“The court now recognizes CC-1010, hereafter referred to as ‘Commander Fox,’ as a witness. Commander, please take the stand.
“Commander, do you swear to speak nothing more or less than the complete and unaltered truth in your time on the stand today?”
“Yes, your honor.”
“And do you come before us today of your own free will, under no pressure, threat, coercion, or employment by any party?”
“Yes, your honor.”
“Please sign your name on the pad before you. Thank you. Now look forward so that the Court Recorder may obtain a retinal identification.”
A light sweeps over Fox’s eyes. A device beeps. “Positive identification, your honor.”
“Thank you, Recorder. Thank you, Commander Fox. You may now deliver testimony.”
Fox clears his throat and squares his shoulders. “Thank you, your honor.” He looks down at the wrinkled flimsi in his hands.
“I began serving under former chancellor Palpatine two months into the war. I was—am the commander of the Coruscant Guard. While in this position, I reported directly to Palpatine, in violation of Republic Military Code forty-five dash seven dash ‘b.’ I believe the paper proof of this has been submitted to evidence.
“One week into my deployment, I was called to Palpatine’s office. He and I conversed alone for about two hours, during which time I was informed that I would be acting as the enforcer of his will on Coruscant in accordance with Emergency Order Alpha, clause eleven. At the time, I was unaware of the illegality of this clause. He told me—the Chancellor told me that if I attempted to communicate this order to anyone outside of the Coruscant Guard, I would be subject to censure for the distribution of sensitive military information. I was not told what form such censure would take. I assumed he was referring to a disciplinary hearing.”
“Ah, one moment.”
“The Prosecution may speak.”
“Commander, forgive me for my interruption, but what would be the outcome of such a hearing?”
“If I was found to be at fault?”
“Yes.”
“My understanding was that I would likely be decommissioned or reconditioned.”
The prosecutor straightens his tie. “I would like to remind the jury of the illegality and inhumanity of those practices as established in Kamino vs. CLS. Thank you, Commander. Please continue.”
Fox clears his throat. “Over the next six months, I completed four thousand seven hundred and thirty eight pieces of paperwork. One thousand two hundred and sixty of these were for the office of the Supreme Chancellor and the remainder were related to GAR and Guard matters. My security clearance at the time was level seven-beta and the information I dealt with was accordingly sensitive. During that time, I also completed thirty six official missions for the office of the Chancellor. In review of the paperwork, I would say that nineteen of these fell outside of the Chancellor’s jurisdiction and two of them were outright illegal. I have indicated these in the paperwork submitted to Evidence.
“On September 20, 7952 C.R.C., I was called to the Chancellor’s office for a meeting. This meeting was scheduled for 1400 and I can only assume I arrived on time. This is the first meeting with the Chancellor of which I have no memory and no recording of in my helmet cams or audio. The blank spot in the equipment lasts exactly two hours, sixteen minutes, and twelve seconds, beginning as I walk into the Chancellor’s office and picking up again in my office. Notes added to my personal datapad at 1643 that day read, ‘Meeting went as expected, no change in tomorrow’s schedule. Send notice to Accounting re: last month’s backpay.’ I have counted three hundred seventy one other such notes in my holonet account spanning the time from this incident to two weeks ago, May 13. All of them seem to align with memory lapses and/or missing time from shift records and/or missing data from my helmet’s surveillance system.
“On January 13, 7953 C.R.C., I was checked into the Guard medbay and treated for injuries sustained under unknown circumstances. Chief Medic Hemlock’s testimony will be more informative as to the nature of my stay, but records show that I was checked in at 0425 and released at 0900. I was treated for several broken bones and moderate bruising, as well as scattered second-degree burns. I have no memory of this event and have been unable to find notes recording my thoughts on the experience.
“In the following two months, five other such incidents occurred.
“On March 22, 7953 C.R.C., I requested an in-person meeting with Marshall Commander Cody, CC-2224.”
“Love, maybe you should turn this off.”
Obi-Wan’s hands on his cheeks startle Cody so badly he nearly headbutts the man. Obi-Wan rolls with it, leaning back and then forward again, right into Cody’s view of the holoprojection. He wipes tears off Cody’s face with gentle, warm fingers. Cody hadn’t realized he’d started crying. Or stopped breathing. Right. He should do that. His throat is so tight it hurts, but he should do that.
He shakes his head. “I promised Fox I’d watch. He’s an attention-whore; he’ll only perform if he knows he’s got an audience.” Cody forces out a dry laugh and tugs his blanket tighter around his shoulders. Obi-Wan’s apartment, usually so comfortable, seems chilly today.
“Alright. Can I sit with you, then?” Obi-Wan presses a kiss to his hair.
“No. Sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.”
“‘Kay.” Cody turns his attention back to the trial, rewinding to where he’d been interrupted.
“On March 22, 7953 C.R.C., I requested an in-person meeting with Marshall Commander Cody, CC-2224. I relayed my concerns to him regarding widespread incidents of amnesia within the Guard, as well as my suspicions about the legality of Palpatine’s activities. He was not equally concerned.”
Fox talks for more than five hours. Cody has Obi-Wan to bring him tea and rub his shoulders and whisper comfort when both Fox and Cody start to gasp for breath. All Fox has is a bottle of water on the corner of the witness stand. An aide refills it three times. Fox’s voice starts to go. He has to turn up the microphone.
“My men suffered repeated physical abuse at the hands of members of the Senate and the Red Guard.”
“Supply restriction and data throttling began around the nine month of the war…”
“—Which I’d never have done if I’d known, but with the information available to me at the time—”
“At this point, altercations between the Guard and the GAR were frequent and frequently violent.”
“Two days ago, I was released from the care of the Jedi Healers to stay with Jedi Master Quinlan Vos.” Fox finishes his story staring out at the crowd with furrowed brows and a firm voice. Then, his knees seem to go weak and he clutches the edge of the stand for support. “That’s all,” he tells the judge. “May I…?”
The judge watches him with a critical eye. When she asks, “Would either the Defense or the Prosecution like to proceed with questions at this time?” it’s clear what answer she expects.
“No, your honor.”
“Then you may be dismissed, Commander Fox. Thank you for your time and testimony.”
Fox hardly makes it off the stand. The cameras do him the favor of panning away as Master Vos catches him by the elbow, guiding him down the stairs and out the back door.
Cody barely makes it to the ‘fresher in time to throw up.
The evening runs exactly as planned. Fox and Quinlan show up at their door around eight thirty, wilted and all but clinging to each other in Obi-Wan’s kitchen. They stand there for a few long minutes and Obi-Wan and Cody give them their time, quietly doing the dishes while they exchange hushed words and gentle touches. Fox and Quinlan have been together for nearly as long as Cody and Obi-Wan have known each other and it shows in the easy way they move. Cody hopes to have that for himself one day.
Fox is the one to move them into the next part of the evening. He steps back from Quinlan and leans up onto his toes to give him a lingering, aggressive nuzzle of a keldabe before saying, “Go have fun with the kids,” and giving him a gentle shove towards the door.
“I suppose that’s my cue,” Obi-Wan tells him, and Cody gets a quick peck on the lips before the Jetiise are gone, off to teach toddlers to commit murder or whatever “creche duty” entails. Hopefully, it’s as comforting as what Cody and Fox have planned.
As soon as Quinlan’s out the door, Fox deflates, dropping into a chair and resting his head on his crossed arms. “Did you enjoy my big debut, Kote?”
“Oh, it was incredible. You had me on the edge of my seat.” Cody shuts the cabinet and sets about pouring them both cups of tea. “Did you eat already?”
Fox hums an affirmative. Cody sets the tea down in the living room and returns to pull Fox off the table. “Come on, up,” he demands when Fox ragdolls in his grip. “Let’s go, asshole.”
Fox cooperates long enough for Cody to haul him up out of the chair and to his feet, at which point he goes limp again. Cody lets him fall and leaves him on the ground, heading back to the living room and settling on the couch.
The too-quick pad of socked feet on the floor is Cody’s only warning before Fox launches himself over the back of the fucking couch and lands on Cody like a sack of bony potatoes, shouting, “Oya, asshat!”
“Ow!” Cody shoves Fox to the ground. Fox kicks him in the face. They scuffle for a few moments before Fox rolls onto his back and bares his neck to Cody’s forearm.
“Yield,” he pants, suddenly pale. “Sorry. Not quite up to wrestling tonight.”
Cody pulls Fox back onto the couch, strong-arming him into laying draped over Cody’s chest. “You started it.”
Fox pinches him. “Just play the movie, vod.”
“I’m going, I’m going.”
Fox is asleep before the main theme ends.