Authors: Vanessa North
She looked at Zeke, her brown eyes pleading. He swallowed, motioned for her to continue.
“I was about to take off when Walter came onto the landing pad. He shot the warden. I fired at him. I found out later he died.
“On the transport, while I struggled with my harness and the ’com, the ship lurched and fell a bit. The abrupt change in altitude made me feel faint. I didn’t realize my pregnancy had made me more sensitive to those changes. I tried to right it, to get the ship in line with the artificial horizon, but I lost consciousness.”
She paused to wipe at her eyes, and then zipped her uniform closed again, taking a moment to compose herself as she pulled the sleeves down and zipped all the way to the wrist.
“There was a lot of trauma, in the crash, and I was weak from lack of exercise from the months I spent in the brig over the year prior to my escape. My arm broke. The baby died. I was unconscious when they found me. The eight hours of surgery were due to hemorrhage after the C-section, not to repair my arm. I don’t know why this information was held back from you, Advocate-Commander.
“I shot my husband because he would have killed me. He’d already killed the warden who helped me. The shooting was not premeditated. I know it was committed in the process of committing a crime, and I know the Fleet considers that murder. I didn’t believe I had any other choice.”
Zeke watched her wipe her eyes again, watched the way Josiah Beckett pulled her to his side, and the strength she took from the other man.
“Are you two lovers?” he asked. “I’m asking because you called Josiah just before the crash. It looks suspicious in the context it was presented by the commandant.”
“No. He likes men. I’m pretty sure he’d testify to that in court too.” Tirzah looked at her friend, who grinned back.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry. It really isn’t my business.” Zeke tried to cover his embarrassment, even as a kernel of satisfaction worked its way into him. Why did he care whether she and the other advocate were lovers?
One absolute certainty was he would not prosecute Tirzah Simonian for murder. There would be some difficulty in getting the case dropped, but the Fleet owed her this much. He had to try.
He pushed his chair back from the table and looked down. More than anything, he wanted to tell her he would take care of her. But that seemed oddly sentimental and wasn’t something he could remotely promise. He looked up again, nodding at her, and then at her lawyer.
“Advocate Beckett, please stay accessible by ’com. I’ll be in touch.”
Chapter 8
“I’d like to speak to the ranking officer of the panel for Captain Simonian’s court-martial.” Zeke walked into the station’s court building dressed for war. He cut an imposing figure in his dress uniform, and when he tucked his cover under his arm and glared down his nose at the young clerk, he wasn’t surprised the man jumped.
“Yes, Advocate-Commander,” the clerk mumbled, reaching for his ’com. After a few hurried words, the clerk nodded and escorted Zeke into an office to wait.
The small office was fastidiously clean, leaving no clues to the officer’s personality. Zeke stood, rather than take advantage of the chair provided, remembering how put off he’d been to walk into his own office and see Josiah Beckett’s foot on his desk.
“Advocate Lucassen? Admiral Scott.” He turned at the admiral’s voice, glad to see he’d be making his case to a woman, and realizing if he weren’t planning to drop the charges, he’d feel the opposite. Seeing such ingrained misogyny in himself made him uncomfortable, knowing it was part of why he’d been assigned to prosecute Tirzah. They’d counted on him to be his own worst self.
“Admiral.” He nodded.
“Well, what brings you here today and why is Josiah Beckett not with you? It’s not customary to hear motions without both parties present.”
“I think Josiah Beckett would not have a problem with my presence here, ma’am. I would like to dismiss the charges against Captain Simonian.”
The admiral looked startled for a moment, blue eyes widening, but she collected herself quickly, moving to sit behind her desk.
“Please, have a seat, Advocate. You were assigned to prosecute the captain, and provided evidence that supported your case, is that correct?”
“Yes, Your Honor, but I believe the evidence is incomplete. I believe the investigating commandant purposefully left out information that mitigates the circumstances.”
“Such as?”
“Over a year of domestic abuse. Captain Simonian was fleeing an abusive husband, not the brig, nor the station. She was fleeing Walter Simonian.”
“And the warden she shot?”
“She didn’t.”
The Admiral sat up sharply, studying his face. “Do you have proof?”
“I have the medical records left out of the original reports. She was pregnant, about five months along. I saw her scars, ma’am. How long has it been legal to allow a husband to throw his wife in the brig and shackle her? Why did no one ever step in and look over their case more closely? This is a shit-storm. And she has been a victim of systematic abuse as much as domestic abuse. Our military legal system let this happen. That warden tried to help her, and as far as I can tell he’s the only person in all of Solomon Territory who gave enough of a damn to try.”
Zeke clenched his hands into fists, trying to quell the shaking.
“Advocate Lucassen, I don’t have to remind you Walter Simonian was a hero. The Fleet will be outraged if the tribunal drops charges against his killer.”
“Tirzah Simonian flew the cleanup mission in the nebula. She eradicated the rest of the pirates who were hiding in there making raids on our colonies. She flew the most dangerous mission of the whole damn war, and she didn’t lose a single fighter. She’s your hero.”
“That will be all, Advocate Lucassen.” The admiral frowned, looking at her own report-reader. “I’ll discuss your request with the rest of the panel. I’ll be in touch with our decision.”
* * * *
Zeke was headed for Josiah Beckett’s quarters when he saw Tirzah leaving the gym. She shook out her left arm, a flicker of relief chasing pain across her face. He’d stopped seeing her as his quarry over the last twenty-four hours, started seeing her as Tirzah, the woman who thrived in the cockpit of a fighter. This woman stood up to power, even if it broke her. If he had his way, she’d never have to run again.
Her hair, still damp from her post-workout shower, curled around her face like a lion’s mane, and he realized he’d never guessed there had been so much of it tucked into the confines of the tight coils she wore in uniform. She looked young and pretty, and for a moment, not at all prickly.
“Captain,” he called out before he could stop himself. She looked up, brown eyes wary, huge in her face.
“Advocate.” She nodded a greeting.
“I’m going to speak to Beckett now. Walk with me?”
She nodded again, falling into step beside him. “Why are you going to see Josiah?”
“I went to the tribunal today. I asked permission to drop the charges against you.”
Next to him, she sucked in a sharp breath. He looked down, noting surprise and fear on her face.
“Why?”
“Because I think the system is compounding your abuse. I think you belong in the cockpit of a fighter, not the brig or a work camp. I don’t like being told how to fight my cases, and I don’t like seeing the evidence manipulated. But most of all? I believe you.”
She stopped, turning to face him, and her fingers clutched at the front of his uniform. Her brown eyes were a little wild, but her voice was clear.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
The hallway shrank down to the space immediately surrounding them as Zeke patted the hand she fisted in the front of his shirt. His awareness of her as Tirzah gave way to his awareness of her as a woman: soft and warm and close. Fresh from the shower, she smelled clean and sweet. His hand tucked a wayward curl behind her ear, and the moment drew long and tense.
“Tirzah…” he whispered.
Blinking, she took a step back. “I’m sorry, I just…”
“No, I’m sorry. Let’s go talk to your lawyer, okay?”
“Okay.”
Chapter 9
Tirzah risked a glance at the advocate as they walked. His face was tense, troubled, and she felt responsible. A small part of her wanted to slip her hand into his and squeeze; she was too aware of him as a man. Still confused about the reactions she had to him—after everything with Walter, why was she drawn to another tall, powerful man?—she remained silent as they walked.
Josiah opened the door and gave her his
what-the-fuck, T?
look before ushering them inside.
“Advocate Lucassen,” he acknowledged before he leaned in to kiss Tirzah’s cheek. “What are you doing, T?” he whispered, low enough that the other lawyer wouldn’t hear.
“Just listen to him, Becky,” she whispered back.
“Advocate Beckett, I’ve started the process for dropping the charges against your client. I want to talk to both of you about what this will mean going forward. Is now a good time?”
Josiah grinned. “Fuck, yes. Have a seat.”
When they walked into Josiah’s quarters, the small sitting area was already occupied by an autumn-eyed young man, who looked at Josiah as if he had personally hung the stars in the sky.
Oh, hello.
Tirzah hid a smile behind her hand. Josiah might think his relationship with the other man was casual, but there was nothing casual about the way this man was looking at her best friend.
“Tirzah, Advocate, meet Max Slapinski.” Josiah waved a hand toward his date. “Max, this is Tirzah, and that’s Zeke Lucassen, formerly known as the enemy.”
The big advocate’s shoulders shook with laughter, and she grinned, holding out her hand for a shake. “Hi, Max.”
“Max, I know I promised you dinner and a movie, but I’ll have to push buttons on the food generator for you some other time. Rain check?” Josiah picked up the other man’s jacket and opened the door again.
“Of course. Nice to meet you Tirzah, Zeke.” Max winked at Tirzah as he left the room.
Josiah sat on the one chair in the room, leaving Tirzah to perch awkwardly on the chaise as Zeke sat next to her. She tried not to notice how broad his shoulders were, or how much space he seemed to take up in the small room, but finally she just gave up and drank in the sight of him in all his masculine glory. If she was going to be burdened with an inappropriate attraction, she might as well enjoy it.
“Here’s how I see it,” Zeke began, “I’m only an instrument of the Fleet; I cannot summarily dismiss your charges. I need to have the full weight of the tribunal behind that. I met with Admiral Scott today, and she may have some empathy to your plight.”
“If they refuse to dismiss, what will happen?” Tirzah clasped her hands to keep them from shaking.
“Then we have a real problem on our hands in that I will be dismissed from the case.”
Josiah explained, complete with singsong voice and hand gestures, “The Fleet will dismiss him. They’ll say his objectivity will be compromised if he decides there is no reason to pursue conviction but they still believe there is. The process will start over.”
“So, what you’re saying is, I’m fucked?”
“No, not necessarily. We can still introduce the evidence that Guszak held back. It would be up to the panel to decide if you were guilty. Depending upon the ratio of women to men in the panel—and I hate that that matters, but I’m afraid it does—and upon how we play the hero card, we could get an acquittal.” Zeke spoke as if he were part of her legal team.
“You keep saying ‘we,’ don’t you mean ‘Josiah?’” Tirzah asked.
The two men exchanged a long look before Zeke answered.
“No, I mean we. If I don’t get your charges dismissed, I’d like to join your defense team. I’d like to help you, Tirzah. If you’ll let me.”
She stared, openmouthed, at the man next to her. His face was open, honest, his body language earnest. He meant every word, and it overwhelmed her. The day before, he had been, as Josiah said, the enemy. Now he offered his help in pursuing not just the dismissal of the charges but also failing that, an acquittal.
“Please, talk to Josiah, think it over. Don’t feel you need to give me an answer right away. We don’t even know what the tribunal will do yet.”
“Thank you. If you guys will excuse me, I’d like to go home and think for a bit.” Tirzah rose, drying her sweaty palms on her uniform pants. She gave Zeke an awkward smile and turned to hug Josiah, who guided her to the door.
“Do you think he means it?” She whispered the question.
“I’m sure he does. I told you he was a fair man. I can’t lie. It would be a huge boon to have him on our side. The media would eat it up, and it would send a clear message to the other side that we’re aware of the evidence tampering. He’s also not exactly known for a feminist attitude, so his defection to our side of the courtroom is huge.”
“It doesn’t upset you?”
“Are you kidding me? No, it would be great. I’m not jealous of him, T. He’s not going to take my place as your counsel or your friend. He’s an ally now, and we need all the allies we can get.”
“Why’d you say that, about him being anti-feminist?”
“I didn’t. I just said this is a side of him he isn’t exactly known for. He’s always given off the ‘Fleet man’ vibe. This is new.”
“Okay. Thanks, Becky.”
“Don’t…”
“I know. I love you.”
“I love you too, T.”
* * * *
When Josiah returned to the sitting room, he carried two beers back from the food gen. Zeke was glad for the chance to talk to Tirzah’s lawyer one on one. They’d be able to plot strategy without worrying about hurting her feelings.
“Here.” Josiah handed him one of the beers. “Now, I can tell you have a plan. Talk.”
Zeke took a deep breath. Where to begin? “99 percent of her problem is she’s female. She’d never have been in this situation if she weren’t.”
“True.”
“If I’m dropped from the prosecution, they’ll hire someone with a reputation for being a bulldog. They’ll need to because all of a sudden this is going to be huge. She’ll need to get comfortable with media attention.”