The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 54 edited for boo-boos :D
-0-In a courtroom on Mars
"I would strongly advise you, Florus, that Mako not take the stand. I would like to have a recess a moment to talk to my client," Highrode asked. He looked at Florus. "I would hope very much that you will take a moment with us, Florus."
Florus considered that, then shook his helm. "I think we need to vigorously state our position here, Highrode."
"I am asking you the courtesy to speak to you for a moment in private so that all of us can understand where we stand on this matter," Highrode said. Endar nodded and looked at Prime and Semi. "We would like a moment to speak to our clients please."
Prime nodded. He looked at Florus. "I would ask that you take a moment to caucus together, Florus. Both Endar and Highrode have your best interests at spark along with your son."
Florus looked at Prime, then nodded. He rose and tugged his son up. All four of them walked to the door nearby and a small room where technicians stored their gear for the lecture hall. The door closed and it was silent a moment. Prowl sat back and rolled his helm, the tension in his neck popping.
Prime and Semi sat huddled together talking internally. Prowl watched them a moment, then noticed the two soldiers sitting on the floor nearby. :Gentlemen:
Epps glanced up at Prowl. :Hey, Prowl:
:So, are you learning anything?: Prowl asked with the ghost of a smirk.
:Yeah. I don't intend to break a single law while I'm here: Epps said with a grin.
Prowl nodded. :You and me both:
The audience was silent, any conversations that had were on internal comm lines. It was tense and overly quiet. The silence of the room was what one would expect at executions. Coln-2 was sitting quietly going over his notes and the defendants were looking everywhere but each other.
The door opened and the group came out, the expressions on their faces confusing to the audience who sat tensely. They took their seats and Endar stood. "I am not going to allow my client to speak, sir. We withdraw the agreement to testify."
Prime nodded. "Very well."
Coln-2 looked at the group of younglings sitting in a row avoiding his gaze assiduously. "I would like to know the status of the younglings also in the docket with Mako."
"None of them will speak on their own behalf now. We reserve the right to allow testimony later," Endar replied.
"Very well," Coln-2 said. "I call to speak now the mech, Metroplex."
A stir in the room was heard, then the monitor nearby flashed into life displaying the multicolored interface panel that signified the big mech in city format. "Metroplex, are you online with us?"
"I am here."
"Thank you, Metroplex. We are discussing the conflict that happened in your park. We would appreciate what you can report about that."
It was silent a moment, then the deep masculine voice spoke. "I am very unhappy that such a thing could happen in the confines of my person. I am very protective of any space which is occupied by my residents or anyone who ventures into the park. That night, five mechs were playing a ball game in the park. I watched for a moment, enjoying their happiness, then turned my attention to maintenance details that I had to do.
"I felt the disturbance and returned to the scene to see what was amiss. A number of mechs had appeared from the street, Temple I believe and were in conflict with the younglings who were playing. I zoomed in to see what was going to happen when one of them punched another in the face. It was disturbing that such a thing would happen in my children's park."
His tone was extremely offended and his anger was clear. The courtroom was intensely silent.
"Then you saw the blow that started the fight?" Coln-2 asked.
"Affirmative," Metroplex said. "The conflict had not become physical yet. The blow started a fight that consumed all of the participants there."
"What happened then, sir?" Coln-2 asked.
"The battle began on the park grounds so I called the Night Watch. It was offensive in the extreme to me not only for the insult that it would happen in my confines, but I had been aware of a family playing together at the playground. They were enjoying themselves and there were infants with them. They endangered that family with their antics."
"You called the emergency center," Coln-2 asked.
"Affirmative. I also was preparing to send Scamper out to quell the disturbance when they came."
"When the mechs came, what were those involved in the fighting doing?" Coln-2 asked.
"They were being joined by others. It was getting out of servo and I was very disturbed. Then Drift and Springer arrived and it settled down. Arrests were made and the whole bunch were taken away."
"Did you see Drift strike anyone?" Coln-2 asked.
"Affirmative. A mech came to take away someone in the fighting and was upset when Drift came to put that mech in restraints. Drift defended himself and cuffed both of them."
"Do you in all your experience feel that Drift's actions were inappropriate or extreme, Metroplex?"
"Negative," Metroplex replied. "Drift is Circle of Light. He was appropriate in his response."
"Thank you, Metroplex," Coln-2 said sitting.
"You are welcome," Metroplex replied.
"Do you have questions for Metroplex, Highrode? Endar?" Prime asked.
"Sir, did you see clearly what was going on at the time? I am told that your lights had not come on for the evening yet," Endar asked.
"I have everyone and everything on grids. I can access each area level by level, layer by layer. Whether there is light or not, I have clarity of what happens in my confines."
"Thank you, Metroplex," Endar said glancing at Highrode. He shook his helm no.
"Thank you, Metroplex," Prime said.
"Prime, I wish to make a statement after the trial is determined, a victim's statement," Metroplex replied.
"I will put in a call, Metroplex," Prime said nodding. As he did, the screen went dark and Metroplex was gone.
It was silent a moment, then Coln-2 stood. "I am resting the state's case, Prime."
Optimus nodded, then glanced at Endar and Highrode. "Gentlemen?"
They looked at each other, then nodded. "We rest our case, sir. We are ready for closing statements."
Prime nodded and looked at the crowd who were as silent as silent could become. "Very well. You may begin, Coln-2."
That gentleman bowed slightly. "We have before us a case that might on the surface be simply about youngling mechs who don't get along fighting in a city park and leave it at that. But if we did, we would be overlooking the thread that links this incident to the other one and from testimony, events that go back to other places.
"This isn't just about younglings who don't get along. This is about a system that poisoned the minds and sparks of some and cost dearly the quality and quantity of life for millions and millions of our people. The system cost us our home world and but for the efforts of our Prime and our army, we would not be here. We left our worlds and stations and dusty four corners to come here and we were told the moment we touched down that the system was dead and gone.
"Most of us have embraced that and we have made extraordinary lives here. We get to do what we want, learn things that were illegal on Cybertron, send our infants to school and go ourselves. We live decently, eat well, work meaningfully and take care of each other.
"Yet, for some that isn't enough. For some, that's incorrect. They want a return to privilege based on hatred and lies, luxury that they don't have to work for, perks and opportunities that are hereditary, and power. They want great power again.
"We live here in peace and prosperity under the rule of a mech who is guided by Primus himself. Primus at our making instilled in us a simple truth: All are one. Even the humans hold to ideals that everyone's life matters, that no one person is intrinsically better than another.
"But some don't get it and maybe never will. Their hatred has poisoned their children and the cycle rolls onward. We are seeking the greatest possible punishment for this crime for those involved to send a message to them and anyone else who still wishes to desicrate our species with this great lie. You will not win. I am asking as prosecutor to have justice served not just to the ones who are guilty, but to the idea that we are resolved on this issue. Thank you, Optimus Prime and Semi for your attention to this matter."
Coln-2 sat and lay down his datapad, his fatigue clear. Endar and Highrode spoke together, their helms nearly touching. Then Highrode arose and nodded respectfully to Semi and Prime. "Gentlemen, my colleague and I are here to represent youngling mechs who have gotten into an altercation that they know was wrong and for which they are imminently sorry. They truly are sorry.
'There has been an attempt to make this bigger than that, to link the System into this matter as if this were a war for Cybertron and not the clash of younglings that goes back before their settlement here.
"I would ask that the focus of this trial be placed squarely on that event and not beyond because the issue at servo is a fight between younglings in a park that involved genitors trying to make their children stop and leave.
"We strongly believe that anything more would be inappropriate and outside the scope of the criminal complaint. Thank you, gentlemen." He sat wearily himself.
It was silent a moment as Semi and Prime sat communicating together. It was intensely quiet and very strained in the room. Then Semi stood. "It is the duty of this court to hear evidence and find guilt or innocence based on that evidence. Optimus Prime and I have. We have found in the issues at play here something larger than just the machinations of a handful of younglings squabbling. We are in agreement with you, Coln-2 that this is of a greater nature and that motive matters.
"I have been delegated to expressing the will of the court by naming the verdict. I am also to speak to the evidence. Our Prime will be speaking to all other matters when I have said my part and he will be deciding sentencing if there are convictions." He paused a moment to gather his thoughts. "It is the will of this court that you, Talin and Julon are innocent of all matters pertaining to this event. You are adjudicated innocent and absolved of guilt. You were defending yourself against an unprovoked attack."
Semi waited as the younglings, their friends and family expressed their intense relief. Then he looked at the other side. "It is the will of this court that you, Mako, Reese, Ture, Barin and Swin are deemed guilty of inciting violence, assault and battery, disturbing the peace and resisting arrest."
The room sort of puffed up, then sagged as the verdict sunk in. Florus looked sucker punched but he said nothing.
"The court finds you, Florus guilty of violence and resisting arrest. We find all of this to be so by a preponderance of the evidence which was first hand and overwhelmingly specific to the issues at servo. The court wishes to thank your counsel and the prosecution for your efforts on this matter." With that, he sat down.
Prime looked at them as they all turned their optics to him. He vented a soft sigh. "First of all, I wish to thank you, Endar and Highrode for the effort you put into this case. Your climb was steep given the evidence and before I conclude this hearing, I will tell you what I will offer to assuage your concerns about this hearing."
They nodded.
"My admiration extends to you as well, Coln-2 and to you, Semi for helping me with this difficult case." He paused a moment, then stood. Looking at the younglings, he began to pronounce his sentences.
"Mako, Ture, Barin, Reese and Swin, for the offenses of which you are found guilty, I sentence you to six months in jail."
The room nearly guttered as the gasps of the audience filled the space. He looked at them and they silenced.
"You will be allowed to leave for work or school but you will return when you are finished. You will reside in the city jail for that duration of time. You will serve your full sentence without the possibility of parole or time off for good behavior. This is the second time you are responsible for this offense and you haven't learned. You will undergo anger management and meet with the Mental Health Office of the Autobot City Medical community for counseling as well. You are being given opportunities for positive change but that is in your servos alone." He looked at Florus. "Florus, I sentence you to three months in jail. You will serve your time in the prison."
Florus sat back surprised but he didn't speak.
"You will not serve your time in proximity to your son. You will be offered counseling but I will not order it. That will be up to you."
Prime looked at the crowd, then he began to speak.
-0-TBC For Pip
2013 (2)