[C46/11th] Week 258: Through the Veils of Yesterday, I stand Accused

[Rob]

For are the Sins of One, Worth the Lives of Many?
​

Darkness was the prominent word that would have echoed through the bureaucratic arena of the Central Forty-six if not for the complete and utter silence permeating from every nook and cranny. Not too long ago was this very house a battlefield of emotions, of accusations, death and redemption.

Now their collective wisdom was being called upon once more for, almost unsurprisingly by now, another Templar. Truth from lies, and lies beyond their combined truths would pierce through another crack beneath the surface.

Their fragile peace, the status quo of the balance of worlds hanging in the middle. Justice above all, and beyond the veil of their masks they sat waiting.

Forty-one.

His eyes rested somewhat tranquilly upon the circle in the middle of the Central’s arena, the place where this young Templar would stand as the accused, a faintly smug look on his face.

Tsk, tsk...

“The Accused may now enter.”​

Yuuto’s smile widened, his lips parted and three words were mused from under his paper screen, “Alea iacta est.”

The die had been cast, the game could begin anew.

[180]

 

[Vincent Valen]

“Murder...ridiculous,” Alexia thought as she stood outside of the Central Forty-Six chambers. This had to have been something to do with that hotel hostage situation. It was the only scenario she could think of in which she’d killed a person. Even then being accused of murder seemed ludicrous. Its like they were implying that she killed an innocent. Last time she checked a man with a gun taking hostages was anything but.

“Do not show fear, do not hesitate...its just what they want to see,” she told herself. She would walk in with her head high, and be damned if she let them pronounce guilt on her. However before entering, she had to surrender her zanpakuto. She really did not want to be separated from the blade, but it could not be helped.

“You’ll be back in my hands before long,” she thought before handing it over. The guards at the doors pressed them open, and she walked through. She kept her vision straight, not bothering to glance at anything. The sooner she was out of here, the better.

The arena was dark and tall, the judges already seated behind pieces of paper that displayed their number. A lone ray of light shone down in the middle of the circular room, and she began to walk to to it.

“Forty-Six geniuses who get to decide everything about our society. And here I thought one President was stupid,” she thought. But for now, she had put on her ‘happy face’ and just go with it. Standing in the light, she saluted them, hiding the disgust she felt for them.

“Alexia Felone da Firenze, Eleventh Division, reporting as ordered,” she said.

[281]

 

[Shadowwind]

Murmurs washed over the chamber as the accused entered. The words, though innumerable, were kept at such a volume that the woman at the center of the chamber could not make out a single one. The first voice to greet her came from up above the benches where the majority of the throng lied. In one of six identical alcoves Forty-Three began to speak. The second his voice picked up the others died off. “Usually the Gotei stands before us for treason. You, however are different,” The judge called in a measured tone.

There was no hint to his thought only the even matter-of-fact sentence. “You are charged by this court for murder of eighteen humans, most of whom we not spiritually aware. There are also other violations, such as your refusal to modify the memory of the human you perpetrated this act with.

“However upon further review even if you had attempted such a measure it wouldn’t have been effective. Should--” The word was emphasized to highlight just how precarious the shinigami was standing. “--you ever deploy again, keep in mind standard protocol is to attempt to modify the memory of any spiritually aware humans who witness your actions. Especially in such an extraordinary case such as this. However, since the modification is a moot point only the taking of lives will be against you today for this trial. How do you plead to the charges?”

Behind the paper screens the throng had begun murmuring to one another again wagering on how interesting the trial would progress. For many, the emotions ran high and little could be done to sway the accused to think rationally in this time of strife. In spite of all of this, Forty-Three merely waited his eyes fixed through the screen at the woman before the court. He leaned forward in his seat for her answer. Think girl... measure your words as carefully as we measure ours.

It was all too often that the guard squads resorted to emotion in these chambers of logical discourse. Forty-Three prayed today would not be another of those times.

[352]

 

[Vincent Valen]

“By your logic and wording, I would have to plead guilty,” Alexia began.

“You asked if I killed eighteen humans, which I cannot deny. But I killed eighteen men that posed a threat to innocent lives,” she said, stressing the word innocent.

“As for my interaction with the human in question, I have no doubt that he would have reacted as a hostile had I attempted to modify his memory. He seemed quite aware of shinigami anyway, so perhaps you should look into who has encountered him before,” she stated.

[371]

 

[Bish]

The man behind the thirteenth screen lounged on his bench with an expression somewhere between boredom and amusement. For Xepher, this was merely another day at the office with the same ostentatious coworkers that sat so high and mighty above the people. In regards to this case, the judge found himself torn. On one hand, the victims were humans that had absolutely no relevance to the Gotei Thirteen. It was not as if any of the spirits present would give too much concern or mourning for them. However, her demeanor told a far more intricate story rather than just an open-and-shut collateral casualties case. The everyman of the Central Forty-Six examined the shinigami in front of him with a scrutinizing hazel gaze. The thing that struck him the most about Alexia was that she appeared to possess no remorse for the taking of human live.

The Thirteenth judge addressed the shinigami with the confident baritone flecked with bits of cynicism that had pierced through the masks of both soldiers and superiors on various occasions. "Alexia de Firenze, you speak of innocence with such conviction... such feeling. It is true that the humans that you so unflinchingly cut down were posing an immediate threat to the hostages."

"Many of the judges here do not doubt that your intention was to save lives that were in jeopardy." His voice retained a calm, yet clearly not impressed tone as he continued. "However, you forget one basic principle. The shinigami exist to protect the balance of the realms, primarily by purifying the poor souls known as Hollow. No matter how much of a threat the humans posed, it was not your place to disrupt the cycle of life and death by interfering in the affairs of the Living World. That was an irrefutable mistake in judgment."

The judge's voice grew in volume in order to make sure that his question could not be ignored. "Why did you take it upon yourself to interrupt the cycle that gives balance to the world and, more relevant to your situation, the course of events that keeps you employed?"

[351]

 

[Rob]

“Eighteen men – and women, I might add.” The words came from the mouth of Yuuto of Yagara, Forty-one. “Tsk, tsk,” he continued, “it is not so much an affront that you...”

A pause.

“...killed these men, these guards in cold blood, but that you meddled in with an affair not yours. Our peace...-” His voice had a cold, monotonous tone to it – almost bored – as his glare penetrated through Alexia’s veil, “- is fragile enough without... someone like you disrupting it.

“You had no reason, no right to be in the presence of that human, yet you were. You killed men – and women – who were unaware of your presence. They were not spiritually inclined.

“You plead guilty, while pleading the fifth. You are standing trial here, not those that came before you who dealt with this man, this human. This is not a matter of innocence. This is a matter of you, Alexia Felone da Firenze, using lethal force, where non-lethal would have sufficed.

“Do not test this chamber’s patience, young Templar. Innocence alne cannot save you from this trial.”

[180/360]

 

[Shadowwind]

“Please do not insult this court woman.” Forty-Three again spoke evenly. Strike one child. “Innocent humans or not, your duty to Soul Society is to preserve the balance of souls. Tell me, did it never once cross your mind that since they could not see you, you could have easily incapacitated the victims of your slaughter?”

After the briefest of pauses, “You are lucky that it was not a human more indisposed to transgressions otherwise this court would have to explain to the awakened humans why exactly, even though we did not allow it, one of our shinigami saw fit to overstep their bounds. Explain, if you would, to the people seated here why you thought it was right to meddle in affairs you had no business touching. What threat to the balance did a petty group of kidnappers possess?”

Behind the screen, there was the softest of sighs from Forty-Three. As he awaited the woman’s response, he leaned back to hear what excuse she could muster.

[167/358]

 

[Vincent Valen]

They had taken her first statement and brushed it aside with little care. All they seemed to care about was this cycle of life and death, which she had supposedly disrupted. They lived in a dark shell...people died all the time, and she could not take the fact that they were chastising her for preventing the loss of life.

“So by your rules, I should have just stepped aside and let innocents die. To let the awakened human fight on his own and possibly die. You expect me to look at death and walk away. I am sorry, but that is something any sane being should never do.”

“Even if were to follow those orders I still had a reason to take action. I asked the human about the situation and why it was occurring. He responded with, and I quote: “I don’t know how much you care about the security of this place called Earth so I’ll also say that I believe these people hold the potential to threaten the world of Death Gods by way of the alliances they may make.”

“So by my logic, I assisted an awakened human in stopping a potential threat to both worlds...sir.”

[573]

 

[Shadowwind]

“We expect that you will follow your orders or you have no more reason to call yourself a shinigami than do one of us. If the academy has taught you anything it should be your purpose. We avoid conflict with the humans by allowing them to govern their own affairs, you are not a member of a special forces team.”

After a pause, the judge began again this time his voice holding a tinge of anger, “If what you say is true, did you not question why if they possessed such a threat they were not spiritually aware? You say no sane being would allow people to die, and yet you walked into a situation blindly and didn’t once question when it did not add up. Had you considered the fact it could have been a setup? " The paper screen before his face trembled slightly at the words issued forth. Yet despite it all there was never an indication that the judge was losing control of his emotions. What seemed slight to many would be considered an outburst in these chambers and as such, Forty-three measured his responses carefully.

“Beyond that,” Forty-Three said laughing slightly, “if you believe that you were anything but a hindrance to that human; he is easily ten-times your strength if not more. All I am seeing is a simple kidnapping of men who wouldn’t have exhibited reiatsu and you being told by someone much stronger than you that they posed some sort of threat he alone couldn’t handle but with your minor help it was possible. Do you feel that you were needed? The human, who alone should handle his own matters, is much stronger; do you feel you contributed to the success of the mission? Did mission success hinge solely upon your being there? Could he have handled the situation alone even if it would have taken more planning on his part? What proof do you have that there was evidence to believe the man? Under what circumstance was there credence to his information?” The other judges remained silent after the barrage of questions, implying it was time for the woman to start answering.

[360/741]

 

[Vincent Valen]

“I did not need to reason why, as they had already presented themselves as a threat. As for the human that we’re supposedly not discussing, I trusted him. He certainly did not give me a reason not to. Whether or not I was needed is irrelevant, as I wanted to be there. I wanted to help. Human or not, they are still people, and I do not regret what I did to help them. Even if they don’t know who saved them, I will know, and I will sleep just fine. You’re worried about angering the humans yet you can’t look at the picture in front of you. A shinigami trusted a human and together, they saved a building’s worth of civilians. I don’t know about you, but that sounds downright cooperative to me. And if you want me to explain the situation to them too, I will do it without batting an eye...sir.”

[728]

 

[Wayne]

From the corner of the dim-lit spotlight came shallow footsteps. Right as the girl had finished her lengthy retort, a hand reached forward, grabbing her gently on the shoulder. Kyuketsu emerged from the darkness of the court, eyes detached from Alexia whilst glued intently on the judges and wise men looming up top.

He leaned his head closer by the girl’s ear, whispering just enough so that she alone could hear what he was saying.

“At ease, soldier. Don’t let them get to you.” His voice was monotonous and low, yet assuring nonetheless. “The more emotion you evoke, the worse this is going to be.”

Turning away from her, the Acting Captain motioned towards Forty-Three. Eyes practically piercing through the paper wall that hid the man’s face, he spoke out, “Perhaps becoming too idealistic is unbecoming of a soldier. My lord, if it is alright by the court, may I note that Miss Felone is still but a fledgling recruit in the Gotei. The crime she is accused of, grave as it is, is a rookie mistake. I do not doubt her good intentions, though its general sensibilities were wrought by inexperience and lack of preparation.”

“I may not be able to vouch for her reasoning as to why she did it, but I assure you, such oversight shall never come to pass again.” He placed his attention on Alexia. “...Right?”

Though his words were aimed apologetically, his eyes spoke the opposite. The pair of golden orbs clamored to silently commune with the girl, asking, pleading, as if trying to say, “Play along.”

263​

 

[Vincent Valen]

“While I appreciate the sentiment sir...I cannot agree to those terms. I can’t help it if I act human after all. They--” she started, pointing to the ones hiding their faces. “expect us to throw on a mask and ignore that which is wrong. To simply ignore injustice. They take issue with anything that disrupts their simple little way of living, and I cannot comprehend that. They worry about the reactions of humans, and yet the last time I checked, they tend to rejoice when a terrorist group is eliminated. Anything different, they dislike and get rid of it. Like the last vizard that was here.”

“If you’re expecting to compromise myself just to please these deficientes, then my answer is no. I’m not sorry for what I did, and if an innocent life is in danger I will not hesitate to save it,” she finished.

[875]

 

[Nutella]

Thirty-three sat in silence on one of the benches, her watchful gaze placed on the woman who now stood before them. How many among the stronger women of the Eleventh stood before the Forty-Six like Alexia... so full of their ideals and convictions? The young noble shifted in her seat, composure kept despite the behavior showed by the woman. In all frankness, she would not have intervened, but it appears that Alexia really tested the waters, and Uehara Aiko did not expect her to come off clean.

"Your courage to speak as such is commendable," she started, her voice of a sweet contralto resounding across the hall despite the din of murmurs following the woman's statement, "I do not think you are in the place for such pompousness.

"Although you claim that your... mission partner, I should say, noted that these people might be a threat to both worlds, we are not so easy as to trust that claim spoken by a single man. Unless you can give us the identity and the organization of who told you that claim so that it can be verified, we are not bound to trust those words. Many have been misled as conflicts arise between worlds and races. It is easy to be inveigled, especially in these sorts of situations." Her voice was calm, eyes placid as it stared out to Alexia, as if the paper screen labeled 'thirty-three' had never been placed between them.

"The council did not ask you to deny what you have done, or wash your hands off it. If you have, by any chance, missed the question, I may have to reiterate," her voice held confidence, but in not such a way intimidating to the shinigami, whose ranks she stood side by side with prior to her designation as a Wise Woman. "Even if you are lacking in experience and preparation, those humans whose lives you took are merely just humans. At best, it would have been easy to knock them out.

"Why did you feel the need to use lethal means to stop them?"

353​

 

[Vincent Valen]

“Let’s say I let them live. They survive the whole scenario. Then they do it again...but better. They learn from their mistakes, and next time innocents die. So you all can call what I did wrong, call it a rookie mistake, or call it a declaration of war. But I know...I KNOW what I did was right. And nothing you say or do is going to make me feel different.”

“So make your decision already. I’ve said what I need to...ma’am.”

[959]

 

[Rob]

“By... ‘saving’ these lives,” Forty-one spoke up again after a period of silence, “you... traded in the lives of eighteen others. Eighteen unsuspecting, non-spiritually aware humans a few mildly spiritually aware.

“Just like those they held ‘hostage’ – since you killed the ‘guards’ before asserting the entirety of the situation, we have to question your credibility of this so called hostage situation – these men and women you killed in cold blood had families.

“Wives, husbands and children of their own. How are you not seeing this? How are you not seeing that they were of no threat to you? You are a shinigami, a god of death, balancer of souls. They could not see you, thus you needed not to kill them, but knock them out and have the human get them apprehended.

“You mingled in with human affairs, that is your first crime. You resorted to lethal force, where non-lethal would have sufficed. That is your second crime. The fact that you even have the guts to tell us otherwise, is downrightinsulting.”

[175/535]

 

[Vincent Valen]

“I believe we were all human, once upon a time. So I’m sorry if I still kept my humanity, but I worry more about the orphans and widows of innocent people than that of an armed thug who is fully aware of what he is doing. Threat to me or not...sir.”

[1,011]

 

[Shadowwind]

“If you would like to play what if,” Forty-three replied evenly, “what if your senseless murder of those individuals only serves to embolden those that follow. Since you wish to attempt to play seer, you must take into account all possibilities. Not once have you addressed your crimes. Instead you simply resort to tired weak arguments as some justification for your senseless actions.”

Letting out a sigh, the elder judge continued, “You have done everything possible to ensure you rot in prison for millennia. For all the faults this court has with the Soutaichou, he is at least aware of the expectations his uniform brings. You however have a disregard for the basic laws by which you operate. The scariest thing is that you cannot even begin to understand what it is you have done wrong. Your actions have consequences and as since you have failed to realize this we must inflict your judgement.”

The judge leaned forward once more in his seat bringing his face dangerously close to the paper screen that obscured it. “However, unlike you, this court understands that justice is not cutting a life short simply because you wish it. It is to force the debt to society to be repaid. Had you accepted responsibility and come to a realization of your crime we would have shown leniency. But it appears you showed us just how reckless an individual you are.” Clearing his throat, the judge spoke clearly, “As such, Forty-Three motions for a sentence five-hundred years of service in the seventh division to be served immediately.”

[262/1003]

 

[Nutella]

The young noble did not even flinch from her seat when the sentence was announced. It was true, they had given her a chance to at least defend her actions, but she did not seem quite as eager. Aiko was not one to judge or to demean by mere impressions considering her rather liberal views, but Alexia was, by all means, crossing the line. Gently shaking her head, a slight, almost inaudible sigh escaped her parted lips.

"It was remarkable that Acting Captain Reijuu had come here to give you his moral support, if that act of kindness was to be named," she said with a slight nod at the direction of the Acting Captain before returning her attention back to Alexia. "If you were waiting for an opportune moment to admit that you have done something wrong at a flipside of the coin, that was it." She paused, allowing the words to sink in, although she was almost certain that the other woman was growing tired of their speech.

"With utmost respect to Forty-Three's statement, I do hope those years are ample enough for you to contemplate on what had brought you there."

With those words, no further sound was heard from the noble.

[ FINAL | 463 ]​

​

 

[Rob]

“Mhm,” Forty-one mused calmly as he let his fingers tap on the desk in front of him. “You are young, perhaps... misguided by a false sense of heroism. We are in no dire need of heroes, though we appreciate the idea.

“We had hoped that you would come to see that what you feel, or know is right isn’t necessarily our truth. Sometimes, right is wrong, while wrong is right. We are not unforgiving, but you refusing to acknowledge our points of view really does leave us with no other choice, Alexia Felone da Firenze...

“You are hereby sentenced to a five hundred year sentence of servitude in the Seventh Division. Your zanpakutou will remain confiscated and will only be returned to you for missions appropriate of its usage. No exceptions.

“Kyuketsu-kataichou,” the judge continued, this time leveling his tone of voice on the Acting Captain, “I do hope this will be the last of your Templars being called to stand trial for a very long time.”

[170/705]

 

[swaswj]

Silent till now, the woman in the last occupied alcove, behind the number forty-five, spoke. She had a mature, regal voice. "Alexia Felone, you are a shinigami of the Gotei Thirteen. You are neither judge nor executioner to the denizens of the mortal world. To take a life, any life, is something which must never be approached lightly. We hear your words and hear your conviction, but We also see what you are: a shinigami.

"The role of a shinigami is not to police the living. That is a right that is lost upon death. The role of a shinigami is to protect the living from the forces which are beyond their call and to guide lost souls to Soul Society. The zanpakuto you carry is not forged to decide or deliver vengeance -- it was forged as a tool of mercy, to purify sins heaped upon souls after death, to provide guidance to a peaceful afterlife.

"Judgment of the sins of the living is undertaken by a higher source.

"Alexia Felone, the training you have received, during your six years of academy and your tenure in the Eleventh division, was sufficient for you to resolve this conflict without lethal force. As you did not, We are in agreement that five hundred years is befitting of your crime.

"In light of the testimony of Reijuu Kyuketsu and the... human intentions behind your actions, We will not sentence you to imprisonment within Kokujou to serve your time. As stated by members Forty-One and Forty-Three, We hereby remand you to the Seventh Division, that you may clear your debt to society via service to the Gotei Thirteen."

Forty-Five's final words had a ring of disappointment. "We hope you will use this time to reflect on what it means to be a shinigami."

[300/300] Final