"Brave New World, Part 5"
By Nyja Asketi (PC)
Melina Asketi (SC)
Grand Vizier Essten (NPC)
Jul Del Frek (NPC)
Secretary of the People, Jynsen (NPC)
Priest of Tys (NPC)
Law Scholar Keela (NPC)
Other minor NPCs
Location: Quilove Grand Palace and Hall of Laws
Date: TBA
**
Nyja was led back to the palace and to the hidden
doorway. The priest pulled a hand held device from
his robe. He placed it against the wall and it
started to beep quietly. “The hallway is clear. Once
I open the wall, you will be on your own.” The wall
began to open gently and the priest took the device
from it. He handed the small device to Nyja. “Here,”
he said. “When you are escaping, return to this wall
and place the device on it. It will know what to do.”
Before the wall closed, the priest stopped Nyja one
last time. “You cannot be seen opening this wall. We
have held this secret entrance for over ten
generations of rulers and we do not wish it to become
known.”
“I understand,” Nyja said as the wall closed.
**
Grand Vizier Essten was sitting in the royal section
of the Hall of Laws. He was watching the trial of the
treasonous rebels.
“Quiet,” a booming voice came. It was that of Jynsen,
the Secretary of the People, and prime judge at the
trial. “This trial is to begin.” Jynsen motioned to
a guard on the side of the room. “Bring in the
accused, Melina Asketi and Jul Del Frek.” The guard
did as ordered and opened the door to allow other
guards to bring the two prisoners into the large room.
The crowd that was in attendance began to jeer them.
**
Nyja headed back down the hallway in an attempt to
find the room that had held her earlier that day.
After a while, she managed to find the room, but she
did not find her belt or her lightsaber. She cursed
to herself and moved on. She opened the next door and
checked the hallway to make sure that no one was
around. Not seeing anyone, she moved across the
hallway and opened another door. She stood outside to
room briefly to see if someone was in the room. This
door was near the makeshift prison that Nyja had been
held in. She hoped that there would be a console of
some sort that she could slice into.
As the door opened, one of the men in the room looked
up. Noticing that someone was at the door that should
not be there, he moved to investigate. Approaching
the door, he noticed a slight shadow on the floor and
realized that someone was outside. Moving slowly, he
tried to surprise the intruder. As he was about to
grab her from around the door, Nyja suddenly felt a
pulse from the Force and moved, toward the door,
surprisingly and opened fire, killing the guard. The
other guard in the room saw his partner drop to the
floor and Nyja lying on the floor. He quickly made a
move for the console to set off the alarm. Nyja tried
to shoot him before he made it but couldn’t. She
stood almost instantaneously and reached out with the
Force. He stopped just before the console and started
to stumble. She kept her hands outstretched toward
the guard until she could hear his neck snap. She
turned back to the door and pressed the lock button.
She didn’t want visitors just yet.
**
“This trial is to determine your guilt,” Jynsen said.
Melina looked up at the judge, high upon his dais.
“Isn’t there going to be a representative for us?” she
yelled.
“No,” a second judge responded. “As part of Quilove
law, any member of an opposing house cannot have a
representative from the ruling house. Nor can you
contact your own house for one, for that would just be
a way to avoid being found guilty. You must defend
yourselves.”
“But we’re not guilty!” Melina demanded.
“Don’t bother, child,” Jul said, leaning to speak into
her ear. “They’re not going to listen. Let’s just
see what they have to say and how they make us
criminals.” He stood tall. “And from now on . . .
let me do the talking.”
**
Nyja took the two bodies and moved them underneath the
desk in the room. Once she was done with that, she
moved to the small locker that was against the wall.
Nyja opened it up and was surprised to find her
lightsaber. She didn’t find any of her other
belongings, but at least she was more comfortable
knowing that she had the weapon back. Doing her best
to avoid kicking the bodies, she moved carefully to
the console. Lucky for her, the system was already
logged on and there was no need for a password.
As Nyja started looking through the computer, she came
across a screen that talked about Jul Del Frek.
Intrigued, Nyja started to read about the man that
called himself a “friend” of Melina’s father.
**
“Law Scholar Keela,” Jynsen spoke. “You may address
the court.”
“Thank you, prime judge,” a young woman said. “You!”
she said aloud pointing her finger at Jul. “Are a
dangerous man. You are a criminal and a terrorist and
you have no regard for the people of Quilove. Your
people.” The woman started walking in a circle around
Jul and Melina. “You may be of House Telayan, but
Quilove is made of one people in many houses. And
you, sir have chosen to live a life that attempts to
destroy the people and all that they have worked and
suffered for.”
The woman stepped back to a table and picked up a
datapad. “The information on this datapad is evidence
against the defendant, Jul Del Frek. It proves that
he has spent the last ten years organizing terrorist
attacks on House Yina citizens. Since House Yina is
the ruling party, this is considered an act of treason
against the throne. A crime punishable by death.”
Jul did not show emotion, but Melina’s face showed the
scared little girl that Nyja had found years earlier.
“Prime Judge,” the woman said, looking toward the
dais. “The case against Jul Del Frek is simple. He
is a criminal and he must be punished. If not, House
Yina and the rest of Quilove for that matter, will be
scared to venture out of their homes for fear that
they will be killed by this mad man.”
“Your thoughts are noted and documented, Law Scholar
Keela,” Jynsen said. “Now, in a brave attempt to save
his life, Jul Del Frek will be given time to offer a
defense against the charges.”
**
The records that contained the information on Jul were
highly classified; at least that is what they said at
the top of each one. As Nyja read through them, she
noticed that the documents all treated Jul as a
madman, a terrorist and a criminal. Nyja sensed none
of this animosity toward others when she had met him.
All she felt from his was animosity toward her –
mostly because she was not from Quilove. By this
point, Nyja wasn’t sure if she believed the documents
or the man himself. Nyja suddenly felt a disturbance
in the Force and exited the documents back to the main
screen to avoid being seen. She quickly moved away
from the door and behind a crate.
The door opened and three guards walked in. “No one
here,” the lead guard said. “That’s odd.” He pulled
a comlink from his belt. “Red 2, come in. Red 2, do
you copy?” There was a slight muffled echo from under
the desk. Nyja didn’t realize that the guards still
had comlinks on their person when she placed them
under the desk. “What’s that noise?” the lead guard
asked. The three moved toward the desk cautiously.
Upon looking under the desk and seeing the bodies, the
lead guard pressed the alarm button on the console.
“Double check the room. Make sure there’s no one else
here.”
~I’ve got a bad feeling about this~ Nyja thought as
she stayed as close to the crate and the wall as she
could.
The two remaining guards searched the room and Nyja
did her best to stay hidden as best she could, given
her surroundings. The lead guard got on the comlink,
but Nyja was unable to hear what he said and whom he
was talking to.
**
“Prime Judge,” Jul started. “I, Jul Del Frek, being
of sound mind and body, do hereby offer the following
statement in regards to my defense against the charges
brought against me.”
The judge looked down at him. “Thank you, Jul,” he
said, smiling. “Your knowledge of the legal customs
is extensive. Proceed.”
“Prime Judge,” he said. “It has come to my attention
that the people of House Yina believe me to be a
terrorist. That I have killed willingly citizens of
House Yina. That I disregard the people of Quilove
and especially the people of House Yina. Prime Judge,
I am here to tell you that it is not the people of
House Yina that I despise. No! It is in fact, one
person, Grand Vizier Essten that I despise.”
There was a quiet rumbling from the crowd. The judge
spoke up to quiet them down and Jul continued.
“Yes! I said Grand Vizier Essten. For it is that man
. . .” his hands pointing toward him. “That has
plunged Quilove into a planet of ambiguity. Quilove
does not know who it should be. The people of Quilove
have suffered long during the rule of Grand Vizier
Essten. But not House Yina. For why would a ruler
allow his own House to suffer? He does not. The
credits that normally should flow freely to all Houses
for exports and imports is only going to House Yina
and to the upkeep of the government. This is not
fair! Not to House Yina and not to Quilove.
“And if that is not enough . . . that man made sure
that the one candidate that could defeat him when he
was originally elected never made it home. Essten was
the one responsible for the death of Reggo Gan. You
want to call me murderer, criminal, terrorist?
Perhaps you should look at the one YOU elected. And
find out why he consorts with criminals that are known
across Quilove as such.
“Prime Judge, I regret to inform you that I am
innocent. I am unfortunately the victim of being
opinionated. And therefore, I request that the
charges be dropped, and I set free. Secondly, I wish
that the young lady not have to go through this same
process; that you trust my word when I say that she is
just an innocent bystander that got caught on camera
at the wrong time.
“Prime Judge, I await your decision. Thank you.”
**
