[plotbunny] The Occupy Movement

[robkelk]

I can't imagine their Sammies being quite that ham-handed. It sounds to me like some of the protesters were hamming it up. "Help! Help! I'm being repressed!"

Well, let's look at the facts in evidence:

1) SSAM marines interdict a civilian spacecraft.
2) The marines board the spacecraft and overpower the pilot.
3) Then, the marines rig the autopilot and destroy the manual controls, leaving the passengers unable to retake control of their craft.

If I swapped out every instance of "marines" for, oh, "Boskonians," this would be a pretty obvious act of hijacking and piracy. I'm pretty sure that the Articles of Convention don't include "but it's okay if they don't like Benjamin Rhodes" clauses.

Daily Illuminator

STELLVIA CORPORATION FUNDS INVESTIGATION INTO "BOSKONIAN ROUGHRIDER" INCIDENT

Stellvia - Noah Scott announced that Stellvia Corporation is funding an investigation into Tuesday's incident where a civilian spacecraft was apparently hijacked by Roughriders personnel.

Mr. Scott said, in part, "We at Stellvia take the view that it is important to make restitution and accept punishment in cases where wrongdoing has taken place. Long-timers no doubt remember the Kaboomite Incident, and the cost both in goodwill and in financial wealth that was required from us to set things right after we made that mistake. I expect the same willingness to carry out corrective actions from the Roughriders, but it is vitally important that if they are punished for something, that they be punished for something that they actually did."

He continued by stating that StellviaCorp had requested the Erisians provide a judge who was competent in maritime and international law, and that the Stellvians would provide chambers on station Odyssey for a venue for the hearings, and would pay any transportation costs required to bring witnesses and experts to and from the hearings.

When asked about the ties between StellviaCorp and the Roughriders casting doubt as to the impartiality of the hearings, Mr. Scott stated that all sessions of the hearing would take place in open chambers so that no pressure could be exerted on the judge without being detected.

Serenity I was unavailable for comment, but Sailor Armed Militia leader Hayakawa stated that the Crystal Millennium would cooperate fully with this hearing, even if she had to drag the Senshi assigned to Atalantae to it herself.

At press time, the Roughriders had not yet commented on this development.

---

FROM: total-insecurity@stellvia.fen
TO: Cathy@jenga.fen
SUBJECT: The upcoming hearings

Since I'm the one who suggested you hack into the protester's ship's computer, I've been asked by my employer to contact you about the hearings that will be held about the recent incident.

If you are called to the inquiry, please keep track of the expenses you incur so that we can reimburse you for your lost time and business. If for some reason you require transportation (which I doubt; I've seen Cortana), we will provide a passenger shuttle for your use.

Stellvia Corporation hopes that you will cooperate with the inquiry. I hope you'll understand when I say that I hope I don't see you there. (wink)

Takami Sakuragi

---

FROM: big-cheese@stellvia.fen
TO: blackrider@roughriders.fen
SUBJECT: The hearings I just paid for

Ben, I trust you understand why I'm doing this. Be glad it's one of your friends who's paying for the hearings, and not somebody who'd tell the judge to look into every corner of your operations to find out what else you're doing that they don't like.

As a friend, I ask you, please, to cooperate with whoever the Erisians send to look into this matter. Getting up on your high horse will only hurt you in the long run - trust me, Kohran and I know.

Noah
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[HRogge]

FROM: total-insecurity@stellvia.fen
TO: Cathy@jenga.fen
SUBJECT: The upcoming hearings

Since I'm the one who suggested you hack into the protester's ship's computer, I've been asked by my employer to contact you about the hearings that will be held about the recent incident.

If you are called to the inquiry, please keep track of the expenses you incur so that we can reimburse you for your lost time and business. If for some reason you require transportation (which I doubt; I've seen Cortana), we will provide a passenger shuttle for your use.

Stellvia Corporation hopes that you will cooperate with the inquiry. I hope you'll understand when I say that I hope I don't see you there. (wink)

Takami Sakuragi

FROM: Cathy@jenga.fen
TO: total-insecurity@stellvia.fen
SUBJECT: The upcoming hearings

Should be no problem, we are in the Main Belt at the moment, coming to Stellvia will be not that far.

I am REALLY happy that our whole discussion about "hacking" is online on the mailing list, but I am curious. How do this inquiry's work at Stellvia?

Cathy.

[Dartz]

"You know Jet, we start work there in a week,"

"And my contract is to train the A-team specifically,"

"You wouldn't know... but way back when, being seen to be working with Stellvia was poison..."

"Yeah well... Ben's a friend. I wouldn't ditch him just because because he got pissed off and made a bad call."

"I didn't say that. But maybe writing a letter to the editor announcing it to the 'verse as a whole might be a bad idea at this point, especially when the sharks are still circling. You're better just messaging Ben personally."

"..."

"Any sort of hot-headed response from anyone at this point will screw this pooch for all involved and pour gas on the flames,"

"So then, what if people ask me when I'm flying on over there? Why am I willing to work with them?"

"Then you tell them Ben's a friend and all that.... but wait until someone asks you before white knighting and coming across like a moron trying to score brownie points."

"Yeah, good point,"
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?

[Black Aeronaut]

FROM: big-cheese@stellvia.fen

TO: blackrider@roughriders.fen

SUBJECT: The hearings I just paid for

Ben, I trust you understand why I'm doing this. Be glad it's one of your friends who's paying for the hearings, and not somebody who'd tell the judge to look into every corner of your operations to find out what else you're doing that they don't like.

As a friend, I ask you, please, to cooperate with whoever the Erisians send to look into this matter. Getting up on your high horse will only hurt you in the long run - trust me, Kohran and I know.

Noah

FROM: blackrider@roughriders.fen

TO: big-cheese@stellvia.fen

SUBJECT: RE:The hearings I just paid for
Noah,
Consider my pride stung, but I'll get over it.  Thanks for the assist on this.
Seriously, I got half-a-mind that wants to find the editor responsible for this and flush their sorry ass out an airlock... no, I take that back.  I want to find the people that are trying to smear me and make them regret their actions.  Because honestly?  I know for a fact that the whole thing was handled with kid gloves - my people learned very quickly from their previous experience and I got the helmet-cam footage to prove it.  It's completely authentic - you can even have Lebia go over it.
From there, I guess it depends on how people see this.  Noah, I was not about to let these clowns go making random asses of themselves using Roughrider's property.  Especially not where business partners like CGI are involved.  But I guess some people just have to have a villain now that they think the Boskonians are no longer a threat.  (Just goes to show what THEY know.  Ah well, Hanlon's Razor and all...)
Anyhow, I'll just save the rest for when your attorney gets here.
-Benjamin

[robkelk]

FROM: Cathy@jenga.fen
TO: total-insecurity@stellvia.fen
SUBJECT: The upcoming hearings

Should be no problem, we are in the Main Belt at the moment, coming to Stellvia will be not that far.

I am REALLY happy that our whole discussion about "hacking" is online on the mailing list, but I am curious. How do this inquiry's work at Stellvia?

Cathy.

FROM: total-insecurity@stellvia.fen
TO: Cathy@jenga.fen
SUBJECT: Re: The upcoming hearings

I've never actually seen a hearing held, so I don't know for sure. But I'm told it's a cross between the French and Canadian systems - a judge is appointed and given a mandate, he decides whether he needs help and recruits a panel of other judges if he does, and he calls witnesses and experts, and goes over all the evidence he can gather. At the end of it, the judge produces a report that might or might not lead to criminal charges.

I might have something wrong in there, but everybody tells me that's the gist.

Takami
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[HRogge]

FROM: Cathy@jenga.fen
TO: total-insecurity@stellvia.fen
SUBJECT: Re: The upcoming hearings

I've never actually seen a hearing held, so I don't know for sure. But I'm told it's a cross between the French and Canadian systems - a judge is appointed and given a mandate, he decides whether he needs help and recruits a panel of other judges if he does, and he calls witnesses and experts, and goes over all the evidence he can gather. At the end of it, the judge produces a report that might or might not lead to criminal charges.

That sounds okay, I will be there...

Cathy

[firvulag]

"Grey, you do realize that the Occupiers have set up in the main hall, you know, where the entrances and docks are?"

"Of course, largest public open space on the Island.  Where else would they be?"

F pinched the bridge of his nose.  "So, if you know this, and dragged me out of my nice, comfortable berth because you learned they were setting up shop here, why are we on the far side of the station from that large, open space?"

Grey grinned at him and F felt a headache beginning to form.

"That," he said, "Is not a reassuring expression, for reasons that go far beyond the excessive number of overly sharp teeth."

They continued up the corridor for a few more meters, and F spoke again.

"That expression doesn't help either.  I remain amazed that someone who gets so much practice can fail so miserably at looking innocent."

"Really?" Grey asked.  "I thought I was getting better at it.  What gave it away this time?"

"Tail," F said.

Glancing back over her shoulder, Grey saw that her tail was twitching violently.  She let out an embarrassed giggle and shrugged.  "Anyway, we're here," she said.

F looked up at the sign over the store front.  "Shoes?  The Occupy Movement shows up and you want to go shoe shopping?"

"Of course, I didn't pack the proper boots."

"Boots? Why would..."  F said, trailing off as the realization hit him.  "You know, just for once I'd like to not leave a station an air-lock door ahead of a howling mob."

Grey sauntered into the shoe store, calling back over her shoulder.  "It doesn't happen every time.  And besides, you need the exercise."