Lacuna: The Spectre of Oblivion Read Free

accounted for double the amount of Toralii tonnage versus the Beijing during the attack on the Kor’Vakkar shipyard, while the Sydney ’s crew has been working towards forging an alliance with the Kel-Voran Imperium, much to our benefit. We now have allies again, and allies have value… unlike a ship constantly in a shipyard, and a captain who can no longer lead.
    “The prosecution intends to demonstrate that these outcomes, and others, were the result of Captain Liao’s negligence with the aim of having her removed from command.” Fang inclined his head respectfully towards the judge. “Thank you, Your Honour.”
    He sat. Liao digested his speech. While eloquent and articulate, there was nothing in there she had not expected. She anticipated, in fact, a much more malicious and scathing opening; she expected the prosecution to crucify her for her lack of command experience and for being a woman, but neither point had been raised… yet. For this, she was grateful in a strange kind of way.
    Her lawyer, Craig Martin, stood to give his own opening presentation. She had declined a lawyer from the People’s Republic, instead seeking one from their allies instead. She felt that it was necessary for her to do so. A former Queen’s Council, Martin would be able to defend her in a much more impartial manner than one of her countrymen; he would be able to point out where she had genuinely erred and would be more open and more honest with her in regard to her failings. Martin had a reputation for being as cold and blunt as stone to both his clients and to the court itself, and this was exactly the kind of man she needed defending her.
    “Your Honour, first let me thank you for allowing me to represent Captain Liao in this court. It is a privilege to be here.”
    The judge nodded slightly and Martin continued. “My esteemed colleague, Mister Fang, in many ways articulated my case better than I could, so for that I am grateful. However, he is incorrect on one substantial part: that Commander Liao’s actions, while in some cases rash and impulsive, were made with the best of intentions and with limited information. In plain terms, she did the best she could with the limited means at her disposal. Accordingly, her actions should be seen not with the benefit of hindsight, as we relax in this air conditioned court room so far removed from danger, but seen through the lens of the situation at the time.”
    Martin paused to let his words sink in, then continued. “I am not one for large speeches, Your Honour, so if it pleases the court, I would like to call my first witness.”
    *****
    “Please state your full name for the court records.”
    [“I am Airmaiden Saara of the Telvan. I have no other names.”]
    Saara, the six foot eight Toralii female, glanced to her translator as she spoke. The Toralii were physically incapable of speaking English, and the guttural, rumbling language they had was unpronounceable to humans, but both species could hear and understand the other just fine.
    Over the year Liao had been in space, the Telvan dialect had been well documented and studied. However, the dialect had not been made available to civilians, so Lieutenant Yu from the Beijing was assigned to translate. Apart from Liao, he was their best Toralii speaker.
    Yu repeated her words.
    Fang nodded in understanding. “You are, or were, a member of the Telvan military, correct?”
    [“That is correct, Lawyer-man. My current status is best described as ‘Away Without Leave’.”]
    “I see. And Airmaiden was your rank, yes? Somewhat similar to our Lieutenant?”
    [“The ranks are vaguely similar, yes, regarding the tasks I was assigned and the responsibilities I had.”]
    “That’s quite a remarkable shift, to abandon your own people in favour of aliens who tried to kill you… who successfully killed every single other Toralii on your ship, isn’t it?”
    Saara’s golden eyes narrowed at the question, her thick paws resting comfortably