Ellie sat alone in a waiting area outside the enquiry chambers. The chair was hard and cold, the white walls bare, and her heart was broken.
At first, the only other person present was a clerk whose job it was to admit and release witnesses for the hearing, one after the other. Minutes passed. People came and filled the other chairs, then emptied them as they were called in to give evidence, or a professional opinion, or render expert judgement. They were cadets, senior staff, and investigators. Some looked at her with pity. Some with disgust. Some with disappointment. One with hate.
The clerk took each name and rank and checked them against a list, and ask them to sit and wait. Their names would be called, and they passed through into the chambers. The door mechanism sighed with every admission. Even the Paris seemed disappointed in her.
Ellie looked at the floor until she was alone again.
The clerk called her by name and title and rank. Ellie heard it the second time. It was a formality but it felt like another accusation. She stood and took a breath and stood end stepped through the door into the outer room of the enquiry chambers.
An officer stood ready to meet her. He stood with hands clasped, and a datapad tucked under his arm.
"Cadet? They are ready for you now." He led her to another door and waved an access card at a panel to open the door. The door to that room made no noise. It was as silent as death.
Ellie stepped through the door to greet her fate.
Two desks, each seating two officers, flanked a larger central desk where sat the captain of the Paris. In front of her was a datapad and a polished wooden gavel resting on a matching sound block. Ellie's commanding officer sat on the captain's right, next to Luitenent Awan. Both wore grim expressions. The desk on the left was staffed by two officers Ellie didn't recognise.
The walls were covered in screens. At the back of the room an officer monitored the automatic transcript of the proceedings. A chair and desk in the middle of the room waited for her. There was a glass pitcher of water on the desk, and an empty glass. The chair faced the captain. She gestured for Ellie to sit down.
"Take a seat, cadet."
Ellie walked to the table between rows of chairs and sat down. She drew the chair beneath her and sat close to the table as if it would provide some kind of cover. She put her hands on the desk top. Then folded one hand over the other. Then she moved her hands to her lap. Then back to the desk, this time fingers tightly laced together.
"Begin recording," the captain announced. "This enquiry is now in session." A screen behind the Admiral lit up, displaying the date and time and a long reference number punctuated with dots and dashes.
The captain touched her datapad to check some small detail before speaking. "In accordance with disciplinary regulation twenty six dash nine, this panel has been convened to investigate the incident which occurred two days ago on the date noted in the evidentiary log, and to provide summary judgement. Cadet please state your name for the record."
"Ellie,"' she said.
"Your full name, please cadet," said the captain, not unkindly.
"Eleanor Young."
"Thank you. Let's begin."
The hearing began with witness statements. The entire class had seen what happened, so they were all present today.
All but one.
In turn, they were called to make statements. Each gave their account of what they had seen. Every statement was the same. Dominique sounded apologetic as she retold the story. Rebecca spoke plainly, avoiding eye contact with Ellie, but wiped her eyes as she was excused. They glanced at her as they stepped down to return to their seats, trying to make eye contact, trying to provide what support they could. Ellie only stared at the wall, her face pinched and pale and exhausted by guilt.
When her turn came, Celeste answered every question in short, clipped sentences. Her testimony needed no elaboration. She delivered the facts efficiently, ruthlessly, and stared at Ellie throughout.
When the witness statements had all been entered into the record, the captain addressed Ellie directly.
"Cadet Young, can you confirm you have heard the statements presented here today. Can you also confirm that you have received a full written summary of the charges against you?"
Ellie nodded.
"For the record please, cadet."
"Yes, sir."
"And can you furthermore confirm to this panel that you have lodged no formal appeal over the facts contained therein?"
"Yes. I mean no. I haven't appealed anything."
"Understood, cadet. This panel has reviewed the evidence presented in the form of audio and video recordings, ship telemetry and multiple eyewitness accounts. Furthermore, your commanding officers have also provided references about your skills and character which this panel has taken into account. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir."
"Do you have anything to add before the events under investigation are repeated into the record in your presence?"
"No sir," said Ellie softly.
"Very well," said the captain. "Let the record show that on the date in question, Cadet Eleanor Young took actions that conflicted with her training, regulation and good sense, and with wilful disregard set into motion events which resulted in the loss of and damage to, among other items, one Starling Mark III training craft registered to the naval carrier UCN Paris; extensive damage to the landing bay of the aforementioned vessel, and serious and life-threatening injuries to Cadet Aurora Tan. Does the Cadet dispute these events? Speak now."
"No," said Ellie softly.
"Does the prosecution have anything further to add at this time?"
An officer stood up behind the desk on her left. He cleared his throat and raised his datapad to read a prepared statement.
"The prosecution is satisfied that all facts and evidence pertaining to this case have been faithfully recorded. The evidence is clear. The cadet is guilty on all charges." He sat down.
The Admiral spoke to Captain Taylor next. "As the commanding officer of the accused, you are responsible for her training and conduct. Do you have any details you now wish to enter into the record in her defence?"
Taylor stood up and spoke without a datapad. She stood rigid, arms and legs locked, and looked straight ahead. "Sir, I have reviewed all training schedules and assessments to date and am confident that we have taken all reasonable measures to instil in the cadet squadron the requisite skills and experience. Lieutenant Awan agrees with me that Cadet Young has, in every instance, met or exceeded all training objectives to date." Taylor looked directly at Ellie before she finished, but Ellie could not see in her eyes either accusation or regret. "The responsibility of the cadet's conduct and actions in the events preceding this tragedy are hers alone."
"Thank you, captain," said the Admiral. Taylor nodded once and sat down. "This panel will now review the record one last time. Playback please. AV and telemetry."
The screens around the room went black. A white title card appeared to display the session details and a summary of the contents to follow. Ellie saw her name in a list of two. The other was Aurora.
The screens blacked again and playback started. Ellie watched the events play out from multiple angles. One wide shot was from the landing bay of the Paris. It showed two Starlings on approach, one gaining rapidly on the other.
Another angle was from a camera mounted on Ellie's ship. It showed the Paris growing larger and a Starling closing fast. An inset picture showed Ellie in her cockpit, face grim. Below the video recording were graphs and numbers displaying relative speed, velocity and proximity to Aurora's Starling.
Aurora's video feed was on a third screen. It showed the Paris from almost the same angle as Ellie's Starling. Her inset picture revealed an expression of concentration on her face. There was no sign of Ellie's ship in any of Aurora's video feeds.
The background noise was the dull roar of the engines, overlaid with sensor pings and system handshakes, sounds normally muted for the benefit of the pilot, but replayed here as evidence that all systems were working perfectly.
Ellie's voice suddenly interrupted the audio, abrupt and loud and clear. "It wasn't my fault."
There was no reply. Aurora's video feed showed no hint that Ellie's message had been heard.
The proximity alert pinged on the audio feed. On each Starling video feeds, the observation room on the Paris was visible, and inside figures were waving.
The captain's voice broke in, ordering Ellie to pull up. Ellie's video feed showed no sign she had heard the order. The data evidence showed that she had.
Camera angles shifted as Ellie flew closer to Aurora.
For Ellie at her desk, the sounds faded away. The room disappeared. All she saw was Aurora's face as her Starling was jolted by Ellie's collision. Aurora reacted, moved away, moved back. Her face was tense, then afraid as she realised one thruster was no longer responding.
The landing bay was suddenly upon her. Aurora pulled back and closed her eyes and turned her face away. The image shook violently, almost throwing Aurora from her seat. The stars visible from the cockpit camera spun out of view. The landing bay spun into view. The front camera view of her ship was a blur as it turned and scraped along the wall before going black. Aurora's scream was visible but inaudible. Smoke filled the picture. Then one thin finger of flame crept into view. Then nothing.
The screens in the room turned black before the date and reference number of the panel filled them again.
"I didn't mean to," Ellie whispered.
"Cadet Young," said the Admiral. "The evidence and eyewitness testimony has been reviewed by this panel. You have offered no defence of your actions. Is this correct?"
"Yes," said Ellie.
"Your training record supplied by Captain Taylor shows that your conduct to date has been exemplary. Your record to date demonstrates undeniable talent and skill in your command of a Starling. It would be a great shame to this ship, to your commanding officer and to yourself, for one lapse in judgement to bring this potential to an end."
Ellie sniffed. What was he saying?
"Furthermore, Cadet Aurora Tam has entered a statement into the official record explaining her reasons for not bringing personal charges against Cadet Young, despite her unequivocal right to do so."
Ellie looked up. She didn't?
"However," the Admiral continued, "Every officer, pilot, and crew member aboard the Paris understands that a lapse in judgement such as you have demonstrated is both inconsistent and incompatible with the highest standards and ideals expected of a naval pilot. Each member of a naval squadron must be able to trust all other members at all times. You have betrayed that trust with proven reckless and dangerous conduct. You have betrayed your fellow cadets with your lack of self control. The results of your actions were damage to property, threat to life, and almost fatal injury to a fellow cadet. It is with deep regret that I must inform you that you are to be expelled with dishonour from this class, and to be removed from the cadet program at once. You are to be stripped of all flight privileges with immediate effect."
The Admiral picked up the gavel with his right hand and banged it sharply on the sound block.
"This is my judgement. Let the record show."
The crack of the gavel echoed around the chamber, and died.