The Technician's Fight, Draft 1, CH14

Jeremy remained still once he realized he was awake. He didn’t want to let them know he was going to—

A hand squeezed his. “It’s me, Jer” Gralgiran said.

He cracked an eye open, and the tension left him on seeing his Heart at his side. “You rescued me again.” Beyond him, fuzzy Kelsirians moved about a large room. He blinked to clear his sight, and that was painful, but didn’t help.

“It was a group effort, started by your clever thinking.”

He was about to ask for a medic when someone approached and was suddenly clear.

The medic looked up from her tablet. “You’re awake, good.” People beyond her were still fuzzy.

A privacy field, he realized.

“My face still hurts.”

“Yes. Your broken nose and cheek have been repaired, but unless you think it’s a problem, I’d rather leave the remaining damage to heal by itself. The concussion you suffered has been dealt with.”

“Jer needs to be before the adjudicators tomorrow,” Gralgiran said.

“Then I can—”

“No, Leave it.” If it was still today, Jeremy needed to plan. “I want them to see this.”

“Are you sure, Jer? Your father will—”

“Oh, I want him to see what they did to me. What the people he sided with did to me.” He threw his legs over the side, and he winces at the pain.

“You need to stay in the bed,” the medic said, taking the blanket that fell and offering it to him.

“I need to prepare for that meeting.”

“You’ve been injured. You need to rest,” she said in a tone that challenged him to argue. She motioned for him to take the blanket.

He couldn’t understand why. No one cared he was naked. Then he shivered. Right, it was cool.

“Okay, but I need to do some reading. Gral, I need my tablet and everything about the legal procedures regarding the situation. You know what? Everything. Just give me every Federation and Kelsirian laws and let me worry about working out what applies here.”

“Jer, there are more laws than you can know. I think it’s best if you rest.”

He locked eyes with his Heart. “They just failed at kidnapping me, again. I’m not getting blindsided by some legal loophole they’ll have found. I need to research everything I can in the short time I have.” He should have started this the moment Gralgiran had told him about the human’s plans.

His Heart looked at the medic.

“So long as he stays in this bed, and tries to sleep when I tell him to, he can read the rest of the time.”

He might need help sleeping, with the way his mind was whirling, but she didn’t need to know that yet. He wondered if the area within the privacy field was still considered public space.

“I’ll get you your tablet and give you access to the legal database.” Gralgiran nuzzled his cheek, then walked through the privacy field and another guy entered.

“I’m sorry,” Toomerimortoral said, ears folded back.

“Don’t do that.”

“I’d just left, if I’d stayed, or I don’t know, not been so quick to—”

“This isn’t you fault, Pilot Toomerimortoral. If you’d still been there, they would have taken you down. Maybe even killed you. They’re the ones who did this. Those humans bastards and whoever gave the order are to blame, not you.”

The guy hesitated, then took Jeremy’s hand. “Alright. It’s not my fault. I’m still sorry it happened.”

Jeremy snorted, then wince. “Me too.”

Toomerimortoral squeezed his hand. “Can we…” he swallowed. “Can we shorten the names we use?”

Jeremy searched his face, surprised at the offer. Just yesterday, they’d been screaming at each other. Before having sex. He was pretty sure Gral wanted them to be friends. Possibly more. He didn’t know if he could do the ‘more,’ but…

“You can address me as Jeremy.”

“You can address me as Toomerim,” he replied, relaxing.

“If it means anything, Toomerim. I’m glad you weren’t there. I’m glad they didn’t get the chance to hurt you. That because of that, we get the chance to see about being friends.”

“Me too. I should probably go.” He hesitated, then quickly nuzzled Jeremy’s cheek before leaving.

He had a few minuted to relax, then Gralgiran was back with his, no, a tablet. What had happened to his? Gralgiran had left before he could ask. He brought up the legal procedure files and set about filtering them down to something he could read.

Jeremy squirmed, standing on the opposite side of his Hearth’s desk, in his office by the bridge.

“I don’t know if this is a good idea,” the woman, an admiral, Gralgiran had told him, said.

“I don’t care how good of an idea it is,” his Heart replied. “If it works, it gives me two things. Those Earthers off my ship and their government being held accountable.”

“How does your Heart feel about being involved in this?”

Gralgiran motioned to him, and Jeremy stepped around the desk and within the admiral’s field of view. He didn’t think she showed surprise when she saw him.

“Tech…” she took in how he was dressed. “…nician Jeremy Bradshaw.” She looked at Gralgiran.

“After the first kidnapping, I thought it was best if Jeremy knew how to defend himself.”

“That isn’t civilian rated protection clothing.”

“I’m being trained as a hunter, Admiral.”

This time, she showed surprise. “You know you’re going to get pushback on this.”

“Why? Any Kelsirian has the right to ask for hunter training. It’s why we make the initial sessions so hard. We only want the determined.”

“And he asked for this?” she sounding dubious.

“I did,” he replied before his Heart told her the circumstances that led to it, and gave those who didn’t like him ammunition.

“Alright. I certainly will not object to a Kelsirian citizen wanting to serve the gods this way. Are you okay with your defense time being used by your Alpha to further his plan, hunter?”

“Honestly, Admiral, so long as he makes sure he doesn’t start that until after I’m done telling those people what I think of them, I don’t care what he does.”

She considered them. “Very well, as appointed member of the Leadership in this, you have my approval.”

“Thank you, Admiral Thrumdora Sricaley Thofme Ef’halan.”

She vanished.

“Do you really need her approval?”

“No, but this means that when the Earthers lodge their complaint, I won’t have to deal with it. The Leadership’s legal packs will.” He stood. “Are you ready?”

“Oh, yes.”

*

“Don’t fuss,” Atarikna said, adjusting the collar around Jeremy’s neck. “This is going to pickup subvocalization.” They were outside the adjudication chamber. To the side of the door, waiting to receive the signal that they were ready for him.

“Which I haven’t learned. I don’t even know if I can do that. Different voice box, remember?”

The surrounding hunters chuckled, which caused the six humans in gray printed shirt and pants to look around. They only understood what he said.

“How does the earpiece feel? I didn’t have time to do a fitting so—”

“It’s fine, Atarik. I can deal with the discomfort for the duration.” He looked at Gral. “Is this really necessary?”

“No hunter goes on a hunt without a way to contact his beta.”

Jeremy looked at Thuruk. “And you’re okay with this?”

“He doesn’t get a say,” Gralgiran stated. “Until he’s demonstrated the behavior I expect of a Beta.”

“So you’re entrusting the safety of your Heart to an untested beta?” Jeremy asked, then looked at Thuruk. “No offense meant.”

The tilt in his friend’s ears showed discomfort more than offense.

“If I don’t make him your beta, he’d bound to run off to your rescue without approval, again.” There was a threat in the tone of the last word, and Jeremy now got how the promotion was partially a punishment. “As your beta, his rank demands that he protect you.”

“By sending me into battle.”

“If I had any say in what’s going on,” His friends said. “You’d be locked up on the ship, hunter.”

“I can’t very well teach these people a lesson from there,” Jeremy said, then added. “Beta.”

“What am I supposed to do with him?” Thuruk asked.

Gralgiran smirked. “Did you think I’d give you an easy job?”

“I’m going to be running after him all the time, aren’t I?”

“So no change, then,” Jeremy said.

“They’re ready for you,” the hunter at Thuruk’s left said.

“If they try anything,” Gralgiran said, “You give the word.”

“If they try anything,” Jeremy replied, “You’re welcome to whatever I leave of them.” He stepped to the door; it opened, and he walked in.

The humans were already seated, as planned. He’d asked, through Gralgiran, to be told when they started to make a fuss about his absence.

“Where were you?” the man, the human, he forced himself to think, demanded. “You’re supposed to be in this chamber until you’re called. You’re supposed to stay on the station until this is done. Where were they hiding you?”

Jeremy looked to the adjudicator as he took his seat. Ignoring the people on the other side. Ignoring his father. Protocol was that no one spoke until the adjudication was officially started, and then only as part of the adjudication, or to respond when questioned.

As much as he’d wanted to read everything. He hadn’t had the time, nor the hope, to remember it all, so he’d stuck to the basics. Which included how he was expected to behave, because he wasn’t going to be a bad representation of his people.

“This adjudication in session,” the Kersosteran adjudicator said. “The Earther government, against the Kelsirian Captain Gralgiran sel Helrarvnir. The Earther government is represented by Carl Monroe. This is a continuation of the claim of the unjustified holding of an Earth citizen by a Kelsirian. Present is Technician Jeremy Bradshaw, Kelsirian citizen.”

“That isn’t valid!”

“The Earthers can make their case.”

The man, Monroe, squared his shoulders. “As previously stated. Jeremy Bradshaw’s claim of wanting to be with the Kelsirians can’t be considered valid, because his cognitive functions were impaired as a consequence of having stopped taking the medication that kept his Encephalo-thrometapil-darminal under control. Therefore, I demand that he be taken away from them immediately and returned to a person who actually cares for him.” He motioned to the man seated to his left. “His father.”

“What did they do to you?” his father whispered, but it was picked up by whatever system the chamber used and heard clearly.

Oh, he so couldn’t want for that reveal.

“Technician Jeremy Bradshaw,” The Kersosteran adjudicator said. “Do you have a rebuttal?”

“What I have, Adjudicators, is my history. When I was a teen, my parents found drawings of naked men, human and Kelsirians, I’d made. At least one of which depicted me having sex with a Kelsirian. Their response was to have me subjected to a torturous treatment that resulted in a triggered response anytime I felt an attraction toward a man.”

“You were sick!” his father said. “We were protecting you.”

“The trigger manifested by severe stomach pain, which was the condition I was told the medication I was forced to take was for. The trigger was reinforced through the use of ultrasonics. Their use has been documented by the Kelsirian ambassador assigned to Einstein station.”

“The report has been read,” the Kelsirian adjudicator said.

“We had nothing do to with what the people in charge of that station did,” Monroe stated.

“Personnel not assigned by Government?” the Ridoshi adjudicator asked.

“Of course not. There’s too many of those for us to handle directly. We delegate that to another agency.”

“And isn’t that agency verified to ensure their decisions will match that of your government?” the Taournian adjudicator asked.

“Of course, but you can’t—”

“Approval given for ruling personnel of station?” the Ridoshi adjudicator asked.

“We don’t approve—”

“Approval given?” they said.

“I already—”

“It isn’t a question,” the Kersosteran adjudicator stated.

“Then why?” The frustration kept him from continuing. “Look, it doesn’t matter what he says. He wasn’t—”

“The male you identified as his father has confirmed Technician Jeremy Bradshaw underwent the torturous treatment he has established,” the Kelsirian adjudicator said.

“He did no such thing.”

“You were sick!” his father’s voice sounded. “We were protecting you!”

“That statement supports the claim.”

Monroe glared at his father. “I’m not a doctor, so I can’t speak to what the treatment is, and while I’m sure it felt like torture to a teenaged boy. Sometimes treatments have to be rough to protect from something worse.”

“Documentation on procedure is forthcoming?” the Reoseph adjudicator asked.

“I’m sure everything will be provided. I’ll make the request. Until then, Jeremy Bradshaw needs to be remanded into his father’s custody.”

“The board hasn’t reached a decision, Representative,” The Kersosteran adjudicator said. “The session is still ongoing, and you have overstepped on Technician Jeremy Bradshaw’s rebuttal long enough.” He looked at him. “Continue.”

“As I became aware of what was done to me and worked through the triggered responses, I came to realize that I was attracted to—” he took a breath and asked his vocal cords to forgive him. “—Captain Gralgiran sel Helrarvnir.” He swallowed. “My doctor became aware of a change in my behavior, even if I tried to hide it from him, and as a result, I was arrested and subjected to intense ultrasonics. When my Heart came to rescue me, the station commander came and threatened me so I’d claim I didn’t want to go with him. I was able to fight through the triggered pain and demand to go with my Heart. There was a threat of violence on the part of the humans, but the commander had no choice but to let me go or start an incident with Kelser. I don’t have to mention the kidnapping and torture I was subjected to the last time humans demanded I come to this station.”

“We had nothing to do with that. We’re investigating the incident. Once the culprits have been found, they will be handed over to the Federation for prosecution.”

It was so tempting to give them Omar’s name. Put it out there for everyone to hear. But he wouldn’t do that to him. Not that he thought it would do any good. He’d had an entire medical team, state-of-the-art technology. There was no way that hadn’t been provided by someone in power.

“Okay. So this little thing is about you claiming I’m not a Kelsirian citizen. That I wasn’t in my right mind back then to make the claim. I’m going to make it now, and I don’t give a fuck what you think. I am denouncing whatever ties I have to Earth.” He picked his next words and he hope these people understood what it meant. “I am not an Earther anymore. I am a Kelsirian.”

“Don’t do that, son.” His father sounded in pain. “Think of us, your family.”

He forced his anger down. “I’m trying to not make you complicit in this, dad. I’m trying really hard to believe that they fed you lies after lies like they’ve been doing since I don’t know when. That you actually believe this is for my benefit.”

“It is, I swear, Jeremy. We all just want what’s best for you.”

“If that was true, we wouldn’t be here. But it doesn’t matter. I will never return to a society that treated me like my will was theirs to control, to break and shape. I am a citizen of Kelser, mated to a man I love. My Heart, my soul mate. You try to take me from him again, and you aren’t succeeding with me alive. I will fight you. I will go to war with you. I will leave cinder in my wake, if you force my hand. So heed my words carefully. Leave me the fuck alone.”

“He can’t—” Monroe started.

“The Kelsirian citizen, Technician Jeremy Bradshaw, as declared his citizenship,” The Kersosteran adjudicator stated. “This session is—”

“If I can have a moment of the adjudicator’s time,” Gralgiran called, entering, followed by the hunters on each side of the six human—Earthers.

“What is the meaning of this?” the Taournian adjudicator demanded.

“This is a matter that concerns the Earther leadership,” Gralgiran said, “so should be addressed to their representative.”

“We have nothing to do with them,” Monroe called.

“These Earther were found on my ship in the process of kidnapping my Heart. They are the cause of his injuries.”

Jeremy watched his father pale.

“And I’m telling you again, we don’t know anything about that.”

“So the ship they docked against mine won’t come up as one of yours?” Gralgiran asked.

“Do you have any idea how many ship designs we have? I don’t know if they stole one of them. We’ll need to investigate. So just hand—”

“That can’t happen,” The Kelsirian adjudicator said. “Unless you claim them as yours. Their crime took place within Kelsirian territory.”

“This station isn’t Kelsirian.”

“They were on a Kelsirian ship, representative. They boarded it from space. Space that is Kelsirian territory. By Federation law, the species where the crime is committed gets to prosecute the crime unless the criminals are claimed by one of the other species. As they are Earthers, you can claim them and treat them as you would any of your criminals.”

“So you can then say we were behind it? No. We’re not going to be made your scape goats.”

“Don’t do this to them, representative,” the Kelsirian adjudicator said. “We have little mercy for those who threaten our people.”

“Do whatever you want with them. They did this of their own accord.”

“Is that true?” the Kersosteran adjudicator asked in English. “Did you plan this without authorization from your government?”

“This is your last chance, hunter,” Gralgiran whispered, and Jeremy had to fight not to react to hearing him. He didn’t know if it was intentional or just how it always went on a hunt. “Don’t let your alpha disgrace you by ignoring the responsibility his rank brings. If you tell the adjudicator you acted on your government’s orders, they will have to act, and that will save you from our punishment.”

“Go fuck yourself,” The man Gralgiran had been addressing replied as softly. Then he raised his voice. “We acted of our own volition to right a wrong perpetrated against one of our people by a bunch of barbaric furballs that have no business being in space.”

Jeremy looked over his shoulder in surprise. The man stood straight, sneering at Gralgiran. The others, behind him, didn’t share his confidence, but they didn’t contradict him. Jeremy wondered what would happen if one of them said they’d acted under orders?

“Very well,” The Kelsirian adjudicator said. “As the crime was committed on your ship, captain, and the victim was your Heart, you have the authority to administer justice. May your namesake guide your claws. This session is ended.”

Outline section 

Jeremy was grateful to wake up in the Viper’s Bane med bay, and to see Gral. Everything else... well his day certainly won’t be getting worse. Angrier, yes, but not worse. As a human engineer, Jeremy is put to work on the shuttle right away, making sure there weren’t any redundancies in it’s systems that would switch it back on and signal the humans for permission to blow up or something.

It’s for that reason Jeremy finds the transmission in the mission buffer from just before the team went into radio silence... and they actually had his father on their wishing the men god speed to bring his son back home. The idea that they have his father so deluded he’d give his blessing to his own kidnapping like getting dragged back and stuck in a machine would be a good thing... It's outrageous..

For better or worse, audio recordings aren’t viable in court any more than video. Particularly when broadcast. Still it’s enough to rile Jeremy up, and it takes a lot from Gral to calm him down. Once he is calm, however, Toom comes forward with his idea of how they can turn this all to their favor.

###

In the next court summons, Gral shows up with not only Jeremy but a squad of hunters and the prisoners. The representatives have been informed, but not the general public so the stands are abuzz as the various reporters try to jockey for position to record what is about to happen.

The humans were not informed for obvious reason as Gral lays things down concerning the illegal boarding of the Viper’s Bane and attempted kidnapping of his heart. The prisoners taken captive in that invasion are right now in limbo. The humans can admit to being responsible for the attack, as such they’ll be returned as per Federation law and procedure can begin on what repercussions the human government will face for this offense. If not, they’ll be treated as pirates and transported to a kelsirian penal colony to serve a [insert period of time here] long term.

The humans are a bit split on how to talk their way around this, as one half is adamant to deny it, while some others claim any act to remove Jeremy from the kelsirians isn’t kidnapping but a rescue. On cue, Jeremy takes front and reiterate his declaration of the fact he’s renounced his human citizenship and fully accepts citizenship under the kelsirian government; if the court questions his wellness of mind to make such a declaration, he will submit to a to a court approved mentalist.

The humans object to that, as there are no human mentalists, but one of the representatives will state that legitimacy of Jeremy’s state of mind is needed by the court, not by the accusing party. The human will then try and play their final trump card with Jeremy’s father making a very out of order appeal to his son, but Jeremy handles this by first signaling that he does want to address this... and then forgiving his father for all the stuff the government did to him, but he doesn’t belong among a people who reject the natural way that he is.

Seeing the writing on the walls that they have lost this case, the human prosecution resolves to end this in a way that allows the human government to not lose any unnecessary face and deny authority over the prisoners. There might be a call from the representatives like in draft zero for the humans to see reason, but in this draft the rebuttal is handled by trained lawyers so there isn’t even a hint in their rejection they might be guilty.

Addition 

No Additions

How Jeremy interacted with the humans went changed just about each time I envisioned it. Sometimes he was filled with rage, other times cold as ice and many variation of that. In the end he was more cold than hot, and it makes sense. Jeremy had a hard core, and he is someone who makes plans.

Having Jeremy in the office when Gralgiran speaks with the admiral is slightly forced, but I wanted to estavlish the leadership was on board wit this.

And his friendship with Toom is starting. For those who have read draft 0, you know where that leads.