The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 52 edited for boo-boos :D
-0-On trial
A segway parked outside of the University lecture hall as the two soldiers riding it paused by the door. That gigantic structure was closed. Turning to catch the optic of a bailiff standing outside keeping the witnesses company, he opened it a crack and they slipped inside walking to the front to sit on the floor by the wall. The translators in their face masks dialed into channel three and they began to hear the testimony. Epps and Graham relaxed against the wall to listen.
"I am Springer, Chief of Security for Mars and for Autobot City. I am commander of the Day/Night Watch, walk a beat with my bond and command the Wreckers, our army's special operations last chance unit."
Springer stood on the platform, his lanky form relaxed, his affect as good-natured and calm as ever. Coln-2 looked at him. "Commander Springer, could you tell us about the incident in question … what you saw when you arrived on scene."
Springer nodded. "I received the call from the Dispatch Center in the tower of Fort Max and with my partner, Drift, headed immediately toward the scene. There was a melee going on when I arrived. Civilians were arriving, family of those involved and it was getting out of servo.
"My partner and I waded in and sorted them out along with the officers on the scene and more that I called to come. I wanted the scene overpowered so that the fight would end immediately without any more violence than was necessary to make the peace."
"What was the extent of actual violence that you personally viewed?" Coln-2 asked.
"I saw a number of mechs punching the daylights out of each other, some others arriving who looked like genitors pulling the fighters apart, a genitor or two punching and a lot of mechs screaming for the fighting to stop."
"The civilians who arrived … what about them? What can you add to their inclusion in the melee?" Coln-2 asked.
"There were a number of individuals that I took to be family or friends. They had joined the melee about the same time that we got there, Drift and I. Most of them were trying to stop the fighting. One of them was and wasn't . That is Florus. He was pulling on his son to stop and to do that, he punched Talin in the face. Talin staggered backward and Florus turned gripping his son's arm. At that point, Drift reached him and began to take Mako into custody. Florus didn't like that and tried to intervene. That is when Drift dropped him with a punch. We bagged Florus along with the others. When Florus went down, the fight paused and was over," Springer said with a slight smirk.
"How many of the family members do you think were part of the fighting and how many were there to end it?" Coln-2 asked.
"I would say all of them wanted the fighting to stop including Florus but Florus decided to make a point and ended up in the jail along with his son," Springer said. "We didn't take any other family into custody because they were merely complaining and trying to get the fight stopped. No one but Florus crossed the line."
"Did you see Lobo and Able or the pedestrian who is going to be speaking to this matter?" Coln-2 asked.
"I saw Lobo and his family later. We interviewed the pedestrian. Lobo was a follow-up interview later because he was a complainant. Metroplex called me personally as well as the tower. He was extremely angry that violence should be happening in his children's park. He's touchy that way."
Coln-2 nodded. "You took statements of the witnesses."
"I did."
"Thank you," Coln-2 said. He sat.
Endar stood and looked at Springer, a mech he liked and sometimes worked with on cases presented in Magistrate's Court. They were friendly as all the lawyers were with the security mechs but not close. "Commander Springer, tell me about the behavior of Florus as you saw it."
"Florus was trying to drag his son off another mech when I got there. He was visibly upset and vocal about Mako leaving with him. When we began to sort out the mess, we began to cuff the miscreants. That is when he began to challenge us and yell."
"He was knocked down by an officer wasn't he."
Springer nodded. "He was. He was resisting the arrest of his son for fighting and disturbing the peace. He put his servos on an officer and that officer defended himself. Then he was arrested along with his son."
"Florus was the former Governor-General of Altihex and he is an older mech. I am unsure why it would take that much violence to take him into custody. Do you always use violence to take mechs into custody?"
Springer considered that. "No. Only those that resist."
"You say that he resisted arrest," Endar said.
"He did Everyone was told that they were under arrest including Florus. He resisted and put his servos on an officer. He was decked because he was fighting his arrest. I would have preferred he had not done that. In fact, I would expect the former Governor-General of Altihex to have more respect for the law and its officials. But he didn't and apparently he doesn't."
"Can you give me a figure of the number of mechs that have received violence at the servos of the Day and Night Watch during the arrest process?"
"I can't off the top of my processor but I'm sure that the stats can be supplied." Springer's demeanor didn't change. He stood with his usual calm demeanor. He had learned when to be pissed and when not to. This was not one of those moments.
The questions continued, then he was dismissed. Endar looked at Prowl. "I call Commander Drift to the stand."
The door opened and Drift entered, walking to stand and take the oath too. He turned and looked at Endar, his manner calm and enigmatic.
"Commander Drift, you were part of the arrest of the defendants. I would like your account please."
Drift nodded. "I received a call that there was a brawl going on at the kiddie park at Metroplex and Temple. I headed over with my partner, Springer and found a fight going on. The officers on the scene were sorting the two sides but a number of other individuals were starting to arrive. The newbies appeared to be family and they wanted to end the fight. They were pulling on their younglings and shouting. It was a near riot."
"What about the family members? The genitors? Tell us about Florus," Endar asked.
"Florus was among family members who had arrived and were trying to get their younglings away. He had his son, Mako and was trying to drag him away. When I moved forward to arrest Mako, his father turned and struck me. I struck him back dropping him. That effectively ended the fight."
"Is it your habit to hit a suspect?" Endar asked.
"When they resist, I apply the least amount of force to end it," Drift said.
"You hit him because you say he hit you. Were there any witnesses to this supposed assault?" Endar asked.
"I can't speak to that. I was busy arresting mechs. If there were, I can't supply names," Drift replied.
Endar ended his questions. Coln-2 stood. "Commander Drift, are you a member of the Circle of Light?"
"Yes."
"Are you a Knight of Cybertron?"
"Yes."
"What are the basic principles of the Circle?"
"They are a pacifist group that believes in peace."
"But you are a Watch officer and an Autobot soldier."
"I defend. I work to defend."
Coln-2 sat. Endar stood. "Commander Drift, you are the bond of Springer, is that correct?"
"I am."
"You were a former Decepticon."
"Yes."
"You were a very dangerous Decepticon once were you not?" Endar asked.
"Yes."
Endar sat. Coln-2 stood. "Commander Drift, when you were a Decepticon, you did a lot of bad things didn't you."
"Yes."
"When did you decide to make changes and why?"
Drift considered the two lawyers and the moment. He considered his long slow path to redemption and the love of his life, Springer. They wanted to know things he was still struggling to understand himself. "Because I found a better path. All of the Decepticons living here have. We wanted a better life, a chance to live a worthy life and we are."
"You never use guns," Coln-2 said. "Why?"
"Guns are part of the old path. I am on a new one. I follow new rules and hold different views. Part of that is peeling off the past and remaking the present to change the future. The Circle doesn't hold to guns. We use swords for defense. That is the short version."
Coln-2 nodded and sat. Endar stood. "For a mech who professes a peaceful philosophy, you weren't afraid to subdue on old mech with a blow."
"I meet attacks with minimal force. I use the energy of my opponent against them. I don't go in with the idea of fighting but I am not afraid to do so if its needed." Drift waited as Endar considered his list of questions. "Thank you, Commander Drift. I have no more questions."
Coln-2 stood. "Commander Drift, when things go wrong, what do you do?"
"I go to offer assistance."
"When Metroplex was injured, what did you do?"
"I assisted the Watch in getting mechs and families out of the District and helped to search for the problem."
"When everyone was running away, is it safe to say that you were running toward the fire?" Coln-2 asked.
"It would be safe."
"Thank you." Coln-2 sat down. Drift was excused. He walked to the door and left.
Springer who was standing outside grinned. "How did it go?"
"I think they just equated me with Satan," Drift said with a grin.
"So basically, they got your character right?" Springer asked with a grin.
"They did," Drift said moving to sit down on a couch in the corridor. Springer sat beside him and they bantered together as the time passed.
-0-Inside
"I would like to call Florus to speak," Endar said as he began his case.
Florus, former Governor-General of Alihex, beneficiary of the Caste System, reasonably decent administrator of a city-state took the stand and oath with enormous dignity.
"Sir, please state your name and something of your history as a figure of repute on Cybertron," Endar said.
He nodded and turned to look at Prime. "I am Florus, son of Handow who was Secretary to the Primes. I was the last Governor-General of the city-state of Altihex and a father, bond and industrialist on Cybertron."
Endar moved closer. "Tell us what happened the night of the arrest of you and your son in the Metroplex Park," he asked.
Florus turned to face him and began.
-0-TBC For Pip
2013 (2)
NOTE: Sky, I hope you saw the note at the end of the piece before this one. I edited that one and added a note back to you. :D :D :D