Chapter 208: Chapter 208— Blame

Theodore Selaris watched the deployment debriefing from the observation gallery, his expression carefully neutral.

He’d positioned himself here specifically to assess the joint operation. To observe how Republic and foreign students interacted under combat pressure. To identify vulnerabilities he could exploit in his ongoing campaign.

What he observed was… problematic.

Mara’s performance had been exceptional. Undeniably, frustratingly exceptional.

His intelligence network had classified her as low priority. Still Fledgling. Technically skilled but lacking the raw power to be threatening. Someone who could be pressured through resource denial and social exclusion without significant risk.

That assessment was now catastrophically outdated.

She’d integrated a rare core. Advanced to Initiate. Demonstrated combat capability that impressed even Ashmar students who’d spent weeks establishing dominance over Republic recruits.

And she was part of the Vester squad. Bright’s squad. The outpost recruits who were becoming progressively more problematic for Theodore’s carefully constructed political network.

He needed to recalculate.

Direct confrontation was too dangerous. Bright had proven that by dismantling Johnmark. Silas had proven that by killing Gregor. And now Mara had proven that underestimating outpost recruits led to strategic errors.

But indirect pressure could still work.

Theodore couldn’t attack the squad directly. That would be suicide—literally, given their demonstrated capabilities.

But he could attack their reputation. Their standing. Their access to institutional resources and opportunities.

He could make academy life sufficiently difficult that even exceptional capability couldn’t overcome systematic exclusion.

And he had the perfect target.

The tank specialist.

Large. Obvious. Direct.

The kind of presence that drew attention simply by existing.

And more importantly—the kind of personality that operated in straight lines. Honest reactions. Predictable responses. Minimal political instinct.

Which made him ideal.

Because sophisticated frameups did not target the subtle.

They targeted the visible.

Noble testimony layered with fabricated evidence. Witness statements curated by the right families. A narrative constructed cleanly enough that denial only sounded like aggression.

Someone blunt and physically imposing would look guilty long before facts were examined.

Theodore exhaled slowly.

Duncan would never see it coming.

He retrieved his encrypted communicator, the screen lighting up with silent authorization prompts. His network wasn’t vast—but it was positioned correctly. Minor house affiliates. Discreet intermediaries. Students who understood leverage better than loyalty.

He began drafting messages.

Nothing explicit.

Nothing traceable.

Just suggestions. Timelines. Quiet inquiries.

It was time to escalate.

Carefully.

Strategically.

But escalate nonetheless.

—–

Days Later

Duncan was called to the Disciplinary’s office during evening training.

The summons came through official channels. His academy bracelet vibrated with the notification: Report to Administrative Tribunal. Chamber 3. Immediately.

He showed the message to Bright, confused. “Did I miss a mandatory class or something?”

Bright’s expression darkened. “No. This is something else.”

“How do you know?”

“Because administrative tribunals aren’t used for attendance violations. They’re used for disciplinary accusations serious enough to potentially warrant expulsion.”

Duncan’s stomach dropped. “What? I haven’t done anything that would—”

“Doesn’t matter if you did or didn’t. Someone’s accusing you of something.” Bright was already moving toward the exit. “I’m coming with you.”

“You don’t have to—”

“Yes, I do.”

They arrived at the tribunal chamber together. Duncan entered alone—regulations prohibited outside observers during initial proceedings—but Bright positioned himself in the adjacent hallway where he could monitor through spatial awareness.

The tribunal consisted of three academy administrators and one noble house representative.

The representative was from House Selaris.

Duncan felt his anxiety spike immediately.

The head disciplinary, Caldwell —a thin man in his sixties who handled administrative matters with bureaucratic precision—opened the proceedings without preamble.

“Duncan Varn. You’ve been accused of theft from a noble house armory. Specifically, the theft of three cores and two enchanted weapons from House Selaris’s secured storage during the autumn equinox social event two weeks ago.”

Duncan blinked. “What? I didn’t—I wasn’t even at that event. I don’t attend noble house social functions.”

“We have testimony stating otherwise.” Caldwell gestured to the House Selaris representative—a man named Marcus who Duncan vaguely recognized. “Please present your evidence.”

Marcus stood, his expression professionally neutral. “On the evening of the autumn equinox, House Selaris hosted a social gathering for the academy students. Approximately two hundred attended. During the event, our secured armory—accessible only to family members and verified guests—was breached. Three cores and two enchanted weapons were stolen.”

“And you’re accusing me based on what evidence?” Duncan kept his voice level despite the growing dread.

“Witness testimony from three independent noble students who saw you entering the restricted wing of our estate.” Marcus pulled out sealed testimony documents. “Additionally, we recovered this near the armory entrance.”

He placed an object on the tribunal table.

Duncan’s training gloves. The ones with his academy identification embedded in the material for equipment tracking.

“Those are mine,” Duncan admitted immediately. “But I lost them weeks ago. I reported the loss to equipment management.”

“We have no record of such a report,” one of the administrators said, checking documentation.

“I filed it. I know I did.” Duncan’s mind was racing. “Check the logs again. It should be there.”

“Even if the report exists,” Marcus continued smoothly, “it doesn’t explain why your gloves were found at the scene of a theft. Or why three witnesses identified you specifically.”

“I want to see the witness testimony.”

“The witnesses have requested anonymity due to concerns about retaliation from any aggrieved factions.”

Duncan’s hands clenched into fists. “This is a frameup. Someone planted my gloves. The witnesses are lying. I wasn’t there.”

“Can you prove you were elsewhere during the time of the theft?” Caldwell asked.

“I was…” Duncan tried to remember. Evening. “I was training. In the combat halls. Alone, probably. I train alone most evenings.”

“So you have no alibi.”

“No, but that doesn’t mean I’m guilty! You can’t just—”

“The tribunal will review all evidence and render judgment within three days,” Caldwell interrupted. “Until then, you’re suspended from all academy activities except mandatory classes. Your merit point access is frozen. You’re prohibited from leaving academy grounds.”

“This is insane. I didn’t steal anything!”

“That will be determined through proper investigation.” Caldwell’s tone was final. “Dismissed.”

Duncan left the chamber feeling like the ground had disappeared beneath him.

Bright was waiting in the hallway.

“They’re framing me,” Duncan said immediately. “Three witnesses I can’t cross-examine. My gloves that I reported missing weeks ago. Testimony from House selaris.”

“I know.” Bright’s voice was cold. Controlled. “This is an escalation. They can’t attack us directly, so they are attacking our reputations through institutional channels.”

“What do I do?”

“We prove you’re innocent. Or we prove they’re lying. Whichever is easier.”

“How?”

Bright was quiet for a moment. Then: “Adam. His intelligence network. If this is a frameup, there will be evidence. People who were paid off. Coordination between allies. Something we can expose.”

“And if we can’t find evidence in three days?”

Bright met his eyes. “Then we figure out what institutional power actually means. And whether their connections can withstand what happens when they push us too far.”

The threat was implicit but clear.

Duncan nodded slowly.

He was being framed. His academy career was potentially over.

But he wasn’t alone.

And the squad didn’t abandon their own.

This noble brats had made a mistake.

They had attacked someone with friends who wouldn’t accept injustice quietly.

Now they’d learn what that mistake cost.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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