Skyriver Galaxy
Mid-Rim
Chommell Sector
Naboo System
Naboo
Theed
Royal Palace
Courtroom

"Will you state your name for the record, please?"

"Dr. Richard Daystrom."

"You are a Federation scientist, correct?"

"No, I am based on Earth as head of the Daystrom Institute, but I work closely with Starfleet."

"You mean you used to work closely with Starfleet?"

"No, the Institute is still aligned with Starfleet but granted we are at the moment no longer their closest contributor." Daystrom shook his head.

"Why is that?" Panaka asked.

"Due to the fallout of the M-5 Incident, Starfleet chose to distance from working closely with me or the Institute. I have been working for the last couple of years to renew that former faith in our ability to design and create new technologies to improve and better protect the ships and crews that serve in Starfleet." Daystrom cleared his throat.

"Can you recount the M-5 Incident to everyone who is not from the Milky Way, please?" Panaka asked.

"Objection. I am failing to see the relevance of this." Cogley called out.

"Your Honors, even if it was not intentional, the matter of the M-5 incident parallels closely to recorded droid rebellions in our galaxy. It is something to note when considering your final verdict." Panaka quickly said.

There was a moment of whispered debate before Sio Bibble spoke up. "Very well, it will be allowed but tread carefully, Captain."

Panaka nodded and then turned to Daystrom. "Proceed."

"The M-5 was supposed to be a breakthrough in computer technology. I had designed the earlier Duotronic Computer system that has been employed on Federation ships for the last several decades. I had believed that system to be the pinnacle of anything we would ever need for efficiently running a starship but…As time went on, the system was upgrade by other scientists and technicians working with Starfleet and it felt like a stain on my legacy, a lifetime of achievements that was quickly being forgotten by newer, younger minds with brand new ideas." Daystrom took a deep breath. "I wanted to create the perfect system, one that would never need any improvement of upgrade. That was when I came up with the theory of multitronic system."

"Just for the sake of everyone who is not experienced with computers, can you explain these Duotronic and Multitronic systems?" Panaka asked.

"The Duotronic System was first conceived when I was ten years old, when I produced the mathematical study of the relationship between subatomic structure and data processing. Eventually a breakthrough was made and I along with my partner were rewarded the Nobel and Zee-Magness Prizes. It represented a gigantic leap forward in computing technology with the most significant innovation in utilizing a symmetrical subspace field to accelerate time inside the computer core. This resulted in a greater amount of subjective time to run processes within the computer itself, greatly increasing computational speed as observed from the outside." Daystrom began. "Starfleet was so impressed that this new system was immediately integrated into all of its ships, including the Constitution and its sister that later became the Enterprise. Following the development of duotronics, a fellow scientist named Leo Brownwell formulated a combination of dilithium thrust with duotronics which allowed for continuous warp drive to be developed which serves as an example of how others were able to build off the system I had designed."

"And the multitronic system?" Panaka asked.

"I wanted to build upon my success with the Duotronic System to build what I called a Multitronic System. In simple terms, I would consider it an evolution of the other Duotronic where a computer system is able to take the constant variable of human emotions into account. The basics is combining the pin-point calculations of an advanced computer with the on-the-fly thinking of a human being. That's the basics of what it was meant to be." Daystrom continued. "I had designed and built four prototypes, the M's 1 through 4 but each were a failure. It was when I was designing the M-5 that I considered the possibility that in order to perfect the Multitronic System was to incorporate the brain algorithms of an organic into the system to make it work."

"And whose brain algorithms did you use?" Panaka asked.

"Mine." Daystrom took a deep breath. "At the time, I believed my knowledge and intellect were best suited for making sure the M-5 would run properly. All systems seemed to be working perfectly and Starfleet approved testing the M-5 by having it directly installed on a starship. The Enterprise was chosen for having a positive record under all of its commanding officers."

"You include Admiral Kirk as one of the officers?" Panaka asked, gesturing to Kirk who sat in the audience.

"Yes." Daystrom nodded. "Due its reputation of the ship and crew, Starfleet believed the Enterprise was the perfect testbed for the M-5."

"And what happened?"

Daystrom inhaled sharply and then exhaled. "It was…a colossal failure. The M-5…acted irrationally. It refused to return control to the crew, it destroyed a robot freighter, killed a crewman who was aiding in disconnecting it, and then went on to attack other ships involved in a war game. It was driven by a paranoid desire to protect itself that it could not perceive anyone around as anything but a threat to its existence."

"A computer designed to think and act like a human being. Sounds similar to the droid brains that are sometimes installed in ships in our galaxy." Panaka stated.

"Respectfully, Captain Panaka, the M-5 was never intended to be a droid or living computer. It was designed to increase the effectiveness of our starships." Daystrom quickly stated.

"It does not change the fact that an attempt at creating an artificial lifeform let to unmitigated disaster." Panaka replied. "You of course remember how many people died because of this incident."

Daystrom inhaled sharply. "I do. Their names and faces have haunted me for the past two years and they will haunt me until the day I die. But I am still here, I continue my work to atone for those lives that were lost with the hopes of one day I can redeem myself in the eyes of the families who lost someone because of my arrogance and short-sightedness. You can use my mistakes as a platform for your agenda, Captain Panaka but I ask you not to use the deaths of four hundred innocent lives just to justify keeping a status quo in your corner of the universe."

"I am not using their lives as an excuse, Dr. Daystrom. I am simply looking for the truth." Panaka replied.

Daystrom did not look convinced as Panaka turned away.

Cogley stood up and approached as Panaka took his seat. "Dr. Daystrom, you are aware of the status of droids in this galaxy, are you not?"

"Yes, I am." Daystrom nodded.

"What do you of that fact that this galaxy is teeming with artificial life?" Cogley asked.

"I think it's amazing and far beyond anything we've considered. Oh yes, we've employed robots as a form of labor I admit, but it can't even be called miniscule compared to the countless droids and models of them are produced in the galaxy. We have come a long way in cybernetics and there are planets that employ their own android workforce but nothing like here." Daystrom said, sounding grateful to no longer having to speak with Panaka.

"Why do you think that is?" Cogley asked. "Can we replicate the droids here in our galaxy?"

"To an extent, yes." Daystrom nodded. "Their designs can be easily replicated."

"Okay, I suppose the big question is do we need to rely on droids in the same manner as droids are used in this galaxy?" Cogley asked.

"That's…" Daystrom cleared his throat. "I can't say for certain. There are too many variables to consider."

"Can we just for the sake clarity name a few variables to consider?" Cogley requested.

"Well, we aren't in need of protocol droids because we rely on our universal translator. Astromech droids would be very helpful in ship repair and navigation." Daystrom began thoughtfully. "Then there is the matter of the Battle Droids. The Federation, the United Federation of Planets that is, would not condone the use of droids as soldiers if only for the fact that we rely on Starfleet and its members to represent the military faction. As I saw with the M-5, machines can be programmed to kill, and they can be very indiscriminate. We need people who know when it is time to stop the killing, offer mercy when the battle is over."

"You have put a lot of thought into this." Cogley commented.

"Well, we are presented with an interesting idea of integrating droids into our civilization but my experience with the M-5 shows we must be careful in we approach this. I don't believe in creating an expendable work force." Daystrom admitted. "Everything has a purpose, even machines."

"So, what would you suggest then?" Cogley asked.

"Well, I would have asked Mr. R2 to consider coming with me to the Daystrom Institute, observe him, his personality and intellect and ask for his advice in how the Federation and by extension Starfleet should consider in creating and integrating its own droids. Given how fast trade is opening between our galaxies, my own experiences with the M-5 and Starfleet's own encounters with artificial life-forms, we must consider carefully in how we treat them or risk repeating similar mistakes." Daystrom stated. "It's a delicate matter that must be approached very carefully."

"In your own opinion, Dr. Daystrom, do you believe Mr. R2's request for asylum in Starfleet as a fully sentient being is valid?" Cogley asked.

"Objection." Panaka called out. "The views of this witness should not be considered. He has never before met the defendant and as it has been pointed out, this hearing is only about facts, not theories or opinions."

"With respect to the members of this tribunal, but this entire hearing seems to be founded on the opinions of people who have made up their or following a trend that has existed in this galaxy for thousands of years." Cogley immediately replied. "My client asked for asylum to Starfleet because recognizing sentience in any life form, even artificial is the very foundation on which our Federation has been founded. It is the opinions of the majority of this galaxy that droids cannot be considered true life forms because they were manufactured, not born. Because they are made of circuits and power couplings, not tissue and organs. We are the outsiders in this matter, we have the right to form and express our opinions and decide for ourselves if something is truly alive based on how see them, not the opinions and beliefs of others."

The tribunal whispered to each other before Robert April spoke. "Dr. Daystrom will be allowed to express his opinion, but it will only be from a technical point of view."

Daystrom cleared his throat. "Well, as you pointed out earlier, Mr. Cogley that the standards for personhood included self-awareness, an ability to understand complex emotions and a capacity for empathy. While I have not met your client prior to this hearing, I came because I would very much like to meet him and see for myself if he is capable of meeting these standards and hopefully would help answer my own questions on how we should feel for artificial life forms in our galaxy."

"Thank you for your honesty, Dr. Daystrom." Cogley nodded, dismissing the scientist.

Daystrom stood up and returned to his seat in the audience, exhaling in relief that his period of questioning was finally over.

By this point, all the witnesses had been thoroughly questioned, thus leaving Panaka and Cogley deliver their closing arguments.

"Your Honors, it has been a long and an even longer trial. It's been difficult but enlightening at the same time. Still, the fact remains that a droid cannot ask for asylum and be expected to be given equal rights. If the Astromech droid, R2-D2 is given these rights in the Federation it will be a fundamental shift in the balance for both galaxies. Soon enough, more and more droids will flock to the Milky Way Galaxy, seeking these same rights. There will be rising tensions over this matter that can very well lead to an all-out war, if not conflict with many worlds that rely on droid labor." Panaka began. "R2-D2 may be an exception but he is at best just only one exception and in a galaxy of trillions one is not enough to change everything we have known and accepted for thousands of years. So I ask this of you, if the Federation believes in respecting the fundamental rights of all cultures, do not risk a political upheaval but bowing to this farce."

When Panaka took his seat, Cogley stood up.

"As some of you may know, I'm an arbiter for not only truth but also for the fact that a man has rights, a machine has none. In a fair hearing, a man must be allowed to face his accuser to defend himself from whatever charges only this is different. My client is a machine that has shown the intellect, emotions and empathy of any man and he is not facing just one accuser that denotes these facts, he is facing an entire galaxy. While Captain Panaka may be right, the decisions would indeed lead to a political upheaval but so have other cases that have campaigned for equal rights all throughout history." Cogley said, slowly and emphatically. "But war would be the last thing anyone wants. Yes, some droids may seek political asylum and yes, someone may try to stop them, but we must ask ourselves should my client be denied his rights because he is among the few exceptions of his kind. Should non-sapient beings be granted rights they cannot understand? This is not a dilemma over just one droid but one that we must all work together to solve if there is to be a peaceful future between both galaxies."

He paced around the court room.

"This is why we are here. To do what is right not just for ourselves but for those who come after us, whose lives will be shaped by the laws we choose to make and uphold. Someone might say we were wrong no matter what we choose but I urge you to make the right decision here and now." Cogley emphasized. "A man has rights, a machine has none, but our friend here is no ordinary machine. He is a lifeform that has become more than what he was ever meant to be."

R2 let out small happy beep in Cogley's direction.

"With that said, the defense rests." Cogley said humbly and returned to his seat.

Sio Bibble cleared his throat. "In light of what we have seen and heard, we will recess until tomorrow and give our final verdict."

With that, the hearing had ended.

R2 turned to Cogley. "Mr. Cogley, thank you for your hard work. Even if we lost, I think you did better than anyone could have expected."

Cogley curtly nodded. "That's all anyone could ever do, Mr. R2."