Title: Echoes and Postscripts No. 3: Blindness
Author: Sol 1056
Rating: G, this section
Warnings: none
Archives: Sweetlysour, CalicoCat, GWA
Disclaimer: No. Still don't own.
Notes: Like I said before, these Echoes don't go in necessarily chronological order, and I write them as they come to me. I've decided to number them in the order I write them, but that doesn't mean they're strictly following on each other's tails. The story will unfold a little differently in this series...
Thanks to Mal for TA, since something in the last chapters made me want to go ahead and put this section down in pixels.
In the darkness of your blindness, the beast will learn to bite
How can you fight if you can't recognize a warning?
--- Peggy Seeger
Judge Hawkins looked around the room at the other judges, and flipped to the second page of the agenda. Most of the cases had been distributed, and the only ones remaining for assignment were several Hawkins had been hoping would be taken by volunteers. Assigning the difficult cases was always a risk; it put her credibility on the line along with the potential for resentment for whoever ended up with the headaches.
"Last on the list," Hawkins said, glancing around at the six judges in the District Court meeting room, "are the Mitchell case, the Wheaton-Glass case, and the Yuy case. Any volunteers on these?"
"Sorry," Judge Pierce said, shaking his head. "I've got a full docket."
"Same," Judge Goring agreed. He dropped his notepad on top of a stack of files, and sat back, clasping his fingers over his prodigious stomach. His expression was a clear challenge to Judge Hawkins, daring her to try and assign it to the senior most member of the L4 bar.
"The Yuy case?" Judge Dubois looked surprised. The youngest member of the bar, she had two years under her belt. "I heard that was going to be tried in the ESUN's main court."
"We have jurisdiction," Hawkins replied.
"Lucky us," Pierce muttered.
"And," Hawkins continued, "unless and until there's reason to move it, we're stuck. So, any volunteers on these remaining three?"
"I'll take the Wheaton-Glass," Dubois said, and scribbled down a note on her paper. She accepted the file from Hawkins and flipped it open with a sigh. "That fills my docket for the next month, at least."
"Mitchell, I suppose," Judge Brown said, from the far end of the table.
"And the Yuy case?" Hawkins looked around at the six other judges. "Sherman... " She had little hopes Sherman would volunteer; he had a two-month sabbatical coming up to teach a class at the L4 law school. That left Forrest, a middle-aged man with about ten years on the bench, but few of his cases had been that high profile, by luck or chance. She wasn't sure he was prepared for the three-ring circus of this kind of event, and his docket was as full as Pierce's, too. Hawkins nodded. "Forrest and Pierce, it'll be one of you two. I'll let you know in twenty-four hours, unless one of you volunteers first."
The young man straightened his tie in the hallway picture's reflection, smoothed down the annoying lock of blond hair that kept falling into his face, and knocked on the conference room door. When no one answered, he pushed the door open hesitantly.
"Uh... " He winced, hoping his first words would be more impressive, but he was caught off-guard by the two young-looking people sitting at the table. "I'm meeting with the legal defense for Taft and---"
"That's us," the young woman said, standing. Her auburn hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, and she had a pleasant if strained smile. "I'm from the Public Defenders. Elizabeth Morris."
"Daniel Zdancewicz," the man replied, stepping forward to shake Morris' hand. "I'm... " He grinned, and set his briefcase down on the table. "Somehow I've been hired to defend Mister Yuy."
"Jeffery Taft, here," Morris said. She turned to the last person at the table, who was standing with an equally embarrassed flush.
"Sam Cornell," the man said, offering his hand. He was bald, with broad shoulders and a squat but powerful appearance, yet he seemed no older than Zdancewicz or Morris. All were probably in their mid to late twenties. "I'm defense for Darlian."
"Bizarre," Zdancewicz said, sitting down across from Morris. "I was actually expecting... "
"Some really important people?" Morris nodded, then grinned. "I've been chewing my fingernails to the quick, expecting someone like Tanaka or Wolfe to be co-defenders on this case."
"Same here," Cornell said. "And I'm in Wolfe's firm, too. Wolfe did his best, but Miss Darlian was adamant. She said it had to be me." He shrugged. "I'll have the rest of my firm available, but... "
"Yeah," Zdancewicz agreed. "Tanaka and Shaprin both offered to come in and argue, but Yuy wouldn't budge."
"Well, you've got back up," Morris said, sighing as she looked over her notes. "We lowly public defenders don't get jack but one shared secretary."
"We can pool those resources if our clients were to stay together, but I'm not sure it's in their best interest." Cornell flipped the top few pages of his legal pad over, to a fresh sheet. "They have such varied indictments."
"Yuy's up for conspiracy, five counts of murder one and lesser charges, obstruction of justice, and one count of accomplice to attempted murder." Zdancewicz sighed, feeling that damn lock of hair fall down in his face again. Annoyed, he pushed it out of the way and tried to focus.
"Taft is up for obstruction of justice, accomplice to murder after the fact, and sixteen counts of theft, as well as destruction of property," Morris said, frowning.
"Theft?" Cornell raised his eyebrows.
"Yeah, apparently the prosecutors want to slap him down for participating in stealing items from syndicate members, who probably stole those items in the first place." Morris rolled her eyes. "It feels like a vendetta, to be honest. And I'm not sure... " She shrugged.
"Me neither," Zdancewicz admitted.
Cornell nodded.
None of them needed to say it. If the prosecutors were out for blood, none of them had the courtroom chops or the defense experience. Their clients were doomed.
"Maria," Pierce said, pushing at his salad with his fork. The cherry tomato rolled across the plate, slathered in the bland salad dressing. "My docket's already full."
"Hm," his wife replied. "Don't play with your food, dear."
"I'm not." He skewered the cherry tomato to prove his point, but didn't eat it. "If I take this case, I'll be opening myself up to having every case in the past twenty years dissected, one lousy case at a time."
"Do you have any cases that you can't live with?" Maria brushed a strand of gray hair from her eyes, her expression sober.
"Of course. Only a bad judge – or a godlike one – wouldn't."
"I don't recall you being kept up all night, with nightmares over any of them... " Maria left out the fact that her husband had often had nightmares during the cases, but upon resolution, he'd always been able to set the results aside and move on. "And this case... I think it needs someone like you."
"After what happened to Timothy?" Pierce shook his head. "I can't look at a Gundam pilot and be impartial. I see... " He closed his eyes, and his hand tightened on the fork. "I know they're just kids, they were then, and now... they're still kids, maybe. But I don't want an old thirst for vengeance to be applied---"
"---Which is exactly why you have to take this case," Maria said firmly. "Eat that tomato, or set down your fork, but stop waving it around."
Pierce set down the fork, and stared at his wife. "Don't get me any psychology crap about doing the case to rest old demons."
Maria sniffed. "I wasn't going to say any such thing. Simply that if Forrest is the only other choice, then you're far more likely to... " She paused, her gaze going distant, then sighed. "You are aware of your biases. And thus, you are less likely to be ruled by them. Forrest is a good man, and means well, but I don't think he pay attention to the fact that his own perceptions and history are at play in every decision."
"Then I have to admit I'm aware I think the death penalty would be a good thing." Pierce ate the cherry tomato, and set down his fork, pushing the plate away.
"Only because of your history. But outside that?" Maria arched an eyebrow and waited.
"From what I understand of the case?" Pierce glanced around the half-empty restaurant, and kept his voice lowered. It was near the courts, so the staff was known for being discreet, but he still didn't want to take chances. "Yuy's up for a whole host of things, but he's not denied shooting those people. They were innocent bystanders, Maria."
"Maybe they were. But in war, there are casualties." Maria's look softened into sympathy when Pierce stiffened. "Our son was a soldier. He was not ignorant... and sometimes, even civilians---"
"This wasn't war," Pierce retorted. "I didn't see war declared anywhere, and in peacetime, his actions constitute mass murder."
"First, six deaths are hardly mass murder compared to the Alliance's wartime threat to throw a colony into Earth's atmosphere, while people are still on it," Maria said, implacable. "And second, maybe it was war. Does it have to be declared, if the threat is great enough to justify any and all actions required to end the threat?"
"Maybe," Pierce mused. "But it'd have to be a significant threat."
"And the fact that you're willing to even consider that puts you in a better position to judge than Forrest, who jumps to conclusions based on impressions, or even Goring, who decides based on what will look best to the people and to his track record. He won't buckle his belt if he thinks the decision would be reversed." Maria's tone was sharp, but quiet. "Hawkins won't do it, and can't, since she'll be taking all of Sherman's cases."
"I just... " Pierce shrugged, looking across at the empty tables around them, places set and awaiting the dinner crowd. He imagined it filled with people, laughing, enjoying themselves, until shots rang out and six fell from their chairs, three dead, one crippled, two injured badly. "Are you truly ready for this?" He turned his attention to his wife, noting the wrinkles around her eyes, the lines on her face, and the way her hands shook, just a little, as she reached for her water glass. The years had been kind to her, but neither of them was young. "The media will turn it into a circus, unless I close the courtroom... "
Maria smiled. "I'm glad you decided to take the case, Joseph."
"I didn't say... " Pierce stopped, and reviewed his words. "Well, maybe."
"Maybe," Maria said, and continued to smile, if a bit sadly.
"I've got the subpoena duces tecum," Cornell said, handing out copies. "The clerk gave me the list for all three, actually, since I wanted to know what else the companion defense was facing. And frankly, I still think we should press for severance."
"The conspiracy issue might be harder to push on a jury if they're only seeing one person at a time," Morris agreed.
"Sorry," Zdancewicz said, shaking his head. "I made that suggestion to Mister Yuy this morning. He won't let me. If you sever, I can't stop you, but my client says no."
"I haven't spoken to Miss Darlian yet," Cornell replied. "They're... " He frowned. "I'm not sure, but I got the impression they're bringing her in from L2... in a prison transport."
"Relena Darlian-Peacecraft?" Morris gaped, then caught herself. "That's ridiculous. Just three weeks ago she was---"
The door swung open, and a young woman in her mid-twenties stepped through. Her hair was pulled back in hundreds of small braids, caught in a neat twist at the back of her head. Her gray suit was neatly pressed, if not the quality worn by a top lawyer.
"Teresa Dunhill," the woman said, her teeth flashing in her dark face. She shook hands with each of the lawyers present, and set her briefcase down long enough to retrieve a notepad and a thin folder. "Sorry I'm late. I didn't hear about this meeting until I spoke to the court a half-hour ago."
Morris looked confused. "You just now spoke to them? This pre-trial meeting's been set for a week."
"I was only the attorney on record for five minutes before I called them," Dunhill explained. "I'm defense for Agent Sarah Freer, a.k.a. Enny." She flipped open her file. "Apparently Agent Freer is up on conspiracy, accomplice to murder, theft, and destruction of property, as well as vandalism." Her voice wavered on the last, as though she didn't believe what her notes said.
"Vandalism." Morris threw down her pen. "What's next? Breaking leash laws? Jaywalking?"
Zdancewicz was looking at the new attorney. She looked familiar, but he might have seen her in court over the past five years of practicing law. "What office are you with?"
"Kaplan and Kaplan," Dunhill said. "I joined them last year, after three years with the District Court on L1." It was a mid-sized firm, not as well known as Tanaka or Wolfe, but it covered both criminal and civil cases.
"Wait... " Cornell frowned. "You're not with the Preventers?"
"No." Dunhill shook her head. "That's the other thing... Agent... I guess it's now Miss Freer. She resigned from the Preventers as of twenty-four hours before speaking to me." Dunhill dug around in her briefcase, and brought out an indictment brief, handing it to Cornell. "The L4 prosecutor had a warrant for her arrest within two hours. She's being extradited from Sanq."
"Hello, is this the Yuy pre-trial meeting?" Another young woman, in her mid-twenties, of Chinese heritage, was closing the door behind her. "I'm Jie Li, defense attorney for Hilde Schbeiker."
"Damn," Zdancewicz breathed. "Well, now it's the defense team for Yuy, Taft, Darlian, Freer, and Schbeiker, I suppose."
"Add Chang to that list," a second woman said, stepping through the door behind Li. "Mihta Chennadi, from the law offices of Sharpe, Thomas, and Lincoln." Introductions were made quickly, and Chennadi sat down, throwing her long thick braid over her shoulder before bringing out a legal pad of her own. "I just alerted the court that I'm now the attorney of record for Wufei Chang, previously an Agent with the Preventers---"
"Wait," Morris said. "No offense, but are you one of the newer lawyers in your firm?"
Chennadi flushed, and nodded, appearing slightly abashed. "I told him that Mister Sharpe would be more than happy to defend him on a case this important, but he insisted I do it." She shook her head. "I've only been arguing cases for two years, and I don't... "
"Anyone here been a lawyer for more than five years?" Cornell looked around the table. No one raised moved. "Anyone have any ideas why these people would chose us? Not saying we can't do it, but face it, I'm sure these people have money, or know people who do. Wasn't there something in the newspaper about Taft's apartment being paid for by Quatre Winner?"
"That would be my client," a young man said, walking through the door on the tail end of Cornell's words. "And yes. Tim Sorenson, from Kaplan and Kaplan."
"Have a seat. I don't think we'll be getting anywhere for a bit," Zdancewicz grumbled. "Feels like a shuttle station in here."
"You're defending Quatre Winner?" Morris gaped. "I would've expected... "
"Someone important?" Sorenson gave her a helpless look. "That's what I told him, but---"
"Let me guess," Cornell interrupted. "He insisted."
"Yeah." Sorenson shrugged. "I don't know why."
"They were Gundam pilots, I heard. Some of them were, at least." Li stared down at her notepad. "Did anyone else in here lose family in the war?"
"My older brother," Cornell whispered.
"My sister," Zdancewicz said.
"My parents." Chennadi's eyes were closed.
"My father," Morris added, her eyes on her notepad.
Sorenson stared around the table at the group of lawyers. "Two brothers and an uncle... We're all their age, too... aren't they all like twenty-one or twenty-two? I'm twenty-five... "
"Twenty-six," Li said. "But I'm the youngest in my firm."
"Twenty-three." Sorenson capped and uncapped his pen. "I just started law last year. I'm afraid I'm going to be relying a great deal on more experienced lawyers."
"Why would they pick us?" Morris looked around the table.
"Hello?"
The entire room turned to look at the three young men stepping through the door. Each started to open their mouths for introductions, but Cornell raised his hand.
"Let me guess. You just went on record as attorneys for the defense, and you're either the youngest or the newest attorney in your firm."
The three men looked confused, then each nodded.
"Did any of you lose immediate family in the war?" Zdancewicz wasn't surprised when all nodded. "So... who've you got?"
"Trowa Barton," one of the men said.
"Sally Po," the second said, squeezing into the table between Zdancewicz and Li.
"Duo Maxwell," the last said, and pulled a chair over from the wall to fit it in between Morris and Cornell.
"Shit," Zdancewicz said, looking around. "That's the entire group, isn't it? Why the hell would anyone throw their lot on a public criminal trial when they could've used the Preventers' tribunal?"
"It's suicide," Chennadi agreed. "I told Agent... I mean, Mister Chang that his chances are much better in the Preventers' court, but he wasn't interested. He was calling from the central police station in Sanq, and will be arriving on the same transport as Mister Barton and Miss Freer, he said."
"If they wanted to make a statement," Morris said, her expression thoughtful, "they couldn't do that with the Preventers' tribunal. Those records are sealed as a matter of course."
"And it's hardly trial by jury, but in this case, that'd be better. They'd be tried as Agents acting under orders," Sorenson pointed out.
"Except for Mister Taft and Miss Darlian," Cornell noted. "Those two were never acting under the Preventers' aegis. They're private citizens."
"Well, be that as it may," the attorney for Trowa Barton said, "we're here, we're stuck, and we've probably all got bosses who will be breathing down our necks to make sure we don't screw this up. Anyone have any ideas what Judge has been assigned to the case?"
"Actually, Pierce," Hawkins said, and chewed her lower lip for a moment, an uncharacteristic hesitation, "I just spoke with Cindy down in the Clerk's office. The docket has been updated in the past few hours."
Pierce frowned. "What do you mean? Has Yuy chosen nolo contende?"
"Not quite," Hawkins hedged, then smiled ruefully. "More like he's got company."
"Company." Pierce sounded skeptical.
"In alphabetical order: Barton, Chang, Darlian, Freer, Maxwell, Po, Schbeiker, Taft, and Winner, and Yuy."
"Shit," Pierce said, and closed his eyes. "They'll never be able to get around the conspiracy charges now, unless they sever."
"And if they did, we could request movement to the other sections on L4," Hawkins mused. "But I haven't seen a motion yet, and unless there's several waiting on your desk... it doesn't look likely."
"I'll need to drop several of the other upcoming cases," Pierce warned. "This one will be massive."
"Got it," Hawkins said, then smiled, weary. "I'm glad you're taking it, Joe."
"I wish I could say I felt glad, too," Pierce admitted, and shook his head. "But right now, I just feel very tired, and very old."
"Old?"
"Timothy would have been twenty-four this year," Pierce said, and got up. "I'll notify Cindy about the confirmation, and have her set up a pre-trial meeting in my chambers. Probably in a few days, or as soon as all attorneys have had a chance to meet with their clients."
Hawkins was surprised. "You're not going to let it wait a week? You've got closing arguments for the Section Seven arson case, don't you?"
"I'll make it all work, somehow." Pierce paused at the door, his hand on the knob. "I think the sooner we push, the better. I don't want the media catching wind too soon and blowing it up in our faces, but I don't want to close the courtroom, either. And if they choose trial by jury, that alone could take a month or two... "
"It would be less on your shoulders," Hawkins suggested.
"True, but... " Pierce shrugged. "Well, it's their call, not mine. Good day, Chrissy."
"Same, Joe." Hawkins watched the door close, and wondered if she'd made a mistake. Pierce would be a good judge, but it was no secret he had no love for Gundam pilots, let alone war and death of any kind. In fact, she pondered, her old friend Joe Pierce probably hated war itself far more than any single perpetrator. The overwhelming entity of war was too great to be laid on the shoulders of five boys.
She reflected on that, and realized that perhaps, in fact, Pierce was the best choice and the best chance for those five pilots and their companions. She pushed away the details of the case, and began to prepare for her next trial segment. Pierce would have to handle the case, and like the rest of the court team, she'd have to hope he could do it fairly, but in the end, it'd be his decision.
Nine lives would be riding on it.
End Part 3
(:./sol/echoes3)
