The Congress' Chambers Decide
“Silence.” Vanessa lightly called out. While the sides couldn't be heard, both needed to remain calm so the trial could continue. Besides, why would she let them grow unruly, disrespecting her rule as the Supreme Justice Minister?
Luis kept looking ahead, seeming to invalidate the words the senator spoke, but the left was furious. No one, not even the civilians who hated Luis’s guts in the past, and were just positive towards him like never before, would ever think of such delusions.
“I will conclude senator Ol’ Pak’s time for speaking right here,” Vanessa looked down at her desktop, moving her lips a bit, showing she also wasn’t with the same ideals as the right stands.
“Does the accused have anything to say in return? If that isn’t the case, the trial will begin, and I now request all deputies and senators to sit separately for the upcoming voting for later.” Vanessa looked at Luis after muting a heavy sigh, still calming down.
“No,” Luis finally spoke, his voice serious yet calm. However, his next words were spoken in almost the same second, “But I will let the senator, Ol’ Pak, know to wait for a lawsuit. Also, you have just publicly announced the suspicions of lady Zebel’s death not being an accident, but a murder. Thank you for your cooperation, although you, Lýmoca’s Vanguard, and National Scholars of Honor, deeply rejected the possibility in the past. Once again, thank you.”
This time, it was the right who became flustered, especially senator Ol’ Pak, who stopped walking away and went to the podium, but the Supreme Justice Minister didn’t bother with her anymore.
“Supreme Justice Minister,” instead, it was Armando who sounded from the left podium. Vanessa looked at him, to which he further went on, “You have given the senator a chance to speak, when only you and the accused are allowed to promulgate your views. Will you allow us, the defense, so to speak, to also have that chance?”
Armando worriedly asked, showing a deep understanding, and an injustice that their President suffered for practically no reason.
“No,” Vanessa flatly replied before looking at the President. Luis looked at her and waited for her words to dictate the following procedures. “There’s been enough debate, when there shouldn’t. This is not the congress, so I will make this courtroom be respected.”
“President Luis Heartez, as the accused, the Supreme Court Justice has decided to grant you the first option to talk. While you might speak for a second time, at most, I will only declare the Supreme Court Justice’s stance towards your status in this court once. You may speak first,” Vanessa worded before lowering her face to read her documents.
“…” Luis remained quiet for a bit before slowly looking at the people on his left, and then the predatory beasts on his right. However, when he looked back at the left, what he found wasn’t only something better than a beast, a monster, but an evolved monster eyeing those on the right.
Seeing this, Luis smirked a little before beginning, just as Vanessa breathed in and opened her mouth in a sudden manner. “It’s been 12 years since I became the President of the Lys. My word has changed since then, and so has… my person.”
“I’m not here to show I’m innocent… I recognize… I could’ve avoided that war, if I was just a tad calmer, maybe endured incredible levels of tension around my people… and ignored the death of one of us.” Luis paused, “I just couldn’t… I don’t know why. All of my thoughts went to our fallen ambassador, and there were the families who were inhumanely treated.”
“Thinking about it… I just couldn’t bring myself to it. But I should’ve. The Terkan government wasn’t in a stable position after they became the first political entity to have ever violated an embassy. There were ways I now know could’ve gone better.”
“That’s all I have to say about the situation in the Ters-Ly War— as for the happenings in our country,” Luis paused, looking at the Supreme Justice Minister for not having a camera in front of him. Unless he wanted to crane his neck diagonally upwards.
“In Lýmoca, the organized crime reigned the terror that would sometimes occur in any city, any road, to the point it reached Proteros City. The heart of the nation had grown in the same violence that the other state have.”
“I don’t have a good answer to why it hasn’t been dealt with before, only that it was incredibly difficult. This cost the government years of planning in case such a situation arose, but we needed effective factors, not just information or a strategy.”
“It was only recently that we amassed those factors, and could use them to protect every Ly, every family, while maintaining relations around the globe. This allowed us to finally get rid of the evil known as organized crime, even if it isn’t eternal. After all, peace was also not eternal.” Luis looked ahead with a relentless pair of sharp, gray-black eyes.
Still in that position, he slowly lowered his head while continuing. “There are no truthful proofs that I or anyone in my close circle, with my full validation, ever wanted to harm Lýmoca, nor ever will.”
Suddenly, he lifted his head. “But the same cannot be said of others here, and even more who aren’t here, either ashamed or fearful to appear in front of the cameras. Because they know people don’t love them— but that they are hated by them to the bone instead!”
“… … …” The courtroom held their breath. Luis sunk his eyebrows, only a bit, “For 10 years, I have been set free of a side I can’t even fathom how they still keep themselves afloat. Even when all they have been doing is losing, and I know their modus operandi.”
“People who do things questionable to not only Lys, but the humanism across the globe on a daily basis, and that accept things how they can be as long as they believe they will be fine… That’s not me anymore! I have seen the true face of Lys, not imagining it!”
“I know the emotions, words, and the voices trembling to speak to me, either by letter or meters from me.” Luis’s voice volume increased a little more and more as his eyebrows further sank.
“I have grown from a young man without his wife and his country hating him, into something at least acceptable compared to what others and I myself have put you through!” Luis’s brows furrowed fiercely, with the corners of his mouth starting to twitch in the same tone. “And to every Ly out there: I don’t know you! But you voted for me… You showed me I could make you believe in me, and you know the people who are working with me know what they’re doing.”
Lesly passed the back of her index finger under her nose, sniffling once, while Esmeralda looked with fully open eyes, focused on the man who is her father.
“I wasn’t worthy before, I accept that. I am barely not a thorn in your eyes— I understand that. But this term, I want to leave Lýmoca with no option but to follow in listening to you! Not me, not my convictions, and definitely not a foreign hand or plain money! The Lys only!”
“I have instigated no one, helped no corrupt person, and shielded no wrongdoing. My hands are clean, if only filled with the tears of frustration I stole from as many Lys as Terkans as of late. I do not have a guilty conscience, I am accepting what is true.”
“But just as I see white as white, black as black, gray as gray, and flesh as blood— I will not let any bit of Ly blood wasted by the whims of others. Like I got rid of the organized crime, I will eliminate the country’s nefarious corruption, and teach the civilian, soldier, and politician, that only the people of Lýmoca can rule Lýmoca!!”
“The Lys for the Lys, Lys of Lýmoca, Lys in other parts of the world. Lýmoca is not a place anyone, not even Lys, can insult and denigrate. No matter how others will try to break this country after me, they will be stomped by the Lys!”
“They won’t lead Lýmoca to a starvation from its own beauty and depth!” Luis extended an arm to the right, pointing at the opposition and their bought off ‘anyone’ with his fierce behavior. Then, he glanced at the Supreme Ministers. “Nobody will hurt the country under any table or eyes and still make a profit without knowing the dire and brutal consequences of hurting it— its people!”
“I will finish my overextended seat in Lýmoca only after every one of the stains in every part of our country know they will have to lose at least an arm and leg before trying to break the resilience of our nation!” Luis raised an index finger to the Supreme Ministers, who became noisy with offended and haughty, hushed words.
“Even those in the highest places, whatever their convictions might be, will have just one chance to choose by the time I have finished my job to return Lýmoca to its Humane era, and ensure its resilient nature from then on. They can either nod with ‘the others’… or stand with their people.”
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“…” Luis stared into Vanessa’s azure eyes afterwards, shortly after wording, “That is all I have to say, Supreme Justice Minister Vanessa Valyer.”
“… Very well,” Vanessa replied and nodded after a pause, her gaze lingering on the President’s expression for a while. She wrote some things and passed a paper through her screen before declaring, “This court has heard the accused and now will relay to the other Supreme Ministers, the stands, congress, and the people of Lýmoca— by my words.”
The Supreme Court Ministers looked at each other and voiced a bit, but neither dared to do nor say something about the ringleader dealing with matters all by herself, unlike with Fox, who received the thrashing of several.
Vanessa Valyer stood up, holding onto some documents before commencing, “The day of today is different to 7 months ago, where there was no threat to the eternal peace. 7 months ago— half the world was only mildly interested in the matters of Lýmoca.”
“Other nations have their own worries. Some might suffer from apparent, organized crime groups which have been growing for the past few decades, while others are getting in touch with lagjs and similar forces as those seen in the Lýmocan government.”
“However,” Vanessa delicately dropped her documents to her desk, leaning forth and supporting herself on its edges, as it was smaller. “Why have none of them liberated a war? Why have none of them broke conflict in their nation to neutralize their organized crime groups?”
“You, the accused, how come it is only Lýmoca that has suffered through the means you call only right and against corruption?” Vanessa’s look down on Luis turned repugnant yet elegant, appearing beautiful and condescending. “Why is it that only Lys and those you’ve managed to reach, such as Terka, have suffered after months?”
“The Ters-Ly War— the first time Lys ever fought directly with the south of Moonblue after hundreds of years. The conflict against the organized crime, ending with tens of thousands of lives, and only some arrested. No matter how you try to show you have mercy in your heart and let those ‘who wanted’ live, facts are true.”
Vanessa’s words were only stricter, making the Supreme Court Ministers rejoice that their Supreme Justice Minister was the one talking now.
“You even dare to point fingers,” Vanessa added in a slightly higher tone, sounding amicable, like she felt for him. “Not only at the people who have been trying to aid the nation while you’ve been corrupting it, who, although they’ve shown dubious activities at time, never wronged the country. Not only these years, but in their entire history. You may say anything about them, because you just can, but it is only you in 600 years who broke Lýmoca’s national symbols time and again.”
“Re-election? You made it ‘legal’ for the first time in history, did you not?” Vanessa looked at Luis with condescending glints in her eyes, and a similar, low tone and volume in her voice. Luis looked back at her, unaffected. His eyes as sharp as ever.
“The destruction of the country with the ‘cleansing offensive’, as you have poorly named it as it has been poorly planned and effectuated. That was also you, was it not?” Vanessa repeated, her tone turning more to hurt Luis, or the accused.
“A war… Luis, a war.” The Supreme Justice Minister casually laid out in a soft change of voice before shaking her head and blinking twice, letting her tone and the manner she worded that sink in every ear and brain available. “Do you have no end? Do you only know yourself as a Ly?”
“Say…” Vanessa’s tone changed, lowering in volume and becoming a little higher again, “As long as nothing happens to me, the nation will feel at ease? As long as I’m not stressed, the people have no worries? You are becoming more and more like a king, not even a man— accused.”
“… … …”
The courtroom grew silent. There was no higher hand in this face-off. Luis’s stand wasn’t a small thing, and every Ly listening remained in their seats, couches, beds, or standing without realizing they were still with a part of their body connected with this world. Yet, the Supreme Justice Minister’s motion was also fundamentally coherent. It has only been Luis who did all that.
Fox silently stared at Vanessa Valyer, who said those words, meant those words, and abided by them. His polycoria eyes blinked with all tranquility.
“You have also dared to point at the Supreme Court Justice of this nation, of Lýmoca, of the Lys.” Vanessa continued just as Luis thought he would be given a chance to speak again. She tilted her head a little up and to the side, “Without us, the country wouldn’t know its standing in the globe. The known problematics for not having an independent, crucial, and qualified justice system in a country have shown even in recent nations.”
“The K Tribes’ nations, for example. How many times have they gone over and over with small conflicts and resetting their governance because of not knowing how to dictate their country’s judicial branch? All so they wouldn’t ‘follow like a lamb’ the ‘shepherd’ of the future for our advanced civilization from ANS.”
Vanessa finally stopped, grabbed her bottle of water, drank from it, put it back on her desk, and declared before casually sitting down in comfort, “This is the conclusion of my argument. You may decide if you wish to speak again or not quickly, accused Luis Heartez.”
“…” Luis blinked, unknowingly elongating the motion while licking his lower lip for a second. His eyelids felt heavy for a moment, but he opened them relentlessly and with resilience. “I know nothing of what the future has for Lýmoca, but I can assure every living being in our world that I am prepared, and I am further determined to solidify the protection of Lýmoca, inner or outer.”
“I already said I accept my wrongs, but that does not mean others in high powers are allowed to give their thought to it. That is my problem, and only Lys can tell me if I’m doing wrong or not, and let me keep my job or not. No one else but the people, for as much as it hurts you and believe is cliché.” Luis resolutely added before nodding. “This is also the conclusion of my last speech.”
“Hah… very well.” The Supreme Justice Minister paused before exclaiming, exhaling somewhat heavily. She looked at both sides, of which the deputies and senators were arranged at the stands.
The senators on the right, distanced from the opposition and other folk, with the deputies on the left, which had fewer people and more room for the 100 senators and 300 deputies.
Vanessa then looked at the Supreme Court Ministers behind her before gazing at the accused. Only Fox felt her ephemeral glance on him before her face remained stern without losing momentum, gaining extra battery somewhere.
“Since this has come, let us decide first by order of the Supreme Ministers’ vote, followed by the senate, and concluded with the Chamber of Deputies. The Supreme Court Justice will use the unanimous requirement to bring the entire trial to an end.” Vanessa spoke with confidence, feeling she wouldn’t struggle anymore, when she saw Armando walk to the podium.
She rolled her eyes and added, stopping her hand about to lightly tap her desktop. “Should there not be a unanimous vote, the senate will proceed to vote, needing at least 60% of the senate to partially absolve the accused, president Luis Heartez, of the charges. In case the 60% or more is reached, the Chamber of Deputies will declare the accused’s charges as in favor or against as a final decision.”
Jennifer Paws breathed in and out, feeling nervous as she looked at the Supreme Justice Minister’s seat’s back. Javier Laran looked around the courtroom in his seat, slightly frowning.
“I will now commence the count for the Supreme Ministers,” Vanessa sat on her seat and grabbed a document, passing it to her screen before continuing. “Those voting in favor of charging the accused with the shown crimes and for the sake of the nation.”
“I am in favor.” - “In favor.” - “For.” - “In favor.” - “That man is a criminal who must be in a cell, not the presidential office, for!”
The Supreme Court Ministers voted, sounding one after another in less than 10 seconds, with 10 Supreme Court Ministers declaring they were in favor of applying the charges… But there were 2 who remained silent. Vanessa also grew silent, saying nothing and not reacting.
Her face was unreadable to the Supreme Court Ministers, who looked to their left and right respectively, to where Supreme Court Ministers Javier Laran and Jennifer Paws sat right behind the Supreme Justice Minister. But to the cameras and the sides, they saw the Supreme Justice Minister in an awaiting position with her head low to write off the remaining 2 votes before casting hers.
30 seconds passed, alluding the call to end the vote. Jennifer Paws shook a bit out of nervousness, starting to sweat from her forehead. Javier Laran was like an immobile animal, either pretending to be dead or preying, but his muscles slowly flexed to flee or lunge.
“This is the last call for the votes in favor. 3… 2… 1…” Vanessa slowly looked back, looking at the two closest in her circle, who had grown silent. She returned to face the front before counting to 0, whereas another silence emerged.
“Those voting against charging the accused of his charges…” She lowered her head and caressed her forehead, “And for… the sake of Lýmoca… the nation- our nation…”
“In- ah… Against.” Jennifer Paws declared first, shaky and trembling as her betrayal to her comrade was formed. She looked at Fox at the side before lowering her gaze, slowly tranquilizing.
“…” Vanessa said nothing, reacted none. Her expressions became unreadable again. For the rest, she was weighing the current situation. It seemed like things would advance to the senators and deputies’ resolution.
“Against.”
Just as Vanessa grew heavy enough to make her head surpass the limits of what her neck could endure, Javier Laran’s stable, straight-out, and determined voice sobered her up.
“Huuu- haaa!” The Supreme Justice Minister suddenly lifted her head, her neck relaxing as if it had held countless weights on numeral occasions. Breathing in and out, sharp and concise, her azure eyes seemed to change in Fox’s polycoria impenetrable black pools for eyes as she looked back at the two again.
“Seems like it doesn’t matter what the good of the people means anymore. We’ll leave this to the legislative branch.” She returned to face the front and declared before tapping her desk with a light palm, “The Supreme Court Justice’s judicial branch vote thus is 10 in favor and 3 against. Therefore, unable to come with a definitive resolution.”
Paaam~.
“!!!” Not only the right stand, but the 10 Supreme Court Ministers were surprised; awestruck. It was already embarrassing and hurtful to see the resolution changing from perfectly unanimous to discord. A broken entente. But… their Supreme Justice Minister also voted against!?
Luis looked up, staring at the new Vanessa Valyer who rapidly glanced down at him, as if in disgust, and gave Butler a look. Then, Vanessa stood up and pointed to her left, where the right stands were, before declaring out loud with clarity.
“There won’t be discussion, arguing, nor any debate. This subject has been discussed enough, and only the votes from all parties is required. The senate will vote, starting with all the senators before proceeding with the senate president, and the same will follow with the Chamber of Deputies. I only have one thing to say, do not fail the Lýmoca that Lys live in before it is too late.”
She sat back down and opened the podium for everyone’s use, with a few guards and several cameras from different news anchors to show the transparency and legitimacy of the senators’ identities and their votes. The podiums and the votes were, thereby, visible to the world.
…