The colossal, floating citadel of the Intergalactic Court of Justice looked less like a courthouse and more like a small moon that had been bedazzled by an over excited architect.
The station was ringed by thousands of docking bays, which were currently overflowing with expensive spacecraft.
As Leo’s flagship spacecraft docked at a VIP pier, he glanced out the viewport. The arrival point was a sea of flashing lights, floating cara drones, and beings dressed in outfits that cost more than a nation’s GDP.
"Trent," Leo said, his voice tightening as he tugged at the collar of his sleek, business-tactical suit. "Is it normal for a lawsuit to attract a crowd that makes it look like the Galactic t Gala?"
He had already investigated the court before. He had even seen so of the previous proceedings when he was a little bored.
Normally, this place was as dead as it could be, with barely a few ships occasionally docked. Only in high profile cases could a sight like this be seen.
Trent, standing at attention with his ever-present silver tablet, didn’t even blink.
"When a re businessman sues the Watchdogs, it is boring, sir. When the recognized Sovereign of a middle tier Earth challenges the most feared bureaucratic organization in the cosmos... it is the entertainnt event of the millennium."
"It looks like many prominent people have arrived to watch the entertainnt in person. I’m certain quite a few of them would be those that had a bone to pick with the Watchdogs."
The airlocks opened, and the roaring sound of a thousand reporters shouting in a hundred different languages flooded the cabin.
Leo took a deep breath, channeled his best boardroom-negotiator face, and stepped out. The lights were blinding.
As they walked down the grand crystalline corridor toward the main hearing chambers, Trent leaned in to act as his tour guide, casually pointing out the attendees who had gathered just to watch Leo stick it to the galactic banking system.
"To your left, sir, is Lord Zalthor of the Orion Syndicate. He owns twelve star systems and practically invented the concept of hostile asteroid takeovers," Trent whispered.
Leo glanced over and saw a massive, imposing alien with an ocean blue skin and four arms, wearing a cape made of what looked like starlight. Zalthor caught Leo’s eye and offered a respectful, albeit terrifying, nod. Leo managed a weak smile and nodded back.
"And over there," Trent continued, gesturing with his datapad, "is High Priestess Vanila of the Centauri cluster. I believe she is here because the Watchdogs recently ssed with her as well."
"Although she taught them a lesson by breaking a few bones, there was only so far she could go. It looks like she is interested in this event. She is probably rooting for you."
"It looks like I’m not the only one that’s troubled by this corrupt organization?" Leo said, not realising that he had so much support from beyond his slave sector. "These guys really do nickel-and-di everyone, don’t they?"
"Indeed, sir. You have beco the unintentional focal point, especially since the others avoid going against the watchdogs to protect their greater interests."
’Unfortunately, from this point on, it won’t be easy. Although the court has accepted your hearing request, it’s most probably not good for you, especially since you beco the leader of earth,"
Trent reminded Leo, who tilted his head sideways.
"What do you an? Why would it be worse after I accepted the earth’s leader position?" Leo asked.
"It’s probably because now you have beco a part of their power struggle," Ulen was the one who answered, knowing quite a few things about the inner workings of this universe.
"As the leader of Alpha Corp, you represent an individual who, albeit influential, wasn’t connected to the Galactic Union deeply," he added. "But as the leader of a mber planet in the Galactic Union, you technically represent the Galactic Union’s face."
"What does that have to do with anything? Isn’t it better if I represent the Galactic Union? That should help , right?" Leo thought out loud.
"Sotis you’re so clever, but at other tis, you are truly innocent," Ulen rubbed his forehead.
"Do you not realise that the Intergalactic Court and the Galactic Union aren’t in the sa camp?" Trent asked, lowering his voice to the point of whispering. "Both have been fighting to protect their interests, treading into the other’s domain little by little.
He didn’t want to be heard by others, since they were in the domain of the Court.
"Ah, so it’s like the battle between judiciary and executive branch in a hostile environnt? And at the mont, I represent the executives?"
Leo asked, coming to a realization. The waters of the universe were really deep, and there was still so much that he didn’t know.
"That’s right. And the Watchdogs, albeit not directly connected to the Court, represent the Judiciary Faction as a quasi judicial organization," Trent rubbed his forehead.
That’s why he said that things were worse now than they were before. Although it looked like a battle between Leo and the Watchdogs over a single disappearance, this case had beco sothing much bigger.
"So it’s like a battle between the Galactic Union and the Intergalactic Court of Justice. And I have to win this case in the enemy territory when the opposing side is already biased against ?"
Leo didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. But at least he understood why there were so many guests today. So this was the definition of entertainnt that Trent had talked about.
It was one thing to win a case and it was another thing to win a case as part of an organisation that the judiciary hated. No matter how fair the justice was, there was absolutely no world without even the slightest of bias.
"First they kidnapped my brother, then they probably killed him and made an excuse that he ran away. And now they still set the field against ? What is this treachery?" Leo grimaced, feeling wronged.
His words made Trent almost choked as he looked at the back of Leo’s head.
Inwardly, he couldn’t help but ask, ’Aren’t you the last person who should be asking about treachery?’
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