Chapter Nineteen

Yellow jumpsuit, radio collar, cropped hair; she was a traitor, a murderer, and a rebel.  But by Kevand's neatly trimmed mustache, she was still his daughter.  And while she certainly would have been convicted even by a fair trial, it pained him to see her like this. 
"Hi Dad." The anger was gone.  The fury and rage she had brought to bear on him five years ago was gone, softened by time and prison.  All the lingering anger he had felt melted away as he saw not the criminal he had disowned but his little girl. 
"Jeanine, it's been too long."
"Five years since the trial, fifteen since I left the service.  I've missed you."
"It has."
"How's mom?"
"Still pretends you never left."
"And you?"
"I tried to.  But I could never forget my little princess."
She smiled.  He'd forgotten the way it looked.  Not a wide smile, not one of the teeth he had taught her to brush showed, just a warm sort of grin. 
"How was prison?"
She shrugged, still smiling, "It'd be nice if they gave us recess."
"Did you learn anything?"
"No."
"Remind me to have a word with the warden.  Honestly, I don't know what's wrong with prisons these days."
"I missed you Dad."
"I missed you too Jeanine."

He turned around and walked to the door.  He knocked for Jor, and the Lieutenant peaked in.  With his head ducked down to hide his welling eyes, he asked for his second in command to show his little girl to a cell of her own, and to see to it she had what she needed.  Hamaf then quickly slipped off to his quarters, it was important for the men to never see their commander in his weakness.