Treason or Free Speech?

Posted on Wed Oct 28th, 2020 @ 2:06am by Admiral Tanaka Miyahara & Jennifer Daxer

1,647 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Allegations
Location: Hiroshima, Japan
Timeline: After arrival on Earth, but before the trial

Admiral Tanaka Miyahara stood in front of his childhood home in Hiroshima, the place where he grew up. He stood alone, his only means of defense was his trusty phaser. The Tokyo's commanding officer had requested a personal meeting with him, and he knew she wasn't going to take what he had to say well in the Myogi's ready room, so instead he had elected to have this meeting take place in a microcosm of his larger plans.

The house in front of which Admiral Miyahara stood was a nice, modern-looking home. Miyahara was impressed that the next owners had continued what he had started, and made the home better and better. Unfortunately, Tanaka's parents had passed away, and his brother and sister had to sell off most of their assets, including the house, in order to move to Tokyo, where the cost of living was lower.

The surrounding neighborhood was also full of new life, as many of the homes surrounding the former Miyahara home were also an equal degree of modern looking. The streets running through town were well-paved. Miyahara smiled as he looked down at an image on his personal PADD, showing what the former Miyahara home used to look like: Quite the contrast to what it looked like in the present, and how the surrounding neighborhood looked 30 years prior.

After a few more moments of silence, it was interrupted by the sound of a transporter beam, as Daxer materialized not too far from where he stood. She was dressed in Command red with a tricorder on one hip, and a pistol holstered on the other.

"Admiral Myahara." She said by way of greeting, as she stood looking at him, without any hint of emotion. "We need to have a talk."

"This place:" Miyahara responded in reference to their surroundings. "It's beautiful, isn't it? This whole area has come back to life: The homes are modern, the streets are well-paved... Seems pretty idyllic, doesn't it? A nice place to settle down, start a family? Well, what if I were to tell you this wasn't the reality 30 years ago?"

"You can spare me the sales pitch, Admiral. I have no interest in buying into your agenda... Not my style." Jen replied dismissively, her words indicating that she knew at least something of his plans already. Based on what she knew of the Admiral thus far, it was likely that others suffered, or lost a great deal for this to happen, most likely due to the pricey nature of the area. She decided the best thing to do here was to make her stance known right from the start, but she also knew that what she was about to do was bold, even for her. "I came here to tell you that, by taking the evidence they're feeding you at face value, you're making a mistake that will destroy countless innocent lives."

"And that is where we differ, Lieutenant Commander." Miyahara said, finally turning to face Daxer. "You may only be able to see the darkness ahead, but I can see the light beyond it. I see the Federation emerging from the purge a better place. A safer, more secure Federation for ourselves and our posterity."

Miyahara was going to give a very recent example of posterity, but he changed his mind and decided to give a different one.

"Posterity like Lieutenant Nakazato's children." He said. "He talked so much about them, he almost made me feel bad for prohibiting civilians on my ship."

Miyahara decided to stop padding out his arguments and get to the point.

"The Starfleet of today is certainly not the same Starfleet of the 22nd century." He said. "How did we get here? Surely not by sheer technological evolution alone, but by changing and adapting to fit the times. Change is a natural part of life; it's how we survive and grow as a civilization. So, tell me, Lieutenant Commander: Why are you so scared to face it? Why do you want to leave the neighborhood like it was 30 years ago? Stop the ghetto from becoming what it could be?"

"Change is fine, but not when colateral damage destroys, or ends innocent lives..." She told him, still keeping her emotions in check. Was she mad? absolutely, but if she could keep her calm, then he would likely underestimate her as being just another Vulcan. "Takeshi Nakazato doesn't seem to grasp that concept either."

Miyahara perked up a brow at Daxer's mentioning of his former Third Officer.

"Takeshi Nakazato may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but he is a realist." He explained. "He knows who's going to get him further in Starfleet: The man who respected and nurtured his talents or the woman who belittles him and squanders his potential. The choice couldn't be any clearer to him, and he couldn't have made a better decision if he tried."

"His decision, and confession leaves him guilty of interfering with an official Starfleet investigation, and the intent to commit treason, Admiral." Jen replied simply. This is where she knew things would take a turn. If what Hobb had said was true, Admiral Myahara would not at all like what she was about to say. "That's why I arrested him, before we arrived in the Sol system."

"But surely, you didn't keep him detained after our arrival?" Admiral Miyahara questioned. "He has his rights as both a Starfleet officer AND a Federation citizen, and to keep him incarcerated is at the very least a violation of his right to free speech, which is guaranteed under the Charter of the United Federation of Planets."

Miyahara wasn't quick to forget that Security was where he started out as well, and he knew that to suppress one's most basic rights as outlined on the Federation charter was just as bad, if not worse, than the basic right that was being suppressed, not to mention it was one's ultimate failure as a Federation citizen, let alone a Starfleet officer.

"He was transferrd into the custody of Starfleet Security on our arrival." Jen explained, without missing a beat. "If asked, I won't authorize his release, until his trial... It is the law, when potential treason is involved."

Miyahara sighed. It wasn't a sigh of anger or disgust, but rather one of disappointment.

"You know, for a security officer, your understanding of the law is surprisingly... Lacking..." He muttered.

He looked Daxer right in the eye.

"I would hope you would understand that by locking up such an important tool to the prosecution, you unfairly stack the odds in the defense's favor." Miyahara explained. "This, in turn, does not allow justice to work."

Miyahara narrowed his eyes.

"If all you do is rig the system to get your desired outcome every time, than under the disorganized, justice means nothing!" He snarled, anger entering his voice.

Jen raised an eyebrow at this last outburst. "I am rigging nothing, nor did I arrest him for the purpose of stacking the odds in Captain Aisaka's favor." She explained. Though she was getting quite annoyed with him, her Vulcan demeanor held strong.

"He chose to resign, and in doing so, he directly confessed the intentions of committing a serious crime, which would've also resulted in treason." She was also deliberately not mentioning the specifics of their conversation, including the fact that Takeshi had implicated him as well. She figured he'd be exposed at Taiga's trial. "Nothing you tell me will convince me to change my mind, so you should probably just save your breath."

"If I were you, I'd consider going back to the academy and studying the Federation charter a little closer." Miyahara responded. "The basic rights outlined in that document alone will shock you."

Miyahara was also getting annoyed that Daxer was brazen enough to step on people's basic Federation rights and hide the truth under accusations of treason, but he did his best to remain calm.

"Everyone has their right as a Federation citizen to say what they want, and side with whomever they please, no matter how illogical it might be." He explained, using Vulcan terminology over the Human terminology he desperately wanted to use. "I gave Captain Aisaka better accommodations because of those basic rights: I acted against my instincts because I knew of the pot of boiling water that they would land me in. The pot you seem to be too ignorant to realize you've fallen right into!" Miyahara avoided the specifics as to how he gave Taiga better accommodation, he merely brought it up as an example.

Jen looked at him for a moment, as her mind took in every word. "What you say is true that freedom of speech, and choice is an integral part of the Federation charter." She told him simply. she hoped the next bit would open his eyes to the truth, but didn't believe it to be true. "Lying under oath, and by design, the intention to lie under oath is illegal. I'm simply doing my job, Admiral. Now, if you will excuse me, I have other matters to attend to."

Miyahara nodded.

"Very well, Lieutenant Commander:" He replied. "It appears we both have matters to attend to." He knew full well that he was going to have to write an executive order as he tapped his com badge. "Miyahara to transporter control: One to beam up."

The sound of a transporter beam could be heard, and within seconds, Admiral Miyahara was gone.

As he vanished, Daxer tapped her COMM badge. "Daxer to Starbase transporter room. One to beam up."

Just like Myahara, Daxer too dematerialized in a haze of blue, leaving the land as peacefulas it had been before they showed up.

---

LT Cmdr Jennifer Daxer
Acting Captain
USS Tokyo

Admiral Tanaka Miyahara
Commanding Officer
USS Myogi

 

RSS Feed