I don't know how I managed to stumble out the door to the uplink rig, but I must have because when I woke up I was laying on a bed and could hear beeping.
“Hey, jimmy, is the industrial printer working yet? I need some medical supplies printed.”
I slowly opened my eyes and looked around at the bustling room as people brought stuff in and set it up.
“Oh, good, you are finally awake Clan Mistress, I was worried, for a bit there.” A beautiful ginger haired woman that looked like she belonged on the cover of a model magazine said to me as she smiled down at me. A moment later, my eyes drifted down over my body, checking to make sure all of me still here. Causing her to laugh, it sounded like wind chimes and caused me to smile slightly.
“Yes, you are all still there, though that uplink rig did a nice job of making sure you would be. My name is Doctor Jenifer Mackenzie, by the way, I have been assigned to be your personal doctor. My boss made some joke about if you die, then I get to join you on the pyre. So you have nothing to worry about. …At least, I think he was joking.”
“Is Ashley out of the rig yet? I need to speak with her, and can you get someone to run and fetch one of the federation captains, I need to talk to them too.”
She glanced over her shoulder as she made an ‘uhh’ sound before slowly turning back to look at me. She then stood up from a stool that I hadn't even noticed she had been sitting on and walked over to someone that was dressed like a security guard. She whispered to them before walking back to me and sitting down.
“I am really sorry, he threatened all of us” she said in a way of explanation before She pushed a needle into an iv tube and seconds later I was asleep.
When I woke back up, a man was sitting on the stool next to me and my hands were cuffed to the bed.
“Uh, what the hell is going on?” I asked, confusion in my voice.
I watched him sigh before he looked down at me and then waved his hand at the cuffs.
“For my protection, you have been accused of the crime of malicious sabotage of a Federation Carrier by releasing a vicious virus onto one of its servers. And you have been charged with high treason, by order of captain Luscious Rivers, I have placed you under arrest”
He glanced at the door then leaned in and whispered, “ask for a lawyer, demand Captain Jessica Biko represents you.”
He then sat back and continued in a monotone voice. “The Biko clan has demanded my guild break ties with the Blossoming Terranova guild and return to our home world as soon as possible, the retrieval of non-essential personnel has already begun.”
He paused to look at me and started waving his right hand for me to start making my demand and gave me a look.
“I, uh, I want a lawyer. I demand Captain Jessica Biko be my lawyer and I won't talk to anyone until she arrives” I said, feeling very confused.
“That is your right, guild Mistress Mackenzie, and I will cease all communication with you until your lawyer is present, as now required by galactic law.”
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He then stood up and left, leaving me alone and still confused. It was a while before captain Jessica Biko entered the room. She looked like she had aged years since the last time I had seen her.
“What happened? One second I'm talking to a doctor of my Own clan as she assures me of my safety, the next she is hoping me up on some fast acting sleep medication and I wake up in handcuffs being told that I have been arrested.”
“Yea… that would be Captain River's influence, he is playing devil's advocate, by that I mean he is playing the bad guy, on orders of course, and I have been ordered to be the good guy. In the event you are actually guilty of the crimes being laid against you, then a captain is needed to take over an orbital station until it can be properly commanded by this Solar Systems conqueror. However, in the event that you are actually innocent, then i, a Captain of the Galactic Federation, who majored in law at the academy and is still licensed to perform the duties of a lawyer in the Galactic Federation, is here to rescue the station and return it to its rightful owner, while preventing hostile forces from entering the solar system.”
I opened and closed my mouth a few times, before slowly sinking into my bed. I rested my head against the pillow as I let out a loud sigh.
“Okay, first, I don't know what the charges against me are, I think your husband had a huge speech planned or maybe not since I asked for a lawyer. Speaking of, does the galactic federation lawyers have the same sort of things as my earth lawyers have where whatever you say to them is privileged, and they can't repeat it or record it to anyone? It's not that I'm going to say I'm guilty, I'm just curious.”
“Uh, yea, we do. Why do you ask?”
“Anaesthetic gases are not a form of sleep medication used by ship doctors.” I stated, feeling Foolish As I stared into Jessica's eyes.
“Who told you that?” She asked as if I really was the fool I felt like I was.
“Uh, Commander Lucas Winch left it for me in what he called a private server designed to eat itself once the message was finished playing” I answered As I suddenly had a sinking feeling.
“Oh, thank fuck! Rivers, get your ass to the Command table And start battening down the hatches. We have an innocent pilot In here that is being sabotaged!”
She then turned to me with a kind of sheepish look on her face and said.
“I am really sorry, Kenna, I lied to you, I was actually trying to get your confession but since you acted under orders then you didn't brake the law and I can actually help you now.”
I looked confused as I stared at Jessica, I heard a soft ‘thank fuck’ Out in the hallway, and footsteps of someone running away.
“I am so confused right now”
“Okay, first military lawyers don't have that privilege thing, civilian lawyers do but, yea… anyway, you basically you just told me a commanding officer of a Galactic Federation Carrier suspects his officers of sabotage and treason, but his Communications are monitored/compromised so the only way to send up a red flag is to send someone into a black ops mission with a code phrase to use to get out of all crimes done during the course of the mission. How big of a stink has he told you to make? Cause defying orders and blowing up your Drop Carrier, not to mention the erratic flying and endangering the lives of eight frigates. Destroying a drop-ship and the death of its pilot is already a frickin huge splash, even for a red flag.”
“Yeaaa, I was given that code after all that. I was attacked with missiles that I'm told were drop launched, and the pilot that died actually safely made it to the surface undamaged before she was shot by her squad leader. I sent her the flight data proving all the erratic flying, and supposed life endangering manoeuvres was because I was under attacked. But all the evidence was sabotaged by the chain of command on its way to the commander. He learnt that because Zeo sent a copy of her report directly to his hud.”
I watched her eyes widen slightly as her mouth fell open. She sat like that for a minute Before I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye and glanced to see her husband leaning into the room with a shocked look on his face too.
“Well, the hell is going on?” I screamed As I turned to glare at him.
Her head snapped around to look at him but neither of them spoke And after a moment he slowly walked into the room. And pushed a chair from the desk over to my bed.
“I am also a lawyer, more civilian type stuff. I work mostly on things for the guild. Instead of the military type of stuff for the Federation that my wife handles. I will also take you as a client, by the way. Trust me, you're going to need a civilian one to protect you outside the military now.”
Jessica turned to me and nodded quickly, so I sighed and nodded my head.
“Why is a lawyer working As a chief of police?” I couldn't help myself and had to know.
“Oh, because I hate being a lawyer. My dad made me get my licence. However, when my lovely wife asked if I wanted to join her here on the orbital station, I saw a way to get out of being a lawyer and took it. It was honestly only meant to be a quick protection detail until she got here, but as we observed the solar system, we saw Opportunity and decided to take it.”
“Kenna, we are going to need you to start from the beginning and tell us everything that has happened from your point of view. Start at the day you had your recruitment meeting and go until right now. Don't miss anything even if it seems insignificant and unimportant, it could actually be a big thing.”
I nodded my head and began my story, telling them everything, I left nothing out and hid nothing.
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