NO TIME FOR GLORY (SOLBIDYUM WARS SAGA Book 8)

by Dale Musser

  Time was rapidly approaching for my interrogation with the Senate. Fortunately, I was scheduled for the treatment of my synthetic nerve rejection the day before the hearing. This meant I would be functioning at my peak mental abilities during the proceedings.

  This situation was not entirely unfamiliar to me. Many years earlier, when Roritat called me before the Senate, I was faced with a comparable argument that targeted me specifically for acts of treason. The motive behind Roritat’s false claims was much different, though. He concocted allegations that were intended to be a diversion tactic that shifted attention toward me and allowed the infiltrated Brotherhood members to gather for their escape. The hearing also served as an effective way to assemble all the Senators in one place, where he planned to kill them.

  Unlike Roritat’s accusations, however, the charges against me by Wingutt under the current inquiry had some merit, inasmuch as I actually was commissioning the fabrication of fighters by the androids using top secret designs and taking delivery of these ships from the androids, with whom the Federation was still technically at war. Nonetheless, I instructed Wabussie to increase the level of security around all government facilities during the proceedings. In the meantime, Regeny and I discussed some matters associated with historical classified actions that may come up in the hearing. We also agreed that it would be wise to fortify security around Megelleon. Several warships would be stationed in orbit and patrol and fighter squadrons would guard the Capitol Space Station, where the proceedings would take place.

  Normally the Senate and the Federation Legal Review Board do not mix. However, on the occasions of a Senate hearing, the senior member of the FLRB was assigned to preside over the session. The Legal Review Board served roughly the equivalent of the Supreme Court back in my native country on Earth.

  During the first inquiry that took place under Roritat years ago, it was Chief Justice Mastoeth, who presided over the hearing. However, he was no longer in office and it would be his successor, Chief Justice Terralisa, who would preside over the current proceedings. A list of persons testifying was presented to her before each session began. Her role was to direct the agenda and recording of minutes, while also serving as an objective party who ensured all hearing inquiries and actions unfolded within the Federation’s official interpretation of the law, as defined by the Legal Review Board. Terralisa would have no say in the outcome of the Senate’s findings, but she had the power to stop the hearing, in the event the rights of the person being questioned were violated.

  Because of the events that took place during the hearing initiated by Roritat, where the senators were caught in the attack by the Brotherhood, the protocols for all Senate proceedings had been changed. For one, meetings and hearings no longer took place at the capital city on Megelleon. Affairs of this magnitude now took place within the new Capitol Space Station. As an additional security measure, only 1,000 senators could be present in the hearing hall at any given day, while the remaining contingent would attend remotely using vid screens, as they participated from the safety of their own offices or other secure access points.

  By comparison, the current Senate Hall was quite different from its predecessor. Just in terms of size it was more like a small auditorium than the vast colosseum it replaced. The new hall included balconies, but nothing like the large and multilayered galleries inside the old Capitol building hall. I had heard that the old hall was being transformed into a large concert hall capable of an occupancy of up to one million people, but I had not seen it for myself. The only real resemblance between the two halls was the platform stage and the seating areas for the defendant and accuser boxes. Even so, these were quite different in appearance, as the old Senate Hall had been ornately lined with honey-hued timbers and darker wood trim, while the new hearing hall was stark white with light-colored wood trim.

  The last time I stood before the Senate for questioning was under armed guard. This time, however, I entered freely – not as a prisoner. On that prior occasion I was not permitted in the hall while allegations against me were presented and defined before the assembly. By contrast, on this occasion I was present for the opening statement, though I was not permitted to speak while Senator Wingutt presented his case against me.

  As the hearing began, Chief Justice Terralisa rose and approached the podium, and all went silent within the chamber. Behind her, a live image of her was displayed on a large vid screen, the same image that was seen on vid transmissions by the Senators attending remotely. Terralisa began the proceedings with the Presiding Member Statement.

  “Honored Senators, we are assembled here today under Federation law to determine whether Federal charges are to be brought against one First Citizen, Fleet Admiral Thibodaux James Renwalt for treasonous crimes against the Federation. These charges are of the gravest nature and I ask all senators to weigh carefully all information presented in these proceedings before rendering a decision.

  “Crimes against the Federation are a most serious matter and in order to be charged with such, a citizen owing allegiance to the Federation must show a willful disregard for Federation laws and have exhibited behavior that demonstrates the intent to, or has resulted in, harm to the Federation or its citizens. Treasonous crimes are punishable by incarceration in a Federation prison for a term no less than life without the possibility of release or pardon.

  “Today we will hear charges and evidence presented by the accusers and representatives of the Federation. After accusations are made and evidence is presented, First Citizen Thibodaux James Renwalt will take the stand in his defense and offer testimony in denial or defense of his actions. His testimony will be given while wearing a truth monitor and the readings of his reactions will be displayed on the vid screens for all to see. Upon completion of his testimony, his accusers will be given the opportunity to question him regarding specific points of evidence. If required, the questioning will be carried over to subsequent days, until the Senate has been provided sufficient details and information to determine whether official indictments against the accused are warranted. During the questioning period, other witnesses may be called by the Senate to testify, either in support of the accusations or in defense of the accused. Only after all testimony has been heard and all questions have been answered will the Senate vote as to the disposition of the accused based upon the findings. If the Senate votes in favor of indictment, the accused will be remanded into custody and held for trial by the Federation Legal Review Board, who will hear the evidence and subsequently vote on his guilt or innocence based on the laws of the Federation. The outcome of this vote will determine his fate and their decision will be final.”

  It became obvious to me, as I listened to Chief Justice Terralisa, that her statement was part of a legal liturgy, as it was similar to, and structured like, the statement that Chief Justice Mastoeth had made over a decade before.

  “I now call Senator Wingutt to present his opening statement and evidence supporting allegations against the accused,” said Chief Justice Terralisa in closing, as she nodded toward the box where the senator sat with members of his staff. I noted one sour-faced aide sitting next to the Senator, who glared at me with pure venom. I recognized him as one of the two who had confronted me on the MAXETTE. I fought to suppress a smile, taking a bit of satisfaction in knowing how humiliating and irritating it must have been for him to be detained and interrogated by military security and the FOI.

  Senator Wingutt rose from his chair and approached the podium as the Chief Justice took her seat.

  “Thank you, Honorable Chief Justice Terralisa,” said Leader Wingutt with a beaming political smile.

  “Senators,” he began, looking intently across the entire assembly and gesturing with a slight nod. “I am here today to present evidence of treason committed by Fleet Admiral Thibodaux James Renwalt, also known as First Citizen Tibby, against the Galactic Federation. These acts include, but are not limited to, aiding an enemy in violation of Federation law. To support my claim
s, I shall call forth individuals who will give testimony that supports the level of Tibby’s engagement in these crimes.

  “Since his arrival in the Federation nearly two decades ago, Tibby has become wealthy and powerful beyond the wildest dreams of any citizen in the Federation. By taking advantage of antiquated legislation that lingered in the archives of the Federation legal system, Tibby gained this untold wealth and power in exchange for making little more than an accidental discovery that any bumbling fool could have made.”

  At this statement, Chief Justice Terralisa interrupted Wingutt, “Senator, you will kindly withhold your personal opinions about the validity of any Federation legislation and, secondly, please refrain from using prejudicial words such as “any bumbling fool,” in your statement. You are to present facts, not conjectures, especially prejudicial ones.”

  “Ah, yes, Your Honor. I apologize,” Wingutt replied with an embarrassed look.

  “You may continue,” said Chief Justice Terralisa.

  “First Citizen Tibby,” Wingutt continued, “has been compensated with great wealth and power by the Federation, but it appears that this wealth and power has proven somehow to be insufficient to suit his purposes and has served only to generate an insatiable appetite for even greater wealth and power. His desires have finally led him to take actions that violate Federation laws and aid our sworn enemy, the androids.”

  There was a sound of hushed whispers around the hall as Wingutt paused, obviously for dramatic effects, before he continued. “It is Tibby’s desire for more power and wealth that has driven this long-standing war with the Brotherhood. Before his arrival, the Federation enjoyed hundreds of years of peace. Only after his arrival,” he said fervently while pointing across the platform at me, “that war once again broke out. In all fairness to Tibby, I do not believe he intended to start the war. But after the battle where Thimas and his mutineers tried to steal the solbidyum, Tibby was hailed a hero of the Federation and given more wealth than any single individual should – ”

  Once again Chief Justice Terralisa interrupted. “Senator Wingutt, I must ask that you refrain from imposing your opinion as to how much wealth a person is entitled to receive or gain. Again, this statement is prejudicial and not relevant to this hearing. You may continue with your charges.”

  “Um… yes, Your Honor” Wingutt stuttered, as he cleared his throat and tried to regain his lost momentum. “Having received the fame and wealth bestowed on him, Tibby desired even more and, as I will illustrate, he sought out ways to continue the war in order to gain even greater glory and, later, to increase his wealth.

  “The battles with the Brotherhood had ended with the death of Thimas and the liberation of the DUSTEN; but Tibby was not satisfied with his moment in the spotlight. He continued his personal crusade, going outside the Federation to Alle Bamma, a non-aligned planet and thus not under Federation jurisdiction, where he provoked the Brotherhood of Light by destroying their operations there. Regardless of the morality of their operations on Alle Bamma, the Brotherhood was not bound by our beliefs or by Federation laws as, again, they were outside of Federation jurisdiction.

  “One might argue that Tibby was not a representative of the Federation at that time and that his actions outside the Federation were, likewise, none of the Federations concern. I will demonstrate how Tibby was fully aware of these conditions and how he utilized the situation repeatedly to his personal advantage. That is to say, I will demonstrate how his actions on Alle Bamma and the ones that followed were the impetus that stimulated the escalating conflict with the Brotherhood and the eventual full‑scale war. Tibby’s defeat of the Brotherhood in space and on the planet allowed him to ultimately conquer Alle Bamma and, quite conveniently, become the so-called appointed spokesperson and protector for the natives of this world. Tibby’s victory there only heightened his appetite for conquest and glory and, not long thereafter, he relentlessly pursued the Brotherhood to the planet Goo’Waddle. There he again attacked the Brotherhood operations and created a situation that led to rebellion and the takeover of Goo’Waddle by none other than the Ruwallie Rasson pirates. At that time, Goo’Waddle was also outside Federation space and, conveniently for Tibby, not subject to Federation laws. Once again, Tibby, while not representing the Federation, nevertheless instigated the conflict on Goo’Waddle, further provoking the escalation of war with the Brotherhood.

  “You would think that, after achieving these two victories, Tibby would have finally been satisfied. But his thirst for glory and power only intensified, while his allegiance and sense of guardianship for the welfare of the Federation continued to deteriorate. Tibby’s next mercenary venture takes him to the planetary system of his home world, Earth. Here he rescued colonists from his planet who had relocated to colonial outposts located on other planets and moons in the same solar system. I use the word rescue with some reservation, as it is my understanding that not all of them were willing to be rescued. Hence, Tibby took them by force from their encampments. But again, these events happened outside of Federation jurisdiction, eliminating any real consequences for Tibby, in terms of his status within the Federation. It should be pointed out that today the chief enemy of the Federation is Ming, who now commands the Brotherhood and it was Ming and his followers that Tibby forcibly removed from the Earth’s solar system. By looking at events such as these in their entirety, not to mention the horrendous, ruthless battles involving the Federation under Tibby’s leadership, one can begin to see a clearer picture of who it is the Brotherhood is really at war with and why.

  “Tibby was further thrust into glory and fame when he returned to Megelleon after his conquests at Earth, at which time he conflicted with Roritat who, coincidentally, was driven by similar desires for fame and glory. Yet, may I say, we honor Tibby and vilify Roritat. Roritat simply saw Tibby as a threat to his own ambitious plans and, consequently, he aligned himself with the Brotherhood in hopes of defeating Tibby. But his plans were thwarted. It is only out of desperation that he fled the Federation with members of the Brotherhood. May I add that Roritat’s direct involvement in the attack on the Senate cannot be confirmed with evidence. He was likely unaware of the Brotherhood’s plan to carry out this vicious, spiteful act which, truly, was directed at Tibby and not the peaceful assembly of senators who happened to be in the fallout of the vendetta between him and the Brotherhood.

  Up until this time, the Brotherhood of Light was a benign organization that had been at peace with the Federation, an organization that was only assumed to be a threat because of the actions of Thimas and his band of mutineers. This all played nicely for Tibby, affording him an increasingly elevated status within the Federation. Meanwhile, the situation served only to enflame Roritat, Ming and the Brotherhood into an all-out war against the Federation – all because of the Federation’s blind support of Tibby and his actions.”

  Wingutt paused a moment and took a sip of water before continuing. “Again, I concede that, according to the letter of the law, nothing Tibby had done up to this point could be construed as a violation of Federation law. Even his contact and subsequent affiliation with the androids that he met on Goo’Waddle when he incited the entire planet into revolt didn’t violate Federation law, because it all conveniently occurred outside of Federation jurisdiction. However, the alignments he made with the Ruwallie Rasson and the androids at Goo’Waddle served him well, setting the stage for an event that led to his treasonous act. As a result of the desertion of Roritat and the attack on the Capitol, the Brotherhood now was officially declared to be at war with the Federation, a war that had been willfully, cleverly caused by one Thibodaux James Renwalt. Though we cannot officially hold him accountable for any of his actions that led to this war, it is clear that he was, nevertheless, the catalyst that created it.

  “One would have hoped that Tibby would have seen this and that he would have tried to prevent the escalation of the situation but, if he did, he took no such action. When he was offered a position as Fleet Ad
miral in the Federation by Admiral Regeny, who blindly admired Tibby for his initial actions that resulted in the recapturing of the DUSTEN, Tibby seized the opportunity for more fame, further inciting the Brotherhood. Now, in addition to his own personal fleet of ships, Tibby had the entire Federation’s fleet at his disposal to use in his continued harassment of the Brotherhood. This might have been alright, if he had confined himself to Federation boundaries, acting strictly for the welfare and protection of the Federation; however, he felt it necessary to go beyond our territory and initiate an extremely violent confrontation with the Brotherhood, angering them even more.

  “Tibby took our military ships outside Federation space – without the knowledge and permission of the Senate – to defend the planet Weccies. While it is true that defending Weccies from the Brotherhood was to the benefit of the Federation’s economic stability, Tibby blatantly took this military action in violation of Federations laws and risked yet another war with the Weccies by bringing warships into their territory, unseen and uninvited, and without first consulting the Senate for approval. Luckily, for the Federation, the Weccies took no offense at this action and later allied with us in the war against the Brotherhood. However, this does not excuse Tibby’s flagrant violation of Federation law and shameless disrespect of Senate authority.

  “Tibby’s next departure from Federation law brings us to Epsirt. We are not fully aware of all that happened at Epsirt, as the military still classifies the actions there as top secret. What I can tell you is that Epsirt also is a non-aligned world and, so far as we know, is neutral in the war. What we do know from the people who reside on Epsirt is that Tibby mounted an attack against a base in the southern arctic region of the planet that resulted in massive explosions and hundreds, possibly thousands of deaths. We will likely never know the full number of casualties inflicted there. It is also known that the people of Epsirt were given no prior warning of the attack and they insist they were unaware and are still ignorant of the events that led to the attack. They state that they were told at the time of the event by Tibby himself that there was a Brotherhood training base in the arctic region and that the Federation was launching an offensive to destroy the base and that any actions taken by Epsirt to thwart this assault would be considered an act of war. It is also known that a battle ensued, lasting only one day, after which the Federation ships exited the scene. By taking this action Tibby intentionally, methodically violated the sovereign rights of Epsirt, the leaders of which filed a protest with the Federation – but, shamefully, their protest was ignored. Even today our relations with Epsirt remain strained.