The Revolution Came

Chapter 40: Aftermath

November 14th, 1942
Supreme Triburnal

The coup leaders stood in silence, bound in chains and flanked by stoic National Guardsmen. Their uniforms were torn, their medals stripped, their eyes weary from defeat. The Tribunal Hall was packed, President Winchester and his cabinet sitting in solemn observation, while soldiers and citizens watched from the upper galleries.

At the elevated bench, the three senior justices, Justice Revinista, Justice Lockhart, and Justice Hawker, gathered behind closed doors in the deliberation chamber. The voices that echoed beyond the thick wooden doors were sharp, passionate, and unmistakably divided.

Justice Revinista paced slowly, eyes hard. "Exile is a punishment that denies them the stage they so crave. Let them die in obscurity, stripped of power, forgotten by history. Execution will only give them legacy, an image of martyrdom that their supporters will twist into legend."

Justice Hawker slammed a fist on the table. "You think obscurity will satisfy the widows of our fallen? You think silence is justice for the hundreds who died in the streets of Revilla? For the ones who bled for the Republic they tried to murder?" He gestured toward the window. "There's ash on our skyline, Revinista! That is their legacy."

Justice Lockhart, calmer but equally resolute, intervened. "We are not here to avenge the dead, we are here to preserve the living ideals of this Republic. If we execute them, we validate every fear the Imperialists preached about our democracy. We become what they claimed we were."

Hawker's voice dropped to a bitter murmur. "They raised arms against the government. They spilled blood on sacred ground. That is treason by definition. The law is clear."

Revinista countered, "The law also provides for alternatives... life imprisonment, banishment. We can send them to the Isle of Teralis, let them rot in isolation without shedding more blood."

Lockhart leaned in, thoughtful. "Let them see the world move on without them. Let the Republic thrive while they sit powerless. That is justice they can never twist into victory."

Hawker stood firm. "If we spare them, others will rise. That precedent will haunt us. This must be the last coup, make sure no one dares another."

The room fell into silence. Only the soft ticking of the chamber's clock echoed through the heated air.

At last, Revinista spoke. "Then let us take this to a vote but know this, if we forsake our values today, we will lose more than any coup could ever take."

________

Cody stood next to Mey, both men silent as they waited outside the Tribunal Hall. The weight of everything that had transpired, the battle, the betrayal, the uncertain future, pressed down like a stormcloud refusing to lift.

Mey stood motionless, his gaze locked on the heavy wooden doors before them. But his mind was far away, replaying the moment Magno dropped his sword. The man he once called brother reduced to a prisoner, defeated not just by force, but by his own misguided vision.

Cody watched him quietly for a moment before stepping closer and placing a hand on Mey's shoulder. The gesture was enough to bring him back.

"You know," Cody began, voice low and calm, "you've spent enough time brooding lately. Might do you some good to talk to Meika again."

Mey's brow furrowed slightly, turning to glance at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Cody smirked faintly. "Just saying. She's always around when you're in the worst shape. She's got a way of grounding people. Maybe she sees something in you worth sticking around for."