The Pilgrimage Ch. 05

Morrigan stood giving Megan a smack on her luscious ass causing Megan to squeal with surprise and delight. She took Megan's hand and said, "let's go, Babe. I'm hungry and horny. I'm gonna make this a really quick statement so that we can get to your quarters and have some fun for a change."

When Morrigan and Megan stepped onto the control deck; they walked into what appeared to be controlled chaos. Red lights were flashing and Pete was shouting orders faster than angry bees pouring out of a broken hive. Pete looked up spotting Morrigan and Megan. He paused for a second then said, "some fucknut broke that asshole out of his cell. I've got four officers down. Two of which are possibly dead because they're not responding or moving. The other two are wounded. They're pinned down but still returning fire. The two suspects are armed with AR15's that have been converted to fully automatic. My officers are armed with nines that have specially modified thirty round clips but they're still heavily outgunned. I've got SWAT teams coming down both passageways but they're still about five minutes away. I'm not sure if Sargent Gillis and Corporal Davis can hold out that long though."

Using knowledge gained from Banba, Morrigan stepped up to the control panel, her fingers flying over the keys for a few seconds. To Pete's utter shock, she hit the intercom button and said, "Sargent Gillis, Corporal Davis, this is Morrigan. I know you're hurt; but help is on the way. SWAT teams are coming down both passageways as I speak. Their ETA is less than two minutes. If you can just hold on that long; those two sons of bitches will be trapped in a crossfire. The fuckers will get what's coming to them!"

***

Keith and his masked partner heard what Morrigan had said and realizing they were about to be cornered dived into a nearby stairwell just off to their right. As soon as they did that, Morrigan slapped another button and the hatch slammed shut behind them and they heard the lock click into place. It didn't take the two gunmen long to realize they'd been tricked and trapped. The bulkheads on both ways up or down the stairwell had been lowered and the hatch in front of them was locked. The masked gunman pulled off his ski mask revealing that he was Kelli's brother Mike. He tossed the mask aside as he said, "I guess it doesn't make any sense trying to hide my identity anymore. I don't know about you, but when they come to get us I'm gonna take out as many of those fuckers as I can before they finally kill me. I only hope that bitch Vanessa is with them because she'll be my first target."

Either way we're dead. So we might as well go out in a blaze of glory," Keith chuckled.

****

Once the hatch was closed and locked, Morrigan turned to Pete and said, "I didn't want those fuckers getting into a firefight with your men. No-one else is getting hurt now, and those two assholes aren't going anywhere." She pointed to the screen and continued, "as you can see Vanessa, Kelli, and Aileen are already there. Aileen's confirmed the two officers in the brig's outer chamber are dead. There's nothing she can do for them. The other two have multiple gunshot wounds but she won't have any problem healing them. Vanessa and Kelli are gonna be an honor guard and escort for the two dead officers. Have your people bring them to the medical center on deck five until we can arrange a proper burial ceremony for them."

"You never cease to amaze me, Morrigan! You created and executed a plan to neutralize those two in what, ten maybe fifteen seconds. Now that you've got them trapped, what in the hell are you gonna do with them?" Pete switched to the stairwell camera and gasped. "Morrigan you'd better have a look at this!"

Morrigan glanced at the screen and exclaimed, "FUCK! I should've seen that one coming. Kelli is gonna have a shit fit! But Mike's left me no choice. I have to order his execution right alongside Keith's." Morrigan reached out with her mind. "Kelli, when you're finished, I need you to bring every member of your family except Mike to the command deck conference room. Vanessa, get Donna, Donald, David, and Michelle and bring them there too."

Both women knew something was very wrong from the tone of Morrigan's telepathic message but, "will do," was the only reply Morrigan received from either one of them.

Megan stepped in front of Morrigan. She wrapped her arms around Morrigan laying her head on Morrigan's shoulder as she softly said, "I'm so sorry you have to do this, Morrigan. But you're right; I don't see any other options either."

Morrigan absentmindedly stroked Megan's soft, red tresses as she said, "I hate it Meg; I really do. But thank you for being here with me."

Ashling took a position beside Morrigan. She wrapped her hand around Morrigan's upper arm and said, "we all understand what you have to do, Morrigan. We know just how difficult it's gonna be for you. We'll all be right here by your side if you need us."

Morrigan looked at Ashling and said, "thank you; I need all the love and support I can get right about now." She turned to Pete and continued, "Uncle Pete, play the security footage from the brig. I need to see how all of this went down."

They all watched as Mike stepped through the open door to the brig area. He was wearing his ski mask and had an AR15 in his hands with a second one slung over his right shoulder and a large canvas bag hanging from his left one. He ordered one of the guards to open the cell and release Keith. When Keith stepped forward Mike handed him the second AR15. They both glanced at the other giving a slight nod. Then Mike said, "sorry you two, but this isn't your lucky day." Mike and Keith began laughing as they opened fire simultaneously. They both continued laughing and firing into the bodies of the guards until they used an entire clip. Mike handed Keith another full clip from his shoulder bag and they both reloaded their weapons. The sound of footfalls clanging on the metal deck caught their attention. They looked out the door and opened fire on the patrol running their way.

Morrigan choked back a sob as she said, "okay Uncle Pete; I've seen enough. Those poor guards didn't stand a chance. They weren't even armed. They posed no threat. That was simply killing for the thrill of killing. I don't feel so bad about executing them now. I need you to go and get Aunt Sally, Mom, and Gram. I want you all here for this."

Pete saw the look on his niece's face and knew instantly that whatever was about to happen; it wasn't going to be pretty. He gave a slight nod and said, "I'll be back in a couple of minutes."

Morrigan kissed the top of Megan's head. "You have to let me go, Babe. Your queen has a job to do, and I'm sorry, but it can't wait until morning. I'll make that public statement tomorrow. By the time this is all over with; it'll be too late to do it tonight."

"All right, My Queen. But I can feel you're really on edge right now. So is it okay if I sit in your lap while you do whatever it is you're gonna do? At least that way I know you'll behave yourself," Megan replied.

"Yeah, I guess that'll be okay. But I wouldn't count too much on my behaving myself," Morrigan said as she gave one of Megan's succulent C cups a gentle squeeze.

Megan moaned softly. "Please Morrigan, not right now. You've had me right on the edge of having an orgasm all damn day. If you go getting all dom on me, I'm liable to embarrass us both by cumming all over your lap."

"I'll try to make this as quick as I can, my horny little PA. But you've still got to make me dinner before you can have your desert."

They walked hand in hand to the conference room. By that time, everyone was already there. They all laughed when Morrigan pulled Megan down onto her lap. Morrigan looked around the table briefly locking eyes with everyone. Then she began to speak. "I'm sorry to interrupt your dinner, but this is important. Some of you know some of what's happened today. But most of you don't know all of it. I'm going to show you two pieces of security footage. I want you to watch them very carefully. Please don't say anything until they've finished. After that, I'll answer questions or accept comments, but only from one person at a time."

Morrigan started the first video clip. Everyone watched in increasing horror as the two unarmed guards were brutally murdered. When the clip ended Morrigan locked eyes with Kelli and said, "before I play the second clip, I want you to know that I love you with every fiber of my being, Kelli. Please understand that I really don't want to do this to you and your family. I know it's gonna break your hearts, and I am so sorry. But it's important that you all know what I know." She played the second clip and froze it just as Mike was tossing his mask aside. It was a full face view so there could be no doubt who he was. There was stunned silence throughout the room. Morrigan sat quietly with her arms around Megan letting it all sink in. There were tears streaming down everyone's cheeks and Mike's mother was sobbing softly into her husband's chest. Finally Jake locked eyes with Morrigan and slowly raised his hand. Morrigan gave a slight nod and softly said, "go ahead Jake."

"I know that Mike's an asshole. He deserves whatever you decide to do to him. But please, Morrigan, don't hold his actions against Kelli and the rest of our family."

Morrigan was so shocked by Jake's statement that it took her almost a full minute to respond. "I'm so sorry, Jake! I didn't mean to give you that impression. I would never do that. You and your family are not responsible for your brother's actions. In fact, one of the reasons I asked all of you to be here is so that you'd all understand what I have to do and why, and to ask you all not to hold it against me."

Jake's father lifted his hand and Morrigan simply nodded at him. "You're going to execute them aren't you?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Crowley, but yes I am; I don't see any other options."

"We're all sorry too, Morrigan. We know your reverence for life. So we understand how difficult this decision was for you. Son or not, the punishment must fit the crime. In our eyes Mike is guilty of more than being directly responsible for the murder of two innocent, unarmed people. He committed an act of terror and treason. He betrayed his queen, and his goddess. He also violated our trust in a way that can never be forgotten or forgiven. Try to understand, Morrigan. While we're not happy with the prospect of Mike's execution; we do realize the need for it to happen. We will come to terms with it, and we won't hold it against you."

"Thank you Mr Crowley. I appreciate that."

Mike's mother, Mary turned to Morrigan with tears streaming down her cheeks. She choked back another sob and said, "execute him? My gods Morrigan; Mike's only twenty. There's GOT to be another way! I don't understand any of this. I know my son; he's a kind and gentle young man. This isn't like him at all. I saw what he did; I know it was horrible. But there has to be something wrong with him. That's not the son I raised. Can't you just have a god or goddess fix whatever's going on with him? Maybe put him in prison? Anything but execution! Please Morrigan, I'm begging you; I don't want to lose my son."

Before Morrigan could say a word, Mikes grandmother Ellie spoke. "Please Morrigan, let me handle this one."

The tears were streaming down Morrigan's cheeks as she told Ellie to go ahead.

Ellie took Mary's hands in hers and spoke softly. "I'm a mother too. I can understand what you're feeling right now. But would you kill Jake and Kelli to stop Mike's execution? Would you kill everyone on this Ark including me, your husband John, and yourself just to stop it?"

"No of course not," Mary replied. "I just don't want anyone else to die including Mike and that other man."

"I'm really sorry sweetie; I'm your mother. I love you with all my heart. It tears me apart to see you hurting like this. But there's no gentle way to say this. There's a lot more at stake here than Mike and that other man's lives. I've been a high priestess to the goddess Danu for more than fifty years. So I understand things a little better than you do. If Morrigan spares them; she'll be breaking her covenant with the Maker of All Things. If that happens; it'll be the end of humanity. The Ark will be destroyed and over five million people will die. Look at Morrigan's face, Mary. This isn't a choice she WANTS to make; it's a choice she HAS to make. What would YOU do if you were in Morrigan's shoes, Mary?"

Mary turned to Morrigan. "I'm sorry Morrigan. I didn't realize how much was at stake. I thought you were just being vindictive. If I were in your place; I'd do the same thing. I wouldn't let everyone die just to give someone a couple of extra seconds of life. I don't necessarily have to agree with it. I certainly don't like it; but I will learn to live with it."

"I'm not a mother Mrs. Crowley. I can't possibly understand all of what you're going through right now. I do understand enough to know I'm hurting you. For that, I'm truly sorry." Morrigan turned to Kelli and continued, "Kelli, you're being awful quiet. Are you okay?"

"Okay? No I'm not okay, my beloved queen! Two young, dedicated police officers are dead at my brother's hand! How can I possibly be okay? It's bad enough when officers are killed in a shootout with some fucked up perp. But to be slaughtered like animals without so much as a chance to defend themselves is horrible beyond belief. I don't know how the fuck he got his hands on two AR15s. Or how they got converted to fully automatic. But I damn sure intend to find out! I should've seen this coming. But I missed it completely, and it cost two good people their lives. I'm so sorry; I let you down, Morrigan. Please let me make it up to you by my being the one to take those two fuckers down!"

The sound of Morrigan slapping the table echoed throughout the room startling everyone. When she spoke, the angry tone in her voice showed exactly how pissed off Morrigan was. "Damn it, Kelli; I don't ever wanna hear you say shit like that ever again! Even Vanessa with her powers of foresight didn't see this coming. You DIDN'T let me down in any way, shape, or form! Get that thought outta your head right fucking now! Yes, when the time comes, you and Vanessa are gonna be the ones to take those two down. Not because you owe me anything; but because you two are the ones best suited for the job! Let me be perfectly clear about one thing. I can accept a broken bone or two if it comes to that; but I want them both taken alive. We're not quite ready for that just yet. I still have a few things I wanna take care of first."

"Whenever you're ready, Morrigan; just say the word. Vanessa and I will make it happen," Kelli replied.

"Donna, Donald, and David; you're here for the same reason Kelli's family is. Keith is your father; I'd like to hear what you think about all of this," Morrigan said.

Donna spoke first. "Honestly Morrigan? I don't know either one of them. But judging from what I've seen; I hope they rot and burn in hell."

"That son of a bitch stopped being my father the second he pulled a gun on me. I couldn't care less what happens to him. I don't know the other one at all, but I agree with Donna. They both deserve to die," Donald added.

"Fuck 'em. Kill them both. You won't get any static from me," David said.

"Thank you for your honesty. I just wanna make sure that I'm doing the right thing for everyone. Michelle, do you have anything you wanna add," Morrigan inquired.

"Only that I'm not exactly a big fan of the death penalty. At least as it was administered back on Earth. Not because I think it's inhumane or cruel. Quite the opposite. A person doesn't end up on death row by spitting on the sidewalk. In their quest for a humane death penalty, people tend to forget that the crimes committed weren't very humane. Those crimes were as horrific as those we saw today. I don't know how you're going to handle it. But the death penalty on Earth had become so humane that it was no longer a deterrent to crime at all."

Morrigan nodded. "I tend to agree with you somewhat. I haven't decided how I'm gonna administer it yet. Uncle Pete, I'd like to meet with the families of the slain officers. Would you accompany me please? Everyone else please wait here until I return."

"I think that's a good idea, Morrigan. But the families haven't been notified yet. That's supposed to be my job. But I haven't had a chance to get to it yet. Do you want to wait, or do you want to do it personally?"

"Wow, that's a tough one! It's not gonna be easy; but I think it'd be better coming from me. You're gonna have to tell me a little about the both of them first. So that I'm not going in there blind."

"Okay, let's start with Officer Fernandez. Suzanne was 23. She would've been in her final year of a four year criminal justice program back on Earth. She was first in my training class and was a natural leader. Her younger sister Lucy is in Kelli's training class..."

Kelli interrupted Pete. "OH MY GOD! I never made the connection! Morrigan, you have to let me go with you too! Please?"

"Okay Kelli. I can understand that. Yes, you can come too. Please continue Uncle Pete."

"Anyway, she wasn't just a beautiful young woman; she was a wonderful person. She loved people, and people loved her. She was a joy to teach, and wasn't afraid to work her butt off.

Josh Higbie was another one of my best officers. He was 24 with a BA in criminal justice. He was a hard worker, and very detail oriented. He and Suzanne had met during a gathering in one of the rec rooms their first day aboard the Arc. They hit it off right away and planned on being married as soon as we landed on Erie. He had asked me to make sure they were both assigned to the same city. He was an excellent marksman, and I had him slated for sniper training with my SWAT team when he finished my rookie training course. Ron Sullivan was their primary instructor and I've had nothing but glowing reports from him on their progress. Oh, and their patron goddess was Athena."

"Okay, Uncle Pete. That should give me enough to work with. Kelli, where's Lucy now?"

"Classes are over for the day. She should be in her quarters with her parents. I don't understand though. Where was Athena? Why weren't they protected?"

Morrigan shook her head. "This is where the cracks in the system show up, Kelli. The perps weren't Athena's and the victims weren't the Goddess Banba's. On top of that, the acts themselves weren't thought out. They were impulsive actions which couldn't be predicted. Otherwise Vanessa would've picked up on them. We can, and we will, do better. I'll see what I can do to get the gods and goddesses to work closer together to improve their information sharing, and I'll look into tweaking Vanessa's foresight. In the meantime, we have a very tough job ahead of us. I don't want the families finding out through the grapevine."

Just then the goddesses Banba, Danu, Brigid, and Athena popped in. Before they could say a word Morrigan held up her hand and said, "this is MY responsibility. You made me queen of these people. I have to take the bad, as well as the good. I can't be hiding behind you every time something goes wrong. Please wait here and let me do the job you chose me for." She turned to Pete and said, Uncle Pete, the Fernandez family first."

Pete nodded and said, "deck nine, section twelve, suite twenty."

Morrigan took Pete's hand and nodded at Kelli. The three of them disappeared leaving four shocked goddesses in their wake. When Morrigan knocked, the door was opened by Suzanne's mother Maria who stood there in a state of shock until Morrigan gently asked, "may we please come in Mrs. Fernandez?"