Justice Served

Posted on Sun Feb 20th, 2022 @ 12:18pm by Captain Ivan Petrov & Commander Cyrus Cain & Lieutenant Commander Andrei Petrov & Lieutenant Commander Troy Marshall & Lieutenant Johnathan Anderson III & Callie Marshall & Lieutenant JG Melissa Jones & Lieutenant JG Karen Lamont & Lieutenant JG Kassandra Selin

Mission: S1 Episode 1: Caretaker, Part I
Location: Brig
Timeline: MD 35, 1630 Hours
2009 words - 4 OF Standard Post Measure

The scene was set in the Brig and all the invitations have been sent out. Justice was to be served for the attempted murder of Jonathan Anderson and it was to be served swiftly. A quick revelation of the crimes committed, a quick description of the methods used, and then the axe would fall. The room was bustling with people interested in seeing the results of the investigation and finding out who was responsible for this terrible crime. In a nearby cell, a slave named Cassio sat on a bench watching with dull eyes. In the agonizer booth, Slave Overseer Paul Guber stood shaking in fear. This was all that people had to go on, as the command staff had not yet arrived.

Johnathan entered the brig, Kassandra at his side. This entire ordeal had been quite painful for him. Hopefully, after today, he could start to truly rebuild.

Kass stood silent beside him and watched. Her gaze found the Overseer and she kept her gaze on him.

The doors opened to reveal Callie arriving alongside Troy, she was his fiancée and no matter what she would be at his side supporting him. She offered a warm smile to Johnathan and Kassandra, she just hoped the matter of who stabbed Johnathan would be sorted once and for all.

Troy greeted John and Kass with a nod before looking at the slave in the cell and finally at the Slave Overseer. It clicked in his head what must have happened and why.

Karen entered without expression. She sat quietly and folded her hands in her lap. Her thoughts were her on and, on this occasion, carefully masked.

Andrei walked in next and took note of the occupants in the room. He was very curious how this would play out. He showed a look of surprise in seeing Paul in the agonizer booth. The room was eerily quiet, but he broke the silence without reserve, walking up to Anderson and placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Glad to see you up and about, Johnathan.” He said with a smile. “Despite our differences, we need you alive, don’t we?”

Johnathan stiffened slightly when Andrei touched him. Not a flinch of fear, but a tensing of readying for an attack. He almost spat in the other man's face, however, knowing what he had done to help the woman he loved, he softened slightly and said, "Thank you for your...kind words, Andrei." He softened some as he added, "And thank you for what you did for Kass."

Callie gave Andrei a disapproving look but said nothing as she turned back to Troy. She was here not just as a colleague but as his fiancée and she would support Troy no matter what.

Andrei met there gazes with even intensity, saying nothing else. All of their suspicions were about to be dashed, and each of them would then have a legitimate reason to apologize to him. He masked his excitement at the prospect and fell quietly back to his place.

Melissa entered calmly as usual. She was always very interested in the emotional responses she got when someone was executed.

When the next the door is parted, Captain Petrov and Commander Cain entered the room together. Their faces with Grim and series, and everyone said attention, Ivan raised his gloved hand.

“At ease.” He said, “today we will meet out justice on those responsible for the stabbing of Lieutenant Johnathan Anderson III and put a swift end to all this nasty business. We have traditions in certain ways we do things. Assassinating someone from the shadows is not one of them. Commander Cain had led this investigation from the start, so I’m going to let him cue you all in. Commander.”

The Captain then stepped off to the side and Commander Cain walked up to the podium which had been placed in front of the agonizer booth. He looked at the crowd for the briefest of moments before he began to speak.

“These are the facts of the case as we have gathered them from start to finish. Every element has been verified in evidence and intense motive, and we will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Paul Gruber is guilty of this crime.“ he said, reading, “Two weeks ago it became known to Lieutenant Marshall that Gruber was using his office as slave overseer to abuse and victimize slaves inordinately and against regulations. Taking the situation into his own hands as second officer of this ship, Marshall went down to teach Paul a lesson in front of the slaves. Mr. Gruber was highly embarrassed by the exchange and was greatly irritated, as reports tell us. We have gathered quotes from the slaves and other enlisted crew who have come in contact with Paul that he insulted Lieutenant Marshall and vowed revenge several times.”

The Commander took a brief pause to clear his throat and gather his thoughts before going on. “A few days ago, Find investigative team scoured the security records on the deck where Lieutenant Anderson was stabbed and we discovered that the slave Cassio was in close proximity to his commbadge at the time. After looking at the operations department work schedule, we understood that the slave was not scheduled to be working in that area at the time. We went to the slave quarters and arrested him immediately, bring him in for questioning. The slave gave us quite a bit of resistance but eventually admitted, under the pain of the agonizer, that he was not only the one responsible for stabbing Lieutenant Anderson, but that he had done it under duress and pain of death under the orders of Mr. Gruber.”

Callie looked at Troy in surprise, she hadn’t even considered anyone other than Andrei as being responsible for Johnathan’s stabbing.

Troy listened to Commander Cain, but his eyes remained locked on Gubar. He hadn't even thought about the Overseer since the incident on the slave deck. He finally sighed and turned to Kass and John to gauge their reactions to the news.

Johnathan's jaw could be seen clenching rapidly. He also seemed to be breathing a bit faster, clearly caused by the situation. Though his eyes were locked on Grubar, he said nothing. He could barely remember saying two words to the man since he had been aboard.

As he stood there, Kass holding his arm, he had one question running through his mind. Why did he target me???

Kass was silent. She had been silent the whole time. She was not fully aware of the situations below decks but she had heard rumours, that said as Johnathan had never had interactions with the man, he never made her list of suspects.

“After additional investigation, my team came up with these additional facts: 1. Mr. Gruber did indeed meet with the slave alone in his quarters after the incident with Lieutenant Marshall, despite being ordered not to do this. Other slaves attested that Cassio had been assaulted physically during this exchange and exited Mr. Gruber’s cabin bloodied. 2. We found the murder weapon inside Paul’s belongings; his own standard issue dagger which the slave claims he gave him to do the crime. The dagger tested positive for trace amounts of Lieutenant Anderson’s blood. 3. The slave was forced to implicate Lieutenant Marshall in the murder by whispering into Jonathan‘s ear ‘Lieutenant Marshall says hello’ before stabbing him, and claims that he was told to deal a non-fatal blow.”

Johnathan turned his gaze briefly to the brig cell, and looked at the beaten slave, then back at Grubar.

"A coward then" Kassandra muttered. "Not able to do his own dirty work"

“Mr. Gruber has denied everything and is suggesting that he is being framed, possibly by lieutenant marshal, in order to get rid of him. The evidence would suggest that Paul Gruber has indeed perpetrated this crime, not to kill Lieutenant Anderson, but to frame a plausible suspect in his attempted murder: Lieutenant Marshall.”

The Captain then stepped forward, his eyes falling on Johnathan and Kassandra, and then Troy and Callie.

“The sentence is mine to pass, and I say that Specialist Gruber must die… but the manner of death should be up to you; those whose body and reputation he harmed.”

Callie looked between Johnathan and Troy waiting to see what decision was made concerning the fate of Gruber.

Troy turned to John. "I believe a slow death by torture is in order. Conducted publicly to discourage anyone else from developing similar ideas that this sort of behavior will be tolerated. Would you agree Lieutenant Anderson?"

Johnathan looked at Troy and replied quietly. "Partially." He then moved over to the brig cell and looked at the slave again. "Though this slave was the one that physically stabbed me, he is but a tool. And one cannot get mad at a tool." He looked at Ivan.

"Captain, with your permission, allow him to live. Punish him, definitely, but, allow him to live."

Looking at the man, Ivan seemed to think for the space of a few seconds and then nodded his head. What he asked for would be done.

Johnathan then moved to the agonizer booth and opened it, pulling Grubar out forcefully. Once the pathetic excuse for a Terran was out, Johnathan quickly spun him and locked him into a one arm headlock, as he drew his own blade. "Death says hello." He then drove his blade into Grubar's back three times, just like he had been.

Gruber’s mouth shot open as the pain of the stabs tore through him. In his eyes, turned away from the crowd, was a mixture of confusion, fear, and hatred. Coughing and whimpering, blood trickled over his lips.

Without hesitation, Johnathan grabbed the man's hair, jerked back his head and slit his throat, ear to ear. "Don't worry, I'll be more merciful than you were," he said, his voice icy. He then kept his eyes locked on Grubar's as the other man bled out.

Watching events unfold Callie let out an uncharacteristic gasp as she watched events unfold. She wasn’t normally weak stomached but to watch a man have his throat slit from ear to ear made her feel positively ill. She offered Troy and those in the room an apologetic glance and stood up “Excuse me for a moment” with that she exited the room, pausing outside to take a breather

Cassio was moved to the agonizer then, and the sound of his screams quickly drove most of the observers from the room. He would be in there for quite a while to come.

Kass waited for Johnathan to return down the steps then calmly turned to the Captain. And waited.

As Johnathan stepped down, he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. He used it to first wiped Grubar's blood that had splattered up onto his face when he had slit the man's throat, then he started to clean his blade. When he reached Kassandra's side, he looked at Ivan. "Thank you, Captain. I feel that justice has been served."

The door opened and Callie returned to the room offering an apologetic nod to Petrov and a smile to Johnathan. She returned to Troy’s side where she belonged.

Troy’s reaction to the execution was nonplussed. He would have not shown as much mercy by giving the late Overseer a quick death. He would have had the man whipped to death one lash every ten seconds. He took Callie's hand for a moment. "You OK?"

Melissa simply stared at the screaming in the Agonizer booth with fascination. She realished these moments when she could feel something, and usually that only came when someone was subjected to extreame agony and pain. It was interesting... Emotions. Unfortunately Johnathon has slit his throat. She was going to suggest flaying. It was something she did in the holodeck, but she never got a chance to do it on a living being yet.