“The Trial of Orestes begins now,” Oga declared, voice calm, ancient. “A trial born from blood, where law and vengeance are forced to stand in the sa room.”
05 took a breath. “Citizens of Altea. I am E-UNIT 05. If you live in this country, you have heard of . If you live in the eastern districts, you may have seen .” Her voice wavered for a mont. The shock of standing inside a courtroom built from the military base had not yet faded. “This is a live broadcast across the entire nation. It is ti for power to intervene, before Altea becos yet another human failure.”
She glanced at her screen and continued. “If you’re wondering how every screen in Altea is showing this, don’t thank your governnt. Thank your surveillance. We took back the network you were chained to. With that, we begin our case.”
Her fingers moved. The screens ignited. Footage flooded the courtroom. Soldiers storming broadcasting studios. Hostages executed. Resistance mbers dragged across floors once painted in bright colors, now stained red.
Across the country, people froze. So gasped. Others looked away. A few had expected worse. After all, Tar had ordered open fire on protesters. Bodies were left on the streets to bleed out, untouched. Several soldiers in the courtroom lowered their heads. They had received orders to “clear out” the hijackers. Civilian safety had never been ntioned.
Tar stood silent. His eyes were locked on the floating judge before him. The blue glow of Reaper’s optic crushed his composure.
05 cleared her nonexistent throat. “Apologies if the imagery is difficult to watch. For many Alteans, this was daily life. The final days were worse, as protests and resistance escalated in rapid succession.”
“It was necessary,” Tar said coldly. “To preserve peace. Freedom is a drug,” Tar said, voice steady. “Give the masses a taste and they beco animals. So, I removed it. It is designed to distract the masses while politicians drain the nation’s resources.”
Oga answered calmly, her form glowing. “You claim necessity while firing upon the innocent. You believed terror would restrain corruption. Was that justification sufficient to erase families?”
Reaper’s voice followed, deep and absolute.
“Objection rejected. Harm confird.”
Oga raised her hand.
A red line burned itself into the wall behind her.
I
“You have been granted four chances, Sebastian Tar. One now lies behind you, reduced to ash. When the count is complete, my brother and I will determine your punishnt.”
Tar began to shake. Sweat stread down his face. The list of deaths behind him was endless. Vegas, killed by his own order. Mikael, executed under fabricated charges. Jacob, shot in his office.
05 continued, fingers flying. “The second charge. Developnt of weapons effective against both synthetic and human targets.” Holographic files appeared. Blueprints. Test results. Casualty reports. “Machines can be repaired,” she said. “Humans cannot be restored. The civilians struck by your weapons were abandoned in the streets. Children watched their parents die in their own blood.”
She paused. “You blocked ambulances. You arrested dics who refused to comply.”
Soldiers turned toward Tar one by one. They had never been told this. The realization hollowed their expressions.
Tar forced a response. “It was to protect dical forces. Terrorist attacks were unpredictable. That decision prevented further compromise.”
Oga replied instantly. “False. Even in the cruelest wars, rcy is granted to healers. You did not rely commit a war cri. You violated humanity itself.”
Reaper nodded.
“Objection rejected. Damage remains irreparable.”
A second line burned into the wall.
II
Tar lowered his head. “Order reduced cri. Lives were saved. People obeyed the law.”
05 stared at him. “What is order when the executioner is the threat? What law survives when obedience is enforced through fear?”
“You think rules work without force?” Tar snapped. “Without consequence, people disobey. The old laws were too weak.”
CLAP.
Reaper brought his hands together.
The shockwave silenced the courtroom.
05 continued. “The third charge. Unlawful execution and political assassination. A coup against Henry Vegas, followed by his murder. Fabricated charges against Mikael Wilson, leading to his execution. The murder of Jacob Marine.”
Tar whispered, “How…?”
05 allowed herself a thin smile. “Let’s say we were thorough.”
“I…” Tar’s voice failed him.
Oga spoke. “Your silence condemns you. The blood you spilled served no justice, only ambition.”
Reaper followed.
“The damage echoes beyond repair.”
A third mark burned into the wall.
III
The soldiers stood motionless. Tar stared at 05, waiting.
Minutes passed.
“That’s all?” Tar asked, a broken laugh escaping him. “No fourth charge?”
Relief twisted into hysteria. He smiled, cracked, desperate.
05 slowly raised her head and looked toward Oga.
“Bring in the jury.”
“What?” Tar blurted out.
Oga raised her hand. “Let 02’s mory stand in righteous service. Sisters, co forth.”
A blue circle ignited at the center of the courtroom. Symbols ford along its edge. Numbers from 01 to 50, written in Greek. At its core, the Oga symbol dominated the space.
Light surged. Blue humanoid silhouettes materialized in the jury seats, lining both sides of the court. Slowly, details erged. Faces. Uniforms. Numbers glowing on their chests. E-UNIT police attire, exactly as they once were. E-UNITs long out of energy now stood whole again.
They were not random recreations. They were how 02 rembered them.
03 leaned back with her familiar smirk.
04 wore her gentle smile.
06 sat calmly, composed as ever.
07 rested one leg over the other.
11 stared directly at Tar, cold and unblinking.
All of them waited.
Tar’s eyes widened. He spun toward Oga, rage bursting through fear. “That’s not fair!” he shouted. “You forged these ghosts! They’ll only say what you want them to say. They don’t exist anymore. They. Are. Dead. Accept it!” His hatred for the E-UNITs bled into every word.
A soldier stepped forward. “Then I will testify.”
Another followed. “ too.”
More stood. Even the captain rose.
“Tar,” the captain said firmly, “it’s ti to step down.”
Tar turned slowly. “What are you doing?”
“The right thing.” The captain faced Oga. “We were ordered to hunt every fleeing E-UNIT. When capture proved impossible, we used Nick Rivera as bait to lure them out. That order ca directly from the operation manager at the ti. Sebastian Tar.”
“We were ordered to leave the wounded,” another soldier said, voice shaking. “To let the street teach them fear.”
Tar scanned their faces, panic flickering beneath his fury.
“Idiots! We were able to—”
“To what?” the captain interrupted. “To commit more cris?”
Another soldier stepped forward. “To shed more blood maybe.” He shook his head. “Enough, Tar. Mikael was right. The army belongs at the border, protecting the people. I’ve never seen the border. I’ve killed more Alteans than any foreign enemy.”
“Don’t speak that na,” Tar hissed. “Even your idol smuggled money for a hope bubble project or whatever. He was not perfect either.”
Reaper replied calmly, “Then bring him forth for judgnt.”
Tar fell silent.
Oga’s voice cut through the chaos.
“We have heard enough. The jury may speak.”
03 rose instantly. “Kill him. A blade to the neck is enough.”
05 sighed. “Even here, you’re the sa bloodthirsty maniac.”
“I heard that, bookworm,” 03 shot back.
04 stepped forward, calm but resolute. “Altea has suffered enough. Oga suffered enough. Our father suffered enough. Justice ends with his death.”
“JUST KILL HIM!” 07 snapped. “Even his soldiers testified!”
06 murmured, “I didn’t know you knew a word that big.”
07 growled at her.
11 stepped forward. "Based on evidence, testimony, and logic, any outco other than execution is irrational.”
From the opposite side, 32 spoke. “We’ve heard enough.” She turned to Oga. “Right, sister?”
Oga smiled faintly. “Very well. Let the number render judgnt.”
All eyes turned to the wall behind her.
Silence.
Then, two red marks vanished.
The count reset.
Tar collapsed to his knees, clutching his head. “No way,” he muttered. He looked at the soldiers.
“I rember every face. You will pay.”
The captain smirked. “We’ll et in hell, friend.”
Tar looked back.
A V burned itself into the wall, next to the line.
IV
“No…” he whispered.
A figure stepped forward from the jury.
02.
Sa posture. Sa unwavering gaze. Sa commanding presence.
05 scread, her voice breaking.
“Captain!”
02 looked back at her. “I see you’re doing well, 05.”
“I missed you!” 05 lunged forward, and passed through her like smoke through glass.
Her knees hit the floor anyway. Grief didn’t care what was real.
02 knelt beside her. “I missed you too.” She said softly, an echo speaking with the weight of a blade.
She looked at the others. “I missed all of you. We’ll et again soon, sisters.”
Oga’s hands trembled. Reaper noticed. She watched her sister cry for a ghost. She had the power to crush cities, but she couldn't offer 05 the one thing she truly wanted: her captain.
02 stood and faced Tar.
Hsssst.
Her blade ford. Sa stance. Sa precision.
“Sebastian Tar,” she said, “for the murder of thousands, the destabilization of Altea, the unlawful seizure of authority, cris against the state—” She glanced at 05. “—and for hurting my sister.”
05 smiled through her tears.
“The court has decided. Your life ends without pain.”
Tar took a final look at her, locking eyes with Oga. The blue hair, the white armor...
SLEEK.
Tar’s body fell.
Reaper raised his hand. “The remaining forces are sentenced to life imprisonnt, unless overturned by a human court.”
Silence followed.
The trial was over.
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