I
31st August 2021
Vicarius Wilfred Cocx, close ally of His Imperial Majesty, has been on the witness stand for the last several days. His examination by the Imperial Prosecutor Extraordinaire is about to come to a conclusion.
IPE Paul Robinax: "Vicarius Cocx, the Imperial Prosecutor's office thanks you for your extensive, thorough testimony in this groundbreaking trial. The Inimician People owe you a debt of gratitude, as do I personally. Before I conclude my examination, is there a final comment you wish to make?"
Defence attorney Anita Benfield interjects: "Objection, Mr Vice President. What is the relevance of this?"
Robinax: "Vicarius Cocx is the keynote witness for the prosecution, Learned Vice President. His views are crucial to our case."
VP Van Tienhoven: "One moment." Van Tienhoven can be seen consulting with the other Judges on the panel and with His Imperial Majesty, sat above the Judges' bench.
"Given the seniority and detailed testimony of Vicarius Cocx, I will allow him to make a brief concluding statement."
Cocx: "Learned Justices, thank you. Mr Robinax, it has been my pleasure and duty to stand up for the Inimician People and the safety of our state. My three-day long examination for the prosecution has been tiring, yet I felt invigorated with energy every time I glanced at the defendants' box. Those people, those criminals, disgust me to the utmost. They attacked the heart of our democracy, the core of our traditions, the man whom we all aspire to stand up for. I am, perhaps, most disgusted by the second group of defendants, those whom I would formerly have trusted and called my friends and allies. Their treachery, as made completely and painfully evident by your excellent exposition of their crimes, Mr Robinax, as well as by the testimony I gave, is worse than a plain foreign assassination attempt. I would further --"
VP Van Tienhoven: "Thank you, Vicarius Cocx, that will be all. Now, I call -- " Van Tienhoven is interrupted by a tap on the shoulder from the Emperor, who whispers something inaudible. "Er, apologies, Vicarius Cocx. Please, continue."
Cocx: "Thank you, Learned Vice President. I shan't be much longer. The guilt of the foreign terrorists in the first defendant group is, I would submit, clear as day. Not even Ms Benfield denies that fact. Those three deserve to be locked up in a special penetentiary for the rest of their miserable lives, reminded daily by the fact that there is no getting away from the Emperor's Justice. However, personal treachery against the Emperor, against the Imperial State, and against the Inimician People, is, I think, much, much worse. Although it is not up to me to dispense punishment in this Court, I cannot think of a penalty high enough for such scoundrel. It pains me, angers me, to the core, to see the faces of the Barringtons and their allies in this courtroom. Thank you."
VP Van Tienhoven: "Very well, thank you, Vicarius Cocx, and thank you, Learned Robinax. I now call the Learned Ms Benfield for her cross-examination."
Benfield: "Mr Cocx. Your service to this nation is indubitable. Your dedication to the Empire is nigh unmatched. Your willingness to sit in the witness box for days on end is a feat not many of your peers, indeed, not many in general, could accomplish. We thank you for your comprehensive testimony. Nevertheless, Mr Cocx, there are parts of your testimony on which I would seek further clarification. But before I address those points, I would point out certain other facts about your conduct during, before, and after the incidents of last year, which cast doubt on the credibility of your testimony.
"Mr Cocx, why did you not accompany His Imperial Majesty on the test flight of Needletail One, despite your being responsible for the funding and running of the whole project?"
Cocx: "Given that a large amount of high level politicians took part in the test flight, I deemed it appropriate for me to continue running the day to day affairs of government."
Benfield: "Why, then, did you board a motorcade travelling to Portus Inimici, where the Emperor was hospitalised, almost an hour before the first reports of the Needletail One crash even emerged?"
Cocx: "I have no idea what you're referring to, but I -- "
Benfield: "Excuse me, Mr Cocx, but I am confident you do. Learned Justices, I draw your attention to Defence Exhibit 42. Mr Cocx, am I not correct in thinking that is your personal vehicle?"
Defence Exhibit 42
Cocx: "You are."
Benfield: "Am I not correct in thinking the place that photograph was taken is on the outskirts of Telum, near Hugh Square?"
Cocx: "That would seem to be the case."
Benfield: "Note the timestamp in the bottom left of the image, Mr Cocx. 1401hrs. The first news of the Needletail One disaster broke at 2:48pm; the Imperial Transportation Safety Agency report on the missile strike concludes that the surface-to-air missile involved in the assassination attempt was launched at 2:34pm, exploding near Needletail One at 2:38pm. Why, Mr Cocx, were you on your way to Portus Inimici well over half an hour before anything was awry, and over 40 minutes before anyone knew about what had happened?"
Cocx: "Ms Benfield, the business of running an Empire is a complex one. Often, one has to run back and forth between departments, agencies, representatives. Often, I feel as though I've run a marathon after a day in the Imperial Palace. I think it is painfully obvious to anyone following these procedures that I was clearly on my way to a different engagement, before news of His Imperial Majesty's fateful disaster broke, and I immediately sped to Portus Inimici."
Benfield: "How convenient, then, that this undefined 'different engagement' was apparently located exactly on the fastest government-used route from Telum to Portus Inimici, was it not?"
IPE Robinax: "Objection. Vicarius Cocx is not on trial here, Learned Justices. This is pure conjecture on Ms Benfield's part."
VP Van Tienhoven: "Mr Robinax, I think I have conceded quite enough to you. Objection denied. The Learned Ms Benfield will continue her line of questioning -- " Another tap on the shoulder, another whisper in the ear "-- will continue her questioning after a short intermission. I suspend the Court for fifteen minutes."
TBC