Judicium
By Sealie

Earthside SGA-flashfic Challenge

Type: gen
Rating: PG-15 gen
Spoilers: Critical Mass
Beta: LKY and Klostes – USAF info supplied by Shallan

“Dr. Elizabeth Weir, can you confirm that you sanctioned torture to elicit material from a suspect?”

“Yes, but…”

“Thank you.” The scrape of a pen across a sheaf of paper echoed through the claustrophobic room as the USAF Judge Advocate General wrote his notes. Elizabeth sat in the centre of the room on a hard-backed chair. A large, heavy duty table isolated her from the Judge Advocate General and the stiff-faced lieutenant sitting behind him, transcribing their spoken words. The keys of the lieutenant’s steno machine clicking and clacking sent shivers up Elizabeth’s spine. Behind her, Elizabeth knew that there were seated three high-ranking USAF officers, Mr. Woolsey representing the President, and her own lawyer. This meeting had been days in the making: debriefings; meetings; discussions; dissections of reports and assessments of medical records.

And now it all came to a head.

“Do you have any words to say in your defence?”

“We thought that he was a Trust agent.” Elizabeth swallowed. All her customary diplomacy had escaped, left her bereft, left her to face the consequences of her actions. “We thought he…”

“The evidence against Dr. Kavanaugh was purely circumstantial, correct?”

Elizabeth folded her hands on her lap. The floor beneath her was clean, scrubbed until it gleamed. You could eat off it. She took a moment to compose herself, before raising her head to look straight in the General’s grey eyes.

“Correct, Sir.”

“Do you have anything else to say, Dr. Weir?”

“Only that, even if Dr. Kavanaugh had been guilty--” She raised her chin, “--I cannot condone my actions.”

The plain man met her gaze. He ticked a box on the form before him without looking down.

“No criminal action will be pursued at this time, given extenuating circumstances. Dr. Beckett has testified that you have been under extreme stress and are currently under medication and secondly, the sensitive, classified nature of the mission precludes that we take this matter further. Dr. Kavanaugh concurs with our decision.”

“Which is?” Elizabeth asked softly.

“It is the decision of this tribunal that you be relieved of your position as Commander of the Atlantis Expedition Team, effectively immediately. A military officer will take your place. ”

The End.