Epilogue

You stared straight ahead, for one thing.

"I do not even want to know how or why you illegally sprang Nicholas out of prison." The Prime scowled at her. "Knowing the two of you, it would muddy the already silt-laden waters."

"Yes, sir," Susan and Nick said in unison.

The Prime sighed. "Now I don't even know whether to thank you or to indict you. It's a fair chance that you'll be getting both a commendation AND a court-martial."

"Sir."

"I dread to think of how I'll write up that report to the Judge Advocate General," the Prime said in despair. Then he resumed his strict tone. "Any more stunts like this, cadets, and I don't care what the good outcomes are, BOTH of you are going into the brig."

"Sir!"

"Good. Dismissed."

Susan turned to go, but she spotted something on the Prime's desk. "Sir, what's that?"

For the first time in her life, Susan saw the Prime flustered. "Uh, it's the evidence that cleared Nicholas's name."

"How did you get it?"

"Some stranger with a voice encoder gave it to me. That's how it is."

Susan looked at the prime puzzledly, but shrugged it off. Just as she was leaving, however, she heard the Prime mutter something surprising.

"Kids these days."