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The Great and The Good (A_Great Captain_Roberts Tale!!)
Chapter 11 - Inhume[]
She was a stranger…
…and an outsider. From the community, but not of the community.
"Wait! Captain Roberts! Sir... Uh, Ma'am! Please! I'll take that job! I know who talked your brother into it! Please!"
"Johnny, you goat ******!" coming from the trench...
The man, well, boy, had hopped up out of the trench to chase after her. The Snow Raven guards had taken notice…
Amanda stopped. The young man shouting for her attention was drawing guards.
She held up a hand as if expecting them to obey.
There are three kinds of authority.
Positional Authority
Conditional Authority
Assumed Authority
Amanda's assumed authority apparently translated to some sort of positional or conditional authority.
"What's your name, Convict?" she asked, "and in your own words, how did you get here?"
Words tumbled from the boy's mouth.
After several minutes, an actual officer arrived. "Repeat what you told me, and mind you, I was recording, and know if your story slips up." she told him.
"It was me…well, me and Tony Longmont and Augustus Willtz..and Tammy Hossler…"
"And?" she pressed.
"And Mister Farrous…only he kind of suggested it was…that something had to be done."
She glanced at the Raven guard, "Did you get all that?" she asked, "Or do you need the copy immediately?"
"We have it."
"Good, I'm taking this one with me, can you summon the Reverend Nuell please?" she asked, "And I'll need access to a printer."
"Printer?"
"For his enlistment contract, to make it legal. I'll be responsible for his Parole, and answer for any damages."
She was riding on assumed authority, but it seemed to work, though a Lawyer also had to be found, as well as an acting magistrate.
Johnny Johnson had been sick the day the school was raided.
The Reverend took several minutes to locate, and the Magistrate had to be rousted from his tavern, where he'd been preparing to open for the evening.
"Raise your right hand, and repeat after me…" She did it right in the base office, with two Snow Raven military police, the Reverend, the local civil magistrate, and a woman working janitorial to witness.
"I, State your name, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Outworlds Alliance against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter. So Help me God."
"I, Jonathan Johnson, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Outworlds Alliance against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter. So help me god."
"Sign here." she handed him a sheaf of printout, "all three of them. Witnesses?"
Each of the witnesses present, signed off as having witnessed the enlistment and oath.
"Alright, Cadet Midshipman Apprentice Johnson, let's get you a proper uniform. We have a service funeral to attend."
"I thought you were…
…going to get Jeffrey out!" Natalie scolded.
"He wasn't coming." Amanda stated, "John here? He was interested. Who's 'Mister Farrous'??"
"You sat in his classroom for five years!" Natalie was still stunned.
"Okay, so it should be easy to find him. I know who I need to speak with next…" she turned, "Johnson! Grab my briefcase and follow, we'll stop by a Tailor's on the way."
"Yes..Ma'am?"
"That's correct." she nodded, "It's also correct to answer 'aye Ma'am' when replying to an officer, or anyone who outranks you aboard ship…and Johnson, do you know how to drive a ground car?"
"Aye, Ma'am." Johnny said.
"Okay. good…I'll need you to handle that duty fair soon."
"You Enlisted Markus Johnson's son??"
"Yeah." Amanda agreed, "I did. He stepped forward and testified, he was the only one who did, so I took over his community service and enlisted him in the Fleet as an Apprentice. It keeps him out of trouble here, and lets him work off his misdeeds." she didn't smile, "it was the same deal I offered Jeffrey, but Jeffrey refused."
"But-"
"Mrs. Roberts, we need to get Mister Farrous before the police do, some speed would be appropriate unless you have a spare teacher hiding in your pocket." Amanda paused, "Mind you, I don't actually care, but you do live here, Alderman."
Natalie felt numb, "I…need to make some calls…"
"Johnson, you're driving. Mrs. Roberts and I will be in the back seat." Amanda judged, "try to avoid being pulled over for recklessness or speeding."
"Don't speed?"
"Don't get caught."