The War of 1002

by Fireheart 1945

Chapter 34; Inquiry

Crystal Clear stood before the two commanding generals of the Army of Northeastern Equestria. "Sirs, reports indicate that our forces managed to escape the city without suffering appalling damage, and ammunition and equipment are still plentiful. We also managed to take some of the heavy fort guns with us, mostly from the western-most fortresses."

"That doesn't sound too bad," James noted.

"I'm not done, sir. We still don't have much to drink, certainly not enough for the whole army and the civilian refugees, and food is..." Here Crystal swept his hoof over the grass they were standing on.

Shining Armor muttered under his breath. "At least we can eat grass."

Who's "we?" James thought ruefully. Aloud, he said quietly, "And the status of our pursuers?"

Crystal's face contorted into an expression of suspicion. "That's one thing I don't understand; they aren't following us, at least not fast enough to catch up to us any time soon."

"Are you sure you read the reports right?"

"Yes. They all say the same thing, that pursuit is half-hearted at best. Looks like we're free to go."

"Hmm..." James tried to think of a way the army could use the enemy's behavior to their advantage, but only briefly. The army had taken a pounding, and with a critical food and water shortage was in no shape to pull off any kind of offensive action, not to mention that the refugees needed protection. "Well, in that case, we'll continue pulling back; we need provisions direly."

"Abandon territory without a fight?"

"Maybe not completely, but we cannot afford another major battle right now. We're not in any shape to fight it. We can skirmish, and I think we'll do so. However, I will not bring on another decisive engagement until we are ready for it, and we most certainly are not."

"I hope we can turn this disaster around soon, sir."

"I wouldn't go so far as to call it a disaster," Shining said. "It won't kill us. In the meantime, we should continue our retreat."

James glanced at him, surprised. Even after saving his life at Fort Nightshade, the stallion had been reluctant to agree with him in matters regarding withdrawal.

I do agree with Crystal, anyway. Somehow we have to recover from this and keep the land we still have, otherwise the loss of morale could be... problematic.

After other, more trivial matters had been settled and Crystal had been dismissed, James and Shining walked outside. It was a sunny day so far, and the breeze lightly blew on James' face. For a moment, he wondered, with some guilt, how the weather was being managed in Trottingham and other settlements now occupied by the Griffons.

Looking back at Shining Armor, he saw that the white stallion was currently bowing. Following the direction of the bow, he saw Princess Celestia walking toward them, two pegasus Guards to either side of her.

Well, damn. James didn't bow, although Shining gave him a short, wary glance. The royal pony came up to them both before stopping. He bore an expression that seemed happy, but James knew there was something serious on her mind.

"Good morning, James, I hope you're well. And Shining Armor, you look healthy."

Now James nodded. Shining got up and stood tall. "We're doing okay," James said. "As for the army and the refugees..." He waved his hand in a sweeping gesture around the camp. "It could be better."

"You'll be happy to know then, that as of earlier today a number of trains set out loaded with necessary goods. They should arrive within three days' time."

"Thank God!" James exclaimed.

"What about the civilians?" Shining Armor asked.

"I'll be bringing them with me to Fillydelphia; I've made arrangements for them there."

Shining let out a sigh of relief.

Celestia smiled a little as she went on, "The blatant aggression displayed by the Griffon and Changeling invaders has convinced many nations to take our side. Saddle Arabia has pledged their support; they will be declaring war on the Griffons any day now. And the Zebra tribes have come together to fight for our cause as well."

Everyone who heard her cheered loudly.

"However," the Princess continued, and here her face fell, "I do not come with only good news."

"Uh oh," James said worriedly. "What happened? Changelings stab us in the back? Again?"

"No, nothing like that. And no, Discord didn't escape again, either."

"Well," Shining quipped, "what is it, then?"

Celestia sighed. "I'm afraid Prince Blueblood as been working hard to court martial you both, and unfortunately..."

James felt stunned, but only for a moment; then outrage filled him. "I'm going to kill him."

"Leave some for me," Shining added, baring his teeth in rage. "He has some nerve, when he was the trouble all along."

"You won't take any action of the sort," the Princess said sternly.

James and Shining looked at one another. Both of them bore an angry expression, but the anger wasn't pointed at each other, and both acknowledged that maybe this time they'd gone too far.

The Princess' face slowly eased. "I'm afraid that he's not the only one. Since the only ones who know what happened are currently in this army, he's gotten quite a following. I'm afraid I have no choice but to call a court of inquiry."

"You're arresting us?" James shouted in disbelief.

"No, you're not under arrest, but you'll have to come with me to Canterlot for the inquiry."

"Then who's going to lead this army?"

Celestia looked into his eyes. "Is there anyone who you would trust in your absence to lead?"

Is there? James thought. There was, of course, Crystal Clear, but he was an orderly, an aide, not a general. He'd love to leave the job in the hooves of Silver Shield; the grizzled Royal Guard was a veteran fighter. But again, this fell flat; Shield hadn't had to lead thousands at once, and he didn't have the command experience, no matter how well he'd fought on the battlefield.

What about Colonel Barrel? That was an intriguing idea. Rolling Barrel had plenty of combat and leadership experience, and was the natural choice for the job other than him and Shining Armor. The one thing that really bothered him was that the aggressive colonel was too attack-minded, and wasn't the defender the army currently needed. Yet James could see no other obvious choice.

"I guess there is someone I'd trust, but I need some time to make sure things are set in order before leaving," he answered at last.

"Then I'd suggest you do so quickly; there should be a train not far from here waiting for you."

"I understand." James nodded instead of bowing outright, but the Princess didn't seem to care too much one way or another.

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"Colonel, I want you to realize we'll be leaving the army directly in your care," James said to Rolling Barrel. "I want you to understand; there are to be no aggressive moves whatsoever, except maybe for raids by small parties of soldiers. If you can't promise to me here and now to remain on the defensive, then I cannot in good conscience grant you command of the army of Northeastern Equestria."

The colonel saluted. "I understand sir, and I couldn't agree more."

James was surprised. Obviously, his astonishment was visible on his face, because Barrel continued, "I've seen for myself that this army is incapable of sustaining a major effort, and, as discouraged as I may be in being forced to be on the defensive, you can count on me; this army will be intact when you return."

"If I return; Blueblood, damn it, is pressing hard for the elimination of my command of this army."

Barrel frowned. "I wish I could say what I thought of that beast in the presence of the Princess, sir. You and Shining Armor were the ones who stayed and looked after us." He offered a hoof. "In any case, it was good to know ya, and I wish you could remain in command; this army came far under you and the Captain."

James shook the offered hoof. "Likewise. With luck, you'll get your wish. May God keep you and this entire army safe until my return; until the end of days, for that matter."

Barrel saluted again. "Sir!"

James return the salute, grabbed hold of his bag, and left the tent, hoping this was not the last he would see of the army he'd helped to build.

"Hey James," came a friendly voice. He turned to see Bright Star and his other friends standing nearby.

"I'm glad to see you're all still here."

"Almost didn't make it," Silver Shield admitted. "Heard about that cowardly lout calling you out in Canterlot. Is there anything we can do to help?"

"No, I don't see how you can do that." He heard a faint meow; Kiki was coming, expecting breakfast of some kind. "There is one thing I must ask you, though; please take care of Kiki for me while I'm gone."

"Will do, sir; it'll be a nice change."

"Farewell, all of you; I will do my best to return." He watched as they waved in good-bye, then turned to walk away. Part of the reason was so they wouldn't see the tears in his eyes.

Soldiers gathered on his path, cheering for him and Shining Armor; many of them crowded around them, trying to get a good look at their leaders. In response, James raised his kepi into the air, which was met with a yell that could be heard for miles around.

He climbed into the carriage that was to take him to the station, along with Shining. Neither commander had anything to say, nothing to report. They simply pondered the future in silence.

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"Canterlot! All out for Canterlot!"

Shining Armor made sure his saddlebags were properly secured before stepping off the train, with James walking out just ahead of him. Fresh air and a light breeze felt welcome on his face.

The capital didn't look any different since he had left. It felt so long ago since he had last left it. The stores were crowded, the streets full of pedestrians, and pegasi flew through the skies, avoiding the traffic jams below.

The biggest difference was the fact that posters covered the walls. Some were clearly official, others markedly less so. They all shared one thing in common; they were all propaganda.

One displayed a stalwart Guard stallion using a spear to ward off a Changeling and a Griffon; a mare tried to shield her foals in the lower left corner, behind the soldier. Another was a bit more word based; a Guard stood, thrusting an upraised spear toward whoever was looking at the poster, with the word, "VICTORY!" underneath him in capital letters. Both were very well made, and whoever had made them had artistic talent.

Neither poster showed what war actually was; the nightmare of death and the maelstrom of chaos. Perhaps the artists and editors had made a deliberate effort to be sensitive to the target audience. More likely, they had no idea of what the terror of armed conflict was really like.

Passing those by, it wasn't a long walk to the palace, but Shining had to redirect James, who had never been in the capital before and was drawing more than his fair share of curious looks, multiple times.

The palace was unmistakable; the towers there stood taller than any other building in the city. Many Guards were still patrolling the walls, some of whom glanced in the direction of the newcomers and then went on their way.

Two Guards did challenge them at the gate. "Halt!" one, a pegasus, said in an authoritarian voice.

"Sorry, Captain, but we have to scan both of you briefly," his companion, a unicorn, added.

"Go ahead," Shining told them.

The unicorn scanned him first, then, satisfied, went on to James. The spell obviously didn't detect anything out of place there, either, because the unicorn only nodded. "Sorry, generals, we have orders directly from the Princesses to do this with anyone coming to the castle."

"Don't apologize, you're just doing your job."

"Thank you, sir."

"I really think that the Prince has gone too far the time," the pegasus added, a stormy look forming on his face. "My brother was in Blueblood's corps at Sugar Cane River, and he never came back."

"I'm sorry," James said, taking the hat off his head. "I should have tired harder to keep him from getting that position. If all goes well, the evidence at this inquiry will prove the loss of the battle was his responsibility."

"Looking forward to seeing it happen, sir; you may enter."

"Thank you." replacing the cap on his head, James nodded to the Guard and went through the gate, Shining right beside him.

A servant in the palace, an earth pony in a tuxedo, bowed to both of them. "Welcome, sirs, to Canterlot Palace," the pony said to them in the usual, uptight voice expected of a butler. "My name is Iced Tea, and the Princess has asked me to escort you both to the throne room."

The two officers followed the butler to the throne room. Two Guards opened the doors.

On the twin thrones sat the royal sisters. Sunlight shone in from the windows, illuminating the room without the need for any artificial lighting as James and Shining walked in.

"Ah, James and Shining Armor; welcome," Celestia said in greeting. "Please come closer." As they approached the Princesses, the albino alicorn continued, "While we may have lost Trottingham, you did what you could to rescue as many of the inhabitants as you could, and you bought us enough time to train more troops. We have an active armed force of over a hundred thousand, including the armies still in the field.

Beside Shining, James sighed in relief. "Good to know more boys will be coming; we need them."

Celestia nodded, but then she looked deliberately at James. "If we cannot achieve victory quickly with the new forces at our disposal, I'll have no choice but to overrule your suggestion to keep the army an all-stallion enterprise."

"I... see," James said slowly, showing his displeasure at the idea. "I can only say this; I did not try to show favor to one gender over the other by making that suggestion, which was merely to keep order and discipline in the army. I did try to preserve that portion of the population responsible for childbirth and for caring for those children. And, of course, the whole gentleman thing comes into play over the whole thing."

The Princess nodded again.

"Our subjects have been greatly disturbed over the fall of Trottingham and the surrounding lands," Luna put in. "It is hard to keep their spirits up if we keep losing ground."

"With the new army we've been setting up, we should be able to throw the Griffons out of our land for good," Shining said.

"I cannot see the Griffons mobilizing anymore mercenaries," James added. "It's got to be expensive keeping them paid, plus all the money they're spending on their own troops. And the main source of reinforcements they've sent to the front lines are..."

"Juveniles," Luna deadpanned.

"Well... yes."

"It is truly a crime against the very nature of life itself when a people use their seed, their future, to win the present," Celestia said mournfully. "Every youth they sacrifice to this war is another beautiful life full of potential lost. King Raneiro shall pay for the innocent lives he's taken through this senseless conflict."

"Which brings us to the court of inquiry." Luna used her magic to lift a cup of tea on the arm of the throne to her lips, sipped it a little, then set it back down. "Prince Blueblood has rallied much support, most of it aimed at General Lavigne, though some of it is deflected onto Shining Armor. The charges, as you might expect, include incompetence, dereliction of duty, and slander."

"Those are all things applying to his conduct!" James exclaimed loudly.

"Please do not shout," Luna asked.

"Sorry," the human apologized, "but you are both absolute monarchs; can't you do something?"

"Unfortunately, neither of us were there to observe the battle and it's outcome," Celestia said with some sorrow, "and as such we cannot personally assure the judge that what you say is true. If one of us had been there, that would be a different matter."

"And the Prince has raised everypony he can to denounce you both, including widows and parents of soldiers who perished in the war." Luna took another nervous sip from her cup. "It is not looking good whatsoever."

Upon hearing the news of the parents and widows, Shining noticed James flinching slightly; the edges of his mouth twitched, and his eyebrow shifted, and small tears glistened in his eyes. Nonetheless, the human replied, "Bring them all before us, and we'll break down the arguments they bring against us one by one."

"I'm glad you're at least confident," Celestia noted. "Take my advice and read up on Equestrian law if you have the time."

"My time should be spent fighting the Griffon bandits," James said in anger, "not fiddling about in a trial started purely for political and not military reasons."

"I know, but now that the inquiry has been called, there's little choice." Celestia looked thoughtful for a moment. "The best I can offer is a good defensive lawyer for your cause."

"We'll take him," James said, "or her, whichever it may be."

"Good." Then with worry in her eyes, the Princess added, "Be careful, both of you."

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James had a hard time getting to sleep that night. Even when he was able to manage it, he was only able to dream for an hour or so at a time before being awoken by nightmares of the coming trial. In some, furious mares accused him of deliberately leading their sons to slaughter, ending with them closing in on him with almost every sharp weapon imaginable. In others, he was proclaimed guilty, and sentenced to death by volcano; dragons laughed at him as he was tossed into the fiery mountain.

He woke up once more in cold sweat. It was still nighttime, and the moon's light shone in from the window. He heaved himself upright. Obviously sleep wasn't a good idea currently, so he put on his coat (as he was sleeping in his army trousers, he didn't have to worry about putting them on), buckled on his shoes, and, taking his hat off the nightstand, walked over to the door, opened it, exited the room, and closed it again.

He quietly walked through the dark castle as the dim light came through painted windows. He could hear little other than the sounds of his own footsteps. His mind flashed with scenes of the war, from the death of the soldier he had encouraged at the beginning of the first battle to the massive effusion of bloodshed at Fort Nightshade.

Could I have done it better? he asked himself silently. Could I have accomplished the goals we set forth without the loss of men we suffered in actuality? He realized he had just equated ponies with humans. He gave a mental shrug; they were, in intelligence and capacity to utilize and understand knowledge, equal to the human race. They were capable of making mistakes, showed the tendency to hate and to love, to be lazy and be hard-working; other than the bodily differences and turns of phrase, they could easily have been born human.

"Hey, who are you? Identify yours..." A Lunar Guard demanded. "Oh, sorry sir. Didn't recognize you there for a moment."

"That's fine," he said in response; the challenge had only briefly distracted him from his own line of thought.

He felt the scanning spell come into effect on his body for a few seconds, then it left just as abruptly. "Sorry sir," the Guard said. "It's my job. You could have been a Changeling in disguise."

"By no means am I flustered by it. Please, carry on."

The Guard looked as if he wanted to ask more questions, but James swept by before he could, again on the railroad of thought he had been travelling beforehand.

Presently, he came upon a balcony overlooking part of the city as well as the great plain stretching out for countless miles around the mountain the city was perched on. From there, he looked up into the sky, at the moon and the stars. The plains were illuminated by the dim, white light the celestial body offered.

Lord, what would You have done in my place? What am I meant to do?

He felt something stir slightly in his chest, although there was no audible answer to his equally silent query. Hope slowly grew within him; although it felt far from overwhelming, it was still a welcome feeling when everything else seemed to be conspiring to prevent the victory Equestria so desperately needed.

"Is there something wrong, James?" came a voice behind him.

He jerked around in surprise. Princess Luna was standing just behind him; he must have been so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't heard her hoofbeats as she approached. When he remained silent, she continued, "I know there's something troubling you; one of my Guards came to me, saying you were wandering the corridors."

"I couldn't sleep," he answered.

"Are you nervous about the trial?"

"Well, yes."

"Is there anything else that is bothering you?" Luna looked truly concerned. "If you remember, I can see into the dreams of others; the ones you had tonight were distressing, to say the least. I wasn't able to help you simply because they passed by so fast."

James sighed. "I keep wondering if I could have done better, if I could have saved more lives through better decisions."

"What else troubles you? Come on, you can tell the goddess of the night."

James looked at her seriously. "You and I both know that you are not a goddess."

Luna looked slightly angry for a moment, then sighed, pouting. "'Tia gave it away, didn't she?" James' silence said all that needed to be said there. "Well, you're right. I would have liked the... myth, as it were, to remain as a tool to help maintain order. But that aside," she continued, "You can still tell me."

James turned back to the balcony and leaned on it. "I know that Blueblood is getting together all those who would blame me for the losses of their sons to this war. And... I'm not all that sure I can face them."

"You, who have defeated entire armies and fought unceasingly on our behalf, are afraid of a few mares?"

"It's not the same. Fighting an enemy on the battlefield is one thing; once hostilities began, you and he knew you were going to come at each other with the intention to slay one another. Angry parent and widows... They're not enemies, not in a military sense." He groaned. "Ugh, how do I explain this? I feel guilty because their sons and husbands have died because I ordered them into those battles. And they hate me for it; they have a right to. You haven't read the letters they've mailed to me."

"You could just throw them away."

"I can't. Knowing I made the decisions that led those troops to die, I just cannot compel myself to throw them away. And every time I read one... a few made it clear that their writers didn't blame me, or me alone. But almost all the rest are full of rage and hatred. That's more painful than any battlefield wound." He shivered, remembering some of the worst he'd read.

He heard Luna's hooves clop against the stone floor as she came up beside him. "In this, you are not alone. Despite how that show of yours depicts us and our world, in reality it's often not all that different from yours. That's not to say that war is common; far from it. But anger and hatred exist here; again they are not as abundant as in your world, but they exist." She too looked up at the moon. "I am still feared more than loved by our people. To many of them, I am still the crafter of nightmares and destroyer of dreams; it hurts, to say the least. The loyalty of my Guards and the few friends I have made, mainly Pip and the Bearers of Harmony, help keep me from falling into despair, but it still hurts, badly."

"It can't be easy to deal with all that."

"No, it isn't." They both stared into the night sky for some time.

"Why do so many hate the night, James?" Luna asked in a sad voice after a while.

James was surprised by the question. He thought about it for a minute before responding. "A character in a game I played once said on darkness, 'Aw, we don't hate it, it's just kind of scary. But the world's made of both light and darkness. You can't have one without the other.' Until the end of time, there's always going to be light and darkness."

Luna turned her head toward him. "I wish my subjects would understand that better than they do."

James felt like flinching at the word "subjects," but managed to keep from doing so. "Eventually, they should have no choice but to accept it, assuming good behavior and fair rulings on your part."

Luna looked down at the floor. "I doubt that will happen anytime soon."

"I didn't say it would happen right away; this sort of thing takes time. Like I said, eventually they will have no choice but to accept you."

The Princess sighed in response, then lifted her head to look at him. "Thank you for trying to cheer me up. At least I know you and a few others really do like me."

"It was nothing." James patted her mane; to his surprise, instead of the watery feel he'd expected, it felt like normal hair.

She noticed the absurd look on his face; she smiled. "I see you notice the magic affects of my mane. It's not really starlight, like everypony thinks it is; it's just a spell me and my sister use. It lasts for weeks, and it doesn't need much energy to maintain or to cast."

"It's very pretty."

"Thank you." Then, becoming serious, she said quietly, "Please be careful tomorrow."

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James sat in his chair in the middle of the court room. The place was packed with ponies and a few non-equines, all waiting for the whole thing to get started. Shining Armor was standing nearby; he'd had a makeover, so his mane and tail were back to something resembling normal, and his hooves were once again smooth and flat. The human was in his uniform, the stallion in the uniform he'd worn to his wedding.

Dammit, don't all these people realize what's going on? James thought with indignation. How many came just to see me get cashiered, and how many simply came to see a new species in their midst? I'm not a zoo animal. Regardless of the reasons, most of the eyes in the room were fixed on him. He was, needless to say, feeling quite nervous. Even with both Princesses in the audience, he couldn't shake the feeling.

At last, the judge, a large white-gray stallion wearing a black suit walked into the room.

"All rise for the Honorable Judge Silver Gavel," a Guard said loudly, banging the bottom of his spear on the floor.

Everyone in the room did as they were told, standing if they weren't already doing so. Across the way, in a separate box, Prince Blueblood glared at both of them.

James glared back. He tried unsuccessfully to squash his anger.

"Order in the court," the judge said calmly, though no hard evidence of disorder was present. "You may be seated."

James sat back down quickly.

"The court has come here today to discuss the charges again General James Lavigne and Prince Shining Armor. The charges are cowardice, incompetence, dereliction of duty, and disorderly conduct. General," the judge said, looking down at James through his spectacles, "how you plead to these charges?"

"Not guilty, and I further state that these accusations fall on the head of the Prince who has accused me," James said a little heatedly.

BANG! "The scribe shall erase all that was said by the accused except for his claim of innocence, and the General is reminded to maintain orderly conduct during his time in court," the judge said harshly.

Fuck off. That would have been fatal to say, but it summed up James' feelings.

"And you, Prince Shining Armor? What is your plea?"

"Not guilty."

"Very well," Silver Gavel said, looking at a small pile of paper that was out before him, "this inquiry is now underway. The prosecution may make his opening statement."

"Your Honor," the lawyer for Blueblood said, standing tall and looking confident, "the two soldiers you see before you today have been brought here on charges, which we shall prove to be undeniable, that their conduct has resulted in the loss of a crucial battle, has lead to the fall of the great city of Trottingham, and has undermined royal authority on multiple occasions. This trial shall lead to the proof of guilt of the two military incompetents and will pace the way for an army led by those responsible enough to fulfill the aims of the present conflict. Thank you."

Is that it? Because that didn't sound convincing. Arms folded, James again said nothing, but his mind was full of rage at the unfairness of the trial.

"What does the defense have to say in reply to this?" asked the judge.

"Your Honor," said a voice that was all too familiar. James turned to his right to see Rusty, the old Colonel of the Unauthorized Regiment, standing before the judge and jury. "And respected members of the jury, this trial is the result of an unfair bias against commanders who have lead our armies and requited themselves well time and time again on the field against the external foes who threaten the very independence and security of our beloved country, and who seek to overthrow the duly constituted authority invested by our beloved Princesses. While it is true that the battle my colleague spoke of was lost, along with the beloved city of Trottingham, it is not from incompetence, certainly not from a lack of bravery on their part, nor is it a result of disciplinary infractions, and neither did the city fall by any lack of action of duty by my clients. I have full confidence that you will, in time, see that both commanders, who I am proud to say have commanded me in this time of war, are not guilty of the charges that have been leveled against them. I thank you all for your time this morning." Rusty sat back down quietly.

"The prosecution may call it's first witnesses," Silver Gavel announced.

"The prosecution calls Mrs. Cloud Banks to the stand," the opposing lawyer said.

A gray pegasus mare stepped into the box next to the judge. She gave James a look, but otherwise did nothing out of the ordinary.

"Your full name?"

"Cloud Banks," answered the mare, looking for the first time to be anxious.

"Your occupation?"

"I'm part of the weather team in Manehattan."

"What has brought you to the stand today?"

"I'm here..." she gulped.

"Yes?"

"I'm here to see justice done to the thing that has slain my son."

There was a silence in the courtroom.

"Your son? How was he killed by the accused?"

"He didn't kill him, not directly," Cloud Banks said nervously. "But through stupidity and bad orders my son, Golden Star, died in the attack on the Changeling fortress." Tears formed in her eyes.

"Where did this occur?"

"North of Appleloosa, some time this... this past autumn," she replied, lifting a hoof to her eye to clear it.

"Can you explain the details?"

"Well... no. But I know he didn't want to die, not in a place like that."

James felt a sense of pity as well as a bit of outrage. He felt bad that the orders he had given had resulted in death, but to put him in direct blame for the death of a particular soldier and imply that he could have personally kept it from happening was absurd.

"And who or what was the 'thing' that lead to his death?"

"He's sitting right there," she said, pointing a hoof directly at James.

"That will be all." The lawyer looked quite pleased with himself, and looked up at Blueblood, who gave the slightest of nods.

"Your Honor, I would like to cross-examine the testimony of the witness," Rusty said.

"You may do so."

"Thank you." With that, Rusty walked up to the box where Cloud Banks was sitting. "You said that my client, General Lavigne, has caused the death of your son."

"He has."

"Did you personally witness the event?"

"Wah... what?"

"Did you see Golden Star die?"

Cloud Banks looked like she was on the verge of collapsing into sobs.

A little more gently, Rusty again asked, "Did you see it?"

"Well, no. I wasn't there."

"Then how can you claim that the General's actions lead to his death?"

"Well... I..."

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"He ordered him to fight!"

"'He ordered him to fight,'" Rusty echoed. "I'm assuming this means the General gave orders for the unit your son belonged in to fight."

Cloud Banks nodded.

"Are you aware that the General had little control over the battle once it started, and that, in the middle of thousands, he could not personally protect everypony at once? Or that the orders, no matter what unit they assigned to the attack, would have lead to that unit going into battle, and to the deaths of combatants on both sides?"

"But... but... they shouldn't have died!"

Damn it, James said in his mind, wanting all the while to rage and show pity on the poor Cloud Banks, what do you think war is about? A bunch of kids playing with foam swords and popguns? That would be great, but it's not the real deal.

"Tell that to the Changelings. They were more than ready to use your son and your family to feed themselves, to enslave you, to make you all less than nothing. In his death, he help prevent that from happening. Yes, it's tragic. Yes, this war should never have occurred. But the fault, if there is any, lies with the enemy who started this unjust war, not with the soldiers who have had to carry out their assignments once it started. And considering that you did not witness the fighting yourself or see the effects of the commands given by the General, I must, regretfully, question your status as a witness."

Cloud Banks really did break out in tears this time.

"No further questions Your Honor," Rusty said, producing a piece of tissue for the sobbing pegasus, who, upon taking it, exited the box.

Blueblood's smirk had, by now, long since become a frown. But he said nothing.

"Defense calls Mrs. Night Sky to the stand."

A mare with a midnight-blue coat, a mane of faint purple and blue, bat-like wings, and a white star for a cutie mark stepped into the box.

"Name."

"Night Sky," She answered curtly; she sounded almost like she'd come from the Royal Guard.

"Occupation?"

"My place is with the blacksmiths who forge weaponry for the Guard," she said in a quiet voice that sounded similar, but not identical to, Zecora's.

"What has brought you to the stand today?"

"I have come to testify on behalf of the prosecution regarding my sons, Nightshade, a Captain in the Lunar Guard and the army, and Night Star, also in the Lunar Guard," she said quietly.

"What is the status of your sons?"

"Nightshade was badly wounded during the desperate fight for the fortress that bears his name, and my Night Star was killed in the engagement," Night Sky answered with sorrow.

"And you would point to Generals Lavigne and Shining Armor as those responsible for this?"

Night Sky straightened. "My Night Star was a brave, loyal warrior of the Crown. He knew his duty, and he knew the risks. From all accounts, he fell bravely fighting the Griffon hordes, serving his Princess, his country, and his family."

"I beg your pardon, miss, but I did not ask for details on his death, but for your confirmation that the defendants were responsible for it."

"Who says I came to confirm it?"

Again a silence fell. James couldn't help looking at Blueblood's box and saw his expression change from a frown to open anger.

"I came," Night Sky said loudly and plainly for all to hear, "not to accuse these two of slaying my son, but to clear them of blame. Both Armor and Lavigne did their best as commanding officers. In wartime, it is inevitable that soldiers from both sides shall fall. Nowhere, in any reports I have read or in tales by the survivors, has there been any evidence, as you would say, of incompetence. My son died following the orders given to him, orders that were designed to defeat the monsters who have captured Trottingham. The plan failed, that I cannot deny, but in the end almost the entire garrison escaped the town, along with many of the inhabitants, due to the efforts of the Generals. I will not sit here and have the Prince or anypony else blaspheme my son by using him or his name as a political tool." She bared her fangs, looking directly at Blueblood, who looked momentarily frightened, before turning to face the prosecutor. "I cannot in good conscience condemn the defenders of our country."

As she folded her forelegs, the prosecuting lawyer looked around, as if confused. "No further questions," he said at last.

James felt hope revive again inside him. He looked to Night Sky, nodding in thanks, and got a wink and a smile in return.

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An hour later, James was still feeling confident, but sadness had made a home in his heart. Five more 'witnesses' of grieving parents had been called to the stand; all of them had implicated him in slaying one of their relatives through incompetence on the battlefield. None of them had managed to stand up to Rusty in the cross examination, but the stories they told made him remember the battles, the blood and the mud, the ever present projectiles flying through the air, and the smoke and powder filling his nostrils. Again, the question of could I have done it better? waffled through his mind.

"The prosecution calls General Lavigne to the stand."

For a few seconds, he didn't realize his was the name being called. He looked around a moment for anyone getting up to go to the box, then realized why everyone was staring at him.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine," Shining Armor whispered to him. "Just tell the truth."

"I intend to." James got up and walked into the booth.

"Your name?"

"James Lavigne."

"Your occupation?"

"Military advisor and Brigadier General of the Equestrian Army."

"Are you aware of the charges in place against you?"

"All too well," he said, almost growling.

"And you proclaim you innocence in spite of them, and the evidence already arrayed against you?"

"Yes."

Walking in front of the jury and the judge, the lawyer pony turned around, with the ghost of a smirk just faintly and briefly visible on his face before disappearing. "Would you claim that the orders you gave did not lead to loss of life?"

"No," James responded at once. "I would never claim that."

"Then you admit that through your orders Equestrian soldiers have died?"

"Yes, but any officer knows-"

"You then admit to the charge of-"

"-that their orders can and will lead to the deaths of those under their command."

BANG! "General Lavigne, you shall not interrupt the prosecutor when he is speaking."

"And allow him to interrupt me at will? Not likely!"

BANG! BANG! BANG! "The defendant is out of order."

"I beg your pardon, judge, but why do you let him interrupt me and keep me from speaking in my own defense?"

"It is not your place to question the decision of the law," the judge snapped. "The prosecution may proceed."

"Thank you, Your Honor," the prosecutor said, smirking at James in triumph. If looks could kill, the lawyer would have died from the glare James gave him. "As I was saying before being so rudely interrupted, you admit to the charge of incompetence?"

"No," James snarled. 'I didn't say that."

"You admitted that your orders lead to the deaths of those under your command."

"As I was trying to say when I was rudely interrupted, that would have happened regardless of who was in command." James ignored the banging of the gavel this time.

"The defendant is reminded again that he is out of order, and that further displays will result in him being held in contempt of court. Now proceed, once more, and stop glaring at me, General!"

"You claim that under any commander that soldiers would have died?"

"Yes," James continued. "In war, death is almost inevitable. Any good soldier would recognize as much. The only way to avoid casualties completely is to call it off, which would mean the fall of the country to the invaders."

"And by what standard or standards do you make this judgment?"

"By the standard of history."

"And by what history? Of your home or ours?"

"Of mine."

"Am I to assume your world is one full of constant or near-constant warfare, then?"

You... you...! What was obvious, now anyway, was that the lawyer was trying to make his own world look bad in the eyes of the jury to further discredit him. He mouthed something foul at the prosecutor. "Worlds are of no consequence in this trial, only the realization of the truth."

"My question still stands."

"General, you will answer the question," Silver Gavel said sternly.

"Fine. War is, if not common, then much more common in my world than yours. It is off those many campaigns that I have drawn plans for battle, most of which have proven successful."

"Emm-hmm," the prosecutor said in an arrogant voice, "And why should someone who comes from a land where war occurs so often be leader of our armies?"

"I thought that was why the Princess summoned me here; as someone with knowledge of war, I could be of some use in fighting one."

"Which leads me to another point. Have you denied that our beloved Princess are goddesses?"

"Excuse me, what?" James asked, caught a little off-guard by this question.

"You heard me. Have you denied that they are deities?"

"General," the judge said, again taking a harsh tone, "you will answer the question."

"I object under the obvious fact that religion does not factor into-"

BANG! "Overruled; answer the question."

"Alright, I will. Yes, I denied that they are goddesses, and I have the right to believe that there is one God, and one God only."

There was a great amount of mumbling from the audience and the jury. Blueblood smirked again, arrogantly assuming he had won a victory.

"You claim that no other deities exist other than the one you worship?"

"I do. But would you convict me on what I believe of the afterlife, the universe, and the God I worship? In any case, religion is not a factor in this trial," James continued, "only the charges you have laid against me and my colleague, Shining Armor. And Equestria has a freedom of religion clause; I have done nothing against the law in that regard."

"Quite right," the prosecutor said, but as he turned away James could see the evil smile he was wearing. "No further questions at this time."

James got out of the box and sat next to Shining Armor, who facehoofed as he got back into his chair. "You might have just sunk your own boat," the white stallion said after a minute.

"I told the truth. I can and will do no less in this trial."

"Yeah, but still..."

"If the jury and judge are honest to their profession, they'll have no choice but to discount that which does not factor into the trial, and only count that which does."

"I hope so."

"The prosecution calls General Armor to the stand."

"Oh boy," Shining said in exasperation.

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"Name?"

"Shining Armor."

"Occupation?"

"Prince, General, and Captain of the Royal Guard."

"The record on the Battle of Sugar Cane River show that after the center gave way, your corps withdrew from the fighting. Is that a correct assessment?"

"Yes, but-"

"Is it true that you gave the orders for that withdrawal?"

Shining frowned at being cut off, but from the example James had displayed, it was unwise to push the issue. "Yes, under the circum-"

"So you withdrew vital units from the fighting that could have been used to hold back the enemy."

"We had to, the battle had been lost by-"

"Answer the questions; yes or no?"

"I was answering it. Yes, we had to withdraw or-"

"Let all know that the defendant admits to having pulled units out of the battle that could have been used to stem that tide."

"Come on! I was just-"

Before he could draw a breath, the prosecutor was on him again. "Would you claim that your actions led to the loss of the battle?"

"No, the battle had been lost by then, by Prince Blueblood."

The courtroom began to seethe with furious murmurs and whispers.

BANG! "There will be order in this court!"

Smirking, the prosecuting lawyer said, "No further questions."

Rusty came walking up for the cross examination. "You claim the fighting was lost by the time you ordered the retreat. Why were you compelled to do so?"

"The center, under Blueblood, had already given way and the army had been cut in half. To try fighting after that was pure madness, so I ordered a withdrawal. I still firmly believe it was the right choice; it saved lives in the end, and allowed us to maintain forces to continue the war."

"What happened to the other half of the army?"

"It held out on a hill a mile or so behind our camp, under General Lavigne, and it did a pretty good job covering our retreat. I can't tell you more, because I wasn't there."

"How were you able to keep the enemy from overrunning you as you pulled back, then?"

"I rotated units in the rearguard. Luckily for us, most of the enemy were intent on crushing III Corps, so we were able to escape with most of our wounded."

"How heavy were the losses suffered by the entire army?"

"The exact numbers haven't been counted. I'd say between ten to fifteen thousand, including dead, wounded, missing, and prisoners. After the center broke, we were lucky to get away with that; most of our losses came after the center, I Corps, was broken."

"What shape would you say the enemy are in after two major fights in a row?"

"I'd say they suffered pretty badly. As far as I know, they didn't bother chasing us down much. They seem to be content with just holding the city for now."

"And the state of our army?"

"I'm glad to say that they are still ready for battle, and, with good provisions will be able to taking up the fight again in less than a week."

"Hmm. Thank you for your time, General. No further questions."

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At the end of the day, James walked back to the castle. The trial had continued until five in the evening. So far, the prosecution had been unable to present anything other than questionable circumstantial evidence pertaining his or Shining's guilt, but it was possible that that would be enough to convince the jury. Admittedly, his hot temper hadn't helped the situation, and the fact that he was a different species combined with the fact that he was a foreigner might get him convicted on those traits alone. Of course, judges would state that juries had no right to do any such thing based on racism or suspicion alone, but, whether or not they admitted it, juries did hold that power, even if their verdict was overturned by another court. Right vs. power; that was what it sometimes came down to.

He went to his room and sat down on the bed. It was bad enough fighting the Griffons and Changelings; now he was fighting the very people he was supposed to protect. Taking out a pencil and paper, he wrote another letter to his parents; he hadn't had time to do it since the siege of Trottingham had gotten underway. Once that was done, he took off his coat and tried to get some sleep. His dreams were once more full of war, and though he slept, he was just as tired when he woke up as he was when he'd laid down to rest.

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James marched into the court. The place was almost as full today as it had been yesterday. Once more, he took his place beside Shining Armor, who still appeared anxious but was overcoming it.

He sat down, and Shining asked, "What do you think they're going to be doing today?"

"More of the same perversion of justice they pulled yesterday," James answered, trying to make himself comfortable. "Interruptions, fake 'witnesses', biased judge..."

"Shhhh!" Shining hissed urgently. "Do you wanted them to add slander to the charges?"

"So what? I'm tired of the pathetic joke they call a case against us."

"So am I, but we need to be careful."

Before James could reply, the same Guard from yesterday ordered them to rise. James allowed a small smile to form on his lips. Today, the defense was going to go on the offensive, striking back at the "evidence" the prosecution had brought up against them.

"The defense calls General Lavigne to the stand," Rusty said after the formalities were done. When James had taken the stand, the pony lawyer-soldier asked, "Yesterday we discussed the battle at Sugar Cane River several times. Can you elaborate on what happened?"

"Gladly..." James described the battle, leaving out the more graphic details, from the beginning of the first day of the battle until the evening of the second. It took over thirty minutes to get through the abridged version of the tale, but he could see that most of those from the military - several disabled veterans of the earlier battles of the conflict had come to the trial - were nodding their heads in understanding. Most of the civilians, though, apparently didn't understand; most of them stared blankly, and many of them were scratching their heads.

"I'm sure the honorable jury would be better able to understand given visual evidence, perhaps a map?" Rusty remarked.

"Objection! This will take up copious amounts of time that we cannot afford to waste!"

"Overruled," Silver Gavel said, for the first time not being discriminatory. "The jury should have knowledge of what happened before voting to convict or acquit."

With that done, Rusty had a group of veteran Guards bring in large map of the battlefield, with various blocks and large pins representing units. After moving these around for all to see, Rusty asked James, "Can you tell again how things went, with this to back you up?"

"Yes, I think so." Blueblood was seething, but James didn't care as he retold the details of the battle, moving blocks about as was necessary, until he had reached the end of the tale. By that time, it was apparent to everyone, even those most innocent to what war really was, how the fighting had progressed.

"Is this your honest account of the events of the battle?"

"Yes. I was unable to personally oversee the other two corps, save for soldiers of the 1st who had joined after their force was shattered, but from soldiers' personal experiences and from that of General Armor, these are the most accurate details I could get."

"Thank you for your time, General. I have no further questions."

"I would like to cross-examine the defendant."

"You may proceed," the judge replied.

"Thank you. Now, General Lavigne, you have slandered Prince Blueblood much during your two speeches, not to mention what you said yesterday. I must say, it is not looking good for you."

"Prince Blueblood was in charge of the Corps. What happened to it was his responsibility. Look at the records."

For a moment the prosecutor - James hadn't gotten his name - looked a little taken aback, but quickly recovered his former cockiness and confidence. "We shall see what the records say indeed."

"Good."

After going back to his seat when he was dismissed, he watched rather satisfied as Rusty displayed various documents for all to see. In every record of provisions and supplies taken after the Prince had joined, I Corps was noted as being lead by him.

It also noted some rather extravagant and extraneous goods that had been delivered to the Prince personally. Although Rusty didn't comment on it, it was clear that the Prince had used the army logistics services to obtain luxuries for himself, including large quantities of bubble bath, imported tea, and garlic bread, along with butter to go along with that last.

For the first time, the prosecuting lawyer seemed to be at a loss for words. For a few minutes he seemed to almost be gasping for air. Then he asked, "Your Honor, I would like for these documents to be reviewed by experts to ensure they were not tampered with."

"Denied. These reports were all stored in secure containers, kept safe by loyal soldiers of the crown."

"But-"

BANG! "I said 'denied!' Now, unless you have a counter-argument, witness, or someone who can testify..."

Blueblood signaled to the lawyer for his cause by gesturing with his head. "If I may speak for my client for a moment, Your Honor," the prosecutor said.

"Very well, but mind you be quick about it."

The lawyer went over to Blueblood, who hissed something to him. After a few moments of quiet whispering between them, the prosecutor recoiled. James heard the Prince snarl, not quite quietly enough, "Just do it!"

"Your Honor, the prosecution calls Princess Celestia to the stand."

There was a shocked gasped that went around the room, followed by a stunned silence. James turned around to look at the Princess in question. Beside her, Luna was as stunned as almost everyone else, but Celestia, on the outside at least, appeared calm.

"Uh, ahem, erm," Silver Gavel said after about fifteen seconds. "Uh, yes, ahem. This request is denied, under the fact that-"

"That is not necessary, Judge Gavel," Princess Celestia said, raising a hoof to interrupt him. "I will go up on the stand."

Silver Gavel looked surprised, but after several seconds he regained his mask of professionalism. "If the Princess consents to testify, then she of course may take the stand, although it is noted that should she choose to refuse-"

"I will not refuse, not after everypony - everyone - has gone up when called. If my testimony can help this trial along, then I will participate where necessary." She got in the box and sat down.

"Name?" The prosecutor looked as if he dearly regretted what he was doing, and appeared to be as nervous as could be expected.

'Princess Celestia." The Princess did not seem to be angry, nor did she give any sort of serious you're in big trouble looks toward the prosecuting lawyer.

"Occupation?"

"Princess of Equestria."

"What induced you to hire General Lavigne?"

"When the threat of war became clear, I began scrying the world in which James lived. In my search, I found who I considered a capable commander, and asked him to accept the position of military advisor, which to my relief he accepted."

"Capable commander? He looks and sounds pretty young to me, certainly not old enough to have been a veteran of any previous conflicts."

"Perhaps, but his knowledge of history and military tactics made him a valuable asset. And his reforms to our armies have made them much more effective than they would have been without him."

"Would it have been possible to avoid war? By means of diplomacy?"

"I tried. I truly did. But Lord Spokesbane, the Griffon ambassador, refused anything other than the total subjugation of our people; the best he would accept was a puppet state on our part."

"What about the Changelings?"

She looked at him seriously. "If I had sent someone to ask them for peace, two things would happen. One, they would kidnap the diplomat and use his love to feed themselves. Two, they would see it as a sign of weakness, and they would be all the more eager to invade."

A murmur of discontent arose from the audience; from the sound of it, it was directed mainly toward the invaders, but much of the angry words were aimed at Blueblood and his lawyer.

"Well, considering the idea that war was inevitable, why not choose one of our own?"

Celestia sighed, as if she had known this question was going to be coming up. "I chose an outsider due to the fact that our world has been almost exclusively at peace since my sister and I began to reign over a thousand years ago. Our people have no knowledge of war, only of it's existence. The attack on Canterlot came terrifyingly close to killing ponies, and at that time I knew we would have to prepare should they come again."

"And why has this all been kept secret until now?"

"It was too important to be released. For all we know, the Changelings re-infiltrated our society since their expulsion. Even with all the Guards scanning ponies and non-ponies alike, if one of them were determined enough, they might be able to evade our security measures."

"And what about the city the defendants' conduct lost? What about their security?"

"They did all they could with the resources they had. I'm surprised they were able to hold out so long and so well. Not to mention they managed to rescue a significant portion of the population there."

"There are rumors that a feud between them ruined the chances of the defenders."

James breathed deeply, because that charge had enough truth to bite. But after a few seconds, he calmed down. First off, the fight had been whether to immediately abandon the city or to try holding it further. While the effort to hold the city after that had cost the Equestrian forces a number of casualties, the damage done to the enemy had been much worse than that inflicted on the defending force, most of whom escaped the siege with their lives as well as their arms, able to fight again later.

"And you would listen to rumors? If trying to nibble at the slightest things that could possibly be considered faults of the two generals is your best tactic, I must question your ability as a lawyer."

"Uh... no further questions," the prosecutor said, backing off a bit.

"Does the defense have anything to say before the Princess leaves the stand?" the judge asked.

"Just one question." Rusty walked over to the stand. "What is your opinion of this trial?"

"Objection!"

"Allow me to rephrase the question then. What is your take on hiring the general?"

"I believe it was the correct choice given the circumstances and the results."

"No further questions." As Celestia exited the box, Rusty called out, "Defense calls Sergeant Blazing Spear to the stand."

A Royal Guard stepped up; his right hind leg was, from just above the knee down, burned so badly that no new fur had grown at all, and the hoof on that leg was scorched black, perhaps permanently. He sat down in the box, his injured leg giving him some obvious discomfort as he did so.

"Your name?"

"Blazing Spear."

"Occupation?"

"Royal Guard and soldier in the military, retired from that last."

"I assume you are still a Guard then?"

"Yeah, just excused from military service."

"When did you sustain the wound to your leg?"

"During the assault on the Changeling fortress last autumn. One of the little... monsters must have charged his horn as much as he could without killing himself, because the burn I got was much worse than anypony else I know. After that I got an honorable discharge, but I was able to keep my job as a Guard."

"And who was responsible for that?"

"Objection! Leading!"

"Overruled."

"I don't know about the entire army, considering I couldn't be everywhere at once, but the Changeling was the one to blame, and he didn't last long after giving this... souvenir." Blazing Spear looked down at his leg, perhaps caught up in unpleasant memories. "I know it wasn't any failure in planning. We took out that fortress with casualties that were relatively light, maybe moderate at worst, and we destroyed almost their entire army. It was just one of those things that happens to soldiers in battles, and I was unlucky enough to get a permanent reminder of the war. Believe me, I've seen a lot worse," he added, his eyes staring blankly at nothing for a few seconds.

"Ah. No further questions." At this, distracted from his line of thought, Blazing started, then calmed down, shaking his head in order to refocus."

"Who was in charge of your unit when you were sent in?" the prosecutor asked.

"General Armor was the one in charge, and he was the finest officer I've served under."

"And what was - is - your opinion on General Lavigne?"

"Lavigne was a colonel at that time, but he was damned good." Many of the audience and the jury sounded a little surprised when he uttered the swear word, but he didn't seem to notice. "He wasn't the kind of officer to leave the fighting to everypony else, he was always on the front line himself, didn't try to squirm out of it. He's made mistakes, but anyone could have done so, especially in the confusion of war."

"What about his beliefs? Did you think of them as treasonous?"

"If you're talking about his religious beliefs, I couldn't care less; what mattered to us was that he was a good officer. And you only had to be with him a short time before you knew treason was nowhere to be found in him. If he believes what he believes, he can; he won't hear any complaints from me." Blazing Spear looked up at Blueblood with utter contempt flaring in his eyes before turning back to the lawyer. "Everyone here knows this is just a political play by members of the nobility. I didn't see Blueblood eager to go to war before winter set in. This entire trial is a disgrace to all who have served in this war."

BANG! "Extraneous testimony. The scribe will erase the last three sentences from the record."

"No further questions," the prosecutor announced, looking smug again, but it was clear he his cause had taken a beating here.

And so it was throughout the rest of the day. Rusty continued to call soldiers who had been in the war to the stand, and they hammered down every argument Blueblood's lawyer brought against them. The best the prosecution could do was attempt to criticize the decisions made during the Siege of Trottingham, but none of it was able to make any headway against the facts the defense brought up.

The most pathetic attempt to discredit James and Shining Armor was when a young stallion under the name of Snake Pit was brought to the stand by the prosecutor. "You claim you were in the Battle at Sugar Cane River?" asked the prosecuting lawyer.

"Oh yeah, I was there big time."

"Who gave you the orders on the second day?"

"The guy sitting next to Shining Armor."

Are you serious? James thought, half amused, half annoyed. This guy doesn't even sound like he's being truthful. What did you do, bribe him to say exactly what you wanted?

"Why was the Prince not there?"

"Oh, uh, he was sick."

James burst out laughing. Snake wasn't making any credible effort to create anything like a believable story. It was ridiculous. If this kid was ever trusted to tell the truth after this...

"Order in the court," the judge called, but he sounded bored; obviously he didn't believe Snake Pit either.

"And the general gave you the orders that lead to the destruction of I Corps?"

"Yeah, he did."

"What did he say?"

"Uh..." Snake thought for a minute. "I forgot, but it was bad, alright."

This time, James had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing uncontrollably.

After the prosecutor had had his fill, Rusty calmly walked up to Snake. "When did you sign up for the military?"

"When the war started."

"Hmm. What unit were you assigned to?"

"I was in the, uh, uh, the fifty... third Manehattan."

"Emm hmm... despite the fact that no unit of that number was ever formed in the army."

"Gah! That's not true!"

"Oh yeah?" James said. "Prove it."

Calmly, the judge said, "You are out of order, general."

"Sorry," James said, although the only reason he was sorry was the fact that his statement had been out of order, not because he had said it.

"The general may not be able to prove it," Rusty went on, "but I can." He went over to his seat and pulled out several records. "For one, the army records when it comes to units are very thorough. No unit with the designation of '53rd Manehattan' was ever commissioned."

"Well, the records must be wrong."

"Oh yes?" Although his face wasn't facing James, the human could tell Rusty was amused and contemptuous of the current "witness." "Other records and orders note that Blueblood in fact gave several orders that day, refused to sanction a report sent by General Lavigne to prepare for a massive attack on his front, and that subsequently his command was overwhelmed. After that, the details are sketchy, but nothing seems to back up your claims."

Snake was quiet.

"Furthermore, looking down the list of soldiers in the armed forces at the time," Rusty continued, holding said list in his hoof and reading it, "you were never in the military at all."

"Uh, what?"

"Your Honor," Rusty said to Silver Gavel, "I suggest we discount the testimony of this witness on the grounds of perjury."

"Let me see the records you mentioned," the judge replied.

Rusty gave them to him.

After a few minutes, the judge put down the papers in front of him. "The testimony of the witness is discounted in it's entirety. Furthermore, he has been found to have committed the crime of perjury in a court of law, and shall face prosecution at a later date."

"What!?!"

"Take him away," the judge said, as two Guards came up to take Snake Pit into custody.

"Wait, please, no! NOOOOOO!"

"Shut up!" one of the Guards said, raising a hoof threateningly. "I had a brother in the army who died in the war, and I'm more than willing to smash your face in for dishonoring him and everypony else in the service up there. Now, move!" Snake Pit wisely offered no further resistance or protest as he was lead away.

Silver Gavel announced, "This court will reconvene tomorrow morning for the final verdict. At this time, all the evidence and testimony will be brought together and collected into a conclusive end."

As everyone began to file out of the room, James felt a confidence rise in his chest that hadn't been there since the beginning of the trial. The tide had turned. The defense had held the initiative all day, and this battle, though not quite over, had been decided.

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James' dreams that night were yet again those of war, but at least they weren't the nightmares he'd been having for so long. Instead, the Mane 6 again took roles in various conflicts, both real and fictional. Rainbow Dash replaced Luke in an X-wing, and destroyed the Death Star with the help of Applejack, who was dressed like Han Solo, and the shaggy Wookiee-like Winona. At Leyte Gulf, a destroyer escort under Twilight's command sank, still firing it's guns at it's attackers. At the Alamo, several ponies and humans surrendered, only for Mexican soldiers to raise their weapons, ready to fire...

He awoke, sweating like no one's business. Looking at the clock, he could see it was going to be dawn in a couple hours. He decided to go back to sleep for now. This time, he had no dreams whatsoever.

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For the third day in a row, the court was packed. James had given up trying to decipher just how many of them there were. Reporters took up positions where they could easily hear and see everything. In James' opinion, the media should have no part in military affairs, but here they didn't seem to be particularly ravenous. Some of them looked at him curiously, but he just plain ignored them. The media weren't going to decide how this inquiry turned out. The jury would.

They had already been in a room to themselves for an hour now. He didn't know the reason why; the major points had been covered, all leaning fiercely for the defense.

Then he noticed that Blueblood was missing from his box. He hadn't noticed that until now. That could be troublesome. If he was currently trying to bribe the jury, things could become problematic very fast.

Oddly enough, the narcissist Prince walked into the court room just after James had noticed his absence. He went to his box, and after he had sat down, James could see he wasn't looking happy. His mane was a little less cared for this morning. What had been doing?

None of that was answered in the thirty minutes between that point and the time the jury finally filed back into the room.

"Have the jury reached a verdict?" the judge called.

"We have, your honor," a young stallion among them said. "We find the defendants..."

James held his breath, uttering a silent prayer to God.

"...not guilty of any of the charges laid against them."

James let his breath out in relief. Shining did the same from beside him.

"Furthermore," the stallion continued, "the jury finds that the responsibility for the loss of the battle by Sugar Cane River lies with Prince Blueblood, who records and witnesses have shown to have been in charge of I Corps on the day the disaster occurred, and who knowingly abandoned loyal soldiers of the crown in order to save his own hide."

"This... is an outrage!" Blueblood shouted.

"It is," said a mare among the jury, "considering you just tried to bribe us."

A gasp unrivaled in strength and volume rang across the courtroom; even Silver Gavel jerked back in shock, his glasses falling from his face.

"I don't know what you're..."

"Don't lie!" shouted a stallion in the jury, "I saw and heard you perfectly! You offered us as many bits as we cared to take if we convicted these two!"

There was a long silence.

Finally, the judge recovered. "Order," he said, even thought there was no need to call for it. "This court has found the defendants innocent of the charges they were brought against them. Furthermore, this court finds Prince Blueblood guilty of all charges laid against the defendants, as well as trying to bribe a jury and bringing in false witness and testimony for his own purposes." The judge was quiet for a minute. "The punishment for a member of the royal family is beyond my authority. It lies in our beloved Princesses' hooves to decide his fate. If they would come to the fore..."

Both Princesses got up from where they had been sitting and walked up to the judge's podium. Silver Gavel moved aside to allow them to take his place.

"Prince Blueblood, step forward." When the Prince didn't move, Celestia snapped, "Now!"

Even the Prince knew better than to refuse or argue. He got out his seat, fear all over his features as he walked dismally forward to stand before his aunts.

"Prince Blueblood." The displeasure of the solar Princess was unmistakable. "I am shocked and disappointed beyond words at your conduct. Not only did you abandon soldiers who you should have been an example to, but you also blatantly lied, cheated, and blustered to build a pathetic case by which you would be elevated to the detriment of two officers innocent of the charges you leveled against them, both of whom have better character, courage, and nobility in a single atom than you do in your entire body."

"But.. but..."

"Silence!" Celestia snarled. "I must admit, this is my fault. Because you were of my blood, I made excuses, tried to convince myself that all the tales about your doings were just that, tales, and I made you a commander in the army at your behest. I accepted your offer of money for our research and development projects in exchange for your rank. That last is a mistake that I regret beyond almost any other I have made in my life."

Silence filled the courtroom as the gravity of the Princess' words sank in.

"James... I mean, General Lavigne," Celestia said, looking at him, "would you kindly step forward?" Her voice showed none of the contempt and fury it had a few seconds ago.

James started a little. "Yes, I will do so, although I'm afraid I am ignorant as to the reason why."

"You'll understand soon enough."

He walked up to stand on Blueblood's left just in front of the podium.

"What do you think would constitute an adequate punishment?" Celestia asked.

Although surprised by the question, James answered quickly, "There is nothing adequate he could offer that would compensate for the deaths of thousands under his command. That said, I have no authority to judge him."

"The only thing I could say that would approach anything like adequate punishment," Rusty said, "would be toiling like one of the so-called 'commoners' he despises so much, working on farms, earning pennies a day as an employee in a store or factory, or perhaps he could be made to work on building ships and airships, and for him to continue doing so for a number of years to be determined by yourselves, and to actually be trained in the true soldier's craft; the mud, the blood, the bruises, the whole bit of it."

"I, a royal prince, labor like a peasant serf?" Blueblood said indignantly, without realizing he had combined two terms that meant entirely different things. "I shall have none of it."

"I wasn't finished," Rusty said, which killed the arrogant look the Prince had born. "I was going to add, should he refuse, he would be stripped of his title, privilege, inheritance, and money, and made to live on the streets as a 'commoner' for the rest of his days."

Blueblood's face became a mask of absolute and utter fear; nothing he had expected had prepared him for such a suggestion. "A-a-auntie," he said weakly, turning back to Celestia, "y-y-y-you w-w-wouldn't."

"And why wouldn't I?" Celestia asked, the coldness of her voice as stinging as the winter wind. All hope on Blueblood's face died. "I tried to raise you as best as I could, but you scorned common sense and insisted on showing contempt for those less fortunate than yourself."

"I never said a word against you!"

"Yet you show no compassion for millions of my subjects? You show me every respect, yet do nothing for the common ponies of this land?" Celestia shook her head. "And by having me called to the stand, you tried to use me as yet another tool in your arsenal, in order to boost yourself higher. Well, now I decree you shall rise no further. I support wholeheartedly the suggestion Rusty has made. You will be made to repay your debt to the country in sweat and labor. I also strip you of your rank of general and reduce you to the rank of buck private, nay, recruit. You shall never receive a higher rank in the military for as long as I can see a single fragment of malice in your body and character. If you refuse to go along with this punishment, or try to balk, I will strip you of your status as Prince as well."

James sighed quietly. This should have felt like a great triumph. Instead, looking at the rival who had given him almost as much trouble as the enemy, he felt nothing but pity. If only Blueblood had been able to get over his contempt for the common people, if only he had had common sense, he could have been a great officer, a great hero. Instead, all that would-be talent had been wasted on a futile pursuit of privilege and power. Reconsidering the sentence he had suggested, he could not think of anything that would have brought this once powerful Prince so low. Rarely had the mighty fallen further.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I apologize to anyone who has actually been in a court of inquiry, a court martial, or a normal court case if this didn't properly display the court proceedings. I haven't been in court myself, and even though I've read about famous cases, it's been a while.

Comments

[Sonic Luna]

The showdown is over. Though I do wonder how James will respond to future politics. Generals unfortunately have a tendency to be forced into such situations.

Didn't see Celestia giving James the judicial decision there.. I approve

[Codexwriter476]

This had to be one of the intense chapters I've read thus far, but about bloody time someone in the fandom gave that snob what for.

[JFK]

this is great

~JFK

[Guardian]

That was great, I am satisfied.

[Dr Daring Doo]

Buck yeah!!! Only fanfic I've read where blueblood REALLY gets what he deserves!!!! Finally! Thank you!!!

[Seanchow806Napoleonic]

I agree that Prince Blueblood got what he deserves for his responsible for disaster.
I do enjoy your story, however I created my Land Before Time XIV: War of 65 MYA that battles between the dinosaurs of Great Valley and Mysterious Beyond vs. Orcs, Uruk-hais and Goblins of Lord of the Rings.

[Hunter96]

Well that escalated quickly

[LaughingZombie]

SHOOT!

We had a giant court case chapter and I didn't think to use the Ace Attorney soundtrack until the END OF IT!

i1257.photobucket.com/albums/ii516/Klutzybear/tumblr_mq2g29XNNY1s2ew5wo4_400_zps805a1ad0.gif

[For Soviet Equestria]

That was pure awesomeness!!!!!

[Fireheart 1945]

3284150

Sorry. The name for the story came from the War of 1812. Did not mean for the name of my story to collide with yours.

3283837 3286394

Thanks. Glad to see that everyone seems to be enjoying the story.

3284589

LOL.

3284006 3283732

Yeah, considering that a punishment for his conduct at the Gala was never mentioned. This was what I came up with.

[Matrix]

Wow... This was one of the most intense chapters I have ever read but I am a bit sad the full punishment for all of Bluebloods actions aren't in play... Well... It's the death penalty... But I guess not having him being sentenced to death rather to have him be tortured by working for once does make his punishment more laughable. Great chapter btw, can't wait for more!

[Jacob Hoove]

Please let James go on a rant about the word "subjects".

[Celestial Knight]

Damn, that was intense. Also, you annoying bastard, you've used all the ideas I had for my story. (I guess great minds think alike )

This is going in my favourites.

[Fireheart 1945]

3290928

Sorry. I had no intentions of upstaging you.

3290319

That was totally not on my list of things to cover.

3290074

Thanks. I'm going to be mostly refitting my rather failed chapter in my Robotech story before moving on here, but hopefully that won't take more than a couple of weeks.

[Guardian]

One thing I just realized, what happened to Kikki?

[Fireheart 1945]

3291707

Damn, there are so many things I want to include that I forget some of them. I'll put in a small addition in that department. Sorry for that.

[Celestial Knight]

Actually, while i'm thinking about it. Do you have/need a beta reader/editor?

[Fireheart 1945]

3294649

No, mostly because I want to keep this story going where I would like it to go. I'm hesitant to bring an editor into the action because I'm unsure of how to do it in the first place and secondly because I fear the editor would be able to change the chapter at will to something I didn't intend.

I mean no offense to you or anyone else who would honestly intend to help out.

[Celestial Knight]

3295018 No offense taken. It's just that I think it would do some good to have someone just to double check the grammar and wording in some areas.

[ISKV]

There's plenty of Blueblood bashing, but where does Celestia get hers? The only reason Blueblood ever had a place in the army (And such a high ranking position at that) was because Celestia bended to his money. There are plenty of other nobles. Why his money specifically? Was it because he was raised by Celestia? I didn't think she was that stupid. The entire reason she brought a human into the equation is because she knew that he would be able to fight a war more effectively than her own officers, and then she pushes forward a pony whom she knows is inexperienced because she was bought out. She says that the lives of her ponies are priceless, well she just sold thousands of lives. For money. She knew the risks. Or did she? I hope she's not the naive.

Blueblood's money? Well, we better see some good come out of it.

>End rant.

[Fireheart 1945]

3295648

Partly it's because I wanted Blueblood to get what was coming for him. And I'm assuming he was generally careful enough around his aunt to not get caught doing bad things, not to mention that when someone butters you up (such as for a promotion), they go all out on it, she may have been willing enough to go on with it at first, then regretted her mistake some time later on, until we reach the place we're at now.

And for the record, people tend to trust family and make excuses for them. It's only natural. And in many cases, as here, it was a mistake. How many times have we found out that the people we trust are in reality the opposite of what we see, or perhaps I should say hope/want to see?

The money sent to the R&D department didn't go to waste though. I'm not revealing anything else, but...

[ISKV]

3295669

I'd assume century's worth of experience would teach some things. But then again I'm not going to live longer than a few decades, so what do I know.

Okay, because you explained that he was actual family, and not just really, really close, Celestia's choice does make more sense. But that doesn't change the fact that it was her decision to promote him in the first place. Imagine the media shitstorm when an general screws thing up. That's plenty big. Now imagine if the press got word that it was Celestia's choice to make him a general, without testing him, or even because of the recommendation of other officers.

And then they hear that Celestia pretty much accepted a bribe.

I don't know, but I would be pretty pissed.

On a separate note, the trial seems sort of... weird. Alright, the last time I was in a courtroom was a few months ago on a high school field trip, so I pretty much forgot everything. And it was a civilian court, so I could be entirely wrong with military hearings.

But what I did remember is that a single trial is to determine the innocence of only the defendant(s). In this case, the generals. If Blueblood was the one tried, there would've been an entirely new trial determining his innocence, where then all the evidence of his failures would be laid out and then he be punished. Yeah it takes a hell of a lot longer, but in the world of red tape, it might be better to focus on one thing at a time.

But I'm sure that you don't want to write another chapter in the courtroom, so I'll just shut up now.

[Fireheart 1945]

3298770

Thanks for pointing that out. Still, I believe in democracy and the system of a republic over the absolutism of monarchy, the old system that Abe Lincoln compared with slavery.

"Slavery is the eternal struggle between these two principles... the common right of humanity and the divine right of kings. It is the same spirit that says, 'you work and toil and earn bread and I'll eat it.'"

Compared with any worldly monarchy, a republican democracy - or a Constitutional Republic, as you put it - are more freedom based than any other type of worldly government. That's my take on it.

[poisedanimeBloke]

3297656

Okay, because you explained that he was actual family, and not just really, really close, Celestia's choice does make more sense. But that doesn't change the fact that it was her decision to promote him in the first place. Imagine the media shitstorm when an general screws thing up. That's plenty big. Now imagine if the press got word that it was Celestia's choice to make him a general, without testing him, or even because of the recommendation of other officers.

And then they hear that Celestia pretty much accepted a bribe.

I hope you realize that Celestia could censor the media at any time she wanted to.

[ISKV]

3309508

And? This isn't NKorea.

[poisedanimeBloke]

3309607
Equestria is an Absolute Monarchy in this story. If she really wanted to, Celestia could censor every newspaper in Equestria if they start talking about her taking bribes and letting bad generals into the army just because they are family members.

P.S. I fail to see what the point was in stating the obvious fact that Equestria isn't North Korea.

[ISKV]

3312713

The part about NKorea was a joke, and at the same time, it wasn't.

If Celestia is all-powerful, then why did she have two of her generals appear in court? She's above the law, why not just allow the generals to do their own thing and punish Blueblood by herself? She knows that they're competent, but then why play along with the red tape?

The answer is yes. She can censor the media. But the real question is, will she censor the media?

[poisedanimeBloke]

3314202 She probably would if it were serious enough.

[ISKV]

3314467

Yeah, but who's going to draw the line?

[poisedanimeBloke]

3316649 No one can. That's one of the many flaws in a government system such as a Monarchy.

[ISKV]

3316814

Yeah I guess so. Lavigne is going to be pissed when he works it all out.

[Codelyoko22]

I feel so bad for Blueblood.... NOT!

[DrWhooves007]

Well, James could just say this:
"If you all hate me THAT much, fine, just send me back to my world after all, i'ts you lot who had asked me to help you"
Seriously, this man had saved you all from all kind of bad thing's that could happen to you lot, and it's the right of every single living being in the reality to choose what he/she believe

[Godiswithus3]

I loved every single part of this chapter. I especially loved the religious aspect. Well written.

[ynfiltra]

YEAH!!!!!
take that blue balls!
ya piece of $*%#!!!!

[ArcTech_KO]

Chances are Blueblood is gonna defect to the griffins after this.

[The Atlantean]

"I am shocked and disappointed beyond words at your conduct. Not only did you abandon soldiers who you should have been an example to, but you also blatantly lied, cheated, and blustered to build a pathetic case by which you would be elevated to the detriment of two officers innocent of the charges you leveled against them, both of whom have better character, courage, and nobility in a single atom than you do in your entire body."

That is one heckuva roast. GET REKT, LITTLE DOGGIE!!!!

I really liked this chapter. James obviously doesn't go to court, and Rusty was the defending lawyer! I had completely forgotten about him! That was so awesome how you tied both aspects of Rusty's life; it gives him a bit more character.

[SWEETOLEBOB18]

Chapter 34
Someone once said "Military Justice is to real justice what military music is to real music "

IDK about foreign countries, but in the USA military trials don't have a jury, just a judge (or a panel of judges, IDK)

Of course, Equestria can have any procedure you want. It is my belief military trials are simplified because they need quick verdicts

[Even Evil Has Standards]

And what of Silver Gavel?

[Viatorem]

...At Leyte Gulf, a destroyer escort under Twilight's command sank, still firing it's guns at it's attackers...

Please tell me this is a reference to the Battle off Samar, and heroic last stand of Taffy3 (considering this is a destroyer escort, it’s most likely a reference to the “Samuel B. Roberts” the destroyer escort that fought like a battleship)

Also, I began reading your fic since the last update, and all I can is Holly shit! How this managed to fly under my radar? So far what I have read has been amazing, this chapter alone almost caused me to fall to the ground (when I read that our heroes had been found inocente, I cheered, it turn out that I was to close the the edge of my site and almost ended falling on my ass)

[Fireheart 1945]

10249490

Yes, it is. It's one of those fights that can really inspire people.