Rookie Privateer (9 page)

Corporal Dahwan turned right and headed down the staircase. When he got to the bottom, he waited patiently for us to catch up.

"Take this, would you?" I handed my arm crutch to Nick and grabbed the two hand rails going down. I lifted my legs up and slid to the bottom. I pushed up with my arms and swung back to the ground neatly with a hop. The corporal raised a single eyebrow and gave me an approving nod. I appreciated it much more than the pity I expected.

It was hard to see these soldiers, most of them only a little older than myself, in a job I would never be able to have now. Not that I wanted a military career exactly, but it still hurt to think of how this injury had changed my options. I had promised myself that I wouldn't feel sorry for myself, but three lawsuits, a missing foot, and being almost entirely broke was taking a toll. Except for a few fantastic hours spent with Tabby, my spirits could not have been lower.
Even those last great hours with Tabby came with the regret of knowing that I’d blown years of opportunity.

Corporal Dahwan stopped at a door marked L-10. He rapped on the door twice and stepped back. The door swung open, pulled by a tall, thin
, middle-aged man.

"
Nick James, Liam Hoffen. Lieutenant Commander Brandon Telish." It was an efficient introduction.

Lieutenant Commander Telish nodded to the
corporal. "Dismissed." He turned and offered his hand to each of us in turn. "Pleased to meet you. Come in and have a seat."

He led us into a sparsely appointed rectangular room. On the far end, the ceiling curved down to meet the wall. We were obviously next to the hull. Lieutenant Commander Telish was my height and had to duck as he slid behind the metallic table attached at one end to the left wall. He gestured with an open hand toward a bench along the opposite wall. The commander took his seat behind the table. It was slightly cushioned and had arm rests, but no legs - it just sort of hung from the wall.
It appeared that everything was meant to fold back up into the walls when not in use. Other than two reading pads on the table there was nothing else in the room.

Initiate Communication Bridge
, Telish directed.

The wall to left of the table instantly popped to life with a crystal clear video image of Tabby, who looked a little startled. I probably looked just as startled as our eyes locked. Navy communications had to be quite sophisticated and powerful to pull off this link while Tabby’s freighter was still in hard burn.
Man, did she look great. It was crazy how I had gone from thinking of her as my buddy, to not being able breathe when I saw her. I wanted to bang my head into the wall. How I regretted not figuring out our relationship earlier.

"
Greetings, Miss Tabitha Masters. I am Lieutenant Commander Brandon Telish of the Mars Protectorate Public Defender's Office. I assume you are alone in the room?"

"
Yes, sir."

"
Very good. As you can see, I have Mr. Nicholas James and Mr. Liam Hoffen with me. If any of you would like to separate your defense you must tell me now. It is still possible to split your cases during the hearing, but these things can go pretty quickly and it would be expedient to know this right away." Telish folded his hands on the table in front of him and looked at each of us in turn.

After twenty seconds, he continued.
"Very well. We have two matters to prepare for. The first is the deaths of three citizens: Gaben Fuse, Ajun Benda and Liet 'Bobby' Zui. The Colony’s administration has filed a wrongful death suit on their behalf. The second is the willful destruction of Mars Protectorate property, along with a secondary charge of disabling safety equipment. I understand you have also made a privateer claim on the captured ship, but that is not something I will be able help you with at this time. I am defending the three of you, so whatever you tell me is protected by privilege. I cannot share anything you say with the Navy or the station administrator without your previous consent."

"
The Colony Administrator had charges filed against us for defending ourselves against pirates and stopping an attack against our own station?" I wanted a good answer to this. It was ridiculous!

Lieutenant Commander Telish raised his ha
nd to cut off my rant. "I appreciate and share your outrage on this, Mr. Hoffen, but we must deal with what has been done."

I knew these were serious charges and couldn't understand how this was even happening. We had defended the station, risked our lives
, and I had lost my left leg. I knew corporations were without honor, but this was insane.

"There will be a discovery hearing first, at which time the Colony Administration, represented by one Harold Flark, will present their charges and evidence. There is significant evidence that shows your participation in both events, so I am certain we will go forward with a trial. Fortunately, this will be an expedited trial with Commander Sterra presiding. If we are not successful in our defense, you will have a chance to appeal."

Telish continued explaining the process, but I found myself fading in and out as my attention drifted to Tabby. She looked so real sitting there I just wanted to
...

"
Mr. Hoffen?" I had missed something important since Nick jabbed my ribs to get my attention.

"
Sorry. What?"

"
I need you to fill out a statement detailing the events of that day. Be as detailed as possible. You can refuse to do this, but it is my opinion you have nothing to hide. Moreover, I believe that getting your perspective of the events into evidence will allow us considerable latitude. Discovery will be at 2200 this evening. It is 1830 now. Please complete your statements by no later than 1930. Miss Masters, I have arranged to have a ship's steward collect your statement."

"
Okay. Could I talk to Liam and Nick privately before we close comm?" Tabby asked.

"
No can do. Sorry. However at 1930, we can reopen comms for ten minutes."

Tabby nodded.

"Telish Out." Tabby's image disappeared from the wall in the room. The room felt stark and lonely without her.

"
Please don't talk to each other while filling out your statements. I will post a Marine in the room while you complete them and they will be required to report if you share details." Telish handed us each one of the tablets. They were in writing mode.

Private Gunders, please report to L-10
, he addressed his AI. Immediately, there were two sharp knocks on the door.

"
Enter."

Nick and I turned to see Private Gunders enter the room in her armored suit, but no longer holding a long gun. She saluted Lieutenant Commander Telish, who returned it and left the room. Private Gunders stood a bit stiffly just inside the door and looked over our heads at the far wall. Nick and I turned back and started writing. An hour later we were both finished and Private Gunders collected the tablets without saying a word.

Tabby's face popped back up on the wall. The image was crystal clear. The Navy must have some incredible equipment to overcome the distance and interference from the freighter's engines.

"
I think the corporation is after Dad's money," Tabby said.

"
Are you kidding me? Does he have that much?" I asked.

"
Seriously, Hoffen? My grandfather was an original claim holder."

"
Then why didn't he get you a lawyer?"

"
Apparently if convicted, we can immediately appeal it. He said it would be better to start with the Navy’s public defender. Dad says Flark is playing with fire and doesn't know it. It is better if Flark gets burned this time."

"
Flark? Like Harry Flark, school superintendent?"

"
Did you forget about Colony Administrator? He is both. Remember?"

"
Oh, right."

"
One of the many things I love about you; you are completely clueless. I hope it doesn't get in the way of the Academy."

"
And that is what I love about you, Tabs. Nothing breaks your focus."

"
Frak, Liam, I am so sorry, I didn't mean it that way. It's just ..."

I cut her off, not really upset.
"Don't you have to be broke to request a public defender?"

"
I have two thousand m-creds to my name. I couldn't afford to buy coffee for one of my grandpa's lawyers. Dad says to trust the Navy on this, they have no love for corporations going after citizens for profit."

After the conversation with Tabby, Nick and I had a couple of hours to burn so we left the
Kuznetsov
to hang out at the Gravel Pit. I couldn't afford to buy anything more than a fizzy drink and a meal bar. I wasn't going to ask my folks for money especially since they had lost so much as a result of the pirate attack. I was down to my last couple hundred m-creds and I had medical bills that needed paying.

Somewhere along the line I had finally decided I wasn't going to be a miner.
I might work for Big Pete for a while, but I would get off this sand pile one way or another. Today, I hoped it wouldn't be in the brig of the Corvette
Kuznetsov
.

At 2200, we were back on the
Kuznetsov
, but in a slightly larger room. I recognized Commander Sterra from her initial video communication. She was already seated at the end of a large table centered in the room. Lieutenant Commander Telish sat us at one side of the table and, this time, instead of a video projected on the wall, Tabby was projected in three dimensions. We could see the front of her as if she was there, but the image was only true to 220 degrees. On the other side of the table was Colony Administrator and School Superintendent Harry Flark.

Private Gunders stood to the right of Commander Sterra and was in the position I was beginning to associate with her; legs slightly less than shoulder width apart and hands clasped in front. I was startled when she spoke, since I had always seen her standing at attention.

"All rise." She waited for everyone in the room, with the exception of Commander Sterra, to stand up. I struggled a bit to gain my balance in the higher gravity. "Mars Protectorate Judiciary Court is in session. The Honorable Commander L. L. Sterra presiding."

In the video, Commander Sterra had taken up the entire screen, so I hadn't gotten a good reference for her size. In person, even though she was seated, it was easy to tell she was fairly short with the narrow build that was common for spacers.

The Commander's voice was a hoarse alto but not at all unpleasant. "Please be seated. Gentlemen, Lady." She paused while we took our seats, and then said, "This hearing is to determine if there is enough evidence to move forward with an expedited trial. I have video logs and affidavits that have been presented by the Station Administration Office and the defendant's statements. Is there any other evidence to be presented? Defense?"

Telish answered quietly,
"No, your honor."

"
Mr. Flark?"

"
I thought we would have a prosecutor on this. Why don't I have a prosecutor?"

"
Mr. Flark, this is just a hearing. If we get to trial we will bring in a prosecutor. In your current position, you have the responsibility of presenting the evidence. I understand you also have the required degree in law. Are you requesting to recuse yourself from this hearing?"

"
If I did, what would be the outcome?"

Commander Sterra's lips pursed slightly,
"I would rule on the evidence presented."

"
No, I don't recuse myself. You may proceed."

Commander Sterra's head pulled back a centimeter with a slightly shocked look.
"Very well. Defense proceed on the charge of wrongful death."

Lieutenant Commander Telish answered,
"There are three deaths the defendants have been charged with. These occurred as part of two distinct actions. A careful review of the evidence shows Tabitha Master, Nicholas James and Liam Hoffen acted well within their rights to defend themselves and their family from an unlawful act of aggression and piracy. If you will allow, I would highlight an exchange between Liam and Pete Hoffen."

"
Proceed."

Speakers in the room played back the conversation between myself and Big Pete.

"We are pinned down ..." my dad's voice said and Lieutenant Commander Telish paused the playback. A video played on the wall behind us of the pirates shooting at me while I was navigating between the containers. It then showed them rise up above the containers and take aim. Lieutenant Commander Telish stopped the video before the containers struck the two men. The video started up again and showed the slug-thrower from the small attack craft tearing up the station trying to find us within the field of containers. The Lieutenant allowed the video to continue until we launched the first stack of containers. The slug-thrower impressively tore it to pieces and then tracked along the surface of the station when the gunner discovered our ruse. Our narrow escape from the turret’s reach was recorded with perfect clarity. The video continued, but at twice the normal speed. We watched as the three of us attacked the ship, lancing the cockpit and slug-thrower turret with mining lasers while Nick welded the door shut.