Disclaimer: The Invaders, its universe and characters belong to their legal owners, who unfortunately aren't me. This is an unofficial fanfiction that is not officially endorsed in any way. It was written solely for enjoyment and I make no money with it.
General Concannon only knew war, and war he unleashed on the world. Archie Harmon failed to stop him from bombing the alien Leaders, and after the most destructive conflict the world has ever seen, he now stands on trial for his responsibility.
July episode of David Vincent's monthly death, set in an alternative version of The Peacemaker in which Concannon succeeds.
Written for the Killing a character once a month of 2021 AO3 challenge.
The 7th prompt (“Your worst fear”) isn't really applicable, so this month again, I'm writing something else. David dies. So do a lot of other people. Welcome to the world after the end.
This story is also available on AO3.
"Come to the stand, please," one of the two judges said politely even as his voice left no room for disputing.
Archie Harmon felt the hands of the aliens holding him clench slightly, ready to push him if he resisted. Not that he intended to. He shambled forward, sensing Concannon's glare on his back and wondering why the aliens bothered with this semblance of trial.
"State your identity," the same judge spoke again.
"Archie Harmon."
"Colonel Archie Harmon," the other judge corrected, much more heatedly. "You've served under Concannon for decades. You were with him in the bomber. You started all this. Don't try to hide it."
A fleeting thought crossed Archie's mind, forgotten as briefly as it had come. "I'm not trying to hide anything. I stopped considering the General my commanding officer when I realised he'd only used the negotiation as a pretext to gather the alien Leaders in one place and kill them."
"Yet you did nothing to stop the attack," the first judge said, still sounding as collected but cold as before.
"That's not true," Archie defended himself. "I went to shoot him in his office but–"
Concannon's bout of anger interrupted him: "Traitor! You tried to kill me, after I'd always treated you like a son?!"
His alien guards immediately punched him until he stumbled to his knees, but it wasn't what surprised Archie: several people in the public, and the second judge as well, looked ready to lynch Concannon. Were they actually human? The aliens weren't supposed to feel such emotion.
"Continue," the first judge prompted once calm had settled again in the room.
Archie sighed. "But he turned back towards me and I–I couldn't. I still tried to stop him in any way I could. I warned his wife about his intentions, and I tried to change his mind in the plane. But…" His voice faltered and he glowered at Concannon with anger, disgust and disappointment: "He refused to listen to reason. He knowingly bombed his wife and his son along with the alien Leaders and our own people he'd sent to the negotiation table."
Silence fell for a few seconds until Archie turned his gaze back to the judges: "After that, I really didn't have much of a choice. By the time we returned to the airport, Washington had been destroyed, flying saucers were zooming in the sky and the war had begun. General Concannon was still the most competent soldier I've ever met, we needed him if we wanted humanity to have a chance. So despite what he'd done, I fought alongside him out of necessity."
The second judge crossed his arms. "Your squad continued fighting after the truce. You were among the last to lay down arms. You almost convinced the aliens peace simply isn't possible with humans," he accused.
Archie blinked. So that explained the mixed trial: the relationship was more balanced than he'd believed. It wasn't the alien victory he'd assumed.
He lowered his head. "I should've realised sooner the war had stopped," he admitted. "I thought they'd won and were about to wipe out the last remaining pockets of our people."
"We need the Earth for colonisation, we have no interest in an uninhabitable planet," the first judge –the alien judge– reminded Archie. "The damage the war caused is already pervasive; it is in both my people's interest and yours to reach a compromise."
"I know. It was just hard to see when we were surrounded by death and destruction," Archie sighed. "Still, when the General mentioned gaining access to what's left of the nuclear arsenal to destroy the planet for good, I knew I had to act. That's why I surrendered and led your people to our camp."
"You did," the judge acknowledged, "and it allowed General Concannon to be captured. But none of this would've happened if you hadn't let him kill our Leaders to begin with."
Archie nodded slowly. "I haven't forgotten. Look, I don't care if you execute me but please believe me, the General acted alone. He deceived us all."
The alien peered at him. "Including David Vincent?"
"Yes, including him," Archie asserted. "Mrs. Concannon didn't drive, he must've brought her and her son to the farm. Mr. Vincent died trying to protect your Leaders." And to protect the innocents Concannon had sent as bait, sure, but Archie knew David had genuinely believed in the negotiation attempt.
After silently staring at him for a second, the alien judge turned to his human peer and they started debating among themselves, too low for Archie to hear. As he waited for his fate to be decided, he mused that Concannon's actions had eventually led to peace, if peace over a ravaged world. What a cruel irony.
THE END
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Last update: 31st July 2021.