10 minutes after trial

" Damn man! You own me your balls for that one, mate!" Darius was sitting on his desk with a frown on his face.

Drake just stared at him mouth agape, " Was it really that close?!"

Darius snorted, " I got finished exactly ten minutes before the Admiral called me up. I thought I was gonna shit my pants man! God, you better love me for life!"

Drake laughed, " Yeah, yeah, cut the theatrics! I hear ya, I own you one for sure!"

2 days after trial

" He confessed to everything?" Ryo’s tone showed his surprise as his kind eyes looked at Dee.

" Yep," Dee was sitting on the floor of Ryo’s room, " said he was tired of it all. Although he never specified what ‘it’ was."

" Everything?" Ryo looked at his lap from his place in the arm chair, " Even...even the fire machine?"

Dee nodded and Ryo saw a hint of smugness, " That fire thingy, the blueprints, who he spoke with and why."

" You know..." Ryo looked up at his lover with sad eyes, " He’ll get death for all of this..."

Dee shrugged, " Serves him right. Rose could have gotten a lot of people killed with his actions," he made a face of disgust, " I could care less about that man."

6 days after trial

< Fallout from the recent confession by former Senator Berkely Rose has rippled farther than anyone could have imagined. The Gorren Nation in response to the recent elevation in war violence between the G’nar Empire and the United Earth Federation have revoked the use of their ports. The Gorren Nation’s Supreme Chancellor has made an official statement that they will not export or import to the United Earth Federation nor the G’nar Empire due to their stance on pacifism. He went on to state that he is saddened that it had to come to such drastic measures.>

Most of the crew of the ‘Stetson’ looked at the news broadcast in disbelief. Only Commander Reynolds and his Second Sheila Mactagert looked as though they had been waiting for that very outcome.

Four hours later the order came down that the war was over because the G’nar had stated that they had "nothing worth fighting for".

10 days after trial

Berekly Rose looked like a wounded man. Standing before that Judicial Committee he felt drained and weak. As he listened to Admiral Jenkins chastise his behavior he closed his eyes and sighed. He knew she was behind him, looking at him with tears in her eyes and confusion on her mind. He didn’t expect Carol to understand. In fact, he didn’t think she ever would.

367 days after the trial

" Are you really going?"

" I have to."

" This is insane. There is no reason for you to be there."

A long heavy sigh, " I don’t expect you to accompany me."

" Good! I wasn’t going to go even if you had asked!"

" Don’t get angry Dee."

A pause, " I’m not...I just don’t....Ryo, are you in love with him?"

Ryo furrowed his brow at his lover, " I need to go," he side stepped Dee swiftly and was out the door. Dee was aware that Ryo hadn’t answered his question, but he tried not to think about it.

367 days and 4 hours after trial

Rose was smiling.

Some thought that the lethal injection drugs were making him feel serene and calm. Proof that the process wasn’t painful. In truth the drugs burned on the way in and scorched his body from the inside out. However, his joy overshadowed his inner pain as his eyes fell on the two people he loved the most.

Ryo and Carol smiled back.