There was tangible tension as everyone waited for the verdict. Commander Kevolo called a commercial break and then climbed down from his high chair. Eddie sat behind his desk. Professor NomVeber examined the Planner, which was still sitting in the centre of the arena. Spore left the professor and bounced on to Stanley’s shoulder. Dram still held his gun to Senior Officer Grogun’s neck.
‘Worried what they’ll decide, Jax?’ Dram addressed Commander Kevolo.
‘Not really,’ the commander replied casually. ‘The jury is charged with judging Stanley’s innocence or guilt. The most they can do to me is recommend I stand trial, which wouldn’t bother me since I’m innocent. I’d be more concerned about myself, if I were you, Gurdling. You realise that threatening an officer is a serious offence? Of course you do. You used to be one.’
‘I’ll give myself up as soon we get a verdict,’ said Dram. ‘I just needed a way to get justice. I’ve got nothing against Grogun. Well, nothing but this gun.’
Grogun grunted unhappily.
‘But Kevolo can’t get away with it. He’s guilty,’ said Stanley.
‘Guilty of what?’ replied Commander Kevolo. ‘Even if they do recommend putting me on trial, no jury in the land would find me guilty of imagining a crime. What do you say, Eddie? You’re the big legal expert.’
‘Unfortunately that’s true. With a good lawyer he won’t go down for this,’ said Eddie. ‘But even if he walks free, I can’t see him getting the presidency now.’
Commander Kevolo laughed. ‘You have no idea how fickle the electorate are. The next trial will give me a platform both to plead my innocence and to make my case for the presidency. You can’t buy publicity like this.’ He touched his ear and said, ‘Right, now, best behaviour, everyone. We’re going back live again.’ He turned to the police officers surrounding the room. A number of them had their guns trained on Dram. ‘Officers, keep your eyes and guns directed at moonboy here. He is confirming for those at home that moon dwellers can’t be trusted.’
Dram snarled angrily at this.
‘I not understand lots of what is happening.’ Spore spoke quietly in Stanley’s ear, resting on his shoulder.
‘It looks like Kevolo is going to get away with it,’ replied Stanley.
‘Is that bad?’
‘Yes. If he becomes president, Armoria will invade Earth and do the same things to us that they’ve done to Yerendel and Gusto.’
A loud crash interrupted them as an AIP officer came flying through the main doors and smashed against the side of the Planner. From behind the door came sounds of a great ruckus, the cause of which made itself apparent when Captain Flaid staggered into the room with three more officers grappling with him. Flaid was snarling and thrashing and snapping his beak, but he stopped when he saw Commander Kevolo.
‘Ah, Jax, how are you?’
With one eye on a camera, Kevolo said, ‘What’s this? Captain Flaid, the most feared of the Marauding Picaroons, commander of the dreaded Black Horizon, responsible for spreading fear throughout the galaxy, brought to his knees by my officers of the law. Well done. You see, the firm hand of the law has once again triumphed.’
There was a small smattering of applause from the court officials.
‘Lovely speech, Jax,’ said Captain Flaid. ‘I’ve seen the error of me ways. I lost me ship, you see. That’s the thing with marauding. You never know who’s going to stab you in the back, so I was defenceless when these officers discovered me. I’ll happily give you information that might help you capture those miserable marauders, so long as I gets my fair trial, if you gets my meaning, Jax.’
‘You shall be held accountable for those you have killed and robbed, but your candour with certain information and discretion in other areas will be taken into account.’
Stanley noticed Commander Kevolo wink very subtly at Captain Flaid.
‘No,’ he shouted.
Eddie looked worried. ‘Stanley, don’t do anything to damage your position now. This is none of your business.’
‘Yes, you’ll keep quiet if you know what’s good for you,’ said Commander Kevolo.
‘I will not,’ said Stanley. ‘I was on Flaid’s ship when you spoke to each other. I know that you’ve been speaking to each other for ages.’
‘Even the deadliest of enemies have to speak sometimes,’ said Commander Kevolo.
‘Then give your word now that Captain Flaid will receive his right and proper punishment,’ insisted Stanley.
‘Of course he will. He will answer for the terror he has inflicted on this galaxy.’
‘I don’t believe you. I overheard you talking. You’ve been doing deals with the picaroons.’
‘I’ve never heard such rot. I would never align myself with such a filthy criminal,’ said Commander Kevolo. Again he turned to one of the many cameras hovering nearby. ‘This boy is clearly deluded. Tell me, Captain Flaid, has young Stanley ever been on board your ship as he claims?’
‘I’ve never laid eyes on him before today,’ replied Captain Flaid.
‘You see.’ Commander Kevolo grinned triumphantly.
‘He’s just saying that to get paid. I bet Kevolo won’t even put Flaid in jail.’
‘Stanley, once again I feel compelled to issue a word of warning,’ said Eddie anxiously.
‘We didn’t believe Stanley last time,’ said Dram.
‘Well, this time a machine isn’t going to help us out,’ retorted Eddie.
‘Or maybe it will,’ said Professor NomVeber. ‘After all, the Planner has looked inside the commander’s mind.’
‘I forbid any further contact with the Planner. It is no longer in the witness stand. Anything you say will not count as legal evidence,’ cried Commander Kevolo.
‘Who cares about legal evidence?’ said Stanley. ‘I’m not a lawyer. I’m just someone asking a question in front of . . . how many millions of people would you say are watching now?’
‘Guards, arrest these people,’ bellowed Commander Kevolo.
‘I’ve still got your officer held captive,’ said Dram. ‘Procedure dictates that you do nothing until his safety is secured.’
‘Never mind that. Arrest these people,’ bellowed Commander Kevolo.
‘Planner, did Commander Kevolo have contact with Captain Flaid prior to today?’ asked Stanley.
The officers awaited the reply.
‘Yes,’ said the Planner.
‘Why?’
‘Commander Kevolo was paying Captain Flaid to spread terror so he could justify an increase in the AIP force. This was in line with the primary command.’
.
48
‘I applaud the girl’s spirit, but I’d kill him in a second’
The events that followed the Planner’s revelation happened so quickly that it had TV pundits all over the galaxy watching the footage over and over, trying to unravel exactly what had occurred.
The viewers watching live saw a scuffle, a flash of light and an explosion, which momentarily caused a loss of picture. Various voices were heard shouting before the picture reappeared. The eventual analysis revealed that the explosion was caused by Commander Kevolo grabbing a gun from a nearby officer and shooting the Planner. Meanwhile, Captain Flaid took the opportunity to wrest himself free of his captors and grab the Damblaster that had been used as evidence against Stanley.
‘Drop your gun, Kevolo,’ shouted Dram, releasing Grogun and pointing his own weapon at the commander.
Instead of replying to Dram, Kevolo turned to Flaid. ‘Captain Flaid, I’ll pay you what we agreed if you help me out of here,’ he said.
‘You got yourself a deal.’ Captain Flaid grabbed Stanley and held the barrel of the gun against his temple. ‘Lower your weapon, detective, unless you want this one dead,’ he warned.
Dram lowered his gun, and Captain Flaid dragged Stanley to Kevolo’s side. The officers who had been standing around the room had drawn their weapons but seemed unsure who to point them at.
‘AIP offi
cers,’ cried Officer Grogun, ‘Commander Kevolo has betrayed us all. As senior officer I order you not to let him escape.’
‘Officers, I am still your commander,’ retorted Kevolo. ‘And besides, everyone who helps me get out of this courtroom and off this Bucket in one piece will be richly rewarded. And I mean richly.’
One by one the Yeren walked over to Kevolo’s side of the room until all of the guns were pointing at Dram.
Eddie, Grogun and Professor NomVeber had sensibly moved out of the way of the door. The court officials cowered on the other side of the room. The journobots watched from the gallery. The jury remained hidden and safe inside their blue bubble.
With his back to the main door, Dram didn’t see what caused Commander Kevolo’s expression to darken, but everybody else saw the door open to reveal a man with a thick moustache and mirrored sunglasses, flanked by a small army, all carrying guns and wearing matching blue uniforms.
‘Jax Kevolo, too long have you got away with your double dealings. I am General P’Tang of the Goodship Gusto and we are the Brotherhood, here to liberate the galaxy from the oppressive shadow of Armoria.’
General P’Tang, Jupp and the other members of the Brotherhood took their places alongside Dram.
‘Get out of my way,’ ordered Commander Kevolo.
‘No. This is our day of liberation, not yours. Release Brother Bound and lower your weapons,’ replied General P’Tang.
‘I’ve got a better idea,’ said Captain Flaid. ‘Why don’t you gets out of our way, elsewise I’ll pull this trigger and spread your little friend’s guts across this courtroom.’
‘He will do it,’ warned Kevolo. ‘So get out of our way or I shall be forced to order these officers to open fire.’
General P’Tang surveyed the line of police officers. ‘We cannot win this stand-off, brothers. The picaroon will kill Stanley if we do anything.’
‘No,’ said Jupp. ‘Stand your ground, Brotherhood. Flaid won’t kill Stanley.’
‘Jupp, Flaid is a cruel and unpredictable criminal. You don’t know what he’s capable of,’ said General P’Tang.
‘Yes, I do, because if Stanley is smart he’ll follow my advice and in about ten seconds make use of the fact that Captain Flaid is distracted, whack him in the beak and take cover.’
Flaid laughed. ‘I applaud the girl’s spirit, but I’d kill him in a second.’
‘No, you won’t. For one, that Damblaster should never be used at such close range. Shoot Stanley and you’ll most likely obliterate yourself too.’
‘Maybe I’m crazy enough to take the risk,’ said Flaid.
‘Even if you were, it wouldn’t matter since the gun isn’t loaded – otherwise the red light would be on.’
‘What?’ Flaid lifted the gun to look at it.
‘Now!’ shouted Jupp.
Stanley sent an elbow into Flaid’s chest and headbutted him in the beak. Flaid recoiled and Stanley took advantage of his loosened grip to free himself. Hearing Jupp yell, ‘Take cover,’ he dived under a desk.
A cacophony of noise and flashes of light filled the room as both sides opened fire. Screams could be heard through the smoke which rose up from the guns. Through the thin mist this created, Stanley could see more members of the Brotherhood moving into the room.
‘Brothers, hold your fire,’ yelled General P’Tang. ‘Commander Kevolo, you are trapped. We do not want to kill any of your officers. We have no quarrel with the Yeren, but we will do whatever is necessary to bring you to justice.’ The general shouted this from behind the blue dome. On the floor lay various bodies of those caught in the crossfire, wearing both Brotherhood and AIP uniforms.
‘Do not be fooled by these criminals, officers. Kill them,’ Kevolo responded.
‘Hold your fire. One of your own wishes to address you,’ shouted General P’Tang.
Curlip, the Yeren Stanley had met on board the Gusto, stepped into the room. He held both hands in the air to show he was unarmed.
‘Brother Yeren,’ he cried, ‘many of you will have heard of me. Some of you will know my family back on our beautiful home planet. Some of you may even be related to me. My name is Curlip. I am the one who refused to join the AIP force and went to seek a better future for our noble race.’
‘Leaving the rest of us to pay our planet’s debt,’ shouted one of the officers.
A few of the others grunted in agreement.
‘None of you should have to pay this debt. This debt is not legal,’ replied Curlip. ‘If you lay down your guns now and allow us to arrest Commander Kevolo, we can ensure that he is tried for his crimes by an independent interplanetary court. Kevolo has turned our people into a strong army, the biggest in the galaxy, but instead of fighting for ourselves we fight for him, while he holds the galaxy to ransom and plans to invade ever more planets.’
‘Why should we trust you?’ asked another officer.
‘Because Kevolo has already proved himself untrustworthy.’ This reply didn’t come from Curlip. It was Officer Grogun, who stepped out from where he had been hiding and spoke. ‘He was happy for me to die in order to save his own skin. He has been doing deals with the picaroons. He plotted Vorlugenar’s death.’
Curlip turned to Grogun and reached out a hand. Grogun took it and they held their arms up in a sign of unity.
‘Don’t listen to these traitors,’ said Commander Kevolo.
‘You are the traitor,’ said an officer.
‘I order you to honour your vows and protect your commander,’ insisted Kevolo.
Every Yeren was facing him now. All it took was for them to raise their guns for him to see that he was surrounded and realise that it was over.
‘Drop your weapon, Jax,’ said Grogun.
Commander Kevolo reluctantly complied with this order.
As they started to lead him away, the blue sphere sank back into the ground and the jury reappeared. They looked around the courtroom in confusion.
‘We’ll explain later. What’s your verdict?’ asked Eddie.
‘We find Stanley Bound innocent on all charges and recommend Commander Kevolo stand trial,’ replied the chief juror.
.
49
‘I want to go home’
Once it became obvious that the fighting was over, the journobots swooped down from the gallery where they had been hiding, desperate for an interview with Commander Kevolo.
‘Good Morning, Galaxy. Will you still be running for president in view of the recent revelations of your dealings with the Marauding Picaroons?’
‘Stars of the Universe. How do you feel about Stanley Bound’s role in your arrest?’
‘What Spacecraft? How do you rate the steering on the new model AIP shuttle?’
‘No comment,’ was the only reply Kevolo made as he was led out of the hall, stepping around the bodies killed in the gunfight.
The journobots flew across the room and surrounded Stanley, shoving cameras and microphones in his face.
‘Galaxy News. How does it feel to be found innocent?’
‘News Nova. How did you survive on board the Black Horizon?’
‘The Salon Channel. What hair products do you use?’
Stanley was in no mood to answer any of their questions so he was glad when Jupp appeared and fired a warning blast from her gun to ward them off. They quickly moved on to General P’Tang, who was taking the opportunity to deliver one of his speeches.
‘Many of our brothers fell today, but their deaths will not be in vain. For today we struck the first blow for freedom . . .’ he was saying.
‘What happened to Captain Flaid?’ Stanley asked Jupp.
‘He must have escaped. He’s not amongst the wounded,’ replied Jupp. ‘Where’s Spore?’
‘I here,’ said a voice from Stanley’s pocket. ‘I not understand much of this.’
‘Nor me, but I’m glad you’re safe,’ said Stanley.
‘The machine killed my brother?’
‘Yes,’ said Stanley.
>
‘This makes me sad.’
‘Lots of people have died today,’ said Jupp, looking around at the scene of devastation. ‘The Gusto is going to be a quieter place when we get back there.’ She sounded upset.
‘I’m sorry,’ said Stanley.
‘They died for the cause. Everyone knew the risks.’
‘Thanks for coming. I know how dangerous it was.’
‘We came because we believed you when you said you didn’t do it, and, watching the trial on TV, Dad decided that it was finally time to do something. He made a speech about it first, of course, and then we got here as quickly as we could.’
‘What will happen to the Brotherhood now?’ Stanley asked.
‘I don’t know, but this won’t stop Armoria being like it is. We can only hope that the next president will be more like Vorlugenar than Kevolo.’
‘I thought you were pleased that Vorlugenar was dead.’
‘I think we were so busy thinking that everything about Armoria was bad that we couldn’t see that the president was trying to make things better. Quil was right – he was a good man. He didn’t deserve to die, and I’m glad it wasn’t you that killed him.’
‘Me too.’
They hugged. Stanley felt exhausted and relieved and utterly overwhelmed.
‘Well done, Stanley,’ said Eddie as he and Dram joined them. ‘I think I’m going to come out of this rather well. After winning this case I’m going to be flooded with clients.’ He took Stanley’s hand and shook it, then pulled him close and whispered in his ear, ‘If anyone asks, I always knew you were innocent, OK?’
Stanley extracted his hand and offered it to Dram, whose eyes were glowing yellowy orange like a sunset. ‘Thank you so much. If it wasn’t for you . . .’ he began.
‘Listen, don’t mention it, kid. I’m just glad we got the right verdict.’
Over his shoulder, Stanley saw that General P’Tang had finished speaking and that Professor NomVeber was answering the journobots’ questions.
General P’Tang came over to join them, Grogun and Curlip by his side.
‘You had better get going,’ said Grogun. ‘The AIP is without a leader for the moment, but as soon as they assign a new stand-in commander we’ll be ordered to hold you for questions.’
Space Crime Conspiracy Page 18
