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archives:with_justice_for_none [2020/10/03 02:38] – cromwell | archives:with_justice_for_none [2020/10/25 02:56] (current) – site_admin | ||
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To: Cmdr John Carter, U.S.S. Republic, NCC-76241\\ | To: Cmdr John Carter, U.S.S. Republic, NCC-76241\\ | ||
From: Lieutenant Cmdr Victor Virtus, Sol three, SB-1\\ | From: Lieutenant Cmdr Victor Virtus, Sol three, SB-1\\ | ||
- | Stardate | + | Stardate |
\\ \\ | \\ \\ | ||
Hello John, | Hello John, | ||
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Fifty-six strides walking, four-two at a combat jog. | Fifty-six strides walking, four-two at a combat jog. | ||
- | " | + | " |
A an electronic warble sounded in response to his voice. | A an electronic warble sounded in response to his voice. | ||
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- | "Chief Engineer' | + | "Chief Engineer' |
"I haven' | "I haven' | ||
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< | < | ||
<fs x-large> | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | **Location: Judge Wade's chambers, Starbase 39 Sierra** | ||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The picture of Vulcan calm, Tuvok held his hands loosely against his robes; a common gesture of contemplation or resignation. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "He broke the damned law, Advocate, or have you forgotten that?" Cole shot back with hostility. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Apart from the release to the media, Carter followed the letter of every order he was given, as did those in his command. In fact, the orders that the crew did not comply with can easily be shown to be at best unadvisable, | ||
+ | |||
+ | "You want me to pin the loss of one of the Federation' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | In the corner of the room, Judge Wade watched with appreciation as Tuvok let the full weight of his rhetorical and legal prowess fall on Cole's shoulders. It seemed to the judge that Cole had not argued a case that was less than air-tight in quite some time, and it had likely been longer since he'd argued with a Vulcan. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wade let out a small grin as he wondered how Cole felt now that the tables had been turned on him. 'How unnerving is it,' Wade wondered, 'to face a man who holds all the cards and knows it?' | ||
+ | |||
+ | "As an advocate, I am sworn to defend my clients and seek the truth, however, I am also a Starfleet officer, and sworn to defend the Federation. Public disclosure of this conspiracy to take the Gorn to war serves neither of those goals. It is enough that you and I know the truth and let history discover it later, but if you would rather not wait . . . " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cole braced himself against the table with his head slumped down. He'd been picked as prosecutor of the trial to see to it that the ' | ||
+ | |||
+ | What Cole hadn't counted on was the testimony of Douglas Forrest, Republic' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Cole shook his head slowly among Section 31 operatives, failure was bad, but discovery was deadly, and given a choice between the two, Cole would elect to take the smaller defeat, and live to fight another day. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "He caused an explosion! He killed hundreds, HUNDREDS of foreign nationals, and instigated his own guerilla war, complete with his own army!" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "A war which a rogue element in Starfleet not only anticipated, | ||
+ | |||
+ | "None the less," Cole continued, "While the Black Shirts might have planned it, Cromwell actually did it. And what's worse, he'd probably do it again." | ||
+ | |||
+ | This time, it was Tuvok who had to concede a point. While the crew of Republic did not actually engage in hostilities, | ||
+ | |||
+ | An oily sneer crept across the prosecutor' | ||
+ | |||
+ | Tuvok nodded, seeing the logic of Cole's position. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "In addition, the members of Shadow Force are guilty of being accessories to multiple counts of murder, act of war or not, and they will have to agree either to confinement, | ||
+ | |||
+ | Grimly, Tuvok nodded. It was a good deal, and one that, while distasteful on some levels, would leave the battered reputation of Starfleet, let alone the Federation intact. "I believe," | ||
+ | |||
+ | In the corner, Judge Wade regarded the scene. "Do we have a deal gentlemen?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I believe we might." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I can work with it Judge." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Very well then," Wade said as he stood back up, heading for the door. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | As the trio exited Wade's chambers, headed back to the makeshift courtroom, he felt the weight of his antique gavel in his hand. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Wade crossed into the light of the main conference room. The bailiff stood and addressed the gallery. "All rise for the Honorable Judge . . . " | ||
---- | ---- | ||
< | < | ||
<fs x-large> | <fs x-large> | ||
+ | **Location: Outside of conference room 6 (" | ||
+ | |||
+ | As people poured out of the courtroom, encountering members of the press and student protesters, everyone intermingled as they moved away from the doors to keep the exit clear. Leon was among the crowd, and moved aside to wait for his friends and family. As expected, two Starfleet bailiffs escorted a somber Arthur Cromwell through the exit causing the press to explode like a powder keg. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "What about the Gorn soldiers? Do you grieve for them and their families?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Would you do it again, Mister Cromwell?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The bailiffs held off the press corps while Leon and Arthur had a last moment together. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well, dad," Leon started. "I guess the outcome could have been worse. I'm glad you chose not to take this to trial. They might have come down harder on you." | ||
+ | |||
+ | "I know," Arthur replied. "I just wanted it to be done with. No amount of courtroom litigation or guerilla warfare will bring Janice and Ann back. There just doesn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | He looked back at the press as they closed in on Tuvok and Cole, badgering them for information. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Oh no," Leon replied. " | ||
+ | |||
+ | His father looked at him with tired eyes, wondering if this would be the last time he ever sees his son. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | The two looked at one another, father and son, and without spoken words, twenty five years of animosity evaporated in the realization that all the family they had left was each another. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon and Lindsey embraced in a tight hug as she approached. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Well, that all depends," | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Back to Cestus," | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "We will," Lins concluded. | ||
+ | |||
+ | As the bailiffs escorted Arthur away, and the remaining Shadowforce members made their way to the docking level, Leon looked after them deep in thought. He could not help but wonder where each of them would be a year from now and what they would be doing. Suddenly, a voice woke him from his day-trance. | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Hey doc," Carter said, causing Leon to turn around and see not only him, but Hawk and Forrest as well. "Hell of a hearing, wouldn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Dare I ask, what you're talking about?" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | Leon looked at Nat, realizing that the helmsman had made an accurate correlation. Starfleet and the Federation had indeed made a mistake with respect to neighboring empires. Twice. And both times, a war had broken out allowing the powers that be to admit a mistake while the headlines were focused mainly on the war. Both times, the real perpetrators escaped justice. | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | //" | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | " | ||
+ | |||
+ | "Be sure to dodge the media," |