Chapter 9
The revelation hung in the small office like an electric charge. Arthur Vance stared at Sarah, his mouth opening slightly before closing into a hard, defensive line. The familial connection to the salvage captain was a detail buried deep within corporate shell companies and offshore maritime registries—information that no ordinary naval officer should have been able to uncover without an army of forensic accountants.
"You've been digging in places you shouldn't have, Captain," Vance said, his voice dropping to a low, venomous hiss. The performative courtroom charm was entirely gone, replaced by the raw desperation of a cornered animal. "You think you're some kind of crusader for justice. In reality, you're just a blip on an administrative radar that's about to be wiped clean."
"Mr. Vance," Judge Sterling warned, standing up from his desk. His presence was commanding, the black judicial robe rustling as he stepped between them. "That kind of language borders on a direct threat made inside a federal judge's chambers. I suggest you moderate your tone before I cite you for contempt."
Vance took a step back, adjusting his collar with a jerky, nervous movement. He forced a thin, strained smile back onto his face, though his eyes remained wild. "My apologies, Your Honor. The strain of these proceedings has simply... made my client's position difficult to maintain. However, the defense maintains that any connection between Aegis Maritime and the disappearance of the Orion is purely speculative circumstantial hearsay."
"Circumstantial evidence is enough to order a full naval board of inquiry, Mr. Vance," the judge replied coldly. "And with these authenticated cryptographic logs, I am expanding the scope of this proceeding from a standard civilian review to an official federal commission. Captain Sterling, your evidence is accepted into the record."
Sarah felt a profound wave of relief wash over her, though her expression remained completely composed. She gave a single, respectful nod. "Thank you, Your Honor."
"This isn't over," Vance muttered under his breath as he grabbed his suit jacket from the chair. "You might win the courtroom battle, Captain, but the Navy will court-martial you before the ink on this transcript is dry. You can't fight the entire establishment."
With that, Vance turned sharply and walked out of the chambers, the door clicking shut behind him with a definitive snap.
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Judge Sterling sat back down at his desk, rubbing his forehead with thumb and forefinger. He looked up at Sarah through tired eyes. "You realize he’s right about one thing, Captain? The Department of the Navy isn't going to take kindly to one of their own officers dragging institutional corruption into the open like this. You’ve made some very powerful enemies today."
"I made them the day I signed my commission, sir," Sarah replied softly. "I just chose to stop pretending I couldn't see them."
