Actions & Consequences III
| Location: Log_Location::'''The House Complex - Londinium''' | IC Date: Log_IC_Date::2541/05/25 | OOC Date: Log_OOC_Date::2017/08/27 |
| Characters: Has Characters in Scene::Kyoshiro, Has Characters in Scene::Faoite McGuire | ||
| Summary: Log_Short_Summary::More Bureaucracy... | ||
McGuire sits in the waiting room where he was instructed to sit and wait. He looks around at the blan walls and sterile furnishings. His mind knows this style of life much to well. Thirty seven years from child to adult spent in the service. His memories for the most part are of the good he got from being in the Alliance. He was lucky to have more good than bad, the worst being the war with the independence. He dropped a lot of those bombs that made Shadow unlivable. Those memories are frowned upon, but needed to get to where he is today. He laughs at that though, seeing as he could be shot or hung for the crime charged against him. Aside from the momentary laughs, he sits quietly in the waiting room. <English>
Kyoshiro is sitting across from Fao on the other side of the hallway. He's reading a local rag, Londinium Times or some such. He's got an unlit cigar between his lips. His thoughts may be on what's going to happen going forward but he's not going to put on a worried face for Fao or for anyone else here. He wasn't about to appear weak and without power. He looks over to Fao who seems to be struggling a bit as his mind wanders. "Should have brought something to read..." He says, "To keep you distracted." <English>
Alliance Security has been ON HIGH ALERT. There has been 42 attempts of people trying to get past security in the last 2 hours. There have been attempts at protests broken up outside of various offices, which is why the two have been taken to an office building that is actually NOT near the normal courtroom/interrogation rooms. There are people upset about their loved ones, mostly family members of people who lost people on that stolen Alliance cruiser years ago. Calls for execution, calls for answers, calls and calls and calls...
This is why they are still sitting in the waiting room with nervous looking security fingering weapons and shifting their weight and legal aides occasionally coming out of a closed office to ask if people need water and asking them for a few more minutes. <English>
McGuire says, "I'd drink some coffee, but water is fine, unless you can get me a cup of coffee." He looks to Kyo, "I'm fine Mibu. Even though I might be the scape goat for Rodney's actions. They all think I had something to do with that ship during our public speech on Deadwood. I'm going to fry. I can feel it in my bones. It's like Danee in my head saying the end is near. She warned me about this." He looks to his hands in his lap, fingers laying on the one book he did bring with him. "I have a book to read. It's pretty thick so it'll take some time." He taps the black hard cover of the Bible in his lap. <English>
Kyoshiro looks oddly at Fao. He looks like he wants to say something but he knows he's holding it back for if things get really bad. He had one trick left up his sleeve... okay maybe more. Seince he had found out he was Roma, he had learned to never let his full hand be shown even to those closest to you. Superstition crept in to a lot of logic that he had. It was funny how things changed a person especially when they find out things about them selves. "We'll get through this huh? Maybe folks will hate us more then they already did but... we'll never be the hero's here in the core no matter what we do." <English>
McGuire chuckles, "I do have that Parlaiment Metal. Bet that doesn't account for anything anymore." The chuckle becomes a laugh. <English>
Finally a legal aide comes out, taking a deep breath and gesturing towards the office. The other aide did return with a cup of coffee for McGuire, smiling kindly and bowing a bit before heading off. The office, has 3 people in it. Senator Ramirez, and two lawyers of sorts and there are 4 other chairs in the small room. Very hush hush and secretive because people are going nuts. <English>
Kyoshiro stands, folding his news flimsy and placing it down on the chair he was sitting at. He follows the aid into the room and takes a seat giving a respectful bow to the Senator and the lawyers. "Sorry about all the trouble." He says, meaning all the hubbub and angry people. Fao was the one who told the reporter they were comming. <English>
McGuire cups the book in his left hand and goes where shown to go. He nods to Ramirez and takes the seat indicated. The book goes back into his lap with both hands atop it. He sighs and says, "Sure, through me under the bus." He chuckles again with a wide smile. He looks to the Senator, "Sorry about that." <English>
Ramirez bows her head where she's settled down. "Today, we are going to start easy...just breathe." She does look sympathetic.
One of her companions today is a rather rat terrier looking young woman with pale grey eyes and her hair worn in a severe bun. One of the lawyers no doubt. And the other could pratcially be her twin and they do not smile or frown, just watch the two men and their security escort. "Please swear your oath to to tell the truth and nothing but the whole truth before this court today." <English>
"I swear to tell the whole truth in front of this court." Kyoshiro repeats, chewing on his cigar. His single red eye glances back to the Lawyers studying them a moment before looking back to Remirez. <English>
McGuire stands, Bible in his left hand and flattens it, placing his right hand on top of it, "I swear." He sits back down. <English>
"A bible. How apprpriately archaiac." There is a whole bunch of legal mumbo jumbo, questions and etc...and then Ratchella is up, holding a folder and starting. "Please tell us the date that you decided to perform your act of treason, and describe the events that transpired the day of this event and if needed the events that lead up to your fateful decision." This is to McGuire. <English>
Kyoshiro gives a yawn with the legal mumbo jumbo. At the Lawyers comment about Fao's bible he just shakes his head and gives a sort of 'I'm disapointed in you' kind of look to them. Like an older man chidding a youngster. He was pretty old. 53 and his age was starting to show more now than ever. He remains quiet as Fao is up first for questioning. <English>
McGuire sits strait in his chair, right foot slight ahead of his left. Hands a top the Bible he just swore to in his lap. He pulls a deep breath and says in his even tone with a slightly gravelled voice. He gives the date (OOC which I can't remember. Four years ago game time I think) and begins his tale.
"My people on Deadwood wanted to celebrait one hundred years of life on Deadwood. Our numbers lost after a massive Reaver attack. Billions of relitives lost, my great grandfather Janos was one. He was the Clans Elder for most of that one hundred years. He was twenty when the terriforming became stabble. When he died, I became next in line and took up the Elder mantal. As Elder, I address concerns of the people. In my duties, I learned the people did not want anything to do with the Alliance or it's Government. This discution came about during the setting up of the festival because all of the survivers had gathered for this. It was they who came to the discition to cecced. It was they who drew up the doctuments that were given to Parliament one hour before I announced it. It was the people of Deadwood who came to this discision. As Deadwood Clan Elder, it was my responsibility to announce the planets instention." He nods to what he just said and looks to arround the room. "Can I smoke?" A hand going for his pouch in his vest pocket. <English>
Ratchella just eyes McGuire, listening to him and they are all taking notes and she hmphs softly. "In order to ceceed from the Alliance, at some point your planet had to have acknowledged or been recognized as an official colony by the Alliance. Was Deadwood ever an official colony of the Alliance or was it discovered by the alliance and then the necessary connections made at that time. Help me see clearly, how your planet was in the position to ceceed." <English>
McGuire says, "Deadwood was colonized one hundred and twenty years ago. Twenty years and it failed. The second attempt was suggessful and it was due to Janos and his people. What they were celebrating was one hundred years of survival on one of the harshest planets on the rim. The cecceding came up when all the people got together. It became law when they wrote their constitution and through proper channels presented it. The Deadwood people are not idiots. They knew what they were doing. They felt if they could do it for a hundred years without Alliance help, they figured they could do it legally. The Alliance got a tax from Deadwood that was near impossible for the planet to make. You see, we don't use money. Film productions paid those fees to use the wooded areas of the planet for movies. That was always tricky because of the frequent Reaver raids. But to cecced would remove the need for such a tax. It made sense for them, so they took a vote and all agreed. The rest is where we stand now. My planet is locked down and I stand here before you fine people to answer for it." <English>
"Were appeals to reduce your taxes ever filed? Did anyone think to apply for some type of arrangement as a historical location to nullify the need for taxes? At the peak of another dangerous time in our history when tensions were already high as can be, the best choice your elders could make was to choose that time, the exact day...to universally announce doing something that would account to being horrible. As you said, the Alliance for the most part left your people alone. Didn't even provide consistent assistance. We had no steady presence that far out due to the threats. But a tax and the pride of surviving where others had not, led to your people asking you to put them directly in the spotlight...on the same day, an act of war was performed." She just stares for a moment. "Did you have any knowledge or suspicion beforehand that the Alliance cruiser would be attacked that day? The Alliance cruiser had been sent out there in order to provide a small bit of assistance against the foes your people know too well. It was not attacking your planet with bombs or explosives. So did you know, that this attack was happening?" <English>
Kyoshiro shifts in his seat, "To be completely fair, the Kris SHena and her member clans have tried to negotiate with the Alliance on such matters before and were completely rebuffed in the past or ignored. I can see how they might skip all that afteer so many failures at attempted politicing here on the core worlds." <English>
McGuire says, "It was the look on the faces of those in the audiance that made me turn and look at the rising battle going on behind me. My speach quckly ended then and the festival ended as well. I remember it vividly, I can't not. Afterwards, I heard rumors of Freedom Fighters or some such, but even that was never heard from again." He shrugs slightly and continues, "To answer your question, no." <English>
Both twins just look over to Kyoshiro without blinking, staring and then looking back to McGuire. "So, you had no idea that the people responsible for this attack were even on your planet and/or that they were affiliated with terrorist organizations?" <English>
McGuire nods his head up and down, "No, not at all. The festival was open to the 'verse. It was suppose to be a party." <English> "Did you know any of the people responsible for this attack?" Comes the next question. <English>
Kyoshiro shakes his head, "No... I and the Seventh Division were on Deadwood because we were afraid of retaliation at the announcement from the Temperance. They number around Five Thousand or so. Deadwood is a big planet. Our forces were focused on the security of the people and any rebuff of attack on the festival from the Alliance. The Kris SHena's job is to protect the people of it's member clans. THat's what we did." <English>
McGuire says, "I have no idea who took the ship and nobody has told me otherwise of the taking of said ship. No." <English>
"So, it the Kris Shena, as you call them..." Something new has come up, something that makes the second twin speak up and Ramirez discretely facepalm. "My apologies, lets back up some. You are saying that you assembled a military force prepared to fight the Alliance if they followed through with their orders and training to arrest McGuire for Treason? And during this, one of the most amazing distractions of all times took place in the form of the Cruiser being stolen by Rodney Kilbride?" <English>
McGuire looks suprised, "Rodney?" He starts to laugh. "I take that back. I know Kilbride, we fight every time we see each other. Toe to toe knock down knock out fist-a-cuffs. We've hated each other from the war, him being Brown Coat and me ex Alliance, and irish to boot. Any excuse to plant a fist in that ol coot. I won a few too, but he got his lumps in." He still looks like he can't believe it. <English>
"When you have the habit of dropping bombs on people just to get one crotchety old man on some pointless back water world, yes. We were woried it would be taken out on others. Fao is and always will be willing to talk and face his accused crimes. I think him being here shows evidence to that. ... We had no damn idea about what the hell was going on with Kilbride. You know that racist pig has a history of hunting down Roma children and families. Him and that Cuck Michio Kira..." Some sort of flash of anger seems to flash over that crimson eye of his but he hides it after a moment. "There is no law against assembling militia on the Rim. There is not law against arming those who would want to protect and defend those who can't. Everyone there had a permit to carry what ever weapon they had." <English>
"So, now we have introduced the the potential obstruction of justice as well, had things not gone horribly wrong and you did not have the distraction provided by the theft." The twins are taking turns speaking. "So nobody, directly affiliated with either of you, knew the details of the attack or participated in it?" <English> McGuire shakes his head, "Nope." His pouch was pulled and a paper skin pulled. He begins to place the tobacco into the sleeve and gracefully rolls it quickly to his lips where he licks it closed. The pouch is returned and the lighter comes out. <English>
Kyoshiro just shakes his head and heaves a heavy sigh. "No... Nobody knew about the attack or participated in it." <English>
The Twins just look at each other and then back at the two. "And why should we believe you? Make your case. As you stated, your people have no love for the Alliance. You saw them as a threat on your planet. You wanted nothing further to do to them due to how little they actually helped you and how much you were taxed. So, why should we believe that this proof that you were better off on your own...was not just what you needed to prove to the universe, that you were right?" <English> McGuire looks confused, "I have a photographic memory and yet, would you repeat that? I got lost along the way." <English>
"The highjacking of that cruiser and death of loyal servicemembers only served to PROVE what your people believed all along. That the Alliance could provide no protection that you all couldn't provide for yourself and you were better off alone. Why should we believe that the timing of both events was 100% coincidental. How would those who attacked that cruiser know to do this timing? It couldn't just be the cover of the festival they wanted to use. They knew the cruiser would be there. And you and your companion here knew that you'd be announcing your cecession from the Alliance. You have to admit, the entire thing looks suspicious. So why. Should we. Believe you?" <English>
"Deadwood is a might piffed at the Alliance, sure. But don't lump them in with out other member clans who live on Alliance worlds. Ariel is even a member clan. Years we tried to bargain with you and you all didn't take the time to care or listen to how our culture operated. Now you're asking like it's some new thing because we were forced to take matters into our own hands." He pauses looking to Fao, "I think I get what they're asking for..." He looks back to them then speaks, "A Culture grown so isolated becomes something of it's own. I'm not sure Fao's people live in this Utopia he speaks of. A lot of the clan's dealing seem a lot like some sort of Anarcho-syndiclist operation. THey are stubborn, strong willed, and hard working people. THey just don't want people telling them what to do and how to live. IT was leaked that Alliance had plans to glass Deadwood during the reaver attack. Sacrifice them all for the good of the core worlds. Well perhaps that's what set them off on this journy." He tilts his head, "Why should you believe us? I don't know. Because we sitting her telling you the truth. I'm answering your questions as best I can. Temperance was there for a good long while from what I remember. Any dipshit could have told Kilbride it was there. He chose the festival because he hates the Rom and thinks it would take the heat off him. THat's my guess... or some sort of sadistic thing he had going." <English>
McGuire says, "I wouldn't put it past Rodney to have set it up to co-inside with the festival in order to put that doubt in your mind. Son of a bitch. I assure you, I have nothing to do with Rodney's affairs or the like." He looks to Kyo then back again, "What he said." <English>
Then the Senator speaks up. "Did you have any evidence that a nuke of Deadwood was being considered? Who was your supposed 'leak'?" <English>
"Not sure how you missed it it was all over the Cortex. Even my military records were leaked." Kyoshiro informs. <English>
McGuire looks at everyone in the room, "I have no idea who was doing that. None what so ever. Running cargo along the boarder and rim worlds occupide my time alot then." <English>
"There had never been any plans to nuke Deadwood, it was too far out to make any tactical sense or prove any protection to the core worlds. Discussions may have occured and meeting notes perhaps were leaked, but there is no discussion that high up that would be recorded until the decision was actually made. So, regardless of what you believe you saw on the cortex..." The Senator just shakes her head, looking between the two. The twins take back over. "A Culture can never be so isolated that they consider the government as an enemy. Your statements have been recorded and will be reviewed." They look grim. "If you are found innocent of being part of conspiring to attack Alliance forces and therefore partially responsible for the deaths of many loyal service men, that charge will be removed. Do either of you have any questions?" <English>
"Oh sure thing." Kyoshiro says reguarding there not having been plans to Nuke Deadwood. "Yes... Senator. What do I have to do to get you to come to my hotel and let me cook you dinner. I keep telling your aid to set it up..." Kyoshiro says with a bit of a chuckle and a smirk. He wants to smoke his cigar so he might be getting a bit antsy as he is addicted to them. "Governemnt is not a natural thing, girls. It defies all natural law. People have seen large Government as an enemy in human past for a very long time. It always stats out small and limited. Then Metasticizes. It's like a tumor, waiting to burst." He smiles to them, "But what do I know, I'm just an old foggie." <English>
McGuire says, "A culture that believes itself free of said Government for the past four years. They've been completely left alone as far as they know, not needing to send cortex messages or shuttle somewhere else. Isolation creates a stronger bond between the people, and the people don't like outsiders." He rises, "No questions." <English>
The Twins do not look impressed but its probably impossible for them to make another facial expression, they just stare at Kyoshiro and then back to McGuire. "We are adjourned, please return with your escorts. We need to examine this evidence." The Senator rises to her feet gracefully. "I will...set up a dinner, with you both in a day or so." <English>
"Sounds good..." Kyoshiro says moving along with Fao. <English>
