Stafford
Jul 28th, 2004, 04:13:59 PM
"Let's talk about the Yellow Bantha, Mr. Jatrow."
The deponent cleared his throat and watched Stafford intently as he paced the witness stand. The lawyer made gentle gestures with his hands as he spoke.
"What kind of ship is she?"
"YV-100," he mumbled.
"How long had you been serving on the ship before the incident three months ago?"
"Uhm, about a year." His eyes shifted involuntarily.
"How many people were serving on the ship along with you at the time of your employment?"
"Three... no, four."
"What were their names?"
"Captain Malko, Streb, Wortner, and me."
"Were these the same people who were serving on the ship at the time of the incident?"
"Yeah.."
"Now, tell me how Captain Malko died," Stafford said evenly.
Jatrow breathed deep and recalled what Lanker, his attorney, had told him to say. "An alarm light came on in the passenger corridor, and soes I told Malko about it. He goes back, then I hear a big bang from the cargo hold, cuz thats where I was, and I go back to the passenger corridor and theres he is, laying on the floor with a bulkhead crushing 'is chest. He wasn't breathin or nuthin." The lawyers representing the crew sitting in the side booth smiled.
"Where was everyone else?"
"Streb was with me in the cargo hold, and Wortner was watchin GNN in the lounge."
"Why didn't you go to investigate what the alarm was?"
"Wasn't my job. Streb and I was inspectin the cargo and Wortner had the GNN on too loud."
"I didn't ask you why nobody else checked. So, who was flying the ship when Malko checked on the corridor?" He laid the trap. It was too late for the other lawyers to do anything.
"The computer."
"Yesterday, Streb told me that the reason the distress signal was sent was that the nav computer was malfunctioning. Now, when the Sector Ranger Marauder Corvette Reliant boarded you over Tatooine, their tech easily fixed it, and in his report said that it was a minor malfunction, and that a blind Jawa could've fix it. But that wasn't the real reason the distress signal was sent, was it?"
Before Jatrow could answer, Stafford continued. His words came out like blaster bolts from an E-web. "Yes, it's true that you were in the cargo hold, however Streb was not. Streb was in the cockpit with Malko when Wortner came in with a blaster. Malko had just enough time to hit the distress button before he got stunned. Then you placed his body in the passenger corridor and blew out a bulkhead to kill him. Then you proceeded to Tatooine to meet up with gods-know who, at which time you realized the distress signal was still beeping. Is this not true? And if it isn't, then explain how the computer was flying the ship when the navigational instruments were malfunctioning?"
Jatrow just stuttered for a couple moments. Then Stafford said, "No further questions. Mr. Lanker, if I could speak with you?"
Lanker was furious. They agreed to schedule a settlement meeting tomorrow. Another Sector Rangers excessive brutality case that would never reach the courts, much less the major networks. The Rangers on the Reliant beat the living crap out of every member of that crew when they found Malko's body. No questions asked. That was his job.
Later that evening, Roman Stafford sat in his office and opened up a bottle of Corellian whiskey.
The deponent cleared his throat and watched Stafford intently as he paced the witness stand. The lawyer made gentle gestures with his hands as he spoke.
"What kind of ship is she?"
"YV-100," he mumbled.
"How long had you been serving on the ship before the incident three months ago?"
"Uhm, about a year." His eyes shifted involuntarily.
"How many people were serving on the ship along with you at the time of your employment?"
"Three... no, four."
"What were their names?"
"Captain Malko, Streb, Wortner, and me."
"Were these the same people who were serving on the ship at the time of the incident?"
"Yeah.."
"Now, tell me how Captain Malko died," Stafford said evenly.
Jatrow breathed deep and recalled what Lanker, his attorney, had told him to say. "An alarm light came on in the passenger corridor, and soes I told Malko about it. He goes back, then I hear a big bang from the cargo hold, cuz thats where I was, and I go back to the passenger corridor and theres he is, laying on the floor with a bulkhead crushing 'is chest. He wasn't breathin or nuthin." The lawyers representing the crew sitting in the side booth smiled.
"Where was everyone else?"
"Streb was with me in the cargo hold, and Wortner was watchin GNN in the lounge."
"Why didn't you go to investigate what the alarm was?"
"Wasn't my job. Streb and I was inspectin the cargo and Wortner had the GNN on too loud."
"I didn't ask you why nobody else checked. So, who was flying the ship when Malko checked on the corridor?" He laid the trap. It was too late for the other lawyers to do anything.
"The computer."
"Yesterday, Streb told me that the reason the distress signal was sent was that the nav computer was malfunctioning. Now, when the Sector Ranger Marauder Corvette Reliant boarded you over Tatooine, their tech easily fixed it, and in his report said that it was a minor malfunction, and that a blind Jawa could've fix it. But that wasn't the real reason the distress signal was sent, was it?"
Before Jatrow could answer, Stafford continued. His words came out like blaster bolts from an E-web. "Yes, it's true that you were in the cargo hold, however Streb was not. Streb was in the cockpit with Malko when Wortner came in with a blaster. Malko had just enough time to hit the distress button before he got stunned. Then you placed his body in the passenger corridor and blew out a bulkhead to kill him. Then you proceeded to Tatooine to meet up with gods-know who, at which time you realized the distress signal was still beeping. Is this not true? And if it isn't, then explain how the computer was flying the ship when the navigational instruments were malfunctioning?"
Jatrow just stuttered for a couple moments. Then Stafford said, "No further questions. Mr. Lanker, if I could speak with you?"
Lanker was furious. They agreed to schedule a settlement meeting tomorrow. Another Sector Rangers excessive brutality case that would never reach the courts, much less the major networks. The Rangers on the Reliant beat the living crap out of every member of that crew when they found Malko's body. No questions asked. That was his job.
Later that evening, Roman Stafford sat in his office and opened up a bottle of Corellian whiskey.