TYPE: Transcription
DESCRIPTION: Vanguard Tribunal 3647.59
CASE #: TRIB-3647-59-POI-0480 (Magda-9)
PARTIES: Twelve [12]; One [1] Guardian-type, Class Titan, designate Commander Zavala [CZ]; One [1] Guardian-type, Class Hunter, designate Shiro-4 [S4]; One [1] Human-type, designate Sarielle Shu [SS]; One [1] Human-type, designate Valentin Anders [VA]; One [1] Human-type, designate Deputy Commander Hammon [DCH]; One [1] Eliksni-type, designate Eido [EID]; One [1] Psion-type, designate Tsacsii [TSA]; One [1] Awoken-type, designate Zahid Pan [ZP]; One [1] Guardian-type, Class Warlock, designate Magda-9 [M9]; One [1] Guardian-type, Class Warlock, designate Ikora Rey [IR]; One [1] Exo-type, designate Elsie Bray [EB]; One [1] Guardian-type, Class Warlock, designate Wahei Ohr [WO]
ASSOCIATIONS: Black Fleet; Bray, Clovis I; Bray, Elisabeth [AKA Bray, Elsie; Stranger, Exo]; Clarity Control; Clovis Bray (corporation); Consensus; Crota; Crow, The [AKA Sov, Uldren]; Darkness; Eliksni; Endless Night; Eventide; Forge Star, The [AKA 2082 Volantis]; FOTC [AKA Civic Defense]; Great Disaster; Hive; House of Light; Last City; Light; Lux Ruinas; Mahal, Aunor; Namrask [AKA Akileuks]; Ohr, Wahei; Praxic Order; Reef; Sacred Splicers; Shadows of Salvation; Shadows of Yor; Stasis; Tribunal; Vergift, Dredgen [AKA Versenne, Magdalene; Magda-9]; Vex; WoS; Xivu Arath
// AUDIO UNAVAILABLE //
// TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS... //
[CZ] This tribunal is called to order. As the position of Hunter Vanguard remains vacant, I will thank Shiro-4 for filling the role on this tribunal council--
[S4] I would like it noted for the record that I am not accepting the role of Hunter Vanguard in any permanent, or even temporary, capacity. I am only filling a gap on this council.
[CZ] [beat] Yes. Be that so noted. In past tribunal meetings, the populace of the City were ably spoken for by their Consensus faction representatives. In the wake of the factions' departure from the City, we have spoken with the remaining Consensus members and reached a temporary agreement to fill the spaces on this council with one member of Civic Defense and two members of the Consensus. Today, these seats are filled by Sarielle Shu of the Peregrine District and Valentin Anders of the Ridgeback District. Thank you both for taking the time to be here today.
[SS] Thank you, Commander. I am honored to be here.
[VA] As am I.
[CZ] To represent the civil order and the martial Forces of the City, I welcome Deputy Commander Hammon and thank him for taking time from his own busy schedule to be here.
[DCH] Doing my civic duty, Commander.
[CZ] And finally, we are joined today by three others, who are not here in any judiciary capacity and will have no vote in the decision of the tribunal. First, on behalf of the Eliksni House of Light, Scribe Eido.
[EID] I thank you, Zavalakel, for allowing me to be here.
[CZ] Your people were preyed upon as much as any others by the accused and her allies. It is right you should be here to see justice done.
[EID] Thank you, Commander.
[CZ] On behalf of the Imperial Cabal Legions, Councilor Tsacsii.
[TSA] The Empress sends her regards, Commander.
[CZ] Thank you. And last, but not least, on behalf of the Awoken of the Reef, Corsair Zahid Pan.
[ZP] Good day.
[CZ] Today's tribunal concerns the crimes of the Lightbearer Magda-9, alternately known by the name Dredgen Vergift.
[M9] I no longer use that name.
[CZ] You were using that name while committing your crimes. Whether you use it now is irrelevant.
[IR] Magda-9. You stand accused of a myriad of crimes. The most prominent of which include the manufacture, possession, and usage of proscribed Weapons of Sorrow, the murder of multiple Lightless and Lightbearers, and terrorism. How do you plead?
[pause]
[S4] Speak up. You can't ignore this.
[SS] It would be in your best interest to speak in your defense.
[M9] Speaking in my defense implies that I recognize the authority of this tribunal. Which I do not.
[general outcry, multiple voices overlapping, banging sound]
[CZ] I will have order!
[outcry subsides]
[CZ] Magda-9--
[M9] I understand the crimes of which I am accused. I also acknowledge that I committed many of them. You have all already condemned me. Entering a plea serves me no purpose. I will endure whatever punishment this tribunal decides upon.
[S4] Even if that punishment is final death?
[M9] Even so.
[general indistinct murmuring]
[M9] That being said--
[murmuring subsides]
[M9] --condemning me to final death would be a waste.
[pause]
[IR] How do you mean?
[M9] We stand on the precipice. The Black Fleet over our heads like the Sword of Damocles. The War-Bringer is on our doorstep, with the might of the Hive, Scorn, and Taken at her beck and call.
[DCH] I have every confidence in my people and those of the Vanguard that we can stand up to what's coming.
[M9] Wat brutaal van je. [Dutch: How bold of you.] And how confident are you that your weaponry is up to the task?
[pause]
[M9] It is true that the City foundries are constantly striving to improve their wares. Any weapon in the hands of a Lightbearer is capable of so much more, ja-nie? [Dutch: Yesno?] But how well did those weapons serve us in the Great Disaster?
[pause]
[CZ] None of us knew what to expect then--
[M9] Ja, and that is my point. Outside context problems. Until the Great Disaster, the Hive were merely another pack of monsters lurking in the shadows. Dangerous, but we could deal with them. And then we met Crota, and we learned about Ascendant Hive, against whom our weapons were worthless. And what happens if the Vex invade the City again? Lightbearers can fight them, because we have the Light. But Hammon and his people, they do not. The Vex could rip through his people without a problem.
[IR] What are you proposing?
[M9] I know that everything in my workshop below Eventide was confiscated. Which means the Vanguard now has, in its evidence vault, a weapon based on designs from my first life, when I was Magdalene Versenne. A weapon I was contracted to build not for Clovis Bray, but for one Elisabeth Bray. Is dit niet waar? [Dutch: Is this not true?] Stranger?
[pause]
[M9] I know you're there, Elisabeth. Hiding in the shadows, with the others. Including Ohr, de smerige kleine heks. [Dutch: the filthy little witch]
[EB] Magda.
[M9] Elisabeth. You, more than anyone else, can confirm what you found in my workshop. Unless you tried to hide it from Mahal and the Hidden who came around to sweep through and confiscate everything.
[pause]
[EB] I did find it. I did hide it from the Vanguard's people.
[general outcry, banging sound]
[CZ] Order!
[outcry subsides]
[IR] Stop looking so smug, Magda. What is this weapon you speak of?
[M9] When the Vex began to infiltrate Clovis Senior's project on Europa, Elisabeth saw the only way to stop the threat the Vex posed was to destroy them at what we thought was the source, the Forge Star at 2082 Volantis. So she began to design a weapon, and she turned to one of Clovis Bray's best engineers for assistance.
[EB] And we built it. A paracausal weapon. Powerful enough to destroy a star.
[M9] But before Elisabeth could make use of it, her grandfather found out, and... well. Most of the tribunal is aware of what a bastard Clovis Senior was. He destroyed the weapon, in the process killing Elisabeth, but then he just decanted her mind into another Exo body. After some suitable "editing" to make sure she wouldn't try something like that again.
[VA] And what about you?
[M9] I found myself on an accelerated path to Exomind upload, just so Senior could make sure I wouldn't betray him again. Not that I betrayed him.
[TSA] But weren't your actions a betrayal of his trust?
[M9] I am a scientist, Psion. Elisabeth merely presented me with an interesting scientific and engineering challenge. I merely designed the weapons. I am not responsible for what people do with them.
[general outcry, banging sound]
[CZ] Order!
[SS] The weapons you've made have killed--
[M9] Miss Shu, you work for Omolon, ja-nie?
[SS] I-- yes, I do.
[M9] How many people have Omolon's weapons killed? Daito's? Crux/Lomar? Veist? Tex Mechanica? Do you mean to put their engineers before a tribunal as well?
[CZ] They haven't built Weapons of Sorrow.
[M9] The first one was merely a challenge, just like when Elisabeth asked me to build her weapon. The others? Contract work. I was paid for it.
[ZP] You killed multiple Reef citizens to construct some of your weapons--
[M9] Spare me your righteous indignation, Reef child. Your Queen has sacrificed so many in service of her own ambitions.
[sudden commotion, overlapping shouting voices]
[CZ] Corsair Pan, you will compose yourself, or you will be escorted out of this hall!
[ZP] This boltneck just--
[CZ] I know what she said! You are not here to pass judgment on her.
[ZP] You--
[pause] [footsteps exiting, door opening and closing]
[CZ] [sigh] For the record, Corsair Pan has taken his leave. I don't think any of us can blame him, in the circumstances.
[IR] Back to the matter at hand. Magda-9, what exactly are you trying to argue here? That we should spare you final death, so that you can build weapons?
[M9] I am the foremost expert you have when it comes to making weapons of a paracausal nature. These are the weapons you are going to need when Xivu Arath comes with a fleet of Hive War Moons. Is this not so, Psion?
[pause]
[TSA] I am not at liberty to speak as to the capabilities of the enemies that Cabal forces have faced.
[M9] [chuckles] That's a bingo.
[CZ] While the accused has given us a great deal to discuss, this tribunal was called concerning your crimes, to allow you to speak in your defense.
[M9] I offer no defense. I did that which I am accused. To further my knowledge and the boundaries of science. If you must have me enter a plea, then let it be "guilty." What awaits me next is for you to decide. I am forced to abide by your judgment in the circumstances.
[pause]
[CZ] Bailiffs, take the accused back to her cell, while this tribunal deliberates.
[M9] [chuckles] Don't keep me waiting long, Commander.
[CZ] Get her out of here!
[footsteps exiting, door opening and closing]
[pause]
[S4] Are we seriously considering this?
[CZ] Despite my better judgment.
[SS] Commander, I will caution you against this path. Word has already reached the people that a dangerous terrorist was captured. If you do spare her, it will only further shake their confidence in your leadership, and that is still on shaky ground after the Endless Night crisis.
[VA] Sarielle is right. You gained back a lot of good will after the Vex invasion. Most of the people know now that Lakshmi caused it, but there's still a lot of bad feelings underneath it all. Taking any kind of non-aggressive stance against the Fallen-- no offense, Miss Eido--
[EID] None is taken.
[VA] --against the Fallen, who slaughtered countless settlements and pilgrims since the Dark Age, and against the Cabal-- who actually conquered the City--
[TSA] It was not the Empress who--
[VA] I know that, but to the common folk, they see little difference between your Imperial Legion and Ghaul's Red Legion.
[IR] Everyone, believe me, Zavala and I are all too aware of the damage our reputations have taken in recent years. But our duty is not to make the popular decision, but the decision that will best serve to protect this City.
[CZ] And as much as it pains me to admit, Magda may have a point.
[S4] We can't seriously want her to build us Weapons of Sor--
[IR] No, of course not. Elisabeth. Elsie. This weapon she built. Does it use the Darkness?
[EB] [pause] It may. It does not use Stasis, but the design was based in part off the data that my grandfather gathered from the Darkness, which he called Clarity Control.
[pause]
[WO] May I make a suggestion to the tribunal?
[IR] Wahei? Very well, speak your mind.
[WO] Publicly announce that she's been executed. You can even stage the execution. Then, when the cameras stop rolling, you rez her and lock her deep in the Tower's cells.
[pause]
[SS] You're proposing we lie to the people of the City?
[WO] I fear that Magda might be right, and we might need to make use of her knowledge and her expertise in the conflicts to come. I'm not saying we commute her sentence completely, but merely delay it. Make it clear to her that her continued existence is dependent on her cooperation.
[CZ] I am with Miss Shu on this. I am not comfortable with the idea of lying to the people.
[WO] Of course, Commander. So when can we expect an announcement concerning The Crow?
[IR] Wahei!
[WO] I am merely offering an option. I'm not discounting the danger that she presents, but we can't overlook the fact that she might be right. Besides, I'm sure the Praxic Order would like the chance to try to rehabilitate her.
[EID] Zavalakel, Ikorakel, you cannot spare this woman. She is, at the least, responsible for the death of one of our Sacred Splicers. She must face justice for that.
[WO] And the so-called 'empty weaver' will face justice for the fall of London when?
[IR] Wahei, you go too far.
[WO] No one here can claim any kind of moral high ground, Ikora. Not even myself. [beat] But I've said my piece. I will abide by the decision of the tribunal. If you will all excuse me, I have a great number of belated reports to file.
[footsteps departing, door opening and closing]
[pause]
[CZ] Miss Shu, Mister Anders, do you have anything to add?
[VA] Nothing more than we have already said. I understand your circumstances, but I caution you-- keeping secrets from the people of the City will only further erode public confidence in your leadership.
[SS] Valentin is right, but I must admit, as an employee of Omolon, I can see where Magda-9's knowledge would be invaluable. But, as a person holding public office, I will also warn that Magda cannot possibly be trusted.
[DCH] The worst kind of criminal is the kind that makes themselves invaluable. Removing them just destabilizes things. I won't lie, paracausal weapons that could be wielded by common folk? That would be a game-changer, to be sure.
[pause]
[IR] Then are we in agreement? A public declaration, a show of justice, but a secret stay of execution?
[pause]
[IR] Speak your vote, for the record.
[DCH] Aye.
[SS] Aye.
[VA] Yes.
[S4] [beat] Yes.
[IR] Aye.
[pause]
[CZ] [sigh] Yes. Traveler protect us.
~*~*~*~
Afterword: Special thanks to OverAcanthocephala95 from r/DestinyJournals for free use of his character Deputy Commander Hammon.
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