Post 516: Judgment Day Part Two

Stardate:71023.0030
Title: Judgment Day Part Two
Author: =/\= Zanh Liis
Scene: Bridge, USS Independence
Time: Following Part One
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Jariel Camen looked as if he wanted to speak out loud so badly that he could barely stand it.

He continued signing to Zanh, and those on the bridge who understood some USL were able to make out the words, 'dangerous', and 'think this through,' and 'general court-martial, but Zanh was undeterred. She drew a deep breath.

"The reason that Independence came to Yensul was because you submitted an application for acceptance into the United Federation of Planets." She began, clasping her hands behind her back in order to try to keep herself from wringing Tegget's neck with them.

"It's ironic that the Federation sent me, a woman, in Gilmore's stead to conduct the initial investigation. To see if I could recommend Yensul IV to the Federation Council for consideration."

She shook her head in disbelief. "Ironic, because that is the very last thing you would have agreed to, to allow a woman act as your judge. Yet, here I am, and this is my official decision."

Tegget, Maffe and Sarl refused to look at Zanh as she spoke, the only thing keeping them on the bridge was the fact that armed security was preventing their exit.

"I will tell the Council that we can't even get past Article One of the Federation without stopping cold. You know what Article One says, don't you Tegget?"

Still the man refused to look her in the eye, and that infuriated Zanh past the point she could stand.

"ARTICLE ONE of the Federation, paragraph three!" she shouted. Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing, and kept their eyes locked on her, as she once again lowered her voice.

"Article One of the Federation, paragraph three states that it is the purpose of the United Federation of Planets to, quote:

Achieve interplanetary cooperation in solving intra-galactic problems of economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character; in promoting and encouraging respect for intelligent life-form rights; and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to culture, sex, life-form, or religious belief.

"For all." Zanh repeated, allowing the words to hang in the air for several seconds before going on. "Without distinction.

"Two small words, 'for all'. But they are the very foundation upon which the Federation is built. Equality for all. You wouldn't have allowed yourselves to be judged by a woman, if you'd known in advance. I find it perfect poetic justice that a woman and her crew will expose what you have been doing to your own female population for centuries." She winced as she thought about that.

Centuries.

"I do not think that it is an accident that we are here at this moment in time. That Alchemy crashed as it did. I think that it was destiny and the time for the liberation of the women of Yensul is here."

She punched a few buttons on the science console as she paced past it, bringing the image of the fifth planet up onto the main viewer once again.

"I am certain that their leader will request asylum for those you have thrown away. I will not be able to grant that request quickly enough. To help them in any way that I can." She singled Tegget out once more as the focus of her anger. "It's bad enough what you did, stealing Corbinsky's technology, hiding the fact you knew where the Alchemy was, planning to destroy it or worse, take it apart and steal that technology, too. But far worse is the fact that you're guilty of not only murder, but of keeping an entire portion of your population hidden, suffering in bondage to poverty."

Zanh had to step a little further away again, barely containing her rage.

"Women and children you once claimed to love- and why? Because they had the misfortune to lose the man who, just by the nature of his male DNA and anatomy, earned their right to live and breathe in your society. And tomorrow, if you, or you, or YOU," she barked, eyeing each man on the panel in turn, finally staring at Tegget last of all, "happened to die. . ."

She couldn't help but finger the phaser she always kept at her hip, a carryover from her previous line of work, as she added, ". . .tragically,"

Tegget gulped, hard.

"Then YOUR wives and YOUR daughters would all be sentenced to a slow death in the snow on the fifth planet." She stormed away again, pounding her fist once on the nearest wall. "No more! It ends here!"

"It is none of your business how we run our society. Your own precious Prime Directive says so." Tegget responded finally, with more apparent arrogance than ever.

"I've got a newsflash for you. With all that's happened here, the Prime Directive no longer applies."

"In your estimation." He smirked, so sure that he was right and that Starfleet would concur, that he planned to file a formal demand that Zanh Liis' assessment of their fitness be thrown out, and that she be removed from command and brought up on charges for firing on their 'moon.' "Soon, you will be relieved of these difficult command decisions altogether. Mark my words."

Instead of being intimidated by his barely veiled threat, she leaned toward him and placed her lips as close to his ear as she could stand.

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=/\= Zanh Liis
Acting Commanding Officer
USS Independence NCC-90791