shadowsong26 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
shadowsong26) wrote2011-05-27 03:08 pm
shadowsong26) wrote2011-05-27 03:08 pm
Entry tags:
For Sorrow Sung, Chapter 9
Title: For Sorrow Sung
Author: shadowsong26
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings/Warnings: For this chapter: Zarak, OFC, Lampkin
Summary: Thirteen days before Baltar's trial, Iliana learns of Hughes' death, Lampkin plots his strategy
Disclaimer: All characters are the property of their respective creators.
Chapter 9
Thirteen Days Before Gaius Baltar's Trial
Colonial One
"Fortuna. A word."
She looked up. "Yes, sir?"
Tom Zarak gestured for her to come into his partitioned-off office space. "Better if we talk in here."
She blinked. "Yes, sir." She grabbed a couple papers that she had ready for him to sign--more efficient that way, whatever her boss wanted with her.
He held the door open for her, and pulled it shut once she was all the way through. "Just leave those on the desk for me. We need to discuss something else first."
Iliana didn't like where this was going. "Something happened."
He nodded. "Sit down."
Something bad happened. She sat. "What's going on?"
"It's about Alan Hughes."
Iliana didn't freeze. She'd been working for Zarak for years; she knew better than to do that. Twenty years in prison gave even a man who had gone in for something far less violent than blowing up a building some heavy predatory instincts. "Baltar's lawyer?"
"Among other things, yes."
"What about him?"
"He's dead."
"He's...dead?" Iliana repeated, not quite grasping what her boss was saying.
Zarak nodded. "I'm sorry for your loss."
"He's...my...you knew?"
He gave her an even look. "Of course I knew, Fortuna. I've always made it my business to know who my staff associates with."
Iliana flushed slightly. "How did...what happened?"
"There was an explosion. He was getting on a Raptor to head back to the Zephyr. He was killed instantly." Zarak paused. "It was deliberate. They're still looking for the person responsible."
"I see," she whispered, focusing on keeping her hands steady.
Zarak reached for something behind his desk, and pulled out a slightly singed briefcase. "I volunteered to track down his next of kin. He doesn't have any family left, so that would be you." He held out the case. "It's mostly intact."
It took a few seconds for Iliana to be sure her hands were steady enough to take it from him. "Thank you."
He eyed her for a minute. "Do you need some time?"
She blinked, and took a deep breath. "I...no. Not right now. I think...I'd like to not think about this for a little while."
He nodded. "Good. Let me know if that changes."
"Yes, sir."
"That's all."
She nodded and stood up, hugging Alan's briefcase to her chest.
~~~
Galactica
Romo Lampkin was mildly annoyed that he hadn't managed to get his hands on his predecessor's briefcase. He had never met Alan Hughes, but he knew him by reputation as a man who made sure he had all his ducks in a row before he took his shot. The picture he'd been given of how Hughes had been handling the case didn't quite mesh with that. So either the reputation was flawed, or Hughes had given up working directly with Baltar, and was going behind his back to get the aforementioned ducks he needed.
Unfortunately, all of that data and legwork which Lampkin didn't have time to do himself--though he was fairly certain he was having more luck with his client than Hughes had--wasn't in his hands. There had been some sort of mix-up, and Hughes' briefcase had been passed along with the rest of his personal effects. Lampkin was working to track down who had it now, but it was difficult with Major Adama shadowing him. Much as he appreciated the security, it severely hampered his ability to maneuver, at least for the time being, though there was still hope that Lampkin could inspire a more cooperative spirit in the military man.
So it was time to make some assumptions as starting points. Look at all the data he did have access to, and start working on strategy based on it.
Item One: that Baltar had done the things he stood on trial for was unquestionable. The prosecutor had that on her side.
Item Two: following on the heels of Item One, this would have to be a show trial. He needed to prove that having done certain things didn't mean that Baltar was criminally responsible for those actions. Lampkin smiled faintly. He liked playing in show trials.
Item Three: he couldn't prove duress for several of these things, as no eyewitnesses were on his side--many of the crimes had only Cylon eyewitnesses in any case.
Item Four: he could not, under any circumstances, put his client on the stand. Baltar's insanity and general twitchy behavior would undo any other work he might do.
Conclusion: lacking any sort of proof, witness statements, or direct testimony from the only human present for half of the events in question, he had to persuade the panel of judges that Baltar was not criminally responsible for the terrible acts he had committed.
To that end, he had to make Baltar look sympathetic--or pitiable. Unfortunately, his means of doing so were fairly limited. The best way would be to showcase his insanity, of course--if said insanity were reliably pathetic. Pitiable might be better than sympathetic. Easier to achieve, for certain.
But there was one potential detail that might put at least some level of sympathy on the table.
He flipped a page on his notepad, wrote 'Atia Reyes' on top, and began another list.
Item One: no discernible motive for shooting this teenaged girl.
Item Two: Captain Agathon has spoken to her and yet made no progress.
Item Three: following on Item Two, she's hiding something.
Item Four: she was shot less than three weeks before the trial--close enough for people to be frustrated and impatient.
Conclusion: the girl has some sort of connection to Baltar and/or the trial.
The question was, then, the nature of said connection, and how Lampkin could use it to his advantage.
He considered the girl for a few moments, then gave a small smile. She was just seventeen years old; Baltar was thirty-seven. Twenty was a good age for an unplanned, unknown, illegitimate child. And if anyone alive were to have such a child, Baltar was one of the likelier candidates.
Romo Lampkin was not Alan Hughes. He cared less about putting all of his ducks in a row. One would do.
At the bottom of the page, he wrote: talk to her.
Author: shadowsong26
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings/Warnings: For this chapter: Zarak, OFC, Lampkin
Summary: Thirteen days before Baltar's trial, Iliana learns of Hughes' death, Lampkin plots his strategy
Disclaimer: All characters are the property of their respective creators.
Chapter 9
Thirteen Days Before Gaius Baltar's Trial
Colonial One
"Fortuna. A word."
She looked up. "Yes, sir?"
Tom Zarak gestured for her to come into his partitioned-off office space. "Better if we talk in here."
She blinked. "Yes, sir." She grabbed a couple papers that she had ready for him to sign--more efficient that way, whatever her boss wanted with her.
He held the door open for her, and pulled it shut once she was all the way through. "Just leave those on the desk for me. We need to discuss something else first."
Iliana didn't like where this was going. "Something happened."
He nodded. "Sit down."
Something bad happened. She sat. "What's going on?"
"It's about Alan Hughes."
Iliana didn't freeze. She'd been working for Zarak for years; she knew better than to do that. Twenty years in prison gave even a man who had gone in for something far less violent than blowing up a building some heavy predatory instincts. "Baltar's lawyer?"
"Among other things, yes."
"What about him?"
"He's dead."
"He's...dead?" Iliana repeated, not quite grasping what her boss was saying.
Zarak nodded. "I'm sorry for your loss."
"He's...my...you knew?"
He gave her an even look. "Of course I knew, Fortuna. I've always made it my business to know who my staff associates with."
Iliana flushed slightly. "How did...what happened?"
"There was an explosion. He was getting on a Raptor to head back to the Zephyr. He was killed instantly." Zarak paused. "It was deliberate. They're still looking for the person responsible."
"I see," she whispered, focusing on keeping her hands steady.
Zarak reached for something behind his desk, and pulled out a slightly singed briefcase. "I volunteered to track down his next of kin. He doesn't have any family left, so that would be you." He held out the case. "It's mostly intact."
It took a few seconds for Iliana to be sure her hands were steady enough to take it from him. "Thank you."
He eyed her for a minute. "Do you need some time?"
She blinked, and took a deep breath. "I...no. Not right now. I think...I'd like to not think about this for a little while."
He nodded. "Good. Let me know if that changes."
"Yes, sir."
"That's all."
She nodded and stood up, hugging Alan's briefcase to her chest.
~~~
Galactica
Romo Lampkin was mildly annoyed that he hadn't managed to get his hands on his predecessor's briefcase. He had never met Alan Hughes, but he knew him by reputation as a man who made sure he had all his ducks in a row before he took his shot. The picture he'd been given of how Hughes had been handling the case didn't quite mesh with that. So either the reputation was flawed, or Hughes had given up working directly with Baltar, and was going behind his back to get the aforementioned ducks he needed.
Unfortunately, all of that data and legwork which Lampkin didn't have time to do himself--though he was fairly certain he was having more luck with his client than Hughes had--wasn't in his hands. There had been some sort of mix-up, and Hughes' briefcase had been passed along with the rest of his personal effects. Lampkin was working to track down who had it now, but it was difficult with Major Adama shadowing him. Much as he appreciated the security, it severely hampered his ability to maneuver, at least for the time being, though there was still hope that Lampkin could inspire a more cooperative spirit in the military man.
So it was time to make some assumptions as starting points. Look at all the data he did have access to, and start working on strategy based on it.
Item One: that Baltar had done the things he stood on trial for was unquestionable. The prosecutor had that on her side.
Item Two: following on the heels of Item One, this would have to be a show trial. He needed to prove that having done certain things didn't mean that Baltar was criminally responsible for those actions. Lampkin smiled faintly. He liked playing in show trials.
Item Three: he couldn't prove duress for several of these things, as no eyewitnesses were on his side--many of the crimes had only Cylon eyewitnesses in any case.
Item Four: he could not, under any circumstances, put his client on the stand. Baltar's insanity and general twitchy behavior would undo any other work he might do.
Conclusion: lacking any sort of proof, witness statements, or direct testimony from the only human present for half of the events in question, he had to persuade the panel of judges that Baltar was not criminally responsible for the terrible acts he had committed.
To that end, he had to make Baltar look sympathetic--or pitiable. Unfortunately, his means of doing so were fairly limited. The best way would be to showcase his insanity, of course--if said insanity were reliably pathetic. Pitiable might be better than sympathetic. Easier to achieve, for certain.
But there was one potential detail that might put at least some level of sympathy on the table.
He flipped a page on his notepad, wrote 'Atia Reyes' on top, and began another list.
Item One: no discernible motive for shooting this teenaged girl.
Item Two: Captain Agathon has spoken to her and yet made no progress.
Item Three: following on Item Two, she's hiding something.
Item Four: she was shot less than three weeks before the trial--close enough for people to be frustrated and impatient.
Conclusion: the girl has some sort of connection to Baltar and/or the trial.
The question was, then, the nature of said connection, and how Lampkin could use it to his advantage.
He considered the girl for a few moments, then gave a small smile. She was just seventeen years old; Baltar was thirty-seven. Twenty was a good age for an unplanned, unknown, illegitimate child. And if anyone alive were to have such a child, Baltar was one of the likelier candidates.
Romo Lampkin was not Alan Hughes. He cared less about putting all of his ducks in a row. One would do.
At the bottom of the page, he wrote: talk to her.