Pride and Prejudice
Chapters Ten and Eleven
Chapter Ten
Deanna and Kestra were not having it very good either. The security officer that was suppose to be on their side was holding them at phaser point and herding them to parts unknown.
They arrived at a clearing. One that had obviously been visited before. Kestra was feeling more and more frightened by the minute and clung to her mother. She was seventeen and all she wanted to do was cling to Deanna like a little child. Any other time she would have berated herself for such juvenile feelings, but this time was different. This time seemed like the best time, if there was one, to cling to those you loved most dear.
Deanna patted Kestra's hands that clung to her arm tightly as she surveyed their surroundings. It was obvious to Deanna the place had been used for some sort of ritual, but she was not sure what that was. She saw the 'T' shaped pole and burnt debris below it and a circle of rocks around the perimeter of the clearing. She just was not sure what had happened here before they were brought to this place.
Jasper jumped out of the clearing along with Brent. Both were wearing their gray suits.
"Why did you bring the mother?" Jasper asked angrily.
"I had no choice." The officer stated. "She was with Kestra when my shift began this morning."
"Fine." Jasper stated. "We'll just have to take care of both of them now."
"What do you have planned?" The officer asked.
"I promise you, they won't live to tell about it by the time we are done with them." Brent stated. "Now, go and get the Cardie and bring him here. We have big plans for him also."
"I'd like to know what they are."
"Are you trying to wimp out on us now?" Jasper asked.
"No, sir. I'll go get 'im."
Meanwhile, Will had his back up with him. They had traced him by way of his comm badge. "Do you seem them?" One of them asked.
"They're inside that storage building." Will told them. "I've been trying to find a way to get in there unnoticed, so I can surprise him."
"We could just surround the place and then demand the release of your son."
"No, too dangerous." Will stated. "We don't have a clue what he might do to Willy."
"True."
"I have to figure out how to get you to the meeting tonight." McKinley stated.
"What meeting?" Willy asked.
"Oh, you'll find out soon enough if I can get you there." McKinley informed him. "We just need to rest here a bit before we move on. You're a tough one to drag somewhere. Why don't you just make this easy and just come along quietly?"
"Why should I?" Willy asked.
"Save me from having to rest so much."
McKinley put the knife away and took out his phaser. He played with the settings on it. "Alright, this thing is set to kill, so I suggest you cooperate. Now, let's move on."
McKinley had the phaser pointed into Willy's back. Willy knew what damage the phasor would cause him at that setting and at point blank at that. His atoms would be no more at this range. So, he cooperated as best he could.
"Sir, I see movement." One of the officers stated.
They saw McKinley come out with Willy. They noticed he had his arm behind Willy and figured there was a phasor pointed at Willy.
Will and the officers made their move. "Release him!" Will stated from a safe distance.
"Move any closer and your son is dead, Riker." McKinley stated. "I have the phasor set to kill. Just imagine what he would look like if the phasor, say, accidently went off?"
"Hold your fire, men." Will stated to the other officers.
"Smart man, Mr. Riker." McKinley stated. "Now, we will go our way, but if you follow us, your Willy boy is dead."
Will stood there and watched McKinley leave with his son. However, he paid close attention to which direction McKinley was taking his son. He was not about to let this man go for any reason.
"When we can, we'll try and follow from a safe distance." Will told his men.
Later that day, when it was begining to get dark, the group of students once again gathered in the clearing. They knew they were about to watch a great spectical. At least in their opinions it was going to be a great spectical.
Kestra was shaking from fear. She had no idea what was about to happen. She saw them light a campfire and place rope on one of the ends of the 'T' shaped pole. A Romulan flag was placed on the other side of the pole.
Deanna thought she had seen something similar to this in Earth's history, but she could not place her finger on it. It had been a long time since she had read Earth's history and parts of it she just wanted to forget because to her it was what nightmeres were made of. She had the dreadful feeling, though, that this was going to be one nightmere she would never forget for the rest of her life.
Suddenly, her son was pushed into the group face down on the ground. His hands were tied, but not his legs. Obviously someone wanted him there also, but it was not clear why he was there yet.
"Willy!" Kestra shouted and she struggled to get loose of her bindings.
Everyone who was present wore gray suits. Deanna made a mental note on how they looked like the surgical suits the surgeons wore.
Jasper raised his hands so that the group would listen to him. "We have a great show here for you tonight. One I'm sure you will never forget."
"Bring in the Cardie!" They shouted.
"SuKat!" Kestra screamed when they shoved him roughly into the middle of the group. Tears began to roll down her face as she began sensing what was on the group's mind. "No, let him go!"
"Oh, does the Cardie lover wish to save her lover?" Jasper taunted. "Or join him?"
"He's my friend." She insisted.
"Then watch your friend burn in Hell!" Jasper said with a lot of hatred.
"No!" Kestra struggled against her bindings once more.
"Kestra, stop." Deanna sent. "You'll only hurt yourself. I can sense your father is close by with others. Give them time. They are trying to figure out a plan to rescue everyone, just as soon as everyone gets here."
"I can't let them do this." Kestra sent back. Tears were still rolling down her face.
"Tie their feet." Brent ordered.
Two people walked over to tie Willy and SuKat's feet together. Then they set the Romulan flag afire once again. After that, they prepared the rope on the other side for what they were about to do next.
Kestra and Deanna saw what type of knot was tied into the rope. They could not believe what was about to happen. They were going to kill all of them and in the most demeaning and worst way fathomable or rather unfathomable.
"Just let the Cardies and Rommies take our women. Let them come to Earth and be apart of our institutions." Brent shouted with a large wide stick burning in his hands. "This is what they will receive!"
"NO!" This time it was two women screaming as they dragged SuKat to the noose that was hanging from the pole.
"What? Miral has a problem with this? Maybe we should place her with the other women." Jasper stated. "Have you wimped out on Spock too?"
Miral stood there with her mouth shut. She did not say another word, but the terror she felt inside her was more than it had ever been. She knew as a Klingon she should be brave and a warrior, but this was too much for her. Her human side just could not bare to watch what was about to happen.
"Bring Kestra here." Brent ordered. "Let her see what we are about to do to her boyfriend."
She struggled against the two young men who dragged her over for a closer view of what was about to happen. She did not want to see what was about to come.
"Place the noose around his neck and set his feet on fire." Jasper ordered. "You're next Willy Boy. Charge is, conspiring with the enemy."
Will and his men watched in unbelievable horror at the events that were unfolding before them as they hid in the bushes. They knew they had to stop them, before it was too late.
"Everyone in position?" Will asked.
One of the officers nodded.
"Aimee have her men ready?"
"I'm not sure. We're trying to keep our communications down to a minimal, so that they don't hear us out here." The officer whispered.
Will tapped his comm badge and softly spoke into it. "Riker to Aimee."
*"Aimee here."* Came her soft reply.
"Are your men ready?" Will asked.
*"Affirmative."*
"Alright then, let's do it. On my mark." Will ordered.
"We will end this once an for all!" Jasper shouted to the group. "This is the last student from Cardassia that will ever be here. Just as Tokus was the last Rommie!"
Two students blindfolded SuKat, then forced him to stand on a chair and placed the noose around his neck. Brent was ready with the fire as soon as they were ready to kick the chair out from under SuKat.
Kestra was sure this was going to be the last time she would see her friend. She did not want to watch this lynching. She wanted to stop it, but she could not.
Meanwhile, Deanna was sending messages to Will telepathically. "Come on, Will. Please, do something before it's too late for SuKat. I know you don't care for him seeing Kestra, but at least save him from this linch mob!"
"We're right here, Deanna." Will thought at her. "We are about to stop this right now"
"Freeze! Nobody move another step!" Will shouted as he and his men, along with Aimee's men jumped out of hiding with their phasers pointed at everyone in the group. Will was glad they out numbered the punks they were about to arrest, for they too had weapons.
However, the group froze where they stood. No one reached for their weapons or fought to keep from loosing their weapons as Security removed their weapons quickly. Everyone had been unarmed as fast as they had been raided by Starfleet. Will was amazed by the quick work and thinking of Aimee's men, as well as the group he was assigned.
Miral ran over to bring SuKat down from where he stood and untied him. She was lucky Aimee and Will knew who she was or they would have stunned her with their phasers. Tears were in her eyes and she realized that such a thing was unbecoming of a Klingon, but this experience was far too traumatic for anyone. She did not care anymore if Humans saw a Klingon crying from such trauma. It was too much for anyone to bare.
"Alright, gather the students and soon to be ex-security officers up. Then take them to the brig." Will stated. "Charge them with breaking curfew, kidnapping, assault, murder, and attempted murder. Is there anything I missed?"
"Behaviour unbecoming of an officer?" Aimee replied as she shoved McKinley towards the Academy. She had tied his hands behind him and had her phasor pointed at his back as she pushed him towards campus.
"If that's a crime, then that too." Will stated with anger. "I hope to throw the book at all of them. Now, get 'em out of here!"
Then he went to untie his family as the criminals were being dragged off to be thrown in the brig until trial. "You alright?"
"I'm fine." Deanna stated as she looked towards Kestra.
Will untied Kestra next. As soon as Will had finished untying his daughter, she ran to SuKat and threw her arms around him. "I'm sorry to have gotten you into this mess." She told him.
"It's not your fault." SuKat told her. "It was the ignorance of many that is at fault."
"Are you alright, son?" Will asked as he untied his son.
"Yes, I'm fine. I'm just worried about SuKat." Willy stated as he waited for his dad to untie him. Once he was untied, he went to check on SuKat also.
"Would you look at that?" Will said to his wife. "Not even a thank you for saving them."
Deanna kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you."
"I'm not talking about you, but I'm glad to see you appreciate me." Will told her with a smile. "It's the kids."
"Oh, they are very glad you rescued them and their friend." Deanna stated. "But just like their father, they can be very compassionate. They just want to make sure their friend is alright. They'll thank you later I'm sure."
"I hope you are right." Will replied as he gather everyone up to head back to the academy. He made sure everyone was untied and was physically alright enough to walk back to campus. Will then escorted everyone home. "Let's get out of here, guys."
He was glad that they had rounded up the majority of the people involved in the recent crimes against people. Now the trial could go on as planned. Everyone accused would be present and consequences would be served.
Chapter Eleven
The fourteen students and four security officers stayed in the brig for three days until the trial. Some denied doing anything wrong or even being involved, but the fact of the matter was they were there participating in the event.
The list of charges were long. Two had attempted rape. Several had assault charges. Then there was kidnapping of a starfleet officer and three other counts of kidnapping. Two were charged with murder and a few others attempted murder.
The least of the charges was breaking curfew. Even so, the added charge of conspiracy. Although it was questionable whether that charge would stick for there was no proof of the plot to kill Spock.
Everyone stood when Phillipa Louvois walked in and took her seat. She was the judge advocate general and she was preciding over the case.
"Everyone be seated." She requested as she took her seat. "Now, we are here to decide the fate of these fourteen students and four security officers. I'll allow the prosecution to begin with opening statements."
"Thank you, your honour." Picard began. "I'm not sure where to begin, except that I'm about to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt these people are guilty of crimes against humanity. The thing is, I think everyone here knows what has happened these past few months and who all was involved. That is the bad part, however, maybe that is not the issue here. Maybe the issue is that these students have sealed their fate and we have to decide what that fate is. What is going to be the fate of these eighteen people? We are here today because we do not want to lower ourselves to their level to despense justice. The justice we are about to give is far different than theirs and for different reasons. Thus, their fate will be different than Tokus's. It will also be different than Kestra's or even the other people they harassed and assaulted. We just need to decide what that fate will be for each one of these people."
"Defense?"
"Your honour." Admiral Brooks began. "I have the hardest task of all, for there were witnesses with Tokus's murder and some of those witnesses are in this court room today. In other circumstances, this case would be moved to a less biased area. However, given the nature of the case, we are stuck here at Federation Headquarters. So, I'm here to convince you that there should be at least leniency in the final decision."
"Ambassador Spock, do you have anything to say?" Louvois asked.
"At this point, no your honour."
"Admiral Mendak of Romulus, do you have anything you would like to add?"
Spock cautioned him not to make any rash statements at this time. He suggested he try and keep his emotions as contained as he possibly could.
"No, your honour."
"Admiral Dukat of Cardassia?" Louvois continued.
"Just that we want justice to be served to the fullest extent possible."
"Thank you." Louvois replied.
Suddenly, there was a commotion as someone entered the room. "I am Ambassador Troi of Betazed, I will be representing Betazed in this case since there were three people from Betazed attacked and kidnapped in this case."
"Oh, Mother, not now." Deanna sent to her mother as she tried to bury her face with her hand.
"Very well, Ambassador Troi." Louvois replied. "Please have a seat on the prosecuting side. And please, no more outbursts."
Lwaxana just gave a grunt and stuck her nose up in the air. Then she spoke telepathically to any telepath who wanted to listen. "I'll have her know, that if everyone else has representives from their world here, so should you three."
"Mother, you didn't have to come, you know." Deanna sent back to her mother.
"Yes, I did, Lit. I mean Deanna." Lwaxana sent. "Romulus sent a representive and since Spock recommended the young man, Spock is also here. Cardassia sent someone to represent SuKat."
"Mother, Tokus is dead and can't speak for himself." Deanna informed her mother.
"Then why is the Cardassian being represented by someone on his planet? And Worf is representing the Klingons!"
"Worf is here as High Counsellor of Kronos. He is to make sure the two Klingon students get a fair trial."
"That doesn't explain the Cardassian representive." Lwaxana stated.
Deanna sighed. "Alright, by all rights you have a right to be here too, since the people involved are also Betazoid citizens. Just don't be disruptive."
"Disruptive? Who's being disruptive?" Lwaxana asked.
The judge finished asking all representives from various planets if they had anything to add to the opening statements. None of them had anything else to add currently.
"Picard, your first witness."
"I call Deanna Troi-Riker to the stand."
Deanna had no idea she was going to be called first. She knew Picard was going to question her, but she did not think it was going to be first.
"Place your hand on the console to identify yourself." The judge stated.
"Counselor Deanna Troi-Riker, Commander, Ship's Counselor of the Titan. Previous service record." The computer recited. "The USS Enterprise D and E."
"Cerfice it to say, you have had a long history with Starfleet." Picard interupted the computer. "When did you first hear of the problems at Starfleet academy?"
"About three months ago, but the information given to us did not sound as bad as it really was."
"And when did you find out about the attempted rape against your daughter Kestra?"
"The same day it happened."
"When was that?" Picard asked.
"Almost three weeks ago."
"Who informed you?"
"My son."
"Was this the first to your knowledge of the problems being serious on campus?"
"Yes, Sir. It was."
"When you arrived, what was your daughter's condition?"
"She was basically catatonic, her affect was flat."
"Objection!" Brooks stated. "Witness is a relative in this case and not an attending psychologist."
"Sustained." Louvois replied. "Counselor Troi, given the circumstances, please rephrase your answer."
"She would not move or respond to anyone."
"Objection!"
"Now what, Mister Brooks?"
"Witness is making a general statement."
"I'll allow it this time." Louvois stated. "Continue."
"She would not eat anything. All she would do is lie on the bed and stare at the wall."
"Thank you, Mrs. Troi-Riker." Picard stated. "No further questions."
"Cross witness, Brooks?"
"Mrs. Troi-Riker," He cleared his throat. "Why didn't you remove your daughter immediately when you heard of the situation?"
"She is a cadet. We never dreamed anything would happen like this."
"Really?" Brooks stated. "There hasn't ever been a rape on campus before?"
"You know as well as I do, part of learning to be a Starfleet officer is learning how to deal with all kinds of situations." Deanna stated.
"Being your daughter, don't you think you should have gone to better measures to protect her?"
"Objection!" Lwaxana shouted. "That's sexual discrimination."
"I hate to say this." Louvois stated. "But sustained."
"No, further questions, your honour."
"Your next witness, Prosecution?"
"I call Cadet Jasper Broling to the stand." Picard stated. Jasper walked up to the stand and took a seat. "State your name for the record."
"Cadet Jasper Broling."
"Let me remind you that you are under oath." Picard stated. "I'm going to ask a direct question and I expect you to answer it. Did you or did you not attempt to rape Cadet Kestra Riker?"
"That Cardie whore, she was coming on to us."
"Please keep flamatory remarks out of your replies." Louvois ordered.
"Why did you even think about doing such a thing?" Picard asked.
"She needs to know that humans are better than Cardies." Jasper said with a grin on his face and looked directly at Kestra. "When it comes to Cardies, she a slut."
Kestra looked away. She could not believe he was making such remarks.
"One more remark like that and I'll have you in contempt." Louvois stated. "I will not have this court room turned into a circus."
"Your honour, I request a full psychiatric exam for this defendant." Picard stated.
"One was given upon enterance." Louvois stated. "I'm sure you realize that."
"I propose that at the time this young man may have been fine, but something happened that caused him emotional problems."
"Objection." Brooks stated. "Being or having problems rather with another race is not a mental condition."
"No, but there is some reason other than not liking Romulans and Cardassians, that this young man is behaving as he is here in this court room." Picard stated.
"Objection." Brooks again stated. "He sounds as though he is defending the witness."
"I'm going to grant a full scale psychiatric evaluation for Cadet Jasper Boling." Louvois stated. "I will assign a counselor to his case."
"Cadet Boling, you may step down."
"Permission to cross witness, your honour." Brooks asked.
"Denied." Louvois replied. "When we get the results of his psych eval you may then cross witness."
"I now call Cadet William T. Riker Junior to the stand." Picard stated.
Willy took his seat and stated his full name for the record. Then Picard proceeded to question him.
"Why was your sister alone on said day?" Picard asked.
"We got into an argument and she walked off." Willy stated.
"How far would he estimate she was when you heard her scream?"
"She had just walked around Cockrin Hall."
"Then what did you do?"
"I ran to help her, but in the end I almost got beat up myself."
"How was it you didn't?" Picard asked.
"Officer Rorg came to assist us."
"No further question." Picard stated.
"Cross witness?"
"Yes, are you certain without a doubt, Jasper Boling and Brent Douglous tried to rape your sister?"
"Yes, Sir."
"How do you know they weren't just trying to scare her?"
"Sir, you don't rip someone's clothes off and hold a knife against them while you try to." Willy stopped. "Well, you know."
"No further questions." Brooks knew his questioning was not helping the defendants, but it was very hard to prove their innocense when they were seen by more than one person attempting the crime.
"Admiral Picard, do you have another witness?" Louvois asked.
"Yes, I call Doctor Beverly Crusher to the stand."
Beverly walked up to the stand and placed her hand on the screen for the computer to read off her record.
"You have been received many honours and medals over your years of service." Picard stated. "Can you tell me, in your professional opinion, Kestra's condition when you saw her?"
"She had several contusions, abrasions, and small cuts on her body." Beverly replied. "She was in a catatonic state and refused nourishment."
"So, what was your opinion at the time? Was she more physically or emotionally harmed?"
"I'd say most of it was emotional." Beverly stated. "There was no physical trauma to her personally other than a few bruises and cuts."
"Tokus, when he arrived in the infirmary, was he already dead?"
"I was not the attending physician."
"What was your opinion of the situation?"
"Tokus has suffered a knife wound to the abdomin, it was forced in to him and then it was apparently pulled back out." Beverly stated. "In most cases, people do not survive this type of knife wound."
"SuKat's injuries, were they life threatening?"
"Yes, they were." Beverly replied. "He had a ruptured spleen and a punctured lung from broken ribs. If I had not operated on him when I did, he would have died."
"Thank you, doctor. No further questions."
"Defense, would you like to cross examine?"
"No questions at this time your honour." Brooks replied.
"Any more witnesses, Admiral Picard?"
"No ma'am. Not at this time."
"Very well." Louvois stated. "We'll break for lunch then return for the prosecution's witnesses and allow for the representives to ask any questions they may have. Then we'll have closing statements."
Everyone rose to go to lunch or back to the brig. They were allowed a two hour lunch break and then everyone was to return.