| MSV Dryden Hearing | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Apr 17 2012, 02:27 AM (629 Views) | |
| Eternus | Apr 17 2012, 02:27 AM Post #1 |
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1st Lieutenant - Alliance Fleet
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Admiral Rogers sat at his desk for a moment. His hand halting over the send button on his data pad. He had been in similar situations himself. Most Admirals had at some point in their careers been put in those situations. He cursed the moment he was told he would be in charge of this hearing. The Richmond had a good crew, they had a great team set up for the mission. He had read the reports, it wasn't their fault. But he had been tasked by Alliance Command to bring 'justice' to the hearing and to make certain a firm message was sent to the rest of the Alliance. He was nearing retirement anyway he thought. Get this out of the way and he could enjoy the rest of his life with his wife. He scanned over the message one last time: "You are hereby ordered to attend the hearing into the events relating to the death of Corporal Michael Adams, the failure to obey the chain of command and the regulations set forth by Alliance Command that led to the purging of the MSV Dryden." Rogers knew when he hit send, a new and ugly turn of events would begin to unfold. The system was already programmed to send this message to those on the team that were imost heavily involved in the incident. It upset him to know that good people will be made scapegoats to satisfy public demand and that more importantly, at the end of it all, it cost a man his life. He hit send and threw the data pad across the room. |
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| Kaja | Apr 17 2012, 04:12 AM Post #2 |
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Lieutenant Commander
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They had returned from the vacation well within the accepted time and were relaxed and enjoying the downtime. Even though they knew what was coming neither had really spoken much about it for the week. Just enjoyed the view and the pleasure of being away from the nosey media and the accusing eyes of others. Kaja sat with Robert at a cafe in Portland, across the border from Vancouver and away from Military headquarters taking her sweet time while they waited for the notice to come. She was laughing at something he said, her hand over his and completely at ease when it happened. Her omnitool began to flash, his lit up almost at the same time and she froze. She felt the moments melt away as a hollow feeling entered the pit of her stomach. She sat, looking at that light for a long moment before hitting the acceptance. The words sharp and cruel to her eyes cut deep as she read them. They left her cold and hollow. They finished tea and rose together. Substantially more quiet than they had been. She held Robert's hand all the way to the transport terminal, from there to Vancouver, from that terminal to the headquarters where they changed into formal blues and only let his fingers go when they were seperated by military police and moved into different areas to await the trail. She sat, her back straight and eyes ahead until someone said her name. It felt ringing, like it came from a long distance and she wasn't really connected to her body at that moment. She nodded and stood. Followed through corridors, held her hand up and muttered some words that someone made her repeat and then suddenly she was in a room at a long table staring up at the empty space above where her judgement would come from. She stood at attention. Waiting. |
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| Ramirus Sectus | Apr 17 2012, 04:38 AM Post #3 |
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N7▲ Operative
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The loneliness in the waiting room ate at Robert as he sat waiting for the trial to begin. He knew what to expect, the Alliance covering their own backsides using him as Kaja as scapegoats for the entire situation. The majority of information would be twisted or 'forgotten' to suit the Alliance and make it look like the Dryden was nothing but a failure of command. They hadn't been in the situation and they clearly didn't care aslong as their lives were still easy. Finally someone came to get him and he was guided towards the room the hearing was being held in. He didn't really care to much at that moment, the scenario was already playing out in his head and there was only one certain outcome, one fact that the Alliance could never touch or change. The way he felt about Kaja. Their holiday had done nothing but reaffirm his feelings toward her...he loved her. No Alliance decision could change that although he knew that the prosecution would likely do their best to turn them on each other. Upon reaching the hall his eyes caught sight of Kaja stood to attention, all in military uniform. He began making his way over to her without thinking before one of his escorts took him by the arm. "You'll be sitting over here sir." The private gestured to a table away from her. Robert nodded and moved towards the table that had two chairs at it. Nobody would be sitting with him however, he had decided to defend himself. He had no intention of letting a suit tell him what to do or what to say. The outcome of the trial was going to be determined by him telling the truth.. As he reached the table he stood at ease, his arms placed behind his back. He awaited the arrival of those that would be judging them before moving to attention. Soon it would begin. Soon they would pick him and Kaja apart, yet he did not care. He knew within himself that Adams did not blame them for his death. The fact was in the situation they were in, somebody wasn't going to make it. If Kaja had gone alone she would likely have died. If Adams had gone instead of Robert or Kaja the chances were more than just one person would have died as Adams sheer size was all that meant Alice and Riley made it. He was a hero and the entire trial was a con that defiled the memory of a great man. Robert intended to defend his and Kaja's honour to the letter but more importantly, to make sure the Galaxy knew how great a man Adams was. |
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| Kaja | Apr 17 2012, 02:07 PM Post #4 |
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Lieutenant Commander
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1st Lieutenant Mark Riley Riley walked in with Maria. They had let him stay with his wife while he waited and only now he was in the hearing room did they separate. She moved to the back where lines of seating sat away from those involved. In a place where she could watch what was happening to her husband. He noticed as he was escorted along that a long table stood in the middle of the room. Kaja stood staring blankly forwards. She looked like marble. Pale and cold. In front of her a Marine handbook and along the table more of them with seats for each person expected. He was stationed at her side and left there to stand with his C.O and wait. She glanced at him and they shared a moment of silent strength. Not speaking. Riley looked to his left and saw the space where Gabriel Kai was expected to stand, and next to him Alice. Then Robert's team, leading all the way to the other end of the table where he would stand. One chair would remain empty. There was a medal where Adams would not be able to sit. Riley noticed Robert was seated seperately from the table then and wondered why. It was odd they would seat him away from the panel. But he assumed it had something to do with Kaja. He took her stance and they mirrored eachother perfectly. Completely used to standing side by side in the hardest of times. He would stand by her now. He dropped his voice to the lowest of whispers. "I love you." "I love you." "Try not to do anything stupid." "I'll do my best." He looked at his sister. Noticing the way she showed absolutely nothing of what she was thinking and sighed inwardly. Maria would kill him if anything happened to her. Edited by Kaja, Apr 17 2012, 02:11 PM.
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| Paragonic | Apr 17 2012, 02:47 PM Post #5 |
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Alice sat in the waiting room her eyes closed and head bowed. She prayed that this hearing wouldn't be as bad as they all thought it would be, that the Commanders would retain their positions and finally that God would be with them all. She knew that only a miracle could get the Commanders out of this one... "Miss Winchester?" She lifted her head up in response, they had come to get her. "It's time." She started towards the door, stopping just before it. She brushed down her blues before entering the room, this was only the fourth chance she had worn them. Riley and Kaja were standing side by side like statues and Robert was seated well away from her. This didn't bode well. She was escorted to her seat by a Private, he said something but she didn't take it in. Instead she smiled weakly, her mind fraught with worry. As she took her position she began to prepare herself for the questions. She wasn't going to break down. The rumours of her emotional disorders were still being flung around by news networks and she didn't want to provide any more ammunition. She fixed her eyes on the wall opposite her, steeling herself for what was to come. |
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| Eternus | Apr 17 2012, 03:52 PM Post #6 |
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1st Lieutenant - Alliance Fleet
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Rogers and his two Rear Admiral panel members were watching the srcurity footage as the team from the SSV Richmond were bought inside. He turned to the Clerk of the court, "Almost all of Awdaes team is in, Cadogens other team members won't be called to this hearing. You can head in and take your position." "Yes sir", replied the young serviceman. He turned and moved towards the door that led to the short hallway that exited into the hearing room. Rogers turned to the Rear Admirals, "Remember gentlemen, the Alliance wants us to make a point at this hearing. I only want the truth. We have an N7 trained operative in here that should have known what to do. That's why we have N7 people. We need to be sure, all three of us, that he made the right choices on this mission before we decide his fate, and that of everyone else in that room. We owe that to Corporal Adams. Once more he heard the very stern reply,"Yes sir" Edited by Eternus, Apr 17 2012, 03:56 PM.
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| Nova | Apr 17 2012, 06:51 PM Post #7 |
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The sooner this was all over with, the better. Drama. Gabriel hated drama. He also hated authority. A mixture of the two and you had one annoying cocktail of possible disaster. So he was part of the MSV Dryden incident... arguably a bigger part than he believed, but why did he have to be part of this? He had nothing to do with the rest of this Shakespearean nonsense. To him, he assumed he was some how guilty by association, of course he had no real idea of what was going to happen - he'd had many a slap on the wrist since being in the alliance, but never had he been called up for a trial. But while he was lead toward the courtroom, he felt no anxiety, no nervousness. He hadn't had much time to think about the possible outcomes of this charade, and neither had he tried. But from what he could remember of the mission, he'd done nothing wrong as far as protocol and regulations were concerned. Maybe they just needed a statement from him or something. Either way, he was here because he had to be... and he couldn't wait for it to be over with, so he could get back to work and leave all this bullshit to those that apparently had nothing better to be doing. |
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| Eternus | Apr 18 2012, 08:31 AM Post #8 |
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1st Lieutenant - Alliance Fleet
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Everyone appeared to be standing where they should be. Rogers pushed a button on a panel at the base of the vid screen and spoke into the microphone, "Send in the Independant Investigators". With that two side doors on the opposite sides of the room opened up. Four MPs walked in and took their stations at the door where the others were lead in and at each of the two side doors. Two more individuals walked in and took their places at a table at each side of the room. Rogers pressed a second button next to the first. It lit a light on the panel where the Clerk of the Court was to let him know they were ready to begin and start the second recording device for the actual hearing. No time like the present, Rogers thought. The two Rear Admirals walked through the door first to the call of "Attention!" from the Clerk of the Court. "This is the hearing into the MSV Dryden incident #46971 on the calendar. Rear Adrmirals Schwertzky and Ling and Admiral Rogers presiding." Rogers walked in last and took his seat in the centre between his fellow panel members. Rogers returned the salute given him by the room."At ease ladies and gentlemen. You may all be seated." Rogers was, for the first time in his career, not quite sure where to start. "You may all be well aware that there is an empty seat at this hearing. That medal at that seat is there to remind us all of one of the reasons why we're here. We have a series of items to attend to. The Clerk will read them out shortly. But I would like to let everyone here know why I am here. I am here to make certain that the memory of that man, who's empty chair represents, is not forgotten, and is certainly not remembered for the disaster that was the MSV Dryden Incident, but the heroic efforts of Corporal Adams that meant at least three of you marines here before me are here. His record shows valour and bravery on multiple missions including the Skyllian Blitz, The Battle for the Citadel, the Dryden and more. I will not be personally pointing the fingure at any one in this room to play the blame game. But I also want you all to know that the Alliance has rules and regulations and protocols for reasons. And this panel is here to make certain that everyone in this room will be aware of the repercussions of their actions in the future. Particularly in dangerous situations where the safety of the teams involved should always be paramount." |
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| Kaja | Apr 18 2012, 01:21 PM Post #9 |
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Lieutenant Commander
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Kaja felt the sterile white room was more like an asylum cell than a hearing room. Even the tables had a brushed metal surface. The legs some kind of solidified alien polymer that she suspected was of Asari make, even the signs were white and sterile. The only colour in the room came from Alliance logos and uniforms. A deep blue that offered a sense of security and warmth in an otherwise hospitalised environment; and alot of metal. The silvers and gold of rank and homage pinned to the breasts of many around her shone under the luminescent solar lights. She realised this room was designed to make a person feel only safe by that colour. Trust me the Alliance logos said. They were placed that way and in this manner so that each person who came in, guilty or innocent, would want to trust them. She was not blind to the manner of a hearing panel and the psychological trends they exhibited. But she was not victim to them either. She trusted the Alliance because the were her family. Now she was asking the question, where did she stand now? She shifted her weight to salute. Holding the sharp angle to her brow in a text book perfect stance that would have made a drill master proud. But hell, who cared about that now anyway. The big players already knew it wasn't about salutes. She wondered if the people in front of her knew that. She wondered how many of the men up there had held a gun and stared down something a nightmare couldn't conjure. She dropped her hand and took a seat alongside everyone else. Riley sat with her and she did not turn her head to watch the line alongside her do the same. She almost turned to see if Robert had been moved to the other end of the table yet. But instead she sat rigidly in her seat and folded her hands on the table top as she listened to the introduction speech. Procedure and diplomacy. This language she understood. What she wasn't sure about was the extra guards and the two extra unknowns, an asari and a salarian, odd for a human event on the human home world. What was also interesting was the biotic shields. She felt them radiating from others around her. A type of pool of readiness that only a biotic could sense from other biotics. The pool in this room had more than one stone and the ripples were bouncing off her own like a network ping. She almost smiled, her eyes flitting to the side and contacting those of the closest MP. She felt his biotics peak and she pushed back at him without any effort. She felt a bit smug when he cast a worried glance around him. |
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| Ramirus Sectus | Apr 18 2012, 01:49 PM Post #10 |
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N7▲ Operative
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As the formalities ended, Robert looked as if he was ready to explode. His expression was one of anger, the words of the Admiral full of lies. There was no interest in remembering Adams as only a few knew him, but covering themselves. The words of this Rogers were clearly written in a way to make the Alliance come across as a caring organisation, yet as things dragged on Robert could feel nothing but resentment. He had served the Alliance for nearly fifteen years, saved countless lives, ended much more and all in the name of the Alliance. Now as soon as something goes wrong he his thrown to the wolves. He couldn't wait for his turn to speak. Whether they tried to grill him with invasive questions or not, he would have his say one way or another. They wouldn't be able to stop him from getting his thoughts and feelings across, he'd sooner die than let anyone, let alone the Alliance, use Adams as a scapegoat for their own failings. He was his brother and no matter what happened, he was going to make sure people knew it. |
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12:36 AM Jul 11

