Maria Raghild's Story

"He was arresting you." George said flatly. "That basically means because you broke our laws, walking in the middle of the street and not giving him any identification. He is allowed to take your freedom and take you prisoner." He said, trying to simplify the concept.

"What planet are you from, where is this Liulfring?" He said, trying to get a feel for where she was from.

"As it stands you're going to be facing a lot of charges. You'll stand before a Triad before being sentenced. Something like this carries stiff penalties, under Tauron law it's usually confinement and hard labor."

"Jörthr," she replied.

Her grasp of the common tongue was still developing, and she seemed apt to reverting to her native tongue when faced with words that she didn't know the common translation of, or when she encountered words for which there was no common translation for.

"I do not know this... identification," she added.

Her agitation seemed to be keeping to a low simmer as it became apparent this man didn't seem intent on shooting her again.

George nodded some and he produced what looked like a driver license.

"Identification." He said, finally getting a grasp of what was going on. It was then he turned to what looked like a mirror.

"Call Immigration, looks like we have someone whose not from the Empire." He said, and then he turned back to Maria.

"Jörthr..." He spoke the words with a heavy accent, muddling through the pronunciation. "Interesting, I'm not familiar with that term." He said, turning a page.

"Alright, let's see here... Unlawful entry into the United Aschen Empire, Unlawful entry into the Province of Tauron... Failure to display Identification to a Peace Officer... assaulting a Peace Officer, six counts, and unlawful flight from Detention." He said, listing the charges.

"Do you understand these charges?"

"Yes," she stated flatly.

Though truthfully she didn't understand much of anything George was telling her. She was weary of the situation though. Whatever was to come of things would come, regardless of her understanding of the how and why of things. She would contend with that when the time came.

She finally took the seat across from George. The agitation and restlessness was still there, but for the time being, the wolf-mind had withdrawn. It wasn't gone though, no never gone, and it was particularly strong today - a fact that didn't go unnoticed. The last thing that was needed was for her to lose herself to the beast right here and now though. This man had made no effort to harm her, and with that in mind she made an effort to keep her temper reigned in.

Tawa Imperial Triad Hall
Judge Magister Leontios presiding.
Triad of Maria Raghild



The massive imposing courthouse building seemed to tower over the streets of Tawa, the former Capital of the Aschen Confederation, and the capital of the Sagittaron province. it was also the location where high profile criminals were sent too. With no record of citizenship, several assaults, along with millions of cubits of destruction to her name.



The Triad room would be unlike any Terran courtroom that Maria would be familiar with, either having been in person or seen through the various cop dramas.

At one end of the room there was a raised Dais, where the Judge Magister presided, along with four benches, the center was for the accused, this was where Maria would find herself standing. Three more benches and tables were positioned behind her, with her Defense to one side, and the Prosecution to the other. The deciding party, the Neutral decision maker sat directly behind her.

The room itself was cold and imposing, typical of Aschen décor. There was a suffocating silence, save for the low hum of the air conditioning system as the Judge Magister read over the charges.

----

A single CPF officer standing directly to the left of the Dais cleared his throat as the Judge Magister walked from a door to the side and towards the Dais.

"All rise, Court Docket One Seven Nine Three, The Government and the People of the Imperial Province of the Republic of Tauron, and the Government and the People of the United Aschen Empire, versus Maria Raghild. Judge Magister Leonthios presiding--

Triad now begins." The Officer said in a raised voice, before stepping aside while the Judge lowered himself into the Dais.

"State your name for the purposes of this court." The Judge Magister said in an authoritative tone.

The Judge Magister then looked to the charges once Maria spoke her name for the court.

"Archon for the State, what are the charges?" He asked, turning towards the Prosecutor, a middle aged male in a dark grey suit.

"One count of aggravated assault of a peace officer, one count evading detention or arrest, one count of failure to provide identification upon request, two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on a Federal Officer." The Prosecutor said, reading the charges while the Judge Magister turned to Maria.

"From the report your Defense provided, I understand you are not from here, nor are you a Citizen of the Empire, and that there were mitigating circumstances, along with a language barrier when dealing with Law Enforcement, The court recognizes these Mitigating factors and will incorporate them in your sentencing. Does the Archon of the State have any objections?" The Judge Magister asked, and the Prosecutor shook his head.

"No, my Lord."

"How do you answer to these charges, Miss Raghild?"

Maria stood quietly and there was something unnerving and almost wolfish in her amber eyes as she looked from the prosecutor to the judge. Blood work had turned up anomalies during her physical, but it was likely the Aschen didn't yet know the full extent of Maria's affliction. It was only a matter of time before the wolf mind forced its way out, and she could feel it nearing. Not today, but soon. She wasn't sure how long she had been here on Langara, but it was a few weeks at least, and her temperature had already climbed a few degrees as it often did the nights prior to the full moon on Terra.

It was perhaps for this reason that she had opted for as quick a trial as possible. These men and women weren't warriors, and there was no honor to be had in killing them. The wolf-mind didn't act under concepts of honor though, it acted out of pure, raw instinct.

"Maria Raghild," she spoke out clearly as she had been instructed to do prior to the start of the trial.

She didn't quite understand half of what was going on around her, or really even the charges themselves. She did understand though that she had broken some local laws, and that she would be sentenced by the local courts. She was honor-bound to submit to their judgement.

"Guilty."

There was no wavering in the thickly accented word as she spoke it, and her defense attorney had assured her it would provide the swiftest resolution to the trial.

The Judge Magister looked towards the Archons in the room, and then back to Maria.

"Considering the Mitigating factors, along with the Defense's submission for a Military Deferrence, I will now pass judgement." The Magister said calmly, reading the law.

"This Court accepts the guilty plea and imposes a thirty year sentence in the United Aschen Empire's second Penal Battalion, eligible for Parole in ten years, Naturalization in Twenty; you will be remanded to the custody of Whispering Mountain Penal Institute until such time as the Imperial Military has sent notice for you to begin your training."

"This Triad is concluded." The Judge Magister said flatly.