AU Sodor Book ???: The NSAC Conflict

Story Ten: Trial by Fire

It was August 12th, 1975, the day of Patricia Brushton's trial in court. She would be lucky if she got life without parole, but she'd end up on death row most likely. Her charges spanned from petty theft all the way to treason and federal terrorism. They constructed some temporary rails near the courthouse for Diesel 10 to testify against her. He was in the middle of speaking when he was rammed through the courthouse, slamming into the bailiffs. Splatter and Dodge had come to rescue her, as she was the owner of Sodor Ironworks. She climbed aboard them, and they sped away from the courthouse, flying down the mainline. Thomas and Percy sped after the two, trying to talk them into surrendering. "Dodge, Splatter, listen to me! Just because she's your owner doesn't mean you have to save her, she's a bad person!" Thomas shouted to them. "Shut up!" Dodge shouted back, as he sped up. Patricia was standing on top of Dodge, laughing. "You'll never catch me, you relics!" She shouted to Thomas and Percy. They flew down the mainline, past several bewildered engines. The two steam engines kept trying to talk to Splatter and Dodge, to no avail. "I smell something burning!" Percy shouted, as flames erupted from Dodge. Percy slowed down to help Dodge, and his driver used water from Percy's tanks to save Dodge. Thomas kept alongside Splatter, looking at him. "Splatter, please listen to me! She just caused your brother to nearly explode from how hard she's pushing you two! Do you think she should be free?" Thomas said to Splatter, hoping to find some shred of good in him. "You're right, Thomas. I should go back and see my brother, why should I care about her?" Splatter said, abruptly braking. Patricia flew off of his roof, right into the path of The Sudric Flyer. She managed to land on Henry's boiler, now going the opposite direction from Thomas and Splatter. "So long, Puffball!" She shouted, as she grabbed a cigarette from her pocket. She lit it, but fell into Henry's tender, causing the still lit lighter to fall into the coal. Before Patricia even knew what was happening, the coal was on fire, roasting her. Henry stopped, and uncoupled the express from the tender, then he uncoupled from his tender. The fire went on for a few hours before the Rescue Crew finally arrived to put out the blaze. Now all the NSAC members were either dead or behind bars, and Sodor could live in peace once more.