As the cheering subsided, Director Stephen Jenkins bowed low and addressed the tribunal, "Your honors, I am here to level formal accusations of terrorism against the people of Fryga at these Outsiders. These six foreigners illegally boarded the Heimdall Research Station, disabled the navigation and propulsion controls, and maliciously sent our facility into the heart of Oden to be destroyed. Billions of tax credits lost. But, more importantly than the capital, the hopes and dreams of Frygan citizens were destroyed along with that station. The accused must pay for what they've irreversibly denied our people: the future and survival of our race!"

Feverish applause and cheers once again erupted as the carnival barker played to the crowd. Director Jenkins waited for the ravenous audience to subside before he continued; "I only ask that justice be done here today and that the accused, when they are rightfully found to be guilty, suffer the same fate as those thousand souls lost aboard the tragic Heimdall Station."

Like a cascading wave of doom, the mob assembled on each of the forty floors all cried out in a ravenous voice, "Justice. Justice for the lost souls of Heimdall!"

The three judges each rang their iron hand bells once. The crowd fell silent.

"The Six Accused stand against charges of terrorism and one thousand counts of murder. They will be given the opportunity to present their evidence to the contrary, share their personal testimony, and confess their sins before judgment is rendered," declared the Lion Judge.

The Wolf Judge addressed Jenkins, "At this time the Accuser is dismissed to his gallery until summoned by the court."

"Thank you again, your honors," Jenkins replied with another low bow. "For the glory of Fryga. For justice!" He added with a shout as the Director's platform floated down to a private gallery on the thirty-eighth floor. There were scattered cheers from the jury gallery, but they died down quickly.

"Now, we move on to the first movement of the trial..." The Panther Judge began.

Kvasir rang a small iron hand bell of his own. The bell chained to his wrist was far softer in pitch than those of the judges, but it was heard all the same; "Objection, your honors. I would like to make an amendment to the charges."

Murmuring swelled and fell among the jury.

"On what grounds, Counselor?" Asked the Wolf Judge.

Kvasir held up his black datapad as he addressed the Tribunal; "Your honors, according to the Book of Law, Terrorism and its subsequent legal codes are limited to attacks on Frygan soil. No such penal codes have been drafted that cover interstellar attacks. Therefore, I request a motion to drop Terrorism charges from the Tribunal's judgment."

More murmuring. Gene watched as the three figures in golden, expressionless animal masks conferred with one another. The white hoods over the judges and their relatively similar builds made them nearly indistinguishable from one another. The Lion's voice skewed a bit older than the other two. The Panther's voice was much deeper. As for the Wolf judge, she was significantly more feminine of the three, perhaps late forties. Gene had gathered from the masks, uniformed robes, and similar body types that the point of the theatrics was to prevent their identities from being known. Judgement would come from the idea of Law, not necessarily any one person. It was a novel concept in theory.

The Panther Judge rang his hand bell, "Thank you, Councilor, for your objection. Upon reviewing the details of the case, we've found that Heimdall Station was indeed registered as an embassy of Fryga. In keeping with official embassy regulations, the garden atrium of the station contained more than seven grams of Frygan soil. Motion to strike down charges of terrorism is overruled."

"Without further objections, we will proceed to the first movement of the trial: Evidence."

Gene sighed, "I appreciate your effort, but I've got a sense that this trial isn't skewed in our favor." He glanced over at Kvasir who's face contorted into a fearsome scowl.

"The law isn't skewed one way or another," the lawyer grumbled, "The facts reveal where the guilt lies and the punishment is distributed accordingly. Fairly." He flashed Gene a look that invited, practically dared a rebuttal.

Gene scoffed, "You seriously don't think there is any bias here?"

Kvasir spun on his heels. He leaned forward, one hand gripped the glass patrician of his floating platform. Knuckles white. Teeth bared. His free hand had balled up into a fist, ready to strike. But, didn't. Instead the lawyer spoke low under his breath, "Obviously, you couldn't understand. We don't pollute the law with bias. Fryga may have failed in many ways, but the law is one of the few disciplines that has yet to falter."

Gene nodded along, "It's all fair under the law then?"

"No man is greater than the law," Kvasir insisted.

"So when do I give my testimony?" Gene asked with a grim smile.

The Lion rang his bell and peered down to ask, "Councilor, what evidence do you have to prove the innocence of your defendants?"

Kvasir cleared his throat, "Your honor, in conjunction with the Frygan Department of Justice and Inspector Spade's unit, we've uncovered the Heimdall Station activity logs. At this time, I'd like to submit the digital logs for all employees and personnel from the station's launch to its destruction as exhibit Adam-1."

Using his datapad, Kvasir typed out a few key commands and waited. Reaching into a side pocket built into their thrones, each of the three judges pulled out similar datapads. From where Gene stood, he could see each of the animal masks bob up and down reading through the data.

The Wolf Judge spoke up first, "Councilor, these logs show a record of only three persons aboard the station not including the RAN Android Unit Designated... StarJammer?"

The Panther Judge added, "At the end of the logs, there's also mention of five other individuals. Presumably this refers to the accused. This court fails to see substantial evidence against terrorism charges, Councilor. Elaborate."

Gene took another look at Kvasir's tablet. That logo on the back looked similar to the other datapads he'd seen through this horrid journey. Two wolves. One black, one white, each facing separate directions and inverted from one another. It was the BiFrost Logo. Stephen Jenkins' company. That logo was plastered all over Heimdall Station. That logo was on each of the three judges tablets. As Gene watched Kvasir scroll through text, their own lawyer also held the technology branded by Jenkins. Their councilor may have convinced himself this court was unbiased, but Gene had taken notice of all the fingerprints of a man who clearly had a grip on this world and its people.

Kvasir typed out a command on a thin black tablet and sent the information onto a series of cathode ray televisions screens that circled the floor directly below the judges and above the heads of Gene and the other misfits.

"Your honors," Kvasir began, "I bring the absence of personnel to your attention because the evidence in the logs and station motion tracking systems is clear; of the one thousand men, women, and non-binary individuals who volunteered and where transported to Heimdall, there is no record of them ever arriving aboard the station. One thousand Frygans, gave up their lives, their homes, for the promise of a better one almost a year ago to the date. We were there when they left. We watched as their molecules were disintegrated and sent through BiFrost Satellites through the stars. We were told they all arrived safely. Evidence shows we were lied to!"

Gene had to admit, Kvasir's passion to defend a handful of strangers was impressive. He wasn't phoning in a performance. Perhaps there was truth behind his conviction. Maybe something more than simply trying to save his own skin. Of course, there was a vital piece of information that he was missing. The truth was, one thousand Frygans had arrived at Heimdall. There in lie the dilemma; correct Kvasir and blow their case, or let him miss lead the judges and gamble on whatever happens when the facts are found out? 

Kvasir straightened up and spoke up to the Tribunal; "Evidence shows none of the one thousand souls sent to BiFrost Conglomerates facility actually arrived. Therefore, if not one of those individuals were physically aboard, the blood of those that were sent from Fryga are on the hands of the BiFrost Corporation and not the defendants."

There was a boisterous chime that came from the thirty-eight floor. Gene peered down to see a bright red signal light illuminated above the semi transparent windows of the box seat.

The Wolf Judge rang their bell; "We have an objection from the Accuser. We will accept their counter evidence at this time."

Gene scoffed, "So it's a fair trial, but Jenkins has the power to interrupt at any time?"

"Do you want me to give you four years worth of law school, or do you want to shut the Hel up and let me do my job?" Kvasir shot back at Gene.

Something clever and biting nearly escaped Gene's lips, but his jaw fell open instead.

Playing on loop over the circle of television monitors was the moment of impact Karma's blade ran through Doctor Kramer. It started soft at first, but as the GIF continued to play, the din of the crowd began to swell. There was pounding, screaming, and wailing upon the thick glass walls. Gene felt as though the barrier would burst under the collective rage of the jury.

The Lion Judge roared over the crowd, "This court will come to order." Immediate silence. With a ring of his brass hand bell, he added, "The Tribunal accepts this evidence--"

"Objection your honor, this red herring--" Kvasir demanded, but his words were stepped on.

Karma's voice boomed out, "A member of my clan had been abducted and was threatened at gunpoint by our adversary. That man was an enemy combatant and he died honorably by my blade. I have no regrets during this battle."

Kvasir looked as though every blood vessel on his head were about to burst open. Before he could defend Karma's statement, the Panther Judge rang his bell.

"This Tribunal accepts the motive of the accused and their admission of guilt on charges of murder. As for the terrorism charges, this court has collected sufficient evidence that the six accused were indeed trespassing an official Frygan Embassy, tampered with navigational controls, ultimately solidifying the Station's destruction." The Panther looked down upon Kvasir, "Councilor, do you have any additional evidence to add?"

Their lawyer froze. Shocked both by anger and frustration, his mouth simply hung open. After a moment, Kvasir managed to stammer out a response, "Your honors, at this time, the council has nothing further to submit."

Gene was about to strangle Kvasir, but the bindings on his arms were only loose enough to reach his hands up to chest level. Their councilor may be in the same position as they were, but his private transparent platform remained just out of reach.

Simultaneously, the tribunal each rang their bells and declared in one voice, "This concludes the First Movement." They then rose from their seats and extended their hands out as if inviting the accused in for a hug. Or, perhaps handing out a hollow display of ceremony meant to disguise a verdict that had already been cast before their arrival.

The Lion Judge added, "Court will recess for fifteen minutes. When we reconvene, we'll begin the Second Movement: Testimony of the Accused."

With another ring from the brass bells attached to the judges, the transparent platform descended down into the concrete den below. The eyes of the jury followed, glaring down as Gene and his companions were swallowed by what was now clearly a literal pit of despair.