Disclaimer: Legend of Galactic Heroes belongs to Yoshiki Tanaka-sensei and Production IG.

Tags: Drabble, Fandom first fic, Yang, Slight Canon Divergence, Corrupt Democracy vs Benevolent Dictatorship, Military propaganda, Military Philosophy, Thinking of treason

Authoress: In response to the 8th episode of season 3 of DNT. My writing muses have dust on them but I think this came out alright. I couldn't write much after my grandmother passed but I think I'm on the comeup. I'm sad and happy we have to wait until September for the next part of the series. First fic for the LoGH fandom. Yoroshiku!


When Yang got the summons he expected hostility. High Council Chairman Trunicht was against him in politics before his battle with the Iserlohn Fortress. Really, he expected this council inquiry to come sooner. Whether disguised as a military inquiry or an assassination it didn't matter. Yang knew as soon as he landed and saw the soldiers posted with weapons all of it was a farce.

Lt. Greenhill and WO. Machungo were on guard as they went through the airport. Soldiers looked on coldly as they walked by, side-eying the group with some openinly sneering. The admiral knew this summons and inquiry were a farce just to pick his brain or subtly threaten him. He so badly wished he retired when he had a chance.

The group reached the front gates with Rear Admiral Bay meeting Yang in front of a nondescript black SUV. "My orders are to take you to the Council, Admiral Yang." Yang agreed but when the Lieutenant and Warrant Officer made to join him, Rear Admiral Bay shook his head. "My orders are to bring Admiral Yang alone."

"What–?" Lt. Greenhill started to protest with WO. Machungo right behind her.

"Those are my orders." Rear Admiral Bay said curtly. "Admiral Yang, if you will?"

"Lieutenant," Yang started over the sounds of their further protests. "It's alright. We don't want to stir up trouble here. I'll be back." Giving a subtle shake of his head, Yang headed obediently into the open car door. Once he was inside it was closed by one of the soldiers in the guard detail.

The black SUV drove off into the distance, both of Yang's posse started walking away from the building in frustration. Even with them there, the two couldn't stop the Council from taking Yang by himself.


Yang looked around the room he was just thrown in led to. The walls were bare of anything with a small window letting sunlight through at the top of the ceiling. He tapped his communicator, noting that there was no signal. He was basically under house arrest prison.

With a sigh the admiral tapped his uniform over the communicator. Of course it was blocked from any outside communications. Yang's anger took over for a blinding second as he thought about how ridiculous it all was.

But wasn't that what Reinhard tried to tell him in his message? How foolish his dream of the perfect democracy was?

Yang shook his head. Dictatorship, monarchy, oligarchy, etc. never ended well but neither did a corrupt democracy.

The thought was loud in the silence of his room with only the hum of the AC as background.


As the days went by, Yang was getting angrier and more tired. He knew the Council would say something against his anti-war speeches, it never deterred him as a cadet before and it wouldn't now as an admiral.

The Council reviewing him were National Defense Committee Chairman Negroponte, Oliveira, Admiral Rockwell, Huang Louis, and a few others he didn't recognize. What a bad joke, he thought.

It started off with his background then military achievements, continuing all the way to his appointment to Rear Admiral. It was a psychological tactic to make him sweat or die of boredom. Yang couldn't tell.

The heart of the matter was brought up in the second session about the 12 Satellites of Artemis' Necklace during the coup d'état. No matter what logical conclusions Yang gave in explanation, the conversation always went back to how he left Heinessen "defenseless" or the hint of Lt. Greenhill being court-martialed because of her father.

By the time Negroponte and Admiral Rockwell were turning purple, Yang couldn't have cared less. He knew antagonizing them would bite him later and maybe add another gray hair to Julian's head.

A messenger interrupted the latest session with news about the attack on Iserlohn, Yang wanted to hang himself, or the Council, just to stop hearing them prattle backhanded compliments or ridiculous logic. The help from Admiral Bewcock and the others couldn't have come sooner.

After Negroponte, pleaded asked Yang if he would do his best to save the Alliance. Yang gave a non-committed shrug but as always he would fight for the democracy he believed in.