here's a drama there's a drama and another little drama [video]

[legal_eagle]

[Sonya appears on the screen without her usual preambles or cheerful introductions. Her manner is very, very controlled. The casual Bronx vowels that occasionally creep into her speech are gone. The profanities are gone. Every once in a while, she glances down; this is a prepared statement.]

Earlier today, Jesse Pinkman snuck into one of the prisoner cells under false pretenses. He’d been friends with one of the mutineers before all of this happened, so he claimed to merely want to visit.

While he was in there, he mutilated this prisoner in spirit and soul. He ripped from her her ability, her inborn gift, to cast spells. He tore away from her something as vital to her as eyesight or touch might be for you. And did he did this to defend someone? To stop an attack or a threatened attack? No: he did it to punish her. To make her suffer. And then he said to her that this is how things are running now.

So. Who out there among you smiled when you heard this story? Who among you nodded and thought to yourselves: Yes, that sounds like justice? The girl was trembling, exhausted, defenseless, locked up, unable to even raise a hand against him, let alone fight back. And he stalked in, and towered over her, and he ripped her soul apart and he claimed he had the right. Because a few days ago, this girl did something stupid. Because this girl fought for the wrong side, for boneheaded reasons. So how many of you, even those who hate this mutiny, are thinking, Yeah, go, Jesse Pinkman, you did the right thing?

These people are prisoners. These people are paying for what they did. They made stupid, stupid choices out of desperation. There’s no question of that. And they’re going to pay for being stupid. But nothing in what they did was cruel. They did their best to avoid hurting us. And can you really say, truly, that you can’t comprehend their motives? Can any of you truly claim that you have not thought that you could run things better if only you had more of a say? You stayed your hands; you were smarter and more level-headed than the rebels. But how can you really, truly hate them?

How can you hate them enough to stand over them, and whisper to them that they deserve it as you put their eyes out one by one? Because that’s what Jesse Pinkman did - just in his own way, in his way that kept him from getting his hands dirty. And now, even though he has the ability to undo what he’s done, he refuses. He refuses, because his sadistic revenge is worth far more to him than his freedom, and so it’s certainly worth more than what is right.

So here’s my question for all of you. How many of you think that torturing unarmed prisoners is right? There are plenty of soldiers out there amongst you, certainly, so you know about this. When you capture a P.O.W., do you make them suffer for your pleasure?

And how many of you would claim to be fighting on the side of justice and order, but then when it looks like those you were fighting against might not be punished to the extend that pleases you, turn around and undermine that justice and order you used as your pretext?

How many of you would do what Jesse Pinkman did? How many of you would see unarmed people hurt? Or killed?

How many of you would let your hatred overrule your kindness and mercy?

How many of you have forgotten honor?

I don’t think any of you have. I think all of you are decent. I think none of you, no matter how angry you might be at the rebels, would go in and torture them. I think none of you would interfere with how our provisional organization is dealing with them. And I think none of you would stand for this evil deed, this torture Pinkman has subjected the girl to and continues to subject her to.

[And there's something in Sonya that rebels at allowing this small allowance for kindness, because this is a lie; she hates Pinkman, has hated him, and she wants to rip him apart. But that'll get her nowhere, and as ever, it's business before personal feelings. So her lips twitch very slightly before she goes on, but she still goes on as before.]

And I knew Pinkman a few months ago: I don’t think, if he were anything less than crazy from everything he’s gone through, that Pinkman would, either. He's a good kid. Bakes cookies. You all know him as well as I do. This isn't him.

So let’s put some pressure on him. He can undo what he’s done. So all of you who were close to Pinkman before his mental state began to deteriorate, before he turned into the sort of person who would do this, contact him. Tell him that this is monstrous and cruel. Tell him it’s disappointing. If there is any kernel of goodness left in him, he’ll respond when you tell him this will not stand. When you tell him to do the right thing.

I beg of you. As you would intervene if he could return her sight, or her hearing, but refused, intervene now. Help me get him to restore her. Help me talk him out of this...evil.