6: Gathering Evidence
It was a hard night for me, and looking back at it, I don't see why I had to be so callous. Then again, what did I know? My room had been stolen, and all I could think about was that girl breaking things just to spite me. I felt that Dyka should have been more sympathetic, and tried to have helped me.
But I digress. If I was annoyed by Tsukinousagi, then certainly, I was angered by what would happen next. I went to get witnesses - mainly pirate fighters, the experts on Vika ignorance of the Seemarin - from a long list of people whom had been sourced in the study, as well as evidence regarding other things as well. Fortunately, many of them came from my galaxy, so I had Koogairu accompany me from the star world Koogairu, in my system, to the many places I would end up having to go to in the next several days.
-Sooooooooooooooo........... Koogairu slapped me on the back gaily. -You are a celebrity law authority! I'm happy to be going with you to get what you need.
-Thanks.
-I feel like we're going on a quest, or a mission! We boarded onto a public transit to the planet Svata. -Like we're pirate fighters too. Who are we looking for?
-....Pirate fighters.
I really didn't want to go off to find evidence. The truth is, I was convinced of our client's guilt. I kept pondering what the point was having a defense when a trial for a Number Two violation is simply a delay in sending her to the void.
-So what are we doing?
-Collecting evidence. I took up a paper near my seat. -For our defense.
I opened the paper up and straightened it out. The front page had a response to my curiosity.
THE GREAT MATTER! It took up half the front page. DEMON INCARNATE ON TRIAL AT SEEMARIN! CIVILIZED SAILORS UP IN ARMS!
My stomach immediately turned at the sight of it. And there, three paragraphs down, with a holoimage of me talking to Dyka on the way into the Court of Justice, was my name: -Assistant to the Defense, Themis of Bludhsue-. I was almost inclined to just get off the transit and leap right out into outer space, therefore ending my life and future ridicule.
-Wow! Koogairu laughed. -Wow, Themis, this is you on the front page! They took a bad shot of you.
I was not blessed that day. We happened to be on a busy transit, so the shuttle was filled to its entirety, with sailors and citizens. Koogairu’s voice, while not loud, carried too well. As soon as the words left her mouth, every person on the transit was looking at us a bit confusedly.
-Koo! I shrank back as far as I could towards the window. -You don’t need to be loud.
-Hey, maybe you’ll be in other papers too! Koogairu stood up. -I want to keep an album of this! This will be something to tell my grandchildren when I’m old….
I was thankful when the shuttle stopped at our planetary destination. The stares started to become more assured that Koogairu’s banter pertained to me, and that I looked familiar. The soldiers, did they figure me out as I walked by? I was sure there would be people whispering about me. I wanted to shrink away. Stupid little gnat!
-
We went through many planets, many people that day. Hundreds of pirate fighters at their houses, at their places of frequent lodging. Everywhere.
-Hi. I remember the very first pirate fighter we went to. She opened the door, looking at us warily. -Sailor Hagu?
-Yeah. She looked at both of us. She was a tall lady, twice my size. -Yeah, I’m her.
-Hi. I went to hold my hand out. -I’m Sailor Themis, and this is my companion, Sailor Koogairu. We-
Suddenly, I was lifted off of the ground with incredible strength. Koogairu gave a gasp as I was thrust forth, bringing her to her eye level.
-Now look here. I know what you’re here for. She glared at me angrily. -And I’m not talking to the likes of you. I’ve got more important things to do. So, good day to you.
With that, she roughly threw me to the ground, turned, and slammed her door in my face. I was insulted! Such violence! I had not even explained myself! It was so boggling to me.
-Oooh! Koogairu picked me up. -That was terrible! Are you hurt…..
-I’m fine. I pushed her off of me. -Wretch. Backwoods wretch! I hope pirate fighting didn’t turn everyone else into rude ingrates!
-
We had some better luck - in a matter of speaking - with many of the others. It would take a very long time to detail each and every person we spoke to, each and every planet we visited. We visited many in the several days. We must have visited at least two hundred people. At least.
-I’m sorry. This was an often-heard response, in its most basic. -I’d love to help you. Really, I do.
I understand what kind of case you are trying to build. But….but…..I really can’t. I’m just not comfortable talking about it, especially not with this…great matter going around.
Many had not heard of me. Some did, and promptly closed their doors on us. Others simply did not answer our summons. Many were rude, though not nearly as rude as the first sailor we approached. Over and over, we got the same reaction, and I could only think of one reason as to why.
That…..that Tsukinousagi! I turned red with anger whenever I thought of her. Curse her! Now my name is known as the defender of a maggot!
My anger became greater and greater as each person we spoke to, every avenue of hope, was barred from us by various means. I had great thoughts of killing Tsukinousagi, for certainly, she deserved it for putting me through the misery!
I was fortunate, however, that there were at least a tiny handful, those who was willing to listen to us and help. What circumstances drove them to do it, we did not know. But then, I thought that those few were boons to our case.
-Help you? One of them was a soldier named Jyanda. -You bet I will.
She lived on the planet Jyanda, which was halfway across the galaxy of Uhruop, a galaxy near the fringes of the Vikas. This planet was hot and dusty, known for its dealing in wars against Vika, and so many people there were very well-aware of Vika behavior. It was a dislikable planet, however, because giant pampeles - giant, snarling, furry beasts of burden when caught, violent, rampaging demons when free - roamed the streets, randomly choosing and eating people up. Therefore, there were constant states of curfews and laws prohibiting the public from even looking out a window at certain times. I was almost hit by a pampele even inside, and was bruised in the arm. But I digress.
-You be surprised, she commented as she stroked her pet - a tiny baby pampele that looked like a coughed-up furball. -There’s ignorance like you wouldn’t believe. Half the soldiers I’ve fought with and against, don’t know which way is up half the time! Its almost like they have a planetary transit and they can’t start the thing because they don’t know which way to turn the starting gauge!
-Haha! I laughed. -Really?
-Oh yeah. Jyanda nodded. -Some of them have real issues. Think I’m just trying to be all superior when I tell them there’s a Seemarin. I’ve got all kinds of writings from these worms. You know, they threatened me if I didn’t stop talking about the Seemarin! Child’s play, fantasies, they make up their own destinies, they say. Yes, like little kids with tantrums they do!
-Yes. I wiped my brow. -I’ve heard a lot of stories, but I think it would be great if you testified to the truth of those stories.
-Heh! Jyanda took a drink of some black concoction I had never seen before. -Honestly, I don’t see what’s so great about this great matter. Banishment isn’t even a fit punishment at all for the likes of them! They don’t know ANY better! I’d think throwing your new friend - that yellow little thing that calls itself a sailor - into a proper soldier’s school would be good! And probably giving her a long bath would help, too. Vika soldiers smell bad, but they seem to like it. So the threat of proper sterilization is enough to make them slit their throats and end our miseries.
Koo and I both laughed as we concurred. Finally, finally, we had a witness.
Two others jumped to our aid after that. Sailor Baroo, a soldier from a planet that was filled to the brim with a guari population, and Sailor Tigo, a very grand old soldier, who has lived many more cycles and years than I care to remember, though she was in a retirement home for physical ailments. Guaris are tiny creatures which I can only describe as being akin to lizards on your world, only they are the size of a human infant. There was an old stuffed one presented as a gift to the Ydhh princess before I was a soldier, which is how I knew of the creature. But I digress.
-
-Well. I remember our last stop very well also. -One more place to go.
By then, we had three witnesses on our side. Only three. But there was one more place to stop.
On my notes, Dyka had noted a certain prominent sailor known as Michag. Though not as well known as Kepe now was, Michag could be considered the second-best known of the pirate fighters. Long ago, she had been considered the first of the modern pirate fighters, and endured much prejudice before her craft was accepted by the Seemarin as worthy of being looked into. Having been dead for a year, supposedly due to a battle against a very resilient Vika opponent - whose name, like many Vika soldiers, was never learned - Kepe’s exploits quickly overtook that of the dead soldier’s. Even then, however, her exploits were well known. She had been everywhere, seen everything, and had written it all down. Michag’s great library of diaries - three hundred books strong, it was said - would be of great use if we could find what we needed from them.
-Can I knock?
-Sure. I sighed. -I don’t want to.
We were visiting Michag’s main residence after a particularly bad string of denied requests. By this time, everyone had heard of me, and told me quite frankly they did not want to be involved with me or my client. I realized I was in a bad situation; if I could not get witnesses, what would people think of me when our time came to defend the client? Not that it mattered, of course, for I already knew I was to be doomed the moment my name was known to be connected to the ‘great matter’, as that ordinary press had called it. It was a send that I had gotten even one witness, let alone three. My good name was poisoned by a rural fool.
-There! Koogairu knocked on the door. Ooooh, someone’s coming.
I, too, could hear the slow, monotonous footsteps coming towards the door. I wondered what I would face now. Would my last visit be as bad as my first?
-Hello? Finally, the door opened. A male voice came forward. -What ye want?
I was taken aback. It was no a female at all! Fortunately, I looked down at my notes and saw that Michag had one living family member - a brother. I gave a sign of relief.
-Hello.....Grefand? I looked at the note, nodding to myself. -Is this Grefand?
-Ye. He opened the door completely. -What ye want?
-Is your sister the pirate fighter Sailor Michag?
-Ye, he eyed me suspiciously. -She is.
-Wonderful. I held up my card. -I'm Sailor Themis.
-E.....
He looked me up and down, a look of some disapproval on his face. He was relatively old, at least in his one hundred sixties, and he had an old cane with a knife at the end. I realized that, in the old days, people despised pirate fighters. However, those days were gone, with the advent of the pirate fighters' victories against the Vika sailors. This man was an antique.
-Ye..... He finally spoke after several minutes. -Ye be that g'rl from the trial. The so called great matt'r, eh?
-......Yeah.
I felt myself turn red at this. Everyone, even the old man, knew who I was! I instantly wished that I could take back everything I had promised to Dyka on Ydhh.
-That’s me. I looked at him -May we come in?
-Weeell…….. To my letdown, he shook his head. -I know what ye be aft’r, but I can’t giv’ta ye.
-…Huh?
I started to become angry. As I spoke, it took a lot to keep myself down.
-Look…….you do not understand. I growled. -I have gone through the past five days being berated by uncooperative people. Now, if its an issue of the sanctity of your sister’s papers - as you are the sole surviving custodian of Michag’s belongings - then I’ll leave.
-Wait.
He quickly grabbed my arm. I turned to look at him, trying to cover my excitement. It was apparent he had something to tell me and I was almost begging to taste what he had.
-Yes?
-….T’ain’t…..whatcha t’ink, lady. The old man shook his head. -No, t’ain’t a matt’r of that.
-Huh?
-Ye she….. he hesitated. -Oth’rs cam ‘r’und askin’ a week aguh, but…..cain’t. See……two weeks aguh…..me sis’s ‘chives……they was burned down.
I could almost imagine how much my face fell. My chest tightened at the words. I seemed so impossible. To have it just not be there, but be burned down!
-They’re….I choked. -….gone?
-Ah, ye..... The old man looked somberly at me. -Her ‘chive 'pertment burned down bad. Lost ev'rthing. Dunno who dun it but they say it beh fall pleh. I’d liken t ‘gree.
-.......I see.....
I looked down, shaking my head. I was angry, very angry, but I could not let him know that. The loss to us was incalculable.
-Thanks, old man.
-No pr'lem. He turned and went back inside. No pr’lem……
A little bit after he had gone back in, I took a rock and threw it, screaming. Back where we were staying, I took my anger out on the chairs and sheets.
It was just so incredible, that we would have so little to share for our defense. I knew, I knew well, we were at a very grave disadvantage now; such conveniences were thrown in our way that it was impossible to get leeway. I was almost as if it were all laughably planned, and everything truly was against us. Tsukinousagi would be burned for her crimes.
Coming home from that last stop, my anger knew no bounds. I would have done anything to sedate my anger, and there was only one obvious, worthless object I could take it all out on that easily sprang to my mind.
But that is a tale best told a little later.
