Rory Webster

Template:CharacterInfobox Rory Webster is a Chief Technician in the Federal Navy Engineering Corps. In 3301, he was the head of the department that maintained Starship One. He was arrested and charged with mass murder and treason in September 3306 for allegedly sabotaging Starship One shortly before it suffered a catastrophe in hyperspace, which resulted in the deaths of all of its passengers and crew except for former President Jasmina Halsey, who was subsequently recovered alive in an escape pod. Webster is currently on trial before the Federal High Court.

Timeline

05 OCT 3306

• The Federal High Court trial over the destruction of Starship One has been temporarily halted following a proffered confession from the defendant. Chief Technician Rory Webster is charged with mass murder and treason, with testimonials claiming that he ordered his engineering team to sabotage Starship One's hyperdrive systems. Crime correspondent Ethan Takahashi reported for The Federal Times: "Despite a spirited performance from the defence, highlighting the absence of a sufficient motive, Mr Webster visibly struggled in the dock last week as the technical evidence mounted. Several jury members nodded when the prosecutor called for the death sentence, should the accused be found guilty of slaughtering hundreds. The judge was about to begin her summation, when Mr Webster's defence counsel announced that the defendant now wished to change his plea to guilty and make a full confession in return for clemency, claiming that he had acted on 'orders from the top'. There was much discussion between the judge and legal representatives. Eventually it was agreed that the trial would be suspended while Mr Webster's testimony was taken by the Federal Intelligence Agency, and then a suitable course of action would follow." The Federal Attorney's Office stated that a decision on resuming the trial is expected within a few days.

28 SEP 3306

• The trial of Chief Technician Rory Webster, who is charged with mass murder and attempted treason, began today at the Federal High Court on Mars. Mr Webster, a department head in the Federal Navy Engineering Corps, is accused of attempting to destroy Starship One in 3301. He has filed a plea of not guilty. The prosecutor laid out the charges, including this summary: "According to the testimonies of three naval engineers, they installed replacement power regulator components to Starship One prior to its launch. Mr Webster verified this was routine maintenance during the initial investigation. Last year, one engineer reviewed data for the Highliner Antares incident and realised that pre-modified power regulators could have caused an identical Frame Shift Drive misjump on Starship One. She tried to trace the components' source and found the records deleted. After Mr Webster refused to respond to her questions, she and her colleagues contacted the authorities, prompting a full inquiry." The Highliner Antares was a Sirius Corporation passenger liner that was destroyed in 3251 when its experimental hyperdrive engines malfunctioned. The defence refuted the accusations as unprovable and motivated by personal grudges, making reference to Chief Technician Webster's otherwise flawless record. The trial is expected to conclude next week.

18 SEP 3306

• An officer in the Federal Navy Engineering Corps has been arrested for sabotaging the presidential vessel Starship One. A statement was made by Milandu Okoro of the Federal Attorney's Office: "Chief Technician Rory Webster was a department head of engineering for Starship One. Testimonies from members of Mr Webster's team claim that he ordered unauthorised adjustments to the ship's hyperdrive systems while in drydock, shortly before its launch in May 3301 and subsequent destruction. This case is now being brought before the Federal High Court, where Mr Webster will stand trial for mass murder and attempted treason." There has been no comment from President Zachary Hudson, but Shadow President Felicia Winters told the press: "This was a truly horrific tragedy, and there must be justice for all those who lost their lives on that sad day." The apparent death of many Federation leaders aboard Starship One resulted in Winters briefly becoming acting president, shortly before Hudson won a vote of no confidence. There has been much media attention regarding how this event proved pivotal to both of their political careers.

12 SEP 3306

• An independent inquiry by the Federal Attorney's Office into the destruction of presidential vessel Starship One has produced a final report. Senior Attorney Milandu Okoro made this statement: "The loss of presidential vessel Starship One in May 3301, along with hundreds of lives, was a great tragedy. Despite suspicion that this was an attempt to eliminate then-President Jasmina Halsey, initial investigations concluded that a catastrophic malfunction of its drive systems was the likely cause. A new inquiry was opened when fresh evidence came to light, including testimonies from several members of the Federal Navy. Our final report states that there is sufficient reason to believe Starship One was destroyed by deliberate sabotage. A grand jury has determined that criminal charges should be made. We have shared our findings with the Federal Intelligence Agency, and understand that an arrest will take place shortly." The inquiry report is not yet in the public domain, but is thought to allege that illegal modifications were made to the Frame Shift Drive system of Starship One in advance of its destruction during flight through hyperspace.