Justice Will Be Done...

Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 5th February 2012

Characters: G'nir, Hygalia
Description: G'nir will not let his Wingleader off easy...
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 5, day 26 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentions: U'kaiah, Aileyan

G'nir

Hyglia had learned to dread after Thread even more than the fight
itself. Flaming Threadfall with agenothree was physically exhausting,
but then she had to look forward to the aftermath. Checking in on the
wounded, pouring over ground crew reports, making sure the healers had
all the supplies they needed, and other mentally exhausting tasks. Of
course, she had lots of help, but the last thing she wanted to do after
a days fight was _hidework_.

Though she had done a quick scrub down and changed out of her
char-dusted clothing, the Weyrwoman was looking forward to a long soak
in her bathing pool with a glass of wine. But the way her office door
was thrown open quickly told her that her day was far from over.

"He timed it! Timed it. He dared to break the rules and time it!" G'nir
was so angry he was seeing red.

"Who timed it?" She wasn't sure what he was talking about, but it was
obvious the Weyrleader was furious. Hygalia hadn't seen him lose his
cool so completely before.

"U'kaiah! That sharding..." he couldn't find a suitably strong word.

"G'nir, please, just sit down and take a deep breath. Please," she
said, pointing to the chair across from her with an upturned hand. "I'm
not sure what you're referring to. I saw U'kaiah in the Fall..."

G'nir took a few deep breaths but he was still to worked up to to sit
down. He paced back and forth. "I saw him in the air, just as I was
going to the pre-fall wing meeting. When I entered the meeting room, he
was sitting there. Although I just seen him outside...I asked what was
going
on, but I didn't had time to press the issue, since the meeting started.
I saw a gold firelizard
later... and now I heard he's gone to Dolphin Cove!"

"That doesn't _necessarily_ mean he timed it," she said pacifyingly.
Though she could see how he would jump to that conclusion. "What reason
would he have to go to Dolphin Cove so urgently today?"

"You see, when I saw him in the sky, he looked like he had already
fought Thread. All scruffy and covered with soot," G'nir replied. "His
girlfriend in Dolphin cove is having a baby."

"She's having a baby right _now_?" If that was the case it would
certainly strengthen G'nir's case.

"That's what Kalamath replied to Nirreth, when he asked where they had
gone. And his 'Second confirmed it."

"Did you say anything about this to U'kaiah at the meeting? Did he have
an explanation at all for what you saw?" asked hopefully.

"I did ask how he got in and cleaned up so fast, but he had no clue of
what I was talking about. Then the meeting started and I couldn't talk
with him more about it. After the meeting, he went out so quickly I
couldn't
catch him up for a talk."

"So the gold flit's coming must have come after you talked to him,
then?" Hygalia had remembered seeing the bronzerider quickly duck out
of the room after a gold flit had come into the meeting room just before
the start of the Fall. He had been back soon after, so she had thought
nothing of it of the time. "If that was indeed a note from Dolphin
Cove, then the labor must have already been in progress by the beginning
of Threadfall." All the facts did seem to be pointing to the fact that
the bronzerider had broken one of the Weyr's strictest rules, abused his
knowledge as a bronzerider, and Timed it back to be there for the birth.
"So, what now?"

"We go after him and drag him back to face judgement," G'nir said
bleakly.

Oh, shards, she thought taking a deep breath. He hadn't though this
through, obviously. "We can't really explain to anyone why he is
suddenly being pulled away from his lover as she is giving birth. Could
you imagine how bad that would make you look and you cannot defend
yourself?"

That made him stop. He opened his mouth and closed it with a snap. He
stared the carpet for a moment in his thoughts. "You're right," he
grunted. "We can't have this in public knowledge. There's a good reason
why timing-knowledge is told only to bronze- and goldriders. If I just
go
there to yell him, N'vanik will get curious..." G'nir run his fingers
through his hair in dismay. Last thing he wanted was other Weyrleaders
involved
in this. "Scorch it."

"He must be punished," Hyglia said thoughtfully, suddenly in need of a
bit of a drink. Opening up a cupboard, she pulled out a skin of wine,
which was always more Weyrwoman-like than the beer she would have
preferred at that moment. "But it cannot be so obvious as to raise
anyone's attention."

"So true. The less anybody knows, the better. Last thing we want is some
adventurous weyrling trying to time it. Those things usually end up
tragicly." His eyes narrowed when he thought it over.

As she poured them both drinks, she wondered what G'nir would have done
in the Wingleader's situation. For that matter, what would she have
done if someone she cared about needed her right then. The birth of a
child... What parent wouldn't move both moons to be there? Well, parent
who took an interest in the lives of their children at least. She
handed G'nir a glass.

"So, how do you punish Wingleader so he feels it without attracting
attention and anybody else know he's been punished? Stripping away his
rank is obviously out of the question," he was mostly thinking aloud. He
so
much wanted to take the wingleader's knot from U'kaiah...

"Grounding him would bring equal attention." Not to mention that
Hygalia did not want to upset the woman in Dolphin Cove. To have a
child and then for the man to suddenly seem to lose interest in mother
and child so quickly could be devastating to her.

G'nir made a low growl. "Ban him from gold flights?"

Oh no. She was not limiting Genith's choices in a Flight, no matter how
much G'nir would like the idea. "A man as ambitious as U'kaiah missing
a Flight? That would draw more attention than anything, and raise
questions I'm sure you don't want to have asked - like 'Did G'nir win
the Flight only because his main rival was not there?' I think you
would rather win decisively than make it look like you had somehow
convinced the competition to sit one out."

"Well, that was pretty far shot anyways, dragons might not allow it
anyways," G'nir sounded almost embarrassed.
"So, what would hurt him so he would feel the punishment. Stern talking
to just isn't enough," he resumed pacing back and forth.

"I don't know," she said thoughtfully, staring into her wine as if there
were answers contained within. "It has to be something that either
doesn't look like a punishment to outside observers, or that can look
like it can be blamed on something else he has done. But what has
U'kaiah done that could warrant punishment? He's been a model
Wingleader since he gained the Wing back."

"Ah, but his personal life..." G'nir paused thoughtfully. "Besides this
woman in Dolphin Cove, he's pretty involved with one greenrider on his
own wing." There might be something there. G'nir remembered her, a
beautiful little thing. He had tried to catch her attention too, but she
had reminded cold. Well, there was other women around, so G'nir hadn't
really pushed it.

"Aileyan? I have heard rumors that they're rather close..." But
Hygalia really couldn't see how that might help. Not unless they had
crossed the line in their relationship, but that was such a grey area.
It wasn't as if they were Weyrmated...

"Yes, her," G'nir said. "They treading very near the line of what is
acceptable. The problem is, that the line itself is kind of vague."

"You're not suggesting taking his _wing_ in retaliation for having a
relationship with a rider, are you?" He would not, _could_ not go that
far! Hygalia would not allow it!

"No, I'm taking his favourite wing_rider_ away from him," G'nir's eyes
narrowed. "She's a good rider, fine addition to any wing. It won't stop
the relationship, but should smart anyways."

Hygalia felt very uncomfortable with the idea of using this girl as a
pawn in G'nir chess match with U'kaiah. "You're not thinking of
transferring her, are you?"

"I'll transferr her into Azure wing," G'nir said.

And wouldn't _that_ just be driving the nail in further? "Really?
Because I was rather hoping she could be in mine. I could desperately
use a steady greenrider in my wing and I think she would fit perfectly."

"Well, if you need here more, you can have her," G'nir said.

"That would be such a load off my mind," she said, giving him a smile
that told him just how wonderful and generous he was to give in to her
request. Hygalia could only hope she could help ease the blow for
Aileyan. "So it's decided, then?"

"Yes," G'nir affirmed it. "Can't do anything untill he gets back
though," and that really irritated him. But since this matter had to be
dealt
descreetly, flying to Dolphin Cove to yell at his wingleader would just
draw too much attention.

Last updated on the February 8th 2012

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