The Battle of Caerbannog

[will_marx 0]

THE BATTLE FOR CAER BANNOG- EPILOGUE

 

Starfleet Headquarters, Rhydin Sector

Office of the Sector Commander

SD 50511.09 1645hrs, local

 

It was a solemn moment in the Fleet Admiral Ikari’s office. LCDR Christopher O. Marx, Jr., was standing before the sector commander, nominally his superior officer in the Dread Pirate Roberts missions. Records from the Revenge, along with statements from those pirates that surrendered, had been entered into evidence in the Article 32, SCMJ, hearings, held over the past five days. Marx stood their like his father had taught him, stoic and at attention, dressed in his formal dress uniform, his eyes locked on a spot six inches above the secretive sector commander’s head. Admiral Fuyutsuki stood next to the Fleet Admiral.

 

“Lieutenant Commander Marx,” FADM Ikari formally addressed Marx, behind those impenetrable red glasses and white gloves of his steepled hands, “it is the judgment of this inquiry that you are not to be tried under the Starfleet Code of Military Justice for multiple counts of the following disciplinary articles: Article 134, specifically piracy; Article 94, sedition; Article 129, rape; Article 121, specifically pillage, looting, and larceny in all counts; Article 118, murder; Article 119, manslaughter; Article 114, dueling; Article 108, destruction of Starfleet property, namely the runabout USS Musconetcong; Article 123, forgery; Article 127, extortion; Article 128, assault; and Article 134, aiding and abetting a known felon, specifically the pirate Roberts.”

 

Marx breathed a sigh of relief, knowing he wouldn’t be spending time breaking big rocks into little rocks for the rest of his life, or sitting inside an 8’x10’ cell for the rest of what would be his short life.

 

“However, Commander Marx, it is the judgment of this inquiry that you have been found guilty of violating Article 133, conduct unbecoming an officer, and that you receive Commander’s non-judicial punishment, namely dismissal from the service. Regardless of the fact that you were in a deep cover assignment, and certain, other mitigating circumstances, it is the recommendation of this inquiry that you be dismissed from Starfleet, effective immediately.

 

“This inquiry is closed. You are dismissed, Commander.” Marx saluted, held it long enough for Ikari to return it, which he did not, did a smart about face, and walked smartly out of the office, without his commission, but with his pride intact. He met his brother and sisters-in-law in the outer office.

 

“Well Commander, I see you survived the wrath of Admiral Ikari,” Will said, jokingly.

 

“It was rather an impressive feat. Even if I lost my commission.” Chris agreed. “At least I’m back among the living, which is a nice feeling, in and of itself.”

 

Captain Sakai chose that moment to walk into the Admiral’s outer office. “Auntie,” Ranko shouted, and hugged her. “What a pleasant surprise to see you here.” The Marx Brothers chuckled at the sight of what appeared to be an older Ranko hugging her younger counterpart, as if it were some vividly weird temporal disturbance.

 

They heard Groucho and Chico…er, Chris and Will chortling. With identical expressions, they turned on the Marx Brothers, and asked “What’s so funny” at the same time. Shampoo found the whole scene so funny, that the young Amazon elder took to rolling on the floor, laughing hysterically.

 

“Why don’t we see how badly Lil’s been spoiling her grandchildren, and relieve her of her babysitting duties,” Chris said.

 

“Besides,” Reiko said with an evil twinkle in her eye, “think of the shock she’ll get when she sees her stepson alive again.” Captain Sakai liked her niece’s mother-in-law personally, but wasn’t fond of the Time Cops’ heavy-handed tactics when investigating temporal disturbances among the fleet, and always found time to needle her. But it was a game that Lil and Reiko had played many times, and it kept the two women on their toes.

 

00000

 

The family was sitting at the dinner table in the Marx house. Outside, it was raining cats and dogs, with frequent lightning and thunder; the wind howled, rattling the windows. In all, the weather was fitting the mood. Lil knew what was going to happen, but kept quiet about it.

 

“Chris,” Will said, as he set his fork down, “I have some bad news.”

 

“What kind of bad news,” his older brother replied.

 

“Your counterpart from the Mirror Universe came to visit the Arcadia a few years before I went hunting for you.” A jagged bolt of lightning hit the mast of the sailboat out on the lake, as the thunderclap rolled over the ranch house. “Alex and Catherine left with him.”

 

Chris pushed his seat back from the table and stood. “I…see. Lil, it’s been a pleasure.” The former tactical officer of the Arcadia walked out the dining room, opened the front door, and went out into the rain. Moments later came the growl of a 426 Hemi firing up, as Chris took his father’s ‘Cuda downtown.

 

“I see Chris took it well,” Will muttered. With Lil, Ranko and Xian giving him the “look”, he got up as well, and went out to the garage.

 

00000

Rhydin City Expressway

 

With the steady “thwap-thwap-thwap” of the armored Humvee’s wipers on full, Will strained to see the highway in front of him. Visibility was down to only a few hundred feet in front of the SOCOM officer’s vehicle, and Chris had a definite head start, and with a much faster vehicle. Will’s choice was based on the weather conditions, and that he knew of one place his brother would have been headed—the spaceport. Granted, Chris could have also been headed to the Red Dragon Inn to get wasted, but his brother wasn’t exactly known for his alcoholic tendencies.

 

As he hit city limits, Will’s comm badge chirped. “Lt. Marx.”

 

“Lieutenant, this is Commander Friday, Rhydin Spaceport Security. Your ship, the Wild Stallion was just stolen. There’s what looks like your father’s Barracuda in its parking spot.”

 

“Wonderful.”

 

“Sector Headquarters has been advised, and several ships have been assigned to intercept the Wild Stallion.”

 

“I doubt it, Commander; she’s the fastest hunk of junk in the fleet.”

 

“They’ll try, Lieutenant. Antietam’s been assigned as well. Your father’s ship’ll catch the Stallion. Friday out.”

 

00000

Wild Stallion

30 Parsecs out of Rhydin

 

Chris sat in the cockpit of the Wild Stallion, watching the stars streak by at high warp numbers. “My career’s shot,” he muttered, “my wife and child are gone. I have nothing left to lose.” He reached down and typed in the coordinates for Baham, and engaged the autopilot. As the freighter heeled on to her new course, Chris swiveled the seat around and headed aft to the crew quarters to change.