Defendant in a Prosecutor - J. Florence.

[Tantalum]

Jackie’s dolled up in a black and white dress for the occasion, not exactly shore leave but sufficient downtime to relax. There she is, reading over the past week or so’s sticky notes looking for ideas or inspiration but finding none.

• Word is we’ve outstayed our welcome in Inverness. About time, the place gave me the creeps.
  
• I just watched someone’s pet robot get a bigger memorial than actual people.
  
• Psyche’s psychic bullshit is scientifically explainable, that thing our colleague buried never possessed a soul.
  
• ♫ Take some Carix, make the pain go away. ♫
  
• Whywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhy?
  
• Megiddo can’t know, the Legion’s image must be preserved.
  
• We let you down, Stone. Jackass.
  
• I hate me.
  
• hate HATE hAte HATE
  
• HATE
  
• Nibwaakaawin Nibwhatshisass must die.
  
• DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE
  
• This addition to the collection is simply a coating of iron oxide over the paper.
  
• I should be discharged. I’m a failure. But I have nowhere to go.
  
• Nowhere to go.
  
• Home. Home. Home home home home hOme hOME HOME HOME HOME HOMEHOME
  

The pain is especially sharp today. Jackie looks down at her black, white, and red dress as the Carix finally, finally, takes effect. Flaming Rose stays the course. It will be hours before they arrive, and Jacaranda’s pilot seat has the perfect recliner function, as well as being enclosed within the Prosecutor that’s been her home. Slowly, she puts her big iron back on her hip, down from her jaw. Maybe one day, she’ll grow the spine to pull the trigger. One day. One day. Her free hand wipes the tears from her eyes, and she settles in. Her mouth is dry and vision blurred, but she just doesn’t care. It’ll all be okay. Everything will be fine. We’ll make this a world worth living in then I can die.

I still want to be a hero.