Disclaimer: Not the Takahashi, not the Harmony Gold. Apologies to Jared Ornstead (Mirrors Multiplied)
WARNING: Spamfic, sorta.
NOTES:
“Hello.” : voice.
Hello. : quoted text (from original fic).
mad_elf.maranelda.org
present
T R I A L p t 1
Copernicus, acting as bailiff, cleared his throat and announced, “Next case, ex-Colonel Roy Fokker and party, crimes against humanity. On the bench: Darrick Voss, Julie-Anne Wade, Mizuno Ami, Her Divinity Skuld.”
“I really can’t be bothered with all this today,” said Jules with a sigh. “Just roll the tape. And can we skip the parts about the Kuno-Morisato feud? They’re not exactly relevant.”
Out in space a massive de-fold operation commenced.
“...And so I’ve lived something on the order of three hundred lives.” Ranma finished explaining, helping bandage Belldandy’s arm. “But I’ve got this nasty habit of getting flung into other dimensions. How long was I gone this time, Bell-chan?”
The goddess looked up at him. “About fifteen minutes, Ran-chan. Ucchan and Rae had only just left to muster their own forces when that alien attacked.”
Ranma was about to nod and say something more when Priory interrupted them.
“If you will excuse the interruption, I believe there is something on the television that you ought to see.”
The quartet looked at each other, and followed Priory to the nearest intact TV set. On it Lisa’s face filled the screen, speaking in English with subtitles running in the local languages.
“Message repeats. This is the SDF-2, leader of the Robotech Assault Squadron Northern Flight. You have wrongfully abducted General Ranma Saotome of our defence forces. You have exactly 24 hours to return him unharmed to our armada or the entire inhabited surface of your planet will be destroyed. Message ends.”
The television tube returned to its original programming.
Everyone, even Ranma, stared in shock at the screen. Nodoka was the first to recover. She turned a curious eye to her son.
“General? You inspire a curious brand of loyalty, son.”
He shook himself out of his daze. “As far as they’re concerned, this is just an ordinary colony world. They really do mean what they say. Anyone foolish enough to have actually abducted me would have incurred this kind of wrath.”
“Hold please,” said Ami. “Would the accused please confirm if this was common knowledge in his society? That a planet of several billion innocents would be destroyed merely to revenge the kidnapping of one man?”
“Not any one man!” shouted Roy Fokker. “The saviour of the human race!”
“And that ‘saviour’ seemed to be perfectly comfortable with this,” noted Ami as she eyed ‘Emperor’ Ranma with obvious disfavour. “I recommend that the court investigate this attitude at a later date — I did not see ‘Saotome’ rush to assure his avengers of his safety and prevent such a tragedy.”
“Seconded,” said Skuld. “So noted. Can we go back to the tape now?”
In space Claudia turned to her husband. “Roy, sensors are reading multiple missile launch from the planet’s surface. Estimate two thousand nuclear-tipped warheads with multiple intercept capability!”
Colonel Roy Fokker lounged in the command chair with one leg draped over the arm. He gestured languidly. “Well, fall back until we can get them within the firing cone of our big peashooter. Can you give me a location?”
“Stop!” said Jules. “I know the capabilities of the SDF-2; two thousand mirv warheads wouldn’t even come close to saturating the point-defence lasers, so I can understand your nonchalance. But why’d you choose to use the main gun instead?”
“To demonstrate our superior firepower,” sneered Fokker. “To discourage anyone else who might have stupid ideas.”
“Hmmm... Go on,” said Jules with a wave.
Claudia turned back to her boards. “Most of the launches come from an area corresponding to communist China.”
“When then, when we fire the main gun make sure that their capitol is under the beam. I don’t want to have to do this twice. We’d better be clear about our firepower from the start.”
“Okay, stop there please,” said Amy. “This is the crucial point of the case, I believe. Fokker, did you spend any more time thinking about that decision than was apparent in this tape?”
Roy drew himself up. “No. I pride myself in my ability to make snap decisions.”
“Oh really?” said Skuld. “So do I. I hereby sentence every person related to or involved with Northern Flight’s expedition to immediate execution,” and Darry moved his hand over to the Big Red Button that would carry the sentence out, wherever those individuals might be.
“WAIT!” screamed Claudia. “You can’t do that!”
“We most certainly can,” said Ami quietly. “All it would take is one push of this button.”
“I mean you mustn’t,” Claudia went on in shock. “All our families, their children — you mustn’t.”
“It’s too late to protest about the death of innocents now,” said Skuld sternly. “Ten million people died when you fired your main gun. All but four of them were innocent of any offence to you. Around a fifth of them were children. If you had protested Fokker’s intent at any point, we might have been moved to leniency, but you were quite happy to murder every one of them as proof of your so-called ‘power’.”
“The Panverse demands balance,” intoned Darry gravely. “For the murdered innocents of Beijing to be saved and have a chance of future life, a sacrifice must be made.”
“Then take us,” sobbed Claudia. “The bridge crew — we could have protested, we’re really just as responsible. Not the others...”
“No,” said Fokker. “I was in command. I still believe I did the right thing. I take the whole weight of my decision on myself.”
“The others do appear to have repented already,” commented Jules.
“Very well,” said Ami. “Is it agreed?” The other three judges nodded.
Darry, the Voice of the Panverse, stood. “Roy Fokker, formerly Colonel of Robotech Assault Squadron Northern Flight, you are hereby sentenced to labour in an entropy sink, one day for each life you would have snuffed out, and until you realise and truly repent your error.”
Claudia threw herself at her husband and embraced him, sobbing. The goddess, the senshi, and the catgirl mage stood as one, and each placed a finger on the Big Red Button alongside Darry’s.
“So mote it be,” chorused the judges as they pressed down. Claudia screamed as Roy vanished from her arms.
The sky above turned orange with the reflected outrage of an atmosphere being pierced by a main gun blast. In that instant Peking ceased to exist.
The silence that followed was deafening.
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