The room was quieter than a forgotten crypt as Mina made her dramatic statement. Not a single person had seemed to consider the possibility of Dirk being an attempted murderer. Instead, they were staring like animals in headlights, only the judge regained her wits to tell Mina to elaborate.

"Miss Attorney, don't leave us hanging. Elaborate on your unbelievable statement."

"I'm uh...uh..."

Mina turned aside to look at Raven, nervously. He merely smiled and moved his hand forward, signalling that it was okay.

Mina faced the judge. "I'm sorry," she said. "I had to retrain my train of thought and put it back on the rails."

She nervously giggled before Divine Justice abrasively shouted, "Out with it, young lady. I don't have all day. I'd rather be judging the Snail You Can Eat Buffet at Les Schargo's than this sordid case."

Mina gulped loudly. That buffet sounded revolting and vaguely triggering. Good thing Trudy wasn't there to hear it.

Mina tapped her good luck charm and smiled. It really cleared her head to tap into her EAP. "So, if any of you were paying attention to the statements of the prosecutor, his client and the defense, you'll have learned one thing about Dirk Lord."

Mina lowered her eyelids and rubbed her manicured hands together. "He was all hubba hubba and a little awooga over Miss Skye."

Blind offered a frown. "That's true. What exactly are you getting at?"

Mina directed her finger right at Star. "Love makes you do strange things. And with unrequited love even stranger. Alien even. Dirk Lord may not have been a real moon man, but love turned him into a certified lunatic!"

"So you're saying," Blind said, choosing his words carefully. "What exactly?"

Mina turned to face the televised audience. "Now I'm gonna ask you all this question. Do you remember in those old serials when an evil space emperor doesn't get to marry a beautiful intergalactic princess?"

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Everyone all looked dumbfounded at Mina's boldness.

Mina decided to answer the question herself. She made a triangle with her hands and screwed up her eyes, trying her best to look like evil emperor Zork. "If I can't have you Venus Andromeda," she howled at the top of her lungs. "No one can!"

Much to her surprise, though some people muttered, "that young lady is watching too much TV" some had wide open eyes and nodded in agreement.

The judge, much to her surprise also nodded. "While I feel you should probably go outside after this court case, Miss Attorney, I could see a melodramatic actor thinking this way."

She smiled at Blind. "I sure hope you have a good counter for that, my little Willy."

Suddenly, William "Blind" Justice shaded crimson red. He snarled under his breath. "Please grandmother. Do not call me that in public."

But it was too late. "Your grandmother calls you Little Willy?!" Mina swooned with her hands clasped together. "That's sooooo cuuuuute! You do look like a Willy now that I think about it!"

"The judge better not have a little Willy," Raven snarked under his breath.

Instead of the embarrassed Blind, Dirk's near identical brother stood up in his place. "I must say, Miss Rookie Attorney. Have you ever done stand up comedy?"

Mina shook her head. "No. Why?"

"Because," Richard Lord said, a clever grin on his face. "That bit you did was absolutely hilarious."

"Whuh....what do you mean?" Mina shouted.

"Yes.." Richard said, continuing to laugh. "Dirk planned to shoot his true love. Of course, that's why she shot him right through the heart instead! I do say, Star Skye, you really give love a bad name!"

"But..." Mina whined. "Couldn't he have forgotten which gun was his when they went on the set. I mean he had finger prints on both of them."

Richard didnt answer. Instead, he pulled a water pump from his pocket and squeezed it. Water blasted from his oversized carnation straight into Mina's face. As she wiped her face angrily, everyone started to laugh at her.

"Order!" the justice said rising out of her seat. "There will be no gag toys on these premises."

Richard frowned. "Sure thing, Ms. Judgemental. Though I happen to have misplaced my whoopie cushion."

As Divine Justice went to sit down there was a lot 'proooot' from her chair. She scowled at Richard like she wanted to wring his neck.

"Ah..." he said, removing it from his pocket. "Here it is! You, justice, just have bad gas."

Mina looked at Raven and rolled her eyes. "Can he please be court marshalled for making fart jokes?"

Raven shook his head. "It's not in the books, but judging by the look on the judge's face, she's gonna write it in herself!"

"Anywho!" Richard Lord proclaimed. "Even if Dirk has fingerprints on both guns, there's one reason he couldn't have done it. There was an eyewitness account in the studio that day!"

"Who?!" Mina exclaimed.

Nick Beard enthusiastically rose from his seat. He trusted his lazer sword at Star. "Today, I Nick Beard shall vanquish the evil troll woman from Mars! And avenge Emperor Zork! For truth and justice and Pizzapockets!"