The middle arbiter stood and stared into the distance, his eyes fixed on nothing in particular. “Tanaben Loranai,” he said in a voice that echoed through the entire room. “To the charge of possession of illegal, military-grade weapons tech, how do you plead?”
“Guilty.”
“To the charge of weapons smuggling, how do you plead?”
Ben shut his eyes tight, hanging his head in shame. He felt warmth in his cheeks. “Guilty, Arbiter.” The words came out hoarsely, but he managed to hang on to some small scrap of dignity.
With a heavy sigh, the arbiter dropped back into his chair and folded his hands on the table. “The terms stipulated in the plea agreement state that the defendant will be immediately discharged from-”
“A moment, Arbiter.”
The voice that echoed through the courtroom spoke with suc
