“This court is now prepared to render a decision in the preferral of changes brought by the Office of the Judge Advocate General against Captain Jacob Daniel Lewis and Lieutenant Lisa Anne Hall, Ph.D.,” Captain Adler began as he called the chambers back to order. With the testimony complete, and the arguments made, it was time to render a verdict. He’d seen enough, and he’d heard enough. There was no point in delaying further.

At the table for the defense, Captain Lewis sat with his arms folded across his chest, and Dr. Hall leaned back in her chair, her face ice cold. The defendants were, as they had been for most of the proceedings, unreadable. It made them seem remorseless, but remorse was not relevant to this determination. Neither was Captain Adler’s personal opinion of the pair, nor his opinion of the conduct of the witnesses, the prosecution, or the admiral serving as counsel for the defense. If his personal opinion had mattered, he’d have thrown the whole lot of them out an airlock, but lady justice was blind, and Eleazar Adler would not allow his personal opinions to taint his judicial opinion.

“I cannot overstate the gravity of the charges brought before this court, nor the gravity of the circumstances under which these officers found themselves,” Captain Adler acknowledged grimly. “However, gravity does not define a case, and gravity does not excuse impropriety. It is the responsibility of this court to review, in a purely objective manner, the facts as presented, and to issue a determination, based on the letter of the law, as to whether or not the evidence is sufficient to justify referral to a General Court Martial.” This was not the first controversial case Eleazar Adler had presided over, and it would not be the last, but it was his hope that, regardless of their feelings, all would accept the ruling nonetheless. “Would the defendants please rise?”

In unison, Captain Lewis, the haggard veteran of an earlier era who’d led the covert mission to Nasera, and Dr. Hall, the psychologist of questionable morals who’d accompanied the team, rose from their seats. Even as they rose, still their expressions gave nothing of their emotions away.

“This court finds the facts related to what occurred on Nasera II most disturbing,” Captain Adler noted. “And it is my opinion that there was a preponderance of evidence that the Vorta was, in fact, the victim of crimes against humanity.”

Commander Drake looked smug as the presiding officer spoke. From Captain Adler’s words, it was clear that he had not been swayed by Admiral Reyes’ argument that the Vorta did not qualify as a lifeform entitled to the fundamental protections enshrined within the Charter of the United Federation of Planets.

“However, on the matter of the four specific counts raised in this preferral, the court finds that, while there were certainly concerning irregularities in the record, there is not sufficient evidence that the defendants were themselves the perpetrators of those crimes,” Captain Adler stated firmly, his choice of words precise for he did not, in his heart, believe the defendants innocent, even though he could not, as an arbiter of the law, rule to the contrary. “And consequently, this preferral does not meet the bar necessary to be referred to a General Court Martial.”

Commander Drake’s face turned red – bright red – flushed with anger. How could Captain Adler sit up there, after hearing all he’d heard today, and not agree that there was enough to bring this matter forward?

Captain Adler turned towards the defendants. “Captain Lewis, Dr. Hall, as a consequence of this ruling, you are free to go.” The expression on his face betrayed his personal feelings and, before they left, he offered a stern warning. “As you depart from here today, I beg of you to think hard on the oath you swore as commissioned officers and remember your solemn duty to uphold the values of the Federation that we all hold so dear.”

“Thank you, your honor,” nodded Captain Lewis calmly. “You can rest assured that, as always, we will do whatever it takes to protect the Federation and its interests.” And he meant it. The only difference was the lines he would cross to make that a reality, lines that Captain Adler, Commander Drake and the others would never truly understand.

Dr. Hall, for her sake, simply nodded, and then the two of them took their leave.

Slowly, the chamber began to empty, but Commander Drake stayed sitting, staring seethingly at the bench where Captain Adler sat. He couldn’t believe it. He’d heard in the Captain’s words that the Captain did not believe the defendants innocent, but the old man hadn’t had the stomach to allow the trial to go forward. It was a disgrace to justice.

Admiral Reyes, for her sake, stayed seated, as did Captain Elsie Drake, the sister of the prosecutor, who sat quietly in the back. Both of them could tell that Commander Drake still had something to say, and neither intended to leave Captain Adler alone with the man after he had just handed down a ruling that the brash Robert Drake was unlikely to accept graciously.

Once the chambers were otherwise empty, Commander Drake addressed the senior hearing officer: “You know, in your heart of hearts, that those two were guilty.”

“I know, in my heart of hearts, that something very disturbing happened on Nasera,” Captain Adler counseled. “But Robert, put your feelings aside for a moment and think critically about the case you presented.” He empathized with the man. He’d been young and brash once, just like the young prosecutor before him. He just hoped the man would learn from it.

“Fuck you,” Commander Drake spat, and then he turned to Admiral Reyes. “And fuck you too. You’ve been covering for those two since the beginning.”

Admiral Reyes didn’t flinch, and she didn’t correct his tone, even though she absolutely had grounds to. Instead, she took a gentle tact. “No, Robert, I have not. In fact, I have gone out of my way to stay out of your investigation, maybe too much so…” Her eyes fell to the floor. “A man is dead, in part, because of you.” She’d given him far too much leash. If she had cut off the investigation like Captain Lewis had begged her to, maybe Lieutenant Morgan would still have been alive, but because of her desire to maintain the appearance of neutrality, a man was dead.

“How dare you!” Commander Drake snapped back.

“You played the tape, Robert,” Admiral Reyes reminded him somberly. “You heard his last words. Jace Morgan referenced you by name before he pulled the trigger.”

The blame did not rest solely on him though, Admiral Reyes knew, and it wasn’t even just about this inquisition. Lieutenant Morgan was a victim of the traumas he’d endured, and as much as Commander Drake’s investigation had pushed him over the edge, she and the rest of the leadership team had not served him well in terms of supporting him after the tragedy of Nasera, the desperate battle in the Ciatar Nebula, and the horrors of Frontier Day. They’d just acted like it was all alright, without acknowledging the very human toll it had taken on him.

“And Sebold, what the fuck is up with them?” Commander Drake pressed on, ignoring the points raised by both the elder officers. If he’d just been permitted to send the marshals to collect them and force their testimony, maybe he would have had a case, but he’d been blocked by Starfleet Intelligence. “This cloak and dagger shit, coupled with the lies of those on the stand, made this an impossible case!”

“Sebold Industries is a trusted partner of Starfleet, one who, at great risk to themselves, made the liberation of Nasera possible,” Admiral Reyes reminded him. “And lies? Are you sure, Robert? Are you sure that, in your blind crusade, you did not lose sight of the fact that maybe, just maybe, these two were not guilty? You demonized some of our finest, men and women who put their lives on the line to protect you and save an entire planet, with a case that had no basis in reality.”

Commander Drake was about to respond, but Captain Adler raised a hand to stop him. “The Admiral is right, in this one,” the elder lawyer cautioned. “This discussion is over. You would be best to learn from what happened here today as you go forth.”

There was nothing more he could say. They didn’t get it. 

In a dramatic gesture, Commander Drake reached up to his neck and ripped the pips off his collar. If the deck was so rigged against him, then what the hell was the point of any of this? Angrily, he threw them to the floor. And as the metal clinked against the floor, he was gone, storming out of the chambers without another word.

For a moment, there was only silence.

Admiral Reyes looked over at Captain Drake, who’d the whole thing transpire, and gave a simple nod. It was in that moment that Elsie finally understood her purpose, why Rear Admiral Grayson had sent her. It wasn’t to participate in the case or to manipulate its outcome. It was to make sure that a good man, a fine prosecutor, her own flesh and blood, did not throw his career away over one verdict that didn’t go in his favor. She rose, walked over to where Commander Drake’s pips had landed, picked them up and then, without another word, raced off to find her brother.