Fact And Fiction (Part 1)

Posted on Sun Oct 23rd, 2022 @ 7:26am by Captain Maho Takahashi & Commander Seiji Iwaki 'Hawk' & Lieutenant Commander Tristana & Commander Ichika Misono

1,512 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Trade Troubles
Location: USS Myogi (NCC-65918), Interrogation Room, Security Department Deck 8
Timeline: Shortly After Commander Iwaki's Apprehension

Tristana entered the small office adjoining the small interrogation room located in the security department on Deck 8 where Maho was already waiting. Both women had been in this room before under Miyahara, though the instances were rare, as Miyahara had been of a "lock 'em up and throw away the key" mentality, and the times he had decided to interrogate the bad guys they caught were few and far between.

Admittedly, the mentality had rubbed off on Maho a bit, and she would have been more than keen to lock Iwaki in the brig and let the authorities back in the Sol system deal with him. However, Ichika had requested the chance to interrogate Seiji before they arrived back in Sol, and Maho wanted to see for herself how her new number one performed interrogations, and had left Keisuke in charge of the bridge to come down to security to watch.

"You really think she can pull this off?" Tristana asked as she settled in next to Maho in front of the one way mirror, which allowed them to see Seiji sitting quite calmly and smugly in the interrogation room beyond, but to Seiji, the window was a mirror.

"That is what we're here to find out, Tristana." Maho said as Seiji unknowingly made eye contact with her. "If I'd had my way, we'd have locked this smug sombitch in the brig and left him to the mercy of the prosecutors and the JAG."

"I would have, too." Tristana admitted. "But, I'm willing to let Commander Misono have her fun this time..."

The door in front of Seiji opened and Ichika stepped into the room, a PADD containing his case file tucked under her arm.

"The prosecutors are taking a look into your case," she explained, laying the PADD out on the table for Iwaki's perusal. "Based on their findings, you could be facing charges of conducting a search without probable cause, insubordination, mutiny, desertion, first-degree murder, refusing arrest, attempted murder, and manslaughter, amongst other various infractions. In accordance with Starfleet's legal precedent, the maximum punishment you could receive, should you be found guilty of the charges leveled against you, is 50 years in a rehabilitation facility. However, the JAG has also reviewed your case and is willing to take a plea deal; should you decide to plead guilty, your sentence may be commuted as much as thirty years, depending on the testimony you provide. So, if I may clearly state the facts: if you have something to say, now is your time to do so."

Seiji picked up the PADD and glanced at the charges being brought up against him, and when Ichika had finished speaking, he giggled at the absurdity of the charges.

"If you really think you're gonna get me on all these charges, and lock me up for as long as you're threatening me with, then you really are as stupid as you look:" He giggled, tossing the PADD back onto the desk. "Haven't you heard the news? Internal Affairs ships such as this junkpile are obsolete! I'll be acquitted just like Taiga Aisaka was, and I'll be right back at it, making this whole escapade for naught. You know, they really should just reassign the Myogi to do exploratory work and leave defending the Federation's interests to heroes such as myself and Captain Aisaka."

"If you take us for a bunch of imbeciles, you're sorely mistaken," Ichika argued. "In Captain Aisaka's case, there exists hard evidence in her favor that a Radical Tal Shiar cell hired the Elachi to stage an attack on the Alvatar Colony- encrypted and unaltered data extracted from an Elachi computer, video feed directly from the Elachi ship, even a dead Elachi to prove that they were at the scene of the crime. You, in the meantime, have little to no evidence in your favor; on the contrary, we have transponder logs, computer data, audio transcriptions, and witness testimonies from both Klingon Merchants and Federation Staff, that prove that you, Seiji Iwaki, were a willful propagator of these infractions. Proving your innocence is going to be a very tall order."

"That traitorous bitch..." Seiji muttered under his breath. "Anyhow, funny you mention all that quote unquote 'hard evidence' in Captain Aisaka's favor; because what the emboldened left wing radicals and the fake news media don't bother to tell you is that all that so-called 'evidence' was masterfully fabricated by Kathryn Burke in a shady ass lab, perfectly tailored to fit Captain Aisaka's story! I mean, it's getting a whole lot easier to present such convincing alternative evidence, down to the point of crafting a so-called 'dead Elachi' that is so very lifelike it convinces the jury to acquit. I'm perfectly confident that such alternative evidence will present itself in my case."

Ichika leaned forward. "I don't know what universe you seem to think you live in, but Kathryn Burke has been a loyal Starfleet officer with over 36 years of service under her belt. Not once in those 36 years has she interfered with legal proceedings, not even during the Dominion War. The evidence presented at that trial was annalyzed by a team of trusted Starfleet Intelligence Officers, who validated their authenticity with no such preconceived bias that would effect their findings. And furthermore, there is no evidence to prove that these "left-wing radicals" you speak of are anything more than a figment of your delusional imagination: They. Do. Not. Exist."

"Oh, really?" Seiji said, perking a brow. "Sweetums; I don't know what universe you think you live in, but if radical left-wingers don't exist and aren't a threat, then how come news outlets such as Coyote News and One Federation News Network keep going on and on about a left wing deep state that's plotting to take over the galaxy as we speak? I mean, you really should know, given how your own vessel used to be under the command of a man whose whole shtick was 'draining the swamp.' Don't believe me? Ask that barefoot and pregnant loser you call a captain that's sitting nice and pretty behind that glass."

Behind the one way mirror, Tristana began growing impatient with what was happening in the interrogation room beyond.

"Now this guy's starting to get on my nerves!" She said.

"Relax, Tristana:" Maho put up a hand. "You and I have both seen enough interrogations to know that bad guys are often like this..."

"Coyote and One Federation are not credible news sources," Ichika stated. "Their reports are glorified editorials, based around unfounded paranoia and fear-mongering as opposed to hard facts. If they were to put forth some indisputable evidence that these left-wing radicals exist and are actually manipulating Federation leaders as we speak, then perhaps there might be a kernel of truth to what you're saying. But until then, they might as well be trying to convince me of the boogeyman's existence."

Seiji broke out laughing.

"I'm sorry, I can't! That's too funny!" He laughed. "Really, you should have gone into comedy instead of Starfleet! I mean, next you're going to tell me that the fake news media are actually credible news sources!" Seiji cackled. "You know, you really shouldn't be as quick to buy into the lies that the left spoon feeds you. Or are you just afraid of having your eyes opened to the left's hypocrisy?"

"Mister Iwaki," Ichika warned as she calmly stood up and pushed her chair in. "I have said this once, and I will say it once more: they do not exist, nor at any point in this discussion have you provided reasonable evidence to support the fact that they ever existed. But if this is the delusional reality you choose to accept, then we're done here."

And without another word, she exited the room and made her way over to the adjoining room where Maho and Tristana were watching the interrogation unfold.

"He's completely lost it," she reported. "He seriously believes that the Federation is a puppet government of far-left extremists, and yet he'd rather laugh at me than try and provide evidence to prove his superstitions."

"That story does seem to be making its rounds in far right circles as of late, whenever you're not hearing about how 'Taiga Aisaka didn't win,' that is..." Maho commented. "I did warn you going in, Commander, that you might not get the answers you're seeking out of him, and that he's best left to the prosecutors and the JAG."

"I suppose you're right," Ichika sighed, before shifting her attention over to Tristana. "You think you might have a better shot at getting through to him, Lieutenant?"

Tristana shrugged.

"I've never been the good cop in a good cop/bad cop routine before, but I could certainly give it a try..." She said.

To be continued...

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