Chapter Four
The Trial of Ezri Tigan.
The large Ward Room had been set up as a makeshift court. Constable Odo sat behind a table at one end of the room, a chair to his left beside the table. In front of that chair had been wheeled a small machine in the form of a silver tower, cylindrical in shape.
He faced two tables, at the one on his left sat Captain O'Brien and Professor Jennifer Sisko, at the other sat Worf and Ezri Tigan. Along the left wall ranged a line of chairs for the Senior Staff. There was a Security Guard stationed unobtrusively in each corner of the room. There were no others present.
"Computer, begin recording." Odo ordered. There was a chirrup from the speaker to indicate that the record was being made of everything said and done in the room. "I think everyone knows very well why we are here. Do either Captain O'Brien or Professor Sisko wish to make an opening statement before I call the first witness?" Jennifer stood up.
"Yes, your honor. It is the intention of the Confederation to show that the defendant, Ezri Tigan, did provide, during time of war, crucial information on strategy, defensive and offensive strengths and weaknesses to an enemy engaged in hostile action against us. We contend that she did, on numerous occasions, maneuver herself into positions of trust with unsuspecting officers and civilians, and did use the knowledge she gained as a result to provide the enemy forces with tactical and military assistance, resulting in the loss of countless lives, of ships, of munitions and of property. We do formerly charge Ezri Tigan with espionage, and demand her extradition to face charges and punishment in her home dimension." So concluding, she sat down.
"Does Ezri Tigan or Commander Worf wish to make an opening statement?" Worf was about to rise, but Ezri beat him to it.
"Yes, your honor. I want a medical examination."
There was a buzz of noise in answer to this declaration, but Odo beat it down.
"A medical examination? Right now?" He asked with an incredulous tone.
"Yes, your honor. A medical examination, right now."
"If it please the court," Worf began, rising. Next to Ezri he looked more like a tower. "The results of the exam will have a direct bearing on our legal strategy in this case." Odo shrugged.
"Granted. Doctor?" Bashir came forward from his chair, his ever present medical tricorder in his hand. To give her a certain level of privacy, he started at the top of her head and scanned thoroughly, slowly, found what he was looking for and kept going without a pause, ending up halfway down her legs. He turned the tricorder off, addressing her in very quiet tones.
"I can confirm what I told you last night."
"I'm not?" She whispered.
"No. I'm sorry."
"Julian, you have absolutely no idea how sorry I am."
He turned and went back to his seat, not looking at anyone, clearly having no intention of reporting his findings. Ezri slowly sat down, a stricken look on her face. Worf stood up.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it is the defense intention to prove that in all cases to be discussed Ezri Tigan performed her duty as a loyal member of the Alliance. That as an agent of that Alliance, in time of war, she performed such duties as espionage for the support of those to whom she owes her loyalty. The Trill of the dimension in question is an Alliance world, subject to its control, and that she performed as a faithful citizen and soldier of that world and government.
"We contend that, as such, she does not stand charged with treason, nor of any charge for which the death penalty is a result. We maintain that her status is as a legal prisoner of a declared war, and that she be treated in accordance with the rules relating thereto."
"Our laws do allow for the execution of prisoners of war in certain circumstances." Jennifer told him.
"In that case, we contend that execution, according to Federation principles and laws, is excessive and inhumane, and that the original Asylum be maintained." O'Brien was on his feet, but Odo was faster.
"Everyone will have an opportunity to speak in turn, proceeding under my direction. Is that clear to everyone?" He got the agreement he was seeking, though it was a very grudging one indeed. "The Confederation may call their first witness." Jennifer stood up.
"I call Captain Miles O'Brien." He stepped up to the chair at the side of Odo's table and sat down.
"Please place your hand on the top of the column." Odo instructed. When he did, the computer's voice reported from a speaker set in its face.
"Verified, O'Brien, Miles Edward, Service Rank: Chief of Operations, Starfleet. Current Assignment: Deep Space Station 9. Former Assignment: Lieutenant, USS Enterprise. Registry NCC-1701-D—"
"Computer, stop." Odo ordered.
"Can't wait until it gets to mine." Jennifer said with a grin, which died as she saw the look on Sisko's face. "I'm sorry, Ben, I wasn't thinking." He didn't answer. To cover the awkward moment, she turned to her witness. "Tell me, Captain, when did you first meet Ezri Tigan?"
"I first encountered her six years ago, while I was a Theta level technician on Terok Nor. On that day I was called into Intendant Kira Nerys' quarters to repair a faulty ODN conduit. To put it in perspective, it was about a year before your universe's Kira and Bashir came to Terok Nor."
"And at that time, what was Ezri Tigan doing?"
"She was on her knees, naked, licking the Intendant's pussy."
"OBJECTION!" Worf's voice could have ruptured the plating on the walls. The reactions of those in the room ran from surprise to titillation, except for Ezri, who hung her head.
"Sustained." He fixed O'Brien with a hard glare. "Everyone here knows about the sexual proclivities, not to mention excesses, of the Intendant. You will, however, restrict your testimony to the relevant issues of this case."
"This is relevant."
"I'll be fascinated to hear how."
"The Intendant liked showing her power even more, if possible, than having it. To her, all existence was a game of seduction in which she always won. No one would dare have her lose. Having a valuable operative seen publicly in such a situation, exposing me to it when there was nothing I could do for or against it, regardless of my feelings, was to simultaneously show her contempt for, and superiority over, us both."
"And this is relevant because?"
"While Ezri Tigan was ... working ... Kira Nerys was giving her instructions regarding the infiltration of the Calmiri Royal Court. She was to gather specific information on their plans and activities regarding an upcoming vote in the Alliance Council."
"And her orders?"
"To infiltrate the Court, gather information about their activities, and return with all of it to Terok Nor."
"Your witness, Commander." She said, feeling that she had established the first part of her case, that of Ezri being a spy. Worf, however, felt like she had handed him the case on a platter.
"Captain O'Brien, you maintain that the Intendant presented an espionage operative with her case while said operative was ... servicing her?"
"Yes."
"And that she was presenting strategic tactical plans while a Theta class technician was in the room?"
"Her contempt, you see. She knew perfectly well that I would not warn the Calmiri."
"And did you?"
"No."
"What was the result?"
"The information Ezri gathered led to the assassination of the Arch Duke, when false evidence she was ordered to plant accused him of betraying the Alliance. This allowed the Alliance to establish a firmer hold on that world, reducing it from a full member to a protectorate."
"But you knew in advance that this was going to happen?"
"Yes." O'Brien answered uncomfortably.
"So Ezri started it, under the Intendant's orders, but you could have stopped it. Frankly, that says less about Ezri than it does about you. No further questions." He returned to his seat, and Ezri patted his arm, a bright smile on her face.
"Masterfully done." She whispered.
"Do not get too confident, we are not home yet."
Thus it proceeded, for over an hour, the prosecution setting up case after case where they had found that Ezri's infiltrations and observations had led to strikes first against Alliance members, then against the rebels during the war. But it was during that period, when Ezri was spying on the rebels, consequently including the duplicates of people in this room or those known to them; that Worf saw they were losing their sympathy base, and were losing ground. The stress on Ezri's face was enough to tell everyone just how much.
In fact, as things got closer to reports on the present, matters got worse. The pair outlined specifics about rebel tactical plans that got 'obtained' by Ezri, and resulted in significant losses. They described reconstructions of evidence that found that using methods ranging from seduction to surveillance, Ezri racked up a significant toll against the rebellion and the later Confederation.
"One thing I do not understand." Worf said when it came his time to cross-examine O'Brien for the third time. "How did you catch her?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"It was a simple question. You two have described a masterful agent who to this day should be working successfully and thumbing her nose at the Confederation. How did you capture her?"
"Well, we weren't exactly looking for her where we found her. You see, she had dropped out of sight for months. She was always like that, she got deep under cover, and we only found out what she had done after picking up the pieces, finding out from witnesses that she had been there, and reconstructing what she had done. She was very good."
"So it seems. So, what happened?"
"She got sloppy. Really sloppy. She got careless, clearly starting to lose her edge. She let herself be seen, traced. She almost got caught once; if she hadn't outrun the agent chasing her she'd have been caught. But it was an amateur's mistake she made, not one I would have expected of a professional. She got sloppier, made stupid mistakes. In the end she practically walked into us."
"And when was this?"
"It was first noticed that she lost her edge not long after we lost one of the Defiant-class ships, the 'Abraham Lincoln', and after it was destroyed we traced back and found out that she had been there. She had been at the base for weeks, and no one recognized her. After she was gone, the Lincoln was ambushed by 4 Alliance cruisers and destroyed. It was the first major loss of a cruiser, but it had on board most of our leading tactical and strategic planners. Its loss was a major blow to the Confederation.
"That's what we really want her for especially, the destruction of the Lincoln."
"NOOOOO!" Ezri screamed, jumping to her feet. Worf spun, astonished, as were they all, to see tears flowing down her face. "Not the Lincoln! I had nothing to do with that!" She charged O'Brien, screaming "Take it back, you fucking bastard!" But the four guards, converging from every corner, restrained her. "Not the Lincoln!" She screamed; everyone in the room stunned by her hysterics. "Kill me for anything else, but not for the Lincoln!" Bashir got into the tight knot of bodies, and she clutched him, nails digging into his arms as the guards struggled to restrain her without hurting her. "I didn't do it, Julian! You've got to believe me, Julian! I didn't do anything to the Lincoln!"
"Get her to the Infirmary!" He ordered. They started to drag her out.
"Kill me for anything else, I don't care anymore, but not for the Lincoln!" Her voice rose to a hysterical shriek as they practically had to carry her out. "Not the Lincoln! Not the LINCOLN! NOT THE LINCOLN!" The doors closed on her shrieks, but did not cut them off. They could still hear her voice receding as she was dragged down the corridor.
When finally there was silence all present stood where they were, speechless. The silence was haunting, dragging them down, until Odo spoke softly. "This hearing is in recess."
