Bai E and two others, escorted by an instructor and members of the Mechanical Court, were again escorted by a line of people to the vast conference hall.
Sweeping his gaze over the faces of everyone present, Bai E lowered his eyes in silence, hands simply hanging in front of his chest, waiting for what would happen next.
A stranger approached quietly, his stern eyes fixed on Bai E. The man's voice, captured by the microphone and spread through the speakers to the entire hall, said, "95B27, you forged orders and unauthorizedly piloted a mecha to leave the military camp, which constitutes a serious violation of the military district's regulations. Are you aware of your guilt?"
95B27? It's been a long time since I heard that designation...
Lifting his head slightly, Bai E looked calmly at the other party, "self-restraint" tightly controlling his body's hormone levels, and replied evenly, "I am aware."
"…" The investigator from the Legal Affairs Department paused briefly, "You are aware?"
Not even trying to make a defense?
It felt like punching into cotton. Enjoy new tales from Freewebnovel
"I am aware," Bai E said sincerely, looking at the other, "but I had to go."
The investigator wasn't interested in entangling further with a soldier who had breached discipline, "Since you admit to leaving the camp unauthorizedly without a superior's command, there's no need to say more. Whatever your reasons might be, they should not serve as an excuse for you to disregard military camp regulations."
Having said that, the investigator turned away and looked down at the still-standing, arrogant officer, "I'll settle the score with you later for trying to deceive the Legal Affairs Department. For now... we need to first pass judgement on this mech pilot who disobeyed military discipline. Marshal Weslin, according to military district regulations, Titan-class armed mechas are classified as special military equipment. You should be clearer than I am about what kind of crime it is to steal special military equipment."
"This...," Weslin glanced at Bai E, the rest of us are still trying to find a solution for you, and yet you've confessed to everything as soon as you arrived.
Looking at the likewise motionless Hamilton and other officers, Weslin's face was filled with concern, wondering what to do next.
In the corner, a slender figure hidden in a black cloak gently stroked the sheath of her Longsword, a fleeting, dark glimmer passing over the hilt.
The commotion Bai E caused was too great, and she was unsure whether her "face" among humans was enough.
If not... her sword would speak for her.
"You plan to execute him, don't you?" The person from the Mechanical Court, who had been silently observing, hadn't spoken since the return, until now, when no one could think of a good solution, he broke the silence, "If so, it means Captain Bai is hereby stripped of his military status, correct? In that case, I formally represent the Mechanical Court in sincerely inviting Captain Bai E to join us. Before coming here, I had already informed our Chief Justice, who is on his way here. We from the Mechanical Court claim this man."
On the way back, this judge from the Mechanical Court had been subtly inquiring about the reason Bai E was reluctant to join them previously.
Learning that the core reason was actually just Bai E's reluctance to accept mechanical augmentation, the judge couldn't help but feel rueful.
To those in the Mechanical Court, undergoing mechanical augmentation is seen as forming a deeper connection with machinery, a prerequisite for qualifying to communicate with a mech soul.
But now that Bai E already possessed a mech soul, forcing him to accept mechanical augmentation would be putting the cart before the horse.
Of course, perhaps after mechanical augmentation, Bai E would form an even tighter link with the mech soul, thereby maximizing the mech's potential, but that would have to be after Bai E voluntarily joined the Mechanical Court and chose to undergo augmentation after prolonged persuasion.
The prerequisite was Bai E joining the Mechanical Court first.
The judge had been contemplating how to persuade Bai E to voluntarily join their Court; after all, the Mech Armored Corps didn't have superior authority over the military, and while most mech pilots aspired to join the Mechanical Court, all such decisions were down to personal will, and formal proceedings still required communication and coordination between the Court and the military...
If the military was adamant about not releasing someone, they couldn't just force the issue.
But now... the military was planning to execute Bai E.
Could there be a better opportunity than this?
A mere charge of military indiscipline was all, and if the Mechanical Court insisted on protecting him, no one would dare to challenge them.
This round was secure!
"What are you talking about?" Hamilton slammed the table fiercely, "Did we say we were going to deal with Captain Bai? Is it your place, the Mechanical Court, to protect him? Not needed! Captain Bai, alive, belongs to our armored camp; dead, he is the soul of our armored camp!"
After that, Hamilton fiercely turned to Weslin, "Marshal, Captain Bai is the soul of our Mech Armored Corps; without him, our whole corps would cease to function. As to how to deal with him, you decide!"
A coup!
For Weslin, who was parachuted in as Marshal, not many of the original high-ranking military officers were convinced by him. In ordinary situations, they'd give each other face and let it pass.
Now, during a core incident, could an outsider step in and make our military district kneel?
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"I stand with Hamilton on this," said Carlos with resolute voice, "Captain Bai's capability is second to none in the military district, and he has earned great merit multiple times for us. If we really decided to dispose of him, I believe it would cause dissension among the entire military district's soldiers. Moreover, in a few days, we will launch the total offensive against the Black Rock District Hive. It's utter folly not to utilize Captain Bai's tremendous combat power. Even if Captain Bai is truly at fault, we can delay the discussion until after the total offensive against the Hive, giving Captain Bai a chance to redeem himself through meritorious service. I trust he will provide us with a satisfying answer. Here, I am willing to ensure Captain Bai with my own military rank. If he fails to contribute sufficiently in the offensive against the Hive, I am prepared to accept any consequences alongside him, no complaints!"