“All rise!” the court bailiff announced. “This court is now in session. The Honorable Bartholomew Takacy presiding!”
Lucy’s eyes widened as she stood on shaky legs. She had to use the desk for support. She knew that Judge ‘Takacy the Terror’ from the Kentucky Province was one of the worst judges to draw for a trial. The man had a reputation all over the continent for being one of the most ruthless judges around. He struck terror into the hearts and minds of defendants as he had a habit of always finding them guilty for one thing or another. Takacy offered the most insincere smile Lucy had ever seen.
“Good morning, y’all, you may be seated.”
As everyone took their seats, Takacy looked over at Ladd and smiled, this time in a friendly manner. “Prosecutor, are you ready to proceed?” he asked in his deep Kentuckian drawl.
Lucy took and deep breath and sighed. She could not believe this was happening. And she was here, alone, without any help and support. She was doomed.
“I am, your Honor,” Ladd said, standing up and nodding.
“Miss,” Takacy then asked, looking at Lucy, “are you ready to proceed?”
“N-no, your… your Honor,” Lucy said in a shaky voice. “I-I do not have an advocate.” She indicated the empty chair and then looked around hopelessly for support. The courtroom was surprisingly barren of any witnesses except for a stony-faced man in the back with a smug look on his face. She recognized him from her brother’s trial and wondered why he was here.
“Well, little lady, you should’ve thought about that before you got here,” Takacy said, drawing her attention back. “Let’s begin. Miss, you will take the accused’s dais. Prosecutor, call yer first witness.”
Before Ladd could say anything, the double doors at the back of the courtroom burst open, causing everyone to turn. Lucy’s heart leapt when she saw Gabriel striding in, donning his formal Jaeger dress uniform as he carried a briefcase under his arm. “I apologize for being late, your Honor. My office just contacted me about these proceedings. I will be acting as the advocate for the accused,” he said hastily, as he removed his beret and slid over into the seat next to Lucy, pulling her back down to sit. He set the case down and opened it. Quills and parchment sprang up for his notetaking. He grabbed up the arraignment papers that were on the table in front of Lucy and started flipping through them as quickly as possible.
“What are you doing here?” Lucy leaned in and asked in a whisper. “Not that I’m ungrateful, mind you.”
“I didn’t get your message until a runner got to my apartment. I wasn’t expecting to work today. When I got to the office, where it’s causing quite the stir, I got the full details. Your arrest is all over the place. Everyone at the Consortium regional office is up in arms, but they won’t be able to do anything right this second, so I came over as soon as I could to do what I can,” Gabriel hastily explained before looking back at Takacy. “Your Honor, I move for an immediate continuance as I have not had time to go over the case with my client yet.”
“Motion for a continuance denied, advocate. You should’ve gotten here sooner,” Takacy said gruffly.
Gabriel looked dumbfounded as he rocked back in his seat. This did not help Lucy’s confidence.
“Can I at least get a quick recess?” he asked.
“Your Honor,” Ladd piped up, pointing at Gabriel. “I object to a Jaeger being here in these proceedings. He has no legal standing here and this is a Theocracy matter — not a Consortium matter.”
“As well you should since you know I’ll mop the floor with you again,” Gabriel growled at him. He then looked at the judge. “I am licensed for advocacy in the Theocracy of Dixie, the Corporate States of America, the Island Confederation of Elysium, and the City-State of Vegaston, your Honor, with certifications pending in Sonora and the Californian Republic.” Gabriel opened his briefcase and produced several papers. He held them up for both Takacy and Ladd to see. “I can produce all of my licenses and BAR certifications for your review.” He gave them to the clerk who then handed them to the judge.
Takacy’s clenched jaw worked while he scanned the documents. Gabriel leaned in toward Lucy.
“I believe he had been about to uphold the objection and bounce me out of here, but he’s not going to be able to now,” he whispered.
“The court accepts you as advocate for the defense,” Takacy said through gritted teeth. “But, you watch your tone in my court, boy, or I will hold you in contempt — Jaeger or not.”
Gabriel fished out a gold coin from his pocket and flipped it up to the judge. “Fuck you,” he said defiantly. He then grabbed another and flipped it up to him as well. “And while I’m at it, buy yourself a hairpiece. Your gray comb-over looks hideous.” Gabriel looked at Ladd. “Get on with it.”
“Are you insane?” Lucy asked in a hushed voice when he sat back down. “You just insulted the judge. He can have you arrested!”
“Not on contempt of court. It’s merely a single gold fine per offense. So long as I have gold to toss at him, I can insult him all I want to.” Gabriel grinned at her. “Relax, I’ve called Theocratic judges far worse and gotten away with it.”
Up at the bench, Takacy glared daggers at them, but turned his attention back to Ladd. “You may proceed with your opening arguments, prosecutor.”
“Thank you, your Honor,” Ladd said and stepped from behind his desk and went up to the witness dais. “This is a very simple case and the facts speak for themselves. Recently, Miss Lucy Spence did, of her own accord, bear false witness against her own brother, then Baron Edward Spence the Third. This witnessing and testimony resulted in the downfall of a once prominent house within our great country and has set an unprecedented standard in which doors are now open to allow women to rise up against their proper male masters.”
“What?” Gabriel whispered to himself and then leaned in to Lucy while Ladd droned on and on. “What have you been charged with, exactly?” he asked, looking through the papers again for the arrest details.
Lucy sighed, and her eyes began to burn. It was taking all her strength not to burst into tears. “Murder of my brother, bearing false witness, and inciting dissention among the female populace of the country.”
“Are you fucking serious? They’re blaming you for Eddie’s death? He was convicted by the Consortium, not the Theocracy. This is insane!” Gabriel looked up at the judge. “Objection, your Honor,” he said, shooting to his feet, and interrupting Ladd who was in the middle of his opening argument. “Edward Spence the Third was found guilty in a Consortium court.”
“We’re in opening arguments, Jaeger!”
“And neither of us have been given the opportunity to present initial motions prior, your Honor,” Gabriel countered. “We shouldn’t even be having this trial!”
“Objection overruled. Prosecutor, please continue,” Takacy said amid Gabriel’s perplexed look.
“Thank you,” Ladd said, inclining his head toward the judge as Gabriel sat down, glowering. “As I was saying, it was one of the greatest leaders of our precursor nation who stated that a house divided against itself could not possibly stand.”
“He also said that the religion allows humans to act inherently selfish, too, but I don’t hear you quoting that one,” Gabriel muttered loud enough for just Lucy to hear.
Lucy couldn’t help but smile.
Ladd continued, oblivious to Gabriel’s comment. “Indeed, that is what has happened here. A woman of the once noble Spence household, against the express orders of her father and her dearly departed older brother, divided her house. I will prove, beyond any doubt, that Miss Spence singlehandedly orchestrated the downfall of her entire house and will therefore encourage others to do the same, throwing our beloved country that has stood tall for well over a hundred years.”
“Technically only seventy-five. You don’t get to count the Confederate States of America or the time under the United States, idiot,” Gabriel grumbled.
Takacy shifted his gaze over to Gabrie
l. Where he’d been smiling at Ladd, he frowned at Gabriel. “Get on with your opening arguments, advocate.”
***
Taking a deep breath, Gabriel stood up, but not before giving Lucy a reassuring pat on her folded hands. “Hang in there — this is gonna be rough.”
He stood, tugging down on his uniform tunic to straighten it, squared his shoulders, and walked out in front of the defendant’s table.
“Your Honor, the charges against my client are not only false, but they are taking an otherwise innocent and innocuous law and blowing it way out of context,” he said as a preamble.
He glanced over at Ladd. You wanna cite history, little man, alright… let’s play.
“Well over eighty years ago, when the nations of our world dissolved, there were little rights for anyone. It was the Consortium that stepped in to bring law and order to chaos. It was the Consortium that ensured that a level playing field was available to all.”
He looked Takacy square in the eye as he came up with his opening argument on the fly. “Baroness Lucy Spence did not murder her brother. Her brother, the late Edward Spence the Third, died of his own accord when he violated the Consortium’s basic right of choice. He was lawfully executed by the Consortium when his crimes came to light.” Gabriel pointed at Lucy. “Mr. Spence used his own sister to unknowingly carry out these crimes, which is why the Consortium found her to be not guilty of collusion with her brother. The sins of the father do not translate down to be the sins of the son, and in this case, the sins of the brother do not translate over as punishment to the sister.”
Shaking his head for emphasis, Gabriel spread his hands in askance. “Women of the Theocracy do not have many rights, and one of their primary directives is to obey higher authority. This was the case with my client; she was obeying the highest authority of the land. She rendered unto Caesar that which was Caesar’s and did the only thing that she could’ve done in such a situation — she testified against her brother for the Consortium. The Consortium found her innocent, and you should, too.”
Turning sharply on his heel, Gabriel went back to his seat.
Lucy was already leaning in to him to speak. “That was impressive.”
“I’m just getting warmed up, sweetheart.” He grinned at her.
Up on the bench, Takacy’s jaw was visibly clenching as he glared at Gabriel. Then his gaze shifted to Ladd. “Call yer first witness.”
Ladd slowly stood. “The Theocracy calls Miss Lucy Spence, your Honor.”
“Objection!” Gabriel shot to his feet, outraged. “The Fifth Right of the Consortium forbids testimony against oneself regardless of nationality. My client does not waive that right.”
Ladd gave a pleading look toward Takacy. “Your Honor, this is a Theocracy matter.”
“So you keep saying,” Gabriel glowered at him. “It doesn’t allow you to circumvent Consortium Law. Call someone else.”
“Objection is sustained,” Takacy ground out between clenched teeth. “Move on.”
Ladd did so, and spent the next half hour presenting evidence that was mainly references to past cases before culminating with Eddie Spence’s own case. The final piece of evidence was a local minister who droned on about the virtues of the Theocracy and how their way of life was superior before citing more references from the One Book. By the time Ladd was finished, Gabriel felt like he was going to fall asleep. He didn’t even bother to redirect.
Ladd looked at Gabriel with a look of triumph. “The Theocracy rests.”
Gabriel stood up. “The defense would like to enter in motions before proceeding.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’ve come to my decision,” Takacy interrupted.
“What? That’s it? Are you serious?” Gabriel thundered, aghast at how much of a show trial this had been. He couldn’t help looking at the gear clock off to the left. He’d barely been in the courtroom for an hour! “Just like that? Right after calling just one witness and citing a bunch of bullshit?” he asked Takacy, his anger swelling. “I get no evidence, no questioning, no deliberations, no arguments, no moving to a jury, nothing?”
Trials moved fast in the Theocracy, but this one moved faster than a Tesla engine on overdrive. He’d been practicing law in this country for years, and this was the first time that a trial was over before it’d even begun. So much for due process.
“I have no need for deliberations or anything of the sort as this matter is already settled,” Takacy said with a cruel smile and an air of arrogance. “Miss Spence, this court finds you guilty as charged.”
CHAPTER 6
Gabriel knew where this was going. It was like watching two massive airships collide in slow motion. Over in her seat, Lucy looked pale and faint. Nothing that he said or did was going to change the court’s mind. He pulled Lucy down from the dais, draped his arm over her shoulders so that he could lean in close as he led her back to her seat. “Opt for iSlave status. Now!” he hissed quietly and urgently as they sat.
“Are you mad?” Lucy asked him. “I will not be sold off at public auction!”
“You’d rather go to a breeder farm?” Gabriel growled, gesturing angrily at the judge. “Because I guarantee that’s where you’re going to be sentenced to in about five seconds! Look, we’re way past keeping you out of prison, and now all I can do is mitigate damages.” His eyes silently pleaded with hers as he spoke quickly. “At least as an iSlave, you still have some options about where you end up. But, if you remain an inmate, you are completely at his mercy!” he pointed at Takacy for emphasis. “Opt for it. Now!”
Wide-eyed as the implication hit her, Lucy shot back to her feet before Takacy could pass sentencing. He was in the process of conferring with Ladd about what a “proper” sentence would be. Gabriel could hear the words like ‘whoresville’ and other euphemisms for the breeder prison camps for women, and knew Lucy could, too.
“Y-your Honor! I wish to enter into involuntary slavery status as guaranteed by the Consortium!” she cried out, her voice shaky.
Takacy and Ladd paused their conversation before slowly turning to look at Lucy. They both gaped at her before Takacy was the first to recover.
“I’m sorry, little lady, but that just ain’t happening,” he said, his insincere smile returning. “You are hereby sentenced to the Taylorsville Penitentiary for Women for a period of no less than ten years, remanded into the custody of Overseer Clark Anderson who is standing by for you,” he said and nodded toward the expressionless man at the back of the court.
“Objection, your Honor,” Gabriel shouted as he rose to his feet in an attempt to move fast before Takacy could bring down his gavel, and finalize this horrific sentence. “No person found guilty of a crime may be denied consideration for involuntary slavery status in lieu of sentencing unless that crime is capital in nature and the accused has been found to be a physical danger to society!” He gestured to Lucy. “Miss Spence is not a violent offender and the crime that this so-called court has found her guilty of is not violent in nature. Therefore, my client poses no risk to the general populace, and cannot be denied iSlave status under Consortium law!”
“That might be true in a Consortium court, Jaeger,” Takacy said disdainfully, “but here in the Theocracy, only men are allowed that right. As First Timothy, Chapter Two, states in the One Book, she should learn about quietness and submissiveness for Adam was formed first and was not deceived.”
“Leviticus Nineteen, Verse Fifteen,” Gabriel countered, snapping the citation out just as quickly. “Do not pervert justice, but judge your neighbor fairly.” He glared right at the judge. “The Consortium regulates the control, rules, and regulations regarding the disposition of all slaves and inmates, regardless of nationality, and therefore you cannot overrule a basic right to choose given to all people of the world. I move that my client be remanded into my custody to undergo processing as an involuntary slave.”
“Your motion is denied, Jaeger,” Takacy shot back, “and I am not in a habit of being questioned i
n my own courtroom. Deuteronomy Chapter Sixteen, Verse Eighteen: Appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes in every town the Lord — your God — is giving you.”
“How about you keep on quoting that verse since it ends in ‘and they shall judge the people fairly,’ huh?” Gabriel snapped. “Then let’s polish it off with the Cow, Chapter Two, Verse Forty-Two: Confound not the truth with falsehood, nor knowingly conceal the truth. The truth of the matter being that despite a conviction my client still has the basic right to opt for that status!”
“I see why they call you the Messenger,” Lucy whispered. “Can you recite every verse of the book and use them to help your arguments?” she said with a wink.
Gabriel smiled at Lucy, happy to have impressed her. Takacy, however, was unfazed,
“We must remember what Our Savior would have us do in such a situation,” he said, adopting the tone of a preacher.
“Yeah?” Gabriel snorted, “well, flipping tables and chasing people with a bullwhip isn’t outside the realm of possibility on that one. If you’d like, I can start that now for my opening act and end with an official investigation as to why you are denying someone a very basic right of choice, as guaranteed by the Consortium, regardless of nationality, theology, or ideology. Now what is it going to be? I haven’t even gone into the fact that you already have an overseer here to take custody which, to me, suggests that you came to a predetermined verdict without proper due process!” He paused to let the implication of a kangaroo court or a show trial set in as he locked eyes with Takacy. “Now, are you going to grant my client involuntary slave status as requested, or do I call up New Eden and have them send an auditing team and even more Jaegers up here to start looking into all of your court records?”
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