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Date Posted: 14:37:35 07/25/01 Wed
Author: Barristro, the "Sharkticon Attorney"
Subject: "Thank you, your honor, thank you."
In reply to: Judge Nores 's message, ""Defense? You may now cross-examine if you wish..."" on 14:07:18 07/25/01 Wed

The "Sharkticon Attorney" smirked at Masonite and Anakin from the side of his mouth as he got up, unseen by the jury. What began as a feral snarl transformed fluidly to a beaming smile when he stood, returned by one or two in the jury box, but not all. He ambled forward and addressed Tim Langston.

"Mis-ter Langston; how are you feeling today?"

"F-fine sir, yourself?"

"How POLITE! I'd remind you that I'm the one asking the questions, but that'd be plain rude, no wouldn't it? And politeness begets politeness.

I'm a little warm since you ask, a little famished. I haven't had a BITE all day. Mr. Langston? Are you cold? You seem to be shaking..."

"No sir, I'm not cold."

"Not cold...interesting...." Noticing an angry glance from Nores, who was tapping his chronometer, Barristro continued. "I'm sorry your honor; I AM going somewhere with this.

Tell me Mr. Langston, how many years exactly have you served on this station?"

"Fifteen years si--"

"FIFTEEN--! FIFTEEN years! Well, you must be used to Cybertronians by now then! Why are you afraid of me?"

"Afraid? I'm sorry sir, but I'm not--"

"It's not cold, you aren't cold, and you're shaking. Seems to me a security guard shouldn't let himself get rattled, like a certain higher ranking officer did when he teleported out the defendant's engine, hmm? Could it be you condemn Dinotron because you fear his appearance, as you do mine?" Nores warned the Sharkticon Attorney against badgering his witness and making suppositions, following a hearty objection from the prosecution. "I apologize. My own appearance is fearsome, and I guess I forgot my place, remembering how others shunned me. That of course has no place here. You may strike it from the record."

Record or no, the words had been spoken and the jury had heard them. Barristro read their faces and restrained his jubilation; masking his emotions was an important part of his success as a lawyer.

"In fifteen years, have you ever seen the technique used that was used on Dinotron."

"No sir, but we were all aware from training that sometimes extrem--"

"Thank you; your answer was 'no.'

You must have seen some dangerous prisoners, eh? Maull, The Electriad, Raph Sar, Panthorr, Joskur the Dirge--a veritable rogue's gallery.

Tell me Mr. Langston, would you say any of these characters are more or less dangerous than Dinotron?" The question was, of course, objected to on the grounds that the witness was not there to make a judgment call on the other prisoners, so Barristro rephrased. "Is Dinotron the worst prisoner you've ever dealt with?"

"Worst is such a--"

"Answer the question."

"No...I mean yes...I mean, I can't rightly say; each prisoner we bring in is different. Most times it's just a drunk and disorderly from Tankup's, there to dry out, or a portal violator. But this prisoner...yes, yes I believe he was high up there on the danger level. ESPECIALLY when he tried to kill Matthews! And then when he helped that other orphan-maker Scaleblade kidnap the warden!! You're DAMN right he was--!"

"THANK you; no need to get upset or talk about matters that occured AFTER the engine was removed, AFTER he was provoked to a more dangerous state. I'm asking if you thought there was anything especially dangerous or out of the ordinary when he was first brought in."

"I...when he was brought in he was struggling, but...no, no I didn't know what he had done exactly yet..or what he would be capable of--"

"Thank you, no further questions."

Barristro took his seat once more, eyeing the inert, stasis-locked defendant on the monitor to the brig. He thought of how superbly he was manipulating the jury, and of how easily rattled the guard was: A fifteen year human veteran, used to dealing with and working with Transformers. Barristro looked at Dinotron on the screen, and shuddered to think he might actually be winning this one.

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