Breathing in deep through her nose she held it for a few seconds before letting it out slowly. Dex starred down the old beater shuttle, freshly painted. Today was the day she’d pass the last medical examination that would approve her back into service. The last hurdle was flying the
shuttle through a long stretch of trees in the course, beating a set time. Easy enough for even fledgling pilots, it was all about reflexes and listening to your instruments when a branch was too close. No shields to save you, marked on every scratch you earned on the shuttle.
On the platform surrounded by dense vegetation hacked away that morning, the air was humid with a faint smell of swamp gases always present. Home as she’d always known it to be, wild. Even after a couple centuries of turians establishing a colony the megafauna stage of Taetrus was in full force. Nature always waiting to reclaim back whatever they cut away. The definition of a ‘backwater’ colony according to the Hierarchy. The biggest worry they ever had was the plants. On closer inspection politics pushed and pushed for independence, a colony thought of so little by the Hierarchy and the homeworld Palaven, Taetrus was an entity strongly separate from the collective. Enough folk thought that way while others held strong to their culture rooted by the Hierarchy.
Dex looked down flexing her artificial fist. A long, dreadful year in rehabilitation. Boring, slow, with plenty of setbacks. She squeezed the talons shut, they responded with no lag. She sighed, thankful for cooperation. There were bad days where she’d break a glass from a slow reflex, a malfunction at the wrist bending the opposite way, some days where her arm was completely unresponsive. Jorrick Demanga, true to his word stuck by her in rehabilitation. Painstaking adjustments and talking her down from a meltdown. They became fast friends, he would be her number one news source on all things
Facinus was up to. Particularly the good. They made a habit of being first responders to Taetrus natural disasters, dispatching pirates in Taetrus space, supporting colonial forces when they weren’t butting heads.
One of the officers who had escorted her to the platform pushed a datapad into her hands to sign off on, “Alright, sign here and your examiner will be with you shortly. Good luck, Noratus.” The nurse nodded curtly as she signed off. He carried on tucking the datapad under his arm, he kicked at some large leaf blocking the door back in. He grumbled about getting the clean up crews back out there.
Dex’s mandibles pressed tightly as she fidgeted with her prosthetic. She heard the door open and flinched.
“Dexuret Noratus, physical examination and pending final approval for reinstatement as a starship pilot.” The examiner stated, stepping up beside her. Dex recognized them immediately.
“
C-Captain Indmus! Ma’am!” She stood at attention, without realizing she overshot her salut and nailed her head with her prosthetic hand. Slowly she closed her eyes, embarrassment crashing over her.
Captain Indmus laughed heartily, her dark blue facial tattoos perfectly lining the lengths of her mandibles and chin with imposing shadow. Bright yellow eyes peered at Dex, full of cheer. Brown carapace and darker brown skin, she played both mentor and role model for the likes of Dex. Captain Indmus took special attention to her as she did the other crew affected the day her ship was attacked by pirates. Vibitina didn’t escape that attack without a few scars of her own.
“At ease, Noratus. I’m here to conduct the examination but please relax. Nerves won’t do you any favours here today.” She said, “I do apologize for not visiting more, but I’m rather pleased to see you doing well enough to take the test. This is an important day.”
Dex nodded, “
It’s okay Ma’am. No need to apologize for anything.” She said sincerely. “
I really appreciate your being here today, Captain. I am ready to get back into service.”
Captain Indmus gently squeezed her right shoulder, soft hums of approval from her subharmonics. “That’s what I want to hear, now to prove it.” She gestured with her chin to the shuttle. Dex entered the shuttle sitting in the pilot’s seat with a contented hum, Vibitina took co-pilot’s seat.
Vibitina nodded for her to start. Dex reached with her left to start up the holographic display and verbally ran down the preflight checklist. Captain Indumus echoed the checklist, looking over the display. “Disengaging the shields.”
Dex nodded, another long held breath. She took off.
The thrusters adjusted, navigational instruments gave her the approximated altitude, air pressure, and a rough 3D rendering of her current surroundings. Orange glow casting across their features. Nav points to follow the course leading them into the dense wetlands. Vegetation grew in patches, small landmasses and the murky waters were never far below. Light filtered as the shuttle zipped by scaring wildlife away, retreating to safety. Dex gained some speed but her first set of obstacles were appearing on the environmental scans. Low hanging branch of an overachieving tree was coming up fast. She maneuvered below it earning her first ding by a suspiciously high rise bit of land, the thud across the bottom of the shuttle rattled a few seatbelts.
Dex let out a groan of annoyance.
Indmus gave no indication of disapproval but Dex could feel it. She adjusted then tackled the next obstacle, twining branches obscuring an exit with vines, throwing off the initial scans but a quick look to her 3D rendering told her the obscurity wasn’t a threat. Indmus stiffened when she saw Dex accelerate going for the space between. When they came out the other side vines being caught then whipped off by the wind.
“
I knew it!” Dex pumped her fist then narrowly avoided a bird, readjusting. “
Good thing there’s no low hanging vegetation in the vacuum of space, huh Captain?”
Indmus chuckled, “I suppose so. Good instincts.”
They flew on, smoothly moving through more obstacles making good time through the swamp. Dex was gaining confidence, only having a few shallow scratches and dents. They reached a terrifying portion of the swamp, light disappeared as they descended into a canopy. Dex slowed for good measure to give herself more reaction time, she felt the tell tale signs of a muscle spasm coming on and she quickly removed her prosthetic hand from the console. Reaching across her body to move levels on the dashboard, holding her arm to her chest. The spasm was incredibly distracting but she kept an eye on the 3D rendering. Swiping a message away.
The entirety of the exercise Dex struggled to hide her spasms, they persisted after generous breaks. Dex was growing frustrated - it was clear to Captain Indmus as well. She reached out squeezing her organic hand comfortingly. Indmus smiled, “You can do this.”
“Dexuret Noratus you stand accused of treason, espionage, and have been labelled a traitor to the Hierarchy. Witnesses will now stand in testimony to be questioned by the Hierarchy and Defense. You have plead not guilty with overwhelming evidence of the contrary. Today the witnesses I call will be providing the jury character accounts from close friends, relatives and your former superior officers. If evidence does not convince the jury then perhaps those you betrayed first will paint the picture.” The lawyer spoke in his opening statement, never taking his eyes off of a younger Dexuret, cuffed and sitting beside her own lawyer. The court martial had been a gruelling process, each day of the trial buffing away more of her will to fight. She looked miserable.
Dex knew the character accounts to simply add flavour to a trial already presumed to be won and over, brew an emotional statement against her. Help solidify her as a villain in the eye of the public. Deter any others from ever considering to follow a similar path. It worked in favour for both the Hierarchy and
Facinus. Striking fear into potential rebels and inspiring loyalty within the rebels themselves.
For Dex it was about going out with a fight.
“I call Captain Vibitina Indmus to the stand.”
Dex froze then snapped around to see Captain Indmus walking down the aisle to enter the courtroom. Indmus’ demeanor was that of ice, barely contained contempt boiling underneath the surface. She didn’t spare to look at Dex as she took her seat on the stand. Swearing by her honour and station she would be truthful.
“Captain Indmus, we would like to verbally confirm a few facts today. You led the ship and crew of the
SS Fade correct and for how long?” The Hierarchy’s lawyer began.
“Yes, that is correct.” Indmus replied. “For twenty two years.”
He nodded, Dex hunched over feeling the remaining fire drain out of her.
“How long did Noratus serve under you?” The next question came.
“Off and on a total of three years. She started her training as a pilot on my ship and after she had moved on to other crews, I had personally requested her next training cycle to be spent on my ship again.” Indmus said, her memory sharp. “Even before that, I had mentored her through bootcamp and encouraged her to study to become a pilot.”
“I have known Noratus for twelve years.”
The lawyer nodded, “A mentor you say? Could you clarify that with specifics?”
“I gave her advice, a line of support, and afterhours tutoring.” Indmus said, a note of bitterness. “I wanted her to be prepared for when she joined my crew.”
“I see, you’ve known Noratus for sometime and have maintained a close relationship with her.” The lawyer concluded he addressed the three judges, “We have established Captain Indmus a reliable source to comment on Noratus’ character.”
One of the judges, waved. “It has been established. Carry on.”
“So Captain, in your words would you like to share your thoughts on your former crew member with the court today?”
Vibitina finally looked Dex in the eye, “What is there to say beyond what the evidence has already told? What story could possibly convey my disappointment, rage and sadness?” She said quietly.
“How could I simply sum up my broken heart?” She said emotion humming through her subvocals. “Were it that easy. I say with a heavy heart that Noratus is a traitor of the worst degree. She failed in her loyalty to the Hierarchy, the very entity that had given her and her family their life - she sought to weaken it and the support it provides Taetrus. She failed in what
she personally believed in as well, unable to own her failures as they are.” Indmus took a deep breath, showing incredible restraint. “Not a day goes by I question myself, where
I went wrong. What blame I can take unto myself for Dex’s mistakes. I feel as though I will continue to ask that until the day I die.”
The silence that followed stretched in the courtroom. The lawyer looked taken aback, Captain Indmus apparently having tread off of rehearsed answers.
He coughed, “My questioning is complete, thank you Captain.”
The judges called Defense to cross examine.
Dex saw her vision tunnel, as every word felt like a needle prickling down her spine.
Her arm began to spasm for the first time in years.