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"The Majesty of the Empyre"Dei et Deae, domini et dominae, I have read both arguments regarding the case of Altair Chryseis, and I vote that we dismiss the trial and the counts of treason for which the former Hound is being charged. I will try to be brief in my explanation. Caius Antoninus was an accomplished Praetor. I fought beside him during the war, and his bravery and skills were unquestioned. The circumstances surrounding his death were unfortunate, and I regret them as much as any other. But he is not, and never has been, a symbol of the Empyre. We cannot make him a martyr or use his death as a rallying cry in the trial of one man. Altair Chryseis was doing his duty as an officer of the Hounds, and to hold him accountable for those actions is the job of Delphi, not the Empyre. Furthermore, to accuse him of murder or, worse yet, treason, would be akin to charging soldiers on the battlefield with the murder of the enemies they kill. The prosecution argues that Antoninus' death was only one instance of repeated assaults by Chryseis upon the majesty of the Empyre, but I must wonder how fragile that majesty is, if it can be harmed by the actions of a single man. The prosecution further claims that Altair's actions undermine the dignity and authority of the Empyre, but I think we have incurred far more damage ourselves than he ever could. Pettiness weakens the power of the strong; it makes bullies out of benefactors, and tyrants out of leaders. Altair Chryseis is a simple man who was merely doing his job as he saw fit, and for that, he has been harassed, threatened, faced the potential loss of his citizenship, imprisoned, and left to linger without surcease in a cell. He is a man of low rank and with little influence or position outside Haven, and yet we waste time and money on securing his downfall. Simply put, he is not worth it, and our continued insistence on manufacturing new crimes with which to charge him makes us appear foolish, vindictive, and petty. In short, I find the charges of treason ridiculous, and hardly worthwhile of debate. I think our time would be better spent repairing the rift between the Empyre and Delphi, rather than damaging it further by insisting on a sham of a trial. I think many of you have made up your minds already. But I ask you to consider whether your dislike for one man is really worth more time and money, not to mention the ill effects it could incur on our reputation. The Empyre is greater than this. It stands for something greater. And I for one don't want to be part of a false trial to punish a man for performing the duty he was given. Once again, Augustus votes to dismiss the trial. Let us move on to other matters more deserving of our attention.
Gabriel Hesperos Augustin
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