"I remind you again, ma'am," says Lieutenant Roy Hunter, standing up using his cane to support himself. "that if you back down now, the prosecution will not be able to cross examine you."
"Go ahead, Lieutenant," says Commodore Kamini Nijjar.
"Ma'am, do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" asks the Ocean Patrol first class petty officer serving as a bailiff.
"I do," answers the commodore.
"State your name for the record," says the defense counsel.
"Kamini Nijjar," answers Nijjar.
"And your present rank and post?"
"I am a commodore in the United Nations Ocean Patrol, presently awaiting orders."
Hunter walks back to the defense table with the help of his cane, and then faces the defendant. "Commodore, were you a cadet in the United Earth Forces Academy?" he asks.
"Yes, Lieutenant, I was. I attended the provisional campus of Tirol twenty-two years ago. I got my commission in the Ocean Patrol just right as the Robotech Wars ended. It was only a stroke of luck we won."
"And you are familiar with the Honor Code, ma'am?"
Yes, I was. It was taught to me my first day as a plebe. A cadet shall not lie, cheat, steal, nor tolerate those among us who do."
"Commodore, can you summarize your career in the Ocean Patrol after your graduation from the Academy?"
"I serve in a time of peace, Lieutenant. We have had eighteen years of peace among the stars, now. I served aboard ship and ashore, including joint service assignments. The Ocean Patrol's primary focus is search and rescue and suppression of maritime piracy, a far cry from fighting for humanity's very survival. I have noticed that some of the admirals on this panel, just by looking at their ribbon racks, had served on vessels on Earth during the Invid Occupation, cut off from support from the rest of the galaxy. Those who trained me, those who commanded me, accomplished greater things. And yet, it would be a blessing if the cadets I mentored only had to conduct search and rescue operations for their entire careers, no matter how long those are."
"Still, ma'am, there are hazards even just patrolling for search and rescue. You were aboard the Manta Ray during the explosion incident, am I right?"
"Yes, Lieutenant. The section to which I was assigned was flooding. I had to act. As the Academy taught me, officers are responsible for those under their command."
"And so you rescued then-Seaman Monique Halstead, ma'am?"
"To be perfectly honest, Lieutenant, I personally can not testify for certain that then-Seaman Halstead was one of the sailors I rescued. It was dark, it was flooding, and I was more concerned with saving the lives of sailors than asking their names. And yet, I can not disagree that if the magazine explosion was due to enemy action, I'd be due a Medal of Honor."
"Well, that's what the Commission said, ma'am."
"I am willing to put everything on the line to do what's needed. That's an ethic I took with me when I became Commandant of the Corps of Cadets."
"About that, Commodore. What were your duties as Commandant?"
"Ultimately, I was responsible for running the Corps of Cadets. As a graduate of the Academy yourself, you understand that cadets are not just college students earning a degree- they are training to be officers that would lead people in search and rescue, suppressing piracy, assisting in natural and cosmic disasters, and – God forbid- fighting interstellar wars. While I am grateful for my first year cadets and my cadre and faculty, in training junior cadets, ultimately, I was responsible for their military training, to teach them accountability."
"And you had an active role in enforcing the Honor Code, is that correct, ma'am?'
"Yes, I was, Lieutenant. I had the authority to convene the Honor Board, authority subordinate to the Superintendent, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the Supreme Commander, and the Secretary General."
"So you punished cadets for violating the Honor Code."
"Yes, I did. Cadet officers ddid and do have the authority to investigate honor code violations of their own initiative. I did have so many responsibilities, and if there was no evidence, I trusted the cadets to let it go."
"Commodore, is it fair to say that not every complaint to the Corps results in expulsion?"
"Of course not. Sometimes, there is not enough evidence. Sometimes, the Honor Board finds the cadet not guilty. And most of the time, the cadet admits guilt and we impose punishments from punitive work details to cancelling academic credits. Expulsion is the most serious punishment, reserved for egregious instances of Honor Code violations, like that instance of a cadet who filed a false report so he could have a fellow female cadet to himself, and I personally could not have ratified expulsion; that was Andrea's -the Superintendent's- prerogative."
"And how do you decide what punishment is appropriate, ma'am?"
"We consider the severity of the offense as well as the cadet's total record, including conduct prior to admission. A lot of these cadets are under great pressure- understandably, since they have to lead people when lives are on the line, like I did during the Manta Ray disaster. It is a balancing act, similar to sentencing a serviceman convicted in a court-martial. Of course, you as well as Commander Ogilvie and Commander Seong would be familiar with that."
"And you took your job seriously, ma'am?"
"Of course. Just like any other assignment I received from the Ocean Patrol."
"I have no further questions, your Honor."
"Your Honor, I still want to talk," says Commodore Nijjar.
"While you are not legally required to, it is still your right, ma'am," says Commander Hyun Hee Seong.
"I would never order or advise my cadets or cadre to cheat, or to cover up cheating, or aid others to cheat. Dean, Kumiko, Ayanna, they all betrayed me. My friend, Andrea, had to resign in disgrace because of their betrayal. And now the United Earth Forces want me to take the fall."
"The United Earth Forces may start cross examination," says the judge.
"You have an impressive service record, ma'am," says Lieutenant Commander Keith Ogilvie.
"Why, thank you, Commander," replies Commodore Nijjar.
"Your heroism during the Manta Ray disaster is commendable."
"I saved the lives of several sailors."
"And you risked all to do that. You had no idea if you yourself would drown inside the flooding compartments."
"Of course. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to succeed."
"Just three months after the disaster, and just a week after the Ocean Patrol concluded its investigation, you were promoted to lieutenant commander."
"Of course. I proved myself."
"So you had this image of being a hero for the Ocean Patrol, is that right, ma'am?"
"Yes, I believe so, Commander."
"And it must have helped you. You received a choice joint-duty assignment and a command of an Ocean Patrol cutter, is that right, ma'am?"
"I had outstanding service evaluations."
"And it is fair to say that your outstanding service record was the reason you were promoted to commodore and appointed as Commandant of the Corps of Cadets of the United Earth Forces Academy; is that right, ma'am?"
"Of course, Commander."
"I mean, you must have been quite a role model. Your story of rescuing those sailors on board the Manta Ray, must have set an example, ma'am."
"Cadets need heroes to inspire them to succeed. I am sure you had role models during your tenure at the Academy."
"That's right, ma'am."
"And you must have told your cadets of how you saved those sailors from drowning, at the risk of drowning yourself. Am, I right, ma'am?"
"That's right, Commander."
"I mean, think of these young people, most of them just out of high school, very few of them having finished puberty. I mean.."
"Objection, your Honor," says Lieutenant Hunter. "The trail counsel is simply making small talk with the defendant. I humbly request that Commodore Nijjar be excused so the defense can rest their case."
"I want to answer his question, your Honor," protests the commodore.
"Ordinarily, I would sustain this objection," Seong. "But as the defendant herself wants to answer this question, I will overrule the objection- for now." She faces the trial counsel. "Commander Ogilvie, if you go on too long, I will cut off this line of questioning, even if the defendant wishes to continue her chat with you."
"Yes, ma'am," replies Ogilvie.
"The United Earth Forces may continue its cross."
"You were a hero to those young people, right ma'am?" asks Commander Ogilvie.
"Of course, I was," answers Nijjar, smiling. "i had the record to prove it. Several sailors, including Petty Officer Halstead, owe their lives to me. The cadets looked to my example."
"And that includes the cadet athletes, right, ma'am?"
"Of course. As Colonel Walters testified- and he was right, despite his betrayal of me- those athletes are public relations ambassadors. They play across Earth and on some of our colony worlds. Aliens have attended our games. And just as I inspire the cadets to exceed the best they can be, our athletes can inspire humanity to exceed the best they can be. I mean, we allow some officers to transfer to the Reserves so they can play in pro leagues."
"No doubt because most of humanity watches professional sports. They are champions for humanity."
"Yes. And private sector companies compete with each other over Academy graduates. The CEO's of Stonewell Bellcom and General Galaxy are graduates. The Minister of Alien Relations, and two justices on the Galactic Court, are graduates."
"And when the Academy won the men's track-and-field college championship your first year as Commandant, that must have been a credit to you," says the trial counsel.
"Of course," replies Commodore Nijjar. "They succeeded under my leadership and those of my faculty."
"And it was true likewise when the women's basketball team won the championship three years ago, is that right, ma'am?"
"Yes."
"And your record of success at the Academy as the commandant of its cadets, it would have greased the skids towards your promotion to rear admiral, do you believe that, ma'am?"
"That is very obvious, Commander. The five services have always valued success."
"And, Commodore, failure would reflect poorly on you, uh, right?" asks Ogilvie.
"Failure was never an option, Commander," answers the commodore.
"Of course not, ma'am. I mean, the officers who led our troops during the Robotech Wars never accepted failure. They had to protect us, and they never let anything stand in the way."
"That's right, Commander. I could not let my cadets fail. We train cadets to succeed, not fail. We train them to do whatever it takes to succeed."
"And you would do anything for them to succeed, right, ma'am"
"Yes, they have to succeed."
"And you'd keep them from failing no matter what."
"That's right."
"And you wouldn't let anything, not the Honor Code, not regulations, not the Articles of Discipline, to keep you from having another success story and another star, isn't that right, ma'am?"
"Nothing stands in my way, Commander. I didn't get where I was by letting anything stand in my way."
"No further questions, your Honor," says Commander Ogilvie.
The defense counsel slowly stands up, using his cane to support himself. "The defense rests, your Honor," he says.
"No need for a rebuttal case, your Honor," says the trial counsel.
"This court will give both of you a full day to prepare your arguments," says Commander Seong. "Closing arguments will begin at 0900 Wednesday."
She bangs the gavel.