The Diego Diaries: Trials and Tribulations (dd6 441)

-0-Courtroom

He walked in, paused to look around, then was escorted to the table where his team stood waiting. They were all mini-cons, very good lawyers and all related. They had a private firm and did mostly civil law for the mini-con community who loved to boast about 'their' lawyers to friends and companions. Having one 'handle your affairs' appeared in some ways to be a new and very conspicuous status symbol and the firm, "Toler, Toler, Toler and Sons' did huge business amongst the community. Toler times three were brothers, all of them very smart and resourceful. They were A-J, Mondo and Speedy of Toler, a tiny village in the north that was created to make meticulous items in cold circumstances. They had seven sons among them, four of whom were lawyers themselves while three were paralegal. They had come here, joined university together and aced the law program. This would be their first important criminal case and would become legend in the mini and micro-mini community when concluded.

Coln sat and watched them organize, his love of mini-cons extending to these, seven tenacious and careful lawyers of burgeoning fame and experience. They were friends of his and well liked in the legal community. He glanced at Prime who was watching Ratbat take his seat. He was his usual horrible self, almost a parody of a short mech with a spirit as acidic as his mouth. Even among the snakes that lived in the pits of the Senate, Sentinel's government and that of the other Primes, Ratbat stood out as one of the most hated and reviled individuals to have ever risen to prominence. The depth of his depravity never seemed to have been plumbed.

"Coln-2, are you prepared for opening arguments?" Prime asked.

"Yes, Lord Optimus," Colie said.

"Who among you, Mondo, is the spokesman for your case or are you sharing that duty among your family?" Prime asked.

"Speedy, Lord Optimus. He will handle most of it," Mondo said as he bowed his helm. The others did as well.

Prime nodded back. "Are we ready then?"

Speedy nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Very well," Prime replied. "Prowl, please read the indictments."

Prowl stood and stared at the datapad in his servos. "Ratbat of Tarn is declared to have committed the following indictable offenses ... collusion to commit criminal acts, money laundering, corruption of a public office and trust, bribery, obstruction of justice, desertion of office in a time of great controversy and war, accessory to murder, war crimes against the state and people of Cybertron, conspiracy to collude with an enemy of the state, mass murder, and treason." Prowl sat. "So say the indictments."

Prime glanced at the Prosecution table. "Coln-2, please begin. We will try to get opening arguments in before the end of the orn."

Coln stood, then glanced at Ratbat. "Lord Optimus, we are here today to discuss the actions of someone who was given a huge trust, someone who was chosen to represent a criminally neglected segment of The People, the mini and micro mini-con population. They were living in nearly slave-like conditions in villages that were ghetto-like in their restrictions when he was appointed and in the end, nothing for them changed by such an event. They were in desperate need of adequate and strong leadership. They didn't get it. They got Ratbat of Village 16 who we shall prove was as corrupt and despotic, as treasonous and duplicitous, as murderous and treacherous as any Cybertronian who ever lived. He not only betrayed his own constituent people for money and power, he, in the end, enabled Megatron, assisted in the obliteration of Vos and Tarn and committed not only treason, but dereliction of duty during a time of controversy and war by deserting his post and responsibilities. In the rogues gallery of criminals, sycophants, grifters, cowards, traitors, double dealers, and murderers, Ratbat nearly stands supreme. He has no honor, no decency and no shame. It will be a pleasure for me to prove that clearly and by doing so not only bring some relief to Cybertron as a whole, but to mini-cons and micro mini-cons in general. Thank you, Lord Optimus, for the honor of doing so." Coln sat.

"Speedy?" Prime asked.

A mini-con stood who had a very serious expression and an air of dignity about him that Prime had only clearly seen on the oldest mini-cons as well as Leader 1. He bowed to Prime, then began. "Lord Optimus, our case is uphill, we grant it. We have had little to no cooperation from Ratbat from the beginning. That makes countering the evidence extremely hard if not impossible. We've discussed this with him and he doesn't seem to have an adequate idea of the danger he's in. Therefore, we ask that Ratbat be given an indefinite Primal hold in Processor Health to assess and determine the depth of his difficulties so that when he comes before you again, he will be ready to face the reality of what is charged against him."

Ratbat sat up straight. "I didn't agree to this."

"It's our contention, Ratbat, that you're incapable of making agreements or speaking for yourself. You don't seem to understand that we're facing a Primal Hearing with Special Circumstances. Do you understand?" Speedy asked as the others stared at him grimly.

"Frag that. I don't care," Ratbat said as he rose in his chair.

Springer who was sitting behind him just for such moments given this was Ratbat, stood and placed the barrel of his gun against the mini-con's skull. "Sit down and keep your servos where I can see them, Ratbat."

Ratbat glared daggers at Springer then sat down. "I DON'T AGREE WITH THIS MOTION!"

"Sir, we've had all this time to discuss and make a defense plan with Ratbat but at no time in the process going on multiple Terran years has he cooperated. He seems to think he can talk his way out of this or the rules don't apply. Both of these ideas are his major defense against even us. I don't believe he's in his right faculties and it isn't in his best interests to proceed." Speedy glanced at Coln. "We worked to change his mind through this morning to no avail. I would like your cooperation, Colie. If he is impaired enough to miss the importance of this hearing, then he's helpless to defend himself adequately. It isn't in the best interests of any of us to proceed against an impaired individual. In fact, its against our laws and moral code."

"I'M NOT CRAZY!" Ratbat said as he turned in his seat toward Speedy.

Springer's gun pressed against his helm. "Sit facing forward and put your servos on the table. Keep them there or I'm taking you out. You will not cause any harm to Speedy and his family. They're trying to save you, slagger."

"Frag you, Springer. I was a Senator. I have immunity," Ratbat said. "Besides, Megatron is going to come here and take your helm, Optimus. Frag you and this sham court."

"Springer, cuff him for safety reasons," Prime said.

It took a moment of struggle, then he was cuffed. He spewed vitriol for a moment, then sat back to glare hatred at everyone around him. Prime glanced at Speedy. "What is the status on his mental health?"

"FRAG YOU, PRIME!" Ratbat cried out until Prime nodded to Springer. Springer grabbed him, then dragged Ratbat out to disappear through the doorway to the jail beyond.

It was silent a moment, then Speedy looked tiredly at Prime. "He won't cooperate, Lord Optimus. I considered going forward but I'm not sure that my client is mentally capable. If he doesn't understand the gravity of his situation and the dangers inherent here, he isn't fit to try." He vented a sigh. "All of us have worked enormously hard on this case but we've had no cooperation. We would be criminal in our neglect if we proceed anyway."

Prime nodded, then glanced at a pensive Jarro and his team sitting in the audience. "What is the story, Jarro?"

Jarro stood. "We've worked with him nearly every orn since he came but he's defiant to a degree that's hard to comprehend. He makes his own reality. It would uphold the ease with which he switched sides and goaded Tarn and Vos."

"Allegedly," Speedy said doggedly.

Jarro grinned. "If I'm ever in trouble, Speedy, please be my attorney." He looked at Prime. "We have nothing beyond psychotic features, defiant personality traits and a deeply held psychosis that allows him to decide for himself how reality is, rather than see it as it actually functions. We don't have a clear view of his total picture but he's got a lot of problems. He won't allow us to find out more."

"Is he incapable to stand trial given what you know at the moment?" Prime asked.

Jarro thought a moment, a moment that dragged on, then he shrugged. "He's terribly, terribly problematic. He's not rooted in actual reality. That could be part of his desire to dominate the reality around him, to fix it to his own internal needs, but incompetent? I'm not completely sure. However, given what little we do know, I would be loathe to be his judge. There's enough markers here to make me think he could be legitimately incompetent, something that we need to give more study to fully determine."

It was silent in the room as Prime considered the information before him. "Speedy, do you make a motion to set aside the case so that Processor Health can study this?"

"We do, Lord Optimus," Speedy said. "At no time in our pursuit of his cooperation and explanation for his actions did he deviate. It's a fixed thing in him. I fear that we would be judging a mech who is not competent."

"Lord Optimus," Mondo said as he sat beside his brother, "given the severity of his charges including the alleged deliberate obliteration of two city-states, one must consider the possibilities. One might do such things because one is cruel and sanely motivated according to their own needs as a psychopath would, but when we discuss this with him, he has no understanding of the degree of horror. Even showing him images of the dead brings no remorse or even simple acknowledgment. He doesn't even deny that he had a hand in it, this disaster, but not in a denial sort of way, but in a detached manner. I'm sure that there are individuals who are incapable of remorse without underlying defect but this feels many diameters worse. This feels like a deeply embedded vacuum of personality that will never be filled. I'm full of worry and concern that perhaps we're judging someone who is deeply and powerfully mentally ill."

Prime glanced at Jarro.

"He could easily be correct and they've had time with him that he wouldn't give us. I would take their observations as a basis and accept that there's a very great possibility that they're right. Our law prohibits pursuing a legal case against someone with a mental defect, Lord Optimus. I would err on the side of caution with this one. Ratbat has been a terror and a deeply dangerous individual from the beginning," Jarro said.

"Very well," Prime said. "We will put this case in abeyance and order him into your keeping, Jarro. I would like to know what you find out and how, if you can do so, treat him for his potential defect. I would also like to know if there will be a likelihood of him ever standing trial for his actions or if he is going to be a ward of the state for the rest of his life. I would like to know as well the degree of danger that he poses. Treat him at the highest level of security." He glanced at Speedy. "Thank you for your advocacy of this individual. I accept your motion." He looked at Coln. "Do you agree or are there caveats?"

"No, sir," Coln said. "I accept that there may be an underlying factor that needs examination. I would also hold that if he is capable, that his trial resume against the charges."

"Agreed," Prime said. He sat back and closed his optics a moment. A slight buzz was all he felt. They were thinking about it, all of it. He looked at the jury. "Thank you for your service. You have witnessed a lot and heard a lot. Some of those who have reformed and lead useful lives put everything on the line to testify here. I would hope that you hold to your oath and keep their identities to yourself. No one is to know the outcome of these trials until the sentences are announced. I will weigh the evidence and think about this to determine my own verdict but this is also Special Circumstances.

"The Pantheon weighs in on cases at trial that reach of level of such tragic proportions that They must come to speak and give Their opinions. It may take minutes or it may take orns for Them to let me know. You are on the alert list and will be called to come if and when that happens. Come swiftly. They may not take a physical form or They may. Either way, They will let us know what They believe should happen. When that happens, Their verdicts, judgments and opinions take precedent over my own. When They come, They speak not only for the dead, They also speak for Primus and The One. Understand your oaths and hold to them. It is your honor at stake when you do.

"As for the rest of you … counselors and assistants, court officers, security, and most especially, the witnesses, expert, military and civilian ... all of you who stepped up to speak both during the Narrative and during the questioning … you have stood in honor and your service to our people and to Primus is noted. Thank you for your courage and honesty. We will stand adjourned. Listen for the call to come back for the verdicts. I thank the jury for your questions and attendance. This court is now in recess." Prime stood, then turned to the judges to thank them. Everyone stood as Coln walked to the mini-cons and hugged them. They stood together in discussion as the room filled with the buzz of voices. Then Prowl rapped his knuckles. Everyone turned to him. "We're going to The Pit Stop. You are welcome to come."

With that, most of the room joined Optimus and Prime as they walked out to go to dinner in the gathering gloom of evening.

-0-Inside the jail waiting for transfer to Processor Health

Ratbat sat on his bunk with a slight grin on his face. The others had been transferred to their holding cells deeper in the jail. He was sitting here with all the cards. He had been difficult with his legal team because he was Ratbat. If they wanted to call it mental illness then he was good with it. He wouldn't be in stasis and he wouldn't be dead. He had beaten the system. As he sat exulting, he didn't see a figure before him, watching him with amused disgust. If he had he would have been fearful. If he could see Him, he would have seen Micronus Prime staring at him from beyond the third dimension. He had a smirk on his face, too.

-0-TBC 8-14-18 edited 8-22-18