The Trial (IC, See OOC thread to join)

[Almajoya]

Click here for the OOC thread.

Dominion of Almajoya v. Blake Taipara
Morning of Day 1

The sun beamed gentle rays of light into Melisma’s room, rousing her from her fitful sleep. She was immediately aware of what day it was. Months of preparations had led to this day, and the seemingly endless string of days that would follow.

The day after she’d returned safely- the day that she had been re-crowned- she had expected to discover a new world of mutual respect and dedication between her and her government. She had learned much during her brief experience, and she was eager to start making changes. Despite getting little sleep (as usual), she had entered the emergency Parliament session with a smile and a pleasant attitude. She had hoped that her fresh outlook would spread among the politicians before her, and encourage them to behave similarly.

But as the day- and then the week- dragged on, Melisma realized that nothing had truly changed. In fact, everyone acted as if her kidnapping had never happened, and especially as if she had not been responsible for any of it. That was not the response she wanted. She was ready to accept her mistakes and correct them; Parliament wanted to gloss over them. The only tangible difference in the room was the empty chair that was usually occupied by the Senator of Aralia Parish.

The same was true of her own staff. Like Parliament, they had presented her with the same problems, and posed the same questions. Especially annoying was the heir issue. “My Lady, when are you going to get married and produce an heir to the throne?”

Melisma was not in the mood to entertain those thoughts, and she had no intention of backsliding. During her first month back in office, she fired ninety-five percent of her staff, seventy-five percent of Parliament’s staff, and everyone above the rank of “officer” on the police force. She replaced those workers with applicants selected carefully by a board of advisors including her and her fellow Xaymacan leaders.

She then instituted another major change- one that she would not relish, but that had to be corrected. Early that same month, a security team headed by Archon Robert Ryan Fortier~Hexx of Tanaara arrived to revamp and train Melisma’s security krewe. Melisma officially named her new security the Imperial Guard, but casually, she and everyone else who saw them in action called them Melisma’s Ninjas- they had so perfected the art of unobtrusive observation.

Other, less noticeable, changes took place as well. Melisma quietly shelved her Crawfish Act. She appointed a new General of the Army and reorganized his position to be considerably smaller. She also had to appoint a new Senator, but at the end of that first week, no one had shown any interest in the seat. This was because the politicians of Almajoya were scared.

They had good reason to be. Previously, Almajoya’s politicians had been coasting along under Melisma’s considerably lax governing style. When Melisma instituted her changes, they correctly interpreted her message as: I’ve grown up now, and I’m taking everything more seriously; I expect you to do the same. This had the less reputable senators and representatives shaken to the core. Some of them resigned for unspecified reasons, which didn’t bother Melisma; they had saved her the trouble of having them removed. But she was still faced with the problem of finding a senator to replace Sullivan Yuki.

It wasn’t until after Yuki’s funeral that Melisma found any leads. The next week, she appointed the former mayor of Sardonyx, Ciaran Rachmaninoff, to Yuki’s vacated chair. Rachmaninoff had been a refugee from Snowy Egrets, and if it had been up to her, he wouldn’t have won the seat; but, as it was, no one else was going to take it willingly. So Parliament found itself with its first naturalized Senator.

Melisma blinked and rubbed her eyes. That precipitously long thought had cost her two minutes. She hauled herself out of bed and went about her usual procedures.

---

Two months before the trial began, with the approval of the District Attorney, two handwritten letters had been sent out of Almajoya via international air mail:

From the Desk of Her Ladyship the Empress of Almajoya
To: Ms. Samantha Smith, Fatatatutti Department of Labour

Please let me start by thanking you for your part in my rescue. I presume that you have realized that I was the woman you were dealing with. (If not, surprise!) I apologize for my behavior that day, and will refrain from listing several excuses for it. I am also sorry that you got caught up in the mess in the first place, and hope that your impression of Almajoya on the whole was not soured by the experience.

I invite you to help me put the scumbag alleged suspect behind bars. In about two months, his case will go to trial, and the prosecution and I believe that your testimony would help solidify the case. I doubt that you ever came across the defendant himself, but you could attest to the location of the village, its conditions, and any instances in which you felt as if your life was in danger.

Additionally- on the lighter side of things- I would like an opportunity to acquaint you with the real Almajoya, a peaceful and beautiful land. I can assure you that you will be completely safe, as our security forces have been vastly improved. Also, I will cover any and all costs of your trip, including airfare and hotel expenses, although you are welcome to stay in my palace, Sanctus Aidenn.

I hope you will take me up on this offer. I am anxious to dispel any misconceptions you may have about my country and my government.

Sincerely,
Melisma Ramijozana
Empress of Almajoya

A similar letter had been sent to Dr. Meru Gaia of Tanaara, with an additional request of an ear scratch for Frik and Frak.

---

Jerome Sakamoto arrived at the courthouse early as usual. Despite the many cases he’d argued there over the years, he always felt that he had to reacquaint himself with the building. A devout Almaiya, he believed that if he connected with the courthouse’s many spirits, they would guide him throughout the trial, helping him to earn the guilty verdict Taipara deserved.

And that Sakamoto deserved. Months of planning had gone into the trial- well, theoretically, it should have taken years, but the bureaucrats had a strange way of speeding things through when the Empress and the former General of the Army were involved. He supposed that the case had taken just as long on the defense’s side, but there seemed to be so much more involved when one bore the burden of proof. But perhaps he was just a bit bitter from bearing the “burden of proof” for five years of being Aralia Parish’s district attorney.

The case had gotten off to a rocky start. Finding an uncompromised judge- one who had had no dealings with the Empress or the General- had proved difficult. Every time Sakamoto had suggested someone, the defense shot it down because the judge had had this or that to do with the Empress; whenever the defense had suggested someone, Sakamoto did the same because the judge had had some important interaction with the General. Finally, they had settled on a judge who was fairly new to the District Court- on the condition that the defense appoint one of their junior partners to the case, since the lawyers themselves had employed the judge at one point in her career.

That had been followed by the indictment and plea. Those had gone as expected. Then the defense had presented a motion to dismiss. “The defense feels that Rayleigh Johessman was unqualified to lead the investigation, and that all charges against our client should be dropped.”

Sakamoto had rolled his eyes. “I’ll allow that she wasn’t trained by Almajoyese standards, but she was Lady Emperor at the time. That was her prerogative.”

Judge Ishikawa had thought it over for a moment. “Denied. The Johessmans were supreme rulers during the period in question; the law demands that we accept their methods of running the investigation.”

Sakamoto had bowed and turned to leave when his adversary added: “Then the defense moves for a change in venue.”

Ishikawa had given the attorney a strange look, tilting her head. “Forum non conveniens? Your reasoning, Counselor?”

“We feel that finding an unbiased jury in the victim’s territory will be difficult.”

“That’s no reason not to try. The crimes took place in Aralia, and almost everyone involved is an Aralia resident. Motion denied.”

The door opened, interrupting Sakamoto’s reverie. The defense attorney, Jill Maeda, entered. He bowed to her, and she curtsied. “The big day,” he said.

“So it is,” Maeda answered. She was young, and still radiated hope and patience. Obviously she hadn’t been an Almajoyese lawyer for very long. “May justice persevere.”

“Indeed.” Sakamoto shook her hand, and they headed inside to take their seats and gather their thoughts before the trial began.

[Fatatatutti]

Samantha Smith was sitting in front of her house, on the deck, with her bare feet up on the railing. Just past her red-painted toenails, she could see the beach and the surf rolling in lazily. The sun was setting just out of view to her left but she didn't feel inclined to turn her chair to watch it.

Instead, what prompted her to turn her head was the sound of a car approaching. It bumped slowly along the narrow back trail, lurching once in a while as if the driver was inexperienced. Finally, it came into view and stopped. It was dark green and would have been almost invisible against the trees and underbrush if she hadn't heard it coming. She didn't recognize it, but that wasn't unusual in a country where people borrowed each other's cars without asking.

Alexander Waverly got out and walked slowly toward the house, a sheet of paper in his hand. It was unusual for him to come to her house, more unusual for him to come alone and most unusual for him to drive. She didn't even know he could drive. Usually, he would call the drugstore and the pharmacist would send one of the local children to get her. If he needed to see her in person, he would meet her at the duck pond. She had never been to his office, indeed she didn't know where it was. That may or may not have been for security reasons. It was just the way it was.

"Good evening, my dear," he said, waiting politely at the bottom of the steps. "I'm sorry to trouble you."

"Martini?" she offered, holding up her glass to demonstrate. In fact, it was pineapple brandy, but it was in a martini glass because she only had two glasses and they were martini glasses.

He climbed the steps wearily and sat down in the chair next to hers. Almost as an afterthought, he poured himself a 'martini' in the other glass that just happened to be there, as if she was expecting him. "Expecting company?" he asked.

"Not really," she said.

He passed the sheet of paper across to her. "I thought I'd bring this by myself."

At the top, there was some gaudy purple bric-a-brac and at the bottom it was signed by the 'princess'. Samantha read the letter quickly, not surprized at its contents.

"You don't have to go, you know," Waverly said, sipping his brandy. "They've returned your luggage," he added, as if that was her main reason to go.

"'Dispel any misconceptions'", she mused. "I can think of about six people that I met in Almajoya who didn't try to kill me. It's going to take some dispelling."

"The Minister is going to send a strongly-worded note," Waverly said. It wasn't immediately obvious which Minister he meant, since she worked ostensibly for the Labour Minister and, in fact, for the Defense Minister. But strongly-worded notes seemed more like the province of the Foreign Minister.

Samantha looked up at the huge cypress tree that dominated her front yard and was now sillhouetted against the darkening sky. "I think I'm going to build a tree house up there," she said, "Just a floor and a roof, don't need any walls. Sleep up there when it's hot."

Waverly glanced dutifully up at the tree.

"If I get back alive," she added.

[Tanaara]

Paolo Dagomiri de Pratto bounded down the steps of his private jet taking a deep sniff of the Almajoyan air. The luxury of being able to up and leave on a moments notice was one he had long ago made sure that he had available. It had also saved his hide a couple of times, and that of a few others as well. The particular long range jet he'd flown in on could carry only a dozen but his extended family owned larger and had never failed to put them at his disposal. But then he was not only the eldest child, he was - unusually for a Tanaaran family - an only child.

He liked the mélange of odors he got - past the jet fuel stink all airports carried, he could smell a richness that spoke of a warm and welcoming clime. He liked that instantly. Cold climates he felt were just not meant for people, or at least those who preferred as few clothes as possible. And people in little clothing made for very interesting people watching. That was a past time he thoroughly enjoyed. Oh there was the inherent mystery in trying to guess what was under heavy parkas and long coats, but he knew he was a very visually oriented man. He was almost as good a photojournalist as he was a print one. And he preferred playing to his strengths.

He’d made arrangements for a car service to meet him, he’d rent a vehicle later, and reservations for a suite at the Hotel D’ Or. He already knew that Dr. Meru Gaia would be staying there and he wanted a chance to interview her while the trial progressed.

The driver put his several pieces of luggage into the trunk while Paolo slid into the rear seat. He spent the drive drinking in the scenery and asking the Almajoyan driver a polite, if continual, stream of questions about the nation. He was very interested in the driver’s thoughts and opinions.

Once they arrived at the Hotel D’Or, he checked in and was given the card key for his room. “Has Dr. Gaia arrived yet?” He asked the desk clerk with a charming smile. Like most Tanaaran’s he did not at all look his age, given that Prolong Therapy had been available for almost eighty years, about twenty five years before he was born..

[Ideam]

Paul Linker hated mail... All the mindless advertisments, all the bills, all the- wait this was something from the government. Upon seeing this his mood immediatly brightened. He loved the government, it had just kept getting better and better since Her Ladyship the Empress Melisma Ramijozana took over. He looked at the contents and his mood was slightly dampered. Jury Duty... That would mean being away from the shop for a few days. "Oh Well", Paul said to himself, "Honor to Serve"

3 Days Later

Paul Linker was finally getting sick of the waiting, when the Attorney's called his group up.

[Almajoya]

OOC: Jurors: Assume that your character was selected out of the jury pool.

Almajoya v. Taipara
Late Morning of Day 1

William Aoki arrived ahead of time. Upon entering the old courthouse, he made his way to the jury room, where the jury was secluded until the trial began, as well as during their deliberations. He knew his way around the courthouse; he had served as a juror many a time, and, with few time commitments, no job, and a moderate outlook, was known as Jade's "Perennial Foreman." He had a thirst for the law; too bad he'd dropped out of the law field after failing the bar exam five times.

The room was empty. William wondered what kind of slackers he'd be dealing with this time. It always seemed to him that he ended up carrying the jury, that the others always complained about missing their homes and jobs and families. Why, if he spent all his time with his wife and kids watching musicals all day long (which he did) he wouldn't get anything done! Justice had to be served!

William settled into a chair and waited for his fellow jurors to show up. With any luck, there would be some interesting characters to meet. After all, he could end up spending quite a bit of time in seclusion with them.

[Fatatatutti]

To: Government of Almajoya
From: Foreign Minister of Fatatatutti
Subject: Samantha Smith

As a citizen of Fatatatutti, an official of the Ministry of Labour and a personal friend of the Prime Minister, Ms. Smith is under the full protection of the government and people of Fatatatutti. We wish to state in the strongest possible terms that if anything untoward should happen to her during her stay in Almajoya, there will be serious consequences.

We also wish to enquire as to the progress of the investigation into the attempted murder of Ms. Smith on her previous visit.

-- Harlan Escrow, Minister of Foreign Affairs
-- Julia Wong-Fu, Minister of Defense
-- Mickey Chang, Prime Minister

[Almajoya]

Fatatatutti

Sybil Watanbe, Lady of Imperial Affairs- a fancy term for Melisma's newly hired assistant- entered with a communique in her hand. "Mr. Mercer felt you'd want to respond to this personlly, my Lady."

Melisma read the communique and sighed. The Fatatatuttians were proving a hard group to befriend. She supposed she deserved their harsh words, given everything that had happened to Samantha on her last trip to Almajoya. But how much punishment could she take without breaking?

She wrote a reply and had it sent quickly.

From the Desk of Her Ladyship the Empress Melisma Ramijozana
To: Fatatatutti Foreign Minister, Minister of Defense, and Prime Minister
Sub: Re: Samantha Smith

I assure you that Ms. Smith will be completely safe during her stay in Almajoya, should she choose to visit. We have vastly improved our security since her last stay here, not least of all because a foreign visitor was innocently attacked.

Regarding your inquiry: All of the men involved have been charged with attempted murder, and should she visit, Ms. Smith will have an opportunity to testify against them. However, the result of those cases are closely linked to the outcome of the trial of the lead tyrant, which is one reason why I want her to testify against him as well.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any other concerns.
Melisma Ramijozana
Her Ladyship the Empress of Almajoya

[Acacia Heights Records]

OOC: Why? Because I can.

The Johessmans had arrived a month before the trial began. This time, knowing that they would be in Almajoya for a while, they brought their seven children. They flew into Pearl Airport instead of Jade, and quietly settled into their home on Ludwigia Island.

The children did not mind missing an indeterminable amount of days from school, although they would have to keep up with their classwork via Blackboard. After all, classwork is never as bad when it is completed on a tropical island.

As for the grownups, they did not make anyone (except Georjes the boatman) aware of their arrival until a few days later, when they arrived at their offices in Sanctus Aidenn. By then, the Empress had already caught wind of it, because by that time, no one of importance or suspicious motives entered the country without Her Ladyship knowing about it.

They kept a low profile until the day of the trial. Then, the nine Johessmans piled into their car- a surprisingly efficient flex-fuel Armada- and started on the scenic drive between Amethyst and Jade.

[Havaerre]

A faded-green sedan screeched into a parking space near the courthouse. A middle-aged woman in jeans, a blank gray T-shirt and a dark blue hoody rushed out of the car. She slammed the driver-side door and ran up to the sidewalk, stopped abruptly, then ran back to the car, opened the door, and snatched the keys from the ignition. After that, she half walked/half jogged towards the courthouse.

"Great...late again," she thought, "...And to jury duty, of all things."

She was fairly muscular, enough to appear capable of fending for herself, and although she had a firm build, there was a hint of beauty behind it all. Her medium-length hair was straight and sand-colored, with a dyed green stripe on her left bangs; a symbol of her position as an ace in the Havaerrean Air Defense Force. Her eyes were brown, and were capable of spotting small details. Her hands, though dainty, showed years of hard, meticulous work, from fixing damaged helicopters and piloting them; she knew her way around a heli as if she had built it with her bare hands. She had appeared in numerous Almajoyan helicopter-enthusiast magazines for her reputation as a top-notch instructor and skilled pilot. Because of this, she was locally renowned, but not particularly famous on a nation-wide level.

She caught the eyes of the people around the courthouse building as she streaked up the front steps, two at a time. She went inside and found the room in which the trial she was assigned to was taking place. And although she was awfully late, it seemed they hadn't started yet, so she quickly found her spot in the jury's seats, sat down and brushed the sweat off of her face, and waited for the trial to begin.

[Tanaara]

"Oh No Paolo" The young woman protested with a laugh, her wrist thick, dark blonde pony tail bouncing as she chuckled. "You know that Meru can’t give that sort of interview until after the trial. She's a witness and neither side would allow it" Dr. Gaia's assistant, Jolene, set down her cup of coffee and her hand dropped to the large Shiloh Shepherd sitting quietly next to her chair. Thor nuzzled her hand, his service jingling softly. Blind since birth, Jolene was telepathically bonded to her guide dog partner as part of a similar experiment to the one that Meru was participant in.

"Is he still importuning for a interview?" Dr. Gaia, Meru to her friend's inquired as she strolled up to the table, the Ringtail Cats, Frik and Frak on her shoulders.

“Oh course Meru, who else is so central to all this?” Paolo stood and pulled out a chair for her.

“Oh I don’t know, the Empress?” Frik and Frak sprang free of her shoulders to land lightly on the table – they weighed only a little over seven pounds between them

“Oh she’d never consent” He protested gallantly “I’m no where near important enough”

That brought ladylike, but completely disbelieving, snorts from both women. The three chatted on lighter, safer subjects until the Almajoyan official tasked with overseeing the attendance of one of the prosecution’s main witnesses arrived to take Meru to the court house.

“Now Paolo, make sure that Jolene gets some lunch, and I’ll see you both this evening if they haven’t decided to sequester the witnesses as well as the jury.” Meru just hoped that all of those who had been behind the coupe attempt had been rounded up and that there were none left free to try and disrupt the trial.

The official was courteous and polite and shortly she was in the vast court building, and in the comfortable room where the witnesses were being held pending being called to take the stand. As was customary none of them could talk with one another and so Meru had brought along a small tote filled with books. With Frik and Frak curled in her lap, and a fresh cup of coffee on the end table she made herself comfortable.

[Fatatatutti]

Samantha had a big plastic Tim Horton's coffee cup in one hand and a doughnut in the other, so she pushed the door open with her hip and stepped out into the bright Almajoyan sunlight. For all she knew, it was the only Tim Horton's in all of Almajoya but it was mercifully close to the courthouse and she intended to be a regular customer. She looked up and down the street, trying to look as much like a tourist as possible.

She strolled toward the courthouse casually. When the doughnut was finished, she licked her fingers and wished she had thought to bring a napkin. Luckily, she was wearing her habitual black T-shirt and black cargo pants. She set her coffee cup on the sidewalk between her bare feet and fished with her clean hand in one of many pockets for a pre-moistened towelette.

Minutes later, entering the courthouse, she ran her fingers through her short red hair to make herself presentable. She walked up to the nearest security guard and noticed him flinch when she reached into her pocket for her passport. She flashed it open expertly with one hand as if it was a police badge. "Samantha Smith," she said. "I think I'm supposed to be a witness in this thing."

[Almajoya]

Fatatatutti

The guard relaxed his hand and let it fall away from his holster, where it had automatically jerked to when Samantha reached into her pocket. He examined her passport, then said, "Yes, ma'am. All witnesses are to proceed to the holding room, where you will wait until you are called to testify, which could be today or weeks from now. The room is down that hall and to the left-" he gestured politely in that direction- "and there should be light refreshments inside."

Tanaara

A few witnesses began to trickle into the holding room. Doubtless, Samantha Smith would soon arrive there; there were also some minor witnesses, such as palace staff and the villagers. (The gunmen involved were all in jail, having been refused bail, and would report from their own holding cells when called to testify.)

A little boy dressed in a smart black suit approached Meru, with the intention of petting her cats. Meru wouldn't know it, but this was the boy who had brought a satellite phone to Sam and Melisma during their escape attempt.

Havaerre, Ideam

Both attorneys waited anxiously for the jurors, and their own assistants and clients, to show up. One juror was already in the box; they both recognized her as the helicopter lady. Jill had picked her because she had a military background, and might be sympathetic to her clients plight; Jerome Sakamoto had allowed her selection because she seemed as if she would side with the Empress. Of course, this was all speculation; time would show them who was right.

As for the other jurors, they were probably on their way. Almajoyese affairs had a tendency to start either very early or very late. Apparently this was a case of the latter.

[Zimbellomons]

Tarod Thingymagummit was glad to escape the green automobile. Oh how he pined for the days when he could teleport at a whim. But that was before I killed my country's leader, He thought wryly. Tarod had murdered his Guildmaster quite accidentally. During the process of a relatively complex healing ritual, he misconjugated a verb. Thus, the man's skull imploded. The Council had not been satisfied with his exile, however. They also transpired to suspend his Abilities. Tarod had lived as a hermit in Almajoya for last 200 years. He had spent this time meditating on the nature of Mortality and the meaning of Life. As Tarod walked into the building he noticed he was late. Ah, how important Time was to these mere mortals. As he approached the bench and took his seat in the upper- left corner, Tarod pulled his sunhat over his eyes and prepared for a snooze.


OOC: I'm new to RPs so forgive me if i'm pretty bad

[Tanaara]

Meru looked up from her book and smiled at the little boy. "Yes you can pet them if you are careful to be very gentle. They won't bite unless you hurt them."

Frik and Frak awoke and stretched luxuriously. They might not weigh much but with their plumey tails, as long as their whole bodies, they could take up far more space than one might expect. Much like real cats did.

They sprang lightly to the empty place next to Meru and sat up on their hind legs, their long thick whiskers twitched forwards, always happy to meet children as long as thye were gentle and not being shriekingly noisey.

[Ideam]

OOC: was on vacation, lets assume I have arrived

Paul Linker pulled up in his old beaten car, "Guess this is the place", he said, double checking the adress, "Better Go On in"

He went in and sat next to another juror, Although she didn't say Paul's expierence in the military told her she was one of his people.
"Hey, my names Paul, next to meet you."

[Fatatatutti]

Samantha recognized the redhead, and some of the villagers, so she decided that she had the right room. The little boy in the suit seemed familiar but she couldn't place him immediately.

She wasn't sure if witnesses were allowed to talk to each other, so she decided not to get into trouble too soon. She went over and sat on the floor with her back to the wall, took another pre-moistened towelette out of her pocket and washed her feet carefully.

Memories of the afternoon in the village filtered through her mind and then she looked up suddenly. She recognized the little boy with the toy truck.

She got up, quite nimbly she thought, for an 'old lady' of thirty-two, and went over to the coffee pot. She filled her cup only half full, out of courtesy because it was a very large cup, and added cream and sugar. There were no stir sticks long enough, so she closed the lid and shook it vigourously.

The noise attracted a glance from the little boy, so she winked at him.

[Tanaara]

Meru looked up from her book to see Samantha arrive and take a seat. She, like the Fatatatuttian, was not sure if they should speak to one another so she settled for giving the other woman a smile and a nod. She had heard how Sam had narrowly escaped death at the hands of the fake policemen - a fair amount of what had happened had made it into the press. Given the circumstances that as much as had been kept out of publication as had been was probably amazing.

Elsewhere in the vast building.

Paolo walked along side Jolene, but did not offer assistance - she had Thor and for him to offer the help she so obviously did not need would have been insulting. Thors service harness proclaimed him a 'working' fog and this the check point into the Justice Building had simply acknowledged his presence, but had not in anyway objected.

He gave her a running description in a sotto voce - she could see through Thor’s eyes and did regularly but despite that he was only mid thigh tall and Paolo topped six foot - a much different vantage point.

Jolene let him chose where they sat, and as they had gotten there early he was able to get them good seats in the second row, on aisle, prosecution side. His running commentary was also for the small recording unit he wore, so that he'd have a verbal description for later transcription. Before he sat he took a slow three sixty turn so that the built in video camera would have an image as well. However he would deactivate that function off if the judge ordered such turned off. That was common in Tanaaran courtrooms, in such volatile cases such as this.

[Acacia Heights Records]

Had Almajoya kept its speed limits, the Johessmans would surely have been late. However, Shawn, a skillful driver, managed to control the car at anywhere between sixty and one hundred miles an hour, depending on the road conditions, and made it to the courthouse on time.

They caused a small stir when they entered the witness room. It was the Johessmans' first public appearance since they had arrived, and while the Almajoyese witnesses (at least) had expected them, they had not been quite ready to handle all of the Johessmans. Their children had insisted on attending the first day of the trial, even though they knew they'd simply be sitting in a waiting room all day. The Johessmans were a rock-solid family.

There were seven children, three of which were obviously triplets, and two of which were obviously adopted. They looked at the people in the room, then at each other.

Shawn and Rayleigh gave soft smiles to Samantha and Meru, then set up camp in a corner of the room. Noting that the room was already very quiet, the Johessman children kept relatively silent without having to be told. Rayleigh and Shawn beamed at their little angels. They were surely earning themselves an ice cream stop later.

[Almajoya]

OOC: All jurors, if you have not posted yet, assume that your juror is already at the courthouse, sitting in the jury box.

Fatatatutti, Tanaara (Meru), Acacia Heights Records

The last of the witnesses arrived shortly after the Johessmans had settled in. She had actually arrived ahead of time, but was emphatic enough to know that hers was not the first face anyone involved wanted to see.

Melisma Ramijozana entered, flanked by four Imperial Guards. The guards took up posts in various preplanned positions in the room, and Melisma sat down in an easily accessible area (easy for the guards). She looked around the room. Some of her fellow witnesses seemed happy to see her; others, not as much. She spotted, but did not make eye contact with, the Johessmans, who were tending to their youngest. She also saw Meru and Samantha, and the little boy, who was stroking the cats happily. She wondered what she should say to them, if she were allowed to talk.

As if to answer Melisma's question, the bailiff entered at that very moment. "Ayala," he said, bowing. "Good morning. I am your bailiff, Abe Mori."

Mori then went into a detailed set of instructions in Almajoyese. His voice had a deep, rich, sonorous timbre, and while he was quite old by bailiff standards, his posture was dignified and commanding. Once he finished his Almajoyese spiel, he turned to the obvious non-natives and repeated the instructions in English.

"You are about to testify in the case Dominion of Almajoya versus Blake Taipara. Most of you will not testify today, but we must ensure that you are secluded throughout the trial. This is a high-profile case, and we will not allow for any mistakes.

"You are not to discuss any details about the crimes allegedly committed or the trial in progress to anyone- not to each other, not to friends and family, and certainly not to the media. Beyond this, conversation amongst you is allowed. However, do not attempt to break the aforementioned rule. You are being monitored constantly, and you will be caught; that I guarantee.

"For the duration of the trial, you will be secluded in the Hotel D'Or; those of you who do not have rooms there already will be assigned one tonight. The jurors will be held on a different floor; do not communicate with them at all. There will be no reason for you to leave your own floor beyond entering and exiting the building; and again, you will be watched.

"Remember your reason for being here: you are here to give your account of what occurred in order to ensure a fair and accurate trial. Any missteps you make could result in a mistrial. I'm sure you don't want that.

"You may contact me or any courthouse aide for assistance in any matter." He gave another majestic bow. "May justice be served."

With that, he turned and left the room, leaving the witnesses to their own devices.

Ideam, Zimbellomons, Havaerre, Tanaara (Jolene and Paolo)

Bailiff Mori proceeded to the jury room and gave similar instructions to the jurors there. They proceeded into the courtroom, where Mori found a few more jurors who were already in their seats, and gave them the instructions as well. Then he headed through a connecting tunnel into the temporary holding area.

Derrick and Rachel Shona, Jill Maeda's bosses and her assistants for this trial, finally entered. They didn't seem to be in much of a rush. They took their seats coolly. Jill didn't dare ask them why they were late.

Brittani Wallace also entered, and sat next to Sakamoto. The room was beginning to fill with people, most of whom sat on the prosecution's side. There was even a lady with a seeing-eye dog there.

"You're late," Sakamoto snapped.

"Sorry," Brittani answered with a shrug. "You know how it is. There was an Almajoyese white tiger in the road, and all the humanitarians insisted on blocking all three lanes to rescue it."

Sakamoto snickered. "That's one hell of an excuse. Well," he added, turning to his oblique left, "looks like they're about ready to get started."

Bailiff Mori and three courthouse guards were escorting a prisoner into the courtroom. The man sat down next to the defending attorneys without a word. The expression on his worn face was passive.

"Try harder, Blake," Rachel Shona hissed. "Look depressed and dejected. It'll soften the jury."

"I'm no actor," Blake Taipara replied. "And I'm not putting on a show to make anyone pity me. I want to win this solely because I'm innocent."

"Then look it," Derrick said. "By the Ancestors, we're up against the Empress here. We're gonna need every opening we've got."

[Havaerre]

"Hey, my names Paul, next to meet you."

Keila turned to the man who had addressed her and smiled.

"Hi, I'm Keila, nice to meet you too. I assume you're here as one of jurors, are you excited for the trial?"

[Ideam]

"Yeah an old fogey like me needs some excitement one in a while," while returning her smile, "Hey, whats that patch on your bag, I recognize it from my years in the military, I just can't put my tongue on it."

[Havaerre]

"Yeah an old fogey like me needs some excitement one in a while," while returning her smile, "Hey, whats that patch on your bag, I recognize it from my years in the military, I just can't put my tongue on it."

"Oh, you noticed that, huh? It's a patch I got from when I served in the Havaerrean Air Defense Force; I used to be Havaerrean. I flew helicopters, even saw combat a few times, but nothing too serious. You said you're a military-man, would you mind telling me about it?"

[Zimbellomons]

Tarod looked around the room with an evident lack of interest. He noticed Keila and Paul chatting excitedly. It had certainly been a long time since he had talked with anyone in that matter. His responses tended to consist of a single syllable.

As Tarod let his thoughts wander his mind rested on the Bailiff. There's a man with decency, He thought, Well know we know that there is at least ONE good soul in Almajoya.

It had been quite a while since Tarod had attempted any contact with the outside world and he was not about to try anytime soon. However, he watched people openly now, attempting to learn as much as he could.

[Nuluht]

James Grodyberg sat at the jury box. Why am I even here? He thought. I have no interest in this case at all! I told those guys! This is taking away from my microbiology! He knew, now that he was at the jury box, there would be no escape, so he merely sighed.

[Ideam]

"Yeah, I served in the AADF and made it to Sergeant Major. However I couldn't bring myself to ever join the officers. I felt like it was a waste of time in officer training school and I didn't want to be transferred out of the unit. I was part of the Old 100th and that was one of the best units around but what about you?"