Chapter 10
The expansion of the federal commission sent shockwaves through the Pentagon within hours. By the following morning, the courtroom gallery—previously empty save for a few curious reporters—was packed with military attachés, naval investigators, and representatives from the Department of Justice. The atmosphere was charged with electricity, every person present aware that a massive institutional scandal was breaking wide open.
Sarah sat at the counsel table alone, her posture immaculate, her white uniform gleaming under the courtroom lights. She did not look back at the crowded gallery where several high-ranking officers in dress blues watched her with cold, disapproving stares. They viewed her as a traitor to the uniform—someone who had violated the sacred rule of military solidarity. But Sarah knew that true loyalty meant protecting the truth, not shielding corrupt commanders from accountability.
Arthur Vance sat at the defense table with a new legal team—two senior partners from a corporate defense firm in Washington who looked significantly more formidable and less inclined to theatrical outbursts. They had brought three additional briefcases filled with regulatory waivers, national security exemptions, and maritime jurisdiction statutes.
Judge Thomas Sterling entered the courtroom, his expression stern and unyielding. The bailiff called the court to order, and the heavy oak doors remained firmly shut.
"We are reconvening the federal maritime inquiry regarding the loss of the USS Orion," Judge Sterling announced, his voice echoing off the paneled walls. "Before the defense presents its new motions, the court has received a formal deposition from Captain Marcus Vance, principal director of Aegis Maritime Defense."
A murmur rippled through the gallery. Vance’s lead defense attorney stood up immediately, looking alarmed. "Your Honor, the defense objects to the introduction of any deposition from Captain Marcus Vance taken outside the presence of counsel."
"Your objection is noted and overruled, Counsel," Judge Sterling replied smoothly. "Captain Marcus Vance was detained by federal marshals early this morning attempting to board a private flight to the British Virgin Islands. His deposition was taken under oath with federal magistrates present."
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Arthur Vance stared straight ahead, his face pale. The net was closing faster than his legal team could draft injunctions.
Sarah looked down at the photograph of the sailors resting beside her portfolio. For the first time since the trial began, a faint, genuine warmth touched her eyes. The cover-up was unraveling at the seams, exposed not by sophisticated espionage or political maneuvering, but by the stubborn, unyielding insistence of an officer who refused to let forgotten men remain ghosts. The real battle was just beginning, but the truth was finally standing in the light.
