Naero's War: The Citation Series 3: Naero's Trial Read Free

closed and sealed behind her like a vault.
    Perhaps she had made the wrong choice.
    Yet she wanted her last moments with Khai–if the last ones they must be–to be free of any further pain, doubt, or worry.
    Now, all thought must be bent upon her trial, and winning her freedom.

 
     
     
     
    2
     
     
    When she was given the choice, Naero chose the right to wear her Strike Fleet Captain’s dress uniform mantle to her trial.
    Khai was present during the trial, as his duty required him to be, along with six Prime adepts of the Three Orders: Order, Chaos, and Change. They were the appointed guards for the trial, and escorted the prisoner from her isolated holding cell in the shackles that she was required to wear.
    Admiral Klyne officiated her trial solely as the judge, to conduct and observe the necessary Spacer legalities.
    High Master Tree would prosecute the legal case against her. High Master Jo would conduct her defense. Khai and the Prime adepts would stand guard.
    A jury of Mystic peers would be called upon to decide Naero Amashin Maeris’s fate. These were fifteen Elders from the Clans who were also Mystics. Five from each of the Three Orders. Yet none could be from any of the direct Clans of her parents or grandparents.
    These fifteen Spacers would decide whether she lived or died.
    The trial would last for three days. One day would be given to the prosecution. One day for the defense.
    On the third day, the final statements would be made. The jury would deliberate, and make their decision.
    If acquitted, she would be set free.
    If convicted, she quickly learned the sentence of death would be carried out–immediately–by the Mystic Enforcer.
    That seemed odd and rather drastic. Why would it be necessary to execute her immediately?
    On day one, High Master Tree made a rather determined case against Naero. His deep, stentorian voice boomed out with righteous, grim authority.
    “A Mystic High Master is dead. He was murdered and destroyed by his own student, Mystic Adept Naero Amashin Maeris. She had admitted to many, on numerous occasions, that she despised Master Vane and his opinions. She slew Master Vane in the Astral Plane and annihilated his spirit essence with a forbidden Chaos Technique: The Eye of Annihilation. His body was also consumed and utterly destroyed at that exact same moment.”
    Tree would pause at times to let his statements soak in, before taking up his next point of attack to expound upon. Sometimes he took a few breaths, sometimes he looked through his notes and papers, and at other times he paused for drinks of water.
    Then he would surge right ahead once more.
    “The facts are indisputable. The two remaining High Masters, the Mystic Enforcer, and the Prime adepts were all present in the vicinity at the time of the murder, and know very well who committed it.
    “To this date, no other Mystic High Master has ever been murdered by one of his students. Such a crime is unheard of. Such an affront to the Three Orders cannot be tolerated.”
    For Tree, everything was black and white.
    “Crime is crime.”
    And he emphasized that emphatically by driving his accusing index finger through the air like a stabbing weapon of conviction.
    “Murder is murder.”
    His voice always thundered with the hammering ring of absolute authority.
    “The facts of this case and our laws are crystal clear.”
    The finger of doom always ended up on Naero.
    “Spacers do not take the lives of other Spacers. That is forbidden. And Mystics do not take the lives of other Mystics without just cause, and especially not their masters.”
    Master Tree turned and held out both hands as if he were bestowing the gift of his knowledge on everyone, especially the jury.
    “It does not matter what her name is. Her Clan, her parents, or any of her deeds, good or bad. It doesn’t matter if she is popular or infamous. Nor whether we like her as a person or not. All that matters is that she has broken one of our most deeply