School Time for Death: Tendrils of Control (Death Dealer Saga Book 4)

by Jessie Wolf

  Janet turned pale at hearing me so casually discussing the destruction of one the most power yakuza families on Hades. As she returns to her seat I see that she is not the only one to turn pale at my declaration of war on the yakuza. The more that I think about how this family has terrorized these girls; the more that I realize that I need to go after more than just the Longfellow’s. I think I need to have a word with the PG, with my Planetary Prosecutor and Provost Marshall. With the locals are being this oppressed and terrorized by the different yakuza clans then it is time to rein them in.

  “For those of you who have been the victims of these men and their practices I promise you that there will be justice. I promise you that I will not let them hurt you or your families. Just as I gave my word that I would no longer allow the bullying to go on in our school, I will no longer allow the yakuza to operate on this planet. If I have to use every last man and woman at my disposal in the military I will stop them.” I sit back down and wait for their reactions.

  At first there is looks of disbelief, then a few of hopefulness, and finally true happiness as they realize that I mean to do exactly what I promise. The fact that these girls lacked the hope of being able to change their world; or even to make a difference tears at my heart. Young girls are supposed to be full of hope and dreams of a better future. The fact that they were all lacking this tells me that the war I had thought over was only just beginning. I may have removed the heavy weights when I destroyed the rebel Houses, but I had not removed the cause of their problems.

  I return to my meal and talking with my family. At no time do I take my eyes off of the girls as they talk amongst themselves. Their conversations run the gamut. However one topic seems to be the prevailing one. ‘Is Maiha Nakatoma crazy or she is truly going to war with the yakuza?’ I notice that some of the girls are going over to Daniela, Susan, and Lisa to see if I really meant what I said. As each is told that not only will I go to war with the yakuza, I will destroy them. One of the younger girls in the same class as the twins came up to ask them that. I smile as Nanami tells her that I always keep my promises.

  We were just finishing the main part of the meal when Dee De told me that papa was back. I have her give me a readout of the troops he took with him to handle the Longfellow’s’. What I see surprises me. He had gone to Colonel Fujiyama and gotten the Wolves of the Mountain, mama’s personal bodyguards, and the Temple Guardians to handle the problem. Talk about using a tactical nuke to kill a fly. Well, he can no longer accuse me of overkill. At least he didn’t use one of the Death Dealer units.

  Standing up again I get everyone’s attention. “Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please. In a few minutes we will be having a demonstration in applied Citizenship and Moral Conduct.” I step back down and listen to the excited buzz of conversation. Once again it is one of the school officials that ask the question.

  Professor Recco stands and gives me a slight bow before speaking. “Lady Maiha, is it you intention to give our students a demonstration of the Imperial Court Justice System?”

  Standing back up I return his bow and answer him. “Professor Recco, sir that is exactly what is going to happen. I hope that you do not mind. I know that I have not run this lesson past you for your approval. However, as this problem was brought to me on our way here I felt that it might be a good thing to show our students. How an individual is given a chance to explain their actions before the highest authority in an area. For most of the Empire this falls to the local Heads of House, however there are areas where it is the personal representatives of the Emperor. They may be a lowly clerk or a magistrate, but all are required by Imperial law to follow a certain format in dispensing justice. This is one of the many things that will be discussed in my classroom, but unfortunately as the Head of House Nakatoma I am forced to deal with one such problem this evening.”

  “Oh that is quite alright, Lady Nakatoma. Myself and the other faculty understand that events sometimes are out of our control. Please, do not let our presence detour you in the way you’ll handle this problem.” Once he sat back down I knew that he had just given the go ahead for an execution if needed be. I must remember that this man is a Death Dealer as well a teacher. For us this type of justice was common place. It may be harsh, and unyielding; but it is effective.

  A few moments later papa enters the Great Hall with a squad of Jump Infantry following carrying the listless bodies of David and Peter Longfellow. As I look at the two I see that they are bound hand and foot. They each are supporting a set of rather nice bruises. I can tell that papa and the Wolves hand a little discussion with them before bringing them here.

  “I see that the Wolves had a word of wisdom with the Longfellow men, papa. Are they still alive?”

  Papa just chuckles at my wise crack. “No, daughter, the Wolves never laid a hand on the fools. Those bruises happened in their haste to escape. It seems that of the local shopkeepers were tired of paying ‘protection’. We actually had to rescue the Longfellow’s before they were carved up by them.”

  “How did that happen? I mean for years the Longfellow boryokudan have had a solid power base. What changed?” this was not what I was expecting. I figured that we would have had to use the full fire power of the troops to get them to surrender.

  “I believe that Nia should be the one to explain that, daughter.” I sit back and wait for the troopers that are carrying David and Peter to place them on the floor in front of me and for papa to join my family. I look around for Nia so that she can explain what happened to the Longfellow man. From the looks of it they might actually thank me for the punishment that I will hand down.

  I am pleasantly surprised when Nia leads a group of men into the Hall. From the looks of them they appear to be the local shopkeepers and businessmen. They are dressed in everyday work clothes and suits. I see almost every type of profession represented among them, including the local police. It seems that the locals are sick and tired of the Longfellow’s. Nia walks straight up to our table and bows.

  “It is good to see you smiling Nia this time Nia. Would you care to introduce the group that has followed you in?’

  “My Lady Maiha, these are the men and women of the Glades Business Guild. We have them to thank for the rapid capture of David and Peter Longfellow. If it had not been for them those thugs would have escaped.”

  “So Top Bailey tells me. How is it they have so suddenly raised up against their yakuza masters?”

  “I have only now been able to piece that together, my Lady. It seems that when I left Mr. Longfellow this afternoon that the owner of the Green Dragon overheard me telling the fool that you would come down on him and his organization leaving nothing behind but ash and dust. I fear that he misunderstood my statement to mean that we would destroy their places of business along with Longfellow. So after I left he ran and told the rest and they intern banded together to protect their homes and families and business’ by taking down David Longfellow themselves.”

  “Wait a minute don’t they know that I don’t attack civilians? That to me they are to be left alone at all costs.” I was really worried about the perception of my family among the locals. I wanted them to come to us for help and protection out of respect not fear.

  “They know that Lady Maiha, but they also know that you do not tolerate fools. I hate to say this, my Lady, but your temper is already a thing of legion. Everyone knows that when you get going nothing but an act of the Goddess will stop you. The owner of the Green Dragon knew that you would be coming for Longfellow and his son when he refused to deal with me.”

  “So you’re telling me that the Business Guild decided to take matters into their own hands?” I have the sinking feeling that I am dealing with a case of vigilantly justice. If that is the case I might have a bigger problem on my hands. One of the hardest Imperial laws to enforce is about vigilantly justice. The way the law is written if an individual or group of individuals is found to be actively engaging in the act of vigilantism they ca
n be charged as criminals.

  Nia must have picked up on my distress at hearing my unspoken question. “Oh no my Lady, they did not resort to being vigilantes’. Each and every one was deputized as a temporary officer of the peace. That is why the local peace officer is here, he was the one to deputize them.”

  I notice that one of the girls from Mr. Lenard’s table leaned over and whispered something to him. “Mr. Lenard is there a problem?”

  “No, Lady Nakatoma, my student was merrily asking me a question.” He had stood up and bowed before replying show the proper way of addressing a Head of House who was sitting in judgment.

  “Sir, may I know what her question was?”

  “Lady Katharine of the Steiner Family, was wondering why you were so concerned about the civilian populace taking action against the Longfellow’s?” I could see that he was using this as a way to explain the vigilante law.

  “Lady Steiner, one of the hardest things a member of any House, especially a Head of House, will have to face is a vigilante mob. One of the problems with vigilante mobs is not that they take the law into their own hands, it is the fact that they often get the wrong person. To counter this in the first century of the Empire the Emperor Gideon put in place a law that became known as the Vigilante Code. It defined how, where, and when a vigilante commission can be formed. One of the three things needed is the lack of a peace official.”

  Another girl at one of the other tables stood up and bowed the way that Mr. Lenard had showing that she had grasped the way one addresses a Head of House who was sitting in judgment. Dee De quickly gives me her name. “Yes, Lady Kurita, you have a question for the Court?”

  “Yes, Lady Nakatoma, thank you. I would know why this is a concern as they have a peace officer with them?” of all the students here this evening she was one of the few of Japanese descent. The fact that she is also of one of the few High Families that is Japanese is a surprise. There are only eight Japanese High Families, with the Nakatoma’s being the most prominent, for her to be at J.E.S. is a rarity.

  “The problem, Lady Kurita, is that he is only a peace officer. Where are his Lieutenants or Captain? Where are his superiors? For this vigilante commission to be legal they need to be here or dead.”

  As I was answering the questions of the girls the members of the Business Guild had stepped forward to stand in front of my table and family. One of the men, who is dressed in a suit, was at their head stepped forward. Once he bowed to me I acknowledged him. “Lady Nakatoma, may I know why there are all these children here? Is this not a place for justice? Are we to be some kind of entertainment for little girls? We are not your play things. We had enough of that at the hands of these fools. We will not stand for it from the Planetary Governor as will.”

  The more the man talked the madder I became. However I could see how this would look to him. A room full of teenage girls all asking questions. They want justice and not some circus side show. Well if that’s what he wants that’s what he’ll get. I stand up and walk around the table until I am standing in front of him. My hand lashes out to smack him across the face.

  “This is my Great Hall, sir. I am the one that is sitting in Judgment here, not you and your committee. Know now that each of you is in violation of the Imperial law against vigilantism. Do you want me to pass sentence on you as well? Are you ready to face the death sentence? Or will you let me conduct this hearing the way it should be by the Codes and Tenants of Imperial Law?” I was close to screaming at the fool. If it was not for my students being present I would have just gutted the fool, and been done with it. They had broken the one of the laws that had an automatic death sentence. I could tell that my little outburst had gotten there attention. None of them had thought that they might have been in violation of the law. They all thought that by being ‘deputies’ that they had not broken the law.

  I watched as he stepped back to stand with his friends. I could tell that he and the others were shocked by the fact that they had broken the law and they now themselves faced the death sentence. I looked out at my students and saw that they too were shocked by this fact.

  “You see, ladies. This is why the Vigilante Code is so hard to enforce. If all three of the needed main factors are now met then the vigilante commissions themselves are in violation of the law. Can any of you tell me what they are?”

  It was a girl about the same age as Fuyuko who stood up to answer my question. “Lady Nakatoma, they must first have no peace officer who is a Lieutenant or higher rank. For the second there must be a clearly defined point in which the local government has authorized the forming of a Vigilance committee. The third and final a Vigilance committee can only be formed by the immediate local population.” When she finished she bowed and sat back down.

  “Thank you, Lady Marik.” I looked back at the vigilantes and let my anger at them become apparent. I walked pass the unconscious bodies of the Longfellow’s. When I was standing directly in front of them I let my voice go cold. I had to keep my emotions under control or I’ll be sending every one of these people to the grave. “Ladies and gentlemen, do you understand now what you have done. Thanks to the Lady Marik, a student at J.E.S. who has so graciously provides you with the needed factors to form this committee. Do you now understand the full weight of what can happen to you?!” I was starting to loss control so I stepped back and took a deep breath to help me regain my composure. “You came here to demand revenge, in the guise of justice. If I had not already been moving to remove the Longfellow clan you would have been justified for your actions. Now though you are facing the death sentence!”

  I was all set to really lay into them when another of my students stood and bowed. I waved for her to go ahead and ask her question I was too afraid of speaking right now. “My Lady Nakatoma, if I may I would stand in their defense.”

  Dee De quickly gives me her name. “Lady Leo, I am surprised. Your own father sent four vigilance committees to the gallows, the last one just two years ago. Care to explain your reasons for defending these people?”

  The girl was actually surprise that I knew of her father’s attitude toward vigilance committees. However she did not back down from the challenge. “Lady Nakatoma, while these people have broken the Vigilante Code by not meeting all of the requirements, they have met the requirements for a citizen’s arrest and civil peace restoration. I place before you the fact that while the Longfellow’s are unable to currently defend themselves, they did have the ability to cause unbelievable harm to the peace and harmony of their community.”

  The smile that comes to my face is one of pride. “Thank you, Lady Leo, for your very passionate and accurate defense.” I turn away from the guild and walk back to the front of the room. Looking back at everyone in the Hall. “Now, ladies do you understand the difficulty with enforcing this law. If on one hand I go by the letter of the law all of these normally law abiding citizens will be put to death. If however I follow the spirit of the law which was written to protect the people they will be spared the death sentence, but still have to face some form of punishment for taking the law into their own hands. Then we have the fact that the Longfellow’s are only unconscious making it easier to arrest them, if they had been killed then and only then would the Vigilante Code be in effect. Thankfully that is not the case here. So who amongst you can tell me what law does apply?” I looked around at all of the girls and could tell that none knew the answer. I turned to Alice and smiled. “Lady Allison would you care to supply the answer?”

  Alice just smiled and stood then bowed. “Of course, Lady Maiha. The laws that apply here is the Codes of Moral Conduct. They state that the peace and harmony of the community supersede all else. If you act to remove a threat to that then the Vigilante Code does not apply. However if you cause harm in the pursuit of that peace you must face the consequences of wrongful persecution.”

  “Thank you, Lady Allison. So ladies and gentleman, do you now understand the position you have placed me in. I do understand how you fe
el when it comes to these men. So I will take that into consideration.” When I saw that the committee was ready for my judgment I continued. “There are fifteen of you. Seeing as how you banded tighter to protect you community I believe that each of shall perform one hundred hours of community service.”

  Looking over at the Sergeant that was in charge of the Infantry that had brought in the Longfellow’s. “Sergeant please escort these citizens out.” I wait for the Jump troops to remove the Business Guild members. More than one of them was not happy at being told they have to leave. Once they had been removed I turned my attention back to the Longfellow’s and my students. “Now, ladies you have just seen one of the easiest cases that have ever been brought before me. One of the things that you need to understand is that as potential Heads of House or any other powerful individual is that your actions have long reaching consequences. You must balance mercy with justice. This is not always an easy thing to do. As I will now demonstrate.”

  Turning to the few troopers still in the room. “Wake these fools up.” I watched as two of them grabbed pitchers of water from the tables. When they poured the water over the heads of David and Peter. They awoke with looks of surprise on their faces. They must have been surprised to still be alive. “Gentlemen, I’m sure that you’re surprised to still be alive and are wondering where you’re at. I will explain it to you. You are as right now in my home. I am the person you so casually dismissed as being beneath you, the Lady Maiha Nakatoma. Your judge, jury, and executioner if needs be.”