trans_9 | A House Divided [Part 1]

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A House Divided [Part 1]

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Mahatma Gandhi once said: "In matters of conscience, the law of the majority has no place."

It was entirely likely that the crew would be very split on interpretation of that quote. Some thought the right thing was punishing what they saw as a mind-slaver for a crime with the ultimate penalty. Others thought that if a trial had dictated that imprisonment was punishment enough that it truly was.

It was time to move the Yeerk, in its containment unit, from the Precinct in the City, to its secure prison in the MedBay, where its prison sentence was to take place.

It was also time for the conspirators to move and make sure that it never made it.

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"On it!"

Jeka was already slithering out of the crowd to go pull the pillar off of Ms. Marvel and check her injuries.

"He's not the only one," a voice answers Leon from a building that lay several hundred feet in front of them. A few seconds passed, seconds that likely seemed like hours, before Sam Winchester stepped through the door of the building and out onto the street, putting him directly in the escort detail's path and between them and the hub.

He took each step slowly but his shoulders were straight and his expression firm as he moved several yards into the clearing. Each step was taken with and air of confidence. Confidence because, while his team was smaller, they were positioned at various points surrounding the clearing. Some were armed with heavy weapons--like Xander. Some had powers. Many had long range weapons. Almost all of them were skilled at hand-to-hand. The majority of them may have been "just normal", but they weren't going down without a fight.

"Turn him over, Leon," Sam said, looking the head of security--and the leader of Team Echo--dead in the eye. There was a steely resolve in Sam, perhaps it was only his, or maybe it was merely a symbol of how his entire team felt. "Then turn around and walk away. Everyone can be safe and all this can be over."

Leon resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Instead he glanced around to the rest of his team, then spoke to them on the comm rings.

«Look, we know Sam's not alone in this. I want everyone on crowd detail to fan out and seal off the area. Keep an eye out for anyone else who's armed and let me know their position. Keep everyone else from coming in, but make sure Sam can't get out either. Mr. Worf, keep your phaser on Sam, get ready to fire on my mark.»

Leon took a step forward. The Yeerk secure in one arm, his gun in at the ready in the other. He was giving Sam one last chance.

"Sam? Grow up." From his tone, Leon obviously was not impressed. "Ever since I've been here, you've acted like little more than some petulant angry child throwing one dramatic tantrum after another. I don't have time to get into a pissing contest with you, boy.

"We all get it, Sam. We know the Yeerk hurt you. We know that you had one of those things in your head, making you do things you didn't want to do, and probably made you see parts of yourself you tried to ignore." If it was anything like being infected with las plagas, Leon knew what he was going through.

"No one should have to go through what you went through. And no one ever will again. It's my job to see to that, not yours.

"You had your chance to speak, Sam. Before the trial and during it. Your voice was heard, but the jury has spoken. Schmuz stays alive, and I'll see to it that he doesn't hurt anyone ever again, but I'm not going to let you or anyone else hurt him."

And Leon meant every last word of it.

"Sorry, kid, but you're not going to force me to do something I'm not willing to do, just because a different Yeerk once forced you to do something you didn't want to do.

"Stand down. Get out of the way. And whatever help you need to move past this, we'll make sure you get it. But you aren't going to murder my prisoner."

Kirk glanced down at his comm-ring, starting to move, his gut churning. There was trouble, apparently. And here he had hoped that they would be able to do this without violence. Still, Leon was in charge of this particular show and he wasn't about to begin issuing confusing counter-commands.

<< Understood, Mister Kennedy. I'll see what I can do. >>

Phaser at the ready, he began to scan the crowd, trying to make his way towards the escort team.

Worf calmly leveled the phaser at Sam Winchester, face impassive. He was ready to do what it took to do his duty to the captain and to the security force. He spoke quietly into the comm ring, waiting for the command.

<< Acknowledged. >>

"Petulant child or not he has a point," another voice spoke up, coming from the right flank of the detail. Lyta Alexander emerged from around the corner. Unlike Sam, she appeared unarmed. But, then again, how armed did a telepath really need to be?

As she approached, she cast a brief glance to Jean, as if to say 'I'm sorry.'

"You really think you can make that promise, Mr. Kennedy?" she asked, staring directly at the head of the security team. "You'll never let Schmuz hurt anyone again? Never is a very long time. Longer than you or I or most of the people here will likely live. I'd say that is one hell of a contingency plan you have. You've thought of everything? Every possible scenario, every possible left turn, every situation that could end in this Yeerk getting free and hurting someone else and you've accounted for it?

"Well, that's a pretty damn tall order if I ever saw one. Or maybe it's just arrogance. Hubris. Presumption. Maybe it's a twisted sense of bravado that's convinced you that you can save the world from all the bad things in it, without having to harm the bad things in the process. But what of them, huh?" She nodded at the group of people that made up the detail.

"Are their lives worth taking a chance on your confidence that Schmuz will never be free to hurt anyone again? And what about theirs?" She then pointed to where the crowd stood. "Are theirs worth it? All you willing to take the chance that they are wrong and let them die? All of them? Claire? Sherry? Will you watch them take their last breaths and still think it was worth it?

"And what about you, Mr. Worf. Would Deanna's life be worth putting in jeopardy? Alexander's? Would you put the lives of the entire Enterprise crew at risk...for this?"

Pausing, Lyta began to move toward the rear of the group. "You talk about growing up. You talk about petulant children throwing tantrums because they didn't get their way. Well, what I want to know is how loudly would you protest, how forcefully would you fight, how much of yourself would you give if you thought someone was making the wrong decision?

"Whether you like it or not, Sam Winchester and those standing with him have made a bold decision. They've chosen to take up arms against their own crew-mates because they believe so strongly that they are right. It wasn't an easy decision and you insult them and everyone on this crew by making light of it.

"They made a bold move. The only boldness you've shown is hiding behind a kangaroo court in order to satisfy your conscience, to cover your own ass if you turn out to be wrong. To allow you to say 'you were just following orders.' They move, you waffle. They act, you ponder. They're decisive, you debate. How much waffling will you do when whoever else is on this ship comes for us? How much pondering? How much debating will it take before you will act to save lives, your conscience be damned."

Once she reached the rear, she turned to face the team, folding her hands in front of her.

"I can fry the brain of every person in this city not resistant to telepathy in under three seconds, Mr. Kennedy. Can you just imagine what a Yeerk, having spent how long cooped up in stasis, could do with someone like me?

"Two people here have promised that Schmuz will never hurt anyone again. Only one of you is telling the truth. And it isn't you, Mr. Kennedy. You're just gambling. And, as far as I'm concerned, your conscience isn't worth my life."

"Now step aside."

He gave them their chance to resolve this peacefully. And he wasn't going to debate this any further. If she wanted to know how hard he'd fight if he thought someone was making the wrong decision, then she was about to find out.

«Mr. Worf? Fire.»

While the speeches were being made, Lafiel's hand quietly want to her klanyu. Breath quickened. Heart rate elevated.

Gaftonesh, she'd missed the rush.

She looked through the jostling crowd that had become suddenly silent for Leon Kennedy and Sam Winchester. If there were supporters here...

Carol was not a happy camper. She'd expected someone to try to take her out quickly, but throwing a pillar at her? That was just uncalled for. It was like in dodge ball and you throw the ball at the little whimmy guy's face. Knowing full well he wouldn't dodge it, just for the slight pleasure of seeing him fall. Whoever did this, was going to get thrown out a freaking air lock.

"Bastard!" She lifted the pillar just enough to move it off of her, standing there and dusting off her plant suit, which quickly transformed into her Ms. Marvel costume. Her eyes were glowing as she spotted Jeka.

"I'm fine. A little annoyed but, fine."

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A House Divided [Part 1]

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