# Part 8

Owen hadn’t worn his dress blues in a long time. He’d been wearing casual clothes for so long he’d forgotten how they automatically made him feel stronger and more masculine. In all honesty, he needed that right now. The courthouse was the last place he wanted to be. He had been called in to talk with his JAG attorney for next steps. The attorneys name was John Hammond. He was an older fellow, but a very cheerful man. Short, pudgy, and with a white beard on his face. He walked with a cane due to a limp in his left leg. In many people’s opinions, he should have retired long ago, but he loved his work too much for that. Owen had known him for a few years and seeing him often brought a smile to his face. As he walked towards him, Hammond held out his hand with a big smile on his old face.
“Good to see ya Mr. Grady! Always a pleasure.” He said with a thick Scottish accent.
“Hey Mr. Hammond. Sorry we’re seeing each other again under such circumstances.” Owen sighed. “I’m sure you’ve heard what happened?”
“Yes, yes…quite the pickle we’re in, I’d say.” Hammond nodded. “Let’s go to my office and talk. I think we have a chance to get through this.”
“Really?”
“It requires some doing, but I do believe it will be possible.” He answered, hobbling off to his office not far away.
“Your leg okay?” Owen asked, noticing the limp.
“Hip replacement. Don’t worry, it’s hardly a concern.” Hammond chuckled. “We’ve got bigger problems to contend with.” They made it to a large mahogany door and Hammond shoved it open. Owen followed close behind and closed the door to the office behind him. The inside had a library of books to the right and left, a few nicknacks to the side, and a few miniature dinosaur sculptures, including a t-rex. Hammond took a seat behind his desk and sighed, satisfied to be off his legs.
“Like dinosaurs, Mr. Hammond?”
“I am a lover of the human imagination.” He smiled. “And dinosaurs have always aroused and challenged the imagination. What a treat it would be to actually see them today, wouldn’t it? To touch one? See them in real life instead of as dead fossils? I suppose the closest we’ll get though are those girls of yours, yes? Hahaha.”
“All the more reason to protect them.” Owen answered.
“Absolutely. So firstly, let’s go over the incident in question. Walk me through it.”
“I wasn’t there for when the girls actually attacked, but I got a call from Hoshkins saying he had a job. He indicated extra species smuggling on the island and my girls would take care of it. When we arrived, the girls were briefed, armed, and then sent out on mission. Our comms were then jammed and the girls were fired on by the gun smugglers. With one wounded and having no way out, they fought to defend themselves and fell back on predatory instinct. They stood down as soon as I arrived on scene.” Hammond was taking down notes as I spoke.
“The girls all assumed it was an extra species situation?”
“Yes. We had no reason to think otherwise.”
“Not ‘we.’” Hammond corrected. “Did the GIRLS all assume?”
“I mean…yes, they did.”
“And did the girls make the decision for themselves? You had no say in the matter?”
“Yes. They acted without my permission.” Owen retorted.
“Who made the decision?”
“Blue. As Beta, she is second in command and is required to make tactical decisions in the field.”
“But you’re Alpha?” Hammond asked.
“Correct.” Owen answered. Hammond nodded.
“Do the girls always do what you two say, or do they make decisions of their own? Are they defiant?”
“Delta can be defiant…but she will always obey orders in the field.” Owen explained. “And Charlie is a little immature and doesn’t always listen, but she knows better than to talk back or resist orders.” Hammond frowned and leaned over his notes.

“I should tell you now, this isn’t going to be easy to do with what we have.” He explained.
“They acted in self defense! They were protecting themselves.” Owen argued.
“I agree with you, but we also have to keep in mind these girls aren’t human and are hardly recognized as United States citizens. They are assets to the Navy, not soldiers.” Hammond explained. “If the court views the girls as property of the Navy, then you will be held liable for gross negligence. As the girls were under your care and control, they are your property and you could lose your commission on the girls and they will be returned to Hoshkins.”
“Are you serious!? They aren’t just assets! They’re thinking and feeling creatures!”
“By your own admission, they never defy an order and will always obey.”
“Just like any soldier would!”
“Not just like any soldier.” Hammond corrected “They are not soldiers, they are dinosaur, extra species girls. The Navy does not readily recognize them as humans or soldiers, thus their cognizance is in question.”
“You’ve gotta be kidding me. They’re just ‘guns’ to these people!? The Navy sees them as tools!?”
“I agree that it’s not fair.” Hammond smiled apologetically. “I’m simply explaining how the courts will come at you. I think we can combat this, but to do it, we need to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that these girls are cognizant and sentient beings.”
“Okay, what do we do? How do I prove it?” Owen asked.
“Well you can’t prove anything, with all due respect.” Hammond laughed. “They do! The girls have to prove it.” Owen paused a moment as this sank in and he leaned forward, placing a hand on the desk so he could get closer to Hammond.
“Wait, you’re saying…that we need to bring the raptor girls to court?” I asked.
“I think we’d only need to see two. Blue would be one. Obviously, as Beta, she answers directly to you, so we need to ensure she is capable of her own autonomy. And then any one of the others would be fine. Anything to prove that they too are thinking and feeling for themselves.” Hammond explained. “Where are the girls?”
“I left them in a safe location for the time being. I’ll head there after our meeting and bring Blue and another with me. They’ll prove everything.” Owen muttered. “But God, who to choose?”

“Two more laps girls! Almost done!” Blue called.
“MA’AM! YES MA’AM!” Echo, Delta, and Charlie all sounded off as they ran yet another lap around the large lake. Owen had dropped them off at the camp they’d accidentally barged in on only a few days ago. The councilors had agreed to let them stay in one of the cabins while Owen tried to work things out legally. Blue had laid out for them the severity of their situation. The very knowledge that they could go back to the “Facility” scared even Delta into silence. She too prayed that Owen could work this all out. After they rounded the lake again, Delta pulled up along Blue and smirked.
“Better not fall behind!”
“Better not step on my feet. You’re getting cocky.” Blue smirked back, picking up the pace. Delta laughed and pulled ahead, only for Blue to move faster to catch up. Blue blinked in shock as Delta got even quicker in her sprint. When had Delta gotten so much faster? It alarmed her how much her sisters were growing up without her even realizing it. Blue pushed herself harder to catch up, lapping the lake again incredibly fast. Echo and Charlie struggled to surge after the two competitors.
“Hey guys! Slow down!” Charlie cried. “I can’t keep u-AAH!” Charlie let out a squeal as the grass under her caved way to the mud and she slipped, falling into the lake with a loud splash. Blue and Echo both stopped and ran back to her.
“Charlie!” Echo cried. “Are you okay?” Echo held out her hand as Charlie shook her head hard, her pig twin tails swinging in all directions, and throwing dirty water around.
“Darn, I’m all filthy now!”
“You already were filthy. We’ve sweated up a storm.” Delta pointed out.
“Yeah, but now I’m muddy too.” Charlie groaned. Echo grabbed her hand and yanked her out of the water, to help clean off her pants and legs.
“We’ll get a shower and you’ll be good as new.” Blue sighed. “C’mon girls…might as well call it there for now.”
“Hey Blue, why not finish our race first? I was just about to win!” Delta called back.
“Maybe later, Delta. Right now I think we need to rest up.” Blue answered, sighing. Delta snorted in response, but followed after her all the same.
“Think the mess hall has anything good to eat?” Echo asked, trying to change the subject.
“They always do!” Charlie giggled. “They have really tasty food at this camp.”
“Yeah, but you eat too much, Charlie.” Blue noted. “We’re guests here…we shouldn’t be mooching off the camp staff like this.”
“Are you kidding?” Delta laughed. “They seem happy to have us.”
“Either way, it’s what would be polite.” Blue argued.
“Blue,” Echo spoke up, “when did Alpha say he would return?”
“Tomorrow, hopefully. He’ll call the camp director if anything changes.” Blue answered.
“I still don’t really get it.” Charlie muttered as they walked to the shower hut. The far hut in the middle of the cabin area was where the campers could take showers. Since this week there were no campers and only councilors, they had the showers to themselves.
“What don’t you get?” Echo asked.
“We didn’t do anything wrong. Alpha himself said so! We were defending ourselves.” Charlie argued. “Why should we get in trouble for it?”
“It’s not just us who would get in trouble.” Blue explained. “Since Alpha is our handler, he will be held responsible. The human court needs to decide if what we did was wrong or not.”
“I think there’s more to it than that.” Echo answered. “I’m not sure but…I think if it were a group of humans who had killed those men, it would be a different story all together. I think part of this has to do with the fact we’re raptors.”
“So now we’re being persecuted just for being raptors?!” Delta growled. “Just great…”
“Calm down, all of you! Alpha won’t let anything happen to us.” Blue snapped. “Now to the showers, then we go for some lunch.” The girls quickly stripped own and ran to the showers with Blue right behind them. Though her words of encouragement seemed to relax Charlie a little, they did little to ease her mind. As she stood under the pouring water, her heart felt heavy. What on earth would happen to them if Alpha couldn’t succeed in court? Would they really have to go back…there?
“No. It won’t happen…I won’t let it happen.”

*RING RING*
*RING RING*

Blue heard her cellphone ringing in her bag just outside the shower room. Running out of the shower, she threw a towel around herself and dug into the bag with her soaked hand until she found her phone. Lifting it to her ear, she smiled, realizing it was Alpha.
“Alpha! Are you okay?”
“I’m fine Blue, how’re the others?”
“They’re alright. We’re staying active and trying to be productive while we’re here.”
“I’m glad to hear it. Listen, in order to win this thing, I’m going to need your help.” Owen muttered darkly.
“Whatever you need, we’ll do it!” Blue answered firmly.
“It won’t be easy Blue. I need two of you girls to show up in court and testify.” Blue paused a moment, blinking in surprise.
“Testify? We…have to appear as witnesses?”
“It’s kind of complicated to explain, but the Navy needs proof that you and the girls are sentient and more than just animals. The only way to prove it is for you to show them. I’m going to need to borrow you and one of the other girls to do this.”
“Well…it’s strange but I’ll do it.”
“I knew you would, Blue…but here’s the hard part. Which of the other girls should testify? Each one spells trouble.” Owen growled. Blue blinked, thinking it over in her mind, and then she began to bite her lip nervously.
“Oh god…who SHOULD come with us?”
“Whoever we pick is going to be asked to take the stand and maybe asked some very difficult questions. I’m leaving it up to you Blue…you need to decide which of the girls we bring to court.”