This is the first of two scenes, the second of which is still under construction, but what the hell, I think this one's ready.
***
As she was processed through the security terminal of Serenity Valleys small, lightly used jail facility, it occurred to Janet Buckley that it was still quicker and easier than going through airport security back Earth-side. And if the guards here seemed a bit on edge, well, they had more justification than the jerks that made a point of detaining the 'freak' just to be troublesome. And they still had better manners.
The booth she was standing in made a cheerful 'ding!' noise, and a light above her head turned green. "You can step out now ma'am," said the militiaman at the table ahead of her. Janet walked over, and the man handed her back her briefcase with an apologetic smile. "Sorry for the inconvenience," he added.
"It's quite alright," Janet said with a faint smile. "I think I'd be more alarmed if you just let me walk on in."
Stifling a laugh behind a cough, the guard glanced past her, to where Ryoko Asakura was waiting. "If you could step into the booth please ma'am," he said politely, and if his voice was just a little cooler than it had been a moment ago, it still displayed none of the irritation she'd heard the militia had towards the crew of the Sol Bianca right now. Ryoko did as she was told, and a few seconds later, the booth repeated the routine it had performed with Janet, and the guard waved her on through.
Taking a pair of id cards from the printer next to his computer, he handed them to the pair. "For security reasons, you will be required to keep that card on you and in clear sight at all times,” he warned. “They will grant you entrance to specific areas of the facility, but only in the presence of an approved escort. You will also be required to return the cards before departing."
A woman's voice spoke up from behind the pair, making Ryoko jump slightly. “I’ll look after them from here Corporal.”
“Yes Commander,” the militiaman said with a nod, as Janet turned to see Lisa Hayes standing there, hands in the pockets of her uniform jacket, a thoughtful expression on her face as she considered the lawyer. The hooves, the horns, the glowing eyes... She could almost see the old joke trying to get past the woman's self-control.
Ignoring that with the ease of years of practise, the Draenei held out her hand. “Commander Hayes.”
Returning the handshake, the mililtiawoman nodded respectfully. “Miss Buckley. Thank you for coming so quickly. I know the run from Kandor isn’t exactly short right now.”
That got a polite laugh out of Janet. “Ah, it’ll be worse in a few months. Besides, it gave me an excuse to put my foot down.” Smile fading, she gave the other woman a curious look. “Although I have to admit, I’m curious as to why you recommended us to the Sol Bianca. I know you have several experienced criminal defense attorneys here on Ganymede.”
Leading the pair to the door out of the room, Lisa nodded. “We do, but this case is rather delicate, and several that Sheriff Roberts and I spoke to felt that their skills and expertise weren’t what the situation required. Others are simply too busy.” Shrugging slightly, she gave the pair a bemused look. “No matter where you go, some professions are always in demand. But once it became clear we’d need to look off-world, virtually everyone we spoke to recommended we contact Murdock and Walters.”
Glowing eyes narrowing, Janet gave the woman a suspicious look. “Really.”
Ignoring the woman's semi-glare, Lisa turned a corner, leading them past a guard room. “Really. In many ways, this case is relatively simple. There’s a surplus of evidence and witnesses after all. The difficulty comes in assigning appropriate punishments. You’ve studied our legal code. You know we’re not big believers in the ‘Azkaban them all, leave them there for X years’ approach,” she noted.
The Draenei nodded slightly, although there was a touch of irritation in her voice when she replied. “I also know you believe in trying to practise ‘innocent until proven guilty.’ When you start talking about punishments quite so soon, it doesn’t quite feel that way,” she noted.
Laughing bitterly, Lisa gave her a grin that had no humor in it. “Oh, don’t you worry. The trials will be fair and free of bias. I’ve made sure of that. I’m simply planning ahead for afterwards.” She sighed as she noticed the lawyers skeptical look. “I’ve explained to the mayor that, due to my personal bias, I will be unable to take certain roles in the legal proceedings. As such, he’s arranged for the mayor of Silver Hills to take my place.”
Rubbing at her neck, Janet blushed slightly. “Ah. I apologise-”
Waving a hand, Lisa dismissed the apology. “Not a problem. Worrying about issues like that is part of your job, after all.” She paused, expression thoughtful and slightly depressed. “Besides, we both probably know people that don’t even pay lip service to the ideal.” Before either of the other women could say anything, she shook her head and continued on. “Anyway, you’ll be speaking with miss Glear first. She’s closer, plus…” she glanced over at Ryoko, who instinctively backed away slightly, “I think she could use a friend to talk to.”
The android considered that, her eyes widening in alarm. “Is she alright?”
Lisa shook her head. “After yesterday, she’s a long way from alright. The adrenaline’s worn off, and she’s been stuck with nothing to do except think back over her actions and decisions. Judging by her behavior, it’s pretty clear that she recognizes the mistakes she made.” Stopping by the door of an interview room, she turned to look at the pair. “She’s received treatment for her injuries and meals. As she requested a lawyer, she hasn’t been interviewed in depth yet. I’d like to do that later today, once you’ve spoken with both her and the Professor,” she told Janet. The lawyer nodded, and Lisa unlocked the door and opened it for them. “I’ll wait out here.”
There was nothing surprising about the room beyond. Sometimes, Janet got the impression that some designs were just universal. Sitting at the old metal table in the middle of the room, a miserable looking Miyu Glear glanced up from where she’d been staring at the coffee mug in front of her, twitched in surprise, then jumped to her feet and pulled Ryoko into one of the more desperate hugs Janet had seen all year.
The sheer force of the embrace caught Ryoko by surprise, but she recovered quickly, returning the hug. “It’s okay… I’m here,” she said gently. They stood there for several minutes, Ryoko simply holding Miyu close and providing a comforting presence. Smiling gently, Janet waited by the door, giving them the time they needed.
Eventually, Miyu calmed down slightly, breaking the hug and wiping at her face. “Sorry,” she mumbled, before looking at Ryoko again. “The Professor, is he-”
“He’s fine,” Ryoko reassured her. “He woke up a few hours ago. They’ve shown me video from the security cameras, and he’s in a note-taking mood. I told them to just make sure he’s got plenty of paper, and he’ll be fine for most of the day. You know how he is right after he wakes up from an induced nap.” Considering that, Miyu began to scowl slightly. “What?”
“You haven’t even seen him yet?” she asked, anger appearing on her face. “The browncoats still have him locked up?!”
“Yes Miyu, they still have him locked up as well,” Ryoko replied, irritated. “That’s what happens when you’re arrested for assault.” Her words, and the tone she delivered them in, cut through Miyus anger, making her flinch back slightly. “In case you didn’t notice, you weren’t the only one that messed up yesterday,” Ryoko continued, folding her arms under her breasts and keeping her glare fixed on her sister. “The Professor was throwing lightning all over the place. We are so lucky he didn’t hit one of the people standing around filming the show.”
“That’s not the point,” the other woman shot back. “You’re just going to let them lock him away somewhere, and you’re standing here talking to me.”
Blinking, Ryoko stared at her in confusion for a moment, then her expression darkened again as understanding set in. “Oh for gods sake Miyu,” she growled. “This isn’t the Boskones we’re talking about here. This is Serenity Valley. They’re not going to hurt him, or exploit him, and you know it.” Stepping forward, she poked an index finger into Miyus chest, pushing her back. “You’re making the same mistake that got us into this mess to begin with. And given you nearly killed a man yesterday because of that paranoia, I’d have expected you to be a bit more careful.”
Miyu winced, but didn’t look away from her sister's glare. “We’re supposed to protect him,” she shot back.
“And we are,” Ryoko growled. “But this isn’t like Denmark. I can’t tell people the Professor was actually being a big damn hero.” Shaking her head, she snorted in bitter amusement. “If nothing else, people know him better now.” Her amusement faded, and the glare returned. “We don’t just protect him from threats. We look after him when he’s not thinking straight. You know as well as I do that yesterday, he was in one of his moods, and we should have seen it.” Her shoulders slumped slightly, and she shook her head sadly. “He should have been put to bed long before we even got near Ganymede,” she admitted.
Bowing her head, Miyu conceded the point. “Instead, I jumped in blades first.” Noticing the third woman in the room for the first time, she blinked in surprise. “I.. I guess you’re my lawyer?”
“Janet Buckley, from Murdock and Walters,” she replied with a polite nod. “I’ve been assigned as your defense attorney.” Watching Miyus expression shift as she looked her over, Janet waited for her client to open her mouth before adding, “and I’ve heard every devil joke.”
Pausing, Miyu stood there, mouth still open. “I… was going to comment on that,” she admitted at last. Ryoko giggled, earning a dirty look from her sister. “Um, right. Anyway, have a seat,” she offered, gesturing at the table. “Sorry about not seeing you there. It’s been a long day.”
Janet accepted the apology with a smile. “It’s alright. It’s something of a nice change. I tend to be noticed, even out here.” The joke got a genuine, if still shaky, smile out of her client. Taking a folder from her briefcase, the lawyer placed it on the table in front of her as the other two women were seated. “Your sister was right about the local authorities. Besides the fact they’ve worked quite hard to establish a legal code for their faction, yesterday's events were very public,” she explained. “Even the more… judicially flexible groups would have difficulty with misbehaving with all the media attention this case is drawing.”
Confused, Miyu glanced at her sister, who rolled her eyes in response. “All those people that decided to film the fight on their phones? Well, a lot of AIs were watching as well. Anything about the Professor is big news… by the time you were handcuffed, it was being broadcast to most of the system.”
Taking a moment to consider that, Miyu groaned, burying her face in her hands. “The downside of improved communications technology,” Janet mused, closing her briefcase and placing it on the floor, next to her chair. “It seems that Fenspace is picking some of the ‘danes bad media habits.” She paused, considering the ISN nonsense she’d watched earlier, then shook her head slightly and moved on. “From what I’ve seen so far, the Ganymede authorities are determined to keep the situation open and as just as they can manage. That should help, at least on the local level.” She glanced over at Ryoko and gave her a lopsided smile. “How you deal with other factions after this is, for the moment, not covered by my contract.”
Looking up from her hands, Miyu raised an eyebrow. Leaning back in her chair, her sister stared up at the ceiling. “Shroeck’s made it clear that if we go anywhere near Grover’s, they’ll blast us out of the sky, and Scott’s probably thinking the same thing for anything Stellvia related.” Miyu squeaked in slight disbelief, getting a bitter laugh from Ryoko. “Oh, I’m not joking. The Senshi have merely ‘expressed their concern’, but any visit to Venus in the near future is going to be awkward…” Pausing, she considered the matter. “Huh. I haven’t heard anything from Haruhi,” she realized, her voice a mixture of surprise and dread.
Groaning, Miyu buried her face in her hands again. “Oh damn…”
Coughing slightly, Janet got both women's attention. “If we could focus on local matters for a moment?” she asked politely. “Thank you. Now then, Miss Glear, I’d like to hear your recollection of events, starting from when the Sol Bianca docked at Serenity Valley.”
***
***
As she was processed through the security terminal of Serenity Valleys small, lightly used jail facility, it occurred to Janet Buckley that it was still quicker and easier than going through airport security back Earth-side. And if the guards here seemed a bit on edge, well, they had more justification than the jerks that made a point of detaining the 'freak' just to be troublesome. And they still had better manners.
The booth she was standing in made a cheerful 'ding!' noise, and a light above her head turned green. "You can step out now ma'am," said the militiaman at the table ahead of her. Janet walked over, and the man handed her back her briefcase with an apologetic smile. "Sorry for the inconvenience," he added.
"It's quite alright," Janet said with a faint smile. "I think I'd be more alarmed if you just let me walk on in."
Stifling a laugh behind a cough, the guard glanced past her, to where Ryoko Asakura was waiting. "If you could step into the booth please ma'am," he said politely, and if his voice was just a little cooler than it had been a moment ago, it still displayed none of the irritation she'd heard the militia had towards the crew of the Sol Bianca right now. Ryoko did as she was told, and a few seconds later, the booth repeated the routine it had performed with Janet, and the guard waved her on through.
Taking a pair of id cards from the printer next to his computer, he handed them to the pair. "For security reasons, you will be required to keep that card on you and in clear sight at all times,” he warned. “They will grant you entrance to specific areas of the facility, but only in the presence of an approved escort. You will also be required to return the cards before departing."
A woman's voice spoke up from behind the pair, making Ryoko jump slightly. “I’ll look after them from here Corporal.”
“Yes Commander,” the militiaman said with a nod, as Janet turned to see Lisa Hayes standing there, hands in the pockets of her uniform jacket, a thoughtful expression on her face as she considered the lawyer. The hooves, the horns, the glowing eyes... She could almost see the old joke trying to get past the woman's self-control.
Ignoring that with the ease of years of practise, the Draenei held out her hand. “Commander Hayes.”
Returning the handshake, the mililtiawoman nodded respectfully. “Miss Buckley. Thank you for coming so quickly. I know the run from Kandor isn’t exactly short right now.”
That got a polite laugh out of Janet. “Ah, it’ll be worse in a few months. Besides, it gave me an excuse to put my foot down.” Smile fading, she gave the other woman a curious look. “Although I have to admit, I’m curious as to why you recommended us to the Sol Bianca. I know you have several experienced criminal defense attorneys here on Ganymede.”
Leading the pair to the door out of the room, Lisa nodded. “We do, but this case is rather delicate, and several that Sheriff Roberts and I spoke to felt that their skills and expertise weren’t what the situation required. Others are simply too busy.” Shrugging slightly, she gave the pair a bemused look. “No matter where you go, some professions are always in demand. But once it became clear we’d need to look off-world, virtually everyone we spoke to recommended we contact Murdock and Walters.”
Glowing eyes narrowing, Janet gave the woman a suspicious look. “Really.”
Ignoring the woman's semi-glare, Lisa turned a corner, leading them past a guard room. “Really. In many ways, this case is relatively simple. There’s a surplus of evidence and witnesses after all. The difficulty comes in assigning appropriate punishments. You’ve studied our legal code. You know we’re not big believers in the ‘Azkaban them all, leave them there for X years’ approach,” she noted.
The Draenei nodded slightly, although there was a touch of irritation in her voice when she replied. “I also know you believe in trying to practise ‘innocent until proven guilty.’ When you start talking about punishments quite so soon, it doesn’t quite feel that way,” she noted.
Laughing bitterly, Lisa gave her a grin that had no humor in it. “Oh, don’t you worry. The trials will be fair and free of bias. I’ve made sure of that. I’m simply planning ahead for afterwards.” She sighed as she noticed the lawyers skeptical look. “I’ve explained to the mayor that, due to my personal bias, I will be unable to take certain roles in the legal proceedings. As such, he’s arranged for the mayor of Silver Hills to take my place.”
Rubbing at her neck, Janet blushed slightly. “Ah. I apologise-”
Waving a hand, Lisa dismissed the apology. “Not a problem. Worrying about issues like that is part of your job, after all.” She paused, expression thoughtful and slightly depressed. “Besides, we both probably know people that don’t even pay lip service to the ideal.” Before either of the other women could say anything, she shook her head and continued on. “Anyway, you’ll be speaking with miss Glear first. She’s closer, plus…” she glanced over at Ryoko, who instinctively backed away slightly, “I think she could use a friend to talk to.”
The android considered that, her eyes widening in alarm. “Is she alright?”
Lisa shook her head. “After yesterday, she’s a long way from alright. The adrenaline’s worn off, and she’s been stuck with nothing to do except think back over her actions and decisions. Judging by her behavior, it’s pretty clear that she recognizes the mistakes she made.” Stopping by the door of an interview room, she turned to look at the pair. “She’s received treatment for her injuries and meals. As she requested a lawyer, she hasn’t been interviewed in depth yet. I’d like to do that later today, once you’ve spoken with both her and the Professor,” she told Janet. The lawyer nodded, and Lisa unlocked the door and opened it for them. “I’ll wait out here.”
There was nothing surprising about the room beyond. Sometimes, Janet got the impression that some designs were just universal. Sitting at the old metal table in the middle of the room, a miserable looking Miyu Glear glanced up from where she’d been staring at the coffee mug in front of her, twitched in surprise, then jumped to her feet and pulled Ryoko into one of the more desperate hugs Janet had seen all year.
The sheer force of the embrace caught Ryoko by surprise, but she recovered quickly, returning the hug. “It’s okay… I’m here,” she said gently. They stood there for several minutes, Ryoko simply holding Miyu close and providing a comforting presence. Smiling gently, Janet waited by the door, giving them the time they needed.
Eventually, Miyu calmed down slightly, breaking the hug and wiping at her face. “Sorry,” she mumbled, before looking at Ryoko again. “The Professor, is he-”
“He’s fine,” Ryoko reassured her. “He woke up a few hours ago. They’ve shown me video from the security cameras, and he’s in a note-taking mood. I told them to just make sure he’s got plenty of paper, and he’ll be fine for most of the day. You know how he is right after he wakes up from an induced nap.” Considering that, Miyu began to scowl slightly. “What?”
“You haven’t even seen him yet?” she asked, anger appearing on her face. “The browncoats still have him locked up?!”
“Yes Miyu, they still have him locked up as well,” Ryoko replied, irritated. “That’s what happens when you’re arrested for assault.” Her words, and the tone she delivered them in, cut through Miyus anger, making her flinch back slightly. “In case you didn’t notice, you weren’t the only one that messed up yesterday,” Ryoko continued, folding her arms under her breasts and keeping her glare fixed on her sister. “The Professor was throwing lightning all over the place. We are so lucky he didn’t hit one of the people standing around filming the show.”
“That’s not the point,” the other woman shot back. “You’re just going to let them lock him away somewhere, and you’re standing here talking to me.”
Blinking, Ryoko stared at her in confusion for a moment, then her expression darkened again as understanding set in. “Oh for gods sake Miyu,” she growled. “This isn’t the Boskones we’re talking about here. This is Serenity Valley. They’re not going to hurt him, or exploit him, and you know it.” Stepping forward, she poked an index finger into Miyus chest, pushing her back. “You’re making the same mistake that got us into this mess to begin with. And given you nearly killed a man yesterday because of that paranoia, I’d have expected you to be a bit more careful.”
Miyu winced, but didn’t look away from her sister's glare. “We’re supposed to protect him,” she shot back.
“And we are,” Ryoko growled. “But this isn’t like Denmark. I can’t tell people the Professor was actually being a big damn hero.” Shaking her head, she snorted in bitter amusement. “If nothing else, people know him better now.” Her amusement faded, and the glare returned. “We don’t just protect him from threats. We look after him when he’s not thinking straight. You know as well as I do that yesterday, he was in one of his moods, and we should have seen it.” Her shoulders slumped slightly, and she shook her head sadly. “He should have been put to bed long before we even got near Ganymede,” she admitted.
Bowing her head, Miyu conceded the point. “Instead, I jumped in blades first.” Noticing the third woman in the room for the first time, she blinked in surprise. “I.. I guess you’re my lawyer?”
“Janet Buckley, from Murdock and Walters,” she replied with a polite nod. “I’ve been assigned as your defense attorney.” Watching Miyus expression shift as she looked her over, Janet waited for her client to open her mouth before adding, “and I’ve heard every devil joke.”
Pausing, Miyu stood there, mouth still open. “I… was going to comment on that,” she admitted at last. Ryoko giggled, earning a dirty look from her sister. “Um, right. Anyway, have a seat,” she offered, gesturing at the table. “Sorry about not seeing you there. It’s been a long day.”
Janet accepted the apology with a smile. “It’s alright. It’s something of a nice change. I tend to be noticed, even out here.” The joke got a genuine, if still shaky, smile out of her client. Taking a folder from her briefcase, the lawyer placed it on the table in front of her as the other two women were seated. “Your sister was right about the local authorities. Besides the fact they’ve worked quite hard to establish a legal code for their faction, yesterday's events were very public,” she explained. “Even the more… judicially flexible groups would have difficulty with misbehaving with all the media attention this case is drawing.”
Confused, Miyu glanced at her sister, who rolled her eyes in response. “All those people that decided to film the fight on their phones? Well, a lot of AIs were watching as well. Anything about the Professor is big news… by the time you were handcuffed, it was being broadcast to most of the system.”
Taking a moment to consider that, Miyu groaned, burying her face in her hands. “The downside of improved communications technology,” Janet mused, closing her briefcase and placing it on the floor, next to her chair. “It seems that Fenspace is picking some of the ‘danes bad media habits.” She paused, considering the ISN nonsense she’d watched earlier, then shook her head slightly and moved on. “From what I’ve seen so far, the Ganymede authorities are determined to keep the situation open and as just as they can manage. That should help, at least on the local level.” She glanced over at Ryoko and gave her a lopsided smile. “How you deal with other factions after this is, for the moment, not covered by my contract.”
Looking up from her hands, Miyu raised an eyebrow. Leaning back in her chair, her sister stared up at the ceiling. “Shroeck’s made it clear that if we go anywhere near Grover’s, they’ll blast us out of the sky, and Scott’s probably thinking the same thing for anything Stellvia related.” Miyu squeaked in slight disbelief, getting a bitter laugh from Ryoko. “Oh, I’m not joking. The Senshi have merely ‘expressed their concern’, but any visit to Venus in the near future is going to be awkward…” Pausing, she considered the matter. “Huh. I haven’t heard anything from Haruhi,” she realized, her voice a mixture of surprise and dread.
Groaning, Miyu buried her face in her hands again. “Oh damn…”
Coughing slightly, Janet got both women's attention. “If we could focus on local matters for a moment?” she asked politely. “Thank you. Now then, Miss Glear, I’d like to hear your recollection of events, starting from when the Sol Bianca docked at Serenity Valley.”
***