TSN: The Best Laid Plans (Terran Space Navy)

by Paul Phipps

  At least that is what he attempted to do. What actually happened is that he fired his Darter and the dart flew straight to his target. And stopped as Evana’s personal shield interdicted the dart, mere millimeters from her throat.

  The three men convulsed as capacitor darts from Evana’s stealthed Samurai Bodyguards struck them in several locations.

  Evana blinked her eyes several times and gently removed the dart from her interdiction shield and looked it over curiously while the three men jerked and convulsed and spontaneously voided their bowels.

  She bent down and said in a conversational tone, “Serves you right!” Then as she stood up she said. “Put them in stasis immediately. They may have suicide capsule or teeth. I REALLY want to interrogate these three.”

  Three more of her Samurais came in to the tent and picked up the twitching men. Very shortly thereafter three more ISO-tubes were holding prisoner/patients on board the Belle.

  * * *

  Belle/Comm Mode: “Captain Thomas, I have a preliminary report for you. You were correct; the three prisoners each had suicide capsules in hidden pockets in their clothing. Two of them also have what appears to be an artificial gland implanted. Purpose of the Gland is unknown at this time. Full body Suspended Animation of those two men is now in effect.”

  Evana had been talking to the Mayor who was concerned about what had happened in the tent. She had just finished assuring him that the TSN held neither him nor his people responsible for the attack on her person.

  Captain Thomas/Comm Mode: “Thank you, Belle, an artificial Gland? I never thought the medical technology of this earth was that advanced to produce anything like that. Have you been keeping the Louis Pasteur and the others up-to-date on what occurred?”

  Belle/ Comm Mode: ‘No Captain I haven’t, I’ll do that right now.

  Captain Thomas/Comm Mode: “Very good then, I’m almost ready to leave here, Belle. Do you know where Dr. Galen is?”

  Belle/ Comm Mode: “Yes I do, Captain Thomas. She is currently located near the Ramp of The MARS unit. There are four other women with her.”

  Captain Thomas/ Comm Mode: “Thank you Belle, I’m going there right now.”

  “Dr. Galen, it’s good to see you again. “ Evana said with a confident voice and then stopped and stared. One of the women with Dr. Galen who had been turned away from her as she had been walking toward them turned and looked at Evana. It was Gelya, both of her eyes were blackened her right arm was in a sling. Her clothing and Hijab hid any other damage that might have been there. Evana stopped and counted slowly to ten. Her anger needed, no MUST be held under tight control.

  She came closer and put her hands on her hips, then forced them to lie at her sides. “Very well, I see some of the damage. What has happened and keep nothing from me.” She said icily.

  It took some time for it all to come out. Gelya’s older cousin who was also the man who had raped her several weeks earlier. He had overheard her telling a friend that she must leave soon because of the pregnancy.

  He decided to try and beat her to death for ‘dishonoring the family and clan’. It was only through the help of Gelya’s three friends with her that he had been knocked unconscious. They had gone to Dr. Galen and now they were here to try and beg help in leaving Ramsheh.

  Evana didn’t even think twice, “Yes, permission is granted. You will be evacuated to our Moon Base or possibly my own ship. We will do what we can to find you a place once your time in quarantine is over.

  Before we go on-board is there anyone who might object strongly to you leaving?

  At which point all five women started to laugh and it shortly turned into hysterical laughter. Evana in turn noted the emotions and feelings being released and decided to let them burn out naturally. It needed to be done, why not here?

  Finally they calmed down and one of Gelya’s friends said. “Yes, of course there are those who would object. We are only women and daughters to our families. We are valuable, but only as wombs to produce sons for whomever our Father’s sell us too.”

  Unbeknownst to Evana a strong man in his late twenties came up behind her and started to yell at Gelya and the other women. Calling them ‘sluts’ and whores and any other number of names.

  Evana in turn, stood with her back straight and then did a perfect 180 degree turn and saw him directly. He was bleeding from a scalp wound and looked like he had been thrown to the ground. She turned slightly and looked over her shoulder and said to Gelya. “Is he the one who raped you and beat you up?”

  Gelya just nodded her head. Evana turned to look at him. “I see you. So you can stop the insults now.” She said calmly while on the inside she had to again fight her instincts and desires. “What is it you want?”

  He stared at Evana with her two bodyguards standing on either side and actually appeared to stop and think. “What do I want? I want those four whores who had the effrontery to attack me.” He stated loudly.

  Evana stated flatly, “The four women you call whores have requested protection and evacuation from Ramsheh by the Terran Space Navy. Are you formally accusing them of wrong doing or being Law-Breakers?” As she was saying that she was pulling a small truth verifier out of a small pouch on her belt. She then held the truth verifier on her left palm and faced him directly.

  He in turn looked confused and said. “What? I want them, give them to me now!”

  Evana in turn said formally. “What is your full name?”

  “I am called Hameed Abdul Mohammed.” The Truth Verifier glowed blue indicating he told the truth.

  Evana continued, “Who are you accusing of attacking you?”

  “Gelya, Meera, Vana and Aliia they hit me with stones and a stick.” The Truth verifier continued to glow blue.

  “Did you do anything that would make them want to attack you?” Evana asked.

  “No, not at all I was standing by the goat corral when they attacked me.” The truth verifier flared up a Bright Red.

  Evana looking at the verifier said dispassionately. “The verifier indicates you are lying. What were you doing when you were attacked?”

  “I was doing nothing that gave them the right to attack me.” The verifier flickered between blue and red.

  “Hmmm, so you were doing something else but you believe that they had no right to attack because of it. I’ll ask again what were you doing?” Evana continued calmly.

  “I was disciplining Gelya for dishonoring the family!” Hameed Roared. The verifier glowed blue at his words.

  “What is your relationship to Gelya? Are you her Father or Brother?” Evana asked

  “I am her cousin.” Hameed answered. Once again the Verifier glowed blue.

  “What did she do to dishonor the Family?” Evana asked.

  “I overheard her tell Meera and the others that she was getting morning sickness from the pregnancy.” Hameed said growing more Confident as the questions continued.

  “I don’t understand,” Evana asked, “By saying that to her friends gave you the right to beat her up and break her bones, is this correct?”

  “Yes! It means she had lain down with a man who was not her husband!” Hameed said once again. This time the Verifier flickered between blue and red again.

  “Do you know who that man might have been?” Evana Asked

  “No! It’s enough that she had.” This time the Verifier blazed Red.

  Evana looked at the verifier and asked “Who was the man?”

  “I don’t know. It could have been many different ones; the slut is always flaunting herself.” Hameed said sullenly.

  The truth verifier still blazed red. Evana stared at him sternly and said, “The verifier indicates that you DO know who the man is that got her pregnant. Is it you?”

  “No! It is not me!” Hameed said forcefully.

  The Verifier if anything turned a brighter Red color. “The verifier indicates that you are. Did you Rape her?”

  Hameed lowered his head and said, “I am not the one, and I did n
ot rape her.” Still the Verifier kept its bright red color.

  Evana in turn just sighed and said, “Hameed what color is the uniform I am wearing?”

  He looked at her in confusion and said. “It’s black just like your soul is.” The verifier turned blue at the remark.

  Evana looked around her and the town’s people who had silently gathered behind Hameed as she had questioned him.

  In their faces she saw anger, but at whom? She wondered to herself. After a moment of thought she spun around and looked at the four young women and the Female Doctor standing with them. She crooked her finger and motioned them to come forward.

  “Please State your names for the record.” she said looking at each one of them. Behind her she heard some of the men and Hameed himself say, “Record?”

  “Gelya Bint Alshami”

  “Meera Dahdabnah”

  “Vana Daher

  “Aliia Rabaa”

  “Dr. Derisha Galen”

  Evana pointed to Gelya and motioned her to stand in front of her, Hameed stood behind her at that point. “Gelya did you have sexual intercourse with this man Hameed Abdul Mohammed?”

  Gelya’s face went pale and she stammered, “Yes.” The Verifier stayed its blue color.

  “Gelya was the sexual intercourse of a willing nature, by that I mean did you want to have sex with this man?”

  “No!” Gelya shouted, and the verifier stayed blue.

  “How did it happen then?” Evana kept asking.

  “It was a Tuesday, my turn at herding the goats so that my brothers could go to the madrassas for schooling. I had taken them to the small valley to the west because the grass was greener. The morning went by quickly and I was eating my lunch when Hameed came into the valley.

  We talked as we had several times before. He was a male of my clan and thus allowed to be with me just as my brothers and my father were. He asked me if I would consider being his second wife. I told him no, I was too young to be thinking of marriage yet. Besides I had told my mother I was interested in Ali my second cousin on her side of the family.

  He didn’t like that and started to yell at me then he hit me on the head. When I woke up he was between my legs and… you know.” She ended softly and tears started to fall.

  “So he raped you?” Evana pressed.

  “Yes, he raped me.” The verifier stayed blue throughout the story she told, in the background there was some talking among the men present.

  An elderly man came forward and stated that Gelya must be stoned for dishonoring the clan.

  At which pronouncement, Evana went ram rod straight and turned to face him and said clearly and carrying voice. “And who might YOU be?”

  “I am the Ayatollah Ruhallah Abdul Mohammed. She has admitted to having sex with a man not her husband. Under our laws she is to be stoned to death.”

  “I see, and being raped doesn’t matter does it?” Evana said in a dangerously calm voice.

  “It is her word against his and a man’s word is worth two times that of a woman.” The ayatollah continued.

  “My truth verifier confirms that he lies and she tells the truth.” Evana stated.

  “It doesn’t matter to me. She must be stoned!”

  “Very well then, HEAR me then! You may take her and stone her. I will have every one that throws a stone taken to ten thousand feet and dropped like a rock. And then I will personally have you transgendered into a woman and raped until you die.” Evana said clearly to the Ayatollah.

  The Ayatollah stared at Evana and grew red in the face and rushed her screaming at her for being a female infidel. Evana stepped forward and with one punch stopped him dead and then picked him up and threw him over fifty feet away into the crowd of men. In the back of her mind was the thought that a Telefactor was VERY strong.

  She strode forward and the people moved out of her way in fear. She looked down at the stunned and bleeding Ayatollah and grabbed him with her left hand and started to slap his face from right to left several times. The shook him like she would shake a snake.

  “I am very, VERY, VERY pissed at you! How DARE you interfere in my trial of this man. HOW DARE you threaten a person under my PROTECTION with DEATH!” She yelled at him with a volume that could be heard a mile away.

  She looked around at the assembled men who were backing up slowly away from her. She heard many comments of the female Jinn being furious with the Ayatollah.

  She continued to hold the now unconscious man in her left hand and scanned the crowd looking for the Mayor of Ramsheh. Once she found him she marched over and laid the ayatollah in a curiously gentle way at the Mayor’s feet, and said to him, “The Terran Space Navy will keep its agreements with you. This thing here will not be permitted to stay; he is evil and will be punished. Hameed Abdul Mohammed will come with me. He will be returned within the month. The Women who have asked for protection from me will be leaving.

  Any woman who is mistreated or injured deliberately by a man will be removed from Ramsheh. The third time it happens ALL of the Women will be removed. There will only be men left here and the Shield will never come down until the last dies of old age. Do you understand me?” She said plainly. He could see the fire in her eyes that she held contained.

  “I understand, but how am I to control all of the men here?” He asked plaintively of Evana.

  “It doesn’t matter to me how you do it, just do it.” Then Evana leaned close to him and whispered, “It is because of the evil that men like this so-called holy man preach that you and your people are in such danger. I suggest that you think about that… Carefully.”

  Once again she picked up the unconscious Ayatollah and walked back to where she had been. She handed the body of the ayatollah to one of her bodyguards and said. “Get him into a Gel-Cell and heal him up. I’ll deal with him later on after we get to the Louis Pasteur.”

  The Samurai saluted her, “Aye Aye, Captain!” then he went to the Belle with the unconscious Ayatollah held in his arms. Evana took a deep breath and went back to where Hameed and Gelya were. Hameed was being held in place by another Samurai Defense Unit. “Did he try to run?” She asked of the Samurai.

  “Yes Captain, he ran as soon as you stopped the man who attacked you.” The Samurai answered.

  “Thank you for retrieving him.” Evana told the Samurai.

  “Hameed Abdul Mohammed, testimony has been heard by the participants of the rape of Gelya Bint Alshami. This testimony has been verified by truth verifier.

  I hereby declare you guilty of the Rape of Gelya Bint Alshami.” Evana told him formally.

  “Under the laws and tenets of Islam I am not guilty.” Hameed told her defiantly.

  “That may be, Hameed. But you are being tried under the Rules and Regulations of the Terran Space Navy.” Evana told with equanimity.

  He stared at her in disbelief; he had figured it out quite carefully and now… Now it was all as sand blown in the wind.

  “Hameed, does your mother and father have other sons?” Evana asked him.

  “I have two other brothers.” He told her.

  “Very well then, are you ready to hear your sentence?”

  Hameed deflated suddenly and looked frightened, after a minute of silence he looked Evana in the face and straightened up his back. “Yes.” He said quietly.

  “You are to be transgendered into a woman; you are to have the memory of Gelya’s rape by yourself imprinted onto your brain. Then you will be returned to your family.” Evana told him.

  Hameed just stared at Evana, he didn’t understand what she was saying, his brain heard the words, and he knew what the words meant, but he just couldn’t accept the understanding of the words.

  Evana told the Samurai holding Hameed to take him to the Belle and to place him in stasis. After that she turned to the crowd of people noting that there were many more women there than there were earlier.

  “Justice is swift and sure in the Terran Space Navy; Hameed Abdul Mohammed raped his cousin Gelya Bin
t Alshami and tried to beat her to death to hide his crime. Hammurabi’s code says an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Much of Islam uses the same rules, Hameed will now be made into a woman and he will relive the rape of his cousin. Then she will be returned to her family.

  Think upon this people of Ramsheh; Do unto OTHERS as you would have done unto YOU.”

  Admiral Webster/ Private Comm Mode: “Well done Evana, I was worried there for a bit that your temper was going to get the best of you. But I don’t believe I could have done it better.”

  Captain Thomas/ Private Comm Mode: “Thank you sir, but my temper did get away from me when that pompous ass tried to get Gelya stoned and when he attacked me… Well I completely lost my temper. Looking back on it I am afraid I might have killed him, I was that mad at him.”