Andou's Rebellion

Chapter 16: Tried and True

 "Alright, Andou, we'll see what we can do," said Maho as both she and Marie left Andou's cell. As they left the cell block a man walked in and knocked on Andou's cell door.

"Get up you, you're hearing is now," said the man.

"Now? But I'm barely awake," muttered Andou. The man opened the door and picked Andou up, pulling her along and into a small court room. Andou's eyes struggled a bit at adjusting to the light in the room. The man sat her at a small podium before a row of people and two banks for people to sit, one on either side. She looked around and spotted Marie who she knew was going to show up, but she remembered Maho telling her she'd be there, too. She didn't see Maho, yet. Why had Marie arrived, but not Maho. She turned to her left and spotted Helena and Oshida sat at one of the banks.

Turning back to the row before her she noticed it was sans one person. Or there was an abnormally large gap between board members. "Please look here for identification," said the man at the front of the row. She did so staring right into his eyes. "Are you Rena Andou?" asked the man.

"I am," replied Andou.

"And you know that you are being tried for expulsion from this school for the offenses of rioting, leading a riot, insurgency, assault, destruction of property, and unlawful gathering?" asked the man.

"Well, I guess I know now," replied Andou.

"Sir, the defendant is willing to plea guilty on all charges on the condition that we let her co-conspirators go. Is this an exchange you are willing to make?" asked Oshida.

"I think that sounds like a fair trade," said the BC Freedom headmaster. The other board members looked at him, causing him to sit back and hide himself some.

"Are you open to this trade Andou? Understand this will ruin any future chances you have at getting an education in this country, and will open you to further litigation from the school for monetary or material compensation, in a real court of law."

"I understand. And if it's what I must do for my peers to live better than I, I shall," said Andou.

"Wait!" cried Marie from the back of Andou. "If she is to be expelled, then I must be, too. I was complicit in the use of tanks on the demonstrations that lead to all this."

"Use of tanks?" asked one of the board members.

"Miss Marie!" exclaimed Oshida.

"It's true. We used tanks on their protest which lead to the first real fights. If she is to be punished, I must be too. A commander looks out for those under her. And is responsible for the ship and souls under her," expressed Marie.

"Can you explain this further?" asked one of the board members to Marie.

"I think the better explanation would be from these three," said another voice from behind. Andou turned to see Maho and a group of gendarmes holding Lisa and Elise. The girls moved forth and were stood at the stand beside Andou. "You can either tell the truth, or I shall explain myself in an "unfavorable way" as you might put it," growled Maho.

"You're honors," began Lisa. "We... we are responsible for the use of tanks on the protests that took place a week ago. We convinced the head master of the school to use tanks against the protests. And we gave plans to the Examination students to sneak onto the other side of the ship in order to provoke a fight between the two factions...."

"You dolt!" cried Helena. "Don't admit guilt, I knew you were a coward, Elise!"

"Secure her!" ordered Maho, pointing to the girl.

"I knew it! The plan wasn't mine! I would never be so stupid as to do that!" shouted the head master of the ship.

"No, but you would be foolish enough to let a group of school girls convince you to follow their idea. Or perhaps too drunk?" asked Maho's mother, stepping forward with several empty bottles found within the headmaster's quarters.

"What these girls haven't told you," said Maho as she gestured to Lisa, Helena, and Elise, "Is that they faked a letter sent for this school informing them of a transfer on disciplinary action. The real letter was meant only to be a formality, but it would seem high up incompetence meant the headmaster of this school never knew why these girls had come and just followed along with what they told him." The headmaster shrunk more into his seat.

Oshida looked down to her desk and stood, "And if you are to punish those two, you must punish me. For I too, followed along and even believed in the actions we were taking. I should not have gone so far."

"I see." said the foremost man to the crowd before the BC Freedom commanders. "What then shall we do.... Many stories have been told, but who's to believe. Knowing now the incompetency of our BC Freedom headmaster and having the proof of it, I suppose that is the thirteenth stroke of the clock to his argument. It would seem you three will plea as you see will most help your school and that is honorable, but justice is not served when it is done at the expense of the innocent. Justice is not had by punishing the innocent so we may capture one guilty person. And an admission as seen by you three's actions, can be forced by external or internal forces, it is not the pinnacle of proof. Better is it 10 guilty men are set free than one innocent suffer...." he stated sitting forward. "Those three I shall leave to the discretion of the home school, but you three. Andou..." he started before looking to Marie and Oshida.

"Marie."

"Oshida."

"Marie and Oshida. I don't think expulsion is necessary. But, I think you shall be made to help rebuild this school. All the students shall, as one," decided the man at the front of the board. "Further discipline may come if need be, as we investigate what we now can see is not such a cut an dry case as the headmaster here put it. But as far as I can tell, that won't be necessary." 

"If I may sir, Kuromorimine would like to offer their aid to BC Freedom," stated Maho.

"That will be well, if you'll have it," replied the man at the front of the board.

"And Saunders high would as well," added Maho.

"Call them and tell them they may, now go on you three get some rest. It looks like you've been to hell and back," said the man.

Andou made her way out of the justice building with the help of her friends. They reached the stairs when Maho approached them. "You three showed a lot of camaraderie up there," she stated.

"We've been through a lot," replied Andou. "I guess when you find yourself punching your own friend on the ground you come to see there's a lot we take for granted in life."

"Indeed there is," stated Maho.

"Would you care to join us?" asked Marie.

"What for?" asked Maho.

"We're having a sleep over. Like in old times," stated Oshida.

Maho smiled at them but shook her head. "But maybe I'll have a drink with you," she said as she walked towards them. And with that, the four walked silently into the early morning's darkness.