Alien Admiral Fucks First Officer

Chapter Five: Retribution

Faro leaned back in her uncomfortable gallery seat, arms crossed. She didn't have much experience with trials, but she knew enough to say this one was not proceeding according to plan. Her biggest clue? The tension in Thrawn's shoulders. He sat next to her in the front row, their spots chosen specifically for them to glare at the defendant throughout. The pair had hoped keeping the pressure high would be enough to push both porn actors into pleading guilt. They certainly had reason to believe Fallon Jennings intended to plead guilty. But as it turned out, Rayau Kikso may possess a spine just yet.

"Are you certain you don't wish to change your plea, Mr. Kikso? The owner of your studio has already admitted guilt to false advertising and slanderous publication. He paid his fines in a settlement with the Empire. His confession hardly bodes well for your case." The prosecutor paced about the courtroom, keeping her eyes directed on Rayau throughout. Since the reputation of the Imperial military was formally counted among the aggrieved parties in this trial, Rayau and Fallon were not allowed a defense attorney during the trial itself. Crimes against the Empire didn't allow it.

"I did want to say no, but… Actually, now that I'm up here, is it possible to plead guilty to some charges and not others? Because I did totally dress up as Admiral Thrawn-"

"Grand Admiral Thrawn," the prosecutor corrected.

"Yeah, him. I did dress like that guy." Rayau gestured to where Thrawn was seated. "I wore red contacts and everything. But these other charges… I didn't insult him! All I was doing was responding to people on the holonet who thought he'd be sexy in bed. That's not an insult."

"It became an insult when you implied he accepted bribes in the form of sex when assigning promotions to subordinates. Not only is that bad military practice, but it is against military regulation. Had your holovideo been accepted as genuine, Grand Admiral Thrawn could have been on his way to a third court martial. Damage to his career would be imminent."

"Woah, hold up." Rayau raised a finger. "Third court martial? Admiral Thrawn's been in the hot seat twice already?" He shrugged. "Court martials must not be that damaging to careers if dude's still got the big badge."

Thrawn shifted in his seat ever so slightly. He and Faro had both wondered if that argument was coming. It was a logical point to make, but neither had been confident Rayau would be smart enough to come up with it. Perhaps someone had fed it to him.

Still, the reporters ate it up. At Thrawn's request, ISB had partially lifted their sanction on the press talking about their "sex tape". Reporters were allowed to speak on the trial so that the holovideo's debunking could outdo the holovideo itself in terms of public attention. It helped that Eros' Corner had since removed the clip to avoid charges of their own.

The presence of reporters made a guilty verdict all the more crucial. It wasn't enough for Faro that the galaxy knew her "sex tape" was faked. She wanted this trial to serve as a warning to anyone else who would dare attempt something similar. If Rayau and Fallon got off too easy, the deterrence factor wouldn't be strong enough.

It did not help that the magistrate on the case was a stickler for the law's letter. "We're getting off topic. Counselor, please don't waste my time discussing hypotheticals. So we're clear, Mr. Kikso: you want to change your plea to guilty on the impersonation charge, but retain your not guilty claim with regard to defamation and slander. You claim that since you did not deal sufficient damage to the victim's career, you cannot have defamed or slandered him."

"That… sounds right. Sorry, I'm not great with legal talk."

"We've noticed. Counselor, do you have anything to present in response to Mr. Kikso's argument?"

Thankfully, Prosecutor Amala was prepared for this line of reasoning. As mentioned before, Rayau's point was a logical one to make. "I acknowledge the evidence of professional damage against the grand admiral is slim. The holovideo was only released a week ago. It was investigated by the Empire almost immediately after release. Early interception prevented the grand admiral from suffering serious professional consequences. The same cannot be said, however, of Mr. Kikso's other victim."

Rayau leaned forward in his seat. "I'm sorry. My other what?"

"Two Imperial officers were impersonated in the holovideo at the center of our discussions. Grand Admiral Thrawn is one. Commodore Karyn Faro is the other. A human by the name of Fallon Jennings portrayed her. Ms. Jennings is on trial for her role in this crime as we speak. However, since Mr. Kikso has already admitted he was the creative director behind the holovideo, he can be held legally responsible for defamation of Commodore Faro as well."

"Faro? Who's Fa- oh right, that lady." Rayau pointed to her from his spot in the witness chair. "The first officer. Of course… Wait. I can be charged for what?!" Rayau tried to stand up in his seat. He was forced back into his chair by a bailiff. "No one told me that."

The judge didn't have a visible reaction to the prosecutor's words. "Am I to assume there is greater evidence of professional damage in Commodore Faro's case then, Counselor?"

"There is, Your Magistry. With the cooperation of the Seventh Fleet and Imperial Naval High Command, I have both recorded conversations and official documentation that show how Commodore Faro's reputation fell by the estimation of her subordinates and commanders alike in the wake of the holovideo's release. Having one's professional success attributed to her bedroom activities is a damaging, yet all too common narrative."

Rayau tried to dismiss the prosecutor's concerns. "Why is this a big deal? It's the military, right? It's a bunch of adults on a big ship in the middle of space away from their families and culture. What do people expect is going to happen? I heard soldiers are one of the largest consumer groups for the porn industry."

"Hence why the Imperial military has laws regulating its soldiers' private behavior. Your fake scene claiming sex can be exchanged for promotions portrays a violation of said laws and a crude speculation regarding the character of Commodore Faro, a woman you admit to knowing nothing about."

The sweat was back. Faro could see flecks of gold peeking through Rayau's makeup again. "Well… how bad can it be?"

Prosecutor Amala straightened, hand drawn unconsciously into her greying black hair. "Not only does the woman's reputation take a hit in this situation, but her perceived competency and professional abilities are cast into doubt as well. Given that Commodore Faro is the executive officer of an entire Star Destroyer, it is vital for her to command the respect of lesser ranked officers. Her subordinates. Starting on the night the defendant's work was released onto the Holonet, that ability was met with sabotage."

Prosecutor Amala presented Chimaera security feed taken from the night Ensign Kydo made his fateful discovery. As the ensign played the holovid over and over for his crewmates, jokes ran abound about Faro's "resourcefulness" and "sensitive understanding" of her commander's "needs". The clip made Faro's mouth run dry.

Next came evidence leased by Faro herself to the investigation: footage from her office. Her dealings with Ensigns Kydo and Patel were on full display for the magistrate and press to analyze. Until now, she hadn't realized what a poor job she'd done of hiding her shock and terror at the unfolding situation. Her grip was too tight and the corners of her eyes twitched too often to be missed. Even if it helped her win the case, she hated looking so vulnerable to such a wide audience.

After that came a memo from Naval High Command, drafted the afternoon after Faro and Thrawn had spoken with Yularen. Prosecutor Amala only read one section of the memo out loud: the section discussing the tabling of Faro's next command post for "until due diligence has been made surrounding the recent incident". Mentioned as well was the fact that Thrawn had been the first to recommend her for promotion to commodore, a detail "cast into question by new revelations".

As the prosecutor read, the magistrate of the case fixed her eyes on Faro. Though she couldn't see them, she suspected the reporters behind her were doing the same thing. Every few seconds, another camera flashed. Faro resisted the urge to duck. Instead, she pursed her lips, keeping her head high as she realized just how widespread distrust in her abilities had become in the span of a single day. All because an enterprising porn actor saw her standing next to Thrawn in an still image one time.

Most damaging (in her eyes) was the coincidence of it all. If Faro had actually been exposed for intimate relations with her commander, that would be one thing. At least then she would bear responsibility for such negative scrutiny. But that a complete stranger to her could have the same effect on her career without even knowing her name? That stung. If Hammerly or Xoxtin or Pyrondi or any other female soldier had stood next to Thrawn in the report Rayau witnessed, it would be them sitting in Faro's seat. Never had an utterly irrelevant civilian wielded such power over her destiny. The shift in power went against everything Faro had grown to believe about the galactic hierarchy.

Prosecutor Amala rounded out her argument with a closing statement. "While Commodore Faro is fortunate the Empire was able to respond to this attack on her character so rapidly, it only took one standard day for her career to suffer from the defendant's actions. There is sufficient evidence of damage for charges of defamation and slander to be considered appropriate.

"As I said before, this is an all too common narrative found across professions. Pornography will never be the most progressive visual medium, but its advancement of reductive stereotypes about powerful women has gone too far this time. In its targeting of easily identifiable figures, the holovideo the defendant put together with the help of his accomplices crosses the time from general crassness into specific legal territory. Despite never learning Commodore Faro's name, the defendant provided sufficient identifying information for viewers to connect the events of the holovideo to her and the grand admiral with no mistake of intention. By the current legal framework, that is enough."

She folded her hands together, buttons on the sleeve of her black blazer rubbing together. "Your Magistry, a guilty verdict in this case is not just legally necessary, but a win for professional women across the galaxy, women who often find others inventing excuses for their hard won success. The details of this case may seem unusual at first, but at the foundation of the case lies an experience that strikes a chord with many in this room."

At that, the hard lines in the judge's face softened. For a brief moment in time, her dark eyes glazed over in memory, taking her to a time in the past about which Faro could only speculate. She looked back at Prosecutor Amala to see the same shadow fall across her features. More than the efficiency of the Empire's investigation, Faro found herself grateful to have both a judge and an attorney who treated her case with the gravity it deserved. It would have been all too easy for a prosecutor to lean into the absurdity of the case or even turn it into a joke. Had that happened, Faro would have been furious.

Faro glanced at Thrawn's face while the judge deliberated. He had been watching the show as intently as Faro. Noticing the movement in his peripheral vision, Thrawn broke off his stare to share a glance with her. He took in the contours of her expression and slowly blinked. A sign of serenity and acceptance. He predicted their victory, then.

A gavel struck the judge's desk. Faro shifted her attention back to the front of the room. When she did, she noticed Rayau had left the witness chair and stood once more at the defendant's bench.

The judge shook wisps of silver hair out of her face before beginning. "I am ready to hand down my verdict. On the count of impersonation, Mr. Kikso has already pleaded guilty. On the counts of slander and defamation of character of two separate parties, I find the evidence insufficient in the case of Grand Admiral Thrawn, but clear with regards to Commodore Faro. Therefore, I find the defendant guilty of a single count on each charge. Mr. Kikso, prepare to receive your sentence."

Rayau nodded, his back now to Faro. When he spoke, his tone was still too confident for her liking. "I am ready."

"In total, you will face six months in Imperial prison, a fine of five thousand credits, legal liability in civil court, and a requirement to file a public statement of culpability. The latter two items are particularly important for your aggrieved party to go about regaining her reputation."

The Pantoran nodded. "I understand. Thank you, Your Magistry."

The judge didn't respond directly, only struck her gavel a final time. "Case dismissed."

Faro and Thrawn left the courtroom through a side exit, ducking the paparazzi as they did so. Only once they reached a secluded hallway adjacent to the defendant's lobby did they stop to speak. "I was expecting more jail time. The sentencing guidelines for impersonation alone list up to five years as a possibility."

"That is true. I suppose if you wish for Mr. Kikso to face greater consequences, you may always face him in civil court. The magistrate all but guaranteed you would win your suit there."

"Please don't sue me. I'm already gonna be broke from the fine. I don't have anything else for you." Rayau interrupted as he turned the corner. He was being led back to jail by two guards. His tone was light despite his words.

Faro gestured for the guards to pause their escort. She wanted to have a few words with Rayau. "You don't seem particularly upset about anything other than the fine. I wouldn't think jail time is conducive to your rise to pornographic stardom."

"Ah. That is where you would be wrong… Commander." Faro shook her head, much to Rayau's confusion. "No? Well, whatever. See, I was upset going into the trial, but Rico's lawyer told me to chin up. Now, I didn't want to be declared guilty, but he predicted that even if I was, I would spend less than a year behind bars and that the press coverage would keep my name in circulation for a significant portion of that time. Right as media hype starts to die off, Rico plans to release some of my prerecorded scenes to keep my name alive. Don't worry, Admiral, I don't impersonate you in those," Rayau reassured. "Either way, I'm gonna be a good prisoner, get out of jail early, and be even more famous than ever! My holvids are already up in traffic, so really, it all works out in the end. Nice to meet you guys, though!"

Rayau made for his prison transport. Initially he did so without his (understandably stunned) guard, but they quickly caught up with him. And here Faro thought she'd done the right thing agreeing to take the strictly legal route. Clearly the justice system's punishments were insufficient.

Thrawn waited for all three men to leave earshot before offering commentary. "If you truly wish to punish Mr. Kikso, I suspect you would have to deal harm to his career. His career and the unique brand of fame it brings him. Still, I doubt he's as pleased as he claims."

"Why do you think that, sir?"

"You've noticed the way in which he keeps his golden facial markings hidden under a layer of makeup, correct?"

"I have. What of it?"

"I did some cursory research upon my first notice of it. In Pantoran culture, those facial markings signify family ties. Compound that with the facts that Mr. Kikso uses a stage name in his work and Corulag's media industry is better known for its holodramas in polite society, and I suspect his kin network would be less than pleased with his true choice of occupation. Our legal dispute with him has already made galactic news. If Mr. Kikso has not heard from his relatives already, I suspect he will in the near future."

Small comforts. Faro glanced over her shoulder in the direction Rayau had departed from. "I suppose so, sir. Did you want us to be present for the conclusion of Ms. Jennings' trial, or are we ready to return to the Chimaera?"

Thrawn shook his head. "I believe we've seen enough of Corulag for the time being. We have military matters to attend to." His lips quirked at the end of his last sentence. Thrawn internally weighed saying more before choosing to add, "and once our shifts are done for the day, we can… debrief on the situation privately. For all his trouble, Mr. Kikso has offered us one insight of potential value."

Faro didn't pick up on the implications of Thrawn's comment right away. When she did, she had to fight off a laugh. She glanced about the courthouse hallway for cameras before offering him a playful smile. "I look forward to putting this incident to bed."

A/N's: So I decided I did want to write the sex scene at the end, if only for its comedic potential. This chapter wasn't as comedic as I was planning for it to be. Originally it was, but then I decided it didn't feel appropriate.

Well, it's been fun. I was planning to do homework instead of write this chapter for this morning, but we can't have everything. Hope you enjoyed!