Chapter Thirteen
The next morning S'nell's trial began. The medium sized room they were in held a long U shaped table which faced a smaller central table with a witness stand right behind the central table. Herself and Spock along with several others sat around the U shaped table. When three Andorians came into the room and headed for the central table, S'nell stood along with the rest of the room then sat down when the three Andorians did. The Andorian man who sat behind the right side of the central table spoke into the silence of the large room.
"Computer, begin recording, secret security level. This hearing of the Andorian Intelligence Service is now in session. The three of us will be the judges for this hearing. I am Tennava, and my fellow judges are Sh'relli and Ta'malli. As per Andorian law, there will be no legal counsel for the defendant. All testimony given must be truthful, or there will be severe consequences for those who lie. Now, we require the defendant to step into the witness stand and place their right hand on the scanner in order to verify identity for the court. Keep your hand there on the scanner throughout your testimony to ensure truthfulness." he stated. S'nell stood and walked into the witness stand. She placed one hand on the railing and another on the screen attached to it.
"S'nellastina zh'Vecar, Federation Identification Number 01-36-9874, Crewman, USS Enterprise A." the feminine computer voice stated a moment later.
"S'nellastina zh'Vecar, you are hereby charged with the offense of violating Andorian national interests. How do you plead, guilty or not guilty?" the female Andorian in the middle of the centre table asked.
"Not guilty." S'nell declared decisively.
"You are entitled to an introductory statement to explain why destroying the Banar found on the Enterprise A does not constitute a charge of violating Andorian national interests. You have five minutes from this point to do so." Tennava stated.
"Very well. When I destroyed the Banar, I was thinking of Andorian interests by ensuring that no one else could acquire the blood of the Banar. If that happened, there would be an imbalance of power in the galaxy. Andorians are strong enough to defend ourselves against anyone. But if we had a weapon with the ability to engage in massive slaughter of other civilizations, it would likely provoke a war with the Klingons or Romulans so that they could obtain it. With either race, such a war would not stop until victory or surrender was in sight. Do you wish to start another war that would mean the death of millions simply to defend the Andorian Empire? Do you wish to disregard one hundred and two years of peace to advance an agenda of galactic domination, or do the advantages of Federation membership to Andoria mean nothing to you?" S'nell passionately declared.
"You lie. Starfleet still has the blood of the Banar and who is to say they will use it only for medical purposes? You of all Andorians have no reason to trust them." Ta'malli, who sat on the left side of the central spoke.
"You may be right that Starfleet Intelligence will use the blood of the Banar to make a weapon. But I have no way of knowing if they will do so." S'nell stated.
"The fact that you allowed Starfleet to take the blood of Banar in the first place implies that you trust they will use it for only medical purposes. Why do you trust them?" Sh'relli, the judge who sat in the centre of the table questioned.
"I trust no one without a good reason. Once I acquired the Banar, I wished to modify the RNA of the Banar to render the blood unsuitable to be used as a weapon. But if I did so, the blood would also be unsuitable for medical purposes. So I was thinking of other solutions, but had no time to implement them before the Klingon attack on the Omega Research Station." S'nell explained.
"Do you have any further remarks at this time, S'nellastina?" Tennava wanted to know.
"No." she curtly stated.
"Then you're dismissed. Sit down. I call the next witness to the stand. Come forth, General Kovack." Sh'relli stated.
As S'nell sat down and a large Klingon came to the witness stand, she became aware of Commander Spock's inquisitive gaze on her. She had not informed him or anyone on the Enterprise of her desire to perform genetic modifications to the Banar. But then she had no reason to trust Starfleet, as Ta'malli had said. Even now, S'nell was not sure if Starfleet could be trusted in this matter.
"Kovack, son of Mokai. Federation Identification Number 23-47-9081, General, Klingon Seventh Fleet." the computer stated once it had identified his palm print.
"Your statement begins now, General Kovack." Tennava told him.
"After we learned about the destruction of the Banar, Klingon Intelligence ordered that a ship should visit the home planet of the Banar. Once we arrived, we discovered that the Klingon mining facility on the surface had been destroyed and all the workers were dead. As for the Banar, they were also all dead. We were able to determine that the mining facility had been destroyed by a network of powerful bombs using electro plasma as the detonation device. The bombs were very sophisticated but of a design that we had never seen before. The Banar itself were killed by a poisonous gas that was only fatal to silicon based life. The poison was comprised of a chemical formula that was not known to us before then."
"The star system of the home world of the Banar is uninhabited apart from the mining colony. Our government only send ships to pick up the metals that are mined on a weekly basis. Otherwise all other races stay away from the planet, as they are aware it is under the protection of the Empire. So we wondered who was responsible for this attack."
"I suspect that Starfleet Intelligence is the most likely organization to do this. If they had an intelligence officer on the Enterprise A, they could have become alerted to the situation. Then Starfleet Intelligence would have destroyed the entire population of the Banar to prevent another race from using the Banar in a war. As for the Vulcans, they are pacifists so they would have no interest in developing the Banar into a weapon. When it comes to the Romulans, we have reason to suspect their Empire is still wary of going to war after Nero. While the Tellarites have motive to attack the colony, they do not have the technology to carry this out. No one else has knowledge about the Banar otherwise." Kovack explained.
"Why did you wish to acquire the Banar initially?" Tennava questioned.
"Our people have a saying: expand or die. The Banar are a double edged sword in that they are useful and dangerous at the same time. The Klingon Empire is vast, and the High Council ruled that we needed additional means to control the population of the Empire. We cannot have efficient rule if subjects get the mistaken idea that they can rule themselves. So by acting as a deterrent for civil unrest, the blood of the Banar is a weapon that ensures the safety and stability of the Klingon Empire. That is why the Omega Research Station was attacked to ensure that we were the only race to have control over the Banar." Kovack continued.
"Do you have any further remarks at this time, General Kovack?" S'relli asked.
"No." he said.
"Then you are dismissed. Sit down. I call the next witness, Subcommander T'veck." Ta'malli stated.
A moment later the door of the room opened, and an individual S'nell recognized walked inside flanked by two armed Andorian guards. S'nell looked at Spock in surprise. The man known as T'veck was the same man S'nell knew as V'tek, the Romulan spy who had tried to kill her. He looked slightly thinner and his wrists were also restrained like hers. It was now clear that the Andorians had found him after the Enterprise had left the orbit of that Y class planet he'd landed the shuttlecraft on. He stepped forward into the witness booth and placed his hand on the screen.
"T'veck, Federation Identification Number 14-30-6529, Subcommander, Tal Shiar." the voice of the computer informed the room.
"Begin, Subcommander T'veck." Tennava urged him. T'veck nodded.
"After Nero's destruction of Vulcan in 2258, the Romulan Senate ordered that all inhabitants on both Romulus and Remus should be evacuated to another star system so that we did not suffer the same fate as the Romulans of Nero's time. It has now been five years of resettlement and rebuilding elsewhere. There are many in the Senate who wished to expand our new borders once again. But the intelligence community is well aware that both the Federation and the Klingons have a desire for revenge. Although Nero was not affiliated with the Empire, I suspect that there are some in Starfleet who wish to exact revenge on the Romulan Empire for the loss of life at the Battle of Vulcan. In addition, the crew members of Nero's ship killed several Klingon guards at Rura Penthe during their escape from that detention facility."
"But of even more importance to the Klingon Empire, the Narada destroyed forty seven birds of prey along with their crews. It has taken some time for the Klingon shipyards to produce enough ships to replace this loss. As a result of possible attack from both Starfleet and the Klingons, the Tal Shiar decided that we should find a weapon that was strong enough to prevent the destruction of the Romulan Empire from all external threats. That is why I was asked to infiltrate the Omega Research Station with the objective being to acquire the Banar for the Romulan Empire." T'veck explained.
"I see. Did you intend to kill S'nellastina?" asked Sh'relli.
"No, because I needed to keep her alive for her blood. I just wanted her unconscious so I could take her off the Enterprise." T'veck said. S'nell was unsure whether to believe him.
"Do you have anything further to say, Subcommander T'veck?" Tennava asked. He shook his head.
"Then be seated. I call Commander Spock to the witness stand." declared Sh'relli. S'nell's superior officer rose to his feet and swiftly placed his hand on the screen.
"Spock, Federation Identification Number 04-17-9236, Commander, USS Enterprise A." the computer identified him.
"Speak now Commander Spock." he was urged by Tennava. Spock nodded tersely.
"The United Federation of Planets is a peaceful organization. As such, Starfleet only wants the blood of the Banar for medical purposes. We have no desire to provoke a war or to interfere in the conflicts of other races." Spock stated.
"What about the Federation citizen that attacked Kronos and killed many Klingons, and then crashed a highly advanced starship into San Francisco shortly afterwards?" asked Sh'relli.
"That was an isolated incident that has been dealt with." Spock curtly replied.
"Perhaps, but it shows that Starfleet still has plans to provoke war when it suits them. Starfleet is not as innocent as you appear. In reality, Starfleet is a wolf in sheep's clothing as Humans say, or an army of the stars as Andorians say. Now, do you have any more remarks Commander Spock?" Tennava said.
"No." he replied.
"Then you're dismissed. Sit down. I call the next witness, General Karn." Sh'relli stated. A large Klingon stepped forward to the witness stand and placed his right hand on the screen.
"Karn, son of Wolak. Federation Identification Number 89-20-5731, General, Klingon Intelligence." the computer stated.
"Please describe the role you played in this affair." Tennava stated.
"As General Kovack stated, it was decided that the Klingon Empire needed to acquire the Banar. We discovered there was a Banar on the Omega Research Station. It was decided it would be easier to acquire that specimen rather then take a specimen from the home world of the Banar. So I ordered another bird of prey to attack the Omega Research Station in order to acquire the Banar." Karn stated.
"Did you not suspect that the Enterprise A would follow and purse that ship?" Tennava stated.
"That was unexpected as I thought the communications from the research station had been cut off before the distress signal had been broadcast. If I had known that Starfleet would have poked their nose where it was not wanted, I would have ordered more then one bird of prey to attack the Omega Research Station." Karn said.
"Were you surprised when you learned the research station had been destroyed?" Sh'relli stated.
"Very much so. My orders to the Captain of that bird of prey were to acquire the Banar and then head back to Klingon space at the fastest speed. But upon reflection, it was not surprising that the members of the bird of prey would fight back if any of their crew had been killed." Karn snapped.
"Did you expect the Enterprise A to destroy the bird of prey?" asked Tennava.
"As soon as I heard that, I knew that something more must have happened on the Enterprise A. I am no friend of Starfleet, but they are not given to starting an unprovoked fight. Those warriors of the Empire died a warrior's death, so at least their families can be content with that. I have nothing further to add." Karn continued.
"Then sit down. I call the next witness, Admiral Pava." Sh'relli stated. Karn sat down and a middle aged Andorian came to the witness stand.
"Pava'yelli th'Thrane, Federation Identification Number 65-94-0432, Admiral, Andorian Intelligence Service." the computer stated.
"Explain to the court your role in this business." Ta'malli requested.
"When the Omega Research Station was being built, it was clear that there would be openings for dozens of Andorians on the crew. I ordered Captain Tennar, who is a family friend, to place S'nell on that station. I also ordered one of my operatives by the name of Me'kili to spy on S'nell for me. It worked quite well through the death of Me'kili was regrettable." Pava stated.
Upon hearing this, S'nell closed her eyes briefly. A part of her had wondered at Me'kili's friendship but she had come to gradually accept it. It was now clear that had been a mistake. This was just further proof that very few individuals can be trusted, she thought. Then her attention returned to Pava as he continued speaking.
"Once I learned that the Banar was on board the Enterprise A, I ordered Captain Tennar to retrieve the Banar for the Andorian Empire. Regrettably he failed." Pava stated.
"Captain Tennar is prohibited by testifying in this court because of his family connection to the defendant. Could you explain why you picked him among all the Captains working for the Andorian Intelligence Service?" Tennava demanded.
"I wanted to unsettle S'nell into making a mistake. Having to face her long estranged father would be likely to do that. I underestimated her determination not to turn the Banar over to her own people when she had no reason to trust Starfleet. Unfortunately I also underestimated how far Captain Tennar was willing to go to acquire the Banar." Pava declared.
"Do you have anything further to add?" Ta'malli said.
"No." Pava concluded.
"Then you will return to your seat. I call the next witness, Lieutenant Sh'eman." Pava took his seat again as a younger Andorian walked to the witness stand.
"Sh'emantelli ch'Zorcarii, Federation Identification Number 60-14-3592, Lieutenant, ASF Relarii." the computer identified him.
S'nell suspected that the ASF in front of the ship's name stood for Andorian Space Fleet. It would make sense that the Andorian Intelligence Service would have a shipyards of their own in order to build their ships in secret, she realized. In comparison, S'nell knew that the initials ATF on an Andorian ship were used by the Andorian Free Trade fleet. Their ships were usually older overhauled freighters that didn't stray far from the established shipping lanes or their predetermined destinations unless they needed repairs or were under the protective escort of a warship.
"Please explain your role in this." demanded Tennava.
"I work as one of the navigators on the Relarii, which is the ship that Captain Tennar commands. As a result I happened to be on the bridge during the communication Captain Tennar had with S'nellastina." he stated.
"Then describe for this court what happened during that conversation." Ta'malli insisted.
"Captain Tennar requested that S'nellastina turn over the Banar to our custody or he would open fire on the Enterprise A. S'nellastina was insistent that she would not turn over the Banar. Captain Tennar gave her a final warning. Then S'nellastina beamed the creature into space and shot at it with phaser fire. Captain Tennar was furious when our scans revealed the Banar was now dead. We could have attacked the Enterprise A but we were instead given the order to set a course away from the Enterprise A at maximum warp." Sh'eman stated.
"If you had opened fire on the Enterprise A do you think you would have won the fight?" asked Tennava.
"We would have put up a good fight without a doubt. But those weren't my orders and so I can't comment further on that matter." Sh'eman said.
"Would you have wanted to start a war with Starfleet?" asked Sh'relli.
"Not at all. That would be disastrous for both sides if you ask me. I'm not fond of Humans personally. But they have been our allies and friends for over one hundred years and it would be detrimental to Andoria if that changed." Sh'eman declared.
"Do you have anything further to add?" Tennava asked.
"No." Sh'eman stated.
"Then sit down. We will now have a one hour recess to consider judgment on S'nellastina zh'Vecar. Everyone will remain in this room while we enter deliberations. Computer, pause recording." Tennava said. He and the other two judges rose and the three of them left the room.
Once they had left S'nell yawned. The force field in her detention cell had been set to a frequency that had interfered in her rest. In other words, the hertz level had ensured that she got no rest last night. In addition, she had not been fed since arriving on the ship. Perhaps the Andorian Intelligence Service thought that sleep deprivation and withholding meals meant their prisoners would be more likely to testify fully in order to receive those benefits, she thought. Then again, this trial had been swifter then she had anticipated. Depending on where the Enterprise A was they would likely be returning in a few hours to the ship.
S'nell brought her hands up to scratch her nose and was reminded of the tight metal handcuffs around her wrists. Well, she had always been aware of them but after a while she had grown used to them. Though she would be glad to get out of them as she was sure that she would have marks on her wrists under her uniform shirt. She just hoped that Doctor McCoy would not notice her wrists when she returned to the ship. As Captain Kirk had ordered Doctor McCoy along with the rest of the crew not to question herself or Commander Spock about this away mission, perhaps she could avoid a medical exam when she returned to the Enterprise A.
Finally the Andorian judges returned and sat down again which brought her attention back to the situation.
"Computer, resume recording. This court is now in session again. The judges have deliberated and come to a verdict. We ask that S'nellastina step forward to the witness stand." Tennava stated. She rose and did so.
"It is the judgement of this court that as of this date, Stardate 2264.48, S'nellastina zh'Vecar is to be declared a ya'melli, an outcast to the Andorian people. As a result S'nellastina cannot visit, contact, work, reside, or purchase property and goods on Andoria or any other world or starbase in Andorian controlled space. In addition, S'nellastina is prohibited from having any contact of any kind with any member of her family and clan for the rest of her life. Any Andorian who associates with S'nellastina in any manner will also be given the status of ya'melli. S'nellastina will no longer be eligible for any form of assistance from the Andodrian government, as her citizenship as an Andorian is hereby revoked for the rest of her life. S'nellastina's status as a Federation citizen remains as it is not the desire of this court to leave her completely stateless. Finally, upon her death S'nellastina will be cremated then buried in the Grave of the Unknown on Andoria. All records of her existence will be purged from Andorian documentation at that time. S'nellastina zh'Vecar, do you submit to all aspects of the verdict of this court?" Tennava declared.
"Yes. I give my word to submit to your entire judgement." S'nell stated firmly.
"Then our judgement of you is at an end. We have two final judgements. T'veck is to be executed immediately, while S'nellastina and Commander Spock will be escorted off this ship. This court is now concluded. Computer, end recording and file under trials in the latest numerical sequence." Sh'relli stated.
"Wait, you can't-" protested T'veck. Before he could finish his sentence, both guards stepped away from him. A moment later the guard on the right shot T'veck with a plasma riffle. T'veck disintegrated a moment later, which caused Commander Spock to raise an eyebrow at the sight.
"On the contrary. You're all dismissed." Tennava said. The three judges left the room first then were followed by the other witness. Finally two guards escorted S'nell and Spock to the shuttle bay. She wasn't that surprised to find the Enterprise shuttle that T'veck had stolen in front of them.
"Get inside. If we see you again S'nellastina, consider what happened to T'veck a warning of what will happen to you." stated one of the guards. She nodded and then held up her hands. He quickly unlocked her handcuffs and removed them. Spock quickly boarded the shuttle and she swiftly followed him. They were rapidly off the Andorian ship which went into warp shortly after the shuttle had cleared the shield barrier.
"Setting a course back to the Enterprise A." said Commander Spock as he sat behind the helm console. S'nell had opted to sit behind the tactical console. "Estimated time of arrival is two hours, seven minutes and three seconds." he concluded. S'nell nodded.
"I see. Commander Spock, do you mind if I use the bathroom?" S'nell requested. He tersely nodded. She was shortly seated again. Then she turned to look at the one food replicator of the shuttle.
"Do you mind if I have something to eat Commander Spock? Oh, and would you like something as well?" asked S'nell. He looked at her for a long moment.
"I do not require nourishment at this time, but you may order a meal if you require it." he stated. S'nell ordered a sandwich then eat it rapidly. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until the first bite.
"I take it you were not fed on the Andorian ship?" Commander Spock stated. S'nell shook her head in the negative and then continued to eat.
"I see. If you also require medical assistance, there is a med kit on the right hand wall beside the engineering console." Commander Spock informed her.
S'nell recycled the plate she was holding then walked toward the med kit and laid it down on top of the engineering console. Fortunately the med kit contained a dermal regenerator which she used on both her wrists. Then she returned the dermal regenerator to the med kit and pulled her uniform shirt down over the newly healed skin. She replaced the med kit on the wall then sat back down again and took a glance at the display in front of her. Nothing had changed so she fell into silence. It was probably about twenty minutes later that S'nell spoke again. In the intervening time, she had become aware that Commander Spock had from time to time looked at her then glanced back at his console without saying anything.
"Permission to speak freely sir?" she requested.
"Proceed." Commander Spock replied.
"If you have something to say to me please do so. While I can understand the value of patience, I dislike being kept waiting without a reason." S'nell assured him.
"If you say so Crewman S'nell. I was curious about two matters. First, you do not seem overly surprised by the verdict of the court. Will you not miss your home world and your family? Also, I was curious as to why the judges felt you had an anti Starfleet bias to the extent you had misgivings about trusting the individuals of a Starfleet crew." Commander Spock stated.
S'nell sighed. Most times she appreciated the bluntness of Vulcans but sometimes she thought they could be more tactful. Then again, the same could be said of her own speech. So perhaps she should not complain overly much about how Commander Spock spoke, she thought.
"To be honest, I will miss my home and my family somewhat. But ever since I rejected the idea of marriage and children my family and I have become estranged. I had no contact with them during my time at the Omega Research Station and have had only had one contact with them since my time on the Enterprise A. As a result, I suspect it will easier then you assume to accommodate their absence in my life. As for my reason for not trusting Starfleet, I can't answer that question. The reason itself deals with a classified matter that is none of your concern." S'nell curtly replied.
"I presume you are referring to the potential fate of your brother..." Commander Spock began. He stopped speaking when she looked at him sharply.
"Never mention my brother again. The fact that you know anything about his possible fate means that you have accessed classified Starfleet Intelligence records that you may or may not have the security clearance for. I understand that you need to know my past to determine if I am a security risk aboard the ship. But that does not mean you can discover information that has no relevance whatsoever to my duties. Do I make myself clear? Sir." S'nell snapped.
"Very much so Crewman S'nell. I would not have done so if it was not an operational necessity. You should be aware that I have told no one else about your brother and have no plans to ever do so." Commander Spock said.
"Good. Now, what is our new ETA to the Enterprise A?" S'nell wanted to know.
"One hour, seventeen minutes, and four seconds. Crewman S'nell, once we return to the ship I am relieving you of duty for this coming gamma shift so that you may get some rest. I have observed that the most mistakes made in the science department labs were either when personnel were tired or distracted. As first officer on this ship, I believe you are not fit for duty at the moment." Commander Spock told her.
"Perhaps you are right. I will rest tonight and resume my duties the following gamma shift Commander Spock." S'nell conceded.
"I concur." was all Commander Spock said to that.
They both remained silent until they were hailed by the Enterprise A and were instructed to land inside the shuttle bay. They landed and then waited to depart the shuttle until the hanger pressure was normal. S'nell was relieved that there was no one there to see them exit the shuttle bay. Then she quickly walked to her quarters. Perhaps it was her grim expression but no member of the crew talked to her on the way there to her relief.