The Disgraceful Victory

this.

PART ONE

CHAPTER ONE

When the Earth Defense fleet decloaked they surrounded the Home World of the Nitrites. They were two hundred ships. One fourth battle cruisers are. The rest were Frigates. They opened fire. The lasers cut threw the Defense shields. The torpedoes were targeted toward military targets. But they were launched on the assumption that the Nitrite defenses would Take out some. But the combined explosion kills everyone, withing ten Miles of the target areas. Warriors killed at their posts unable to stop or even try to stop the conflagration. Then came the Epsilon Radiation woman, children, old people, cowards and other every other type of civilian. Unaware of what was coming. The next second they were vapor. At this he smiled. It gave him pleasure. This was no nightmare to Vice-Admiral Albert Richards Subrank 7C2 Acting Supreme Commander-in-Chief of United Earth.

But in fact for all of Earth a nightmare was beginning. It would never end. Or it would never be forgotten! It was to soon to tell. The United Earth Ship Roddenberry was twenty five days away at from her home port of Earth. She was primarily a Science vessel. Her mission was one a space exploration. Her weapons a mere precaution. She was the fifteenth ship to bear that name. Her mission was what her namesake Gene Roddenderry had dreamed. But less military mission occurred than on Star Trek. Her Captain Alexander Artamanov Ph.D was holding a meeting his senior officers.

"Gentlepeople I wish to form a united front to have our mission reinstated. Now that the War and we is over and we have won I would like to resume, explained the Captain.

The Moral Officer disagreed;"That will not sit well with the crew sir. They have a chance to see their families.

After ascertaining that this was the concerns of all the officers the Captain relented and the ship pressed on. These would profit from the War. So would every Science Cruiser in the Nation.

CHAPTER TWO

But to United Earth it was a nightmare! The entire nation was in a state of shock! In spite of the fact that Earth and her Colonies were a single nation they had rarely stood together before. When they had it was always to take action. This time it was to stand paralyzed with horror! Their courage availed them only to keep their sanity! In some places riots did break out. A total of two hundred people were killed! But the leaders though as shocked as their followers were hoping that by recovering from the shock they would prove they were doing their jobs. They each hoped that this would afford them a shot at the Presidency of United Earth. So action was taken!

It is thirty days after Chapter 1. The Law requires that time to prepare for such a hearing as this. The date was March 7, 2550. Vice-Admiral Richards is the ranking of eleven defendants of a formal hearing. The room was In the Capital Palace in Washington primary Capital of Earth. It was well lit. The members of the Committee of National Security where seated behind a wide bench on one side of the room. Because the of Vice-Presidency was vacant there where only ten of them. The prosecutor had just proven all other events in Part II except the conversation with Admiral Haggarty in Chapter 1 and the thoughts of the conspirators. Then came the event in Chapter I of this Part. The Captain of the United States was asked by the prosecutor;-At the time that the Vlce-Admiral was just about to order the attack did you know what was happening?"

The captain answered;Yes sir!.

The prosecutor asked;Did you do anything to stop it?

The captain answered;No sir!.

The prosecutor demanded;Why not!.

The captain answered;"! suspected the Nitrite may have hidden more weapons than the sensors showed. What the sensors showed qualified as a military target. They were armed and we were at War..

The Committee voted to accept this. The Captain was never included as one of the defendants. Their number was still eleven.

The prosecutor sat down he looked grim even in victory. This would be a bitter pill for all the patriots of Earth. To his left behind the defendants table sat the defendants and their lawyer. A well established expensive lawyer was counsel for the defense.

The lead counsel said," He did not say anything I can refute we are going to trial.

The Vice-Admiral Richards the ranking defendant said;-

Then let us go to trial.

The defense counsel told the committee;-That this case merits trial we do not contest. We intend to fight In Court. We are aware that bail shall be impossible.

Because Vice∼Presidency was vacant The of the assembly of United Earth was Chairperson.. She adjourned the Committee for two yours and then they met In closed session. They returned with an Indictment, the charges and specification were such that if either they were found Guilty as Charged or Guilty but Insane they would be executed by firing squad.

Then the Speaker spoke on the public record with reporters observing to the defendants directly;-No one here questions your legal right to a fair trial. But we ask you on moral grounds you plead guilty. Unless you can prove beyond a doubt that you innocent then we ask you to let this nation put it's worst hour behind us. You cannot hope to have a fair trial. The temper of the time will not allow It. No court Is empowered to transfer this trial to the next century. Any other outcome besides conviction or proven Not guilty will have you living under cloud of…..

Richards jumps up and said;Never!

The Speaker said;" Wrong of me to ask!. Sorry!’

CHAPTER THREE

The scene was a house. It was located on a nice street and a nice neighborhood. It was inside the house. It was the house of Captain Richard Fletcher and his wife. It was a good home.

Franklin and Ishara Fletcher were the twin children of Captain Richard Fletcher. They were supposed to celebrate their seventh birthday. Then they received the news of their father's arrived. Captain Fletcher was Commanding Officer of the U.E.S. EXCALIBER when the ship was exploded in the last battle of the Earth-Nitrite War by a Nitrite pulsar cannon. The frigate Class Earth Warship EXCALIBER and crew are the last Earth casualties of the War. Their Captain had been field promoted to that temporary rank and post by then Acting Supreme Commander-in-Chief Richards after the previous captain had been lost in battle in the first battle of the War.

Now their widowed mother had a Captain's pension for life and support for her children. These came direct from the Veteran's Department of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs of United Earth. She would never starve while United Earth stood. While United Earth stood her children would never go hungry. They would live in a home worthy of the rank of Vice-Captain and if they were thrifty run surplus spending. She would have full health insurance with a one where to half sick or crazy President we could not work the provisions for Acting President. We have not been able to for two years now. The Vice-President has sat in on every session of the Senate or hundred dollar deductible and during their minority so would their children. But this only went so far as one hundred thousand dollars. They would all have catastrophe insurance with a forty dollar a year premium that would cover up to a million dollars a year medical care and had a deductible of one hundred thousand dollars. They were going to see whether the promotion to Captain was permanent before deciding to upgrade their standard of living. It no longer mattered that his rank was provisional. He had died bearing the rank and responsibility of full Captain in battle. There was no question of his families rights.

But she also had a question to answer from her fatherless children. They had been told that their father was dead now they wanted to know the reason why. Why had they become fatherless? '{try was -their father dead? When the War broke out they were told that their father was going to fight the evil who had killed their leaders and attacked an Earth Colony with innocent people. Their father was going to save them. They were told the that there was a danger in this. But when they were told he dead they were not really prepared. Who could be? But now on the heals of news of there father's death was news that things were not as they seemed!

The children came home from their first day of school after their grief. They confronted their mother.

Is it true? asked Ishara without saying what she was asking about.

What do you mean darling?; asked her Mother

Is it true?; shouted Ishara.

That are you asking about?;asked her exasperated mother.

∼Franklin intervened;"Maybe mother has not heard about the committee of National Security.

Mrs. Fletcher looked tired as she said;I have not heard any news since your father's death notice arrived. Tell me what is this about.

Ishara misinterpreted;Then that means it is not true.

Her mother answered; It just means I have not been interested in the outside world since your father's death.

Franklin said;The Committee of National Security say's that Vice-Admiral Richards started the War! That he caused the deaths of our nation's leaders and everything! If that they say is true then he murdered Father!. Mrs. Fletcher answered;Oh slander. No human being is that horrible. Really. Now go do out and play.

8oth children tried to obey. They really did. But they just could not feel up to it emotionally. As they did their mother turned on the news for the first time in ten days. An hour after she called her children to her sire. She said to them; I was wrong the Committee does think they did so! I do not know what to think! Then she broke down again in tears as she had done many times recently. Her children did follow. She remembered how Richards had been her husband's first Commanding Officer. Twenty years ago then Ensign Richard Fletcher a newly fledged fighter pilot was assigned to the Battle Cruiser U.E.S. UNITED STATES then under the command of then Captain-General Albert Richards. There were no stories about them both. Nevertheless the thought of her Richard being under a maniac all this time and no one aware of it doubled the horror of this news.

It had taken her twelve years to convince Richard to marry her. This made her marriage more precious. She had begged him to find another occupation. They wanted him safe. But he loved the freedom of Space. He did not listen. When he got home she planned to quarrel with him to retire his commission take out a twenty year pension and find another occupation.

Now she wondered;Why if these allegations are true then why were true allegations being made? Why I am I a widow?

CHAPTER FOUR

Seven people arrived at the United Earth Capital Building. Showed their I.D. once to get in and a second time to gain access to a heavily guarded elevator and quickly made their assent to the Presidential Penthouse. They quickly took their seats in the Cabinet Room around a burnished table.

The High Minister for Planetary Affairs was a fat lady with grey hair. Her job was to head Ministers composed of the National Police, Prosecutor's Office, Public Defender's Office, Bureau of Environmental matters and Bureau of Prisons.

The High Minister of the Post Office was an Asian man with medium height. His job was to manage to see to it that interstate mail got threw on Earth, interplanetary mail got threw to the Colonies and mail got threw to Space outposts and -from their Space craft.

The High Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs was short man. He had to head a Ministry composed of the Treasury, Bureau of Economic Statistics, the payroll of all 20 National organizations and the Treasury Police.

The Chairperson of the Science Council was a big male. He was head of a Council composed of two Scientist representing each recognized field of Science. Said Council to command the Main War Room. Normally his duties were Chief Administrator of the Military. By tradition his post was a cheap political payoff.

These Officials had gathered together to provide leadership on the next day after the assassinations. This was to be limited to the National side of National and Local separation of authority and the Civilian side of Civilian and Military separation of authority. They had prevent problems which should have coincided with the far and yet not been a part of it. In this they had been quite successful. That is until this meeting.

The Acting Chairperson called the meeting to order. The Finance Minister raised his hand and was recognized by the Chair.

The Finance Minister said;"My fellow Cabinet members when our Nation was leaderless we decided were going to remedy that -to the best of our ability. I was afraid of on the first subject before us and that was who would be our Chairperson. Hence as you will recall; I suggested logic that electing the Military Minister to the Chair we could show support for the War. But now threw no fault of it's High Minister the Military stands in disgrace. If we keep our current Chairperson as Chairperson that disgrace will be contagious. I therefore suggest that we have our Chair preside over the election of his successor.

The Military Minister sadly said;l hold no malice. You are right. The floor is now open to those who wish to nominate someone for the Chair. That is when the gridlock began. It went on for