The world was freed once more as the loyalists to Apogee's old regime retreated to their new home within the stars. Yet, as the engineers from the World Forgers assessed the damage caused by the exiled forces' hasty departure, the world would still need a moment to recover from its injuries. But alas, Mike and his men proved to the world and to Michele that the promised dream was not yet dead. There is a future for humanity, and it starts today with the establishment of the Nova Cor Empire.
As the sun shone into the marbled walls of the old National Empire Supreme Court, soldiers and marines alike moved to remove the decor and insignias of the bygone era. With a carefully aimed shot, Captain Lambda fired his carbine at the edge of the National Empire's symbol above the judge's position, causing the massive statue to fall and shatter against the floor. In a roar, the room erupted in cheers and celebration as the men raised their fists in the air.
By the end of the day, the dust on the ground has been cleared, and the room cleansed of all references to the old Empire. Yet, before any new symbols or artwork can be installed, the courtroom will welcome its first case in the form of the judgment of Dunkel and Jack for their crimes during the Allied Empire's reign. In shackles, Doctor Dunkel and Admiral Jack were pushed by four soldiers toward the front of the courtroom.
However, instead of judging them together, Jack was forced to sit at the witness table while Dunkel was forced to sit at the defendant's table. Seeing where Jack sat, Dunkel immediately reacted in surprise.
[Dunkel] - "Wh– Why are you sitting at the witness table? "
Screamed Dunkel as she tried to stand up, only to be violently forced down by the soldiers.
Jack didn't respond as he only looked forward with a nervous look in his eyes.
[Dunkel] - "You piece of shisse! What did you tell them? You bastard, traitor! You won't get out of this; you'll also get what you deserve! "
Yelled Dunkel while the soldiers forced her to remain seated.
Dunkel looked around her and noticed how Dane also arrived in the court and immediately sat beside the judge in the witness box. On the second floor, a special two-seat area was also arranged for Mike and Kadyn to witness the conviction. Looking behind her, Dunkel's face went pale as half of the public gallery was converted into a witness zone where an endless stream of her fellow scientists slowly filled its seats.
[Dunkel] - "Hey! Listen, I can still work for you! Let's forget about this, okay? I... I have technology, data and research I can provide! Please! "
Pleaded Dunkel, hoping that someone out of sight would grant her mercy.
One of the soldiers abruptly slapped Dunkel in the face, forcing her to shut up as the judge arrived on his stand. It was Forgermaster Benedict, who also performed the duty of the supreme military judge of the World Forgers fleet. With a face empty with apathy and coldness, the grey-haired judge looked down at Dunkel with contempt, seemingly already familiar with her crimes.
In unison, everyone in the court stood up as per standard procedure. Dunkel quickly made one last attempt to plead for her life by turning toward her scientific colleagues with a dreaded gaze, which every single man and woman avoided by looking to the other side.
[Dunkel] - "Without me, you all would've been peasants and dead men in the streets today! "
Yelled Dunkel accusingly, angered by their betrayal.
[Benedict] - "Silence! The court is in session! The judgment of Dunkel Ludwig, head researcher of the Allied Empire's bioengineering department, will begin. Any other disruption will be promptly removed from the courtroom. "
Said Benedict with a strike of his hammer.
Promptly, the court fell silent as everyone sat back down, with the soldiers forcing Dunkel down as she struggled. With a screen in front of him, Benedict cleared his throat and began to utter the accusations levelled against Dunkel.
[Benedict] - "Dunkel Ludwig, you are hereby charged with 10 counts of severe crimes, including grave breaches against the laws and customs of war, crimes against humanity, organized cruelty under the mask of science, and crimes committed against protected civilians and prisoners of war under the authority of the Allied Forces and subsequently the Allied Empire. "
Dunkel stared at the front with a livid gaze, her eyes filled with fear as she now realized that this trial would forever tarnish her reputation. As her eyes caught a glimpse of Dane, she couldn't help but stare at him with hatred.
[Benedict] - "Count one: the accused did knowingly and systematically subject protected civilians and prisoners to medical, chemical, genetic, and biological experimentation without lawful consent, medical necessity, or humanitarian purpose. Do you plead guilty? "
[Dunkel] - "Not guilty! "
Uttered Dunkel without consideration.
The room erupted in outrage before Benedict abruptly silenced the voice with a single strike of his hammer.
[Benedict] - "Count two: torture and inhuman treatment, by intentionally inflicting severe physical and mental suffering upon detainees for research, coercion, punishment, and military experimentation. Do you plead guilty? "
[Dunkel] - "No, I do not plead guilty! "
Said Dunkel, her eyes filled with contempt.
To her, the death of civilian subjects was a small price to pay for the scientific breakthrough she managed to obtain. So Benedict continued, with Dunkel pleading non-guilty on every count levelled against her. There was not an ounce of remorse in Dunkel's eyes as she uttered the same words over and over. Yet, even as the public's outrage grew harder and harder to contain, Benedict remained indifferent as he continued reading the convictions.
[Benedict] - "Count ten: command and supervisory responsibility, for ordering, authorizing, facilitating, concealing, and failing to prevent crimes committed by personnel under her authority. Do you plead guilty? "
As expected, Dunkel responded with the same sentence that the room grew to hate.
[Dunkel] - "I plead non-guilty! "
Said Dunkel in a firm voice, convinced that she did no wrong.
[Benedict] - "Very well. Prosecution, you may speak. "
Behind the prosecution table, a young man in a suit stood up and thanked the judge.
[Prosecutor] - "Your honour, the accused stands here, not as a low-ranking servant of the regime, but as the Doctor in chief of the organization's bioengineering department. She is responsible for all decisions, with the help and influence of Admiral Jack, head of the navy in the Allied Empire. Her victims did not consent to these inhumane experiments, which often aim to mutilate and torture civilians for military use. People entered her facilities and exited as data. The prosecution, with the help of ex-Doctor Dane, ex-chief partner of Doctor Dunkel, Admiral Jack, and over 206 scientists under the same organization, complicit in Dunkel's crimes, will prove that her crimes were acts of malice and deliberate cruelty. "
The prosecutor moved to point at Doctor Dane.
[Prosecutor] - "At the witness box, ex-Doctor Dane will provide the first pieces of evidence against Dunkel's crimes. "
Dane stood up and faced the crowd before him. Yet, even as Dunkel burned with hatred as she stared at him, Dane felt at peace and vindicated of his suffering. Never did he imagine the day Dunkel would be brought to justice for her crimes, but here they are, and Dane will not let this opportunity go to waste.
[Dane] - "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm Doctor Dane, a disgraced engineer of the Allied Empire and the ex-partner of Doctor Dunkel. I stand here today to testify and shine light upon the crimes committed by the accused. I will speak only the truth, as I retell what horror occurred under the veil of darkness, where Dunkel enabled unspeakable crimes against humanity. "
Said Dane as he inserted a small date bank into the control in front of him.
At first, Dunkel smirked, thinking that Dane could only use words to describe what he knew about her, thus leaving his accusations empty. Yet, as the giant projector screen behind Benedict began to light up, Dunkel's smirk quickly faded away.
[Dane] - "While trapped in the custody of the Allied Empire, I recorded in secret many of Dunkel's actions by accessing the secret files and data of the organization. Here, I present to you my findings, hoping this will convince you of the accusations levelled against her. And I urge you to watch, no matter how horrific the footage may seem, as this is the unfiltered truth about a monster who deserves no mercy. "
Said Dane firmly as he was now the one staring at Dunkel with hatred.
Even as the first recording was shown, many couldn't help but shy away in disgust as Dunkel and her team facilitated the birth of an abomination with pasty, loose skin. The creature screamed and cried like an infant, but it looked nothing like a baby, more like a melted mass of muscle and flesh. It was their attempt at creating a KD-series assassin like Kadyn, but the experiment had clearly failed horrifically. The scientists, on their part, only took notes and observed the creature as it struggled in a world of agony.
Then, Dunkel moved into the frame. With cold disappointment, the doctor ordered her men to incinerate the creature and to start anew. In their discussion, Dunkel even mentioned how the new batch must engineer a different genetic setup, suggesting they were playing with the human genome, which is highly illegal. Many in the courtroom barfed on the floor as the disgusting image of the humanoid creature was shown as a close-up for documentation purposes.
As the hours went by, many wept as a young girl was strapped to a wooden cross before a large plate of armour was secured against her chest. Even as she cried and begged, the footage showed Dunkel and her men moving a high-calibre 30mm cannon into position. It was their attempt to recreate the same type of armour as that of the Imperial Marines. The footage shifted to that of the observation room, protected by thick bulletproof glass.
Inside, Dunkel and her men joked about the situation, stating how annoying it would be to have to clean up the soup of blood and gore if their experiment failed. Outrage quickly grew in the courtroom as many officials of the Empire voiced their anger by cursing at Dunkel, who refused to acknowledge them. Back to the footage, with a press of a button, the massive cannon fired, causing the poor girl's insides to spill all over the testing room as the thin armour failed, as expected.
In a huge sigh, Dunkel complained to her fellow scientists about her time being wasted instead of showing concern for the human they had just murdered in cold blood. However, what made the public's blood boil was how Dunkel then immediately ordered another test subject to be strapped to the plank. Then, even as one of the scientists suggested that if the previous armour didn't work, the new test with a slightly reinforced armour won't either, Dunkel simply dismissed him, demonstrating how she willingly sent another test subject to their death while knowing fully well the implications. This act was also undeniable proof of her guilt as she committed acts of cruelty without any gain, but purely for sport.
By the end of the hour-long showing, even Jack and the 206 scientists present were thoroughly disgusted by Dunkel as a human being. Yet, as confident as ever, Dunkel showed no remorse for her action, convinced of the necessity and the righteousness of her actions.
Then, as Jack went in front to present his witness testimony, he shamelessly began to accuse Dunkel of being the mastermind of everything and of how he was simply following orders while she acted on her own. Then, Jack followed by framing everything as if Dunkel was the only person responsible by distancing himself from her in his narratives.
[Jack] - "...And that's how she bypassed my authority by gaining the favour of Emperor Jagger. I was not in charge of her; she could get whatever she needed by directly requesting it from the Emperor himself. "
[Benedict] - "Thank you for your testimony, Admiral Jack. You may return to your seat. "
With a deep sigh of relief, Jack walked back to his seat, convinced that he could get himself out of this alive by throwing Dunkel under the bus. Then, one by one, the scientists went to the front to each give a short testimony against Dunkel and confirmation of her involvement in many of the experiments shown as footage by Dane, as well as providing additional context to further convict Dunkel.
Each man or woman spoke as if they were victims of Dunkel's abuse or an unwilling participant in these experiments, trying to garner sympathy from the court. Without fault, each person spoke as if their lives depended on it, crying and throwing a tantrum while stating how regretful they were of their actions. However, other than themselves, no one in court believed their sob stories. These were people who did horrible things, speaking, not because they regretted what they did, but only to save their own skin by throwing all the blame on others.
As another scientist passed through the witness box, crying and stating how she also has a child and how Dunkel's actions disgusted her, Dane crossed his arms and mocked the woman with a snear. If she truly had sympathy, she wouldn't have been so excited to work on creating more lab-grown children with a cursed existence. Dane looked up at Mike and Kadyn, who both responded to his gaze with a disapproving shake of their head.
By the time the last scientist passed through the witness box, twelve hours had passed since the start of the trial. Yet, people were still energetic, all pushing through exhaustion and beyond determined to see justice being brought upon Dunkel. With a drink of water, Benedict cleared his throat and turned his gaze toward Dunkel.
[Benedict] - "The evidence against the accused is overwhelmingly in favour of proving the guilt of the defendant. Yet, in the fairness of a legitimate judicial system, I shall nonetheless allow the defendant to make her defence... If applicable. "
Said Benedict with his chin raised at Dunkel.
Standing up, Dunkel turned toward the witness side with poison in her gaze.
[Dunkel] - "I will say this and only this! I did what none of you cowards could ever bring yourself to do! I advanced humanity's scientific field, I created miracles beyond imagination, I am not guilty of the slanders you bastards accuse me of! "
Yelled Dunkel while spitting at her fellow scientists and Jack.
[Benedict] - "Enough! Order in the court! "
Dunkel grew even more erratic as she tried to rush toward Jack and her colleagues before being restrained by the soldiers around her. With arms raised but shackled by her cuffs, Dunkel yelled like a wild beast while throwing insults and curses at the witnesses.
[Dunkel] - "You call me immoral, fuck you! You are judging me– You are all judging me, well, I'm judging you– I'm judging all of you! You think you can escape this alive? You'll all go to hell! You are all guilty, you are guilty and ASHAMED! You betrayed your work, all so you can save your own skin! They'll get you too– they'll get all of you! "
Cursed Dunkel in a frenzy of rage and madness.
With a few strikes of the hammer, the court fell silent as just one of the soldiers slapped Dunkel out of her craze.
[Benedict] - "So I suppose there needs to be no further questioning as to the verdict of this trial. Dunkel Ludwig, I pronounce you guilty on all ten charges levelled against you! "
Said Benedict coldly before striking his hammer.
[Dunkel] - "Whatever... I know you'll need me... Put me in prison, and I'll soon be put back in a lab. Heh... I'm too valuable for you to remove. Meanwhile... "
Whispered Dunkel, still convinced of her utility.
She turned slightly and glanced at Jack and her colleagues from the corner of her eye.
[Dunkel] - "...These traitors will get the rope! I will be watching you all dangle from my prison cell, you swines! "
Said Dunkel confidently.
Kadyn sighed heavily as she watched Dunkel, surprised by how delusional she was.
[Kadyn] - "Is this bitch bloody serious? Does she really think we'll keep her? "
Whispered Kadyn in disgust as she turned toward Mike.
[Mike] - "In World War Two, the chief doctor of Unit 731, a human experimentation facility just like the one operated by Dunkel, was spared by the Americans and never received judgment for his crimes, because his research was apparently very valuable. Guess Dunkel thought the same fate awaited her. "
[Kadyn] - "Aw, ah! Guess she didn't get the memo that we are actually the good guys. "
Said Kadyn before leaning against the balcony.
[Kadyn] - "Oy, ya bloody cunt, look who's sitting up here! "
Yelled Kadyn while waving her hand.
In surprise, Dunkel turned to see Kadyn waving at her from the second floor. In an instant, Dunkel's heart dropped into her foot as she realized who was truly behind the Nova Cor Empire's leadership.
[Kadyn] - "Bitch! "
Screamed Kadyn while showing both middle fingers with a big grin.
[Benedict] - "Order in the court! "
Said Benedict while narrowing his eyes at Mike.
Mike quickly responded by waving his hand at Benedict as an apology before pulling Kadyn back onto her seat. As Dunkel turned to face Benedict, the confidence and pride on her face vanished as the colours drained from her skin.
[Benedict] - "Dunkel Ludwig, for being guilty on all ten counts levelled against you, I sentence you to 1200 death sentences by hanging. If you somehow reincarnate and come back to this world, we will find you and hang you again. As long as you exist in a place within our reach, you will be tracked down and hanged. May the devil have no mercy on your soul. The first death sentence shall be carried out immediately. "
Said Benedict firmly before slamming his hammer down.
The crowd erupted in cheers and accusations. While many applauded Benedict's sentencing and thanked the justice system, others began to insult Dunkel, calling her a rapist, a monster, a bastard, a stain in humanity's honour, a beast, a piece of shit, and more. In an uproar, many in the crowd tried to attack Dunkel, but were held at bay by waves of guards. Inside Dunkel's ears, the sentencing felt distant, almost like a voice from away. She froze, then, as the realization finally hit her, she abruptly stood up.
[Dunkel] - "I... I demand a retrial! I... I demand my rights! "
Muttered Dunkel in a panic.
[Benedict] - "Heh... Overruled and denied. "
Said Benedict while smirking, this being one of the rare times he actually smiled.
Suddenly, the two soldiers around Dunkel lifted her away from the table before her legs went completely limp, causing her to be dragged by the two men instead. In a frenzy, Dunkel struggled against her handlers, crying, kicking and screaming for help.
[Dunkel] - "Don't hang me! Please don't hang me! Don't hurt me! "
Yelled Dunkel while crying and reaching for anything to grab on.
[soldier 1] - "Come on, stop struggling! "
Ordered the soldier as he pulled her away from a handlebar.
[Dunkel] - "Jack, save me! Please, anyone, please! Dane, please, for old time's sake, save me! Don't let them hang me! HELP! "
Cried Dunkel while flapping her arms like a toddler.
[soldier 2] - "For fuck's sake, someone call a marine here! This bitch's making this difficult! "
Yelled the soldier as Dunkel grabbed onto another scientist, dragging them both to the ground.
[Dunkel] - "Mother! Mother! Save me! "
Cried Dunkel while clinging to the scientist like glue.
Hyperion abruptly pushed the court's doors open and entered, followed by Chief Medical Marine Polmeris.
[Hyperion] - "Jesus, what the fuck is going on here? "
Said Hyperion as he stepped toward the saluting soldier.
[soldier 1] - "She was sentenced to be hanged, so yeah. "
Said the soldier as he pointed at the crazed woman who was holding another man prisoner.
Looking at the sorry state of Dunkel with disgust, Hyperion signalled for Polmeris to do his thing. Kneeling beside the chaos, the robotic arms on Polmeris' back extended forward and injected Dunkel's all four limbs with a paralysis agent, causing her to quickly fall limp against the marble floor. Then, effortlessly, Polmeris lifted Dunkel between his arms and carried her out of the courtroom.
[Hyperion] - "Go show him the way. I'll handle the chaos here. "
Signalled Hyperion to the two soldiers.
With a nod, both soldiers saluted the marine before rushing to lead Polmeris to the intended destination. Meanwhile, many in the courtroom still tried to go after Dunkel, with Benedict helpless to calm the crowd down. Equipping his war hammer, Hyperion abruptly struck his weapon against the ground, causing a shockwave so powerful that it temporarily made everyone in the vicinity of the impact deaf.
[Hyperion] - "Order in the mother fucking court, people! "
Yelled Hyperion as everyone finally calmed down.
As all gaze fell on him, Hyperion lifted his hammer and held it on his shoulder.
[Hyperion] - "Thank you! Now, back to you, Judge Benedict. "
Said Hyperion while throwing a quick salute in Benedict's direction.
[Benedict] - "The damage you caused to the marble floor will be deducted from your pay, Captain Hyperion. You could've easily achieved peace through other means. "
Said Benedict with contempt.
[Hyperion] - "No thanks, old man. You can send me a few gift cards as thanks, though, I've got a date coming up. "
Said Hyperion smugly as he turned around and walked out of the court.
On the balcony, Mike pinched his nose in frustration, seeing the state of the court.
[Mike] - "First trial and already a mess... "
[Kadyn] - "Don't worry, it will get better. "
Said Kadyn with a smile.
[Mike] - "Say, wanna watch? "
Said Mike as he pointed his thumb in the exit's direction.
[Kadyn] - "Fuck yeah, I wanna watch! "
Exclaimed Kadyn with a burst of enthusiasm.
Outside, Mike and Kadyn stood on the rooftop and watched below as Dunkel was brought to a makeshift gallows. Still crying and pleading, Polmeris brought Dunkel up the steps and held her as the two soldiers attached a rope to the top pillar. Afar, while casually sipping a coffee, Dane also watched from a window as his enemy got what she deserved.
[Dunkel] - "Please, you, spare me, let me go! I'll do anything! I'll suck your dick, please! "
Cried Dunkel while a noose was prepared for her neck.
[Mike] - "I have to schedule therapy for these three. I'm sure they got trauma from just hearing the last part of her sentence. "
Joked Mike while acting concerned for his men.
[Kadyn] - "Haha! I feel like I need a shower from just imagining it. "
Below, after securing Dunkel's neck in the noose and attaching the rope's other end to the metal floor, the soldiers and Polmeris turned toward Mike for confirmation. Grabbing hold of Kadyn's hand, Mike grinned at her before they lifted both their hands at the same time to give the signal. With a nod, Polmeris kicked Dunkel over the edge, causing her to hang in the air, finally silencing her desperate pleas.
Meanwhile, Kadyn watched as she held Mike's hand tighter. Another old scar of hers was finally patched as she watched the woman responsible for a major part of her suffering be dealt justice. The creation of Jagger and Arthur, as well as all the other evil acts orchestrated by Dunkel, were at last avenged. As Dunkel's body finally stopped moving after a solid half hour, Kadyn breathed a deep breath of relief.
As she looked toward the horizon, Kadyn saw the beautiful sunrise that slowly illuminated the world. This is the first day of the world under the rule of the Nova Cor Empire, and its first action, as a statement of its mission, was the serving of justice against those who stood against humanity. It is the beginning of a new era; an era of peace and progress led by those who wish to elevate humanity, rather than dominate it.
Later in the courtroom, it was Admiral Jack's turn to be tried. And as expected of Benedict, none of the fake cries and false admission of guilt swayed his verdict the other way. These men and women committed unspeakable acts without remorse and only changed their minds the moment they were caught. To let any of them walk away with a sentence unfit for their crime would be to betray the very soul of the Nova Cor Empire.
[Benedict] - "Admiral Jack Morrison, you are guilty on all seven counts levelled against you. For your crimes, you are sentenced to death by firing squad, to be carried out right away. "
Said Benedict before slamming his hammer.
Jack's eyes were empty as he accepted his fate. Unlike Dunkel, he was dragged into a dark noise-cancelling room where only a few were present as witnesses to his execution. As the signal was given, he was granted a quick death as a single round pierced his heart. One after another, the scientists present in the courtroom received their sentencing and arrived in the same room and stood where Jack once stood.
Elsewhere, inside a massive marbled throne room, every Marshal, Admiral and General from the 11 fleets loyal to Mike gathered around a huge central table. In an orderly manner, every single officer eagerly awaited their turn to put their signature on the document situated in front of Mike and Krystal. After each signature, the officer would bow and take a knee before Mike, swearing their oath to serve humanity and their loyalty to Mike and Krystal.
After putting down his signature on the document as one of the founders and protectors of the Nova Cor Empire, Marshal Yu Di bowed and kneeled before Mike.
[Yu Di] - "I, Marshal Yu Di of the 18th fleet, Heavenly Warriors, and on behalf of my men, swear an oath of loyalty to you, Emperor Horizon and to you, Empress Zenith. We also swear an oath to protect and serve humanity, independent of our ambition and power. "
Said Yu Di while touching both the hands of Mike and Krystal.
To be continued...