"Admiral Jameson!" Lwaxana Troi trilled as she strode to the front of the room, her multi-layered dress billowed around her and filled the narrow aisle as she made her grand entrance. Her manservant, Homm, dutifully followed, carrying a large ceremonial gong.

"Ambassador Troi?" the admiral sputtered. "This isn't the place—"

"I'm very disappointed with you, Admiral," Lwaxana admonished.

Homm rang the gong and Beverly forced herself not to flinch.

"Ma'am, this is a court martial, not a diplomatic event. I'm going to have to ask you to take a seat—"

"You didn't send me a letter requesting to speak as a character witness on behalf of Doctor Crusher," she said, tut-tutting a finger at him.

Homm gonged again.

"The court didn't feel the involvement of a diplomat from one of our oldest member worlds would be of benefit to the proceedings."

Lwaxana huffed.

"Ambassador, this is already a high-profile case," Admiral Jameson said. "The panel felt the fewer—"

"As the Daughter of the Fifth House," Lwaxana said as Homm rang the gong, "Holder of the Sacred Chalice of Rixx, and Heir to the Holy Rings of Betazed, I demand to testify at this hearing."

"Ambassador," Jameson tried again. "The hearing has concluded. The panel has reached a verdict."

"Impossible!" Lwaxana replied. "You can't have reached a decision because you have yet to hear my testimony!"

Homm struck the gong again and Admiral Jameson pressed his fingers into the glass tabletop until they turned white.

"Ambassador—"

"Admiral Jameson," Lwaxana Troi said, cutting the admiral's protests off. "Starfleet Administrative Protocol Section 4.3.9, 'Courts Martial,' Subsection , 'Conduct Unbecoming,' Paragraph 3b clearly states the defendant is entitled to submit character references from qualified referees."

Lwaxana paused for breath as Homm rang the gong again.

"Further to that," she continued, "Appendix III – Classification of Referees, Subsection 42, 'Courts Martial,' lists diplomats from representative worlds as being qualified referees."

Jameson's shoulders slumped, and he let out a resigned sigh.

"Admiral, I insist you re-open these proceedings immediately," Lwaxana said.

Homm rang the gong again. Beverly wasn't certain if he rang it for emphasis, or just to annoy the man closest to the large brass sheet, as Homm's lips twitched every Jameson winced.

"Fine. Ambassador Troi, you may submit your character reference in the court martial of Commander Crusher. As per those same regulations," he said, a small measure of satisfaction in his voice, "you may have the floor for a maximum of fifteen minutes."

Lwaxana nodded and then turned and approached Beverly.

Beverly was touched by the older woman's gesture, but with only fifteen minutes to speak on her behalf, she wondered what, precisely, Lwaxana thought she might do to prevent Beverly's sentence from being carried out.

"Don't worry, dear," she said as she gave Beverly's hand a reassuring squeeze. "We'll get this properly sorted in a matter of moments."

Admiral Jameson addressed the room, "Let the record show Ambassador Troi's request to enter a statement."

"Thank you, Admiral," Lwaxana replied as she moved to stand directly in front of the panel of senior officers. "I would like to clarify that I have full autonomy to use my time as I feel necessary to accurately and effectively speak on behalf of Doctor Crusher."

Jameson's eyes narrowed. "You do…"

Lwaxana beamed. "Excellent!"

Lwaxana spun around, winked at Beverly, and then flounced over and took a hastily-vacated seat in the front row of observers.

"I yield my time to Captain Jean-Luc Picard," Lwaxana said as she adjusted her skirts.