Chapter 20
Trials and Tribulations (Part C)

Gabrielle convened court again in the morning. The set-up process went much more smoothly this time, since everyone remembered how it had worked the day before, and Gabrielle quickly called the court to order.

She stood and looked out over the citizens of New Gaia, both old and new.

"Good morning. So far, we've heard Riku's telling of the events that led him to take Tormu's life, Lena's account of Tormu's attack on her, and how it has affected her and her father. We've heard from various citizens that have tried to help us see Riku, Lena, and Tormu more clearly, and we've also heard from those of our people who believe that Riku was wrong to kill Tormu. We will now be hearing from those who would like to speak on Riku's behalf. Please remember, if you have a question, stand, and then wait to be recognized before you begin."

Gabrielle repeated herself in English, then sat down and looked at the first paper on top of the stack that listed everyone who'd signed up to speak in support of Riku's actions. She called out the first name on the list.

"Cameron? You're up first."

Cameron came forward and stood in the center of the court. He looked nervous about being the first to speak, but he kept his voice steady and made eye contact with the members of the Council once he began. Tala stood with him and translated for everyone who didn't understand English.

"Yesterday morning, I thought Riku was wrong to take a life. I still think that, but now I know that he did what he did because he was acting out of love for Lena and honor to his people… He shouldn't be condemned for that… I believe that, if Riku had known about our laws, he would have followed them and that's what counts…"

A woman stood and Gabrielle held up a hand for Cam to wait before continuing.

"The Court recognizes Roseanne."

"Thank you. Um, Riku? Would you have let the laws of New Gaia decide what should have been done with Tormu, if you'd known you were suppose to?" Roseanne asked a little uncertainly.

Tala translated Roseanne's words, both for Riku and for the court's attendants, and then began relaying his response.

"He says he is a man of honor and will follow the laws of his people and the people of New Gaia are now his people… If he had known that there was another way of doing things, he would have… He has had nightmares every night since killing Tormu and he wishes he hadn't been honorbound to kill Tormu… He felt that he was, though, because he didn't know that the laws of New Gaia lifted that burden from him."

Tala finished and Roseanne sat back down. Gabrielle gestured for Cam to continue.

"I think that's all I wanted to say. Thank you," Cam said and returned to his seat.

"Etana, it's your turn," Gabrielle called out in Iroki and then English.

The woman took her position in the middle of the court and began speaking in Iroki, which Tala dutifully translated for the English-speaking listeners.

"Riku did what was right. He saw that his child had been hurt and defended her honor. If he had done anything else, he would have been neglecting his duties as a father… I don't understand why anybody is questioning this. It is clear that Riku is a good father and an honorable man…"

Tala finished translating, as Etana retook her seat in the audience. Gabrielle had to muffle the grin that wanted to make its presence known on her face. Etana had always been one of Iroka's more outspoken members. Gabrielle consulted the list again.

"Okay, Timothy's up next. Timothy?"

Timothy strode forward and didn't even address the Council, but instead faced the citizens of New Gaia. Tala translated everything he said.

"I just wanted to tell everyone here that I support Riku's actions for the simple fact that I myself would've probably done the same thing if I'd found out that my child had been raped… I know that our laws forbid me to do that, but I also know that I wouldn't care… So how can I condemn Riku's actions, especially when Riku didn't even know about our laws and actually thought he was upholding them?" Timothy asked.

He looked over his shoulder at the Council members and gave them a respectful nod before walking back to his seat. Gabrielle saw many people nodding their heads in agreement with Timothy's sentiments. Gabrielle rose from her chair.

"Timothy, could you please come back up here?" she requested.

Timothy looked at her in question, but returned to the center of the court without speaking.

"You said you know that our laws forbid you to take another's life because they have wronged you or your family. Can you tell us why? Why we have that law?" Gabrielle asked.

Timothy looked a little uncomfortable, but he took the time that Gabrielle was repeating herself in Iroki to formulate an answer.

"Well, killing is wrong and there's always the possibility that you could be wrong about who did what and you might end up punishing the wrong person… By letting the courts decide what to do, based on the evidence that's presented, you're more likely to get justice for yourself and your family," Timothy finished.

"But what if you're absolutely sure that you know who wronged you? Like maybe you saw them do it, or you know the person who told you about it wouldn't lie, or had no reason to lie? What then? Why is there still a law against taking your revenge?" Gabrielle continued her questioning. She translated everything into Iroki, giving Timothy time to come up with some kind of response.

"I guess maybe because not everybody is strong enough to exact the proper punishment on the offending party… I mean, Riku could have been killed by going after Tormu and then no justice would have been done."

Gabrielle addressed Riku, but she gestured for Timothy to stay where he was.

"Riku, what happens when the person who is seeking justice is defeated by the person they're seeking justice from?" Gabrielle asked in Iroki, then in English.

"Nothing. The matter is considered finished," Riku replied and Tala translated for everyone else.

"So, if Lena hadn't had you to defend her, who would have sought justice for her?"

"Tala."

"And if Tala hadn't been around?"

"Then it would have fallen to Kuta."

"But what if he hadn't been there either? Who would have stood up for Lena?"

Riku scrunched his face up for a moment as he thought. His face cleared when understanding of where Gabrielle was going dawned on him and he gave his answer.

"No one."

"So, Lena would have had to seek justice for herself against Tormu. Do you believe justice would have been served in that situation?"

"No. Lena is too small to defeat Tormu. If she could have fought him herself, he would never have been able to hurt her in the first place," Riku replied.

"And what would have happened if Tormu's family hadn't believed he'd hurt Lena and felt that your killing of him was the beginning of the wrongdoing and not the ending?"

"Tormu didn't have any family. He was the last of his line," Riku said.

"But just suppose Tormu'd had a brother and he hadn't believed that Tormu had hurt Lena. What would he have done after finding out his brother had been killed for a crime he didn't commit?"

"He would have come to me to make the balance right," Riku said.

"What does that mean?"

"He would have killed me."

Gabrielle turned back to Timothy.

"Why do we have laws against someone seeking justice individually?" she asked once again.

Timothy nodded in comprehension.

"To protect those who can't enforce the law on their own and to keep a cycle of revenge and retaliation from beginning. Our laws place the burden on the community, which has a much stronger back, collectively, than a single individual does. It also keeps the community from falling into a 'might makes right' way of living. Thank you," Timothy said and then returned to his seat again.

Tala finished translating the last few sentences and Gabrielle sat down and looked for the next name on the list. Tristan leaned into her.

"You know, I can't tell whether you were speaking for or against Riku," he whispered into her ear.

Gabrielle looked out over the crowd then back down at the paper in front of her.

"I don't think anyone else can either," she whispered back.

Gabrielle herself wasn't entirely sure whether the point she'd been trying to make supported Riku or not. That wasn't the reason she'd spoken. She just wanted everyone to understand why the Lawmaker's Guild had come up with the laws they had all agreed to follow.

She knew the Irokans hadn't really understood why what Riku had done was being considered wrong by their new tribesmen and she also knew that her own people, at least those who supported Riku, might be doing so out of a misguided belief that what he'd done wasn't really wrong somehow.

Gabrielle shook her head at herself. She didn't think Riku should be punished for killing Tormu and yet she still didn't agree with his actions. It was a hard place to be in and yet, she thought, as Judge in the case, it might be the best possible position she could have.

Gabrielle read the next name on the list.

"Shari? You're up now," Gabrielle said.

Shari, with her own Native American ancestry, looked like she could have been an Irokan, though her skin tone was much lighter than most of the Irokan's deep umber. Her cheekbones were highly prominent and she walked with the air of someone who knew who she was and where she came from.

Shari came to a stop in the middle of the space in front of the Council table and spoke. Though she could have translated for herself, she chose to let Tala do that for her, so that she could focus solely on the Council without having to turn to face the crowd on her left.

"Riku acted in accordance with the laws of his people. To attempt to hold him accountable under the laws of New Gaia would be a great miscarriage of justice… In this case, I believe ignorance of the law is reason enough to find Riku innocent of any and all wrongdoing according to the laws set forth by the original ninety-eight New Gaians… None of the Irokan people were here for those votes and there haven't been any votes taken for new laws since they arrived, so they have no way of knowing how our judicial system works… If this Council decides to hold Riku responsible for his actions against this community, it will be doing a great disservice to the Irokan people, and I will personally encourage them to appeal the judgment…"

Shari waited to see if anyone had any questions for her and then, when there weren't any, returned to her seat.

Gabrielle nodded. That was the crux of the issue. Whose laws should take precedent? Tala had led her people to join Gabrielle's and they had agreed to abide by the laws of New Gaia as part of living within their new community. But no one had taken the time to let the Irokans know what exactly it was they were agreeing to.

Gabrielle called the next name on the list.

"Nayati? Come forward please," Gabrielle said in Iroki, then English.

A very large man stood up from one of the middle rows and lumbered forward. Gabrielle knew he'd gotten his name from his ability to wrestle just about anything to the ground and anyone who looked at him could understand why. He was the largest member of Iroka, and he'd even beat out Tony as the largest member of New Gaia.

Nayati stood very still and looked at Gabrielle. Tala had risen to stand near him, so she could translate for him, and she waited for him to speak.

"Riku is right. The balance is right. I agree with everyone who's spoken before me."

With that, he turned and walked back to his seat. Tala translated and then returned to her seat as well.

It was Gabrielle this time that leaned into Tristan to whisper into his ear.

"I think maybe it's time we broke for lunch. I want to organize my notes so we can keep people from repeating things. I want to finish this up today if that's at all possible," she whispered to Tristan.

Tristan turned to pass the message down his side of the table and Gabrielle turned to her right to whisper a similar suggestion to Gregory. She received nods of approval from everyone and then addressed the group of spectators.

"The Council has decided to recess until after lunch. At that time, we will continue to hear from those who wish to speak in favor of Riku's actions. This court is now in recess until after lunch."

Gabrielle stood and everyone quickly went their separate ways. She watched Tala, and the rest of her family, escort Riku back to the Main Hall and then turned at a touch on her shoulder.

"Hey. You okay?" Tristan asked quietly.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She looked around to find a particular Council member and called out when she saw him. "Larry? Yeah, come over here."

Larry excused himself from talking to Melissa and Andrea and walked over with his notes tucked under his arm.

"What's up?" he asked.

"I wanted to compare your transcriptions with my notes and see if we can boil down what everyone's been saying. I think there's been some repetition that we've been missing because people are saying the same things, but citing different reasons for them. Ya know?"

"Yeah, I picked up on that, too. You wanna do that now or over lunch or something?"

"Now. I'll get someone to bring us lunch, if it takes us that long. You set?"

"Yeah, sure, let's go," Larry replied.

Gabrielle turned back to Tristan, who had been listening to the conversation.

"Should we get the whole Council in on this or just do it?" Gabrielle asked.

"Just do it. No one got upset when you read from your notes the last time, so it shouldn't be any different this time," Tristan reasoned.

"You wanna just let everyone know that's what we're doing and if they wanna get in their two cents' worth, to just come by my hut?"

"Okay."

"I'll probably see you at lunch. Tell Tala what's up for me?"

"Sure."

Gabrielle headed off with Larry, and Tristan watched her go. He looked around at the people walking around the center of the village and just stood there.

He was twelve thousand years in his world's past, second-in-command of a village made up of twenty-first century Americans and Paleo-Indians, acting as part of a Council presiding at the trial of one of its community's members. It was just too weird for words.

Tristan shook his head and began going around to the Council members to deliver Gabrielle's message. Tala showed up a few minutes later and he gestured for her to come over.

"Gabrielle asked me to tell you she's at your hut working with Larry on what's been said so far," Tristan said.

He caught the look of disappointment and put a hand on the tall woman's shoulder.

"She'll probably be done by lunch," he said in consolation.

Tala nodded. She continued to stand there, a little uncertainly, and Tristan waited for her to say something. Finally, she spoke.

"What will happen to my brother if the Council decides what he did was wrong?"

Tristan looked down, then met her blue eyes with his own.

"I don't know. The Council will probably take suggestions for possible consequences from the community and then we'll try to decide which is best," Tristan replied.

"Will he be killed?"

Tristan wanted to say no. He didn't believe that, even if there were a few people who believed in an eye for an eye, there would be enough of them to vote something like that into action. But he also knew that if that were what the majority called for, he and the rest of the Council would be hard-pressed to fight it.

"I don't think so. That would just make the community as wrong as what they were condemning Riku for. And I'm sure Gabrielle would point that out to everyone."

Tala nodded again, but then a different look of doubt and hesitation replaced the fear and uncertainty she'd been showing concerning her brother.

"Is Gabrielle.. okay?" Tala asked with difficulty and she refused to meet Tristan's eyes.

"She's under a lot of stress right now, but she'll be okay. She's got you, and she's got me and Greg looking out for her, too."

"She doesn't sleep well," Tala confessed and finally looked up at Tristan's face. "She cries out and doesn't know it. She calls names of people I haven't met here. Micah, Susan, Colleen, John. Do you know who they are? Are they demon spirits?"

Tristan felt his heart lurch at the mention of his dead lover. He had been sure he would spend the rest of his life with the man. And then to have him killed on the same night they'd all gone home had been devastating. The only thing that had pulled him through was having Gabrielle in his life and Gregory's patient acceptance.

"No, they're not demon spirits. Gabrielle told you how we came from the future to live here and make the future a better place. Well, that wasn't the first time we'd traveled to the past. We were sent much farther back the first time and there were creatures there that were the size of three of the Dining Halls and they killed some of the people whose names you mentioned. I think Gabrielle still feels responsible for their deaths because she was Chief and now, with Riku being on trial, I think she feels like it's happening again. People are getting hurt and she can't stop it," Tristan explained.

"But it wasn't her fault. Tormu hurt Lena and Riku only did what he thought he had to. How can any of this be her fault?"

"That's just how Gabrielle is. She takes responsibility for something and doesn't let it go."

"I have to help her," Tala stated seriously.

"Just be there for her. Support her. The community and the Council will all be a part of making the final decision, but it's Gabrielle who will shoulder the responsibility for putting that decision into effect. It's going to be difficult, if it's not the decision she's hoping for."

Tala nodded once again and then smiled her thanks, before turning and walking towards the woods. She wandered along the perimeter path that she normally walked with Gabrielle. She thought about what she would do if the decision was made that Riku had to take Tormu's place.

Her first reaction was to fight. She knew the Iroka would follow her, regardless of the consequences, but then she thought of Gabrielle and knew she couldn't do it. She couldn't lead her people against Gabrielle's. And they were supposed to all be Gabrielle's people now, anyway.

But Gabrielle had told her that wasn't true. They were really supposed to become a new people, a combined people; the best of both. Tala realized what she had to do and decided, no matter what her brother's judgment turned out to be, she would make sure New Gaia became what Gabrielle said it should be. Even if it took her the rest of her life.

**********************

Gabrielle looked up when she heard the lunch horn sound outside. Larry looked up as well and then smiled.

"Time to eat?" he asked hopefully.

She grinned back at him.

"Yeah, I think we've got this figured out enough. Thanks."

"No problem. See ya later," Larry said and headed out the door.

Gabrielle gathered her scattered notes and began putting them in order. When she looked up, Tala was standing in the doorway, waiting for her.

"Hi," Gabrielle said quietly.

Tala walked forward and came around Gabrielle's desk. She took the papers Gabrielle was holding and placed them on the table, then pulled the smaller woman into her arms.

"Mine," Tala whispered several times into Gabrielle's right ear. Gabrielle hugged her wife tightly and then let go, so that she could get a look at Tala's face.

"What's going on?" Gabrielle asked in Iroki.

"I need you, no matter what happens," Tala said simply.

Gabrielle looked a little perplexed, but she didn't question it. Tala spent most of her time "in the moment" and when she felt something, she let everyone know at the time she was feeling it. It was partly that openness that had drawn Gabrielle to the native woman.

"I want to be on the Council. I want others of my people to be on the Council, too," Tala said suddenly.

Gabrielle waited for more, but Tala remained silent.

"I've been thinking about that, too. I think we made a mistake by not making you Co-Chief with me. We acted like our ways were better than yours, without even examining the two systems, and that was wrong." Gabrielle thought carefully about her next words. "But I think we should wait until after the current crisis is resolved. We're already in the middle of some major issues and introducing more might strain the situation beyond tolerance. Do you know what a civil war is?" Gabrielle asked.

The Iroki words she'd chosen for the translation of the concept were a close approximation, but she wasn't sure she'd gotten the meaning across as clearly as she'd wanted to.

Tala shook her head.

"It's a war between people of the same tribe. Brother against brother. Sister against sister. It's horrible because it divides the people from one another. That's why I'm hoping we get a majority of our people to agree on what should be done. Otherwise, we could have a civil war on our hands."

"No. I will keep my people from fighting yours. And you will keep your people from fighting mine. Then we will make your people and my people our people," Tala declared.

Gabrielle looked at her wife and had to smile at the confidence she saw in Tala's eyes. The woman had no doubts that they could make it happen, if they worked together, and Gabrielle found new hope replacing the pessimism she'd been feeling.

Even though it had seemed like many people had changed their viewpoints in favor of Riku, after hearing his version of events, and Lena's too, there was still a large amount of people who thought Riku should be punished for what he'd done and if Riku was found innocent, they could start trouble. As it was, Riku had become a kind of poster child for the Iroka and many of Gabrielle's people looked at him to judge the rest of Tala's tribe. It was wrong, but it was also very hard to combat at the moment.

"Alright. It's a deal then," Gabrielle replied. Tala smiled her acceptance. "Come on. Let's go eat."

**********************

Court began again after lunch and Gabrielle started with the list she and Larry had come up with from their notes on what people had said that morning.

"Alright, we're going to continue hearing from those people that support Riku. In order to keep things moving quickly, I'm going to read off the points that have been made so far, so that repetition can be kept to a minimum. When it's your turn to speak, if you need the list read again to refresh your memory, please just ask me," Gabrielle repeated everything in Iroki and then continued in English again. "Okay, here goes."

Gabrielle checked her notes and began reciting the individual points, repeating each one in Iroki.

"One: Riku acted out of love for his daughter. Two: Riku acted to honor his people's laws and believed he was upholding the law, as he knew it. Three: Riku shouldn't be condemned for his actions because others would have reacted the same way he did. Four: Riku was acting in accordance with the laws of Iroka and therefore shouldn't be held accountable under the laws of New Gaia. Five: Riku would have acted lawfully, if he'd known what New Gaia's laws are. Six: Riku didn't know that he was breaking any laws at the time. Seven: The balance has been made right."

Gabrielle looked up and saw a lot of people nodding their heads.

"From now on, unless you have something new to add to this list, please simply stand and state which points you agree with," Gabrielle said in both languages.

She consulted the list of names and picked up where she'd left off.

"Alright, George? You're up," Gabrielle called out.

George stood and spoke from where he was.

"I agree with all of them, except one and three," he stated and then sat down.

Tala repeated his words in Iroki, so that the rest of the group knew which points he had agreed with, and then remained standing as she waited for the next person to be called on.

"Hateya? It's your turn," Gabrielle said in Iroki, then in English.

A small woman stood from her seat. Gabrielle knew that her size had made her very valuable in tracking animals because she made very little noise and she was considered the best of the tribe.

"I agree that the balance has been made right," Hateya said and then retook her seat.

Tala made her translation and Gabrielle continued calling out the names on the list. Very few people had anything to add and usually only stood long enough to state which points they agreed with. The list was finished in only a few hours. Gabrielle stood and addressed the assembly.

"Tomorrow, the Council will go over everything that has been presented here over the last two days and we will reconvene the following morning. This court is now in recess until the day after tomorrow."

With that, she gathered up her papers in what was becoming a ritual for her after recessing court, and everyone began milling about, discussing what had been said and their own views on the matter.

Gabrielle talked with several Council members and agreed to ask the community for a vote regarding whether they felt Riku was wrong or not. After that, she went directly to her hut and lay down to wait for Tala to return from seeing her brother back to the Main Hall. Less than an hour later, Tala took her place next to Gabrielle's dozing form.

Gabrielle turned over just enough to see Tala's face through sleep-hazed eyes.

"Hey," came the scratchy-voiced greeting.

Tala grinned at her sleepy wife.

"Hello," Tala replied.

"So, how's Riku doing?" Gabrielle asked.

Gabrielle hated not being able to talk to Riku herself, but she'd promised Tristan she wouldn't and she refused to go back on her word.

"He's good. He was surprised so many of your people stood up for him," Tala relayed her brother's sentiments.

"Well, where we came from, rape was something everyone agreed was horrible, but our laws didn't do very much about it. This will be the first time our people have gotten a chance to see their own feelings validated by the 'law.'"

"Why didn't your people's laws work?" Tala asked with all innocence.

Gabrielle laughed, but it was without humor.

"There were too many laws and too many political agendas for those laws, all run by a patriarchal society. Men had the power and, since it's usually men who do the raping, it's not too big a mystery as to why our laws weren't stricter when it came to the victimizing of women. At least here, we're getting a chance to start over on equal footing. Everyone, regardless of who they are, gets a say. I just wish the person on trial here was Tormu, for what he did, rather than Riku."

Tala nodded and held Gabrielle closer. They snuggled together until the dinner horn sounded and then made their way to the Dining Hall.

Halfway through dinner, Tristan nudged Gabrielle and then gestured with his chin to everyone sitting around them. Gabrielle nodded back and then stood.

"Everyone. May I have your attention, please?" Very few people took notice and Gabrielle yelled over the din of voices. "Hey!"

Finally, she was heard and everyone turned to listen to what she had to say.

"Thanks. Alright. The Council has asked to take a vote of our community. It will not necessarily sway the decision of the Council, but it will be taken into consideration." Gabrielle repeated herself in Iroki, then continued. "The question is this: Do you believe Riku's actions were justifiable under the circumstances? Whether you vote yes or no, it doesn't mean you agree with what Riku did. We just want to know where everyone stands, since the consequences of Riku's actions will be determined based on what is good for the entire community, including Riku… The vote will be held at the Main Hall in the morning after breakfast. Thank you."

Gabrielle concluded her final translation and sat back down to finish her meal.

**********************

The Council sat at the large round table in the Main Hall. They'd come directly from the Dining Hall, after having had breakfast, and now they were waiting for Gabrielle to get them started.

"Well, I guess we should start off with the points for each side of the issue and see how they compare. Then we can go from there," Gabrielle began.

It was a long and exhausting process. As each point was made, counterpoints were brought up and examined. Arguments were quickly ended by Gabrielle, but it was hard not to start a few herself.

"Okay, the first point against Riku is that murder is wrong. I guess the question I have about this is whether what Riku did was murder or not," Gabrielle said.

"Of course it was murder. It was even premeditated. Riku said he waited until he could get Tormu alone," Robbie said.

"Yeah, but according to Irokan law, what Riku did was in defense of his daughter, someone who couldn't fight for herself," Gabrielle replied.

"But we're not talking about Irokan law. Are we?" Julia questioned the group.

"I think we have to take it into consideration. As far as Riku was concerned, he was following the law," Andrea said. "It's as much our fault as anybody's that he didn't understand that New Gaia's laws prohibited him from seeking revenge. We can't just forget that we're talking about a very different way of life from what we know."

"So, where does that leave us? Do we judge Riku based on our laws or on Irokan laws?" Justin asked.

"I don't know. I think we have to do a little of both. We have to understand that Riku thought he was acting in accordance with the traditions of his ancestors, but also factor in that when he and the rest of Tala's people joined us, they agreed to live by our rules. If we had joined them, it would have been the other way around," Gregory pointed out.

"Well, I don't think there was much chance of that happenin', d'you?" Barbara asked.

"Let's try to stay on topic here," Gabrielle admonished.

"Alright, so what are we deciding here? Was it out and out murder or some cross between murder and self-defense or what?" Justin asked.

"I vote for murder. Regardless of whether he thought he was doing the right thing, it was still the premeditated act of taking a human life," Robbie stated.

"What are the choices here, if we're taking a vote?" Tristan asked.

"Murder, self-defense, or a cross between both, I guess," Larry said as he looked over his notes. "No one has come up with any other suggestions."

"Okay, let's vote then," Tristan said and handed out the small pieces of paper that the paper mill had started making specifically for taking ballots in the Council meetings.

A few minutes later, the papers were collected and Gabrielle read them off for Larry to record. Only three votes came in for murder. The rest chose the combination of murder/self-defense.

"Okay, next point. Nearly everyone who spoke against Riku stated that they didn't think Riku should go unpunished. I think it's safe to say that everyone here believes there should be some kind of consequence for Riku's actions, no matter how we decide," Gabrielle said.

Everyone nodded their heads.

"However, we then have the point that was agreed to by a much larger majority among Riku's supporters that says they believe the balance has already been made right and we should just leave it alone," Gabrielle continued.

"I think we should come back to this after we've come to a decision regarding whether we think Riku was wrong or not in what he did," Gregory suggested.

Gabrielle scanned the group sitting at the table and got nods of assent to move on for the time being.

"Alright then." Gabrielle checked her notes. "'Riku shouldn't have taken the law into his own hands.' Here again, we have a question of whose laws. Do we judge him by the laws we set up, which he didn't know about, or the laws he grew up with and was very aware of?"

"Several points were made against this one," Justin started. He read down his own notes. "Riku didn't take the law into his own hands because he was following Irokan law. If he'd known about our laws, he would have followed them. He shouldn't be held accountable by our laws. He didn't know he was breaking any laws at the time."

"But like Irene said, ignorance of the law doesn't give one the right to ignore it," Robbie argued.

"But Riku didn't even know he was acting unlawfully. It wasn't even ignorance of the law, really, because he thought he knew the law," Andrea pointed out. "I think the real problem we're having here is that Riku broke New Gaia's laws by attempting to uphold Irokan law. We're trying to judge him fairly by our laws, but that's almost impossible to do. From his point of view, everything he did was exactly what he was supposed to do. According to him, and I believe him, he didn't even want to kill Tormu, but he didn't think he had any other options."

The room was silent for several long moments as everyone tried to come up with some kind of response to the Technologist's logic. She'd hit the nail on the head and no one seemed to have any answers for her.

"So, what are we gonna do?" Jonathan asked quietly.

"The best that we can. That's all we can do," Gabrielle said determinedly.

They continued to go over the transcripts Larry had taken and the notes that each Council member had written down for themselves. The only thing they all seemed to be able to agree on was the fact that Riku had done what was considered right among his own people, but had blatantly broken one of New Gaia's most serious laws.

Finally, there was a knock on the door and Tristan rose to answer it.

"Tala. What is it?" he asked the woman standing in the doorway.

"It's lunchtime. I've come to take Gabrielle to the Dining Hall," Tala replied.

"We're right in the middle of som-…"

"You have been working all morning and you need to eat. It isn't my job to make sure you do, but it is my job to make sure Gabrielle does," Tala stated with a slight warning in her voice.

Tristan took the hint and turned around to speak to everyone in the room.

"Why don't we recess for lunch and start fresh after we've all had a bite to eat?" Tristan asked with his infectious grin.

There were tired nods and some thankful sighs heard around the room.

"Alright, I'll see everyone back here after lunch," Gabrielle said.

Gabrielle stood up and decided to leave her notes where they were. There was no sense in picking them up when they would just get spread out again an hour later. She went to Tala and they walked along with everyone else who was moving towards the Dining Hall.

"You didn't hear the horn?" Tala asked.

"No. There was a little shouting going on just before you knocked. It must have drowned it out," Gabrielle replied.

"It's not going well?"

"It's going as well as can be expected. Trying to weigh what we know Riku thought was right against what we believe is wrong isn't an easy thing to do. We're just trying to look at the situation from all sides."

Tala nodded as they walked into the shaded interior of the Dining Hall and grabbed up a dish to hand to Gabrielle before taking one for herself. They loaded their plates and took their seats and began eating.

The diners were unusually quiet and many furtive glances were directed towards the members of the Council. It seemed everyone was aware of the weight the Council was carrying on its shoulders and they all wondered if the Council would be strong enough to bear it.

Gabrielle took a last bite from her mostly untouched plate and pushed it aside. Tala looked at her and Gabrielle shook her head. Prodding wouldn't get her to eat any more than she already had.

"Let's go for a walk," Tala suggested and picked up their plates to take to the washing basins.

Gabrielle followed with their cups and utensils and they each washed several dishes and cups before walking outside. They made their way around the outside of the town in silence. Tala held on to Gabrielle's hand and Gabrielle gripped the lifeline she'd been offered.

They completed several circuits around the village before Tala looked at the sky and slowly directed them back to the Main Hall.

"I'll be practicing. I'll come get you for dinner, if you're still not done," Tala promised.

"Okay. I'll see you later then," Gabrielle replied.

Gabrielle started to walk away, but Tala didn't let go of her hand and pulled her back into a hug.

"I love you, Gabrielle. No matter what you have to decide in there, I'll still love you. Do you understand?" Tala asked as she pulled away.

"Yes. Thank you. I love you, too," Gabrielle whispered the last part as a few tears started to choke her up. She wiped them away a little sheepishly. "Well, I have to go. Gotta get back to work in there."

"You go be Chief," Tala said with a grin.

Gabrielle nodded and gave a quick kiss to Tala's lips.

"I love you. Don't you ever forget that," Gabrielle whispered, then turned away and walked up the steps and disappeared into the building.

Tala stood there for a few more seconds, then headed off to the drilling fields.

**********************

"Well, this clinches it for me," Gabrielle heard Tristan say as she walked into the Council room.

"What does?" she asked.

Tristan handed over the results of the vote that had taken place that morning while they'd been in deliberation.

"Only nineteen votes came in against Riku. I think that overrules any decision we could come up with to the contrary and I happen to agree with them anyway," Tristan said.

Gabrielle looked over the list of yays and nays and couldn't keep the grin from forming on her lips. She glanced up at the other members of the Council already there and saw similar looks on several of the faces, but there were still a few people who appeared to need a little more convincing.

Gabrielle set the papers aside and took her seat. Everyone else followed suit.

"Well, it's definitely a majority vote, but unless we're simply going to follow that, I think there's still a few more things we should discuss," Gabrielle said.

It took less than two hours for the Council to come to a unanimous vote. Gabrielle ended the meeting and went in search of Tala. She found her practicing alone in the clearing that had been designated for the Warriors' use.

Gabrielle watched from just inside the treeline as Tala went through a series of jumps, kicks, and punches. Tala dove to the ground, grabbing a staff as she rolled, and then came back to a standing position to combat several imaginary foes. She twirled the staff with such ease that Gabrielle would have sworn Tala had been born with it as an extra appendage.

Tala wound down and then Gabrielle stepped forward. She picked up a staff on her way to the center of the clearing and worked it around her body a few times to warm up her muscles. Tala saw her and grinned widely, a feral glint in her eyes at the prospect of a live opponent.

They squared off and Gabrielle took the offensive with Tala easily parrying her thrusts and swipes. Gabrielle realized she didn't need to take it quite so easy and upped her skill level to just a little over half her best. Tala missed a couple strikes and took the hits lightly on her thighs and left shoulder.

They continued to spar for several more minutes, but after Tala missed a block that allowed a strike to hit her jaw, Gabrielle stopped the match and bowed solemnly to Tala, who bowed just as stoically in return.

"Tala, that was great. Gregory must be showing you some advanced techniques," Gabrielle complimented.

Tala happily took in the praise.

"Gregory says I learn fast, so he's been showing me Red Warrior moves. He says if I keep learning like I have been, I'll be a Blue Warrior in just a few moons."

"Wow. It took me over a year to get my blue belt," Gabrielle commented.

Gabrielle had to admit she was a little jealous of Tala's easy progress in the martial arts. But she also knew that Tala had a natural ability for it, just as she did for languages. Tala had recently found several courses that the Historical Society had brought with them that taught French, German, Spanish, Russian, and various other languages that some of their members spoke fluently, and she'd been studying them with the same amount of enthusiasm that she did English.

It had been decided that, though English would be the mother tongue of their community, for cultural, historical, and ancestral ties, complete archives detailing how to learn and speak those other languages were important to bring along for future generations.

Tala already knew enough Spanish to converse with Luis and Gloria and several others in their native language with very few misunderstandings. And she'd been practicing German with Tony, who had studied the language in college so that he could read old documents written by his grandfather to his grandmother during World War II. What amazed Gabrielle was that Tala never confused the words of one language with the words of another.

Tala put her arm around Gabrielle and they started walking back to the village, or at least that's what Gabrielle thought, but Tala subtly steered them into the woods away from the town. Gabrielle looked up and saw the lust in Tala's eyes and just grinned. Apparently their cardiovascular workout wasn't quite finished.

**********************

Court reconvened the next morning after breakfast and everyone waited to hear the verdict. Gabrielle stood up and began speaking, first in Iroki, then in English.

"Good morning. Well, the Council spent most of yesterday deliberating over this case and we have come to a decision... There were many points made both for and against Riku's actions and the Council weighed each one thoroughly. We also took into consideration the community vote, which came back with only nineteen votes from people who believed Riku's actions could not be justified... In the end, the Council has unanimously decided that, though Riku's actions were not lawful by New Gaia's standards, they were justifiable under the circumstances…"

Almost everyone cheered and Riku looked around in relief. Gabrielle quickly quieted everyone down again and then continued.

"Though Riku's actions have been deemed justifiable, his actions were still against the law, as it stands now… As a consequence for disobeying the law, the Council has requested that Riku spend an hour every day at the Lawmaker's Guild learning the current and pending laws of New Gaia. He will then be required to pass on what he has learned, so that the rest of our new members don't fall into the same situation that he did… The Council feels this can best be achieved through the school and the classes that are already being attended by nearly all of our native members..."

Gabrielle then addressed Riku directly.

"Riku, you will need to discuss with the teachers about setting aside some time, maybe at the end of class, so that you can teach your friends about our laws..."

Riku nodded and Gabrielle refocused her attention on everyone else. She smiled as she spoke.

"And now, finally, this court is adjourned until such time as it may be needed again…"

Everyone cheered again and Tala whooped as she grabbed up her brother in a tight hug. Gabrielle came around the edge of the long table and took her turn at giving her brother-in-law a heartfelt hug of relief. Gabrielle released him and then she saw Lena, holding hands with Ama, and she hugged the girl, too. With her father's happy verdict, Lena seemed to look a little more like herself and Gabrielle knew the child would eventually be okay.

Gabrielle edged away from the happy group and made her way to a nearby tree. She sat down underneath it and tilted her head back against the trunk as she closed her eyes. A couple minutes later, she felt Tala sit down next to her.

Gabrielle's hand reached out and she felt her fingers clasped in a strong warm hand and it brought a smile to her face. She whispered the word that had become like a prayer to her. The woman it was directed at had somehow taught her the meaning of love without even trying.

"Mine."

Her hand was squeezed and then she felt it raised to soft lips that brushed the back of it. Then Gabrielle drew the two clasped hands to her chest and wrapped her arms around the strong bicep of the woman she loved more than life itself. She felt the touch of hair first, and then the head of her companion rested itself on top of her own head. They sat like that for a long time.