Law & Order: Leanbox
ORDER, Part 1
By Derald Snyder
"Docket number 154388!" declared the bailiff. "People v. Samantha Lisand, charge is murder in the second degree."
"How does your client plead, counselor?" the female judge addressed Lisand's lawyer, an NPC in a business suit.
"Not Guilty," Samantha stated, now clad in a loose blue tank top and matching shorts, her C-cup size bust visible for all to see.
"People on bail?" the judge turned to the ADA.
"The People request remand, Your Honor," stated ADA Rizzoli Isles. She was clad in a tan-colored business suit and skirt, with short jet-black hair, brown eyes and a relatively modest bust. "The defendant is a Lowee national with military experience, who was getting on a bus at the time of her arrest, she's clearly a flight risk."
"If I may, Your Honor," Lisand cut in, "The truth is, I'm a bounty hunter, on a secret mission from Lady Blanc herself." Her lawyer looked at her incredulously, as the crowd began to chatter in confusion from this revelation. "And I maintain that killing was justified self-defense."
The judge banged her gavel to quiet the courtroom. "That's quite a claim, Ms. Lisand... Should we try and contact Lady Blanc for you?" Her voice had a subtle sarcastic undertone to it.
"No need, Your Honor," the blonde shook her head, "I've already used my one phone call to contact her. I'm sure she'll be here soon enough to explain things to your DA's office... In the meantime, I invoke my right to remain silent until she arrives."
"Very well, then," the judge assented, "While you're awaiting your divine intervention, you can sit pretty in one of our maximum-security facilities. Defendant is hereby remanded without bail!" She banged her gavel for the next case to be called, the guard escorting Samantha out...
*At the District Attorney's office...*
"Secret mission from Lady Blanc?!" growled the DA, Allen Curmudgeon. Scratching the back of his slightly balding head, he continued, "What the hell is going on with this case? I thought it was just an Army lieutenant's murder we were prosecuting here..."
"She's invoked her right to remain silent until Lady Blanc gets here," Rizzoli shrugged helplessly. "Also, her current counsel recused himself- didn't think he had what it takes defend a case like this."
"For a CPU to be involved, it must be something pretty major," stated Rizzoli's partner, ADA Jared McCoy. He had light brown hair surrounding a pretty, almost bishonen face with emerald green eyes... One look into said eyes, however, would tell anyone that they were dealing with a hardened prosecutor with several years of experience. "But it doesn't excuse Lieutenant Starr's murder."
"She claims self-defense," Rizzoli pointed out. "And according to what Crisco and Green learned, Starr and his fellow soldiers did appear to fire first, on Major Peloton's orders..."
"I want someone from Starr's unit on the stand, under oath," Jared stated firmly. Just then, the door opened, the three lawyers turning to see a flat-chested woman dressed in white, with a familiar beret sitting on her mop of short brown hair. "Well, speak of the devil..."
"Lady Blanc, I presume," Allen acknowledged. "Good to see Ms. Lisand wasn't just pulling our legs..."
"Are you the District Attorney?" Blanc looked over at the balding man, her clear blue eyes locking with his cloudy grey orbs.
"That's me," the lawyer acknowledged as he shook hands with her, "District Attorney Allen Curmudgeon. This here is Assistant DA Jared McCoy, he's the prosecutor handling your bounty hunter's case."
"An honor to meet you in person," Jared said in a neutral tone as he shook hands with the goddess.
"Rizzoli Isles," Jared's partner introduced herself as she shook hands with Blanc as well.
"Charmed," Blanc nodded. (At her bust isn't that much bigger than mine...)
"Well now that we've gotten the formalities dispensed with," Curmudgeon spoke, "Would you mind telling us what one of your hunters is doing here in Leanbox?!"
In response, Blanc turned and closed the door behind her, before facing the DA once more. "Tell me, sir... have you ever heard of Metroid?"
"Wasn't that an 8-bit game from Lowee's early history?" Jared muttered in confusion.
"Not that one, dammit!" Blanc growled, one eye glowing red. "I'm talking about the steroid!"
"Ah, yes," Curmudgeon nodded in comprehension. "Metroid. An illegal drug that was popular in Lowee during the days when ASIC ran rampant... They said it gave you an incredible boost in strength..."
"But it's super easy to overdose on," Blanc countered. "And when that happens, it's like it has the opposite effect... I've seen what happens to people who OD on Metroid, and it's not a pretty sight... most of the corpses look like they got the damn life sucked right out of them!"
"But I thought it was only viable in Lowee because it needs cold temperatures for its greatest potency," Rizzoli pointed out. "In warmer climates, other steroids are actually more effective, and without such a drastic drawback."
"Not to mention the market collapsed after ASIC was broken up," McCoy added.
"In Lowee, anyway," said Blanc. "But I got intelligence a few months back suggesting somebody had successfully altered the chemical makeup of Metroid to retain its potency for a much longer time in warmer climates. Like hell I was going to allow that crap to be distributed anywhere else in Gamindustri! So I hired one of Lowee's best bounty hunters and sent her on the trail, to find and hopefully stop the drug's shipment."
"Unfortunately, by the time she tracked it down it had already made its way into Leanbox. I told her to try and keep a low profile while she searched for the Metroid, so the druglord or whoever was trying to sell that shit didn't catch on. But given she's sitting in jail now, that obviously didn't work out!"
"Did she tell you that she shot and killed a Leanbox Army officer?" Jared asked pointedly.
"All I know is that she got arrested on second-degree murder charges," the CPU shot back. "I've got no idea what happened here... but I brought along someone who can find out!" With that, went back to the door, opening it and gesturing for somebody to come in. "She's going to be acting as Lisand's defense counsel... and I don't think any introduction will be necessary." Indeed, as Blanc's lawyer entered, her glasses, heather blue hair, and segmented horn protrusion were unmistakable.
"Rei Ryghts," McCoy acknowledged. "Heard you've been on a world tour of Gamindustri's legal systems lately..."
"Y-yes sir," the former final boss nodded. "Th-though it's been more luck and c-coinicidence th-than anything..." She took a short bow. "I hope that w-we c-can work t-together t-to find out the t-truth of w-what happened h-here..."
"I'm not so sure about this," Curmudgeon muttered. "I heard when she was handling a case in Lastation, she transformed into her goddess form right in the courtroom!"
"I-I'm sorry! I'm so sorry for that! I-I lost my t-temper!" Rei squeaked.
"For your information, the reason she did that was because there was a mob at the courtroom calling for her conviction!" Blanc pointed out. "From what I heard, they just kept chanting 'Guilty, guilty, guilty!' Hell, I would've snapped too!"
"I can believe that," McCoy snarked.
"So you're saying she only assumed her CPU form due to extreme circumstances," Rizzoli summarized.
"Th-that's right," Rei nodded vigorously. "I p-promise, no t-transforming in the c-courtroom this t-time!"
"...that being said, she's going to need an escort while she's here in Leanbox, due to her final boss reputation," said Blanc. "I can't stick around, since I've got my own nation to attend to..."
"Not to mention your unruly sisters," Jared smirked.
"Yeah, that too..." Blanc ducked her head. "Hopefully Ram hasn't made a mess of my book collection while I was gone..."
"I a-already have an idea o-of who I w-want t-to escort me," Rei offered. "C-could you p-please contact him s-so I c-can go d-down to the d-detention center and s-speak with my c-client?"
"We can do that," McCoy nodded.
*A little while later, at the prison...*
The buzzer sounded as the gate opened, allowing Rei to walk back into the visitor's center, where her escort, Petty Officer Adrian-118 was waiting for her, as was one other person...
"M-Miss Macintosh?!" the horned lawyer gasped upon seeing Peashy standing there. "Wh-what are you d-doing here...?"
"The victim was a close friend of mine, and Adrian's," Peach stated simply. "I cannot believe *you* of all people are defending this scum...!"
"Meep!" Rei squeaked, sweating slightly. "I-it was a p-personal request from Lady Blanc herself! I c-couldn't just say no...!"
"Lady Blanc?!" the blonde's eyes went wide. "Geez, talk about having friends in high places...!"
"C'mon, Peashy," Adrian interjected, "Look at it this way, this is Rei Ryghts we're talking about here, not some sleazy attorney who'll say or do anything to get their client off. You of all people should know that, given what she went through to save me..."
"Th-that's right," Rei nodded in agreement. "I just want to find out what really happened here..."
"Really..." Peach walked right up to the former goddess. "And if she turns out to be guilty as sin?"
Rei stood on her tiptoes in order to better look Peach in the eye. "If that does happen to be the case," she said slowly, "Then so be it."
Peach held the stare for a few seconds longer, before sighing and taking a step back. "Alright, fine. But I'm gonna hold you to that."
"I'm sure you will," Adrian muttered. "Well, if we're all in agreement, I need to escort Ms. Ryghts to the precinct so she can interview the detectives before the trial..." The petty officer and Rei turned to walk out the door, only for Adrian to turn back to look at his girlfriend. "And Peach, I know you're upset about Joe's death. So am I, believe me. But you have to remember what I taught you when I first started training you in combat years ago..."
"Never let your emotions cloud your judgement," Peashy quoted. "I haven't forgotten that, Adrian... that's why that hunter only got one punch to the stomach."
"I admire your restraint," Adrian snarked as he and Rei departed...
*To be continued...*