Earth: A U.P. world with its own Science Police force.
Captain Trake begins the morning briefing...
"Currently we are stumped over a series of high end burglaries ranging from stores to penthouses.
While the thief has been caught on CCV no one has been able to apprehend him.
It's always the same... stunner misfires, officer trips, or something blocks the capture.
We are becoming a joke people, this thief must be stopped and soon!
All surveillance indicates that direct attacks fail... So with that in mind, under no circumstance are you to engage the suspect directly.
I don't want to hear any more complaints from accidentally stunned citizens, Is that clear?
Now get out there and don't come back without him!"
It is mid-day in Paris the sun is shining people are going about their daily routines and all is quiet. From out of nowhere a small figure clad in black runs across the plaza, A tall healthy redhead in gray uniform is giving chase. "Police!... Stop!... Surrender!" She pulls her stunner from its holster and aims for the sky firing a warning shot.
The thief turns his head and sees the shot go wide and continues to run. He turns a corner and trips over an out-stretched gray uniformed leg. He stumbles falls and lands on his masked face. As he lands the sound of glass breaking can be heard as an ornate pendant around his neck shatters and wisps of smoke disperse in the air around him.
Training officer Dvron reaches down and secures one set of hands as rookie officer Erin turns the corner holstering her stunner.
"Gonna need your cuffs too for this one." Handing her partner her restraints she reaches into her belt and removes a small card and begins to read the suspect his rights...
Earth -
the U.P. judicial system is considered efficient enough that a criminal trial should be scheduled and completed within 18 to 24 months. Criminals are granted bail for the most part, but in some cases that doesn't happen. Conspiracy, murder, treason are all good reasons to deny bail. Theft is not, but from the time he was caught and processed the system upgraded Loadstone from thief to murder for hire, a killer with no less than 20 kills to his name, 5 of those were world leaders (two of which aren't dead) amazingly his trial set a new speed record 18 to 24 hours: guilty on all charges. Sentence: Life without hope of parole on Takron Galtos.