Act Two, Scene Three

[Akirapryde]

The Interrogation of Lieutenant Paxton
Stardate: 53835.96
Interrogation Room Three
Deck 15, USS Thunderchild

Lieutenant Paxton set in the interview room silently and alone. The amount of time she had been here seemed like forever but her mind told her that this was only an illusion created by the blank walls. She had a long conversation with her own legal adviser not too long ago. He explained her rights and made sure that she was aware of what she was being questioned over. He asked her if she wanted him to file any formal requests in her defense. Lieutenant Paxton flatly denied offering any defense as she held to her claims of innocence. Lieutenant Paxton looked up to the wall and saw the large Federation symbol on the wall. She knew what it meant, not only for her but for her people. It was the Federation that came to her peoples' rescue when no one else had. She knew in her heart that the truth would set her free from this, but she feared where the truth would take her. What stood before her was not something for those who were weak of heart or of stomach.

This room was just one part of the heart of the military justice system aboard a Starfleet starship. And today, its lone occupant was a harden combat veteran who was suspected of murdering her shipmate. Lieutenant Rebecca C. Paxton was seated in a chair facing the door with a chair next to her and a pair of other chairs across the table from her. She laid with her head down facing the door waiting for what she knew was coming. She couldn't lie that she was afraid. She knew she couldn't satisfy their desires for information about what she was doing during the time of the murder. She had been told that her hair had been found at the place of the murder. It didn't surprise her as she was all over that section doing her own investigation. But she couldn't tell them what she was doing. 'I just couldn't tell them' she thought softly.

Lieutenant Paxton looked around as that sense of despair crossed over her. She had been in this room before, but never for such a serious reason. She let out a deep sigh of desperation as she laid her head down on her crossed arms. Just a few hours ago, she was getting pats on the back for helping to fight the fires within the hanger deck and saving lives. Now she was under arrest for the murder of Lieutenant Kira Medart. She closed her eyes as she thought of the events which led her to this chair once more. She couldn't believe that all this was happening. She knew that each and every action in this room was recorded. She wondered if Captain Campbell was watching from his ready room. Her eyes scanned the room in hopes of seeing any sign from him. She almost expected that at any moment he was bust in and put an end to this whole mess. How could anyone think that she murdered Lieutenant Medart. "This has to be some kind of sick joke" she half mumbled "he's not dead". A tear dripped from her eye as she took in another breath.

After almost an hour of waiting, the door hissed open and a pair of Security Officers stepped in to the room. Lieutenant Paxton was almost sad that Captain Campbell hadn't assigned his Chief of Security, Commander V'rol, to the investigation. Instead, they sent Lieutenant Tabby Ó Ruaidh to head up the investigation. Lieutenant Paxton lifted her head as she wondered why the Captain hadn't rushed to her defense. 'Did he have doubts about my innocence?' she wondered as she watched the two officers walk in to the room. Her heart wanted Captain Campbell to rush in a save her from this mess. Or to at least stand by her side during this nightmare. Just as Lieutenant Paxton was about to speak Lieutenant Ó Ruaidh spoke up.

"Oh hold on" Lieutenant Tabby Ó Ruaidh said as she motioned for the other officer to follower her, "I forgot something." Lieutenant Ó Ruaidh, turned to Lieutenant Paxton, "Hang on. We will be right back" she said softly then the two officers turned and left without another word.

Lieutenant Paxton dropped her head back on to the table. She knew it was a mind game being played by Security. It was the third time that they came in and then before anything started they had some reason to leave again. She had felt the change in temperature as they had caused it to raise nearly ten degrees. Also the air had become thicker forcing her to work harder to take in more air. Plus she was just so tired, from pulling a double shift on the hanger deck and then the accident. That on top of her insomnia was making this whole situation so much worse. She was beyond anger at this point. She just wanted to cry and as much as she hated to admit it, she wanted to be held to told it would all be okay. She knew in her heart that if she was found guilty of this murder, she would be returned to her people to face her own fate. She so much wanted to call out for him. She missed him so much. His touch and the way he made her laugh. The man she had given her heart to and now was gone. Another tear dripped down from her eye. She didn't really think of him very often but during times like this should couldn't help but think of him. Oh how much she missed him.

After about another thirty minutes, the pair of officers returned. However this time, they had another officer with them. Once more Lieutenant Ó Ruaidh spoke, "You know Lieutenant Commander Fazehas" she said motioning to the Andorian officer. "Despite your statements that you don't need him here. I have asked him to sit in on these conversations and to continue to act as your appointed legal council."

Commander Fazehas walked around the table and took a seat next to Lieutenant Paxton who didn't bother to raise her head from the table. The Andorian took some time to explain in detail what was going on and that she could be charged with murder. He made it clear that this was no game and that if she had any questions, ask him. Rebecca just wasn't paying much attention to what he was saying. She was just so tired and it was clear by her expression that she was on the edge of depression. The other two officers set down across from Lieutenant Paxton. Commander Fazehas finally got her attention and spoke softly to Lieutenant Paxton, "As I have told you, they are holding under suspicion for the murder of Lieutenant Kira Medart. This investigation is being conducted under a military tribunal rules. I will ensure that your rights are not violated. Plus you need to know, you don't have to answer any of their questions." Lieutenant Paxton only nodded her understanding without lifting her head.

Rebecca didn't lift her head as she nodded, "I know Council. You told me all this before. And I told you that I don't need you. I am innocent of these charges," she said then added, "I have nothing to hide." It was a lie but Rebecca knew in her heart that the two had nothing to do with each other.

Lieutenant Ó Ruaidh nodded to Commander Fazehas, "this is correct Lieutenant, you don't have to answer any of my questions. IF you have nothing to hind, then the sooner we get to the truth the sooner this nasty business will be over. So shall we begin?" She paused a moment then activated her PADD, "For the record, please state your full name."

Rebecca half lifted her head, "Lieutenant Rebecca......."

Her answer was cut off by a slam on the table from Lieutenant Lorenzo as he slammed his hand down on the table next to Lieutenant Ó Ruaidh. The sharp sound caused almost everyone to jerk in surprise, "Give us your real name!" Rebecca's keen hearing reacted to the sharp sound forcing her to flinch in pain as her head shot up as she was startled by the sound. The only person at the table that didn't jump was Lieutenant Ó Ruaidh. She only nodded to the Lieutenant sitting next to her.

Commander Fazehas was going to say something, but Rebecca waved him off as she shook off the pain in her ears. With a heavy sigh Rebecca nodded as her eyes looked down at the table, "My true name is Binti Wa Mvua Na Ya Wazi, Msafiri Juu Ya Anga. I have taken the human name of Rebecca Cairo Paxton." Her eyes didn't shift up from the table. The ringing in her ears was painful enough, but her physical state was clearly interfering with her ability to think straight. Instead she just looked down hoping that at any moment the door would hiss open and in would walk Captain Campbell saying all this was over.

Lieutenant Ó Ruaidh's voice was soft and kind as she spoke, "That is a lovely name, Lieutenant. Do you mind telling me what it means?"

Rebecca looked up at the woman speaking to her and tilted her head, "It means, Daughter of the rain and of the plain, sister of the wind, traveler upon the sky" Rebecca finally said softly.

Lieutenant Ó Ruaidh nodded as she said, "that is lovely. Tell me Lieutenant. Can you please explain to me your relationship with Lieutenant Kira Medart?"

Rebecca looked down as she spoke, "I didn't kill him" with a large degree of sadness in her voice. "Why can't you understand that."

"Because you admitted to killing her," Lieutenant Lorenzo said forcefully as he leaned forward raising his hand up once more. The motion caused Rebecca to flinch once more out of fear of the sharp sound that seemed to be coming. It was the objection of Commander Fazehas that halted the noise this time. Instead Lieutenant Lorenzo just stated, "brutal murders are not unknown to you, are they. I know a killer when I see one. Why don't you tell us about Cairo."

"Cairo" Lieutenant Ó Ruaidh said waving her hand to call off Lieutenant Lorenzo's action. Her voice was prefect in leaving the impression that she didn't know what was being talked about. The true was that she knew all too well what happened in Cairo. Lieutenant Ó Ruaidh had studied Lieutenant Paxton's file in detail.

Rebecca looked down and started to speak but was interrupted by her legal advisor. He informed her that she didn't have to answer that question. Rebecca only shook off the warning and continued, "My middle name is Cairo. It was the city on Earth where my father was employed by the Federation Culture Council. It was the first city I had seen, I was born on a refugee ship. So this was all so new to me. I loved that city. My father worked at the New Cairo University. He taught Alien Cultural studies. When I was old enough, I attended too as an art student. I remember that night when it happened as if it happened only yesterday." Rebecca dropped her head and looked down at the table in defeat as the memory flooded her mind.

"Our host family were remarkably kind to us. No one in the Federation or beyond had ever been as kind to us as they were. Sometimes I used to think that they must have been so special to welcome a strange family like us. They took us in and taught us so much. They had a son and daughter who was about my age. I grew up with them and we all studied art at the university together. We had a rather hard week with finals and all so that night we were out celebrating the end of the finals. I used to think that you humans celebrated for just about any reason. I never had Obelisk before. It is kind of like a wine but much more."

"We were having such a good time, just the three of us and our bottles of Obelisk. I shouldn't have had so much to drink but I did. A man and woman came up to our table asking odd questions about me. At first the questioned didn't make any sense to me. But everyone was laughing at us. Ramla, the daughter of the host family we were staying with suggested that we leave. I didn't understand why all this was happened. But I did as was suggested. We were getting up and walking towards the door when the woman waved a bone from her plate at me telling me to beg for it." A tear slipped from her eye as she continued her story. Even though the anger of the memory filled her heart, Rebecca couldn't hide the large degree of guilt in her voice as she continued, "I don't know why I turned around. Ramla begged me to stop, but I as so anger at this. I had been told that the Federation was different. That it didn't matter what you looked like. That everyone was excepted for who they were. They were all laughing at me. Someone even pulled on my tail, which made me even more anger." She looked up with tears in her eyes, "It just wasn't right." Rebecca looked down once more as she paused to collect her thoughts.

After a few moments of silence Rebecca continued to tell her story, "just wanted to tell that woman that her actions were hurtful. I just wanted to tell her that she was being disrespectful to me and my people. But everyone was laughing and she started to show me how to beg for that stupid bone." Along with the sense of guilt came a wave of anger over what happened as she gripped her fist. "I tried to speak to her but her stupid laughter and actions kept cutting me off. Everyone was laughing at me. So I turned to walk away but then she barked at me. I know what an Earth dog is. I am not an Earth dog!" she said with anger in her voice but more importantly to those watching were those tears of pain. The kind of pain that can only come from guilt and sadness. There was no hiding these emotions. "I don't know what happened next, I just snapped and attacked her. I leaped on her and forced her down on to her back and just kept beating her. I guess my actions surprised everyone in the bar because everyone just stood there watching me beating that woman to death." Rebecca said lifting her hands and looking at them in shame.

Rebecca paused as she took in a deep breath to regain her emotions. "The family of the woman I killed spoke in my defense at my trail. I was surprised as was many of my people. It was just something that didn't happen in my culture. By our customs, my father stood over me in judgment. The Council of the Republic wanted to show the Federation that we were just as civilized as any other culture. That this kind of behavior would not be tolerated. My father thanked the woman's family for their kind words. I remember how he looked down on me during that day. There was so much disappointment in his eyes. I don't know why I had had so much to drink that night. The flavor of that drink just tasted so good." She looked up once more, "I am not blaming the drink for my actions. I know they are my own."

Once more her eyes dropped back to the table as she lowered her ears in sadness and continued, "after all that was done on my behalf, my father still sentenced me to life of service within the Republican Guard. Here I would serve the Republic till my death in the line of duty or of old age. I will never be able to go back to the life I once had. No one in my culture would ever accept me for who I was. That life is over for me. So I wait for my death for this life to end and my sins cleanses from my soul. I don't know why I killed that woman. I can't bring her back." Rebecca lifted her eyes as she showed the two Lieutenants across from her the burden of her soul. It was something that simply couldn't be faked.

"Life aboard this ship is kind of like what you call parole for me. I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize this. If I get sent back to the Republican Guard because of something like this, I will be forced to endure what is called, The Death of Ten Thousand Stones."

It was something that Lieutenant Ó Ruaidh knew. She had researched it before the meeting. Rebecca's people call it, Haki Mara Mbili, which basically means double times justice. There are no repeat offenders within the M'bwa M'witu culture. If a person commits a crime they are sentenced to serve the Republic as part of the Republican Guard till that debt to the Republic is served. If that person commits another crime during that sentence or the same crime again during the rest of their natural life time, they suffer the Haki Mara Mbili. A death sentence where the convicted is slowly crushed under ten thousand stones. Each stone is placed by the family of the victims as well as the family of the convicted. The act, by their cultural beliefs, cleanses the families of the sin which the convicted committed and allows the family to continue their life without the burden of those sins. It was practices like this that was holding up the M'bwa M'witu from full membership in to the Federation despite their desire for it.

Rebecca continued, "trust me, the name says it all. I don't want to die, not like that" she said but it was not the full truth and Lieutenant Ó Ruaidh knew it. "I didn't kill Lieutenant Medart," she added but this time the truth fully there and again Lieutenant Ó Ruaidh knew that as well.

Lieutenant Lorenzo laughed, "okay then, tell us where you were during the time of the murder" he said then pushed a PADD before her. On the PADD showed the time of death and the lack of data regarding Lieutenant Paxton whereabouts during that time.

Rebecca looked down and only said, "I was out......" there was that pain once more as she trailed off her statement.

It was clear that Lieutenant Lorenzo wasn't going to give up, "out where!?" he yelled at her slamming his hand down on the table before anyone could react to it. This time, the slamming was with a much sharper sound causing Rebecca to flinch in pain. "Did you realize you were out of milk and decided to swing by the store and pick some up on the way home" he paused then yelled in a sharp voice "Where were you!?!" His yelling was filled with sharp vocal sounds that it was clearly having a painful effect on Rebecca as she flinched in pain.

Commander Fazehas tried to intervene on Rebecca's behalf but her anger got the better of her. She couldn't hide the pain in her ears anymore as she looked up at him. "I was just out!" she yelled back as her anger took hold. "I was out. But I DIDN'T SEE MEDART! I DIDN'T KILL KIRA MEDART!" she yelled back. Again there was that truthfully statement that Lieutenant Ó Ruaidh was looking for. But she needed facts to support her gut feeling on this. Rebecca tried to pull back but the pain was so intense in her ears.

Lieutenant Lorenzo was going to continue the yelling match with his hand raised again but Lieutenant Ó Ruaidh gently waved him off. "If you don't mind Lieutenant Paxton" she said bringing Rebecca's attention back to the table. Lieutenant Lorenzo just walked away from the table while the conversation continued. "Tell me something. You and Lieutenant Medart had this issue between each other. Can you tell me why you disliked her?"

Rebecca made a serious effort to calm down. Her mind raced as she only offered one word, "him."

Lieutenant Ó Ruaidh tilted her head to the side as she questioned the statement, "him?"

"Your science is so much better than ours is. I wont deny this. Sometimes, I look at what the Federation can do with their technology. I have never seen anything like it. There are those of my people who think that your Federation are almost God like. There are those who think you are the children of the Gods. The remarkable things you can do with your technology. But Kira decided to do something that violated all of nature. HE change his sex. But the science can only change the outside. He smelled like a man in a woman's skin. He sounded like a man to me. He was a man to me, without question. At first I was so confused when I first met him. But then I became anger because my eyes told me one thing and my senses told me something else. It was so strange to me not to be able to trust one of my own senses. He was an abomination to nature."

She paused a moment as she looked down once more. Rebecca hated to say those words but her ears were killing her and she just wanted all this to be over. It was the truth, regardless of if they wanted to hear it or not. "Yeah, we didn't get along. But it wasn't only because of this. I tried to work with him and tired to look past this horrible thing that he did to himself. I tried to understand why someone would do such a thing. But the more we talked, and the more we worked together I realized that he wasn't a leader. Everything about him was so fake. So I stopped trying to understand and just disliked him. I just couldn't respect him. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't respect him. Even his own people didn't respect him. We bumped heads a lot. We even went to blows during some arguments. And yes, I started them. But I never hit him more than once and that was normally out of frustration. He would talk like a woman but he is not a woman. It was just so unnatural." She explained and picked up the PADD.

"Don't believe me, look it up. I spent time in your brig for each of those offenses. I am not ashamed to admit this. I am not proud of my actions either, but they are the truth" Rebecca said slid the PADD back towards Lieutenant Ó Ruaidh. As Lieutenant Ó Ruaidh scanned the PADD, Rebecca rubbed her ears and wishing the ringing would go away.

Lieutenant Lorenzo moved towards the table, "I say we just get Commander V'rol in here and rip the truth from her mind in one of his mind melds." It was a threat that was meant to gain a reaction out of Lieutenant Paxton. Everyone in the room knew that the M'bwa M'witu had deep routed fears of telepaths. It was a race of telepaths that had enslaved the M'bwa M'witu when they were just coming out of the stone age. Because of this, telepaths were treated with great fear across the entire culture. Mind melds were not only forbidden by the M'bwa M'witu faith and by their laws. They were feared worse then death its self. Lieutenant Lorenzo's empty threat was used to summon up the fear within Lieutenant Paxton and the look across Rebecca's face confirmed the results. The M'bwa M'witu sitting across from them shuttered as if someone walked across her grave. It was a primal fear that nearly sent the woman in to panic.

Once more Commander Fazehas tried to intervene but Rebecca cut him off as she proclaimed, "I said I didn't kill that.....person!" Rebecca half cried as the fear of a mind meld took hold. She had heard horror stories of these strange practices. "Please believe me" she begged Lieutenant Ó Ruaidh as Rebecca reached across the table almost as if pleading for her life. But it was more than just that. It was fear of that shadow race that no longer exists today, but only in the dark parts of the M'bwa M'witu mind. Like a specter reaching its cold dead hand in to Rebecca and gripping her heart, Rebecca pleaded for her life, "PLEASE....."

Lieutenant Ó Ruaidh reached out and took hold of Rebecca's hand as to reassure the Lieutenant that at least this woman was here to protect her from the man behind her. "I want too. I really do. But I have to know where you were during this time."

Rebecca didn't withdraw her hand as she looked down. "Air lock six just off the flight deck" she said looking away in despair. "I......" she started and paused, "there is just so many people on this ship. I can't ever be alone anywhere. I have tried" she said as tears started to flow from her eyes. "I get a moment here or there. But give it time. Soon I can hear them coming. There is just no where to be alone. To be silent. So I go out the airlock. I bypassed the security sensor with a small wire that is hidden in the panel next to the air lock."

Lieutenant Ó Ruaidh continued to push deeper, "tell me what you were doing out there."

Rebecca didn't want to answer but she glanced up at Lieutenant Lorenzo. She knew that this horrible man would force that telepathic nightmare on her if she didn't comply. All of her thoughts would be open for everyone to see. She would have no privacy anymore. Her fears, her hopes, her love would all be open and subject for all to judge her on. "I hook up a life line and I just float above the ship. Sometimes I think about just cutting the line and drifting a way in silence. But I always come back." She looked down, "I have spoken with Doctor Bell about this often. He can confirm what I am saying. During the time you are talking about I was out of the ship floating" she said in defeat.

Lieutenant Ó Ruaidh rose up from her chair with a nod, "thank you Lieutenant. We will confirm your information. In the meantime, it is important that you remain here till such a time that we can clear your name." Rebecca didn't say anymore as the trio rose up and left her alone once more. Rebecca just dropped her head on the table and continued to cry.

---

As V'rol watched the monitor of Rebecca laying her head back down, Lieutenant Ó Ruaidh walked in to his office. "I will send Lieutenant Lorenzo to check her story with the air lock while I speak with Doctor Bell." She looked at her PADD for a moment before continuing, "this is interesting. My team discovered a hidden panel in Lieutenant Medart's closest. Within that panel were some minor things. With them was a PADD with three signed statements stating that the witnesses each claimed to have heard Lieutenant Junior Grade Mordecai Noonia state that he was going to lie in attempt to ruin her reputation. I am familiar with these three individuals. They have been known for stir up trouble down in Engineering. Still, I will ask my team to bring them in for questioning but I suspect that this has nothing to do with the murder."

"Also in the course of our investigation, we were able to identify that Lieutenant Medart had placed a request to the computer as to the location of the Captain. This was just an hour before her death. I don't suspect that she had a chance to meet with him." She looked back at her PADD and reviewed some more information, "This might be a good place for the other investigation to begin. The last person that Lieutenant Medart spoke with was a crewman name Masaru Dragovic. After her morning meeting with her Section Chiefs, she sought crewman Dragovic down in his quarters. We know this cause she placed the request for the Captain's location just outside his quarters. We found that he had placed a message to Lieutenant Medart in the middle of his overnight shift. That message was read before the meeting by Lieutenant Medart. And deleted from the mainframe by Lieutenant Medart herself just after her morning meeting. Crewman Dragovic is a warp field coil expert. When questioned by my team, he seem worried and nervous to speak to them. During the time of Lieutenant Kira's death, he was in his quarters with two of his roommates. We have confirmed his story ad as such can eliminate him as a suspect."

"He claimed that the message that was sent was only routine information. But this doesn't add up because Lieutenant Medart went to great lengths to remove the message. We could only uncover the fact that something was sent to her, nothing more. I feel that he is hiding something about what is going on. It is my suspicion that Lieutenant Medart was attempting to protect him from something or someone. This is the most logical reason why she went to such lengths to remove his message to her. Maybe if you can speak to him you might be able to get him to open up. I believe that this is the first step towards finding the real killer." On that she paused, "I also believe now without any doubt that Lieutenant Paxton is not our killer. After my interview with her, I believe that she didn't kill Lieutenant Medart. Also, the evidence against her is simply too neat and too prefect. When my team dug in to the facts and the sensor logs, there is no evidence of tampering. If Paxton's story checks out, and I suspect that it will, then this means that our killer has the knowledge to infiltrate our systems and attempt to fool us. To protect Lieutenant Paxton from the killer, I am going to inform the Captain that we believe that we suspect her as the killer. This should ensure that the killer makes no move against her. It will also allow my team to keep her under heavy guard, should the killer attempt to silence her by faking her suicide." She concluded her plan to Commander V'rol.