-G.A.C. Durgon, 5:00 Turo Standard Time-

Wheron and most of the other soldiers escorted Jumba down to the holding cells, while Obrea and 626 instead began heading to Gantu's quarters. As they walked Obrea turned to the experiment.

"Mind telling me what the hell all those scorch marks and explosions were?"

626 grinned. "Well, it turns out that when you say those guns tracked my genetic signature, that also included spit. So, when a lobbed a massive amount of it at Jumba the cannons read it as me escaping and reacted accordingly. Turned out to be pretty good at keeping him at bay."

Obrea stopped and stared. "So you're saying…that you saved yourself from a kidnapping…by hoking a bunch of loogies." He opened his mouth, closed it again, repeated the action, and then burst out laughing before slapping 626 on the shoulder. "That is legitimately the funniest thing I've heard in a long time! Gods, when you said you were smart you weren't kidding" Then, still chuckling, he continued down the hallway.

626 rolled his eyes.

Gantu was just as amused by the unique circumstances behind Jumba's apprehension, although he hid it better.

'Right, now that we've managed to…creatively...apprehend Jumba," he said as he fought to keep from laughing, "we can talk about putting him on trial."

"What happens then?" 626 asked.

"Then we take Jumba in front of the entire Federation Council and try him for his actions – creating you and later attempting to kidnap you back after you escape, suspected terrorist activities – so that he receives the punishment the Grand Councilwoman sees fit."

"The Grand Councilwoman's the highest authority in the Federation." Obrea explained.

626 turned to him. "I know who she is. Lieutenant Sludge explained it to me." Then, turning back to Gantu, he asked what role he'd have in the trial.

Gantu shrugged. "You'll probably be used as evidence."

"Evidence? Not a witness?"

"Well, the council doesn't know you exist yet, so that option's a lot simpler. That being said, it WILL require you to sit in a glass case for the duration of the trial, as a warning."

626 sighed. "Sounds delightful." Still, if it meant putting Jumba behind bars, he was willing to do it, and it couldn't be worse than the restraint disk.

"Very well, then. The trial will likely take place about two months from now. Until then, you will have to remain aboard this ship. I'll see to it that you get your own private quarters." Gantu smiled. "After all, you deserve something better than a prison cell."

-Galactic Federation Headquarters, Planet Turo, 13:00 Turo Standard Time-

Jumba hated the Galactic Federation for multiple reasons: first of all, his experiences growing up under the despotic Pobydonion regime on Kweltikwan (which had had the official recognition of the current Councilwoman's predecessor, he might add) had given him a healthy distrust for authority. Secondly, his work for the Federation back when he was at Galaxy Defense made it obvious that real change was completely anathema to even the supposedly-liberal Councilwoman and as a result the galaxy was completely stagnated. Such a situation could not be tolerated, as a stagnant galaxy was a complacent galaxy, one that would be ill-equipped to deal with any significant change to the status quo.

And thirdly, the Federation saw it fit to make their High Council chamber into a cave roughly five hundred feet high and 350 feet wide, while sticking the accused on floating platforms in the resulting abyss.

This room is the abomination, not my experiments, Jumba thought as the eminent Grand Councilwoman stepped up to the podium in the front of the room.

Glaring down at him, she announced that the trial was in session. To her left, that massive cretin Gantu pulled out a slip of paper and cleared his throat.

"Dr. Jumba Jookiba," he began, "former lead scientist of Galaxy Defense Industries, you stand before this council accused of attempted kidnapping, attempted terrorism, trespassing on a military vehicle, and…" Jumba fought to keep from snorting. Pausing for effect? What is this, a kriffing play? "Illegal genetic experimentation."

The chamber erupted into an uproar, and as it did Jumba heard a tremendous clanking from the back of the room. Turning to look, he saw an enormous evidence module enter the room and begin the slow transit towards him.

"How do you plead?" The Grand Councilwoman asked after the noise quieted down.

Normally Jumba would have liked nothing better than the spout a defiant 'not guilty', but considering the events of two months ago that was out of the question. Still, maybe he could claim this was all some misunderstanding and he'd actually made 626 good on purpose? It might work.

Putting on his best look of contrition, Jumba answered her. "I plead guilty. I'll admit it: I have tempered with laws of nature."

Intrigued, the Councilwoman leaned forwards. "So you admit that you actually created something?"

The evidence module was all the way up to Jumba now and was beginning to unwind and reveal its secrets. Jumba watched for a moment, and pressed on. "Created something? Yes, although it may be irresponsible and unethical, my curiosity got away from me. Still, know that I would NEVER, EVER, make more than one."

And with that, the module finished opening revealing Experiment 626 in a little glass case. The chamber promptly exploded again as thousands of delegates reacted to his creation, and as they did Jumba noticed Gantu whispering in the Councilwoman's ear. She whispered back, appeared the faintly grin, and held up her hand for silence.

"Your skills are very impressive, Dr. Jookiba, if you can create a living organism. What is it called?"

Her reaction was encouraging, and Jumba decided not to hold anything back. Well, save for slight omission of 626's original function. "My creation is actually a he, milady. I call him Experiment 626." He turned to look at his experiment, who was currently gazing somewhere out in the chamber. "He is bulletproof, fireproof, and can think faster than supercomputer. He can see in the dark, and lift objects 3,000 times his size. Best of all, he is programmed with the highest level of morality, and if given the chance will be perfect model citizen!"

The Councilwoman frowned, and then smirked to herself. Years in her position had given her decent knowledge at recognizing transparent attempts at trying to cover one's own crimes, and it was plain as day to see what Jumba was trying to do.

"I am relieved to hear that. However, I cannot take your word alone. With your permission, I would like to speak with your creation and get his thoughts."

"Go ahead."

"I thank you, Dr. Jookiba." Then, shifting her focus to 626, the Councilwoman addressed him. "Experiment 626. Jumba says that you were created to do good across the galaxy. Tell us the truth of the matter. Are you truly as altruistic of a creation as he says?"

All the while, after his reveal, 626 had been enraptured by the High Council chamber. It was so big, and there were so many different races that he didn't know where to begin. Everywhere he looked he saw something new, races Sludge had taught him about and races he'd never heard of before, and wondered. Wondered what these people were like, the histories of their species, how they came to join the Federation.

For the first time since his birth, 626 realized the scope and breadth of the Federation. And just how alone he was.

He was snapped out of his reverie by someone calling his name. He turned to the front of the room, and listened as a regal-looking grey women in flowing robes asked him to explain himself and Jumba's plans to the court. Well, time to prove that Jumba had set out to create a monster, and to demonstrate how he was nothing like that. 626 took a deep breath, and as thousands of councilors in the chamber and untold trillions watching at home listened, began to speak.

"What you say is only half true, milady." 626 silently thanked Sludge and Obrea for drilling him on the proper etiquette beforehand, as he imagined he was going to need it. "I am bulletproof, and fireproof, and strong and smart and all those other things. I also have pinpoint accuracy with spit." A wave of chuckles rippled through the room: stories had made the rounds about how whatever the Federation had cooped up aboard the Durgon supposedly managed to thwart an enemy attack with his own saliva. "But, I wasn't created to do good. I mean, I would if given the chance, but Jumba had something else in mind." He looked over at his creator, whose face had suddenly dropped into a pure look of "oh shit."

"I was created to be a monster. When I was created, the first thing Jumba did was ask me how much I wanted to destroy things. All those attributes he mentioned – even the spit thing, probably – were programmed into me so that I could fulfil my true purpose: the violent dismantling of the entire Federation and the leaving of billions of corpses in my wake."

The room was so quiet that a councilor sitting on one end could hear a pin drop on the other.

"Had I not fled the lab when I could, he would have reprogrammed me into this abomination, and instead of standing here I'd be out sewing anarchy from one end of the galaxy to the other. But that's not me. I want to do good. I want to make the galaxy a better place." He paused to collect himself. "Over the past couple of months, I've done a lot of thinking. About my place in the universe. And I don't know it. I'm an illegal genetic experiment, the only one of my kind in existence. But I'd like to make a place for myself doing good things for the Federation, to repay the people who sheltered me when I ran to them."

Jumba couldn't believe it. The ungrateful, traitorous, scum of the cosmos experiment! He'd given 626 life, and what did he do? Sell him out to save his own skin! Jumba opened his mouth to defend himself, but before he did that idiotic Captain on the podium spoke first.

"626 delivered to us proof of what he says. Aboard the craft he arrived in was a video from Dr. Jookiba explaining in rather explicit detail his plans for his creation." A pair of massive viewscreens popped up, and to Jumba's horror the video he'd prepared for 626 beamed out across the galaxy. His heart sank: there was no saving him now.

After the videos finished, the Councilwoman stared down at him. "Do you have anything to say in your defense, Dr. Jookiba?"

Defeated, the Kweltikwanian could do nothing but sigh. "No. I admit it. I admit it. My traitorous experiment told it true." The Councilwoman then asked the Council to deliberate on the verdict, but Jumba didn't bother listening. It wasn't like there was any doubt.

Sure enough, her voice boomed at him in a mixture of authority and disgust. "I hereby sentence you to life imprisonment on Prison Asteroid K-37." As she finished speaking, a glass bubble enclosed Jumba on his platform and began hovering him out of the chamber. He didn't even react, save for glaring at 626. Mark my words, he thought, I will get you for this, you failed experiment.