Kadance

Prelude High Command

Three years later

"Well ladies and gentlemen, this should do it. Three full invasion teams of the shifters. Our intel was woefully off on this. Had we the truth, Sigma wouldn't have died that day, they would have had the backup they needed. Therefore, the finding of this investigation is, that Sergeant Jayse was in no way at fault for the death of Sigma Company. There will be no court martial. Furthermore it is found that by his actions he actually managed to obtain the objective of his mission in the face of overwhelming odds thereby he will be cited and awarded the highest honor of our military as well as receive a promotion to Lt. and the back pay that goes back to that battle three years ago.

"I further stipulate that due to the stresses of said battle that Lt. Jayse will be honorably discharged but due to his mental instability he will no longer be allowed to stay on Gaia. He will be allowed to choose a planet of his choice outside of the core planets. His transfer will be effective immediately." The general says and sits down. The weight of this investigation is obvious, the fatigue is imprinted on his face as is the sorrow.

"I disagree with that last general. Should you try to force him to leave now he'll go berserk. Truly, I don't know how he's managed to hold on for as long as he has. If you force him to leave Corporal Thompson now he will go berserk. Not to mention it will likely take Thompson over the edge as well. Of the two I'd rather deal with Jayse he'll only kill a third to half of this planet before we could take him down. But if Thompson goes over this planet will be dead and unlivable.

"Those two are keeping each other from going over but I'm not sure how they are doing it. Lt. Jayse has come so close to losing it that we should have a shadow trailing him, but anyone doing so would have to be invisible," the doctor objects.

"The only one that could pull it off would be Thompson." The Colonel says turning white at the thought. Sending someone so close to redlining and going berserk to shadow another that close to going berserk is just asking for trouble. They need a miracle to save Gaia.

The general snorts. "Oh, Thompson will do it. This is right up his alley. He'd find it hilarious, but if Jayse goes over not even Thompson will be able to stop him. Sgt. Rory is the only man I've ever met that matches Jayse's speed. But Thompson...likely Thompson would resort to explosives to take out Jayse if it comes to that. But if he's forced to take out Jayse I have no doubt that he'll go over. There won't be any other members of Sigma left."

"What about Rory himself? He survived the carnage of that battle as well." An admiral questions, he's new to the group taking over when his predecessor was hospitalized for a stroke that has left him bedridden.

The general looks down and silence becomes absolute. Finally the general breaks the silence, "With the findings of this court Lt. Jayse will be allowed to do his duty to Sergeant Rory. The hospital informed us just last night that Rory has requested Jayse. He hasn't been eating or sleeping for days. Rory didn't survive the carnage of that battle admiral, he lives it everyday endlessly replaying the hell in his head. He's been locked up in a high security mental ward at the hospital since that battle. With the clearance of this court Jayse will finally be able to give him the final grace."

Now it's the turn for the admiral to turn white. "You can't let him, chances are that will set him over the edge. From what I've read he, Thompson and Rory were tight friends before that damn battle."

General Rueton rubs his temples in a vain attempt to get rid of the headache building up. "Oh yes, the best of friends. Those three were inseparable before that day. If it wasn't Thompson leading the way into trouble than it was Rory. If it hadn't been for Jayse keeping them on a leash as it were those two would have been court martialed long ago." Just thinking about the antics of those three is enough to give the general another ulcer.