So Much for the Good Girl...

A furtive glance around the rest of the Dwarfers indicated a similar trepidation across all of their faces. Given the roll call so far, and crimes noted, Jade wasn't nervous that much at all. She was more worried for the likes of Alex, given the hints about his background, he must have racked up a fair few illegal activities in his time. That was without considering Cass, Jay and Katrina, who in their combined centuries of experience would have catalogued every offence known to mankind between them, give or take.

Jade was a doctor, a healer, a nice person who never swore. What did she have to fear from any trial? Granted this one was obviously going to land in some trouble regardless of the behaviour of the individual under scrutiny. She looked around again, at the Dwarfers being taken away and those left to watch the sentencing of others. They would get out of this. They had been in worse situations, and would be again. This was nothing.

Then again, what about Brittany? Surely she was involved in someone capturing time bandits? If not and she found out he was doing it behind her back, then surely it became more important to leave before the wrathful Queen decided to bomb then place out of existence? It seemed even more likely that Brittany, or one of her cronies would want to get their hands on the dwarfers, given Cass's 'escape'. Jade wished she could talk to Cass, she seemed to be the expert on all things Brittany. Even Jay would be handy to talk to, but they were all sat so far away.

The collar on her neck was tight, the hard object not flexing as she moved her head to see around her. The clothes, whilst drab, were also oversized and uncomfortable.

"Prisoner 24601 please step forwards." Two of the mecha grabbed Kenneth and hauled him into the sentencing spot.

"This reminds me of the time I was incarcerated on an ice moon of Mongo. They captured me as I was in Flagrante Delicto with the Emperor's daughter. Pretty girl, tried to convince me to run away with her..."

"Silence!" One of the mecha barked and a jolt of electricity coursed through Kenneth. He remained diligently silent, a small grimace of pain crossing his features.

"You stand accused of..." The person consulted a sheet of paper. "Stealing a loaf of bread? Is this the right? I mean isn't this the dimension jumping temporal menace Kenneth?" One of the mecha stepped forwards and whispered in the Judge's ear.

"What? Oh!" He turned the sheet over and raised his eyebrows. "That's more like it. You stand accused of Temporal and Dimensional interference. You presence in this dimension alone is a clear breach of reality. You have trespassed, broken and entered, performed grand high larceny and treason, attacked law enforcement and attacked temporal enforcement officers. You have repeatedly flouted laws and regulations, you even now go against regulations by not displaying the regulation 'H' indicating your true hologramatic status. As a result. And due to your un-natural presence in this dimension you are summarily sentenced to death." The man waved an arm dismissively and one of the mecha stepped forwards.

"I face my fate with dignity. I'm a man no worse than any man. You are free and there are no conditions. no bargains or petitions. There's nothing that I blame you for. You've done your duty, nothing more." Kenneth said, a small smile on his face.

Raising a great metal fist it slammed through the projected form of Kenneth and into the minute floating form of the SSS Black Nebula. A shower of blue sparks flew up from the 'light bee' and the small metal device rolled off and onto the floor. It skittered across the room, broken and unmoving, not glowing it's familiar blue glow of recharge.

"Oh my God! They killed Kenny!" Exclaimed Jade, gasping and putting her hands over her mouth.

"You Bastards!" Cass yelled, missing the notice of the collar this time and escaping another mark.

<Enter Jay>

She noticed Cass make use of the distraction to scoop up the SSS Black Nebula that had rolled to her feet and hide it away. Jade smiled, all was not lost just yet then.

<Jay Post conclusion and the intervening posts of Phil and Herbie>

"Now. Prisoner 136882 please step forwards." The mecha approached Jade, and hauled her forwards. As she was dragged, having seen Kenneth killed and Jay sentenced to solitary confinement she began to wonder if maybe she should be concerned, and that this outfit might not be quite right in the head. She caught a glance at Alex, who looked pale and almost scared. She smiled at him, and in return he gave her his best 'what you worried about you stupid too nice pixie?'

She was roughly shoved into the chair, feeling all eyes on her back as she looked up defiantly into the face of the Judge, Jury and Executioner.

"Prisoner 136882, Black, Jade. Registered Doctor with the Earth Medical Council, licenced to practice within all human space and on any space faring vessel or human colony. Ranked Captain within the Space Corps, transferred with honours to the Jupiter Mining Corps Blue Dwarf due to psychological distress. Known relations include: Abigail Haas, fiancé. Michael Harry Black, Father. Karrin Charity Black, formerly Carpenter. Oliver Michael Black, son. Prisoner 136882 You stand accused of temporal trespassing, temporal misconduct and gross misconduct. You have been not only regularly prescribing out of date medication, but medication that is dangerously several millennia old. You have failed in your basic duty of care to several crew members, up to and including restraining them when they are psychologically unfit for duty. You have fraternized with patients. If we look back over your records the account gets worse 136882. You have caused the deaths of several hundred thousand Hymenoptera, been a party to the destruction of Space Corps property and involved in the willing destruction of several vessels with crew still on board!"

"They were dying anyway! The bugs had..." Jade interrupted in protest.

"SILENCE!" A glowing mark flicked into life on her collar and she grimaced as the charge rippled over her.

"Interrupting. Charges from your youth compile the image we have of you. Malpractice, drunk and disorderly and indecent exposure. You will be sentenced to..."

"Excuse me. I'm sorry for interrupting but I wish to state that you may have forgotten something." Jade said, her face glued to the podium in front of her.

"Then speak."

"As a Doctor, you rightly stated that it is my responsibility to care for those around me. Any crimes listed for them due to my failing to treat them adequately should not be fault of theirs but of my own. I willingly accept penalty for those crimes and request in place, leniency for them." Jade looked up into the face of the man.

"Duly noted. Your crimes have been updated and your sentence shall reflect the crimes of those you failed to help, regardless of their requesting it or not." His face lit up with an evil grin as he computed the figures. "You are hereby sentenced to 100,000,000 years. Served, as you have no useful skills to this facility, in the mines. Should you survive that long, your record will be re-evaluated." He banged his gavel down on the plinth and Jade was dragged back to her seat.

<Tag>

OOC - It becomes clear after spell checking this that I cannot spell sentencing....