Posted by Captain Kelly Bordeaux (Commanding Officer) in Court Martial of River Styxx
The courtroom felt pristine and clinical but also familiar and safe. The cases were being tried in one of the small diplomatic rooms on the ship. This made it feel familiar to those from the USS Atlantis with its familiar furniture and decor. What made it feel antiseptic was the arrangement of the room. A large table sat along the left wall with five chairs filled with five Admirals occupying the spot a jury normally sat. The accused sat in a chair perpendicular to the Admirals and facing McDevitt and Ty’lin along with the opposing counsel James Hudson. There were no other seats in the makeshift courtroom which was by design. This was not going to be a spectacle. Starfleet wanted the trials over and done with minimal disruptions.

River sat in the dock her cold eyes scanning the room and noting each person in it. She was clearly unaffected by the situation, she seemed relaxed and showed no signs of stress. She wore her dress uniform her chest adorned with all her medals, two full rows of them. River hated medals she hated formality and above all she hated the medals star fleet gave her to appease her after the first cluster truck of a trial she went through. None the less Ty’lin had told her i was regulation and it was also a visual statement. Here is what any would call a war hero being put on trial for the second time, for almost the exact same thing, doing her duty.

The four medals Ty’lin had told River to emphasize on were her Acheron medal, it consisted of a federation standard A in front of a crossed bath’let and a Romulan rifle. It was awarded to all who served at Acheron, the only deference being that River’s was gold, because she as the commander of the Acheron forces. The next was her Pike medal of Valour a medal that as the stuff of legend , this was followed by her order of Khaless from the Klingon empire and finally her Sontaric citation form the Romulan star empire. These medals served two purposes one to highlight Rivers achievements and second to show that the Klingon Empire and the Romulan star empire supported River the whole way.

Again River’s trial could mean another political nightmare, if things where seen as unfair or mishandled. Just like the last time. This was certainly not lost on some of the admiralty present. After all they would be aware that despite their best efforts they had been contacted by the Klingons and Romulans to express their anger and annoyance that a hero of both their empire was once again on trial for what looked like nothing charges. With requests for political asylum already being submitted for River.

It was part of Ty’lin’s non legal plan. Not only had her recent victories effected star fleet reputation and image, but now the same officer was being put on trial by the same organisation not two years later. And with River connection to the other lead factions in the area, it put star fleet more and more on edge and in the corner. Public perception was shifting and not for the better. After all Ty’lin was A Romulan and Political subterfuge was in her DNA.

“So Lt. Styxx, how long have you been a part of the crew of the USS Atlantis,” Hudson asked the woman.

JAG lawyers

“Marine Lieutenant. I’m not Star fleet” River corrected, normally she didn’t care about the official title and she had been going by Lieutenant the whole time on the Atlantis. However in times like this River liked to be technical. It often embarrassed her opponent and River meant it when she said she would destroy her opponent. “six hundred and three days, eight hours, twenty one minutes and thirty six seconds” she added flatly.

Just as River finished talking Ty’lin stood up “Consular Hudson. I’m afraid I cannot allow this trial to continue” she said tapping her padd as she did a highlighted text appeared on a nearby screen in full view of everyone =^= Computer please read the highlighted text=^= she said

=^= Star fleet Marine corps regulation 3.816. Any trail or court marshal of a star feet marine corps officer or servicemen must, where possible be conducted by a star fleet marine corps jury. If not possible then at least one marine officer of equal or greater rank must be on the jury. Failure to follow this protocol will result in a mistrial. =^= The computer’s monotone voice said .

“As a result of the breach of this protocol and the well known fact that the Star fleet Marine corps is a separate entity to Star fleet. This trial is illegal” Ty’lin said as she looked at Hudson and then the assembled admirals “I see five Star fleet Admirals but no Marine officer aside from my client. This means that all five venerable admirals and consular Hudson are in breach of regulation. A marine officer must be assigned as soon as possible or this trial will be dismissed and classed as a mistrial.” she said coldly but with a well rehearsed undertone of fake respect.

Lieut Styxx (Marine OIC) and Ty’lin (Lawyer)