Chapter 14 - The Trial of Victor Sloan
Victor’s trial attracted cameras.
Mara hated.
She arrived through side entrance.
Lena sat behind.
Ryan attended one day.
Keene testified first.
He admitted signing incomplete approval.
Defense used.
“You failed to read annex.”
“Yes.”
“So Mr. Sloan did not force you.”
“No.”
“You were senior military authority.”
“Yes.”
“Then responsibility is yours.”
“Partly.”
Keene did not run.
That weakened blame-shift.
Then Karen Vale.
She admitted processing Mara’s electronic signature beyond authorization.
Defense painted rogue employee.
Prosecution showed Victor messages.
Then David.
He admitted false estate certification.
Defense argued Vector relied in good faith.
Prosecution showed Victor telling staff “clean paperwork.”
Still ambiguous.
Then Malcolm Voss.
Corrupt witness.
Defense attacked.
He admitted data falsification years ago.
The jury had to decide which liar to trust.
Then Mara took stand.
Victor looked at her.
No hatred.
Almost nostalgia.
He once had admired her.
Maybe.
Prosecutor asked Sentinel.
Mara explained without operational specifics.
Recovery.
Anchor.
Atlas.
Objections.
Then Phase IV.
“Did you approve commercial use of your profile?”
“No.”
“Breeding trust?”
“No.”
“Carter Exposure?”
“No.”
Then defense.
“You violated procedure to remove Atlas.”
“Yes.”
“You concealed him.”
“Yes.”
“You became emotionally attached.”
“Yes.”
“You opposed scaling Sentinel because you believed only your method worked.”
“At first, probably.”
The answer surprised.
Then:
“So this is a professional disagreement.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because professional disagreement allows both sides to know what is being done.”
“Secretly using people and dogs to prove outcome is different.”
Then defense asked:
“Isn’t it true Admiral Keene approved Phase IV?”
“Summary.”
“You don’t know what he knew.”
“Correct.”
“Isn’t it true your brother certified rights?”
“Yes.”
“Voss approved protocols?”
“Yes.”
“So why is Victor Sloan solely responsible?”
Mara looked at Victor.
“He isn’t.”
Courtroom shifted.
Defense paused.
Mara continued:
“David is responsible for his documents.”
“Voss for data.”
“Keene for oversight.”
“I’m responsible for building an anchor system too dependent on one person and for hiding Atlas outside procedure.”
“Victor is responsible for what he chose.”
That prevented cartoon story.
Then prosecution showed email excluding Mara and Keene annex.
Defense objected context.
Jury saw.
Victor testified against advice.
Like control-driven men often do in user's stories, but keep grounded.
He said he believed welfare concerns exaggerated.
Military needed resilient dogs.
Contracts required measurable performance.
Mara resisted change.
He hid annex because she would obstruct.
Prosecutor asked:
“Because she would say no?”
“Yes.”
“And Admiral Keene?”
“He would delay.”
“So you withheld because authorized reviewers might stop program.”
Victor paused.
“Yes.”
That admission mattered.
He tried recover.
“Temporarily.”
Too late.
Then breeding rights.
He said David assured valid.
Could be.
Email showed concern.
Then Carter Exposure.
Victor denied personal approval.
COO testified budget not event.
Owen Pike linked chief operating officer, not Victor directly.
Jury later acquitted him on one count tied specifically to unauthorized exposure.
But convicted on procurement fraud and conspiracy relating to material omissions in program and commercial rights representations.
Mixed.
Realistic.
Mara exhaled.
Not perfect legal validation.
Enough.
Victor faced sentencing later.
Outside, reporter shouted:
“Master Chief Carter, vindicated?”
Mara stopped.
“No.”
Reporter surprised.
“What are you?”
“Done testifying.”
Then walked away.
Lena smiled.
That was her mother.
But in car Mara cried.
Not relief.
Grief for years spent proving.
Lena drove.
No questions.
At red light, Mara said:
“I wish Dad saw.”
Lena answered:
“He probably would complain your testimony too long.”
Mara laughed through tears.
Healing.
Then Ryan called.
One of medically retired dogs, Sable, had adoption issue? Maybe handler wants. Military working dog adoption follows process. Let's fictionalize carefully.
Sable was approved for retirement placement with long-time handler.
Mara attended no ceremony.
She simply watched from distance as Sable left compound beside person he trusted.
No universal anchor.
No crowd.
Good.
Then she looked at forty-four remaining active dogs.
The number forty-seven was already history.
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That was healthy.
Individuals moved on.
