To Europa or Bust Pt.4

June 5th, 2042:
"The Trial"
A Newswire Special Blog
Archivist Log: Arose2010
I guess it's time to add court reporter to my resume. 
We're gathered in the main cargo hold in Engineering, the same room where the bomb went off that has raised so many problems. About three hundred of us all told. All of the officers from the Athena. The heads of the three companies, and Rafael to represent the workers. The Engineers and Security officers who went down into the power-dark areas of the ship. Myself. The five remaining members of the Long Dragon Syndicate. 
We're here today to begin the trial of Abagail Croyant, her security chief, and four other staff for the attempted destruction of the Athena, the murder of eight crewmembers, and the pre-meditated sabotage of an official Global Senate mission. There's a whole host of other charges in there but those are the highlights. The one thing I thought we didn't have on board was any lawyers. Turns out that a few of the staff have themselves criminal law degrees and experience from India and Brazil. There had always been the expectation for a criminal court and police work once we got to Europa, but no one had expected we would need it before arriving. 
The first person to the witness stand is Chief Engineer Watts. He describes how the mission down to fix the main system had initially been a complete failure. They had been attacked in the dark by several figures with small handguns, all wearing dark clothing and masks. They had dragged away Junior Engineer Lei, and probably would have killed the group of them had the Long Dragon Syndicate members not appeared and drove them off. Watts praised the L.D.S. members for offering not only a protective hand in keeping the aggressors at bay, but also in helping them fix the main system. He pointed out that without their help in the physical investigation of the bombing, it is doubtful the ship would ever have recovered.
Following the Chief Engineer several of the Junior Engineers repeated similar statements. Praising the L.D.S., and condemning the MC Housing staff. 
In cross examination the defense lawyer attempted to focus on the murdered crewman, Lei. He drew blame for the attack on the L.D.S., as the methods used in his display were well known. He didn't really make all that convincing an argument though, and Watts testified that the L.D.S. had stayed by their side the entire time. There would have been no time for them to perform the murder and mutilation.
Following this, Mei was called to stand. She testified that after the LDS members escape from the medical bay they retreated to the power-dark section of the ship. She said they did this since they felt they were going to be unjustly persecuted by the members of the ship, and admits it may have been a rash action. Once down in the power-dark section of the ship (after laying one of her members to rest who was dying, painfully, of wounds suffered during the escape and subsequent damage to the ship), they discovered, similar to what our exploratory team found, that the explosion came from inside cargo containers that should not have held explosive material. Its proximity to the side of the cargo bay and the delicate machinery, coinciding with the timing of the explosion, seemed very suspicious to them.
When they discovered that Chief Engineer Watts and his team were under attack, they intervened and drove off the attackers. After that, they assisted the Chief in his repairs and even provided security and technical expertise. They all tried to help in some way. Mei apologized for escaping from the medical bay but repeatedly stated they had just come from imprisonment that had been unjustified. They only saw a return to what they had fought so bitterly to escape.
The rebuttal in the cross-examination focused on Mei's and the other LDS's characters, and if they could be trusted. Mei insisted that the crimes they had been imprisoned for had come from the "radical wing" of the L.D.S., and had been highly exaggerated. I'm not sure if she's really telling the truth but in the end she wasn't on trial. The XO decided that was the case and discounted the Defense's questions in light of the Chief Engineer vouching for her.
Finally, Abagail Croyant was brought to the stand, representing herself and the other MC Housing staff put on the trial. As they all had, she refused to say a single word, sitting in sullen silence. She had been injured when they were disarmed by the Long Dragon Syndicate members, and walked with a cast and cane. 
Despite pressing by the XO and saying she was in contempt, she still refused to say anything. It's very frustrating for the crew and especially so for those who've lost loved ones in the bombing. Why would they do this? She was very highly placed in MC Housing's leadership structure and seemed supportive of the mission. That is, right up until the time the explosion went off and they chose to attack some Engineers in the dark. Until any of them are willing to talk, we may never know.
In the end, the XO found them all guilty on every count. Overwhelming evidence supported the conviction, but calls for a death sentence were overturned. The XO said that while we may be doing frontier justice, that isn't how the civilized person acts. A section of the empty cargo hold (which had once held the hastily erected tennis court) was turned into a brig, and the five remaining will be held there until such a time as they can be sent back to Earth.
--
The Chief Engineer estimates we'll have close to four months of repairs before we can begin to get back on track. The communications array was almost totally destroyed and will need to be rebuilt from scratch. We have rudimentary power and computer systems back, and I'm hopeful things will return to normal. Whatever "normal" turns out to be from here on out.
The Long Dragon Syndicate members have, in the face of courage and willingness to protect the members of the ship they hardly knew, been pardoned by the XO for their crimes. While this may not hold up in any court back on Earth, on this ship they are now free to become part of the crew. They have a wide range of skills and two have already joined the Engineering department.
I have an appointment with Mei this afternoon. I asked if she would tell me the history of the Long Dragon Syndicate, and she agreed. I think it will be the first recorded history of their organization from an inside source. 
I am looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to this mission. The last few weeks have awakened something in me that I think has been dead or asleep for a long time. Maybe saying I've rediscovered hope is a bit much, but I'm certain I've found my place here.
END LOG #7
December 14th, 2042:
"Jupiter"
A Newswire Special Blog
Archivist Log: Arose2010
I can see Jupiter now.
It's still small in the distance, but there isn't any mistaking the fact that we're approaching a really big gas planet. We can't really make out Europa yet without telescopes, but I know it's there. Not too far off.
A lot has happened in the last few months. There hasn't been any further problem with the arrested members of MC Housing, and their lead Engineer, Craig Kender stepped up and took over. He's proven to be easy to work with, well liked, and not prone to blowing holes in the ship. I figure that's a plus.
The XO was officially sworn in as Captain of the ship. He comes across as a hard ass, but after spending so much time sending the letters back to his daughters, I've seen another side to him. I know he just wants what is best for the ship and the crew. The loss of Captain Singh hurt him deeply but he's really stepped up.
Mei and I have weekly tea and talk sessions. I guess she trusts me. She's told me a lot about the Long Dragon Syndicate, and while I'm not sure if I totally believe her or agree with what she's told me, it's an interesting story. I'm going to start writing the book next week. The Newswire has already agreed to publish it.
I guess these entries were a big hit back home when they were all released by the Newswire. There is so much of a communications delay that I didn't even realize it until a few weeks ago. I hadn't even thought to keep doing them once the repairs on the ship started and things calmed down.
This is my new home now. I'm happy to report that even Sparky has settled in. He doesn't throw up all that often anymore. He even visits the bridge occasionally.
I guess I'm happy. I still miss him sometimes. I don't know if I really talked about John before, but I know he'd be happy with where I am. He always wanted to see the stars. 
I think it's time to finally let him rest.
END LOG #8
Category:Europa
Category:December 14, 2042
Category:Mei
Category:Long Dragon Syndicate
Category:Athena
Category:Milton and Crane Housing