Chronicle 32
Responsibility v. Forman: Preliminary Hearings, Part 2
Judge Caron looked down at the clock.
"We will recess for lunch."
"Court will resume in one hour."
Her gavel struck once.
The courtroom immediately dissolved into motion.
Lawyers gathered files.
Reporters hurried toward the exits.
Spectators began discussing the testimony in hushed voices.
A Responsibility officer approached Zas.
"Mr. Zasaramel."
"Your obligations as a witness have concluded."
"You're free to return to the public gallery or leave
the courthouse during the recess."
"Your phone will also be returned."
"Thank you."
Zas accepted it with a nod.
For a brief moment...
He actually considered returning to his witness room.
Level five hundred was going rather well.
Then he looked toward the gallery.
Joanna was waving.
Arel-Sin was waving with considerably more enthusiasm.
Phoebe and Armintie smiled.
Azamat was already making room beside him.
Candy Crush could wait.
His family could not.
—
"You survived," Joanna said as Zas sat down.
"So did you."
She squeezed his hand.
"You did wonderfully."
"I hope so."
Azamat leaned over.
"Wiseman is dangerous."
"He is."
"I still think Alexandra was worse."
Zas chuckled quietly.
"I would rather not choose."
Judge Caron stood and disappeared through the side door.
Almost immediately the courtroom emptied.
—
The group had barely reached the hallway when Arel-Sin
stopped.
"...Oh no."
Everyone turned.
"What?"
"My tie."
He looked down at the faint sauce stain.
"...and my shirt."
Joanna sighed dramatically.
"Arel-Sin."
"It's still tiny."
"It is not tiny."
"It is microscopic."
"I'm about to eat lunch."
"Yes."
"...which means more stains."
Before Joanna could answer, Arel-Sin spotted one of the
courthouse janitors directing a compact cleaning robot toward a nearby
corridor.
"Excuse me!"
The janitor stopped.
"Yes?"
"Could I possibly have a garbage bag?"
The janitor blinked.
"...I'm sorry?"
"A large one."
"What for?"
"I'd like to wear it."
The janitor looked completely lost.
"...Why?"
"So I don't stain my suit."
Silence.
The janitor slowly looked at Joanna.
She shrugged helplessly.
"...He's serious."
"I am."
The janitor looked down at the cleaning robot.
He pressed a button.
A small storage compartment opened.
Inside sat several neatly folded garbage bags.
The janitor removed one.
"...Here."
"Thank you very much."
Arel-Sin carefully tore a hole for his head and slipped it
on like a rain poncho.
He looked immensely satisfied.
Phoebe burst into laughter.
Armintie followed almost immediately.
Even Zas couldn't keep a straight face.
Joanna covered her mouth.
"You look ridiculous."
"I look protected."
"I suppose that's true."
Azamat nodded approvingly.
"A warrior adapts."
—
The courthouse restaurant occupied one corner of the main
atrium.
Unlike the packed cafés outside, it catered primarily to
lawyers, jurors, witnesses and courthouse staff.
The lunchtime rush had already begun.
A young server approached with menus tucked beneath one arm.
"Good afternoon."
"My name's Thea."
"I'll be looking after you today."
She smiled warmly.
She looked to be in her early twenties.
Athletic.
Confident.
Comfortable navigating between crowded tables with practiced
ease.
Azamat smiled politely.
"Good afternoon."
As Thea handed out menus, Azamat noticed the easy way she
carried herself.
She then left to take care of another table. Azamat watched
her disappear behind another table before leaning ever so slightly toward Zas.
"...I was this close to making a joke about Roman
booties."
Zas looked up from the menu.
"...Roman booties?"
Azamat nodded gravely.
"I am trying very hard to mature."
Joanna smiled.
"…and succeeding."
"Barely."
Phoebe shook her head.
"Please don't flirt with our waitress."
"I wasn't going to flirt."
A pause.
"...I was going to make an observational comedy
routine."
Joanna laughed.
"There's a difference?"
Azamat considered it.
"...A very important difference."
Thea then returned with a tablet to record their orders.
Azamat, though, wanted to follow through on his earlier observation but in a
more respectful manner.
"You play sports."
She looked pleasantly surprised.
"...Is it that obvious?"
"The way you move."
She laughed.
"Basketball."
"I still play a little."
"I knew it."
"You did?"
"You have athlete posture."
Thea grinned.
"I've never heard that one before."
Azamat smiled.
"Have you ever thought about the WPBA?"
The smile faded.
"A long time ago."
"You tried out?"
"I applied."
"…and?"
She hesitated only briefly.
"They said no."
"I'm sorry."
She shrugged as though it no longer mattered.
"They didn't think I fit the image they wanted."
"What image?"
She gave a small, humourless laugh.
"They actually told me..."
"...my butt was too flat."
The table fell silent.
Azamat stared at her.
"...They said that?"
"They did."
Azamat no longer thought of making his joke.
For her part, Joanna frowned.
"They actually criticized your appearance?"
"To your face?"
Thea nodded.
"They said the league sells personalities as much as
basketball."
"They wanted someone with a different look."
Zas looked genuinely puzzled.
"...What sort of sports league evaluates a player's
body before her ability?"
Thea smiled faintly.
"I asked myself that for a while."
"...and now?"
"I work here."
She gestured around the busy restaurant.
"I'm happier."
She said it with a smile.
It was a practiced one.
Not quite convincing.
No one challenged it.
The dining room had filled behind her.
Another table was already waiting.
She tucked the order pad beneath her arm again.
"So..."
She smiled professionally.
"What can I get everyone for lunch?"
The conversation shifted back to menus.
...but as Thea walked toward the kitchen a few minutes
later...
More than one person at the table found themselves thinking
about what she had said.
...and wondering whether she believed it herself.
Lunch arrived surprisingly quickly.
Within minutes the table was filled with sandwiches, soups,
salads and steaming plates of pasta.
Arel-Sin's garbage bag poncho remained firmly in place.
Joanna glanced at it.
"...You're actually keeping that on?"
"I am."
"It's working."
"I can't argue with the results."
No one had much appetite for joking after the first few
bites.
The courtroom lingered in everyone's minds.
Finally Zas set down his fork.
"I have fought in more battles than I can count."
The table grew quiet.
"I have marched for days."
"I have climbed mountains."
"I have spent nights wondering whether I would still be
alive by morning."
He looked down at his plate.
"I have never been as mentally exhausted as I am
today."
Joanna looked at him sympathetically.
"Wiseman?"
Zas nodded.
"He questioned..."
"...and questioned..."
"...and questioned."
"It never ended."
"He took every sentence I spoke..."
"...and looked at it from another direction."
"Then another."
"Then another."
He shook his head slowly.
"I cannot understand how two people can witness the
same event..."
"...and leave believing two entirely different
truths."
Azamat sighed.
"I understand something else now."
"What?"
"The prosecutors warned me about Alexandra."
"They certainly did."
"I ignored them."
"You didn't ignore them."
"I thought I wouldn't fall for it."
He leaned back in his chair.
"She was..."
He searched for the word.
"...nice."
"Very nice."
"I felt as though she actually wanted my help."
He laughed at himself.
"I kept thinking..."
"'I don't want to disappoint her.'"
Joanna smiled knowingly.
"...and then?"
"...and then every answer became..."
"'I don't know.'"
"'I'm not certain.'"
"'I didn't see.'"
He rubbed his forehead.
"I wasn't lying."
"I simply refused to pretend I knew something I
didn't."
"...but every time I admitted that..."
"...I felt as though I was helping Forman."
Phoebe looked puzzled.
"...but she wanted you to say 'I don't know.'"
"I know that now."
Azamat sighed.
"At the time..."
"...it felt like I was letting down a very kind
woman."
Joanna couldn't help smiling.
"That's exactly why she's so good."
Both men looked at her.
"Lawyers don't usually ask questions because they don't
know the answer."
"They ask questions because they already know where
they want the conversation to go."
"They're trained to hear the same facts from completely
different perspectives."
"They're not necessarily trying to change the
truth."
"They're trying to show the court why their
interpretation of the truth should prevail."
Zas frowned thoughtfully.
"We never learned that."
"No."
Joanna smiled.
"I don't imagine many people at Daral Lake would."
"In your world..."
"...if someone constantly twists your words or
manipulates a conversation..."
"...people stop trusting them."
"They stop asking for their advice."
"They certainly stop asking them for help."
Zas shook his head.
"I have met many manipulative people on the
steppe."
"So have I," Azamat added.
"They remind me of today's lawyers."
Joanna raised an eyebrow.
"Really?"
"They're similar."
Zas thought for a moment.
"...but only partly."
"In what way?"
"On the steppe..."
"...when someone tries to deceive me..."
"...I decide whether I help them."
"I hold the power."
He looked back toward the courthouse through the restaurant
window.
"Today was different."
"Today..."
"...I was the one asking someone else to believe
me."
He paused.
"...and the person asking the questions wanted the
judge to reach a different conclusion."
He let out a slow breath.
"It feels very strange."
Joanna nodded.
"That's because it is."
"The courtroom isn't really a conversation."
"It's two stories competing to explain the same
events."
"...and the judge's job is to decide which explanation
fits the evidence best."
Zas slowly nodded.
"I think I preferred avalanches."
Azamat laughed.
"They ask far fewer questions."
Even Joanna laughed.
"That's one way of putting it."
For the first time since leaving the courtroom...
The weight on both men's shoulders eased.
Not because the afternoon would be easier.
...but because they finally understood why the morning had
been so difficult.
While the lunch recess continued outside...
The prosecution remained in the courtroom.
Files covered the counsel table.
Christopher had already begun reorganizing witness notes.
Aaron quietly reviewed the afternoon schedule.
Gao leaned back in his chair with a thoughtful sigh.
"I don't like where we are."
Christopher looked up.
"No?"
"They did exactly what they wanted."
"They found uncertainty."
"They found hesitation."
"They found gaps."
He glanced toward the empty witness stand.
"Yesterday with Elara and Eldred."
"Today with Azamat."
"...and even Zas."
Christopher slowly nodded.
"They found gaps."
"Yes."
"...but they still haven't filled them."
Gao frowned.
"They don't have to."
"Not yet."
"They're not proving the case."
"They're dismantling ours."
Christopher folded his hands.
"They're trying."
"...but dismantling our version doesn't automatically
establish theirs."
"Not unless they can give Judge Caron a better
explanation."
Olivia, who had been quietly reviewing her notes, finally
closed the folder.
"They haven't."
The others turned toward her.
"They've suggested possibilities."
"They've raised questions."
"They've highlighted uncertainty."
She looked toward the witness stand.
"...but they still haven't presented evidence that
Forman was rescuing anyone."
"They haven't shown he tried to stop his
soldiers."
"They haven't shown he objected to the abuse."
"They've offered theories."
"Not proof."
Jabulile nodded slowly.
"So..."
"...you're going to force the issue."
Olivia met her eyes.
"Yes."
A faint smile crossed Jabulile's face.
"Bold."
"I like it."
Aaron adjusted his glasses.
"I don't think it'll work."
Christopher nodded.
"Probably not."
Olivia stood.
"I don't need it to work."
"I need Judge Caron thinking about the burden."
The courtroom doors opened.
"Court is back in session."
Everyone rose.
Judge Victoria Caron returned to the bench.
"You may be seated."
She had barely opened her file before Olivia was already on
her feet.
"Your Honour."
"The prosecution brings a motion."
Judge Caron looked up.
"Proceed."
Olivia stepped away from counsel table.
"The defence has now completed extensive
cross-examinations of Princess Elara, Eldred, Mr. Azamat and Mr.
Zasaramel."
"They have identified inconsistencies."
"They have explored the limitations of memory."
"They have challenged the conclusions drawn by those
witnesses."
She paused.
"They have done so effectively."
Wiseman listened without expression.
Olivia continued.
"...but throughout that process..."
"...the defence has presented no affirmative evidence
supporting its own account."
"No evidence that Mr. Forman was attempting to rescue
Princess Elara."
"No evidence that he opposed the conduct of his
soldiers."
"No evidence that he attempted to surrender
peacefully."
"They have proposed alternative possibilities."
"They have not supported those possibilities with
evidence."
She looked directly at Judge Caron.
"Accordingly..."
"...the prosecution moves that the defence motion
seeking to invalidate Mr. Forman's arrest be dismissed."
Silence.
Judge Caron turned her attention toward the defence.
"Mr. Banda."
Wiseman rose.
"Your Honour..."
"...my learned friend has accurately summarized one
important point."
"We have indeed highlighted uncertainty."
He smiled politely toward Olivia.
"What she asks this Court to do, however..."
"...is transform that uncertainty into certainty."
He clasped his hands.
"That is not the function of this hearing."
"The prosecution bears the burden."
"It is their obligation to establish why their
interpretation of events should prevail."
"Our obligation is considerably narrower."
"We need only demonstrate that genuine factual disputes
remain."
He gestured gently toward the witness stand.
"Mr. Azamat honestly acknowledged the limits of what he
observed."
"Mr. Zasaramel candidly admitted that certain aspects
of his conclusions were based upon experience and interpretation."
"Neither admission makes them dishonest."
"It simply means reasonable questions remain."
He looked back toward Judge Caron.
"...and where reasonable questions remain..."
"...this Court should be reluctant to foreclose further
examination."
The courtroom fell silent.
Judge Caron lowered her eyes to her notes.
She remained there for several long moments.
No one spoke.
Finally...
She looked up.
"The prosecution's motion is denied."
Olivia's expression did not change.
Judge Caron continued.
"The Court agrees with the prosecution that raising
questions about one version of events does not, by itself, establish
another."
She paused.
"However..."
"...the Court also agrees with the defence that it
bears no present obligation to prove its alternative interpretation."
"The issue presently before the Court is whether
genuine factual disputes continue to exist concerning the circumstances of Mr.
Forman's arrest."
She closed the file in front of her.
"In the Court's view..."
"...they do."
"Accordingly..."
"...the preliminary hearing shall continue."
She looked toward both counsel tables.
"The prosecution may call its next witness."
Olivia nodded once.
"As the Court pleases, Your Honour."
She sat back down.
Jabulile leaned over just enough to whisper,
"You expected that."
Olivia kept her eyes on the next witness file.
"Yes."
Christopher quietly picked up the folder marked:
RAVI
"It begins again."
Outside the courtroom...
Ravi had no idea his name was about to be called.
The courtroom doors opened once again.
"Mr. Ravi."
Ravi stood.
His legs immediately felt heavier than they had all day.
The Responsibility officer gave him an encouraging smile.
"You'll be alright."
"...I hope so."
The walk to the witness stand somehow felt longer than any
mountain trail he'd ever climbed.
He took the oath.
Sat down.
Immediately wished he hadn't.
Christopher Cutson rose.
Unlike Gao...
Christopher spoke with quiet precision.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Ravi."
"...Good afternoon."
"How are you feeling?"
Ravi answered honestly.
"...Terrified."
A ripple of gentle laughter spread through the gallery.
Christopher smiled.
"That's perfectly acceptable."
"It is?"
"I've had witnesses tell me they're terrified."
"I've had witnesses tell me they're exhausted."
"I've even had one tell me he'd rather wrestle a
bear."
Ravi blinked.
"...Really?"
"No."
Christopher's expression remained perfectly straight.
"I made that one up."
The courtroom laughed.
Even Ravi.
His shoulders lowered ever so slightly.
"Let's begin."
Christopher deliberately kept his questions simple.
"You remained with the Land Rover."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"The battery had died."
"What happened after Peace secured your area?"
"They replaced the battery."
"They cleared a route."
"...and then?"
"We drove to the Western square."
"What did you observe there?"
"Peace officers."
"Arrested soldiers."
"Mr. Forman."
"Princess Elara."
"Eldred."
Christopher nodded.
"How did Princess Elara and Eldred appear?"
Ravi hesitated.
"...Scared."
Christopher didn't interrupt.
"Take your time."
"They looked..."
"...relieved."
"They thanked us."
"What did they thank you for?"
"For rescuing them."
Christopher nodded.
"Did they speak fondly of Mr. Forman?"
"No."
"Did they thank him?"
"No."
"What else did you observe?"
Ravi frowned.
"...Some of the soldiers."
"What about them?"
"They kept looking at Mr. Forman."
"As though?"
"...Waiting."
"Waiting for what?"
"I..."
Ravi froze.
Christopher immediately changed course.
"Mr. Ravi..."
"...if you don't know..."
"...please say so."
Ravi looked relieved.
"...I don't know."
"Perfectly acceptable."
Christopher smiled.
"No further questions."
Ravi blinked.
"...That's it?"
"That's it."
Relief washed over him.
It lasted approximately three seconds.
Wiseman Banda stood.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Ravi."
"...Good afternoon."
Wiseman smiled warmly.
"I understand courtrooms can be intimidating."
"They are."
"I appreciate you being here."
"Thank you."
The conversation felt...
Comfortable.
Safe.
"Mr. Cutson asked how the soldiers looked."
"Yes."
"You said they looked toward Mr. Forman."
"I did."
"You then said they appeared to be waiting."
"I think so."
"You think so."
"Yes."
"So..."
"...you don't actually know what they were waiting
for."
"No."
"They may have simply been looking at the commanding
officer they recognized."
"I..."
"...perhaps."
"Or waiting for instructions from Peace."
"...perhaps."
"Or simply frightened."
"...perhaps."
Wiseman nodded kindly.
"You don't know."
"...No."
"Thank you."
Another pause.
Wiseman nodded thoughtfully.
"Mr. Ravi..."
"...isn't it true that much of what you've told the
Court today isn't actually based upon your own observations..."
"...but upon what Mr. Zasaramel believed had
happened?"
Olivia was on her feet before Ravi could answer.
"Objection."
The word cracked through the courtroom.
For one terrifying instant...
Ravi's heart stopped.
Judge Caron looked toward the prosecution.
"Grounds?"
"Assumes facts not in evidence, Your Honour."
"...and mischaracterizes the witness's testimony."
Judge Caron considered the objection for only a moment.
"Sustained."
She turned toward Wiseman.
"Rephrase the question."
"Certainly, Your Honour."
Wiseman inclined his head respectfully.
Ravi, meanwhile, had gone completely pale.
He looked toward Olivia.
Then toward Judge Caron.
"...I'm sorry."
Judge Caron immediately looked back at him.
"Mr. Ravi."
"The objection was directed to counsel's
question."
"Not to you."
"You have nothing to apologize for."
"...Yes, Your Honour."
He nodded quickly.
…but the reassurance didn't help nearly as much as Judge
Caron probably intended.
Now Ravi feared every answer might cause another objection.
Wiseman continued.
"You testified Princess Elara thanked the Blue
Shield."
"Yes."
"That made you believe she regarded you as
rescuers."
"Yes."
"Could she have been thanking you for ending the
violence?"
"...Yes."
"Could she have believed you rescued her from the
soldiers generally?"
"...Yes."
"Without specifically believing Mr. Forman had harmed
her?"
Ravi hesitated.
"I..."
He looked toward Christopher.
Then immediately looked away.
Judge Caron noticed.
"Mr. Ravi."
"You'll answer counsel's question."
"...Yes, Your Honour."
Ravi swallowed.
"...I suppose that's possible."
Wiseman nodded.
"Thank you."
He wasn't finished.
"You've used the words..."
"'I think.'"
"'Perhaps.'"
"'I suppose.'"
"...quite often today."
"I have."
"Would it be fair to say you are not entirely confident
in many of your conclusions?"
Ravi's stomach sank.
"...Yes."
"...and when you are uncertain..."
"...you try to be honest about it."
"...Yes."
Wiseman smiled warmly.
"I appreciate that."
He paused.
Wiseman studied Ravi for a long moment.
"Mr. Ravi..."
"You're trying very hard to be accurate today."
"...Yes."
"I appreciate that."
"You don't want to guess."
"No."
"You don't want to exaggerate."
"No."
"You don't want to say something unless you're
confident it's true."
"...No."
Wiseman smiled gently.
"I respect that."
He paused.
"Would it be fair to say..."
"...that you're now thinking so carefully about every
answer..."
"...that you're no longer entirely certain where your
own observations end..."
"...and your assumptions begin?"
The courtroom became perfectly still.
Ravi opened his mouth.
Closed it again.
His eyes drifted toward Christopher.
Then immediately away.
"...I..."
A painfully long silence followed.
Finally...
"...I don't know."
Wiseman nodded kindly.
"That's a perfectly fair answer."
"No further questions."
Ravi blinked.
"...That's all?"
"That's all."
As Ravi stepped down from the witness stand...
Christopher quietly leaned toward him.
"You did well."
Ravi stared.
"...I did?"
"You told the truth."
"...but I froze."
"You recovered."
"I kept saying 'I don't know.'"
"When you didn't know."
"I made Olivia object."
Christopher smiled faintly.
"No."
"Wiseman made Olivia object."
"You didn't."
Ravi looked unconvinced.
"...I think I helped Forman."
Christopher shook his head.
"You helped the Court."
"The Court needs honest witnesses."
"Not perfect ones."
Ravi wanted to believe him.
He truly did.
...but as he walked toward the gallery...
He could think only of Alexandra...
Wiseman...
The objection...
Judge Caron's voice...
...and every answer he wished he could take back.
By the time he reached the gallery...
He was convinced he'd just given the worst testimony of the
entire hearing.
"Mr. Rahim."
Rahim stood.
He adjusted his jacket.
Smoothed his tie.
Then calmly walked toward the witness stand.
There was no hesitation.
No visible anxiety.
No deep breaths.
He simply looked as though he were beginning another day's
work.
The oath was administered.
He sat down.
Christopher rose once again.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Rahim."
"Good afternoon."
"How are you feeling?"
Rahim thought for a moment.
"...Comfortable."
Christopher smiled.
"That's refreshing."
A small laugh spread through the gallery.
"You've spent many years as a battlefield medic."
"I have."
"Does that experience help today?"
"It does."
"In what way?"
"When someone is bleeding..."
"...they need me to remain calm."
"If I panic..."
"...they panic."
"So I learned not to."
Christopher nodded.
"Let's talk about what you observed in the Western
square."
Unlike Ravi...
Rahim answered without hesitation.
Each answer was measured.
Concise.
Never hurried.
He explained how Peace had restored the Land Rover.
How Semin had immediately received additional medical
treatment for his injured leg.
How the prisoners had already been secured.
How Princess Elara and Eldred thanked the Blue Shield.
How neither spoke warmly of Forman.
How several soldiers repeatedly looked toward Forman.
Not once did Christopher need to tell him to slow down.
Not once did Rahim guess.
When he didn't know...
"I don't know."
When he hadn't seen something...
"I didn't see it."
When Christopher finished...
The examination had taken barely half the time Ravi's had.
"No further questions."
Alexandra Nikolaou stood.
For the first time that afternoon...
She looked genuinely intrigued.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Rahim."
"Good afternoon."
"I hope Mr. Cutson wasn't too difficult."
"No."
"He was polite."
"I try to be as well."
She smiled.
"So I've noticed."
She studied him for a moment.
"You don't seem nervous."
"I'm not."
"Most people are."
"I've met worse days."
A few quiet chuckles drifted through the courtroom.
Alexandra smiled.
"I believe you."
She walked slowly toward the witness stand.
"You've spent years treating injured people."
"Yes."
"So you're trained to observe."
"I try to be."
"...and to remain objective."
"Very much so."
She nodded.
"Good."
"Then perhaps you'll help me."
She asked about the soldiers looking toward Forman.
Rahim answered exactly as he had before.
"They repeatedly looked in his direction."
"You don't know why."
"No."
"They may have been awaiting orders."
"They may have."
"They may have simply been looking toward the senior
officer they recognized."
"They may have."
"They may have been frightened."
"They may have."
"You don't know."
"I do not."
Alexandra nodded pleasantly.
"Thank you."
She changed subjects.
"You testified Princess Elara thanked the Blue
Shield."
"She did."
"Did she specifically say..."
"'Thank you for rescuing me from Forman'?"
"No."
"Those were not her words."
"No."
"So your conclusion that she regarded Mr. Forman as her
attacker..."
"...is an inference."
Rahim answered immediately.
"Yes."
There wasn't the slightest hesitation.
Christopher quietly made a note.
Alexandra noticed.
She had found what she was looking for.
Not uncertainty.
Honesty.
She continued.
"You also testified that neither Princess Elara nor
Eldred spoke fondly of Mr. Forman."
"Correct."
"Did either of them ever specifically accuse Mr. Forman
of personally assaulting them while you were present?"
"No."
"So they could have feared him..."
"...or the soldiers generally."
"They could have."
"They could have been thanking your group for ending
the violence."
"They could have."
"You simply don't know."
"I do not."
Alexandra smiled warmly.
"Thank you."
She paused.
"Mr. Rahim..."
"Has anyone asked you to exaggerate your testimony
today?"
"No."
"Has anyone asked you to leave out details that might
help the defence?"
"No."
"If a truthful answer helps Mr. Forman..."
"...would you still give it?"
Rahim looked genuinely surprised by the question.
"Of course."
Silence settled over the courtroom.
He continued before anyone asked another question.
"I was a medic before I was a witness."
"My patients trusted me because they believed I would
tell them the truth."
"I don't know how to do anything else."
For the first time...
Alexandra's smile became entirely genuine.
"I believe you."
She returned to counsel table.
"No further questions."
As Rahim stepped down...
Christopher quietly whispered to Olivia,
"Best witness we've had."
Olivia nodded.
"Yes."
Christopher glanced toward his notes.
"...and she still found concessions."
Olivia closed the file.
"She always will."
Across the courtroom...
Rahim simply returned to his seat.
He had answered every question honestly.
If some answers had helped the prosecution...
Good.
If others had helped the defence...
That was acceptable too.
His responsibility had never been to win the case.
Only to tell the Court exactly what he knew.
"Mr. Semin."
Semin rose carefully.
His injured leg still ached.
Not enough to slow him.
Just enough to remind him of Curgarden with every step.
He took the oath.
Sat.
Olivia rose.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Semin."
"Good afternoon."
"You received medical treatment in the Western
Square."
"I did."
"Did that leave you near Princess Elara and Eldred for
some time?"
"Yes."
"Longer than the other members of the Blue
Shield?"
"I believe so."
Olivia nodded.
"Please tell the Court what you observed."
Semin folded his hands together.
"When I arrived..."
"...Princess Elara was already being treated."
"I immediately noticed bruises around her neck."
"What happened next?"
"I remained nearby while the medics worked."
"I spoke with Princess Elara."
"I also overheard some of what she told the medics and
Peace officers."
"What did she tell you?"
Semin hesitated.
His eyes dropped toward the witness stand.
"...Some of it..."
He swallowed.
"...I still wish I hadn't heard."
The courtroom remained silent.
Olivia's voice softened.
"You only need to answer what you're comfortable
answering."
Semin nodded.
"I heard Princess Elara say..."
"...that Mr. Forman had choked her."
A hush settled over the courtroom.
"I also heard her crying."
He looked down again.
"She told one of the medics..."
"...that she was terrified she was going to have
Forman's child."
No one spoke.
Not even the defence.
Semin continued more quietly.
"I've seen frightened people."
"I've treated frightened people."
"I'd never seen someone that terrified."
Olivia let the silence remain for several seconds.
"You also witnessed events earlier that same day."
"I did."
"What did you witness?"
"I saw Aetherian soldiers drag a woman into a
courtyard."
"They beat her."
"Why?"
"To send a message."
"How did witnessing that affect you?"
"I hated them."
His answer came instantly.
"I wanted Curgarden to defeat them."
"Did that feeling remain?"
Semin slowly shook his head.
"No."
"When did it change?"
"When I met Princess Elara."
He looked directly toward Judge Caron.
"I realized cruelty doesn't belong to one flag."
"It belongs to people."
"I believed the Aetherians were monsters."
"Then I met the Curgarden soldiers."
He paused.
"I realized they could be monsters too."
Another silence.
Semin's breathing became heavier.
"I don't believe Mr. Forman merely failed to control
his soldiers."
"I believe he-"
"Mr. Semin."
Judge Caron's voice immediately cut through the courtroom.
Semin stopped.
"The Court is interested in your observations."
"Not your conclusions."
A long pause.
"...Yes, Your Honour."
"My apologies."
Judge Caron nodded once.
"Proceed, Mrs. Stabler."
Olivia looked at Semin for a moment.
She could see the emotion building.
She also knew the line Judge Caron had just drawn.
She adjusted her notes.
Then chose her next question much more carefully.
Olivia let the silence settle, then spoke again.
"Mr. Semin..."
Her voice was quieter now, but deliberate.
"Based on what you personally observed..."
"...what do you believe happened in that square?"
Semin went still.
For a moment, he did not answer.
His hands tightened together in his lap.
"I believe..."
He stopped.
His jaw worked once, as if forcing the words back down.
Then he corrected himself.
"I saw a woman who had been assaulted."
A pause.
"I saw fear that I have only ever seen in people who
believed they were going to die."
His voice sharpened, emotion breaking through the restraint.
"I saw marks on her neck that are consistent with
someone being restrained-"
He stopped again.
His eyes flicked briefly toward Judge Caron.
A breath.
Then, more carefully:
"I saw what I saw."
Silence followed.
Semin swallowed, the intensity still there, but now
contained- held just inside the boundary the Court had drawn.
Wiseman Banda rose slowly.
He waited until he reached the witness stand before
speaking.
"Mr. Semin."
"Good afternoon."
"...Good afternoon."
"I appreciate how difficult that testimony must have
been."
Semin simply nodded.
Wiseman clasped his hands behind his back.
"You care very deeply about Princess Elara."
"I do."
"You were deeply affected by what you heard."
"Yes."
"...and by what you saw."
"Yes."
"You also told this Court that, before speaking with
Princess Elara..."
"...you wanted Curgarden to prevail."
"I did."
"...and afterward..."
"...you believed Mr. Forman was a monster."
"I do."
Wiseman nodded.
"So by the time you entered this courtroom
today..."
"...you had already reached your conclusion."
"...Yes."
"You believed Mr. Forman was guilty."
"...Yes."
"You wanted him punished."
"...Yes."
Wiseman looked briefly toward Judge Caron.
"So your feelings about this case are exceptionally
strong."
"They are."
"I am not ashamed of that."
"I didn't ask whether you should be."
"I merely asked whether they were strong."
"...Yes."
Wiseman smiled politely.
"Thank you."
He paused.
"Now..."
"...I'd like to return to something you said."
"You told Mrs. Stabler..."
"'I saw what I saw.'"
"I did."
"You also heard many things."
"I did."
"You spoke with Princess Elara."
"Yes."
"You overheard conversations between Princess Elara and
medics."
"Yes."
"You overheard conversations between Princess Elara and
Peace officers."
"Yes."
"You overheard conversations among the medics
themselves."
"Yes."
"So by the end of that afternoon..."
"...you had received information from many different
sources."
"I had."
Wiseman nodded.
"Mr. Semin..."
"...did you personally witness Mr. Forman choke
Princess Elara?"
Semin's jaw tightened.
"...No."
"Did you personally witness Mr. Forman sexually assault
Princess Elara?"
"...No."
"Did you personally witness Mr. Forman threaten
Princess Elara?"
"...No."
"What you know about those alleged acts..."
"...came from what Princess Elara and others told you
afterward."
"...Yes."
Wiseman remained calm.
"So when you testified that Mr. Forman was
responsible..."
"...that conclusion was based in part upon
conversations that occurred after the events."
Semin inhaled sharply.
"It was based on everything."
"Please answer my question."
"...Yes."
"It was."
Wiseman nodded once.
"Thank you."
He began walking again.
"Mr. Semin..."
"...is it possible..."
"...that hearing those conversations influenced how you
interpreted everything else you observed that afternoon?"
Semin stared at him.
"No."
Wiseman stopped.
"No?"
"I know what I saw."
"What did you see?"
"I saw terror."
"Whose terror?"
"Princess Elara's."
"...and how do you know Mr. Forman caused it?"
Semin's composure finally began to crack.
"Because what else could it have been?"
Wiseman remained perfectly calm.
"I'm asking you."
"I am asking what you personally observed."
Semin leaned forward.
"I saw what I saw."
"I heard what I heard."
"What else could it be?"
"What else could anyone possibly believe?"
His voice had risen noticeably.
Judge Caron looked up.
"Mr. Semin."
Semin ignored her.
"He was standing there!"
"She was terrified!"
"What else-"
"Mr. Semin."
This time Judge Caron's voice cut through the courtroom.
Immediately.
"The Court will not permit argument from the witness
stand."
Semin stopped.
His breathing was heavy.
His fists had clenched without him realizing it.
Across the courtroom...
Several people in the gallery shifted uneasily.
For just a moment...
It looked as though Semin might climb down from the witness
stand and confront Wiseman himself.
Instead...
He closed his eyes.
Exhaled.
"...My apologies, Your Honour."
Judge Caron watched him for another moment.
"Please answer only the questions put to you."
"...Yes, Your Honour."
Wiseman waited until Semin had fully settled again.
Then he asked quietly,
"Mr. Semin..."
"...is it fair to say that this case makes you
angry?"
A long pause.
"...Yes."
"No further questions."
Wiseman returned to counsel table.
He never looked triumphant.
He didn't need to.
At the prosecution table...
Christopher slowly closed his notebook.
"He'll be remembered."
Olivia nodded.
"The question is..."
"...for what."
Aaron remained silent.
Jabulile folded her arms.
"I believed every word he said."
"So did I," Christopher replied.
"...That wasn't the problem."
Across the courtroom...
Semin returned to his seat.
He believed he had defended Princess Elara.
He believed he had finally stood up to Forman.
He never realized...
...that, for several crucial minutes...
Wiseman had quietly transformed him from a witness into an
advocate.
...and in a courtroom...
Those were not the same thing.
Judge Caron reviewed her notes one final time.
She closed the file.
Looked toward both counsel tables.
"The Court has now heard the testimony scheduled for
today's proceedings."
She paused.
"I thank counsel for their submissions."
"I thank the witnesses for their attendance and their
cooperation."
"The Court will now take today's evidence under
advisement."
She glanced briefly toward the thick stack of files already
assembled beside her.
"The matters raised today will be considered together
with the evidence already received and with the submissions yet to come."
"There remain additional hearings before this
Court."
"Accordingly..."
"...these proceedings are adjourned."
She lifted her gavel.
"This Court stands adjourned."
The sharp crack echoed through the courtroom.
Almost immediately...
The formal atmosphere dissolved.
Lawyers gathered files.
Reporters hurried into the hallway.
Spectators slowly filtered toward the exits.
Responsibility officers approached Forman.
Unlike everyone else...
He wasn't leaving.
Without protest, he allowed the officers to escort him back
toward the secure holding area beneath the courthouse.
Wiseman exchanged a quiet word with him before they parted.
Then even the defence team disappeared into the crowd.
—
Outside the courtroom...
The Blue Shield gathered together almost instinctively.
No one spoke for several moments.
Finally...
Azamat looked around.
"...Is that it?"
Rahim blinked.
"...I think that's it."
Ravi looked genuinely confused.
"...That can't be it."
Semin frowned.
"We're just..."
"...done?"
Zas looked back toward the courtroom doors.
"It doesn't feel finished."
"No."
"It doesn't."
Joanna quietly nodded.
"It isn't."
As if on cue...
Olivia and the rest of the prosecution team emerged from the
courtroom carrying stacks of files.
Christopher was already discussing something with Gao.
Aaron had a notebook tucked beneath one arm.
Jabulile spotted the Blue Shield first.
"There they are."
Olivia walked over.
"You all did well."
Zas looked unconvinced.
"...Did we?"
Olivia smiled faintly.
"You told the truth."
"That's all we ever asked."
Semin folded his arms.
"So..."
"...when do we testify again?"
The prosecutors exchanged brief glances.
Christopher answered first.
"We honestly don't know."
Ravi frowned.
"There are more hearings."
"There are."
"...and probably a trial?"
"Quite possibly."
"So..."
"...when?"
Aaron gave a small shrug.
"That depends on the Court."
"...and on whatever motions are brought next."
"It could be weeks."
"It could be months."
"No one can honestly tell you today."
The answer visibly disappointed all five men.
Azamat scratched the back of his neck.
"...So what do we do now?"
Olivia answered without hesitation.
"You go home."
The tribesmen looked at one another.
"...Home?"
"Yes."
"You return to your lives."
"You continue living them."
"...and if the Court needs you again..."
"...we'll contact you."
Rahim nodded slowly.
"So..."
"...we wait."
Christopher smiled.
"I'm afraid that's how the justice system works."
"A great deal of waiting."
Zas looked back one final time at the courtroom doors.
Only that morning...
They had seemed impossibly intimidating.
Now...
They simply felt unfinished.
He quietly exhaled.
"I suppose..."
"...we have done all we can."
Olivia nodded.
"For today."
There was something oddly unsatisfying about that answer.
The fighting was over.
The testimony was over.
The arguments- for now- were over.
Yet none of it felt resolved.
The mountains had taught the Blue Shield that every battle
ended with a victor.
The courtroom taught them something entirely different.
Sometimes...
The hardest part of a battle...
...was waiting to learn who had won.
The prosecution office was noticeably quieter than it had
been that morning.
Coffee cups had replaced breakfast pastries.
The atmosphere had become analytical.
Olivia stood at the whiteboard.
Five names had been written down.
ZASARAMEL
AZAMAT
RAHIM
RAVI
SEMIN
She uncapped a marker.
"Thoughts."
Christopher answered first.
"Zas stays."
No one objected.
"He made the arrest."
"He heard Forman."
"He observed the confrontation."
"He can't disappear from the case."
Olivia nodded.
"Agreed."
She circled Zas' name.
"Azamat?"
"Goes with him," Christopher replied.
"He corroborates the critical moments."
"He has limitations..."
"...but he's still valuable."
Another circle.
Olivia looked toward Aaron.
"Rahim?"
Aaron barely looked up from his notes.
"My favourite witness."
Christopher smiled.
"Mine too."
"He answered only what he knew."
"He never exaggerated."
"He conceded points naturally."
Aaron nodded.
"Jurors like people who admit they don't know
something."
"So do judges."
Olivia circled Rahim's name.
Three circles.
Two names remained.
Silence settled over the room.
Finally...
Christopher sighed.
"Ravi."
No one spoke.
Gao eventually broke the silence.
"I feel bad for him."
"So do I," Jabulile replied.
"But this isn't about feeling bad."
Christopher closed Ravi's transcript.
"He wasn't dishonest."
"No."
"He wasn't evasive."
"No."
"He simply..."
"...collapsed inward."
Aaron nodded.
"Classic performance anxiety."
"He became increasingly afraid of his own
answers."
"Can we coach that out of him?" Jabulile asked.
Aaron considered the question carefully.
"...Maybe."
"Would I bet the case on it?"
"No."
Christopher leaned back.
"If Rahim can establish the same facts..."
"...I don't see a reason to expose Ravi again."
Olivia quietly nodded.
"Keep him available."
"But let's build the trial assuming we won't need
him."
Nobody argued.
Olivia drew a small question mark beside Ravi's name.
Then looked at the last witness.
"Semin."
That discussion proved far less straightforward.
"He gave us things no one else did," Jabulile
began.
"The bruising."
"The conversations."
"The emotional condition of Princess Elara."
Christopher agreed.
"He also became an advocate."
Aaron folded his arms.
"He wasn't angry because of the courtroom."
"He was angry because Wiseman challenged his moral
certainty."
"And that's exactly what will happen again."
Jabulile looked thoughtful.
"What if we prepare him better?"
Aaron slowly shook his head.
"You can coach technique."
"You can't coach personality."
Christopher nodded.
"I agree."
"If Wiseman pushes the same buttons..."
"...Semin will respond the same way."
Olivia looked at Semin's transcript.
"He still has value."
Christopher didn't disagree.
"But we have to be selective."
"No speeches."
"No conclusions."
"Just observations."
Olivia nodded slowly.
"We'll revisit him."
Another question mark appeared beside Semin's name.
Finally...
Olivia turned toward another stack of files.
ELARA
ELDRED
The room grew quiet again.
"They had a difficult hearing," Gao admitted.
Christopher nodded.
"They're trauma survivors."
"They remembered the horror."
"They struggled with the sequence."
Aaron added quietly,
"That's not unusual."
"No."
"But it makes them vulnerable."
Olivia folded her arms.
"If this reaches a jury..."
"...we have to prepare them differently."
Christopher looked at Elara's transcript.
"The truth hasn't changed."
"No."
"We simply have to help them tell it more
clearly."
Olivia looked around the room.
"This hearing taught us something."
Everyone looked back at her.
"It didn't just reveal the defence's strategy."
"It revealed our weaknesses."
She picked up the marker again.
Under the witnesses' names she wrote a single sentence.
PREPARE THE WITNESS, NOT THE STORY.
No one questioned it.
That...
...would be the prosecution's job from this point forward.
The familiar Civic Network theme echoed across television
screens throughout the continent.
The camera cut to Wolf Kohlman behind the anchor desk.
His usual composed expression had become noticeably more
serious.
"Good evening."
"We begin tonight with breaking news."
A graphic appeared beside him.
WHO RULES THE KHOTAN VALLEY?
"The Unity Assembly has formally requested that the
Responsibility Court issue a declaratory judgment concerning the lawful
government of the Khotan Valley."
"At issue is whether the Court should determine who, if
anyone, presently holds executive authority following the collapse of Aetheria
and the arrest of Anton Forman."
Wolf turned toward the adjoining desk.
"Joining me now is Civic legal analyst Avi
Winter."
"Avi..."
"...why is this suddenly so important?"
Avi folded his hands.
"Because Peace has finished the job it was originally
sent to do."
"The fighting inside Aetheris has ended."
"Order has largely been restored."
"Government ministries are functioning again."
"Basic services are operating."
"The emergency phase is effectively over."
A map of the Khotan Valley appeared behind him.
"The Treaty of Ctesiphon doesn't require Unity to
install a government immediately."
"It requires that, after a reasonable period following
the restoration of public order, either a government be recognized..."
"...or a Peace Mandate be declared."
He looked toward the camera.
"Sometimes that takes many months."
"In particularly complicated conflicts..."
"...well over a year."
"That's perfectly lawful."
He gestured toward the map.
"Aetheria is different."
"The overwhelming majority of the fighting occurred in
and around Aetheris."
"Peace wasn't required to conduct a prolonged campaign
across the country."
"It stabilized the capital."
"It restored essential order."
"That phase is now substantially complete."
Wolf nodded.
"So now local officials are asking..."
"'Who's in charge?'"
"Exactly."
"The Treaty only requires Unity to provide essential
support during this interim period."
"Enough to keep society functioning."
"Not enough to govern indefinitely."
"So somebody has to assume responsibility."
Wolf leaned slightly forward.
"And that's where Mr. Forman enters the picture."
Avi nodded.
"Correct."
"Mr. Forman maintains that Princess Elara lawfully
transferred executive authority to him."
"If that's true..."
"...he claims to be the lawful President of the Khotan
Valley."
"There's one obvious complication."
Wolf smiled faintly.
"He's in jail."
"He is."
"…and under the Treaty..."
"...someone being held in Responsibility custody cannot
exercise the powers of government."
"Ordinarily those powers would pass to a designated
deputy."
He paused.
"Unfortunately for Mr. Forman..."
"...his designated deputies are also sitting in
Responsibility custody awaiting trial."
A photograph of Forman and two other detained officials
appeared on screen.
Wolf raised an eyebrow.
"So there is effectively no functioning
executive."
"That's the current problem."
Wolf considered that.
"What can Judge Caron actually do?"
"A number of things."
"If she concludes Mr. Forman's arrest was
lawful..."
"...his detention continues."
"If she also concludes the purported transfer of
authority was legally ineffective..."
"...Unity will almost certainly have to recognize some
alternative interim authority or consider a Peace Mandate."
Wolf nodded slowly.
"…and if she reaches the opposite conclusion?"
Avi chose his words carefully.
"If Judge Caron concludes that Princess Elara's
transfer of executive authority was legally valid..."
"...then Mr. Forman became President of the Khotan
Valley before Mr. Zasaramel placed him under arrest."
"That creates the central legal issue now before the
Court."
Wolf nodded.
"Which is?"
"Whether Mr. Zasaramel had the authority to arrest a
sitting President."
Avi continued.
"Ordinarily, the answer would be no."
"However..."
"...the Treaty of Ctesiphon contains a limited
exception for arrests made under exigent circumstances involving alleged
Universal Jurisdiction offences."
"The prosecution argues those circumstances
existed."
"The defence argues they did not."
"Judge Caron must now decide which interpretation is
correct."
Wolf leaned forward.
"…and if she agrees with the defence?"
"Then the arrest would be declared unlawful."
"Mr. Forman would be released from Responsibility
custody..."
"...and because the Court would have recognized the
transfer of authority as legally effective, he would immediately become the
lawful President of the Khotan Valley."
"At that point, Unity would recognize his government
unless some other legal obstacle prevented it."
"Responsibility could still investigate or even seek to
charge him again in the future if legally permitted..."
"...but they would first have to obtain lawful custody
of him again."
Wolf looked thoughtful.
"So this declaration could determine whether the Valley
gets a President..."
"...or a Peace administration."
"It could."
"…and it's an enormously significant decision. This may
be the single most consequential preliminary ruling Judge Caron will ever
write."
Wolf glanced down at his notes.
"You've watched every day of the preliminary
hearing."
"I have."
"What did you make of it?"
Avi exhaled slowly.
"I think the defence had a very strong hearing."
"They effectively exposed weaknesses in several
prosecution witnesses."
"Ravi struggled considerably under
cross-examination."
"Semin allowed his emotions to overtake parts of his
testimony."
"They also forced meaningful concessions from Azamat
and even Zasaramel."
Wolf nodded.
"…but..."
"...they never really established Mr. Forman's own
version of events."
"They didn't."
"…but as defence counsel..."
"...they don't necessarily have to."
"The burden rests with the prosecution."
"The question is whether that burden has been
met."
Wolf looked directly at Avi.
"If you had to make a prediction tonight..."
"...what would it be?"
Avi hesitated.
Long enough for viewers to realize he genuinely disliked
making predictions.
Finally...
"I'd call it..."
"...sixty-forty."
Wolf waited.
"Sixty for whom?"
Avi sighed.
"...Sixty percent that Mr. Forman prevails on at least
one of the issues presently before the Court."
"I wouldn't call it likely..."
"...but I certainly wouldn't call it comfortable for
the prosecution either."
Wolf looked back toward the main camera.
"We'll continue following developments as Judge
Victoria Caron considers one of the most consequential legal decisions in
recent Unity history."
"For Civic News..."
"...I'm Wolf Kohlman."
The broadcast faded into its commercial break.
The evening rush had settled over Thea's restaurant.
It wasn't quite full, but it was busy enough that
conversations blended into a pleasant hum beneath the soft music playing
overhead.
The familiar robot glided between tables, its mechanical arm
carrying stacks of freshly washed plates while its human handler followed a
respectful distance behind, tablet in hand.
The Blue Shield claimed the same large table they had
occupied earlier.
Arel-Sin proudly wore his improvised garbage-bag poncho over
his suit.
Phoebe couldn't stop smiling every time she looked at him.
"...It still looks ridiculous."
"It works."
"It looks ridiculous."
"It can do both."
Joanna laughed.
"I think it's becoming part of the outfit."
"If this becomes fashion..."
Azamat sighed dramatically.
"...I'm moving back to the mountains."
The table erupted in laughter.
Almost on cue, Thea appeared carrying her tablet.
She immediately recognized them.
"...You're back."
"We are," Joanna smiled.
Thea looked around the table.
"...How did court go?"
Azamat leaned back.
He stared thoughtfully toward the ceiling.
"...It was..."
A long pause.
"...a trial."
For a second...
Thea simply blinked.
Then she laughed.
"...Yeah."
"...Those are usually the worst kind."
"I've served enough lawyers after court to know."
"You all look exhausted."
"I feel exhausted," Azamat admitted.
"I've climbed mountains with more energy than I have
right now."
Thea chuckled sympathetically.
"Well..."
"...hopefully dinner helps."
"I certainly hope so."
She began taking their orders.
This time...
Arel-Sin ordered something considerably less dangerous to
his clothing.
"I'm learning."
"You are," Joanna agreed.
"I'm proud of you."
"Mostly."
"Mostly?"
"The poncho is still questionable."
"It is practical."
"It is garbage."
"...Both."
The laughter had barely settled when Joanna's communicator
vibrated.
VINCE MCGEADY
She smiled.
"...Speak of the devil."
She answered.
"Hey, Vince."
"Jo!"
His booming enthusiasm nearly made Joanna pull the device
away from her ear.
"I've got a dinner invitation for you."
Joanna grinned.
"...Vince."
"I have a boyfriend."
"I know."
"It isn't that kind of dinner."
The table immediately became interested.
Vince continued.
"I want to meet your gorgeous giants."
Joanna laughed.
"My what?"
"Your gorgeous giants."
"The mountain men."
"All of them."
"I've been thinking about them all day."
"Especially Zas. Anybody who can look that good in a
suit without trying deserves a conversation."
Joanna shook her head.
"...That sounds vaguely threatening."
"It should sound profitable."
Azamat leaned closer.
"Who is that?"
Joanna covered the microphone.
"My boss."
Azamat's eyes widened.
"Oh."
Vince carried on without missing a beat.
"I'm heading to Ercolanum."
"When I get there..."
"...I'll call you."
"I want dinner."
"I want stories."
"…and I want to meet the men who somehow stole the
spotlight from my wrestler."
Joanna laughed.
"I don't think they'll believe that."
"They will after I tell them."
"We'll be there."
"Perfect."
"See you soon."
The call ended.
Azamat leaned forward.
"...Did he actually call us gorgeous?"
"He absolutely did."
"...I think I like your boss."
"You haven't even met him yet."
"That has never stopped me before."
Their food arrived moments later.
Conversation drifted away from court.
Away from lawyers.
Away from motions and testimony.
For the first time all day...
They simply enjoyed dinner.
Thea checked on them several times.
Everyone's mood had visibly improved.
Then...
Every television in the restaurant abruptly went black.
The music stopped.
A sharp tone echoed through the dining room.
BREAKING NEWS
Wolf Kohlman appeared on every screen.
Conversations throughout the restaurant died almost
instantly.
Wolf looked directly into the camera.
"We interrupt this program with breaking news from the
Responsibility Court."
"Judge Victoria Caron has announced an emergency
sitting following today's request from the Unity Assembly."
"The Court will shortly deliver a declaratory judgment
regarding the government of the Khotan Valley."
Thea looked up at the nearest television.
"...Wasn't that your case?"
Nobody at the table answered immediately.
They simply stared at the screen.
Wolf continued.
"While today's witnesses are not required to
attend..."
"...the ruling is expected to determine the immediate
constitutional status of the Khotan Valley following the arrest of Forman."
Silence.
Zas slowly set down his fork.
"So..."
"...this is it."
Rahim nodded.
"It would seem so."
Semin was already standing.
"We're going."
Joanna looked toward Zas.
"We don't have to."
Zas remained seated for another moment.
Thinking.
Finally...
He stood.
"No."
"We don't."
He looked toward the television.
"...but I want to know whether what I did that
day..."
"...was lawful."
No one argued.
They hurriedly finished the last few bites of their meals.
Arel-Sin carefully folded up his napkin.
Adjusted his garbage-bag poncho.
"I'm ready."
Phoebe smiled.
"I can't believe you're still wearing that."
"It has become part of the suit."
Joanna laughed as everyone rose.
Thea met them near the door.
"...Good luck."
Zas smiled warmly.
"...Thank you."
Moments later...
The restaurant door swung shut behind them.
And the family hurried back toward the courthouse...
...where a single ruling might decide not only Forman's fate-
-but the fate of an entire nation.
The Responsibility courtroom was even more crowded than it
had been earlier that day.
Every public seat had been occupied well before the doors
opened.
Outside...
Responsibility officers directed disappointed spectators
away from the entrance as politely as they could.
"I'm sorry."
"The courtroom has reached capacity."
"You'll be able to watch the ruling through the public
broadcast."
Some protested.
Others accepted their disappointment.
Most simply stood outside anyway, hoping for news the moment
the proceedings concluded.
Inside...
The atmosphere was unlike anything the Blue Shield had
experienced before.
No witnesses.
No testimony.
No lawyers preparing binders.
Just anticipation.
Even finding seats had proven difficult.
Joanna, Zas, the children and the rest of the Blue Shield
had only managed to squeeze into the final row still available.
Azamat looked around.
"I thought we'd have reserved seating."
One of the court officers quietly shook his head.
"Nobody was required to attend this sitting."
"So priority seating wasn't issued."
Azamat accepted the explanation.
"...Fair enough."
The courtroom doors closed.
A hush immediately settled over the room.
Judge Victoria Caron entered.
No one spoke.
No one shuffled papers.
Even before the clerk could announce-
"All rise."
-the courtroom was already standing.
Judge Caron acknowledged the room with a slight nod before
taking her seat.
Everyone followed.
She opened the file before her.
Adjusted her glasses.
Looked once around the courtroom.
Then began.
"This Court has been asked by the Unity Assembly to
issue a declaratory judgment concerning the present government of the territory
formerly known as the Kingdom of Aetheria."
She paused.
"The Court recognizes the urgency of that
request."
"The Court also recognizes the consequences that will
flow from whatever decision is rendered."
Another brief pause.
"I begin by emphasizing one point."
"My ruling today creates no new law."
"It establishes no new precedent."
"It recognizes no new authority."
"Every conclusion reached today is grounded entirely
within the existing text of the Treaty of Ctesiphon and the established legal
traditions that accompany it."
She lowered her eyes to her notes.
"There remain numerous questions before this
Court."
"Questions of fact."
"Questions of law."
"Questions which have not yet been sufficiently tested
through the judicial process."
"Those questions remain unresolved."
She looked toward both counsel tables.
"Ordinarily..."
"...this Court would simply defer judgment until those
matters had been fully litigated."
"However..."
"...the Unity Assembly has represented that the absence
of a recognized government now materially affects the administration of the
Khotan Valley."
"Accordingly..."
"...this Court must determine the narrowest issue
necessary to permit civil governance to continue."
She turned a page.
"The Court first notes that Princess Elara satisfies
the Treaty's legal requirements to possess and transfer sovereign
authority."
"No issue has been raised regarding her legal capacity
to do so."
She paused.
"The Court further notes that the Treaty expressly
prohibits the transfer of sovereign authority under circumstances of unlawful
coercion."
She allowed those words to linger.
"Whether coercion existed remains one of the central
questions before this Court."
"It has not yet been determined."
"Accordingly..."
"...this Court cannot presume that the purported
transfer of authority was legally effective."
A murmur began somewhere in the gallery.
It died almost immediately.
Judge Caron continued.
"The Court likewise makes no determination today
regarding the legality of Mr. Forman's arrest."
"The applicability of exigent circumstances."
"The scope of diplomatic arrest authority exercised by
Mr. Zasaramel."
"…and the operation of the Universal Jurisdiction
provisions of the Treaty..."
"...all remain matters to be determined."
She looked directly toward the packed gallery.
"This Court decides none of those questions
today."
Silence.
"The Court further observes that Mr. Forman and those
identified as his designated deputies presently stand accused of offences
falling within the Treaty's Universal Jurisdiction provisions."
"The consequences of those allegations..."
"...and any resulting disqualification from sovereign
office..."
"...likewise remain unresolved."
She folded her hands together.
"The Court therefore finds itself presented with
competing legal uncertainties."
"On one hand..."
"...a purported transfer of sovereign authority whose
validity depends upon factual findings not yet made."
"On the other..."
"...serious criminal allegations whose legal
consequences likewise remain undetermined."
She looked briefly toward the Unity representatives seated
near the rear of the courtroom.
"The Treaty provides guidance for precisely such
circumstances."
"When fundamental questions affecting sovereignty
remain unresolved..."
"...the Court is to preserve legal continuity until
those questions have been conclusively answered."
She nodded once.
"Accordingly..."
"...without determining the validity of the alleged
transfer of authority..."
"...without determining the legality of Mr. Forman's
arrest..."
"...without determining the applicability of exigent
circumstances..."
"...and without determining the merits of any pending
criminal allegation..."
"...this Court declares that the legal continuity of
the Kingdom of Aetheria remains vested in Princess Elara."
Another pause.
"Pending final resolution of these proceedings..."
"...no legally effective transfer of sovereign
authority shall be recognized."
"Princess Elara therefore remains, in law, the
sovereign of the Kingdom of Aetheria."
For nearly two full seconds...
The courtroom was perfectly still.
Even the reporters forgot to write.
Then-
Wiseman Banda was on his feet.
"Your Honour-"
His voice carried clearly through the courtroom.
Wiseman Banda was on his feet almost before Judge Caron had
finished speaking.
"Your Honour."
Judge Caron looked up.
"Mr. Banda."
"The defence respectfully objects."
"You may proceed."
Wiseman buttoned his jacket.
"Your Honour, with respect..."
"...the Court has effectively deprived my client of the
office he lawfully claims to hold without first determining the allegations
against him."
He paused.
"The Court has repeatedly stated today that it is
making no findings regarding the legality of the transfer of authority."
"No findings regarding the legality of the
arrest."
"No findings regarding the allegations
themselves."
"…and yet..."
"...Mr. Forman is denied the ability to exercise
sovereign authority."
He spread his hands.
"Respectfully..."
"...that is inconsistent with one of the most
fundamental principles of our legal tradition."
"The presumption of innocence."
He looked briefly toward Forman.
"My client stands accused."
"He has not been convicted."
"He has not even been committed for trial."
"If this Court truly presumes him innocent..."
"...then there exists no legal basis upon which to
prevent him from exercising an office he claims to have lawfully
acquired."
He inclined his head.
"The defence therefore requests that the declaratory
ruling be withdrawn."
Silence followed.
Judge Caron turned.
"Mrs. Stabler."
Olivia rose immediately.
"Your Honour..."
"...the defence's argument confuses punishment with
temporary legal incapacity."
She walked a few steps forward.
"The Treaty of Ctesiphon expressly distinguishes
between those concepts."
"The Court has imposed no punishment upon Mr.
Forman."
"It has not declared him guilty."
"It has not found the transfer unlawful."
"It has not resolved any criminal allegation."
She picked up a copy of the Treaty.
"The drafters anticipated precisely this
situation."
"They recognized that a sovereign actively facing
unresolved allegations under the Treaty's Universal Jurisdiction provisions
could undermine both the administration of justice and public confidence in
government."
She looked toward the bench.
"For that reason..."
"...the Treaty temporarily suspends the exercise of
sovereign authority while those questions remain unresolved."
"Not because the accused is presumed guilty..."
"...but because the integrity of both the criminal
proceedings and the government itself must be protected."
She continued.
"Our legal traditions are full of comparable
examples."
"A defendant released on bail remains presumed
innocent."
"Yet their liberty may still be subject to
conditions."
"A court may impose a no-contact order."
"It may require surrender of a passport."
"It may order house arrest."
"None of those measures constitute findings of
guilt."
"They are temporary legal restrictions imposed while
guilt remains undecided."
Olivia closed the Treaty.
"The same principle applies here."
"The presumption of innocence remains intact."
"The Treaty's temporary restrictions remain equally
intact."
She returned to counsel table.
Judge Caron remained silent for several moments.
When she finally spoke...
Her voice was calm.
"The Court has considered the submissions of both
counsel."
She looked toward Wiseman.
"The defence is correct that Mr. Forman is presumed
innocent."
"Nothing in today's ruling alters that
presumption."
She then looked toward Olivia.
"The prosecution is likewise correct that the Treaty
distinguishes between a finding of guilt and the temporary legal consequences
that may arise while serious questions remain unresolved."
She folded her hands.
"This Court has not found the transfer of sovereign
authority valid."
"It has not found it invalid."
"It has not found the arrest lawful."
"It has not found it unlawful."
"Those issues remain before the Court."
She paused.
"Where competing claims of sovereignty depend upon
unresolved questions of law and fact..."
"...the Treaty directs this Court to preserve legal
continuity until those questions have been adjudicated."
She looked across the courtroom.
"To recognize the purported transfer today would
require this Court to assume that the transfer was lawful."
"The Court cannot make that assumption."
"To reject it permanently would require the Court to
assume the opposite."
"The Court cannot make that assumption either."
She nodded once.
"Accordingly..."
"...the status quo must remain."
"Princess Elara therefore continues as the recognized
sovereign pending final adjudication of the issues before this Court."
She picked up her file.
"The defence's objection is respectfully
dismissed."
A single rap of the gavel echoed through the chamber.
"The declaratory judgment shall stand."
The murmur that swept through the courtroom was immediate.
Some sighed in relief.
Others shook their heads.
At the defence table...
Wiseman slowly sat.
He had lost the argument.
…but not the case.
The trial ahead...
...would decide the questions Judge Caron had deliberately
left unanswered.