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STARWEB 1-5

Page 31

by M. Modak


  “So governments should use killing as a last resort, not as a legal prerequisite.”

  “Yes. I see government as a natural consequence of an uneducated society. A society who is, as a whole, just as guilty as those they condemn to death. The record of their past actions speaks from the blood still trapped in their home world’s soil… History is limited to what each government wishes its people to remember.”

  He took a breath, “But, I also see the need for governments… Their natural. Dragons must crawl before they fly. You must see your own flaws before you can claim it and change it. Your public courts are a vital part of government. They allow the people to see this, over time, for themselves.”

  “So what do we do about them?”

  “As far as they go,” He pointed a thumb at Sleven and the ship. “Your justice system would need a substantial amount of evidence to try and convict these people for crimes on my world. We don’t have another witness available. My world is also out of your court’s jurisdiction. What we do have is a group of people trying to trick your government into buying, “Special Water,” from their barren world. Fraud isn’t an offence that will keep them locked up for very long. However, I intend to reveal the Red Dragons inside them, their true nature, before all the worlds. Then I’ll let them decide if they want these red dragons dressed as men to roam freely throughout their populations.”

  Emyeu stared at him before speaking, “Well, I’m not sure I agree with your conclusions about the definition of Justice. It feels a little harsh, but what you’re saying rings true. When were done, I hope we get a chance to explore all this. There are more than a few people I know who think the same as you.”

  He smiled at that, “If there is a quire singing the song of justice, I’d like to join my voice in harmony.” He looked at the door behind her and his face took on shadows. For a good ten seconds he held the look before walking to her taking her in his arms. She looked up at him and turned to see what he was looking at. The door they had come through opened and a group of security guards, holding stun poles, rushed into the repair dock. “Get down on your knees!” commanded the leader of the group.

  Emyeu stepped in-between them and Drahca, “Sargent, I am Emyeu, Captain of the StarExplorer and Governor Fael’s daughter. We have captured Sleven and his band of pirates.”

  The Sargent saw the ship and Sleven incased in crystal. Then he did a double take of Drahca as he walked onward, mouth still open as if he had seen an angel from God. He pulled his attention away from the big man and looked her in the eyes. He recognized her. He shook his head as a sadness over took him. Drahca stepped close and held her again as the Sargent said, Mrs. Fael, I’m so sorry to be the one to tell you, your father is dead.

  Chapter 7 Guilty

  Both of Drahca’s fists were at his sides and his bare feet stood on a white, travertine marble podium. A tall, pink crystal sat on a stand before him. It was one of the oversized crystals the group of exiles had created while onboard Emyeu’s StarExplorier. Drahca’s head was tilted back, and his face set in concentration as he stared up, through the middle of the Galactic Court’s open roofed atrium and into the night sky. The large stadium around him was filled with thousands of spectators. The rest of the civilized galaxy remotely viewed the trial from their distant home worlds.

  The audience silently waited for the demonstration to begin. Drahca had promised to reveal the nature of both the Exiles and himself. It was nighttime where they were, and the moon and stars glowed brightly above. A small asteroid, large enough to see with the naked eye, was now in alignment between the moon and the small planet this special court was being held on.

  Drahca wore a tightly fitting white suit with a gold and brown robe that flowed to the ground. The robe swayed dramatically in a soft breeze. It served his purpose. No one could take his or her eyes off him. Right now, that was what he wanted most.

  Lifting his hands above his closed eyes, mentally, he reached down into his root chakra and called upon the stored energy within every cell. From his whole-self he began opening all the pathways of energy ending at his crown. White-hot light began to shine through his cupped fingers and a small crystal ball, bright as the sun, appeared. It started growing, multiplying its intensity as he chanted a prayer of gratitude to Elohim for allowing him this demonstration. The people of this galaxy would now see what they would be dealing with if he failed his mission.

  When the sphere was nearly the size of his head he lowered it before his chest, “Ahhhh ah!” He let out a savage growl, sending an explosive wave of raw power into it. The crystal took in the broad spectrum of light coming from his chest and focused it into a wide shaft of coursing blue energy that exploded from the sphere and pierced the large, pink crystal standing before him!

  There was a collective gasp as the light seemed to slow inside the large crystal and then shrink into a thin line of bright red light. The red line went up the crystal and shot out through the pointed top with a high-pitched scream that made everyone cover their ears. The high-pitched blast of sound coming from the crystal changed in tone as if a huge bell had been struck. Its pitch stretched as the laser beam reached the small asteroid above. There was a few seconds delay before the asteroid began to glow red then white hot. Silently, it exploded into a shower of slowly falling particles!

  Everyone rose to their feet. Some were screaming as they pointed to the sky. While others just stood with jaws wide open and watched in silence as the fading streamers of falling red sparks died out. It was a beautiful sight that was being simultaneously broadcast on quantum cameras and viewed on countless worlds.

  Due to the implications, the Judge allowed the spectacle to go on for another twenty minutes. The unspoken reality was clear. These people, Drahca and the exiles, were extremely powerful. Before the demonstration, Drahca had said that the crystal’s yield could be exponentially enhanced by current technology.

  The Judge called order and slowly everyone sat back down in their seats. When there was stillness the prosecutor said, “This is my closing argument. You have all seen the True-Identity Conformation Certificates. These are the men, we all saw on the images produced by the surveillance recorders, in court yesterday. I have proved that they conspired, kidnapped and then executed Governor Fael and dozens of our top congressional and industrial representatives.

  “Those representatives saw something that prompted an investigation.” The prosecutor gestured to someone and a holographic document appeared in the middle of the court. In bold highlight everyone could see the genetic signature of Governor Fael. He had ordered a full investigation into the (claims and nature) of the party headed by Sleven.

  “You see, this is what happened. Security personal and several components from the main nuclear fusion reactor had gone missing. Yesterday, you saw the surveillance hologram of Sleven and his people using their unique abilities to break into the main reactors, kill the security guards and attendants and then take what they wanted.

  “The late Governor was not fooled by their smiles and civil gestures. When Sleven realized this, he saw his plans threatened by the investigation and acted…inhumanly. He thought he could eliminate those in his way and no one would know. He even waited for the governor’s daughter Emyeu to return before fulfilling his scheme. And what would have happened if Emyeu and Drahca had not acted? We found the fusion reactor’s cooling systems set automatically to shut down within 24hours of Emyeu’s arrival. Moon Base Peripheral would have exploded!

  “Yesterday on Holoview, we watched the Exiles gather in a dimly lit lounge and swear allegiance to Sleven as the new Emperor of this galaxy. We heard, in detail, their plans to sell their crystals, not for profit but to gain power over certain individuals with influence. Their plan would lead to a complete monopoly of energy production and space travel.

  You saw Sleven, and a few others, murder and then gruesomely devour the bodies of their victims in order to cover their tracks. Luckily for us the world they came from had no form
of surveillance such as we do. They were unaware that what they did in secret would someday be shown for all the worlds to see.”

  The prosecutor addressed the quantum viewer that was projecting his words to the pool of ten thousand jurors drawn from across all the united worlds. “These vicious, cruel and evil creatures need to be executed, but since Galaxy Law will not allow it, and given the cellular evidence of their extended life spans I recommend 150 years. I also recommend a life sentence for each of the conspirators who plotted to sadistically overthrow the Galactic Government and commit genocide by destroying the moon base. And, two counts of life without a chance of release, added to Sleven and the few others who actually did the murders at the fusion reactors.” The prosecutor looked at the Judge and bowed, indicating that he was finished.

  After the Judge acknowledged him, he turned and looked at Sleven through the view port of his special cell. An involuntarily shiver ran through him. He looked away in disgrace and took his seat.

  The Judge allowed a few minutes of silence as the weight of what had been said settled. For the last three hundred years, there had been crimes of passion, some theft but nothing like this had ever happened. The Judge asked the jury to deliberate and return with a verdict but as he looked at his voting screen, he already had enough votes, over 90%, to convict the defendants. But he waited another hour as the last person finally gave their decision.

  It was unanimous, guilty.

  The Red Dragon Exiles would be locked away for a minimum of 150 years. The worst of the lot would get 300 years. Drahca thought that It really wasn’t very long considering that their bodies would live indefinitely, but it was a start.

  Months ago two special, prison ships were constructed. Emyeu’s old ship had been damaged beyond repair and at the brink of structural failure. These two were built with a limited amount of neutral elements that Drahca had designed and tested. The result was an environment that dramatically reduced the Exile’s ability to manipulate their new cell’s electrical bonds and molecular arrangements.

  Before the trial, two new prison ships had docked with Emyeu’s StarExplorer, the environmental controls were disabled, and the cabin doors were opened. The exiles quickly made their way over to their new prison, guided by Drahca to their new cells. They were allowed air, sunlight, water and books. Free legal representation was offered within the next few days.

  Most of the government representatives didn’t want them tried in The Galactic Court System considering their Illegal Extra Galactic Status and their acts of terrorism. However, justice prevailed. Their crimes were against the people of this galaxy and their government and the people deserved justice to be done openly and fairly. The people deserved to hear Sleven and decide the sanity of his ideals.

  And, Sleven’s lawyers had found an old law, which had been used only once before. The exiles had come to this galaxy unwillingly, by default they were refugees.

  Generally, the reason the courts didn’t deny them a hearing and summarily execute them was that it would start a precedence of denying sentient beings justice, due process, and a verdict by their peers. In addition, Sleven and his followers had been captured and could be held safely, death was unnecessary. Keeping them alive was a statement of who the people of the galaxy were, a just people, though the exiles did deserved death.

  When the debates and protest were over, the common rule had prevailed: Look after others, as you would have others look after you.

  The Grand Council of Justice had ruled, “As evil as these people seem, they are still people.”

  The president of the galaxy granted Drahca permanent citizenship due to, “His exceptional, brave and statesman like behavior.” He was a hero.

  When the exiles first received council, they quickly threatened to fry them alive then eat them. The lawyers had left, shaking. When the official charges were presented to them, they just cursed and screamed insults at the “Inferior humans.”

  They had pled neither guilty nor innocent and they did not remain silent. They ranted on and on about their superiority over all life. The fact that they were at the mercy of the people they planned to dominate somehow didn’t invalidate their position or their right to rule.

  The judge had already planned for a number of possible outcomes from the trial and was ready for sentencing. He spoke in a deep tone, “You all are headed for a system near the center of our galaxy. You will be placed on twin worlds that closely orbit their sun. Those of you who are charged with conspiracy to commit murder and terroristic acts against the people of this galaxy will live together, the whole time, inside the abandoned mines of Medloh.”

  Blazer and a group of five other exiles had moved away from the larger group. He cried out, “Don’t leave us alone with them! We will change! We will change!”

  “It’s too late for that,” the judge said grimly, “You should have thought of that when the proceedings began, perhaps we could have done something then.”

  “But we didn’t know!” Blazer shouted again. “Were just children compared to the others. You don’t know what they’ll do to us…”

  The Judge cut off his mike and continued his sentencing, “You will be denied any and all technology. Supplies will be shipped once a year in containers that can double as makeshift housing units. Each year you will gain more units allowing you the opportunity to build a community deep inside the cave.

  “Books, letters and common educational material will be allowed though no communication to the off world will be permitted. The exception will be for your lawyers but I doubt you will be requesting their services. Once every ten years a robot will be allowed to land on Medloh and Erom. It will investigate the conditions of the prisoners and after transmitting its data, it will self-destruct.

  Sleven and the others who were charged with murder, on top of the conspiracy charges, will be sent to the twin world Erom. On that world you will find the living conditions much less… luxurious.”

  Then their two ships lifted off the planet and disappeared into the stars in rout to their new prisons.

  Drahca breathed a sigh of relief. He now had the time to create a plan for when they were released. He wished Lavar would have chosen any other form but human to have switched them with. Humans were a volatile race to begin with, highly emotional. It would take a tremendous amount of time and energy to bring them to reason. It took rare circumstances and constant remembering to maintain human awareness. They simply forgot too easily, too quickly. Still, he was proud of the justice that was done here. He only wished there was something more he could have done for the last six who cried out…

  Drahca would make sure that monuments would be made in honor of those who were killed. He wouldn’t let anyone forget. Every year he would read the names of the dead and tell how they were killed.

  *******

  The next day a delegation from the United World Government met with Emyeu and Drahca. A man dressed in multicolored robes sat down and invited the two of them to join him, “I am the President of the Allied Worlds. I wanted to personally thank you two for all that you’ve done. I’ve seen the security video… how you two captured Sleven. Remarkable.”

  Drahca looked over at Emyeu. She said, “We asked that those images remain out of the public eye for now. We are willing to make all that Drahca and I have done available for open viewing… I just want to give Drahca some time to adjust.”

  “I think it’s a little too late now,” The President said. “After creating an energy ball out of thin air and sending it through that crystal and into the asteroid, well, many people already believe that you’re a god, some think you’re the God. I think it’s best if you two lay low for now but you will have to give an account of what has happened and who or what you are.” The president looked over at Emyeu and he said, “Your father was a good friend of mine and supporter. I can, I mean, I would like to help you. You can continue where he left off. In fact, you can surpass him, maybe even become President of the United World Governments�
��Would you like that?”

  “It’s not my thing,” she said. “I’ve always been in love with long voyages across solar systems. Politics is just not my thing. And…” she paused, “Were getting married. Drahca has a lot to learn about being human and our ways of doing things. It’s too much to try and juggle all this. I just don’t have the time.”

  The president nodded at Drahca then added, “With the right connections, you can keep a closer eye on these exiles you’ve chased across universes to stop. Being in the right position will allow you to influence the duration and probation hearings.”

  Drahca leaned in a little, “You understand me well Mr. President.”

  “We have an agreement then. My term ends in six years. I want to groom you both publicly and privately to replace me. You will have two years to get your lives in order, to take long space voyages before the spot light of public scrutiny will be directed at the two of you.”

  Drahca took Emyeu’s hand and looked at her for an extended moment then said, “I have accomplished my main goal and have at least 100 years before I’m needed again. I only wish to understand this feeling we share, increase it and make you happy. I love it when you smile, when you’re at peace. Tell me my love, what do you want?”

 

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