The Federation prided itself on the fairness of its laws it was strict, unyielding, and blind to status. Nobles, commoners, and soldiers alike were bound by the same rules. If someone was suspected of a crime, they would be detained until proven innocent, regardless of lineage or influence.
But while the law didn't discriminate, investigators did. Handling a noble required delicate precision. Because if that noble turned out to be innocent… they had the means to turn an investigator's life into a walking nightmare. Many careers had ended from a single wrongful accusation.
Yet in Leon's case, things were different. The charges were real. Had Gordon followed proper procedure and performed an actual investigation with the aid of a trial taker with a lie-detection skill or talent during questioning, he might have gotten the outcome he desired: a guilty verdict and justification for his hatred.
But the truth had never been Gordon's priority—torment had.
