Faction Reap What You Sow

[Ascendant Resolve]

T R I A L
​

It has been two weeks since the Battle of Rhand. While the bean counters and paper pushers of the galaxy debate the victor of this blood filled day, the powers of the Confederacy are concerned with another matter. That of Laertia Io . To some, she is known simply as this. To others, Darth Xiphos. To yet others still, the Butcher of Rhand. It was by her hand that thousands of civilians lost their lives in the battle. Having infiltrated the ranks of the Confederacy, the wayward Sith struck swiftly and decisively. The destruction of the Skyhook and Worldship had proven deadly to many military forces as well as civilians. For this purpose, the highest power of the Confederacy dictated that the Sith was to be destroyed.

This order was, in short, disobeyed. The man tasked with killing Laertia, Kyyrk , chose instead to take her as prisoner, and force her to stand trial for what she had done. Assisted by Zlova Rue and Vyse de Valorous , Laertia's flagship was returned to Naboo, and Laertia was taken to the bastion of Arx Obsidia, where she could await her day on trial in observation. But that day was now upon the Confederacy. A court room had been established within the Presidium, where the Office of the Minister of War would place Laertia on trial for her crimes.

Reporters were swarming the steps of the presidium, watching as the transport convoy arrived. A host of Knights Obsidian emerged, each armed with the ceremonial weapon of the order, the Lightsaber. All other weapons were to be forbidden in this venue. Only those protecting the audience from the threat of the Sith were permitted such items. The door of the central transport opened to reveal a silver-skinned Knight, escorting the woman of the day herself. Her hands were bound with stun cuffs, her clothing a simple tunic. She had been offered exceptional care under the Confederacy's supervision. Any unkemptness in her appearance was her own fault. The Knight escorting her pushed his way through the crowd of reporters, bringing her to sit within the designated chamber with all haste. Protesters were also gathering, wishing to see the woman pay for what she'd done to their friends. Their family. The loved ones lost at the Battle of Rhand.

But all things in due time. Today, Laertia was at the mercy of the Confederate Justice System...

Kiff Brayde || John Locke || Srina Talon

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Two weeks after the invasion, Dreidi was getting checked on by the doctors, while her injuries had fully healed at this point they were taking time in going over her and making sure she didn't need any other type of care. Dreidi had refused the medication, she spent enough time not doing anything and healing, she wanted to be free of the doctors and such. Her doctor confirmed that she was physically fine and that this should be the last time they meet, a relief to Dreidi who just wanted to go home. However, she did stress that Dreidi take time to talk to someone about the trauma that she saw. Dreidi dismissed this, already seeing one therapist was enough for her, though she had been avoiding the therapist for awhile now. She grabbed her black and grey plaid shirt and threw it over her loose t-shirt, rushing out the door and outside.

Taking in a deep breath, flashes of the battle, people dying. Body parts strewn everywhere and flew in the air from the bombardment. The fear she felt when she thought she would be left behind. Her whole body shuddered and Dreidi attempted to shake it off and think about something else. She couldn't spend her life fixated on it. She had survived, that was all that mattered, well that and ensuring that Kristyl was fine. That had been her main goal. But Dreidi was alive and she healed fine so she could go back to training in no time. Keep thinking positive. Just forget about the war, it's over now. Yeah, it's over and just gotta live my life. Sighing, she wondered how her father felt after a battle ended, or how Asaraa felt or how her mother felt. She knew that her mother hated her father going to war but she wondered how Jairdain felt in battle.

Walking down the street, Dreidi noticed that there were a ton of reports and others talking about someone called Laertia Io or a Darth Xiphos. Dreidi wondered what a Sith would be doing around here and was Laertia the same person or someone connected to the Sith? Once again curiosity drove the young teenager closer to event and figure out what was happening. A trial? Now that would be interesting to watch, what could have someone done during that battle to trigger a trial? Wanting to see how the Confederacy performed trials of such calibre, Dreidi entered the room and took a seat quietly.

 

[Diocletian Kahmen’’a]

Location: Naboo, en route to the Presidium

Soon after he landed on Naboo, he picked up the frantic and sobbing COMM messages from his beloved mother who had caught wind of the Battle of Rhand and the bloodbath it became. Mothers worry that’s a given, and Diocletian did reassure her that he was fine and the injuries he received were not that serious. He was downplaying it because he wanted to just go forward and deal with things his own way and not to give his mum a heart attack.

<"Good ol' mum."> He says to himself quietly so no one else can hear him.

So, there is the matter of the trial. Why is it necessary? Everyone knew what happened, but the CIS wanted to do things properly. Who is he to question the powers that be? Now, he is just circling these questions in circles and he needed to stop doing so. A strategy to avoid having to remember and pick apart the sheer mess that the battle became and that he nearly died?

Maybe.

Looking down at the floor as he walked he was pleased that the pothole was no longer there, that someone got off their wazoo and patched it up. It was good to not think about Rhand for a minute or two. Diocletian did walk into a crowd of reporters, who by the looks of it was waiting for the trial to start. He didn't exactly help in cornering and capturing Ms Io but he was there in the last few moments of the capture.

Still, he wanted to observe the whole thing for himself, in all his years living he has never been inside a Court Room. Neither as an observer or the one on trial. He walked in and quietly took a seat. He left all his weapons back on his ship as it would avoid any stringent bureaucracy related fiascos.

 

[Zlova Rue]

Laertia Io . AKA Darth Xiphos, AKA The Butcher of Rhand. AKA Murderer.

To the fair folk of Naboo -- nay, the Confederacy -- she was a monster, and this was a day to remember when that monster faced hard justice. For Zlova, it was a Tuesday.

Evidenced no better than by the red skinned, Lethan Twi'lek stepping out of the transport with her sabers in hand with the crowd eagerly awaiting Laertia Io showing her face in public. Zlova held her chin high and scanned the crowd with her golden eyes for anyone foolish enough to try harming the 'prisoner.' It mattered not if some would ignorantly whisper whether someone so stereotypically Sith was The Sith in question or not. Nor if it made any of them uncomfortable not being able to so easily categorize people. In fact, she rather enjoy the thought of unsettling a fair portion of those in attendance just by being there.

Laertia would do more than that, however, when she emerged. The people knew her name, her face, and her crimes. Zlova was a shadow of a threat, while the woman of the hour was a reviled beast that'd killed countless of 'innocent' lives.

The Twi'lek's sharp, golden rings dared the first to try and exact personal vengeance as the prisoner was transported to the court room. Zlova would happily ruin their life by cutting short their attempt at glory and self-satisfaction. No one was killing Laertia Io today. Tomorrow might be different. The other Sith wasn't in any way related to Zlova, so her inevitable end was of no concern. No, today was a matter of principle. They came to judge a Sith because it was the galaxy's favorite pass time. As a Sith herself, Zlova wanted to do whatever she could to rain on that parade.

Such things had to be discretely, of course. Couldn't start throwing lightning around like an ignorant pleb. Too many Knights to act recklessly no matter how much Zlova loved doing such.

 

[Vyse de Valorous]

When Vyse was summoned to escort Laertia Io at first it didn't mean much to him. He had been one of those that arrested her and leading her to her trial was symbolic. He shortly realized it was also displaying the fact that regardless of weather she put up a fight, he had been one of the few heros who captured this horrible monster, and now that was on display with the beast itself.

Vyse flanked Laeria with Zlova, wearing his ebony black armor from the battle, cape flowing in the wind as he led her down the pre planned route.
He had kept off his helmet, worried it would make him look a bit too intimidating. It had nearly got him murdered by his own allies during the the battle and he was not very eager to see it's effect on the capitals population.

Vyse held a stoic face, but he was absolutely thrilled to be assigned guard duty with Zlova Rue . Vyse highly valued the lessons given and for him their chats were the best part of the disaster of a battle. You wouldn't think to get a class worth of learning in in between a war zone but surviving was insane in of itself.

It was a little shocking to see such an angry mob, not that it didn't make sense of course it did. The battle had been horribly bloody and she was the perfect scapegoat for peoples rage and CIS blame. But hearing there was a protest is one thing, having to protect someone from a raving mob that all would tear her apart given the chance but your standing in the way was another matter.

As they went on Vyse had his lightsaber in hand seemingly to keep his prisoner from fleeing but in reality to ward off anyone who though they might try and rush his small band to state their personal rage. She would live to see trial as that was his orders and he'd see it done.

Vyse didn't even have that much personal disdain of the women. After the battle Vyse had gone to move on from the ordeal. It had been a nightmare, but he lived though it. And while unhappy memories, he had proven what he was capable of. This distance made several thousand slaves feeling like a few dozen.

Regardless of how things went, it would prove to be a famous trial with good company. Vyse couldn't think of a better time.

 

[Laertia Io]

Wearing: Prison garments

Armed with: Wits, Contingencies.


Earlier...


Xiphos meditated in her cell, well kept, hair cut.

She had surrendered for only one reason:

One of her goals really was to help the Confederacy. If she fled, she would only have yet another major factions to count as a Nemesis. She had to do everything in her power to make them understand that destroying Gihinnom, had been an absolute military necessity. Because if she couldn't...there were yet more measures for her surviving she was ready to stoop to.

She had never felt so alone as she did at that moment. But she had to make them understand. She had to try and make them see just how dangerous their enemy was, and how harsh and unrelenting they had to be to survive them.

As she meditated, she opened her eyes, found herself in a white void, staring at The Battalion .

"What are you doing, Xiphos?" The Battalion asked, curious, slinking up to Xiphos in the white Void.

"My enemies expected me to run this time. To flee. If I flee the CIS, I become their enemy forever. I have to convince them what I did needed to be done. Somehow."

"And if you fail?"

"I didn't come this far to die now." was the only answer Xiphos gave.

"You murdered their personnel. Killed thousands of slaves that they came to rescue."

"There was no helping them. The Maw would have escaped with them. And then they would have more slave soldiers or sacrifices. And the Maw would have ambushed them regardless."

"Emotion may outweigh Rationality in this case. One thing Governments hate more than losing a battle, more than anything else, in fact, is losing face..." The Battalion emphasized. "These CIS, the GA, the NIO, the SJC, they all wanna sell the same thing to the public: that they are righteous bringers of Law and Order. And being righteous in this case meant going out of their way to rescue slaves in a poorly planned operation that had very little chance of success in hindsight. For costing them their credibility in that regard, they may decide to execute you just because of that."

"I have to try to make them see...I have to..."

"Darth Phyre has her own plans should the verdict not go in your favor."

"I don't want Phyre's help..." Xiphos growled. "I'll find my own way out."

"Xiphos..." The Battalion trailed wrapping her arms around Xiphos's waist in the mutual hallucination.

"Why are you still fighting the Bogan?" The Battalion asked. "Can't you see this faction is made up of moral cowards who lack the will to commit to Total War? Can't you see the time to claim heroism has long since passed? Why are you so bent on being unhappy? Don't you see? If you give in to the Dark Side, their opinion won't matter to you. You'll be the champion you try to be."

"You never did answer my question about whether or not you would choose this life, if you had to do it all over again."

The Battalion frowned.

(The Battalion's Will Saves have been reduced by -1)

"That's besides the point."

"I think not. Maybe you should try seeing it from my side some time..."

Xiphos leaned forward in the White Void.

"Or are you chicken?" she asked.

"I hope you know what you're doing."

"So do I..."

Xiphos snapped out of the Hallucination, her left cybernetic eye and weaponized cybernetic arm removed. She hadn't spoken out loud, only in her head as the Knight's Obsidian came to escort her to trial...


Present...


The crowd was large. Massive. They were all screaming curses at her, all unable to see the bigger picture past their own pain and indignation.

Zlova Rue and Vyse de Valorous escorted her. Xiphos didn't fail to catch the symbolism of one of three "heroes" present at her capture escorting her, to do what everyone else had failed to do. What a fething joke.

It was by her own will she was here, not theirs. Certainly not the will of the CIS.

She had come by her own will, and if necessary, she would leave by her own will. But she must try to convince the CIS to let her continue working for them. She wanted to. It would be disastrous if the Maw triumphed over them. The Maw could not be allowed further footholds.

"Bask in it, young one..." She whispered to Vyse in her permanently damaged voice. "For like all things, Triumph is fleeting..."

She wasn't sure why she had said it to him. More communicating an idle observation than any real active attempt to taunt him. There was certainly no mockery in her whisper or face, and she didn't even look at him as she said it.

Xiphos spared a glance at the enraged crowd as she was led in chains in gray prison garments...

I wonder if any of them would rather kill their loved ones then let them be taken as a Maw slave... Xiphos wondered to herself as she was escorted to the tribunal.

I wonder if any of them would be willing to kill their loved ones if it meant defeating The Maw.

Kiff Brayde

John Locke

Srina Talon

Ascendant Resolve

 

[Anashla Deshal]

A young woman entered the room from a side door, dressed fully in a Confederate military uniform, and moved quietly to take her seat at the head of the gathering. Placing before herself a datapad and taking a seat, Anshla looked out over the assembly. She inwardly despised having to preside over this trial but as one of the only Naval Commanders who was not present to view the events that unfolded, she was determined to be the fairest option for the defendant.

Anashla struck a gavel twice to gather the attention of the room and silence any discussions that might be taking place before her brown eyes fell upon the woman who would be standing before her. She opened the datapad in front of her as she began to speak.

"Laertia Io, also known as Darth Xiphos. You are here to stand trial for your actions during the Confederacy's attack on Rhand. For this trial, you are only being tried according to violations of Confederate law. While we are aware of offenses outside these borders it is not ours to deliver justice for others. They may only be used in evidentiary capacity."

She allowed a moment for Laertia to absorb the information before continuing "For the purposes of this tribunal, I will now read the charges. Laertia Io you stand accused of the following:

Multiple counts of negligent homicide; in that, you're actions directly contributed to the deaths of thousands of innocents and members of the Confederate military.

Multiple counts Negligent discharge of military ordnance directly resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians and military members.

Failing to obey a lawful order given by a superior officer.

Multiple counts of murder showing a wanton disregard for life by firing on targets that housed civilians."

Anashla finished reading the charges before looking u at her and folded her hands in front of her before addressing her again. "How do you plead?"

TAG: Laertia Io Kyyrk Dreidi Xeraic Vyse de Valorous Zlova Rue Zlova Rue John Locke Srina Talon Kiff Brayde

 

[Dreidi Xeraic]

Tags: Anashla Deshal | Laertia Io | Zlova Rue | Vyse de Valorous
​

Entering the courtroom, Dreidi spotted Laertia in her grey prison garbs. There were guards around her and the courtroom was filled with those angry and seeking hard justice against Laertia. To Dreidi, she didn't see a monster, she saw a person, she wasn't sure what to make of the person but she met plenty of Sith who weren't evil or cruel. Something must have happened at some point during the woman's life to bring her here, to send her on such an harsh path. Dreidi couldn't help but feel sad that there was nothing anyone could do to help how her that what she was doing wasn't the path of the Jedi or even helping people. Lowering yourself to the Maw's level only meant that the Maw won.

Dreidi had known for years that her father was once a slave for many years, she had been told it left a mark on him and he would lose his temper when confronting slavers in the past. She didn't like slavers, in fact she hated the idea of using slaves, but she also wasn't forcing herself to run around and save every slave she could in the galaxy. Dreidi also knew that a slave wouldn't remain in that role forever and there would be chances to free them no matter. To murder them all, just to try and win one over the Maw, that was condemning lives, too many lives and handing the narrative over to the Maw. The Maw now had control in the invasion and could make the CIS look like complete villains.

Dreidi took a seat and rested her foot against the chair in front as she chewed on a nail. She was curious to see how a trial like this goes. And how Laertia defended herself against such strong accusations with heavily incriminating evidence.​

 

[Verin Oldo]

THE COURTROOM

Laertia Io Kiff Brayde Kyyrk Dreidi Xeraic Vyse de Valorous John Locke Srina Talon

The depth of feeling that Verin drew upon was cavernous indeed, for it had run dry some time ago. He was a professional naval officer, with great commands under his belt. He had fought at Talay, Dantooine, countless naval engagements that had seen both great victory and commiserative loss.

The destruction at Rhand was incomparable. It was ineffable. He had mined that pit of emotions long and hard over the passing weeks and found nothing but despair. He had presided over the total and complete loss of all hands of two thirds of the entire taskforce under his command.

Thousands of sailors killed. Tens of vessels lost in the destruction of the Skyhook.

Oldo had offered his resignation immediately. It had been wholesale rejected. It was not his burden to bear. He had been seconded on leave shortly after his remaining forces had limped home from Rhand. He had ignored the scrum of press agents, ignored the mass of correspondences, both commiserating him and asking of him information regarding the disaster.

He had not capitulated. He had not surrendered.

The sky had fallen on his troops.

He had sunk into a pit of melancholy, overwrought and overcome with sadness. Never in his career had such a disaster befallen his command. Would he be blamed? He could barely look the Minister of War in the eye when the debrief had occurred at the NAVCOM Headquarters. He was exonerated, of course.

They even awarded him a medal. He didn’t wear it. It was kept in a draw. Locked away.

He sat today, watching the cause of the destruction as it entered the court. He felt a swelling in his stomach, guilt and anger mixing into a dangerous cocktail that would lead to a bilious recklessness, were he a man of lesser convictions. He would sit and listen today.

He would keep his cool and his head.

 

[Laertia Io]

Xiphos was led into the grand chamber under guard.

Do none of these people want to win? she asked herself. What had she been expected to do, let the damn city escape?

Didn't they understand? Didn't they understand that their rescue mission had been a hopeless thought mess from the start.

The one eyed, one armed woman fixed her mutated bronze and dark green stare upon Anashla Deshal . She clearly didn't want to be here. Clearly didn't want to have anything to do with this.

Not looking good already. she thought to herself.

"Before I answer your honor, who is my defense attorney? I was not granted any legal council at all during my captivity. No one visited me to discuss these charges beforehand. Who is going to be arguing in my defense?" Xiphos asked. "Surely such a serious prosecutorial effort as what has been arranged here will surely require a Defense Attorney of some kind."

Angered citizens who had lost loved ones at Rhand started screaming that she didn't deserve any council, just to be put against a wall and shot.

"And who is to be the Jury?" Xiphos asked also, ignoring the cries of outrage at her questions.

"Who is to be the Judge?"

Zlova Rue

Vyse de Valorous

Kiff Brayde

Verin Oldo

Srina Talon

Ascendant Resolve

 

[Zlova Rue]

Zlova smirked at Laertia's words. Triumphs were fleeting, which is why you kept amassing them so you could beat your philosophical opposites to death with them.

Soon enough they all entered the vaulted courtroom of the illustrious Judicial System of these Independent Systems. And so began the tedious roll call of The Just calling The Accused forth and drolling on about The Charges against them. To wit,

One: Negligent Homicide. Innocent people and her own armed forces personnel were killed by her actions.

Two: This one was patently ridiculous. Negligent discharge? Laertia deliberately and knowingly discharged the ordinance.

Three: Failing to obey a lawful order by a superior officer.

Four: Overly redundant but ever so 'nuanced' form of number One.

And to these charges when a plea was demanded of the Defendant, Laertia Io said... 'What The Feth?' The naughty Sith was going the Lawyer route. Why not? If these people were going to drag her out here and put on a spectacle then shouldn't they do it properly?

"Every person deserves a robust defense no matter their charge," Zlova spoke up from where she stood. "The State must not be allowed to trample over its accused unquestioned; or else any one in this room may find themselves put to the question with not a soul to speak for them."

The Lethan looked from one side to the next. "Though I wonder who would defend a Sith with the zeal proper for such a role? With no time to prepare and understand their client the entire trial becomes a farce." Zlova's golden eyes shifted toward Laertia Io. "Does the Accused have someone they wish to call upon?"

Was it improper to ask? Well it was improper for them all to stand around waiting to resolve the matter. Zlova had places to be, so she'd help speed things along. The Confederacy wasn't going to just cancel the trial. They'd already come prepared to dispense with procedure and protocol, and the crowd would be too eager to let it all slide. Fools. At least in the Empire everyone understood what would happen and why. Here, Zlova felt most of them just wanted their pound of flesh -- as she'd said on Laertia's ship.

Tag: Laertia Io | Vyse de Valorous | Kiff Brayde | Verin Oldo | Srina Talon | Ascendant Resolve

 

[Kyyrk]

G U A R D
​

Kyyrk was ready to stick a blade in the woman and get things over with. She wouldn't have the guts to face her execution like the Sith she claimed to be, and would whine and mewl like a child for another precious few minutes to draw breath. It sickened him. Willing to sacrifice thousands of lives for the "betterment of the galaxy" but the second that her own life was in danger? She cried like a babe. But that did not stop Kyyrk from leveling the might of the Knights Obsidian against her.

Her quarters were comfortable, yet secure. Guarded by no less than three Knights at any one time. And when they had traveled to the court rooms of the Presidium, Kyyrk himself had escorted her. He now sat but four yards from her, placed ideally to intercept her should she do anything else stupid. Which at this point Kyyrk not only anticipated, but prayed for. Kyyrk watched in silence as Anashla Deshal entered the room. The chosen to preside over this matter.

Her charges were read, illiciting an immediate outburst from the accused. More mewling. Like a wee kitten. This seriously couldn't be the same cold hearted murderer that killed a hundred Jedi just to prove a point. What she was even doing in Confederate space was beyond Kyyrk. He opened his mouth, but was immediately cut off by one Zlova Rue speaking up to goad the process further. Kyyrk stood, turning to address the pair of them. "Out of respect for what you have contributed to our nation, Knight Rue, your outburst will be overlooked. You will refrain from such outbursts in the future."

Kyyrk turned his attention to Laertia Io . "You speak to High Marshal Deshal, the appointed official of this proceeding. It will be her decision, and her decision alone that decides your fate today. Military Tribunals within the Confederacy do not convene a Jury." Kyyrk turned towards the appointed Judge for a moment, then said, "You were granted the right to legal council upon your being taken into custody, Miss Io." Kyyrk turned back to her, his face not betraying an ounce of emotion. "Your refusal to pursue this offer is the fault of naught but yourself. Now is hardly the time to raise objection."

 

[Laertia Io]

"Careful, Vengeful One. You're drunk with contempt. So much so it bleeds from your eyes..." Xiphos whispered as she had whispered out her initial questions, unable to raise her voice higher. "And I wasn't provided any legal counsel, nor was I given the option. It's just been you and whoever else guarded me, licking your chops, waiting for the excuse."

She could tell he wanted to kill her. Plenty of people wanted to kill her. No one had given her such an option to refuse or accept. She remembered it clearly.

"Why do you silence the one next to me? Is it because she tells a truth you find inconvenient? Perhaps she should be my defense. Because at this point, I can hardly trust this courts impartiality given recent events, surrounded by those who clearly wish me dead. But if there is no jury and this one above is my only judge, then let's get on with it. We wouldn't want to deprive Mister Kyyrk of his pound of flesh..."

She did not fear Kyyrk. She had killed a hundred before him just as self righteous, just as undeniably skilled, and just as dead as he would be should things come to blows.

She did not fear him at her weakest, and she did not fear him now. She had surrendered of her own free will to explain her actions, and she would draw the process out no matter how much it got under his skin to her satisfaction.

Especially if it got under his skin. Poor bastard was entertainment to her now.

"I plead not guilty, by reason of Military Necessity." Xiphos hissed.

Outrage. Howl's from angered citizenry.

It was on now.

"So, what's the panel of evidence? Witnesses?" Xiphos whispered to Anashla Deshal .

Kiff Brayde

Srina Talon

Zlova Rue

Vyse de Valorous

 

[Srina Talon]

P R E S I D I U M
Tag: Laertia Io | Kiff Brayde | Zlova Rue | Vyse de Valorous | Anashla Deshal | Kyyrk | Verin Oldo | Dreidi Xeraic | Diocletian Kahmen’’a
_________________________________________________________
​

She waited.

Why?

The reporters and paparazzi that had gathered at the steps of the Presidium would pay more attention to her arrival than the issue at hand. Their duty was to catalog and document the proceedings that were provided by the legal liaison. She was loathe to distract from that. Regardless, there was no sneaking into one of the most secure buildings within Theed. Not even for an Exarch. The pale woman stepped from the back of a repulsorlift vehicle and was suddenly aware that the crowd shifted. The flashes from images being captured via holo-film threatened to blind her but the young woman never spared a second glance.

Her expression was empty—Somber. As was expected of their Dread Queen.

Her clothing was severe. It had been fashioned by none other than John Locke for moments where a full suit of armor was wholly unacceptable, however, some degree of protection was required. It was an ominous shade of black with sweeping red dragons nearly pulling free from the fabric. It was fierceness, fire, and passion while she remained the ice-cold waters that contained it.

Srina, was calm. So silent, so filled with stone, that none would be able to guess her thoughts.

The twin doors that led to the private chamber the court whooshed open and the Confederate personnel that stood on either side immediately drew themselves to attention at her presence. A chill swept outward. Silver eyes poured over the prisoner as they had the reports from Rhand. There was no accusation, no hate, in her gaze. She was logical. Pragmatic, to a fault.

Those in the room could claim what they pleased. They could think, what they liked.

It didn’t change the facts of this tribunal.

“If the honorable High Marshal Deshal would forgive my late arrival—I must also ask that she forgive my interruption.”

The same murmurs from the allotted observers that filled the secure room seemed to rise once they realized whom was speaking. There were rumors that the Exarch had perished on Rhand and that the current Exarch Talon was merely one of her sisters. A clone or a stand-in. A farce, to maintain Confederate security. The moment her deadened tones hit the air—Those rumors would be dispelled. Her image could be copied. The way she spoke? The physical weight that it carried?

Undeniable.​

“While we may not be pursuing legal actions on behalf of the rest of the Galaxy at large it would behoove us to recall the facts, we all must face. Especially you, Ms. Io. Every other nation save the savages we keep at bay would gladly attempt to execute you on sight. I know for a fact that you’ve been treated fairly in captivity, unlike, the men and women you sentenced to die without care in the atmosphere of Rhand. Let us not pretend otherwise.”, the clipped tones were neither soft nor loud but could somehow be heard clearly. Her hands came to fold before her and silver eyes briefly settled on the assembled parties. “This tribunal isn’t a court of public opinion. It is not based on emotion nor is it biased toward murdering someone who should have been a trusted ally. We operate in fact regardless of your intentions and the actualities that you’ve left us with have been laid bare. You may believe that your actions were a “military necessity” but that decision was simply not yours to make.”

“You did not have the intelligence, the communications, nor the clearance to fire openly on the Gehinnom during that battle. You had and have zero comprehension of what military stratagem you placed in jeopardy or outright dissolved. What you have done invites anarchy. It promotes vigilante behavior that can do just as much damage as the Brotherhood of the Maw if left unchecked. What you have done is a hypocrisy of society. You may see yourself as an arbiter of justice, a protector, providing the ultimate solution—However, you conveniently forget that within these acts you have committed crimes against our nation.”

“The ends do not justify the means and no one is above the law, Ms. Io.”

She breathed. Her gaze flickered toward everyone in the room. For those that might want to cause Laertia Io harm while she was still within their custody just as much as it was for the defendant herself. It was a warning that should not be taken lightly. It was one thing to incur the wrath of the public. It was another entirely, to disturb the Exarch enough to shatter her legendary composure.

“No one.”

Srina pulled back from the floor to cede it to the those that would reign it back to order. She hadn’t held any intention of interrupting the proceedings but it seemed, even with charges levied, that the perpetrator did not understand the depth and severity of her actions.

Perhaps, she would know now. Perhaps, she would understand.

It was not the hundreds of thousands of souls that screamed to their deaths. It was not the younglings that wept, orphaned, and alone. It wasn’t even the blood on her hands.

They were all stained red.

It was the law. It was what kept civilization, civilized. Without it?

They were all lost.

 

[Laertia Io]

Srina Talon spoke up. This only served to anger Xiphos.

"Three of those Nations don't like the CIS very much because it was run by Sith and contains Dark Siders. Who do you think was helping to delay those three from trying to strong arm your faction as long as possible?" Xiphos asked bitterly in a low whisper. "You were safe and snug in your Confederacy First policy while The Sith Empire was getting picked apart. The CIS barely lifted a finger during the third Imperial Civil War. And now the NIO, the Ashlan's, and possibly the GA also are likely sizing up you, and every Dark Adept still working for you for a Toe Tag. You think they'd treat you, Metus, The Thorn Chapter any better than they would me if they were holding all the cards? Hell, the only reason you don't have two Maw Superweapons to deal with is because I directly contributed to the destruction of one at Csilla! Don't you tell me I haven't been a valuable ally." she hissed.

"Zero comprehension? What's to comprehend about a trap at Rhand that was so obvious a drunk hobo on the street corner could have told you it was such?"

"It was a trap, and you marched a large fleet right into it! You want facts, Dread Queen?!" Xiphos hissed, struggling to control her fury and remain calm.

"The Leviathan of Sev Tok's scans told me the World ship was mere minutes from activating it's path engine and escaping! And even if, for the sake of argument, your forces had captured the Worldship successfully? They might have blown it up themselves! They would rather slit their own throats and that of their assets to prevent you from winning!" Xiphos whispered. "They are willing to go farther than you for victory: That is the real reason you lost Rhand. Even if you had seized that place and started evacuating and rescue slaves like you had planned, the back up Maw fleet would have still arrived! How can you rescue an entire station full of slaves when you're being bombarded from all sides?! You'd have lost even more personnel than you did."

Xiphos leaned forward on the defendants podium, her voice still a whisper, but amplified by microphone.

"Against an enemy as savage, Intelligent, and unrelenting as The Maw, the ends absolutely justify the means! I learned that at Csilla, when they set the still intact path engine of their superlaser station to ram the planet rather than concede defeat! And I learned that lesson even better at Oyokai, where they murdered captives rather than risk them getting rescued by me or anyone else!" she hissed, her mutated eye full of zealotry and conviction as she locked her gaze with that of the Dread Queen and held it. It was clear and obvious to anyone present that Xiphos sincerely believed everything she was saying.

"The Galactic Alliance is starting to understand, certainly...they failed at Lao-Mon because they were too busy trying to rescue captives. At both here and there, The Maw has used their enemies compassion and morals against them to achieve victory and it clearly works! Remember how they glassed Port Sorrow? How many of your forces would have died, fully committed to taking that location, intact, if nothing had been done to either Gihinnom or the space elevator, and that superlaser had arrived anyway?! Hell..." she whispered, struggling to contain her agitation but it kept leaking out in how her hand trembled and her eye twitched involuntarily.

"They arguably didn't even need the stupid superlaser! They were perfectly capable of murdering you all with conventional bombardment-some of which I used my own warship to intercept hits that otherwise would have struck that fething port!"

She pointed her finger right at Srina.

"Law and Order may be all well and good against an enemy that is sane and wants conventional victories. If it had been nearly anybody else, The Mandalorians, even the NIO, who I despise, I would be in total agreement with you, Dread Queen. Against anyone else save The Bryn'adul, it really would have been going too far! But The Maw is not sane, and your laws and morals will only be the garrote they use to cut the throat of the CIS."

Kiff Brayde

Zlova Rue

Vyse de Valorous

Verin Oldo

Ascendant Resolve

 

[Anashla Deshal]

Anashla listened to the chorus of voices that decided themselves that they were of paramount concern to this tribunal. She let them speak and then her eyes fell on each of them in turn starting with Zlova Rue . "You are under the mistaken impression this is a civilian trial, as Knight Kyyrk stated this is a military tribunal as the defendant's actions took place on a battlefield, not the streets of Theed, and indeed under Confederate law a jury is not required for a tribunal. Interrupt again and you will be removed."

She turned her attention back to Laertia as she spoke making poor excuses as a defense. "Evidence? Yes as a matter of fact we do. Communication logs from half a dozen Confederate ships that witnessed your ship firing on a ship that you by your admission knew had civilians on board. Eye witness statements and recordings from across the Confederate fleet. As well as tactical data from the three separate dreadnaughts in the system."

Again another interruption this time by Srina Talon herself, she allowed her the moment as if she would be capable of stopping her anyways. When the Exarch was done she turned her eyes toward her. "Exarch Talon, respectfully this is not the place for speeches, nevertheless you are correct. What was done was a decision the defendant was not authorized to make, right or wrong in this situation is irrelevant."

She turned her attention to Laertia, she glanced to Kyyrk because she knew the decision would be unpopular. "Laertia Io, You have pleaded not guilty however the evidence tells an entirely different story. You knowingly opened fire on that ship, you knowingly fired on the space elevator and your entire defense is a 'military necessity' which was not your call to make. Further, you deliberately disobeyed orders to cease your attacks when a lawful order was given. You plead not guilty but you confirm your guilt openly with your own words."

"There is no need to draw this out any further. It is the determination of this tribunal that the defendant is exiled from Confederate space immediately. If she should return she will be imprisoned for the rest of her days." The high marshall's gavel struck the desk with a resounding thud and she stood. moving to the door she came in earlier. "Knight Kyyrk see to the defendants prompt departure from CIS Territory." she called to him as the door closed behind her.

OOC NOTE: This was all worked out with Laertia. Nobody panic, redemption arc time. Feel free to post your reactions and such but Anashla is gone.

TAG: Laertia Io Kyyrk Dreidi Xeraic Vyse de Valorous Zlova Rue Zlova Rue John Locke Srina Talon Kiff Brayde