fourth 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 docking bay doors they slide slowly slide open.

The two lines of sentry robots are there again, 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. The lights on Oda, Akande and Leon's podiums have been turned off and their floating grey scale portraits have joined the six from last week.

Blaze Dudely stands on a repair deck on top of his ship, which looms over the proceedings ominously. His expression is still hard to read but his arms are folded across his chest and if you squint close enough there's a somberness about him that hasn't been at other trials.]

Ya'll know how this goes by now. [He's in no mood for pageantry this time.] Take the time ya need but don’t bore me.

Comments

[empathiser]

[Will doesn't trust situations like this. He's been there, he's been right there pleading with people he thought were friends who'd looked at evidence and hadn't believed him. And he'd been right.

So, there's no way in hell Will's going to gloss over this.]

Okay.

Why the cells?

[nightcure]

I don't know.

Honestly? I hadn't gone anywhere near those cells until earlier, when we found them.

[empathiser]

And what about that coin?

What's the significance of it? And where was it before it showed up in that cell?

[nightcure]

... It's an Oracle Ascension Coin. Back in my world, the Oracle's someone who communes with the gods. Keeps Eos cleansed and stable. The coin kind of commemorates her becoming an Oracle.

They're valuable, on Eos. Here, not so much. I had it with me, before it was in that cell. I don't know how it got there.

[power_of_dominance]

... so does that mean there's more than one?

[nightcure]

Back home, yeah.

Here, I don't know. I don't know why whoever's sending us these things would have more than one just laying around.

[power_of_dominance]

Do you have the one you were given on you right now?

[nightcure]

... No. It's gone.

I'm pretty sure the one that's here is it.

[power_of_dominance]

Or someone wants us to think that, if this one isn't yours.

Do you know when you lost yours?

[nightcure]

Not really. I didn't even notice it was gone until Will brought it up.

[ ...... feels bad, man. ]

[power_of_dominance]

[Noct you are not making this easier.

Of course they can't catch a break there, either. This is just looking worse and worse.]

Let's... focus on something else besides the coin, then.

[nightcure]

[ Believe him, he knows. ]

Yeah.

... What about that baseball?

[induality]

...it's probably the one I gave him.

[She's here but only just barely.]

[helladoptera]

... So that would have belonged to Leon?

[ Guess who else is here but just barely ]

[induality]

...it was from his execution. It was given to me and he... asked for it. He never knew about it though.

[....]

[tokencanadian]

[a h...]

Did it... have blood on it? When you got it?

[empathiser]

If they can get one item from our home worlds, then why not duplicates if they're available?

[nightcure]

.... Yeah. That's true.

But no one's gonna fess up if they got one, are they?

[empathiser]

No. Not now, especially.

[He sighs.]

I know how difficult it can be to prove your innocence if everything and everyone's against you. Whether you are or aren't, this isn't over until we've examined everything.

[nightcure]

Yeah.

[ Pause. ]

If it helps, you guys can search me. The bag I've got with all the stuff from the infirmary.

[empathiser]

We're going to have to.

Let's start with the bag.

[nightcure]

Sure thing.

[ There's a lot of stuff! Bandages, some light painkillers, stuff for stitches, some cloths, antibiotics, medicated gel... ]

[empathiser]

[Is there anything in there that'd come across as suspicious?]

[nightcure]

[ Nope. Not a face mask or charcoal in sight.

And everything looks unopened, too. ]

[empathiser]

[Well that's a positive start. He's just gonna shifty that bag over to one side for now.]

And now for you. [Although he doesn't know what he's looking for. Something, anything?]