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eyes and left the courtroom.
    The bailiff escorted her back to the detention area. He tossed her in the cell and slammed the hatch. She was going to have to wait here until she was put aboard a prison transport to Alpha Ceti 7.
    As tiny, and as cramped, as this cell was, it was a dream compared to the maximum-security prison on Alpha Ceti 7. Full of rapists and murderers and deviants. It had a reputation for atrocious living conditions and human rights violations. It had the highest inmate death rate of any maximum-security facility. And corruption was rampant among the entire prison system. Judges were getting kickbacks in return for longer sentences. Wardens were utilizing prisoners as slave labor, profiting handsomely from commercial contracts.
    An inmate entering the system was quickly stripped of all sense of their humanity. They were looked upon as some type of sub-species. And basic human rights didn’t apply. At least, that was the view of most officials in the corrections system. A prison that was located at the outer reaches of the colonies, like Alpha Ceti 7, had little oversight.
    Still, this cell was enough to drive her insane. She relished the time in the courtroom during the trial. At least she had space and human contact. The thought of spending the rest of her life in a box like this, or worse, was mortifying. She was used to the confinement aboard a starship. But as a captain, the universe was hers to explore. As a prisoner, her life became meaningless. She knew what was coming, and she was powerless to stop it.
    Slade found her mind drifting to thoughts of the second wave of attacks that were inevitable. The Saarkturians were going to retaliate. There was no doubt about it. They would destroy the colonies and New Earth. And with any luck, they would destroy Alpha Ceti 7. Maybe the rest of her life wasn’t going to be very long, after all.
    A guard rapped on the door. The metal clang reverberated through the cell. “Slade. You’ve got a visitor.”
    Slade got up from her bunk and moved to the hatch. The food slot opened. Slade saw Lt. Commander Zoey Bryant peering through the slot from the hallway. “I see they’ve got you in the penthouse suite.”
    “You’ve got five minutes,” the guard yelled.
    “It’s the height of luxury, let me tell you,” Slade said, dryly. “I’m afraid this is better than where I’m going.”
    “This is total bullshit. We’re not going to let this stand, sir.”
    “Careful, Commander. You wouldn’t want to get accused of conspiracy. Or mutiny and sedition.”
    “Rourke totally sold you out, sir,” Bryant whispered. “He’s saying the Verge attack fleet was only a few ships.”
    “I know what he’s saying. I heard his testimony.”
    “It’s a bold-face lie.”
    “The majority of the crew never knew the size of the Saarkturian Fleet.”
    “And the one’s who did are too scared to contradict Rourke,” Zoey said.
    “I understand. Taking my side is a career killer. If I were you, I’d stay as far away from me as possible.”
    “I don’t care about my career, sir. Right is right. And wrong is wrong.”
    “I appreciate your loyalty, Commander. But look out for yourself. There is nothing you can do for me, short of breaking me out of here. And I don’t recommend that.”
    Zoey grinned. She was never one to back down from a challenge. “I have no intention of breaking you out of here. That would be impossible.” She said it loud enough for the guard to hear. Then she whispered. “But Alpha Ceti 7 is another story altogether.”
    “Time’s up, Commander,” the guard yelled. It wasn’t anywhere close to five minutes yet.
    Zoey puffed up and gritted her teeth. Then she shouted. “I just want to say, I think you are a disgrace to the uniform. I hope you rot in hell.” She said it for the guard’s benefit. She winked at Slade and left.

8
    Walker
    W alker brought the scope of his rifle to his eye. He lined the reticle up on the vulture’s head. His