Mistakes Were Made

“How could you sleep at a time like this?” asked Mik.
I uttered a long, drawn-out, exasperated sigh. I kept my eyes closed while replying to my friend, annoying as he can be. “Well, I close my eyes, lean my head back, and try to tune out every annoying sound.”
“How’s that going for you?”
“It is failing miserably.”
“Well, you know what else is failing miserably?”
“What?” uttered Tes. She, along with Basab, were stuck in this cell with us.
“My patience,” answered Mik.
You see, we four were unceremoniously sent into internment, for at this time we were accused of dishonorable conduct: looting Human remains. From what I recall, we were not even in the quadrant where the looting was reported, but alas, we fell victim to the unfounded accusations. I chose to wait out this situation, let everything be answered with time. Mik… chose not to.
I heard the scraping of his boots against the floor of the cell, and I half-opened my eyes, heavy from fatigue, to see Mik pacing near the force field like a caged animal. “You should sit down Mik, and relax.”
“Relax?” snapped Mik, annoyed. “No, never. Not until I get out of here.”
“That will only come with time,” I said. “Now sit down and shut up. The facts will eventually come to light, and we will be freed.”
Mik grumbled as he sat down beside me against the wall. I took notice of Basab curled up in the corner in a sleeping position, resting, snoring quietly. Tes sat not far from him, opposite to me on the other side of the cell.
While I closed my eyes to try and rest some more, I could not help but listen, however, and hear a certain tapping noise. Tap, tap, tap, and so on. With not insignificant amounts of vexation, I opened my eyes once again. I turned to my left, and found Mik impatiently tapping his foot on the floor as he indignantly glared forward at no particular sight. Mere moments passed before his patience was completely exhausted, and as he got up and walked towards the force field, I could do little but release yet another sigh. Mik banged on the force field twice with a balled fist.
“Hey! I want to talk to someone!” he demanded. About a minute passed before a guard appeared before him, on the other side of the force field, garbed in blue armor. “You! Send for your commander, I would speak with him!”
“Silence, prisoner!” said the guard.
“Mik, drop it,” I said, not wanting our stay to be lengthened for even a moment, especially due to Mik’s antics. However, Mik would not go quietly into that good night. He endeavored to incessantly, rapidly, and repeatedly bang on the force field with both of his hands, glaring at the guard.
“I will not be ignored!” ranted Mik. “I will not be denied! I will not be spurned!”
Suddenly, a figure appeared before us, from behind the force field. He was clad in brilliant gold armor. The Fleet Master of the Fleet of Unbroken Conviction – our fleet – who, at this moment in time, was Rafe ‘Monakhai. Mik ceased his foolishness, and we all stood at attention.
“Deactivate the force field and release them,” said ‘Monakhai. And so, the barrier between us and freedom was banished and the four of us quietly stepped out of the cell. Mik was obviously elated, but managed to obscure it beneath a stoical veil. “At ease. Major ‘Kalaree?”
“Present for judgement, my lord,” I said without fail.
“Mistakes were made when you and your lance were interred for dishonorable conduct,” continued ‘Monakhai. “Rest assured, you are not guilty of the crimes you are accused of, for we have evidence supporting your innocence. We have discovered the true culprits behind such dishonor: Lance 14, from your very own battalion. Justice will descend upon them most swiftly. Now, onto other matters.” He offered me a datapad. I linked up my own pad with it, and information was transferred from it to my own. “Your new orders. You are to return to the front.”
“My lord, I request permission to speak freely,” I said.
“Granted, speak your mind, warrior.”
“I wish to know the identity of my accuser, my lord.”
“Hmm. Indeed it is your right to know such, and so you shall. The one who claimed you guilty of dishonorable conduct is Major Rtas ‘Vadumee. He finds that he was hasty in laying the blame upon you lance, and apologizes for the misunderstanding.”
The door to the brig of the ship we were aboard, the Everlasting Salvation, opened. Here entered a new lance, Lance 14, accompanied by several guards. The lance’s personnel, two Sangheili, a Kig-Yar, and an Unggoy, were in shackles. I remembered the face of one of the Sangheili. It was Zar ‘Yorinee, a childling friend of Mik and I. We had lost contact with him after our graduation from the academy.
“Zar?” said Mik in disbelief. He approached Zar.
“Mik…” I started, in hopes to stop him from doing anything rash before our Fleet Master.
“Let him go, ‘Kalaree,” said ‘Monakhai.
“My lord?” I uttered, confused. I turned to my superior, only to find him gesturing at me to stop as he looked to Mik.
Mik went face to face with Zar.
“What happened, Zar?” asked Mik. Initially, Zar only gave a shrug as he looked away from Mik. “Zar?”
“You wouldn’t understand,” said Zar, echoing words Mik sometimes says to me whenever I try to press a personal concern that occasionally affects him.
Mik replied with a backhand strike to Zar’s face. “Making me take the fall for your shit…!” Mik said in a low voice, not wanting to explode in front of the Fleet Master. I looked to our superior, who nodded in approval. Indeed, Mik striking Zar, especially one who was proven to be dishonorable, returned to him some dignity lost in our unjust internment.
“At least you’re speaking to me in Common,” said Zar jokingly, who I remember using humor to try and cope with great stress, much like Mik.
“That’s about the only thing you have going for you,” replied Mik. He looked to the rest of the lance with disgust before turning around and returning to my side.
“You have your orders, Major,” said the Fleet Master. “Dismissed.”
“My lord,” I said, nodding. “Lance 7, move out.” We left the room, regaining our weapons confiscated in our arrest from a guard.
“I swear if I find this Rtas ‘Vadumee I’m gonna rip his face off,” snapped Mik.
“Easy, Mik,” I said. “We are walking away from this clean. I could ask for nothing more from this situation.”
Category:The Weekly