first trial

[airlockedmods]

[When the announcement sounds and the evidence gathered it’s time for a trial. When the remaining champions are all gathered by the repaired docking bay doors they slide slowly slide open.

There are two lines of robots, silent as sentries, creating a border path from the docking bay doors to the circle of metal podiums. The podiums themselves were made of strange metals in red and gold and orange and black, each one etched with the name of one of the Champions. There are flood lights - like spot lights - in front of each podium, but the lights in front of Shirou, Hamilton, and Albel are dark, and hung on the front of their podiums are greyscale portraits, printed from their profiles.

Blaze Dudely stands on a repair deck on top of his ship, which looms over the proceedings ominously. Rather than the glee the Champions may think he would take in this kind of display, he merely stands there with his arms crossed, expression unreadable and his cyborg eye scanning the Champions with a piercing scrutiny, like he's searching for one of them to act out of line.]

Mornin’, Champions. Here’s how this is goin’ to go: take the evidence ya found, piece together what happened and find who took out the Champion Swordsman. If ya find them, they’ll be dealt with. If ya don’t, they’ll be free to go and the rest of ya will face punishment. Take the time ya need but don’t bore me.

Comments

[chides]

...You know, speaking of which, you seemed pretty upset by the motive. Wasn't that where you were planning on winning your race or something?

[jerkassic]

It was.

[He doesn't have a problem admitting that.]

And I was upset. I'd hoped to see myself crossing that finish line, not hear some ridiculous robot man threaten to destroy it. But I'm not going to kill someone over a horse race. Don't be ridiculous.

[He happens to be from before the race turns into a murderous free for all.]

[goldrighthand]

People have killed for less.

[jerkassic]

Please, I'm Diego Brando, not people.

[helladoptera]

[ Well that hits a little bit of a nerve with Max, apparently?? ]

... which means?

[jerkassic]

Exactly what it sounds like.

[helladoptera]

Are you... actually pulling rank in a room full of strangers from other worlds and times? Really?

[goldrighthand]

You are nothing.

[And Akande draws himself to his full height, voice hardening. Like an icy glacier, pressing its weight down on the entire courtroom-]

We are thousands of years beyond any of our rightful times. And in that time, humanity has risen, fallen, and risen again. Without any of us to shape it.

[There's something in his voice there. Something - not quite pained, not quite angry. Frustrated, maybe, that he wasn't there as he feels he should have been?]

If you, or anyone else thinks 'going home' is a great goal - all you have to do is realize that you have already been forgotten. Your friends, your family, all of them mean nothing.

Your homes are already destroyed. There is no saving them. Not through his [and he throws a hand towards Blaze] machinations, not through some assumption of going back and changing things-

You dare assume you are anything but an insignificant speck? That your race means anything? [He snorts, completely unamused.] Then you are a greater fool than I could have imagined.

[andneversaydie]

I. I mean.

There might... be space nonsense going on...

[PLEASE. JUST. CHRIST ALMIGHTY]

[ebonyknight]

[Diego was an idiot. A race was nothing but-- well. Something about Akande's words.

'Your friends, your family, all of them mean nothing.'

Something flares up inside her and she throws whatever she can at Akande. Which means Erika, sorry.]

Be quiet, fool!

[power_of_dominance]

[Soma has come out of hiding by now, silently listening to Akande's admonishment. The traces of the embarrassed flush quickly face from his face, replaced by a sickened pallor.

"Your friends, your family, all of them mean nothing.

Your homes are already destroyed."

His parents... Mina....

He grips the edges of his podium, head bowed and hands shaking. There's something churning inside him, the same thing he felt when Shirou was killed, something he doesn't understand....

He swallows again and again, trying not to be sick. His head hurts and his mouth aches.]

[tenimuho]

...Akande. I don't disagree. In five thousand years I have done nothing that is truly important, and no one now will remember me or anything that I have done. I am an insignificant speck in the universe.

[Oda, who had been withdrawing into himself a little after accusing Rick, meets Akande's gaze, steady and unflinching.]

But, I don't care about leaving a mark on the universe. In the year that I come from, there are children that would be dead that aren't dead because of my actions, and that's enough for me.

Nothing is permanent, and no one person matters to the universe in any significant way, but that doesn't make the things we care about meaningless to ourselves.

[jerkassic]

What a rousing speech. Truly I have seen the error of my ways.

[He's not impressed, sorry.]

[heartswapped]

...well, yeah, it kind of says so on your profile here.

[Said in the most sarcastic tone possible. Because sarcasm is also for little people, apparently.]

[jerkassic]

Does it, I hadn't noticed?

[Sarcasm right back at you, Cheryl.]

[empathiser]

People have killed for less.

I wouldn't say it was ridiculous.

[heartswapped]

I'm not sure how it works in his world, [hello what's a horse] but where I'm from people bet a crapton of money on Pokemon fights all the time.

[SHE'S JUST SAYING...]

[empathiser]

So there's a very high chance that there would be monetary gain from this race, similar to those fights of yours.

[heartswapped]

[She nods.]

I mean, killing someone for a bunch of money at least sounds a lot less stupid than some silly race would on its own...

[jerkassic]

Of course there's money involved. No one's going to race across the country for nothing.

[He's just saying.]

[withoutred]

.... What they said.

[ she just wants to feel special too okay ]

[chides]

Even if the motive wasn't enough reason for you to kill, there's still another reason: To go back home.

While the same can be said for everyone else, the evidence pointing towards you is pretty incriminating.

[jerkassic]

What evidence, exactly? You have a scrap of fabric, and what else points to me?

[He's all ears.]

[tuskenlancer]

You didn't get along with him. He insulted you, and you knew someone had to die for you to go home.

Maybe you just decided to kill two birds with one stone.

[jerkassic]

Please, if I killed everyone who insulted or said something I didn't like, there'd be quite a bit less of you.

[Not to mention.]

And like that blue haired buffoon said earlier, why kill someone you dislike? It'd be too obvious.