Judgment Hall — Part II: The VerdictLocation: New Berlin – Justice Hall 3ADate: Year 931 — Month 1 — Day 1Time: 10:27 a.m.
Garesh said nothing. He sat back down. Still smiling.
But even he knew—
The trial had only just begun.
Krieger stared forward.
The ledgers were closed. The boards were returned to their crates. The paintings still leaned against the walls.
The guards stood ready. The cameras whirred slowly. The charcoal artists wiped sweat from their brows.
Krieger raised his gavel again.
BOOM
He spoke loud.
"No further evidence will be presented publicly. The jury has received full transcripts. They will now retire to deliberate on sentencing."
He turned to the twelve.
"You have seen the wounds. You have read the numbers. You have heard the cries. Now decide what each of them deserves."
He looked back at the nobles.
"And let the world witness what justice looks like."
The girl juror stood. Nodded once.
Then the twelve left. Silently. Each step heavy. Every boot echoing across stone.
Krieger spoke once more.
"This court is in recess until sentencing is reached."
Then silence.
Three hours passed.
The gallery remained.
No one left. No one ate. No one moved.
Only the banners swayed. And the wind outside howled.
At 1:33 p.m., the bell rang again.
The jury returned.
Their faces were pale. Their hands stiff. Their eyes forward.
Each one held a folded slip, sealed in wax, stamped with the Reich sun-wheel.
They handed them to the judges, one by one.
Krieger broke the seals. Read.
Then looked to Weiss.
"Call the names."
Weiss stepped forward. Unfolded a long scroll. And read:
Lord Alben of House Fhaeros Sentenced to death. Public hanging at the gates of Lars. Body to remain for seven days. To be viewed by all citizens and broadcast by radio.
Guards seized him. He did not scream.
BOOM
Lady Vestra of House Calven Sentenced to life labor in the salt mines of Norhadar. No name. No voice. Branded across the back with her crimes.
She began crying. It did not matter.
BOOM
Baron Haelos Death by height. To be thrown from the radio tower of New Berlin.Rope-bound, eyes uncovered. Fall recorded live.
A collective gasp rippled from the crowd.
He shook violently. Broke to his knees.
BOOM
Lord Garesh
Krieger leaned forward. His voice colder than stone.
"You who showed no remorse. You who branded children. Who smiled while we buried our own."
He looked to the jury. Then to the gallery.
"Let this be the final memory of you."
"You are sentenced to death by dismemberment. Tied to four draft horses. Arms and legs bound to ropes. Executed at dawn. Pulled apart as the sun rises over the new world."
Even some nobles cried at that. But Garesh only blinked—once—then laughed softly.
As he was pulled back into the dark.
BOOM
Duchess Relevan of House Vallin Paraded in chains through the streets. Then buried alive beneath the Monument to the Dead. Face exposed until the last breath. No prayer. No song.Only silence.
BOOM
Count Yern Death by firing squad. No blindfold. Executed at Reclamation Field 4.The place where he burned the orphans.
He collapsed as his name was called.
BOOM
Lady Mircha Life sentence in the sewage canals of the Eastern Sector.To work beneath the city she once ruled.Knees chained. Tongue removed.Until death.
BOOM
Viscount Derrel Assigned to dig graves. All day. Every day. No mask. No gloves. When he collapses, he will be buried in the last hole he digs.
BOOM
Baroness Lurien Sulfur pits of the Black Crater. Mouth gagged to avoid poison spreading. Skin to rot in the fumes of her own mines.
BOOM
Lord Renhaal Public whipping for twelve consecutive weeks. Then sentenced to serve in the meat camps. To slaughter animals until his hands fall apart.
BOOM
Remaining Defendants
Fifteen nobles sentenced to life in hard labor camps. Six nobles permanently gagged, sealed into isolation cells. Three nobles declared medically unfit — sentenced to public asylum displays. Two nobles assigned to sanitation units where former slaves now command.
None were spared. None were pardoned. None were remembered.
Krieger looked to the crowd. To the jury. Then to the radio man.
"Transmit this."
The microphone lit red. The line went live.
Krieger's voice filled the air.
"Justice has no crown. Justice has no bloodline. Justice is what remains… when mercy is gone."
He struck the gavel for the last time.
BOOM
"Court adjourned."