The emperors lash battleship, Li Feng's yacht bathhouse.
Li Feng and Caiaphas were soaking in the large bath of the bathhouse, both of them flushed red from the high-temperature pool, while an ice bucket full of ice-cold beer sat by the pool.
Caiaphas opened a bottle of ice-cold beer and started drinking, still having one problem he needed to solve. That was the aftermath of the initial riot; the two "sparkplugs," Kaelp and Treibek, were undoubtedly responsible for this matter. Furthermore, there was solid evidence proving several others had caused severe injuries and deaths to their comrades.
However, Caiaphas faced trouble deciding how to deal with them. The morale boost from his large-scale Legion reorganization plan was still very fragile, and Caiaphas dared not risk executing them all.
So, what Caiaphas did was something any person with a bit of sense in his Political Commissar position would do.
That was to use the excuse of "a thorough investigation is underway" to stall for as much time as possible, keeping these troublemakers locked up and hoping their comrades would forget about them during this major upheaval. If luck was good and no other problems arose.
This plan might work out well; at least, once the main force arrived in the war zone, Caiaphas could quietly repatriate them to their original units or transfer them to be with other equally foolish guys, such as in a real Punishment Battalion.
Caiaphas's plan was quite good, if Captain Paquita hadn't gotten involved.
Technically, Captain Paquita certainly had the right to demand copies of all reports and evidence collected by the Commissariat. Caiaphas hadn't seen any harm in giving them to him at the time.
But there was one thing Caiaphas forgot: the wrath of justice was not just a jumble of corridors, bunks, and training decks; it was Paquita's ship, and the Captain had absolute authority on this ship.
Two of the deceased belonged to the ship's Military Police. Paquita clearly wouldn't sit by and watch these criminals escape punishment. Paquita directly submitted a court-martial request to the command of the emperors lash battleship, ensuring these criminal Soldiers would receive the punishment he envisioned.
When Siegfried, the little secretary, placed the documents on Li Feng's desk, Li Feng was also in a difficult position because he was present and knew what had happened.
Had these Soldiers committed crimes? Yes, they had engaged in group brawls and even beaten several ship guards to death. Without even considering military regulations, Li Feng himself believed these Soldiers didn't need a trial; they could be thrown directly into space for a "spacewalk without a spacesuit" in the vacuum and absolute zero of the cosmos.
But... Caiaphas was, after all, his good friend. Since he asked for help, Li Feng couldn't refuse him this favor.
"You handle it; I won't interfere. I'll just attend as an observer when the time comes."
Caiaphas heard Li Feng's words and drank his beer... He had achieved his goal; as long as Li Feng didn't get involved, that was the greatest help... Paquita even approached Caiaphas about this, inviting him for drinks and a game of chess... As Captain Paquita arranged the chessboard, preparing to play, he said to Caiaphas:
"I know you want to be thorough. But, Caiaphas, you're going too far. You already know who is guilty; just execute them."
Caiaphas shook his head and said, "What would that solve? Can it bring your men back to life?"
"That's not the point. There won't be a jury here, and the longer you drag this out, the more I can't stand these cowards eating and living for free on my ship..."
Paquita's emotions grew agitated. Caiaphas even suspected that Paquita's relationship with a deceased Military Police was more than just superior and subordinate. However, Li Feng later found out that one of the deceased guards was Captain Paquita's... m, boyfriend?
Caiaphas also said helplessly at this moment, "I want to end this too, but if we execute them, the entire Legion will split again; morale has only just recovered."
Paquita understood but was unsympathetic: "Then I must consider my crew; they demand blood for blood. Justice will be served."
...Commissariat Office...
"Are you crazy?"
Kastin questioned, looking at Caiaphas from across the desk, trying to avoid looking at Yugen, who was organizing daily documents.
"If we deal with those criminals now, our order can be restored. Treibek is among those Soldiers..."
She glanced at Brocklaw and quickly corrected herself: "...holds a high position."
"Kaelp too."
Brocklaw followed suit, which was exactly what Caiaphas wanted to see; the Legion was starting to function properly.
Kastin and Brocklaw were gradually getting used to their roles of commanding and executing. Although there was an occasional awkward politeness, their relationship was developing in a normal direction.
"I understand all this."
Caiaphas said, nodding to Yugen in thanks. His adjutant brought a teapot. Caiaphas's usual routine upon entering the office was to brew a pot of tea, as Li Feng had given him a lot of millennia-old Tieguanyin snuck from Malcador's room.
"Could you bring two more cups?"
After Yugen left, Caiaphas poured himself a cup of tea and pushed the teapot to the side of the desk. The tea's aroma was warm as usual, making him feel greatly relaxed.
"The problem is," Caiaphas continued, "Captain Paquita is the master of this ship. He can absolutely convene a court-martial and directly execute Kaelp and the others. We cannot let him do that."
"Do you have any suggestions?" Kastin asked, putting down her cup without drinking.
Why? Because she had just seen Yugen carrying two teacups, and to hold them steady, his thumb had accidentally dipped into the tea... Caiaphas sipped his tea, the fragrant taste lingering on his tongue:
"I managed to persuade Paquita to compromise. He will convene a court-martial, but the Commissariat will decide the sentencing after the verdict."
Brocklaw immediately grasped the key point: "You got him to agree to a compromise?"
Caiaphas nodded slightly: "Yes, if we want a stable combat unit, we cannot undermine authority. Paquita will conduct the trial under naval law, and once guilt is established, the Commissariat will be responsible for the final sentencing."
Caiaphas was experienced in court, having served in various roles as a hero Political Commissar many times. He knew how to arrange jurors to get the desired outcome. Ensuring jurors were honest, biased, and rigid people usually guaranteed Caiaphas's intentions... The court was actually the ship's junior officers' living quarters temporarily converted, and the trial scene quieted down. Paquita wanted more people to be tried than actually attended, but under Caiaphas's persuasion, some pending cases were handed over to Caiaphas.
Soldiers found guilty of minor offenses received punishments such as demotion, flogging, and cleaning toilets, and then safely returned to their respective posts.
Caiaphas unexpectedly earned the reputation of being "just and benevolent" among the Soldiers. Senior officers even used this to create momentum, spreading rumors that Paquita advocated for mass executions, while the heroic Political Commissar Caiaphas spent weeks trying to dissuade him, even pulling strings and approaching his good friend, the overall commander of the main force, Li Feng, to secure lenient treatment for most people.
This unearned reputation further fermented within the ranks, boosting morale. Many Soldiers were even grateful for the punishments they received, and at least for now, morale remained stable.
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