Deserters

The Truth

With Alex's promotion to Major came more responsibility and leadership. Alex was sent to become the new Commanding Officer of Fort Hammer. It was a small fort, used primarily as a resupply zone and to help the nearby forts when needed. Alex was given his badge and sent off to Fort Hammer immediately.

Alex was greeted at the fort by his assisting commander, Captain Skall. He took Alex to the Commander's Hall, where Alex would meet with his officers and live. Alex took a few days to settle in, so Skall ran the fort for him while he did so.

Alex was sitting at his desk filling out his report to the Capitol when he glanced at his plaque that stated who the current commander was. He noticed that "Steadson" was already worn like it has been used. When Skall came into Alex's room to deliver news and other papers, Alex stopped him and asked about it. "Skall, what's with the plaque with my name already being worn? I thought it was supposed to be brand new." asked Alex. Skall looked over at it and sighed. "Our Commanding Officer before our last one's last name was Steadson..." Skall said and then looked at Alex. "Your father was our CO before he was executed." Skall finished.

Alex sat in his seat shocked. His father never spoke of where he was at when he was home, so this was news to Alex. "I was only a soldier here when your father was in charge, but him and I were close. I had just joined the army and this was my first assignment. Before he deserted, he gave me his journal and asked that I got it to you. I was always being assigned here and then there so I was never able to go to your town and deliver it to you. He said 'it would help you to understand and hopefully forgive him'" Skall told Alex as he pulled the journal out of his shirt pocket. He carried it with him until he was able to deliver it. He put Alex's father's journal on the desk. Skall stood there for a moment, nodded slightly and then left the room.

Alex sat there staring at the journal confused, shocked and hesitant to open the journal. Alex sighed and then grabbed the journal and opened it up. A note fell out from the cover page. Alex picked it up and read it.

"Dear Alex,
By the time that you are reading this I have probably been dead for a long time now. I cannot apologize for what I have done. The position I've put you, your mother and sister in. All I can do is hope that by reading my journal you will understand why what has happened has happened. I love you Alex, and I hope you can say the same about me again one day."

Alex stared at the note and then the journal. He began to read it after he was done with his work for the day. Over the next few days Alex read the entirety of his father's journal. It explained everything and why everything happened.

Alex's father was one of Maximilian's top officers. Towards the end, Alex's father started making choices for the men he led that was best for them and the nation, but infuriated Maximilian. Alex's father predicted that Maximilian would have him killed. In the journal, Alex's father included his final orders from Maximilian. They stated that he was to go out alone and do recon on an enemy outpost and then report back. Alex's father wrote in his final journal entry that Maximilian was going to have him arrested and tried for treason.

Alex talked to Skall about the night his father was arrested. Skall said that he and 4 other soldiers received orders to find and arrest Alex's father 2 days after he had left. They arrested him right outside of an enemy camp that he was walking to. They arrested him on charges of desertion and treason.

Alex knew that Maximilian set his father up. He knew that Maximilian purposely had his father framed and killed. Alex was infuriated. He couldn't stand the thought of any of this. But he knew that he couldn't do anything about it. He had to regain his family's honor and the only way to do that was honorably serve. Alex had to swallow his anger and continue on, but he would never let any of this go and promised his father that he would one say make this all right.