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GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT
Chapter II
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Trip shook his head in bewilderment. The last twenty four hours since he'd awaken from his drug induced sleep on the alien vessel had been a nightmare. He had been hauled off the ship by four men in military uniforms and shoved into the back of an open air motorized ground transport. The ropes that had held his wrists were replaced by heavy metal bands, each set with a blinking green light. It hadn't taken him too long to realize what it meant when those lights turned blue. He had managed to overtake the two guards who sat in the back of the vehicle with him and had jumped, hitting the ground hard. As he had struggled to his feet, pain like he had never felt before hit him full force. He had collapsed to his knees immediately, the pain so intense it made him sick. The guards had found extreme satisfaction from kicking him repeatedly, telling him it was only the beginning.
Now as he sat chained to a wall in a small, dark cell, trying to stretch his bruised body, he wondered what they had meant. No one had come to see him since he'd been locked in the cold cell. He knew he was more than likely on Krios Prime as he recognized the guards to be of the same species as the Princess Kaitaama. Trip could only guess that somehow Kaitaama's father had found out about that night he'd spent with his daughter two weeks ago and that now he was going to be punished for it. He leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. He wondered what the punishment was for sleeping with the future First Monarch of the Sovereign Dynasty of Krios Prime. He remembered the conversation he'd had with Kaitaama in the escape pod. He now hoped she was only joking when she said they'd cut off his hand if he made a pass at her.
The sound of buttons being pressed brought him back to his current situation. The cell door slid open and two guards stepped in. One held a small device Trip recognized as the control unit for the bands on his wrists. The other unlocked the chains that held his hands and feet. He yanked the engineer to his feet and pushed him towards the door.
"Where are you taking me?" Trip demanded.
"Move!" yelled the guard who had pulled him to his feet. He shoved Trip again. Trip turned on him in anger then instantly regretted the move when a jolt of pain shot up his arms and through his body. He forced himself to remain on his feet but he gasped for the breath that had been taken from him. When the guard shoved him again, he decided it was best not to fight him.
Trip was pushed through a corridor and into a large room. A long table sat at one end and Trip was positioned in front of it. He was forced down on to his knees. A group of five people entered, three men and two women, all in regal attire. They all took seats at the table. Trip found himself looking up into the face of a man who could only be the First Monarch. He was the male version of the princess but while her hair was long and dark, his was short and streaked with gray. Trip thought he was probably in his mid-fifties.
"You are Commander Charles Tucker III of the ship called Enterprise?" asked Kaitaama's father, his dark eyes full of anger. Trip felt suddenly afraid as he nodded his head in response.
"Yes sir."
"I am Kai, First Monarch of the Sovereign Dynasty of Krios Prime. You have been accused of the sexual violation of my daughter, the Princess Kaitaama," the man continued.
"Rape?!" Trip gasped. He tried to stand but was held down by the two guards. "I'm being accused of rape?"
"By our laws, this crime is punishable by death."
"But I didn't rape her, sir! You've got to believe me! Where is the princess? If I could just talk to her..."
"She was so traumatized by the assault she has not spoken a word since. She is in isolation, under the care of my physician." The First Monarch's voice was quiet but menancing.
"I swear to you, sir. I did not rape your daughter! She was perfectly fine when she left Enterprise!"
"Do you deny that you had sexual relations with my daughter?"
"No sir. But it was consensual. You've got to believe me, sir! Please!"
"If it was consensual, how do you explain the bruises that covered her body! The bruises on her face where you hit her when she fought back?!" The older man rose to his feet, slamming his fist against the table.
Realization swept over Trip. Kaitaama really had been brutally attacked. She hadn't simply told her father a lie to protect herself.
"Is she going to be okay?" he asked quietly, his voice trembling.
"Physically she is recovering but emotionally, she will be scarred for life."
"I didn't do this to her, sir," Trip pleaded. "The attack must have happened on the ship that docked with us, the one that brought her back here."
Kaitaama's father shook his head in disbelief. "You expect me to believe that one of my people hurt their own princess?"
Trip nodded. "I swear I didn't hurt Kaitaama, sir. I could never hurt her," he said quietly. "Wait a minute. There was a guard at the door of your battlecruiser when your daughter left. Ask him. He'll tell you she was fine when she left Enterprise!"
Kai sat back down. He was silent for several moments, his angry eyes locked on Trip's face. The engineer had to fight to hold that steely gaze.
"That guard is our key witness, young man, along with my first advisor, Tol, who was also aboard our vessel," he responded quietly, gesturing to the man who sat to his right. Kaitaama's father exhaled then rose to his feet. The others at the table stood as well. The two guards pulled Trip up and held him between them.
"You have been found guilty of this heinous crime. Punishment will commence at first light tomorrow."
"No, please! I didn't do it!" Trip shouted. He wrenched himself from the guards' grasps and stepped toward the table. He instantly dropped to the floor, writhing in excruciating pain as the lights on his wrist bands turned blue. "Please!" he gasped. "Please!"
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TO BE CONTINUED....
GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT
Chapter II
**********
Trip shook his head in bewilderment. The last twenty four hours since he'd awaken from his drug induced sleep on the alien vessel had been a nightmare. He had been hauled off the ship by four men in military uniforms and shoved into the back of an open air motorized ground transport. The ropes that had held his wrists were replaced by heavy metal bands, each set with a blinking green light. It hadn't taken him too long to realize what it meant when those lights turned blue. He had managed to overtake the two guards who sat in the back of the vehicle with him and had jumped, hitting the ground hard. As he had struggled to his feet, pain like he had never felt before hit him full force. He had collapsed to his knees immediately, the pain so intense it made him sick. The guards had found extreme satisfaction from kicking him repeatedly, telling him it was only the beginning.
Now as he sat chained to a wall in a small, dark cell, trying to stretch his bruised body, he wondered what they had meant. No one had come to see him since he'd been locked in the cold cell. He knew he was more than likely on Krios Prime as he recognized the guards to be of the same species as the Princess Kaitaama. Trip could only guess that somehow Kaitaama's father had found out about that night he'd spent with his daughter two weeks ago and that now he was going to be punished for it. He leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. He wondered what the punishment was for sleeping with the future First Monarch of the Sovereign Dynasty of Krios Prime. He remembered the conversation he'd had with Kaitaama in the escape pod. He now hoped she was only joking when she said they'd cut off his hand if he made a pass at her.
The sound of buttons being pressed brought him back to his current situation. The cell door slid open and two guards stepped in. One held a small device Trip recognized as the control unit for the bands on his wrists. The other unlocked the chains that held his hands and feet. He yanked the engineer to his feet and pushed him towards the door.
"Where are you taking me?" Trip demanded.
"Move!" yelled the guard who had pulled him to his feet. He shoved Trip again. Trip turned on him in anger then instantly regretted the move when a jolt of pain shot up his arms and through his body. He forced himself to remain on his feet but he gasped for the breath that had been taken from him. When the guard shoved him again, he decided it was best not to fight him.
Trip was pushed through a corridor and into a large room. A long table sat at one end and Trip was positioned in front of it. He was forced down on to his knees. A group of five people entered, three men and two women, all in regal attire. They all took seats at the table. Trip found himself looking up into the face of a man who could only be the First Monarch. He was the male version of the princess but while her hair was long and dark, his was short and streaked with gray. Trip thought he was probably in his mid-fifties.
"You are Commander Charles Tucker III of the ship called Enterprise?" asked Kaitaama's father, his dark eyes full of anger. Trip felt suddenly afraid as he nodded his head in response.
"Yes sir."
"I am Kai, First Monarch of the Sovereign Dynasty of Krios Prime. You have been accused of the sexual violation of my daughter, the Princess Kaitaama," the man continued.
"Rape?!" Trip gasped. He tried to stand but was held down by the two guards. "I'm being accused of rape?"
"By our laws, this crime is punishable by death."
"But I didn't rape her, sir! You've got to believe me! Where is the princess? If I could just talk to her..."
"She was so traumatized by the assault she has not spoken a word since. She is in isolation, under the care of my physician." The First Monarch's voice was quiet but menancing.
"I swear to you, sir. I did not rape your daughter! She was perfectly fine when she left Enterprise!"
"Do you deny that you had sexual relations with my daughter?"
"No sir. But it was consensual. You've got to believe me, sir! Please!"
"If it was consensual, how do you explain the bruises that covered her body! The bruises on her face where you hit her when she fought back?!" The older man rose to his feet, slamming his fist against the table.
Realization swept over Trip. Kaitaama really had been brutally attacked. She hadn't simply told her father a lie to protect herself.
"Is she going to be okay?" he asked quietly, his voice trembling.
"Physically she is recovering but emotionally, she will be scarred for life."
"I didn't do this to her, sir," Trip pleaded. "The attack must have happened on the ship that docked with us, the one that brought her back here."
Kaitaama's father shook his head in disbelief. "You expect me to believe that one of my people hurt their own princess?"
Trip nodded. "I swear I didn't hurt Kaitaama, sir. I could never hurt her," he said quietly. "Wait a minute. There was a guard at the door of your battlecruiser when your daughter left. Ask him. He'll tell you she was fine when she left Enterprise!"
Kai sat back down. He was silent for several moments, his angry eyes locked on Trip's face. The engineer had to fight to hold that steely gaze.
"That guard is our key witness, young man, along with my first advisor, Tol, who was also aboard our vessel," he responded quietly, gesturing to the man who sat to his right. Kaitaama's father exhaled then rose to his feet. The others at the table stood as well. The two guards pulled Trip up and held him between them.
"You have been found guilty of this heinous crime. Punishment will commence at first light tomorrow."
"No, please! I didn't do it!" Trip shouted. He wrenched himself from the guards' grasps and stepped toward the table. He instantly dropped to the floor, writhing in excruciating pain as the lights on his wrist bands turned blue. "Please!" he gasped. "Please!"
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TO BE CONTINUED....