A page from a favorite sci-fi series of mine Galaxy’s Edge: Turning Point

“Gentlemen,” he began. “What we have long suspected might happen has finally happened.” He said this in a matter that was blunt and terse and underwhelming. There were no dramatics, no histrionics, no hyperbole or gravitas.

None of those things were ever present when legionnaires spoke to one another at any level. It had been trained out of them in favor of truth in communication. It was truth over all else, in general. And every commanding officer present today was a true legionnaire—not some point who’d been foisted on them by the ever-wheedling, ever-boundary-pushing House of Reason and all their endless functionaries.

So this secretive little briefing room deep in hyperspace was a place of truth. There wasn’t room for anything else. There wasn’t time left for anything else. Words meant what they meant. Which was a phrase they’d learned all the way back in basic training, and learned again in Legion Command and Staff.

The galaxy and the House of Reason might play their endless word games, changing meanings to fit the current agenda, or political want, but not the Legion. Here… words meant what they meant. And truth reigned supreme.

“The Grand Council of the House of Reason,” continued Keller, “has armed the zhee with a base and ten warships. This came to us three days ago via a confirmed friendly Nether Ops source. It was verified by operators on the ground within twenty-four hours. Obviously the House of Reason is anticipating that we will either be destroyed fighting the rebels calling themselves ‘the Empire,’ or they intend to betray us once and for all by using the zhee at a crucial moment to free themselves of the Legion and the threat of Article Nineteen.”

Keller paused and stared at all of them. Giving each a moment to digest the information he’d just delivered. “Given what we know about their clandestine treatment of legionnaires in the synth mines of Herbeer, I believe it to be the latter. “Now, if you will all check your devices, you will see that you are receiving a blue book file that was part of your curriculum at Legion Command and Staff. But this is not a training exercise. I repeat that as per SOP.

This is not a training exercise. It is a formal request by the current Legion commander, myself, to the required amount of serving general officers, to implement an Article Nineteen vote. The relevant information fields have been filled in within the blue book, and you may now review the charges brought against the House of Reason.” Keller folded his hands and stepped back.

If even one of them voted against him, he would be arrested by the rest and turned over to the Republic for trial, facing charges of sedition and seeking to overthrow the government. That was the safety check. Any general officer included in the vote could stop the process. And the perpetrator. It was also part of the reason why the House of Reason pushed so many points to the rank of general.

On screen behind Keller a pending quorum vote tally appeared in ghostly holographic numbers that swam across the briefing room wall. Both options—“assent” and “do not assent”—were now at zero.  For the next ten minutes a quiet tension filled the room and only the sound of the devices being tapped at could be heard as the generals reviewed the charges on the tablets below their stern faces.

Halfway through the ten minutes, X, who was lurking in the back behind the aides, lit his pipe and puffed it to life. Then the votes came in. Assent. Unanimous. Keller felt a wave of relief, though he’d never truly believed these men would deny him. For a long quiet moment the weight of what had been decided fell over the room.

There was no turning back. The die had been cast. Keller stepped forward once more to the briefing podium.

“I will arrange the arrests with Major Owens and begin a formal impeachment process of the Council. I’ll take the Fourth and Twelfth Legions to take Utopion. I intend to implement martial law without much fuss.

The House will be too busy running to stir up much trouble. And after Tarrago, their polling is at an all-time low. So, Urco and Moss, you’re with me. Signal your legions to prepare for rapid deployment once naval units loyal to us have formed the new Legion fleet.”