Chapter Twelve: The Stars of Destiny
Prince Avery laid back on the grass in the Odyssey's garden, looking up at the stars. The cool night air off the bay was very relaxing. Somewhere above him was the ship that his father was on, the Enterprise. Avery had been left in charge while his father faced trial. It had been a very busy day for the young Prince, and this was really the first time he'd been able to get away from it.
It had started with the arrangements for his father. He'd be sending a daily report back and forth via the Stargazer. That was how he'd escaped from the pressures of the day, by taking the report to the dock himself, then not coming directly back to his father's office. It was time to end the day anyway.
He heard the grass rustle beside him. Turning his head, he was surprised to see his sister actually wearing a dress. "Hello Avery," Brittany said. For a long while they just stared up at the stars. "Which one is the ship Dad's up on?"
"I'm not sure," Avery said. "Father said I probably wouldn't be able to spot it, though. How long have you known?"
"Two years," Brittany said. "I was hiding in Dad's Office when Lord Harlan talked to Dad about the possibility Dad being put on trial like he is now. I never really believed, it's a little hard to, isn't it?"
"A little? My father, long time King was flying around among the stars for years before I was born, and was born on another planet," Avery said. "I knew they were different, but this ..."
"Why just Dad though?" Brittany asked. "There are still about three score of Dad's crew alive in Ellosia."
"He said that the Captain is responsible for the actions of his crew," Avery said. "I guess it's a noble idea, but I'd rather he not have to do it at all. Especially after yesterday."
"I know," Brittany said. "What are we going to do?"
"I don't know what you're going to do," Avery said. "I've got all the big problems. Do you know just how many reports that Father gets? Then there is the decision of what to do with all the captive members of Lord Henry's forces that Father left to me. I'm actually glad Lord Henry escaped, because I don't want to handle dealing with that scum. He locked up mom and left her to die alone!"
"I know," Brittany said. "Do you want me to handle the arrangements for Mom's funeral?"
"Sure," Avery said, going silent for a while, staring up at the stars. He was sure a dim trio of them weren't moving like the others.
Captain Richard York, late of the USS Odyssey, and current King of Ellosia, was trying to make his dress uniform collar comfortable when the door chime rang. Rear Admiral Picard had decided to give him quarters instead of keeping him in the brig. True there was a pair of guards outside the door, but he appreciated the courtesy. The door chimed again. "Enter."
"Captain York, the court is ready to go in session," the young girl's voice said. Captain York turned around to discover the same blond girl that had arrested him the previous night. She was now in her own dress whites, with the gray insert instead of the white he had. On her mustard yellow mock turtle's collar, there were the two pips that denoted the girl's rank.
"Please show the way, Lieutenant," Captain York said.
The hallways of this ship were a lot darker than the ones from his era. This was the Federation Flagship, he'd been told, USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E. Apparently the D hadn't lasted long. It was different that he expected. The girl leading him to trial proved that. She couldn't be much older than his own daughter, but he'd heard her referred to as Chief, and she wore Lieutenant's pips.
Ahead he could see two more officers standing guard at a plain door. The Lieutenant seemed to be heading for it. The door opened. Just a few more steps and he'd see the room he'd been dreading since the day his ship had crashed.
The court room was rather plain, with dark gray walls. A judges bench dominated one wall, with places for three, and a witness stand to one side. A table for the defense, and a table for the prosecution, plus a court reporter's stand, all in burnished silver. The only adornment in the room were two flags, the blue banner of the United Federation of Planets, and the white and red one of Star Fleet.
Captain York took his seat beside Commander Riker. The prosecution appeared to be a light skinned alien with Lieutenant Commander's pips. The court reporter, a Bolian, was the only other person in the room at the moment.
Captain York barely had time to wonder what was taking the remainder of the court's time to arrive, when the door opened and another young girl, this with short brown hair entered. She went to stand in front of the bench, and said, "This special court martial session under Section 847 of the Star Fleet Code of Justice Regulations is now in session. Rear Admiral Jean-Luc Picard of the Enterprise, presiding, Captain T'Gwen Washington of the Miranda, and Captain Yuki Yoshida of the Tian Men complete the panel. Please rise for the Judges."
Captain York stood, and examined the judges as they entered. He hadn't been aware that Picard had been promoted, but it was high time that the Captain of the flagship carry flag rank. Captain Washington appeared to be Vulcan, which probably meant she'd be a literalist when judging him. Captain Yoshida was a short Japanese man, who seemed to be quite serious, as he sat down to the left of Admiral Picard. It didn't look like the panel would be very in favor of his case.
"Please be seated," Admiral Picard said. "Shayna, please read the charges."
"The Defendant, Captain Richard Paul York, late of the USS Odyssey," Shayna began, reading from a PADD, "is charged with violating the Prime Directive in his actions in the last twenty years, while stranded on the planet designated Gamma Hydra Three. In particular, his is charged with taking over the government of the primitive nation state of Ellosia on that planet, and ruling it for the last 20 years, failure to destroy items of technology above the planet's level, and use of the said items to accomplish that rule."
"How does the defendant plead," Admiral Picard asked, his eyes focused on Captain York.
Commander Riker stood, and said, "Your honor, the Defendant wishes to plead Not Guilty to the charge of use of technology to take over Ellosia, and Provisionally Guilty to the charges of takeover, ruling, and failure to destroy."
"The court will hear the provisions," Admiral Picard said.
"On the charge of failure to destroy, Captain York contends that he complied with it to the best of his abilities, but was unable do more with the materials available," Riker said. "On the charges of take over and rule of a primitive nation state, Captain York contends that by doing so, he is preserving sprit of the Prime Directive, given that his ship crashed and crushed the previous ruling body in it's landing."
Admiral Picard looked left and right, getting brief nods from Captains Washington and Yoshida. "The Court will accept those provisions," he said. "Mister Data, do you have an opening statement prepared?"
"Your honor, I do," Data said, standing. "The defendant crashed on this planet twenty years ago in the middle of the First Cardassian War, and is currently ruling a small country known as Ellosia as King Richard I. These are the readily observable facts. The Prosecution intends to prove that King Richard is not only King, but became so by force of arms, and uses technology to maintain that rule. Furthermore, the Prosecution contends that the Defendant has made no effort to maintain even the sprit of the Prime Directive."
Data sat down once again.
"Commander Riker, do you have an opening statement prepared?" Admiral Picard asked.
"I do your honor," Riker said, standing. "Captain Richard York is a man who had to make many difficult decisions. These were decisions which he spent lots of time considering. He worked to minimize a Prime Directive violation situation that was beyond his control to prevent. We shall prove that the initial violation was beyond his control and since then he has done as best as he could to implement as many ways to reduce that violation. While it is true that he rules a small nation on the planet below, we shall prove that Captain York acts in line with rules of the planet, and only took over due to his saucer section crashing on his predecessor. He felt that this gave him the responsibility to insure orderly succession. He has made it his life's work to make sure his arrival has had as little impact as possible. It is that dedication to the spirit of the Prime Directive that deserves not to be punished, but rewarded."
Captain Richard York sat at his desk in the quarters he'd been assigned, gazing out the window. Before him was a couple sheets of parchment, a quill, and an ink jar. The first day of his trial had been draining, but he had hopes still. He picked up the quill and began to write.
Dear Avery,
As it's still my first day back in the stars, I have yet to receive your report. Our letters will probably pass each other's, most of the time.
Not much has changed up here, only the uniforms. It's still the same old Star Fleet, out exploring the galaxy.
I hope you're handling everything down there. I really left you a mess this time. I will return for at least your mother's burial, and probably your wedding. Beyond that, it depends on the trial.
So far the trial is going well. Commander Riker is making a very spirited defense of my case. I haven't really figured out Lieutenant Commander Data, who is prosecuting me. He seems quite unemotional.
I really didn't have the time to tell you just how proud I am of how you handled the situation of the past week. The whole kingdom could have easily fallen into civil war, but you managed to contain Lord Henry and then engineer his defeat. I know you had help, in the form of Earl Cedric, Duchess Desiree, Hayley, and your sister, but you were in charge, and both Cedric and Desiree have made that clear to me.
Speaking of your sister, please try to keep her and Lord Treavor from intimacies, at least until that betrothal agreement is signed. And just in case, see if they'll consider making your wedding a double wedding. I'm pretty sure it's going to be necessary.
I'll write again tomorrow night.
Sincerely,
your father, Richard R II