Sakura Imoru paced up and down outside the courtroom of the Republic Justice Department in Arlulf. Already she had bitten all her nails to the quick. A day after her report was in about the blackmailing and this happened. Pulled off assignment, placed under close supervision and ordered to attend this hearing. And for what? They didn't say. Damn Carmillla! Damn Ithiria! Damn herself for being so trusting.
Her hand reached for the inside of her jacket pocket to get a stim tab and found none. Cursing she patted her pockets, only vaguely aware of the clicking of heels coming towards her. From her left a pack of stims was extended, an amarr brand, gold leaf. She took one and chewed it, feeling the stimulant fill her briefly before turning around and coughing loudly.
"Carmilla? What the hell are you doing here? By right I should haul your ass in!"
Carmilla just smiled and put the pack back into her small bag. Adjusting her jacket she opened a small glasses case and took off the black tinted round glasses she was wearing and put them away.
"Sakura, darling, you must stop overreacting. And you have some dust on your uniform."
Taking hold of the lapel she fiddled with it and brushed the dust away.
"Now stop worrying Sakura....."
"Stop worrying? I've been hauled out of the field, told to come here and no one has told me why...."
"Would you like to know?"
".... I've seen all my superiors go through the door as well as a.... what?"
She looked at Carmilla with a mixture of shock and anger. She's doing it again, she though, be careful.
"It's a promotion hearing. Thought you would have recognised it."
"Oh...."
Carmilla giggled. Sakura did not.
The usher of the court opened the door and shouted out Sakura's name. She looked at Carm who just patted her cheek.
"Go on, you'll be fine."
Sakura walked into the courtroom, noticing it was mostly empty. At the far end, on the large raised dias sat the five officials, all her superiors. Three Captains, a General and an Admiral. Her heart raced as she took her place on the small stand before them.
"State your name and rank for the board."
"Sakura Imoru. Enforcer third grade. RJD."
The General looked over the papers infront of him and opened a file. Her heart jumped as she recognised the silver banding on the edge, a file from Internal Affairs. It was passed to the Admiral and back.
"Miss Imoru. We received a rather... disturbing report from you. A report that sent certain alarm bells ringing. Your name has been mentioned in the halls of this building. And for most that is not a good thing."
Bite the bullet, she thought, they are being too cryptic. Behind her she heard the door open and someone walk in.
"The report I filed was all in order. If there was any confusion with what happened I would have thought that my immediate superior would have informed me."
One of the captains gave a dry chuckle and leaned foward. He was wearing the badge of Internal Affairs and a his face was well known. The Axeman.
"Miss Imoru. Could you please relate to us the events that caused you to be blackmailed by the wanted criminal and supporter of the Amarr Empire, the woman known as Carmilla D'Morenta?"
Before she could stop herself she cursed and shouted out, slamming her fist onto the podium before her.
"Goddam it Carmilla!"
The Axeman smiled.
"So you do know her. Please tell us what happened.. in your own words please."
They knew... they knew everything. My career, lost, all I hoped to achieve gone because of that bloody woman.
"I met her in a bar. She....."
"Please be specific."
"Okay, we met in the Tribal Sins club...."
Sakura sat back in the chair watching the dancers. The lights were flashing wildly and the dancers were gyrating to some tune all the rage amonst the younger minmatar. She crossed her legs, her boots on the small stage that some of the dancers used to entertain guests, but none were coming close. All knew she was RJD and kept away. As if she would be interested in such small fry. Knocking back her drink she watched as one of the dancers, a tall sebiestor in an almost transparent dress danced her way towards her and slipped onto the small stage, her body writhing to the music. Sak couldn't help but run her eyes up and down the body, her curves illuminated by the cunningly placed spotlights. She couldn't help but recognise the person as she slipped off the stage and into her lap.
"Hey law-babe.... wanna buy me a drink?"
"Sure, why not? What would you like?"
Carmilla writhed and looked at her with a lascivious smile.
"Is that a trick question.....
"Depends on the answer, doesn't it?"
The woman on her lap traced her long nail down the side of her neck and along the collar. Taking Sakura drink she offered it to her and as she drank, kissed her to Sakura's amazement.
"Biting me one day, kissing me the next?"
Carmilla laughed and straddled Sakuras lap, her long dress bunching aroudn her waist and running her fingers through Sakura's hair, bringing her closer to her.
"So you are saying you had actual physical contact with her?"
"We kissed. Yes."
"What else did you do, officer?"
"I handcuffed her and we made our way to another venue."
"Did you arrest her?"
"No."
"Did you caution her?"
"No."
"Officer Imoru. Are you aware that what you did could be construed as kidnapping?"
Sakura just looked at them dumbfounded and shook her head.
"It was not kidnapping, it was voluntary. And anyway, she took me there."
She cursed silently as she realised what she had just said.
"She... took.. me... there. So you, an officer of the law was being taken aroud by a known criminal. This is outrageous!"
"I didn't know she was a wanted criminal. I'd never had cause to believe such in all our dealings."
"Yes, I noticed that. We'll get to that later... continue."
"We decided to change venues. A bar in the borderlands by the name of the Spaced Mongoose. From what I remember it was mainly used at one point by Guristas smugglers."
"And this did not worry you? Didn't you think it could have been a trap? It has been noted you didn't call for backup as is the norm for low security systems."
"I had no reason to believe there was any threat to my safety. I was...."
"Yes?"
"I trusted her."
"Yes.... we'll come back to that."
The main lounge of the Spaced Mongoose bar was not too impressive. A fire had roared through the facility, ripping it's heart out and turning the once popular bar into a ghost town. Restoration work was going on, but it was slow work. The back rooms it seemed, were not touched by the fire and one room in particular was selected by her, a bedroom of much oppulence.
"She took you to a bedroom?"
"Yes...."
"And what did you do?"
"I questioned her about her confessions that she had."
"And the result?"
"Not what I expected...."
"Elaborate."
Sakura sighed.
"She confessed her feelings for me."
"I see. And you did?"
"I.... we..... made love."
"And what happened after your carnal affair?"
"I fail to see what this has to do...."
The general banged his gavel and looked down at her. His rows of medals jingled and his frown turned his jovial face into a scarred nightmare.
"You will answer all questions we put to you. That is an order."
Sakura whispered under her breath, goddam you Carmilla.
"She hit me with a stun pistol. And I blacked out."
"Where did she get the pistol from?"
"It was in her bag."
"And you didn't disarm her?"
"I didn't recongise it for what it was. And after she let her self out of her handcuffs I was too.. distracted to notice."
"I'm sorry, you must have missed something. How did she get out of her handcuffs?"
"she picked the lock."
"Miss Imoru, I must say I don't believe some of your story. You see we have obtained a copy of the security feed for that night. And as you will see, I don't see much love. Plenty of lust and debauchery certainly."
As Sakura watched in horror the screens in the court room showed a large portion of the time she spent with Carmilla, showing them all in graphic detail what she did to Carmilla, and what Carmilla did to her in return.
"I must protest! What right do you have to show this?"
"You will be quiet!"
"I will not! I demand to know what is going on here!"
"We are trying to determine if a member of the RJD has been corrupted by an agent of the Amarr Empire."
She looked at the screen and watched as she lay on the bed and Carmilla rumaged in her bag and shot her with the stun gun, laying her down and placing the necklace around her neck. If anything, she thought, that proved she didn't steal it. Then she noticed that Carmilla wrote on the mirror, and then looked up at the camera, smilling.
Sakura sat back, stunned. Not only that the security footage existed and was being played, but also that her superiors had watched her at her most intimate. She watched as on the screen she awoke and cursed, dressed and departed, nearly 30 minutes after the stun shot.
"And what happened then?"
"I went looking for her, and found her. She blackmailed me with the pictures and the theft of the necklace and statue that was in the photo. It was enough evidence to have me...."
"Put on trial?"
"Yes. She made me visit her former Mistress at the time, an Ithiria Deritan..."
She noticed one of the captains nod to someone behind her and turn to his colleagues.
"Uh, yes. I think we can move on from here. That name will be struck from the records. No mention of that person is to be made. Continue."
"What?"
"Continue. after the meeting what did you do?"
"Why can't I mention Ithirias name?"
"It's a matter of state security. And you are not cleared for the information."
"What do you mean? I was there! She...."
"One more word and you will be held in contempt of court and bound over for thirty days in jail and reprimanded."
Sakura frowned, a cover up as well. What the hell was going on. Something bad was going to happen to her, she knew it.
"A few hours later.... Carmilla sent me a message asking me to meet her at her POS. I... made a detour by the station house and went to meet her."
"Why the detour?"
"I needed to pick up my weapons. When I got there... I shot her."
"And nearly killed her according to this report. The weapon you used was modified illegally and gave her a heart attack which were it not for the station medical facilities, would have killed her."
"Yes, that is true but..."
"But nothing."
"She blackmailed me! Threatened my life, my freedom and my career!"
"Far to late to get judgemental. You should have arrested her when you had the chance."
Sakura threw her arms up into the air in despair.
"Now, tell us about this datacrystal."
"Carmilla gave it to me by way of an apology. She said it may be useful to me. So I used the information on it to closed down a smuggling and theft ring in the heimatar region that had been used in seventeen high profile cases."
"Indeed you did. Officer Imoru. Your conduct over this affair has been downright atrocious! Consorting with enemy agents, making deals with Holders of the Empire, attempted murder of a capsuleer. These are very serious charges."
The captain looked behind her again and conversed with his colleagues and they nodded.
"I think it is best for the RJD as a whole if you are removed from your post. The RJD does not need such people as you. You have disgraced the...."
She listened on auto as the general spoke, despite the captains rebutal. A hand tapped her on th shoulder and slipped a piece of paper into her hand. She looked at it and frowned. It read, look under your lapel. Feeling with her fingers she found a small pin, of a stylised cloud blowing.
"Officer Imoru are you listening? And what is that?"
She looked up and held the pin out, the camera that was showing her face on the monitor zoomed in on the pin. The look on the generals face was vivid and unsettling. He went from a fury to almost white as a sheet, as did the Admiral. Behind her a voice whispered in her ear.
"You might like this next bit."
Sakura watched in mouting horror as Carmilla walked past her, taking the pin from her hand and approaching the General. Even with her high heels the officers towered over her. Whispering back and forth was fast and sharp, breaths were taken swiftly and Carmilla was clearly arguring with all five of the officers. Eventually she smiled, nodded to them and walked behind Sakura.
"Carmilla, what have you done? Are you trying to get me fired?"
The general cleared his throat and looked down at them.
"Sakura Imoru. In light of testimony from Miss D'Morenta we have decided to close this matter forthwith. And because of your sterling work in closing down the smugglers we are prepared to recognise this with a promotion to Enforcer first grade."
"I'm getting promoted?"
He slammed his gavel on the desk and they filed out. Sakura turned to Carmilla.
"What just happened? How do you know those people? What's going on?"
Carmilla slipped her arm into Sakuras and walked out the door.
"General Havers. Prefers two geisha at a time, sometimes three. Likes a birch lash. Admiral Saleni. Quite rough with my girls at times, though if his wife found out he would be in for the high jump."
"They are...."
"Customers. Yes. Fancy a drink? I know a good club which does a decent zydrine wine."
"Carmilla... if you think I'm going anywhere with you where there is....."
Carmilla just giggled and dragged the protesting woman with her.
"Come on, we have to celebrate your promotion.... Tribal Sins is open I belive."
Her hand reached for the inside of her jacket pocket to get a stim tab and found none. Cursing she patted her pockets, only vaguely aware of the clicking of heels coming towards her. From her left a pack of stims was extended, an amarr brand, gold leaf. She took one and chewed it, feeling the stimulant fill her briefly before turning around and coughing loudly.
"Carmilla? What the hell are you doing here? By right I should haul your ass in!"
Carmilla just smiled and put the pack back into her small bag. Adjusting her jacket she opened a small glasses case and took off the black tinted round glasses she was wearing and put them away.
"Sakura, darling, you must stop overreacting. And you have some dust on your uniform."
Taking hold of the lapel she fiddled with it and brushed the dust away.
"Now stop worrying Sakura....."
"Stop worrying? I've been hauled out of the field, told to come here and no one has told me why...."
"Would you like to know?"
".... I've seen all my superiors go through the door as well as a.... what?"
She looked at Carmilla with a mixture of shock and anger. She's doing it again, she though, be careful.
"It's a promotion hearing. Thought you would have recognised it."
"Oh...."
Carmilla giggled. Sakura did not.
The usher of the court opened the door and shouted out Sakura's name. She looked at Carm who just patted her cheek.
"Go on, you'll be fine."
Sakura walked into the courtroom, noticing it was mostly empty. At the far end, on the large raised dias sat the five officials, all her superiors. Three Captains, a General and an Admiral. Her heart raced as she took her place on the small stand before them.
"State your name and rank for the board."
"Sakura Imoru. Enforcer third grade. RJD."
The General looked over the papers infront of him and opened a file. Her heart jumped as she recognised the silver banding on the edge, a file from Internal Affairs. It was passed to the Admiral and back.
"Miss Imoru. We received a rather... disturbing report from you. A report that sent certain alarm bells ringing. Your name has been mentioned in the halls of this building. And for most that is not a good thing."
Bite the bullet, she thought, they are being too cryptic. Behind her she heard the door open and someone walk in.
"The report I filed was all in order. If there was any confusion with what happened I would have thought that my immediate superior would have informed me."
One of the captains gave a dry chuckle and leaned foward. He was wearing the badge of Internal Affairs and a his face was well known. The Axeman.
"Miss Imoru. Could you please relate to us the events that caused you to be blackmailed by the wanted criminal and supporter of the Amarr Empire, the woman known as Carmilla D'Morenta?"
Before she could stop herself she cursed and shouted out, slamming her fist onto the podium before her.
"Goddam it Carmilla!"
The Axeman smiled.
"So you do know her. Please tell us what happened.. in your own words please."
They knew... they knew everything. My career, lost, all I hoped to achieve gone because of that bloody woman.
"I met her in a bar. She....."
"Please be specific."
"Okay, we met in the Tribal Sins club...."
Sakura sat back in the chair watching the dancers. The lights were flashing wildly and the dancers were gyrating to some tune all the rage amonst the younger minmatar. She crossed her legs, her boots on the small stage that some of the dancers used to entertain guests, but none were coming close. All knew she was RJD and kept away. As if she would be interested in such small fry. Knocking back her drink she watched as one of the dancers, a tall sebiestor in an almost transparent dress danced her way towards her and slipped onto the small stage, her body writhing to the music. Sak couldn't help but run her eyes up and down the body, her curves illuminated by the cunningly placed spotlights. She couldn't help but recognise the person as she slipped off the stage and into her lap.
"Hey law-babe.... wanna buy me a drink?"
"Sure, why not? What would you like?"
Carmilla writhed and looked at her with a lascivious smile.
"Is that a trick question.....
"Depends on the answer, doesn't it?"
The woman on her lap traced her long nail down the side of her neck and along the collar. Taking Sakura drink she offered it to her and as she drank, kissed her to Sakura's amazement.
"Biting me one day, kissing me the next?"
Carmilla laughed and straddled Sakuras lap, her long dress bunching aroudn her waist and running her fingers through Sakura's hair, bringing her closer to her.
"So you are saying you had actual physical contact with her?"
"We kissed. Yes."
"What else did you do, officer?"
"I handcuffed her and we made our way to another venue."
"Did you arrest her?"
"No."
"Did you caution her?"
"No."
"Officer Imoru. Are you aware that what you did could be construed as kidnapping?"
Sakura just looked at them dumbfounded and shook her head.
"It was not kidnapping, it was voluntary. And anyway, she took me there."
She cursed silently as she realised what she had just said.
"She... took.. me... there. So you, an officer of the law was being taken aroud by a known criminal. This is outrageous!"
"I didn't know she was a wanted criminal. I'd never had cause to believe such in all our dealings."
"Yes, I noticed that. We'll get to that later... continue."
"We decided to change venues. A bar in the borderlands by the name of the Spaced Mongoose. From what I remember it was mainly used at one point by Guristas smugglers."
"And this did not worry you? Didn't you think it could have been a trap? It has been noted you didn't call for backup as is the norm for low security systems."
"I had no reason to believe there was any threat to my safety. I was...."
"Yes?"
"I trusted her."
"Yes.... we'll come back to that."
The main lounge of the Spaced Mongoose bar was not too impressive. A fire had roared through the facility, ripping it's heart out and turning the once popular bar into a ghost town. Restoration work was going on, but it was slow work. The back rooms it seemed, were not touched by the fire and one room in particular was selected by her, a bedroom of much oppulence.
"She took you to a bedroom?"
"Yes...."
"And what did you do?"
"I questioned her about her confessions that she had."
"And the result?"
"Not what I expected...."
"Elaborate."
Sakura sighed.
"She confessed her feelings for me."
"I see. And you did?"
"I.... we..... made love."
"And what happened after your carnal affair?"
"I fail to see what this has to do...."
The general banged his gavel and looked down at her. His rows of medals jingled and his frown turned his jovial face into a scarred nightmare.
"You will answer all questions we put to you. That is an order."
Sakura whispered under her breath, goddam you Carmilla.
"She hit me with a stun pistol. And I blacked out."
"Where did she get the pistol from?"
"It was in her bag."
"And you didn't disarm her?"
"I didn't recongise it for what it was. And after she let her self out of her handcuffs I was too.. distracted to notice."
"I'm sorry, you must have missed something. How did she get out of her handcuffs?"
"she picked the lock."
"Miss Imoru, I must say I don't believe some of your story. You see we have obtained a copy of the security feed for that night. And as you will see, I don't see much love. Plenty of lust and debauchery certainly."
As Sakura watched in horror the screens in the court room showed a large portion of the time she spent with Carmilla, showing them all in graphic detail what she did to Carmilla, and what Carmilla did to her in return.
"I must protest! What right do you have to show this?"
"You will be quiet!"
"I will not! I demand to know what is going on here!"
"We are trying to determine if a member of the RJD has been corrupted by an agent of the Amarr Empire."
She looked at the screen and watched as she lay on the bed and Carmilla rumaged in her bag and shot her with the stun gun, laying her down and placing the necklace around her neck. If anything, she thought, that proved she didn't steal it. Then she noticed that Carmilla wrote on the mirror, and then looked up at the camera, smilling.
Sakura sat back, stunned. Not only that the security footage existed and was being played, but also that her superiors had watched her at her most intimate. She watched as on the screen she awoke and cursed, dressed and departed, nearly 30 minutes after the stun shot.
"And what happened then?"
"I went looking for her, and found her. She blackmailed me with the pictures and the theft of the necklace and statue that was in the photo. It was enough evidence to have me...."
"Put on trial?"
"Yes. She made me visit her former Mistress at the time, an Ithiria Deritan..."
She noticed one of the captains nod to someone behind her and turn to his colleagues.
"Uh, yes. I think we can move on from here. That name will be struck from the records. No mention of that person is to be made. Continue."
"What?"
"Continue. after the meeting what did you do?"
"Why can't I mention Ithirias name?"
"It's a matter of state security. And you are not cleared for the information."
"What do you mean? I was there! She...."
"One more word and you will be held in contempt of court and bound over for thirty days in jail and reprimanded."
Sakura frowned, a cover up as well. What the hell was going on. Something bad was going to happen to her, she knew it.
"A few hours later.... Carmilla sent me a message asking me to meet her at her POS. I... made a detour by the station house and went to meet her."
"Why the detour?"
"I needed to pick up my weapons. When I got there... I shot her."
"And nearly killed her according to this report. The weapon you used was modified illegally and gave her a heart attack which were it not for the station medical facilities, would have killed her."
"Yes, that is true but..."
"But nothing."
"She blackmailed me! Threatened my life, my freedom and my career!"
"Far to late to get judgemental. You should have arrested her when you had the chance."
Sakura threw her arms up into the air in despair.
"Now, tell us about this datacrystal."
"Carmilla gave it to me by way of an apology. She said it may be useful to me. So I used the information on it to closed down a smuggling and theft ring in the heimatar region that had been used in seventeen high profile cases."
"Indeed you did. Officer Imoru. Your conduct over this affair has been downright atrocious! Consorting with enemy agents, making deals with Holders of the Empire, attempted murder of a capsuleer. These are very serious charges."
The captain looked behind her again and conversed with his colleagues and they nodded.
"I think it is best for the RJD as a whole if you are removed from your post. The RJD does not need such people as you. You have disgraced the...."
She listened on auto as the general spoke, despite the captains rebutal. A hand tapped her on th shoulder and slipped a piece of paper into her hand. She looked at it and frowned. It read, look under your lapel. Feeling with her fingers she found a small pin, of a stylised cloud blowing.
"Officer Imoru are you listening? And what is that?"
She looked up and held the pin out, the camera that was showing her face on the monitor zoomed in on the pin. The look on the generals face was vivid and unsettling. He went from a fury to almost white as a sheet, as did the Admiral. Behind her a voice whispered in her ear.
"You might like this next bit."
Sakura watched in mouting horror as Carmilla walked past her, taking the pin from her hand and approaching the General. Even with her high heels the officers towered over her. Whispering back and forth was fast and sharp, breaths were taken swiftly and Carmilla was clearly arguring with all five of the officers. Eventually she smiled, nodded to them and walked behind Sakura.
"Carmilla, what have you done? Are you trying to get me fired?"
The general cleared his throat and looked down at them.
"Sakura Imoru. In light of testimony from Miss D'Morenta we have decided to close this matter forthwith. And because of your sterling work in closing down the smugglers we are prepared to recognise this with a promotion to Enforcer first grade."
"I'm getting promoted?"
He slammed his gavel on the desk and they filed out. Sakura turned to Carmilla.
"What just happened? How do you know those people? What's going on?"
Carmilla slipped her arm into Sakuras and walked out the door.
"General Havers. Prefers two geisha at a time, sometimes three. Likes a birch lash. Admiral Saleni. Quite rough with my girls at times, though if his wife found out he would be in for the high jump."
"They are...."
"Customers. Yes. Fancy a drink? I know a good club which does a decent zydrine wine."
"Carmilla... if you think I'm going anywhere with you where there is....."
Carmilla just giggled and dragged the protesting woman with her.
"Come on, we have to celebrate your promotion.... Tribal Sins is open I belive."
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