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[h3][color=B8860B][i][b]Nigel Cooper[/b][/i][/color][/h3][i][b][color=B8860B]Location:[/color][/b][/i]  Education Center (M)
[i][b][color=B8860B]Skills:[/color][/b][/i] N/A
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[right][img]https://i.ibb.co/LrnKm2S/Nigel-Hadrian-1.jpg[/img][/right]
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	Iustitia fundamentum regni. Justice is the foundation of a reign. That and other phrases so well uttered in the foundational language of Latin rang through Nigel's mind as the trial recommenced. Throughout the week or so they'd stayed at Camp Mexico Beach, Nigel had gone through the opposing extremes of his attitude towards the military settlement. At the one hand he'd been cautious following Erica, Hank and Wayne into that bus and through Quarantine, not certain that the militaristic nature of a modern citadel would suit him and his morals. On the other hand, his time spent inside the protective walls of a Bastion of civilisation had given him reason to stay, integrate and even assimilate into the larger population. 

	Now as the trial continued its due course, he just hoped their conduct towards Hunter would be founded in justice. Right makes might, or Might makes right. 

	The following lines of questioning aimed at the row of witnesses made him reconsider that hope, more specifically the insistance on what Tatiana the Scarred had actually told Ash. Again and again people were asked what the Russian woman had spoken, and none elaborated. Nigel was no different, well mostly. [color=#B8860B]"Ibidem. As stated by those testifying before me, I do not speak Russian. I assumed it was an internal matter between Tatiana and Ashton, and with the absence of intervention of our guards, I'm not certain that single event alone can explain Hunter's following outburst…"[/color] 

	The image of Tatiana's scars running down her back gave him reason enough to not push on what he thought about the case. Like he said, he didn't speak Russian, so his subjective opinions weren't solid enough considering this was about Hunter. Looking seriously at the Professor as she continued her questioning, Nigel the neo-Roman took a deep breath as he tried to construct a mental timeline of the events that followed. [color=#B8860B]"How much time passed? Not long, only a few moments between the aforementioned scolding and Tatiana tending to Mr. Polawski's broken cup of coffee, then Hunter iniating his dramatic monologe of a Greek nature. I found it…should I say, ironic in the greatest truth of the word? Worst of all I found it being all bark, no bite, but threatening to worsen the already tense situation the Quarantine room found itself in. And then…the fight between him and Beatrice. From what I understand and could see, she incapacitated him, warning him to…well, behave I suppose. He took it to heart, in the end at the very least. As mentioned by my fellow witnesses, it de-escalated after that. In my opinion, it sounded as if she was protective."[/color] 

	Nigel returned in the end to his seat, his eyes rising up as the old veteran rose from his own seat. Alexander Polawski, the same person Tatiana had gone over to clean up his cup, sure looked shaken as he took the stand. And like that, Nigel once again found his whole presence intriguing.
 
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[h3][color=662d91][i][b]Alexander Polawski[/b][/i][/color][/h3][i][b][color=662d91]Location:[/color][/b][/i] Education Center (M)
[i][b][color=662d91]Skills:[/color][/b][/i] N/A
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	To say Alexander was shaken, was an understatement. His demeanour had been calm, collected and quite cooperative back in the Mess Hall when he spoke with his fellow Baby Boomer. With Manny, Alexander allowed himself to smile, laugh and sigh in understanding sadness as the two old men exchanged tales of their past lives. Boats, spouses, what made them happy. Alexander would nod in agreement, sad agreement to everything Manny told him. It had been then he realised how much he didn't know about his friend, perhaps as much as he didn't know about himself. And yet Alexander couldn't help but chuckle at what Manny had said first; that he looked forward to being dragged onboard a nice, comfortable boat. Yes, even through all the pain both of them had experienced, they could share some good times together. Alexander looked forward to that. 

	Back in the Auditorium and the trial of the young soldier, Hunter, Alexander sat silently but squiemishly on his seat as questions were asked, witnesses called and more people brought forth to answer an never-ending barrage of questions. The worst part of it wasn't how much shit was being brought out of the woodwork on Hunter's character, or how the Professor seemingly decided to focus in on what the Russian lady had or hadn't said. Perhaps Alexander time growing up during the Cold War should have prepositioned him against Tatiana by default, being  a "dirty commie" like in the good old days? 

	No, the worst part of it was how little Alexander could actually say. 

	Limping up to the stand and clearing his throat longer than he had done so far, Alexander struggled to find the words he wanted to say, any way of answering the questions asked to him. He'd collected enough information from the others answering to possibly give a bullshit account…but he couldn't. 

	[color=662d91]"I…your honour, I…don't speak Russian, so I…I don't know. I just, I just wanted it to stop. The screaming…I didn't see, couldn't see anyhing of what was happening at that time. Like Thalia…Mrs. Carmichael said before me, I…"[/color] Alexander felt his heart beating like a racing car engine inside his chest, his pulse increasing and breath growing short as the images of that day returned to him. With great strength Alexander attempted to remember what Freedman had taught him, finding happy memories to keep him going. 

	[color=662d91]"Sorry, let me rephrase. I…what Hunter said, I thought something…something bad was gonna happen to him, you know? Charlie gonna get him…"[/color] Alexander reached for his head, an intense pulsating pain shooting through his body taking hold of him as he slowly remembered what he had seen…thought he'd seen. It had been a memory, just a vision, right? He struggled to catch his breath, his old and worn fingers grasping tightly around whatever he could find to stable himself as he forced himself to continue. [color=662d91]"I don't know, I cannot recall. Thalia helped me find a chair…long day…very, very long day…Exhausted."[/color] At this point, Alexander's face was pale as a sheet, sweat running down his face as he struggled to stand upright. His past was catching up to him, like it had been waiting nearly fourty years. 
 
	Everyone looked at him, and for good reason. He was giving his testimony, but to Alexander it was quickly becoming too much for him to handle. Everyone looked at him, judged him, his words and actions, everything. This was the trial he'd never had, though one he deserved to have had since he fired those shots…Mugsy's old lips quivered, struggling to hold back the tears swelling in his eyes. [color=662d91]"I don't know anything, I cannot recall…May I be dismissed…please?"[/color] His voice trembling, his entire frame trembling, the old veteran wasn't taking being on the stand as easily as before. Something was wrong, very wrong and troubling him. It was moments away before he revealed what he knew, what he'd done and what crimes he himself had committed...what he should have been court-martialed for himself. If he hadn't already taken a piss, he would have pissed himself right then and there.