Breakfast in Bedlam/Chapters 15-16

Chapter 15
Then.

“Everyone has a right to live here and I refuse to be a part of a regime that says otherwise! I’ve worked too hard to help turn things around only to sit back and watch it all go back to what it once was!” Toryn Farr folded her arms, her glare fixed on Brigadier General Havenstrite. “So, you would prefer these people sneaking in, stealing our jobs and benefits without contributing to society as they should?” Havenstrite shook his head. “It is a good thing that you have no real power, Commander Farr. If it were up to you, we’d be up to our bootstraps in these leaches.” “I’m not saying that we should allow people to live off the grid, but perhaps there is another way, perhaps register them rather than deportation…”

“How can you be so blind?!” Havenstrite stepped forward, towering over Toryn, jabbing his finger mere centimeters from her nose. “Are you aware of the amount of money that would require? Have you stopped to think about that, about whether or not the public would be willing to pay for this? To pay to register freeloaders so that they are now permitted to steal our jobs? Of course you didn’t!” He stepped closer, his voice taking on a dangerous edge. “How Rieekan could ever commend someone so unbelievably foolish is beyond my understanding.” “How dare you speak to her like that!” A high-pitched voice cut through the tense situation. Both Toryn and Havenstrite turned around, seeing Zuckuss standing in the doorway, his gloved finger pointing accusingly in Havenstrite’s direction. Toryn recovered her voice first. “Zuckuss, what’re you doing in here? This… this really isn’t any of your concern…” Zuckuss ignored her, crossing the room to Havenstrite, stabbing at the air as if the motion of pointing would have a tangible effect on the man. “You do not ever speak to Toryn in that manner!” Havenstrite’s face contorted into a scowl and he swatted the Gand’s hand away. “Get out of this room at once, you insect. You have no business here.” He gestured to the door, only for Zuckuss to grab his arm. “What are you doing? Unhand me and get out of here!” Toryn could feel the Gand’s rising anger radiating like the heat of a furnace. “Zuckuss…” Her voice was a level warning. Still ignoring Toryn, Zuckuss tightened his grip on Havenstrite’s arm, taking a step forward, his voice low. “If I ever, ever hear you speak to Toryn like that again&mdash;”

Havenstrite raised an eyebrow. “Are you threatening me, insect?” He laughed, shooting Toryn a vulpine look. “I see you have him wrapped around your finger, Commander. So, what favors did you grant him?” Toryn’s jaw dropped. She felt her face flush a bright red at what she was being accused of. “Sir…! How can you think that I would…” Havenstrite snorted. He wrenched his arm from Zuckuss’s grip and turned towards Toryn, the Gand’s focus was now on some inner point concerning the man’s statement. “You said it before yourself, Commander, that you ‘had gotten to know him quite well.’ And here he is, like the over-protective leashed boyfriend.”  He shook his head. “Honestly, Commander. Have you no shame?”

Toryn was utterly speechless, so Zuckuss replied for her. Unfortunately, the response was a quick jab to Havenstrite’s midsection. Havenstrite doubled over as he stumbled backward. He coughed, recovering the breath that was forced from his lungs. Toryn blinked, stepping back as well, finally finding her voice. “Zuckuss…! What’re you&mdash;” “Don’t just stand there, you dimwit!” Havenstrite’s hoarse voice snapped. “Call security!” He straightened, raising his arm just in time for a blow to glance off of it. He caught Zuckuss by the wrist and pulled it behind the Gand’s back, wrapping his other arm around Zuckuss’s neck, pinning him. “You are not the only one with SpecForce training…” Toryn backed up, unable to take her eyes off the scuffle. She was not sure which she was shocked over more; Havenstrite’s promiscuity accusations or Zuckuss’s sudden outburst. Truth be told, this was the first time she had seen the Gand react with such emotionally-charged violence. However, other thoughts began to cross her mind as she reached the desk’s intercom, thoughts concerning what others have remarked to her about Zuckuss’s behavior, behavior that Toryn chose to attribute to stress or outright pretend was not present. Passers-by in the hall had remarked that Zuckuss looked disheveled and was often muttering to himself. Others had reported unprovoked aggression. And, Toryn sighed, she had to admit the apparent obsession that Zuckuss exhibited, with both Havenstrite’s actions and Toryn’s emotional well-being. Toryn shook her head, activating the intercom and summoning security. Her legs felt weak as she opened her eyes to events that others had been alerting her, events that she chose to ignore. If she had just acknowledged it, perhaps she could have prevented it…

There was a shout, a heavy thud, and a shuffling as Toryn looked up, seeing Zuckuss getting to his feet and Havenstrite rubbing his abdomen. Zuckuss took a moment to adjust and secure his breath mask before charging Havenstrite. Toryn found herself running into the fray, yelling as Havenstrite and Zuckuss grappled, trying to land a blow wherever an opening presented itself. Toryn ran up behind Zuckuss, grabbing his shoulders, trying to pull him off of Havenstrite. Zuckuss’s elbow shot back, bashing Toryn in the eye, sending her reeling backward with a sharp shout. Immediately, Zuckuss stopped and turned around. “Toryn?” Toryn’s hand was over her eye, her face knitted together in anger and confusion. She glared fiercely at Zuckuss. “What the hell is wrong with you?!” Zuckuss stood there dumbfounded. He held up his hands and took a cautious step forward. “Toryn, I…” “Seriously, what’s wrong with you?!” Toryn backed away, swiping her arm at the Gand. Zuckuss’s arms dropped to his sides and a hurt look flashed across his face. He let out a wordless wail, turning on the ball of his foot and running toward the door. Havenstrite caught him by the arm, throwing the Gand to the floor, digging his knee into the middle of his back as Havenstrite worked to pull Zuckuss’s arms behind him. Zuckuss writhed and shrieked, much less trying to fight as he was wanting to escape. He grated out something that, to Toryn, sounded like a garbled curse as he was hauled to his feet. He pulled and tugged and screamed, trying to wrench free from Havenstrite’s grasp.

Havenstrite looked down at the screaming Gand he held tightly by the arms for a moment before turning his gaze to Toryn, one eyebrow raised, the creases of his forehead deepened and pronounced, his upper lip curled into a sneer of utter disgust. “What the hell is wrong with him,” Toryn could hear the obvious inquiry in her head.

Boot steps thudded into the room like the hooves of draft animals, the security guards, three humans and two bulky droids, shoving themselves into the room, visored helmets protecting human faces, weapons drawn. The droids took up flanking positions on either side of the doorway, the humans approaching Havenstrite with his wailing mess. The largest of the guards stared at Zuckuss, wrinkling his nose at the behavior, then spoke to Havenstrite in an obviously-rehearsed emotionless drone. “What’s going on here?” Havenstrite shoved Zuckuss forward to indicate him, though the action was not even necessary as the Gand was doing a perfectly acceptable job of drawing attention to himself with the wriggling and shouting. “Aggravated assault against a military officer. This bounty hunter attacked myself and Commander Farr without provocation.” Toryn stumbled backward, shaking her head. “Sir… Zuckuss didn’t&mdash;” Both the guard and Havenstrite regarded Toryn with a parental gaze. The guard stepped forward, nodding. “Quite the shiner you got there, ma’am. You get that from that Gand?” “Yes, but&mdash;” The guard turned away from Toryn and faced Havenstrite. He looked down at Zuckuss still gripped firmly by the arms. The Gand’s screams had faded to quiet whimpering, his legs looking like they could barely support him as he practically hung by his arms. The guard nodded to Havenstrite. “Let him go.” Havenstrite sputtered. “Are you crazy?! This insect is a menace!” “Let him go. I want to see what he does.” Havenstrite hesitated for a moment, then did as he was told. Around him, the other guards brandished their weapons. Toryn blinked, stepping backward as she watched Zuckuss crumble to his hands and knees right there. The guard chuckled, walking around to get a better look. He tapped Zuckuss in the side with his nightstick and chuckled again. “Don’t seem like much of a menace to me.”

Zuckuss let out another scream and grabbed the guard by the leg, pulling him to the floor. Almost immediately, the other guards were on top of the Gand, nightsticks swinging through the air, the sick thwack of impacts with the exoskeleton, forcing Zuckuss into submission. The light glinted off a pair of binders as they were clicked into place, the guards hoisting him into the air by his arms and ankles to prevent any chance of escape or further attack. As they carried him screaming to the door, Zuckuss shot Toryn a haunted look before disappearing around the corner, followed by the droids and the lead guard.

Havenstrite stayed behind for a few moments longer, arms folded across his chest, his brow furrowed. “That breed of scum never change…” He gave Toryn a nod. “Go home and put some ice on that eye.” His arms dropping to his sides, his hands curled into loose fists, he left the room.

Chapter 16
It was amazing how quickly the New Republic could organize a military tribunal at the behest of an officer with the deepest pockets and loudest mouth. For the rest of the galaxy, the justice system had citizens mired in mountains of flimsi-work and legal fees for months and sometimes years before they ever set foot in a courtroom. Such procedures, Toryn Farr noticed, were cast aside, the process expedited immensely, as she found herself in full military dress, sitting just behind the prosecution in a slavishly&mdash;even ludicrously&mdash;ornate courtroom within a matter of a few weeks of the incident in question. When the case involved a former Rebel agent who had deserted to operate on the fringes of galactic law, no one dragged their feet when it came to bringing him to justice. Bounty hunters were generally disliked by the military and government, though because they were beneficial at bringing fugitives to justice much faster than the efforts of the local law enforcement, then the Republic tolerated their presence. However, the very moment one of the lawless mercenaries stepped out of line, the Republic wasted no time in putting them away. And when the hunter in question was considered by most to be high-profile, they moved even faster to sweep the incident under the proverbial rug to avoid a messy media circus. Such public debacles would only serve to tarnish the government further in the eyes of the citizens, bounty hunters garnering more admiration in the popular culture than the proper and legal methods of the police force.

Toryn sighed, looking down at her hands folded in her lap. She had been sitting in on the trial for what felt like all day, she could not tell. There was no chronometer on the wall to check and she was not wearing one herself. She had lost all sense of the passage of time as she sat there, her thoughts drifting in and out of the room. She was asked to testify at some point, which she did, but she wasn’t exactly sure when that was. She looked over to the defense where a court-appointed attorney sat, along with an officer, and in between them sat Zuckuss, wrists and ankles securely bound and clad in a prison uniform that was obviously meant for larger convicts. The fabric had rumpled and billowed around the shoulder straps and belt of the harness that held the filtering unit secure between his shoulder blades. Zuckuss’s gaze was locked on the table before him and his attorney said not a single word to him, as if defending the Gand were a reluctant obligation that he hoped would soon be over with. Zuckuss was quiet and still throughout the proceedings, and Toryn saw that when she testified, Zuckuss had noticeably shrank in his seat, trying to force himself to disappear in the oversized prison grays. He could barely bring himself to look at Toryn, though she noticed out of the corner of her eye that he would sneak a furtive glance every now and then. His shoulders drooped, head bowed, and quiet demeanor, Zuckuss made no attempt to explain himself to his defense attorney, accepting the charges that were thrown at him. He barely did anything and needed to be forcefully yanked to his feet when the bailiff ordered everyone to stand. Even his brief testimony was quiet, his words muttered out and run together. Several times he was asked to repeat himself, speak louder, and enunciate. He claimed to have no memory of the incident. He knew he had done something wrong and was ready to accept the consequences, but he was not entirely sure what exactly he did.

Toryn found this to be odd, along with that Zuckuss was once again speaking in the third-person. She heard Brigadier General Havenstrite remark under his breath that “the lunatic is putting on an act, trying to cop a plea,” to which his attorney chuckled in agreement. However, Toryn could not help but wonder. Zuckuss seemed genuinely concerned over his memory lapse, claiming that it had been a problem throughout his career. He claimed, when the prosecution asked him to elaborate, that he would sometimes be missing huge chunks of time. He claimed that he had no memory of entire hunts until after he had locked an acquisition in a holding cell. He posed the possibility of the assault occurring during one of those blackouts, which was dismissed by the prosecution as an elaborate fabrication only to be contested by Zuckuss’s tired-looking defense attorney who apparently only objected just to indicate that he was doing his job. The questioning then segued to Zuckuss’s behavior prior to the assault before he was relieved and another witness took his place on the stand.

Toryn’s thoughts remained on the blackouts for a time, meandering back to when she was stationed on the medical frigate just after the battle of Hoth and her subsequent rescue and transport to and from Darlyn Boda. It was a few days after regrouping with the Rebel fleet at the rendezvous point, a few days after the Rebels had agreed to and thus provided Zuckuss life-saving lung surgery, when Toryn overheard him speaking with 4-LOM. It was also the first time that she had heard him speak in first-person and Zuckuss was asking 4-LOM to explain to him what had transpired that past week. He was obviously distraught, his voice pitched higher and speaking faster with an oddly-Corellian accent, as he fretted over waking up in an unfamiliar setting with an unexplained surgical scar, surrounded by people whose faces he only knew from bounty postings, only to find out that he had blew off a huge Imperial contract and joined the Rebellion. His frustration was understandable and at the time, Toryn did not give the incident much thought, attributing it to the fact that Zuckuss was recovering from major surgery and was heavily medicated. Though, it became much clearer, along with a continued pattern of behavior and apparent forgetfulness, now that Toryn made herself aware of the blackouts.

Havenstrite’s creaking chair brought Toryn’s focus back to the courtroom. Glancing up, Toryn saw the judge speaking, the tribunal was finally drawing to a close. The verdict was to be read. The judge noisily cleared his throat, his voice having a distinctive rattle of phlegm. “On two counts of aggravated assault against a military officer, one count aggravated assault against a police officer, and one count terrorist threats, how do you find the defendant?” The young fresh-faced foreman glanced down at the flimsiplast he held in his hands, one eyebrow raised and obviously hesitant to read it. His gaze flicked to the defense, he apparently held a level of respect and admiration for Zuckuss. Grunting and shrugging his shoulders, he said, “We find the defendant not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.” Havenstrite’s fist hit the table as he swore under his breath, the courtroom abuzz with murmuring. A stern glare and quick whack of the gavel silenced them. Clearing his throat once more, the judge fixed Zuckuss in his dark gaze. “Then I hereby sentence the defendant to be remanded to the state psychiatric facility until such a time that he is no longer a danger to himself and others.” Zuckuss noticeably winced with the bang of the gavel. Two officers flanked him, pulling him to his feet and escorting him to the door as the entire room turned to stare. As he passed Toryn, their eyes met and Toryn could hear Zuckuss’s solemn and quiet apology before being swallowed up by the crowd.