Scattered Suns - Kevin J. Anderson [166]
“I feel like a feather in the backdraft from a starship engine,” Roberts said. “Why don’t they wait until Admiral Stromo gets back with his report? Once they understand the real emergency, they’ll have better things to do.”
“I’m really sorry,” Orli said again.
“Don’t you worry, young lady.” Rlinda patted her on the shoulder. “Everything will be all right.”
Captain Roberts sat up. “Don’t lie to the girl, Rlinda. She’s already been through a lot.”
Rlinda maintained her stoic smile as she urged Orli off. “It’s time for the young lady to go catch her shuttle, BeBob. You and I still have plenty of strategy to discuss.”
Chapter 82—RLINDA KETT
Less than four days after Branson Roberts’s arrest, a rushed board of inquiry convened behind closed doors. Rlinda threatened to handcuff herself to BeBob if they didn’t let her into the room with him. Shouldering guards out of her way, she marched into the windowless underground chamber.
BeBob walked toward his seat looking defeated and resigned to his fate. She nudged him in the ribs, and he stood up straighter.
His assigned legal counsel was sitting at the defense table. The man had met briefly with BeBob twice, mainly to review facts given to him by the EDF. According to Lanyan’s administrative memo, there wasn’t much need for an actual “trial” because no one disputed the facts of the case.
Rlinda, naturally, disagreed.
She gave the nominal EDF legal counsel no more than a glance as she stepped forward to face Lanyan and two lower-ranking officers. They all wore immaculate uniforms, though there would be no media coverage, yet.
Lanyan frowned. “Ms. Kett, you were not invited to these proceedings.”
“I will be acting as the advocate for Captain Branson Roberts.” She glared over at the preoccupied military representative. “And a hell of a lot better one than your sock puppet over there. At least I’ve listened to the accused. One would assume that’s step one in a defense strategy.”
The legal counsel bridled. The two officers at the table chuckled until Lanyan glared at them, and they resumed their professional demeanor.
“This is merely a preliminary hearing, Ms. Kett,” Lanyan said.
“That’s Captain Kett.” Rlinda walked to the front of the room. “General, let me remind you of the things Captain Roberts has done for the Hansa. You yourself stuck this man on a fishhook and used him as bait to capture the Roamer pirate Rand Sorengaard. Remember that? He risked his life for you.”
Lanyan was not ruffled. “You and Captain Roberts benefited from the end of the Sorengaard matter as much as anyone else. Seriously, he can’t expect to receive clemency because of something that happened eight years ago.”
Without slowing down, Rlinda summarized how most of their private commercial ships had been confiscated and converted to EDF use, how BeBob had been forced to perform dangerous reconnaissance missions against his will, and how, with the blessing of Chairman Wenceslas himself, BeBob had served the Klikiss colonization initiative by shuttling supplies and materials to new settlements, which was how he had discovered the massacre on Corribus.
Out of desperation, Rlinda had again tried to goad the Chairman into taking executive action in BeBob’s case. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the man would no longer take her calls. BeBob was on his own.
Lanyan was losing patience. “Your reminiscences are irrelevant, Ms. Kett. The incontrovertible fact is that Captain Roberts and his ship were conscripted into vital service for the EDF, and he is therefore under the jurisdiction of military law. He deserted his duties and hid from justice for years. We are at war. We cannot tolerate such behavior from a pilot in the Earth Defense Forces.”
One of the other officers added, “More than a hundred deserters like him have abandoned their posts, and as a result our military effectiveness has diminished. We have no option but to make an example of Captain Roberts.”
The assigned