765: Chapter 765 The End of Yale

"Defendant Yale, the prosecution charges you with using your authority to intentionally fabricate evidence, mobilizing Garrison District troops to frame the Independent Military Region Commander, Comrade Li Yang, and subsequently instructing your confidants to forge the illusion of spatial turbulence to murder several Imperial Generals in order to cover up your crimes. Are the aforementioned charges true?"

The Chief Justice asked in a heavy voice.

Yale remained silent for a moment before responding in a raspy voice.

"...They are true. I plead guilty."

The prosecutor immediately stood up and read the public indictment in court, detailing the crimes committed by Yale and presenting various pieces of evidence in sequence.

starship control System tampering logs, AI communication records, planning documents between the murdered Generals and Yale, testimonies from technical Soldiers involved in the self-destruct sequence, the starship wreckage examination report, and testimonies from Li Yang and related witnesses—all evidence was presented and cross-examined one by one in court. The entire process was transparent and rigorous, without a single point of doubt.

"The defendant, Yale, as an Imperial Marshal holding a high position, showed utter disregard for military law. For his own personal gain, he framed colleagues and murdered high-ranking generals, severely undermining the discipline of the Imperial Military Department and damaging the military's credibility. His crimes are extremely grave. We implore the court to sentence him to the ultimate penalty in accordance with the law to uphold military justice!"

Seeing this, the Chief Justice nodded and finally turned to ask Yale if he had a final statement.

Yale raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the room before finally landing on the judicial bench. His voice was calm and flat.

"I have no defense. I plead guilty and accept the law; I am willing to bear all consequences."

Afterward, the Chief Justice, jurors, and military law consultants adjourned for deliberation, while the entire room waited in silence.

A moment later, the members of the collegial panel returned to their seats. The Chief Justice stood up, holding the verdict, and the entire room instantly fell into a dead silence.

"This court finds that the defendant, Yale, as a Marshal of the Imperial Military Department, disregarded the Imperial Military Code, intentionally framed colleagues, and murdered multiple high-ranking generals. The facts of the crimes are clear, and the evidence is solid and sufficient; the charges brought by the prosecution are established. His actions have severely disrupted Imperial military discipline and endangered military order. The circumstances of the crimes are particularly heinous, and the consequences are exceptionally grave."

"In accordance with the relevant provisions of the 'Xili Empire Criminal Law' and the 'Xili Empire Military Law,' and following deliberation by the collegial panel, the judgment is as follows:"

"The defendant, Yale, is found guilty of intentionally framing colleagues, intentional homicide, and military personnel's violation of duty. For these combined crimes, he is sentenced to death, to be executed immediately. He is stripped of all military ranks and positions, all personal property is confiscated, and he is to be escorted to the execution ground immediately to carry out the sentence!"

The Chief Justice's voice was powerful and resonant, echoing throughout the entire courtroom.

Hearing this, Yale actually felt a sense of relief in his heart. He knew that given the Empire's methods for dealing with crime and his own offenses, the death penalty was already a mercy granted for his father's sake.

Soldiers immediately stepped forward, hoisted Yale from the defendant's seat, and led him out of the courtroom step by step.

The officers in the room remained seated, their expressions solemn. Watching this scene, they all understood in their hearts that the majesty of the Imperial military law would not allow any powerful elite to trample upon it.

...

The gavel of the Supreme Military Court fell, and Yale's death sentence took effect immediately.

There was no process for transporting him to a transit facility. As soon as he stepped out of the courtroom, he was firmly escorted by Soldiers armed with live ammunition, heading non-stop straight for the Imperial Military Department's exclusive secret execution ground.

Unlike the hurried firing squad executions for ordinary prisoners, Yale had been an Imperial Marshal and held a high-ranking general's position. Even though he had committed a capital offense and been stripped of all ranks, he was still granted a final shred of dignity according to the highest military protocols: a painless execution that preserved the integrity of his body.

The core area of the secret execution ground was a cold execution room insulated from all external sound.

The entire room was made of matte alloy, with four smooth walls reflecting a cold luster. There were no extra decorations. Pale overhead lights poured straight down from the center of the ceiling, illuminating every corner of the room so thoroughly that not even a sliver of shadow could hide.

The air was thick with the pungent smell of disinfectant mixed with the metallic chill of instruments, creating a stifling sense of oppression that weighed heavily on the heart, making even breathing feel difficult.

Several staff members dressed in pure white execution uniforms stood silently to one side of the equipment. Their expressions were calm and flat, their gazes indifferently fixed on the giant capsule-shaped execution device in the center of the room.

They had handled countless executions and were long accustomed to life and death; there wasn't a trace of unnecessary emotion on their faces.

A series of heavy, dragging footsteps approached from a distance, breaking the deathly silence of the execution room.

Two Soldiers, standing as straight as pines, flanked Yale and marched him inside.

The metal fittings on their battle armor collided, making crisp but cold sounds. Every clink felt like a hammer striking Yale's heart.

At this moment, Yale had long since lost the high-spiritedness and arrogant defiance he once possessed as an Imperial Marshal.

His hair was a mess, and his once-crisp military uniform had long been replaced by a prison jumpsuit. His face was as pale as paper, devoid of any blood, and his legs trembled uncontrollably, making even standing a difficult task.

Deep in his eyes was a despair too thick to dissolve, along with an uncontrollable terror at facing death. He looked like a man whose soul had been sucked out, leaving behind only a shivering husk.

With death close at hand, even though he had once been cold-blooded and calculating, he ultimately could not hide his fear of dying. His entire body was trembling slightly.

The two Soldiers brought him to the giant capsule device. One of them stepped forward and gave a command in a low, powerful voice, devoid of any emotion, as cold as a machine.

"Get in. Lie down."

Yale had long since lost the strength to resist. His body went limp, and he was half-supported, half-carried by the Soldiers as he slowly lay down inside the device.

The interior of the device fitted the curves of the human body yet still radiated a bone-chilling cold. As soon as he lay down, soft but extremely tough restraint straps automatically clicked into place, firmly securing his wrists, ankles, and shoulders. The binding force was so strong that he could not move at all.