The door on the other side of the hearing chamber opened.
Anna Clement entered first, wearing an E.U. technical officer's uniform without a single crease. The bruises on her face had been treated, but traces of the interrogation remained visible. Eito Hyuga, Sayanami, Naruse Yukiya, and Kousaka Ayano followed close behind. The four had changed into the official uniforms of the Area 11 military, with both Area 11 Citizen identification and Common Defense Army service insignia on their chests. Yet their old W-0 emblems had not been removed entirely; they remained on the inner side of their right sleeves.
They were proof of what they had been through.
Behind them came six former W-0 technical officers, two medical personnel, and several junior E.U. officials who had managed refugee camps. They stood in exceptionally orderly ranks. Their footsteps struck the floor without disorder or any deliberate show of defiance, yet made their point more forcefully than any slogan.
Leila had been ready to face the prosecutor's next round of questioning, but the sight of them still left her momentarily blank.
Sayanami gave her a faint smile, just as he had before every sortie, with a hint of forced nonchalance. Yukiya adjusted his glasses without letting his gaze linger, as though he had merely come to carry out a task decided long ago. Ayano stood ramrod straight, but her eyes were already a little red.
Eito Hyuga was the last to approach the witness stand. He bowed his head slightly to Leila.
"Major."
Leila's lips moved faintly.
"Why are you here?"
Sayanami was about to speak when the prosecutor rose.
"Chief Justice, I object. These individuals have changed their political and military affiliations and have a direct vested interest in the case under review. They should not be allowed to enter the