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Ambassador's Ark sat quietly at the closest mooring point to John Holliday's Shasta office. He was somber and mentally drained, dressed only in a pair of jeans, a white cotton shirt and his pistol belt. In one arm he carried a large storage box and in the other was his briefcase. Upon entering his office, he placed the box next to his desk and dropped the briefcase on the desk itself. He then turned and began removing his pistol belt. As he did, he was facing his appointed commander of his diplomatic yacht, Alicia Cook, who followed him in with another storage box.
"Are you sure this is what you want, Sir?" she asked. He only nodded.
"I will be in the Ark," she acknowledged, "awaiting your return." With that, she quietly turned and left. She was quiet so as not to disturb anyone or alert them to her presence.
John himself removed his belt, hanging it on a rack along with the robes he had hung up. He stared for a moment, the robes of peace hanging next to his old belt with two loaded pistols, guns that had served him well, guns that he had hoped never to draw again. He thought for a moment at the hypocrisy of it, war and peace on the same coat rack. But, the more he thought, the more his alcohol induced headache pounded. He then turned and stepped behind his desk. Placing his hands on his hips, he bent backwards to stretch. Then, he looked down at his briefcase. He opened it, removed two thick file folders, dropped them on his desk and placed the closed briefcase on the floor to his side. He stared momentarily at the folders, in particular the one that listed, "children." As his head again began to pound, he found a bottle of aspirin and swallowed four with a glass of water. Then, he sat down to face the final processing of them all in his data banks.
As he opened the "children" folder, his wedding picture got his attention. His smiling wife made him stop.
It was the first time in days he managed to force one of his own. Still, he wanted to complete his work.
Right in the front of the folder was the first death certificate with a small picture clipped to the side:
He read aloud to himself, "Ashleigh Ann Roberts, 8 years old." He entered the name into his database. As he did, he stopped and thought, "her mother perished with her. So damned senseless!" he cursed. Finally, he finished processing. He could do no more.
"Rest in peace, Ashleigh," he said as he stood up.
He then turned to face his back wall. His mood had started to sour again as he started cursing under his breath. He finally muttered, "Corsair bastards!" As he stood seething, his door opened.
"I thought you were to wait in the shuttle, Alicia," he said, his back still turned. He didn't see four of his own quietly enter his office. Before they spoke, they saw the belt with the guns in holsters hanging by his robes.
"Don't leave, Doc," said a man's voice.
"Please, don't do this, Doc," said another female's voice. As he turned, he found himself face to face with his diplomatic protoge, Xavier Tritan, his long time friend, John Rackham, Popess Concordia and the only member who was TAZ long before him, Miss Kyte. All stood just facing him.
They could tell that he wasn't the same. He looked distraught, emotionally shaken and very, VERY angry! Doc himself knew his friends meant well. He was silent for the moment. He had blocked all of his incoming transmissions from both well wishers and those seeking resolve. He just didn't care. But, his friends were soothing. There he stood, unsure of what to say or do.
Concordia walked to John and took his hand. She started to caress it and made her sad face.
"John... John..." She smiled "You don't see me during a week, and see what happens..."
She moved behind him then started to massage his shoulders and his back.
"Love... For Eris sake! You're as tense as Diane bowstring!" She laughed and hugged him.
She kept massaging him, noticing he was slowly relaxing.
"Ah... That's better" Concordia moved to face him and sat down on a corner of his desk.
She made her mischievous face "Sweet heart... Don't ever consider to leave us - To leave me!" She winked.
"And what would happen to me if you were no longer here.... No one would step against mom'... " Concordia made her angry face, playing with the bottle of Aspirin on his desk. "She was always power angry, you know that..."
She then grinned "You wouldn't want to cause any trouble for me, right?" She made a vague movement with her hand, pointing at the three others popes in the room.
"Because it's exactly what you're doing now, sweet heart. We were afraid you would do something silly. Seems we arrived just in time!"
She then stopped for a while to let the others popes speak...
Xavier Triton stepped forward to address his friend. Much had happened. Outcast bounties, Corsair bounties, War and the slaughter of the innocent. Xavier knew too
well the reasons behind the fire that now burned fiercely in John Holliday's heart.
Xavier continued on and began to speak...
"Doc, you and I both know the nature of the universe, it is chaotic with man trying it's best, albeit futile, to tame it. In history atrocities are also made by men.
But never forget that man is also capable of kindness and the ability to create great and wondrous things. You are one of those men Doc."
Xavier took a deep breath, nodded at Concordia and placed his hand on the weary shoulder of John Henry "Doc" Holliday..
"Doc....John...We need you here, where the negative elements of this sector rear their ugly heads you are one of the men who bring a measure of calm and
peace to Sirius. I know it must be difficult to see,
despite hard work and perseverance that people can still be as barbaric as the ones of the Old Earth. But there are still many that have heeded your example,
that stand with you against adversity. I am one of those men and I always will be that man, for you, the memory of Malaclypse and our great patron deity Eris."
Xavier took his hand away from John's shoulder...
"There is much to do and it may seem like too much to bear alone...."
Xavier reaches out his hand to John...
"...But all that means is that it's time to share the
burden with those who trust you the most. Come back to us John, not for Sirius' sake but for your own sake. I know deep down you don't want to fall into
obscurity. I know that you still want to prevent other young lives from being extinguished. Help us save lives again Doctor..."
She laughed. "Whooo! This boy talks so well! It's amazing. And he's right too!"
Concordia then stared at John, grinning "And you know... If you come back... I could maybe do some show for your eyes only? I'm sure it could make you smile again!" She giggled.
Raphael Sidhe was in really grumpy mood... last week event realy dark stamp on his soul...
He turn a page od Principia Discoria and read:
We
are a tribe
of philosophers, theologians,
magicians, scientists,
artists, clowns,
and similar maniacs
who are intrigued
with
ERIS
GODDESS OF CONFUSION
and with
Her
Doings
Eris be damned with her doing - he mutter to himself...
His pineal amulet instantaneously start pulse with warm energy... and Book fall down from the desk..
What the hell - He shout...
Red light on communication console start bleeping and warm female voice (strangely similar to voice of pope Concordia) inform him of incoming transmission.
Greetings pope Raphael - Voice of [TAZ]Puca first officer sound disturbing - We just delivered pharmaceuticals to Shasta as You requested...
Good job Nathaniel... Raphael smile. Is good to see you in one piece in this troubling time. Everything in order i assume? - He ask.
Yes and no - voice of Nathaniel was getting more and more nervous.
Of for love of Eris spit it out !!!
Nathaniel put his face closer to com link and whisper
"Ambassador Ark" is docked to the Shasta and rumor is that Doc Holliday himself is in His office...
Even if he said anything else Raphael don't hear it...
He ran like small tornado to the hangar shouting to internal com link orders to prepare his fighter
A minute later black haired woman put Discordian book back on Raphael desk ...
She open book and read at loud:
Pentabarf She giggle a bit and took yellow marker and mark a fifth paragraph
5. A Discordian is Prohibited from Believing What he reads.
Then She left the room singing pre-Sirian 'Justified and Ancient" song....
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He could only stand, sitting against his back wall. He didn't know what to say and was moved by what his comrades had said. For a moment, he forgot the files on his desk as a sense of humor crossed him from Concordia's offer. He sighed, dropped his head a bit and as he shook his head, it was obvious that he was trying to hide a moment of laughter. When he realized he was failing miserably, he looked up.
"Popess Concordia, you know Mrs. Holliday would skin me if you did that," he said through his laughter, still leaning on his wall.
He acknowledged his other friends, "All I was going to do is quietly leave. I can see that you will have none of it." He then walked over to where his robes were hanging.
"Things will be different now," he told them calmly, "I don't need to tell you why. I will still need some time to clear my head and get myself back in order. I'll be leaning on all of you for help and advice, something I haven't been that good at in the past."
He stood with his hands on his hips and looked sharply at those around him before making a motion to his robes, "Would someone like to help me get back into these?"
Concordia laughed. "Eh don't worry love. You know i wouldn't let Midori have a clue about what could happen..." She then giggled and took his hand.
"And i always loved to see you in those robes... You are so sexy when you wear them!"
Before he could do anything, she kissed him quickly on his cheek.
"Anyway, i have to leave Bafflin'. Boyfriends to see and all that..." She hugged him and started to move out of John office.
"You know how to contact me if you need anything, love.... And don't do anything silly when i'm not around, uh?" She waved and left.
++ You will find that the state is the kind of organization which, though it does big things badly, does small things badly too ++
++ End of transmission ++