GRAND JUDGE YUTRIAT: Not only have you stolen the research of Zacarnia Fleet Engineering Division CALCOR, Valryn...

GRAND JUDGE YUTRIAT: You are also willingly harboring a member of a species whose existence in a civilized world is unthinkable.

GRAND JUDGE YUTRIAT: The only suitable place for it is to be used as a weapon.

GRAND JUDGE YUTRIAT: And yet, you keep doubling down on this mistake you are making.

COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: Do you even realize what kind of threat that beast is?

COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: Are you aware of how many civilizations have been leveled due to their swarms throughout all of history?

COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: No matter what happens, a miserable creature like that is better exterminated than a constant problem on our hands.

COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: I thought it was ridiculous approving CALCOR's use of one as a weapon, and when the paperwork was sent to us primary judges for approval, pushed against it myself.

COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: But keeping it as your little apprentice? What an immature prospect. You even gave it a name. You should be heavily punished for your insolence!

COUNCIL JUDGE KLET: I think heavy punishment is going too far...

COUNCIL JUDGE KLET: While a Zanziko is quite the handful, they are also not fully developed like the swarms that caused all of that mayhem before.

COUNCIL JUDGE KLET: The Grand Judge is correct in that they should simply be returned to CALCOR with better security, and higher regulations.



[Unintelligible rabble across the 20 high jurors, all debating on the topic.]



GRAND JUDGE YUTRIAT: Order! Order in the court!

GRAND JUDGE YUTRIAT: It is now defendant Valryn's turn to speak.

VALRYN: I will say it again, your honors.

VALRYN: The Zanziko has a good heart. I've already told you all the things I've seen with my own two eyes.

VALRYN: I told you how our fight ended...

VALRYN: There's the fact that she chose to use the fear that you all have to drive everyone that went after her away, instead of killing them like what anyone here would expect.

VALRYN: And then there's how, though a bit reserved, she wasn't anything but friendly for the time we've had her at our base.

VALRYN: For the entire time she was out there, the only remotely bad things she did was out of desperation for her own life.

VALRYN: My buddy Serry can attest to this, too. If you really wanted, you could probably even look through his memory data. It's all there!



GRAND JUDGE YUTRIAT: A Zanziko can't have a "good heart". It just hasn't grown to the point where it has the potential to become an actual threat.

GRAND JUDGE YUTRIAT: All accounts of an incident with the Zanziko species have occured with a large degree of adults. How can you know that it will not turn berserk as it grows?

GRAND JUDGE YUTRIAT: You are making too many quick assumptions.

GRAND JUDGE YUTRIAT: One member of that species is just too much of a risk to keep around. People's lives are in danger from just being around it.



COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: That's right, Valryn... Such a premise is ridiculous.

COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: In the late EA6 era, do you not remember what they did to planet Koruax?

COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: An entire swarm, around 10,000 strong, attacked and eventually destroyed most of the planet in pursuit of conquering it and feeding off of it's resources.

COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: By the time they were gone, Koruax was unrecognizable!

COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: Anyone who wasn't evacuated in time, and a number of the fleet soldiers who went to fight all perished in the frenzy.

COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: By the time they were driven away, hundreds of millions of lives were lost! There would've been much, much more if it weren't for the federations who helped it's inhabitants!

COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: This is why the Quadon League you directly work for banished them in the first place.

COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: And yet you still defend something of such cursed blood?



[Talking and whispering once again among the high jury over the controversial topic.]



VALRYN: Yeah. That's a big tragedy. And I don't mean to understate it, but...

VALRYN: That shouldn't be on her. She wasn't with those Zanziko when that happened, what, 20,000 Ages ago?



COUNCIL JUDGE KLET: Adding onto that, Nakralabor... You seem to have left out the fact that they were said to be a large coalition of pirates.

COUNCIL JUDGE KLET: That would explain a direct motive for their actions.



COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: Oh, really? This is just a single past incident I'm naming. The last straw, so to speak...

COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: There were plenty of others throughout history. Rhygea Space Center 2X... the attack on planet Nuvacrea... All of their past crimes, and what we don't even know far from the known world...

COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: This path of devastation caused by their hands, and yet you think you could get us to sympathize with that beast?



VALRYN: The difference is, she never did anything like that.

VALRYN: She shouldn't have to carry the blame for those that she couldn't even begin to know. How is that fair?



COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: But Valryn, when we see this constant disasterous behavior from them, how do you think we're supposed to react to it?

COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: Should we just lay on our backs and accept it?



VALRYN: Well, I know what I'm not going to do. I'm not going to stand here and let you execute her just for existing.

VALRYN: And I'm DEFINITELY not going to let you give her back to that psycho over there.

VALRYN: Seriously. If she's so dangerous, then why did CALCOR have to lie about her killing the agents that were sent after her?

VALRYN: It took a long while, but we were finally granted access to their files. They're all alive!

VALRYN: And earlier, we showed you the false report that made capturing her even more of a headache than it should've been.

VALRYN: That's a crime too, but you're giving me all the flack?



COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: We have heard Alchemist's account before this hearing.

COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: After investigations by our cyber specialists...

COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: We've found that CALCOR's database was hit by a cyber attack that had happened shortly before you began your mission.

COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: As we've heard, many of CALCOR's systems had temporary outages. Their systems experienced glitches of all sorts, including the database that handled the information in your report.

COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: No foul play or deliberation were ever uncovered during this investigation, either. All influences were revealed to be external.



VALRYN: H...

VALRYN: Huh?

DEIGA: It is all true, Valryn.

DEIGA: Recent in this chain of troublesome events for us, our systems had also been hit with a terrible cyber attack.

DEIGA: The perpetrators were traced to a Network Address in Jara Zone, a collection of desolate star systems in the lower pits of Mazrax Galaxy.

DEIGA: This area is also suspected to be a hotbed for organizations related to SPAWN due to how difficult the area is to traverse.

DEIGA: Particularly Typhoon Moon, due to its proximity to a satellite base that has been raided before.

DEIGA: The hackers were able to steal information related to Project Sky Eater, classified information relating to CALCOR, and were able to cause a bit of mischief in the process.

DEIGA: We earnestly sent you that data with the impression that it said that they "retreated", but because of this, the variables were unexpectedly changed. We were not aware of the attack until later.

DEIGA: It is also why we could not reach you through the Net-Mail address we sent you.

DEIGA: That, along with some of our others had gotten compromised. We were not able to reclaim all of them.



VALRYN: What the starblazes are you on about?

VALRYN: Typhoon Moon? What do they have to do with this?

VALRYN: And this cyber attack happened... right before I started flying there?

VALRYN: What kind of nonsense is that? Do you even realize what that contributed to?



DEIGA: It is indeed an unfortunate circumstance.

DEIGA: I apologize for the inconvenience, but at that moment...

DEIGA: Well...

DEIGA: There was not much we could do.

VALRYN: Hold it, you bastard!!

VALRYN: She told me ALL ABOUT about your experiments! You think that I'd believe--



GRAND JUDGE YUTRIAT: That's enough, Valryn.

GRAND JUDGE YUTRIAT: Everything Deiga just said is exactly what was found in the attack, almost word for word.

GRAND JUDGE YUTRIAT: Over these past years, Typhoon Moon has been active in our territory. We have been spent a long time trying to put a stop to it.

GRAND JUDGE YUTRIAT: From what it looks to me, it was just a matter of bad luck.



COUNCIL JUDGE KLET: That is quite strange, though, is it?

COUNCIL JUDGE KLET: I understand that it was found to be solely the hackers doing, but...

COUNCIL JUDGE KLET: What are the chances that it would have affected that report specifically?

COUNCIL JUDGE KLET: And, out of all things, affect something that ended up being a contributing factor to the battle that Blu Drake had with the Zanziko?

COUNCIL JUDGE KLET: Why did it change the state of those soldiers to be deceased of all things? Did it affect anything else in the report?

COUNCIL JUDGE KLET: And, as Valryn said... why would that cyber attack happen right at that moment?



DEIGA: What we sent to Dynoclaw was tied to one of our main databases.

DEIGA: It was also that database that held classified files about Project Sky Eater, something that seemed to be of interest to the hackers. This is likely why they targetted it.

DEIGA: From their actions and what I was told by those who investigated, it seems as if they were already spying within our systems long before this.

DEIGA: Some other pages of what we sent to Valryn were affected, but the changes made were insignificant.

DEIGA: It was indeed just a matter of bad luck that they chose to attack right then. Perhaps they saw the internal effects of the Sky Eater's escape, and it grabbed their attention.



COUNCIL JUDGE KLET: Interesting. And speaking of that...

COUNCIL JUDGE KLET: Did you not say earlier that your contacts were down due to your comm lines being destroyed? After something like that, would it not be a bad idea to use something from your internal servers?

COUNCIL JUDGE KLET: There are plenty of other ways to send information, you know.

COUNCIL JUDGE KLET: And adding onto that, other ways to initiate contact.



DEIGA: My apologies, mistress. It was a frantic and busy time, and some of what happened was due to our own failings.



GRAND JUDGE YUTRIAT: If you would so please, Council Judge Klet... I would like to get back on topic.



COUNCIL JUDGE KLET: This is on topic, Grand Judge. Is it not our job to find the objective truth of any situation?



GRAND JUDGE YUTRIAT: This trial is about Blu Drake's decision to smuggle a Zanziko into his base, and addressing his arguments for being able to keep it.

GRAND JUDGE YUTRIAT: I will accept no more distractions.



COUNCIL JUDGE KLET: ...

COUNCIL JUDGE KLET: I must say, Grand Judge...

COUNCIL JUDGE KLET: You are usually quite unbiased during matters like this.



GRAND JUDGE YUTRIAT: It is not a matter of bias.

GRAND JUDGE YUTRIAT: I simply wish not to digress from why we are here in the first place.

GRAND JUDGE YUTRIAT: Now, everyone... I would like to switch gears here for a moment.

GRAND JUDGE YUTRIAT: Blu Drake has made his arguments for why he should keep the Zanziko.

GRAND JUDGE YUTRIAT: Now we will go to his chosen representative to hear his words on the matter. Someone whose presense in this role is something of a surprise to even me.



GRAND JUDGE YUTRIAT: Go ahead, director.

ZASCENT: Thank you, your honor.

ZASCENT: I see your arguments for the fact that she has not grown into a full adult yet... however, I do not particularly agree with it.

ZASCENT: After all, the Zanziko are a sapient species capable of complex thought and reasoning, as we are.

ZASCENT: Nothing capable of these things can truly be "evil" by some kind of innate nature.

ZASCENT: Admittedly, I had aversion to the Sky Eater myself at first, and as the one who commissioned Blu Drake to take that mission, urged him to make haste with the idea that something terrible was going to happen.

ZASCENT: But now, with Blu Drake introducing me to her, I realize that I never had any reason to worry.



COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: You say they are capable of reason, but that did not stop the path of destruction that led them to be banished in the first place.

COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: They have caused nothing but havoc and mayhem! Tens of thousands of them! Do you all not see how ridiculous this is?

COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: Have we misjudged you, director?!



[Noise erupts from the jury. All debating among themselves, many agreeing with the Council Judge.]



GRAND JUDGE YUTRIAT: Order! Order!



ZASCENT: Maybe we can put that to the test, your honor.



COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: And have Blu Drake let that thing loose?



ZASCENT: Might I remind you of who let her loose in the first place?



COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: In that case, it would be much easier if she were gone, then. Correct?



ZASCENT: Would you like to hear my idea, your honor?



COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: This better be good.



ZASCENT: Thank you.



ZASCENT: Much of you say that it would be a good idea to just let CALCOR continue their research, but I have reason to believe that they did not fully know what they were getting into.



DEIGA: Well, that's not--



ZASCENT: Manners, Alchemist. It is my turn to speak.

ZASCENT: After all, how could they let a member of one of the most infamous lifeforms in the universe run amok on planet Requdon for months?

ZASCENT: They made several mistakes, and in the end.. They could not even retrieve it before the only Star Patrol agent in the vincinity who could confidently take down something that powerful had to be sent.

ZASCENT: What better security is there for the Zanziko than the one person who was able to singlehandedly subdue and capture her?

ZASCENT: As head chairman of the ZSA, I endorse Valryn's decision to take in "Project Sky Eater".

ZASCENT: This shall be an experiment to see if whether the notions we have about the Zanziko species are not as we thought...

ZASCENT: Or if they truly do deserve eternal banishment from this world.

ZASCENT: Tell me, High Council..

ZASCENT: Would it not be interesting to see such an experiment play out?

ZASCENT: It is certainly evident that someone with as many contributions to our kingdom as Blu Drake is defending it to his very last breath.

ZASCENT: If things go well, then we have a useful agent on our hands, especially after Blu Drake's training.

ZASCENT: If things go bad... then you were right about everything. I will also take personal responsibility for what happens.



COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: This suggestion of yours...

COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: Intriguing.



ZASCENT: Indeed. The fact that both of us are putting our positions on the line for this should say something about this by itself.



COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: Yes, I do find this interesting.

COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: But don't get things twisted, director.

COUNCIL JUDGE NAKRALABROR: The only reason I am giving this idea of yours the time of day... is so that I can watch with glee as such a ridiculous notion blows up in your faces.



ZASCENT: That's fine by me. This is a trial in on itself, after all.

ZASCENT: If my hunch is incorrect, then you can do whatever you'd like...

ZASCENT: But for now...

ZASCENT: Why don't we just relax... and see where this goes?