Chapter 303 Interstellar Military Tribunal

270 years into the Crisis Era, two months after the Battle of Dust.

In the Solar System Alliance, the Interstellar Military Tribunal.

With the pacification of the war, the disposition of the Trisolaran prisoners became the most urgent post-war affair for the Alliance.

Such judiciary proceedings involving interstellar civilizations were unprecedented in human history, the complexity and difficulty of which were self-evident; they required extensive preparation and planning.

However, the issue of handling the Trisolaran prisoners was urgent, and the Solar System Alliance had to act quickly.

The Interstellar Military Tribunal was thus established as an ad hoc institution, deciding to promptly initiate the trial of the Trisolaran prisoners and immediately put an emergency plan into action.

Of course, the trial of the Trisolaran prisoners stirred widespread skepticism and controversy among the public.

Most believed that such a trial was more akin to a self-directed, performative show of formalism since there was no common covenant or set of values to serve as the cornerstone of the trial.

In human internal conflicts, we can conduct trials based on universally recognized humanitarian principles and legal frameworks. However, when trying an extraterrestrial civilization, these principles and frameworks lose their significance.

Even fairness and reasonableness are a luxury under different value systems; it might be more straightforward to just announce the handling of Trisolaran prisoners.

This war of civilizations was also a profound baptism of human thought, its view on the relations between civilizations was very thorough, and right from the start, the Interstellar Military Tribunal was regarded as an exercise in self-congratulatory formalism.

Unexpectedly, Wallfacer Lin Sen firmly supported this trial and actively promoted the establishment of the Interstellar Military Tribunal.

The reasons were multifaceted:

Sometimes, formalism serves as a channel for the catharsis of emotions, with dignity often vested in the form.

After nearly three centuries of the Trisolaran crisis, humanity faced countless trials and sacrifices. It felt as if their hearts had been choked for 300 years.

Now it was time for humanity to stand on a high platform and pronounce judgment upon the Trisolarans, releasing their pent-up emotions, which was the dignity humanity deserved.

In addition, Lin Sen also hoped humans could gain a deeper understanding of the Trisolarans. Through the trial, different value systems would collide, sparking new intellectual ideas and infusing humanity's own value system with new ways of thinking.

Although this influence might not be significant at present, over time, whether it be 50 or 100 years later, this subtle change would gradually become apparent.

Lastly, these captured Trisolarans were already not truly Trisolarans; in that authoritarian society, they didn't even have the right to be tried.

Now that they had entered human society, they must accept the rules and laws of human society. This was also to tell them that they were about to become part of the human world.

After the trial, they might face a certain degree of punishment, but the end of the punishment would signify a new beginning. They would become free individuals with the opportunity to truly integrate into our society and start anew.

Undoubtedly, this was lighting a glimmer of hope for their future. From this perspective, the trial of the Trisolarans was not only a legal procedure but could also represent a form of care for them.

Sometimes, a trial becomes care itself!

Subsequently, the Military Tribunal rapidly assembled a joint trial team consisting of military legal experts, linguists, psychologists, and technology personnel from various countries.

This elite team's mission was not only to adjudicate the current case but more importantly, to explore and construct a legal mechanism suitable for interstellar relations, providing robust legal support and reference for potential similar incidents in the future.

To ensure the fairness and legitimacy of the trial process, the Tribunal invited Wallfacers to supervise and advise.

While ensuring the full protection of the defendants' rights, the Tribunal also specially invited a Trisolaran Sophon as defense counsel.

The Trisolarans, now unable to reject human demands, could only agree to this arrangement, but they hoped that Mozi, a Trisolarian with human citizenship, would act as their defense representative.

The Interstellar Military Tribunal was located near the Jupiter Orbital Base, not far from the original Trisolaran Escape Capsule Protection Base. At present, all Trisolaran prisoners had been transferred here, ready for trial.

This military trial was to be broadcast live to all humans in the Solar System, allowing everyone to feel the intense collision of different civilizational value systems.

In the solemn atmosphere of the Interstellar Military Tribunal, bright lights illuminated every corner. The arraignment docks on both sides presented a stark contrast: one side was occupied by the abundant and imposing team of human prosecutors;

On the other side, Mozi stood alone, his figure solitary. Next to him was a Sophon, which at that moment unfolded into a colossal sphere, silently keeping him company.

Mozi gazed at the judges on the stage and the team of human prosecutors opposite him, his heart filled with myriad emotions. He had never anticipated that the once glorious and mighty Trisolaran civilization would now be subjected to the historical judgment of humanity's courtroom.

In this moment, his heart was filled with complex feelings, grief over the decline of the Trisolaran civilization, and a sense of awe at the rise of human civilization.

The words Lin Sen had spoken two and a half centuries ago seemed to echo in his ears, clear and profound.

"My mission, my value, my dream..." Mozi murmured to himself, finally understanding that Lin Sen's sending him to the future was perhaps for this very day.

What is preordained shall come to pass; the cause of events shall find their effects.

Once dashing, Mozi's figure had now become gaunt, years of hardship and adversity lending him an air of weathered resilience. Over the past half-century, life had not been easy for him, as the first human of Trisolarian citizenship, he endured unspeakable prejudices and scorn from human society. Yet even so, he never abandoned his beliefs.

The trial began.

The judge announced solemnly, "This is humanity's first trial of another civilization, and our existing legal systems are ill-equipped to handle this case.

"We had requested that the Trisolaran world provide their legal codes for reference, but unfortunately, the Trisolaran civilization lacks even the most basic laws for human rights protection, not to mention other relevant laws."

He paused, then continued, "I must clarify one point before we proceed: The core of this trial is not centered on the act of the Trisolaran civilization's invasion of the human world. Within the current framework of international law, it is indeed difficult to find a precise legal basis to adjudicate such interstellar invasions.

"Our focus is on the various harms that Trisolarans have inflicted on humanity during the war, as well as their indiscriminate attacks. We will explore the legal responsibilities they should bear for these actions.

"We hope that through this trial, a new perspective and direction for determining accountability in interstellar wars can be established. This is not only a judgment against the Trisolarans but also a profound reflection and refinement of our human legal systems."

The judge first established the nature of the trial, dismissing any discussion about whether the Trisolarans should have invaded humanity, focusing directly on the damages they had brought upon humanity, thereby defining the Trisolarans' responsibility.

Chief Lin understood that this was an intentional sidestepping by the judge, avoiding the circular arguments of value systems right from the start. Nevertheless, Lin Sen said nothing and continued to observe.

The prosecutor (representing the team of prosecutors) stated solemnly, "Respected judge and jurors, on behalf of the prosecution team, I submit to the court detailed information regarding the Battle of Judgment Day and the Battle of Dust.

"These two battles represent the most tragic chapters in human history.

"In this catastrophe, as many as 113 million-plus innocent lives were lost, each soul representing the shattering of a family, an eternal pain.

"These numbers are not dispassionate statistics; they are pains our civilization cannot bear, our collective memory, and mourning.

"Moreover, the economic and property losses caused by the war are unprecedented, with preliminary estimates of damages reaching 90 quintillion Alliance Currency, which is almost equivalent to the total productivity of 48 billion humans of the Solar System for 14 years.

...

"As the instigators of the war, they must bear the corresponding responsibility, they must pay the due price.

"Considering that all crew members of the Trisolaran fleet participated in the combat and displayed clear hostility and indiscriminate attacks against human civilization.

"We propose that all captured Trisolaran personnel be sentenced to 600 years of imprisonment.

"During their imprisonment, they must provide unpaid services to humanity, including but not limited to participating in space exploration programs, and developing and utilizing interstellar resources, among others.

"At the same time, during the sentence, Trisolaran crew members will forfeit all political rights, including but not limited to the right to vote, the right to be elected, and the right to freedom of speech. Furthermore, their rights to culture and belief, as well as personal and personality rights, will also be partially revoked."

Judge: "Trisolaran party, what is your response to the allegations and sentencing recommendations made by the prosecution? Or do you have any other statements to make?"

The Sophon displayed subtitles: "Your statistical data is fair and accurate, and we recognize it. We are deeply aware that our actions have brought great disaster to humanity, and we deeply regret it. We are willing to pay the necessary price for it."

PS: Don't be misled by the alien nature of the Trisolaris to think that Mozi is an ugly, mentally troubled, sloppy man.

In the original work, Mozi was upright and bore a strong resemblance to the image of the old movie Superman; he could be considered a handsome middle-aged man.

However, during the time he was abandoned by the Trisolarans, Mozi truly fell into despair, contemplated suicide, and even struggled to distinguish reality from illusion, which is why the original text describes him as somewhat haggard.