Chapter 327

The arbitration court of the Ministry of military affairs in Bakar is a magnificent place. It is as huge and gloomy as an imperial mausoleum.

The ancient courts that have stood for thousands of years echo the sound of countless trials, including both military courts and civil complaints.

On the huge painted glass, the portraits of emperors and saints stare tirelessly, weighing the guilty or innocent souls.

The tapestries hung from the dark marble walls, and their peeling scattered colors were in sharp contrast to the atmosphere of the room.

As a political commissar in the Imperial Army, it was easy for Alec to go wherever the emperor asked him to go.

So now he stood patiently in the dock, enduring the discomfort of his ill fitting uniform, waiting for the beginning of the trial.

Perhaps he is not a tall man by the standards of the Star Army, but he is muscular and powerful.

Since he was escorted here by the representative of the military ministry from the unbound soul, in addition to some daily exercise, he can only stay in his cell after eating and drinking.

The benefits of this life are obvious. He has quickly recovered the waist circumference and weight he has lost since he was sent to valledo.

His previous military coat was worn out, and he didn't expect to get a new one, but with the help of some "mysterious force", he still got a new military coat, which also contained some hints.

But he was not interested in swaggering like a noble official. Eric was a soldier.

Today's air is very dry. A row of servo skulls holding charcoal float in the air, but it won't be much warmer until the beginning of the trial, so that the shrinking soul of the guilty person can be exposed at the beginning.

But for Eric, it's no big deal. Only the emperor can control his destiny, as he has always been.

Then he turned his eyes to the center of the window of the hall and looked at the glittering portrait of the emperor.

"Light of all mankind..."

He whispered that he didn't care if the bailiff behind him would hear it.

"I was born for the battlefield. I serve your wishes and give me my life here."

At this time, someone on Eric's right coughed, and the echo swirled between the stone walls until it fell into the shadow of the high ceiling, so he turned around.

"In fact, Eric."

A man sitting alone on the juror's bench smiled:

"Is it necessary to be so depressed early in the morning?"

This was his former superior. He seemed to have enough sleep and in good condition. The day away from the battle made the depression on his cheek disappear.

His oiled black hair was as shiny as when they first met, and the ubiquitous cornice hat, the symbol of his class, rested on the bench beside him.

"I just didn't sleep well last night."

Eric nodded. He was surprised that he felt a little comfort at seeing this man present.

No matter what happens in this trial, the appearance of this man will be the most surprising. He played his part in the whole event and knew the truth.

But how would he testify?

Despite some assurances, this is still one of Eric's mysteries.

He was brave enough, yes, and he also proved his loyalty and dedication to the emperor, but he was also a "polluted person", a survivor who looked directly at the most terrible enemy of the Empire. The fate of such people should not be very good.

A pair of figures on the balcony above the bench attracted Eric's eyes. He raised his eyes from the old officer and saw a pair of strange people sitting in the front row of the balcony.

The two men looked straight into his eyes.

It's a man and a woman, although it seems inappropriate to use the word "person" to describe the former.

The woman sat shrugging her shoulders, her head almost buried in the black ruff of her robe.

Her elderly body bent over and looked no taller than a ten-year-old child, but from the shadow of her hood, she could see a sharp and wise light in her eyes.

Is she a juror, too? Or from other institutions?

Anyway, her eyes made Eric uncomfortable, but he couldn't explain why.

The man sitting next to the old ugly woman made her look shorter. The man looked like a living statue carved from a piece of marble. His skin was as white as snow in the sun, and the simple robe could not hide the huge body below.

He was bald, which reinforced his illusion that he was made of rock.

But the illusion was broken when Eric noticed his eyes. His eyes were blood red, even where they should have been white.

In all the journeys of his service, Eric had never seen such a terrible and strange man.

Who are these people and what are they going to do in this trial?

Suddenly, when the door was pushed open, it made a loud bang, and the air rushed in with the messy footsteps of boots on the marble floor.

A mixed crowd of military officials and Star Army officers poured in, and the room trembled amid the noise of them looking for their seats.

Eric scanned the crowd and tried to find some familiar faces, but he couldn't find one of his people.

This is not surprising.

Eric took back his eyes from the crowd and turned ahead, just in time to see the door of the judge's room open.

A warm orange light filled the hall, and the military arbitrators came in slowly in a line.

When the bloated figure of the presiding judge appeared in sight, Eric couldn't control himself from appearing strange on his face.

This is a disabled person. He is fixed on a multi legged mechanical seat that can be directly controlled through the nerve feedback slot at the bottom of his head. The seat smoothly takes him to the bench with a spider like pace. The shoulder badge on his body shows that he has the rank of lieutenant general.

Eric raised his right hand to the tip of his eyebrow and saluted with a quick but reluctant gesture.

"In the name of the emperor."

The legal clerk preached:

"All stand up."

The people in the gallery moved noisily, and the trial of political commissar Eric began.

For the next three hours, Eric frowned and clenched his teeth, listening to people who had never set foot on the front line scold him, belittle the heroic dedication of the soldiers, and blame him for every death.

The trial drew to a close in four hours.

Behind the arbitration table is the general bound in the mechanical seat on which he depends for his life. He will read the judgment himself.

There was a dead silence in the arbitration hall.

The arbitration committee concluded their whispered discussion and turned to face Eric in the dock.

Equipped with sensors and recording devices, the servo skull yellowed by years drops from the top of the head and floats in the air with a low hum of an anti gravity engine.

They record every word in the hall, whether it is a formal speech or a conversation with an audience. These records are carefully screened to identify dissidents and potential troublemakers.

"Stand up."

A wrinkled old official near the general ordered.

"Stand up, Sebastian ARIC, sentencing is imminent."

These days, the endless questioning and repeating the things on valledo again and again have made Eric tired and heavy. His old boss on the far terrace on the right made his own report on his personal quality and ability. However, Eric was ordered to avoid in those hearings, so he didn't know the content of the report at all.

The general cleared his throat with a cough and began to speak with an electronic microphone mounted on the seat.

"Throughout the trial, the hearing covered a wide range of witnesses, analysts and assessors -"

The general's small black eyes swept the whole meeting place severely.

"We heard how the defendant tried hard to get rid of the core of doubt, how he influenced low-level soldiers, and what consequences the loss of command of the 4337 infantry regiment had on the situation of the whole war."

Eric's stomach moved silently to remind him that he had not eaten after dawn. He began to feel hungry, but the protesting stomach had to wait a while.

"Honorable members."

The general continued.

"They carefully heard all the statements before reaching a conclusion. We consulted the think tank and searched our glorious military history books for precedents."

Eric noticed that the general glanced at two strange figures on the balcony, just as he had shown during the whole interrogation.

This further confirmed Eric's conjecture that the general was afraid of the strangers.

Based on this result, he made a further inference.

These two men are likely to be judge Wende's entourage, or his "friends".

The general continued to speak, but Eric was convinced that the man's electronic voice sounded unsure.

"We have finally reached a conclusion and are ready to announce that, in the name of the emperor of mankind, I will now pronounce the final ruling on the political commissar Sebastian Arik of the 4337th infantry regiment."

According to the regulations, Eric saluted his sentencing man.

"Some members of the Committee believe that, in view of your role in the disastrous defeat in valledo, you should be removed from all positions for the rest of your life, while others believe that it is too kind to deprive you of your position only and should choose between long-term imprisonment and exile."

This time, Eric felt that the general pretended not to be in a hurry and deliberately didn't see the figure on the terrace.

"In any case, the actual situation of the counter insurgency operation in valledo has changed dramatically in a short time, and the war has also attracted the attention of some imperial authorities, who exercise even higher authority than the star command. In view of this, the court is forced to recognize your decisive role in the subsequent war and assist the two glorious astates War, the above contribution is a great honor. "

The general's eyebrows wrinkled in frustration as he continued.

"Your former boss's testimony is also under consideration. In his testimony, he described your courage, piety and excellent fighting skills at length. Considering these factors, the court ruled that you would remain in your current position."

With these words, the general obviously sighed.

"In view of the total destruction of the 4337 infantry regiment, under these functions and powers, the court decides to grant you new positions and stations until the new regiment is formed, at which time you will immediately return to the front-line forces."

The audience's reaction to the Arbitration Commission's statement filled the court hall noisily, and people began to chatter and share their views with the people sitting next to them.

Eric was also surprised.

"New station? Can you tell me where it is?"

"You should have signed the letter of appointment yourself. Well, since you asked."

The general took out a warrant and took a look at the place names on it.

"Your new residence is... Hami giddoton."