DISCLAIMERS: We're almost to the end now. But, expect continued suffering and strife along these last few pages. Other symptoms could include heartache, watery eyes, and pure escapism.

FEEDBACK: Please direct all feedback to p.phair@comcast.net. You can check out more of my writing at http://www.phair1.com

COWARD

by Phair

Part 15

"Too big," Rabbit giggled as she watched Rory dress in very strange clothes,"you too small."

Rory gathered the extra inches of material at her waist and shook her head sadly."These were my Formal Dress Uniform pants. They use to fit me like a glove. I must look like Hell."

Rory took a moment to finger her visible ribs. She noted, only then, her stomach had become concave from the combination of heavy labor and poor nutrition. Her once tanned skin had a grayish pallor for lack of sunshine. Prison had reduced the once fierce and fit soldier to a battered and bruised shell of her former self.

A smaller but just as gray hand joined Rory's fingers tracing her ribs. Rabbit lingered a heartbeat before she moved on to explore Rory's naked chest. The breasts had withered with the weight loss but the muscles of her upper body and arms were rock hard from work. Rory remained perfectly still while Rabbit inspected her under full light for the first time. The lighting in their tent in the prison below the surface was very dim and it had been difficult to see details. The outside underground light was a weird red glow from sunlight filtered through miles of porous rocks and dirt. Nuances were lost in the dust.

Rabbit's eyes traveled to Rory's neck and the brand. Her finger tips softly followed the path of the tortuous mark.

"It a lie," Rabbit spoke quietly.

Rory captured the finger tips and kissed each,"No, it's not. I disobeyed direct orders and abandoned my post. The very least of my crimes is cowardice. They probably should have tried me for treason." She let out a sad chuckle,"They might still."

Seizing the opportunity, Rory let her own hands tour the miserable burns on Rabbit's neck. Each side hideously scarred by a brand the girl had not earned herself. Inherited misery. Rabbit initial stiffened but then relaxed into the tender strokes from her lover's rough but kind hand. Rory was loath to break the contact but she knew they needed to be dressed when guards came for them.

"I should finish getting my clothes on."

"Me do," Rabbit said.

Rabbit was very serious as she helped Rory into her shirt. Leading the sleeve up one arm, she then circled behind. Whisper like caresses anointed Rory's still healing back. Rabbit careful draped the shirt across the wounded skin before tugging the other sleeve up Rory's right arm, now covered with goose bumps. Rabbit buttoned the buttons and tucked in the tails. When she finished her brow was still frowned.

"What's wrong? Does it look that awful?" Rory asked as she studied herself trying to see all the flaws.

"Lost?" Rabbit pointed to the darker material at the shoulders and over Rory's heart.

Rory felt a lump lodge in her throat when she tried to explain,"I was stripped of my honor after my conviction. There were badges there that noted my rank and my achievements. They took them away from me. Like I never deserved them in the first place."

"Sad," Rabbit confirmed.

"Yeah, sad," with the memory of her degrace fresh in her mind, Rory's shoulders slumped and so to did her baggy pants. She stood silently for a minute or two with her pants around her ankles before she spoke."You know Rabbit, life's nothing but one humiliation after another."

* * *

Rory shuffled down the corridor toward the tribunal chamber. The shackles on her ankles hobbled her gait. One of the guards had trussed her up good before leaving her cell. He secured a chain through her belt loops and fastened both the metal wrist bands and ankle shackles to it. As demeaning as it was to be chained like an animal, Rory was grateful the restraint was tight enough to keep her pants up.

Rabbit was similarly bound which annoyed the little blonde no end. She tried her best to tell burly guards she was already 'broked' and restraints weren't needed. None of the guards paid her any attention.

"Stupidheads," Rabbit muttered to herself as she stumbled along behind Rory.

The large wood doors leading to the tribunal chamber were closed as they group approached. A call to open the entrance came from the back of the line. Rory looked over her shoulder to see who shouted. At that very moment, Rabbit's eyes went wide then snapped shut. Her knees buckled collapsing her to the floor. She screamed and screamed.

Rory started to struggled. She was trying to get back to Rabbit but her guards would have none of it. They hauled her full front. Blinding light tore into her vision. She too fell to the floor wailing like a child. General chaos ensued. Stunned guards struck out in an attempt to restore order but the women continued to writhe in agony.

"LIGHT! SHUT IT OFF!" Rory shrieked."For the love of God, shut it off. Too bright!"

"We are Varicants…,"

"Great, give these bitches a zap will you?" the newly appointed, replacement Captain was relieved for the extra help.

The women continued to huddle on the floor crying. Rabbit was nearly incoherent. Rory kept shouting something about the light.

"Captain, it occurs to us your prisoners are reacting to the sunlight. They have been secluded underground for so long their eyes are unaccustomed to such brilliance," the Varicants patiently explained.

"Oh, um ah, should we draw the shades?" The Captain felt a bit silly for failing to recognize the situation for what it was.

"YES!" Rory screamed.

"We will dim the room by tinting the windows. A medic will be dispatched to provide drops to clear the prisoners' vision and reduce the risk of permanent damage."

"Okay boys," the Captain noted the dimming of the light immediately."Let's get them back on their feet."

Rory was lifted bodily. She was completely blind. Colorful lights flashed and spun in her throbbing head. She was nearly sick from the pain. However, the gagging and choking sounds behind her let her know that Rabbit was, in fact, sick from the pain.

"Captain," Rory managed to speak,"please don't hurt her. She can't help it. She's sick. She's never been in the daylight. Ever. Please. It hurts. It hurts so bad."

Rory hung her head in exhaustion. Tears were streaming from her burning eyes. She leaned heavily on her guards for support.

"No worries, Major. My oversight. I'll take care of her," the Captain's voice held no threat."Get this one inside, boys."

Rory was almost carried to her seat. The hard wood was cool against her sweating body. She could feel the pulls and tugs as the guards fastened her chains to the chair. She was so relieved the pain had ended that she didn't care what they did.

"We are Varicants. We are here to treat your eyes. Tip your head up," came the ghostly voice.

Rory obeyed. Stinging drops splashed across her skin and into her burned eyes. She could not hold back the whimper that followed. A strong but unfamiliar hand squeezed her shoulder.

"Stay strong," intoned a youthful male voice.

Rory gasped as her vision cleared but a fiery sensation raced across her brain. It tore like a wild inferno for several long seconds before it began to recede.

"Easy for you. Your head isn't on fire," Rory choked out.

The young man beside her held a cup to her lips,"Water?"

She nodded cautiously. The young man slowly tipped the cup toward her chapped lips. Rory gulped at the cold, crisp, clean water filling her mouth. It had been years since she last tasted anything so sweet. When the cup was withdrawn she smacked her lips and sighed. It was the best thing to happen to her since meeting Rabbit.

"Where's Rabbit?" She sat up straight when she realized she could no longer hear her friend.

The man next to her put his hand back on her shoulder,"She's right over there. See? The Varicants are treating her too. So relax."

Rory vision had cleared enough so she could see Rabbit. Her love was kneeling inside a small cage near the tinted windows. Rabbit was ghastly pale and panting for her breath. A ghost like Varicant glided toward her with the cure for the blindness clutched in his skeletal fingers.

Relieved Rabbit was safe, the scene behind the woman caught Rory's attention. Green hills, low and lush valleys, and miles and miles of trees, spread out in a panorama before the windows. It was like something out of the Northern Wilderness Magazine she read a kid.

"New Earth is barren. No life. Only an underground prison. Trees are not possible on New Earth? What's going on? Where are we?"

"Oh, don't worry. You're still on New Earth," the young man in the fine suit stated.

"Great," Rory thought to herself.

"This is the Reclamation Project of 2105. The Senate recognized even in the early day that the war was going to continue for centuries. They voted to establish a safe haven for the government should Old Earth suffer catastrophic damage.

"2105?" Rory questioned her memory. She wasn't even out of school in 2105.

"The dirt," her young lawyer continued,"mined by prisoners like you is being used to create a suitable living situation for our government on New Earth."

"This is what's causing the cave ins," Rory stated with some urgency."The weight of it is collapsing the mines."

"Well, yes. Of course it is. The condensed raw materials will give us an even greater foundation when we begin to build," The young man smiled."We should really start to focus on your appeal instead of boring future government projects, don't you think?"

Rory shook her head and began to strain against her restraints,"Don't you understand. People are in those mines. When the mines collapse, people die horrible deaths."

"Hey come on! Isn't it better than three hundred years at hard labor?" The man winked and snapped open his briefcase."Now, Major, about your appeal. We'll try for reduced you capacity at the moment of command failure. We'll say the grief of your personal loss," he took a deep breath."Of course you have my deepest condolences on the deaths of your husband and son but," it came in a well rehearsed rush; like one word."beyond that, it'll give us the sympathy vote."

Rory was ignoring him completely. When she realized he didn't care for the fate of the prisoners below, she was fairly sure he didn't care much for her fate either. He was probably being paid a small fortune to sit this close to her and he couldn't even muster one spark of empathy. Instead of listening, she focused on Rabbit. Her lover sat across the room, restrained and caged, blinking against the still too bright light.

"I want Rabbit to sit next to me," she blurted out.

"Huh? You have a bunny rabbit?" The man in the fine suit appeared confused.

Rory managed to hold her anger in check and stated in a reasonable tone of voice."My wife is locked in a tiny cage. I won't have it! She's to sit with me. Take care of it. NOW!"

The command in Rory's voice sent the young man scrambling. She watched as he crossed to the table next to them. There a woman, slightly older than Rory, stood straight and tall in full military dress. Rory noted the shoulder patches and medals of the other woman; General, no less. A small pang of envy rose in Rory's chest and she cringed at her own status; dishonorably discharged, demoted, disgraced military prisoner. Still, she watched intently as the young man in the fine suit approached and implored the General. The General seemed to be listening but her eyes darted between the young man and Rory. Finally, she muttered something and made her way to the defense table. Her gait and uniform were crisp.

"Former Major," the General snapped a salute.

Rory could only nod her return due to her chains,"General."

"Your lawyer tells me you have a complaint as to your wife's confinement."

"General, ma'am. My wife, Rabbit, is as much a defendant as I am. She has the right to sit next to me at the defense table. This is about her life too, Ma'am."

The General seemed to think about it,"This is new legal territory for the military. As I'm sure you are aware. Homosexual relationships are not tolerated and admitting such a situation would get you drummed out of the core. But," the General gave a kind smile,"you already are out of the core."

"General, you should use the standard for married couples as your guideline. My home commonwealth recognizes my status as married. The military doesn't need to consider who the spouse is for the purposes of this hearing," Rory was almost breathless as she made her point.

"Good theory basis." The General actually chuckled,"Wish your lawyer came up with it a few minutes ago. Would have saved us some time." She glared at the man in question and he blushed."We have another bit of business to discuss. I was going to wait until the judges took the bench but seeing as we are already addressing legal issues, we might as well forge onward. Issue #3 on the agenda states that I have a personal connect with the Former Major. If you want me to withdraw from the case then say so now and I will."

"I don't care," the young man stated with a shrug."What about you, Rory."

Rory studied the older woman before answering. She could not put a name with the face. Although the features were familiar, any mutual history was lost to Rory.

"I don't remember you but you seem fair enough. I don't want to wait for another prosecutor. Six months back and six months out? Another year? No, thanks. Let's get this over with today," Rory stated boldly.

"It's not a six months trip anymore. They cut travel time in half with the help of the Varicants," her young lawyer intoned with a great deal of enthusiasm.

Both women rolled their eyes.

"Okay," the General grinned,"we've settled the matters at hand. Guards bring the Prisoner Rabbit over to the defense table. Chief Clerk, let the judges know we are ready to proceed, and Bailiff, get the witnesses to the holding area. Let's get this hearing underway."

Rory shuddered as both lawyers walked away from her. Leaving her alone for the moment. Perhaps, alone forever.

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