Already, Paul was met with disdain by the Council as the Vanguard brought him to them for the preliminary hearing, they wanted to know if he wanted to fight for his innocence or accept his punishment.

Execution.

Inheriting his mother's attitude, Paul didn't hesitate to fight against the charge, wanting to prove his innocence by any means necessary, and then some.

Trying to get them to read his mind and see that he wasn't lying proved impossible, the Council refused the thought out of concerns for "doctored" memory and the threat of brain aneurysms.

They shoved a metal bracelet over his head so he couldn't reach out to anyone or attempt to harm the Council, any attempts to try to remove it would result in heavy shocks for his troubles.

Without skipping a beat, the Council hounded him with questions, and because of his situation, he was forced to tell the truth, including questions regarding Taylor.

"The human hasn't been seen since the dinner?" Paul heard one of the council members inquire as he slowly turned his head, but he didn't see her in the court with them.

"The child said it was him that did it, for all intents and purposes, she is hisaccomplice!" Councilman Emert shouts.

He wanted her found and court marshaled until further notice, sending the word to the other Vanguard to keep an eye out for Taylor.

"And ensure that machine doesn't leave, either!" Councilman Emert shouted once again as he ordered the TARDIS to be held.

Grimacing, Paul internally panicked as he couldn't reach out to Taylor to warn her that the Vanguards were looking for her, that she hadn't returned to the TARDIS like she was supposed to, it's already making his stomach sour at the thoughts wedging themselves in his mind.

With the other Doctor helping him, he hoped that he would find her first before the other Vanguard does and go from there.

The TARDIS being blocked and the possibility of it being destroyed made him nauseous as well, that his grandfather would scream at the Council for putting to death an old friend if he were here to see the sight.

Sucking air through his teeth, Paul reminded himself of the laws that his father taught him, and that he had rights that can't be infringed despite what the Council thinks.

They thought he didn't know the laws of Gallifrey, but to their surprise, he listed the laws that gave him the right to a council of his own to fight the charge, and the Council needed to prove that Paul indeed killed Theta.

Acknowledging that Paul did have a right to a counsel, the Council added stipulations that proved to be a snarl for Paul's chances of proving his innocence.

He would have to find council on Gallifrey, if anyone would want to represent him in his legal battle, no one else could be brought off-world to represent him, and that it was on him and his council.

"But I have arightto inquiry with my accuser?" Paul made sure to cross his Xs and Os with the Council and they replied that when his court session starts, he would be allowed to question Othello.

Until then, the onus was, and always will be, on Paul to prove their biased judgement wrong.

"You only have twelve hours to present us your counsel, child, go and find them, but remember, as the accused, you're restricted to few areas in Gallifrey," Councilwoman Yuri informed Paul that because of the situation, he would only be allowed in a handful of areas of Gallifrey to find people to represent him in his council, and he would be escorted by Vanguards to prevent his escape.

Holding his head high, Paul asserted that he had no plans of escaping Gallifrey, that he intended to fight the charges in open court if needed.

"Your ancestors will be watching you, child, go with honour," Councilwoman Yuri warns him as he set out to find someone willing to work with him on his council.

Unsurprising, Paul was having trouble getting anyone to so much as look his way, their minds already made about him, calling him a killer, any reason not to entertain a thought about helping him in his court case.

They were more than willing to stand to the side and watch him get speared through his two hearts by the law.

The Vanguards went through Gallifrey looking for Taylor, but she was nowhere in sight, and they forcibly checked the TARDIS after transferring it to holdings until after the conclusion of the trial.

They're going to destroy it the moment Paul is given the guilty verdict, that Paul knows how frightened it was at the thought of being destroyed just like the others that came before it.

Helpless, it would languish in its prison until its fate was decided.

Time was ticking and Paul didn't have anyone raising their hands, Taylor hadn't appeared yet, thus further making him worried, but things took a turn when Talib showed up unexpectedly to talk to him.

The Vanguard was hesitant at the thought of the Magister talking to Paul, but the old Time Lord schooled them in the old ways by reminding them of the laws that governed the lands.

It was enough to silence their disagreement, allowing him to speak with Paul.

"The tides are against you," Talib commented on Paul's predicament.

Slowly shaking his head, Paul expressed, "I understand why my father never wanted me here."

Ever since he was a small boy, Paul was curious about his heritage, but his father was always frightened at the thought he would come here.

Seeing how he was being treated, even without the verdict being made, among other things, maybe there was a point, and should Paul have children of his own, he wondered if he would even tell them anything, himself.

"Take hearts, child, they're afraid," Talib took a perspective over it, before asking Paul how he was coming with his counsel.

Frowning, Paul admits that he was better off asking a ghost, before Talib offered his hand in being on Paul's counsel.

Stunned, Paul goes, "Wouldn't that get you into trouble with the magistracy?"

His smile hidden by his beard, Talib informed Paul that it was his duty to help someone in need, even if they could be convicted.

"I don't know what to say, Talib, you honour me," Paul expressed gratitude that Talib was willing to risk his position for someone like Paul.

Patting him on the back, Talib affirmed that it was his duty, and while his grandfather's antics remained on people's minds, Paul deserved a fair trial.

With that, Talib left to prepare, leaving Paul to search for someone else to take on, and he located Loran at the library.

Loran was apprehensive at the thought, but Paul pleaded that he knew that Paul couldn't have killed Theta.

"Memphis knows the rules, doesn't he, hecannotbar you from accepting, it'd be against everything our forefathers stood for, no?" Paul challenged as Loran sat at the counter with a look in his pink eyes.

And if nothing else, Loran knows what would happen if it was found he withheld evidence, that he was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"Are you sure I'm enough to make a point, child?" Loran inquires if Paul was sure he would make a good candidate.

Nodding, Paul insisted that Loran could show that the court was biased against him for being one-quarter Time Lord.

"You could've ignored me, Loran, you could've done a lot of things, but you talked to me, you helped me," Paul pleaded with him to consider it.

Scratching the side of his bearded face, Loran ponders before agreeing with being added to the counsel, that he always wanted to make a point, but never had the chance, well now he does, and it'll help show Paul's innocence.

"Thank you," Paul profusely thanked Loran for joining his counsel.