Hidaka, the Japanese "governor" of Hawaii, had lied. He'd said that the Allied prisoners, both military and civilian, were being well treated. But the evidence on the flatscreen in Kolhammer's office said differently.

Nobody spoke as they watched the video of the executions. Kolhammer had seen it five times now, and counted 123 victims, all of them beheaded. Even though he'd lost count of the number of times he'd seen people die like this, there was still something about it that froze the soul.

He thumbed the remote to freeze the footage before they had to watch the gruesome scene of Bill Halsey's death again.

"So who is this asshole?" he rumbled.

"Commander Jisaku Hidaka, Admiral. Interim military governor-"

"I know that, Chief. He told me that himself, on the vid, just before he capped that poor girl. I want to know more. You open a file, in the Room. And we'll close it when the protocols are carried out."

"Sanction Four, sir?"

"No," said Kolhammer. "I don't think so. Do you?"

Chief Petty Officer Vincente Rogas shook his head. "I guess not."

Kolhammer regarded the image on the screen with a cold, flat lack of feeling. "Sanction Five," he said.