Dawn Sentencing

At dawn, we marched out to where we had left the nine men. They had survived the night, had barely slept, but they had fought against their restraints through the night. The Captain, before the assembled soldiers, asked the men if they regretted their actions and repented the crime. She went through each in turn. Montes kept interrupting the others, and his apologies came so quick and fast she had to strike him to silence him. As each repented, the Captain nodded… and the Heretic nodded, too, in her shadow. He had a feral grin, as if anticipating what was to come. And then the Captain struck out at each of the men, one by one… their faces frozen in shock at the suddenness of the attack, until the bodies fell still. Nine crewmen, dead. I asked if we should cut their restraints, and the Captain said no – glancing at the Heretic, who nodded. She said they must remain. R. Velazquez