celestia, Lantry, Aston, and perhaps even Hutch would have argued that he was doing further damage. As far as Fyrenn was concerned, that was a good thing. He had no particular grudge with Humanity, but he certainly felt a growing malice towards its political bodies. The low and mid levels of the military had always treated him well. The civilian populace was distant, but vaguely familiar. Certainly ingenious, and often kinder than one might expect given the terrible lot so many of them were handed in life. Humanity's governing bodies, however, Fyrenn despised. When he had been a soldier they were more often an obstacle than anything else. More recently, they had done little more than bicker and squabble over pointless things, while a cancerous series of infiltrations grew from within, and an ecological catastrophe ate the world from without. And all the while promising unity, freedom, peace and prosperity, while silently funding terror, manipulating the populace into petty squabbles, and withholding vast stores of post-singularity resources to enrich their corporate and military sponsors. Politics, though not Fyrenn's favorite subject, were one thing. They could be useful, and moral in the right hands and hooves. Traitorous behavior, disregard for internal warning signs, use and abuse of the general populace, and rank idiocy, were something entirely different. Fyrenn realized with a start that the prosecuting attorney had begun to drone on and one about his alleged crimes, and what the government's prosecution 'would prove beyond a shadow of a doubt,' and so on and so forth. The red Gryphon shook himself internally, noting that Earthgov hadn't been as poorly organized when he first enlisted. He idly wondered if the decline was due more to stress from the impending barrier, or an overabundance of unchecked hidden corruption, which was simply finally showing itself in public for the first time. Perhaps both. He sighed, and reflected that Celestia, and many of his Human companions, would likely admonish him to remember the good with the bad; Remind him that he was operating under negativity bias. Fyrenn decided that while that was likely true, he was finished listening to the prosecutor's babble. 'The good with the bad' was, if his readings of Human history were even half accurate, rarely anything more than a call to arms against those who would as questions, by those who worshipped status quo. He raised a claw, and stood. "Objection. Relevance?" Stimson blinked, then blinked again. The prosecutor blustered incoherently as the General slammed down his gavel, and glared. The expression was unimpressive, given that the man's ill-concealed nervousness bled through his attempt at a commanding demeanor. "I am not sure where to even begin lieutenant. Firstly you don't get to object to an opening argument. Secondly... Are you seriously questioning the relevance of an opening argument?" Fyrenn nodded, and shrugged his wings. Kephic did his best not to chuckle as his brother spoke. "I just figured that, since you've already been essentially ordered by the Council to find guilty---" Stimson rapped his gavel once more, and gestured emphatically. "Sidebar. *Now.*" Fyrenn approached calmly, noting with amusement that the prosecutor shifted well to the side to avoid any semblance of proximity to his talons. General Stimson again tried to muster a tepid glower, as he conversed in a low tone that came off more as panicky conspiratorialist than calm authority figure. "You will respect the protocols of this proceeding or---" Fyrenn snorted, and chuckled dryly. "Or what? You'll put points on my driver's license? Garnish my wages? Revoke my citizenship? Fire me and withhold my retirement pay? Reduce me in rank? Babble incoherently about contempt of court? We all three know that this is a farce, and a waste of our time. I'm only here because a friend asked a favor, so she could cut important deals, and you know it. You're only here because you think you can make a show of power by spouting legalese then paying someone to write a couple articles in the Times, which no one will read, about how I was duly and severely punished, and I know it." The red Gryphon shrugged once more as he continued, causing the prosecutor to jump reflexively. "We're all aware, on some level conscious or not, that every member of this tribunal has been strongly pressured to find me guilty, because we all know that even the members of the Council who didn't participate in Echelon 12 directly knew about it, at least tangentially, and tacitly endorsed it. We're all aware, quite consciously, that there is nothing you can do by way of punishment that *matters* in any real sense, and therefore it follows that this is all fundamentally a waste of my time, and yours. Just cut to the chase, please? I waive my rights to call witnesses, cross-examine, et cetera." Fyrenn snorted, and took a step back, gesturing towards the prosecutor and causing him to flinch. He glanced briefly to the left, noting that a young Corporal had silently entered the chamber, and was conversing with Hutch and Lantry in low tones. "Hell; I stipulate to all the prosecution's witnesses and evidence. If it makes you feel any better? I will list the names of the people I killed, how I did it, where, and when, for the record. Full and unabashed admission that I was the cause of their deaths. You can find as you've been ordered, and I can get on with the things in my day that actually... Well, you know... Matter." Stimson opened his mouth to respond, but a scraping noise interrupted him as Hutch pushed back his chair, and stood. "If the court will please excuse the interruption. I've just been informed of a major attack. All officers have been called to active duty stations, and a state of emergency has been declared for the Atlantic Northeast region." Silence reigned for several moments, before Stimson rose, and straightened his jacket. "These proceedings are in recess until the state of military emergency is rescinded." The General made a final unsuccessful attempt to glower at Fyrenn, before glancing down at his gavel to avoid the Gryphon's piercing molten gold gaze. "As soon as the emergency is over, this trial is to be resumed at a date and time to be specified by the tribunal. All participants will be required and compelled by law to resume attendance at that time. We are in recess." Stimson slammed down his gavel, and backed away from the dais, gesturing to the nearest MP to step forward and make a report. Fyrenn made his way swiftly up to the press box, where Hutch, Lantry, and Sildinar were already buried in a concerned, hushed conversation. The red Gryphon perked his ears, and cocked his head. "What's happened?" Lantry glanced up, and sighed. "The HLF has attacked, and captured, a Barrier Retarder platform, East of Nassau." Hutch nodded, and blinked slowly as he chimed in. "Initial reports indicate their naval assets are being supported by a large, unmarked Arsenal ship." Fyrenn's eyes narrowed, and a low rumble of a growl percolated in his chest. "Minos." The VTOL rocked slightly as it dropped from its maximum cruising speed, to a configuration more suitable for final approach. Fyrenn's ears twitched as the whine of the engine rotation mechanisms filled the cabin. He cast a sideways glance at General Lantry, and finally decided to indulge his curiosity as the vehicle began to descend vertically. "Why ask me along for this? I'm fully aware that you don't approve of my actions... And that you don't entirely trust me anymore. So why stick your neck out to put me on the front-line?" Lantry smiled wryly as he rose, grasping an overhead handhold for stability as the VTOL swayed in the crosswind. "I'm a pragmatist Lieutenant. You have first-claw experience with this 'Minos' figure, and the Agincourt. When you take that along with your raw effectiveness as a fighter, and your penchant for battlefield improvisation? I'd be allowing my emotions to cloud my judgement if I *didn't* put you to good use." The General snorted and gestured with his free hand towards Kephic and Varan. "Besides... If I told you to sit this one out? They wouldn't be too keen to pitch in. And we're short-staffed for assault troops. I'm not too proud to admit that our best chances lie with a primarily non-Human strike team." The VTOL came to a stop with a slight vibration, and the subtle pitch-shift that always accompanied turbine engine spin-down cycles. The door snapped open, and Fyrenn followed Lantry down the ramp, with Hutch, Kephic, Varan, and Sildinar in tow. At the opposite end of the tarmac, several lighter VTOLs, better suited for the tight confines of a non-carrier naval landing, sat idling. Their side-doors were open, their strobe lights were on, and their rotors already spinning in the ready-configuration. Fyrenn shivered as he glanced up to the horizon, and noted that the Manhattan Bureau, and the Naval piers at the port, were the only lit structures in the visible portion of the cityscape. He also noted that, unsurprisingly, the North Carolina, and all other large-tonnage Naval vessels, were missing from the harbor. As the Gryphons began to make their way toward the vehicles, a familiar group of faces intercepted them. Carradan, Neyla, and Skye all bore intensely grim expressions. Alyra looked to be more optimistic, but Fyrenn guessed that was simply a product of ignorance about the gravitas of the situation. Fyrenn smiled down at his daughter, and scooped her up onto his back without breaking his stride. As the fledgling clutched his neck in a short, sweet hug, Lantry fell into step beside Skye, and nodded down at her. "Give me a report on the information I sent you." The red Gryphon shot the General a brief glower, before fixing his gaze on Skye expectantly. Lantry's history with Skye was a strong source of tension between Fyrenn, and the General. The latter had lied about her status, and allowed the former to presume her dead for the better part of a month. In turn, Fyrenn had threatened to do Lantry severe bodily harm if he ever lied to him again. Skye sighed, and shook her head slowly as she spoke. As the words issued forth slowly, and grimly, Neyla passed Fyrenn a large, hefty bag containing his sword, Kephic and Varan's blades, and three standard issue RAC-9s. "The news isn't good; But I didn't really need your data to come to that conclusion. I agree with your analysts. It would make no sense for the HLF to destroy the platform. And they would have done that already if they intended to. And that would accelerate the Barrier. Not exactly high on their to-do list of villainous acts, if you ask me." Kephic raised an eyebrow, and blinked. "So what do they want with it? Surely they don't think they can ransom it?" Hutch's face scrunched in thought, and he tilted his head as he added his thoughts to the mix. "Maybe they want to strip it for parts? Something they need for a future project?" Skye shook her head emphatically, and grunted. "Uh uh. Nope. If they wanted parts they would have come and gone already. Given the specific platform they chose, given their specific motivations, and given the readings the General has provided from satellite reconnaissance, I think they aim to do something a whole heck of a lot more dangerous. And stupid." Lantry inclined his head, and sighed. "Save the longer explanation for the briefing." The group came to a halt as they reached the line of light VTOLs, Fyrenn spared a quick glance for the groups of heavily armored soldiers pouring into the vehicles, before turning his gaze back to the group and laying down his duffle. As he began extracting his weapons, and passing along Kephic and Varan's, he spoke slowly, but firmly. "I hate to make this request; But I need two volunteers to stay here with Alyra." Lantry nodded towards Hutch, and gestured with one hand. "General; I want you to man command and control here. I'll quarterback this one from the field." Hutch sighed, and ran one hand across the top of his head in frustration. "I don't suppose I could convince you to trade places? It's your prerogative, but putting an officer at your ranking into the killbox is highly irregular. And generally frowned on." Lantry snorted, and cast a wry sideways glance at Fyrenn. "I suppose he's rubbing off on me. Call it bad influence. Report to the C&C room at the Bureau Hutch. That's an order." Sildinar stepped towards Alyra, and extended a protective wing over her. "I will go as well." The roan Gryphon shot Fyrenn a slight smile, and a curt nod as he continued. "As much as I relish every opportunity to go into battle, I know that you will be unable to focus unless one of us remains to protect your fledgling. I also know that the other members of your family would find it a bitter lot to remain behind." Fyrenn dipped his head low, and allowed his expression to convey his thanks. He knelt before Alyra, and pulled her into a swift embrace against his neck. She returned the gesture, then tilted her head and flattened her ears. "Is your mind made up? Or can I convince you if I ask really really nicely?" The red Gryphon smiled, and ruffled the crest feathers of the young Gryphoness' head with his right claw. "There will come a day, and soon, when you will have the chance to go with me into danger, sword drawn. I don't doubt your courage, nor your potential. But I know how much work it took me to acclimate to new senses, and skills. You are younger than I was at the time, and so you have a longer road ahead." Fyrenn rose, and paused momentarily. He gently lifted his sword from its scabbard, and passed it to Alyra. The weapon was too long, and heavy, for the fledgling to swing accurately, but she was able to hold it upright steadily, which was an impressive feat for a Gryphon of her age. The red Gryphon nodded towards first Alyra, then Sildinar. "Exercise with it. Sildinar will show you how. Take care of it; I never go too far without my sword, so you can bet I'll be back for it, no matter what. Until then, think of it as a consolation prize for sitting this one out." Alyra smiled, and nodded slowly. "Thanks... Dad." She winced reflexively, initially fearful of Fyrenn's reaction to her final word. The red Gryphon blinked to hold back the swiftly-rising sensation of tears, and bent to lay the Gryphic equivalent of a kiss on the top of Alyra's head. He turned, and snapped open his wings, securing his RAC between them as Kephic, Varan, and Neyla took up formation with him. Lantry vaulted into the VTOL at the end of the line, and gestured to the pilot. Skye and Carradan scrambled aboard, and the door gunner pulled the hatch closed behind them As the vehicles rose, accompanied by the flight of Gryphons, Lantry snapped off a quick salute through his window, in the general direction of Hutch, Sildinar, and Alyra. Fyrenn waggled his wings slightly, co-opting the universal pilot's gesture, before wheeling around to follow the VTOLs on their south-easterly track.