Iron Stars - unw-trial-of-jimmer-pitkins

The trial of Jimmer Pitkins begins on a quiet morning, in the skies over Galatea. In a move by Pitkin's defense, it was thought that the venue of the UNW for a jury pool would cause too much animosity and would not render a fair verdict for this stage of the trial. The polities on Galatea wasted no time devoting a bit of their grail time to create a courthouse for this event on an unused piece of land in the central highlands. Early in the morning local time, Jimmer is brought down to the planet's surface under heavy Void Warden guard , complete with escort by their powerful psionic leader Xu'Ganara, to prevent any teleporting psions from trying to rescue the convict. Eight of the largest and strongest men in Void Wardens command all wearing power armor bring the captive into the cells below the courthouse, where they will later be brought up for trial. A landing field outside the courthouse has been set aside for the assembled dignitaries , witnesses, and other personnel who will make this trial happen. Pitkins is accused of selling the weapons that armed the Azure Eye Independence Movement on Chloe, and with their capture of Chloe's orbital platform, capital weapons were trained and fired on the planet's surface. Tens of thousands of unfortunate people who had survived The Scream lost their lives to the bombardment and following ecological disasters across the planet. The platform was eventually recaptured by a strike force of UNW elites, but by then the damage had been done. (edited)

12:59 PM

(@UNW if you wish to participate)

Nekosmash pinned a message to this channel. 5/18/2023 1:01 PM

Kila watches Pitkins as he’s escorted to the courthouse, her lips a thin white line and her eyes narrowed. She’s a little surprised, she didn’t think she was capable of hate this strong. She huffs through flared nostrils then turns on her heel to find the friends she made on Chloe. It’ll be a bittersweet reunion.

(does it matter if we are currently. far away?)

Gurk Samson wanders the halls, escorted by a severe, professional looking Merlon. Behind them is a floater ruck loaded with boxes - all filled with documents relating to the original mission logs, health records from the wounded, and some testimony from survivors that later reached Terezinho. Gurk intends to do everything in his power to see that Pitkins is found guilty. No doubt the hapless arms-merchant is preparing a shameless and dishonorable defence to save his own skin. (edited)

(No , it doesn't matter. This is out of time so everyone can participate)

Sola stands off to the side of the entryway, watching the procedures and preparations for the trial. How curious. It will be good to learn from this trial about this society.

Iumi slithers forward, tongue flitting outward nervously. She clears her throat and steels herself. Someone father would be proud to debate. she reminds herself, and straightens. “Ladies, gentlemen, and others of the court,” she says in a clear, echoing voice. “I, Iumi of Gudrun, am representing the people of the United Nations of Worlds. And I am here today to prove to you beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant - one Jimmer Pickens—“ she hisses slightly, almost undetectably, at the utterance of the name — “did equip, aid, and abet a terrorist cell on Chloe leading to the slaughter of thousands of innocents.” She slithers across the courtroom, locking eyes with some familiar faces. Gurk Samson, the stoic environmentalist. I wonder how his zoo project is coming along. Kila Stosk, ever the ambassador. She can talk your ears off and could kill you in a heartbeat, but she’s twice as likely to make a trade deal out from under you. What a wonderful governor she is going to be. Sola, the newcomer. Not sure what to make of them yet but they have so much promise. And Proceus, the soldier. The devoted hunter who caught the fugitive and brought him to face his day in court. The face seen only by her - that of Jexad, Iumi’s father, the Slyth ambassador who never emerged from his cryopod on Gudrun. She had spent night after night waiting for the doors to open, only to be disappointed when the green light turned to yellow then eventually to red, indicating undetectable vitals. Her father had presided over many trials in his day, several of which Iumi had witnessed as his protege and heir apparent. Will he be proud of what I do here today? a voice asks within her. She steps forward, examining the defendant, and clears her throat. Looking around to the half-filled courtroom, she bows her head slightly while waiting for the other attendees. I will be the daughter my father deserved. she tells herself silently. (edited)

Barnabas slips in quietly while Iumi is speaking and finds a seat in the back, curious to get a look at this Pitkins character.

Jimmer thus far remains silent as this opening statement begins. His own representation will be next, and the murmurs among the courtroom die down the longer Iumi speaks, as people realize things are beginning. The council that will decide Pitkins fate is made up of three UNW judges, namely the chief magistrate and governor of Chloe Dax Withers, President Harkoni , and finally, in a move that surprised many, April Kincaid, the former president of the United Nations of Worlds. Security around this trial is heavy given the concentration of administrative personnel all in one place.

Gurk is reassured by the level of security on display. Given the number of people who would like to blow up Jimmer, this at least suggests they will get to the end of the trial with everyone still intact.

(I’ll be watching this one from the sidelines with interest but not participating, got a bit on atm)

"The court will come to order!" Harkoni says as he bangs his ceremonial gavel twice on the bench. Iumi has just started to make their argument. "The accused will be read their list of charges before we proceed further, and at that time, if anyone believes there has been a mistake in the rule of law, or the following of it, they can make their argument known"

Gurk leans forward. He has come here intending to make sure Jimmer is convicted not just of crimes against people, but against the planet itself. If mass ecological damage isn't on the charge list he'll intervene.

The official list of charges is read by one of the court officers, for the benefit of those assembled. Jimmer has been given this list during his arraignment, and has pled innocent to each of the charges. 1. Violation of the Third Law of Maltech , as weapons of planet destroying power were used on the surface of a habitable world 2. Ecological Terrorism 3. Arming and aiding a terrorist organization 4. Attempting to evade intergalactic authorities

12:07 PM

(I think that covers the high points, at least from the UNw's perspective.

(did he supply the weapons that would destroy the surface or were they part of the platform?)

(they were part of the platform, but the argument is they wouldn't have fallen into separatist hands without jimmer)

(which of these would normally get the death penalty on a guilty verdict?

(if it's based on any kind of real-world laws, maltech would absolutely be death penalty)

(I think one and two would be the most likely )

(I think Gurk is happy with the charges then - don't think he has anything to add before we hear the defence ...)

Jimmer's lawyer is a well known defense attorney working normally as part of the Iron Stars Federation. "Ladies and gentleman of the Jury , esteemed members of the court, and those watching here either as witnesses or as spectators, my client does not deny the mountain of physical evidence placing him at the scene of the Chlose defense palatform takeover, nor in Protectorate space just after the incident, but it is our contention that Mister Pitkins cannot be held responsible for what others did with the tools he peddled them. Weapons are only tools, they are inert, until acted upon, and it was not Mister Pitkins who fired these weapons in anger when the platform was stormed, nor was it his hand at the controls of the defense platform's weapon bay when the surface of Chloe was bombarded. Holding him accountable for the actions of the Azeure Eye is a mockery of the justice system of the Iron Stars, and it is our opinion that the majority of these charges should be dropped. Mister Pitkins has seen the error of his ways and admits that he should have vetted his customers more carefully. but to hold him accountable for more than the third charge sets a number of dangerous legal precidents where people could be charged not just for their actions, but for the actions of others that they had come in contact with. "

(does this mean he is pleading guilty to charge 4?)

iumi of Gudrun pinned a message to this channel. 6/1/2023 1:19 PM

Iumi looks to the judge nervously, as if for confirmation that it is her turn. She clears her throat, tongue flitting in and out once in rapid succession, and shuffles the papers at her desk. Your turn, little one. her fathers voice seems to say to her. Make me proud. Determined, she begins. “Thank you, counsel, for doing one quarter of my job for me, despite your client’s previous assertion of innocence to all four charges. I look forward to seeing which of the other of his pleas you shall find it fit to discredit.” She slithers to the other side of her desk, hands folding behind her back. “I have been entrusted by the people of the United Nations of Worlds with the task of proving to this court that, had it not been for the - at best, neglectful actions, and at worst, malicious intentions - of the defendant, thousands of innocent lives (both past AND future) would have been preserved.” “Through careful examination of the actions leading up to, during, and after the multiple incalculable tragedies that took place on Chloe as well as interviews with those who witnessed the circumstances firsthand, I will prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant did knowingly and intentionally commit each and every one of the crimes of which he is accused.” Pacing, she suddenly stops and makes eye contact with Jimmer. “I look forward to making you relive an ounce of the suffering you inflicted upon those people.” She holds his gaze for a few silent moments, then takes a seat behind her desk waiting for the next portion to begin. (edited)

Gurk Samson | Glaikit | Gilbert

(does this mean he is pleading guilty to charge 4?)

(charge 3)

1:40 PM

(also, you're prosecuting, so you would be first in terms of making an argument, calling a witness, ect. There is some physical evidence as well in the forms of irradiated clothing from the populace, photos of the casualty collection centers, video of the raid on the Chloe platforms including close up images taken of weapons with Protectorate serial numbers on them, and transcript/video from EP ships intercepting Jimmer when he arrived back in EP space after the deal. At that time he was not aware of exactly what had been done on Chloe, but his armory was empty on his ship and he didn't want authorities to see that)

Nekosmash pinned a message to this channel. 6/1/2023 1:41 PM

Kila smirks at Iumi’s put-down of the defence lawyer and, as a professional and governor now, refrains from snorting, though he eyes dance vindictively as she looks at Pitkins. She shifts uncomfortably in the hard seat thinking that the defence might have a point but shrugs that away. She has every confidence that Iumi knows what they’re doing.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M3IU6Y3j5uLe7k2NDQ2G5iKvo7t3kPGE/view?usp=sharing

Post_Archive_1.zip

1:55 PM

(his thread is archived off server, but it's in this if anyone wants to read it)

(Gonna need some prep time with the evidence I think

)

(Let me know if you want a hand. It’s your prosecution but if you give me an idea of what you’re looking for I can try and take some of the load) (edited)

(I'm presenting it like a trial to keep it organized, but if anyone wants to jump in and ask questions, give a statement, anything, we can. Gameplay vs realism and I don't want this to be a thread where everyone is stuck watching)

(sorry - is his argument on 4 that he wasn't trying to evade authorities or that since he wasn't guilty he should never have been hauled back in? his defence doesn't seem to speak to the fact we had to offer 10mill bounty to even lay hands on the guy so i was trying to work out what his angle on that one is)

(since he wasn't directly guilty of what happened to Chloe he shouldn;t have been hauled in) (edited)

3:08 PM

(Thats the argument at least, everyone can obviously make up their own minds about it)

(happy for Gurk to have been the nerd that went over all the evidence to gather it into a single place, but it should probably be someone else presenting it and arguing for it!)

(the rules of space pretend are whatever we say they are. My preference in terms of keeping all of us organized though is we pick one argument and totally finish up debating it before moving onto the nex tone)

Gurk Samson | Glaikit | Gilbert

(happy for Gurk to have been the nerd that went over all the evidence to gather it into a single place, but it should probably be someone else presenting it and arguing for it!)

(I’ve been traveling this weekend but I was planning on getting on that tonight

)

Upon realizing that it's still , in fact, her turn, Iumi darts back upward. "Right. Ahem" she clears her throat, shuffling through her notes. "I'd like to begin with charge 3, Arming and Aiding a Terrorist Organization. From there we can move on to the other charges. My first piece of evidence is that Mr. Pitkins' counselor just admitted that he did it and that he now 'sees the error of his ways'." Both of her lower hands begin typing on her data pad, and screenshots of a bank transaction appear on screen. "Mr. Pitkins - can you please confirm for the court that this is your bank account number?" After he confirms, she continues. "And the 1.25 million credit payment, followed the very next day by an additional 3.75 million credits... please state for the court the details of this transaction."

"My client has the right against self incrimination" Jimmer's defense says. Jimmer has taken the stand just a few seconds ago, swearing on a copy of a book he holds important that everything he says will be true, mirroring the procedure of last courts when putting those called to testify under oath. Jimmer clears his throat, thinking for a moment. "I am a far trader. I ply my trade across the stars and as much as our esteemed benefactors at the exchange of light try to keep things running , payments are occasionally delayed. These things happen" he shrugs. "Is a far trader like myself on trial for the payments not flowing on time? Will I be blamed for the trains running late, or slow next"

Nekosmash

"Excuse me, Mr. Pitkins." Iumi looks him in the eye. "You mistook my question. I'm asking about the details of this transaction. From whom did the funds originate, and in exchange for what? It's a simple question, with simple details."

Mister Pitkins remains silent, gesturing to his counsel that he is choosing not to answer, as is his right.

"Ah, I see you are uninterested in facts that make you look bad. Luckily, we can trace the account number it originated from to an account belonging to [the person who sent him the money]. 5 million credits is a lot of cash, wouldn't you say, Mr. Pitkins? And port logs show that you departed the station shortly after the second transaction hit your account, with nothing in your hold. What did you previously know about the individual who paid you the credits in exchange for your cache of weapons?"

"Five million is a drop in the bucket for a far trader" Jimmer says, looking at the statements "Even with the trade reforms from the Exchange of Light. Have you seen how much a single trade cruiser brings a polity each month? It is a pretty penny, but I'm taking the risks between the stars. I'm maintaining a ship, paying a crew. All you've done is take a job creator out of the picture. i've traveled across many worlds .You can't expect me to personally and intimately know every single person I do business with. When you go to the grocery store do you have to become best friends with the clerk before you're allowed to buy something there? " Jimmer is a bit agitated by the end of his response.

She flits her tongue, both right hands sliding down to her hip. "An excellent point; at least, it would be if you hadn't already been warned about this particular 'benefactor'. You were, weren't you? We have the station captain here to tell us, in case you're feeling mum again. Would you like us to have him speak for you on this issue?" (edited)

Jimmer refuses to take the bait and remains silent. The judge chides you to call the witness if you are going to call them, but you can see the point has been made.

Looking Jimmer in the eye, she nods. She turns to the judge. “I trust the captain’s deposition will suffice as evidence that a reasonable person would have known this ‘benefactor’ was bad news and should have been investigated prior to entering into any business relationships with them, especially ones of that ahem magnitude.” She slithers back to her desk and shuffles some papers. “Moving on to the first charge, violation of the third law of maltech. Mr. Pitkins, could you explain to the court the nature of the weapons exchanged?”

(are we done discussing charge 3?)

(from Gurks POV he is happy this is settled )

(I had finished everything I wanted to touch on for charge 3. If anyone else has anything pls feel free to bring it up)

(I'll let this hang until tonight and if no one has anything to add we can move on)

10:15 AM

(just want to be accomodating to other people's schedules )

(i'm happy this is settled)

(alrighty, we'll move on) The weapons in his ship armory at the time was limited to just hand held personnel carried weapons. Like all starships, his armory carried a very limited number of heavy weapons, combat armors , and explosives. Most of what was sold was rifles, shotguns handguns, and ammunition capable of running both energy and projectile weapons in each of those various weapon types. Most ships plying the stars have armories aboard as deep space is dangerous . Planetary exploration is no safer in many parts of the Iron Stars, especially for far traders who often travel beyond the areas that have been settled in their constant hunt to be the first to tap a new market. The Minty was no exception, fitted with an armory. "The presence of the weapons alone does not constitute guilt" Pitkins lawyer says "and I would hardly think a combat rifle is capable of causing the type of damage you allege my client has committed to the surface of Chloe.

Iumi nods, thinking for a moment. "From the station captain's deposition, we know you were warned upon approach that there were offworld actors in the crowd wishing to stir up a 'false flag' event. Even having been warned of that, you chose to arm them with significantly better weapons than the hand tools and crude guns they came to the protest with. Isn't that correct, Mr. Pitkins?" She doesn't really wait for an answer, and doesn't really even expect one from him. "On an orbital station of the size, positioning, and capabilities of the one in question, it stands to reason that a false flag event such as the one you had been warned about would involve more than just the workers and troops on the station itself. Any far trader worth his salt would have the life experience to know that something sinister was being planned towards the citizens of the planet below. Wouldn't you agree, Mr. Pitkins?" "So in arming these rebels, you either admit you had discerned the nature of their true plans, or that you're bad at your job. Which would you say is true?"

"I guess I'm just a really bad far trader" Pitkins smirks. "and I hardly think that justifies the...all of this" He says, gesturing at the elboate courthouse built just for this event.

(Would a really bad far trader be making millions of credits? I don’t think so)

(The UNW income from the planet of Terezinho isn't far off his 5 million payment. Earlier his argument was that he was a great far trader, so much so that income like this wasn't necessarily a big deal to him. Doesn't seem plausible a bad far trader could turn around that kind of money and be unsurprised by making it)

(Yeah, without getting into a whole detailed explanation about the far trade rules, if you pay attention to what planets are selling and what other planets want, even if you roll mediocre on the trade table, the expertise bonus usually still means a profit of a couple mil. Its one of the gameplay reasons we gate fartrade kinda heavily by requiring adventures in ports)

(am I right in thinking this was actually his first or second far trade? He wasn't a far trader before he joined EP right - would we be able to work that out?)

(he ran a couple trades but this was early-ish in his career. )

5:02 PM

(jimmer was actually testing our "people can far trade again but there are going to be port adventures in one of the two places if we want to do it" rule. The rule itself is working out great, this was just a sideways example of it)

(Busy day today, will be back to lawyering after work!)

"A bad far trader, but one who can make 5 million credits over the course of two days. Sounds like an industry I should get involved in, if you're able to be so admittedly bad at it and still swim in credits!" she laughs a little to herself, then clears her throat. "Since, by your own admission, five million credits is 'a drop in the bucket' for you, I think you probably have some mastery over your craft, otherwise this payment would have been life-changing rather than routine. Wouldn't you agree?"

"I don't. Making money is easy. Holding it is difficult. There are expenses in owning a ship , paying a crew, insuring the goods i am carrying, and you always need to keep a sizeable amount on hand. We live in a universe that is very divided and broken up. The authorities in each port can change with the season. with little oversight, these officials can either be your best friend, or can run their trade hangars like a uniformed gang, acting with governmental authority. Five million credits sitting in a savings account somewhere is a life changing amount of money, but that is not how a far trader makes their living. I carry that with me, and fortunes can be lost as quickly as they are made"

"Mr. Pitkins, if making make millions of credits in far trading was as easy as you say, everyone would do it . A far trader has to know the value of what is being sold - who wants it, why they want it, why at this price? Why not demand a higher price? A far trader who doesn't understand the value of what he is selling doesn't understand his market and will go out of business very quickly. So, since you are a far trader capable of making lots of money, it implies you know why people want what you are selling and what a fair rate for that would be. Which in this case is control of a facility with weapons capable of severely damaging the planet below. Any reasonable person in your line of work would know the value of what they had onboard, and would have known the money being offered didn't line up. Any reasonable person would have questioned where the difference would be made up. You seem like a reasonable person, Mr. Pitkins, and even a fairly intelligent one at that. You did do that mental calculus. Did you not?"

"You have no way of proving that I did or did not." Mister Pitkins says, His defense stands and makes a point of reminding the courtroom that thus far, this is speculative and the jury should not base their conclusions over what they think Mister Pitkins might know, only what they can prove he knows or does not know.

(while this depends on how the rules apply here, there's often a principle that it isn't whether the specific person on trial knows what they are doing, but whether a reasonable/typical/normal person would understand the consequences. Does that apply here? If so can we refer to the azure eye leader's testimony, which was upfront that a sensible person should have known what would happen once the guns were handed over?)

(You can refer to the Eye's testimony if we want to be super safe about it)

(The Eye clearly didn't think Jimmer was going to suddenly realise what he'd done/have a change of heart and stop them zapping the planet. It would have been really bad for them if Jimmer had stopped them/raised the alarm, so they obviously considered the risk and decided he was not going to try and stop them. Secondly, the fact that they had to suddenly move up their plans suggests they didn't expect your average far trader to do this kind of deal. So imo that shows two things - he was behaving badly compared to a "normal" far trader and the terrorists themselves believed he knew of and accepted their plans for the station. So the Eye testimony has his actual partners in crime are attesting to his criminal activity on this count. Also, Barny Proc and Gurk found the Eye used Argus Webs as standard for their big agents so we may even have some of their discussions on tape! So using the Eye testimony would be great IMO)

(just catching up on this!) At the agreed signal, Gurk takes over in the prosecution seat. His gaze moves over the assembled witnesses, security personnel, defence staff, and settles on the defendant himself. "Hello, I'm Gurk Samson, governor of Terezinho and Director of the Gudrun Zoo. I have been asked to take responsibility for this part of the trial due to my experience with the Azure Eye, which is to say, I have been shot, stabbed, grenaded, or otherwise assaulted by their personnel on three different planets. "Now, as I am sure you are aware, the standard we are concerned with here is not specifically that your behaviour was appropriate or not. Instead, we are asking: would a normal, reasonable, capable sentient in your position be aware of the probable outcome? Is it appropriate by that standard? "You have now seen the extensive logs from the Azure Eye, including direct testimony from the head of the operation, the individual who provided you the funds, and video log of activity during and after the attack. All the testimony and evidence confirms their surprise at your actions: that they expected to find people exercising due caution and respect for human life, and instead they found you. "The captain of the station, who we have already referred to, specifically asked you to investigate the Eye and considered them a severe safety threat. So, both sides in the conflict knew what could happen if the station fell. Both sides logically assumed anyone aiding and abetting the Azure Eye should have known what would happen after the station fell. And the UNW authorities who later detained you did so on suspicion that you acted knowingly. "In summary, everyone involved in this incident believed a responsible sentient would be aware that handing over the guns would lead to the station firing on the planet. Should the jury not accept this evidence as compelling, and convict you on charge 1 on the basis you should have acted differently?"

Jimmer is still not going to incimriminate himself and remains silent, There is a murmur in the courtroom as the evidence is presented and the jurors begin making up their minds.

(does anyone else want to chip in on charge 1?)

(I think we can move on)

(ok, let's hit charge 2 then - ecological terrorism. It seems to me that this follows logically from charge 1 - if he should have known the platform was going to fire on the planet, he should have known mass destruction would have been the result. As such I don't know how much needs to be discussed here since if he is guilty on 1 it seems he is almost certainly guilty on 2? And if he is innocent on 1, he probably cannot be considered guilty on 2?) "Let's discuss charge 2 - ecological terrorism," Gurk says. "You have reviewed a substantial amount of evidence here. These include the medical reports, survivor testimony, the footage from the first responders and the mission logs demonstrating the need to use vacc suits simply to walk along a road without being poisoned by radiation. Numerous irradiated artifacts and samples of the heavily damaged biosphere have been provided to us, along with reports of the ongoing difficulties there. "The Azure Eye has publicly - as well as privately under interrogation - stated their intent was to do mass damage to the planet itself as well as the inhabitants. Some of their agents testified they were willing to render the planet uninhabitable in the event that their demands were refused. "We have already argued you are guilty of charge 1. We hereby also argue you should have been aware that turning station-class weaponry on a planet would cause mass ecological damage besides the loss of human life. Do you wish to comment on the accuracy of the evidence presented, or your role in this?"

"I was gone by the time this happened. I cannot be charged for this" Jimmer says, and his defense looks to agree. They look quite disheveled as Jimmer has been a horrible witness and their case is falling apart. "I Had left the systen after the trade was complete. We're not talking about the trade itself anymore, but that I'm responsible for damaging the planet. It was not my hand at the controls of those weapons, and I was out of the system by time this harm happened. You can see on the Protectorate fleet's interdiction report that the Minty, and myself were apprehended two days later, and the intervening time was spent in spike space. They would not have apprehended me at that time had I not left the system before the planet was hit with those detestable weapons. "

(does anyone want to push more on charge 2? He seems to be refusing to accept culpability for anything short of a direct personal action, which is bad for his case imo. We could try to push harder to get him to explicitly admit that the attack on the planet could not have happened without the weapon sale, which until now he has been evasive on. Or we could take the segue about the Minty and hit him on charge 4!)

(maybe we should explore why he left the system. he obviously didn't go there to sell weapons to terrorists, so why leave immediately after doing it if he didn't believe he'd done anything wrong? why not report the outcome of the mission to the captain and then conclude the business he originally went there for? that probably helps both charges 2 and 4)

"On the subject of the trade," Gurk says, "I note that you did not stay on the station to acquire further goods to sell at the next travel stop. Spaceships are expensive to maintain and a far trader cannot make money in spike space itself. You need to buy goods in one place, and sell them in another. "Why leave immediately with an empty hold instead of investigating opportunities for goods to load onto the Minty?"

"I was advised upon getting there that the docks were closed, and after unloading my cargo I would need to be waiting there for some time in order to load further goods. I decided my time was worth more than I would lose with an empty cargo hold, and I'd have an easier time going somewhere else."

8:14 AM

(Evidence would show that before Pitkins actual things he's being tried for, there was a dockworkers strike going on, and records would show that 'friction' in Chloe was very high , meaning whatever deal he did make was going to be heavily impacting his bottom line, either by needing to pay bribes, hire scabs to load the ship for him, bribe dock employees, anything- which his defense would present I just didn't want to lose the actual facts by doing it in character) (edited)

"So the ship reached Urreturre," Gurk says, moving on. "With an empty cargo hold. An ISF vessel signalled you regarding activity on Chloe. Instead of volunteering any information you said - I quote "What happens when you guys find something that could get me in trouble?" After a search of the vessel, the authorities fully documented the seriousness of the situation to you. Uniquely, instead of immediately sending you to trial, they offered you an opportunity to undertake a mission to repair the damage done. You consented to do so, and a tracking device was installed on your vessel to ensure compliance. "Now before we move on, do you wish to comment on any of these events?" (just seeing if he has a factual argument, will move on to the meat of charge 4 if he doesn't!)

(just checking I've not confused something here ... he was picked up in Urreturre by the UNW, and he was offered the mission by us I believe? From Jimmer's thread: "As you enter the system you can see a small UNW battle group made of a cruiser and three corvettes is keeping watch over the planet and your comms terminal begins lighting up." "You and your ship are impounded on Urreturre for a week and a half as more evidence from the platform assault comes in. Your guilt is all but proven and you’re expecting the warden or some kind of UNW punishment detail to arrive when instead it looks like an administrator is waiting to speak with you" "You don't need to" The administrator says as he gets into the cell. "Your guilt is more than proven. We're offering you a way out of this cell, and a way to help yourself, your polity , and the UNW all at once. It is your choice to accept the mission, but if you don't the offer is not going to be extended again. We're looking for information, and it just so happens your vessel is not doing anything at the moment. We have of coursed seized your cargo. The proceeds will be put into a fund to help the people of Chloe recover from your actions. We are looking for someone to venture north, to the Northern Free State Singularity, specifically with the intent to steal some information for us. Their uplift programs are far more advanced than our own, and we need to know how they're enlightening so many people so quickly. Any program information you can return to us will be viewed in light of your punishment, and you will earn your freedom if the information is good enough. " "the UNW has laid the course in for you" May have gotten this wrong but I think he got the mission from the UNW! I can also link to the bits in the UNW channel where we agreed to send him to NFSS space - we definitely were the ones to suggest this mission IC) (edited)

(ah right, okay let me edit)

2:42 PM

"Spying on a potential foe that cleans their backsides with technology we consider state of the art isn't a way out of trouble. It's a way to being hung as a spy. The UNW sentenced me to death far before giving me a trial, and I decided I had plenty of living left to do. I had a right to know what my options were when faced with a death or death situation like the one this polity put me in. "

"And the tracker?" Gurk asks. (this sounds like an admission of guilt for charge 4 - a conscious decision to pretend to accept the offer and then run for it? It sounds conscious, and premeditated. Arguing the UNW is not a legitimate sentencing authority doesn't seem a sensible legal defence to an evasion charge If this sounds reasonable I can put in IC but wanted to check I'm not off base)

(makes sense to me)

"The equipment was provided and install. It going out sounds like faulty UNW equipment to me" The tracker itself was unable to be recovered and was not found on the inspection of the Minty

(was Jimmer told the tracker was non functional in the pretrial info? We could have just tracked him down using it if it was still working and per this argument he wouldn't know whether it was or was not working. The fact he is arguing it was "faulty" implies knowledge that could only be gained by making it faulty ...)

(Proc found him by using intel from locals on worlds jimmer had been to, not with the tracking signal )

7:07 AM

(But yeah he would have a right to see the evidence against him so the nonfunctional tracker is something he would have seen)

"The records show a description of the device, a record of the training undertaken by personnel installing it, and photographs of its size and location. "In relation to charge 4 our argument very simple. After, in your words, "you decided you had plenty of living left to do," you lied to the legitimate authorities about your intentions, disabled and removed the device and then fled, hoping to never be found. We note that even if the device had malfunctioned, it would have still been present on the ship. We further note you seem to have anticipated being found guilty in the event of a trial. "This story then ended with our agent tracking you down - in the middle of another weapons sale - and returning you here, for trial." Gurk knits his fingers together, waiting to see if Jimmer is going to incriminate himself further, or stay quiet. (I don't have anything else here ... if anybody wants to chip in a witness statement maybe could do that next?) (edited)

(would probably be a good time for @Proceus Pompeus given what we're discussing, but Kila can jump in with her testimony about the devastation on Chloe and the interrogation of the PMG soldiers we captured if he's not got time/spoons)

(for jimmer himself he's going to stay quiet)

(I will my best try to get something in today, but we’ve got a big family gathering happening, I haven’t had much time)

(no worries, its a holiday weekend)

9:40 AM

(Take your time)

(Just reread all the newest posts. It looks like so far he’s already incriminated himself of being guilty of charge 4, even without a testimony from Proc.)

(if we've had our fun with this we can bring it to a close)

The arguments seem to rest here and the galatean jurors are brought back to their chambers for deliberation. A neutral jury on a neutral planet is as close to a fair trial as Pitkins is going to get given the volume of evidence against him. The deliberations last for two hours before they return to deliver their verdict. On the count of Violation of the Third Law of Maltech , as weapons of planet destroying power were used on the surface of a habitable world, the jury finds Mr . Pitkins not guilty On the count of Ecological Terrorism, the jury finds Mr. Pitkins guilty On the count of Arming and aiding a terrorist organization, the jury finds Mr. Pitkins guilty On the count of Attempting to evade intergalactic authorities, the jury finds Mr. Pitkins guilty. Mr. Pitkins will be remanded to the custody of Protectorate officials for their own legal proceedings before a joint sentence is carried out.

3:18 PM

@Elysium Protectorate (You're up! )

(Well done, Gurk!!!!!)

While Jimmer is escorted out by the Void Wardens, the Protectorate legal team enters into the UNW courtroom and hands over a series of briefs. They propose a plan where the Protectorate will forego prosecution, as the charges would be largely symbolic. Instead they will petition the court to consider the implications of Jimmer's actions in light of the UNW-EP alliance during sentencing. While there was a callous disregard for the life and limb of the people of Chloe, there was also extreme disregard for the tenets that held together a peaceful, productive alliance during this time of post-Scream strife. The Protectorate court room setup, provided by the Galatean grails, is a simple affair. Only some chairs and a few tables are provided beneath functional, expressionless light fixtures and large holoscreens. Masked Protectorate soldiers and mercenaries line the walls, devoid of their unit markings and other identifiers, but are no doubt some of the elite fighters related to the members of the Elysium Cloud and dedicated to their safety. The Void Warden guards in charge of escorting Jimmer take predetermined standing positions among these soldiers, with Xu'Ganara given his own seat at the central tables. There is no judge, no jury, not even Jimmer's council, since this is not a formal criminal court setting. Only armed men and women with a few trusted Galateans as peacekeeping observers. There are enough seats present for the Elysium Cloud members that could make it and holoscreens for those still out and about doing good for the Protectorate that still wanted to participate. -

7:42 PM

Ivan is the first to walk in. Sporting only a t-shirt and his battle fatigue pants and boots, there is no sign on himself indicating his rank - he will just be "Ivan" today. Yulia walks in shortly after - she was one of the suits in the legal team. Her systems link with some of the soldiers sporting their own similar yet special implants, completing an intricate grid of total security across realspace, MES-space, and cyberspace. Taking their seats, neither say anything. Ivan looks like he is holding in some kind of stupid, mocking joke. Yulia only stares at Jimmer with a seething disdain for his ineptitude and callousness - even among outlaws and criminals, Jimmer was a blight worth excising. (We'll take this moment to do a roll call on who will be joining the meeting. Feel free to get in your jokes, chastising, and mild insults in as you enter the room!)

With a barely audible whirr, one of the holoscreens comes to life. A relatively young, poorly shaven man appears, with a military field uniform quite unlike those used by the actual EP military. The name tag below simply reads "James" and beside it, a "muted" logo appears. He seems more interested on listening in than sharing his thoughts, but as what must be an official EP representative, he will no doubt answer questions and cast his vote where needed. (edited)

A side door slowly opens as Daelen walks in. Visibly uncomfortable as he is dressed in a formal suit minus his jacket. His jacket carries the crest of his former trope, the Reapers of Stars. He takes a seat a few places down from Ivan. His jacket is set down in front of him. His face is contorted in a grim look filled with determination, anger and loss. Daelen looks over to Ivan and offers a head bow in his direction. His hands interlock as his elbows rest on the small.desk in front of him. His eyes hovering over his fingers as he waits for more to arrive. "If I may Ivan....once we have all arrived I would like to speak."

Another holo starts to flicker and comes alive, showing a Merlon woman curiously staring. She wears a lab coat. Not because she is a scientist, but because they can be easily burned and she got a large supply of them when the last supply cache dropped on Mobion. "Oh well, thank you for inviting me. Andra the Great, ruler of the Realm of the Dead, here on Mobion." She looks around and then fixates on Ivan, while ignoring Daelan's wish to speak first. "Hey you. They told me that I can watch Jittkins last moments, here, for free. Are there any rules? If I offered someone a million credits to do what I couldn't, which is putting multiple holes into him, would I break any rules with that? Before you answer, the offer stands. I don't break rules with it, do I?"

Ivan makes a face at Andra's holoscreen, a wry smile and a raised eyebrow in imaginative amusement paired with a slow head-shake in the negative - not that there weren't any rules, there were many, set forth by the Galateans - but that such a request wouldn't be honored here. Yulia's face, the same expression with an opposite meaning, subconsciously nods very slightly in agreement with Andra. Her eyes drift and unfocus as she wonders if the deal was even serious in the first place. "Just talk over the peanut gallery if they continue harping on about extrajudicial executions when everyone's here," Ivan says to Daelen while still looking at Andra. "Let's not do the thing that'd make a lot us and a lot of other people feel a tiny bit better for a fleeting moment."

"In regards to Jimmer.....that man...I almost want to use the term lightly here, dud what my former comrades in the Reapers of the Stars did. No self respecting personnel who wields weapons should ever engage innocents. Is some.collateral damage going to happen despite your best efforts? Yes, but it should be avoided whenever possible. Such people like Jimmer do not deserve to breathe the air that we do." Daelen says with a almost growl like tone escaping his throat...as if to punctuate his point.

"I mean I won't stop you. I couldn't anyway as I am only here as a holo. Others might wont stop you either." Andra looks around. "Has Jimmer ever been tested on the Mobion Geon Virus? He might not have entered the dead city, but I also wouldn't rule it out that he entered the Dead Port to grab something from the death, like Geon hearts, to sell them to someone for profit."

"I wouldn't rule it out either," Ivan leans forward and folds his hands over the table, looking at Jimmer. "First you provide weapons to some seedy-looking individuals in the station above Chloe. You go about your business as if nothing had happened, then you get caught by UNW patrols looking for you. Literally had you dead-to-rights since you were the last ship leaving Chloe before everything went to hell in a handbasket. You were given a second chance for that - like holy shit, you don't get those every day after sowing the seeds of literal genocide! That clearly wasn't the best move on the UNW's part, but they're not really the ones to blame when it was you who ran. You didn't run to us, in fact, you didn't even consult us on what you were doing at all in the first place. Instead you ran wherever you could, still trying to crank out credits. Nearly picking up a deadly plague in the meantime - which, mind you, would be your fault, since it wouldn't have happened should some parallel-universe Jimmer decide not to throw all caution to the wind regarding arming terrorists." "You've slandered the Protectorate's name with your greed. So tell me - what do you stand for, Mr. Pitkins? Had it been one of us who found you, what would you have clutched dearly or thought of fondly before your timely demise?" (Just a chance to let Jimmer get something in)

"I stand for the rights of free traders to make money and open markets wherever they wish. Weapons are no different than tools, the hands that hold them are what determine their intent. I'm not guilty for what I've done, no more guilty than someone purchasing a weapon from any other merchant and using it for evil"

"Weapons are no mere tools, dipshit. They are a work of art, and you treating them like tools tells me everything about you, well not that I didn't knew it before." Andra spits the words out with disgust. "You know, on some worlds growing flowers is illegal, had you sold mass amounts of flowers on a world like that, you'd be awesome. A trader like the ones you talk about. But you? You are no merchant, merchants have responsibilities, you just wanted quick cash, you are nothing more than the dirt under my shoes, if I would wear some right now."

"Jimmer's bullshitting," Yulia says while playing with a glass of water in front of her. She doesn't seem to be responding to Jimmer directly. "There are know-your-client laws everywhere for dangerous goods. He subverted standard arms trade procedures to make a paltry amount of credits, and he couldn't even do that right," she points out the amateur-hour crime he pulled off before things got genocidal. "His argument is ex post facto simply because he wasn't killed by the terrorists right after the arms entered their possession. He wouldn't sell to anyone that endangers his own life or his credits. He isn't for free trade, he's pro-capitalism that insulates him from negative consequences regardless of what happens to everyone else. If he profits, he pats himself on the back. If he fails, others pay for it with their lives, not him." "Oh, so we can throw him to the Communist Brotherhood for punishment, then?" Ivan jokes with a smile afterward, still casually watching Jimmer. "But that seems to have been a running theme lately - doing things without regards to moral, ethical, or legal boundaries built to protect people from collateral damage. Mr. Pitkins here did it the worst, but it was hardly as bad as it could have been given narrowly missing become a Geon plague carrier. But we have Stearic out there, doing... things. And you two weren't the first Protectorate-agent-gone-rogue to have graced the stars, Teucer and I even had the pleasure of helping take one down a while back." Ivan looks around at Yulia, Daelen, and the holoscreens of Andra and James (along with any others that speak up later). "We've had an unspoken and unwritten code of conduct that guided our actions in service of the Protectorate. For most of us, this is enough, if not the floor from which our standards go beyond. Maybe we need to codify it now, some kind of internal standard we need to press onto others in service, new and old."

8:32 AM

"The Protectorate, for better or worse, was born with warrior ideals and continues that tradition. What do you think about framing an ethos around this? RIght here, right in front of the person who desperately needed such a thing before doing something so stupid."

"Personally, I believe innocents and or noncombatants should be protected or out of harms way as best as possible. We can't always avoid such scenarios but whenever possible it should be in consideration. Or....if you wish it more warrior like in tone...we should avoid harming those who cannot defend themselves whenever possible." Daelen says quietly.

"A great point, Daelen." Ivan says condescendingly to Jimmer. "I'd counter that such a rule is already written down - something Gen-Eve-8 Convection or whatever the hell it's called - but that only applies to armed forces. You'd think it wouldn't take conscription, enlistment, or commission for a civilian to know why such a rule exists, given it's meant to protect them. Well, I guess if you lack any sort of empathy..." Ivan trails off a bit. "Mr. Raegon," Yulia interrupts Ivan's diatribe. "Or anyone, for that matter. Let's say we had that rule written down. What would you suggest be done if it's broken by one of our agents?" She looks at Andra's holoscreen. "No shooting." (Another way to think of this - if someone were to bring shame upon our family and ancestors again a la Jimmer, what should we do to ensure all other Protectorate agents retain their standing in wider society? Should we even do anything?)

"I don't think most would approve of my decision as it could lead to many angry ex EP seeking revenge. And I don't know all the rules so if it exists already my mistake."

"I think if we weren't under observation, we would approve of your decision and back it up with threat of our own personal force, too," Ivan responds. "But I think actually going through with that naughty decision would still give us pause for thought. And then there's Andra." Ivan smiles at the stranded Merlon who is unable to enact her will. "If the hypothetical Protectorate agent Jimothy Pickles or Sterile Ghost come by and do a big stupid move, we double or triple the bounty and make sure one of us helps drag the target back, regardless of who among our friends is hunting them. And by drag the target back, I meanalive, Ms. Andra... to face justice. These would have to be for crimes so egregious to make the great Bounty Hunter Guild postings. Maybe if this guy here gets another pass at making it up to the UNW," Ivan kicks and bumps the table slightly menacingly toward Jimmer's seat. "That we won't allow him to live a quiet life with the bounty on his head. Free market forces, baby." (To put what Ivan is proposing in a more concise format:) (If we have another EP character pull something along the lines of Jimmer or Stearic and end up on the bounty board, we sweeten the bounty further and provide some kind of direct assistance with Neko's blessing - e.g. materials, spending account, or one of us PCs where possible. We'd have to flesh out the details in our OOC server, but the general idea is to show the Elysium Cloud will not tolerate that kind of rogue behavior. This would be a kind of resolution we'd want to make publicly so future problem-makers have a lot to think about.) (edited)

(I kind of figured when a former polity PC gets added to the bounty board, the polity is the one putting them there since its one of their people ,and is putting up the reward. Most polities have such a crazy amount of money at this point that 100k, or even a mil isn't worth hitting the budget over, so we just handle it

(Just a heads up that I've been thinking over ideas for this, it hasn't left my mind. Might need another day or two.)

"It shouldn't all be about money, or blood. Well, if you send me, it would be about their blood, but you can't send me, and may never get the chance to do so again if no cure is to be found. But I am alive and well. Putting up bounties brings all the wrong people onto the table. Maybe we mark the closure of the Jimmer case as the founding day of an organization, or subdivision of our intelligence service. We could call it Cerberus Division, or something fancy. And all they do is hunt the Jimmers, and get them back to face trial. When they catch someone, it would run through the media "CD got another one!" That way the Jimmers of the future know that there is no running away. And the agents do that out of duty not for big amounts of credits, that way we also make sure that we are the ones that carry our trash to the trash bin. Because you always should clean your own mess." "But when it comes to all these fancy rules like your Gene-Even thing, that is not my alley." "And I would still shoot them." Andra adds whispering.

(Closing this out! Apologies for the delay) "We'll have to consider it. There's a wide range of resources available to us in the Protectorate that could go to some kind of endeavor like that, or to support the people willing to risk their lives to hunt down those that have wronged us. Also, 'Cerberus Division' sounds pretty badass. Good name choice." Ivan remarks. "Whatever the case, making sure those of us that betray the Protectorate and its values will be hunted down to the fullest extent. An equal punishment to reflect the severity of misusing the power given to them." Ivan returns his gaze to Jimmer to keep making him uncomfortable. He speaks at him, but not to him. "Our agents have a high degree of autonomy - even outright independence - in their decisions. I believe the agents of the UNW have a similar accord, and it was wrong for them to accuse us of not having some kind of chain to yank when any of their agents could have done something similar. For if we did have that god-like power, Mr. Pitkins, your own sidearm would have been against your head. It would have made that deal with the Eye or whatever a tad bit awkward." Yulia clears her throat. "The Protectorate has declined to formally charge you with willful neglect and offenses against a sworn ally, and instead we will be adding our evidence and testimony against you during the sentencing hearing. There is nothing in your favor and we will pre-emptively decline to appeal on your behalf." She places a docket in front of Jimmer. "Your health records. Your financials have already been surrendered to the UNW for whatever restitution they can scrape out of you. If you get out, you'll have nothing but your debts to your name." "We hope you like asteroid mining," Ivan adds in as he gets up to leave. "Making big rocks into little rocks. Or whatever they'll have you do."