2075 - Space Corps Central Command Office

The universe is wholly indifferent to death, and it moved on, as always, in General Lin’s absence. A solid-black flag—a solemn token of mourning so befitting his personality—was draped over his vacant chair at the next Council meeting, as was customary for those who died in office. Then proceedings were initiated to nominate a successor.

Colonel Moore’s name was among those submitted for consideration, and he quickly became a frontrunner—a designation which was all but cemented when he received the Chief Commander’s resounding endorsement due to his exceptional career record.

Harlow knew the generals of the Council weren’t above enlisted gossip; they were simply quieter about it. He saw the thoughts on their minds written plainly across their faces during those next few meetings.

None of them said anything, but they had their suspicions.

Some nearly seemed grateful. Howard and Gray appeared to be in far better spirits, although they never openly acknowledged it aside from the polite niceties which were expected, but others such as Everett conducted themselves with a reserved sense of annoyance at the opportunities which had been denied. However, Harlow couldn’t help but notice that he appeared far less nervous overall.

Meanwhile, General Conrad—who’d enjoyed a life of privileged luxury in the shadows of those far more unethical than himself—slipped between alternating states of frustration and paranoia, and seemed to be unraveling quickly beneath the increased scrutiny placed upon him following Lin’s untimely demise. He’d been abruptly thrust into the spotlight, and those favors to which he’d become accustomed evaporated quickly in such conditions, like raindrops exposed to mid-day sun. Harlow instructed Victor to prepare the necessary paperwork for Conrad’s retirement, which he expected soon.

When the matter of a successor was put to vote, Colonel Moore was favored to win, and he did—easily. The nomination was confirmed, and a promise was kept. On the morning of October 4, 2075, Colonel Moore was promoted to the rank of general and took Lin’s place, filling the vacant Council seat.

And thus, the era of egregious abuses of power perpetuated by the Wartime Council finally came to an end. Within the next few weeks, under Harlow’s leadership, a tense truce was negotiated between several of the warring factions, and in General Lin’s absence, such measures finally saw success.

One by one, the warmongers disappeared from the Council. Conrad was first, as Harlow had predicted, but he hadn’t anticipated just how quickly the rest would follow. Like a stack of bricks collapsing after some were removed from the base, they retired in quick succession. They’d maintained positions of authority for the sole purpose of enriching themselves, and when Harlow demonstrated that such behavior would no longer be tolerated, they saw no reason to stay. None were quite so assertive as General Lin, and they all seemed to learn from the example that had been set.

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Within the next few years, all but a handful of Council seats saw a turnover. The notorious holdouts were Generals Gray and Howard, both of whom had a vested interest in crafting the Space Corps to their liking. Harlow suspected both would rather die in office than ever leave it—a theory which was all but confirmed when General Gray’s eightieth birthday came and went without a retirement announcement.

As for Howard, he never left the role of chancellor, but instead came to define it, witnessing many of his former students reach the senior ranks and even serve on the Council alongside him, just as Harlow once had. There came a time when the entirety of senior command had never known anyone else as the Academy’s director, and his name became synonymous with the office. He was a fixture, and most couldn’t imagine the school without him. As promised, he made good on his commitment to support Harlow throughout his whole career, while General Gray tolerated him, at the very least.

General Moore was the first of Harlow’s Council appointees, marking the beginning of a new era of peacetime generals. And through a series of delicate treaties, strategic Council nominations, and tense negotiations, they were finally able to not only establish peace, but maintain it. The war was far from over, but that raging blaze petered out into small, isolated flames, most of which were easily contained. The voracious monster never truly disappeared, but it had been lulled to sleep.

Many of these agreements were little more than extended cease-fires, but Harlow made it abundantly clear that regardless of future developments, the Space Corps would no longer take part in the conflict. The branch of the global armed forces dedicated to research, science, and exploration would focus on exactly that, and nothing more, in accordance with their original mission. With the Council’s help, he drafted a proposition barring their branch from future land-based engagements and presented it to Headquarters for review. This measure faced strong opposition, as he suspected it might, but with steadfast perseverance it eventually passed, and the loophole that had allowed their continued exploitation was finally closed. If others wanted to go to war, Harlow said, they could furnish their own troops and arrange their own logistics, but they were no longer allowed to pull resources from non-combat entities.

Following their release from the burdens of war, the Space Corps flourished. They were now free to pursue their stated mission and fulfill their intended purpose—a goal they exceeded many times over. They ventured further and discovered more than many had thought possible, and achievements which had once been relegated to the realm of imagination became reality. And quietly, Harlow made a few other changes as well. The committee that had been responsible for the regulation of morality and vice had been rendered all but obsolete by the war, but he saw to its dissolution nonetheless. He also codified protections for all service members—cadets, enlisted, and officers alike—to render them safe from undue harassment, excessive punishments, and targeted convictions.

To his great surprise, he faced almost no resistance. These measures passed with the overwhelming support of the new Council, who seemed to have grown tired of such things.

And thus, a decade of war was followed by a long, lasting peace, and those who had known nothing but conflict in their youth finally found well-deserved rest.