Disclaimer: I don't own Voltron, Star Trek, or any characters mentioned here that are cannon to either franchise. What I do own are the fighter, Thunderwing, and the crew of the Berlin, except for Mordock. The rest I'm just borrowing for a while.
This one gets a little thick. I tried to cut down on the legalese, but it's still windy.
Thanks to all who've submitted reviews, especially RedLion2.
Star Tron:
The Black Suits Cometh
Chapter 11"This tribunal will now come to order," said Admiral Nechayev. The Starfleet Commander-in-Chief was presiding over the hearing, along with Admiral Phillipa Louvois of the JAG Corps, and three other admirals that Driscoll didn't know.
The tribunal was being held in a small room in the Starfleet headquarters building. There was no gallery. Only the five admirals, court reporter, two attorneys, and the accused captain.
"Captain Driscoll," said Nechayev, "you stand accused of violating directive zero-one-zero of the Starfleet General orders and Regulations, violation of the Standard Rules for the Conduct of First Contact, deserting your post in a combat situation, firing on an unknown entity without provocation, committing an act of war without authorization, and failure to notify Starfleet of an impending threat against a member world of the Federation. How do you plead?"
Driscoll rose and faced the five officers. "Guilty, sir, of all charges."
"Very well."
At this point, MacRabb rose beside Driscoll. "Your Honor, before moving to sentencing, the defense would like to present evidence of mitigating circumstances."
Nechayev looked toward the prosecutor. "Commander Seville, do you have any objections?"
"None, Your Honor."
"Very well. Commander MacRabb, you may proceed."
"Thank you." MacRabb rounded the table and stood in the center of the small room. At this point, Driscoll's future rested in his hands. Because Driscoll had decided to plead guilty, there would be no witnesses called, and no new evidence could be presented. The outcome of the trial was dependent solely on the lawyers, and the evidence already compiled and submitted by both sides.
"Captain Driscoll violated regulations. There's no question about that. The flight recorder data from his own ship is damning. However, the consequences of his actions, far from being detrimental to the Federation, may really be an opportunity in disguise.
"Consider this," MacRabb continued. "The Captain knew that nothing could be done about the subspace tornado approaching Earth, so he opened a wormhole, which saved the planet. Because of his actions, we now know how to destroy tornados."
"Wait a moment," said one of the admirals, an older man by the name of Enbrook. "He opened a wormhole?"
"Yes, sir. The Captain has a…unique ability, and is able to open wormholes at will, or transport himself interdimensionally. There is a full report included in the evidence submitted by the defense."
"I see."
"Continue, Commander," said Nechayev.
"Yes, sir. As we learned, the forces present within a wormhole, which we can replicate, will destroy tornados. Thus, we now have a means to dissipate them. Also, the Berlin's science officer is even now testing a hypothesis on how to track them. So the Captain completed his mission as it was assigned.
"But more than that, he gave the Federation a new asset, which is desperately needed. By assisting the defense of Planet Arus, the Captain established good relations with the Galaxy Alliance, an organization not unlike the Federation. The representatives of the Alliance expressed an interest in establishing a diplomatic exchange with the Federation, and even requested aid from us. This implies that they are willing to make concessions in exchange."
"Your Honor?" Seville said, cutting in.
"Yes, Commander?"
"The last I knew, sir, this was a courtroom, not the Federation Council Chamber. The points that the defense is expounding upon are purely hypothetical. And it cannot be forgotten that Captain Driscoll, a representative of the Federation, attacked the Doom forces without cause or provocation."
"Your Honor, there was no way the Doom ships could have associated Thunderwing, the Captain's fighter, with the Federation. It bears no Starfleet markings. If anything, Doom would declare war against the United States, whose national insignia the aircraft bears."
"But the Captain's name is on the side of the fighter," said Seville. "And he identified himself to the Prince of Doom during the encounter between the Berlin and five Doom warships."
"Even so," said MacRabb, "Doom ships are no match for Federation starships. The Berlin, with much less powerful weaponry than a standard vessel, disabled three of their ships within a few moments."
MacRabb paused to regain his train of thought. "We all know that the Dominion War is not going well. There are changelings even on Earth. And suppose Earth is ever attacked. Suppose the Sol system is lost. What then?
"What if we could, within a few hours, relocate all of the core personnel of the Federation Council and Starfleet to a safe location? We can.
"The wormhole is defensible. Captain Driscoll can even close it, if necessary. This could be a tremendous opportunity for us. We could build shipyards, offices, a whole starbase complex, and they would be safer than anything in the Alpha Quadrant."
Once again, Seville cut in. "I would remind the court that none of what the defense is saying is certain. It is all contingent on as-yet-nonexistent agreements and treaties. And also, it must not be forgotten that the Galaxy Alliance is at war with the Doom and Drule Empires. If we allied with them, we would also gain enemies. Ones with close access to Earth itself."
"But a relatively few ships could hold off a sizeable force of Doom ships."
"But they do not rely on their ships alone. They have cybernetic organisms known as robeasts that are impervious to our weapons. If one of them ever got to Earth, it could be devastating.
"And don't forget, the Captain was knighted by the ruler of Arus as a reward for helping the Voltron Force. He not only broke regulations, but he committed an act of treason."
"Captain Driscoll did not swear allegiance to Arus," MacRabb countered. "He accepted the title only after he explained that his duty was to Starfleet. He is no traitor, and there is no regulation against Starfleet officers accepting commendations from other governments."
MacRabb waited to see if Seville would counter his argument. When he did not, MacRabb continued. "Captain Driscoll violated regulations. Six times. We don't deny that. What we deny is that it had any negative consequences on the Federation
"When James Kirk stole the Enterprise, he too was charged, and rightly so. But he saved Earth, even as he was returning to face those changes. Captain Driscoll isn't James Kirk, but his actions saved Earth, and perhaps gave the Federation a much-needed break. We ask that you consider this in deciding the Captain's fate. The defense rests."
The room was silent as MacRabb took his seat, then Admiral Louvois said, "Does the prosecution have anything to say?"
"I do, sir," said Seville, rising. "Captain Driscoll is not the first commander to use Captain Kirk's actions to appeal to the court. Having been trained by Kirk and his crew, he's perhaps even more likely than most to invoke the legendary Kirk.
"However, the fact remains, he has violated regulations. That is the essence of this case, and the defense does not contest that. We ask the court not to be swayed by the pretty pictures the defense has tried to paint. They are pure speculation. That the Captain pled guilty to six breaches of conduct is fact."
Seville sat down, and the room was silent.
Nechayev looked around at her fellow admirals, and then addressed the attorneys and Captain Driscoll. "We will take a recess to deliberate. This court-martial will reconvene tomorrow at 1500 hours."
A chime sounded, and everyone rose as the admirals filed out of the room.
Driscoll turned to MacRabb. "Thanks, Commander."
"Don't
thank me yet. I still don't think
you've got a prayer. If we'd gone the
way I'd suggested, we'd have a better chance."
"Maybe. But this is how it's gotta be."
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"I say he gets fifteen years in New Zealand." Lieutenant Peter Collins was talking with his friend, Lieutenant Hong Chi in the mess hall aboard the Berlin. News of the Captain's tribunal spread like wildfire aboard the ship, and speculation about the outcome ran rampant.
"Come on, Pete. We're in a war. He'll be removed from command and get a desk job."
"No way, Hong. Even with a good deal, he'll still be going for a long vacation."
From another part of the room, Doctor Saladin overheard the men and approached them as they bickered. He bent over their table. "That's enough, both of you. Until Starfleet says otherwise, Captain Driscoll is still the commanding officer of this ship, and you should be supporting him, not betting on his fate."
"Yes, sir," Collins said sheepishly.
Saladin nodded and left the two men to finish their meal and headed for sickbay. The conversation he'd just interrupted was typical of those to be heard on the ship. And even the optimistic doctor had to admit that the situation did not look good.
**********************************************************************************************
"All rise," the bailiff called as the five admirals filed back into the room. They had deliberated long into the night and part of that morning, considering what action should be taken against Captain Driscoll, his admission of guilt taking care of the "if" part.
At issue had been the circumstances posed by the defense. Some of the members of the tribunal thought the points raised were quite valid. Others sided with Commander Seville.
Their decision had been one of compromise. None of the admirals wanted to let Driscoll off, but not all wanted him completely destroyed, either. They had debated, interpreted, and reasoned until they were blue (or other colors) in the face, considering flight logs, the data from the Doom ships, the information provided by the Voltron Force, and the logs of the Berlin's command crew, among other things. Their decision was not fully accepted by all, but it was satisfactory.
"Be seated," Nechayev said. "We have considered the arguments of both the prosecution and the defense, as well as the evidence presented to the court. The defendant, Captain Adam C. Driscoll has pled guilty to the charges against him. However, the case presented for mitigating circumstances has given us as much work in deliberation as any determination of guilt.
"This tribunal was convened to find the truth. It is the truth that Captain Driscoll willingly violated six standing regulations. It is also the truth that he and his crew completed their mission as it was assigned. In fact, there were many truths in this case. All were relevant, and all were important to our deliberations. It wasn't easy to reach a decision, but we have."
"Will the defendant please rise?" said Louvois.
Driscoll and MacRabb stood as Nechayev spoke. "Captain Driscoll, you have pled guilty to all six charges against you. We have considered your case thoroughly, and we have reached the following decision."
Driscoll took a deep breath and prepared to hear the worst.
*********************************************************************************************
She stood on the edge of a cliff. Below her, a wide, flat plain extended to the horizon. Down on the plain, she saw a pride of five lions. One black, one blue, one yellow, one green, and one red. Allura had seen them before, and recognized them immediately. They were the spirits of the Voltron Lions.
And they were restless.
She looked around, trying to figure out what was disturbing them, and saw a pack of strange, blue wolves approaching. The pride and the pack squared off, and the wolves surged forward. The lions met the attack head-on, and fought bravely, but they were simply outnumbered.
Then, out of nowhere, a white horse came charging into the fray, kicking and biting at the wolves, and sowing confusion in their ranks. The wolves, dazed and disoriented by the new attack, fell back to regroup, but the battle was lost. The lions and the horse gave them no time to reorganize, and the wolves fled.
The horse reared and whinnied in triumph, then turned and trotted away.
But no sooner was the horse gone from sight than the wolves returned, and in greater numbers. Comin in behind the lions, they rushed forward, catching the cats by surprise. The lions fought well, but the wolves' numerical superiority was just too much and, again, the lions became overwhelmed.
But as the wolves were preparing for the kill, a loud cry echoed across the plain, and the horse returned. The wolves were again surprised, but they held together this time. Even so, the fortunes of battle were shifting. The horse kept the wolves off the lions, leaving the felines free to counterattack the canines. And again, the wolves were pushed back until they fled, yelping in defeat.
The lions stood their ground warily for a time, until they were satisfied that the wolves would not return, then began to move away. Curiously, though, the horse didn't leave. It stayed with the lions. It had become part of the pride.
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Allura awoke with a start. The dream she'd just had, it meant something. But what?
Allura often had dreams like this, which carried strange but important messages. Sometimes her father, King Alfor, spoke to her. Other times, as now, it was the spirits of the lions, trying to guide her. But that horse…
She had never seen it before. She had never seen a horse in her dreams, and horses didn't usually like lions, but this wild horse, this mustang…
That's it! She thought. A Mustang! The horse was symbolic of Captain Driscoll and his Mustang fighter. It helped the lions fight off the wolves, then left, as Driscoll had.
But it came back again. And she understood the meaning of her dream. The horse came back, and so would Driscoll.
She just hoped it would be soon.